School Site Supervisor Interview

Teacher: Jodi Delaney

School: Hawthorne Elementary
District: San Luis Coastal Unified School District
Grade Level: 4th
1) How do you plan for the year?
To plan for a month I like to use backwards mapping. In
backwards mapping I look at the deadlines and work backwards
from there.
2) What do you decide to teach and in what order?
We really dont get to decide that much anymore. We follow
guidelines with most subjects. I have decided however that it is
best to teach your core subjects in the morning because that is
when your students are the most engaged.
3) How do you plan for a month, a week, and a day?
I start with a very broad focus, then break it down into smaller
ideas, then finally break it down into individual daily plans. I
believe it is called the umbrella approach.
4) How many boys and girls do you have in the class?
We have 27 students in class. 14 are boys, and 13 of them are
girls.
5) How many ELL do you have at the beginning, intermediate, and
advanced level?
There are eight EL students in our class. one is advanced, three
are medium, and four are low.
6) Which of the students have learning disabilities or health issues
and what are they?
Four of my students have learning/health issues. One has ADHD,
one has a learning disability and has been held back (is now
performing at a second grade level), one has ADHD and a speech
issue, and one has a mild tick disorder.
7) What special instructional or assessment adjustments should be
made for them?
Some of my students go to special ed or get one on one
assistance. 1 of my students is taught 2nd grade material. The
students also have specific seating and partners, that set them
up for success.
8) How is your class divided socio-economically?
15 out of the 27 students in our class are socio-economically
dependent.
9) How many children appear to be performing at grade level? How
many below?
12 students in the class are at or above grade level, and 15 are
performing below grade level.

10)
Do you use any kind of differentiated grouping of
students?
Students are strategically paired in groups of four in math.
Students are also paired with a reading partner that is at their
same reading level as them.
11)
What are the general mental and emotional characteristics
of children at this grade level?
The mental characteristics are that the students till think that
learning is fun, but dont want to challenge themselves in school.
The emotional characteristics revolve around the fact that this is
when cliques start to form in school.
12)
How are they different from children at the preceding
grade level?
The students at this grade have more self awareness then the
younger students at school. This self awareness causes self
consciousness to increase as well.
13)
What are some of the types of things in which these
children seem to have strong interests?
The students in our class are really into: video games,
minecraft, sports, youtube, snapchat and instagram.
14)
Is there anything else that I should know about this group
of children that will help me work more effectively with them?
Not much for the class as a whole, but two of the students need
to be kept on task at all times or they can get out of control.
15)
What kind of classroom management system do you use?
I use a positive discipline model. Kids come up with the rules
and solutions, and sign a contract that they will agree to them. I
also use Delaney Dollars, class dojo, and a student shop.
16)
What would you say are three things most important for
beginning teachers to know?
Three of the most important things for future teachers to know
are: its not always the student its sometimes the family, its okay
to cry, and its A LOT of work.