I went home last week to attend an interview for a teaching programme. The content are as follows:
Q: What exactly do you learn in a Biomedical Sciences course?
A: It is basically a study on human health and its challenges, and with today's advancement, trying to improve human health and may be discover other advancements.
Q: Could you explain the final year project presentation?
A: Every final year student have to present their project findings before they submit their project thesis. The information include project design, discussion of results, and the conclusion.
Q: What was your project?
A: I conducted a study on the effects of black seed oil (Nigella sativa L.) on rat’s blood profile, especially cholesterol.
Q: Why did you choose black seed?
A: Students were not required to design a new project. I decided to follow my friend running an experiment concerning the clinical effects of black seeds. As I gone through some journals, I came upon an experiment testing black seeds’ ability to decrease blood cholesterol that I couldn’t get much of the details and design a test with the help of the supervisor. Furthermore, there has been widespread concern about fat and human health.
Q: What exactly in black seed oil that has the ability to reduce blood cholesterol?
A: I don’t know because my research didn’t go to that extent.
Q: Didn’t you read about it somewhere in a journal?
A: I might have, but I couldn’t recall.
Q: Tell us about your teaching experience.
A: I think the students have so much energy because they talk a lot and they like to run around the class. It was hard to control them. They like to do certain activities in the class and it’d be easier for me to control them then. I often took them out of the class too.
Q: What are the probable causes that you might think of, that could be the cause of students not coming to school? Is it because teachers don’t know how to teach?
A: I don’t think it’s because teachers don’t know how to teach, but may be because they don’t know what interests these students. Even university students are bored with just lectures, sometimes for 2 hours non-stop. Some students may stay out of school because of peer pressure. Staying out of school doesn’t always mean that they are doing bad things. They might be helping their family for a living.
Q: What could you suggest to attract students learning science?
A: I think it’d be exposing them directly to the environment. For example, instead of bringing a pot of plant into the class, arrange a tour around the school ground and learn.
Q: What do you think about the deterioration of the national sport? Do you think it’s true that athletes aren’t trained with combined corresponding science disciplines? How about implementing the science of human health into sports training?
A: I wouldn’t know if all the corresponding sciences are utilized in the training, but it may not be employed well. If we are thinking of nutrition assessment, we are evaluating whether these athletes are getting enough nutrition or the right nutrition, and consequently the need of supplements to may be boost energy. In the aspects of training, we assess whether they have enough training or proper training. The science of human health might have been used in the mission to produce competent athletes since long ago because there are people who arrange such programmes in the sports council. May be these athletes needed to be more mentally prepared as well.
Q: How could we instill scientific thinking in students?
A: I think it starts from understanding how scientific knowledge affects their life and tell them how to use the knowledge well. That’s why it is more effective if they could see theories proven. So, I really hope that if a lab session is handled, the students could be given the chance to at least see what the experiment is about. Of course it could be better if they could try it themselves.
End of interview. Everybody says thank you very much to each other.
So, did you find the interview easy?
Just before the interview, the candidates were asked to write short notes for 30 minutes on:
1. What they like to do and what they are capable of doing.
2. Teaching experience:
i. Brief teaching history.
ii. Experiences with children or adolescent.
3. Interest in arts and cultural activities, and with the community.
4. Their contribution when they become a teacher. (I have predicted this question.)
If you were to be in my shoes, do you think that my answers could be the ticket to teaching?
I have to thank one of the interviewers for lending me his pen. And thank you to both of them for not being too strict during the interview.
Q: What exactly do you learn in a Biomedical Sciences course?
A: It is basically a study on human health and its challenges, and with today's advancement, trying to improve human health and may be discover other advancements.
Q: Could you explain the final year project presentation?
A: Every final year student have to present their project findings before they submit their project thesis. The information include project design, discussion of results, and the conclusion.
Q: What was your project?
A: I conducted a study on the effects of black seed oil (Nigella sativa L.) on rat’s blood profile, especially cholesterol.
Q: Why did you choose black seed?
A: Students were not required to design a new project. I decided to follow my friend running an experiment concerning the clinical effects of black seeds. As I gone through some journals, I came upon an experiment testing black seeds’ ability to decrease blood cholesterol that I couldn’t get much of the details and design a test with the help of the supervisor. Furthermore, there has been widespread concern about fat and human health.
Q: What exactly in black seed oil that has the ability to reduce blood cholesterol?
A: I don’t know because my research didn’t go to that extent.
Q: Didn’t you read about it somewhere in a journal?
A: I might have, but I couldn’t recall.
Q: Tell us about your teaching experience.
A: I think the students have so much energy because they talk a lot and they like to run around the class. It was hard to control them. They like to do certain activities in the class and it’d be easier for me to control them then. I often took them out of the class too.
Q: What are the probable causes that you might think of, that could be the cause of students not coming to school? Is it because teachers don’t know how to teach?
A: I don’t think it’s because teachers don’t know how to teach, but may be because they don’t know what interests these students. Even university students are bored with just lectures, sometimes for 2 hours non-stop. Some students may stay out of school because of peer pressure. Staying out of school doesn’t always mean that they are doing bad things. They might be helping their family for a living.
Q: What could you suggest to attract students learning science?
A: I think it’d be exposing them directly to the environment. For example, instead of bringing a pot of plant into the class, arrange a tour around the school ground and learn.
Q: What do you think about the deterioration of the national sport? Do you think it’s true that athletes aren’t trained with combined corresponding science disciplines? How about implementing the science of human health into sports training?
A: I wouldn’t know if all the corresponding sciences are utilized in the training, but it may not be employed well. If we are thinking of nutrition assessment, we are evaluating whether these athletes are getting enough nutrition or the right nutrition, and consequently the need of supplements to may be boost energy. In the aspects of training, we assess whether they have enough training or proper training. The science of human health might have been used in the mission to produce competent athletes since long ago because there are people who arrange such programmes in the sports council. May be these athletes needed to be more mentally prepared as well.
Q: How could we instill scientific thinking in students?
A: I think it starts from understanding how scientific knowledge affects their life and tell them how to use the knowledge well. That’s why it is more effective if they could see theories proven. So, I really hope that if a lab session is handled, the students could be given the chance to at least see what the experiment is about. Of course it could be better if they could try it themselves.
End of interview. Everybody says thank you very much to each other.
So, did you find the interview easy?
Just before the interview, the candidates were asked to write short notes for 30 minutes on:
1. What they like to do and what they are capable of doing.
2. Teaching experience:
i. Brief teaching history.
ii. Experiences with children or adolescent.
3. Interest in arts and cultural activities, and with the community.
4. Their contribution when they become a teacher. (I have predicted this question.)
If you were to be in my shoes, do you think that my answers could be the ticket to teaching?
I have to thank one of the interviewers for lending me his pen. And thank you to both of them for not being too strict during the interview.