Conducting Interviews
Year/Grade 9
No Subject
25 students
This lesson plan corresponds with national standards for effective communication and interpersonal skills development.
| Step Number | Step Title | Length | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | 5 minutes | Introduce the topic of conducting interviews. Discuss the importance of effective communication. |
| 2 | Interview Techniques | 10 minutes | Explain key interview techniques (e.g., active listening, open-ended questions). Provide examples. |
| 3 | Printable Cards Distribution | 5 minutes | Distribute printable interview question cards to students. Explain how to fill them in during the lesson. |
| 4 | Question Formulation | 10 minutes | Guide students in formulating their own interview questions using the printable cards. Allow them to work in pairs. |
| 5 | Role-playing Scenarios | 10 minutes | In pairs, students will take turns role-playing as the interviewer and interviewee using their formulated questions. |
| 6 | Random Checking | 5 minutes | Collect or randomly check students’ filled-in cards to ensure understanding and proper question formulation. |
| 7 | Homework Assignment | 5 minutes | Assign homework related to interview techniques or reflections on role-playing experiences (details not provided in the plan). |
Students will receive a homework assignment related to interview techniques or a reflection on their role-playing scenarios. This will be collected without students needing to present it in class.
“Good morning, class! Today we're going to delve into the topic of conducting interviews. Interviews are not just about asking questions; they are a critical tool for effective communication and information gathering. Can anyone tell me why effective communication is important in interviews?”
[Pause for student responses]
“Exactly! It's all about understanding the perspective of the interviewee and obtaining accurate information. Let’s explore how we can conduct effective interviews together.”
“Now, let’s discuss some key techniques for conducting effective interviews.
Active Listening: This means really paying attention to what the interviewee is saying, rather than just thinking about your next question.
Open-Ended Questions: These are questions that require more than a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer. For example, instead of asking 'Did you like the project?', you could ask 'What did you like most about the project?' This encourages a more detailed response.
Let’s take a moment to consider why these techniques are effective. Any thoughts?”
[Encourage a brief discussion]
“Great insights! These techniques not only help us gather more information but also make the interviewee feel valued and heard.”
“Next, I will hand out printable interview question cards to each of you. Please take one and look it over. These cards will help you formulate your own interview questions later in the lesson."
[Distribute the cards]
“Now, take a moment to read the instructions on the card. You’ll be using these throughout our activities today.”
“Let’s move on to formulating our own interview questions. Turn to a partner and work together on this task. You can use the space provided on your card to write down at least three open-ended questions that could be used in a mock interview scenario.
Remember to think about what kind of information you want to gather. I’ll give you about 10 minutes for this activity, starting now!”
[Circulate the room to provide support and help students formulate questions]
“Now that you’ve had the chance to create your questions, it’s time to put them into practice! Pair up with someone you didn’t work with before. One of you will be the interviewer and the other will be the interviewee.
When I say ‘go,’ begin your role-play. The interviewer will ask the questions you developed, and the interviewee will provide responses as best as they can. I’ll give you 10 minutes for this activity!”
[Monitor the pairs during the role-play, offering guidance if necessary]
“Okay, let’s wrap up the role-playing. Please hand in your filled-in cards, or I may randomly check them to ensure you're on the right track with your question formulation. It's important to see how you approached this activity in order to provide the best feedback.”
[Collect cards or conduct random checks while providing comments]
“Before we end class, I want to assign a homework task. For your homework, I would like you to write a reflection on your role-playing experience today. Think about how it felt to be both the interviewer and the interviewee.
Consider what techniques worked well and what you found challenging. Be prepared to discuss your reflections in our next class.”
“Thank you for your participation today! I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts next time. Have a great day!"
| Slide Number | Image | Slide Content |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | {Image: A classroom with students} | - Introduction to conducting interviews |
| - Importance of effective communication in interviews | ||
| - Overview of today's lesson | ||
| 2 | {Image: People listening attentively} | - Key interview techniques |
| - Active Listening: Pay attention, don’t just think of the next question | ||
| - Open-Ended Questions: Encourage detailed responses | ||
| 3 | {Image: Printable interview cards} | - Distribution of printable interview question cards |
| - Use cards to formulate interview questions | ||
| - Read and understand the instructions on the cards | ||
| 4 | {Image: Students collaborating} | - Question Formulation activity |
| - Work with a partner to create three open-ended interview questions | ||
| - Consider the type of information you want to gather | ||
| 5 | {Image: Students acting in pairs} | - Role-Playing Scenarios |
| - Pair up and take turns as interviewer and interviewee | ||
| - Utilize the questions you developed during the question formulation | ||
| 6 | {Image: Teacher monitoring students} | - Wrap up the role-playing activity |
| - Submit filled-in cards for assessment | ||
| - Random checks to ensure understanding of question formulation | ||
| 7 | {Image: Homework assignment notebook} | - Homework Assignment |
| - Write a reflection on your role-playing experience | ||
| - Discuss techniques that worked well and challenges faced | ||
| 8 | {Image: Discussion in classroom} | - Prepare to share reflections in the next class |
| - Emphasis on the learning process and feedback | ||
| 9 | {Image: Thank you note} | - Closing remarks |
| - Thank students for participation | ||
| - Encourage ongoing practice and application of interview techniques | ||
| 10 | {Image: Students leaving the classroom} | - Reminder to apply learned techniques in future interviews |
| - Look forward to the next discussion and continued learning |
What are the two key techniques discussed in the lesson for conducting effective interviews? Provide a brief explanation of each.
Why is it important to use open-ended questions during interviews? Give an example of an open-ended question you could use.
Reflect on the role-playing activity: What was one challenging aspect of conducting an interview that you experienced? How did it feel to take on both the interviewer and interviewee roles?
Based on your role-playing experience, what techniques do you think helped in gathering more detailed information from the interviewee? Provide specific examples.
Why is active listening important in the context of interviews? How can it impact the quality of information obtained?
What is the value of making the interviewee feel valued and heard during an interview? Provide a short paragraph explaining your thoughts.
After formulating your interview questions on the provided cards, what did you learn about crafting questions? How can this influence the outcome of an interview?
The two key techniques are Active Listening and Open-Ended Questions. Active Listening involves paying full attention to what the interviewee says to ensure accurate information gathering; Open-Ended Questions encourage elaborated responses rather than simply 'yes' or 'no' answers.
Open-ended questions are important because they invite interviewees to share their thoughts and feelings in detail. Example: "What did you enjoy the most about the project?"
One challenging aspect might be managing the flow of conversation while staying focused on the questions. It felt different to be both the interviewer and the interviewee, providing unique insights into both roles.
Techniques such as asking open-ended questions and maintaining eye contact helped gather detailed information. For instance, using the question "Can you describe your experience with the project?" encouraged deeper dialogue.
Active listening is important as it shows respect and helps build rapport with the interviewee, leading to more honest and detailed responses.
Making the interviewee feel valued and heard fosters a comfortable environment, encouraging them to open up and share more information.
Crafting questions taught me to think critically about what information I wanted to gather and adapt my approach accordingly, influencing the effectiveness of the interview.
| Question | Answer |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|
| Why is effective communication important in interviews? | |
| What are some key techniques for conducting effective interviews? | |
| Why is active listening important during an interview? | |
| How do open-ended questions enhance the interviewing process? | |
| What types of responses do open-ended questions encourage? | |
| How can you ensure that the interviewee feels valued during an interview?| |
| What are some potential challenges you might face while interviewing? | |
| How did you feel about being both the interviewer and the interviewee? | |
| What techniques did you find most effective in your role-playing? | |
| How can the experience of role-playing improve your interviewing skills? | |