Teacher Interview

PACIFIC CHILD: Teacher Interview Discussion Guide
Thank you for meeting with us today. The purpose of our visit is to learn more about
your experiences with the Pacific CHILD professional development program. Your point
of view as teacher participants is extremely valuable to us. We are especially interested
in learning more about how you feel the training sessions are going so far, and how you
feel about your progress in implementing key components of the Pacific CHILD
pedagogy in your classroom.
Please keep in mind:
•

There are no right or wrong answers to the questions we have prepared. Our
questions are designed to stimulate discussion about your experiences with Pacific
CHILD.

•

We will take notes of this interview for our internal use only. We will not share
these notes with anyone outside of the BPA evaluation team. Your comments
will be kept anonymous and will not be traceable to you.

•

Your specific comments will not be shared with other teachers, principal, reading
specialists, administrators, or any of the PREL staff.

•

Your participation in this focus group is completely voluntary and you do not
have to answer any questions that you do not want to answer.

Discussion Questions:
1. BACKGROUND
Please tell us which grade you are teaching, and a little about your experience
teaching and working with ELLs.
Please briefly describe the kinds of professional development activities you have
participated in (general, not specific to ELL’s or the Pacific region) over the past
year?

2. NEED FOR ELL-SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Prior to the start of the Pacific CHILD program, had you had any training specific
to working with ELLs?
Probe: If so, what kind? Did you feel you had a need for this kind of
professional development? Why or why not?

3. CULTURAL CONTEXT
What do you think of the cultural component of the program? Do you think that
the focus on cultural context of the Pacific is helpful?
Probe: If so, how? If not, why not? Does the cultural focus impact your
ability to work with your students in anyway?
4. PACIFIC CHILD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS
Now that you have some experience with the Pacific CHILD model, how do you
think it will/has impacted your ability to work with ELLs?
Probe: Do you feel more/less confident about meeting the needs of ELLs?
Which part(s) of the Pacific CHILD model have been most helpful to you so far?
Which have been the least helpful?
Probe: Try to identify strengths as well as unmet needs/areas for
improvement).
5. 2-WEEK SUMMER INSTITUTE
Did you attend the two-week summer institute? If not, why not? If yes, how
would you rate the 2-week summer institute?
Probes: Did the institute meet your needs/expectations? Did you have an
opportunity for in-class practice? Were you able to receive appropriate
feedback about your teaching? What about the 2-week institute worke?
What were some areas that could be improved upon?
6. MINI-INSTITUTES
Have you attended any of the mini-institutes? If not, why not? If yes, please
describe your experiences with the mini-institutes?
Probes: How often have the mini-institutes scheduled at your school?
How many mini-institutes have you attended? Did the mini-institutes meet
your needs/expectations? What aspects of the mini-institutes did you find
to be most helpful? What were some areas that could be improved upon?
Do you feel the mini-institutes have helped you better serve your ELL
students? If so, how? Was the content of the mini-institutes
applicable/relevant to your teaching?

7. STRUCTURED LEARNING TEAMS
Do you regularly participate in the Pacific CHILD's Structured Learning Teams?
Probe: If not, probe why they do not regularly participate (the schedule
conflict, lack of time, lack of resources, not interested, etc).
What has your experience been with the structured learning teams?
Probes: How often are the structured learning team meetings held at your
school? How often do you attend these meetings? How useful do you find
these meetings?
So far, are the reading specialists who lead the structured learning teams meeting
your needs/expectations?
Probes: Is there anything that you feel you need from your reading
specialist or the structured learning team that you’re not yet getting (e.g.
communication with flexibility, content of sessions, how often they met,
etc.)
What are some of the benefits you feel you have received from the structured
learning teams?

8. APPLYING PACIFIC CHILD PRINCIPLES
Now that you have had some experience with the Pacific CHILD model, how do
you feel about your skills with regard to working with ELLs?
Probe: How well do you feel you are able to enact the Pacific CHILD
principles in your classroom?
We’re interested in understanding how you feel your skills are developing over
time. Can you give us some specific examples that demonstrate how well you are
adopting the Pacific CHILD principles?
How have your students responded to the Pacific CHILD activities?
What would you say are the greatest barriers to enacting Pacific CHILD
principles in your classroom?

9. SCHOOL AND DISTRICT LEVEL SUPPORT

How well do you feel your school and district level administrators support the
Pacific CHILD program?
Probes: How well does your principal understand and support your
participation in the 2-week institute, mini-institutes, and structured
learning teams? Does participation in the Pacific CHILD Program mean
extra duty for you? Can you think of other ways that your principal or
other administrators can support your participation in the PACIFIC
CHILD Program? (Probe: release from other duties, incentives or
rewards). Do you have any suggestions for improvement in school and
district level support for the Pacific CHILD Program?
10. OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH PACIFIC CHILD
Looking back at your experience with Pacific CHILD so far, how would
you describe your overall level of satisfaction with the program?
Probes: Do you feel you are making progress? Do you feel the program is
helping you meet the needs of your students? What is the most helpful
component of the Pacific CHILD Program so far? (For year 2 focus
groups: Do you feel that you will continue to enact the Pacific CHILD
principals after the training sessions have ended?)

THANK YOU