Interview Activity Help

[Guest]

Hi everyone! Just wondered if I could pick your fantastic brains! I have an interview on tuesday for a nursery teacher position and as part of the interview I will be observed doing an activity of my choice with a group of 8 children. I currently teach in a pre~school but my mind has gone blank! If anyone has done some great/successful activities and would like to share it would be much appreciated! I'm really nervous! I did think about doing a music related activity where the children take turns to pick an instrument, name it and play it??

Thank you

[Guest]

Good luck! I think doing a music activity would be a great idea. I often use the song 'Choose an instrument you can play' (I think its from Bobby Shaftoe, but I can send you words if you'd like them) then children take turns to choose instruments. Also, have you ever used a 'Beat Baby' - these are a fantastic resource. It is a small toy that curls up and comes with a book with ideas for developing a steady beat in children - I think you can get them on Amazon. I work with Nursery and Reception children and they adore it! Hope all goes well,

Kathryn

[Guest]

How long is it for? We recently had a new teacher join the nursery unit at school and the Head chose the teacher who did a carousel of activities as she said this is the practise she would like to see. It was only a 20 minute session so children only really did one activity by the time the topic was introduced to them but it showed how she would run the nursery. Are there any topics etc. that you are interested in or have covered before to start the clogs rolling?

[Guest]

Thats brilliant kathryn! If you could send the words that would be fantastic! I know of Bobby Shaftoe but dont have the book! I do have some instument cards in a box that I have used in the past, the children pass the box around singing 'pass the box around, pass the box around, pass the box around, what are you going to play' they then choose a card from the box and find the instrument that matches the picture on the card. so I could do that?? I will also look into the beat baby sounds intriguing!

Thanks

[Guest]

oh the activity has to be for 15mins! I'm a very arty creative person and love doing this type of activity with the children in my current setting however I'm not sure I want to do anything too messy if I'm being observed!

[Guest]

Thats brilliant kathryn! If you could send the words that would be fantastic! I know of Bobby Shaftoe but dont have the book! I do have some instument cards in a box that I have used in the past, the children pass the box around singing 'pass the box around, pass the box around, pass the box around, what are you going to play' they then choose a card from the box and find the instrument that matches the picture on the card. so I could do that?? I will also look into the beat baby sounds intriguing!

Thanks

 

The words are 'Choose an instrument you can play,

Yoiu can play, you can play,

Choose an instrument you can play,

Its your favourite'

Sung to the tune of London Bridge. Once child has chosen you then sing 'Alice is playing the tambourine....Its her favourite' (or similiar) to same tune. The rest of the children can also mime playing instrument. You could also start with some a simple warm up like a 'Hello' song and something like 'Jelly on a plate'(then jelly on different parts of the body and they wobble these!). There is a nice 'Hello' song on Singup if you need one. Sorry, I'm getting carried way now, I love music!

[Guest]

I have done a music lesson interview for nursery before which went really well (I was told I would have got the job, but they didn't appoint anyone as a surprise resignation that morning meant that they needed to change the job from part time to full time). I've also taught lessons like this in Pre-School which went down well.

 

I did:

 

shake, shake, shake (they have to follow your actions - v simple, shake, wiggle your fingers, clap, wave hello and you shake shake shake / shake shake shake / shake up high (sing high) / shake down low (sing low))

 

play and stop (and we play and we play and we play and we play and we stop!) so they have to look carefully for your stop sign

 

we can play the instruments - go around the circle and each child plays their instrument eg Madison plays the shaker or Connor plays the tamourine and this is how it sounds

 

bang, bang, let's all bang, bang as LOUDLY as you can, now as quiet as a mouse creeping softly round the house

 

I linked the activities into phase 1 of letters and sounds in my planning which they liked.

 

Hope you have lots more ideas from this thread - good luck!

[Guest]

Brilliant! Thanks so much! I'm just writing up my activity plan now linking objectives to phase 1 Letters and Sounds! I'm going to start with the Hello song, then pass a bag with some picture instrument cards in singing 'pass the bag around pass the bag around pass the bag around what are you going to play...' each child chooses a card when the song stops and finds an instrument that matches the picture, then plays as we sing the song again. Then we will join in singing the orchestra song 'what shall we play in the orchestra today x4 heres the sound of the......... what a lovely sound. How shall we play in the orchestra today? We can play pianissimo( very quietly) X4 in the orchestra today! We can play Fortissimo (very loudly) in the orchestra today! Now everybody plays slowwly then really fast and stops.If I have time i'll end with matching sound makers where the children have to listen to which instrument is being played from inside the feely bag. The child with that sound plays it!

Does this all sound okay? I hope so!

 

Thanks for all your help!

[Guest]

Sounds like you're organised - and activity sounds great - I assume if you're using words like pianissimo and fortissimo that you're going to say these words very quietly and very loudly? Good luck - hope it goes well for you.