Alli Mahler's Interview with a Third Grade Teacher

I interviewed a teacher from a small rural school in California. There are about 460 students that attend school there. Of the whole population about 40% are English language learners and 50% are on the free and reduced lunch program. The teacher that I interviewed has been teaching for fifteen years, all at the same school. Three of those years were spent teaching seventh grade humanities. Five of those years were spent teaching second grade and seven of those years were spent teaching third grade. The teacher is currently a third grade teacher.

When asked about their professional philosophy, my teacher responded that they "believe that every child has the right to learn as well as the ability." One of the main goals of this teacher is to get their third graders reading at grade level. The techniques they use to help develop reading abilities is that of scaffolding. The school employs the "Reading Counts" program which tests students to determine what their starting reading (lexile) number is. This way the teachers can select books that they are aware that student can read on their own. Once the student gains confidence at that particular level, the teacher can increase the difficulty of the book as the student progresses. My teacher is a strong advocate for this program because they feel that "Reading Counts helps students of all reading levels feel successful. It is magical when you take a kid who basically cannot read at the beginning of the year and watch them transform into a voracious reader by the end of the year."

The teacher that I interviewed believes that the purpose of public education is just that, to educate the public. They feel that school is most successful when the student has the support of the public as well, "It takes more than a great teacher to educate a child." The teacher that I interviewed is very patriotic and they are very proud of the fact that all children in the U.S. are able to attend school.

When I asked my teacher about their classroom organization and strategies their eyes lit up. They explained that they are using a system called Chris Biffle's whole brain learning theories. Through these strategies the entire class is engaged in almost all of the lessons. There are specific times when the class gives a choral response to questions. They are arranged in the room in groups of two so that each student has a partner. After instructions are given the teacher says "Ready, Set╔" and the class says "Teach!" and they turn to their partner and explain the assignment so that no one has any excuse to not know what they are supposed to be doing. All of the classroom rules are very visual too. They all have hand signals that go along with them so all the teacher has to do to correct a negative behavior is make a certain gesture and the class is aware of what is going wrong. This minimizes disruptions immensely. My teacher is seemed very passionate about these strategies.

Because Chris Biffle's program is so visual and repetitive, it really helps the students who often are not clear on what is expected of them. My teacher also offers amazing support to their struggling students. They do not give up on their students and expect everyone to succeed in some way or another. However, that being said, my teacher is always willing to meet students where they are. They are happy to make accommodations for those students who need them. They understand that growth only happens when a child is ready, so they work diligently to make sure that all of their students are equipped to grow academically and well as personally.

Just through this interview I have seen this teacher's enthusiasm shining through. They give a lot of the credit to their own personal love of learning. "I can't remember the last summer that I wasn't taking one class or another. I believe that it is vital in the teaching profession to stay current. I try never to stagnate or get in a rut with what I do in my classroom. If I didn't love being at school I couldn't expect my students to love it either. That's why I always try to keep things engaging and exciting in my classroom." They find their students success to be the most rewarding part about teaching. They take it upon themselves to be the intervention year for the students that come into their class struggling. They believe that if a love of learning is not fostered by third grade things will only get worse for their students. Because of this belief, my teacher has a very high success rate in their classroom. By the end of the year many of their students have made great bounds in their reading levels and mathematic abilities. On top of all of their academic achievements, they also feel really good about themselves. To sum up their feelings on the subject, my teacher said "When I know I have adequately prepared my students for the next chapter of their lives, I'm happy."

I learned that it is very important to get to know your students as people as well as learners. When you work hard to tailor you strategies to the minds of the students in your class you are more likely to achieve your goals. I also learned that teaching means you stay a student forever, it is necessary to keep up with the newest ideas and schools of thought to make sure your classrooms stays innovative. I found it refreshing to hear this amazing teacher talk about how they still have so much to learn about the teaching profession. Even though my expertise on the subject of teaching pales in comparison with this master teacher, they were still interested in hearing my opinions on things. I really liked their collaborative perspective.

Overall I think the most important thing I learned from this interview was that it is better to admit you need help and to consult with others than it is to fake confidence or knowledge. That will negatively affect the students in your classroom. Always ask questions and continue to learn. In a day and age that has caused many teachers to become negative and bitter, I found my interview to be very inspiring.

-Alli Mahler