Inspiring Teacher Interviews

Cristina Cervantes Interview with a Fourth Grade Teacher

2011-02-19T09:06:00.001-08:00

This school is a fairly new school compared to other schools in the. The school is located near many shopping centers and restaurants. There are a couple of parks and a library nearby. The school population is 98% Hispanic/Latino.

Kim is a young teacher who is involved in many activities in the school and is very dedicated to her students. This year marks her ninth year being a teacher. She has taught all nine years at the same school. During her years of teaching she has mostly taught third and fourth grade, and has taught first and sixth grade once. Today she is currently teaching fourth grade which is her favorite grade to teach. Her philosophy of teaching is not to teach just the academic subject matter and the standards, but to teach the whole child. She views each student as an individual person and she wants them to become productive members of society. She promotes certain values, such as honesty, responsibility, respectfulness, health, and to try their best. Kim believes there should not be a difference in public education and private education. Furthermore, public schooling should provide high quality education just like in the private sector. She feels that as teachers we should not set limitations on the students, and at times she sees this happening in her school.

Kim has a unique purpose on how she arranged the students in her classroom. The classroom consists of seven table groups where each table has four to five students except for one table which has only two students. The seating arrangement was done based on their academic level, creating heterogeneous groups. At each table she has at least one student that is performing above average, and the rest of the students are a combination of average to below average. The purpose of having students arranged like this is so they can hopefully learn from each other. Also, by having a higher English level speakers in each table they would be able to help the other students that are struggling. These students can model proper spoken English. She emphasized that the elimination of bilingual education in the school this year has impacted the students. Many of them do not feel comfortable speaking English out loud. Giving them the opportunity to have discussions in small groups lets them speak in a less intimidating setting.

Kim organized the class to be as close to the students desks as possible. She likes to be able to be face to face with her students. She does not stand in front lecturing and you hardly see writing on the white board. The classroom is really focused on reading and she has many books available for students and a reading area. Throughout the outer sections of the classroom is where she has her books and the textbooks. In addition, she has each table organize their textbook by subject on the bookshelves. Each day of the week a student from each table is assigned to get the textbooks needed for the lesson. The materials that students use regularly, such as their folders and notebooks, are in baskets at their tables. This makes transition time easier when moving from one subject to another.

In regards to instructional strategies, Kim tries to have students collaborate within their tables as much as possible. When introducing new material she does not rely on just telling the students how to do something. She has students write, listen, and practice individually and with their groups. When it comes to meeting the needs of the diverse learners, she confessed that lately she feels that she has not provided as much as she should have due to the new curriculum which has taken time to become familiar with and develop a routine. However, she usually tries to work with the individual students and their needs without holding up the class. She attempts to teach students at a level that is challenging, but yet at which they are able to complete and learn from it. She gave an example of a student that just came from Mexico knowing no English and she has to make specific lesson plans for his learning needs. Furthermore, since most of her students are English learners meeting their needs as a class is something she incorporates to her teaching on a regular basis.

Kim is a teacher that truly loves her career, and making a difference in the lives of her students. Even though there are many obstacles in being a teacher she would like to be, she is very enthusiastic about her work. In addition, there are many gratifying moments that Kim has experienced. For example, having previous students that are in high school come visit her, and some even go to her classroom to help her during the after school program. Also, watching the improvement that each individual student makes during the school year is a rewarding experience. An accomplishment Kim wanted to share with me is that two years ago her students scored second highest on the standardized tests for her school even though she had mostly lower performing students in her class.

From doing this interview I have learned the variety of obstacles that teachers are confronted with, and the experiences that makes teaching so rewarding. By understanding the tools that one can use when teaching a diverse group was really helpful because that is something that as a future teacher is crucial to understand the individual needs of the student. One of the most important aspects that Kim pointed out is the crucial role that teachers play in the lives of the students. Especially since students spend so much time at school, I believe it is important to teach not just the curriculum, but the whole child.

Berenice Amaya-Gonzalez's Interview with a Bilingual Kindergarten Teacher

2011-02-12T14:27:00.000-08:00

The teacher I interviewed has been working at Mariposas Elementary for the last six years. She is currently teaching a staggered bilingual kindergarten. This school serves a population of more than 90% Latino students with only 35% of the students being English proficient and more than 95% of the students speaking Spanish as a first language. Ms. Minakata has been teaching for eleven years and has taught bilingual kindergarten, first, and second grade. Ms. Minakata explained that this school district serves low-income families, most of the families are fieldworkers and there is a lot of mobility due to the migration from field to field.

Her professional philosophy is the assertion and conviction that everyone can learn. Every student has the capacity and potential to learn in her classroom. She describes some students as "late bloomers" who will struggle at the beginning of the school year, but will eventually catch up around November or December. She explained that these particular students may need more support and often times with some encouragement they will keep up with the pace "it's like spoon feeding a child, little by little they will learn to work in a classroom." Her philosophy extends to know "the whole child" which includes her students' backgrounds and understand that sometimes the students have not been exposed to school and she has to build this knowledge from scratch. "You are building the learning foundation because some students have no idea what school is all about." She also takes into consideration the neighborhood her students come from and considers the possibility of her students' being expose to violence, "After all, the school and district is located in the east side of Salinas" which is known as a dangerous area.

Ms. Minakata shared that she has seen some progress with her students; she also noticed that some are struggling and knows that these students' parents are working in the fields since very early in the morning, and often parents do not arrive at home until the work is done late in the evening. The children of these families are worried about their parents and often times they do not know who will take care of them. "Learning becomes a struggle for these students." Through her eleven years of experience working with migrant families and field workers, she has noticed a pattern that involves the active participation of these parents during the spring break or when the harvest is done. The parents' presence at home makes a big difference to their children's learning and they also have time to volunteer in the classroom "even if they don't know how to read or write I find ways to integrate their presence and their help in my classroom."

She uses some form of direct instruction as her pedagogy. She also incorporates small groups or centers where children produce independent work or learn from more experienced peers. She also does one-to-one instruction or support to scaffold the students who are struggling. She uses many open- and close-ended questions "at the beginning you have to model them how to answer because even when you ask an open ended questions they tend to use a word to answer." She uses games played in the playground before lunchtime to include movement, and she uses songs with repetitive words to help with memorization, especially during English language development time.

She believes that the purpose of public education is to provide equal education to everyone. As a public entity, certain standards have to been created, written to include all the students. However, unfortunately, equal opportunities are not provided for all students to meet these uniform standards. Standards are written to measure certain skills and competencies acquired during a particular time frame, and some students who do not meet these requirements should be retained. She understands that there are some students' for whom detention can be negative and she studies each student closely and independently before she makes a suggestion about retaining a student.

Ms. Minakata's classroom has been built following a kindergarten design. The classroom has an extra storage space and three bathrooms: two for students and one for staff. This set up is very convenient and less disruptive during instruction. The classroom is decorated with students' creations and some academic displays, such as the alphabet in English and Spanish, the vowels, the months of the year, the days of the week, the colors, and high frequency words. The classroom has four centers, which are tables for students to work on their assignments. There is a big rug where direct instruction takes place as well as the alphabet practice and a place for students to participate in self-exploratory learning when they finished their assignments. Each center has a geometric shape hanged from the ceiling and this is the way students are grouped. There are two extra tables that are used for assessments and independent one-on-one support. Ms. Minakata has a desk, but she uses it as a storage place and seldom sits behind it.

She is always assessing her students' performance directly and indirectly. When she notices certain progress, she moves the students to another center where the students will be challenged through teacher directed games at the beginning and eventually when students learn the process and skill how to work with the material she integrates a new game with other materials. Every six weeks she officially assesses certain skills to evaluate the curriculum and think of other methods to reach to the students who have not performed as well as the others or "to regroup the students, again." She works with her students interacting with them and even at home, she is constantly thinking ways to motivate their desire to learn "I have high expectations for all my students. If I see a child who will benefit from the after school program because I suspect there is not enough support at home, I will talk to the parents." She explains that often the students are under the care of babysitters who do not help the students with homework. When she notices this setting, she interferes for her student to receive the support from the school.

Her enthusiasm about working with young learners is seeing their progress and "when parents share a skill learned at school and give me credit for it is what keeps me looking forward to the next day, to the next year." She accepts feeling overwhelmed sometimes, especially this year with the new curriculum because she did not receive the training until a few weeks after school started. She is learning the information and trying to catch up with the expectations thinking about what is best for her students and trying to meet the requirements the district imposes. She said "I sometimes can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but then something happens, I may see an older student of mine and I would think about the years he is being at this school and I get excited again."

She also told me that when other teachers share the accomplishments of some of her previous students, she finds this action very touching and rewarding "especially if the student was quite challenging." Hearing that this student is making progress is very rewarding for Ms. Minakata.
She shared that it makes her feel valuated when parents request her as a teacher because someone else has recommended her, or just from previous experience. For example, she shared that right now she has the younger siblings of three families who have been with her for several years. One of her students is the fourth child of a family who has requested her explicitly at the beginning of the school year. This seems to be a privilege and praise for her hard work as a teacher.
Ms. Minakata recommended that I obtain my BCLAD credential and shared with me that it makes a difference. "Anyone can teach in English, but a few can teach English and content at the same time." Teaching kindergarten is very hard and requires a lot of work and dedication. Students have no idea what to expect and parents often times don't want to let go of their children, especially if these are the first children of the family or the last ones. "You have to teach parents and children how the school works, what to expect from you, in what ways they can help you and their children." The vowels foundation, syllables, sounds, numbers, colors, shapes "takes a lot of repetition and you need to find ways to make the instruction repetitive, yet fun and new." She also recommended that I get informed about the school district emergency procedures. For example, not many districts deal with "lock down" safety interruptions during instruction, but due to the location of the school, there are times when students have to experience the scary process to be kept inside the classroom. Their routines are changed and instruction has to continue.

She ended the interview by adding that working with young students give you the skills to work and manage older classrooms because students grow, skills and procedures have been acquired. "It's not the same to have one or a few students who may need help, then building the foundation of each student from zero." Ms. Minakata is a well organized teacher who is also a mother of three children. She has her own family and her children also go to school where she is actively involved in the parents' association. She also mentors other teachers who are currently doing their beginning teacher training and I had the opportunity to see her work in close relationship with these new teachers. "I want to give back to the community the help I received when I was in the process to become a teacher." Ms. Minakata is a good role model to have in the classroom and I am very privilege to know her and learn from her.

Christina Sierra's Interview with a Science Teacher

2011-01-16T14:02:00.000-08:00

This interview was done with a teacher who has twenty plus years of teaching experience and is considered an exemplary teacher. This narrative will focus on explaining what I learned about the school setting, teacher's professional experience, philosophy, instructional strategies and how this teacher maintains enthusiasm for teaching.

The public high school is located in a quaint rural area two miles out of the nearby town. The short drive to the school gently winds past a field with cows grazing and fields being prepped for new crops. The school has a small vegetable garden in its courtyard. I arrive at the high school as the students do at 8:30am. It is a small high school school serving approximately 420 students. The teacher states that "the school is roughly divided 50/50 between White and Latino students. Give or take. There are a high number of special needs children served as well…. The school is sought out by parents." Parents get inter-district transfers from as far as thirty five miles away to have their children attend this high school. The teacher believes it is because they have many highly qualified teachers that enjoy teaching and an effective school wide instructional and advisory system.

The teacher shared that all of her teaching experience has been in high school science. She has been at the current teaching site for about sixteen years. There have been times when she taught a research or health when it was needed. This is only her second school setting. Her first teaching setting was a very large high school serving over three thousand students. It seemed that she had a small shudder at recalling this and followed up with commenting that "in this school site, students don't get lost… This is a small public school. It has a charter like feel."

The small school has been like a home to her. It has been a good place to grow and develop her teaching skills. She was inspired by her mother who was an elementary school teacher. "My mother inspires me. She was a teacher. I learned from my mother how to put on a puppet show, have the kids write the puppet show, make the puppets, do an art project about it. Everything was woven all together. I just try to do the same with science." She remarked on her early years after completing student teaching and said she started volunteering in a kindergarten class with a teacher who implemented many hands-on activities; "I really became good when I started volunteering in the kindergarten class. I started saying to myself 'I can do this for science!' It taught me the most." Since those early days she has developed a personal philosophy and belief on the purpose of public schooling. "The purpose of school is to help students to use their minds well… My personal philosophy is to have a lot of fun."

The classroom setting reflects that she cares about children using their minds. The white board at the front of the class has the teacher's name, an agenda, a 'starter activity,' and a vocabulary list related to cell structure. Below the white board and at eye level throughout the classroom are several posters made by students on cell structure. The teacher has a desk in the front corner of the room, but has a chair pulled to the front and center of the classroom away from the desk. The classroom is bright with a wall of windows on one side, allowing in natural light. The window sill is lined with several healthy green leafy plants. The counter by the window is lined with neat stacks of books and trays of papers, with labels like homework, handouts, with a period number. Three rows of seven tables that each seat two students are clean and clear. The class feels organized, open and accessible.

Typical classroom instruction for the 90 minute class periods involves several teaching strategies and activities. Classes begin with a 'starter activity' that students are able to do on their own. During this time the teacher sees to administrative tasks like taking roll. Then she does a small segment of direct instruction. The largest portion of the class period is hands-on activities in groups or on their own. She does not believe that class time is spent well taking notes or reading. She said "they can do that on their own when I'm not with them. I limit my talking. Teachers and students should be doing the same thing, learning. I believe when they are doing something they are learning."

This teacher had a great deal to share on how she meets the needs of diverse learners. "A girl who is totally blind, kids that are ELL's, and others with special ed. titles or learning difficulties; I teach every child with the same scaffolding and strategies. I make it accessible and use accessible vocabulary for everybody." She expanded explaining how she strives to provide multiple ways for students to learn the information, by writing it out in more than one way, drawing a picture or diagram, and creating an experience for them to learn it, like going to the garden or to the library. Her goal in addressing the needs of diverse learners is to "create and make lots of opportunities to get the information into their mind." The teacher does not allow adult special education aides into her classroom. With strong resolve she said "No adult aides, because I believe children can help each other. If a child needs a scribe, other children can scribe for him. Children need to feel good about learning and helping one another." I believe this builds a sense of community in her classroom that strengthens the learning experiences and confidence of the students.

The teacher shared her ideas on maintaining enthusiasm for teaching. First she advised that it is important to recognize that every group is a new group of kids. While the teacher may have taught the subject a thousand times before, it is new to them. She says you have to "Keep remembering it's not old hat. It's really, really exciting! How very, very cool it is to look at cell under a microscope for the first time." She says she holds onto "the magic of science and the parts that are unbelievable. I have held onto them like I'm still a child. Not losing the wonder myself." She says this with excitement and convinces me not only is this true for this teacher but as real truth in staying enthusiastic about teaching. Her last advice from her own experience is to be affected by the students' learning, by what is new and unpredictable.

This interview taught me that many of the teaching strategies I use in pre-school teaching are transferable skills to teaching any age. Hands-on activities and multiple ways of teaching a concept are just as important at three years old as they are at sixteen. I also took in a great deal about the school setting that confirmed to me that not only are small schools best to learn in they are best to teach in. Just as students get lost in big schools, I believe it is possible that teachers do too. I believe that a great deal of this teacher's success and continued enthusiasm for teaching comes form her small, family like school setting. Teaching is as much of a passion as it is a vocation. Teachers want to make a difference in the lives of students. I believe that small schools give teacher's the forum they need to make a difference and be successful.

Kristen Rasmussen's Interview with a Third Grade Teacher

2010-12-21T10:32:00.000-08:00

The teacher I chose to interview has been teaching for 16 years at the same school. The school she works at serves a military community. With it being on a military base, it is naturally diverse demographically, with students coming and going on a consistent basis to and from many different places in the world. The teacher has 4 English language learners in her class. She is a third grade. We eat lunch together every Tuesday and Thursday in the teacher's lounge where I get to sit in and participate in discussion about what is going on in each class.

We discussed how she came to be teacher and what inspired her to do so, what particular teaching approaches and styles she likes/dislikes using, her thoughts about the current curriculum and how she sometimes modifies it to better suit her students and how she looks back on her career as a teacher as she nears retirement either at the end of this year or next.

When the interview began, she immediately mentioned how teaching as a profession runs in her family. Her family members are her inspiration for wanting to help make our world a better place through touching the lives of children in a positive way, educating them about what the world could be like and how they as young people are the future and can make a difference. Her students have also always been her inspiration, to her there is nothing better than seeing that light switch on in a child's mind when they have learned something new.

As we started to discuss how she approaches her class when teaching a new lesson and what styles she favors, she immediately said that it changes every year according to her new students' strengths and weaknesses. When she went to school to become a teacher, she was mostly educated on direct instruction and therefore that is what she used the most of in her early years of teaching. She emphasized how important it is to continue educating herself and new approaches and styles that fit her students.

Her class this year works particularly well in groups so she tends to find herself grouping the students regularly and encourages authentic discussion in class. She said she finds that students are taking more away from lessons when they learn about them hand-in-hand with their peers through sharing and discussion.

As far as the curriculum goes, she really likes the current literacy/language arts textbooks and manipulatives as opposed to the math. She is partial to the reading texts because they provide plenty of anthologies about things that truly interest her students: stories about outdoor activities, the beach and ocean, sports, etc. She said the math texts are not sequential and it makes it difficult for her to transition from one topic to the next; she has to jump around in the texts to help the students make more sense of it. She modifies lessons for her English language learners by consistently calling upon them to discuss a story or to solve math problems in front of the class to help them use their academic language skills instead of just their writing skills.

As we came to a close on the interview, she began to reflect upon her years as an elementary school teacher and how she has had her ups and downs, sideways and backwards about pretty much everything. But overall she could not be happier with her choice of profession. To her, there is nothing more rewarding than the graciousness of a student who truly learned from her and appreciates her as a teacher and human being. She is planning on retiring very soon as her and her husband look to move out of state. It was my pleasure to sit and discuss teaching with this exemplary person and teacher.

Elliot Langford's Interview with a First Grade Teacher

2010-12-16T14:21:00.001-08:00

Mr. A is a wonderful teacher who has enviable classroom management skills and an uncanny knack for motivating his children at all times. He teaches in a Central Coast school here in California where around 99% of the student body is Latino, and where just about everyone gets free lunch. He himself is not of Latino heritage, however his spouse was born and raised in Mexico until she was 6, so his perspective is quite sharp on the subject of English language learning due to the firsthand stories about the difficulties of adolescent language immersion.

He is committed to the craft of educating for the sake of empowering the youth of his community, and has been doing so for 15 years now. He started off as a kindergarten teacher, then third, and then switched off between first and second grade for the past twelve years. He was awarded his first teaching position at a job fair. He had signed a contract before he walked out the door, telling me that the employer was moved by the fact that he wanted to go back and help his community. All his teaching experience has been in "high-risk, low literacy, and high-crime" communities where the children have had to deal with much, much more than school work. He insists that the children can rise above the negative surroundings and empower themselves to achieve greatness.

He credits his teaching style and philosophy are a reflection of his past educators, and how they were very driven by creating an independent student that was self motivated regardless of what is going on at home. He tries to give his students tools they can use for the rest of their lives and not feel helpless in such dire situations. Mr. A believes "even though they are little, there are a lot of things they can be independent on. There is so much chaos in these kids' lives that they need to be able to rely on themselves because those around constantly let them down." He did admit he was generalizing, but that he has seen this situation so many times that he wants the children to be independent learners and not have to wait on their moms or their dads to help them.

He keeps the expectations very high in the class, and believes kids know what level they are achieving. He does not hide the fact that some kids' scores are not as high as others, and really pushes the low performers to work extra hard to move up. Instead of simply passing the kids along and worrying about protecting their feelings through sugar-coated deficiencies, he makes sure they understand that they need to improve and why. In most cases he says, it has a tremendous effect.

When I asked him what keeps him enthusiastic and motivated to teach, he admittedly risked sounding cliché, and told me it was the simple act of teaching children. "Shutting the door and getting to work with the kids" he said. He added, "All the grown up junk is really bad here, and they are taking opportunities away from kids because they are continuing the chaos. I teach as if my own kids were sitting in my classroom. What kind of teacher would I want for my kids? Grown-ups get in the way, and if not for the kids, I would have quit by now." I'm sure lots of teachers feel this way, and I am very happy to hear this. He doesn't have a resentful or vitriolic tone when sharing these thoughts, but rather a matter-of-fact viewpoint of a troublesome issue that he may have found a panacea for.

Mr. A creates a classroom community by grouping his students at tables rather than individual desks to create "families" that rely and help each other. "Ask three before me" is in effect so the students seek out answers and solve problems together before asking the teacher. Over time, this method transforms the students into teachers themselves who help each other at all times. They really get the sense of family and want each other to succeed. There is also a lot of peer discussion and validating each student's ideas so they feel their critical thoughts are awesome and worthy of sharing. Mr. A sounded excited when describing his classroom and the children inside, which made me feel good about choosing to teach.

Mr. A claims his reward is when he hears his name while visiting the local high school that his old students now attend. Feeling a little embarrassed about sounding needy, he stated "It's a great feeling. The students still love you." I'm sure the love is there because he tells his students that, "Once I'm your teacher, I'm always your teacher" and creates that everlasting bond because he cares about their well being, and it won't fade over time.

I want to be a great teacher who inspires children to think big and be great, like Mr. A does. I really enjoyed hearing about high-risk students being able to achieve and be responsible at such an early age. "Even though they're little, they can be independent" will no doubt be a theme of my own classroom so all my students will have the power to succeed, no matter the circumstance.

Jenna Oliverio's Interview with a First Grade Teacher

2010-11-24T21:35:00.000-08:00

Mrs. X is a passionate, well-known, and very experienced first grade teacher. The school has a large Hispanic population, sitting at 94%, with the other 6% made up of White, Pacific Islander, and Black students. One hundred percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch. The district is currently under a state-appointed trustee, who has been given full administrative authority over the district. While there is a rough political climate affecting the district, Mrs. X has yet to lose enthusiasm for what she teaches and believes in.

Mrs. X is in her 30th year as a teacher and 27th in the district. After graduating from Chico State, she spent her first three years down in South County. She has taught in four different schools in her current district, teaching bilingual kindergarten, bilingual first grade, and her current position in a first grade English language development classroom. She has always taught in schools serving low-income students, primarily with high Hispanic populations.

I chose to interview Mrs. X because she has participated in so many different district-run and privately funded foundations. She began as part of the Mid-California Science Improvement Program (MCSIP), founded and funded by the Packard foundation. She was a science model and developed new science lesson plans and ways to improve curriculum over the summer and during breaks in the school year. For over five years, she was a literacy coach for Effective First Teaching (EFT) through the district. Later, she became a reading coach for the same program; her experience in bilingual and language development in kindergarten and first grade enabled her to be a master in the subject areas. She really enjoyed working for the district and taking a break from the classroom for the few years she did it; it truly helped her become a better teacher. The most beneficial and recent position she undertook was when she did consulting across the United States. She traveled with the program coordinator as a model teacher for Integrated Thematic Instruction. It was a program developed to increase student performance and teacher satisfaction, with a primary purpose to grow responsible citizens. Now that she is back in the classroom, she definitely misses all the workshops and trainings, but is happy to use what she has been developing.

Mrs. X is such a neat teacher to observe. When I asked her about her own philosophy, passion filled up our conversation. She told me, "No one can take away your education; you have a choice to be educated." After thirty years in the teaching profession, she still cries at every back-to-school night while explaining this to the parents. It was interesting to me that she was the first in her family to graduate college and go on to a profession like she did; she called it, "her way out." Even though she is close to retiring, she can't imagine her life without urging students to give it their all and be as passionate as she is about education.

Mrs. X's classroom is bright and fun, with student work on the walls and posters to boost first grade knowledge. The students in her class are seated boy-girl, boy-girl in two separate columns of five rows with either two or three students in each row. Though Mrs. X is fluent in Spanish, she rarely uses it in the classroom. The only time she really relies on it is when she is speaking with parents, trying to calm a student down, or helping to better explain something to a student who doesn't understand. She started to learn Spanish while student teaching in Yuba City and became fluent through class at Hartnell and Salinas Adult School.

A normal day in the classroom consists of mostly whole class, direct instruction. Due to scripted curriculum, she is unable to truly do what she wants with the class, but tends to make the instruction creative in her own way. She will occasionally break the students up into leveled small groups. For example, there are four different reading levels for universal access; the stars (30+ words a minute), watermelons (8-20 words), bananas (3-7 words), and apples (can only make out sounds). She does a different reading activity with each group at the end of the day as to tailor instruction to each student's abilities. For the most part, whole group instruction seems to be very beneficial for her. The students stay on task and she switches subjects often enough to account for the attention span of a six year old.

Mrs. X has yet to lose her enthusiasm for teaching. I find this pretty neat because I hope that after 30+ years of teaching, I am just as enthusiastic as she is. She just said she enjoys the way she has a new class every year and by the time you really get used to the group, they are passed on to the next grade level. Every day, she has five to ten students from previous years come in during their break or lunch to help with the class. It is amazing to me that a teacher would have so many students who would rather stay in at their own free time to come back and help their old teacher. The most rewarding part about teaching for her is seeing the way the students soak up such a vast range of information in such a short amount of time. The one reason she has never gone up to higher grades is due to the difference she can make with these young students. While first grade is extremely tough, I can completely understand where she is coming from; the thing I find most exciting about younger students, is their ability to learn so much!

It was really neat to hear about all the extra things she has done in education. She has a true passion for children, education, and helping teachers improve their quality of instruction. I look forward to learning more about her and finding out how to become a teacher like her.

Tim Goldstein's Interview with a Third Grade Teacher

2010-11-10T12:42:00.001-08:00

Well aware of having to conduct an interview with a teacher at my school, I kept my eyes open and my ears peeled for a teacher that would fit the requirements during the first week. Fortunately for me, my master teacher went on vacation the second week, which put me into a different teacher’s classroom. This teacher happened to be “Frank” a seasoned vet with over ten years experience, a distinct teaching philosophy and extra motivation to educate his third grade students.

The setting of this interview takes place at a school situated in the heart of a small agricultural city in California. Surrounded by bountiful farmlands, the population is predominantly of Mexican heritage. That being said, the student body is also predominantly of Mexican heritage. When driving to the school you pass through a development comprised of stucco homes with clean landscaped yards and concrete driveways. One might think of it as a more upscale development, but it turns out that multiple families, many of which attend the school, occupy most of these homes.

The interview with third grade teacher Frank, (not his real name), took place outside on a picnic table during lunch hour on a warm and sunny afternoon. I had informed Frank of the questions I would be asking, per his request, days prior to the interview so he had an understanding of what to expect. Frank is a relaxed, soft spoken teacher of about 45 years of age. It turns out that he is also very timid and wished not to discuss much about either his personal life or professional career.

Prior to teaching professionally, Frank attended Fresno State where he studied History, Math and Computer Science. Since then he has been professionally teaching for 19 years. Eight of those years have been at here and the rest took place at three other schools in grades ranging from Junior High down to third grade. He chose not to share which schools he taught at but each was located in the state of California. Of all the grades Frank has taught, third grade seems to be the best fit for him due to the maturity level of the students and their will and eagerness to learn.

When asked to describe his teaching philosophy, he kept it very short and sweet by saying, “To develop productive citizens, teach respect and encourage the love of learning with specific goals in mind.” Although not too much detail was included with his philosophy, I was able to witness it firsthand in the classroom. Because of this philosophy and because of it being the first month of school, developing productive and respectful citizens seemed to be the most important thing. Third grade students need to be taught procedures and respect for their environment at the beginning of the year. His classroom is like a well-oiled machine. Rarely does he have to raise his voice since the students know that nonsense will not be tolerated. He has a cool and calm demeanor that the children respect and rarely does he exude anger or frustration.

Having a classroom of 36 students, the most in the school, is difficult enough to begin with. But when asked how he goes about organizing his classroom, Frank calmly responded, “Just surviving now.” Throughout the first several weeks he puts the students into long rows. When they have developed a better sense of procedures, respect and being productive, he will separate them into 5 or 6 groups. This will prevent classroom management problems and seems to work in his favor each year. But for now, the three rows of desks take up most of the classroom. There are several computers along the side and back walls. Typical third grade classroom posters, memorization charts, graphs and other motivational signs decorate the walls from top to bottom.

I admired Frank’s teaching strategies when I sat through his lessons. He seems to have a solid grasp on classroom management. One of his best methods is the “silent wait,” as he calls it. When students are chatting and find that he is waiting silently, they suddenly become attentive and respect his silence. To me, this seems much easier and less stressful than raising your voice and having to talk over the noise. For his delivery of the lesson, he uses an abundance of visuals and displays to help the students relate to the subject matter. During reading lessons, he practices peer tutoring as well as whole class practice. The language lesson I witnessed was a read aloud lesson where he read a paragraph aloud and the kids followed along once he finished. For math he stresses the importance of computer programs in helping the students learn. His approach begins with foundational basics then moves towards concepts and includes a lot of cumulative review to help reinforce the lessons.

As far as finding ways to meet the needs of the diverse population of students in the standardized teaching climate, Frank informed me that he tries multiple approaches that he finds beneficial. Sometimes he will teach the same lesson twice making it more simplified for the limited English proficient students. He will also pair English learning students with those who are more proficient in the language to help better assist them. As he mentioned in his math lessons, he even stresses using computer programs for English learners. “There is a lot of technology available nowadays that didn’t exist before. Some of these programs like AR [Accelerated Reader] and Imagine Learning are technologically designed for English learners and are really helpful.”

While the other third grade classes run and do stretches during early morning PE, he has other plans for his class. He believes that, “Coordination, strength and agility are developed through games. The kids don’t think they’re exercising when they’re playing games because they’re focused on the objective instead.” His students line up on the playground and wait until they correctly answer math or geography questions before they can run across to the other side. The other classes await a whistle. I noticed this strategy early on in the year and find it to be very creative and successful. This way the students are exercising their minds as well as their bodies.

In order to be a successful teacher, especially at this grade level, one must stay motivated in order to keep the students engaged. “I love kids and like being able to accomplish goals,” says Frank. “The maturity level they’re at and their eagerness to learn is something that keeps me motivated.” And he continued to explain how watching them learn and being able to interact with them as they do is the most rewarding aspect of the teaching profession. If it were not for these things mentioned above it would be hard to maintain the enthusiasm he does on a daily basis. Every job has a tendency to become monotonous at times which can lead to lack of motivation. But when the future of 36 students lies in your hands, it is important to stay motivated, enthusiastic and focused throughout the entire year.

Witnessing the differences in strategy, technique and approach in the classroom was what helped me learn the most throughout this interview process. Each teacher has their own personality, which reflects on their teaching style. Frank brings his calmness to the table when instructing his class and it seems to work wonders. As a student teacher, simple setbacks can lead to frustration and can be discouraging. But the right amount of motivation, a positive attitude and a several years of experience can lead to an outstanding career. It is also very beneficial for a student teacher like myself to observe as many different teaching strategies as possible to help mold one of my own.

Holly Isaac's Interview with a Sixth Grade Teacher

2010-10-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

Paul Paulson has been a school teacher for the past fourteen years in this agriculture city. Paul has been teaching 6th grade at the same school for eight years and feels fortunate that he found a career that he is passionate about and he is proud to go to work every day. The school that Paul works at is predominately Latino with 98% of the students speaking Spanish as their first language. Within the last year, his school has gone through quite a few administrative changes due to the low academic performance of the students. Although the challenges and struggles that his school is currently facing can lead to frustration, Paul remains optimistic and keeps the interest of his students as his first priority.

Paul keeps a very organized, yet basic classroom. There are currently thirty-four students in his classroom, so Paul goes by the theory that less is more. There are six folding tables that sit all the students, a row of bookcases on the back wall and his desk in the front of the room. On one of the walls is a detailed map of Mexico and on the other wall in large Mexican flag. Paul is very proud of his heritage and he does an effective job making sure his students feel proud of their backgrounds, as well as feel comfortable in their learning environment.

Paul utilizes various teaching methods within his classroom, yet at times he admits that he feels limited on how and what he can teach. It can be difficult for him to follow the parts of the curriculum that are scripted because he believes that it greatly limits what a real education should be and can be disengaging for his students and himself as the teacher. One way that Paul is able implement his own teaching pedagogies is through the use of technology, which he finds helpful in facilitating his students learning.

During this past summer Paul purchased a Smartboard for his class as well as a responding system that allows each student to have their own ╥responder╙ to participate in class discussions. The responders act as remote controls and students are able to place their answers in the responder and then digitally send their response to the Smartboard for the rest of the class to see. Paul finds this method to be extremely effect as a learning tool and finds that his students are more receptive in subjects such as Social Studies and Science.

Paul remains enthusiastic about teaching by learning new ways to better improve his teaching. For the past five years, Paul has been a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). ASCD is an organization that provides teachers with new learning techniques on the latest educational issues. As an educator, Paul believes that he must never stop learning or become stagnate with his teaching. There are always new approaches and new ways of thinking when it comes to teaching and the moment he loses his motivation towards learning is when it is time for him to seek other career opportunities.

According to Paul, the purpose of public education is very simple. Public schools should help individuals find their potentials. As an educator in the public school system, he feels that it is his responsibility to "bring out what the students already have and then find out where they can go from there.╙ Paul finds the most rewarding thing about teaching is inspiring students to go beyond the classroom. When he encounters a student that continues to learn on their own, he feels like an accomplished educator.

I have had the opportunity to sit in Paul╒s class while he was teaching a lesson on Ancient Mexico. As I observed the students, I noticed that most of them were participating in the class activities and the few students that were not, Paul was able to grab their attention and have them be the part of the rest of the class. Paul has a very structured class and the students always have a task to be accomplish. He gives no time for the students to get distracted and from what I saw, there was no down time or even brief pauses during transitions. Every moment is utilized and it makes for a smooth and well behaved classroom environment. Paul Paulson is an example of an exemplary teacher. He is able to relate to his students because he has a very similar background as most of his students and he admits that puts him at an advantage. However, he is the kind of teacher that makes me glad that I chose to peruse a career in education. With all the negativity and stress that is currently associated with teaching, it is a relief and reassuring to there are teachers like Paul that find the positive in the world of education.

Alyssa Nemecek's Interview with a Fifth Grade Teacher

2010-10-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

In the early 1990s Brown Valley* was a community of affluence. The community was new, young and predominantly white. The new elementary school, Dragon Elementary (K-5), was built to accommodate the rise in young families moving in and making a name for themselves. I myself attended Dragon Elementary, and as I look back on old class pictures the school's demographics represented that of the "north side" of Brown Valley. The staff at Brown Elementary were dedicated and friendly and full of enthusiastic and passionate teachers. I have spent some time in Dragon Elementary since deciding I wanted to be a teacher, and while the community has changed, the staff has not, many of my old teachers are still there, just as passionate and enthusiastic as they were 12 years ago.

The demographics of the area I grew up in have changed and so has the school. The school that once had an abundance of money and community support, now is home to over 50% of families whom are identified as being socio-economically disadvantaged. The sea of White faces has become one of many shades. Almost half (47%) of the school identifies as Hispanic, the second largest ethnic group would be African American, while not listed as a category on the school's website.

The most memorable teacher I had at Dragon Elementary was Mrs. Elba Hitchcock, my second grade teacher and the teacher whom I have chosen to interview. Mrs. Hitchcock has been teaching for almost 30 years, the first five of that being in a preschool classroom in Arizona. Once in California, and Dragon Elementary she spent 19 years in second grade before 3 years in a third grade ELA classroom and finally now in 5th grade just before retirement.

Mrs. Hitchcock aligns her professional philosophy on the progressive side, believing that all children are born with the drive and ability to learn. She also believes that all modalities, or multiple intelligences, should be taken into consideration so that all children can be successful. Mrs. Hitchcock see learning in every situation, and feels that every experience should be utilized for its educational value.

As for pubic education, it seem as though it as become a political arena, used as a tool in political warfare, rather than a means to educate the citizens of American regardless of race, creed or origin. The political interference on public education has put a damper on education for knowledge and has made it a means to an end.

When walking into Mrs. Hitchcock's classroom it seems slightly chaotic, and crowded. The wall to the right of the door is lined with computers for student use, in the corner along this wall is Mrs. Hitchcock's desk, which is piled full of papers and is surrounded by boxes that have to be unpacked (this is her first year in fifth grade, having moved across campus from third). The wall directly across from the door houses cubbies with supplies, and worksheets, in front of it a kidney table for small group activities with the teacher. to the left of this wall is the chalk board, in front of which is her podium and stool and they are rarely used. Next to the chalkboard are posters of student position's and classroom rules, consequences and fines, all designated by the students. The wall alongside the door contains the class library. There are shelves with books that are organized by reading level, and shelves with books organized by genre (by the class librarian). Along with rocking chairs there are several large cushions piled up that the students sit on when working in the library. The class is run by students as "Funky Town" and the physical set up of the classroom definitely shows that.

The instruction of the classroom is also student centered, with Mrs. Hitchcock seeing herself more as a guide in their learning process rather than a teacher. The students have a voice in their education environment and the topics they are going to learn about, which makes them excited for school. The instruction is very progressive, with lots of whole participant open-ended discussions, where every answer is valid and there is no wrong answer. The instruction goes from whole group into small group or partner work, in which competition often plays a motivating role. Mrs. Hitchcock relies less on worksheets and more on creative writing, or when relevant, the showing of videos. Positive reinforcement is on-going in Mrs. Hitchcock's classroom, which I have witnessed while observing, not allowing the students to identify themselves as “the bad readers” and turning it around for them, making reading fun. In addition to the previously mentioned strategies, Mrs. Hitchcock uses cooperative learning, peer and cross age tutoring, adaptations for the different modalities, and read-alouds to address the diverse needs of her students in a climate of standards.

After nearly 30 years of teaching, in which the pendulum has swung one way and then the other, Mrs. Hitchcock is still entirely enthusiastic about teaching. This is not only because of personal love of learning, but also because of her students. Particularly this year, learning fifth grade with the students (as she tells them all the time), but also being able to pass on the knowledge to them. The puzzle of finding a way to pass on that knowledge so that the kids will get it, and in finding ways to make them love school and wanting to be there. The students are also the most rewarding thing about teaching for Mrs. Hitchcock. Being able to see them get it and seeing their progress, the innovative and fun ideas that they are constantly providing and teaching to Mrs. Hitchcock, they provide her with new knowledge and youth.

In interviewing Mrs. Hitchcock, I learned many things about her, the methods to her madness, and heard things that keep me optimistic about teaching and my future within it. I have witnessed that you can adapt standards and curriculum that leans toward direct instruction and make it work for you and your students, this gives me hope in an environment of standards and strict/direct instruction. I have seen that getting on the same level as the students can be very beneficial for them and is something I want to work towards. Most importantly I have hope for my future within teaching, because the very things that have pulled me towards teaching, my love of learning and the want to pass that on, the excitement and joy of kids, are the very things that keep Mrs. Hitchcock enthusiastic about teaching and have for the past 30 years.

* All names of persons and places have been changed

Alli Mahler's Interview with a Third Grade Teacher

2010-10-13T11:21:00.001-07:00

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

Tim Power's Interveiw with a HIgh School Special Education Teacher

2010-10-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

Teacher Interview
After years of moving around the country and teaching at many different types of schools, Jack is teaching at a high school in a California University town. The school is located on one of the busier street of town. Most of the students who attend the high school are able to walk to school, but some take public transportation each morning. There are a few students who are bussed in each morning from surrounding towns. The homes around the school range from apartments to single or two story homes.

Jack is not a typical high school teacher. Jack does not teach one subject everyday of the school year, he does not teach two subjects either. Throughout a school day, Jack could teach anywhere from three to six different subjects. Some days it is possible for these classes to have multiple subjects taught during these main subject areas.

At this point you are probably asking yourself, "What kind of high school teacher does this?" Jack is one of a small group of teachers employed by the County Office of Education to work in the area of Special Education. Jack teaches Physical Education, Art, History, Economics, Science, Leadership, and Media. Within each of these subjects it is possible for students to learn about military physical fitness, art appreciation, art history, photography, American history, world history, local and world economics, environmental science, mechanical engineering, or they might just make their own movie.1

Not only is there diversity in the classes taught, but there is a large diversity in the students being taught as well. The classroom size is small compared to a normal classroom, but it is large in the realm of Special Education with 20 students. The youngest of these students is a 14-year-old male, while the oldest student is a 19-year-old senior (these two students are also the only minority students in the classroom with the former being Latino and latter being African-American). There is only one female student in the classroom.

All of the students have varying degrees of disabilities and each is handled in many different ways. Only one of the students is designated as an English language learner. However, there is not any issues with making accommodations for this student because his IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) covers anything that needs to be done for him. At times it is difficult for Jack because he has to make sure that the teachers in the rest of the school know what accommodations may need to be made for his students.

Jack has the experience to deal with all of these different situations. Jack has taught in both Michigan and California. His first job was a year with a gifted and talented program in Michigan, known as Lighthouse. He then moved on to teach at a correctional facility for a year. After teaching in a prison Jack moved on to work for two different County Offices of Education in Northern Michigan where he was placed in a high school setting. In all of these settings he taught math, science, computers, poetry, journalism, music, and philosophy.

Once this period of time was over, he moved here to California where he spent a year teaching Algebra II and Geometry at a local private school before moving onto his current job. In his first half a year here he taught in a 4th/5th combination classroom. Jack then moved into his current position where he has just entered into his second year.

Jack has taught his students using a Constructivist philosophy (except during the year at the private school). This directly relates to Jack's personal philosophy. He says his responsibility is "to help [the students] learn how to process stuff" within whatever subjects/constructs we give to them" Jack also feels that he is, and education in general should be, preparing his students for a "post-industrial" world where they are going to need to know how to be help to their community. "They're going to be dealing with stuff that we will never deal with in [the classroom]." Jack talks about "empowering" his students to find out what they do well and encourage them to build on what they already know. He gives his students the material they might need and allows them to "come up with whatever their creative spin on it" is. In this way he feels as though he is helping the students get to the point where they will be able to solve problems presented to them in the "real world" in the way that works for them.

Jack uses this philosophy to build his classroom as well. The students are allowed to come in and sit at any table or table group the wish and with whomever the wish. The table arrangements change everyday and are sometimes designed by the students. There is a row of computers on the far side of the classroom, where students will go to do research or listen to music while working on assignments. The classroom also has two large aquariums in the back filled with fish that the students are in charge of maintaining. Throughout the day there is music playing in the classroom while students work, usually classical or jazz.

Jack begins with an overview of what the students will be doing in his class and how that may be done, but after the introduction he leaves the students to be creative about what they are to do next. He gives the students freedom to do what they wish within the assignment they have been given and then helps them along the path they have chosen to take. He then takes what went on that day and determines what standards he might have covered that day, so that he can make sure the students have learned what is needed to graduate. There are times when he more directly determines what standards need to be covered and directs students toward those.

He stays enthusiastic about his job watching his students grow. This can be anything from learning to do something for themselves, directing their own instruction, or just by learning to be responsible. He tells of students building small motor powered cars, taking charge of getting the classroom fish tanks, and some that just learn to call when they will not be coming to school. Seeing these developments makes Jack proud each time he thinks about them.

After interviewing Jack I feel there is always a chance for bringing yourself into the classroom. Hearing some of the stories from other members of my cohort had started to make me think that there is not going to be much of a chance to bring your own personal philosophy into the classroom. However, Jack has made me see it differently. His laid-back style and philosophy of giving students the chance to construct learning for themselves is something I would love to bring into a mainstream classroom. Jack has a style that I have never seen in any other classroom and it would be great to be able to bring even a little bit of this style of teaching into the mainstream teaching world.

FOOTNOTE:
1 The students are not always in Jack's classroom. Some students take classes with the rest of the high school, as know as "mainstream" classes. Also there is another classroom designated for the Special Education students where another teacher teaches Math, English, and helps students with their mainstream classes. Jack does not teach in this classroom.

Eleanor Morrice's Interview with a Social Studies Teacher

2010-05-24T11:03:00.000-07:00

My inspirational teacher smiled when asked if he minded being called an exemplary teacher. He said he was very sure that he is an exemplary teacher, knows it inside, even if his colleagues would not necessarily nominate him for the honor. He teaches seventh grade World History, Social Studies, in a middle school in one of the larger cities in this county. He says he is satisfied with the results he gets from his students, so his teaching techniques and skills are appropriate for the job. He uses what he feels is efficacious, and does not espouse any particular theory or pedagogy. Indeed, he could not articulate any specific styles or concepts, and denied having any structure other than what he has developed for himself in the 20 years he has been teaching.

The student population, 1,021 students in the seventh and eighth grades, is in a school built in the 1930s. The school has been added to and adapted to changing demographics in the area, which is considered a slightly more affluent one, near the downtown area. The majority of the students, however, are bussed in from the opposite side of town. The areas they come from are considered much lower on a socio-economic level, and are some of the most densely packed residential census tracts in the state. The community is predominantly a mix of Hispanic and Caucasian residents, but there are also Asian, Russian, Samoan, Filipino, Hmong, Afghanistani and several other eastern European cultural identities among the populace. There is a 67% rate on Free or Reduced price meals.

Mr. P got his emergency credential in 1990, as there was an immediate need for teachers in the South Central section of Los Angeles then. As he started his first year, he was not told of the true situation in the school. He had no true mentor, was never observed, and just started teaching without a period of student teaching or guided practice. Administrators did not tell him before he started that the classroom had been firebombed, and his classes were in the cafeteria the first semester. Then he had a rolling cart and ran from room to room, with kids, for the second semester. Declining enrollments meant a switch to a district near Watts his second year, where he experienced the 1992 LA riots. "Students behaved so badly that if you had 100% class discipline, you could teach anything, there was leeway for creativity." Now things are much more standardized, and more difficult.

Mr. P graduated from Temple University in 1987 with a B.A. in Journalism, and started teaching in Los Angeles three years later. He went to night school as he taught, at Cal State LA, getting his credential in 1993. His classes were in Literature, and not in Education, Theory or Pedagogy. His students were for the most part physically bigger than he was, and he quickly learned that disciplinary problems from students were "like a Hydra's head. Cut one off at the neck, and another swings into place." But he found a way to communicate his meaning, with a look, or a glance, or a bit of theatrics, and established classroom management. He does not believe in referrals to the office, choosing to deal with student discipline in the classroom as much as possible. And now he has his own children. He often thinks about how he wants to give the students in his classroom everything that he expects his children to receive in their school from their teachers. He keeps his family photos, by design, on his desktop, where he can view them at all times.

His philosophy of teaching "can be summed up in two words: kindness and strength." He feels that he is the kindest person in the room, and the strongest in spirit. His metaphor was of a piece of steel, which is smooth to the touch, but one can not break or bend it. This he compares to its opposite, a piece of sandpaper. Sandpaper is rough in texture, and it rips under pressure. At first, his classes may perceive his kindness as weakness, but he has a code posted on his wall. Its five points are, in order, Be Truthful, Be Kind, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Do Your Best. The ranking is a priority for him, and in this order for a reason. He refers students to the code chart, and has them read or reread it, as appropriate. He calls this method "positive reinforcement." He is preparing them for a job, or more important, for lives as an adult.

Now he teaches all seventh graders, but has taught sixth through ninth at different times in his 20-year career. There are big differences with each age group. It is not easy, and sometimes he feels broken-down, or questions himself (is he having an impact at all, let alone a good one?). The job can deplete a teacher. But he has a regimen, and feels that you owe yourself to fill up with something good, on purpose, and with intent, everyday. It is like a gas tank. He drinks water constantly, brings a nutritious lunch that includes lots of goodies like apples, bananas, strawberries or granola bars. He reads a section of the Scriptures every morning, and drives his kids to their school. They pray out loud on the way, thanking God for all their blessings, and asking God for the important things they need each day. He visits public libraries at least three times a week, reads books, listens to music, and carves out time to spend with family and friends. He is strategic in refreshing himself with loved ones, faith, culture and art, his tools to avoid teacher burnout.

His teaching techniques can be categorized by a quote from Bruce Lee, "Use what works." There is no orthodoxy he follows. He is skeptical and wary, yet open to all modes of teaching. His methods are the result of trial and error, and he admits to "having fallen into the way he does things." It is just what works. When he first started teaching, he used to have his students line up outside the door. But no one size fits all, for all teachers have different strengths and weaknesses, just as students do, and this is important to acknowledge. He watches to see how different kids interact with teachers and other students, and senses the mood of the classroom. He thinks that discipline is what he wants from his students, in the concept of the stem of the word, 'disciple'. He wants kids to look at him, and without him saying any words, eventually be able to consciously or unconsciously think, I see what I should be. Without ever explicitly saying so, he wants to get them to want to be like him, or even, someday, be a better version. This can not be learned from textbooks.

In his view, public education is the foundation of society. In fact, the Teacher, the Policeman, the Reporter, keep civilization alive. Without all three we are doomed. But the current political situation drives him nuts, and he finds it hard to express his political view aloud. Nevertheless, he votes. He is amazed that the same people who spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on entertainment will complain when taxes are raised even one dollar. We need to raise taxes to pay for things we need. But on an immediate level, he is happy. His classroom is warm and sunny most days, with a bank of windows on the southeast side, two doors to an interior corridor, with a drinking fountain outside one and the faculty lounge (with a rest room) outside the other. His classroom walls are neat, but student work is prominently displayed, with many posters of animals, scenic panoramas, timelines and cultural aspects of various peoples and countries. All is inviting, with student desks paired in three rows, and his resource materials neatly organized.

He ended the interview with his philosophy of History. "It is no accident that the root of the word (History) is 'story'." This is lacking in many current Social Studies classes, the concept that kids need to hear stories. History is a long, rambling, interconnected story, all real. It is the greatest story ever. His voice tells the stories patiently, passionately, and respectfully.

His passion for teaching and for the discipline, coupled with his care for himself and others, will be a treasured asset to the faculty of this middle school, the lives of his students, and our community for many years to come.

Saul Ruiz's Interview with a Social Studies Teacher

2010-05-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

Wilmore high school is one of three high schools in this small agricultural city Wilmore high school uses a block schedule. Students have three classes a day and an advisory. The classes are an hour and fifty minutes long. The school is centered on small learning communities known as academies. The school has over two thousand students. Wilmore High has a large Hispanic population. It is a reflection of the community where they are centered and because of this Hispanic teachers can have a large influence. That is why the teacher I interviewed has had such a positive effect on his students.

Mr. Ramirez has been teaching at Wilmore High for 32 years. He started when he was 24. He started out teaching English and Social Studies. In his early years, his peers did not look upon Mr. Ramirez favorably. He had a different way of teaching that didn't involve a stand and deliver approach. His tactics were ahead of their time. Mr. Ramirez is now a World History and U.S. History teacher in the video academy. The video academy allows Mr. Ramirez to integrate technology into many of his projects and has taken his projects based assessments to another level.

Walking into Mr. Ramirez's classroom is a quite a sight. The walls are covered with posters and images. Prominent Hispanics, such as Cesar Chavez, litter the walls. The rest of the room has students work. The variety of posters, timelines, and other poster projects shows the project-based curriculum that goes on in Room. 8. The desks are set in a U shape to facilitate discussion. The classroom has a bank of 8 computers and a projector.

Mr. Ramirez's philosophy of education is that it is the great equalizer. He believes, "it allows them to take control of their futures." Teaching in this city has really shaped Mr. Ramirez's perspective on education. Many of his students come from poor economic situations and he tries to help his students understand that education can open many doors. "It opens tremendous opportunities that they would not have under their current economic situations." Mr. Ramirez does see many issues in our education system today. He believes that modern day education does not have the best interests of the students at heart. He fears that the education system is more structured for the institutions rather than the kids. Most of all, Mr. Ramirez cares about his students, "I believe all kids can learn and I take the job seriously."

Mr. Ramirez is a firm believer in Gardner's Multiple Intelligence theory. He tries to structure his lessons around this theory and assessments are project centered, "in order to engage all my students." The book is used more as a reference than a bible. Mr. Ramirez believes in a student-centered classroom where he is more of a resource or "a coach," as he puts it. Mr. Ramirez is a firm believer in the introduction of technology in his classroom. Many of his students are challenged to extend their learning by using the Internet to explore subjects further.

When I asked Mr. Ramirez how he stays enthusiastic about teaching his response was, "the kids… the youth of the kids gives me energy to continue teaching the way I attempt to teach." Mr. Ramirez feels he has a responsibility to his students because "education is the last best chance many of our kids have." The belief that he is making a difference in the lives of these students is what drives him. Despite all the things modern day education can throw at him he manages to really focus on what is important, the kids. The final most rewarding thing for Mr. Ramirez is that he never knows which students he touches with his teaching until much later but he needs to believe he is making a difference and helping them to change their lives.

I think I have learned that the teaching profession can be a thankless job. As Mr. Ramirez has mentioned, you don't see the rewards of what you have done until much later. You have to believe that you are affecting these students and making a difference in their lives. Teaching is one profession where you can impact the lives of other people and help them to change their situations drastically. Recognition can be non-existent but you have to believe you are helping change their lives. If you don't, then you should leave the profession.

I have also learned that you should never compromise your beliefs on education just because you are feeling pressure from your colleagues. Mr. Ramirez cares for his students and because of that he will not allow them to fail. The kids really respond to that and it shows in the work they do for him. The children trust him and they have fun because of that trust. Trust is extremely important to your success as a teacher. If you show your students that you understand that their lives can be difficult, they respond.

Reina Montante's Interview with a Social Studies Teacher

2010-04-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Jones (pseudonym) has been a high school teacher for almost eighteen years. She has worked both at public and private high schools. She has always taught 9th through 12th graders. Mrs. Jones has primarily been a social science teacher. She has been teaching World Cultures for seven years and used to teach Freshman Geography. Mrs. Jones has been activities director at two of the three schools she has worked at. During this time she also taught the leadership class and was in charge of ASB. Mrs. Jones has worked at three high schools with very different settings and demographics. The first high school she worked at was well maintained and had a mixture of very wealthy White students and middle to poor Mexican-American students. There seemed to be a clear divide between the students at breaks and school events. She did not always have access to the resources and supplies needed. At times, it was challenging for her to stay motivated and enthusiastic. She stayed at this school for two years.

Next, Mrs. Jones took a teaching position at an all girls private school. Mrs. Jones loved the environment at this school. The campus was closer to her home and well maintained. She had a lot of support and all the resources that she needed. The students worked very hard and were dedicated to their school work. She said that "the girls weren't embarrassed to share and be smart. They weren't distracted by boys" and the many other distractions that go along with being at a co-ed school. The students were very productive and well behaved. The parents were very involved in their kids' education because they were paying for it. Mrs. Jones also liked starting each class with a prayer, "it set a tone," she said. Mrs. Jones enjoyed her time at this school but left after seven years.

Last, she was offered a position at her alma mater, so she took it. This school is a standard public high school that educates students from ninth through twelfth grade. The high school is a public school within a relatively small school district, especially in comparison to the school districts surrounding it. This school is in its first year of program improvement. The enrollment is approximately 1300 students, which is a moderate enrollment compared to other high schools in the county. This school is located in the heart of a mid-sized agricultural town. The local community is prized for their vegetable production. The immediate area that surrounds the school is artichoke and strawberry fields that encompass the school on all sides. As a result of the agricultural focus of the area, there are many students whose families work in agriculture. Typically the students range from poor to middle class. This high school is nearly seventy percent Hispanic students, so Hispanic students are the majority on campus. Many of the Hispanic students speak English and Spanish and are classified as English language learners. Over fifty percent of the students on campus are on the free or reduced lunch program.

Currently, Mrs. Jones teaches World Cultures and Freshman AVID (a program designed to help underachieving middle and high school students prepare for and succeed in colleges and universities). Although her current school can be very challenging she really enjoys teaching history because it is her passion. She enjoys teaching AVID class because it gives her an opportunity to help "freshmen get acclimated to high school" and start them on the path to college early. She is very active and involved on campus. She is the co-director of the Alumni Association and currently working on a project to finance the replacement of the school's track and field. Mrs. Jones feels that the facilities at her school are in poor condition and need a lot of work.

Her professional philosophy is based on respect. She believes that "If you treat students with respect, that respect is usually returned." She does not believe in embarrassing her students. She believes the purpose of a public education is "to create intelligent young people who can contribute to society in a positive way." She feels that school is practice for real life, and it is important for students to learn skills like being on time, meeting deadlines, and coming prepared to work. Although Mrs. Jones enjoys working at her current high school, she struggles with having many students who are apathetic and do not want to be there.

She tries to create a comfortable learning environment for her students. This can be seen by the way her classroom is set-up and organized. She has the desks set-up in a unique way so that the focus of the classroom is the center, rather than the front. They are in a small u shape within a larger u shape of desks. She has created a wall all about her behind her desk. She has different awards that she has won, pictures of her family, and souvenirs from when she was in high school. She also has a part of the wall in front of her desk for pictures of her students from school or dances that have been given to her over the years. Along another wall she has examples of student work like posters and different projects, which she adds to all the time. Overall the classroom is a very comfortable and friendly place.

Mrs. Jones' classes are embedded in procedure. Mrs. Jones' opens her door when the passing bell rings and welcomes the students that our waiting to come in. Many elements of her class occur on a daily basis and have started to become routine for the students. Her classes always start out with a bell assignment. Every day the agenda is written on the board in the same place. The agenda starts with the bell assignment, the lecture or lesson with its topic, and assigned homework if any. She likes to make each day different when she can. She uses many different strategies to help her students learn. She uses think-pair-share, strategic grouping, exit tickets, and creative methods of lecture. In addition, she has an effective method of positive reinforcement where she gives out raffle tickets that can be used by her students to "purchase" candy and other rewards. Mrs. Jones has many diverse learners in her classes. To support these learners she does a lot of scaffolding, group work, outlines, study guides and visuals. She uses various types of assessment including presentations, projects, posters and written work. She starts at the beginning of the year by helping the students learn to work effectively in pairs and groups.

Mrs. Jones is very well organized and a highly effective teacher. She is liked and well respected by all of the faculty and staff. She has a very positive relationship with her students and is a favorite teacher on campus. She always seems to be very enthusiastic and motivated. She says that she is satisfied with her career and stays enthusiastic about teaching by developing positive relationships. She enjoys collaborating with her colleagues, working with student teachers, and developing long lasting relationships with her students. She also values her downtime and vacations with her family. She says, "Finding a work-life balance is very important. Don't let your job be all you have." According to Mrs. Jones the most rewarding parts of teaching are "the moments you get through to your students. You see a student be successful who came into class thinking they hate history and have never been successful in a history class. They begin to work harder, show interest, ask questions, smile, interact with you. Those positive rewarding experiences make your day."

I am grateful to Mrs. Jones for taking the time to answer my questions. It was great to talk with Mrs. Jones and hear all of the events that have helped make her the teacher she is today. One of the reasons that I chose to interview Mrs. Jones is because of her classroom management styles. She has so many positive attributes and skills as a teacher that I hope to develop. I never thought teaching was going to be easy, but I never realized how challenging it could be. Especially in this economy and as a new teacher there are many obstacles to success. I wanted to get more insight into how she stays so motivated and creative. It is nice to know that her first few years of teaching were a constant struggle. Ultimately, her hard work and persistence has helped her develop a strong and fulfilling career. I have had a few of those rewarding moments myself, and they are essential to staying enthusiastic about teaching.

Nicole Aymong's Interview with a middle school teacher

2010-04-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

This middle school is designated a PI (Program Improvement) school. The majority of students are Hispanic and come from many different countries in Latin America, with students from a variety of other backgrounds. Many of the students are designated English learners.

Mrs. Pine has taught a variety of subjects and has achieved many accomplishments over her years of teaching. For eight years she was designated an Art Docent and taught art to kids from kindergarten to fifth grade. In addition, she taught the students Art History. Mrs. Pine received her Multiple Subject Credential at a California State University. She needs one more test in order to obtain her bilingual authorization. After receiving the Multiple Subject Credential, Mrs. Pine wanted to obtain a Single Subject Credential as well and decided to pursue English and Social Studies. While, obtaining her second credential Mrs. Pine began teaching at Sequoia Middle School. In addition, Mrs. Pine is authorized to teach Art up to ninth grade. She is one half of the department chair for English at the middle school as well.

Education is a have and have not situation according to Mrs. Pine. Growing up was tough for Mrs. Pine. Her parents scraped by in order to save enough money so their children could receive a private school education. She believes it is her responsibility to reach every student, especially the ones who have been left behind by the school system. Mrs. Pine is involved with after school tutoring and works very hard to keep the parents involved in their children's education. The students should have equal access to the curriculum. Mrs. Pine uses the pedagogy of multiple modalities for teaching and scaffolding. Also, the lessons are designed to help all different learners kinesthetic, auditory and visual.

The classroom is organized with eight tables in the middle put into two rows of four. The tables sit four students and the students change tables every few weeks, so they can work with a variety of people. Mrs. Pine uses a smart board to display the daily warm-up for the students everyday. The students perform group work so they can learn how to work with all types of people. Also, the students work in pairs to answer questions or complete worksheets. Mrs. Pine uses modalities for teaching English language development. In addition, the pacing guides are manipulated, so Mrs. Pine can perform more creative and different lessons. Students can use the computer to work on research projects once all their work is done. This gives incentive to the other students to complete work, so they can use the computers as well. Of course, if the students didn't understand the concept or need more instruction in a certain area Mrs. Pine will scaffold the lesson.

The students keep Mrs. Pine enthusiastic about teaching and challenge her everyday. The students' successes and progresses throughout the year is why Mrs. Pine chose to teach. She would like the students to pass the class and move on to the next grade. Also, Mrs. Pine wants every student to receive a good grade in her class and every other class. Mrs. Pine chose to teach the students who are struggling to make it through school and need a teacher that cares about their success. The most rewarding part of teaching is when you see a students face light up when they understood the material and received a good grade on their test.

After talking with Mrs. Pine I learned it takes a lot of hard work and determination to become a teacher. The students are the most important part of teaching and even if it takes a lot of hard work and many lessons getting through to the student is what teaching is all about. Mrs. Pine has gotten many credentials and she always puts the students needs first, so no one falls behind. I learned you need to work hard and always adapt and change to lessons to fit the needs of the students. In addition, as a teacher it takes time and practice to get to know and understand the needs of each one of your students, so be patient and take time to understand the students difficulties in each area then create lesson plans to fit the needs of each student.

Amanda's Austin's Interview with a Math Teacher

2010-04-19T11:30:00.001-07:00

Mr. A is an outspoken, energetic teacher. He constantly has a smile on his face and each time I have visited his classroom the students have been actively engaged, excited and smiling right along with him. I have tried, over the course of this interview, to figure out his secret.

Mr. A teaches at a rural high school located in an agricultural area of Monterey County. There are about 1300 students in the high school. The ethnic make-up of the school is 66% Hispanic, 29% White, 2% Asian and 2% African-American. Many of the students have English as a second language, are bilingual in Spanish, and/or speak Spanish at their home and with their friends. Twenty percent of the students are officially classified as English Learners. Half of the students are also on free or reduced lunch programs.

This is Mr. A's ninth year of teaching all levels of math at this high school. He started out his career not in education, but in the Air Force and then in private industry. He decided to make a career change when the stress and long work weeks of the private industry began to get to him. Despite the pay being lower as a teacher, he says that "teaching is the best job in the world."

Mr. A believes that the students need to be actively engaged, creating projects and solving interesting problems that truly challenge them. In that manner, the students are more interested in the material and learn much more than if they are merely lectured to. Mr. A has his students working in groups very often and develops special projects for each unit. The students help develop the grading criteria for these projects. Currently, his Geometry class is designing bridges made of popsicle sticks. Despite a lot of pressure from the administration for the math department to stress the standards and improve test scores, Mr. A keeps in mind his students╒ development and makes time for them to explore things that he thinks are important for them. He takes the administration seriously, but figures "the best thing for my students is to really understand the things they are learning, not just skim over the top of a lot of material."

Walking into Mr. A's classroom, I can tell that he teaches a little differently from other teachers at the school. Instead of desks in rows, he "procured tables so the students can work together more easily." The walls are covered with various projects that his students have completed. Mr. A spends some time lecturing to get the ideas across and discuss problems that the students have had, but much of the class is spent with the students working collaboratively in groups on various problems. The students talk with each other quite a bit and Mr. A keeps them on task by constantly circulating the room and checking in with each of the students at some point. The students seem to respect him and enjoy the chance to work with their peers as well as have a little one-on-one interaction with Mr. A.

Mr. A is constantly enthusiastic about his job. Even when he has had a bad day, he still has a smile on his face. When asked about his seemingly endless optimism, he says that "the students make it all worth it. Even on the bad days, you just have to have fun with the kids and focus on the good." He truly enjoys his students and loves having the opportunity to get to know them both as students and people. It is these connections that he develops with his students that make the job rewarding to him. Seeing their success and getting to be a positive influence in their lives makes all of the challenges of teaching worth it.

My interview with Mr. A taught me a lot about keeping a good attitude in the teaching profession. While he definitely acknowledges that there are challenges, he keeps a focus on the fun and exciting parts of the job. Mr. A's optimism taught me to recognize when I have a bad day and spend some time reflecting on what did not go well to try and make things better, but not to dwell on them. Teaching inherently has its ups and downs, and to keep your sanity and sense of hope, you need to always be looking at the successes.

It was inspiring to visit Mr. A's classroom and see a teacher who incorporates a lot of group work and creative projects into his curriculum. As a new teacher, I keep hearing how these things are important, but do not get very many opportunities to see them in practice. The students respond well to this approach also, appearing active and happy to be working together on learning the material.

One of the main things that I learned from talking with Mr. A is to have fun with your students and to treat them with respect. Developing that bond with your students makes the classroom environment one in which both the students and the teacher are comfortable and productive. It is also one of the most rewarding aspects of the job.

Kai Parker's Interview with a Social Studies Teacher

2010-04-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

Mr. O is a veteran teacher at Raptor High School in California. Raptor High has a student body of 1325. It only has one feeder school, Predator Middle School. It operates on a block schedule, with three blocks each day and a forty-five minute tutorial after the morning break. Most students have three classes at a time, which switch halfway through the year after winter break. Some students take classes the whole year, with days alternating between class set A and class set B. Raptor High is having problems with this type of scheduling and is anticipating having to change it in the near future. Some of the problems that have developed over the years with block scheduling include: unintentional tracking of students due to scheduling conflicts. Another is non-conformance with the state's P.E. requirement for graduation of 20 credits. Additionally, for many students, their fall class content is being tested in the spring on the STAR test when they have not had the class for half a year. Raptor High is very tuned-in to this fact because they are a year 1 improvement school according to No Child Left Behind.

Mr. O has been teaching for a total of 34 years, 28 of them at Raptor High. He previously taught nearby at an all boys' school, Palm Tree High. Mr. O has taught everything that falls under a Social Studies Credential. He taught Geography, Government, and World Cultures at Palm Tree High, and since coming to Raptor High, he has taught the freshmen social studies course known as Choices, as well as World Cultures, and Government. Mr. O was a Political Science Major, and teaching Government has always been his passion as well as his goal. He currently teaches AP Government and AVID Government, and will have a "sheltered" Government class in the spring. He has been teaching purely government classes for the last twenty-two of the twenty-eight years he has spent at Raptor High.

Upon entering Mr. O's classroom, it becomes apparent that the content covered is provocative and relevant to today's issues. The walls are covered with student work and posters and propaganda, maps of the U.S. with the states colored-in red or blue, depending on the way the vote has gone in different election years. Many of the posters are very provocative; they have to do with current political issues like abortion and marijuana legalization, among other things. Mr. O is in a trailer that has a wonderful view of the scenery behind the school. His desk is in the back of the room, near the window overlooking the slough. There is quiet, classical music playing in the background. The desks are arranged in rows, angled around the corners and sides of the walls to accommodate the large class sizes crammed into such a small space. The room has a very comfortable feel. It is an inviting and welcoming space.

At the front of the room is an overhead projector and pair of very clean white boards. In one corner on the white boards, homework and reading are given for the AP class. The rest of the boards are spotless.

The desks are of the sort that the chair is attached to the table, and there is a little basket underneath the chair. In each basket is a textbook.

When asked about his teaching pedagogy, Mr. O wrinkles his brow. "I wouldn't really call it a pedagogy," he says. "It's more of a methodology." He calls his style "student centered," and explains that most of his teaching is focused around a discussion oriented, Socratic delivery of the material. According to him, the content being taught in government is different from any other subject matter in school, or even within the social studies content because of its immediate relevance to students' lives. It’s giving them the knowledge and instruction necessary to be citizens, to be able to participate in society and have their voice heard; to be active, contributing members of society. Because of this, the content is very real and alive to students. It is important for them to be thinking about that content or issues in ways that will transfer over to their adult/public life once they are out of the public school system.

In his sheltered class, Mr. O focuses a lot more vocabulary development. This he accomplishes by putting phrases and terms on the board and going over how the class perceives their meaning and building a collective consciousness about them. He feels that his method of delivering the material in a largely discussion oriented format automatically makes it more accessible to a variety of learners because whatever they bring to the table is what they start with. It is his job to assess where they are at, and gently lead them to where he wants them to be. He is somehow able to accomplish this while making them think they are simply going where they want to go, instead of following his subtle, gentle lead.

For him, the purpose of education is to develop critical thinking, getting students to see beyond their immediate self, to use reason and thought to cultivate respect for others. These are the skills that they will be able to apply to any situation they may find themselves in right now, and in the future.

Obviously, for Mr. O, the fact that he teaches his passion helps him to stay motivated and enthusiastic after thirty-four years on the job. He also says that watching the learning process is very rewarding, and he accredits those moments when students understand as being the reasons he teaches. Mr. O even goes a step further and says that when another student says something that somehow helps their colleague to understand in a way that they were unable to before, that is the real magic. "I know it sounds trite," he says, "but it’s true."

I leave Mr. O's room feeling very inspired and awed by his amazing powers of discussion mediation. Watching him teach has given new meaning to phrases like "wait time," and 'leading" or "guiding" questions. He truly is a facilitator and a master teacher. He stays out of the way, and yet he somehow manages to get them where he wants to go. I can’t wait to get back to my own class and try out some of the questioning methods he used. With any luck, in thirty-four years I’ll be as good as he is in leading discussions!

Anna Castillo's Interview with a Third Grade Teacher

2010-04-02T10:42:00.001-07:00

“You gotta laugh. You have to find the humor in everything from the most mundane in-service to yard duty.” This was the first bit of advice that Caroline (not her real name) shared with me when we sat down to talk about teaching. Caroline has been teaching 3rd-grade in the same rural elementary school for the past 13 years. The school serves about 480 students in grades K-5. The student body is made up of 54% White, 42% Hispanic, 2% Filipino, 1% Native American and 1% African American. The school facility recently completed Phase II of its expansion. This project added nine additional classrooms, a dedicated music room, covered walkways and eating areas, an Art/Science building, and a larger library and computer lab.

This is where her theory on humor has paid off. No sooner were these amazing facilities complete than the budget was slashed and the school lost its music, art and computer teachers. She has seen her classes go from 28 students in the late 1990s, to an average of 18 students since 2001, to 31 students this year. Several colleagues that Caroline had taught with for years were let go because the two-school district had no place for them. Staff morale hit an all time low when the much loved and respected principal of the last 20 years resigned for medical reasons over the summer. To get through Caroline says “I just keep telling myself that now more than ever we have to be here for the kids.”

When asked what it meant to “be here for the kids,” Caroline said, without missing a beat, “Provide them a safe place where they can learn skills to help them become good people. People who can read, write and think clearly. People who care about other people.” Her general philosophy on teaching is to get her students out of the classroom as much as possible to apply what they learn in the classroom to real life situations. Every year her class plants a garden when they study perimeter and area; they write and perform a “punctuation” play for the 1st and 2nd grade classes; they run the annual canned food drive.

This philosophy is reflected in her classroom. Caroline has only “lived” in 2 classrooms; the first was for 3 years when she was just out of university and teaching kindergarten at a Catholic school; the next was the room she now has been in for 13 years. The space is very lived-in with well loved beanbag chairs in the reading corner and a rocking chair for circle time. Caroline laughs when she thinks about this daily morning ritual because it is more like “Amoeba time” with her students contorting themselves into an odd shape so they can all at least be sitting on the floor. The walls are clearly organized to reflect the centers set-up underneath; math, reading, writing, science, social studies, art and “mystery.” She has an aide twice a week for 2 hours who is bilingual and works with small groups.

She tells me that “Sometimes you just have to talk at them. That’s the only way to teach some ideas.” But then she lets them loose to explore these concepts on their own. The class is divided into three groups and she rotates them through the centers and teacher led small groups so she can better understand how they understand the material. The desks are arranged in groups of 5 with one group of 6. The teacher’s desk is at the front of the room where the TV and overhead projector are. On the chalkboard next to a large white board is a daily schedule. Again Caroline laughs “One of these days I’ll get through this whole schedule during the times that I write down.”

Caroline had to adapt her way of teaching when her school became a program improvement school four years ago [meaning they did not meet the standardized test goals set my the No Child Left Behind Act]. Pacing schedules and scripted curriculum cut into a lot of Caroline’s out of class experiences. But she refused to cut them out completely.

When asked what kind of pedagogy she used, Caroline laughed and said “I haven’t heard that word used in the 16 years since I was getting my teaching credential at CSU Northridge!” She then went on to talk about having high expectations of all her students regardless of their status. She tries to pair students based on their personalities as well as their academic levels. She encourages her students to work together, rely on one another and to ask another student first before asking the teacher. Caroline said several times that she believes in the potential of every student.

When asked about what she thought the purpose of public education was she had two answers, one as a parent and the other as a teacher. Mom to two boys (9 and 5 years old) who both attend her school, Caroline feels that public education is supposed to teach her children the skills they will need to succeed in life and to promote their talents. She also said that her boys’ schools should be a place where her kids look forward to going and help keep them excited about learning. As a teacher Caroline said that schools also have a responsibility to help those families that struggle to support their child’s learning at home.

Public education is “sometimes the only hope these kids have and it is our job to help these kids beat the odds.” In her classroom she has worked with her aide to translate forms for parents and to assist at parent teacher conferences. Caroline has started to take Spanish classes in the summer to help her better understand and relate with her students. She also refuses to let anyone use the excuse that because they are English language learners (ELL) that its expected that her students will score lower on tests. “I’m harder on my ELL students, I think. I want to help them prove everyone wrong.” Caroline smirks. She tells me about how she has her students present their work all the time and that buddy reading with the on-site Head Start class has really helped many of her students with their reading and speaking skills.

Caroline laughs again when I ask what keeps her so enthusiastic about teaching. She says “I’m laughing because it’s the kids that keep me going and some days make me want to quit. They drive me nuts but they also keep me coming back for more. They have so much to teach me and they just say and do the most hilarious things.” She has no regrets about her career choices and says you could not pay her enough to become an administrator. Caroline’s only regret about being a teacher? “Not hoarding more supplies at the end of last year!”

Melissa Moore-Call's Interview with an English Teacher

2010-03-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Early in my teaching career, I was fortunate to have worked with Janice Stallings (a pseudonym), a middle school English Language Arts teacher who brings a true passion for her subject matter to her classroom. Although Janice had originally intended to teach English at the university level, her plans changed when she was offered a position teaching seventh grade ELA in North Carolina. Janice earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from a small liberal-arts college in Virginia that is known for its stellar creative writing department. After Ms. Stallings completed her Master of Arts in English, she set her sights on teaching graduate level creative writing. Unfortunately, there are few job openings in MFA level creative writing programs and Janice had to reconsider her options. As luck would have it, Janice’s mother knew of an opening at the Middle School and asked her daughter if she would be interested in teaching seventh grade. Thankfully for hundreds of students, the answer was a resounding yes.

I interviewed Janice over the phone and asked her to tell me about her school. This Middle School, located in the suburbs of a very large and bustling business center in North Carolina, is a North Carolina School of Excellence. It is also, as Janice points out, “very white bread.” Approximately 94% of the school’s 1425 students are Caucasian; the other six percent of students are African-American, Asian, and Hispanic. Very few students qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program; most kids at Crown come from middle class and upper middle class families. Many children at the school have parents who work for a large bank that is headquartered near Mint Hill.

Janice is known for her excellence in the classroom. When I worked with her, I was amazed at her natural ease for managing a classroom and for delivering instruction. Jan is very much a natural teacher. That is not to say, however, that she doesn’t face challenges in her job. Jan points out that her first year of teaching was “very rough. I had 36 kids in one class and 70% of them had 504s or IEPs [Individual Education Plans].” Like many first-year teachers, Jan admits to having felt overwhelmed. When I asked Janice how she coped with that experience, she replied that she simply did the best she could and that she relied a good bit upon the Academic Facilitators, who came into her classroom, observed her, and gave her feedback on what was working and what was not. Also, the Academic Facilitators ensured that Jan had real, concrete strategies she could use to teach struggling students. Janice also worked on her teaching skills by attending as many professional developments workshops and seminars as she could, where she learned about a variety of topics, including Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory.

I mentioned to Jan that I try to visit other teachers as much as I can and see what is going on in their classrooms and not only English teachers. Jan admitted that she had observed many other teachers as well in her beginning years. (She has taught for a decade at this point.) Also, she says, “I leaned on my department members. I took everything I could away from English department meetings, any kinds of ideas, lesson plans, strategies.” Although this Middle is located in a district with a very detailed pacing guide, Janice points out that it is unrealistic for any teacher to be tied to a pacing guide that does not allow for any derivation. Jan had the pacing guide available her first year of teaching, but she felt that it was not adequate for her students' needs. Jan added that the district’s pacing guide does not allow time for re-looping or re-teaching concepts that students did not grasp the first time around. Furthermore, Janice continued, the pacing guide assumes that you are teaching a class of kids who are all reading and writing at grade-level. In many of Ms. Stallings' classes, this has not been the case.

I asked Jan what she does to meet the needs of all her students, as I know she has had a wide variety of students over the years. Most of Jan’s students are ability-tracked; they are grouped together in for English language Arts and Math, which means most of them end up having Social Studies and Science together, too. Jan responded after a moment that it is difficult to meet the needs of every student, but that is what teachers have to do. Jan knows that some students face bigger hurdles than others and she does what she can (often at personal expense) to level the playing field. I remember Janice buying coats for students who could not afford them when I taught with her years back. She felt was merely doing her job; no one could expect cold and hungry students to do their best in the classroom. Buying coats for disadvantaged students is a great illustration of who Jan is as a teacher. Her caring and empathy really speak to her philosophy of love and acceptance as a teacher. Jan cares for her students and it shows in and out of her classroom.

I asked Jan if her classroom had changed much since I last saw it when I taught with her, her classroom was always neat, tidy, colorful and welcoming. She laughed that it is probably a little more untidy than I remember and that she certainly has more books than she used to. Her classroom is set up to be student-friendly; she has a supply table with paper, pens, staplers, a hole puncher, and other necessary items in the back of the room where students can easily access it. There are several bookcases housing books of all reading levels; students are welcome to check them out and take them home. Janice groups her kids' desks in fours and arranges these groups so that everyone can see the whiteboard and overhead projector. Jan works hard to make sure the classroom is a place of learning and she arranges her room carefully. Ms. Stallings has several bulletin boards on which she displays photos of her students. This is a room where all kids are welcome.

In speaking with Jan, I was reminded that content knowledge is only one part of teaching. Jan and I have several graduate degrees in English and Creative Writing between us. Certainly, knowing one’s subject area and having passion for it is important, but just having that knowledge will not convey it to your students. You need solid teaching methods and practices. You must care about your subject and your kids; you must accept all of them and want all of them to succeed. Jan and I discussed the philosophy of meeting our students where they are and how important that idea is to remember when we are working with them. Yes, knowledge of our teaching area is important, but so is an understanding of how individuals learn. We must know our students, know them well, and have in our possession skills and strategies that will help every child develop as a learner.

Ruben Garcia's Interview with a Fifth Grade Teacher

2010-03-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

Ms. Smith has been in the teaching profession for a quite the time now serving public schools. She has been a dedicated teacher to her profession for twelve years now. These have been twelve rewarding years where she has seen the growth of the students year by year. She has taught 1st grade for three years, 3rd grade for two, and has been teaching 5th grade in her current school for the past seven years. The majority of the students in this public school are of Hispanic background. The school has an estimate of 800 students enrolled from K to 6th grade.

Ms. Smith states how her philosophy of teaching is being open and prepared for whatever or whoever may walk through her classroom. As a teacher one has to be ready for the unexpected with all this different types of students who come into the school year with a variety of learning levels/styles. As a teacher she says she attempts to teach in a way where none of her students are left out or feel left out due to their ability of performing. She attempts to make everyone count in the class and get every student involved as much as possible in the lesson. Furthermore, even as a teacher she has the job of learning like her students. She has to learn about her students as a way to understand them better and use that to an advantage to aid her students succeed in their education. She believes the purpose of public education is to provide equal education to every individual in our communities and equip them with proper knowledge and tools to put to use in the community to better the community.

When looking at the classroom and how it is organized, she has her classroom set in a very unique way. Her students sit in a group of four per group; all the groups of four are arranged in a way where the center of the classroom is open in a circular type area. She leaves this area open so she can have a better contact with the whole class. She has the classroom divided in five different groups named Mon-Fri, and the kids fall in the day of the week group depending in their reading level. When it comes time for the class to practice on their reading, they get in their assigned group to read a book according to their reading level. Every day the teacher works with different groups as a way to facilitate them and to see how the book is working for the group. As time goes on the students are able to move up a day of the week as their reading improves and have the opportunity to now practice their reading with peers who are at a higher level and learn from each other.

Ms. Smith, taking a deep breath explained that at times it can be challenging to meet the needs of a diverse group of students, but one has to stay focused and always think about the best way to pull the students forward with their learning. She meets the needs of her students who do learn at a different pace is by closely observing them and seeing what works for them and what does not. By observing her students and picking out areas in where they struggle the most, this gives her the opportunity to really drill in this area by starting slow and throughout time challenging the students a bit more as they go on. She will take as long as it take for her students to succeed in the material, but must be careful to not leave out other information.

When I asked her what her motives in becoming a teacher were, she cracked a huge smile and responded by blurting out that it was definitely not the pay. She wanted to be a teacher ever since she was a little girl attending school in Mexico. She enjoyed school so much in Mexico that she always knew she wanted to peruse a career in this profession. Then, making a difference in a child╒s life was another reason she gave. "I always enjoyed helping others from helping my mother cook food to helping my little brother with his school work. As long as I helped, I felt good inside. Plus it allowed me to learn new things along the way." To her, teaching is a very rewarding job. As a teacher when seeing the growth in the students and seeing the change and improvement, this is like getting paid without receiving a currency. The greatest reward for her was when the students go up to her with excitement letting her know they get the information and know how to put it to use.

Through this interview I learned how in teaching one has to be very much prepared for anything, and make adjustments at any time when needed. One has to be very familiar with their students and know what meets their needs and what does not. I also learned that teaching is not all about the income that comes in since it is not the greatest, but it is more about the wanting to teach and the wanting to help others.

Dan Rhoad's Interview with a First Grade Teacher

2010-02-17T22:43:00.001-08:00

Duke Ellington Elementary School (pseudonym), where I am completing my student teaching experience, originally opened its doors in 1952 in this quiet coastal California community. The school enrolls 496 kindergarten through fifth graders and is on a traditional calendar year.

To provide a little background, I will outline a few details that help to define the school. Of the 496 enrolled students 92% come from households that qualify for the free or reduced-price meal subsidy. This means that 92% of the students are coming from homes who report making less than $38,203 per year for a family of four. According to the most recently available School Accountability Report Card, 76% of the students are English language learners and 24% are classified as English language proficient students. The ethnicity of the school is composed of 2% African American 4% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 9% White/European American/Other, and 85% Hispanic/Latino. The parents of the children attending the school that have earned a college degree are reported to be 6% while the county average is around 19% and the state average is 30%. The school spends approximately $5,381 per student (including both restricted and unrestricted funds) whereas the district average is $8,303 and the state average is $8,117.

All of this information just helps to provide some context to the school where I am a student teacher and where the teacher I have interviewed has worked for most of his career. Brian (also a pseudonym) has worked at Duke Ellington Elementary School for 22 of his 25 year teaching career. He is highly regarded at the school. His leadership throughout campus was noticeable on the first day I started my student teaching rotation. During his time at the school he has taught every grade offered, from kindergarten through fifth grade. For many years he focused on teaching fourth and fifth grade and loved it, but recently he made the switch back to teaching first grade, which is what he is teaching this year.

When I asked him about his philosophy of teaching he at first seemed a little perplexed, but after a short pause he rephrased the question to himself and began a thoughtful response. Brian explained that in the early grades your focus as a teacher has to be on creating interactive learning for the children. Talking and discussing a subject will not help the children learn. It might provide context for an activity, but there needs to be more hands-on things to engage with. He goes on to explain that the younger kids must experience to topic through multiple mediums: drawing, singing, self-guided learning, small groups, pair-share. "The more hands-on your lesson can be the better," he explained with enthusiasm.

He is fond of a community model classroom that is structured around the notion that all participates in the community have a responsibility to fulfill. If you create a community atmosphere from the first day then you will be more successful in getting your kids to open up and engage with the material you're trying to teach. He continues with his response by talking about the first few days of the year. He explains in detail how important the first week can be for every teacher. That is when you get your kids to understand your perspective about how the classroom will work. It is during that week that the kids are learning what is tolerated and what is not tolerated by their new teacher. "You got to provide them structure during the first week and throughout the year," he said.

I then asked him a question that I have been thinking about since I started this student teaching placement: how do you satisfy the needs of a variety of learners? Duke Ellington Elementary claims to do this with a program they started last year called Universal Access (UA). The administration has been struggling to figure out how to make it happen this year. Brian explains to me that since last year's Language Arts test scores experienced an upward jump, the principle has been more than happy to award all of the credit to the implementation of the UA program, even though many teachers remain skeptical. UA is a language arts pull-out program where children are divided into classes according to their English language testing scores. Brian tells me this is how the school tries to satisfy the needs of a variety of learners: sort them into groups, then begin teaching.

Brian says he sees much more positive results from small-scale techniques like pairing students with another student that can challenge them in a good way. He uses manipulatives and interactive projects as much as possible. He likes story telling with visuals. He encourages the quick finishers to help others that may need assistance. It is good to be flexible and work creatively with your seating chart to form good working groups that can really engage students constructive dialog. Most importantly, Brian tells me, you must create the community from day-one and build on that community each day to help the children understand they have a responsibility to themselves and their peers.

To make all this happen you have to know your students really well. You must know more about them then just their test scores, where they sit and who their parents are. You must be completely committed to understanding them as dynamic individual. He tells me that this is one way he keeps from getting burnt out over the years: he needs to remind himself that each child is different, each year is different and he therefore needs to constantly renew his approach to the kids.

I then worked the conversation into the question I was looking forward to asking: what is the purpose of a public education in the U.S.? Brian smiled when I asked this question. He started to talk about standardized testing and how many changes he has seen over his career. As he talked about his experiences he went through a couple false starts in his response and his hesitation made me think that perhaps teachers don't get asked this question often enough. I enjoyed hearing what he had to say, but I wasn't really expecting that this question would come as such a surprise to him. Brian talked about how he believed teachers in the public education system were preparing children to become productive citizens in our society. He felt he was helping to form them into good community members and he thought each child in some small way benefits from being in his class.

After my conversation with Brian I felt inspired and proud to have found a profession with so much challenge and reward wrapped up into just one day's activities. After having the chance to hear his perspective, I felt like I was able to see his room and the environment he had set-up in a new way: I could see the community he was describing to me. What had seemed like a chaotic first grade class to me the day before our talk seemed a different classroom altogether when I popped in a day later to thank him one more time for the interview. I can see why Brian is well respected at his school and I now better understanding of why he goes out of his way to volunteer his time for extra duties more often than some teachers at the school; he perceives Duke Ellington Elementary as part of his community and he does an amazing job of modeling this lesson for others.

Rosa Mejia's Inteview with a Third Grade Teacher

2010-02-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

The teacher I am currently working with has taught for a total of 8 years. This year is her 9th year of teaching in a public school setting. She has taught elementary grade students throughout her career. Most of her experience centers in working with bilingual students following a 80:20 language model in Spanish and English. In addition, she has also taught in a dual-immersion program modeling a 90:10 language model in English and Spanish. The teacher has taught second grade, sixth grade and for the majority of her teaching career she has taught in a third grade bilingual classroom. The teacher has chosen to teach in a bilingual setting as one of her main goals as a teacher. She has a strong background in bi-literacy and bilingual language development.

Her current school serves grades K-6. The student ethnicity at this school is 98% Hispanic or Latino students. One hundred percent of the students participate in the free or reduced program and 79% of the students are English language learners. 95% of those have Spanish as their primary language.

The dedicated resourceful teacher is goal driven with a professional and solid commitment to student academic growth and the development of every student. She believes in the importance of employing unique teaching strategies to engage and motivate all students in a fascinated learning environment. She also believes that a teacher should be talented to inspire hands-on lessons and multicultural awareness to ensure that every student╒s learning style and abilities are addressed. The pedagogy used in this classroom includes mandatory state standard book editions through the use of direct instruction, differentiated instruction, curriculum design and development, and professional collaboration. The teacher is well skilled in subject matter. She plans weekly lessons plans according to grade level standards. She is a reflective educator that is consistently evolving to better serve the needs of her students. Her beliefs about public education is that by law every child is entitled to a fully developed education in which they can develop as prospective citizens of our community.

The classroom is well organized. I will first describe the physical environment. To begin, students are sitting in groups of 5-6 students. By students sitting in groups they are able to make stronger connections to the subject being taught, learn from each other and learn to work cooperatively. There is also a carpet area in the classroom where the reading language arts lesson is done. The carpet area is also used for small group intervention in which the teacher works with specific target students to meet their academic needs. In the back of the classroom there are two tables that are also used to differentiate instruction. Some of the activities that are done at these tables are guided reading, re-teach worksheets for those students who may need additional practice on a specific leaning concept, challenge activities for those students who are performing at grade level or for the advanced students. Other areas in the classroom are the computers, classroom library, phonics center, writing center, focus wall and math center. In terms of instruction, the teacher follows a district-wide pacing guide that indicates what should be taught at specific times throughout the year.

The instruction provided is based on the district pacing guide. The instruction is divide into categories such as reading language arts, math, math intervention, ELD (English Language Development), social studies and science. There are several instructional strategies that are being used while teaching in this classroom. The teacher uses GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Development Strategies) strategies that include visuals, hand-on lessons, motivational cues, the use of technology to enhance student comprehension of standards and a lot pictorials. She also uses T.P.R. (Total physical Response) strategies to make language more comprehensive through the use of physical movement. The teacher follows a consistent lesson plan that includes an introduction, guided practice, student collaboration, and independent practice. The teacher used a variety of ways to meet the needs of diverse learners. She focuses on teaching to the state standards with an ultimate goal of meeting the needs of all her students. She delivers daily lessons that cover the mandatory state standards, but she also modifies lessons as needed. For instance, while delivering a lesson, if the majority of the students seem to not comprehend the concept being taught she will stop and modify the lesson in a way that will benefit her students. On the other hand, she groups her students based on their academic performance to fill in any academic gaps that might be developed with any concept previously taught. The students are grouped into guided reading, math, and English language development learners. The teacher and the students create academic goals for each student that are revised consistently to monitor their progress.

Some of the things that keep this teacher enthusiastic about teaching is that she focuses on the philosophy that every child can learn with appropriate support to meet their learning needs. She strongly believes that there are different levels of thinking, learning, and producing work and that every teacher should have the capacity and training to meet the diversity challenge being faced in public schools. Also, that teaching is a learning process and that consistent professional development is highly necessary to be able to successfully teach and motivate every single students. My teacher finds that the most rewarding thing about teacher is when her students demonstrate that they have acquire grade level skills, higher order thinking abilities and that the students have worked at their highest level of dedication.

Now that I completed the interview with the teacher there are so many things that I learned. First of all, the main thing that I learned is that there is a lot of work a teacher has to do. One might think that teaching can be an easy task. But in reality teaching is one of the hardest jobs that one can perform. It is very important to teach, but mostly to follow the standards to ensure the students are benefiting from their schooling. Also, understanding that there are students who learn at different levels is very important for a teacher to recognize so she/he can modify a lesson.

There could be occasions when there are students that do not understand a lesson therefore; the teacher should be to accommodate the lesson to the needs of the students. Finally, teaching could be seen as a learning process that teachers should start off with the skills needed and throughout they will be able to gain the experience needed to become an exemplary teacher.

Elsie Castro's Interview with a Fourth Grade Teacher

2010-01-30T11:43:00.000-08:00

"Good management, skills, structure and discipline are key essentials for becoming a successful teacher." Mrs. Z gives me this advice on the day of her interview. Currently, she teaches at an elementary school that is located in the East Side of Salinas. The grade range of the school is K-6 with an average class size of 19-24 students. Student enrollment is 732 with Latinos comprising 98 percent of the student population. Nearly 75 percent are English language learners and 86 percent are low-income. Eight out of ten students qualify for the Federal Free Lunch Program.

Mrs. Z is a well structured, disciplined and passionate teacher who has high expectations for all of her students. A California State University alum, Z is entering her eighth year in the teaching profession. At the start of her college career she did not exactly know what she wanted to study. As a child she remembers playing school and she always wanted to play the teacher part, but it wasn't until a friend suggested teaching to her that she considered that path.

After receiving her B.A, she earned her teaching credential and began teaching. She taught at three other schools before finally arriving at her present school, where she has now taught for four years. Mrs. Z is a fourth grade teacher; and prior to teaching fourth grade she taught kinder and first grade. She prefers teaching fourth grade because they cover more content and students are reading to learn as opposed to first grade where they are learning to read. Her current class is a bilingual class. The class is taught in English only with the exception of the last hour being in Spanish.

Mrs. Z is very enthusiastic about teaching; there is not one day where she tells herself "I don't want to go to work today." Her students and the connectedness of parents, school staff and faculty is what keeps her motivated and interested in teaching.

"Everyone can learn, so everyone should be given the same opportunity" is Mrs. Z's philosophy. ╥As a teacher you need to look at the class as a whole, but also look at the individuals and their needs,╙ Mrs. Z tells me. ╥If you see a student distracted re-engage them. Also, as a teacher, on occasion you will have students that will understand a material very fast and will be able to move on their own, and at other times you will have students that take longer to learn and we need to be prepared as well.╙

Being well prepared for the material and having good management skills is a real strength of Mrs. Z. She believes in the power of public education, sending her own kids to the public schools. "It doesn't matter where you teach or where you learn I think you get the same benefit if the teacher puts the effort" Mrs. Z lets me know.

Mrs. Z's classroom is very structured, with lots of materials all in there place. The back wall is divided in three sections Writing, ELD and Math. In the Writing section, she has samples of student writing. Currently they are working on personal narratives. There is also a picture included with each essay. In the ELD section she has posted the parts of speech. There are also science materials there, as she combines science with ELD. She uses science to focus on comprehension and language. For the Math section she has several orders of operation as well as hints for math word problems posted.

Mrs. Z mostly uses a teacher-centered instructional approach. She uses an Elmo╤I type of overhead projector. The Elmo allows her to put examples of the work students are doing so they know exactly what the teacher is talking about. The Elmo can project color images, and it can also be connected by a computer and project a PowerPoint presentation.

After interviewing Mrs. Z and spending two days out of the week in her classroom I have realized that she is very passionate about teaching. She spends her recess break and part of her lunch break with students that need extra help with material she has covered.

Mrs. Z is all about helping her student improve both academically and personally. I have never seen a teacher be so strict with her students and the students actually acknowledge and appreciate it. Students that have moved on to upper grades still come and visit her. After school her classroom is full of students that want to talk to her and let her know how they are doing in school. Mrs. Z willingness to help students is evident as she met with me for her interview the day of her birthday.

Matthew Courtney's Interview with a Third Grade Teacher

2010-01-14T16:23:00.001-08:00

Mrs. B is a pretty, confident, and exuberant thirty-two year old woman in her eighth year as a teacher. The first half of her time “in the field” was spent in a public school in San Diego teaching third graders. Now, and for the past four years, Mrs. B has worked at her current school teaching second grade.

Her current school is an English language, public, international charter school whose student body is comprised of 45% White, 26% Asian, 10% African American, 15% Latino and 2% Native American students. The school sits atop a hill overlooking the ocean and is nestled in among a large residential community. Admission to this public charter school is based on an open lottery system, creating a student body with a diversity of cultural and economic backgrounds. However diverse in culture, the school has not been classified as a “Title One” school and therefore cannot participate in a free lunch program due to a minority of economically challenged students. Interestingly, 38% of the parents have graduate degrees or higher.

While teaching in the public school in San Diego Mrs. B found it challenging to be forced into a specific schedule every day. “But,” said Mrs. B with a smile, “once the doors are closed, it's your class,” indicating that although constrained, her years in San Diego were spent mixing her own creativity into the curriculum. Today, whether designing a reading comprehension lesson or teaching students about geometric shapes, Mrs. B always tries to exhibit the ideals of her favorite philosopher John Dewey. She uses student centered learning techniques accompanied with experiential learning (something she feels very passionate about). Adding fuel to her philosophical fire, the school's charter school status allows more opportunity for Mrs. B to “bring the curriculum alive,” as she puts it. This is due in part to the high frequency of field trips she is allowed to plan and take. There is a higher than usual amount of parent involvement in the classroom than most public schools, a convenient thing when carpooling to a field trip destination (all of which the resourceful Mrs. B makes sure are admission free).

In a nutshell, Mrs. B believes the purpose of a public education is to provide equal access to all students the ability to realize their full potential in a globally competitive manner while attaining empathic awareness and understanding of the of the earth. While much of her opinion has remained constant throughout her history as an educator, the advantages of teaching an international curriculum have further shaped her views. She has become more aware of education as a tool for humanity, rather than for the assimilation of a specific culture. Philosophy aside, Mrs. B wants to ensure that each of her second grade students comprehends what they read and has a good foundation of mathematics to proceed to third grade. Over everything else though, Mrs. B strives to instill in her students a love of learning.

Her classroom is organized to be stimulating for the child. She believes the children should take ownership in the space surrounding them. Most of the decor has been created by the students themselves, from large paper mache fish which lightly sway in the breeze of an open door to the “fact family” houses which create a miniature numeric neighborhood along one wall of the classroom.

Mrs. B organizes her students in groups of four to six. Students are paired with another student of a similar learning ability serving as desk-mate and directly across from another pair of different learning ability students. In this way there is an atmosphere of academic comfort created within a students' immediate surroundings with helpful peers never too far away.

In today’s world of standardized curriculum there are prescribed lessons that Mrs. B finds to be boring. She spices the sometimes bland curriculum with a lot of dancing and music. Congo lines, as well as choreographed poems, song and dance are powerful and effective tools she employs for getting children to grasp a lesson.

When asked about how she keeps such an exuberant attitude in the classroom, Mrs. B replied, “ I get to be with kids all day and play with rocks! How is that not fun?” While she admittedly has had some bad days in her career, Mrs. B alluded that most of her frustration has been caused by parents, not students. Whenever she feels a little upset during a day in the classroom, Mrs. B takes a peek at her “warm fuzzy” file. The “warm fuzzy” file is a folder in which she has collected student notes, drawings and other work that express appreciation, admiration and love of learning and remind her of the impact she has had on her students. “Only really, really special things go in the file and I put it way in the back of my file cabinet, but I can look in the file and remind myself of why I teach” said Mrs. B. She shared the idea about the ”warm fuzzy” file with me as she said because another teacher shared it with her during her student teaching days. In the interview I gathered that the love she had for her students and her ability to see them progress was the most rewarding and satisfying part of her career.

From my visit to Mrs. B's class I have learned that a fun and creative atmosphere and positive spirit go a long way. Just by being in her classroom my mind started to wander at the possibilities of things I could do with my own classroom sometime in the future. Contagious energy and excitement of teaching bounced off the walls of her classroom. Students in such an environment could scarcely avoid being hit with it. Creativity, color and music are the lasting remnants of the space she created for her students in my mind. Mrs. B has taught me that with positivism, a love of teaching and by being in the moment one can weather hardships and win a lot of hearts.

Catherine Conway's Interview with a Fifth Grade Teacher

2010-01-05T18:31:00.001-08:00

Mrs. K teaches in an elementary school made up of roughly six hundred students located in a small suburban neighborhood. Most of the students are upper-middle class and White. Only about 15% of the students are Hispanic and the remaining 5% are Asian and Pilipino. About 3% of the student population are English language learners and 5% are on a free or reduced meal plan.

Mrs. K has been teaching off and on over the last twenty-five years. After graduating from a California State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English, she decided to go back to school to pursue a career in teaching. She first obtained her Single Subject teaching credential in English in 1984 and taught English at the high school level for three years. After the birth of her second child, Mrs. K decided to take a break from teaching so she could care for her two young daughters. As a stay-at-home mom she was very involved with her daughters’ schooling; volunteering in their classrooms every chance she had, and was supportive of their extracurricular activities.

When her daughters were nine and twelve, Mrs. K decided to go back to work. She took the opportunity to replace a retiring fourth-grade teacher at the school her daughters attended. Her youngest daughter was in the fourth grade at the time in another teacher’s class, so she was excited to have the opportunity to work alongside her daughter’s teacher and new colleague. Mrs. K taught fourth grade for eleven years before she decided she needed a change and took the opportunity to teacher fifth grade. She is currently teaching her third fifth-grade class.

Mrs. K believes that all children should be treated equally no matter what academic level they may be at. Although she does take into account differing learning styles and academic needs, she for the most part treats all of her students the same and expects their best effort. Her pedagogy, to me, sounds like that of a feminist pedagogy in that she tries to strive for egalitarian relationships in the classroom, to make all students feel valued as individuals, and to use the experience of students as a learning resource. She tries to center many of her writing assignments around student experiences. Mrs. K is also very adamant about her student’s paying close attention to detail in their work. Not only does she expect good, well-developed thoughts in their writing, but she also expects that the physical appearance of their work is “display quality.” Her expectation regarding her student’s attention to detail reminds me much of Ron Berger (in the Ethic of Excellence) and his students’ flawless work. Mrs. K wants pictures to be bright, colorful, and interesting. She expects her students to use their best handwriting, and to stay within the margins on their writing assignments. She displays all of her student’s work on the walls to give students and classroom visitors the opportunity to see the showcased work that her students are so proud of.

The walls are filled student work. Various books and stacks of paper lay about the room. Mrs. K apologized for what she thinks is an incurable mess. She told me that no matter how hard she tries she has never been able to keep her classroom organized. She is well aware that even if she tries to keep it clean, her students will still make a mess anyway. She seems to have given up trying to keep a pristine classroom and doesn’t seem to mind the disarray.

Instructionally, Mrs. K usually allows her students much freedom and flexibility. She uses direct instruction when necessary, but prefers that her student’s take responsibility for their own learning. She allows them to work with others and collaborate on a regular basis. Because she likes to be flexible, she admitted that she does not have the classroom management skills she would like to have and probably should. She is aware that she is sometimes “walked all over” by her students, a little to easy on them sometimes, and often passive. She also revealed that she can become easily annoyed when students constantly ask questions about things she had previously explained and that they should have paid attention to in the first place. The noise level in her classroom only bothers her when it become excessive, which at that point she has to raise her voice in order to get the students to quiet down. Mrs. K attributes her ability to be flexible with her students and reliance on student-centered assignments to meet the needs of diverse learners. Although she treats her students equally, and expects quality work from them, she still is able to adapt and tailor assignment if needed, in order to meet the needs of her individual students.

Mrs. K has always had a love of teaching and working with children. She adores her students and appreciates the constant parent support she receives. She told me that she could not have asked for a better school to teach at, in a better area, with better students. She loves hearing (directly and through her daughters) that she was a specific student’s favorite teacher. She has become friends with many of the other teachers who have worked there as long as she, and is thrilled when asked to be a mentor to a fresh student teacher. She loves the sense of school community she feels everyday she sets foot on campus. She takes in pride in the school that her daughter’s attended and where she has come to call home over the last fifteen years. Mrs. K finds the glowing, “light bulb” expressions of her students when they have finally understood a topic extremely rewarding. She also enjoys seeing her student’s enthusiasm and hard work put into various projects, art work, and writing. Mrs. K finds the positive information and stories about previous students she hears from younger siblings, parents, or from the students themselves who have come back to visit her, the most rewarding. Most are thriving academically and many have gone off to college to excel in dreams she had heard described to her years before.

I learned a great deal from having the opportunity to interview Mrs. K. She dedicates herself to the student’s of her school and continues to support the community. She has been influential to me and I will always remember her words as I embark on my teaching journey.

Ernesto Gama's Interview with a 1st/2nd Grade Teacher

2009-12-26T10:03:00.000-08:00

Mrs. T teaches in one of the newest schools in this mid sized agriculture city. The school has been around for about a dozen years or so, and it is still considered to be fairly new. The school is located in the border lines between the east and north sides of town and is surrounded by a really nice community and neighborhood.

There are 735 students who attend this school ranging from grades K-6th. 703 of these students are Hispanic, 656 of these students are classified as English learners, and all 735 students classify as low income students. The school itself, while in pretty good shape, has had some recent remodeling due to mold issues in some of the classrooms. The school is on its way up academically and its setting up itself to be one of the best elementary schools.

Mrs. T has been teaching for 11 years and all of her teaching years have been at this one school. She is regarded as one of the best bilingual educators in the school. Also, she is an expert at educating combination classes as she currently does. Mrs. Teacher has taught grades 1st through 5th and most of her classes have been bilingual.

In regards to her teaching philosophy, Mrs T. responded, “I have always been a strong believer in every student and that every student has the ability to succeed. When I first started teaching, I wanted to be the best teacher out there because I knew that I could make a difference in these kids’ lives, either as their teacher or as a role model which a lot of children don’t have. When I first started teaching, I was like every other new teacher. I did everything by the book, from lessons to teaching methods. I did it all and I found that it wasn’t really helping me or my students in any way, shape or form. I have learned throughout the years, while still sticking to the required curriculum, to implement my own teaching styles and strategies that I know are going to benefit my students.”

Her view of an ideal public school system has a mixture of my philosophy as well. I’m not sure if it is due to both of us being Hispanic or that we both see what kids desperately need and are not getting. Mrs. Teacher simply noted, “When you become a teacher you will see things on your own that will make you think how did it ever lead to this? Your teaching philosophy will evolve through time so that it meets your needs and those from your students which is the key. I have always loved working around children and they are my passion. My entire life revolves around the kids and this school. But like I said, I have evolved and I have slowly been giving myself some time to enjoy my own personal life as well.”

In regards to how she organizes her classroom for the students, “I like to have a class where I can see all of my students from one angle as well as having all the students the ability to see me. I have a teacher’s desk, but I never sit in it as it is not my thing to instruct from there like most teachers. I group all of my children by level because I have tried to mix things up between ability levels but it never works. The advanced kids get frustrated with the kids who are behind. The behind kids don’t get motivated because they feel less than the smarter kids, and in many cases the behind kids tend to copy from the other students. Although this isn’t always perfect, this has been the most successful way for me to keep my class on task and easier for me to keep track of as well.”

How hard is it to run a combination class? “At first, you think to yourself and say, how did I get myself into this? This is really hard work and a combination class will really test your teaching skills to the max. You will sometimes find yourself doing the work of two teachers and in most instances, you cannot do anything about it and this is where it hurts the kids and their education.’

How do you cope with having to teach two different grades at the same time and teaching two different themes or topics? “It can get a bit hectic at some points, but you just have to learn to instill in your children the ability to work independently which can sometimes backfire as well because it’s an issue of trust and some kids are just not ready for that type of responsibility. By teaching this to your students, you are not only giving yourself time to pull kids aside or teach a different grade, but you are also teaching them a necessary life skill that they will always need. This is also a great way for you to do some assessments or interventions with the struggling students.”

Finally, what has kept Mrs. Teacher so enthusiastic for over 11 years has been the ability to see the difference a person can make in the child’s life. “For me it has been the way in which children learn and how they learn. If I was able to teach something new to a child, then I will feel like I have succeeded. This is the satisfaction for me. My motivation comes from them because I know that I can at least help some children learn. I know that I can not make everyone a genius or make everyone understand a different concept everyday, but that is why I took this challenge and this is what motivates me to continue doing this for as long as I have and I never see this changing in my life.”

After concluding the interview, I was surprised to find out that some of my teaching philosophy is the same as Mrs. Teacher. I would one day love to run my classroom like she does and have the ability to have all the children in the class admire and respect her the way the children do in her class. What really sparked interest during the interview was her tone of voice. She seemed like she was really uncomfortable by the standardized curriculum based teaching and the many restrictions put on teaching. Although she did say that she finds ways to implement some of her own methods in some lessons, I know that this is always going to be a struggle for every teacher. I also enjoyed the fact that she was very insightful on how she told me that not to get too caught up on my teaching philosophy as I would ideally want it to be. The reason is that it will evolve within time and I will always know when something needs adjusting and when something is working fine, which I greatly took to heart because I am the type of person who likes to stick to something and I know that I will find ways to be flexible in the very near future.

Vanessa Haag's Interview with a Third Grade Teacher

2009-12-19T20:42:00.001-08:00

Mrs. Em has been teaching for twenty-one years. In that time she has taught at an high-performing school, a low-performing school, a low SES school and a parent-participation school. She initially earned her credential in Oregon, though her teaching career has so far taken place in California. Mrs. Em has taught multiple subjects grades one through five.

The school where Mrs. Em currently works is a rural K-6 school with 563 students; 51.2% of whom are Anglo-American and 44% Hispanic; 30.2% of the students participate in the free/reduced lunch program and many of the students are English Learners.

Mrs. Em’s professional philosophy is that “everybody can learn.” She says that “sometimes you just have to find different ways.… We’re here for the kids.” Mrs. Em strives to make sure that all her students are learning and being challenged. She hopes their education leads to either vocational or higher education; she wants the students to keep on learning. Ultimately she hopes the learning “comes from themselves, that students know they are in charge of their learning.”

Mrs. Em believes in getting students to be self-initiated learners. Mrs. Em told me the story of a little girl who was her student one year. This child was an English learner and could hardly read. The story culminated in Mrs. Em’s ability to elicit a passionate response from the child that she wanted to be able to read more than anything. Mrs. Em found out what the girl’s interests were and provided her with books that correlated with those interests since the girl’s family didn’t have books for her at home. Mrs. Em told the child that it was up to her to practice reading every night and that her own self-motivated practice is what would lead to her catching up to the rest of her peers in class. Despite being over a year behind, the girl caught up to the reading level she was supposed to be at for her grade. Mrs. Em believes in “teaching kids how to learn so they’ll want to educate themselves”.

Mrs. Em explained to me how public school provides the socialization and life-skills that children need to function later on in life. Mrs. Em thinks that the purpose of public school is to “educate the masses who can’t pay for private school… so things are equal.” When discussing with Mrs. Em the function of public schooling as an equalizer she said that “it never will be [equal to private school]” but that teachers should strive to provide students with an equal chance to succeed.

In terms of instruction, Mrs. Em places her students in groups, she says this way “they’ll be able to help each other.” Within these groups she always places one or two “highs” and one “low or English learners,” then fills in what is left. Also, she always places a “pull-over” table in her classrooms so that a space will be available to work with students, for a variety of reasons, either one-on-one or in small groups, at her discretion. By working with pull-over groups, Mrs. Em is able to provide extra-support. For her advanced students she tries to make “go-to folders,” folders that are filled with things the students can do when they finish early. She says she can only tend to these folders on occasion, if time permits. This is how she meets the needs of her diverse learners.

When I asked what keeps Mrs. Em enthusiastic about teaching, her reply synched up with what she found to be the most rewarding; Mrs. Em says, “it’s the kids.” Seeing the growth and progress of the students, knowing that she makes are real difference, is what keeps her going. It’s a special treat to have the students for longer periods of time because that way “you can really see how they grow.” I can tell that Mrs. Em is proud that some of that growth is directly the result of her teaching.

While reflecting on this interview it occurred to me that Mrs. Em’s philosophy is similar in many ways to my own. I was a little surprised as Mrs. Em’s teaching style is one that it has taken me quite a bit to reconcile myself with. Mrs. Em is a very structured, disciplinary teacher. Over the while I have known her I am steadily realizing that while at first I could not picture myself teaching the way she does in her classroom that her style of teaching is effective in many ways that I hope I don’t have problems with in the future; primarily in the area of keeping order and being firm with discipline. Although Mrs. Em’s teaching style seemed foreign to me in many ways, I anticipate that eventually I will adopt some of her teaching practices.

Sara DeCuir's Interview with a Fifth Grade Teacher

2009-12-12T22:33:00.001-08:00

Kathy, a fifth grade teacher with 26 years of experience, is an energetic and humorous teacher who is committed to her students’ progress. The majority of her teaching career has been at the fifth grade level. She has taught two years at the third grade level and a year of first grade. Thirty-nine percent of the student population at her school is English language learners, and 74% low income students. Her current class consists of 14 boys, 15 girls, and nine of whom are English language learners.

Kathy is a Cal State University graduate. She majored in liberal arts and was drawn to the teaching profession through her exposure to tutoring school children during her undergraduate years. Kathy recalls her experience as a student teacher. After her first observation, the college of teaching recommended that she drop the program because they felt she was unfit to be a teacher. I was very surprised to learn this. Kathy said that even though she had a negative student teaching experience, this is the profession she wanted to pursue.

When asked what her philosophy of teaching was, she was taken aback for a moment and had to think about what it was. Finally, she said it was very simple, that every child has something to offer the world, and it is her calling to help each student realize his or her own potential. Every child has something special about them, and they all have a contribution to make to the world. Kathy feels that it is her responsibility to guide children to what that special something is.

According to Kathy, the purpose of public education is the opportunity for every citizen to receive an education regardless of race, sex, or economic status. Public education is to give everyone a chance to be successful. She believes that public education is to make sure every citizen is literate. Kathy felt that without public education, certain minority groups would be even more disadvantaged. She believes that every citizen has the ability and right to read and understand their rights and liberties as a citizen of the United States, and to be able to simple everyday tasks, such as reading a medicine label, or how to cook a meal.

Kathy’s pedagogy is to teach to the high students and reinforce the low students. She allows for lots of work in groups and pairs, in order that the stronger students are learning from their teaching efforts and the lower achieving students feel more comfortable and are receiving more one-on-one assistance then Kathy could ever provide. Much of Kathy’s teaching pedagogy is influenced by the climate of standardized testing and still meeting the needs of her diverse student population. Kathy explained along with the other fifth grade teachers, they group students according to their test scores and by also providing low scoring students with peer tutors. Kathy also explained that though she stays with the curriculum pacing guide, she would interject other activities or examples that she felt would be more appropriate for her diverse classroom.

Kathy always starts class with a smile on her face. She non-verbally communicates to her students that she wants to be there. What keeps her so enthusiastic after teaching for almost three decades? Simple, it’s the kids. The student’s personalities and energy keeps her going. Kathy says that there is always something new to learn. Kathy tries to have a sense of humor about things. If she gets up tight the students sense that, but if she is smiling and having fun, it creates a more productive learning environment. And of course, she has more fun too. Lastly, trying different things in her classroom also keeps her enthusiastic about teaching. Kathy goes out of her way to read different novels, try different art projects, and learns new ways of doing math. That way it is like a new year for her too.

One rewarding thing about teaching for Kathy is when a child gets a concept and they realize they are really smart. Kathy feels rewarded when a child feels like what they have to say is valued and their opinion matters. Also, when a child starts to gain more social skills and they realize it’s okay to be nice and it’s not scary anymore, they can let down their defenses and be kind. What Kathy finds most rewarding about teaching is when a child realizes that they make a difference in the world. Looking back on her 26 years of teaching and all the lives she has touched, she is glad that she chose the profession of teaching.

Michelle Arakelian's Interview with a Kindergarten Teacher

2009-12-06T15:12:00.000-08:00

“Education is choice,” states Ms. D, a kindergarten teacher at H. Elementary School is Seaside, California. These are not just words, they are a commitment.

Ms. D has always had a strong involvement in education, whether it was as a student or a teacher. Ms. D completed both her undergraduate studies and credential program at a California State University campus. In between completing her undergraduate degree and beginning of the credential program, Ms. D worked as a preschool teacher. After attaining her credential, she worked for 6 years as a first grade teacher. Her 7th year she moved to another school where she continues to teach today. H. Elementary, where she now teaches, is considered an underperforming school and has a large Latino population. Eight of every ten students enrolled in the school qualify for the Federal Free Lunch program and 18 of the 24 students in Ms. D’s classroom are English language learners.

When looking at the physical condition of H. Elementary, it’s a small but welcoming school. There isn’t any debris or garbage scattered on the grounds, the school has been recently painted pleasant beige with a bright blue trim. On a couple of walls, the afterschool program has painted bright and colorful murals. A mural of physically and ethnically diverse students in caps and gowns is painted on the outside wall of the cafeteria and can be seen from the front parking lot as a statement of motivation to all to “Do your best.”

From the outside, the warmth of the inside of the classroom can already be felt. The windows are decorated with students’ work; recently crafted rainbows, pictures of students smiling, and curtains of reds, oranges, and yellows. In the window nearest the door are posted class rules, homework rules, and a wish list. Below the windows is a long shelf with hooks beneath it for the students’ backpacks.

Upon entering the classroom, it is clear that this classroom is a place of structure and learning. The walls, much like the windows, are decorated with students’ work. There are self portraits accompanied by photographs of the students from home. On the wall above the sink are strips of manila paper on which students have written their numbers, one through six. Above the chalkboard the alpha friends are placed as a bright visual reminder of each letter and letter sound of the alphabet. On the wall above the rectangle carpet and library area is a plethora of information: California Standards, site words, poems, crayon shaped colored strips with color names, and phonics cards decorate the wall and encourage reading.

This is Ms. D’s 14th year of teaching in elementary school. During those 14 years, she has taught kindergarten, kindergarten-first combination, and first grade. This year, Ms. D is back to teaching kindergarten. This year started out with an additional road block; the cap of 24 students per kindergarten classroom was removed and to begin the school year, Ms. D had 28 students. With 28 students between the ages of 4 and 6 with little to no previous schooling or education, how does a teacher stay motivated? “The beginning is hard, you feel like you’re drowning… but when you begin seeing the progress, that in and of itself is my true motivation,” says Ms. D. She goes on to explain that the first couple of weeks are focused primarily on procedures and routines. Once the students are familiar with the structure of the classroom and the way it runs, the learning begins.

When looking into the classroom, one can see a variety of learning styles. How does a teacher meet the needs of all these students? “There is such a wide variety of learning styles and to reach each student you have to utilize a variety of teaching styles. In kindergarten, this can be especially difficult because the students aren’t sure how they learn best because for many of them, this is their first exposure to formal learning. Trial and error is a daily practice in my classroom,” says Ms. D. “I try to give instructions in a combination of three mediums; oral, auditory, and kinesthetic.” Ms. D believes that if she wants her students to do their best in the classroom, she too must do her best.

When asked what the purpose of public education is, Ms. D replied, “There isn’t just one purpose of public education. The first purpose of public education is to train students to be independent learners.” One way Ms. D incorporates independent learning in her class room is through peer tutoring. The students are encouraged to work together, share ideas with one another, and help each other. “The other purpose of public education is equality. The only way to equality is through education, so in a larger sense, equality is only possible through public education.” Without equality, our pluralistic democratic society would become a caste-like system where making a better life for oneself is virtually impossible.

But can one make a better life for oneself based solely on academic development or social development? Which type of intelligence is more important? “I used to think that we should be creating a touchy feely happy place that encouraged students to be confident in who they were and to be able to get along… After a couple years, I realized that you cannot teach one without the other [academics without socialization]; they go hand in hand. Students must have academics to have a voice and be heard, but they must behave in a way that earns the respect and attention of those listening. Academics and social behavior are not mutually exclusive; they should be taught together.”

As I wrapped up my interview session with Ms. D, I asked her for a quick word of advice for beginning teachers in the field. “Work hard to give your students a choice in life; don’t just let life happen to them.” Ms. D understands that we cannot wait until students are self sufficient to begin teaching them how to be model citizens; it starts from the beginning; it starts in kindergarten. Inspired by Ms. D, I will strive to instill in my students that they do have choices in life, and equip them with the proper tools to take advantage of those choices..

Jessica Nail's Interview with a K/1 Teacher

2009-11-27T14:01:00.000-08:00

When walking into Ms. O’s classroom at E Elementary School I am overwhelmed with color and warmth. Students’ art work lines the walls of the classroom and letters and words fill the room. The school is composed of 582 students of whom 75% are Hispanic, 17% White, 3% Asian, 2.7 % Filipino, and 1.4% African American. For Mrs. O the small, a close knit feel is what drew her to the school in the first place.

Mrs. O has been a teacher for the past 15 years. During those years she has taught kindergarten, K-1 combo, first and second grades. She is a sweet, caring 38 year old women and a delightful person to be around. Her love for teaching really shows through her interactions with the students and her fellow teachers. Mrs. O is still extremely passionate about teaching even through the demanding years of teaching and tough students. Mrs. O received her teaching credential from California State University, Monterey Bay in the first year of the program.

Mrs. O’s ability to stay motivated despite the difficult demands is due to her ability focus on the little amazing moments instead of dwelling on challenging ones. One factor in her success is that every night when she is at home she reflects on the day and thinks about how she could have done better. “Some days I go home and feel rotten because I had to yell or raise my voice to the kids, but then I try to think about how I can turn it into a positive note” Mrs. O stated. She claims that by reflecting on each day, it allows her to see the positive changes she is making in each students lives. She also knows that for many students the classroom is really the only place that many students feel safe.

At E Elementary, the school abides by the state standards, but does give the teachers some flexibility with the pacing of the book. When asked if this structure bothers her Mrs. O said, “No, not really because it is really helpful so that you, as the teacher, do not have to think of every lesson plan on your own.” However, Mrs. O did say that it does prove to be difficult when some of the students are not progressing with the rest of the class, but they have to move on because of the pacing guide. She does not have to be on the exact page as each kindergarten teacher but they do have to complete the lessons by the designated deadline. To supplement the materials in the teacher handbook, Mrs. O provides the students with fun, interactive opportunities to build on the standards. Such lessons include art, music, and writing journals. Mrs. O is very proud to say that all of her kindergartners are writing by the end of the year.

When spending time in Mrs. O’s classroom you can see her passion for writing and art throughout the classroom. Her passions can be seen in the daily poems that she reads with the class and the multiple forms of way the students are exposed to writing. “I love grammar!” Mrs. O expressed. She organizes the classroom so that the students are able to participate in centers during their language arts instruction. One main reason she does this is so the students are able to engage in a wide range of activities throughout the day. Another reason is to able to work closely with each small group one at a time, allowing for an increased amount of time each students are able to interact with the teacher. The centers increase the student’s independence and ability to work well with other classmates. She also fills the day with books and songs to encourage students’ participation and the use of language.

One of the main things I expressed to Mrs. O that I am apprehensive about when beginning my teaching career is dealing with the parents. Mrs. O’s advice was “not worry too much about what they think about you because it will make you sick. You have to realize that you are doing the best that you can. Also, what I learned from my mistakes was to always call or send a note home if anything out of the ordinary happens to a student.” Mrs. O explained about the importance of keeping the parents involved for the parents’, the students’, and your sake. There are going to be those difficult parents out there but you just have to make sure you keep the communication open.

Through the many years of teaching there have been many difficult situations and students, but Mrs. O still remains enthusiastic about teaching. “You can’t let the students run the classroom. If you let them run the show it will drive you crazy. But they also need to have fun and look forward to coming to school.” It is the little moments where a student does something really sweet, or a student finally figures out how to write their name, that makes it all worth it for Mrs. O. From talking to Mrs. O, I realized that there is going to be so many things that could keep you up all night thinking about, but you just have to let them go and know that you are doing your best you can.

Gloria Oh's Interview with a Kindergarten Teacher

2009-11-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

Ms. G is a kindergarten teacher in a small school in a residential part of town surrounded by trees and houses, making it almost unnoticeable. The school serves students from kindergarten through sixth grade, with 558 students. The racial makeup of the student population is fifty-six percent White, fifteen percent Hispanic, fourteen percent Asian, six percent Black. Nineteen percent of the students are eligible for free or reduced lunches.

Ms. G earned her teaching credential at a Cal State University. She always enjoyed being around children and knew that she wanted to be a teacher. She first started teaching fourth grade at a school where she for five years. She was then offered a teaching position at her current school teaching Kindergarten and she has been teaching there for twenty years. She has no interest in teaching other grades.

When I entered her classroom, the first thing I noticed was that the decorations in the room were created by her students. Hanging from the ceiling were fall leaves that the students had painted. On the walls, there were paintings that the students painted along with their names proudly painted on the top. On a side board, there are pictures of a student, with the caption “Super kid,” along with an interview paper with the child’s favorite color, favorite food, etc. Every week there is a new super kid, so that every child will feel special for a week. The super kid can pass out pencils and will be at the front of the line for the entire week. Just from looking at the room, I could tell that the teacher deeply cared about her students and saw each one of them as individuals.

The layout of the classroom is organized to optimize learning in different contexts. There is a rug, where children can gather around when Ms. G is reading them a book. There are also three clusters of tables, organized as station 1,2, and 3. Each of the station has different activities. Every twenty minutes the students change stations and work on a different but related activity. Against the wall, there is a paint station, where students can explore their creative side by painting on poster paper, which will later be hung up on the wall.

Ms. G is well respected in the school, she has won many awards after being nominated by the parents and was even featured on television. At the request of their parents, two of her current students were put in her classroom after being with a different teacher. I first sat down with Ms. G during lunch to ask her some questions. I was curious to her teaching philosophy and how she is able to stay so energetic and positive after teaching for so many years. I wanted to know what she thought was important for her students to learn in her classroom.

Throughout the twenty years of teaching kindergarten, Ms. G has seen many changes. When she first started teaching, the purpose of kindergarten was for development; now it is all about fulfilling the curriculum standards. Her philosophy of education has always been for the support of the “whole child.” Now she feels that every time she turns around there is a new assessment test she has to administer. She does not feel that this is necessary for such small children. She feels that in kindergarten students must learn about manners, how to behave as good citizens, and having lessons that are geared to their development. She feels that the standards for kindergarten are too much, that they are putting too much pressure on young students. With their short attention span, it is hard for them to process that many information.

When asked the purpose of public education, Ms. G told me it is so that every child can have the chance to have a good education and succeed, no matter where they are from. She makes every effort to get to know each of her students individually, especially the ones that need her help the most. She has a folder that she regularly reviews which she uses to keep track of the progress of each student. On that folder, she had each of the parent fill out a questionnaire asking them the strengths of their child and what they hope their child will learn. She then uses that information when creating her lesson plans. That way her instructional strategies are tied to the needs and interests of each student. She mainly uses direct instruction, but when they go to their tables to work on their workbook, they are allowed to look at each other’s work and work together. To meet the needs of English learners, she finds ways to teach the individual child while also teaching to the rest of the class. For reading, she read the book Tortillas y Lullabies, a story that is also translated into Spanish. Both the English learner and the whole class enjoyed and benefited from this story.

I learned a lot from the interview. If I had merely observed her classroom, I would not have heard the wisdom that comes from teaching for 25 years. While the future of education is shaky, having a strong stance on what should be taught as well as having a passion and love for teaching is what will make someone endure. Ms. G is an exemplary model of what I hope to accomplish as I start teaching, and hope to still hold on to that passion after years of teaching as she has.

Lorena Mendoza's Interview with a second grade teacher

2009-11-17T10:44:00.001-08:00

This teacher has been teaching second grade at this school site for twelve years in this small agricultural community. The school is a Title I school with kindergarten to fourth grade classes and currently has about 830 students enrolled. There are approximately 94 percent Hispanic students and 4 percent White students. Of those 830 students 70 percent are English learners and 73 percent are on the free/reduced lunch program.

Her philosophy of teaching is that students should be able to teach each other and themselves. She believes students should take ownership of their learning and that teaching and learning are reciprocal. Teaching should involve collaborative learning. Students should have a respectful learning environment where they can learn and become better citizens through collaborative learning. She tries to teach her students character building, independence, and responsibility. She hopes to also develop a culture of metacognition in her classroom by teaching her students to reflect on what they know and what they need to know. She uses a lot of collaborative learning in her classroom.

The students sit in rows facing the white board so that everyone has a partner to pair-share. She changes the lessons by sometimes moving students to the rug where they can interact more. One thing I noticed about her classroom is how she does not have her own desk. She spends all day moving around the classroom and checking students work.

For instruction, the school provides a pacing guide for her to go by. The teacher edition also tells her where she should be and helps her plan out her lesson plans. However, she does spend more time if needed on those lessons the students seem to need more help on. She organizes files for each story in the unit and also for materials according to the day. The white board shows what students need most. Her library collection has a variety of good books and organized by reading level.

One of the instructional strategies she uses is the GRR model (gradual release of responsibility). Because of the curriculum the school uses, she often uses direct instruction. However, students have the opportunity to do collaborative work through pair-share. She uses whole-group, small-group, and non-volunteer responses. She also uses the l Physical Responses method of acting out vocabulary words. Activating prior knowledge and informing students of the learning objective before lessons is very important for her. She tries to use scaffolding as much as possible and preteach/reteach methods.

She finds time to meet the needs of diverse learners during what she calls workshop. During this time, she works with individuals or groups to help them with things they need more help on. The students have their own workshop folders that are individualized at their level to work on their own pace. During lessons, she is constantly assessing students understanding to determine if they can work individually or need more help. She also sends more homework for those that need more help. Parents get a progress report each week telling them how their children are doing and what they are learning.

The main thing that keeps her enthusiastic about teaching is the students. Seeing progress in her students demonstrates she can make a difference in their lives. She also enjoys the collaboration with other teachers and her school. During the school year, the professional development she participates in often gives her enthusiasm by seeing what works in other schools. Knowing there is a goal to be met at the end of the school year and trying to get there also helps.

Mainly what she said is more rewarding about teaching is being a part of the student’s education. Seeing their progress in learning and how they enjoy learning outweighs the negative. This is also what I learned from this interview. I learned that teaching can be a very rewarding profession. At the same time, it takes a lot of hard work and time to accomplish the goals you must meet. I learned that you can make teaching fun and enjoyable for everyone including yourself. This interview, along with this class, has taught me that teaching is truly a profession.

Kelly McLean's Interview with a K/1 teacher

2009-11-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

Elisa is a teacher at a small school in medium sized town. The school is fifty-six percent White, nineteen percent Hispanic, and ten percent Asian, with other ethnicities including African Americans and Filipinos. She is one of eleven teachers at the school and teaches a kindergarten/first grade combination class.

Elisa got into teaching as a second career. She worked in insurance for many years before becoming a stay-at-home mom to her two daughters. When her daughters started attending elementary school she became involved in their classrooms as a volunteer and found it to be very rewarding. She got her teaching credential and immediately began working as a bilingual teacher for five years, in kindergarten and first grade.

Elisa is a native of Panama and thus a native Spanish speaker, so the bilingual classroom was an obvious choice for her starting out. After five years, she realized her views on bilingual education did not match with what she was doing, so she moved to her current school and has now been teaching there for five years. When I asked her what her thoughts were on bilingual education, she said that “true bilingual education should extend through high school…doing it for a few years isn’t enough.”

While she has only been at her current school for five years she is an integral part of the leadership team, helping to make decisions about curriculum, meetings, and staff development. She works closely with two other teachers and the school’s principal to make decisions about how to handle the small amount of resources they have available to them, and takes this job very seriously. She is well respected by the teachers and staff of the school.

Upon transferring to her current school, she taught fourth grade for two years, then a four/five combo, and then sixth grade. She is now teaching another K/1 combo upon request of the principal, who wanted a strong teacher in the lower grades. She is getting readjusted to the grade level, and says that she hopes she will get to stay in it for a while, as it is the grade where you really the kids grow quickly. She was excited for me to come back after the break, because the students “finally understand the routine, understand what you expect from them, and are growing so that you can do more with them.”

Elisa’s philosophy of education is that “you have to concentrate on where the students are developmentally and who they are as individuals to be successful.” This has become especially important to her over the past few years when the curriculum has become incredibly fast-paced and the tests have become harder and harder. She feels “you need to teach to them, not to the curriculum” and this is her constant struggle in the classroom.

Although she has to follow the pacing guide exactly, Elisa does her best to stay true to her philosophy of education. She seats the students in three long rows of ten, with student placement varied so that they are interacting with other students that may be above or below their level. She allows them to work together and ask questions of each other when they are working on their own, and feels this classroom arrangement allows them to learn from each other when she cannot be right there to help them all. Whenever possible she separates the students into reading and language groups so she can give more personalized attention to the students that need it. This is very hard in a large class of five and six year olds, but she has created a very structured time schedule in the classroom, and sticks to the routine every day so the kids get used to it. She does this in hopes that they will be accustomed to the schedule, be better able to work in groups, and allow her more time to cater the material to their level of understanding.

When I asked Elisa what she thought the purpose of public education was, she said, “to give everyone equal footing and a basis for success.” After a minute of thinking she added, “I also think it is partly indoctrination into the expectations of our society.” This was very interesting to me, because it is not something many people say, but it is very true. School not only gives students the knowledge we think they need to be successful, but shows them how we expect them to work and think, how we expect them to interact with their others, and how we expect them to treat people. It is easy to see that Elisa realizes she is not just a teacher to many of the students – she incorporates manners, health, hygiene, and social learning into teachable moments throughout the day. Her philosophy of teaching to the individual extends to their social and emotional health, and this is obvious in the way she treats her students and encourages them to make good decisions.

I asked Elisa how she stayed excited about teaching. I was especially curious to hear her answer, because she has a lot on her plate, and has told me many times how frustrated she is with the pacing guide and the amount of material that has to be taught. She instantly responded, “The kids! They’re so funny and keep things interesting. And especially at this age, you see them grow and learn so quickly… I like the process of planning how the classroom will work and the materials for each day. I try to think about how it will go in the classroom, almost like a running film in my head, and then seeing if it actually happens that way. It all depends on the kids.” Elisa also mentioned that she loves being able to create a community of learners. No matter what the kids are like when the come in the classroom in September, they often come together by the end of the year and really care about each other. This is something she loves to see, and something that keeps her motivated year after year.

Jennifer Pena's Interview with a third grade teacher

2009-11-07T08:39:00.001-08:00

Nestled amidst a large stretch of lettuce fields of this small city, lies a charming new elementary school. The school, which services students from kindergarten through fifth grade, has a 74 percent Hispanic student population; 40 percent of the 445 students enrolled are ELL students with Spanish as their first language. The Asian population comprises the next highest percentage of students, at 12 percent (2/3 of which are Filipino). 10 percent of the students are White, 3 percent are African-American, and 1 percent describe themselves as “other.” Nearly half of the students enrolled receive reduced cost, or free, meal plans.

The school has a generally collaborative spirit; the principal has set up a culture of community and allows the staff a wide range of freedom in their teaching strategies. The teachers are supportive of, and connected to, their colleagues, students, and colleagues’ students. The school atmosphere is positive, supportive, and personalized, as is evidenced by the morning announcements that enthusiastically remind students, “to always be the best you can be.”

Sue is a thirty-six year veteran teacher whom often heads committees to improve school programs. She has an excellent reputation among her colleagues as a committed and caring educator. On a warm autumn morning, I observed Sue’s third grade language arts class and noted a wide array of teaching strategies aimed at building safety and support in the classroom. Later, I sat down with her to discuss her philosophy regarding the importance of structure and flexibility, choosing common sense over state mandates, holding high standards for all students, and to discuss the rewarding adventure that still keeps her enthusiastic after all these years.

As I entered the classroom, I immediately felt a sense of structure and order. The classroom felt inviting and safe. Sue’s class only hosted eighteen children (sixteen of whom were present on this day). Because there were so few desks, and they were organized in groups (“island” formations) throughout the room, the room felt spacious and uncluttered. “I always start the year with groups of four to six so they can do cooperative learning, so they won’t be alone. The groups may change. It depends on the personality of the class.” Student artwork lined the walls, along with various nutrition posters and collages. A large map of the world prominently hung at the front of the room and was accompanied by a banner that read, “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.” Shelves of neatly stacked games and puzzles sat adjacent to bookshelves of varied children’s literature. Posters depicting respect, cooperation, and friendship encircled the room. In the corner, the teacher desk blocked out an area that clearly separated Sue’s space from the group space. Sue’s manner of dress and appearance were pulled together and professional (as always), commanding a certain level of respect from her students. As students quietly took their seats the room was filled with a serene, calm energy.

As I witnessed the class go over their language arts homework from the previous night, I couldn’t help but take note of Sue’s choral answering technique; students would answer a question out loud, all together, while their teacher snapped rhythmically. They seemed excited and engaged. After the homework had been discussed, the class moved on to new spelling lists. Through a process of scaffolding, Sue modeled her desired mode of student participation, then allowed for group practice, before finally asking individuals to attempt tasks unaided. As I discussed with her later, cooperative learning in her classroom is used as a means to create safety. Numbers are written on each desk of an “island” and are used in group-jigsaw activities. There is safety in group-support while, at the same time, each individual is held responsible for knowledge and participation. Math class is run in a similar fashion; all students are given individual slates on which they are expected to write an answer and hold it up. Everyone is expected to participate. Students are permitted to call on their peers for answers. “The peer influence encourages many more volunteers than if I just call on them. They want to be chosen by their friends.”

As the students finished their language arts lesson and began to select books for sustained silent reading, Sue joined me at the back of the room for a candid and thoughtful interview. From the age of twelve, Sue knew she wanted to become a teacher after being inspired by an amazing sixth grade teacher. For the past thirty-six years she has taught first through fourth grades in multiple classroom settings: team teaching, looping, combination classes, and an “open classroom” (a trend during the 1970’s in which two master teachers and five student teachers ran a first, second, and third grade combination class with sixty-three students). “It was insane. It lacked structure. I think that’s why I like things structured. Kids need structure. It makes them feel safe.” Yet if this tendency toward a highly structured classroom begins to feel too strict, she balances it out with humor. “We love to laugh.”

Despite her need for an organized, structured environment (she tries to stick to the schedule, although it doesn’t always work), Sue bases her teaching philosophy on flexibility. The purpose of public school “is to educate future good citizens; to enrich the lives of students and families in order for students to be the best they can be, so they can have good lives.” Yet, as the face of education changes, and students become more diverse, her methods of instruction have to roll with the tide. “You have to try everything you can to reach different children at different levels. If something doesn’t work, don’t use it, even if the district has adopted it. Do whatever works.”

Nearly four decades of teaching has taught Sue that educating children is a process of trial and error. Luckily, she feels the freedom to practice differentiated instruction and test various teaching strategies in order to adopt the ones that work best for her, without the pressure many contemporary teachers feel to standardize (much of this is due to the flexibility of the Principal). Math lessons are tailored to fit the needs of three distinct achievement-level groups. Reading lessons range from full group sessions, with stories being read three times and discussed paragraph by paragraph, to partner reads with the lowest readers reading aloud to her and then listening to the story on CD. The cloze technique works well for Sue. She is also a firm believer of extended vocabulary development and, above all else, she views scaffolding as a necessity. “After thirty-six years you don’t really think about this stuff anymore; you just do it.”

In response to Sue’s emphasis on changing demographics and the need to alter instruction techniques accordingly, I was curious to know how changing family dynamics affected her methods of teaching. The seasoned professional looked at me solemnly and described the “brokenness of children.” “Schools aren’t failing,” she said. “Families are failing. Some kids, you just have to love them. But you still hold them to very high standards, both behaviorally and academically. You try stuff until you get them there.” She then handed me a weekly progress report that is given to each child every Friday to be signed and returned the following Monday. Her high standards and emphasis on work ethic were clear. “This takes care of a lot of problems before they start.” As Sue’s main contact with parents, careful documentation and organization of these reports is crucial. “Parents are the hardest part of this job. Document everything.”

In the midst of pressures from the state, pressures from parents, and increasingly difficult home lives for children that affect their ability to learn, Sue is more enthusiastic about teaching now than she ever has been. “I love it more now than I did when I started. I feel like I’m just now getting good at it. There’s always an adventure in it.” She had planned on retiring several years ago, but just can’t seem to give it up. She still loves teaching too much. Sue described how the day-to-day challenges of teaching can feel exhausting and disheartening at times, but there are those “Ah-hah” moments that make it all worthwhile; the moments when a child finally “gets” something that has, until that point, eluded them. The excitement of understanding something is contagious. Sue told me the story of a problem student she had had and how, twenty years later, he came to find her and tell her how much she had changed his life for the better, and to ask her opinion on a career choice as an adult. “When you see the progress they make, and you think you had some hand in it, that’s very rewarding. Few and far between, but very rewarding.”

As I thanked Sue for her time and walked away, I began to reflect back on several of her comments. I realized that teaching is like an ever-changing jigsaw puzzle. One piece may fit one day, but not necessarily the next. Teachers must attempt to fit a number of puzzle pieces into a given location until something works, and state-prescribed puzzle pieces do not necessarily fit in every puzzle; one must use common sense in developing teaching practices. Even then, the pieces must be constantly monitored and adjusted. Teaching is the art of finding a balance between structure and flexibility, and requires constant problem solving. Education is an exciting, and cognitively demanding, profession; there is a direct ratio to the amount of effort you exert and the rewards you experience. The enthusiasm and excitement of teaching, along with the challenges and frustrations, are par for the course of an adventure in education.

Lani White's Interview with a first grade teacher

2009-11-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

Ms. Khan has been teaching in California for over 19 years and remains enthusiastic about her occupation as a teacher. Currently Ms. Khan is working in a K-6 elementary school with 563 students of which about half are White and most of the rest Hispanic. This school is considered rural with 21.7% of the students enrolled being English language learners. At this school 30.2% of students receive reduced price meals.

Ms. Khan received her credential in 1990 from Chapman University, but did the majority of her course work at the California State University of San Jose, CA. Next year will mark Ms. Khan’s twentieth year of teaching in the elementary grade levels. She has moved around from the third grade, to the second grade, and is now happily placed in a first grade self contained classroom. Ms. Khan received her credential as a bilingual resource teacher, which allowed her to work at various schools and districts in this coastal California area. Ms. Khan’s ability to communicate with students speaking a variety of languages has allowed her to become an excellent teacher in both English and Spanish. She is also a huge asset to the school she currently works at because of her bilingual skills.

Ms. Khan tried various other occupations before finding teaching as her passion. When asked about her personal philosophy on teaching she firmly replies “teaching is the one place where you can really make a difference.” The difference she speaks of is in the lives of all her students on a daily basis. Ms. Khan has taught students of various language levels as well as various socio-economic levels. Before Ms. Khan was a teacher she was a social activist who wanted nothing more than to “see change in the world.” Teaching has enabled her to create visible changes within the lives of her students. Ms. Khan also states that teaching “is fun. The kids are quirky, and they keep me entertained.” Her personal pedagogy is very diverse, she states, “Whatever works.” In the classroom she utilizes a comprehensive style of teaching filled with direct instruction, cooperative learning, pair shares, and group work. Ms. Khan considers herself a “pragmatist, if it works I’ll continue to do it, if not I will change my methods. I am always looking for a better way to teach something.” Jokingly she remarks about how she “is not a stick in the mud like some of the older teachers in the school.” Ms. Khan’s belief of the purpose of public schooling has to do with society; she feels that “every child has the right to schooling and an obligation to society to become a functioning member of the information age.” She wants students to be able to function in a society, and know what is required of them to be a “good citizen.”

Ms. Khan organizes the classroom differently every year depending on the students enrolled in her class. Her classroom is a small portable building, so space is limited, but in general, she encourages students to take on independent responsibilities, and supplies individual attention as much as possible. Her classroom is very colorful with students’ works on most walls. There is a “reading rug area” and a worktable that seats 7 in the corner. The desks are arranged in two straight lines across the room. Instructional strategies used include direct instruction at the front of the class, pair shares during reading on the rug, small groups at various locations of the class, and individual attention at desks as well as at the back table. Ms. Khan has found ways to meet the needs of diverse learners in a climate of standardized instruction by “using your resources, i.e. parents, TA’s, and aides.” The priority is for adults to be working with students. She also utilizes leveled groups for language arts, supplemental materials for understanding, and open-ended activities to engage students in projects. Ms. Khan is a strong believer in students Zone of Proximal Development. She recognizes different levels within the class and engages students in work that is at their level, not above and not below.

How does Ms. Khan stay enthusiastic about teaching after all this time? “When the students get it, I know I am doing the right thing.” She states that nothing makes her happier that when a student gets to move up from remedial reading into grade level reading. She also “loves kids, they make me laugh and I love getting paid for doing something I love.” The rewards of teaching for Ms. Khan really come from the students themselves, but she also loves how every day is different. “I’m a restless person so I need my lifestyle and work to change regularly, or I’ll go insane.” The interactions with students coupled with the creativity of lesson designs, based on the required curriculum are Ms. Khans rewards for a hard day’s work.

This interview has given me insight into a functioning teachers viewpoint on education. I am interested in why some teachers can become so jaded and angry while others such as Ms. Khan remain enthusiastic and pleasant, even in times such as these. The answer lies in they way they see teaching and what gives them pleasure from teaching their students. I also learned that it is okay to take the over prescribed curriculum outlines provided, tweak them a little and make them your own lessons, lessons that engage the students but are based on the pre-prescribed, unengaging, curriculum materials required by the districts.

WE CAN DO IT, IF WE TRY!

Rachel Plumlee's Interview with a third grade teacher

2009-10-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

Mrs. E is a third grade in a K-6 school with less than 500 students in total, located in the mountains between Monterey and Salinas. The school is made up of predominantly White and Latino students, many are socioeconomically disadvantaged students as well. The numbers of English language learners (ELLs) are low compared to other school in the district and less than 25 percent at this school are considered to be beginner or early intermediate English learners.

Mrs. E has now been teaching for 25 years. She has taught multiple grades including second, third, fourth and fifth at three different schools. She has been at FH Elementary for 20 of her teaching years. While here she has taught second-third combos, third-fourth combos, and straight third grade. Having been at FH Elementary School for so long places her as one of the top teachers at the school.

After all these years of teaching Mrs. E says that it is her love of children that keeps her interested in continuing to teach, she says this with a big smile on her face and a quick giggle. You can tell she has a love for children and her job in the way she describes her philosophy on teaching. Her classrooms are very easy going most years, so that the kids feel comfortable while there. However, she also mentions that this is very hard to do with a classroom full of 32 students, most of whom have behavioral issues this year, so she is forced to be more strict and structured. Mrs. E feels reassured that the kids in her class understand why things must be this way and also that they accept it.

She frequently talks about how when she had class sizes this big 15 years ago there were never any problems; there would be maybe two students who would act out whereas now half the class will. She has spoken with me many times about the quality of work then as compared to now as well, the writing was much better, tests were much harder and still passed, and the projects done were fantastic. She still has examples of much of this exemplary work around her classroom and I believe her when she says things were much different then. She strongly believes that technology has ruined a lot for kids; they lack imagination and have short attention spans.

Mrs. E believes the purpose of the public education system is to give every child the opportunity for an education. When I prompted her for more information about why every child needed this opportunity she explained that they need it, otherwise they cannot be successful contributors to society; they will be running around doing nothing or be in jail.

The classroom is organized with six groups of desks, each having five or six students, and it feels very crammed into her small classroom. All the desks face towards the overhead, where all of the instruction takes place. She strategically places the students around the room based on their learning needs or behavioral problems, making sure two students who are both very social are not near each other and that students who lack focus are right up front where she can see them. The eight ELLs are spread all over the class and are treated like the rest of the students throughout the day, being called on for answer or getting their name taken for not paying attention.

When it comes to the ELL student’s specialized instruction she takes the approach of using SDAIE. She feels that sending them out of the class for the standardized instruction they would receive would be an insult to these students because of their knowledge base. Most of the students in the class are at the intermediate or danced levels of fluency but there are a few are still not very fluent, and they are all treated equally. She takes them out into the center area just outside the classroom two times a day for this special instruction time. Breaking up the time she says makes it easier on them to retain the information. During this time she gives them specialized attention in the social studies field. Using the same book as the other students, they all take turns reading aloud, going over vocabulary more in depth. She explains things that come up which the students may not understand because of their language differences. Mrs. E says this time is much more helpful for the students than going out to learn how to write or read since most of the ELL students are better writers than the English only students in the class.

Mrs. E is an exemplary teacher and has a lot of helpful advice because she has been teaching for so long. It is interesting to hear about how much things have changed in the education realm in the past 15 years and the fact that she has the work and projects to show me is amazing. I know that I have much more to learn from Mrs. E and I can tell she has much more to teach me.

Stacie Canepa's Interview with first grade teacher

2009-10-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

I interviewed my master teacher, Mrs. R. The school that she works at is a local elementary school in a first grade classroom. This school is located in a rather poor section of the neighborhood and the student body is composed of a majority of minority and migrant students. Nearly 81% of the students are Hispanic and 8% of the population is African American. Almost all of students receive free or reduced lunch and this is the schools eighth year as a "program improvement" school because of floundering test scores. This is my master teacher’s 30th year teaching, but this is her first year teaching at this school.

Mrs. R always knew that she wanted to be a teacher. She grew up in a large family in a rural valley town near Yosemite. She remembers spending lots of time playing school with her siblings and practicing being a teacher. Mrs. R’s father was an educator and her mom was also very well educated but stayed home to raise her and her siblings. Education was highly valued in her family and the completion of a college degree was expected of her. It was in this environment that Mrs. R’s love of teaching and learning started to grow.

After completing her bachelors degree, Mrs. R went on to attain a special education credential along with a masters. During her first few years of teaching Mrs. R also decided to get her multiple subjects credential. The first 16 years of Mrs. R’s teaching career were spent in a special education classroom where she instructed students with mild to moderate learning disabilities. The past fourteen years of her career have been spent in teaching the first and second grade at another local elementary school. Mrs. R took one year off to be an academic coach for teachers throughout the district and found that she missed the classroom more than she had anticipated, which led her coming back to the classroom at our current site.

Through my discussion with Mrs. R I was able to learn many things about her beliefs of public education, her personal teaching strategies and how she remains so enthused about her job after all of these years. One of the first topics that we discussed was the place of public education. Mrs. R is a firm believer that all children should receive a free education and that every child regardless of race, income, or disabilities should have equal access to a quality education. One of Mrs. R’s main theories on education is that all children can learn. She believes that some children may need more time, repetition or a different teaching strategy to understand a concept but she believes that every child can learn. One of the things that she has found to be true in her classroom is that the nurture of each child by their family has a lot to do with their success in the classroom. The amount of time and involvement that parents invest in their children and their child’s education has a lot to do with the amount of attention that each student will need. Mrs. R does not underestimate the influence of a child’s home and family life on their ability to do well in school.

Having the opportunity to spend one day in Mrs. R’s class would give you a good idea of her belief in routines, rituals and procedures in the classroom. Each day is structured much the same way and the children know exactly what to expect from her and each other. The procedures that she has in place allow for the children to work independently and to know what to do in a situation even if she is not around. She feels that the predictability of her classroom routines makes the children more comfortable and allows them to learn more because they waste less time trying to figure out what is next or how to go about a task.

During our interview, Mrs. R also divulged what has kept her in the teaching profession so long. A self professed, life long learner, Mrs. R feels that this is the only job where she can come to work everyday and expect to be challenged. It seems that her students are always teaching her something about education and the learning process which keeps her on her toes. One of her favorite aspects of teaching is seeing the progress in her students. She loves to see the “light bulb go on” for her students and loves to take part in the process of making “things click” for them. Overall I feel very lucky to have had the chance to talk with Mrs. R about her philosophies on teaching and learning and to learn about what has kept her so passionate about teaching over her thirty year career.