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.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Rosa Mejia's Inteview with a Third Grade Teacher
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.
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.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Elsie Castro's Interview with a Fourth Grade Teacher
"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.
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.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Matthew Courtney's Interview with a Third Grade Teacher
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Catherine Conway's Interview with a Fifth Grade Teacher
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.
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.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Ernesto Gama's Interview with a 1st/2nd Grade Teacher
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.
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.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Vanessa Haag's Interview with a Third Grade Teacher
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.
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.
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