Interview a teacher using the following questions as a guide (you make ask any questions you deem important or any follow up questions). Describe, analyze and reflect upon the teacher's responses and summarize what you learned from the interview. How does the teacher's responses align with the Conceptual Framework?
1. What experiences influenced you to become a teacher?
2. Describe your work history.
3. What is your teaching style and how do you accommodate the different learning styles in your classroom?
4. What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and how do you use them in teaching?
5. How do you challenge the slow learner and the advanced learner in the same class?
6. What procedures do you use to evaluate student progress besides using tests?
7. What current trends in public education do you consider to be very positive? Negative? Why?
Please maintain confidentiality by either using a pseudo name or initials only when referring to the interviewed teacher.
Please post before midnight on February 10th, 2008.
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I choose to interview the teacher I was with today. “Ms. Smith” has been teaching for five years. After review the answers from the interview I noticed that we might have some things in common. When I asked her the question about the teaching style and how you used it in the classroom she said that she was very patient and looked for mastering the skills before moving the student onto the next topic. I think that being patient is one of the most important skills to have along with being flexible. When they split up into their math groups she had a group with her and then the other group was with the parent volunteer. I sat in on her lesson and I noticed that she was very patient with her group, she was always willing to give little helpful hints but aloud them to complete the work on their own instead of her just going and giving them the solution. It was also a time for her to work individually with each student which she said was another one of her teaching styles. I also noticed that while in the groups the other classmates would help out if another student was having difficulty completing the task. Another thing that I found we had in common was the preference for small group work. Although I was on there for part of the day I noticed that when the students were in smaller groups they seemed much more focused and still all the other students were willing to help out and be encouraging. The way that she challenged her different levels of learners was by small group work based on the ability level, that way she would not have one student who was a wiz at math and a student who was really struggling with math in the same group because it might make the student who is having a difficult time feel they aren’t as good as the other student. Overall I was very pleased with the class I was in today. I felt really comfortable getting down and talking with the students and the teacher really made me feel welcome in her classroom.
After interviewing my favorite teacher thus far “Betty,” a couple of decisions were made clear to me. 1) I know that teaching is what I want to do for the rest of my life and that second grade may just be my calling. I loved interviewing “Betty” and realized that she is the kind of teacher I want to be. “Betty” has been teaching for five years and she said that this was her first year teaching 2nd grade at Partnership Elementary. We also talked a lot about second grade and why she chose to teach this particular grade. She said, “Second grade ROCKS! This is my fourth year in second grade and I have no plans to change anytime soon. I have taught in the testing grades and I felt like I was teaching a test, not students. At this age the students are still influenced by small gestures (stickers, oral praise) and yet they are becoming more independent.” This really encouraged me to remember to take another look at second grade because I enjoy kids who still need attention and want you to do fun things with them, but don’t rely solely on you. I also asked her what she thought was the most valuable trait about teaching and she responded, “It is a tight race between patience and willingness to be flexible and learn new things. You need to be patient in order for the students to be successful. You also need to flexible because education is constantly changing and you are expected to change with it.” When I worked in her classroom, there were so many things and ideas that I wanted to “take” with me to remember for my classroom. We also talked a lot about teaching styles and how to deal with different types of learners. She told me that she preferred small groups of students in math, writing, and reading; the students are grouped by their academic levels and she has the opportunity to work with them on their level (challenging the advanced learners, working with the slow learners on particular skills they need assistance with). She also mentioned that in order to evaluate student’s progress she takes anecdotal notes during reading, writing, and math because it helps her to document behaviors in these areas. We ended our interview with her favorite question, “What made you choose a school like Partnership?” She said, “Partnership is the best thing that has ever happened to me!! I chose Partnership because of the parent involvement and that the teachers here are treated equally. Partnership is just that, a ‘partnership’ of people that are working together for the common good of the students. It is such a great place to be – and I have been other places.”
When I interviewed Ms. C, she was very intent in answering the questions with enthusiasm, which reflected her love for teaching. The first sentence that came out was, “I love what I do and would not change it for the world!” She has been teaching for 10 years but this was her first year at Partnership, as well as the third grade. She said that she had been trying to get into Partnership for 3 years! She said that Partnership is the best school she has ever taught at. Ms. C likes to keep her classroom lively leaving open lots of opportunity for group exercises. When giving the students specific assignments to do, she likes for them to break up into small groups. She comments, “I believe this strategy may help some of the weaker students because it gives the stronger students to assist them in what they are having trouble with.” This concept makes sense to me, but it is not something I would take with me for the future. The reason is because I would be afraid of the weaker students getting too confused. The result of that are the weaker students getting thrown behind of the rest. Instead, I would set the weaker students in one group with me, then the stronger students working together. This allows the weaker students to get a “one on one” session with me and have a better chance of understanding.
When challenging the weaker students, Ms. C likes to allow them extra time to finish their assignments or quizzes. For example, when the rest of the class was in recess, she allowed 3 students to stay in the class to finish their work. As for the stronger students, she allows them to quietly read a book when they are done with their assignments. She says this activity stimulates their brains and also relaxes them while the other students are finishing their work. This is a concept I really like. I believe that the weaker students will be willing to try harder if you allow them extra time to finish something. They see that you want them to do it, so they feel motivated. Allowing students to read when they are finished is great! This promotes reading and keeps them from disturbing other students.
Ms. C considers her greatest strengths to be connecting with her students on a personal level. She says, “I enjoy talking with the students and hearing their opinions. Letting a student voice their opinion about a topic helps them feel important.” She likes to do a lot of group discussions and group work. This is something I also like about her teaching style! I believe that for a classroom to run smoothly and prevent confusion, the teacher needs to help the students be “one”. Students working together, thinking, and solving together helps them to appreciate one another and succeed. If a classroom just sits quietly all of the time and there are no open discussions, the students are not connecting.
Ms. C’s teaching style is definitely similar to what I had in mind for the future! She really knows how to get the students to collaborate with one another and is big on “togetherness”. I do realize though that when allowing the students to do a lot of group activities, the teacher needs to be aware of conflict within the groups. Not all of the students will get along with each other. It is smart as a teacher to be aware of who is working well together and who is not. Something I would do differently from Ms. C is to have more “structured” assignments. It seems as though she is a little too laid back. Being too laid back can have major consequences like the students taking advantage of you! I would be more firm with the students, but still maintain a lot of the group work!
When I first met Ms. S, I knew that I would get along great with her, and so I decided to interview her and learn a little more about her and how she became the teacher that her kids love so much. Mr. S is one of those teachers that when you are around them, you just can’t keep from smiling and laughing because she is so enthusiastic about what she does.
When she was eleven 11 she started babysitting and she did that for about five years. Her favorite thing to do with the kids was help them with their homework. One day, one of the parents asked her if she had ever considered teaching, and from then on she knew that she was meant to be a teacher. I loved when she told me that because when I started babysitting around the same age, I just fell in love with the kids and I knew that I wanted to work with them for the rest of my life. Ms. S has been teaching for six years and she has loved every second of it. She started right after graduation in Pitt County teaching third grade. The next year she moved up to fourth grade and taught her previous kids. After switching schools, she taught second grade for three years, and then moved to Partnership Elementary. When I visited Ms. S’s class I noticed that no matter what she was working on with the students, that she was always incorporating literature and grammar in her teaching. She said that it was because it opens the kids up to many genres. I never thought about doing that because even though every subject is important, I feel that at that age it is very important for them to learn as much as possible, and understand literature. Ms. S also likes working with small groups of kids, which is easy at Partnership because her class is so small, and most days parents are in the school helping. So if she needs to spend more time with a small group, she is able to. That is very beneficial because that way she knows that if some children are having trouble grasping information, she can sit with them, and the other kids wont be held back. Her biggest strength is her patience, and I noticed this from the moment I met her. With a class that small, it is easy in some aspects, but with her she will not move on to different material until everyone in the class has mastered it, and that takes the most patience. If you are a patient person, and your class is small, then you will have to focus your patience on other things such as learning content, instead of the typical, controlling, etc. your kids. Since Ms. S enjoys working with small groups in her class, she has a chance to challenge advanced learners, and work with the slower learners on particular skills they might need assistance with. All of her groups are put together by their academic level, so this makes things easier. Her small groups work really good together, helping each other, and that way the kids that might be having trouble do not feel like they are alone and become discouraged. One of the positive trends that she touched on was that the teachers are encouraged to work together within their school and their grade level. “This is a trend that I am seeing more of and think that it is positive because my belief is that: Two (or more) heads are better than one, she says. I agree with this trend and her thoughts because when you have teachers that work together they are able to “vent”, get help, etc. from other teachers and it is beneficial to the school for improvement, and it can also helps the teachers as individuals so that they have other to go to for advice and it negative energy comes back on the kids. The negative trend that she mentioned was that parents are becoming less involved in their child’s education. This trend is not a large one at Partnership because the school involves parents on a daily basis, but this is a trend in our society. Unfortunately a lot of parents are so busy with their careers that when their children come home from school, there is not enough “interest” from the parents. In Partnership parents are asked to come in every week and help out with Art, or Dance, or any other subjects for the children. When I met with Ms. S she had a parent in her classroom helping out with one of the groups while they were learning about math. The parent had a child in Ms. S’s class, like many of the other parents that come in and volunteer. I think this is very beneficial to the children and the teachers because it gives a little more insight for the teachers and the parents can see what their children go through every day. I then asked why Ms. S chose Partnership, and she automatically responded with, “Partnership is the best thing that has ever happened to me!!” She chose Partnership because of the parental involvement, and all of the teachers are treated equally and well respected. “Partnership is just that, a partnership, of people that are working together for the common good of the students. It is such a great place to be and I have been other places.” When I first heard about Partnership I could not understand how this school could work for the best with the children, but after listening to Ms. S and seeing how her class, and the 2nd grade work together, I can understand why so many teachers are falling in love with Partnership. It is definitely a “community” and if you are not willing to work together as a “partnership” to benefit the kids and yourself, then this school is not built for you. I agree very strongly with Ms. S when it comes to the traits that are the most valuable to teaching. Patience and the willingness to be flexible and learn new things are two very important things, because you need to be patient in order to be successful with the kids. You also need to be flexible because education and technology is constantly changing and teachers are expected to change with it so that they can give the students the most knowledge possible. Before I ended the interview, I wanted to know why she had chosen 2nd grade, because I have always wanted to teach 2nd grade and I wanted to know how a person that is so much like me, decided on 2nd grade. Ms. S stated that she has taught in testing grades, and she felt like she was teaching a test, not students. “At this age the students are still influenced by small gestures (stickers, oral praise) and yet they are becoming more independent.” What I love about 2nd grade is that these children are such sponges and they are so grateful when it comes to the smallest things, and they also are at the point in their life where they are figuring out little things that they get so excited about.
After interviewing Ms. S is just made me realize how ready (emotionally) I am to get into the classroom. I am ready to be good for these kids, like they will be good for me.
My most recent experience at Partnership Elementary has been my favorite experience so far. I started in Kindergarten and have worked my way up to second grade. While I cannot say that I have had a bad experience, I can say that each experience has gotten better. Kindergarten was fine but I am currently in love with second grade and cannot wait to see what third grade has in store for me this week.
When given the assignment to interview a teacher, I immediately decided to choose whoever I was going to be working with at the current time instead of backtracking to a teacher I had already worked with. I came to this conclusion as a way to break the ice with my new teacher and to really get to know them. A wonderful opportunity was given to me to carry out my plan when I first arrive to Partnership on Tuesday the 5th. The entire second grade class was busily practicing a musical and dance performance, so “Mr. T.,” my second grade teacher of choice had nothing but time.
Upon initiating my interview with “Mr. T.,” he seemed slightly standoffish and insincere about answering my questions. I did however, manage to get all of my answers and learned that this was his 4th year teaching- 1 year as a sub in New York City and 3 years as a second grade teacher in North Carolina. “Mr. T.” explained that he had come to be a teacher not after years of yearning to be one, but rather by discovering an interest in the education courses once entering college. I also learned that “Mr. T.” was dedicated to finding a way to move at a pace that met the needs of each of his students that he used high expectation as his form of discipline.
My initial opinion of “Mr. T.” was not as warm and fuzzy as I typically associated with an elementary school teacher. By the end of our time together however, my opinion was greatly altered and I realized that his approach was different then what I expected but was still nurturing and effective. He ended our session by saying “ One thing you have to understand about me is that I teach with sarcasm but I love my kids and just expect more out of them.” While my opinion had already changed, I really appreciated his disclaimer.
What my most recent experience at Partnership has taught me is that there really isn’t a “teacher mold.” Teachers come in all forms with different personalities and what is beautiful about that is that you don’t have to loose your individuality to work towards a common goal. Like the building that is Partnership, “Mr. T.” was different from anything I have experienced before. What is important is that he has taken his personality and embraced it and as a result has grown to become a very inspiring, successful teacher. One reservation that I had, as inaccurate as it may seem, was that I would have to sacrifice some of my individuality to become a teacher. What “Mr. T.” has taught me is that this is not true, embrace who you are, consider the common goal, and make your differences work.
These are FABULOUS!!!! Well done Ladies!
I interviewed Mrs. D* who is a 4th grade teacher at Partnership Elementary. She has taught for 6 years beginning in Holly Springs and this is her first year at Partnership. She has taught both 3rd and 4th grades and likes them both She didn't have one specific memorable moment or experience that made her decide to become a teacher but says that babysitting as a teenager gave her a first glimpse into working with children. Her teaching style consists of using alot of hands on experiences, small group instruction, and a variety of teaching methods. She likes to present material to the children with different techniques such as visually, orally, and hands on. I believe this is a good way of demonstrating the same concept to the child in several ways to they can process the information. Mrs. D says, "My strengths as a teacher are collaborative planning, creativity, and lots of humor." I completely agree that these are great assets to have as a quality teacher and hope to use each of them myself one day as a teacher. She says she is able to challenge the kids with modifications of the assignments and having varied book levels for the kids to read. I talked to her more about how she implements modifications. She says she takes them into small groups of 3 or 4 and gives each child a goal that is tailored to their needs. I like this idea of pushing each child to their fullest potential and not teaching to the class as a whole. I would like to use this technique and maybe add some recording data notebooks for the kids to keep track of their own goals. It is always more rewarding when the accomplishments are recorded, and then maybe have the kids come up with some of their own goals. Mrs. D uses projects, observations, and presentations as other tools for evaluation of a student’s progress. Some of the current positive trends that she likes are getting the child to explain how they came to their answer as well as using critical thinking and problem solving during math. On the same token, she finds that some of the basics like rote computation and math drills need to be brought back into the curriculum. She goes on to say that other basics such as penmanship and spelling are not focused on in the classroom and it should be something that should be worked on. She disagrees with The No Child Left Behind Act because it does not take in consideration how children who have disabilities are given the same test standards. I have questions of my own about how this legislation is beneficial to the educational system. My final question to Mrs. D was what are some "words of wisdom" that she would offer me, a student going into the teaching field that would be helpful. I asked what she would have done differently and her response was, "I would have learned more about EOG testing and how to administer them." She went on to say that although she knew what they where for, she wished she had more background on how to help children take them. She also wishes there was a writing methods course much like the reading and math methods that is offered. Not enough is taught when it comes to teaching children how to write. I agree with her and hope to find the workshops needed to learn about teaching children to be effective writers. Mrs. D collaborates with her colleagues and is a leader in her classroom as well as for her 4th grade team. I feel like her teaching practices fulfill some of The Conceptual Framework but lack some of the qualities needed to fulfill the expectations of this program. I walk away from this interview with a comfort to know that even though the system is not perfect, such as The No child Left Behind and lack of basic skills being taught in the curriculums I know that positive movements are coming. I feel more confidant that I need to have a Special Ed. background with my degree after seeing how this will effect how I will be able to relate, lead, and facilitate as an educator.
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