Crystal Riches

Steve Reiher
COMM 1010
Interview #2
18 February 2014
Elementary Education Interview
I chose to ask the teacher I have been shadowing at Mountain Trails Elementary School for
my Education class. I have been volunteering for about a month on a weekly basis.
I am an Elementary Education major and I have loved teaching from a very young age and I
was ecstatic to sit down with the teacher I have been shadowing. I knew prior to the
interview that she received a bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Westminster
College and has been teaching for nearly ten years now.
This paper summarizes the input I was given regarding my profession of choice compiled
during the interview.
Past Experience before Becoming a Teacher
I learned that a lot of becoming a teacher is having an inner desire to see young children
succeed. If you dont have this desire and you are there because it was your back up plan-
more than likely the teacher wouldnt last. Tina stated that some of the things she wished that
her college education would have prepared her for was all of the responsibilities a teacher has
once they find a job, i.e. high stakes testing, communicating with parents effectively, dealing
with children who have a learning disability but hasnt been diagnosed yet and having to
learn how to help them in your classroom. Another aspect that Tina brought up was that she
felt that college should have prepared her for how different each class can be from year to
year, just because it worked splendidly one year didnt mean a guarantee it was going to
work another year.
Tina mentioned that she regrets not having fun during her college career because she was
so focused on classes. She recommends getting good grades but also having fun in the
meantime. Another facet that she brought regarding her schooling regrets was not getting
involved in Student Associations because it would have helped her start a network before she
graduated.
Student teaching was difficult for Tina because like most student teaching positions, it was in
a tough neighborhood and kids had drive-by shootings constantly. She said that it was
definitely a sink or swim task. The diversity was very high during this time and she had a
hard time connecting with all of the students on an academic level. She had a hard time with
her student teaching because her teacher she was assigned to wasnt a good fit because they
were very different types of teachers and Tina had a hard time learning in such a harsh
environment.


Topic 2: Memories about Teaching from the Beginning
I asked Tina what her worst and best days with teaching was. Her worst day was when she came
back from having a sub and the class said that their substitute was awful and she took the
students that she knew who were the culprit. She said something sarcastic to one of the students
and she visibly saw the motivation drain out of his face and from that moment on, this student
lacked motivation in every task given. What I found most interesting was that she brought it up at
the Parent Teacher Conference with his parents and they were grateful and from there on, the
student tried hard again. I applaud Tina and her openness and her willingness to admit mistake
and also she didnt give up on this student because he lost his motivation momentarily. She said
that her main goal was to make students feel good about their learning processes, no matter the
differences.
Another piece of advice that Tina had was that she said that one of the most important facets of
being a good teacher is to beat the story home which means to call the parents before the child
gets home so communication is apparent and no here-say is involved.
Tina had said that her best day of her job was when she had a student that hung on her every
word and started making better choices at home because of his day at school and what she taught
regarding making goals in life.
A piece of advice from Tina was that in your first couple years of teaching, you shouldnt try to
be a master of every subject. Focus on the subjects you know you can teach well and those will
shine through. It is better to have a few fantastic subjects and a couple subpar ones, rather than
all mediocre subjects across the board because you are wearing yourself out trying to cover too
much content. Tina also stated that future should be prepared to talk all day long and also
repeating yourself all day long.
Topic 3: Current Advice about Teaching
I asked Tina how she approaches those with disabilities and how to teach when the students
could be on so many different educational planes. She said that making an environment that
surrounds the idea that everyone learns differently and sometimes it seems unfair, but in reality it
is fair because the student learns in a different manner. She said that it is important to emphasize
independent learning and not to compare themselves with their peers.
Another facet that was discussed during the interview was how to effectively communicate with
parents; Tina said to be as positive as possible. Parents respond well to strong positive feedback
and not dwelling on the negatives. It is also important to bring up any concerns in a tactful way
as to not offend the child or the parent. Tina also writes up a weekly newsletter that discusses the
unit being studied at that time and also sends out weekly emails to each family. She said she tries
to get parents involved within the classroom by encouraging them to volunteer and be an active
participant in the classroom and at home. She also stated that she comes to parent teacher
conferences prepared with options regarding a student that is struggling so the parents know
where to go from there instead of just saying Hes having a tough time. The end.
Tina also stated that it is important to not push the young kids too hard. They are very delicate
and fragile. They will learn to read. In their own time. It is important to let the parents know that
so they arent panicking that their child isnt up to par. When learning how to read-there seems to
be a clicking point where they just start getting it and its actually fun to read after that. You
just have to patient and wait for it.
Instinct is also a very important part of teaching. You know where everyones levels are. Trust it.
Know it. Love it. It is also important to connect with all of the kids in some way or another, then
they trust you and they arent afraid of you.
Regarding the new CORE curriculum within classrooms, Tina loves it and has no issues with it.
Tina stated that she has had superiors in the past that have been really distant from the
classrooms and there was a gap. As of right now, she is very happy with her superiors and
doesnt have any issues.
Some of the useless things she learned in college was the lesson plans, she feels like it would be
beneficial to teach how to do a lesson plan, but she would have liked to learn how to keep the
test scores of the students up and how to keep your classroom average up rather than drilling
lesson plans into your head because your colleagues have loads of ideas and resources for you to
use in your lesson plans and your whole view changes once you get in the classroom anyway.
Tina stated that she was a member of the Unions in Utah and was actually the representative for
their school in the UEA delegate meetings. She said that it is a great resource and she advises
new teachers to look into in for themselves and not rely on their colleagues on the issue.
In the classroom, Tina doesnt have a lot of cultural diversity but she stated that embracing the
students culture is vital for them feeling like they are a part of the classroom. She said that have
a culture unit where everyone will talk about their culture and where they come from so it helps
everyone feel unified.
Tina had a great mentor and she said that it is important to figure out the culture of the school
and your mentor will help you with learning that. Every school has different expectations and
themes. She said that it is very important to know these things before you start your job or
throughout the first weeks of working.
Interview Analysis
This interview showed me a typical day as a teacher and has taught me about how to be the best
teacher possible. It also prepared me for how it is working in a school. This interview has
solidified my desire for me continuing my education for becoming a teacher. I knew that it was
what I wanted to do, but now I know for sure that this is what I am meant to do with my future.
I am going to try and follow Tinas advice and learn to have fun with my education and
not to try to be so serious with my studies and learn how to let things go. I enjoyed talking with
her and have made plans to shadow her classroom once a month for the next little.
Analysis of the interview process
I am grateful that I had met Tina before because I knew her from when I shadowed with her a
little over a year ago before I started going back to school. Her and I got along really well and
the interview went very smoothly because we were already pretty comfortable around each other.
I feel like I could have been a little more in depth with my questions and could have been a little
more eloquent when I commented on her answers.