Assignment # 3

Assignment # 3
Teacher Interview
This interview was conducted at the JFK Middle school in North Miami Beach in Florida. I interviewed Miss Simmons a civics teacher who is about thirty five years old. She is a teacher at that school for over five years and she is also head of her department. She was helpful, approachable, and had a good sense of humor. The interview was conducted in her classroom at about eleven thirty on March twenty six two thousand and ten. She explained to me that usually at this time she is much occupied but she is pleased to assist me.
The interview began in a very cordial manner and I felt very comfortable talking to her. I asked her twenty questions and she thoughtfully answered each question with great ease. She was careful in her choice of words and sometimes gave small scenarios. In answering the questions she took time to show to show me samples of different documents used in her class and also samples of students’ work. She was knowledgeable and fluent throughout the interview. She expressed the passion she has for the job and the kids she worked with. She is the civics teacher for the magnet program and teaches students from grades six to eight.
In her class Miss Simmons prefers heterogeneous groups because students are able to help each other and there is not much growth if the groups are the same. She also explained that a student in a group can show that he or she has mastered a concept through leadership, participation, and interaction. She was quick to say that the final project will reveal their work. They can also show it with differentiated instruction. Very often the end product will show meaning and it is self explanatory. Miss Simmons expressed that she is particularly strong in civics and government because they relate to what is going on so there is an easy connection. She explained that a teacher needs to know students’ abilities and personalities in order to begin lesson planning. The teacher should anticipate any issues and need to know what resources are available. The teacher accommodates different learning styles of students in her classroom through whole group instruction, surveys, and by incorporating all learning styles in her lesson. She uses Bloom’s taxonomy and she creates her own quiz. Miss Simmons is not authoritative, but instead she keeps balance, sets standards, and is flexible. In her opinion the teacher says every party at the school is responsible for discipline for she firmly believes that students should be supervised at all times. She listed some persons responsible for discipline including parents, teachers, security personnel, and administrators.
The civics teacher has benefited significantly from enlightening workshops, and professional development seminars. It was with a sense of joy that she said that she empowers her students and make them part of the learning process. The students invest in the learning process and she sells the lesson to them in a logical and relatable manner. If a student is disrupting the class Miss Simmons will first warn the child and remove child from seat to isolate him or her. She speaks softly to the child but still with a sense of fear. When everything fails she finally writes a report. She informs parents about what is going on in the classroom frequently. The teacher uses website, writes letters, make phone calls, power points, e-mail updates, and talks to them at open house. To update parents about the progress of their child Miss Simmons uses e-mail and her website which she said are very effective ways. Miss Simmons believes that parent conferences are very effective especially when there is a follow up two weeks later. The teacher becomes acquainted with parents and students over the course of time, through surveys, and at open house. When parents complained about homework the teacher explains the homework policy. She also encourages the parent to ensure that the child does the work.
The civics teacher asserts that an ideal teacher is effective, flexible, optimistic, accommodating and takes into consideration different needs of students. The ideal teacher recognizes that students learn in different ways and tries to meet those needs. Miss Simmons collaborates with other staff members to plan together, discuss best practices, and exchange ideas. The teacher enthusiastically stated that teaching is constantly changing and change is exciting. She said teaching is always re-inventing itself although it is unexpected and energy is exhausting, but can be very rewarding.
After interviewing the teacher, it was interesting to know that her training at college did not really prepare her to deal with the classroom, but when faced with situations she just knows what to do and how to handle them. That is one of the reasons why she explained that a teacher should have an innate love for children.