Teacher Interview Project

Teacher Interview Project

Margaret Judy Jones

Ivy Tech Community College

INTASC Standard #10

Standard #10 - Leadership and Collaboration
The teacher candidate seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession

Introduction

I interviewed two teachers this week, Jennifier A. Guerrero was the first teacher I interviewed. Guerrero is a kindergarten teacher at Hickory Elementary in Hendrix County Indiana. She has a class of about twenty-one students. Guerrero won the teacher of the year award at Hickory Elementary last year which was a goal for her. She also states that last year was her hardest year as a teacher and sometimes she felt like giving up and walking away from teaching.

I also Interview Laura Selm, who is an instructor at Ivy Tech Community College. I have known Selm for several years. Selm works in the Learning Center and also teaches classes for students that are below college level. The Leaning Center is a way Ivy Tech has of getting students ready for higher learning at college level. Selm feels that teachers are not valued enough for their work. She believes the reason there are so many women in teaching is because of the low pay, but she believes that is changing as more men are becoming teachers. Selm’s mother was also a teacher.

Background Information

Jennifier Guerrero wanted to be a teacher even when she was in elementary school. Teaching was all she wanted to do since she was in high school. She has a degree from Texas State University in San Marcus, Texas. She has been teaching for over 20 years.  She always wanted to teach the lower grades. In Texas she taught Head Start. The area was so economically and socially deprived that Head Start was part of the elementary school system. This was part of the school’s early intervention program.  She has to test every four years.

Traits of an Effective Teacher

Guerrero classroom is arranged in optimize learning because the children set at tables of three to four students. They had a mat on the floor for group time. I am doing my Serving Learning with Guerrero and I am impressed with her teaching skills and enthusiasm.

Guerrero believes that the most the important trait of a teacher is being organized, flexible, and creative and always thinking.  She believes that the single most important quality a good teacher possess is patience.

Philosophies, Values and Beliefs

Some of her values, beliefs and philosophy is being patience, stand back and breath. Sometimes she has to slow down because the administrators push the teachers which she believes is the most difficult challenge for teachers. She wants to make sure she is putting the children first.

Most Important Quality and of a Good Teacher

She encourage involvement of parents and families by sending home the work and keeping them informed of the child’s progress. There are open house for teachers to meet the parents and other family members. Guerrero spend a good deal of time outside the class room preparing for the class. She makes her assignments interesting and exciting. For her the most exciting part of teaching is watching the children learn new skills like reading and math. Guerrero states that her husband has given her the most support in learning to be an effective teacher. She states that he encouraged her teaching career from the beginning even in high school. She knows she is successful when her children learn. She is an award winning teacher who won Teacher of the Year in 2013-2014. She is continuing her professional development by working on her next goal of supervising student teachers.

Traits, Quality, and Behavior I Possess

I possess a love of children, I am patience and I am also creative. I think I need to work on my organizational skills. I know how to slow down and take a breath. I also have a desire to put the child’s learning before anything else.

Final Remarks

I am fortunate to be doing my Service Learning with Jennifer Guerrero I have learned a lot watching her. She has given me the opportunity to work with some of the slower children in the class and each new thing the children learn gives me a feeling of accomplishment.

Background Information

Laura Selm is a teacher and tutor at Ivy Tech Community College, in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Selm went to a Parochial School during her elementary years, then she went to a public middle school and high school. She got her bachelor degree form DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. She worked toward to master degree but never finished her studies. Selm’s mother was a teacher and this had a big influence on her becoming a teacher. Selm begin teaching in 1978 and took a few years off to run a book store in Boston. Then she went back to teaching, part time at first and gradually worked up to full time teaching. Selm has taught seventh and eighth grade and is currently teaching precollege level English and writing at Ivy Tech. She also tutors in the Learning Center.

Traits of an Effective Teacher

Selm believes that a sense of humor, a love for learning and children are the most important traits of being a good teacher. The most exciting aspect of teaching for Selm is watching the children learn and each new thing the students learns gives her a feeling of accomplishments. Selm believes that a teacher should have an enter calm and have a new plan when something goes wrong. This happen sometimes with technology.

Philosophies, Values and Beliefs

Selm believes that the educational system does not have a good attitude toward teachers. She thinks the system should be more exclusive. She believes that it is easier to get a job teaching in the United States than any other country. Selm’s mother and family have been supportive in her teaching career. Selm believes that parents attitude toward teacher is sometimes a difficult

challenge for teacher. Parents sometimes think the teacher is not giving their child the grade they deserve.

Most Important Quality of a Good Teacher

Selm stated that the most important quality of good teacher is being prepared and being creative. She believes that the teacher must try creative ways to present the lesson plan and change each year to stay current to make learning fun and exciting for the children. Each day a teacher learns from her students and this will help him or her to be a better teacher. She also believe that a teacher does not take their beliefs on politics and world affairs and impose it on the students.

Traits, Quality and Behavior I Possess

I agree with most of Selm ideas about teaching. I learn something new each day I do my Service Learning. I have been warned about parents that expect teachers to give their children grades they did not earn. I think I have the ability to deal with this. I also know enough to not try to influence my opinion and ideas on students. It is already to voice your opinion and ideas but student should be given the chance to see the whole picture.

Final Remarks

Laura Selm family was involved in education and I believe that was a big influence on her. I became interesting in teaching later in life but feel I can contribute to the education of children. Being a teacher is an important job that in recent years has been given more recognition. Watching these teachers has given me the opportunity to gain knowledge and develop my own style of teaching.