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Kindergarten Teacher Interview Essay

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For this interview assignment, I chose to interview a very successful kindergarten teacher at a local elementary school. I decided to interview a kindergarten teacher over any other elementary level teachers, as I am most interested in pursuing a career in teaching kindergarten myself. I have spent quite a bit of time in some kindergarten classrooms and have found them to be some of the most difficult, yet also the most rewarding classes to work with. In a kindergarten classroom, my sense of professionalism and responsibility is heightened with the realization that these 20+ sweet, young faces are dependant on me for not just their education, but also for their safety and their well-being. Out of the three kindergarten teachers at this school, …show more content…

This slight change in language and manner generates enduring development in the students way of thinking and problem-solving. Answering a child’s question with another question, and then patiently waiting for their response allows the student to process the situation on their own, and to come up with an independent solution. Thus, the students can feel more confidence and success within themselves, instead of the hollow praise they might receive after obediently following instructions. For example, after reading an article online, Mrs. Hjorth has trained her students not to apologize. For kindergarteners, an apology is too abstract; when it is said with no understanding of why and is then accepted with the same amount of indifference, the student only learns that the words “I’m sorry” are only a get out of jail free card. It does not teach them ownership of their actions or correct their mistakes. Instead, Mrs. Hjorth implements a more proactive solution. She has taught her students to say, “I’m sorry, how can I help?”. This works on a variety of levels; if a student hurts another child, they are then given the responsibility of helping that child, by caring for their needs such as walking them to the nurse. This strategy also facilitates emotional problem solving within peer

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