The Future Of Education As A Future Teacher

Ashlyn Edwards is an elementary school grades teacher and is licensed to teach grade levels K-6. She currently resides in Texas and has taken some time off from teaching to be with her family. Before taking the time off, Ashlyn worked in two different schools, one of which was in Georgia and the other in Kansas. In Georgia, she taught Kindergarten and in Kansas she taught grade 1. I chose to interview Ashlyn because I had met her several years ago through another friend and I found out she was a teacher at that time. Even though I had not got to know more about Ashlyn before this interview, I was hopeful that she would be able to provide me some insight into what it is like being a teacher and the ups and downs of the job. I asked Ashlyn five questions related to her job and she provided answers that not only guided me but also helped me to understand ways that I can become prepared to teach.

All Students, Regardless of Social Status, Race, Gender, or Minority, Have Equal Opportunity to Pursue a High Quality Education

I decided to interview a friend of mine who just started her second year of teaching. She works for a Middle School in Westchester County, teaching 6th and 7th grade math. I asked her a series of questions about her whole experience on becoming a teacher. I was relieved to hear what her first few days were like being a new teacher, because that could be nerve racking for any new teacher. She explained to me that she was shocked on her first few days, and overwhelmed with the respect she immediately received from her students. They greet her in the hallway, and thank her as they leave class. I could just imagine how good that would feel to get that reaction from your students. When I asked her why she decided to teach the grade that she is in, she explained to me that she chose to do middle school because it is a crucial time for development in an adolescents life, and also a challenging time.

Even though I volunteered in different schools, I never had the opportunity to ask about the real feelings of a teacher. During the interview, I learned that there is more than just teaching in becoming a teacher. This is because she told me how one of her hesitation on becoming a teacher is the time one dedicates for the job. She told me that when one is teacher, one must prepare lesson plans, come to school early to prepare for the day, and even stay longer to grade papers. She said that her typical day starts at 7:30 am to prepare materials and school instruction starts from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm. Then, even though the class ends already, she needs to create lesson plans for the entire week. She said that all these things are part of a teacher’s job, but they do not get paid to do these things. Therefore, I learned that being a teacher is not easy because there are a lot of extra responsibilities beyond the job description and that being a teacher extend beyond the classroom. Additionally, her answer made me reflect on whether I want a job, where I have to work more than the “work hours.” However, despite this workload, what amazes me was when she said that if she could go back, she would still choose to be a teacher because of her passion to make a difference in the lives of the

When I arrived for my interview at Tunica Middle School for the seventh grade math teacher position, I was asked the usual questions about strengths, weakness, and my previous work experience. In turn, asked questions about teacher expectations. The teaching position was open in February. However, I believe it was the perfect opportunity for Mr. Newson, the principal, to divulge and share his vision for the school. He did not. Mr. Newson did not display many of the Envisioner traits in my first year.

I enjoyed doing the interview, mainly because I love to learn about people. It felt a little strange to interview a friend of my daughter, especially knowing I could not share anything with my daughter due to confidentiality. Even though I have a house full of teenagers on most days and we talk I was still unsure how this interview would workout. I felt the interview went great and we were both relaxed and open with one

Coming up with questions on what to ask my teacher back home in California was a complicated thing for me to do. Scott Dufrense, one of my teachers back home, just recently received his teaching job. He was just starting his 3rd year as a math teacher while I had just finished my last year in high school. Lutheran High School wasn’t a well-populated school. The school had nearly 500 students attending, hence the reason it was so unchallenging for him to be socially compatible with everyone. He connected with the staff right instantly. However, when I interviewed him through FaceTime, I did not jump straight to the questions, we began conversing about what he did when he first started college and what helped him in becoming such a successful

I interviewed a teacher from Seckman High School named Lori Bunting. I asked Lori several questions and she gave me more insight on the teaching career. Lori graduated from Southeast Missouri State in in 2000 with her Bachelors in Secondary Education and Mathematics. She then received her masters in classroom teaching in 2008 from Missouri Baptist University. With student teaching in my near future I thought asking her about her student teacher experience would give me some advice on what my next steps are. Lori student taught at two different schools and for eight weeks each. The first place she student taught was at Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, Missouri. Lori stated that the school was very small and only had one math teacher. She said this gave her an insight of what it would feel like to teach in a small school. On the other hand, she also taught at Cape Central High School in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She said she really enjoyed this experience because the school was much bigger and she felt more involved in the school. She said that unlike today, she had no choice of where she student taught but she was grateful for the experience she had at both Oak Ridge High School and Cape Central High School.

“We are now taking the lead because for too long the public school system in Camden has failed its children”, exclaimed Chris Christie, the standing Governor of New Jersey. On the one hand, The New Jersey Public School System was awarded number 1 as the best system in the nation by 2012 Education State Ranking (Morgan, 2011). Yet on the other, only 2 percent of the graduates from Camden High School scored high enough on the SAT’s to be considered college prepared. This blatant inconsistency echoes the hyper-polarization of wealth and indigence throughout not only the state of New Jersey, but also the country as a whole. In response to this crisis, NJ’s Governor Christie has proposed the Opportunity Scholarship Act, which would stimulate competition between schools and in turn boost the quality of education. The act would create this competitive open market by providing scholarship funds to eligible low-income children who attend a chronically failing school district in order for them to choose to attend an alternative public or non-public school.

I really enjoyed my interview with Mrs. Cashin. She gave me some ensigns on an organization that I never knew even existed. She had a very uplifting outlook on the organization. I also like the fact that as I talked to Mrs. Cashin I could relate back to some of the things I learned in class about non-profit organization. As well as I could see the potential that this organization had and I wondered if the members could see it as

The person I interviewed was Laurie Kaffka. Laurie Kaffka is a kindergarten teacher at Glenn View. She has worked at several other schools and has been teaching for 14 years and has worked in five different schools, Glenn View being her favorite school she has taught at. Her and I discussed several topics during our email interview. The topic we talked about most was how teaching is not a job for someone who is in it for the money and does not enjoy kids.

I chose to interview the 6th-12th grade Principal at our on-line school for the administrator interview. It was wonderful to visit with her and develop a better understanding of her perspective. Our 6-12 Principal has been an administrator for 5 years. She has spent 13 years in education and has been everything from a 1st grade teacher to a MS teacher. She has also served as a Master teacher, MC Principal, and is now the 6-12 Principal which also includes a separate alternative high school. Her dad was an educator and also served as an administrator.

This interview process really taught me how to listen to and accept the viewpoints of other people who are not necessarily from the same background that I am from. I spoke to one person that I have known for years, and another person who I never spoke with prior to the interview. My first contact was Ms. Tessy Hunt, a direct support counselor for individuals with special needs. The people who Tessy serve, face challenges that not everyone is equipped to support. I chose to interview Ms. Hunt because she provides actual services for a group of individuals who are not allowed the same opportunities and same rights that many of us take for granted. I have known Tessy for several years, and I know that her line

The first question that I ask Kristina was what do you believe are the qualities of an excellent/expert teacher? She said there are a million of qualities that make up an expert teacher, but a few of the key ones are trusting, flexible, compassionate, responsible, and enthusiastic. A teacher must be flexible. Everyday a new curve ball will be thrown your way, but you just need to learn to adjust and be flexible with your teaching. She said compassionate because this is a job with children they deserve your undivided attention and care. A teacher must be responsible and have control of his or her students, and lastly a teacher must be enthusiastic. She said do not be afraid to have fun and laugh with your students make their learning experience memorable and fun because it is no fun to learn with a dull

My first observation experience was eye-opening. Upon my arrival to Providence Catholic High School, I only had basic knowledge about what it took to be an effective teacher. After working with many different teachers at this high school, it became evident that every teacher adopted their own style of teaching. I also began to understand that in order to be a wonderful