Week 12: Interview

What is the main challenges faced as a teacher?
Balancing everything. Balancing the actual teaching with having a poor budget, with implementing the polices of teaching, with finding time to enjoy it. Implementing all of these into the classroom is hard.

How do they deal with deadline stress, difficult people, and internal politics?
Concentrating on things that I like, and remembering to dwell on those. It’s hard, but the big thing is your attitude. Have a positive attitude makes everything better. That, and not taking things personally.

What do they feel can be done to make work go smoother?
Being extra prepared. Have all materials ready to go, being more organized. Planning ahead, with paperwork especially.

How do they separate the personal from the professional?
Putting on my teacher face when I’m in the classroom. It’s like acting. You can’t bring your personal life into work.

Do they enjoy working on group projects?
In school, they do have group projects as teachers. For instance, the school yearbook on an elementary level is made by a few teachers or the PTA. Johnson’s yearbook was run by Aimee Vining, and it was difficult to get help from the other teachers on the yearbook staff. They are all busy, so being on the staff is quite challenging. She would prefer the extra time for her own use, but sees the value in the yearbook creation.

What is their ideal work environment?
Respectable, nice kids and staff, great resources, and enough funding.

How do their personalities help or hinder their communications with others or their conflict resolution approaches?
If you’re a grumpy person, no one will want to work with you. I have a grumpy teacher at this school that we need to work with, and being grumpy makes not want to talk to them. No one wants to come into a grumpy environment at work- it makes work awful. Everyone who helps me, I want to make sure they see that I appreciate their help. It makes things easier when you have a good attitude and when you don’t let your grumpiness come into work. Also, make the school secretary your best friend.

How has their education and experience prepared them for their current job?
I learned basic skill in college; I learned how to play the instrument and able to do basic musical things needed. Honestly, I didn’t learn anything about teaching until I was in the classroom doing it. They can’t teach you how to connect with students in college. Learning how to connect to student’s individual needs is the most important. I learned the skills I needed to know to be a professional in my field, but as for on the job skills, no. The Mesa School District helps implement skills, hands on, and then you can take in right into your classroom. Orff classes (by Carl Orff) and the Kodaly method are great.

After whom do they model their work behavior? Or who do they most respect?
I model my behavior after my college supervisor, my college saxophone teacher, and my school principal here at Johnson. I use the techniques taught by those two professors in school, and my classroom management skills are inspired by my principal. As a teacher, best thing you show know how to do is beg, borrow, and steal. Ideas from colleges are usually great, and everyone is always eager to help.

Have they reached out to mentors and has the mentorship system worked for them?
All the time. I’m always asking for help or advice. My music supervisors are great for that. My first year of teaching, I was given a mentor teacher who gave me so many ideas. You can’t do this job alone. You won’t succeed without the help of others.