Student in Training

[atvduncan]

Hi,
My name is Becky and I am a student at the University of Pheonix to become a teacher and I need to find a couple of teachers who are willing to answer a couple of questions for me. I have a paper due in a couple of days and I ahve to interview a teacher to be able to be able to write my paper. Would a couple of you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?

[Boxcar]

I wouldn't mind answering questions. What would you like to know?

[atvduncan]

Thank you so much it has been really hard finding a teacher to answer any question for me. These are the question I have to write about according to your responce.
1.) What are some examples of typical, quick decisions you have had to make on a daily basis?
2.) What are the 5 most difficult school-related decisions you have made this week? What made them difficult?
3.) What was the impact of these decisions on the classroom environment? Were the decisions effective?
I really do appreciate you answering these for me. It has been really hard to find a teacher who is willing to take a couple of minutes to answer a few questions for someone who is trying to go to school to do what they do. Again thank you so much.

[Brit]

oooo..I'm avoiding reports. I'll do this one, too!!


These are the question I have to write about according to your responce.
1.) What are some examples of typical, quick decisions you have had to make on a daily basis?

I teach primary, so the list is pretty long and boring. In no particular order:


does the kid actually have to go to the bathroom NOW, or should I insist they wait until I'm done instructing?
Is this an injury that needs first aid or ice?
Is he tattling, or is there actually a problem?
work at desks or carpet?
send sick kid home or ask them to tough it out (depends on who the kid is and their history and their parents)
squeeze another lesson into any leftover time, or just have some fun


2.) What are the 5 most difficult school-related decisions you have made this week? What made them difficult?

1) whether or not to hand out a demerit to 2 misbehaving girls on the playground: they were clearly in the wrong, but there's politics involved in demerits, and parents tend to get riled. Also, I don't know the kids at all, or their history with the kid they were picking on, etc, etc. (I was on duty in another section of the school). I ended up writing them up because the behaviour was just unacceptable.

2)wrote what I meant on a report. I don't know if it will stand, because it's pretty blunt, but there's only so much you can fit into those little boxes -- not a lot of room to be polite

4) to admit that my reports won't be ready for Monday to my team member. she wants to hand them in Monday, but I'm just NOT ready until Friday, and I needed more notice if she wanted them in by Monday. I could've worked like a fiend for 48 hours (which would be my usualy tact) and gotten them done, but that's just not healthy for me.

5) to walk out of a training session when I decided that it didn't apply to me. It was a totally voluntary thing, and I went because it's a REALLY good trainer, and there were only 3 of us there, but the topic totally did not apply to any students I teach (nor, I think, will it this year or in the future) and I needed the time to work on other things. So I left, even though I felt it was rude. It all worked out though, when the presenter and I chatted later and she said she was kind of susprized I felt the need to go in the first place.

3.) What was the impact of these decisions on the classroom environment? Were the decisions effective?

None of these directly impacted on my classroom environmnet, except that they affected my mood, which affects the way my kids act. The demerit one really made me upset, and the kids picked up on that and were grumpy. I also felt very inadequate after saying I couldn't have my reports done by Monday, which I think also just screwed up the rest of the afternoon a bit as far as feeling organized and on-top of things. And when I feel disorganized, my kids get wrangy.

I don't know how effective they'll be -- it's too soon to know.
Certainly leaving the meeting was effective -- I got a lot done.

[atvduncan]

Hello Brit,
Thank You so very much for your reply. I greatly appreicate it. Now I can do my essay and get through another assignment. By the way how long have you been teaching?
Thank you again!

[atvduncan]

Hello Brit,
Can I ask you a couple more questions?
1.) When you have to tell a student, parent, or fellow associate something you know they are not going to like, do you try to mak eit sound better than it is or just tell them how it is?
2.) Do you think with all the quick decisions you have to make in a day that at the end of the day it is still what you want? What I mean is after it is all said and done are you still glad you became a teacher?
3.) Why did you become a teacher? What grade level and/or subject do you teach?

[atvduncan]

Hello Brit,
If you don't mind can I ask you a couple more questions?
1.) When you have to tell a student, parent, or fellow associate something you know they are not going to like, do you try to make it sound better than it is or just tell them how it is?
2.) Do you think with all the quick decisions you have to make in a day that at the end of the day it is still what you want? What I mean is all said and done are you still glad you become a teacher? Why?
3.) What grade level do you teacher or subject?
Again thank you for the help.

[Brit]

no prob. I'm in my third year or teaching.

if I have to tell an associate something I know they're not going to like, I'll decide based on the person how to tell them. Usually, just because of who I am, I try and make it sound better. that's a personality thing, though, not a professional thing.

I'm still glad at the end of most days that I became a teacher. Quick decisions are just a part of life and a part of the job. Yes, I screw up. yes I second-guess myself (a lot in some cases). But I do the best I can in the moment, and you can't beat yourself up too much. If you screw up a couple of times in a day, when you have a million interactions, that's not bad. I'm still glad at teh end of the day that I became a teacher because it's who I am, y'know? I know that's not overly helpful, but I don't know what else I would do. I love my students, I love the quirkyness of little kids, I love the pace, and the challenge, and the constant interaction. I'd dispise a desk job, and I'd be bored with anything less than the constant stimulation of teaching. some days, I'm ready to throw in the towel, especially when I feel like I'm not keeping up with all the things expected of me, or after a day where a parent lays into me (usually over a demerit). but I love hte feeling of a fresh start every monday, the entertainment of watching the little guys go at their routine, and the interesting questions that show the kids are thinking and learning.

I teach grade 1 and 2 english, science, and drama (though at that grade, you could agrue that it's all drama;) ).

[atvduncan]

Thank You again. It seems that it is really hard to get a teacher to answer a couple of questions. How do you think assessment test effect what you plan on teaching? Have you had to take any type of assessment test on how you teach since you started teaching?

[atvduncan]

Hi Boxcar,
I have gotten some answers from Brit but, I would like to know what you think also.
1.) What are some examples of typical, quick decisions you have had to make on a daily basis?
2.) What are the 5 most difficult school-related decisions you have made this week? What made them difficult?
3.) What was the impact of these decisions on the classroom environment? Were the decisions effective?

[Brit]

assessment tests. I don't know what you mean. We have grade 3 and 6 testing, and they pretty much shapes our whole program, teachign teh kids the content and the questioning style, right from grade 1 up. But as for me being assessed? I'm on what's called and LTO -- I cover maternity leaves. I'm never formally observed, let alone tested. I'd LIKE to get some feedback (though with each passing year it seems a little scarier).

[atvduncan]

Where I live the students have to take test such as a LEAP test during certain grades. The year before these tests the teachers have to get the students prepared and that seems to be all they do is study for these tests. This is what I was meaning by an assessment test. Thank you though for all the help, it is greatly apprecaited.