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Campus Alert

Course: Introduction to Education, EDUC-120
Professor:
Susan Sies
Assignment Title:
Introduction to Education

Student Excellence Aaron Pecher Carroll Community College

Assignment Details

For this project I had the opportunity to interview a teacher. We had several questions that we could ask while we interviewed; we could also ask our own questions.  In this interview I asked:

  • Why did you pursue teaching? Please share your education pathway (degree(s), college(s) attended) and professional experience (employment history) leading to your current position
  • Have parents become more or less engaged in their children’s education as a result of COVID?
  • What are two positive outcomes of your work?
  • What are two pieces of advice that you would give a new teacher about classroom management?
  • I often feel like the student’s see me as a brother and not a teacher.  How do you balance being loving and being too friendly? 
  • After interviewing the teacher, I reflected on their answers to determine what the most important aspect a teacher should strive for.  I concluded that a teacher should focus on achieving a productive learning environment to help form a healthy relationship with their students.

After interviewing the teacher, I reflected on their answers to determine what the most important aspect a teacher should strive for. I concluded that a teacher should focus on achieving a productive learning environment to help form a healthy relationship with their students.

Application

Doing this interview helped me realize that I can use the same strategies when I become an educator. I can start by asking my fellow teachers for advice on how to interact with students or situations. I will then be able to use their past experiences with my own strategies to connect with my students. I can also use Mrs. O’Neill’s advice to create a healthy and inclusive learning environment that promotes learning.

Results/Conclusions

Using the ideas Mrs. O’Neill outlined in the interview has already helped me grow and become a better educator. Some of these ideas are:

  • Making sure the students know that you love them.
  • Use your voice less.
  • Don’t punish the whole class for something one student is doing.
  • How to walk the line between being a friend and being an authority.
  • Keep in mind that your students’ brains are at a different level than your own.

Challenges and Successes

A challenge I overcame was that because I spend so much time with the students I work with, I sometimes find it difficult to talk with adults. I find that I struggle to keep up in conversations about planning, student academics, and behavior management. Since this assignment had questions already outlined, I felt more confident in being able to complete the assignment.  I will be able to use this knowledge to better plan more structured conversations with the adults that I work with now and in the future.