Running head: TEACHER INTERVIEW PROJECT

Teacher Interview Project

Joe Harrison
Ivy Tech Community College

TEACHER INTERVIEW PROJECT

Teacher Interview Project

For this project, Marc Williams agreed to be interviewed about his experiences in his
career as an educator and his opinions and attitudes about teaching. Marc is Butler graduate and
has been working in education for nearly a decade playing many different roles, mostly working
with students with behavioral and emotional needs. His propensity for kindness and honesty
may be among his greatest attributes and I admire his dedication as an educator. During our
conversation we discussed diversity, demands upon teachers and his approaches regarding issues
concerning students and their families as well as his reasons for entering the field of education.
Marcs eagerness to share his experiences, along with discussions in class allowed me to explore
alternative perspectives and provide context for self-evaluation of my own concepts and
perceptions about teaching.
Teacher Responses
Mark and I began by discussing his background teaching and his feelings about the
profession. His career as a teacher began in 2008 teaching a self-contained elementary special
education class, followed by working as an instructional assistant in a special education middle
school class and is now a secondary school resource teacher. When asked about what he believes
to be the essential qualities of a teacher, he explained that having a passion and desire to
contribute to a childs development is paramount and it is his belief that without this aspect of
character, teachers as well as their students will struggle to create a healthy attitude towards
learning and teaching. Marc made an excellent distinction between loving to spend time around
children and enjoying taking on an active roll in their development. I agree that not only an
appreciation of children but also a desire to invest in them is paramount, and am also aware that

TEACHER INTERVIEW PROJECT

some children are likely to detect the feelings a educator has about teaching and may mirror this
behavior. It has been shown that teachers who are excited about education and instruction will
elicit more enthusiasm from their students, and that the disposition of a teacher can have a
powerful impact on students attitudes toward education (Stronge, 2002.) An educators
personality could therefore be considered his or her most valuable asset, or found to be to their
detriment.
When asked about the personal demands of the profession, Marc expressed how much
time is required of him outside of the classroom, and the necessity of good organizational skills.
In addition to lesson planning and organization or procurement of educational materials, Marc
recognizes the need to also be available to students and their parents, other teachers and
administrators. This level of commitment enables Marc to participate to the full extent of his
abilities alongside students, parents and co-teachers, and also demonstrates a willingness to make
personal sacrifices in order to be there for students in whatever ways are possible and necessary.
I think this willingness to make sacrifices is the primary reason why education is regarded as a
noble calling and seems to be a common theme among excellent educators.
When asked about his approach to maintaining student confidentiality, Marc expressed
that his guidelines are simply to not talk to parents about students other than their own, and to
never have any communication that you cant stand behind, or that you might later regret. He
cites integrity here, describing a fundamental right for students, their families and teachers to be
treated with dignity. He also illustrated the importance of ethical communication in terms of job
security; noting that most communication now is electronic, and those correspondences can be
used against an offending teacher under investigation. I really like the simplicity of his methods
for governing his communications to ensure that the privacy of his students and their families are

TEACHER INTERVIEW PROJECT

respected. If an educator asked to violate the privacy of student, this ethos is easy to defend and
could diffuse an uncomfortable situation as well as remove the teacher from a precarious
position. Concern for safety and security of children in school, both emotional and physical
should be ongoing and in constant review and I believe that using these guidelines is a good
strategy to maintain a sense of accountability and demonstrate integrity and trustworthiness.
When asked about the kinds of support he as a teacher provides to students families in
the home, Marc emphasizes communication and accessibility as the chief means of building a
relationship with the family. He describes a environment in which parents and teachers discuss
goals, challenges, concerns and planning on the students behalf in a respectful, positive and
solution oriented way. This type of leadership inspires others to action, as consistently evidenced
in Stephen Farrs book Teaching As Leadership (Farr, 2010). This book contains the testimony
of over fifty educators describing the positive results of this type of initiative. Marc, in fact is
implementing the family teacher partnership by engaging the family in a way that ultimately
creates a sense of shared responsibility and ensures that all parties have a voice and an
opportunity to represent that voice.
When asked about the use of the family teacher partnership and his approaches to this
partnership in regard to families with different cultural backgrounds, Marc indicates that he
views every family as being different and avoids making any kind of assumptions about what a
family is like based on heritage, making it a point to ask a lot of questions. Again, Marc
describes respectful, thoughtful communication, which seems to be the underpinning of his
philosophy, especially concerning the ethics of teaching. This, I believe is a good attitude and
reinforces a sense of trust and an atmosphere of teamwork. Taking an interest in a students
family can lead to revelations that provide insight into the child as a whole and account for

TEACHER INTERVIEW PROJECT

aspects of their personality and academic performance. This can inform a teacher as to the ways
parents and teachers attain desirable results as a group, thereby further refining partnership
strategies.
When asked what roles he has seen diversity play at his school, Marc insists that it makes
education more fun. He says that widely varied perspectives in the classroom make the content
more dynamic and engages students in discussion. As an African American, Marc understands
the nuances of sensitivity regarding race, and this is evident in his responses concerning the
issues of diversity and cultural awareness. Because he himself represents diversity, I think he
may be inclined to make some more thoughtful decisions about the ways in which he relates to
others.
Compare/Contrast
In regard to Marcs response concerning the essential qualifications of teachers I agree
that a passion for the study of human development and learning as well as the facilitation of such
development and learning is critical to the success of a teacher. This aligns with the Aristotelian
notion that Virtue is expressed not merely in fine actions but in fine emotions as well.
(Sherman, 2007, p.24) and suggests that effective teachers are often guided by their positive
intentions. The drive to teach also steels teachers who face obstacles and challenges; without the
drive to teach, teachers are left to persevere. While there may be fine action and effort put forth
by a teacher practicing perseverance, the emotional commitment and satisfaction could come to
be at risk. A love for education and growth and an understanding of its peaks and valleys allows
teachers to invest their fine actions and emotions into their students to inform and inspire them.
Regarding the demands on a teacher, Marc claimed the greatest for him personally was
the amount of time required inside and outside of the classroom. This makes sense to me, as I

TEACHER INTERVIEW PROJECT

can relate to the demands of my own calendar. I teach for only twelve hours a week, but see 24
different students each of which will need a lesson plan and materials prepared in addition to
completing lesson summaries required by my supervisors. I generally spend four to five hours a
week preparing for students and fulfilling my obligations to the management and I can see how
this might scale up to teaching in classroom. Also, the loss of free time extends into moments
when your work is completed, but a student or co-teacher needs help or advice. It seems clear
that being a teacher is a lifestyle choice as much as a career choice.
On confidentiality, Marc says integrity is key and treating others in a way that you would
like to be treated is a good tactic for keeping oneself accountable. I think this is a good start but
feel that this could be less effective in circumstances where one students privacy threatens
another students safety or academic success. In a situation such as this a teacher may have to
make a decision, or candidly consult another teacher or administrator. By simplifying the
responsibility to confidentiality, one limits their growth in the area of ethical practice; using a
unilateral approach to understanding and executing practices upholding confidentiality may
inhibit its further refinement. While I believe that the privacy of students and their families are of
utmost importance, I also recognize the occasional need for mediation, and believe that if issues
exist between students that both sets of parents/guardians should be called upon to speak together
and take responsibility for their children alongside educators.
Marc stresses the importance of having physical presence in the families of his students
to provide support to their households and I feel this is ideally, what most parents want from
those who teach their children. Marc also notes that if a teacher is actively trying to be engaged
with the family, they (the family) are more likely to tell you about their concerns whereas a
disengaged teacher may never hear from the parents until there is a problem that cannot be fixed.

TEACHER INTERVIEW PROJECT

This to me, goes back to leadership in the sense that by showing parents that communication is
welcome and encouraged they will themselves initiate more interaction with their childrens
teachers.
Marcs attitude about, and approach to the family teacher partnership is demonstrated in
his methods for providing support to the family in the home. I believe that an educators
interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence are tools which connect them with families and
students in an especially meaningful way. When connecting with families with cultural
backgrounds different than his, he approaches it much in the same way he would any other
family: through asking questions and trying not to assume anything. Showing enthusiasm for
learning about others cultures by respectfully asking questions, I feel is certainly a more
productive way of relating to people than ignoring our differences
Diversity is what makes the classroom interesting, according to Marc, and I agree that in
order for humanistic attitudes develop, students need to see themselves part of a planet full of
people who all experience life in radically different ways. I think embracing and openly
discussing diversity is the only viable option teachers have in an American classroom today Marc
also notes that the concept empathy is driven much harder in a diverse classroom.
Thoughts and Conclusions
My attraction to teaching and Marcs reflection about his life as a teacher have many
common threads and I do not reject and of his beliefs, though because of my socio-economic
status, and as a White male I have to refine his thinking in regard to cultural awareness. White
teachers represent the majority, at eighty percent according to the Department of Educations
2011/2012 school staffing survey(Bitterman, Goldring, & Gray, n.d.) while the number of

TEACHER INTERVIEW PROJECT

minority students continues to climb, and White teachers should feel a responsibility to be
particularly aware of and conscientious about the lack of minority representatives in education.
Marc has a strong focus on respectful communication and informal leadership
(Stronge, 2002 p. 20) and shows that being an good example to parents and students creates a
more integrated culture of learning in the home, and that by participating beyond what is
required, and parents and students are inspired to do the same.
My fascination and attraction to philosophy, psychology and human development, along
with my career as a music instructor were the biggest influences on my decision to study
education, and the love of working with children a close second. I am also motivated to teach
because I love learning and want to help others share in that joy. It seems that often, education is
perceived to be something that only takes place in a classroom. A seven-year old piano student
told me recently that I wasnt a teacher because there werent any other students, and in his case
the social environment is a qualifying characteristic of what a teacher does. More compelling
though, is that the child sees the teacher not as doing a job, but as having a social role to play.
This underscores the importance of the personality, disposition, and motivations of a teacher. The
best teachers in my opinion are those who attempt to instill a desire to learn, and a love for the
processes associated with learning, instead of simply motivating a student to attain content
mastery.

TEACHER INTERVIEW PROJECT

References

Farr, S. (2010). Teaching as leadership: The highly effective teacher's guide to closing
the achievement gap. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Sherman, N. (1997). Making a necessity of virtue: Aristotle and Kant on virtue.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Stronge, J. H. (2002). Qualities of effective teachers. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Bitterman, A., Goldring, R., & Gray, L. (n.d.). Characteristics of Public and Private
Elementary and Secondary Schools in the United States: Results from the 2011-12 Schools and
Staffing Survey.