Interview

Kevin Appleby has been a teacher for 20 years. He teaches 7 th and 8th grade social studies at Bunker
Hill Middle School. He is also involved in drama club and helps put on the school’s plays and musicals. He
first went to school and got his degree in Theatre and went back to become a teacher. He now gets to
do both everyday and he loves his job. Growing up he loved school, enjoyed learning, and was a
performer. This influenced his decision to become a teacher. His favorite part about being a teacher is
seeing the light bulb go off in a student’s head when they finally understand. When asked about his
school, he described it as caring, and understanding to a fault. When it comes to standardized tests, he
explained Bunker Hill believes they are very important. Every grade level is required to take them. In
Mr. Appleby’s opinion, he finds the different maturity levels and managing different grade levels a
struggle at times. For a long time, he was teaching 8 th grade. He just started to teach 7 th grade as well, so
having a new curriculum to learn and teach comes with some difficulty. His philosophy concerning
classroom discipline is making sure students raise their hands, use manners and have respect. He also
sets firm boundaries and the students are aware of when they are crossing the line. If he has an issue
with or a concern about a student, he usually contacts parents through PowerSchool, email, and he
attends parent conferences. In order to motivate his students, he encourages everyone to participate,
as well as asking questions and having fun with lessons. Mr. Appleby knows he’s had a good lesson when
students ask multiple questions and go and research and are excited to learn more on their own. One of
his favorite topics to teach is the Civil War. This is because it is a never-ending subject filled with sad,
funny, infuriating, touching and ironic stories. In his opinion, educating others keeps our society/culture
headed in the right direction. In his words, “As Americans we have a legacy where we strive forward in
the face of ignorance, selfishness, greed, tyranny, and all the other good stuff we have to fight.”

After interviewing Mr. Appleby, I learned to appreciate the teachers and educators in my life who
have helped shape me. He loves his job and I hope one day I get to love my job as much as he does. I
have learned many things about classroom life from a teacher’s perspective. There are many tasks and
responsibility’s that must be fulfilled as an educator. But most of all, I learned the importance of
education.

1. What grading procedures do you use? – Follows district %, Homework’s can be taken late for
half credit. He allows 1 test retake per marking period.
2. Are there any English Learners in the classes? – No
3. Are there any students who have special needs I should be aware of? Basic skill learners and
some low-income students. Some students fall in the Autism Spectrum.
4. What are some ways you differentiate instruction- Projects, for students who are more creative.
Presentations and use of videos.
5. Will you explain your philosophy on classroom discipline? What behaviors do you discourage
and encourage? Discourage students to interrupt or be disrespectful to himself and peers.
Encourages students to participate and get involved in class discussions.
6. How do you maintain active communication with parents? PowerSchool, email, and parent
conferences.
7. What techniques do you use to motivate students? Ask a lot of questions, and let students give
input and express ideas.
8. What are the special challenges of teaching this subject or grade level? Maturity level can vary.
Some students are more mature than others. Mean while some students can be a lot of work.
9. How would you describe your school’s culture/ climate? Caring but could use some more
discipline.
10. How important are standardized test scores to your school? Very.
11. What made you want to become a teacher? Passion for learning.
12. What is your favorite part about your job? Seeing the lightbulb go off
13. What is the most difficult part? Juggling different curriculum and grade level.
14. How do you know when you’ve had a good lesson? Students begin their own discussions, and
follow up when they get home, and come back to class with even more information.
15. In your opinion, what is most important about educating other? Making sure history isn’t
repeated and putting people in the right direction.