Sara Solano

Professor Deborah Sullivan

Behavior Observation in Education

EDU-211

December 16, 2020

Teacher Interview

1. What grade do you teach? Did you want to teach this grade?
I teach fourth grade and it was my dream grade. This is my third year.

2. Is there anything that you wish you’d known as a first-year teacher?

As a first year teacher I wish I knew that it was okay to not know anything yet. When I
was going into my first year teaching, I thought I knew everything and was super
prepared until the school year actually started. I put so much pressure on myself to be a
perfect teacher, but I had to learn that it was okay to roll with things and learn as I go.

3. What is the best advice you’ve been given about teaching?

My principal gives me the best advice. It is my third year teaching and he encourages me
to “Be ugly” as he says. He truly pushes me to go outside my comfort zone and try new,
challenging ways to teach. It has really helped me grow and feel more comfortable.

4. In your opinion, what is the best part of teaching?

This is a tough one! The best part of teaching is when the kids are so excited to see you
each day and can’t wait to tell you something, even when we are learning online. I also
love seeing the growth. I had a student who just did not understand how to subtract at
all and this year she has become a pro at it. She just needed it explained to her
differently and she was shocked at herself when she could finally subtract.

5. How do you take care of yourself so you don’t burn out?

I go to bed by 8:30 every night, I have time to myself at the gym every day, and I get all
my work done during the week so that I don’t open my laptop on the weekend.

6. What is the hardest part of teaching?

The time and effort it takes. My first year was draining, my second year was half online,
and now my third year I’m learning to do it all online. Every time I think I am finished
with something, a new task comes up.
7. What is your approach to classroom management?
To be honest, I am not ever sure about this yet. My first year I tried a clip chart and the
students got a prize if they ended 5 days on the green level. My second year, I got rid of
the clip chart and my class really struggled behaviorally. So I tried whole class rewards, I
had bubble letters written out for a reward day such as “POPSICLE DAY.” If the class did
something great (walked in line nicely, helped each other, worked efficiently) then they
earned a letter towards the reward day. They really loved this. I think if we ever go back
to school in person, they I will do a mix of the clip chart and the class reward days.

8. What is the best lesson you’ve ever taught?

My favorite lesson is when I was teaching context clues and inferences. I decorate my
principal’s office as a crime scene with evidence. Then I had teachers as suspects and
they had reports written up about them with clues in the reports. The students had to
work together to take note of what they saw in the principal’s office, then read the
reports, and find the context clues to make an inference of who the suspect was. Each
student had a police badge with their name on it and I had crime scene tape all over the
office, it was a huge hit!

9. What is the worst lesson you’ve ever taught?

The worst lesson I have ever taught is subtracting across zeros while teaching online this
year. It was a mess! I actually had to stop the lesson. I think it was too much, too soon
for my kids. I slowed it down and tried it the next day in a totally different way. The next
day I modeled problems and show videos and it worked much better.

10. Do you have a favorite teaching story?

On the last day of school during my first year teaching, I had my students come up to a
poster and write down the most important thing I taught them. My student who had
struggled the most that year wrote “to never give up.” ….Yep, I cried!

11. Why do you teach?

I teach to be the type of teacher that I needed as a kid. I struggled reading growing up, I
was always behind, and I struggled to earn good grades in school. My teachers only
taught one way. Some kids just need someone who can explain things in a different way
or in multiple ways until it starts to make sense. Kids need a teacher who will tell them
that it is okay if you don’t understand something and it’s okay to not be on a “fourth
grade reading level” because at the end of the day, all they truly need is someone who is
going to make learning fun and exciting and in a happy place.