Leadership and Advocacy in Educational Endeavors

TEL 410

Thank you for taking this survey! For my Leadership and Advocacy in Educational Endeavors
course this semester I am doing advocacy work regarding the highlighted topic below. Please be
as candid and honest in your responses as possible as this will give me a better insight into the
factors that create a school environment students genuinely want to “show up” to.

Advocacy Topic: High rates of suspension and expulsion in lower income schools
Advocacy Question: How can we create a more inclusive & engaging on-campus environment to
reduce behaviors leading to suspension and expulsion?

Interviewee:

1. How long have you been an educator? 30 years

2. What school do you currently work at? Which grades do you interact with
predominantly?
Mission Vista High School, grades 10-12

3. What is your current position within your school? (Teacher, counselor, administration)
Teacher, PLTW Coordinator
4. Do you run/oversee any school activities? (Clubs, coaching sports, etc.)
HOSA Advisor, Cyber Patriot Advisor

5. How would you describe your relationships with students on campus, including those
you don’t know personally, or interact with regularly?
I have a pretty good rapport with students, with mutual respect. I work with many of
my students for multiple class, since I teach a pathway which I like since it leads to
 closer personal relationships. I also see students outside of class through HOSA which
helps me learn more about them. I do try to make personal connections and learn
about what students like to do outside of school or what their personal goals are so that
I can support them better.

6. When it comes to the layout of your classroom what seating arrangement has returned
the greatest amount of student engagement (rows, spaced apart, table groups, circles,
etc.)?

PLTW courses are very collaborative with a lot of projects, so I like to seat my students
in groups to facilitate working together. I allow my students to select their seats which
works since this is an elective course with honors/advanced students who are
motivated. I don’t have many discipline issues, so I don’t need to control them with a
seating chart. When I taught biology or chemistry I absolutely created seating charts so
students wouldn’t be next to someone they would talk to or get distracted by. I still
preferred groups, but if class was more lecture based I liked them facing forward.

7. Which methods for engagement have you employed in the past and found to be
unsuccessful?
When I taught integrated marine science (9th grade) I did marine money, a positive
reward system which they turned in for a raffle. It was a little immature and like bribing,
but with students that were less motivated it helped. Bathroom passes help keep
students inside the classroom, and not leaving because they are bored.
8. Overall, how does classroom behavior vary between college prep and AP students?
AP students are more intrinsically motivated, so you don’t have to explain to them that
what we are doing is important. They are a bit points crazy, and will argue over 2 points
on an assignment. Sometimes they lose the big picture. But I love the high level
questions and thinking outside the box that they bring. I learn from them, and am
comfortable with the idea that the teacher doesn’t have to be one who holds all the
knowledge. College prep students require some motivation to stay on task, and are
more easily distracted. They have more trouble balancing the demands of jobs, sports,
and other commitments. They can be easily distracted by their phones, and sometimes
need to be reminded to stay on task.
9. What is your personal philosophy regarding “problem students”? What is your go-to
method for addressing disruptive behaviors?
I think students generally want to please others. Acting out is a sign of something else
going on. I try to give positive reinforcement for the good behaviors, sometimes you
 have to look hard to find them. If a student is acting out, I will make a change – move
their seat or ask them to sit outside for a minute. The physical change can break the
momentum. I try to chat with them and see if they will share what is going on. Or offer
support and redirect them to be able to be successful with their assignment. Also
important, every day is a new day. If a kid was a pain one day, I still give them a chance
to be successful the next day.
10. Without disclosing personal detail, what out-of-school most factors impede your ability
to genuinely “show up” for your students (second jobs, caring for family, running your
home, etc.)?
I am a mom, very devoted to my kids. It’s easier now that they are in college and I’m
not running to pick them up from practice or go to games / performances. I don’t get
enough sleep, so I’m often tired. Teaching can take so much out of you, because you
can always do more. Lately I feel a lot of burnout and less motivation, through
pandemic changes.

11. How has your method of instruction evolved throughout the course of your career?
Ex: As a new teacher you ran your class in a more “social” formatting, creating desk groups, mainly
utilizing group work, etc. Now you find you tend to stick to lecture based teaching and keep students
spaced apart to prevent chatter.

When I taught marine and environmental science we didn’t have textbooks, so I spent a lot of time writing
and rewriting activities so they worked for me. I used to feel like I was focused so much on discipline –
where’s your pencil, stay in your seat, stop talking. Biology and chemistry were more lecture based, using
a textbook, home work and chapter tests. PLTW courses are more inquiry based and student centered. I
have always loved labs and activities, and even in previous subjects I always did the labs. I love giving
students the opportunity to do science. I love how PLTW courses allow students to interact with the
subject and each other, and I am there to guide and support them. Students at MVHS are generally more
motivated and better behaved than earlier in my teaching, so now I get to focus on teaching and not
discipline.

12. What do you feel like makes students genuinely want to show up for class, be present
through the duration, and engage in the lessons?
Students want to be respected and valued. I like to give students agency and allow
them to make choices. I think they just want teachers that care and will be flexible, but
they need some structure to keep them focused.

13. All external factors aside –financials, instructional time, materials- what would you
need to create the type of classroom environment you described in the previous
question?
Smaller class sizes help. If teachers have fewer preps, they can put more
time into making better lessons. Honestly grading is my least favorite thing
– I would rather plan lessons or set up labs, I don’t like grading. It is
overwhelming and cumbersome. We are often asked to do extra tasks by
students (letters of rec, clubs) and admin (professional development,
meetings). I run out of time very quickly. I would like more time for
grading and collaboration with my colleagues.