Interview
Flora: What grade level do you teach?
Teacher: Third
Flora: How do you like it?
Teacher: I love it,
Flora: Yea
Teacher: I love it, I just hate the testing. Um it’s hard to
deal with parents sometimes but (Pause) I don’t see myself doing anything else.
I love the kids every day they make me laugh. And it’s those moments where I
get to be maybe with just one walking down the hall way and I get to know
something about their day they make me laugh and realize it can’t be that bad
when I’m prepping for test( Laughter)
Flora (Laughter) So then it all pays off
Teacher: Yea hahhaa I
think it does. And I get inspired every time I see the teachers that have been
here for 30 years and they’re still pushing and I’m here going through my first
year , Like I want to be that in the long run I still want to stay with the
kids.
Flora: Ok so this is your first year teaching ever? . . . .
First year teaching in the elementary school district for a
whole year yes. I’ve done like side jobs here and there But it was never a full
year as my own classroom
Flora: Do you think that um you would want to continue to be
a 3rd grade teacher or would you like to work with the older
children or the younger children?
I guess it depends where I am in my life; I always wanted to
do kindergarten, pre-k first grade
Oh that’s so fun
Haha that’s what everyone I meet says they love a lot of
imagination. But when they asked me to teacher 3rd grade I said ok I’ll take it because I looked for a
job for 3 years and couldn’t find anything but I had to learn a lot of stuff
over again I had to spend my entire
weekend reviewing 5 different ways to teach fraction’s . I dunno If I will stay
with third grade it’s a tough grade not a lot of ppl want it b/c it’s so vigorous
and its testing
Wow they have to take state test already!
Yea and it sets you up for middle school and High School BUT
I love their independence too I don’t have to worry about them being, you know
crying. Well they still cry but I don’t have to worry about things like tying everyone’s
shoes.
So you like that they are more independent?
Yea they’re more independent
What inspired you to be a teacher?
I don’t know… I used to say I wanted to be a nurse, but then
I always had these teachers that I remembered like HS I think I had a teacher
that stuck to me she really helped me out when I (pause), she basically
encouraged my writing. UM and just having someone value me that meant so much
Flora: SO that made you feel special and you want to give
that to your students
That to these guys, (pause) and it’s not easy bc some of it
is really tough I have some students where
I’m just really trying to click and I’m not clicking with them so I have
to figure out how to make them feel special too , I dunno see the good in
everyone I guess. But I had that teacher who helped me
Flora: can you describe a normal day in your classroom
Teacher: HAHHA you want me to pull up my lesson plan
Flora: hahhaha
Teacher: it starts with I line them up in the hall way b4 we
enter the room, I tell them what I expect from them for the day, um I tell them
the rules, Take out ur planner take out your HW, they know how to do the lunch
attendance, they have about 15 minutes to gather themselves, and copy their HW
down. Then we have routines, I think that is the, you need routines without
routines they will go off the walls they know what is expected of them, if they
get in trouble they flip a card to the next color, they know there is
consequences and then it depends every day, instrumental schedule will throw me
off its random 3 days a week an hour each. My kids have band some of them leave
different hours of the day
Flora OH wow,
Teacher: so the huge part of my class is gone I have to
scramble on my toes and figure out what lesson I have to teach that they can
catch up on their own
Flora: WOW that would be difficult I think
Teacher: That’s the main challenge I tell them they could
take it home and finish it , but I will not re teach this. If you look up on my
board to the left I have my objectives on there, my lesson plan with is like
OCD hhhaaha I can show you that later if you’d like.
Flora: Yea
Teacher and it shows you hour by hour what I have to cover. We
usually start off with a problem of the day or a work sheet which reviews some
concept that we learned and then we usually jump to grammar or spelling b/c
that’s the easiest to do to get their brains working. Reading is a little bit
more challenging, if it’s the first time we are reading something I like to do
it with the class and have a group discussion. If it’s the second day then I
allow students to sit and read where ever they want and then ill pull my small
group with me the lower level learners um and it differentiates all the time a
lot of shuffling. Different techniques some kids just blank out and that’s the
hardest part.
Flora: Wow that is a lot of work
Teaacher: hahah yea. I have some students with disabilities,
some students that don’t speak English that they are all in my class, they
transfer in here and I have 24 by the
end of the year.
Flora: Yea that’s a challenge for you. (5:47)
It is but it’s great, so I have it color code it you can see
up on the board. Where’s my glasses
Flora: I see social studies, science, reading…
Teacher: Yea so right after grammar, spelling and reading we
take a quick break I go over math multiplication, facts. I give them maybe
about a 3 min quiz just to see what they know. IF they do well they get a big
star, it goes on my wall of fame.
Flora: omg how cute
Teacher: Um… if they don’t, they have to keep taking the
test until they do well and then they go up on the wall, if you ace 3 of them
you are exempt from the rest. And then we jump into the math lesson where
everything now is on the smart board, if your smart bored works then you’re
lucky! Hahha mine usually craps out on me a lot. But uh . . We review math HW
then we teach a math lesson.
Flora: Oh Ok
Teacher: And then we go into our special activity, it
changes every day I have a schedule for what we do over here ( Pointing to a
poster on the wall) Then we come back
and if we didn’t finish the math lesson we finish it up really quick. And then
by the time we are finished with math it’s time for lunch.
Flora: Ok….
Teacher: After lunch we read for 15 minutes and I pull my
individual students so I can test their reading levels, I have to test their
reading levels to see if there is any growth and I keep record of all of it. I
dunno if you need to know all of this but I’m just telling you haha.
Flora: No that’s great I appreciate it trust me .
Teacher: It’s all right here ( opens here desk drawer) I keep record of it.
Flora: Each student?
Teacher: Yea each student , every single grade we document
how their doing the beginning of the year, the middle of the year and the end
of the year
Flora: This is for every student or for the students that
have a learning disability?
Teacher: Yea every student, so while their reading for 15
mins. I’m scrambling here trying to read with 1 student here in this little area . I asked them
questions and then I get to tell them what their reading level is, they get to
find booked based on what their reading level . And then after the 15 mins. end
we jump either to social studies quickly and then science and um at the end I leave
it for writing because writing they
hired me because they knew that writing was my strength and with 3rd
grade writing is a weakness. They come in here writing maybe most of my
students wrote maybe 1 paragraph and by the time they are in 4th grade
they are expected to know how to write 5 paragraphs, how to write details and
um once we get to the college level I know we hated seeing 5 paragraph essays
but in 3rd grade we have to know how to write in details, they have
to know basic structures , and so that’s the challenge
Flora: So, when you do the writing do you teach it up on the
board?
Teacher: I do stuff
on the board, I do stuff ugh I came in here with my own set of ideas of what
writing was based on the college level but I realized with them I have to be
very specific. I have to tell them “ok in your introduction you need a 3
specific reasons in college this is called a thesis. In third grade this is
your listing sentence “very similar just the language is different. break it
down for them we do outlines, we do four squares we do maps, some of them do
bullet points , I try to do my free writing thing that I did with my college
students to see what works and what does not work. (PAUSE) um it takes a long time
and I have kids that cry they don’t want to do it they shut down, absolutely nothing
it takes a lot of energy just to make sure that I don’t spend it all on just
one kid who is screaming hysterically every single day for writing and I am
still ab le to teach the other kids. I
do get in class support 4 out of 5 days I have a teacher who comes in for maybe
an hour for either reading or writing, so she helps a lot she takes my lower
level learners to the side and works with them but it’s still a lot to take in,
I have to , I try to cover all of those every single day (points to board)
Flora: Yea
Teacher: Hahahhaa it’s
a lot
Flora: Yea it is , pause so, so my other question for you
was Can u tell me about a challenge you’ve faced and how you were successful in
overcoming it, and that right there seems like a challenge , with the learning
Teacher: The learning, I think that’s um One of the main things
is that they gave me a student they thought I was Hispanic so they gave me a
student with like a Spanish last name then we found out she was Portuguese and
I’m like well I know nothing about that um so teaching a student who doesn’t know
a word of English that was one of my challenges but even more challenging is
working with the students who I think have a disability but I’m not qualified
to determine that so talking to the
parents about it, talking to the child study team about it , presenting my case
, talking to the guidance counselor and just all the paper work that goes with
it. Oh my gosh. 10:12
It’s a lot right
Um I fill out tons and tons of paper work for just one
student so keeping reord of all of that and just documenting the different
stratagies I do withthem on a daily basis it’s A LOT!
It’s a lot of work for you im sure
Yea and that’s y I sty here until 7 just so I can type it up
and I know im ot supposed to , everyone
goes home hahhaa but I need to , I really have to prove to the district that im
here , I an do it and if they throw me in another classs room I can still ddo
it ill swim you know. I might have to float some days haha but ill swim
eventually haha.so I keep fighting But I
love it . that’s my challenge I think just different level learners
So..
Rand new grade, ive never been in 3rd grade
before
Yea.. so what aout the um, the portugese student
Hahhaa
Is she still in your class ?
Shes in my class
Yea and how are you dealing with it
Now she talks too much hahahha they absord language its amazing ! and like
the difference btw September and now she’ll carry on cnversations
With other students
12:11 with everyone
yea! she’ll even do the writing with us
, like the other kids, you’ll see the students that are fluent in English they’ll
just shut down with the writing and shes attempting it even if its spelled
wrong im like I don’t care even if its spelled wrong get your ideas out I just want to see what you know
Rightg
Just to realy see if shes inderstaning whats being taught
and she does. So that’s I think that’s….
So your basically telling her even though your answers may
bbe incorrect just write your ideas down
Yea if its writing I don’t care if your sentence structure
is off , like if ur missin a commona I just want to see if shne understands the
question being asked and if she can give me some details.
Ok
So of course I have to shuffle and change my expectations
for other students but I pause I just think its amazing how shes learning so
much.
And shes learning quikly
Yeaa the challenge is when I have a student that’s face with
something that they melt doen and shut down completely . Then when I bring it
up to a parent and the parent is not cooperative and makes excususes for the child
then I feel like I’m alone.
Yea, does that happen a lot?
Yea like “oh my child could never do wrong” kind of thing
and im like okay we will see how it reflects in their grade.
Don’t u just wish you can put a camera in here and show it
to them and be like excuse me , but this really did happen! Hahaha
Hahaha yea right. I tell the kids all the time, theres
cameras every where they’re watching you. Hahaha I like that they still have
magic in their eyes at this age.
Flora; yea? Third graders are what age?
Teacher :8 and 9
Flora: Oh yea 8 and 9 are still
Teacher :Yea they still have a great imagination and they
are big, some of them are taller than me! So I thought oh they are older but
then I saw how excited they got when Elmo showed up the beginning of the school
year and I’m like REALLY? Ok! Hahaha
Flora: Hahaha yea even like 12 years old they are still
young
Teacher: They put on sucha tough front, I’m like why do you
have to pretend like you’re so tough when they try to fight with me and I think
that they are so mature but then I’m like no your still a kid they still want
to go home to their parents, they still want to go home and eat ice cream.
Flora: Go home and play video games!
Teacher: Oh yea they love video games, they love it. I told
them Mrs. Castillo plays mind craft, I just said it , I don’t play mind craft. Haha
I uh made myself learn because of them.
Flora: Oh really? Hahaha
Teacher: Yea just because they are obsessed with that game,
they wrote about it .they wrote about it in their essays. I’m like faking it,
oh yea I love it hahah
Flora: Hahhaa
Teacher: Then I told them to write me a how to essay, like
how to survive in the game and
Flora: Oh that’s a very good idea
Teacher: Yea and I actually took some of their steps and I tried
to play the game then I’m like you missed a step because I died hahaha
Flora: Hahah that’s amazing I think that’s a good way to get
them to write
Yea find something that they are interested in and try to
run with it. I find that helpful with college students too
Yea I think so too
But it’s when they are faced with something that they have
no idea what they’re reading it for if I don’t model it for them then they are
lost. I have to model a lot read out loud, which means that I just have to show
them how to do it step by step, its repetitive, tiring and boring for some but
for the kids that don’t get it they need it. So ….. that’s my rant with the
kids ahahhaa
That was your challenge, um another question I had for you
was Can you tell sometimes just by looking at your class can u just tell that
OMG a problem is going to happen btw students
Oh yea
Flora: Like, then what do you do?
Teacher: Do you see how these desks are set up, I just did
this today um it becomes a challenge because (PAUSE) you’ll see it; you’ll see
the body language. You’ll see some of them shut down you’ll see the tears in
their eyes, you’ll see those pushing books on the floor, pencil shavings
everywhere. Im like what is going on in this group?! He said this she said that
he licked his fingers and touched me. Oh my gosh it goes on and on. So I talk
to them, I give them maybe a minute or so in the hallway, it’s my little
office. Where I have my arm on the door way so the class knows im there and im
peeking with half my face in the class so they know im there hahhahaha. I just
let them let it out and vent let I tout let me know what’s going on .
yea
Teacher: um I, I work with the guidance counselor if it’s
something I really don’t have a clue what im doing, or sometimes I will run to
another teacher . if it’s something im really really concerned about I run to
the principle. um, and but most of time if they are arguing right I ask them to
move their desk away from each other and try to get them to refocus. it’s
harder when they shut down and are
sobbing, I let them go to the bathroom, wash their face come back, and If they’re
you know like come back and get ready to learn bc if you don’t do the work you’ll
have to take it home or im going to send you to another classroom to do it.
Ok
Teacher: Um I give them that ultimatum; you can’t just sit
here and do absolutely nothing.
Flora: right, but ur also giving them a moment to like
breath
Teacher: yea and if they don’t then they will shut down the
whole day and I think im very aware with the students that have issues with
other kids. they usually tell me anyway. But um….. I think what’s hard is when
you have a quiet student that holds
things in and doesn’t say anything , barely talks so you can’t figure out what’s
going on in their minds that’s when I try to get the parents , like is there
anything going on? Do they say anything at home? Communication is huge, weather
I’m communicating with the kids, guidance counselor, or parents; I just have to
communicate all the time. But yea I shuffle their desks around to answer the
question. hahaaa if I see something that’s about to happen; that’s why I have
one girl, I mean two girls by the door. I said the next step is another
classroom and they’ll have to do their work in there and if you can’t handle it
the next step is we will call your mom
oh wow
Teacher: Um, they need that. Like I told them I can be nice
but I can be firm, no more nice MRS.C. I talk about myself in third person. I
know I sound crazy but I do it with them
Flora: hahaha
Teacher: I give them choices I think, it’s your choice you
can sit there arguing with each other or we can step out into the hall way I’ll
hear your side of the tory ill hear her side and then I, I usually say like we’re
friends right like you guys are friends with one another so what’s going on. And
then the next day they are fine.
Flora: Yea that’s how it usually is hahahaa
Teacher: I mean if it’s a really big issue then the guidance
counselor gets involved and she’ll talk to the class and pull them out group by
group. I always try my best to address it before it spreads like wild fire
because at this age they r very chatty, very um .. Like rumors hit hard with
them
Flora: ha-ha how crazy they r only in 3rd grade
Teacher: I know! Rumors like he’s dating her, im like really
third grade!
Flora: hhhahaa
Teacher: hhhaha I dunno I guess its TV
Flora: ok so when you do see a problem you try to take them
out in the hall way and hear their side of the story
Teacher: it depends if im in
a middle of a lesson and I see
one of the kids fighting with another I’ll say oh I want u sitting in my
teacher chair or I want… I have areas where they can sit like by the computers,
or
Flora: ok so you try and
Teacher: I pull them away from each other without interrupting
a lesson unless I have to and sometimes I have to because it’s just...
Flora: it’s bad
Teacher: yea it gets bad. And the worst is when I have an
unannounced observation coming in and then there’s an issue and it looks like
im not doing anything but im trying to solve a conflict
Flora: yea that must be hard
Teacher: Um…
Flora: So do you think that those methods to solve problems
that you use do work?
Teacher: Yea I think so now that I shuffled, you can’t have
them sitting in the same desk all year around I have to shuffle them around. If
it gets to crazy, like they’ll be horrible on a Friday when they come in on Monday
they are all sitting in rows and they HATE it, they hate sitting alone. Uh,
then they earn their way back into a group
Flora: ok that’s a good. .
Teacher: yea I think so, uh I give a lot of prizes so if I had
an issue with the kid I warn them they know right away to flip their card you
know. If I know that their doing something wrong they flip it to yellow or
sometimes straight to red. Then if I have a party in the class no reds allowed
so they are not allowed to go, they’ll go sit in another room.
Flora: wow
Teacher: so yea, I learned all that stuff first year
Flora: so if they have a red card they can’t participate in
the party
Teacher: They get a detention or they can’t participate. They
lost their tad pole party, I mean not tad pole party, they’re gonna have tad
poles in the room next door we’re going to observe. I’m like boys and girls if
you talk , or I have to stop my lesson you will get a check on the board and if
I get to 3 checks no tad poles so it’s a constant reminder for them that there’s
no tad poles. Um they had reached three checks but then they started behaving.
So they always have a chance to redeem themselves.
Flora: oh that’s great
Teacher: Yea by keeping the checks on the board I try to
give them a lot of visual cues. I do sign language sometimes.
Flora: WOW FACE
Teacher: well my own sign language with the kids. Secret
symbols if I have students who continently have to talk to me they go like this
(shows sign) another goes like this (shows another sign)
Flora: AW
Teacher: So I know that it means they need a moment to be
with you real quick to vent.
Flora: that’s really, that’s really comforting
Teacher: yea so they can talk to me, I think they like that.
Um, and parents are happy when their kids are able to talk to me too. I dunno it’s
a lot ha-ha.
Flora: (Quiet pause) Im sorry Im just looking over my
questions, I think we covered all of them
Teacher: OH yeyeyeye
Flora: but we can still chat ha-ha
Teacher: Now good luck transcribing all that, hahhahaa I hated
transcribing.
Flora: gee thanks
Teacher: oh my god, it would take hours
Flora: thanks !
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