Interview w/ Teacher

The purpose of this interview is to understand why the teacher I shadowed last week does what he does. The interview was conducted at Corona del Sol High School. The results were interesting, and made me re-evaluate my initial response to his methods.

Q. What class do you teach? What age?

A. The majority of my time is spent with the honors introduction to biology class. It contains both freshman and sophomores.

Q. Why did you choose to be a teacher, and do you enjoy it?

A. I became a teacher because it seemed like one of the only careers I felt I could partake in while still having a positive effect on the lives of many people. It is important to me because many of the teachers that I had while growing up have made a lasting imprint on me that I still recognize today. I do enjoy my job, and I try to make it more fun than work because it is easier to learn when you’re having a good time.

Q. Why do you plan your itinerary so rigidly for the class, even when all the material cannot be covered in the class period?

A. This is an honors class, even if it doesn’t seem like it all the time. My student and I enjoy having a good time, and know what material we need to get through. If we do not get through it all, it is up to them to finish the material on their own. As we move through the book, we take one chapter each week and focus on it. If material is ever left out of lecture and discussion, it’s only a few paragraphs at most, and we must move on to the next sections in the chapters in order to move through the book. Since it is an honors intro biology class, most of the material in the book is clear-cut, and does not require much explaining, but rather just taking the time to read it. My student do well on their tests because they are honors students, and often times there are more important subjects that arise in the lives of teenagers than biological facts and data.

Q. How are your relationships with other teachers?

A. We all get along pretty well. Corona provides a wonderful working environment. Every teacher helps each other out when they can. It actually seems to be less competitive here than in the English department because we need to stick directly to the material within the textbooks. In the English department, there is more flexibility with a teacher’s curriculum, and this often results in arguments between teachers on which books they can teach. Some teachers take direct ownership of particular books and refuse to allow others to teach it. It can get pretty hostile.

Q. Do you have a role model for your job?

A. There is no one specifically to whom I would attribute my teaching style, but it’s more of a combination of styles from the various teachers I have had throughout high school, and my professors in college. I like to be easy going, but I like to make sure my students learn. The best thin about teaching honors students is the inherit motivation to learn, and this is clearly reflected in their grades. We can have more fun, because the necessity of education is already is already integrated into these students’ lives. I do not have to drag anyone along, and therefore we can enjoy biology and our time in class more completely.

Q. What is the most important thing you want your students to take away from your class?

A. It’s a given that my students are going to learn biology, so this is not my main concern. Honestly, these students are about to move into college, and things can get a lot tougher, even when you’re an honors student. To be able to successfully complete your schooling, while still enjoying what your doing, and finding something interesting about the boring subjects is key. These students need to find a passion in what they are doing, aside from grades, in order to be as successful as they all can be.