I had another peer
coaching session with teachers: Maximillian Cole and Marcos Hernandez. If you
been following this blog, you already experience some of the challenges they
have faced as they tackle their first year of teaching. It’s always been a
struggle to be a first-year teacher. First-year teachers must adapt to a new
building and new co-workers and must begin taking all they've learned in
college and putting it into lesson plans for real students in real classrooms.
Seeing that we are passed the 100th day of school, I started to dive
deeper in my questions to both Max and Marcos. We already had several coaching
conservations prior in which I’ll reflect on later in this blog but I wanted
these questions to focus more on the students and how they are seeking the
support to facilitate some type of collaboration to meet the needs of their
students. I asked Marcos and Max a series of four interview questions. This dialogue
of this conversation is below:
Interview Questions for Marcos Hernandez
Q. What are the rewards you experience as a teacher?
A. I would say the
biggest reward is being able to inspire and be a role model to my students
especially since I am a Hispanic male and the demographics of the school is 97%
Hispanic. I have made many lasting impressions on my students so far, and
likewise, they have made many lasting impressions on me. It makes it easier to
wake up with the enthusiasm to teach. My educational philosophy centers on
molding their mind and I am happy to try my hardest to succeed. I also like the
fact that I will be given the opportunity to watch them grow and mature as
adults and my role serves as a critical piece in that process.
Q.
What obstacles interfere with you achieving your professional goals?
A. My biggest obstacle
right now is time management. Being a special education teacher, we are legally
required to provide certain minutes of instruction but with my current caseload
and all the work it encompasses, I feel sort of burned out already. Despite the
circumstances, I push through the day giving my students my very best. We also
are faced with various problems due to the result of limited financial
resources so it requires extra work but I believe that will still fall under
the issue of time management. I am provided with support from other staff and
mentors but time seems to be one of the issues that we all need more off.
Q.
What are your student’s strengths and weaknesses?
A. One of my students’
biggest strengths is they embrace the idea of learning and are very open-minded
to trying new things. Many of them take the initiative and they don’t give up
easily which is a good characteristic to have. I like their passion and grit so
I am hoping we can continue this process throughout the whole school year. One
of my students’ biggest weaknesses is retaining information that is taught. I
find myself lately, reteaching the same concepts. I haven’t quite figure out
why they aren’t making the necessary connections so I am still working on my
strategies of improvement. After our SWOT analysis session, the following
Monday, I had my students do a SWOT analysis of their learning so I am hoping
to see big changes in their study habits. I think part of the problem is they
see the content in school and never review the content until the next day when
they come back to school. They need to work on their study skills at home.
Q.
What kind of Professional Learning are most or least effective for you?
A. I believe all the
professional learning I am receiving right now is very beneficial. I can take
research, best practices, and newly acquired content back to the classroom to
help me perfect my craft. I also found new strategies to reach some of my most
troubled students so it has been very great. I am finding myself in the
position to further collaborate with others and I am realizing this is making
my teaching improve as well as providing me that extra push. My mentors are
also very helpful providing their advice and best practices. I can’t believe I
already made it pass the 100th day mark. This is a really tough job.
Interview Questions for Maximillian Cole
Q.
What are the rewards you experience as a teacher?
A. One of the biggest
rewards I experienced as a first year teacher is being able to get a trouble
cohort of students to work together as a community in my Freshman Seminar
course. I’ve been encouraging my students to work together to foster their social
development as they grow and develop their individual self. Through the
activities we complete and the type of environment I instilled in my classroom
allows support the creation of their social networks, and create friendships
that could last a lifetime. I always make a point to also instill so my
students can take social risks that are necessary in order to connect to other
people who are much different than they are. Those risks will pay off in
lasting friendships and a broadened cultural acceptance.
Q.
What obstacles interfere with you achieving your professional goals?
A. One obstacle that I am
facing is altering my classroom curriculum to align with the Common Core
Standards in regards to our reading. It’s mandated and a new process for me so
I am learning all that I can to also include those standards in my
construction. I do have one particular group that will just not let me provide
the type of instruction I want. It’s been a challenge keeping some of my
students focused and motivated but I have been establishing and maintaining
standards of discipline that I believe are growing my classroom management
experiences.
Q.
What are your student’s strengths and weaknesses?
A. First, if it is ok, I’ll start with the
weaknesses. My students’ greatest weakness is being consistent. One week I’ll
have 100% homework turned in, great classroom participation, but by next week,
those numbers are the total opposite. My student’s greatest strength which I
noticed as a reflected on their coursework is that they are becoming more
independent thinkers. I am getting diverse reflections. I have been using
classroom surveys at the end of exams of Fridays and I like the idea that many
of them are developing the independent thinking and providing diverse perspectives
rather than sticking to the status quo.
Q.
What kind of Professional Learning are most or least effective for you?
A.
The goal is to raise student achievement so I find all professional learning
beneficial. Some of the guidelines expected aren’t realistic especially in my
Freshman Seminar course, but I take back bits and pieces that I find will be
helpful to my students as well as delivering my instructions in the classroom.
It’s all pretty much learning through experience, reflecting on practices, and
providing innovative practices that benefit students as well as me. I like that
I can access various professional learning platforms online so it’s helpful to
have access to the information when you need it.
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