Ciani Harper Ivy Tech Community College

 Name of Artifact: Teacher Interview Project  Date: February 22, 2015  Course: EDUC 101  Description: This assignment begins with me as a student and allows me to interview two teachers. I ask a series of questions relating to their careers as teachers in 1 st grade. I sat down with each teacher for approximately 15 minutes. A highlight of this unit was that they gave advice, shared their personal experiences and hardships in the field of education.  Rationale: To document my understanding of InTASC Standard 10, Leadership and Collaboration, I chose this assignment. It was chosen because it shows that I had to talk to other school professionals to get their insight on what it like to be a teacher. The main point of this assignment was to grow mentally and eventually start thinking and learning from a teacher.

 I interviewed two teachers for this assignment. The first teacher was Mrs. Sue Gaudreau which is the teacher I volunteer for. The other teacher is Debbie Kulustian, who is also a 1 st grade teacher. I sat down with each teacher for about 15 minutes each, asking about their experiences as teachers.

 Flexibility  Willing to adapt  Compassion  Genuine love for students learning and them as a person  Handworker  Put in long hours even after the school day is over

 Willing to put in a lot of time,  Willing to make effective lessons plans  To be driven  To be assertive  Put in the effort  Being aware this is a 24/7 hour job

 “I think over the years since I had my own children, I realized that being more of a parent during the day is more beneficial. I want that for my own kids. Someone who is going to listen to them, care for them. Also organization, make sure that you have materials out and ready. Make sure that you have plans made because those are the days that go the best. That has made me a better teacher over the years because as much as I wanted to say I was ready for everyday, I think it has been easier over the years to make sure I was prepared.”

 “I try not to listen to other teachers perspectives on a student. For example if a kid is coming to me from kindergarten I try not to listen to what their previous teacher said about how they were last year. I like to make my own judgments because they are a new kid when they come to me”

 “Patience. You have to understand that these kids are coming with many different things and you have to realize that what you were thinking was the most important thing you are bringing to the day is not necessarily what they need. So it great to understand that the most important quality would be patience.”

 “Care for the students. If you care for the students you are going to be willing to put in that extra work and time it takes to really be an effective teacher”

 To be loving  Being a facilitator in their learning process  To be a leader that helps students reach their goals and full capacity and that they get to grow and learn as much as they can in a year.

 “This is my fourth year teaching and I have only been a first grade teacher. But in this profession, it is wise that you should be realistic with how much time and energy it is going to take to be a good teacher.”

 One piece of information that Mrs. Gaudreau said she wish she had starting out as a new teacher was to not get wrapped up in all of the little stuff and to keep the big picture in mind. If you put in the work, you have detailed organized lesson plans, and you work hard, they will get it. So don’t get frustrated or discouraged.

 Mrs. Kulustian said “I wish that I had a little bit more education on how to handle kids in special education and how to handle difficult behaviors as a first year teacher.”

“If kids come to us from strong, healthy functioning families, it makes our job easier. If they do not come to us from strong, healthy, functioning families, it makes our job more important.”(Colorose, 2015) I like this quote because it shows what a positive impact a teacher can have on a students’ whose life isn’t ideal.

Another quote I enjoy is, “I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening.” (King, 2001) I like this quote because it shows that the teacher truly learns by listening to what the students have to say because they can be people to learn from as well.

 Colorose, Barbara. (2015). Powerful Quotes for Teachers.  King, Larry. (2001) Teach Quotes Brainy Quote