EDUCATOR INTERVIEW 2

Educator Interview

Professional preparation is necessary as an aspiring educator. academic qualifications
such as acquiring a degree in education prepare an individual for the roles of a teacher. however,
this does not create a complete picture of how the daily roles and responsibilities of a teacher are
like. Hence the reason it is important to interview a teacher who has been in the classroom for
some years, to learn the learning theories guide, as well as how teaching philosophies guide the
daily decisions that educators have to make. I interviewed, Mr. Tom, a secondary level teacher at
Locust Valley High School, in New York, with the aim of getting a realistic perspective of the
teaching profession. He works full time as a Literature teacher at the school, and his students
range from the 10 th grade to the 11 th grade. The school has a population of 740 students. The
interview with Mr. Tom is instrumental to me as I train to become an educator because it helps
me to reflect on my personal “goodness of fit” as an educator in the near future. besides, it gave
me an insight into what it entails to be an educator, what it is like to interact and share
knowledge with students on a daily basis. I learned how to ensure that I impact my students
holistically because the role of a teacher entails more than just facilitating curriculum delivery.

Summary and Analysis

Motivation and Philosophy
Mr. was candid and willing to answer all my questions, and he even gave me more than I
asked for. It was such a great time interviewing the great educator at Locust Valley High School.
When I asked him why he chose to become a teacher, he first smiled then told me in a calm
voice that that was all he could imagine himself doing in his professional life. He told me that he
chose to devote his life to share knowledge with the young minds, not because the job has many

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advantages such as the paid three-month summer vacation every year, but because he had an
intrinsic desire to be a teacher. His father was a teacher throughout his life, and he impacted Mr.
Tom in a huge way. Mr. Tom said that he loved how his father was devoted to his job and he
decided from a young age that he would train to become an educator. He wanted to pursue a
career that would help him contribute to the community positively and in a meaningful way. He
believes that to be an effective educator; one must demonstrate patience and have a kind
personality. Personality traits such as being sensitive to student diversity and being
compassionate about the learning needs of students are necessary. He stated that his ability to
develop solid and professional relationships with his students has helped establish trust which
has helped him develop students both at an academic as well as at a personal level. It is also
important to be an engaging teacher and be dedicated to serving students.
Mr. Tom’s teaching philosophy is that every student is an individual and that each of
them experiences the learning process in their own unique way. Therefore, he applies multiple
instructional approaches, such as auditory, linguistic, and visual, to ensure that every learner’s
needs are catered for and no one is left behind. He holds that the educator is a facilitator of the
learning process while the students must take the initiative to do what it takes to go through the
process on their own, using methods that work best for them.
Mr. Tom is a strong believer in cognitivism. He holds that students learn through actively
seeking ways to process and understand information that is relayed by the teacher, or that he or
she receives through reading books or using educational technology tools. He sets both short-
term and long-term goals for his students and is accommodative depending on the level of the
learner’s ability. He meets the diverse learning needs of the students through diversifying the

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methods of instruction. He uses real-world examples, classifies chunk information, uses
discussions, images and pictures, and analogies.
Instructional Practices
Mr. Tom believes that the most effective methods of teaching are interactive methods and
independent study. He holds that a teacher is just a facilitator of the learning process and that
learners must be actively involved through interacting with both the teachers and their fellow
students. He asserted that he strongly believes in the importance of integrating technology in the
classrooms. When I asked about his comfort level with technology and the extent with which he
integrates it in planning for his lessons. His response was that he is about sixty percent
comfortable with his abilities to use and integrate technology in the classroom. Having trained
log before most of the technology tools and applications were in place, he said that it had been a
struggle for him to learn about these tools and apply them in his lessons. However, he said that
he enrolled for additional class and has joined professional groups of teachers and this has helped
him learn and become better at using technology in the classroom. Technology in the 21 st century
has really changed the scope of education. Teachers must be up-to-date with changes in
technology to ensure that they prepare learners for the global market. “More than ever before,
teachers today need to equip students with skills rather than fill them with information” (Krogh
et al., 2015). In addition to other skills, students in the 21 st classroom require technical skills as
this are a necessity to fit in today’s job market.
Locust Valley High School does not follow the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
Therefore, Mr. Tom’s instruction is not driven by academic standards. Therefore, he does not
feel the necessity of teaching the test neither does he. He believes that teachers have a role t

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teach students and that standards are simply a guide. Therefore, a teacher should understand the
needs of his or her students and then design the instruction according to the needs of individual
students. When designing the learning process, teachers should make more choices in the text
and content taught. Teaching the test limits the teacher’s scope and this is why he does not
believe it is necessary to teach the test. “Today’s teachers need to find ways to create 21st-
century citizens (and workers) who parrot less and think more” (Prensky, 2012). This can be
possible through introducing innovative ways of delivering curriculum content and providing
learners with a wide scope of knowledge to help in their holistic development.
During the interview, the teacher said that he uses both the formative and summative
assessments. According to Krogh et al. (2015), “Each has its own important role, and both are
part of a comprehensive system of using assessment in the classroom.” Therefore, an educator
should purpose to use both methods of assessment when teaching. Mr. Tom said that he asks
students oral questions, gives quizzes, short tests and assignments to students as part of the
formative assessment. Further, he administers end of unit tests and the end of term exams as part
of the summative assessments.
Mr. Tom incorporates elements of multiculturalism into his lessons. Although he
admitted that when he first joined the profession, this was not easy for him, as he did not know
how to handle students from diverse cultural backgrounds, that changed over time. Today, Mr.
Tom embraces diversity in his class and encourages and guides his students into doing the same.
One of the ways through which he incorporates multiculturalism is through accommodating
English Language Learners (ELLs) into his classroom. He does so by providing additional
guidance to foreign students who find it difficult to understand English because it is not their first
language. He increases contact hours with such students, gives them assignments to help them

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improve their language skills, and creates small discussion groups comprising of learners with
different language proficiency levels to ensure that students help each other master the English
language.
Mr. Tom constantly engages students and ensures that he lays down the rules that
students have to be followed. He insisted that managing the classroom is often a complicated
task. He told me that a teacher often meets unruly students who will want to disrupt classroom
activities. In many instances, a teacher’s patience is tested by the students. He also explained to
me that unruly students have an impact on how a teacher delivers content. A teacher should
ensure that they set the rules that have to be followed by all students. The classroom
management techniques explained by Mr. Tom correspond to the existing literature on the topic.
A study conducted by Asiyai (2011) revealed that in any organization, the efficient management
of human and material resources is a complicated task. The teacher’s effectiveness can be
measured through the analysis of their classroom management techniques.
The classroom is a central meeting place between teachers and learners. As a result,
education objectives can only be achieved through the creation of a conducive environment.
Through engaging students, a teacher can achieve a conducive learning environment. Asiyai
(2011) conducted a study that involved 300 respondents. The study concluded that a classroom
could only be managed effectively through the use of reinforcement and reward (Asiyai, 2011).
Teachers who engage students also achieve the objective of having a conducive learning
environment. Teachers must be vigilant and must discourage unruly students who may create an
unconducive learning environment. The study made the recommendation that teachers must
engage students and set out the rules and regulations that will govern the classroom.

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Relationship-Building and Reflection
Mr. Tom insisted on the need for teachers to have a strong relationship with the learners.
Mr. Tom articulated the fact that he aims to build a strong relationship with students by ensuring
that he knows his students at a personal level. He believes that school is an important part of
young people. The relationship between a teacher and the students plays a central part in the
wellbeing of the learners. The wellbeing of learners is extensive and covers both physical health
and psychological health. Through getting to know learners, Mr. Tom believes that teachers can
help enhance the wellbeing of learners. He tries to ensure that he interacts with learners in an
attempt to demystify the learning process. In addition, he encourages students to air the issues
that they may be experiencing in an attempt to ensure that he addresses the issues that the
learners may be facing. He told me that many learners approach him when they have problems,
and he is able to give appropriate advice. In cases where he feels that the case is too complex, he
refers the case to the school counselor and the relevant authority. He also plans fun classroom
activities that build a community feeling in the classroom.
Mr. Tom explained to me that parents are important stakeholders. As a result, parents
contribute directly to the success of their children. However, Mr. Tom explained that having a
strong relationship is a complicated task that requires deliberate effort from both parties. A
teacher may be willing to have a strong relationship with parents, but their efforts may be dented
a blow by parents not putting effort towards developing a strong relationship with the teacher.
Mr. Tom said that he maintains a strong relationship with parents through communication. He
tries to involve parents in the lives of their children and ensures that he discusses with teachers
the progress of the children. He believes that the more the parents are involved in the lives of
their children, the better the relationship between parents and teachers. He shares the relevant

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information about the learners with parents and is an active participant in parent conferences. He
also e-mails parents and tries to call them in case the information he needs to communicate is
urgent in nature. He also contributes to the annual newsletter that is written to parents, and this
ensures that parents can read about class activities and developments in school.
Mr. Tom explained to me that the community is an important part of the learning system.
He believes that school prepares learners to fit in the community. He, therefore, tries to maintain
a positive relationship with the community by being professional and participating in community
activities. He tries to work closely with the community to ensure that there is a positive
relationship with the community. However, he told me that in the teaching profession, there is a
tendency of ignoring the community. Most teachers do not lay emphasis on the importance of the
relationship with the community. Young teachers especially insist that the community is
intruding on their privacy. However, a teacher can foster a positive relationship with the
community by ensuring that they have personal relationships with members of the community.
Greetings go a long way in building a strong relationship between the teacher and the
community. He has tried to ensure that he is assimilated in the community by responding to
friendly pressures. He also feels that a teacher should not greatly differ with members of a
community since this would create hostile feelings. He tries to keep his interactions friendly
since he understands the importance of the community.
When I asked him about the best and worst parts of teaching, he deeply reflected on his
professional life. He explained that the best part about teaching is the fact that one has an impact
on the lives of learners. He has seen learners grow and has seen the impact of his services on the
lives of learners. He told me that he feels proud when learners are graduating and was specific
about various incidences when learners thanked him for being a professional teacher and having

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a lot of impact in their lives. He feels proud when he meets his former students who are
accomplished professionals. Mr. Tom also explained that the worst part about teaching is the fact
that he encounters uncooperative learners. He explained that some learners may disrupt the
learning environment and may derail him from accomplishing his goals. He feels frustrated when
some learners are unruly in the classroom. He believes that the main issue that affects the
American education system is the lack of regards for arts education. He believes that most
Americans do not view arts as an important area. Many Americans have concentrated on
mathematics and sciences, and art is slowly losing popularity. When you ask many students what
they want to pursue, most of them will tell you that they want to pursue sciences.
The interview was insightful and entertaining in equal measure. The interview reaffirmed
my philosophy of education. The interview highlighted the fact that all learners are different. As
a result, it is important for the teacher to adjust to cater to the needs of every student. I feel that
teaching should be founded on individuals as opposed to a collective classroom. It is the little
things that a teacher does that have an impact on the life of a student. Through the interview, I
learned the need to involve teachers in the learning process. A teacher cannot succeed without
involving other stakeholders. The students and the teacher create a strong learning environment.
However, a robust learning environment is not enough; teachers have to cooperate with parents
to achieve the objectives of education.
Conclusion
Overall, my specific career goal is to ensure that I become an inspiration to students. I
can only achieve this by achieving mastery in my field and ensuring that I deliver and contribute
towards the success of the learners. The interview began with an email to Mr. Tom who gave me

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a date, and I scheduled the meeting. When we met, he was a very welcoming person, and he was
insightful. I think that I am a good fit for my career goal. Throughout my life, I have always
wanted to have an impact on the lives of young people. I currently do not have any concerns, and
I am geared up to achieve my career and professional goals. I believe that being a teacher means
improving the lives of learners and ensuring that you live your community better than you found
it.

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References

Asiyai, R. I. (2011). Effective classroom management techniques for secondary schools. African
Research Review, 5(1).
Krogh, S. L., Fielstein, L., Phelps, P. H., & Newman, R. (2015). Introduction to education:
Choosing to teach. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu
Prensky, M. R. (2012). From digital natives to digital wisdom: Hopeful essays for 21st century
learning. Corwin Press.