Mentor Teacher Transcription

M=Me T=Teacher

M: What are some important things for me to know about my students that could assist me?

T: Like things for you to know about students you might have? Like your high school students?

M: Yeah, like uh somethings about them.

T: I think know what theyre interested in so like every kid has something- well most kids have
something so some of them like its nice when grades are enough, when its just like point values, but
otherwise know their parents know coaches know hobbies if they dont have any cuz like I mean youve
seen ____. I swear he has no hobbies. So then just ask him about food or relationships of things for you
to know about your students just try and know as much about them as you can.

M: What advice could you offer me on how to get the best from my students in the classroom?

T: Get them to like you.

M: Yeah.

T: So like my first year I was like, I dont care if they dont like me because I just want to teach them
math. And I just want them to be better mathematicians.

M: But it would just make it so much easier if they like you cuz like, if they like you theyre gonna listen
to you.

T: Exactly, and theres like a quote by Maya Angelou I dont remember how it goes but it something like-
do you know which one Im gonna talk about?

M: I dont know, no.

T: People wont remember what you taught them. Theyll just remember how you made them feel. So
realistically theyre not gonna- probably none of them if theyre in this regular algebra 3-4, theyre
probably not gonna be mathematicians or take more than college algebra in college. So just be nice to
them, thatll make a bigger impact than any sort of math could. In an honors class it might be a little
different but-.

M: Do you recommend any resources or teachers that could be valuable to my development? I think
more resources than like teachers, but any resources to help development?

T: Oh see and you asked that and I first thought of teachers. Like I would recommend you go observe
like- heres a pen. We have a few, like I think Dan Ray and Pete Rupp and Miss Williams are probably like
the best teachers that we have. So if you ever wanna go observe them during 1st 2nd or 3rd thats fine
with me and I can ask them in advance and make sure thats okay but Ive never had a teacher say that
its not okay. But I think watching other teachers is something that like thats my goal for this quarter as
well just to make sure- like theres a science teacher that I want to go observe. But just to watch them
and something in common like theyre all very kind and they care and they just do a very good job.
Resources. What was it? Resources for what?
M: Valuable to my development.

T: I would say observing other teachers and having an open mind. Like I used to think there were good
teachers and bad teachers but now its kinda easier to say that everybodys bringing something to the
table I mean you got Phil, hes older but he knows excel really well, like everybodys got something that
theyre really good at. So just try and learn from all of them. And teachers- if were talking resources,
teachers pay teachers is great so look at teachers pay teachers but you want- I go there if I want
something fun or an activity that I dont want to have to spend a long time making or Im not creative
enough to make. Khan academy, you know to look there.

M: What do you feel are important goals that I should have for my students and myself?

T: For yourself, I think a good goal would be to keep trying to improve. Like Im about to start on year 4
and its just this year or just this semester even where Ive kind of felt like, okay I can be on cruise
control now. Like, its not- I know how I want the classroom to look and for the most part it looks like
that. But I think thats dangerous because then Im not getting any better. So yeah its easier and then I
dont stay up at night and Im not grading every night and I dont take all of their problems at home with
me so Im more of a human but I want to make sure that while Im here Im getting the most of it. So I
would say, a goal for yourself would be to keep improving so continuously observe people, read articles
online, find just anything teacher related will help you stay excited about it. Goals for your students, I
mean the one that come to mind is obviously like content objectives. I also- like it depends on- and I go
back and forth between how lovey dovey I am with them and not but like Im really in this- like I have all
these guest speakers coming because I want them- like I had someone from ASU, I have someone from
the Art Institute coming in tomorrow because I want them to have a better idea of what they want to
do. So I think it just depends what you feel like is important for them. Ive just been noticing, maybe it
was around when I was in school too but it seems like its- they just dont know whats out there and
theyre not very good- I mean theyve got internet available to them all the time but theyre not very
good at using it. Like some of them know to google things, but some of them you ask them something
like, I dont know like Well whats the requirements for this college? and its just like so
overwhelming, they dont know how to do it so Ive been trying to teach them how to google things,
how to figure things out, what things they should be looking up.

M: Yeah I found that when I graduated too, like I didnt know what jobs or colleges were out there. I was
like, Im gonna go to ASU because its right down the street but I was like, I dont know what I want to
be because all this time Ive been working on getting good grades and I dont know what jobs are gonna
be there.

T: I think it was the same thing for me, like I went to ASU- we went here, went to ASU, which is the
closest university that we could have and I mean the only job that I saw repeatedly every day was a
teacher and imagine that, thats what I became.

M: What strategies are helpful for engaging kids?

T: I think mixing it up. I mean I know kids need consistency and for the most part thats good, but I dont
ever like to do one thing to much. Like kahoot, Ill do that maybe once a quarter. If that but I- they love
kahoot but I really hate it. I know you like it too. Theyre just not all engaged, a few of them are super
into it but its just too many that arent. But I like to do kahoot and mini whiteboard reviews and I think
some days just the lecture style, I know thats not always the best in the teaching world but a lot of
them also say that when they arent teaching high school math. Like in algebra 2, like Im sorry, there is
not a creative exploratory way to teach synthetic division. Theres just not. So and even some of that- I
mean I also dont like theres such a push for collaboration in the class room. Im sure youve heard that
in lots of your classes. Get them to work together! I mean that literacy strategy was all about them
working together but I think that overlooks a population of kids that are introverted. And like what
about those that dont like to talk about what theyre thinking? Or those that think better on their own?
Because like, usually I think best when I have time to think on it by myself first. So, I just really strongly
encourage like always keep it different and then keep them on their toes and theyll stay there if youre
mixing it up all the time.

M: What classroom management strategies or approaches have you found to be effective or ineffective?

T: Well, Ive got a whole list for ineffective.

M: I mean thats the thing that everybody is worried about going in.

T: Yeah, and I get it. Theres this- actually Pete told me this, from the next hall, Mr. Rupp. He says,
because that was one of my interview questions here, so I had already been teaching for a year, and
they asked, Whats the hardest- What was the hardest part about your first year? Instructional
strategies, or classroom management? and I said management. Then he later told me that they think
anyone who says instruction is lying. Like if you dont say management then youre lying. My first year I
was really- I was so strict because I think when I was in high school, like it was honors classes and
everybody was quietly on task like all the time as far as I could tell. And Im guessing even in honors
classes, theres more that goes on than I was observant to. So I was way- I tried to be way too hard on
them because I thought thats what it took to control the classroom. Like I thought that if they had a
conversation that wasnt on task, that meant I was doing a bad job, but now I dont think that at all. Im
sure as you notice in here. We talk about other things all the time.

M: Because they need to be human.

T: Yes. And I think in my teacher preparation program they didnt emphasize the need to be human as
much. It was more- I mean they give you your little TAP rubric or whatever rubric they change it all the
time. Because why would you quantify something thats qualitative, but whatever. But I mean its
students- its all based on how robotic they look. So, I guess having realistic but high expectations for
them. Gosh classroom management. The only way to do it- way to get good at it is to do it.

M: Its also like on a case by case basis.

T: Exactly.

M: Because what works for one class, isnt gonna work for another class.

T: And my first year I had a really hard time trying to differentiate between like fair and equality,
because I wanted to treat all students the same. And like you know the cell phone rule. And the cell
phone is just one of those that I dont fight as much anymore because its just a losing battle. But it just
depends, youre absolutely right it depends on class by class but kid by kid like when some- when some
students have their phone out, its like, yeah, Im gonna take it and with some of them its like, I need
to ask them later whats going on because theyre either having a crisis at home or theyre gonna blow
up and throw a desk at me if- that doesnt really happen at this school but at some schools that could be
what it is.

M: What helps motivate kids to work hard? So this kinda goes along with the engagement but more on
like the work side.

T: Motivation. (Laughs) If I knew that Id be writing books and making millions and not teaching here. I
think I touched on this earlier, every kids different. So good luck, you have 180 of them and you just
have to figure it out. A lot of them are motivated by grades which is awesome because its easier for
you. But a lot of them arent. So, contacting parents because even if theyre not involved, sometimes a
strong parent at home threatening to whoop them will do it. Or it can be coaches or it could be
siblings or even Ive honestly talked to their boyfriends or girlfriends. Like if I see them lingering around
and like ______ and ______ are together and _______ was on his phone so much one day last week and
I told ______ because I had her a couple hours later. I was like, you need to talk to your boyfriend
because he is driving me nuts with the phone today and then he didnt know what was going on. She
was like, Ill talk to him. So, its just getting to know each of them and some of them really arent
motivated. But thats another one- like one of your personal goals thats like a whole theory of ed.
psychology, is motivation. So like I- it was easier for me getting my masters to be up to date on the
research of what theyre saying. Just read articles, like what are just clever ways to motivate kids? I also
like to be weird. So like Ive got a bag of stuffed animals there, that just any time I get anything for free,
and someone answers a question I wont tell them and Ill just like toss a stuffed animal at them. Or like I
have stickers that Ill occasionally give them. And they love stickers, even though theyre 17 years old.
Just anything different, but it has to match your personality too you dont seem like a stuffed animal
thrower so that might not work for you.

M: What suggestions do you have for building strong relationships with students and staff?

T: Ask them lots of questions. I think for both people. I think peoples favorite thing to talk about is
themselves. So, Im thinking staff, just ask them about themselves. Ask them for advice, everyone likes
to feel like an expert. So ask them how they teach a certain thing. Especially with teaching you can get in
with the wrong crowd- the wrong teacher crowd pretty easily by whining. So wait a few months to start
complaining on the job. But, honestly just smiling and youre gonna get the right teacher friends.
Students the same thing. I- its to the point now in April where like I was sick last week and I told them I
was like, Im sorry guys, Im not feeling well. But you know that normally I have so much energy. And
they were like very concerned. So just always- I mean every day you just have unicorns shooting out of
your ears, because thats how happy you are to be there. And if you dont believe that then fake it til
you make it.

M: Ant then the last question they have on here is: What do you- or, how do you build a classroom
community?

T: I think everything Ive already mentioned. Joking with them, giving stickers. The first year I wasnt
very- I wasnt as good at that because I didnt have a good balance of too much work versus- you know
too much play versus work basically. But you really need the play to get them to do any of the work. So
sometimes now I get stressed because I feel like we gone off topic too much which is fine, but in the
whole scheme of things, I always try and take a step back. At the end of the year theyre not gonna
remember the day that they learned to add polynomials or theyre not gonna remember the day that
they learned- hopefully they remember the day that they learned about radians because I think thats
cool. But theyre not gonna remember that stuff. Theyre gonna remember the time that we ended up
talking for a long time about that Netflix show or you know just how much you listen to them. So the
classroom community, I try and talk to all of them even the quiet ones and some of them, some of them
like sharing how their weekend was out loud. Like Mondays, Ill sometimes start the class like that. But
some of them dont so just walking over to them, Oh whatd you do this weekend? Just so that they
feel- they just all need to feel loved. Ive also been in the process of I have a roster, in this binder,
printed out of all the kids, and Im in the process- its my fourth- another fourth quarter goal of mine.
Always setting goals. To like write them each a thank you note. So, Ive done about maybe 20% of them
so far. My freshman Im going to give it to them the last day of school, just because I felt like it. And my
juniors, I just give it to them as like a surprise each day. Ill like pick a new kid. But they just need to
know that theyre loved.

M: Cool I like it thank you.

T: Yeah no problem.