Talking With Our Teachers
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We continue our series on teachers throughout the
country. What challenges do they face? What advice do they have for parents?
How do they cope with behavioral problems and issues in the classroom? How
do they keep their information fresh and exciting?
Meet Cheri Diaz, a teacher for three years, who teaches second grade in Sante Fe Springs, California. Some of her teaching tips include: * A salary system. Students earn a salary for working, they are able to get bonuses for a good job well done and on the flip side can be fined for misconduct. Parents donate pencils, erasers, used toys etc.. *A weekly newsletter to let parents know what the class is doing and what the class needs for the upcoming week, along with publishing student work and thanking parents who helped in class. Why did you become a teacher? What motivated you to pursue this profession? I became a teacher to pass on what I can, the same way an elementary school teacher had done for me. When I first came into this country, I was teased daily because of how I talked and stayed quiet. One teacher helped me during lunch and if need be after school to catch up. But, more than that she hug me as she did everyone else and that made her students feel special. Today, I try my best to make my students feel special and to make learning fun. What are the challenges and issues you face everyday in the classroom? I have students who come to school with a lot of baggage for their age, many come from broken homes. Times are changing, where students come to school tired, dirty, and unprepared. Some students take care of their younger siblings to get them to school. Parents need to take more responsibility in helping their children. What behavioral issues do you face? How do you keep control of the classroom? What type of behavior problems do you deal with? In years past, I had students who were diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. My first year of teaching, I had a student kick my shin, sock my arm and threaten to sue me. Some students have issues at home and run away from the classroom. One student this year kept banging his head on the table to get attention. Many behavioral problems are just students who enjoy talking a lot and not getting their work done. We control our class by having a salary system. They earn a salary for working, they are able to get bonuses a good job well done and on the flip side can be fined for misconduct. Parents donate pencils, erasers, used toys etc. and our class has a class store or auction. The students developed our rules, consequences and how we were going to run our classroom in turn they had ownership of the choices they make. Ownership and choice are critical to how our class is run. Parents play a vital part in ensuring that our classroom is well maintained. I communicate weekly via a Newletter to let parents know what we are doing and what our class needs for the upcoming week as well as thanking parents who helped our class and publishing student work. How do you keep the interest of your students? What do you do to develop lesson plans that really hold the attention of students? I give students a lot of choices. We discuss our learning processes together. Many of the things we learn in our class comes from good literature books. Students enjoy doing, making, talking, and planning their learning. We do a lot of projects together. Students are continuously involved with their learning by working together and talking to each other about their learning. They enjoy plays, reader's theater, science projects, talking in reader's circle and writing books... I am basically a thematic teacher . For example, when we learned about ocean, we transformed the room like an ocean and had a wonderful Whale Watching field trip. Another example was at the end of the year we were learning about plants, insects and our garden and transformed our room to look like a garden. We even had a pet millipede to study and observed. Then we ended the year with a 30 minute musical play of the garden and invited the school and parents to watch them perform. The students sang, danced, talked about the garden. What have been some of the most joyful moments in your teaching career? Everyday I find something to be joyful about. The kids make me laugh and cry.They renew my hope for our future. It's very difficult to pinpoint one event - when there have been so many times in the last three years. I see it everyday on the kids faces when they have learned something new or when the light just turns on. I see it in their parents faces when they come to talk to me or call me or write me. I read it from the letters my students have sent me this summer or the E-mail letters I receive from parents and students. Do you ever suffer from burn-out? If so, how do you cope with it? How do you get past the burn-out to continue on? Yes - I get tired but I haven't been burnout yet. I cope by not getting bored...I try to challenge myself to do better and to try different things that I haven't done before. Do you deal with many family issues? If so, is this difficult? How do you cope with it? Yes, I call parents to reassure as much as I can and just sometimes listening to their problems seems to help them. What advice do you have for parents who want to help their children do better in school? Spend time with your children. Talk to them, play with them, read to them, and be a good example for them. Show them that you love them by being there for them. What is it like to deal with the parents of your students? How could parents make your job easier? I have always had a good relationship with the parents of my students. Our classroom is very open to having parents come in and help out. I put my parents in charge of different events. They are wonderful coordinators, helpers, correctors of paper, reader, guest speakers, etc. What changes have you seen in your profession in recent years? Lately, I see a swing back to phonics in reading. Students are becoming more involved in their learning and working in a more cooperative learning environment. If you had to do it over, would you become a teacher again? Definitely!!! Are administrators difficult? What challenges do they present you? No. They challenge me to make sure that every child that leaves my room can read and write. They challenge me to show proof of their progress through various assessments. Did you find it difficult securing a position? At first I did because not many positions were available and I did not apply to very many districts. I was patient and very lucky because I got hired in Little Lake School District. This year I am having a difficult time just switching district. I already went through 3 interviews with one district. Now I am waiting for the principals to get back from their vacation so that I can be interviewed some more. What advice do you have for those now searching for jobs in teaching? Teaching is more than a 8-3 job, it part of who you are 24 hours a day. So, if you plan on teaching, plan on dedicating your time into your craft because we need more good teachers. To be a good teacher, plan on ahead and continue to better yourself by going to school or workshops, expect on spending your money on supplies and school. Most of all, have fun at your job and your students will too. Tell us about an experience with a student when you thought, 'this is why I'm doing this'-- when you felt you were really making a difference. Joey was a child I had this year. He began second grade not knowing any of his alphabet except h. He was writing up and down at the beginning of the year. By the end of the year he was reading almost at grade level. It was amazing!!! He was so happy and at the end of the year he proclaimed,"I can read and write now. I learned a lot this year!!!" He had the biggest grin on his face. It made staying after school with him to try to catch him up worth it... What is the funnest, most exciting and satisfying part of your job? At the end of each day, I know I had done the best I could with my kids. Books on Teaching: 101 Ways to Develop Student Self-Esteem and Responsibility: The Teacher As Coach by Jack Canfield and Frank Siccone. To order click here. 150 Ways to Increase Intrinsic Motivation in the Classroom by James P. Raffini. To order click here. An Apple for My Teacher: Twelve Authors Tell About Teachers Who Made the Difference by Louis Decimus Rubin. To order click here. Setting Limits in the Classroom: How to Move Beyond the Classroom Dance of Discipline by Robert J. MacKenzie. To order click here. Classroom Teacher's Survival Guide: Practical Strategies, Management Techniques and Reproducibles for New and Experienced Teachers by Ronald L. Partin. To order click here. 101 Ways to Put Pizazz Into Your Teaching by Bonnie Williamson. To order click here. 501 Tips for Teachers: Kid-Tested Ideas, Strategies and Inspirations by Robert D. Ramsey. To order click here.
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