Ms. Emily Sutherland - Kindergarten Teacher at Creekside Elementary
The Interview
Earlier this week I interviewed Ms. Sutherland, a young and very enthusiastic kindergarten teacher at Creekside Elementary, with the hopes of gaining a better understanding of what it means to be an Elementary School teacher. Here's what she had to say about her career:
Describe your experiences working with students at this age level.
"Wonderful, magical, crazy, and never boring! Five and six year olds are still very sweet, easy to please, and are not yet corrupted by the outside world. They are so fascinated by everything and love to learn. I have taught older kids before and kindergarten is by far my favorite!"
Describe your philosophy of teaching.
"I believe that respectful, caring bonds with children and their families are the vital foundation for a wonderful kindergarten experience. Every child who is in my class will be treated with respect and kindness. As a teacher of the young, I share with parents the responsibility for teaching their child. I believe that each child has unique strengths, varied prior language learning experiences, and preferred learning styles. My instruction must be differentiated to provide enough challenge and support for all children to build on successfully and to develop positive attitudes about learning. I believe that parents and children need to understand that books build memories, and researchers say that reading books of one’s own choosing every day is the best way to become a good reader. I believe that the kindergarten experience must nurture social-emotional skills in each child and create joyful school memories. Kindergarten is a magical journey, and one of my jobs is to develop the imagination and create memorable rituals, traditions, and celebrations that honor childhood. I value dramatic play, block building, dance and movement, and the many forms of literacy play. I want children to be active learners and disciplined, creative thinkers; to learn to make good choices and to work cooperatively; and to be kind and responsible. I want children to love coming to school each day."
Why did you want to become a teacher?
"Because like so many, I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to recreate the magical experience that I had when I was in elementary school that I still remember to this day. I had always loved children and couldn't sit still. I knew I needed a job that would be challenging and never boring."
What makes a great teacher?
"A great teacher is someone who is able to create a nurturing, respectful environment that keeps children actively engaged and having fun, while still learning what they need to in order to be successful in the future."
Describe your student teaching experiences.
"I student taught in kindergarten and 4th grade. I had the most amazing experience and mentor teacher during my kindergarten experience. She is who I strive to become as a teacher. I enjoyed every minute of student teaching in kindergarten and that experience is the reason I wanted to become a kindergarten teacher. My 4th grade experience was basically the opposite. While I really liked my mentor teacher as a person, it was very obvious that she was feeling the demands of teaching and on the way to burnout. With the school environment and lack of support, who could blame her? I received much less guidance and instruction from her and felt as if I was only there to help take on her never-ending, impossible workload. I also saw the influence of standardized testing and how terrible it has become."
What are some of the most important things you learned when student teaching?
"I learned that exhaustion would be a constant in this field and there was no such thing as "finishing your work". I learned that parental support, as well as a good team made all the difference. I learned to always, ALWAYS have a backup plan. I learned that consistency and good classroom management are the hardest, yet most crucial things you need in order to create a successful learning environment. I learned that while it was a lot of hard work every day, that I was able to make a difference, even if it was just a small one or for just a moment in time."
Describe one college course that taught you the most about being a good teacher.
"Elementary Language Arts with Mrs. Alexander. She was the most amazing teacher ever and taught us how to teach children to love reading and writing."
Who influenced you to become a teacher?
"My mom, because she made my childhood so magical. Mrs. Sisson, my mentor teacher in student teaching, because she recreated and extended my dream classroom."
What part of the job do you look forward to everyday, what makes it all worth it?
"The children of course! They definitely keep me on my toes and drive me crazy on some days, but I love them all and want to make sure they are taken care of and successful in the future!"
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges that teachers face today?
"Lack of support and appreciation from all angles (parenteral, administration, society in general). Teachers are unfortunately not valued like they should be and it is continuing to decline. The workload has become ridiculous and impossible and the support continues to diminish. Many parents do not work with their children at home and then point the finger at the teacher when their child does not progress. The same thing can be said about behavior. There are no consequences for bad behavior for many of these children at home and that makes it very difficult for the teacher."
What are the benefits when it comes to teaching?
"The benefits are of course, summers off, never being bored, and making a difference in children's lives!"
After spending time with Ms. Sutherland and her class, I have realized that I have become one those people who doesn't appreciate elementary teachers as much as they should. Prior to the interview I saw elementary school teachers more as wranglers and not as educators. It seemed as though they spent more of their time "shhhing" and disciplining than actual teaching. Unbeknownst to me this was apart of the teaching process along. Others need to follow in my footsteps and recognize the foundation of education teaches lay. Whether you are a Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle or High School teacher, an educator is an educator, there isn't one that is more important than than the other.
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