M.T. - Hello Mrs. Barbara Harris. My name is Melanie Turner and I'm a student at Ellwood Christian Academy. I received your name from Ms. Sadie Moss. I'm doing some career research in the field of elementary teaching, which I'm thinking about pursuing after school. I'm so thankful that you could meet with me for 20 or 30 minutes for an informational interview to discuss the field.
B.H. – I’m so glad that I could meet with you on today. You have chosen a great field by the way. You are welcome to ask me any questions that you may have.
M.T. - (Children are singing ABC’s as I begin to prepare for my questions) May I ask how long have you been teaching first grade Mrs. Harris?
B.H. - Yes, I’ve been teaching 20 years. I really enjoy it. Teaching gives me something to look forward to everyday.
M.T. - Mrs. Harris, what are your personal and professional goals?
B.H. – Miss Melanie, teachers who are also learners themselves are being looked for by many schools. Show your goals that deal with self-improvement in the teaching skills and the profit which the students, the school and the community can get.
M.T. - What back up plans do you have when a lesson doesn’t work?
B.H. - Sometimes things go out of the plan. I concentrate on what went wrong and what the weaknesses of the lesson were. I show the way I did to enhance the quality of the lessons such as making the content less complicated, experiences from other teachers here at McRae’s Learning Center, and reconsidering classroom management. You need to know that failures occur and you have to have the ability and courage to resolve them.
M.T. - What are your largest strengths?
B.H. - My largest strengths are knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities.
M.T. - What have you learned from mistakes?
B.H. - I’ve learned that when I make mistakes, someone will always be disappointed, but I have to figure things out for myself.
M.T. - What does it take to be successful in this career?
B.H. - I believe successful teachers put forth that extra effort that turns potential young students into scholars. You have to love what you do in order to be successful.
M.T. Should your qualifications are strong for the career you chose?
B.H. - Yes, your