help with 451 interview
Laura Reece
University Charter School
1. What is your educational background? I completed Southeast Lauderdale High School as Valedictorian in 2002. I attended Meridian Community College and then transferred to Mississippi State University. I graduated from MSU as Summa Cum Laude in 2006 with a B.S. in Secondary Education and graduated from University of West Alabama in 2017 with a M. in The Art of Teaching English. I’ve taught middle and high school English at Quitman High School, Russell Christian Academy, Southeast Lauderdale Middle School, Southeast Lauderdale High School, and currently at University Charter School. I’ve taught Intermediate English, English Comp I, and English Comp II at Meridian Community College as adjunct faculty off and on for the past 4-5 years.
2. Why do you want to teach at the Secondary level? I love teaching older middle school and high school students for many reasons. I prefer their intelligence level and independence. Also, I enjoy teaching deep levels of meaning and teaching complex writing. I truly prefer 11th graders and higher over other grade levels because I feel that I can have more meaningful conversations with them.
3. What personal strengths do you find especially helpful in your teaching? I have a personality that naturally commands authority and leadership. I also have a natural “teacher voice” and am very organized and prepared. I have great classroom management skills as well. Moreover, I love ELA; it comes naturally to me.
4. What role do standards play in your classroom? I teach (and have for years) a state-tested subject and advanced placement courses, so standards play a huge role in my teaching. I teach by standard, not by the textbook or other curriculum source. I create my pacing guide by my state standards, and then I utilize my materials (textbook, online programs, workbooks) to teach the standards.
5. How do you organize your classroom? I like to configure my desks/tables so that the students can see me if I am teaching in the front of the room or from the back. I need to be able to walk down the middle of the aisle easily to access the front and back of the class. I do not like my teacher desk to be in a corner; it needs to be close to the students. I primarily teach using a podium/cart and stool that I can easily move to the front or back of the classroom. Students turn in a lot of work in Google Classroom, but I also have turn-in baskets on my desk.
6. What is your approach to classroom management? I try to run a pretty smooth classroom. I fully believe (and have experienced) that a teacher who sets the rules/policies in place from the beginning (day one/week one) and remains consistent will have a better experience for the rest of the year. I follow through with my discipline threats, and I call parents as needed. Being prepared for class/to teach each day is also very important in maintaining control. A teacher who is fumbling to get started/get copies/to teach will lose control quickly. Plan ahead and get everything ready to teach BEFORE the day of class. Stick to your “guns” and don’t let students talk you into or out of anything, and most importantly, DO NOT be buddies with them. You can love them and show compassion for them, but you cannot allow yourself to converse/act as peers/friends. You will lose all authority in your classroom if you do.
7. How have you integrated technology into your teaching instruction? I utilize a variety of technology into my teaching/instruction. I use a SmartBoard to project all types of stuff for the lesson (videos, slides, interactive notes/worksheets, etc). I use Google Classroom to post the daily lessons (notes/videos/handouts) and to give assignments. Sometimes the students complete and turn them in digitally, but sometimes I prefer them to complete work paper/pencil. Over the past three years, I’ve learned that technology/digital learning cannot be the primary mode of instruction for k-12 students. Their minds are not ready for this entire hands-off approach to teaching/learning. There has to be a balance of physical/digital instruction/learning.