Reaching Out II

I am really grateful to Ms. Clark for giving me the opportunity to interview her for the class. She was extraordinary in her advice & giving me a chance on short notice to grant me this interview. It really says something about a teacher character to always be willing to help her students & especially students that are not in her class. She has given me some concrete advice about my future. What’s really great is she says the older you are going into this profession the better. This was a concern of mine & she did not even know it. So, I thank her for this most AWESOME interview and the tools I need to be successful in my career.
Here’s her response:
No problem! If someone else is interested in undertaking this wonderful profession...I would recommend the older the better...I love to teach at the high school level. Students are always willing to learn more. They have a lot of issues and concerns and most of them have nothing to do with my US History class!!

So, let me try to answer your questions...
1. Who would be in your perfect class? My perfect class would be any set of young adults who come to school. I know I could say all students who love history would be the perfect class but I love any student who comes to class each day and ready to learn. I appreciate the students who have to struggle to get here are live a very difficult life but still come each day to learn.

2. What would you want them to know? I would like for my students to know how to find the answers to their questions. I want my students to be critical thinkers who know that the only difference between an educated and an uneducated student is that an educated student knows where to look for the answers. Students who just sit and wait for the answer to be given them are not going to be successful

3. What would you want to share with them? I would like to share with my students the love of history. I would like them to see that each day they create their own history and what they do today will impact their future. I would also want to share with them that they can do anything if they are motivated to make a difference in their lives

4. Were there any moments where you may have felt discouraged, encouraged, or
unsupported and how did you overcome the challenges you faced? The only times I get discouraged are when other teachers give up on students or who don't do things that would benefit the students. The other times are when a student dies by the violence on the streets and then I wonder what good I am doing for them if this is their reality. The only thing is that I know that they need a solid education to make it past the harsh life that they are faced with each day. I am encouraged when students say, "I never knew that" or "that was interesting"...little things make teachers feel appreciated.

Final advice for you...you MUST love teaching in order to do this profession...you need to be able to make fun of yourself (because they do it for you anyway and if you can't laugh at yourself that it will be a long road!)...ALWAYS be prepared for each day you teach (they can sense when you are unprepared!)....GOOD LUCK

I hope this helps please let me know if you need anymore

Mrs. Katie Clark

Optional Activity in class:
Our group shared hard times & we really bonded. We all came away with it's ok to have hard times & you know what? We all felt better after we all shared in this feeling!