This post is part of the Teachers Certification Map’s “lessons from the field”, a series of posts featuring passionate, inspiring educators from across the country discussing some of the lessons that they have learned over the years that would help young teachers as they embark on their careers.

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Ruth Sheffer teaches high school English in a technological high school in Jerusalem, Israel. This is her 30th year. During our interview, she proclaimed “I’m still alive!”

What inspired you to teach?

Nothing I just kind of fell into it by accident. It was a good job for me when my kids were little and I did like the interaction with the pupils, the friendly staff at my school and the fact that no matter how bad things got I had a new shot at it the following September.

What classroom methods are most helpful in pushing students towards their goals?

Unfortunately this is a hard question for me to answer. In my opinion, the teachers have goals and the parents have goals. The head of the school definitely has goals. But many of the students have only the goal of hanging out with their friends, having fun, and maybe getting good grades but this is usually a desire they wish to achieve with very little effort on their part (sorry to be so negative)

What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in the classroom?

I think that the ability to improvise and to be a bit of an actor is indispensable int he classroom.

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Do you know someone with great insights to share with young teachers, or do you want to be considered for an interview? If so, please email us at hello@certificationmap.com.

This post is part of the Teachers Certification Map’s “lessons from the field”, a series of posts featuring passionate, inspiring educators from across the country discussing some of the lessons that they have learned over the years that would help young teachers as they embark on their careers.

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Stephanie Barry, a teacher of 8 years, is a speech-language pathologist. Currently, she is in private practice while previously working in elementary schools throughout the Phoenix Metro area.

What inspired you to teach?

I wanted to help children succeed in school. I loved school but knew many that struggled and wanted to help others like them feel successful. I choose Speech Pathology because I wanted to work one-on-one with children to help them meet their goals.

What classroom methods are most helpful in pushing students towards their goals?

Motivation is my most helpful method. When you can inspire motivation or a desire to participate in the activities, they show great progress. Then the progress itself becomes motivating, they fell that they can do it and are proud of themselves when they have improved their skills. That helps keep them working when things become challenging.

What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in the classroom?

That plans change.  I worked very hard to make good lesson plans and tried to stick to them.  After a couple of months, I learned that it is better to make an outline of what I wanted to cover as sometimes the kids take you in a different direction.  It is very meaningful to them to explore their curiosities as they are occurring and usually fit right in with my “plan” so I learned more flexibility in how I taught my students.  They enjoyed therapy more as they knew I cared about what they thought and how they felt and I have had some pretty interesting session.  Some of which I have actually done with other groups because I thought the material we covered might be meaningful to others.  This flexibility helps you grow as a teacher because kids are always thinking of new and different questions and situations and working those into therapy has been a great experience for both the students and myself.

What did your training teach you that was most helpful in preparing you to enjoy and thrive in a classroom today?

The basic strategies. Knowing the basic strategies to facilitate success was the most beneficial thing I learned in graduate school. These skills help me implement a variety of strategies into an activity to find out what works best for that child. My professors also taught me how to be flexible, how to think outside the box to address concerns in new and different ways and how to implement strategies in ways I may not have thought of before. All this helps me to provide the necessary tools for my students to succeed in therapy and as a result flourish in school.

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Do you know someone with great insights to share with young teachers, or do you want to be considered for an interview? If so, please email us at hello@certificationmap.com.

This post is part of the Teachers Certification Map’s “lessons from the field”, a series of posts featuring passionate, inspiring educators from across the country discussing some of the lessons that they have learned over the years that would help young teachers as they embark on their careers.

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Kim Taylor-DiLeva, a teacher of 12 years, started out teaching elementary school. Now, she occasionally teaches preschool sign language classes, but mostly to train teachers through inservice workshops.

What inspired you to teach?

I wanted to make a difference – to help children to succeed.

What classroom methods are most helpful in pushing students towards their goals?

Showing them where they need to go (the end product) and breaking down in little steps so that they feel like they are achieving something and are getting closer to the end result. Sign language is a great way to help children to achieve their goals if they are language arts related – learning vocabulary words, learning to read, etc.

What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in the classroom?

I wish I had known about the benefits of using sign language in the classroom – to help improve classroom management and also as a way to help struggling learners and special needs children have another way of using a visual and kinesthetic method to learn.

What did your training teach you that was most helpful in preparing you to enjoy and thrive in a classroom today?

That children learn in different ways so to use as many methods, varieties of instruction that you can. Teach through unit study so that children are learning about a topic through science, history, language arts, etc. at the same time.

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Do you know someone with great insights to share with young teachers, or do you want to be considered for an interview? If so, please email us at hello@certificationmap.com.

This post is part of the Teachers Certification Map’s “lessons from the field”, a series of posts featuring passionate, inspiring educators from across the country discussing some of the lessons that they have learned over the years that would help young teachers as they embark on their careers.

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Jennifer Ryan is currently a program trainer for preschool teachers in the San Diego Area. She has been working with preschool children for 20 years; I have been an assistant teacher and then became a lead teacher about 10 years ago.

What inspired you to teach?

I am inspired daily by the children. Even as a young child, I was drawn to teaching those younger than me. I spent my lunch periods in 8th grade helping to supervise the kindergarten class at their recess. Teaching is just who I am.

What classroom methods are most helpful in pushing students towards their goals?

I make sure to always let the child lead the activity and then add information to what they are doing, allowing them to build on their knowledge and skills. I think the best thing we, in preschool, can do for the children is to empower them. I empower them to find solutions to problems, complete tasks independently, and to solve conflicts with each other. With an adult standing close by giving them verbal cues how to get through a problem and then cheering with them when they accomplish it on their own. That is the best thing we can give the young children.

What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in the classroom?

How to manage the other adults in the environment. As a preschool teacher, you have to direct the assistant teachers, volunteers, and parents. Pulling that team together is really the hard work. Make sure to have specific things for them to do and never assume that they know what they should be doing. We all have to start from somewhere. We are educated professionals and we need to empart that knowledge to those who are starting out in this field and to those parents who need some direction. In short, you have to think of yourself as a teacher of all people, not just a teacher of preschool children.

What skills could more developed if you were to enroll in a teacher training program?

I do not have a masters in any field. I know that I make improvements to my teaching skills every day. I learn from every situation, every child, every activity. What worked, what didn’t, and what I need to further research. The place that I improve upon is my knowledge. I keep updating my knowledge in recent research, studies, and changes in the child development and education fields.

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Do you know someone with great insights to share with young teachers, or do you want to be considered for an interview? If so, please email us at hello@certificationmap.com.

This post is part of the Teachers Certification Map’s “lessons from the field”, a series of posts featuring passionate, inspiring educators from across the country discussing some of the lessons that they have learned over the years that would help young teachers as they embark on their careers.

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Barbra Stevens, a teacher since 1989, has taught and taken an interest in numerous methodologies of learning, including Montessori, Reggio Amelio, High/Scope, Emergent Curriculum, Phonics, DAP, The Intelligences Theory. Barbra majored in the field if Early Childhood Education but have worked with a full spectrum of ages ranging from infants to pre-teens.

What inspired you to teach?

I have always had a heart for children. Whenever I am interested in something I study it. Children were one subject I find infinitely interesting.

What classroom methods are most helpful in pushing students towards their goals?

I have studied so many methodologies I can not say one works best on one particular child, or group. I know that it is very important to know yourself as a person and feel comfortable in your own skin. Teaching means you also must be willing to be taught….not only by other adults but by the children as well. It takes time. I have found that teachers that come into the field with a particular mindset….wind up seeing their career choice in a very negative light. Pride is concerned with who’s right, humility is concerned with what’s right. I believe it is okay to find what’s right for you and stick with it…but don’t knock others for their choices..

What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in the classroom?

I wish I had taken the courses called Life Skills 411. They have taught me to organize my time,space, finances, and take an introspective look at myself…..goodness gravy, so much more. I really believe everyone that manages people should know how to invest in themselves. Mr. Micheal E. Parker, CEO of Stellar Enterprise has inspired this amazing program.. I know we will be hearing more from him.

What did your training teach you that was most helpful in preparing you to enjoy and thrive in a classroom today?

Taking care of myself, physically and spiritually so I can take care of my family. This give me the positive mindset I need to be healthy and happy and be an  example to the children and families. I eat right, exercise, pray, drink lots of water, go out with friends, laugh, stay  positive, and stay busy helping others. When classes come along, I take them.

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Do you know someone with great insights to share with young teachers, or do you want to be considered for an interview? If so, please email us at hello@certificationmap.com.

This post is part of the Teachers Certification Map’s “lessons from the field”, a series of posts featuring passionate, inspiring educators from across the country discussing some of the lessons that they have learned over the years that would help young teachers as they embark on their careers.

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Stacey Chavours, a teacher of ten years, teaches at Lincoln Magnet School in Springfield, IL.

What inspired you to teach?

My sixth grade language arts teacher inspired me to teach. She had a love for the subject matter and was great with the students.

What classroom methods are most helpful in pushing students towards their goals?

I find one on one conferencing with writing essays helps students focus on goals.

What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in the classroom?

I wish I had known more about classroom management. Harry Wong’s book really helped.

What did your training teach you that was most helpful in preparing you to enjoy and thrive in a classroom today?

My masters in education helped me see from the viewpoint of the administrator. Also, I learned some great technology strategies.

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Do you know someone with great insights to share with young teachers, or do you want to be considered for an interview? If so, please email us at hello@certificationmap.com.

This post is part of the Teachers Certification Map’s “lessons from the field”, a series of posts featuring passionate, inspiring educators from across the country discussing some of the lessons that they have learned over the years that would help young teachers as they embark on their careers.

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Patrick Farris, a teacher of 6 years, teaches Pre-AP Algebra I and Pre-AP Geometry in Coppell, TX

Below is our interview with Patrick:

What inspired you to teach?

As a college student-athlete my lifelong goal had been to be a teacher and a coach. After spending time teaching and coaching, I realized my true passion was in the classroom. Interacting with students and making a difference in the lives of my students has been a motivating factor in career choice. Also, having had a number of difference-making teachers in my education past helped me to understand the impact a teacher can have.

What classroom methods are most helpful in pushing students towards their goals?

Engaging students and developing relationships have been most important in helping students reach their goals. When students know that you care about them and have their best interest at heart, they strive to do their best. By engaging students with creative lessons and technology, our classroom is an exciting place where learning occurs and students excel.

What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in the classroom?

The advice that I wish I had received is to work to build relationships with students and parents from day 1. When parents and students know that you have their sons and daughters best interest in mind, they may not always agree, but they will support you and appreciate your efforts.

What did your training teach you that was most helpful in preparing you to enjoy and thrive in a classroom today?

I was fortunate during my graduate classes to learn how to design engaging lessons and to talk with other teachers as to best practices in education. My graduate classes were starting to incorporate technology, but as technology evolves, it is vital that we embrace the technology that our digitally-native students see on a daily basis.

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Do you know someone with great insights to share with young teachers, or do you want to be considered for an interview? If so, please email us at hello@certificationmap.com.

This post is part of the Teachers Certification Map’s “lessons from the field”, a series of posts featuring passionate, inspiring educators from across the country discussing some of the lessons that they have learned over the years that would help young teachers as they embark on their careers.

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Edith Chu, a teacher of 3 years, teaches Art, ESL, Social studies, language arts (English) at a middle school, specifically grades 6 through 8.

Below is our interview with Edith:

What inspired you to teach?

I liked the relationships I developed with the students.  I liked the security of the job.

What classroom methods are most helpful in pushing students towards their goals?

Using rewards to push students towards a common goal (class party, games, etc)

What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in the classroom?

I wish I had known more about classroom management, discipline, time management, and the level of commitment and dedication required for this job.

What skills could more developed if you were to enroll in a teacher training program?

I would like to improve my delivery of the lesson.  I would like a mentor teacher (someone who will observe me teach and help me improve).

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Do you know someone with great insights to share with young teachers, or do you want to be considered for an interview? If so, please email us at hello@certificationmap.com.

This post is part of the Teachers Certification Map’s “lessons from the field”, a series of posts featuring passionate, inspiring educators from across the country discussing some of the lessons that they have learned over the years that would help young teachers as they embark on their careers.

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Brent Colley teaches both students and teachers about the historical fiction novel, My Brother Sam is Dead. Brent believes the best way to use this novel in the classroom is to explore the issues My Brother Sam is Dead highlights where each chapter is geared toward giving us a better understanding of the hardships caused by the American Revolution and the affect it had on individuals, their families, their churches, their towns, their neighbors.

Brent has been using the internet as a teaching tool for 12 years, and My Brother Sam is Dead came into play about 3 years ago.

Below is our interview with Brent:

How do you use internet analytics to cater to your students?

I use my web traffic reports to see what information students and teachers are most interested in then add content accordingly. The MBSD pages had over 300,000 views in 2009, so I focus quite a bit on the novel.

What inspired you to teach?

3 years ago I began receiving e-mails about William Heron, I didn’t think too much about it while replying to them, but then more and more came in…who was Ned? Where did Mr. Beach live? Where is Tim Meeker buried?, etc… It finally occurred to me that My Brother Sam is Dead was the source of the questions and I decided it was time to re-visit the story I had enjoyed so many years ago. The local librarian was a bit puzzled at my request (why would a 36 year old want to read this?), but a copy of My Brother Sam is Dead was obtained and over the course of two days I was enamored again with the brilliant narrative of Timothy Meeker’s trials and tribulations during the early stages of the Revolutionary War.

I quickly realized how much I had missed, historically, the first time around. Growing up in Redding I was surrounded by all that Tim Meeker spoke of in the book, there was so much I could have explored… but I was only 12 years old and I never made the connection. More importantly was the realization that an examination of My Brother Sam is Dead was an opportunity to prevent children of the current generation from missing out on all the great history around them, like I had. The focus of the online guide to My Brother Sam is Dead relates largely to Redding, Connecticut but it does also extend to topics, events and people outside of Redding.

What classroom methods are most helpful in pushing students towards their goals?

You need to get the students excited about the topic they will be studying and the best way to do that is to connect them to the topic. How I accomplish that is by explaining to them that their town was involved in the Revolutionary War too, I bring out journals of soldiers from their town and read them outloud, I show them town records that note the activities of their town during the Revolutionary War, I note if there was an Anglican Church, a Tavern, a local spy, a cattle thief, etc… The idea being they begin to see the story as more than just a story, they realize that these things really happened.

The Bus Tour of Redding is my favor method to achieve this goal because on this tour the children get to stand in a graveyard that contains the gravestones of several characters in the book, they see the location of Meeker’s Tavern, they see the Church that Mr. Beach preached in, the bullet logged in the wall where a Rebel shot at him, they see William Heron’s home lot, the field Sam and Tim raced across, a memorial stone dedicated to Ned…then it’s off to Putnam Park where they see a real Brown Bess, the huts the soldiers lived in that winter, the uniforms they wore, the conditions of the camps. By the end of the day, they’ve gone from a group of disinterested 6th graders to excited, surprised and enthusiastic-

“I can’t believe I saw what we read in the book. I thought that was very cool!! I had so much fun, especially when you showed us the graves at Redding Ridge. I never knew Tim and Sam were fictional. It’s so surprising that I never knew how involved Danbury was [in the Revolution], yet I lived there for so long.”

What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in the classroom?

I wish I’d realized how powerful a teaching tool historical fiction novels can be. Once students become immersed in the novel’s setting, character, plot and theme, they become interested and stimulated by the novel’s story. They begin to absorb the historical details in the novel without even realizing they are being instructed. In contrast, if these same historical facts were presented in a textbook and the teacher asked the students to memorize or know them, it is likely that little information would be retained by many students.

This post is part of the Teachers Certification Map’s “lessons from the field”, a series of posts featuring passionate, inspiring educators from across the country discussing some of the lessons that they have learned over the years that would help young teachers as they embark on their careers.

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Starting later this January, Brittany Balazs will begin student teaching at Urbana Middle and High Schools. AT UMS, she will be teaching 7th grade English and at UHS she will have 11th and 12th grade AP English classes. Previously, all of her classes have been English and Language Arts based. She has been working towards becoming a teacher for 3 years.

Below is our interview with Brittany:

What inspired you to teach?

I had some really amazing teachers growing up and always loved my English/Language Arts classes. I decided to combine that love with my love for working with kids. Education seemed like a slam dunk.

What classroom methods are most helpful in pushing students towards their goals?

I like to incorporate group discussions and creative methods assignments whenever possible. Also, using different types of literature, like graphic novels or popular magazines is always a good way to get students interested in reading.

What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in the classroom?

I don’t know if I should be giving advice just yet, but I have found that it is extremely helpful top relate to your students if you know the type of things that interest them. Popular liturature, music, movies- pop-culture in general- helps you to understand them more, and more importantly, it helps you to discover the best ways to reach your students. But don’t assume that just because it’s popular every student will be into it. Your students are individuals, and it is very important to get to know them.

Also, don’t ever underestimate your students abilities. It’s amazing what someone is capable of if they are provided with the right support and encouragement.

What skills could more developed if you were to enroll in a teacher training program?

After I teach for a few years I plan on going back for a masters. Right now, though, I think what I need the most is experience. After I acquire some of that, I will be able to pin point more closely exactly what I need to work on. Aside from that, though, there is always room for improvement!

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Do you know someone with great insights to share with young teachers, or do you want to be considered for an interview? If so, please email us at hello@certificationmap.com.