Lessons from the Field: Interview with Katie Toppel
Posted on October 23rd, 2009 in Certification Map, Teachers | Comments Off
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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Katie Toppel is a K-12 Support Services teacher in Special Education at an international school in Germany. She is in her fifth year teaching. Previously, Katie taught first grade for three years in Oregon and taught in a bilingual Head Start preschool program for migrant families in Oregon for one year.
Below is our interview with Katie:
What inspired you to teach?
I love learning, discovery, and exploration and it is amazing to help facilitate those moments for young learners. I want to be able to help students, especially those who do not typically thrive in our educational system, to realize their full potential and experience success.
What classroom methods are most helpful in pushing students towards their goals?
Lessons should take into consideration students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds so we can build upon knowledge students already have and incorporate new information and learning into their existing schemas. Giving students opportunities to explore, engage in hands on activities, and think critically will allow them to make progress towards their goals. Activities should be relevant to their lives and goals/objectives should be specific so they know what is expected of them.
What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started in the classroom?
Classroom management! It is so important to thoroughly plan and organize routines and management systems to start the school year off on the right foot. It is extremely important for young students to specifically practice daily routines, which initially takes a lot of time, but makes the rest of the year run a lot more smoothly. If I could give advice to new teachers, it would be to visit lots and lots of classrooms to explore what other teachers do. There is no need to completely reinvent the wheel and collaborating with other teachers and sharing ideas is a great way to learn a lot!
What did your training teach you that was most helpful in preparing you to enjoy and thrive in a classroom today?
I got my master’s degree in special education and my training taught me how to respond to the needs of different kinds of learners. Good teaching requires adapting lessons in many ways to accommodate different learning styles and needs. Lessons should depend on the specific group of student being taught, not simply on how it has been done in previous years, therefore teachers need to continuously reflect and revise in order to meet the needs of all learners.
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 is a guest post from our journalist Alex J. Mann. You can subscribe to his blog here and follow him on Twitter here.
For more information, check out our top 5 reasons to teach in Germany.
Interested in teaching in Oregon? Check out our page on Oregon teacher certification and salaries.
