Lessons from the Field: Interview with Patricia Hensley

This post is part of the 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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Patricia Hensley, who writes the education blog Successful Teaching, is currently an adjunct instructor for Furman University teaching special education graduate courses. She has been teaching 30 years, and previously retired from teaching special education in public schools before going on to teach on the graduate level.

Below is our interview with Patricia.

Q: What inspired you to teach?

A: I have always wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a little girl. After I had a physically and emotionally abusive 4th teacher who terrorized the class, I was even more determined to be a good teacher for students who were afraid of making mistakes.

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

A: My first goal is always to improve their self -esteem and help [my students] to believe in themselves. Then, I find out their individual needs and teach to their learning styles. If the students are engaged in learning, there is very little time for behavior problems.

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

A: I wish I had known how important it was to develop a professional learning network in order to get support (emotional as well as professional) when I needed it and to learn new techniques and strategies for my classroom.

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

Actually applying the things I learned really helped. Real life experience meant much more to me than the knowledge just from a textbook. I feel like on the graduate level, I was able to move away from the basics and get down to the “nitty-gritty” of teaching. Also, I felt more comfortable sharing with other classmates the problems or challenges I was facing and asking for input from others.

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.

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This is a guest post from our journalist Alex J. Mann.  You can subscribe to his blog here and follow him on Twitter here.