Informatioanal Interview

I interviewed Hailey Poulsen, a 6th grade teacher at Spring Lake Elementary school in Payson. She is going to be a great person to have in my network, and is willing to help me in the future with anything I need.
· What made you want to go into teaching?
“I wanted to help children, and be a positive influence in their lives
· What part of the job do you find the most challenging?
“Being able to reach every student and accommodate every child so that everyone understands what I am trying to teach.
· What part of this job do you find the most rewarding?
“When I can see that a student finally understands something they were unsure about at the beginning of the unit.”
· What are the skills that are most important for this career?
“Patience and the ability to self-assess and change those things that aren’t working for your students. Also, keeping the children entertained and excited about learning.”
· How is the economy affecting your job?
“Class sizes are larger because of the teaching positions that have been eliminated. It’s also hard to have the necessary things in the classroom when the budget keeps getting cut, and families have a hard time donating when things are needed.”
· What are some of the downsides to this career?
“The only thing I can truly think of is when I have a student that I can’t quite reach, whether it is academically or personally. Parents are a big help when this is happening, and unfortunately, there are many parents that don’t care what goes on at school, and I feel that I’m on my own sometimes. That’s really hard.”
· What are the upsides to this career?
“I love to teach the children who are put into my care, and help them understand the importance of education.
· What advice would you give to someone in my position, who is looking into this field of work?
“Everything you learn in your classes will be helpful when you become a teacher. And ask for help when you need it, seasoned teachers are generally always willing to help the new teachers with anything they need. The biggest thing though is to remember that a lot of what you will do during the few couple of years of your career will be trial and error and this is when you will learn what will work for you and your classroom.