Job Shadow

I job shadowed Mr. Ien Richins, a fifth grade teacher at Taylor Elementary School in Payson.

• What made you want to go into teaching?
“I’ve always enjoyed learning and I thought what better way to keep learning than being a teacher and being responsible for the education of students.”
• What part of the job do you find the most challenging?“Unfortunately, dealing with parents can be very hard. I think that teachers and parents should form a type of alliance and be a team, but lots of parents don’t have that mindset, and it is very hard sometimes when I am trying to help a student and their parents don’t seem to care.
• What part of this job do you find the most rewarding?“I love it when I can look at one of my students and see that they understand what I am teaching. I also love it when I am in front of the class teaching a concept and it goes off without a hitch, and the students enjoy the lesson.”
• What are the skills that are most important for this career?“I believe that being able to pull a lesson out of the air when something goes wrong. It also takes a lot of patience and excitement for the job, because it can get a little tiresome when you have a class that is being rowdy and you are trying to get things under control. You have to literally remind yourself that this is what you want to do and just because you are having a hard day, the next day will be better.”
• How is the economy affecting your job?“It’s hard to get donations that we need for the basic things our classroom needs, so then I have to pay for them out of my own pocket. Class sizes have also been getting gradually bigger, and that makes it hard on both the teacher and his/her students.”
• What are some of the downsides to this career?“It’s hard to see a student struggle with a subject and it seems that no matter what you do, you can’t quite reach them. This is where the parent/teacher team comes into play, but a lot of the times it’s those students that struggle that don’t have the support at home they need. It’s so frustrating to see such bright children not being pushed to their potential.”
• What are the upsides to this career?“Almost everything I do in this job is an upside. I love my students and love to see them succeed. I like it when I see past students around town and they make it a point to come say hi to me. It’s satisfying to know that I have had a positive impact on their lives.”
• What advice would you give to someone in my position, who is looking into this field of work?“Just make sure that you know that the job is full of ups and downs and that the first year or two you will learn the most through trial and error. Don’t give up in that first year because you think it’s hard, because it IS hard, but once you get through it, you will be so gratified, and you will find yourself looking forward to the next year.”

I really enjoyed seeing the way that Mr. Richins ran his classroom. I got some really good ideas on how to arrange my classroom and fun activities I can use when I get my own classroom. He told me that he is always available for any questions I may have when I start my classes in the program, and he will be a great addition to my network when I start looking for jobs after I graduate.