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Teacher Interview Reflection Paper
Karlie May
Education 101
Professor Kromminga
September, 25, 2011
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Mrs. Amy Hedges is one of the most godly Christian women and dedicated teachers that I
know. I met Amy at church many years ago and got to know her well through babysitting her
four children. Since I was only thirteen when I started babysitting, Amy would drive me home at
night and we’d always have a nice chat in the car. Sometimes she would tell me about her
teaching career before she had children. More than six years later, Amy has returned to teaching,
and I am in college studying to be a teacher. I chose to interview her because we have developed
a close friendship over the years as she has watched me interact with her children and make
plans to be a teacher someday. Also, I wanted to interview a teacher that I admired but was
never a student of because I believed it would make my less biased and I’d be more perceptive to
her advice and experiences.
When Amy first started college, she was majoring in psychology, not teaching.
However, an inspiring teacher her freshman year, helped her see God’s hand leading her to
pursue a career in teaching. Mr. Hey taught Amy many lessons that she’d never learned in grade
school and high school. Amy decided that she wanted to have that kind of impact on young
people someday. Perhaps if she could teach them some of the lessons that her elementary
teachers failed to teach her, they would be more prepared for college and for the profession God
had chosen them to do.
Over the years, Amy’s teaching style has changed and improved with experience. Her
lessons are still structured and follow a plan, but Amy has become more flexible. She sees
teaching as more of an art, than a science, because a teacher has to be creative in order to reach a
wide variety of children. Every year brings changes: new students, different curriculum, and
higher standards; a teacher must learn to adjust. Also, Amy has learned to rely less on textbooks,
as she has become more confident in her abilities. She says of textbooks, “They are just one of
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many resources. Some lessons just cannot be learned from a textbook. Ultimately, her goal is to
help her students learn as much as they can as well as possible.
Like many teachers, Amy acknowledges that her career is filled with challenges. In her
early years of teaching, Amy’s biggest challenge was dealing with her students’ parents.
Because she was young, inexperienced, and had no children of her own, it was difficult to earn
their respect. Time, experience, and a supportive principal helped her through the challenge; yet
even now, Amy says, “There will always be parents that are difficult; always people that think
they know more and will intimidate you.” Her other struggles include time management, as she
balances a career and a family; meeting state requirements; reaching students, not only
academically, but also spiritually and emotionally; and convincing parents to take an active role
in their children’s learning.
Despite the challenges, Amy finds teaching to be a rewarding profession. She says it’s
great when “things go right and the kids get what you’re teaching them.” She loves to hear them
applying what they’ve learned to other subjects and areas of life. For example, when a child
says, “Remember when we learned about _______?” It shows Amy that her students remember
and value what she has taught them. Amy sees evidence of her teaching and guidance serving as
“stepping stones” for her students, motivating them to take the initiative for their own learning
and to develop an interest in it.
When asked why she chose to be a teacher, Amy reiterated that it was God that lead her
to become a teacher. She feels that God has given her the gifts and abilities necessary for
teaching and has opened the doors to opportunities and success. This is not to say that Amy has
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gotten every job she’s wanted, but God has always led her to the place where she is supposed to
be. “You have choices,” Amy says, “But God is going to put you where he wants you.”
Amy’s strong faith is very evident in her teaching. She finds herself incorporating more
if it each year. As Amy grows in her own faith, she is motivated to help her students grow in
theirs. She brings up the Gospel in everyday situations. For example, when I child misbehaves
and is punished, Amy uses it as an opportunity to remind that child that God still loves and
forgives him/her, even when he/she makes mistakes. Perhaps the most important way in which
Amy shares the love of Christ with her students is by setting a good example and living with
integrity.
She believes that “Students should see their teacher going to church,” and it’s
important that “others notice there’s something different about me.” Her most important job as a
teacher is to be a positive Christian role model. Amy knows there is no greater lesson she can
teach her students than that they are God’s children. She wants to help them see the unique gifts
God has blessed them with and encourage them to use those gifts to his glory.
I have learned a lot and received valuable advice from my interview with Amy. She
encouraged me to visit as many different schools as possible and get as much experience with
teaching as I can while still in college. Amy suggested I carefully observe the many different
teaching styles I witness and incorporate the best parts of each into my own teaching style. “It’s
okay to use what someone else has done,” she says. Amy also stressed the importance of having
a mentor and people to support me spiritually, emotionally, and vocationally. I will need a
colleague who will encourage me, advise me, and help me become the best teacher I can be.
Another piece of advice she shared was, “Make friends with custodians; they run the school.” I
laughed at first when she said this, but I suppose we don’t realize how valuable custodians are
until something breaks or malfunctions and it becomes impossible to do our job without their
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assistance.
One of my biggest concerns about being a teacher is finding the right balance
between being the classroom authority and my students’ friend. Amy explained, “There are
different levels of friendship. Be friendly and open with your students, but pray for discernment
in knowing where to draw the line.” Finally, Amy reminded me not to beat myself up when I
make a mistake. No teacher is perfect. I just have to do the best I can with the gifts and
resources God has given me and be content with that.
My interview with Amy has been incredibly beneficial in enhancing my knowledge about
my future profession. I have learned to be open to God’s plan for me and to follow where He
leads. My teaching will be filled with challenges to overcome but also with great rewards. My
goal should be to help my students learn and grow, especially in their faith. I don’t have to do
this alone. I should surround myself with godly friends and mentors to help and encourage me.
Sometimes I will make mistakes, but God always forgives. Someday I hope to be as wonderful a
teacher as Mrs. Amy Hedges.
Word Count: 1, 250