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Are there any comments you wish to add to close this interview?

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Are there any comments you wish to add to close this interview?

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Mrs. Matheny offered to let me come shadow some teachers at different grade levels to get a feel for how different grades are and how each teacher has unique teaching skills. I found this really interesting because during my elementary observation I did all my hours in a 1st grade class, it would be nice to compare 3rd or 4th grade to the 1st grade class I have already been in.

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                            If you could choose another career field, would you?

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                            If you could choose another career field, would you?

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Mrs. Matheny would not choose a different career field, however she thinks its unfortunate how low of pay teachers make. Teachers do a lot hard work that often people overlook. Although she loves where she is at, she said if she had to make a career change she would enjoy being a school psychologist. She absolutely loves schools and would want a job that still relates to teaching. Mrs. Matheny finds behavioral problems and the way kids think to be interesting so this a career she thinks she would enjoy if she had to choose another.

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What changes, if any, would you make to the educational system? Consider various aspects of education reform, funding, state assessments, etc…

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What changes, if any, would you make to the educational system? Consider various aspects of education reform, funding, state assessments, etc…

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Mrs. Matheny thinks the recent turn on state assessments/reform has been a good change. She said that Kansas Can school redesign has been a big reform that is helping schools. She is not a fan of state assessments and thinks that they don't really do much. She said that there always needs to be advocating for more funding. No matter how much funding a school has, they could probably use more. The big thing for her though, is that you must use the funding appropriately. No matter how much money a school gets, if they don't use it effectively it will make no difference.

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What does professionalism mean to you? What qualities do you seek in a new teacher? How can I "stand out" during the application, interview, and hiring process after I earn my teaching license?

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What does professionalism mean to you? What qualities do you seek in a new teacher? How can I "stand out" during the application, interview, and hiring process after I earn my teaching license?

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The most important aspect of professionalism is the way you carry yourself. The way that a person deals with situations, from hard to easy, it shows how professional you are or can be. She says that she wants teachers to feel like they can be 'unprofessional' behind closed doors, such as complaining about a parent or a situation, but when they come to school all the teachers need to become a united front and represent a place that is about learning. Mrs. Matheny says she loves hiring new teachers. What she looks for is someone that is extremely confident, but not a know it all. She looks for someone that is reflective and passionate about kids. Her advice to stand out during the interview process is to send an email to the principal after you have already submitted your application. This lets the principal know you are interested and makes your name familiar when they are looking though the applications. During the actual interview its best to just be comfortable and ask questions! You are not only being interviewed, but you are interviewing the school. It's best to ask questions to make sure it's the right fit for you.

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What are some of the challenges I will face as a new teacher? What are the rewards in teaching? Could you provide me with specific examples from your own teaching experience or from some of the teachers you supervise?

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What are some of the challenges I will face as a new teacher? What are the rewards in teaching? Could you provide me with specific examples from your own teaching experience or from some of the teachers you supervise?

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The biggest challenge of being a first year teacher is not knowing how to manage your classroom. Mrs. Matheny said a lot of teachers struggle with behavioral problems in the classroom. She said the first year can be really overwhelming but the more you experience the better you will become at being an effective teacher. The best reward in teaching is the kids! The most important thing to remember- is this a kid issue or an adult issue. Generally its not a kid issue and that's important to remember. Always keep your mind and focus on kids! The biggest reward of being a principal for Mrs. Matheny is being able to work alongside teachers and kids and seeing them excel or come to the realization of something. Challenging and encouraging the teachers is one of the best parts of her job. She also loves to be able to connect teachers, because most teachers don't get to see the other one teach. She can advise one teacher such as a first grade teacher to come check out how the fourth grade teacher does this or that because she thinks it would really help her classroom. Mrs. Matheny also enjoys working with parents, she says its very rewarding to be able to fix an issue together with a parent.

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What advice can you give me to better prepare me for the teaching profession?

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What advice can you give me to better prepare me for the teaching profession?

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Her best advice is to just take in as many real life experiences as you can get. Reading from a textbook or doing worksheet assignments can only teach you so much. Mrs. Matheny says seeing things in action will prepare you the most. She said that even if only once a month I come observe a classroom and watch the teacher interact with students it will teach a lot. She recommends observing at multiple types of schools such as rural and suburban to learn the most and get that real life experience.

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What made you choose the teaching profession originally?

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What made you choose the teaching profession originally?

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Mrs. Matheny says she has known since she was in Kindergarten that she wanted to be a teacher! She said she didn't ever really think of doing anything else other than during High School when there was a career choice day visit she thought maybe she would go into counseling, but she has basically always had a passion to be a teacher. However, she wasn't always sure on what level she wanted to teach until she began her college career and decided Elementary was the best fit for her.

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How long have you been a principal? How long did you teach prior to becoming an administrator?

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How long have you been a principal? How long did you teach prior to becoming an administrator?

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I interviewed Mrs. Matheny at Meadowlark Elementary in Andover. Mrs. Matheny will have been a principal for 10 years at the end of this school year. She taught for 7 years then took off two years because she became a new mother. She was a part time reading sufficiency tutor during these 2 years in Oklahoma. She then worked for about 2 years as a curriculum resource instructor and then moved into administration shortly after this.