# data[].attributes.body
Existentialism is a highly subjective philosophy that stresses the importance of the individual and emotional commitment to living authentically. It emphasizes individual choice over the importance of rational theories. Jean Paul Sartre, the French philosopher, claimed that "existence precedes essence." People are born, and each person must define him or herself through choices in life. Influential existentialists include Jean Paul Sartre and Soren Kierkegaard.

# data[].attributes.body
If I was asked about what I learned in this class I would say that I learned patients. I love all the kids I work with but sometimes I get frustrated if they aren't listening or if they don't understand what I am trying to teach them. I need to be patient and move along at the pace that they need to learn.

# data[].attributes.body
My future goals, I am wanting to become a pediatric audiologist and work in a hospital helping kids to be able to hear with hearing aids. I believe that this class will help me to be comfortable around kids and it is teaching me how to be patient while I am working with the kids.

# data[].attributes.body
Teacher didn't write one.

# data[].attributes.body
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
― Nelson Mandela

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.”
― Margaret Mead

# data[].attributes.body
Some of my favorite memories this year were getting to work with the kids on math and reading. It was fun getting to feel like I am actually helping the kids and feeling like an actual teacher. One memory that I remember was on one of my first days at lakeaires, I was reading with a little girl named grace and in the little book we were reading it was talking about cake and as soon as it said cake Grace stopped and looked at me and said "OMG I love cake", it was so cute and funny.

# data[].attributes.body
Dear Ms. Elias,

My name is Sara Janssen and I am a senior at White Bear. I am in Education Career Lab, I chose to take this class because I love to work with kids. I have thought a lot about teaching elementary and this is a good opportunity to see if I would like it. A little about me is I love to play soccer, I have played my whole life and I was one of the captains this past year for the school team. After school everyday I work at Children's Discovery Academy where I am an aid for all the one year olds. I absolutely love it, it’s where I started to get the idea of wanting to be a teacher.

Throughout my life in school I have had good and bad teachers. One teacher that changed my view on school was my 7th grade history teacher. He taught his classes like no other teacher I have ever had. He would teach us by using activities where he made us feel like we were in the certain time we were learning about. When we learned about slave trade he made us feel like we were the slaves on the boats, it was scary but so fun and different. His teaching made me want to be like him and make kids smile as much as he made us smile.

When I think about a good teacher I think of someone who is passionate about their job, someone who loves being there. A good teacher needs to want to teach their kids and see them succeed in school. Another quality that I think is important is the willingness to have fun. A lot of kids don’t like to learn because it’s boring but if the teacher makes it fun then the kids will be attentive and willing to participate. The last important quality I think is a teacher who good at controlling the class and being stern when needed. It’s great to have the students like you and be close with you but they also need to know who is in charge and know that they need to respect the teacher. Two strengths I have is I like to have fun, I like to make kids laugh and smile. With that said I have a hard time disciplining a child when it’s needed, I don’t like to see kids upset. Another strength I have is I’m creative, I am good at coming up with fun activities to do. One weakness that I have is speaking in front of people and that’s a teacher's main job so I would have to get past that fear.

In this class I am hoping to find out more about if this is what I want to do when I get out of college and see if it is the right career choice for me. I am here to help you with whatever you need me for, it could be to hang things up or just keep the kids occupied when you need to finish something, whatever you need I can do. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity, I am so excited to get to know you and your amazing students.

-Sara Janssen

# data[].attributes.body
Teacher Interview

Leah Johnson: 4th grade teacher

Sara Janssen

1. Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: One year

2. Q: What do you have to do to get/renew your teaching license?

A; Take college classes, student teaching time/ field experience, take teaching minnesota exam, you must pass.

3. Q: What are some of your duties that I wouldn’t expect a teacher to do?

A; Community involvement, participation in school events

4. Q: Do you ever collaborate with other teachers?

A: Yes, all the time

5. Q: What was your first year like?

A: A Lot of planning, learn curriculum, develop lessons, a lot of overtime, trial and error

6. Q: What is the salary like? Do you get vacation or sick time?  How is working under a contract different from other jobs?

A: Only 2 personal days they can rollover, 12 sick days. You choose how you want to be paid, either spread check for whole year or just get paid the 9 months. If you wanna get paid more you need to get higher education like masters. Salary is very low, $38,000 a year. Works in Waconia and gets observed by principle, after 3 years you can get the tenier.

7. Q: How do you feel about students being friends with their teachers on Facebook?

A: It’s not appropriate, after the student graduates it is ok.

8. Q: What do you think are the 3 top things students need to learn in your class?

A: Problem solving skills, how to build positive relationships, and life long learning skills.

9. Q: How do you accomplish those things?

A: Community building is a big thing in her classroom, everyday there is a morning meeting with the class. Each kid in the class has their own job. Team building games. Practicing asking questions.

10. Q: How do you know that you have accomplished teaching those things?

A: When there is mutual respect in the classroom, when you can see students solving problems on their own.  Ready for lessons, when kids are laughing and smiling while being engaged in the class.

11. Q: How do you discipline your students?

A:Try to do positive reinforcement, focus on the positive things and reward the ones who are doing positive things.  For kids doing very bad things, give one warning and tell them what the punishment will be if she sees it again. She will also take away privileges away from the kids. If it is severe enough they receive a violation and a notice gets sent home to the parents and they have to meet with the principle.

12. Q: How did you choose to become a teacher?

A:Her mom is a teacher so she grew up around that environment, she also worked at a camp where she learned to love to be around kids.

13. Q: What methods of teaching do you use?

A; Try to use all kinesthetic, auditory, and visual ways of teaching. She gives movement breaks during class for the kids. Flexible grouping where you teach a lesson for 15 min and then put the kids in even groups and teach them how those kids need to be taught.

14 Q: What is the stress level of being a teacher?

A: The first year is always the hardest but the more you teach the lower your stress gets and your stress management goes down. “You're not doing it for the money, you do it because you care about the kids learning.”

15. Q: Do you have any tips for organization for a new teacher?

A: Set an expectation for things being good enough, not perfect.

16. Q: What kind of freedom do you have in teaching? Where is there no freedom in teaching?

A: Go by “tight and loose” school determines the tight spots, and teachers get to put lose things and adjust their lessons to how to make them feel comfortable.

17. Q: How many hours per week do you work and not get paid for it?

A: Probably around 20 hours

18. Q: What is the best part of being a teacher?

A: There are so many great things. Building relationships with students, seeing the kids excited about school. Seeing the students be excited about learning. Being a part of the school community in a whole.

19. Q: What is the hardest part of being a teacher?

A: The things that are out of your control like home life and parental support.

20. Q: If you were to do it all over again, would you become a teacher?

A: Absolutely

21. Q: Where do you get your lesson ideas?

A: You are given a curriculum and you can follow it closely or adjust them to how her kids need to learn. She also gets ideas from teachers on her team. She also yous a website called teachers pay teachers.

22. Q: Do you have a trick for learning students’ names?

A: Yes, the quicker you learn the names the quicker the classroom managment is. Practice the names before meeting them. Always use their name when you talk to them, repeat the names as many times possible and you will get them.

23. Q: Do you ever spend your own money for school items?

A: Yes, she ran out of her budget 2 months into the school year. She will buy things to give to the kids as rewards, books, stickers, labels for books, and many other things.

24. Q: What do you do with students with higher learning levels?

A: She groups them in groups by their skill level and helps them individually, they also can move ahead in the workbooks, many of them can teach themselves. There is also a gifted program in the school that the students can test into.