3rd Grade Teacher: Lisa
Today for Interview Thursday, I have an awesome teacher Lisa Crabbe. Like most of my interviewees, I connected with Lisa through Instagram. From her page it was obvious that her students come first. There is something that I really loved during her interview. Question 6, I asked her thoughts on how to style the classroom. Her answer was awesome! You can read the details below, but Lisa’s answer was that now she allows her kids to make the classroom into what they want and need. How awesome is that!
Here is Lisa’s interview in full:
1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
It’s crazy to say, but I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. Growing up, my dad was a principal of a very large school that had K-8th grade. Every summer I couldn’t wait to go to his school to run around and play teacher in all the classrooms. I would get excited when he would bring home old editions of teacher textbooks and I would play pretend school. I am so thankful for all the support my family has given me to live out my dream!
2. Is there a moment that sticks out to you that you remember from school with a teacher you had growing up?
Luckily all the teachers I ever had were so welcoming and kind. Honestly, it’s really hard to pick one moment because all the teachers had such an impact on my life. One of my favorite years of school was 3rd grade. I didn’t have any friends in my class that year and I remember on the first day being so nervous. I quickly learned that first, it was fun to make new friends and second that my teacher helped me learn and grow so much that year. I finally felt like I was understanding math!
3. How long have you been teaching, what do you teach, and what did it take for you to get there ?
I attended Rowan University in south Jersey where I had one of the best college experiences I could ever ask for. I majored in Elementary Education with a dual in Mathematics and History. I have been teaching for 5 years and I teach all subjects in a general education classroom. My life has truly come full circle because I teach in the same district where I attended school! I even get to work alongside many of the teachers that taught me when I was younger! At first, it was a little awkward being able to call them by their first names, but now we have such a special relationship.
Even though I was able to get a job in the district where I attended school the process was still challenging. I had started in a second grade maternity leave for September to January. When I had started the interviewing process every district had a different system, which makes it very difficult. I did multiple mini lessons to all different age groups. A week before my maternity leave was ending, a teacher at my school decided to retire. The following week I had a rigorous interview with my current principal. I do believe it was the hardest interview I had ever been on. Mainly because I had been teaching at that school for a few months and the questions were very specific, which required me to know the school system inside and out!
Interviews are no joke, and if I had any advice for teachers trying to get a job, I would give them 3 tips.
Absolutely be yourself, because you have to make sure the position fits not just the school, but your personality as well.
Always bring your portfolio, even if they don’t ask to see it, it shows them a clip of all the hard work you have put into teaching so far.
Lastly, reach out to as many teacher friends as possible because being exposed to all questions and scenarios will help to make you feel prepared.
4. What is your go-to tool you use in the classroom and why?
This year I have been using my read aloud bin so much for reading, writing, and building my learning community. I never realized how many ways you can use one read aloud. My goal this summer is to definitely expand my library even more.
5. Is there anything you do to accommodate your students and how often do you find yourself using that accommodation?
College definitely does not prepare you for some of the challenges you face in the everyday classroom. Every student learns different, feels different, and reacts to situations differently. Over the years I have been teaching, I have learned that positive reinforcement can go a long way. This year in particular I have been trying to stay away from the clip behavior charts because I find once a student is clipped down, they tend to lose all sense of confidence. I find it’s easier to connect with students when spotlighting their strengths. I have been trying to change my “teaching language” rather than just telling my students “great job” or “you did your best”, focusing more on the specifics of how they can reach their goals.
6. Your Classroom style is so cute! Is there anything you keep in mind while decorating your classroom?
When I first started teaching, I thought every inch of the room should be covered in decoration and color. But, over the years I feel like I try to leave more and more room for the students to create the space. I love when I hang a new project and all the students run over to see their classmates work! This year, I have been trying to create more collaborative anchor charts as well!
7. Any advice for a new teacher?
I love this question, but it’s hard to say where to start! This was actually my first year being a mentor for a second grade teacher at my school! This experience has taught me to reflect on so many aspects of the classroom.
The first aspect of the classroom to tackle would be the routines and procedures. These MUST be in place in order to have a smooth year! Every teacher has different ideas and you really just have to find the style that works for that group of students and is easiest for you to manage. It’s okay if your idea doesn’t work out the way you planned and you have to try another routine. In the end you will find the one that works best for you and your class. Second, make lots of connections with teachers in your district! I don’t know what I would do without my teaching squad. They are always there for me in the good times and bad. I think it’s important to keep that open communication to talk about what worked really well or what can be changed to make the learning community stronger!
8. How has it been teaching virtually?
Well, I never expected to be on my laptop this much, ever! It is way more time consuming than I ever expected. I do have to say thank you to all the amazing teachers, who have shared their ideas on instagram and teacherspayteacher. The teaching community has changed a lot over the past few years and in such a positive way. We all have that moment where we feel like a lesson didn’t go well or that was an epic fail. Being able to see how other teachers are implementing different ideas into the classroom and virtual classroom has been so inspiring and helpful.
9 . A lot of people have been saying they hope things start to change in education since this Pandemic, do you think anything will change from it?
I truly don’t know what the future holds at this point, but I do think parents will have a greater appreciation and understanding of how much work and effort goes into the daily tasks of a teacher. The most important thing we have to all keep in mind, is the students need us, especially now to just be there for them.
10. Last but not least, where do you see yourself in ten years?
My next challenge I hope to tackle is to get my Masters in Teacher Leadership. I truly loved being a mentor for other teachers, and I think that’s what really pushed me to start my instagram account. Teachers can learn so much from each other, and if I can connect with just one other teacher in a positive way I feel like it makes a difference. Finally, in ten years I hope to still be inspiring the little minds and bringing joy to my classroom. Being away from my classroom right now really makes me appreciate all the small tiny moments I have with my students everyday!
Thanks for the Interview Lisa!
Happy Teaching :)