Middle School Math Teacher: Kristin Perez

Today for Teacher Interview Thursday I have the amazing Kristin Perez , also known as iamkristinperez on Instagram. She has been teaching for 18 years and stuck out to me because she created her own teacher resource, The Thriving Teacher. It focuses on creating a community to help teachers balance their job and be happy! To be honest I have been really struggling with this lately so I feel like Kristin and I crossed paths at just the right time, here is her interview:

1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher.  I remember keeping my old workbooks at the end of the school year and using them to pretend teach my dolls.  I even asked for a chalkboard for Christmas one year (which I did get), and using it to teach my dolls and my older sister (when she was willing).

2. Is there a moment that sticks out to you that you remember from school with a teacher you had growing up ?  

I remember in first grade, being in a "special" reading group with another classmate.  It was just us 2 and the teacher worked with us on a more advanced book because we were above grade level and didn't fit into the other groups she had.  I remember loving that extra 1:1 time with the teacher and it felt special that we could spend more time with her in that setting.  I also remember in 5th grade, being in a small group of girls that got to each lunch with our teacher.  That was a big deal because we never normally got to do it.  But it allowed us to talk about girl things, and really get to know the teacher better and have her get to know us better.  As a quiet girl in school, I really liked having the support and attention from the teacher that I might not have gotten in a whole group setting.

3. How long have you been teaching, what state do you teach in, what do you teach, and what did it take for you to get there ?

This is my 18th year teaching.  I teach Middle School Math at a charter school in Detroit, Michigan.  After I got out of college I remember hearing "Oh, they need math teachers BAD" but it was a struggle to even get an interview because so many people were applying for the same jobs.  I had a friend whose mom worked at a school in Detroit and got a job working there, thanks to word of mouth.  After a year, I was laid off at the last minute but found a job at a charter school, which were starting to boom in the early 2000's.  Now I work at a different charter school in the city and have been there for the last 13 years.  

4. What is your go-to tool you use in the classroom/on the computer and why?

My favorite classroom tool to use are individual dry erase boards.  For some reason, students are SO much more likely to complete their work on a dry erase board than using paper and pencil, so I like to use them for quick checks or games as often as possible. In the virtual setting, I love breakout rooms on ZOOM that I can pop into and help as needed as well as the private chat option because so many of my students who hesitate in asking questions out loud in class, are much more willing to private chat you to ask a question.  It really allows my students to get the support they need even without having to say anything

5. Is there anything you do to accommodate your students and how often do you find yourself using that accommodation?

Oh gosh, there are lots of accommodations I have with my students.  In the virtual setting we have synchronous time and asynchronous time.  I like to stay on ZOOM during this asynchronous time to allow students who need extra support, to get that support.  Whether students just take longer to process, or perhaps their parents aren't home and want that accountability to get their work done, I want to make sure I am there to support them.  I also have office hours once a week where students can come on and ask questions 1:1 so they don't feel behind when the next week comes along.  I also record my lessons daily so they can rewatch them.  In the classroom of course they aren't there to pause and rewind you to listen to what you said, but thankfully in this setting, they can go back and re-watch the class whether they need the refresher, or if their internet was unstable, or whatever.  I love this opportunity for students to get that extra support.  

6. I saw you have a "Teachers Who Thrive" guide which is awesome! Can you tell me a bit more about it and why you created this resource for teachers?

I am in love with this resource I created - haha.  But for real, I created this guide because over the past 7 months I've heard nothing but "I'm stressed", "I'm overwhelmed", "I'm exhausted", and "I'm burned out".  And let's be honest - these were things we all could have said before COVID started.  Most teachers I know put their heart and soul into teaching.  We are givers.  But we often don't do enough for ourselves and at the end of the day, not taking care of ourselves will backfire.  

As someone who has been on a journey to find better balance between work and home (taking care of others and taking care of myself) once I had my own boys (who are now 9 years old), I slowly started implementing things that I could do to make sure I don't put myself on the back burner, because I knew that living my life as a tired teacher wasn't going to cut it.  I pride myself in being organized, so I put together some routines that help me know what needs to be done, the best time of day to do it, and how to make sure I leave time for myself every day.  And now that I see such a difference in how I feel and how I can efficiently get things done so I don't have to work around the clock, I just wanted to share that with others. 

So I put this guide together to help teachers have a one-stop shop resource where they could get tips, resources, and suggestions for how to stay healthy, how to de-stress, and how to stay organized so they can find a better balance between work and home and enjoy their career again.  

I also felt that while there is a lot of resources and support for teachers inside the classroom, there wasn't enough support for teachers OUTSIDE the classroom.  Because of this, I created a Facebook Community "The Thriving Teacher" to continue giving self-care tips and resources in there.

7. Any advice for a new teacher?

Ask questions.  And ask them over and over.  Even if you asked them before.  If your school does not provide you with a mentor, as your principal who they would recommend you connect with so you have someone (especially teaching virtually, its not as easy to just go next door to a partner teacher and ask).

I also highly suggest you create boundaries for yourself.  While getting started always takes a little more time to get things done, don't work every day after work until you go to bed.  Set "OFF" times - times you will stop working each day after work and at least one off day on the weekend.  You need to make sure you make time for you and don't let teaching overtake your life or you will burn out.

8. What is your district's plan for going back to school in the fall?

We are back to school virtually right now until at least November 2nd when our district will reassess.  Us teachers had the choice to work from home or school and I chose school (thankfully my husband is working from home, so he can monitor my own children learning virtually).  Not only would it have been harder to focus working from home, but I also like to have boundaries myself.  I leave work at work and when I come home, I enjoy my family time.

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?

Honestly, this is a tough question.  I feel like education will change in the fact of families having more options as to how their child learns.  Even though homeschooling has been around for a while, I think that virtual learning is here to stay.  I think that some families will enjoy this method of learning for their children and will continue to have them learn this way even when more schools open.  After the spring, I was hopeful that parent support would improve since I heard many comments regarding how hard teaching was and wishing their child could go back to school BUT with all the back and forth of virtual learning and in-school learning, I hear a lot of backlash from parents now, diminishing us, our thoughts, and our roles as teachers, so I'm not sure we will get that same support again.  

10. Last but not least, where do you see yourself in ten years?
In 10 years, I will most likely be teaching still.  I'm thankful that while I can still say I feel busy as a teacher, I don't feel as overwhelmed and burned out as I once did.  In 10 years, I will be coming up to my 30 year mark of teaching, but I also see myself continuing to support teachers on a wellness and self-care level as well.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to not only help students but use my past experiences with self-care to help teachers create helpful work and home routines, and find time in their day to take care of themselves as well! 

Go to her Instagram and sign up for her 21-day self care challenge

Thanks so much for the interview Kristin!

Happy Teaching :)