Kindergarten Teacher: Heather Fischer

Happy Teacher Interview Thursday for what feels like the millionth time but I seriously never get old of these super fun posts! Interviews are what started my blog to be honest and get it rolling. I realized that there is no way for me to go into all of these amazing teachers classrooms like Heather from A Trailblazing Teacher so instead I brought their classrooms and teacher grams to you! Heather is rocking it on the teacher front and has so many amazing resources and ideas for anyone’s classroom. Here is her interview:

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

To be honest, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up! I always heard people say they wanted to be doctors, firemen, teachers, etc., but I think the stereotypes that I saw in books and movies made me feel like I didn’t belong anywhere specific. I remember going into college looking at all the possible majors and the possible jobs that were related to each major. I knew I wanted to work with people and do something new and different each day. I liked being creative and getting people excited about something. So, ultimately, I choose to go into Journalism with an emphasis in public relations. When I got out of college, I got what I thought was my dream job in Los Angeles working as a program coordinator for an online marketing program, and while there were parts of the job I loved, I felt like something was missing. I hated being behind a desk every day and I missed working with kids (I did a lot of volunteering in kid’s programs and taught swim lessons for about six years at this point). Long story short, I quit my job and went back to school for my teaching credential and master's degree. I have not looked back! It’s funny because many of the things I loved about marketing and program coordination are also a part of teaching, even though on paper they may look and sound so different!

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

I feel like many teachers say they had one teacher that really made a difference in their lives and inspired them to be the teacher they are today. I can’t say that I had that same experience. There were a few teachers that stood out to me and I felt like I had more of a connection with them in general though. These teachers were a little “goofier” and their teaching styles were slightly more unconventional. I felt like I could be myself around them and they made learning fun! I try to do mimic those things in my classroom as well. I can be super silly with my students and I don’t like teaching out of the textbook.

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

 This is my seventh year teaching actually! I can’t believe I’m saying that. I teach in Southern California in a self-contained classroom. For the past few years, I taught first grade, but this year, I am teaching virtual kindergarten. I love the littles, but I would also love the opportunity to teach upper grade one day!

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

Wow, this is a tough question. Since I am teaching virtually right now, I use Google Slides daily. It’s the easiest way for me to organize my teaching and I can quickly share it with my students so it’s easy for them to follow. I can also make my slides interactive and embed YouTube videos and links to other digital resources like Epic! Books, GoNoodle, and Jamboard.  

5. What is your favorite visual tool to use in the classroom to help accommodate work/lessons for students and why?

This is another tough one! Right now, I use YouTube timers to help my students stay on task when I want them to work on something during our virtual class meetings. I also model and write out step-by-step directions with pictures for any activity that requires multiple steps.

6. I love your blog, any advice for a newbie teacher blogger on how to thrive with their own blog?

Thank you so much! You are so kind. My blog is very new and I am still learning as well! I would say subscribe to others’ blogs and see what you can learn from them. Take mental (or actual) notes about what you liked and what you would do differently. It can give you a taste of what you want your blog to look and sound like! Also, think about your target audience and the problems they are most likely facing right now in the classroom. You can target your blog posts to help them solve those problems!   

7. Any advice for a new teacher you wish you had known?

There are SO many things that I wish I would have known my first-year teaching, but I think a big one is don’t be afraid to ask for help. I, naturally, do not usually ask for help because I learn from doing and sometimes don’t even know what to ask, but it’s something I’ve gotten better at over the years. You can get a lot of great ideas and different perspectives from asking other teachers! You don’t necessarily have to follow everything that they say, but it may help you know where to start. Then, you can modify and adapt their ideas to YOUR students and YOUR classroom.

8. What is your district's plan for this year?

Families were able to choose in-person or online learning at the beginning of the school year. Then, in December if they wanted to, they could request to switch. In-person learning could mean hybrid learning or a traditional classroom and schedule, depending on the requirements of the state. Teachers are assigned to either in-person or virtual classrooms, not both. Right now, in-person elementary classrooms are participating in hybrid learning, but they could switch back to their regular schedule as early as February. We will see what happens!

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?

Absolutely! EVERYONE, including families, has had to learn so many new things in such a short amount of time. Technology and digital resources have infiltrated the education system and teachers have had to adapt their teaching to these new technologies and resources. I don’t think teachers and families are just going to walk away from all of it. In a way, it would be weird to fully go back to what it was like before the pandemic.  

10. Last but not least, where do you see yourself in ten years?

Oh goodness. I have no idea! I love teaching and I think I could still be happy teaching in an elementary classroom, but I think I would love to do other things as well. I love creating educational resources and helping other teachers with technology, so I could see my career eventually evolving into something else if the opportunity presented itself! I think I would enjoy developing a curriculum or working as an educational consultant. I have no idea!

Thanks for the interview Heather!

Happy Teaching :)