Running head: TEACHER INTERVIEW 1

Teacher Interview
Chiaki Yoshida
Ivy Tech Community College Central Indiana
TEACHER INTERVIEW 2


Informed Consent

I, _____Kano__Yumiko________________________________________, agree to have,
(name of teacher)

_________Chiaki Yoshida_____________________________ a student from Ivy Tech
(name of Ivy Tech student)

Community College Central Indiana enrolled in the course, EDUC 101: Introduction to
Teaching, talk with me about my experience and motivation as a teacher. I understand the
information I provide during the interview will only be used for a reflective paper written by the
student and for no other purpose. A copy of the interview questions are attached to this form for
your review. I f you have questions or concerns, please contact the instructor Peggy Apple at
916-7811, papple2@ivytech.edu
Kano Yumiko 10/16/2011
_________________________ ______________________________
Signature of Teacher Date

6
th
to 8
th
grade Mizumaki Minami middle school in Fukuoka, Japan
_________________________ ______________________________
Grade level taught Name of School

10/16/2011 10pm
_________________________ ______________________________
Date of Interview Time of interview


For student:


I, ____Chiaki Yoshida_____________, interviewed the above named teacher at the date
(Name of Ivy Tech Student)

and time indicated above.

______________________________ _____10/16/2011_________________
Signature of Student Date
TEACHER INTERVIEW 3


1. Tell me about yourself as a teacher.
a. Why did you decide to enter teaching?
My middle school English teacher made me like studying English. Then, I wanted to be
a middle school English teacher as Japanese students usually start learning English from
middle schools.
b. How many years have you been teaching?
I have been teaching English for 27 years.
c. What grade levels and/or subject areas have you taught?
I teach English from 6
th
to 8
th
grade Japanese students.
2. Tell me about your classroom and teaching strategies.
a. How is your classroom arranged to optimize learning?
I think that one of most important elements to optimize learning is to have a clean and
organized classroom on a daily basis. It means to make students want to neatly organize
their own classroom such as tidily hung posters and a cleaned-up white board.
b. What are your strategies for effective classroom management?
I want students to know the importance of basic daily habits such as cheerful greeting
and no delay/tardy.
c. What types of lesson plans do you create? How do you incorporate state standards in the
curriculum?
At the beginning of a year, we plan yearly curriculum based on Education Ministry
Guidelines. We create monthly plan based on the yearly plan. Then, we make daily
plans and individual chapter plans of a textbook such as a target for the day and English
words students have to learn each day.
TEACHER INTERVIEW 4


3. For you, what are the most exciting aspects of teaching and your work?
(Daily) When I could see that students were so active and positive in a class and they
really understand contents of a class.
(General) When I could see students mental and physical growth. When I could see
that students could overcome their difficulty. (Japanese teachers not only teach a
specific subject but also usually take care of 40 students in a class like a counselor.)
4. Who has given you the most support in learning to be an effective teacher?
Experienced college teachers have.
5. How do you encourage involvement of parents and families in the school and your
classroom?
In Japan, elementary and middle school teachers visit each students house at the
beginning of a year to talk with parents and know what home atmosphere students have.
6. How much time do you spend outside of the work day on preparation and grading?
I bring back home my works half way through a week and every weekend. I sometimes
work at school on holidays. Other teachers do, too.
7. What do you think are the most difficult challenges for teachers?
It is to put more priority to my own housework and time with my family, or to have one
year long off for learning.
8. What do you see as the pros and cons of ISTEP? In what ways, if any, has ISTEP affected
your teaching?
We have standard tests in Japan, too. I can agree with the standard tests if results are
used to take advantage of them such as knowing students weak points and developing
teaching skills.
TEACHER INTERVIEW 5


9. Your own open-ended question-What is the most effective philosophy to use in classroom?
One for all, all for one. If students think that a school is a place only for study, students
should go to preparatory schools. In a school, students can not only study, but also learn
how to live in a society.
10. Your own open-ended question-What advice would you give to a new teacher?
We, teachers, should carefully study textbooks and prepare for a class every day. A
class activity is the first priority. If you cannot find answers or have some difficulties in
teaching, you should say so then other elder teachers will help you.
11. Your own open-ended question-What was your most exciting time in teaching?
When students told me that they came to like English by me or they passed entrance
examinations for high schools.
12. How do you continue your professional development? What is required to maintain your
teaching license?
Teachers not only teach subjects but also should do various works like counseling in
Japan. However, by completing each work, you could get skills and reliability and grow
up as a teacher. Do not hesitate to challenge yourself.
13. How do you know you are successful?
When I see students growth.
14. What advice would you give to a future teacher?
My teacher said to me that you would not like to quit as a teacher if you worked as a
teacher for three days. I sometimes had felt difficulties, but I did not quit because I
wanted to be with my students who are building the future. There might be lots of
difficulties but more joys.
TEACHER INTERVIEW 6


I interviewed my friend, Yumiko Kano, who lived in Japan on the phone about fourteen
educational questions for Teacher Interview paper (personal interview, October 16, 2011). She
has been a friend of mine since we were university students and she is now a middle school
English teacher in Japan. The reason why I asked her is that she became a teacher to achieve her
first dream after she worked in a bank for a while.
While I was talking with her on the phone and summarizing what she said on the phone, I
started realizing that contents of her answers were so similar and even almost the same as what
were written in TEACH textbook in four points. I think that my friend is actually and
realistically practicing what is described in the TEACH textbook. What I noticed were about
favorite teachers, reflective practitioners, mentors for teachers, and a classroom community.
First, she talked me about her middle school English teacher. The teacher was her
favorite teacher and the teacher was a person by whom my friend started wanting to be a middle
school English teacher. My friend said that the teacher clearly explained about how we make
mistakes and visibly praised students when they did good jobs. In addition, the teacher
introduced my friend to a foreign pen pal. By this story, that teacher had an attribute of good
teachers such as articulate and innovative as the TEACH textbook describes (Koch, 2009, p.
11).
Secondly, as an advice to a new teacher, she said that teachers, themselves, should learn
continuously in a daily basis for the future teaching by using textbooks as a reflective
practitioner (Koch, 2009, p. 5). If teachers study textbooks first, they can have the same
standpoint with students and think and adjust/change their teaching practices. Reflective
practitioners always challenge and change skills and ideas as necessary.
Thirdly, when my friend felt difficulties, her experienced college teachers helped and
TEACHER INTERVIEW 7


supported her. There was no mentor program (Koch, 2009, p.40) in Japan. Elder teachers have
the same role as a mentor. As the TEACH textbook writes about a mentor program, her
experienced college teachers offered her advice about mental issues and great tips for teaching
skills. Even if they do not have a mentor program in Japan, teachers connecting each other can
supplement it.
Lastly, I could see that my friend put her priority organizing a classroom atmosphere as a
place to study subjects and learn daily habits. It is a classroom community (Koch, 2009, p. 182).
My friend, as a teacher, always thinks the way of classroom management (Koch, 2009, p. 181). It
is all that she wants students to be able to get involved in classroom activities and become active
classroom community members. The reason why she put high priority to keep clean in a
classroom is the same as we want to keep clean in our living community.
In conclusion, I happened to find four commonalities between the TEACH textbook and
what my friend told me: my friends dream was influenced by her favorite teacher, a lifelong
practitioner as a teacher, experienced teachers as mentors, and well-organized classroom
atmosphere. It might not be due to contingency. It should be from the nature of things. My friend
was influenced by her favorite teacher in her middle school, my friend got lots of advice from
her experienced college teachers, and she teaches English and provides advice to students who
are building the future by using knowledge and information that she got. I think that experience
is a key and educators should think how to utilize and positively share with others as advice.
From this standpoint, I am sure that I should optimize my experience service learning at I.P.S. 48.

TEACHER INTERVIEW 8


References
Koch, J. (2009). TEACH: Teaching and learning in the 21
st
century. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.