Debbie Kojima

Wes: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Teacher Interview podcast.

I'm your host, Wes Creel. I work as Director of Innovation and Instructional support in Fullerton School District, and we are now in season four of the podcast where we get to know teachers better. Our themes this season, our passion, drive and determination. Join me today. We spend time with Nancy Karcher.

She teaches primary multi-age at Orange Shore Elementary. Let's go. Okay. Um, hi Nancy. Hi. How are you? I'm good. You? I'm good. I'm good. I, I was thinking because you're, you've been more curious about things since you walked in than any other guest, so I have a couple questions for you. Okay. So, if you had time to go to the movies or a bookstore, Which one would you [00:01:00] pick?

The bookstore. The bookstore. Okay. Coke or Pepsi?

Nancy: Oh, that's a good question. I guess I don't really drink soda, but it would be Coke.

Wes: Okay. Um, I'll, this'll be a tough one. Jump rope or hopscotch. Jump rope. Really? Okay. All right. Plain or peanut? M and mss Peanut.

Nancy: Okay. Yes, but I'm allergic to 'em. Oh, no. I miss 'em.

You

Wes: miss 'em. This is something you found out later? Yes. Okay. All right. Okay. That's a good start. Um, so thank you for joining us today. Um, I'm really excited you're in the multi-age program in the primary. And that was part of the intro. So for somebody who doesn't know what, what is multi-age, let's

Nancy: start there.

Okay. Well first off, thanks for having me. I'm glad to be here. And the primary multi-age, I have kinder through third grade, and the multi-age class is just a place where children [00:02:00] of all ages and stages come together and work almost like a family and learn and grow from each other. So

Wes: kinder to third grade is a stretch.

I mean, kinder is maybe the most unique grade in terms of like demands. I mean, I think of like maybe they haven't been to school before, things like that. They're not even sure what school is. So what? What do you see happening when you have kinders. But they're in the classroom with older kids.

Nancy: That's a great question.

So yes, especially with the pandemic, we have a lot of students who haven't had any preschool experience, but when they come in they just have so much fun jumping right in. We pair 'em up with an older mentor who teaches them, you know, about the class and, which is great cuz when we start traditionally the first day of school, three-fourths of the class, Has, I've already been their teacher, we've already been together.

So you're really just showing [00:03:00] the new ones, the rope, and they just have a great time. They follow 'em. The older ones really have a chance to be role models and leaders, and honestly, the little ones look up to them and they wanna try things that honestly like. Multiplication or things that a student wouldn't normally even be exposed to yet.

Right. Because they see 'em and they wanna try new things. Right.

Wes: Because they see the person who's kind of their guide doing other things and they get curious about that. Exactly. That's interesting. On the flip side, what do you think? Is hard for a third grader when they're supposed to like mentor a kindergartner.

What have they forgotten like about that first year? I

Nancy: think it's, I think it's patience is hard for the third graders sometimes with the littler ones, and they do forget. Like, um, as far as the routines and all of those, they remember it, right? Like that is so easy. Yeah. They show 'em this is what you [00:04:00] do if you need to go to the bathroom.

This is what you do if you need to drink water. Yeah. This is where we keep our stuff. If you need markers, you go over here. They do all of that. Um, but I think they do just forget, um, what it was like to be a little one. And so, um, it's just a great overall experience. And because we have. The different grades, which in any, just if you teach one class of grade, one grade level, yeah.

You're gonna have all ages and stages and ranges of where kids are at. So it's just a little bit of a wider Right. Um, range. But because we have the multi-age students, we're also a parent participation program. Ooh, okay. So the program has been, um, at Oror for actually. 52 years. Wow. Wow. I know. It's hard to believe.

Like we joke that we had flexible seating and voice and choice before it was popular. Yeah. Um, but we have a parent participation, so that's what really allows us to individualize. Mm-hmm. And have a lot of one-on-one. Time with [00:05:00] the students. Yeah. And really know where they're at. So it's looking at, instead of looking at just a general curriculum of what I should be teaching, it's really looking at where the child's at.

Hmm. And where am I gonna take 'em next and what is gonna meet their needs? Right.

Wes: So it's interesting, what you were just saying made me think of my experiences when I visited, and there's not like quote unquote one thing happening. It's like a small group here. There's a, a table over here. There's different seating arrangements.

Mm-hmm. There's different groups. And in those groups there's parents, there's other adults other than the teachers. So how do you. I guess, how do you go, okay, this student needs this, and then how do I find a group or another adult mentor to be? That sounds like a lot.

Nancy: Well, a lot of planning. Yeah. There is a lot of planning and again, it, because you spend so much time one-on-one, you really get to know [00:06:00] the students.

So typically in the morning, like when it's reading, writing, and math, they're not. Grouped viability or Okay. Anything like that. Um, I'm giving 'em individual pro, you know, problems. So a parent might have a whole range of students around them. Right. Okay. But they're all, say working on writing. Right. It's just they have a lot of voice and choice over what am I writing about?

Am I making a book? Am I. Um, did I paint a picture and I'm writing about it? Am I writing by myself? Am I writing with a partner? Right? So the parents are really there, just kind of monitoring, encouraging, and those sorts of things. Um, and then I have the time to walk around and spend some one-on-one time.

With the students, confer with them and um, almost do like little mini lessons. Yeah. There are times of the day where we do have them more by flexible groups. Um, you know, maybe on, we're working on some phonic skills with some of them, and if they all are working on silent E they might be in a group together.

Right, right. Um, so that's more [00:07:00] when it is looked upon like that. But um,

Wes: yeah. Yeah. So it's interesting because you think multi-age, you think more. Variety of skills and abilities in one room, but it's actually more individualized that, so it's almost, it's kind of like an oxymoron, like Yeah. Like you're, you have a wider spread but more individual attention.

Yes, and, and I've seen it like it's true. Like it's the students are working on things that are. Really unique to them. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Nancy: Yeah. It is. It's, it's nice that they, they take ownership because they are choosing what they're writing about or what they're interested in, or Yeah. You know, all the different things.

So they really do, um, take a lot of ownership and enjoy what they're doing. And again, that's why you could have a kindergartner riding next to an older child or even during math. We play, we play math games a lot. Okay. Um, and then they, Sort 'em up. They count it up and that's what gives them [00:08:00] numbers in their math books.

And then their math problem is based on where they're at. So you could have a third grader and a kindergartner play a game together. Mm-hmm. But then once they generate their numbers from counting up their game, I'm gonna give them a math problem. That is where they're at. So they can play together, but then they're gonna have much different math problems, kind of

Wes: applications out of it.

Exactly. So I'm gonna ask, uh, we did some research, um, you gave us three people to talk to. Oh, yes. Uh, so one was Pam, and Pam is in the multi-age program. Yes. And is she element or primary or,

Nancy: this year she's been upper four, five and, and six. We were, yes. We separated her. Oh,

Wes: so a little bit, the quote. Um, I asked, what's a significant moment with Nancy, and she said, Quote, planning, like planning is in quotes and she says, with Nancy is always an adventure.

Oh, she wrote a little bit more, but I'm gonna, what does that mean to you when you hear that [00:09:00] planning is an adventure with Nancy?

Nancy: Well, I'm assuming there's usually some singing involved. And lots of ideas get thrown around and it's just fun. Yeah. It takes us a while. Sometimes we might bird walk. Yeah. But we, we build ideas off of each other.

We're both really creative and so Yeah. It. We never kind of know where it's gonna go.

Wes: Okay, so let me read the rest of the quote. It starts out with a list. That's what she says. Yes. And then suddenly we have multiple tabs open and we're searching, uh, through cupboards and suddenly we have a month of amazing classroom adventures planned for the students.

And then she says it's always magical. Aw. Yeah. Which is super nice. It is. Like I, I think of planning as more. I think she says it starts with list. I think of it more like . Organized, and it does sound like you're, it's kind of this like, Let's go

Nancy: for it. It very much is, and that really was a great [00:10:00] explanation of it.

We do, we, we start with our list of where we're, what we know we need to get done or where we're where we wanna go. Mm. Um, but we both, yeah. Like what can, what, what can we use to really teach the kids about this? And we do have, in the primary middle page, there's three classrooms full of cupboards of.

Stuff. Yeah, I've seen it. And so it's like, Ooh, we could use this and ooh, let's get out this. And both Pam and I really look at teaching as, um, It's never the same year after year number one. I, we do have the students for multiple years. So yeah, we do change things up, but, um, it really depends on the kids and where they're leading us and what their interests are.

Yeah. So I don't know if you remember a few years ago when we were doing, um, pollinators and Save the Bees. Yes. And our kids got really passionate. Yeah. Became really, and. That wasn't where we intended to go. Yeah. But their interest just took it down that road. We were [00:11:00] just gonna do pollinators in general, but man, they were hungry to save those bees.

Yeah. And we let them take it.

Wes: So Yeah. And we actually recently were, we're planning for FSD Fest and we were watching some promo video of innovation experience. Mm-hmm. And marching through the aisles are, you know, save the Bees. And so the orange short students from your program were. We're there and showing their passion

Nancy: for that.

Yes. We're back on the bees this year. Are we? Yes. Okay. And they are passionate about it again, and we will be there.

Wes: That's great. Be there. We've all, um, so it's interesting. So we talk about planning and she says it's an adventure. I had another question or thought. Mm-hmm. Um, oh, so you start with what's your after.

So in that kind of like going from the concrete to like, what, what's possible? Mm-hmm. Do you have a favorite kind of memory? Uh, the bees is a good [00:12:00] example, but something that you just didn't foresee? It was kind of a surprise the way it developed. Yeah.

Nancy: The bees definitely was that way. That was our first year with Pro Project Curiosity at our school.

Yeah. And as it evolved and, and really every subject is that way. How would

Wes: you define project curiosity? Like a one sentence for people who aren't familiar with Orange Thorpe?

Um,

Nancy: it's integrating science and technology with the studying the envi, like environmentalism. Right. Yeah. Yeah. So it's a great impact and how can the students make a difference in this world?

Right? Um, so that's been really neat. Yeah. And again, they were very passionate about saving the bees. Yeah. Um, but wow, there's so many things that crossed my mind, but. The one that's popping up right now is, it almost ties into what's going on with what we're doing this year, but one of the very first years Pam and I taught together, um, it was around the time when Martin Luther King Jr's holiday was coming up.

And so we were doing a lot of talk about Martin Luther King and segregation, [00:13:00] and both Pam and I, um, grew up in Fullerton. Okay. And we're passionate about the community, and we do like to use our community ties as much as possible. And so, um, that year we had Sylvia Mendez come in Oh wow. And talk to our class and we, we talks about Sylvia more tomorrow.

Yeah. Um, and also we did an experiment where we, one morning just started putting stars on half of. The students and they had no idea why. Oh my gosh. And as they came in, we were, you know, they were, they were writing and we started going around, and if you had a star, we gave you like a gel pen. Oh, geez. And they were like, and then the other kids were like, well, why don't I get a.

Jill Penn said, oh, well you don't have a star. Right? So anyways, it was just a really powerful morning and led to some really great conversations. All of those things combined. Yeah, that, um, [00:14:00] Aren't in the textbooks. Mm-hmm. And really we couldn't plan how the kids were gonna react and what the conversation was gonna be.

Um, but it was really meaningful and it had a lot of impact them to figure out, like, to, to think about how we treat people and why certain people get treated certain ways.

Wes: So when the kids, uh, uh, we started the conversation kind of talking about your curiosity uhhuh, and so I can imagine when you're doing this, you're watching how kids are reacting, so you're curious.

About them, but they're also being curious. They're being kind of, it's provocative. It's like mm-hmm. Why? Why is that? Yeah. It's like an inquiry type lesson. Absolutely. Yes. So what are, what are some things you're looking for like that you want to, when you create an experience like this, what are you trying to get?

The student too? Like emotionally or like, do you see certain expressions or are there certain types of. Like dialogue or interaction. You're like, Ooh, that's cool. I like that they, yeah, did

Nancy: [00:15:00] that. It's really neat. Well, you just see that they kind of start to, to see themselves in someone else's shoes and start to feel like, oh wow, I didn't see it that way.

And this is maybe how this person feels, or this is maybe how this person feels. And, um, You can just see the little light bulb go on and they start to think about things like, um, like we had some kids that were really upset that they didn't get a sparkly gel pen. Yeah. Or whatever it was. And then when we started to talk about it in the bigger picture, they could realize, well, that was really a small thing, but it gave me a tidbit of that feeling of what it might feel like for somebody else.

Yeah. To not have access to something. Yeah. Or whatever the situation might be. Yeah.

Wes: That's great. Um, so you have that, you try to make those, create those experiences to kind of draw them into, I think empathy is the word that came to mind. Mm-hmm. I don't know if that encapsulates all of it, but kind of imagining what it's like

Nancy: for someone else.

Exactly. That's what [00:16:00] I was thinking of. Empathy and what it's like in someone else's. Yeah.

Wes: Shoes. So, um, Pam also says, uh, this was under bonus feedback. We asked like, tell us anything. Oh, no. And she says, you listen to podcasts and books on tape to keep learning about your craft. So in, in searching for things to, to learn about teaching and learning.

Mm-hmm. Um, what inspires you? What type of book or, uh, I don't know if you have a particular one that's on the tip of your tongue,

Nancy: but I know, I'm trying to think. I don't have a, well, I, I, lately I've been reading a lot of historical, like fiction type stuff to escape a little bit, I think maybe, but it's always good.

But no podcast, like I do love listening to different, whether it's just like the Heineman podcast and. Picking up some things. The what? Heinemann. That's, I don't know that one. Um, that's the writer's workshop and reader's workshop, like company, like whatever. They have their podcast, so they have a bunch of, um, that you can listen to different things that you want.

So really focus on pedagogy. Yeah. If I'm in that kind of [00:17:00] a mood or sometimes it's more of just in general about, Growing myself as a person. Yeah. I, I feel like I've, and then as I take care of myself, I'm learning how to model that. Yeah. You know, for my students. So even sometimes it might just be meditation.

Yeah. For myself, knowing that that's gonna put me in a better place For sure. For them. Yeah. Because they can be a lot sometimes.

Wes: Yeah. Yeah. And especially with the structure or kinda loose structures. Yes. And multi-age, it's, you're putting yourself. In a position where one of the first things I thought of was like, that's hard and it's so much easier to control everything and be like, let's have Dec in Rowe, and everybody would be on the same page and that.

Sort of a lot of control over what the student does is somewhat easier. Mm-hmm. And then the more you let go of the reins, the more it can be a beautiful, you know, learning experience with curiosity and empathy, but then it, it becomes a lot to manage.

Nancy: Yeah. It's, it's [00:18:00] always a little crazy at po some points getting there.

Right. But absolutely it is a beautiful thing. I'll give you just one more example of how things, if you don't mind, unfolded. Yeah. Like this year, we couldn't have planned this if we tried. Um, again, going back to Sylvia Mendes, it's the anniversary this year, 75th anniversary of in 2022 of the West Minister versus.

Mendez Mendez versus Westminster case. And, um, if you're not familiar with it, Google it. No. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, but everything just fell into place this year. Our school district sponsored the author of Separate. Is never equal to come do that. Yeah. Zoom. And we got to be a partake in that. And then we knew that the park that was being dedicated to Sylvia Mendez's family was being opened.

And we made it work to get on a bus and get there. And um, they got to see her, hear her speak and hear everybody else speak. And we were the [00:19:00] only kids there. Wow. Wow. And that was really powerful. And then, We were reading Sylvia and Aki, which takes it to the next level, which is the story of Sylvia Mendez and um, AKI who went to the Japanese internment camp.

Mm-hmm. Um, And their friendship and what they both went through. And then right here at the Fuller to Museum this year for free, they had an exhibit about Manzanar that we could take our students to. Wow. Wow. They got to see Ansel Adams photography of the internment camp and see, learn more about that.

And then, as you know, tomorrow we're going to the Japanese American Museum where we're going to hear AKIs niece speak. So it's just, we couldn't have planned this. Yeah. But it has been the most meaningful experience for our students. And when we went to see, um, the opening of the park and see Sylvia Mendez, who were blessed, she lives right here in Fullerton.

Mm-hmm. Um, one of our little girls had made her a, a picture. Oh. And on it, it [00:20:00] was a picture of, um, this one little girl and her best friend. So you had the blonde and the dark haired girl, and she drew this picture and she gave it to Sylvia Mendez. And she just says, if it wasn't, were you. We might, we might not be in the same school.

Oh. And it was just so sweet to see these kids making these connections. Yeah. Yeah. And at such a young age where often we think they're not capable. Right. It's too heavy of a subject. Yeah. Um, but they can really grow from it and learn. Mm-hmm.

Wes: And then clear understanding and like in the pick the picture, like

Nancy: here's what you need.

Yeah. At her, at their level. Yeah. But it was very clear and so it was very touching. So that's great. But we couldn't have planned. All of these things. Yeah. It just has fallen into place and been a really special year with this. Yeah.

Wes: And then, so tomorrow you're going to the Japanese American National Museum.

Mm-hmm. We're going along, we're gonna livestream the, the talk back to classrooms in Fullerton. Mm-hmm. So theoretically any classroom [00:21:00] in Fullerton can, can watch, can tune in, and they can submit questions. So it's a really cool way. Not just what you're able to do with your students, but to share back with Yeah.

To open up district. Yeah. That's awesome. Yeah. We're excited. Yeah. It's gonna be cool. Um, I have a quote here from your, um, we're gonna shift gears a little, a little bit. Okay. From Debbie Bennett, your, uh, principal at Orangethorpe. And one of the things that she, um, brings up is quality time with family outside of school.

Nancy is dedicated to her family with activities or just spending quality time with them. What does that look like? What's your favorite thing to do with family?

Nancy: You know, I just like being with them and I know that probably sounds silly or not silly. I have four children. Oh, okay. And my husband and I've been married almost 30 years and my children range in lots of ages.

Ages. My youngest is still a SI in school as a sixth grader. Okay. Um, all the way to my oldest is 27 married and I just shared with you, I'm gonna be a grandma. Yeah. [00:22:00] Congratulations. So Thank you so. Honestly, just being together. I love being out outdoor, outdoors. Mm-hmm. So anytime we can go hiking, adventuring, I love to go traveling, exploring.

I mean, that's just a bonus. Yeah. Um, but, Love just being together. Um, my mom lives with us, so we have a lot of family time.

Wes: That's great. How long has your mom lived with you?

Nancy: Um, it's been a year and a half now. Okay. She's 95 and a half years young. Oh my

Wes: goodness, my goodness. So there's, that brings up a quote, I think from your husband Doug, and let's see if I can find it here.

It was about adopting na. So he writes, Nancy is my wife of almost 29 years. She loves fiercely and is a devoted daughter, mother, sister, aunt, and wife. And when her nephew was in need of a home, she did not. He hesitate to give him one, and we eventually adopted him. Aw. So how old is your nephew now?

Nancy: He is [00:23:00] 12.

Aw, I know you're gonna make me cry and No, I don't wanna make his Yeah, he's, no, he's, tell me about him. He is amazing. He's a sixth grader. He's 12, and he came into our lives and, um, lived with us when he was three. Aw. Yeah. And originally we took him in and. Doug is right. I didn't hesitate, but I was also grateful for my husband who, um, didn't hesitate as well and allowed this to happen.

Wow. Um, originally we were planning on being his, um, what's the word? Like respite care. Mm-hmm. As hopefully everything would work out. Yeah. And it unfortunately it did not. Mm-hmm. So, um, we adopted him when he was six. He was with us for three years before we adopted him. Wow. And I couldn't imagine our family Yeah.

Without him. Yeah. I tell him all the time, he's that little missing piece that we needed, so, oh,

Wes: that's great. Yeah. And affirming too for him to hear that from you. You know, we chose you. Yeah. We wanted you. And then so the, and then your mom comes, [00:24:00] and so you have, I it's like you're, you're collecting, you're going a bigger, I know.

Two,

Nancy: the two oldest daughters have moved out. Okay. But Craig is in the house and my mom has moved in, so, The rooms are all still

Wes: taken. What kind, what's between, how old would you

Nancy: say your mom was? 95 and a half. I, we started counting half years now

Wes: between 95 and a half and then 12 years old. What's the most common ground?

Like what do they, what they talk about? Yeah. Or what do they like to do together? What's the most common? Like, okay, we're all here doing eggs.

Nancy: Well, they talk a lot and my. 12 year old loves to talk about World War ii. Okay. He's very interested in in that. Yeah. Yeah. So the two of them sit and talk about so many things cuz my mom shares all her experiences of growing up in Los Angeles.

And, um, she was a riveter and [00:25:00] just everything that it was like going through the wartime. Like Rosie, like Rosie the Riveter. Yes. She was for part of, for one summer. Yeah. Wow. So, so the two of them. They just talk all the time. And my mom always tells people how she's like, I'm so grateful that what 12 year old boy wants to talk, you know, to their grandma.

And they do all the time. So That's

Wes: great. That's fantastic.

Nancy: We always joke with my mom too about when she says we, it was before the war, so we just, that's a big joke in our family about, it was so long ago. It was before the war.

Wes: Oh my gosh. So, um, So he, your husband talked about when your mom needed a place to live, um, you didn't hesitate.

She now lives with you giving, um, her the joy of having her best friend here. And then he says, this also teaches our family about selfless love and devotion. Hmm. And then he says, I guess she never stops teaching. [00:26:00] What? Oh, that's so sweet. It

Nancy: is. I do, you know, it's not easy when you have like my mom living with us in the sense that, you know, she is in decline.

Mm-hmm. But I do think it's a really important lesson for our kids to see that you take care of your loved ones. Yeah. And, um, enjoy the time that you have together. Yeah. Yeah. And, um, Yeah. That's, and she's great. Obviously has done so much for our family Yeah. All these years. And now it's our time to

Wes: Yeah.

Give back to her. That's great. That's such a great lesson. Yeah, thanks. And it's interesting that not to get too, um, you know, thematic here with multi-age and then multi-generational, but, but there, I mean, it's almost like this, um, philosophy that you, you. Espouse that in the classroom, but then at your home too, it's really like, you know, from 12 to 95 and a half.

Yeah. You know, [00:27:00] we're all here. It is. We're all learning. I

Nancy: hadn't thought about that, but yes. I mean, I do think in life that's not very often that you only have friends that you're, are your. Exact age. Mm-hmm. Right. You know, in life we do learn from each other and we have lots of different relat relationships with lots of different Yeah.

Ages and stages.

Wes: Yeah. That's great. What's, uh, let me put this out there. Think about 12 year old, 95 and a half year old. Mm-hmm. What's a lesson you've learned from each of them? Just think about the things you've kind of seen or heard from them that's made you think, oh. That's another way to look at life.

Well, I can say

Nancy: for, for, without a doubt with my mom. Mm-hmm. Um, is to live with a grateful heart. Mm. She has always just expressed gratitude and joy for everything in her life and, Um, [00:28:00] she would think that she's nothing special and that, you know, she's lived a simple life, if you will, but she has made such an impact, not only on our family, but it's amazing.

Like my friends, um, everybody asks about her all the time. Oh, because she's always just truly been grateful for what she has and just lived a joyful. Life. That's great. Sim simple, but you know good. Yeah. And I think from Craig, I've learned he's such a great little helper. He always wants to help, but I've just learned that we can just love so deeply and he and I, when he came to live with us, we didn't really even.

Know each other. Mm-hmm. And that, of course was a little overwhelming and scary, but, um, we just kind of trusted each other and went down [00:29:00] this road together. And the love, love just led everything that we did. Mm-hmm. All the decisions that we made. Even when I was afraid for, to have a con. We've had some, we've had some really hard conversations over a lot of the truths.

Sure. And every time love just like opened up and led the conversation. Yeah. And I didn't have to worry about like what to say. That's great.

Wes: So that's great. That's a great lesson. Um, we're getting close to, to our time and there's, uh, a quote from Debbie, uh, about always looking for creative ways to teach, but then also I think Pam mentioned Coatson.

Mm-hmm. And so maybe we can end on that note, just what is Coatson for people haven't heard and what, what does it mean to you more than just kind of, what is it? Yeah.

Nancy: So I guess it's still that love of learning. So in Coatson, it's a chance, I'm a Coatson fellow and it's the, I'm gonna get it wrong right now as I'm under the pressure, but it's [00:30:00] basically an amazing program.

Yeah. That pours into teachers. Yes. And makes them the best teachers they can be. And we're lifelong learners. And, um, so I've just been really grateful for the last three years to be on a journey as a Coates and fellow. Yeah. So I've continued to learn and grow and focus not only on my craft. Um, this last year we've taken a really big, deep dive into social emotional learning.

Mm-hmm. Um, and that's been really exciting. And then what was the other part of, you said the, uh, also

Wes: creative ways. Oh, Debbie mentioned that you're always looking for creative ways to

Nancy: teach. Yes. I am always looking for creative ways to teach because I think that's what makes it interesting and engages.

The students and makes the connections, and I don't know if I should say, well, I'm gonna say it. I was very blessed, my very first principal, my very first year of teaching, shared with me that I didn't have to follow the textbook if [00:31:00] I had a better and more creative way. To teach the standard. So that was really a huge gift.

Yeah. Your very first year of teaching to be able to told, be able, told, and almost that your principal says, I completely trust you. You do what you think is best. Mm-hmm. And if you can do it better than the pages of that book, get creative and do it. And so I kind of just always embraced that philosophy of how can we make this the most interesting and have the kids.

Engaged and enjoy it. That's

Wes: great. I love it. Speaking of, um, looking for ways to engage students, Sherwood Forest, oh, we l Yeah. Tell us what is that, just as we wrap up here, what is Sherwood

Nancy: Forest? Sherwood Forest is our new outdoor learning area. It's a. Beautiful green space with a stage and the trees that have been there for who knows how long.

Obviously we're about to celebrate our hundred and 50th [00:32:00] anniversary of Orangethorpe School. Um, not in that exact location, but those trees have been there a long time and it's just a great. Peaceful outdoor space to take the class out. We were out there the other day doing during our writer's workshop time.

Yeah. Um, just spread out. Yeah. Being in nature and enjoying it, it's right next to our garden, so we get to walk through our garden. Yeah. Um, that we have on our way out there. That's awesome. So it's just an extension of the classroom. Yeah. But outdoors and

Wes: facilities, uh, the district facilities team put like benches around the tree.

Mm-hmm. So you can. Sit there

Nancy: and there's tables, there's benches. That's awesome. We usually bring out our wagon with some blankets and yoga mats too. And again, giving the children Yeah. The freedom to choose choice, where they wanna work and how they wanna work. Yeah. You know, so it's a great space. Yeah.

Wes: That's awesome. Well, that's, that's it for now. That's been, yay. So good to hear about all the different ways you're being creative in the classroom and just looking [00:33:00] for ways to. Like keep learning yourself. I think that's the theme I can extract is there's no way to do this if you're not ready to keep learning yourself.

Nancy: Absolutely. That's great. And academically and And life. Life in general. Yes, exactly. That's right. All right. Thanks Nancy. Thank you.

Wes: This has been the Teacher Interview podcast. Thank you for joining us.

Wes: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Teacher Interview podcast.

I'm your host, Wes Creel. I work as Director of Innovation and Instructional support in Fullerton School District, and we are now in season four of the podcast where we get to know teachers better. Our themes this season, our passion, drive and determination. Join me today, we spend time with Molly Esquivel, who teaches seventh and eighth grade science at Ladera Vista Junior High School of the Arts.

Here we go, Molly. This is the real deal. We're live. Uh, welcome to the podcast.

Molly: Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Wes: So, um, you came over, you're at Ladera Vista today. Mm-hmm.

Molly: How was your day? Today was a day. Today was a day. Oh God. My favorite [00:01:00] part about teaching junior high is that every day is different. Yeah.

The kids stay the same, but they come in in completely different moods, completely different personalities. And today was a day they had me just hysterically laughing at their little personalities. I love it. And you

Wes: have five periods? Six periods? Six periods. Seventh and eighth grade science. Those are two different preps.

Correct. Okay. So tell me. It's been a long time since I've been a seventh grader or eighth grader. I remember things like, oh, we did American government in this, but I don't remember how science was broken up. Mm-hmm. What's

Molly: it look like? So when we were kids, science was broken up. So sixth grade was earth science, seventh grade was life science, and eighth grade was physical science.

Oh, it's coming back to me. Yes. And the textbook was read. Green and blue now, however, it's completely integrated. Oh. So I teach. [00:02:00] I teach it all. Yeah. That's lost. Yeah. I never thought the way I was raised. I know. Oh, I know. Well, teachers do tend to teach how they were taught. What do I think? I love it as a teacher.

Mm-hmm. And I think the kids really do like it, because if you're not into earth science, for example, That year could be true. A jury for you. Yeah. Um, that's true. So it is nice for them to have it, you know, mixed up a little bit. Mm-hmm. But also, sometimes it's hard to pivot. So one moment we'll be talking about rocks and now we're talking about chemistry.

Yeah. Yeah. So it's sometimes the transitions are a little rough. Yeah. But it does keep the year moving at a, at a nice pace. Do you find

Wes: that you have to, or how do you help signal like students, like we're going from chemical equations or chemistry to more like rocks. Like do you find. Things that are helpful for students [00:03:00] to make those transitions.

Molly: So I talk about what the science is, so I usually talk about the root words. So we all know GY is the study of, and then I define what geo is. So earth. Yeah, the study of earth. But now we're moving on to chemistry. And then we talk about, well, this is a branch of science in which we, we study the micro world.

So we studied the natural world the way things are as we see them. Yeah. Let's talk about now why that is on a micro level. The micro scale. What so

Wes: find students interested

Molly: in Hmm. The same thing that adults are. So the, the same. I know, it's, it's amazing. See, and this is what draws teachers to the profession, is that they're really no different.

Um, the same thing that happens with adults. The, the adults that are interested in earth science and physics can't [00:04:00] stand bio and chemistry. Oh, and the kids are no different. Yeah. They're absolutely no different. They love the kids, love the chemistry, and the kids love looking at rock. Yeah. So I remember when I was a kid, I had a little rock collection and.

Oh my God. I did to see the kids are now different. They don't change. You know, our world changes so much.

Wes: I don't know. Seems like if you have a rock collection, I don't say this about you, but about myself. I don't know that I was a, um, you know, the mover and shaker at the parties. Oh, no. Or an introvert and looking at like rock than

Molly: you.

Yeah. But we change a little. I was very, very, very shy. Like hide behind my mom at the grocery store. Shy. Don't look at me, don't talk to me. Yeah. And now I'm, you know, stand on the stage every day. And so we change a little bit and I still have my rocks. We can be both. We can be both.

Wes: That's so great. So, so the [00:05:00] students, like they study the.

The micro, is that

Molly: what you call it? Mm-hmm. The micro

Wes: scanner? Yeah. Mm-hmm. Interesting. What's your

Molly: favorite? Oh, geology all the way. Geology all the way. Absolutely.

Wes: That's so cool. Okay, so walk us back through, where have you been? What is your teaching kind of career? Where'd you start? Where you now? Um, how long has it been, when, what have you seen, what have you done?

Molly: Uh, I'm the youngest of three. Okay. And was always the one being taught things and never had the opportunity to be the teacher. Okay. But I always knew, I always knew. I lined up all my stuff and taught them. Oh, you were,

Wes: you were that best

Molly: Math blessing. Yes.

Wes: Yes. Math back then. No.

Molly: Sure, sure. Okay. Two plus two.

It's always been, you have to know this Uhhuh and um, I grew up in a really small town. There were three elementary schools, one junior high and one high school. Wow. And so we [00:06:00] all was how old? This was in Summa Tunga in the San Fernando Valley. Wow, okay. So hour north. Yeah. And um, you know, we knew each other.

From the time we were in kindergarten to the time we graduated, everybody knew everybody's business. Yeah. And I needed to get out. I gotta go because everybody, um, went to Cal State Northridge. Okay. So I kind of took

Wes: a little more of a picture. What kind of music were you

Molly: into? Me? Yeah. Oh, goodness. Uh, I really love SC music.

Brega music. What kind of band? SC Band. Yeah. Oh. Um, like real big Fish. Okay. Less Than Jake. Yes. Uh, but, you know, I also love Rock too. I, I'm super into, you know, like Queen, like my, you know, classic rock was K Cute Krock. Yeah. Krock. I would go to almost acoustic. Yes, it was, I would go to almost acoustic Christmas.

[00:07:00] Every, every winter. Oh wow. Oh yeah. That was our thing. Um, but I took a leap of faith, went right to Cal State Fullerton and took two trains and a bus. What? Yeah. I commuted, no. Mm-hmm.

Wes: Wow. Commuted. What was that like?

Molly: Hell, that sounds like hours on it. Yeah, it was hours. But what's fascinating is my bus, bus number 26 would ride right by Ladera Vista every single day.

Okay. And I would think, oh man, it would be really amazing to teach there one day. No way. Yes, I would. What? Yes, I would. Wow. And I ended up begging my advisor, yeah. If I could student teach in junior high. Okay. And she said, if you could find two other people to do it with you, you can. And I did. Oh, wow. And I got placed at Ladera Vista.

Wow. And that's amazing. I never left. [00:08:00]

Wes: So you went from student teaching there at Cal State Fullerton to mm-hmm.

Molly: Right away finding, I got one job for one year at a private school. Okay. Cleared my credential. Yeah. And then in a very odd twist of fate, the law, long-term. Sub and slash student teacher for another teacher just bowed out from the job offer at the last minute.

Oh wow. And they called me. Wow. Said, I need you to come in tomorrow into a demo lesson. And I said, okay. Oh my. I'll be there. Oh

Wes: my gosh. That's

Molly: wild. It ist been an incredible, incredible story. I feel very grateful to be here. So

Wes: let's go. To Ladera Vista the first year. I think you told me when you walked in, we're talking about Irene Kim, who's somebody I reached out to.

You said you met her the year you started at Ladera Vista. Okay. So she has given us some quotes, some words about you, so I'm gonna dip into those. Um, so [00:09:00] she says you're. Passionate about teaching and education, and above all you're passionate about people. Mm-hmm. Tell me like, how, what does that distinction mean to you?

She says a little bit more, so I'm gonna add that after. But what do you, you care about people. You care about teaching, but above all, you're passionate about people. What does that mean? I

Molly: love people.

I love, I mean, you got a glimpse of when I walked into this building, I just,

Wes: yeah. You connected with Kelsey? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Immediately I

Molly: feel like,

Wes: oh, that's so different than the introvert you described. Yeah. I

Molly: told you people change.

Wes: Let's go to psychology here, or therapy. When did that change? Like do you know when you went from introvert to like.

I will gravitate to and connect with

Molly: people. I think my career as a server helped a little bit. Where you are forced, where'd you work? I worked at [00:10:00] Chevy's in Anaheim Hills. Okay. They're no longer in business. You had nothing to do with that? No, no, no. Nothing to do with that. Uh, okay. So being in there. Yeah.

I think when you're thrown to the wolves and are forced to confront that kind of fear of yours. That's right. You'd kind of slowly learn to interact with people and over time, and even as a teacher, you know, you're sit on the other side of tables, so the parents and. Yeah, you just come out of your shell or you don't, and I did.

And yeah, I feel like every conversation that I have with people makes me somehow a better teacher because I think about the things that they say and how that applies back to the classroom. Mm-hmm. This person sees the world this way. How can I foster that? In my [00:11:00] room.

Wes: So I'm gonna add a little bit more from Irene.

She says, more above all Molly's passionate about people. She sees all of you, if that makes sense and cares so deeply. This is displayed in her warm and kind nature and in her involvement with students. So it's interesting you were talking about the conversation is not just to get to point B. Whether you can learn about teaching from what those people, so is that, is that a valid connection to seeing all of you?

Or is there more, does she mean something else? How do you feel when she says, it seems so deep She sees all of you. I do.

Molly: I do. Well, and I, me and my husband laugh all the time because any trip for me, To the store takes hours. I don't know what, I don't mean to laugh. No, I don't know what it is. I don't know what it is because I don't ask for this either.

I don't mind [00:12:00] it. Yeah. And I grew to love it because at first is like, oh my God, someone stopped me and told me their whole life story. Wow. I don't know what it is. Wow. I don't know what it is. And I tell my cousin that too. And she's like, oh my gosh, my mom's the same way. Which is my aunt. Yeah. Like, they will just stop and say, and I say, oh, I'm a teacher.

And then they'll, they'll immediately dive in. Right. It's some weird like comfort thing, I guess. Yeah. That's awesome. And then we just strike up conversation and.

Wes: Four hours

Molly: later you go home. Yeah. With my bag of groceries. Yeah. And then my husband will say, would you learn about so-and-so today? And be like, oh my gosh.

They told me their whole life story. Like literal old life story.

Wes: Wow. How do you, because we, we also talked about you coming to the podcast studio on a field trip, and then you reminded me like, with six periods and 200 students, it's not the same as bringing a sixth grade class or [00:13:00] something like that.

When you're that kind of listener, how do you balance that with a room full of students who need your attention? Hmm. That's a really

Molly: good question. What's that feel like for you? That's hard, and I'm glad you recognized that because not everybody recognizes that that's very difficult, and there are days where you kind of do have to put the content to the side.

And you need to recognize that this student needs more of my attention than what the curriculum is worth. Hmm. Because this student is in dire straits. This student needs somebody to talk to. Right. And if they're in such desperation to. Speak in the middle of a classroom surrounded by their peers in junior high.

Yeah. [00:14:00] Yeah. You must recognize that that is a moment of vulnerability for a junior high boy. Yeah. Or a junior high girl. Right. Both are amazingly vulnerable positions to be in. Yeah. So not only do they feel. The safety to do that, but they feel the safety to do that with you. And so I think recognizing that and realizing that you have to capitalize on those moments, and maybe that's what Ms.

Kim meant by she sees people. Yeah. Yeah. You know, sometimes the day is more important with the person than with the material.

Wes: Yeah. I was just looking, one of the questions we asked is, um, bonus feedback, like anything else you want us to know? She said, there are so many great things to say about Molly. She is a truly great counselor and listener.

Um, and let's say we're not [00:15:00] talking about students, but peer to peer, like your relationship with Irene, what is. What's that balance of counselor and listener? Because you, you know, you usually associate counseling with giving advice or talking and listening with not talking. So like when you're with colleagues, what, well, first of all, does counselor does that fit?

Molly: I was just gonna say, please let me declare that I am not a licensed counselor. Because I was just

Wes: thinking, I was like, you're so, like you connected with Kelsey and all this, and you're. Kind of the the person you are connecting with people. I was like, I read that and I was like, oh, I wonder if you've ever thought about being a counselor.

And then it doesn't seem

Molly: like, no, I would never, ever take that on. I'm too emotional to take that on. Hmm. These are supposed to be just moments of passing. Hmm. Feel good moments in the time, and then I walk away. I don't wanna see you again in my office at a scheduled time. Right.

Wes: Got it. So [00:16:00] then back to the question about like just.

Being with colleagues and being counselor, listener, what is, does that, do you feel like Yeah, I do. I do counsel my

Molly: colleagues. I don't ever see, I don't look at my solly. Yeah. I don't see myself and I now, I'm, you're making me wonder, do people view me that way? Oh my God. Do people, you have something to talk about so people in their minds think, oh, I'm gonna go see Molly for this instead a thing.

Eh, I don't know. I don't know. I'm gonna have to ask Irene. Well, let me,

Wes: let me add this. She says, I always go to her to seek advice and feedback, even though I've been teaching longer than she has. Hmm. She is so knowledgeable beyond her young years. Nice. I also love that Molly acknowledges and celebrates all of the positives in your life.

Her words make you feel seen and important. She has a big heart and contagious laugh. Well, that's so nice. That was really I somebody say that about,

Molly: can you print that out? And [00:17:00] you that

Wes: definitely done send this to you. So she did say, Twice about making people feel seen. Yeah. That's great. That was really special.

Yeah. Uh, she does mention something else now that we're on Irene co-writing an article. Hmm. Is that, is that something recent or way back? Tell me about that.

Molly: Um, I'm currently in a doctoral program.

Wes: Okay. That came up several times in our, our research.

Molly: Yes. I, um, getting a doctorate in educational leadership.

Okay. Enjoying it. Oh, yes, yes. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Wes: That was one of the things, I think Bill Lynch, uh, pres de Vista said Genuine lifelong learner. Mm-hmm. So even in a, I associate doctorate programs with some half tos. Like, not always the things you wanted to learn, but you were gonna have to [00:18:00] do some things.

Mm-hmm. But genuine lifelong learning, even in the doctorate program. Oh, sure.

Molly: Okay. Yeah, definitely some things I like more than others. But What do you like about it? Um, I've never been more immersed in the world of education in my entire life. Even though it's something that I've always been studying, so to speak, I mean, even as a young girl, I would always just watch the teacher.

I never really spent, I know I never really spent so much time listening to what they were saying. I just kind of watched what they were doing. Oh my gosh. Mm-hmm. Wow. I've always wanted this. Yeah. And I just remember studying more of their style. Yeah. Than what they were actually saying. Do you

Wes: have a, a teacher that fascinated you or you thought they did something special?

Molly: Mm-hmm. Two. Yeah. Tell us about my kindergarten and my second grade teacher. You were studying kindergarten? Yes, I was. Tell me. Totally was. I know. I totally was. [00:19:00] What? I don't know. She just gracefully moved around the room and she had the most. Captivating stories and was so patient and was just, I mean, don't, don't I describe a kindergarten teacher right now.

That's great. And my second grade teacher, she, her room was like an immersive experience. Okay. She, the rainforest unit that we did, yeah. Was like living in the rainforest. Oh wow. And she had a parent come in and install misters in the room. What? Yes.

Wes: Okay. I just got, I know Michelles lucky. The pinks of it.

I know. She was, so when you're talking about immersive,

Molly: it was an immersive experience, but it We were all a part of it. Yeah. Except for the mystery. But, but every so often the room would start misting and we, as eight year olds were, it was magic. Yeah, it was magic. But she could [00:20:00] also like quilt her own quilts and she would bring them in and she would talk about them and Wow.

She just brought her soul into the room. And I remember thinking, I wanna be like her for, I wanna be like her. And so, Like I said, I, I watched my teachers more than listened to them, if that makes sense. Yeah. And so I carry a part of them Yeah. With me and each, each one I had, I just kind of picked up more and more and

Wes: more.

Yeah. So tell me, what do you think you would point out in your own classroom that reminds you of something from those teachers or something you've. Consciously tried to bring to your classroom either immersive experience or kindness or stories, or what do you think you're like, oh, this is kind of from that experience, and then the part B is like, what do you think you introduced in your classroom that maybe you hadn't ever seen?

It's just part of you that [00:21:00] you just, yeah, that's that. That's how you are not something you brought in from. Mm-hmm.

Molly: I think education has spent so much time parsing out the sage on the stage and guide on the side mantras that I think as teachers typically do, they teach as they were taught. And when I was a student it was very much, um, sage on the stage and.

I have kind of found, struck a really great balance of that. You know, there's nothing wrong with direct instruction. Mm-hmm. There is absolutely nothing wrong with direct instruction. And when your kids see you up there doing your thing, they either, I don't know, see you as an authority, or they see you as something else, and that's up to [00:22:00] you to decide.

Hmm. And to answer part two, that's kind of what I've brought. I've brought personality. Hmm. And so my teachers were just kind of the literal defined sage on the stage, like authoritarian. Like, you will listen to me and I demand your respect. I do remember those. Yeah, totally. And I think, you know, we learned from that and.

Realized it's relationships first. Mm-hmm. Before you can be that quote unquote sage on the stage. Yeah. You've gotta foster those relationships. Otherwise that direct instruction will fall on deaf ears. Right.

Wes: Yeah. Um, let me hop into another quote. Um, we're gonna shift bakes. Oh boy. Um, Somebody called you a force of nature.

Mm. Who [00:23:00] was

Molly: your husband? Absolutely. He did.

Wes: Tell me, what does that mean? What does that mean?

Molly: A force of nature. Oh, geez. Play

Wes: leaves, force of nature. She cannot be stopped. Mm-hmm. And I'm not just saying this as her husband, she's committed with her heart and soul to ensure the future of a free and public. A fair public education. That's right.

Molly: Yeah. Tell me about that. That's right. What else do you need to know?

I think he's spot on. I, I mean, listen, I took two trains and a bus. Yeah. To commute to Cal State Fullerton. That's right. Why? Because they were known for their teaching program. Yeah. I am committed to providing what he said, a free and fair education for all. Yeah. And I won't stop until we get that, cuz that's what we deserve.

In a democracy, that is what we deserve.

Wes: I love it. What does that look like in kind of your day-to-day? Where do you [00:24:00] find you're pushing that commitment? Maybe other people aren't feeling the same way, and you're like, no, we, we need X. What? What do you find that looking like

Molly: as the pedagogies? I value myself as the expert.

I earned the title. I went to school. I trusted the teachers who issued me the education. Yeah. I didn't just get this from Right. You know, the dark web. Right. I was trained by those that came before me. Yeah. Yeah. And I believe in the education that they provided me. Yeah. And you know, as. We also learned lifelong learning.

It hasn't gone away. Like I've continued my commitment to education and obviously with the doctorate. Yes, absolutely. And you know, with everything that I learned, I continue to practice. And when I feel like something is justified, I [00:25:00] will do it and I will be able to argue why it was justified. I don't just do things right because I was told to do something.

Oh, willing. Yeah, totally. And if I feel like it's best for my students, I will do it. Yeah. And I will justify it.

Wes: So let's tap into this. I think you're, is the dissertation or the doctorate studies around increasing the impact of technology in education, or is that something else? It is. So, okay, tell me

Molly: about that.

My dissertation is gonna focus around the, um, use of technology in the classroom. Okay. And the autonomy. That teachers have in terms of the integration of technology in the classroom. Okay. And so my study will focus on how much autonomy teachers have when technology is integrated into the classroom, and their feelings around the integration of technology in the classroom and where that is headed.

Yeah.

Wes: So as a [00:26:00] newbie, not having been in a. Um, that's actually, I was in a daco program. I just didn't finish that was for English. But do you have a free supposition, like where you think this is going or are you supposed to be like a documentarian, like I have no, my. I'm just recording.

Molly: Well, as a quality researcher, you're not supposed to have any bias.

Okay. Of course. And so if I, uh, vocalize my thoughts right now on this podcast, that could be harming the outcomes of my research. Okay.

Wes: No, uh, no decisions or judgments made ahead of time, but I

Molly: will follow up with you on the outcomes of my research. Okay. That sounds great.

Wes: That sounds great. Do you have a particular.

Uh, the way you like technology to play on your classroom? Is there something?

Molly: I like technology with a purpose. Okay. And if it could benefit or aid the curriculum, then absolutely. Yeah. But if you're just replacing [00:27:00] paper with a pad, a padlet, or a, I don't know, a Would it flip a clip? Yeah. Is that innovative?

Right? Or is it just a replacement? Right. Does that make sense? Sure. Um, so technology with a purpose, you know, there are some killer gizmos that we do in my classroom that we literally cannot do in my classroom with the materials that are given. Um, killer Gizmos is a new term. Oh, killer Gizmos is a new term.

Some amazing virtual labs. Okay. Uhhuh. So Gizmos is an online learning tool that my students use. Literally gizmos? Yeah, literally it's called Gizmos. Okay. Okay. Okay. And so they're online labs. Okay. And so given the limited supplies we have in an eighth grade classroom, of course technology is going to benefit us.

Right. However, if [00:28:00] we are just replacing pen and paper with an iPad, no. That's not benefiting my students. Right? Right, right. So again, it goes back to what's gonna benefit my kids. Yeah. That's

Wes: awesome. So do you have a, a, a killer gizmo? Like favorite the students, oh, they love this lab. What, like what does that look

Molly: like?

A good one. Ooh, there's a mystery powder gizmo. That's really good. Mystery. Yeah. Mystery powder. Okay. It's for chemistry. Yeah. And the students need to identify based on the molecular structure and the atoms, what the mystery powder is. Oh, it sounds like

Wes: something found at a crime scene. Yeah, sure. You have to figure out what what it is.

Yeah. That's more or less. Yeah. And there's a career

Molly: connection. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely.

Wes: Wow, that's awesome. Yeah, it's fun. Um, I'm gonna, That's an interesting goal. What should we, arts integration. I love arts integration. Okay. Because you're a science teacher. [00:29:00] So I, I thought maybe Bill Lynch had a typo here, but he says Molly has really been one of the leaders of aligning arts integration with academic curriculum.

So tell me about that. Well,

Molly: lathe to junior high school. The arts. The arts, okay. Mm-hmm. Uh, that has always been my forte, and again, that's how I was trained as a teacher. In the credential program at Cal State Fullerton, they gave us each an art journal exactly how we do at lv. Yeah. So I had my own heart journal as a credential student and gosh.

Wow. Hi. It's amazing. Yeah. And um, you know, I remember in my history class as a credential student, we had to make our own current events page and we used QR codes to link to the website where we found our source and we did a summary and that's, What I've carried into the classroom. That's cool. And so I plan on doing a marbled milk experiment tomorrow, actually, with my students.

Okay. Tell us about, what is that? So this is going to be a perfect [00:30:00] example of arts integration. We are going to do a lab called marbled milk. Okay.

Wes: It makes me think the milk is spoiled,

Molly: but keep Well, we will in fact be spoiling it. Oh, okay. All right. So a little bit of milk in the, in a tray. Maybe 11 by nine.

Yeah. And you put food coloring drops. Okay. And you dab a Q-tip in dish soap. Okay. And the soap mixes with the milk. Okay. The fatty acids in the milk. Okay. And it Chemistry? Yes. Chemistry. Okay. You immediately put it in the, um, drops of food coloring, and it makes a big burst of color. Mm. Big, big bur of color.

And then you take the Q-tip and you swirl it around and marble it. It's integration. I'm getting it. And then you take some watercolor paper. Oh my gosh. And you put it right on top, absorb [00:31:00] Uhhuh, and you pull it out and you have this beautiful marbled paper. Wow. And then we're gonna take our chemistry notes on the marbled paper.

Oh, what that is? Arts

Wes: integration. So you, wow, that's awesome. Like, I mean, Podcast listeners, there's no, there's no like, uh, none of that's in front of us. She just described it with words. I can picture it. Mm-hmm. And then I can imagine if I was a student and I did that, and you have to let it dry overnight.

Yeah. Overnight. Overnight. And then you're taking notes on it, and then the deep connection you have to the design on your paper, it's

Molly: yours. You've made it. That's cool. Wow.

Wes: That's cool. Okay. I, I confess I probably haven't, um, I don't have a deep, uh, reservoir of Arts integration. Um, this is something you work with, uh, with other teachers or how does, how do you come up with these ideas?

Are these just like you look for '

Molly: em, or, well, I think it takes a little bit of creative brain to [00:32:00] Okay. Just think I just am a creative. So it just comes up in my mind, no, God no, not this one. Dear God. No, God no. Not this one. But there are others that just kind of, yeah, pop into my head. I'm like, God, that's a good idea.

Care about it. Gonna do that thinking totally woohoo. That's great. And then we do others called Artist trading cards. I'm sure some listeners might, what's that? Artist trading cards? Yeah, they're just like baseball cards. Okay. So on the front you would have your. Concept as a visual. Okay. So let's say I was doing, oh goodness, Isaac Newton.

Okay. And you could put Isaac Newton as a, you know, profile picture. Right. And then on the back you could outline Newton's laws of motion. Okay. In great detail. Yeah. As a little trading card. Yeah. And then you literally have the students trade them. So students are

Wes: actually making these cards. Mm-hmm. [00:33:00] And then they trade them.

Mm-hmm. That's great. I totally could see

Molly: that. And it lends itself well to any content, any age, any Oh yeah. No, it's wonderful.

Wes: Yeah. Yeah. So it's art, arts and greens integration. You can get in school people. Yeah, it's

Molly: cool. Amazing. It's amazing. That's

Wes: good. It seems like you would tap into something for a lot of students who don't just naturally.

Absolutely. Low. Mm-hmm. Chemistry, let's say. Absolutely. But then the art mm-hmm. Is like a doorway.

Right.

Molly: For them it's whole brain learning. Yeah. It's right and left brain. Yeah. Mm-hmm. That's cool. Well, and what's amazing too about the marbled milk is it's not actually your artistic talent. Right. It's whatever comes on the page.

Yeah. Is your artwork by virtue

Wes: of the science Exactly. Like the science? Exactly. Helping that art. Yes. That

Molly: pattern. Right. And so you often get students that are a little gun shy when you introduce arts. Like, Ooh, I'm not a good [00:34:00] artist draw. But when you introduce concepts like this, they're safe. Yeah. So a couple weeks ago we made bristle bots.

Cut the head of, we, we cut the head of a toothbrush off. Okay. Attached a motor on it, hooked it up to a battery for circuits. Okay. And we put paint down on paper and we let our bristle bot run through the paint. Yeah. And then it, it, the bot painted a picture for us. Right. Our bots painted a picture for us.

And that there's your art integration right there. Yeah. And so it kind of, um, protects the gun shy kids from Right. You know, like, I'm not gonna making mis their little artistic mistakes. Yeah. And you build their confidence up from there. Yeah.

Wes: How do, how do you begin making mistakes? I just thought about sometimes on the podcast we talk about taking risks.

Like how do you feel about making mistakes in teaching or just in [00:35:00] general, like, are you a perfectionist type personality? Are you more like, Easy come. Easy go. I'll learn tomorrow. What's your personality

Molly: like? Oh, little perfectionist through, yeah, absolutely. How's that play out in the class? Classroom? In the classroom?

I think you have to let a lot go in junior high, and I think that actually might be one of the reasons that I love it, is it's a challenge to me. Yeah. You know? And you don't ever think of, uh, like kids being so. Cognitively challenging, but emotionally and physically Challenging, yes, but cognitively challenging.

Absolutely. Because there is, there are issues that come up and you really have to think, Ooh, I've gotta tread this lightly because this student. Will react this way. Right? But this student will react this way. Right? So you kind of need to meditate [00:36:00] on it a little bit and think it's a co junior high is a cognitive challenge, as I'm sure some grades, I've never taught anything but junior high, but I'm sure maybe kindergarten would have the same kinds of cognitive challenges.

First grade, I'm sure they all do to their own

Wes: degree by associate Junior High with. Student like getting disengaged from school. Mm-hmm. And that might look like testing the boundaries, like not willing to accept authority. Mm-hmm. Like maybe younger students are more compliant.

Molly: Right. But they all do that in such different days.

Yeah. That it's not predictable. Yeah. And

Wes: then you're trying to figure out right, what's the best path forward?

Molly: Right. When my job is improv every. I come in and I have to improv every day. Yeah. It's fun. It's fun. It's talk about fun.

Wes: I love it. That's great. Where, where do you see what's next? What are you excited about?

What's coming up this year, [00:37:00] whatever, next year with a doctor?

Molly: Mm-hmm. I have a final exam in two weeks for my last class of the program. Oh, wow. And then I will be all but dissertation. A, B, D. Okay. One year left. And my ultimate goal is to teach future teachers. I would love to teach. Yeah. In a credential program.

Yeah. I could see it.

Wes: I could see it. Mm-hmm.

Molly: Yeah. I would love to maybe dabble in a little bit of policy ed policy. Yeah. I think, you know, having a teacher with a seat at the table would benefit. Yeah. You know, the entire system cuz teacher voice is lost in the sea of politics and. We've got to make a change here with that.

Wes: Yeah. That's very cool. Mm-hmm. Ha. Have you had opportunities like that along the policy lines? What do, what does that look like? Where do you get to play in

Molly: that space? Yes. Um, I am working on [00:38:00] that as, as I go. Uh, I just had the privilege of presenting at the United Nations actually. Okay. Say more. Yeah. I, uh, of, in November did an hour workshop with some colleagues on, uh, internet governance in K to 12 systems.

Yeah. And how to protect the safety and security and digital privacies of children. Yeah. As it pertains to, um, Using technology in schools. Yeah. And affording more governance and support in that regard. And so this was, um, on Zoom obviously, uh, but hosted in Ethiopia. Okay. And so it was a global effort.

Yeah. That brought together the global north, in the global south. What was the expert? Oh my God. It was a 1:00 AM [00:39:00] presentation because it, I got this house in Ethiopia. But I just, you know, I have to pinch myself and, and constantly remind myself that this is really happening. And you know, as my husband says, she's a force of nature.

Yeah. And you're doing it. I'm doing it. And in a cool, you know, in a couple months I'll be presenting with, uh, democracy and technology on a sim similar topic. Oh,

Wes: that's, that's cool. Mm-hmm. Wow. That's exciting. It is. Yeah. Wow. That's cool. What, um, let me ask you, ooh, here's, here's a fun question I've never asked anybody.

Ooh. Um, but one of my favorite podcasts or interviewers, um, ask this question like, if you could put a message on a billboard that you just think most people like on the side of the freeway, they drive by and they had a chance to read your message to the [00:40:00] world. What's something you think people should know or think about or meditate on?

Wow. Anything. Yeah. You've been to the United Nations. There's your life billboard.

Molly: It has to be something about education.

Wes: Okay. Yeah. Think out

Molly: loud. Just yeah. And has to be something about education. That's my, that's my mission in life. Yeah. Um. I really believe that education needs to be kept free and fair and public.

Hmm. And accessible to everybody. Yeah, and free from corruption, free from harm to form, and [00:41:00] protect the future of democracy.

Wes: Yeah. That's powerful.

Mm-hmm.

Molly: That's powerful. So I would summarize that in a very brief message.

Wes: I think we can get on the billboard. Education needs to be free, fair, accessible, and protective.

Something like that.

Molly: But it has to include the word democracy. Yeah. Yeah. That has to be on there. Yeah. That's super. Something a lot that, that's my message. Yeah. And

Wes: I feel like a lot of teachers that resonates with teachers. I, I feel like a lot of us feel public, like we're serving the public. Mm-hmm. I don't know that I've ever really talked with a teacher who's like, worn in on their sleeve like you do.

And I think that's beautiful. Thank you. Yeah. That's cool. Thank you. Uh, let me look at our timer here. I know we're, [00:42:00] Oh yeah, it's time. It's time. We're over time. Oh my gosh. Um, but this has been great. Thank you so much for coming in me and taking part in sharing your journey

Molly: with us. Thank you so much for having me.

That was really fun.

Wes: This has been the Teacher Interview podcast. Thank you for joining us.

Wes: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Teacher Interview podcast.

I'm your host, Wes Creel. I work as Director of Innovation and Instructional support in Fullerton School District, and we are now in season four of the podcast where we get to know teachers better. Our themes this season, our passion, drive and determination. Join me today. We spend time with Nikki Mahar.

She teaches fifth grade at Fisler School in Fullerton.

We're live. Uh, Nikki, thank you so much for st uh, joining us here in the studio. And I know you had mentioned you were just, uh, listening to some of the other podcasts, uh, before coming in here. Uh, but this episode is unique. It's gonna be totally different than the ones you've heard cuz it's about you.

And I know we're gonna talk about [00:01:00] surfing. Okay. And we heard from some people that you also have something that you do in terms of service Yes. With surfing. And so we're gonna get into all that. Uh, but first let's just jump in and listen to you tell us a little bit about your journey into teaching.

What has that been like? Tell us about Yeah. Where you've been, where you've taught.

Nikki: I, I, this is my 22nd year. Wow. So my 17th in Fullerton. I started out in Long Beach. Okay. Um, and let me preface that by saying I started teaching when I was five, so I'm only 27 right now. Um, and, uh, I did my first five years in Long Beach and then bought a house in Chino Hills and was not gonna make that commute and interviewed understandable in a bunch of different spots.

And, um, got an interview with Jackie Pierce at Fisler. And, uh, i, it, the idea of. Having that much technology was amazing. Right. To me. Yeah. Uh, coming from a [00:02:00] district, you know, in a school we had a computer lab with the Big Mac computers. Yeah. You know, kids had to share and you got to go once a week for 45 minutes, you know?

Um, and then we had Alpha Smarts for typing everything. Right. You know? Yeah. So I took the job and. The rest is, as they say,

Wes: history. When you first started, what, what is something you remembered about the laptop

Nikki: and the technology? Oh, gosh. The first year I, the, the kids had to teach me, I mean, really, I, I had really, honestly, personally, had been a PC user, you know, windows Right, right.

User in my personal life. Although the transition to Mac was very easy, it was like, why would anybody ever use. Windows max are just drag and drop and yeah. Um, but the first year, really, I taught third grade then. Okay. So I've taught third, fourth, and fifth. Most of my careers been fourth and fifth. Okay.

And the third graders, you know, they were teaching me pages and they were teaching me iMovie and they were teaching me keynote, you know, um, because the summer training [00:03:00] that you do as a new teacher, and it just wasn't gonna cut it at least what they had back then. So I just remember being in awe of what eight year olds could do.

Yeah. On computers. And that was really back before all the kids had smartphones. It was back before. Yeah. You know, actually I don't even think we had smartphones. I started in oh six. Mm-hmm. And I think I got my first smartphone in like 2010, nine or 2010. Yeah. So they already knew so much. What's

Wes: your favorite student experience or project that you've used technology

Nikki: for?

Um, gosh, gonna ask me to pick 22 years. This is a long time to think. Or 17. Um. Well, I love and I have used this in a variety of ways. Yeah. I love when the kids have a little bit of choice for some sort of like research. So I've done this with animal adaptations and I've also done this with like Native Americans, and I think I actually told you one time before about my map, my map link project.

Yeah. Where they like. [00:04:00] They did a map, uh, colored like regions of Native American regions in the US by hand on a map, and then we scanned them all in. Yeah. And then they digitally added little icons to the map and the icons were, they made them clickable links. Yeah. To. Um, files in their Google Drive. Yeah.

You know, folders. And it was like either a video or a slide deck or a little, um, you know, animation or it might have been, you know, a two page, kind of like a feature article or a report on something like the canoes that the Chumash made, or you know, the baskets that the, the Paiute made or whatever it was.

Yeah. And so users could go to a map and click a link and learn about that, that. Thing. That special thing about that tribe. Yeah. That lived in that area. So, so

Wes: layers of creativity. So the things they're linking to, they also made, right. So they also made those

Nikki: artifacts. Yes. Yeah. And then they're picking what [00:05:00] they're researching about.

So my only criteria for that is choose something that is kind of unique about a tribe. Um, you know, all the tribes. Ate food. You know, a tribe fishing is not that unique, but like, the importance of salmon for the Yurok tribe is like, that is like it's life or death. If they don't have salmon or the, the, the, I'm gonna say this wrong, the cling tribe, you know, the Pacific Northwest Coast totem poles, like they're, that's very unique for the tribes in that area.

So, you know, they got to pick the thing they focused on and then they got to choose how they were gonna share. What they

Wes: learned. That's awesome. That is such a great example. Too much to

Nikki: choose from cuz there's been so much over the years that feel like I can not only hit a ton of academic standards, but the technology component and then just life skills, you know, interviewing somebody or um, even just coming up with questions to interview someone like what, you know, we're doing right here.

You know, teaching them to do that kind of thing. Yeah. And actually speak to people and not [00:06:00] text. Yeah. Or email.

Wes: And that actually brings us to a quote, and this is from Ryan, your, your husband. And he said Nikki is unafraid to try and fail. So what is something that you remember in the classroom giving, uh, an effort or something you weren't completely sure you were gonna be successful at ahead of time?

What's an example you can think of that? How's that? Quote,

Nikki: apply to. Yeah. I mean, I'm sure that there's definitely been some epic failures. I mean, maybe not complete failures, but like, oh, that didn't turn out quite how I thought that was gonna go. Right. Okay. But, um, maybe even better in some cases, but definitely not.

Not what I thought it was gonna be. Um, oh gosh. And we might need to circle back to that one. That's no worries. That's a hard one. But that, that was nice of him to

Wes: say. What, what, what's a piece of advice you might give to a new teacher who's, uh, thinking about trying something new?

Nikki: Exactly. That be unafraid to fail.

Like, you're gonna fail. You're gonna fail, but, Failure's [00:07:00] subjective too. You know, like, and I tell this to my kids all the time, you know, there's that acronym, first attempt in learning. And any failure, you're, there's still learning happening. You're learning what not to do, or a step that needs to be added in, or I need to change the pacing of this a little bit, or, oh, I've gotta teach them.

This step and this step before I jump to that, or you know, oh, we need, we just, we need this little piece before we can go there. So it's, it's all learning. And here's the thing, I get to start over fresh every August and sorry kids, that, that didn't work with you, it's gonna be better next year for the next year's kids.

So

Wes: let's take that topic or that question about risking and trying something new and not being afraid to fail and, and turn it towards like working with colleagues or working with the staff. What have you seen over your years of being in education that is a, a strategy or a way forward in trying to.

Build, uh, that capacity in a [00:08:00] staff to be unafraid

Nikki: to fail. I mean, I just think vulnerability, you know, and, and just being able to say, you know, Hey, I, I had an epic fail this week. I did this, and it completely, it completely flopped. Or, which I'm not afraid to do because the judgment doesn't scare me. You know, I know in myself, you know, my motives and.

And what I put into something and, and the success of something that I do is not a measure of my effort or my passion or how much I care. It's just sometimes circumstances. So it's kind of hard for me to understand and empathize with people that are afraid of, of be so afraid of being judged, that they're afraid of being vulnerable.

Cuz I really wear my heart on my sleeve about pretty much everything. You know, so I, I would just say like it's gotta start at your grade level and your PLCs, but I think too, like your, at your school site and your administration is a big part of that, you know? Yeah. Celebrating not only successes, [00:09:00] but I.

Failures that turned into learning experiences.

Wes: Yeah, there's a great place to include a quote from Julian Lee, and she said this about you and I connected it to that, uh, vulnerability or risk taking annually. Nikki volunteered for the Teacher Talent Show. Again, this from Dr. Julian Lee. She didn't hesitate to put herself out there for the community and to raise funds for the site.

Fond memories of time spent with Nikki include talent show rehearsals and being. Silly during the performances that include dancing. Tell me about that quote from Julian Lee.

Nikki: She's probably looking at, gosh, I don't know why Nikki volunteered for this. She's terrible at it, but she did it anyways. I cannot, I can dance like to like nineties hip hop, you know, music all day long, like at, you know, out with my friends, you know, at a, at a club or at a wedding or at a.

At a high school reunion, but Right, like choreographed dance, I'm terrible at it. I tried out for the drill team in ninth grade, [00:10:00] only knowing probably the first 25% of the routine. And of course I didn't make it. I mean, they were like, they laughed me out of that place, but I put myself out there like, Hey, this is all I know, but I can learn it if you gimme six more months.

So choreographed stuff I'm actually terrible at. And so she's probably, that's probably a, um, a little bit of a, a, you know, an earmark of that is that, you know, I may not necessarily be perfect at it. I may not really know what I'm doing, but I'm gonna have fun with it and roll with it. And if it brings some laughs then hey, it still sells tickets, I guess.

Wes: So are there, um, videos of this, uh, talent show that exist? Yes.

Nikki: Yes. In fact, there's one called Dancing Granny's. We actually did it two years. We brought it back after like five years. I think I've heard of this one and we, I mean, it's been done by other people, but, but what did it look like at

Wes: Fisler? Just

Nikki: walk us through it.

Like what? Uh, we're playing bingo, quote unquote, you know, [00:11:00] on the stage. And our activities. Director, Uhhuh, I was in a wheelchair for one of 'em, and she like wheeled me on. We're all in these like, old lady dresses and wigs and glasses with the, like, the beaded, you know, things that you, you know, to keep them around your neck.

Yeah. And that she leaves and says, okay, you know, I'll be back after bingo. And then we have a boom box and we turn the boom box on and everybody kind of gets up and starts dancing. Dancing. It's like their own, like a. Single or a duet or, and you know what's really funny about that is that there's quite a few principles in Fullerton that were not principals at the time.

Tracy Rina, Hannah Lim, right? That have been in the Dancing Granny's Act. Right?

Wes: That's awesome. Yes, they were lots of fun. So that, so the whole purpose is selling tickets, right? Yes. You're doing something that people are going to. Enjoy talk about. Yes. And it's really, it's really just to benefit the school.

Yeah. Like being vulnerable just to, to support

Nikki: students. Right. And I don't, that's amazing. I think we stopped calling it the teacher talent show. Okay. For some obvious reasons. Some teachers are [00:12:00] very talented and they could play the guitar and sing beautifully. We started calling it the Teacher Variety show.

Okay. Nice.

Wes: Yes. That's a nice switch. That's great. I love that. Uh, Julianne put that, um, Put that in there, especially the dancing. Uh, that's a great memory. Um, okay, so she also says that you have a, um, nickname for her.

Nikki: Yes. I, what is that? Mm-hmm. I call her own knee, which is Korean for older sister. Okay. So in Korean, you know, I just say sister to my siblings, but in Korean it's older sister, younger sister, and they're different words.

So when she was ing going on now? Yes. She's a few years older than me, so I'm 27, she's 30. Okay. Um, Yeah, she's a few years older than me. So when she taught at Fisler, she taught sixth grade. Yeah. And I taught either fourth or fifth. And I, I actually, um, I've had both of her girls in my class. Oh. Her younger daughter was in my homeroom.

Her older daughter was, uh, in my room for a part of the, the day during a fifth grade rotation. So I knew her as a parent. I knew her [00:13:00] as a colleague anywhere as a friend. And it's just, it's a little rib that's, it's a little rib. That's great. But I still call her that to this day. I

Wes: like it. I'm gonna go to a quote from, uh, Kim Benra, principal at Fisler now, um, because it's related to that vulnerability and just being, you know, putting yourself out there for the community.

Um, the first her response, her first thing she said about you is Nikki is passionate about helping others in service. Just those, that's like seven words, right? 6, 7, 8 words. What do you, when you hear that, that somebody says that about you, you're passionate about helping others in service, what do you think of?

Nikki: I mean, first of all, it, I have a lot of pride in that kind of, my eyes are getting kind of watery over here. Um, I mean, I think, I think about, you know, students and families at Fisler and then also, you know, things outside of Fisler that I do that, um, you know, I, I [00:14:00] do that are related to my passions related to education in some ways.

Yeah. Tell

Wes: us this is a perfect

Nikki: opportunity. Yeah. So well, like, so educationally at Fisler, um, I've been a student council, lead advisor at Fisler School. I actually brought student council to the school. Mm. Um, I came. In year three third is this leadership? No, it's different. It's different. Okay. Yeah. So leadership existed in middle school, but there was nothing in the K five.

Got it. Got it. And I had done student council in Long Beach at the school that I was at. And so, um, you know, Fisler was only three years old when I came, so it was, you know, it was pretty new and they didn't have this, you know, this program. And so I, I wanted to start it. And with Jackie Pierce's blessing, I started it and it started off really small, just kind of like, you know, what can we do to, to.

To to change the school. To improve the school. And it was, we would make posters and we would adopt another classroom and do announcements. And it was really basic stuff. And over the years it's evolved. And so like this year for the first time ever, we have something [00:15:00] called a kindness squad. Hmm. So it's our third, fourth, and fifth grade representatives.

Okay. Two per class. Okay. Um, so we have three third grade, three fourth grade, and three fifth grade classrooms. Yeah. So it's 18 kids. Yeah. Um, and, uh, I created this, this kind of squad. I just wanted to spread. Kindness. It's just something I feel is important Yeah. In our world to do. And so, um, we do a lot of different things.

We do kindness to our campus and to our earth. So we have this, the, um, stewards of the Earth program where our kids volunteer at their lunch to pick up. Trash. Oh, great. At the lunch tables? Yeah. Yeah. Um, or at recess. And then we have our student spotlight where students, um, any adult on campus can nominate a student for the Kindness Squad.

Oh, okay. And then student council, um, I put all of the, um, nominees, I take the names and the genders out. Yeah. And so I put he, she and exes for names. Yeah. And so the student council kids have no idea who these kids are. Right. And they just listen to the story that the teacher or the adult [00:16:00] told about that child.

Yeah. And then we vote. And so we had a winner in December and we just today surprised our January winner. Oh. With a little goody bag and a certificate. And we have the, those little rubber bracelets. Yeah, we have several colors. And so January was light blue. Yeah. So they got a kindness squad bracelet. Oh, that's great.

And we have bright pink shirt. So we do a Wednesday wave every morning we're out there and our pink shirt's waiting. Hello to people coming on campus. I bet you that's a hit. So it is. So a lot of parents are kind of funny though. They drive it and they kind of like don't wanna, they kinda wanna like look away.

Like, what? Why are they waving to me? But I think they're starting to get that we're just out there to say hi and bring a smile to your face. Yeah. So, and that

Wes: was actually mentioned by, um, Kim Benra. So I'm, I'm just gonna read the, her, um, info about that. After Covid, our elementary school student council took a pause, and then you took that on this year and created a wonderful leadership program for our students.

Not only restarting the program, but creating a focus for the students of being, um, stewards of leadership for our campus. She has a [00:17:00] kindness squad and created a kindness recognition. Yeah. So that's, that's

Nikki: awesome. Yeah. It's, it's, that's so good. It's fun. It's, it's cool. Yeah. Kids are into it.

Wes: Yeah. Uh, tell me about, you sort of hinted at things outside the school.

What, tell me about the surfing. Tell me about these, the ways you serve. Yeah. In there.

Nikki: So I actually, um, My best friend is the executive director of an organization called Adaptive Freedom Foundation. Okay. And it started in Hawaii and she brought it over here and asked for my help. And what it is, is we have paddleboards that are adapted with, they have wheelchairs on them.

Hmm. And they're, they're outfitted like the outriggers in Hawaii with like the aka the Ikos and the Alma to balance it, you know? Yeah. Cuz obviously putting a wheelchair on a regular. Up it, it's probably gonna tip over. Yeah. So we have these, these, um, als they're called to balance them. And, um, I mean, we can put up to 500 pounds [00:18:00] on our boards Wow.

And take people with all kinds of disabilities. Um, we can put people on their own, in their own wheelchairs, on to our paddle boards and secure them. And we go paddle boarding and I mean, we're not taking like, you know, eight foot waves on the north side of Huntington here. Right, right. We're in in harbors.

Yeah. Like Dana Point has a beach called Baby Beach. Yeah. And there's, it's in the harbor. Yeah. There's no waves. Right. Um, or we'll do, um, mother's Beach over in Long Beach. Nice. Um, and so I got involved with that. Yeah. And that really opened up my heart to people with disabilities. Mm-hmm. You know, I'm a regular ed teacher.

I'm not a special education teacher. Um, And of course I've, I've had kids in my class that have, that have varying, you know, special needs Yeah. And things like that. But the severity of some of the physical disabilities that some of these par and a lot of 'em are parents bringing their children mm-hmm.

And being an educator. Right. You know, these kids would come Yeah. To paddleboard with us. Yeah. And just. Tear my heart wide [00:19:00] open. And so that got me involved in just more adaptive sports for, for people with physical and mental, you know, disabilities. Um, I volunteered with an organization called Operations Surf for a few years.

They no longer have events happening down here in Huntington Beach. Covid kind of, kind of killed them and we lost our event director, but, um, it was for veterans. Mm-hmm. Wounded Military from Afghanistan and Iraq. And

Wes: I think I've seen pictures of, yeah. Of this. So, yeah. Tell me, how does that work? Uh,

Nikki: so it's, it's all volunteer led.

Mm-hmm. And it's, there's an application process for the participants and they have to have served in Afghanistan or Iraq. Mm-hmm. Um, and have some sort of, um, either PTSD or physical, you know, injury. And, you know, we've had participants that were blind, um, missing up to three limbs. Um, Deaf because of, you know, IEDs and things.

Mm-hmm. You know? Right. Exploding near them. Um, there was a guy that came with us that, uh, his shoot didn't work. Mm-hmm. [00:20:00] Uh, when he was in the, in the, uh, air Force and he had to eject and, and his shoot didn't work the way it should have. Mm-hmm. And so he had, we had a lot of traumatic brain injuries, people that suffered with that, and the volunteers along with instructors who were also volunteers for a week during this program every day.

Wow. In Huntington Beach. Yeah. From eight o'clock to four o'clock, we were out in the water and I became the shoreline safety uh, leader. Yeah. So I was on the shoreline coordinating. So when they would come in, You know, we would help them get safely off their board if they needed a wheelchair. We'd get the beach wheelchairs over to them, help transport them into that, you know, get them back down to paddle back out under the, the channel that's created under the pier and kind of an easier paddle.

Yeah. Um, sit and have lunch with them. We would do debriefs at night. It was just, it was amazing. Yeah. Tell me

Wes: about the debriefs. What were some of the things that stood out to you when people talk afterwards about the experience?

Nikki: Well, I think the biggest thing that resonated [00:21:00] is just how literally some of these men and women.

Prior to surfing and like the healing of the ocean were like, wanted to commit suicide. I mean, they share. Wow. There's actually a documentary on Netflix called Resurface. It's all about Operation Surf. It's amazing. Wow. And they can tell the story way better than I can. But, um, Martin, one of the guy that's uh, that's interviewed in there is, has become a very close friend of mine.

He lost three limbs serving with the British Royal Navy, um, both legs and one arm. And. Lives in Cornwall, England. So, you know, he knew of surfing and it had gone out as a kid, but wouldn't really have called himself a surfer. And he got involved with operations surf and now he's a surfer. And it literally has saved his life and it helps his mental health and, you know, um, just so many I could, countless stories of, of men and women that I've met.

Wow. That say like, surfing changed my life. Yeah. The ocean is so healing. Yeah. And it, it. It changes and transforms their [00:22:00] outlook. And you

Wes: surf? I do. So there's the service and you're connected to that. Maybe first because of surfing, but just for you. Tell me, like when, how old were you when you learned to surf and mm-hmm.

I was 16. Okay.

Nikki: What was that like? Um, I, it was super unexpected. I was not really a beach kid. I was raised by a single mom. She wasn't really into the beach. I, I remember taking the bus with some friends down to like boogie board once, right. My dad was not a beach person. Like I really didn't. Spend much time at the beach.

But I got my car when I graduated high school. Uhhuh? Uh, I was only 16. I got my first car. Wow. I did turn 17 in August after graduation. Got my first car, got out my Thomas guide. I'm aging myself a little bit. Yeah,

Wes: it's okay.

Nikki: I know what you're talking about. Mapped myself to the Huntington Beach Pier. Took a book and a.

A beach towel and just went down to, to Reed and I met three girls that surfed, and I was like, okay, I gotta do this. This looks so fun. And so I met [00:23:00] them the next day back down there. Nice. Okay. One of them is Amy, the director of Adaptive Freedom Foundation. We're still friends to this day. Wow. Yes. Wow. So she taught me how to surf.

Oh, awesome. Well, she taught me. I don't know that I actually really, really knew how to surf for about the first 10 years I surfed. I just kind of bobbed around out there and Yeah, did a lot of paddling and a lot of falling. Yeah, I didn't really start to get. Decent at surfing or fair until I started longboarding.

Mm-hmm. And that actually didn't happen until I met my husband. Oh, wow. Um, which was about 14 years ago. Yeah. And I transitioned from a shortboard to a longboard. Yeah. And it, it was a better fit for me. It's just more cruising. Yeah. And more mellow. And which is a little bit easier when you, as you get a little older too.

Yeah.

Wes: That's awesome. Yeah. What d does your husband surf? Yes. Is that Yes. Did you meet surfing

Nikki: or No, Amy actually introduced us. Okay. My best friend, um, actually kind of introduced us through Facebook, um, because he was a surfer and would be somebody that I could [00:24:00] hang out with and had some things in common with.

Yes. So surfing was a, was a, a common thread that kind of, you know, binded us a little bit. Yeah.

Wes: So another, um, so your husband, Ryan, he commented about you being passionate about volunteer work. Uh, he mentions drains to Ocean. Yes.

Nikki: What is that? Yeah, that's a, actually it's a, a new organization I'm sitting on the board of.

Okay. I'm vice president. It's a, have you heard of Surf Rider? Yeah, it's similar Surfrider. Um, we are focused on, uh, education and, which is what I love, um, and. Making sure that we're educating people about how to minimize pollution and to organize clean up events, not just at the beach, but mm-hmm. You know, watersheds right in your own parking lot at the beach, at the park, at the lake, whatever.

Yeah. Um, To, uh, help it avoid draining to the ocean. Right? Yeah. So that's awesome. Yeah.

Wes: That's awesome. How, how much [00:25:00] of this, um, or how does, how do these volunteer service opportunities that you do outside school, how do they trickle in to the classroom? Like, are students aware of these things? Yes. Do you bring them in?

What, what do you, what is students? How do they react when they find out that you're doing these other things? Because sometimes students think you live

Nikki: in and sleep and eat, drink, you know? Yeah. If you ever, everything happens at school and you don't have a home outside of your classroom. Yeah. Yeah.

What's their reaction? I think they think it's cool. Yeah. They, um, and some of them actually, like I, I've had kids wanna do beach cleanups with me and I actually do try to do a beach day with my kids on a Saturday during the school year with their families. Um, So they know we have a beach themed craft.

Like they know there's no, no hi. They know I'm a surfer. They know I love the beach. But where it comes into the classroom is, you know, like education about reducing, reusing, recycling, you know, that weaves into the classroom and in into student council, you know, through the school. We had a [00:26:00] water bottle recycling program for a couple of years, um, pre covid, where we actually had containers all around campus for kids to put their single use.

Plastic water bottles in, and then student council would recycle them and we would donate half and then have a little party with half to celebrate. That's awesome. Yeah. That's awesome. So, and I've had, um, zoom calls or, you know, FaceTime calls, Skype calls, uh, with some veterans, with some friends of mine.

Um, and they have disabilities. Yeah. Yeah. And a lot of times the kids, they're not used to. Being around a lot of people that have a lot of physical disabilities. You know, we don't, we don't have a special ed program at Fisler school like they do at some of our other campuses. So we don't have, you know, a a, a population of students that are wheelchair bound or that, you know, have noticeable physical disabilities and, um, I think it's so important for them to be exposed.

Mm-hmm. To, yeah. [00:27:00] Amputees or to people that are blind or to, you know, individuals who might have trouble processing cuz they have a traumatic brain injury. And so I call on my friends and I ask them to, to. Do these video calls with my class. Yeah. And the kids, I tell the kids a little bit about them and so that they can come up with some questions mm-hmm.

That they wanna ask. I I vet the questions Yeah. A little bit. Um, and then, um, we do these interviews and the kids are always, they talk about it for the rest of the year after that happens. Yeah. They talk about, you know, they'll ask, how is Derek, or how is Martin, or how, you know, whoever by name. Yeah. And ask how they're doing.

And, and they get, that's great. There's a vested interest in it. That's great.

Wes: There's a not, I don't know if it's a word, but a sense as we're having this conversation, like a lot of my conversations on the podcast are kind of about classroom, classroom, classroom, and then. And I also have this hobby, but there, there seems to be a more like holistic or integral kind of sense of like, these things kind of [00:28:00] seep into your, your classroom.

Your students know about 'em. I knew about 'em. Um, I think Dr. Bob was a, a fan of your work with the surfing. Yeah.

Nikki: He came to Operation Surf one year. Oh, did him? Hilda Sugarman, yeah.

Wes: Oh my gosh. Yeah. Yeah. So, It seems like there's just a sense of this is who you are and it, and it's a, it's a part of your, your personal life, but also your, your work life.

Yeah. Which leads me to another quote, um, and this, I don't think we've heard from Vanessa yet. So this is Vanessa Sanchez and she talks about, um, you going above and beyond at Fisler to, um, make, uh, being there an enjoyable experience for all. But then she mentions the social committee. Which is, oh yeah.

What

Nikki: is that? That's new for me this year. Um, we've always had it, but a couple, well, the teacher that was in charge of it for years, retired a couple of years ago, and then, uh, the teachers that had taken it on were like, This is crazy. I can't, it's, you know, they have new babies and it just, it's just too [00:29:00] much.

And so I was like, oh, I guess I'll try it. Um, so it's just, you know, we organize, like if somebody loses a, a family member mm-hmm. Will, will, um, you know, send flowers on a card or, um, we do like special, like our next event that we have, we're gonna have, um, On national tortilla chip day. Okay. We're having a salsa contest.

Ooh. Like a salsa. I like it. Recipe. You know? Yeah. Not like dancing salsa. We've already, we're not gonna do the salsa dancing. I'm not gonna be able to learn those steps. Um, and then we, we'll have a potato bar, you know. Oh, that's great. And, and things that they've done in the past. Like on Friday, the, the teachers that were in charge before would go get french fries from McDonald's, and they were just in the lounge for the teachers on, on their lunch hour.

So just kind of just bringing some jovial, yeah. You know, fun and, and trying to help with like the bonding. Yeah. You know, on campus. That's

Wes: great. Yeah. That's fabulous. It's fun. I'm not counting the number of committees and councils that you're involved with, but it's.

Nikki: I have a hard time saying No, Wes. It's a lot.

Okay. [00:30:00]

Wes: Well that, I mean, that's, that's, that's fair. Uh, do you wanna say anything about that? Is that something you've always known about

Nikki: yourself or, yes. Okay. Um, I, I've gotten a lot better. I don't say yes to the things I really don't wanna do. So the things that I'm doing really are the things that I want to do.

Yeah. You know, and the things that I believe. Will either help me to grow as an individual or as an educator. Um, or that I feel I can bring something to the, you know, I can bring something to it, you know? Mm-hmm. Um, so, you know, when I say yes, it's, it's because it's what I wanna do. So I, I don't begrudgingly say yes to things, the things I don't wanna do, I, I will happily say no to.

Yeah.

Wes: That's, that's awesome. So, when, when, uh, there was an opportunity to go into social committee or social counseling, you said, uh, if you're listening to the podcast, she was very slowly raising her, like index finger to volunteer. Yeah. What, what is it about that, that you were. Stepping forward, but [00:31:00] also you hadn't done

Nikki: it before.

Is that why? Well, yeah. I didn't know on the back end really what was gonna be involved. And see, when I brought student council to Fisler, nobody knew what it was. So whatever it was was gonna be better than what it was before. Right, right. But when you're stepping into something and you don't really know what it took to run that, yeah.

It's, yeah. Do I, how big are these shoes I'm having to fill? Are they like, you know, Kareem Abul, Jabar size? Yeah, you know, shoes. Um, see I just aged myself again. That's okay. It's okay. Okay. I, I don't even, LeBron James, I should have said that. I should have led with that. Um, I actually dunno how big either of their feet are.

They might be very small. I think you probably safe. That was bad analogy. I think you're probably safe in the, but yeah. It, it, it. A, and again, I, I raised my hand kind of, so like, okay, I'll do it. Yeah. But then at the same time, it's like, you know what, if I fail, I fail. Like all they can do is go, Hey Nikki, this year social committee stunk.

You did a terrible job. And then I'll say, okay, next year you can do it. [00:32:00] Yeah.

Wes: That's a perfect response. Uh, we'll invite you in, uh, into help.

Nikki: My shoes are not that big

Wes: to fill. We are getting close to time. This is just flown past. It has, I can't even believe it. I'm gonna make sure, I'm gonna scan our quote list.

We've talked about surfing, um, operations, surf. Oh, so Julianne le mentions, um, reading and writing workshop. Oh, yes. So, so tell us a little bit about that. Kind of define it if I'm, Pretty sure everybody in Fullerton listening knows, but just describe it like from your point of view, what is it? Right? And then why is that something you're enthusiastic about?

Nikki: So workshop is, um, it's not a program, it's not a curriculum. Mm-hmm. It's more of a philosophy in a way of teaching and it really is a meet your kids where they're at. Mm-hmm. Um, and it's kind of like, uh, you, you offer them a strategy, you know, through a mini lesson. It's a tool that they get to put in their tool belt, you know, for when and if [00:33:00] they need it.

Um, and then you, you, they're reading. In their own books of their own choosing. Mm-hmm. Um, or in their writing on a topic of their own choosing. And we do have genres, obviously we have standards to it. Right, right. So we have, you know, we do informational texts. I do poetry unit, I have a historical fiction unit.

We have a character's unit. So there, there are units and they have to have a book. For example, in the characters unit mm-hmm. They gotta be reading a book that has characters, you know, can't be reading about snakes. Right. Um, and in our informational unit, you know, can't be reading Harry Potter. Mm-hmm. So there, there's guidelines, but they can literally read or in writing, you know, write about whatever they want.

Like right now we're doing informational feature articles and they all pick their own topics to write about. Um, and. I knew about writer's workshop from my work in, I, I taught at a young writer's camp at Cal State Long Beach for a few summers. Mm-hmm. And they have a workshop model as well. Mm-hmm. Which is like, you know, it's the stages of writing.

It's the writer's process. Yeah. It's not, it's not prompt based writing. It's, [00:34:00] it's, it's. Choice, you know, they have a choice. Yeah. Um, the format might be, you know, you're gonna write an essay or you're gonna write a short story, or, but it can, the topic can is open. Um, and then Coatson came to mm-hmm. Fisler.

Mm-hmm. And I applied, um, I, I see here was a fail moment. I actually applied to be the mentor of the coach. Okay. And I was not selected. Okay. Stephanie Guppy was selected. Okay. And I'm so grateful that she was, because I got to walk. Through that journey with her as my coach. Mm. And learn. And I know she learned a lot as a, a coach as well.

Right, right. But I got to really hone my craft as a reader's workshop teacher. And I have to say, prior to reader's workshop, I actually was actively looking for jobs outside of the classroom. Wow.

Wes: Wow. That's a huge statement.

Nikki: Yeah. I was just kind of, I had lost that. That drive and that passion. Yeah. You know, a little bit.

And, and there were some [00:35:00] personal circumstances in my, in my personal life that I was kind of not a real happy person in my personal life for a while. Mm-hmm. Um, and, uh, that affected, you know? Mm-hmm. I, I couldn't always leave it at home, you know? Yeah. Yeah. It's tough. The best you try. Yeah. Um, but reader's workshop really was like a shot in the arm.

It, it just, it rejuvenated my passion and. I, I get to sit next to kids every day in, in reading, and even if I don't actually like teach them something in that conference, I'm learning something about them or I'm sharing something about me. Yeah. That helps me connect. Yeah. And you know, circling back to what you were saying about, you know, me bringing my passions and my hobbies and things into the classroom and, and it's not like, oh, I have my classroom and I have this other life, something that changed and I, I don't really can't pinpoint a, a win.

Or a exact moment, but I started being more vulnerable with my students and [00:36:00] being, being a human. Yeah. You know, and, and bringing in those personal stories appropriate of course. But yeah, and, and getting to, really getting to know them. Yeah. You know, really talking to them about their families and what they did this weekend and really listening.

Yeah. Not just asking for the sake of asking, but really listening and started doing morning meeting and started, you know, just really trying to connect with them, um, in the classroom, out on the playground before school. After school. And I think that, That's why I love bringing that, those parts of myself in, is it helps me to build a better connection with them.

Hmm. And so Readers and Writers Workshop does that too. And I do a math workshop as well. Yeah. Um, and I just love it. I mean, curriculum wise, standards based wise, report card wise, whatever you wanna call it, I get to check off all the boxes. Right. Um, but it's really tailored to each child Yeah. And really meets them where they're at and gives them what they need.

Yeah.

Wes: That actually, uh, that's something Julian, uh, [00:37:00] said. Um, and I was scrolling to tr try to find it. She just dropped this one sentence. At the very end of the first question she responded to is like, what are you passionate about? She ended that with also, Nikki takes the time to get to know each and every student.

And I could have overlooked it cuz it, like everything else was about operations, surf and, and like your passions. And like, it was very, um, like it kind of grabbed my attention. But then when you're talking about sitting next to students reading and writing workshop and, and not always having to teach 'em something, but you're listening and learning.

And then I remember this line that Julian said, and I think that's a very, it's almost like, um, It's just this nugget of wisdom that like maybe, I think teachers need to hear that like that what you do. Yeah. Get to know students because until you do that, there's so much. That you, you [00:38:00] don't know what is possible or what they might need or what they might offer The classroom.

Yeah. Yeah.

Nikki: I mean, 20 plus years ago when I was in the credential program, nobody ever talked about getting to know kids. It's, it's happening more today with SEL and because of the school climate and all of these tragedies that are happening in schools Yeah. And, and things like that. It is. It is more like there's been so much more research done about, you know, kids will learn better when they feel connected to their teacher.

Right? Duh. Yeah. That was no different than 20 years ago. Right. But I wasn't taught that. Right. And so honestly, for probably the first 12 to 15 years of my career, I did what I was taught, which was teach the standards. Right. I taught the standards. I didn't teach the kids. Right. I taught the standards. Yeah.

You know, and I can admit to that and not, you know, that's just the, that's just the way things were. I did that whole sage on the stage stuff that Right. You know, we, we all did so long ago. Yeah. You know, now I finished the end of the day sometimes and I'm like, Gosh, I hardly even like talked to the whole [00:39:00] class.

No, but I talked to this table and I sat next to those three different kids and Right. I ate lunch with those kids, you know? And yeah, at the end of the day, I can check off my roll sheet and be like, I had interactions with 25 of my 34 kids. Right. Like real, authentic interactions. Not like, you know, Johnny sit down.

Yeah. You know, James put

Wes: that away. Yeah. We're saying the same thing to everyone. Right. Which is not personal individual. Right. Yeah. That's amazing. I, I really, I, I think that's so valuable and, uh, yeah, I think I'd like to come visit your class. That would, I

Nikki: would love to have

Wes: you come visit my class, like the workshop model and see you engaged in that with your student.

Yeah, that'd be cool. That'd be really cool. Well, thank you so much. This has been great. Thanks for asking me. All right.

Nikki: That's a wrap. Yay.

Wes: This has been the Teacher Interview podcast. Thank you for joining us.

Wes: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Teacher Interview podcast.

I'm your host, Wes Creel. I work as Director of Innovation and Instructional Support in Fullerton School District, and we are now in season four of the podcast. Where we get to know teachers better. Our themes this season, our passion, drive and determination. Join me. Today we joined Van n Vong Duck, who teaches seventh grade at Parks, sports, journalism, journalism, English, and Pathfinder.

Join us.

All right, uh, welcome Van Ann. Thank you so much for having me. Great. I'm so glad you're here. Um, we have some quotes from people who, um, shared some information, uh, may Ann. My aunt. My aunt. Mm-hmm. You know what? [00:01:00] And I actually emailed her and asked her if she would pronounce her name for me or tell me how it's pronounced and I forgot to check that.

So I'm embarrassed. My Anne and Min. Mm-hmm. Your brother? Yes. Roo. Who you teach with at Parks. Mm-hmm. And Tracy. So we have some information, uh, to help kind of, uh, season the, the podcast interview. Um, but first, why don't you tell us a little bit about your history. How did you get into teaching? And how long have you been teaching and what, what's that been like?

Van-Anh: Yes. So Ashley, I knew I wanted to be a teacher since second grade. It was very clear to me. Um, so I started, wow. Yeah. So I started in the Fortune school district at Laguna Road Elementary since first grade. Okay. And then I remember just by second grade, I had, um, my teacher, Mrs. Street, and I wrote her a letter and I just told her, Um, in the letter, I was like, you're the best second grade teacher I've ever had.

Well, you're the only second grade teacher I've ever had, but I just wanna be like you. Wow. And from that moment on, I've just always loved teaching. I [00:02:00] love being in the school settings. And then it was towards high school where I figured out I wanted to be an English teacher. Wow. And then from there, I went from Laguna Road to Parks Junior High to Sunny Hills, and then Cal State Fullerton, where I got my undergrad.

And. Um, teaching credential. Wow. Student taught at Troy and then I came, and then my first job was Parks Junior High.

Wes: That's, um, pretty unbelievable. So you went to Parks Junior High? Mm-hmm. And you're teaching there now? Yes. So first tell me, are there any teachers still there from when you were there? Yes.

No, a lot of them, you don't have to name 'em. Yes, yes. But, um, What's that like?

Van-Anh: Oh my God, it's so much fun. I think at first it was quite intimidating because I knew them as teachers and I wanted to prove myself as a teacher, a new teacher, that I belonged there, that I could work alongside them. Yeah. But luckily, like the park staff, they're so supportive.

They were so welcoming when I came in and there's like, you have to call me by your first name. My first name, which was very strange for me. Um, but it's been so much [00:03:00] fun too. Mr. Sonny. One of your teachers? Mr. Sonny was my health teacher. Oh, wow. He makes me call him Mark now. That's funny. Um, which I still can't get through.

I'll always automatically just call him Mr. Sonny. That's funny. Yeah.

Wes: Um, you said something that reminded me of maybe a quote, but are you competitive? I think you said something like, I wanted to prove myself like that I deserve to be there.

Van-Anh: I know, I think I'm competitive with myself. Okay. I'm not competitive in terms of like other people, again, other people, but I always wanna prove to myself that I can do it.

So I'm always challenging myself. Um, Everyone knows I'm like a perfectionist, so I just try to do the best that I can. Okay. I'm gonna

Wes: bring up a quote, and this is from your brother Min, and when I read the quote, I'm like, that'll probably never make the podcast. I don't understand it. Um, but he says you won a chess tournament when, when you were in elementary, and then you pretty much never played after that.

Is that true?

Van-Anh: That is true. I, I don't know how I got into the chess club at [00:04:00] Laguna Road. It was just one day I stumbled into our library. I was like, oh, why not? Um, we get to sit in the library and play and learn chess. And then I just kept going at it. And then I guess it was towards the end of the school year, um, I did our district competition and got a little trophy.

And then from then on I just, I guess, found other hobbies or, that's

Wes: fascinating. Okay. Tell me a little bit, why do you think your brother remembers that? When I asked him this, he put under bonus

Van-Anh: feedback. I don't know. I think it was just. So out of the ordinary for me. Mm-hmm. Because I was so shy. I'm still pretty shy.

I'm now So just you're shy. I am. I'm a huge introvert. I think as like a teacher, I like, I'm able to kind of put myself out there now and kind of Right. Be in front of the students and do what I have to do, but everyone just knows that. I like to just go home with my book or my movie. So just being in like a different club where I've never played chess before.

Oh, okay. And interacting with other students. Yeah. And being in a tournament, which is very [00:05:00] different for me and just, uh,

Wes: been uh, winning.

Van-Anh: Yes. And I think he's just like, how on earth did you win? Did you cheat?

Wes: I was interested to know a little bit more about your brother sister relationship, but uh, We'll come back to that.

Um, so one of the first quotes from men was since we were just kids, van Ann has always had a passion and innate ability for making connections with people. And so what's interesting is you said, use the word introvert. And when you walked into our office just a few minutes ago, I just noticed how you're.

You're like beaming and exuding energy, and so I find this quote seems really, really true. Tell me something about making connections with people, like what does that mean to you?

Van-Anh: Yeah, so I think being a teacher has definitely helped me kind of come out of my shell in terms of my shyness. But I think everything that's always grounded me is just making those connections so that I can feel comfortable and feel grounded wherever I am.

So even though I was super shy going into my first year [00:06:00] at Parks, I really wanted to develop those relationships with those other teachers. Mm-hmm. Make friends, make mentors so that I could. Feel like I have a support group around me in case I just get too into my head and everything. So I think that's why like connections are so crucial to

Wes: me.

Yeah. So it's, it's a survival technique. It's, it's a way that you kind of ground yourself. Yes. Um, so give somebody who's maybe not naturally disposed to making those connections. Maybe they feel a little. Uh, isolated in their, uh, work team. Like, what's a strategy that you could say to somebody else? Here's a way to make connections with people.

Like, what do you find yourself doing in those situations?

Van-Anh: For me, it was all about taking small steps. Instead of just going to like a huge social event with all the staff members or in the lounge, like I started really small, like choosing like one English teacher that was next to me, like my next door buddy to get to know and having lunch with her and then slowly branching out into building that community.

And then later [00:07:00] on it was, I was able to make more connections with other staff members, be a part of like the English department. See other people from other departments. So I think for me it's just starting small, not getting too overwhelmed or pushing yourself too much and just doing what you're comfortable with and then slowly you'll grow from there.

Wes: Yeah, yeah. Good advice. Do you find, uh, yourself noticing students who are introverted and what is that like? Cuz if you identify with that, do you find yourself pushing them or respecting their boundaries? Like how do you as a teacher engage with. Students who are introverted.

Van-Anh: Yeah. So I always tell my students the very first day of school that I want them to feel safe and welcome and comfortable in my classroom.

And that's for all personalities. Mm-hmm. So I'm never going to try to, I'll always try to challenge them academically, but I never wanna push them into a com out of their comfort zone to the point where they're fearful mm-hmm. Of going to my class. So whether I see students who love working with other people and they're social and, um, they love [00:08:00] collaborating, then I'll have 'em work in groups.

But then sometimes I'll also offer student choice, where if they prefer to work independently mm-hmm. Or just with one other partner that they know, I'm completely fine with that. And then hopefully with time I can encourage them maybe by not the first week of school, but maybe by the second quarter they'll be comfortable enough to.

Sit with a different group of students in class or present in front of the class and not be too scared.

Wes: That's great. So kind of in a way earning trust by not forcing things. Mm-hmm. But offering choice. Mm-hmm. Which I think is a big buy-in for students, uh, to help create trust. Um, that's great. So talk to me a little bit about.

When I did your introduction, you were teaching four preps? Yes. Okay. So how did you start at parks? Were you teaching all those subjects to journalism, sports, journalism, Pathfinder

Van-Anh: and English? No, I wasn't. So every year has been a little bit different, and my first year was 2019, so when we shut down, oh.

Was my first year as a teacher. Wow. So I started off, [00:09:00] um, full English, so seventh grade and eighth grade, um, ela. And then I was, um, helping with the co-taught. Model for our English Yeah. Um, department. So that was really fun. I've done that the last couple of years. So teaching, co-taught for ELA seven and then ELA eight.

Mm-hmm. But then this year they, um, and oh, last year and this year they really wanted to like revamp the pathfinder elective course as well as journalism and sports journalism. So, um, our principal was like, would you be willing to not only teach Pathfinder English this year, but try journalism and sports journalism as well.

Okay. So I was like, Of course, like I'll try it. I'll do the best I can. I don't know much about sports, but I'll have the students help me and they'll teach me to, and we'll do it as a collective class. But I told told her like, I'm so grateful to teach at Parks. Yeah. And to be in Fullerton School District.

Whatever you throw at me, I'll just, I'll try my best. I'll, I'll, I'll, I'll

Wes: go for it. I'll give it a shot. Yes. So you said you, um, sports maybe wasn't, uh, like a passion, but what about journalism [00:10:00] in your like, uh, bachelor's degree in English? Is that right? Yes. So did you have journalism as a background

Van-Anh: or No, I didn't.

Okay. No. So it was still a new thing for me. So this year I've learned a lot and kind of by trial and error Yeah. As well. Figuring out, um, how to teach the students what curriculum worked with journalism and sports journalism. So I love it. Now. It's like a brand new course that I'm. Learning myself. Yeah.

Um, which is fun. And I still get to teach like those writing techniques and strategies. Mm-hmm. Um, but just in a different way than English.

Wes: Yeah. What's the biggest differentiation? Because journalism, of course, is gonna be writing. Mm-hmm. But what's the biggest, uh, difference you see between your English course?

And it could be the students who are in it. I don't know how students get into a journalism course. Mm-hmm. But what's the biggest difference you see between your English course and a journalism

Van-Anh: course? Yes. So I think. It's so different between English and journalism as well as journalism and sports journalism.

Okay. So, um, I would say just [00:11:00] like the group of students for journalism, it's um, very, I have like 14 kids, so it's a really like closeness small group. And they love writing. You know, they wanna push themselves. They're always writing their own stories as well as articles for our newspaper. Ah-huh. So I've see, I saw that passion mm-hmm.

From the start where maybe for English is required. You know, we, we wanna encourage them, we wanna motivate them and see where they're at. Yeah. In terms of what they like in terms of writing and reading, and then going along with that. Whereas I feel like journalism, they're writers already. Wow. Which for me, I was never.

A natural writer growing up. So I was like, that's amazing. Um, and then sports journalism, it was very different because they, they're all very, um, passionate about sports, but maybe not so much of writing. Wow. Or a lot of 'em came in like, what is journalism? Yeah. So that was like a different way that they had so much background knowledge on sports, but then I had to start kind of from scratch of what journalism is, what writing articles is about.

Yeah. So it was just very different.

Wes: [00:12:00] Wow. It sounds, um, it sounds challenging and each class would be challenging in kind of a different way. Mm-hmm. Do you have, not that your students are gonna hear this, do you have a favorite subject to teach out of those four? Like, is there one that just, oh my gosh, is like, time seems to fly by versus, uh,

Van-Anh: Yeah, I mean, I think I'm just more comfortable with English, cuz that's how I started it.

Sure. Yeah. And I love, um, you know, teaching the stories that we have and I was a struggling reader all the way through high school. Mm-hmm. So I always try to encourage students. I'm like, I know how difficult reading and mm-hmm. How intimidating it could be. Yeah. So I like seeing that growth that the students have in the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

Um, but I also think I've taught Pathfinder for a couple years now, and that's just such a fun elective. Like all the seventh graders, they're talking about their careers and passions and we're using Thrively. Mm-hmm. So that's, that's a really fun elective. I love to teach. That's

Wes: awesome. Uh, I was looking at a quote here from it's Roo.

Mm-hmm. Is [00:13:00] that right? She mentions a train ride. Does that ring a bell?

Van-Anh: Oh. Um, we, I did take a train down to San Diego for a conference we went to. Yeah.

Wes: She says, one of the many memories that serves as an example of your passion and dedication to grow as an educator is when we took a train from Fullerton to San Diego to attend a C T A conference.

Mm-hmm. Do you remember

Van-Anh: that? Yes. That was our first year. Oh, wow. Yes. Yes. So I think the, that stands out so much to us because I feel like our first year as a teacher, the learning curve is just so dramatic. Mm-hmm. So we're just in survival mode. We're, we're just like day by day, like, what are we gonna teach tomorrow?

Yeah. How are the kids gonna be, what's my classroom management gonna be? Right. But, um, that conference stood out to us because we just had so much fun and it kind of reinvigorated us of our passion for teaching and hearing other. Um, teacher stories from all across the state at this conference in San Diego.

And she always remembers the train ride cuz I was like, oh, I can't catch a ride, but I'm going to get an Uber. Then I'll go to the train station [00:14:00] Fullerton and then I'll go from there. Yeah. And then I'll go to San Diego and then I'll take the train back so that we can be. Ready for work on Monday. Yeah. So it was just like, I'm like, I'm gonna make it to this conference no matter what.

So I think that's why she was like mentioning the train ride. That's

Wes: awesome. So it is a little bit of like, by any means necessary mm-hmm. Trying to get there. Um, that is not the only gathering that somebody mentioned. Uh, one was Tracy Doe, assistant principal. Mm-hmm. She mentioned the California League of Educators.

Educator of the Year award conference. I don't know if that's the right name of the conference. Mm-hmm. But that was not that long ago,

Van-Anh: right? No, it was like a couple months ago.

Wes: A couple months ago. And tell us about why were you there?

Van-Anh: Yes. So I was nominated It's okay. For Educator of the year for our region, which I guess was like Orange County slash Yeah.

Less. Angeles Angel, which was a complete shock to me because I was still grappling with the fact that I was like, I don't know how to teach journalism. I don't know how to teach sport journalism. So when our principal, Laura Mc Lee told [00:15:00] me, uh, I was nominated, it was just a huge surprise. But I was, I was very grateful.

Wow.

Wes: So what was that gathering like? Was it a conference like with learning and sessions or more like just a celebration

Van-Anh: or? No, it was just like, it was like a beautiful dinner at. The, um, mining company. Okay. In orange. Okay. And then all of the nominees, um, had to give a speech in front. You had to give a speech in front of, um, oh my gosh.

In front of the whole, like, there was like a panel. I just got nervous guess, and, which was terrifying for me. And I invited my parents, but I told them, I'm like, if I get nervous, I might ask you to leave when, when I give my speech. But, um, I let them stay there, um, which was, which was really nice. But yeah.

That was like one fear that I conquered. Oh my gosh. Took

Wes: me a speech. Yeah. So do you remember what you said in your speech? What

Van-Anh: was like a, A key point? Yeah, so I was talking more about just what were like my aha moments as a teacher or what are the things that I've learned. From my students. Yeah. Um, that I've [00:16:00] taken with me.

Um, so that was mainly what my speech was about. Yeah. Like just building those relationships, my students giving me life advice. Cause like from the first year, I just wanted to be perfect and like, I didn't want any typos in my slide decks, right. To the point where like, the second week of school, my first class, they were like, just relax, just relax on my feet.

Like it's fine. So then always they're trying to counsel you to be more recent. I'm like, okay. Okay.

Wes: That's awesome. Um, one of the other things that Tracy mentions is, um, she does, uh, mention you're passionate about connecting with students, building connections, building relationships and learning about your students.

And then, um, you apply that knowledge about your students to teaching. Like how do you see. Her her explanation of what you're doing. Uh, it sounds like you're drawing in what you know about the students into the lesson or I'm not exactly sure. Let me know. Yeah.

Van-Anh: So I try to do that as much as I can cuz I know like, um, The students are [00:17:00] gonna get the most out of it when they feel connected to the material.

They feel like they have a say in it or like their interests. So I always try to find out like what they're into, what, mm-hmm. Like music or movies or just like what their passions are and try to incorporate that into my lessons, whether it's like a writing piece or a story that we read. Um, I'm lucky that I have Pathfinder where it's all about careers.

Interests, hobbies, and I can use that, especially if they're in my, like, other classes. Yeah. Um, but like, one thing I did recently is all my students, they always tell me what their Spotify playlists are and Oh, and like what they're current, what they're currently listening to. So recently for, um, one of our stories that we're reading in English, I had them make like a Spotify playlist for the, for a character.

And they had to like cite evidence why that. Why that character would listen to that song. Yeah. How it connects to that character and how to cite evidence as well. So it's just trying to make the assignments a little bit more interesting and engaging for them. Yeah. Yeah.

Wes: I can even see [00:18:00] different students because of their own musical tastes or, uh, musical just knowledge of music.

They would pick different songs. Mm-hmm. But then they're justifying why they. Chose the song for that character. Yes. So they're doing some character analysis. Yes. But you're tying it into Spotify, which is something they may use daily. Mm-hmm. Um, just in a way of technology, but also they may pick . Things that they like.

Yes. And try to, if they relate to the Yeah.

Van-Anh: Character and make that connection. Yeah. They were just asking me like, can I use this song? I was like, if you can argue it, you know, and you can explain it. Yeah. And analyze it, then you can. So some students chose songs in Spanish mm-hmm. That they listened to and they would translate it for me.

Some were just all about Disney songs and how they could tie that in and others was, Like top 40 or Stevie Wonder. Mm mm-hmm. So just all across the board, which is nice. That's

Wes: awesome. I love that. Um, give me another, um, example of bringing in what you know about students into, maybe not the lesson. It [00:19:00] doesn't have to be that mm-hmm.

But just. Into the classroom environment to, to have a connection

Van-Anh: with students. Yeah. So I think I just try to get a, like a grasp on like also like their learning styles. Mm-hmm. Or their personalities. So one thing I do at the beginning of like each class or like semester or like the first day of school, um, they do like asset.

Based profiles. Mm-hmm. So I can see what, how they look at themselves and what they're bringing into the classroom. So some are like really creative and artistic. So I try to incorporate more like creative activities into the classroom so they can express themselves in different ways as opposed to just writing or, you know, like worksheets or some, they always tell me, you know, they're really good with technology.

And coding. I was like, okay, can you like make a stop motion, like flip a clip for me so you can express your learning in that way. So I think trying to get a grasp on like how they like to express themselves. Mm-hmm. And then incorporating that into our classroom. Yeah.

Wes: And it would seem like after, you know, having some [00:20:00] experience in the classroom, knowing what worked for other students, then you kind of build mm-hmm.

A list of suggestions that you can say. What about like, flip a clip? Mm-hmm. What about, you know, stop motion things that. Then might, uh, be building other bridges mm-hmm. To other students. Mm-hmm. Um, so I could see that kind of becoming easier. Um, Think about a very hard to reach student, and maybe it could be a real life example or hypothetical.

I don't know. Mm-hmm. Um, tell me about a challenging student to connect

Van-Anh: to. Yes. So, um, one student that comes to mind is it was just really hard for him to really get engaged in what we were reading. Mm-hmm. What we were write, like writing, like paragraph writing, essay writing. Just writing wasn't, wasn't for him.

Yeah. Um, And then I was just trying to figure out like, what can I do to get him to like express his learning in any way. And then one day it clicked that I was looking at his binder and he was doing, um, different, [00:21:00] I guess it was like graffiti mm-hmm. Style. Mm-hmm. Like for his names and his friends names and everything.

And I was like, oh, okay. So do you like, Doing like, like more artistic stuff. And he's like, yeah. He's like, well, I like how like graffiti looks mm-hmm. And everything. So then I was like, oh, can you make me kind of like a poster, like a one page poster using that style to show me what you learn about like this character.

And everything. He's like, oh, okay. So then he kind of got into it. So he made like the name of the character in a really cool like font, and then he was putting some adjectives to describe the character. Mm-hmm. So instead of just like trying to force him to write like a paragraph, he did it in a different way that was more comfortable Yeah.

For him.

Wes: Wow. And so he went from maybe not engaging mm-hmm. To producing something. Mm-hmm. And adjectives related to the character. I could definitely see that, um, you know, it's on target for the learning goal. Mm-hmm. But then, Um, did that change the relationship or what, what happened

Van-Anh: after that? Yeah, it did.

I think, um, maybe not a lot, [00:22:00] but Right. To the point where, let's be honest Yeah. At least he wasn't being disruptive or having like those avoidance behaviors. Right. Um, that at least he felt comfortable enough that if he wasn't gonna do the work, he could try to do something else. Yeah. Or just be in his own space.

Yeah. And then, uh, but he did what? He started to have conversations with me. Mm. Um, as well, like. Greeting me at the door, which was a huge step for him. Right, right. And then towards the end of school, he even made like my name in, like his graffiti like artwork. Yeah. And then like, gave it to me Wow. And stuff.

So that was like a big breakthrough. Yeah. Mm-hmm. For

Wes: him. That's, that's really, really good to hear. And sometimes we, we talk about all the different things we can try as educators and we don't really know like long term what some of those things resulted. Mm-hmm. But it sounds like you left him with a, a relationship.

Yeah. You know, you're somebody who cared about him. Mm-hmm. And tried to to to see. Education his way. Mm-hmm. And, and provide a way in for him. Mm-hmm. So that, that's awesome. That's awesome. I'm [00:23:00] gonna look back on my quotes. Mm-hmm. I don't think that I have any, oh, I haven't not included, uh, any quotes from my Anne Uhhuh.

Right. My Anne. Uh, but she says you have a passion for reading. Um, what do you

Van-Anh: like to read? I'm all over the place. I feel like I'm still trying to play catch up because I was such a struggling reader. Okay. For so long. Um, so long. So I'm just, I use like Libby, like our, like Libby app, so I can borrow digital e-books.

Okay. And stuff. Um, what have been reading, I'm, I wanna read Atomic Habits next. That's on my mm-hmm. My, um, to-do list for winter break. Um, I read, what did I re I I read a lot of like suspense sometimes. Oh, okay. Yeah. Which is like different because I like serial killer type suspense. No more just like, maybe like mystery a little bit like.

Suspense. So I read mm-hmm. One by, um, Colleen Hoover. Recently. Okay. Um, just more like, yeah, like mystery or just a little bit darker. And people are always wondering [00:24:00] why I read. Yeah. Like those that are a little bit darker. And I was like, because I can't watch horror movies. Oh. They're too scary for me. But at least, like, I feel like my mind just runs in like pg so like, if I read something, it's not that scary.

Like I just like, yeah. It looks like a cartoon or something in my head. Yeah. But I, I can't do like horror movies or scary movies. Did,

Wes: did you read any of the Hunger Games books, any of those?

Van-Anh: I did, yes. I even, um, I love that trilogy. Yeah. I read it a while ago, and then I end up teaching the Hunger Games Oh, really?

To my eighth grade class and they loved it. Oh, wow. Wow. Um, yeah. So I was asking 'em what they wanted to read, um, last year, and I was giving them some choices. Yeah. And they're like, oh, let's read Hunger Games. Because I knew they liked like thriller aspects. Mm-hmm. They liked like the action of it, the kind of dystopian society.

Yeah. Um, so then we all read that together, which was That's great. Which was really fun.

Wes: That's great. Mm-hmm. Uh, I love it. Uh, I'm gonna go back to your. Uh, your sister here. Um, this may seem unrelated, but I'm just intrigued. She says that you've always loved the show, the Gilmore

Van-Anh: [00:25:00] Girls. That's true. Yes.

Wes: I've never watched the Gilmore Girls.

So tell me, um, she says, She owes countless hours of rewatching reruns of Gilmore Girls to you. What, what's, what's the big

Van-Anh: deal? Yes. So one thing about me is if I like a show or I have like a feel good show or a comfort show, I'll just watch it over and over again. Okay. So like Friends, um, the Office and then Gilmore Girls is one.

Mm-hmm. So I just, like years ago, I like. Started watching Gilmer girls and then it became like a thing with my mom, cuz my mom and I are very close, so we would watch it together. Oh. Cuz the whole show is about like a mom and a daughter. Okay. And then I pulled my sister into it and now she just, she's like, it's just on repeat, like in the background as I cook.

Right. When I get home from work, it's just running. Yeah. The whole time on Netflix.

Wes: That's awesome. So it's, it's about bonding with family members too. Mm-hmm.

Van-Anh: Great. Yeah. That's great. And they make like a lot of like. Pop culture references. Okay. In, um, in the show. So you see if like you can catch them or like they [00:26:00] just, the writing, they talk really fast, so I always appreciate it.

Of course. As like an English major, like the writing is so good. Oh yeah. Like, did you hear like their dialogue?

Wes: That's great. That's, I I love it. Um, so another quote from Roo says that you're passionate about helping others in school and non-school settings. You always find a way to give others an extra hand when they need it.

Is that true? Um, you're looking puzzled.

Van-Anh: I'm like, no. I, I hope, I hope so. Okay. Um, like, I hope I can like lend a hand when I can and I hope Yeah. That because like so many of the teachers or people in my life have helped me so much mm-hmm. That I hope I can give that back. So, ROCI and I like, we always like eat lunch together every day.

We always talk about like, Not only our lesson plans, we give each other suggestions and resources. But also, you know, on the weekend she's like, Hey, like can you help me with this? Yeah. And us back and forth. So I think,

Wes: so I'm gonna stop you there. She says you don't even teach the same subject.

Van-Anh: No, she teaches Spanish.

Wes: Okay. Mm-hmm. [00:27:00] So tell me something that you've connected on. Like you have an idea and she's like, oh, that could work in Spanish.

Van-Anh: Like, yes. So recently we just shared the same activity. Okay. So it's. Um, I did like the acid-based profiles in, um, my Pathfinder class where I gave 'em like a template of like a blank head.

Mm-hmm. And then they would decorate it and add words that describe themselves and add their own personality to it. And she's like, can I use something similar because I'm teaching them . And using vocabulary words. Wow. Yeah. So then we are sharing like templates and stuff. So then, and we were comparing the student's work, so that was just like one recent activity, but we're also always collaborating on like, how do you keep the students engaged?

Or like, this student just won't sit down, he's so active. Like what do you, what does he do in your class that can help? Right. So just giving each other like those tips and

Wes: tricks. Yeah, comparing notes. Mm-hmm. Um, and that's great that you have somebody that you can, uh, eat lunch with. Mm-hmm. You know, and share just, uh, kind of a de-stressing, you know, relaxing moment of the day.

Yes. That's awesome. Um, I do have a [00:28:00] quote here that goes way back. This is from your brother. Um, and you talked about in childhood having battling health issues mm-hmm. Growing up. Um, what is, what did he remember about that? It sounds like when he, um, was talking about this, he's. Kind of writing in a tone of admiration for you.

I'm not sure I could be reading into that, but.

Van-Anh: Yeah. So like just growing up I was just like in and out of the hospital for just different health reasons. Yeah. Like asthma and just like allergy, different stuff. Yeah. Um, and my brother, he's only a year older than me, so he kind of watched me Oh. Kind of go through it.

Yeah. Um, and I missed a lot of school. Oh wow. Um, because of it just like going back and forth. But I guess just like for me, I just, even though I was like sick or in the hos, I still remember like in elementary school, I was like in the hospital bed and I was like, I need to finish my math homework. And they're like, just calm down.

It's okay. I was like, no. Like I need to do well, I'm gonna fall behind. So that's just always been how I was. [00:29:00] Um, and I'm still, now that I wanna make sure that I'm doing my best, I wanna like keep pushing myself. So no matter like where I was, whether I was sick at home, in the hospital or in class, I was like, I'm still gonna do my best.

Yeah.

Wes: So I'm gonna tie in one quote that he has in there that, um, I think we used the word . Competitive, but you said not with other people, with yourself. Mm-hmm. And that kind of reminds me of what you were just saying. Um, so he says you were best friends as kids and Van Ann was always wanting to do what her big brother was doing.

Mm-hmm. I don't know if that's true or not. Yes. Okay. For her, that meant trying to play soccer, something he was exes obsessed with. And then with the health issues, your parents were, um, hesitant about letting you play competitive sports. They relented at last, and my little. Little sister got a suit up one season for the Pink Pirates of the Full Rangers Soccer League.

All this is true so far. Yes. Okay. Um, your health issues persisted however, mid-season you got sick and had to take extended time [00:30:00] away from the field and her first game back from her medical leave. As if it was the ending to a cheesy sports movie. You scored your first ever goal. Do you remember that?

Van-Anh: I do briefly and I think I remember.

It seems like he remembers it more than you. Yes, he was. I think he was more excited about me. I real, I honestly probably didn't even know what happened. I was like, the ball, just like, I just kicked it away from me

Wes: and they says, uh, his, the family and he cheered so loudly. The story gets better, if not less believable.

Because you ended up winning the league championship with your team later that season.

Van-Anh: Yes, that is true. I would like, I don't take any credit for us winning at all. Um, but yeah, so it was just like I played, like my brother was always athlete growing up. Mm-hmm. He played basketball and soccer and for me it was just like, It was an accomplishment just getting on the field and not getting sick the next day or like running a lap and like not ending up in the hospital.

Yeah. With like an asthma attack. So I think that was [00:31:00] like such a big moment mm-hmm. That he could see. He's like, oh my gosh, she actually scored a goal. Yeah. Um, so it was just like pretty like funny moment that like my. Mom and my brother were able to see, I think, I think my dad was there. I honestly don't even remember that much about it and they were super excited and I was like, okay, that's like my ending to sports.

Yeah, I tried it.

Wes: It's funny, he, it does seem like he was looking like out for you and like kind of, you know, rooting for you and hoping that you would do well and succeed. Yeah. Uh, and so that the quote from the chess tournament was from him as well. Mm-hmm. So it's interesting, he, he sees you succeeding and then sort of like, then you Yeah.

Walk, walk away from it. Yeah. So he might be a little jealous. I'm not sure. I'm not sure. We don't know. Uh, but that's, that's great. So make a connection to those moments where you had to kind of battle through. Mm-hmm. And, um, and I'm gonna say emerge victorious, [00:32:00] uh, to teaching. Like what are those battles in teaching and how do you try to make it

Van-Anh: through?

Yeah, so I think for me, like. For teaching. There's so many like ups and downs where like you love teaching, but like your lesson could mom one day. Mm-hmm. And then you just feel so discouraged or you're wanting to see growth for students, but you don't know how to reach them. You don't know what you are doing wrong as a teacher to better support them.

Mm-hmm. So I think like during those days, you're just. I just tell myself like, just keep pushing forward. There's so many, um, resources out there. There's, um, such a great support system at Parks. You know, I'm not doing this alone. I can always reach out for help to admin or my department. So I think just like in times where I feel like, oh, I'm not perfect in this job, or I'm making mistakes, I'm now, I'm just telling myself like, it's okay.

Like you've had like rough patches before. And then just to persevere and to go forward and just to keep trying your best. And I think that's what I try to tell my students all the time too, like having that growth mindset, you know, you're gonna make [00:33:00] mistakes. Like growing from elementary to junior high is such a big jump.

You're gonna deal with seven different teachers with seven different expectations and you're gonna stumble from time to time. But it's like you can't succeed if you just keep pushing hard and reaching out for help when you need it.

Wes: That's great. It sounds like you have an idea of, um, the idea of like being, uh, showing grace.

To yourself mm-hmm. And to your students and kind of help them understand that, um, there's an opportunity for a new day and a new start. Mm-hmm. And it's so hard in junior high, it seems like the stakes are so high. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, and it's, it's, we have a good emphasis on social, emotional health. Yes.

So, um. Mm-hmm. Anything else to add? We're kind of getting to the end of our time. Anything else? Uh, shout out. You want to give or. Something else we touched on but you didn't, uh, give a talk about? Um,

Van-Anh: not in particular. I mean, I guess I would just give a shout out to everyone who took their time to give you quotes and interesting anecdotes about me that I didn't know was gonna be included.

Um, yeah. To my brother and sister cuz [00:34:00] they're so busy. They're both, they're both doctors. I'm like the only teacher in our family. So for them to take the time to like, give you those responses. Oh, that's nice.

Wes: Yeah, they're very prompt. Like one of the quickest responses, uh, of anybody we've, uh, uh, asked for quotes as people on the podcast.

So that was, that was really awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much for joining us and, uh, we look forward to seeing your great success.

Van-Anh: Thank you.

Wes: This has been the Teacher Interview podcast. Thank you for joining us.

Wes: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Teacher Interview podcast.

I'm your host, Wes Creel. I work as Director of Innovation and Instructional support in Fullerton School District, and we are now in season four of the podcast where we get to know teachers better. Our themes this season, our passion, drive and determination. Join me. Today we spend time with Pamela Zelle who teaches sixth grade at Hermosa Drive Elementary.

Join us.

Pamela: Okay. Hi, Pamela. Hello, Wes. How are

Wes: you? I'm good. Thanks for coming down and making time for this interview. I'm rolling. Thanks for having me. I'm really excited to interview you. We have some quotes from some people that you work with, and um, but first, why don't you [00:01:00] start off by telling us, um, a little like kind of overview of where you've been in your teaching career.

Maybe I. Working back from the most immediate and backward to where you started teaching? Okay.

Pamela: So for the last 21 years I've been at Hermosa Drive in, oh gosh, Fullerton, California. Wow. And I have loved every moment that I've been there. Prior to that, I was lucky enough to be a military wife. So I taught in Sicily, Italy for four years at the Cella School.

I taught fourth grade through sixth grade, but I was only there for about four years. So I did most of my time in fourth grade there. And where in Italy? It was Cella Sicily. Okay. So it was in Katana on the eastern border in like the middle of the island. I'm just

Wes: struggling. I went to Italy for the first time this summer.

I saw your pictures. They were gorgeous. Oh, thank you Rome And. Uh, Florence. Beautiful. So this is in the south? Yeah. So

Pamela: where the toe of the boot kind of kicks. Okay. It's that island. That's perfect. And [00:02:00] that they have a, uh, a naval military base there. Okay. So I taught military kids on this. Tell me

Wes: something you remember or something you learned.

That stands out from that period of time? From teaching?

Pamela: Yeah. In Italy. Oh gosh. It, first of all, the people that I taught, the children of military, um, people that are stationed mm-hmm. They are such an eclectic group. They are, um, very different than the kids that we teach here in the United States because, um, some of them have one parent that's deployed, or some of them even have.

Two parents that are deployed at the same time. Wow. So it gets kind of challenging and they love being overseas, but also they're displaced. So there's a lot of things that go on that you really have to watch for as a teacher, as an educator. But I loved it. Yeah, I would've stayed, but um, we had some aging parents, so we had to

Wes: come back to the states.

Oh, I see, I see. Wow. What was the weather like there in the gorgeous

Pamela: here? Gorgeous. Like California. Like [00:03:00] California, yep. Same latitude line. Yeah. Did

Wes: you grow up in California?

Pamela: No, I'm a, um, so then let's go further back. Okay. So that's, so that's what we're talking like 25 years. So prior to that, I had, um, five years on the East coast.

I taught. Um, no, I take it back. Right before I left for Sicily, I had two years here in California. Okay. Because Mark was stationed at Seal Beach. That's my husband. Oh, okay. And then prior to that, we met, um, on the internet in 19

Wes: 19, 5. No, it didn't even exist then.

Pamela: What? AOL in a chat room. What Uhhuh, so in 1995, and then I got married to him in 1996.

Wow. But during that transition, I was in my fourth year teaching on the lower East side of Manhattan, I taught Oh, wow. Um, a lot of language learners, a lot of, um, low So socioeconomic kids. Yeah. Kids that lived in, um, from place to place. Sometimes they were hunkering down in a building that was abandoned.

Wow. It was really interesting to [00:04:00] have the. This kind of relationship with the kids that I taught there. Yeah. Um, a lot of the kids were from Puerto Rico, from the Dominican Republic. Mm-hmm. Um, but it was really fun. It was very, very, um, fulfilling. Mm-hmm. And I loved it. And I probably would've never left New York.

I'm a born and raised New Yorker, but I did meet Mark and I did ask him to wait a year, so 1995 to 96. Yeah. Um, I told him my mother would never speak to him if he pulled me out. But I transferred and I loved every minute and I've, I've loved all 31 of my years educating. I still Oh wow. Love

what

Wes: I do. I, I, I sense a theme because you said you never would've left Italy if it were not for you never would've left, uh, New York if it were not for you.

Seem like you're just happy wherever you are, just full of life.

Pamela: I do, I do. I love that. Yes. Oh, that's awesome. And I love to travel and I love to teach. Um, They're like my passions.

Wes: Yeah. That's awesome. W tell [00:05:00] me, um, one thing, the New York school system is the biggest in the country, probably. Uh, it's

Pamela: what, what's that Like?

Outrageous. Yeah. It's unbelievably enormous. So like here we have the district office. It's accessible, right? You can come, you can like talk to the superintendent. Yeah. I don't think I've. Ever seen the New York superintendent from the four years that I was there? Yeah. Um, I did go visit the district office.

Mm-hmm. It was in, um, Brooklyn, and it was this enormous like, you know, 15 to 20 story building with Wow. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of offices in it. Um, they had every different, um, section in there. Yeah. Um, and they pretty much took care of five boroughs. They took care of Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and um, the Bronx.

Oh my gosh. So it's

Wes: enormous. Yeah. Yeah. So tell me of Italy and New York, cuz we'll probably come back to Fullerton for most of the conversations. [00:06:00] Mm-hmm. Tell me about those two places. Things that, like, I would imagine the school district system in Italy was smaller. Uh, New York was bigger. Tell me one, uh, good thing about each.

Pamela: Okay, so actually the, the. The government runs the district in Sicily. Okay. So when they run all the American government? Yes. Okay. So it's called the Department of Defense Education Schools DoDEA. Okay. And you have to apply to that and you can, um, like if I was a single woman, I would've loved to have, um, just let them put me wherever they want.

So a lot of people. Joined DoDEA and they have to fill out an application and then pretty much your application gets pulled and you get told where you're gonna go. So you could go to Okinawa, you can go to Germany, you can go to Italy, you can go to England. I mean, there's tons of bases all over the world.

Sorry. And then, um, but for me, because I was a military wife, I had to wait until I [00:07:00] arrived there and apply at the school site. Mm-hmm. And then, so I had it, it was kind of, Like, I guess how you would be if you were a, maybe a temporary teacher here mm-hmm. Or probationary. Um, and then if I had gone to another location, that would've been, um, where I would've been more engrossed in their system.

Um, but I loved being able to teach on the, um, in a place that was so absolutely gorgeous. We lived on the economy. I learned Italian fluently while I was there. Wow. Wow. Um, we learned lots of, um, great ways to cook and to just be with people. The Sicilians are the most loveliest of people. Yeah. They are so friendly.

Wes: Now we have a quote from, um, Kyle Ruiz. Who says, uh, she gives you props for your vast knowledge of ancient history. Ah. Did being in Italy ever like coincide with teaching [00:08:00] Roman history? Absolutely. So tell me a little bit about that.

Pamela: And I would say that my, my love of ancient history probably started with me living in New York City because I had access to, um, a a million.

Well, that's an exaggeration. A million museums. And um, in fact, I used to just take my class onto the subway and go up to the museum of what, the Metropolitan Museum and I would teach my, um, Egyptian studies or my Greek studies Yeah. Right in the museum. And they would have no problem with that. We would be able to like show them the Temple of Dandora and all of that.

So then when I went. Overseas and I lived in Italy. Um, I amassed a huge collection of knowledge and regalia, um, realia that I was able to bring back with me. Mm-hmm. And it's part of my teaching, so I got to visit Rome and yeah. Um, England and, um, I never did make it to [00:09:00] Israel or to, um, I would've loved to have gone to one of the Arabian St, you know, states.

Yeah. Or you know, like Iraq or Iran. But you know, there was just too much conflict. Yeah. Because there's so much old history there. Right. But Germany, I was able to see a lot of the history there. Yeah. Um, we traveled all over. It was so easy. Yeah. You would just pop on a plane and it was like an $80 flight and you could go wherever.

Oh, wow. That's so amazing. A

Wes: little different than living here. Um, I, I was just reading a book, um, the biography, it, I don't know if it's a biography, but David Gro, the Foo Fighters. Oh, singers.

Pamela: Oh yeah, I have that book. I

Wes: haven't listened to it yet. Oh, it's, it's amazing. And he talks about as early as they would fly to, to Amsterdam.

And kind of do a European tour for a bunch of weeks, but it was like 80 bucks to get there. Yeah. And then you just, everything was so close. So I, there's another quote. Um, it's, live music is a passion of yours. Oh my gosh. And that's why I dropped in the, uh, reference to the David Grohl book. I love

Pamela: the Foo Fighters.

I've seen them a, I've seen them once. I've never seen them. Um, but I am a [00:10:00] huge, um, jam band fan. Okay. So for years I was was a fan like fish or? Well, I like fish. Okay. But not my favorite, but I love fish. Tell me your favorites. Um, my favorite was great. I was a great deadhead. Okay. So I followed the Grateful Dead when I was younger, and then as I got older, I loved like the Almond Brothers.

And oh my gosh, now I'm obsessed with, um, and I've, I have been for like, the last 30 years, Dave Matthews Band. Okay. But. Since my son has been older in the last I guess 10 years I've been, I've been seeing a lot of concerts. Like I must, my gosh, go to anywhere between five to 10 a year. Oh my gosh,

Wes: that's awesome.

Pamela: For just to

Wes: see them. Okay, so post Covid favorite concert.

Pamela: What's, what's, oh, um, my girlfriend and I, we went to, um, this last summer we visited, um, a whole bunch of cities, but three of them, um, let's see, what was it? It was, um, Houston. Mm-hmm. And then we were in. Oh gosh. [00:11:00] I'm thinking of, um, Florida West Palm Beach and then, um, back here in San Diego.

All three or four of those shows we were in the pit and we were right on the rail. And who are you you seeing? Dave Matthews Band. Oh. I'm telling you, I'm obsessed. So we were right there on the rail. Wow. Like he was right in front of me. Yeah. It was the best. It was so much

Wes: fun. So this is the quote from Kyle, uh, Ruiz.

She wrote in caps, Dave Matthews. That is all you need to know. I'm a little obsessed. She loves him and goes to multiple concerts a year. Very true. So if you could pick an adjective or two to describe what it is about his music or him personally, his persona, what, what is it that appeals so much to

Pamela: you?

So I really enjoy being in a live venue where everyone is just, Happy. It's like you go to your happy place, you're singing out loud, you're dancing for hours. You don't stop moving. [00:12:00] Um, people are friendly. People want to get to know you. It's, it's like a huge family. Yeah. And it's pretty addicting. Wow.

Because you want that feeling over and over again. So it's really

Wes: fun. Now I'm gonna, I think I overheard when you were talking to Pablo when you got here, you said something about being into exercise and then you, you said dancing for hours and I thought like, I'm not gonna dance more than five minutes, but dancing for hours, you have to be doing a lot of exercise to keep up with that stuff.

What do you do for

Pamela: exercise? So I exercise every morning at. 5:00 AM Uh, I go to a gym that's about three minutes from my house. Uhhuh. It's more of, um, you know, they do, gosh, like I've a boot trained boot for them. It is like a boot camp. So you do different like muscle, muscle, um, work. Mm-hmm. Weights four days a week.

Yeah. And then, um, some cardio three days a week. Um, so. It's really fun and I, I've been doing it now for about seven years. Okay. At this particular gym. Prior to that I did a lot of [00:13:00] yoga. I run. Yeah. Um, but this year has been, um, particularly good cuz I've Good. I feel like I had to keep up my stamina to go to all

Wes: these shows.

Let's, all right. So let's take live music in your love of that and working out, which, I'm not gonna say you're obsessed, but that's dedication. Yes. At the very least. How do those benefit you as a teacher and how, or how do you, cuz they, they're such a big part of you, how do they come to your students because you can't like, The students are gonna know these things about you or benefit from absolutely.

Your energy or whatever. So, so on the

Pamela: time, on the, on the days that I exercise, my endorphins get kind of revved up. So I have the energy and at 57 years old, I need as much energy to, you know, handle, uh, 31 11 year olds. And I love sixth grade to pieces. They are so fun, they're so engaged. They, they. Keep me on my toes.

They challenge me every day as much as [00:14:00] I challenge them, I would hope. Um, and then, um, the music, I've always been musical for, you know, as long as I can remember. I mean, I, I sung in choir from the time I was a young girl. I was in musical theater all through high school. I did, um, Uh, assistant directing in, um, musical theater all, all the whole time I was in Sicily.

And then I always love being the, you know, the helper first stage here at her. At, in, that's right. In fsd. Yeah. So I do have, um, A lot of musical background and I, I sing all day in my classroom. What, I mean, I'm always breaking out into song. I always have different songs and the kids are always like, what's that?

Are you making

Wes: these songs up or are you you singing

Pamela: songs? No, it's, it's usually something that the kids will say that will lead me to like, I don't know, a Billy Joel song. A Bruce Springsteen song. I mean, something in my repertoire that I, I remember. That's great. So it's super fun and it, and you know, they.

They love when I geek out [00:15:00] on them. And

Wes: then they're gonna pick up bits of pop culture. Yes. That they wouldn't know Absolut otherwise. Absolutely. Do you have a, a song you think you sing more than the others in the classrooms? Like something they would know? Uh, uh. Cause it's just a, a, a reference. I

Pamela: can't pull one outta my head right now, but, uh, there probably is one that if comes up, if they would.

Probably,

Wes: probably. That's great. That's fantastic. Okay, so I didn't know you're involved in stage, but I I do have a note here. That you, um, run the Speech and debate program? Oh yeah. And tell me a little bit, Kyle has a note here about why. But what's your why prefer being involved with speech? Why

Pamela: I love it.

Mm-hmm. Oh, well, well at first it was, you know, I, a lot of the kids in the school really wanted it and there wasn't anybody stepping up. Mm-hmm. So, a lot of times when we have small schools, we don't wanna give up these fantastic things that happen. So, um, it's really important to me that our kids get [00:16:00] the, uh, benefit of a lot of these things that the district offers.

Um, it's really. Very challenging, but I also love. Speaking and I love, um, being outgoing and being able to help these kids to become better, um, communicators and, um, speakers. It's really fun. Yeah. And a lot of them that come in are some of the shyer ones, so, and they end up the year being so much more outgoing and able to.

You know, speak their

Wes: mind. And what grades is? Uh, speech and debate

Pamela: at Hermosa? It is fourth through sixth. Fourth, fifth, and

Wes: sixth. Right. Okay. Do you have a particular student or performance that stands out to you as something you've seen where a student did something that was kind of surprising or just something you're proud of them seeing?

Um,

Pamela: Well, right now, I wanna say my biggest surprise is I have one of my sped kiddos who joined Speech and Debate. Um, he is, [00:17:00] uh, has an autistic diagnosis and he is speaking an autistic speech from the Advantage. Um, so it's very, um, it's very interesting to hear him. It's not, he didn't write it. Mm-hmm. It's somebody else's writing.

Yeah. It's an interpretation about being. Autistic. Yeah. But he has pretty much almost memorized the whole thing. Wow. And he is ready to kind of get that acting on. Yeah. And I've just been so floored by him. He's, he's been. Incredible. Yeah.

Wes: Wow, that's awesome. And,

Pamela: and then last year I had a lot of, um, top district, uh, superstars on my team.

Um, this year it's been a lot of little quieter, but cuz they've all gone to seventh grade, but it was kind of fun seeing the energy that they had.

Wes: Yeah. I had, I was gonna connect that. Um, well, Kyle's uh, Rui, uh, Ruiz's reason. That you support the program [00:18:00] is because you saw the impact it made on the students.

That was, that was her quote. Oh, that is true. Yeah. And then, so there was another quote, and I'm not sure it was from Kyle. Let me look over here in my notes, Caroline. But it was about, yeah, about, um, mainstreaming. And so let me see. Let me put my glasses on. Um, oh, it was actually from Kyle sh she says, um, as a sixth grade team, we had to fight over who would be lucky, the lucky teacher to get mainstreaming.

Hermosa has a big heart for mainstreaming, and Pamela is part of the core teachers who push for this. So she talks about you creating scaffolds and modifying the curriculum so that all students can participate. So it's interesting that the student, uh, who's doing the speech, the autism speech, um, that made me think of this quote.

And so, What is it that you see the benefit of mainstreaming, or what do you see happening when, when we do that?

Pamela: Well, you know, all, all students deserve an [00:19:00] equitable education. They all are. It's really important that. They get the sixth grade curriculum just like everyone else. Um, so when I, when I have the, in the past when I had the ability to have the kids come in from the special ed, um, self-contained classroom, um, it just, Tickled me.

I was, I loved, um, being able to help them and to be able to teach them and to be able to collaborate with the special ed teacher. I don't have a special ed background, but now after 20 years of mainstreaming. Mm-hmm. Wow. I feel like I've learned a tremendous amount about kids with ne special needs. Um, and this year I've been lucky enough to be part of the co-teach program.

So, um, it's my first time and I gotta say it is, Probably the highlight of my career.

Wes: Describe the co-teach program for people who are not

Pamela: familiar. So I have a class that is, uh, two-thirds regular [00:20:00] education, one-third kids on IEPs. I have a special ed teacher plus some support staff, instructional aids that work in the classroom.

They learn. All at the same time. Mm-hmm. And then we just scaffolded how they show their work. Mm. So they're getting everything that the sixth grade curriculum can give them as, and me as a teacher. And then from there we figure out, you know, what needs can we provide that'll get them to give us what we, what we are asking for.

Right? Right. So we start with super high expectations. Mm-hmm. And they are stepping up. I have never seen a group of kids more engaged and more willing to try hard things. Mm-hmm.

Wes: That's awesome. Yeah. That's really exciting. It's, it's powerful. Yeah. And what happens when, because. Um, a lot of times we're, we're told like, being special ed is, it's confidential.

Um, but I, I heard a [00:21:00] quote from, uh, somebody who's reflecting on, I think it was Viola Davis's book, um, where she was talking about like, certain students were, you know, in special ed, but they're not supposed to be known. But everybody knows when you get called out for a special reason. Right. Um, but so what happens when the students who are um, The regular ed population are both, you know, side by side, included in this mainstream model.

What do you think happens to their empathy or awareness or what do you see? That's a great

Pamela: question because I know that I have seen other classes, um, in other schools where, They don't have the empathy for it, they it, they're kept separate. So then it really stays separate. They don't make any kinds of connections.

I see that even in the GATE programs, the gifted and talented programs, because a lot of times if they're just working with their gifted [00:22:00] program kids and grade levels and not really kind of connecting with regular education, there tends to be that disconnect. So, What I've noticed at Hermosa, which is really beautiful, is that because we've always had a special ed community, the kids all respect the diversity.

Mm-hmm. That we have very little teasing or, um, negativity mm-hmm. That goes on even on our site. Yeah. Um, what's beautiful about the co-teach program is that from the beginning, this particular group has been together since. Third grade, that's problematic in itself because we ha we are a small school, so we don't, they don't get to move away from this one group.

Mm-hmm. But I gotta tell you, they love each other. Mm-hmm. They have come up third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade. They help each other, they support each other. They understand that they, you know, that everybody is a little bit different and everybody has a different way that they, they. Get their education.

Wes: Right. [00:23:00] Right. So what stands out to me is you, you've talked about Italy, uh, you talked about New York, um, but you just said maybe the most special experience of your career was co-teaching this year. That's pretty amazing. Like when, I mean, you have a diverse, uh, set of experiences in the classroom, so that's something to really reflect on.

That's powerful. Um, it's been beautiful. There's a couple of quotes. These are from Caroline Lewellen, the principal at Hermosa, and she has a couple of words that we haven't touched on yet. So one, I'm gonna say, um, Hermosa drives garden. What?

Pamela: Um, tell me about, so I think she's the garden. Talking about the reading garden.

Is she talking about the reading garden? Cause we have two gardens innovation

Wes: experience last year.

Pamela: Oh. Oh, that's the garden. Garden. So, so I think she's, tell me about the both gardens. Right. So, um, She is talking about when we went to the FSD Fest. Okay. Um, I kind of was the lead. [00:24:00] Okay. That kind of held together.

They had an innovation and um, um, Ms. Roble, who's our speech and language, okay. She does a gardening club. Oh. Every. Every week, I think one or two times a week. Yeah. So we presented about how we, um, oh, fabulous. We grow food and then the food goes to our nutrition services and we're able to provide it to the kids.

Oh. So we've done that a couple of times. So that's, that's really cool.

Wes: Okay. And

Pamela: was there another garden? So, um, about 21 years ago when we first started, Hermosa had a different focus. Yeah. Now it's fitness focus. Yeah. Right. And health. Um, but years ago it was community service. Mm-hmm. So one of my community services was I built a reading garden.

Across from my room in the back. Okay. It has the white fence around it. It has benches. And we had, um, the friends community church came in and they provided all the lumber and the tools. Wow. And my first class, 21 years ago, Built that garden. Oh, wow. And then each subsequent [00:25:00] year we took care of it and we provided for like re replacing the Yeah.

Ro uh, whatever they're called, the things on the fence. Yeah. Or the benches that needed to be resub cemented. So we take, we keep the upkeep and that is really used. Yeah. It's the kids love it. Oh, that's awesome. Just a place to get out of the sun. Yeah. So it's fun. Oh, that's awesome. And reading is kind of my thing.

Oh, okay. So, You know, language arts and reading, and I'm, uh, that's one of the ways I really connect with a lot of my kids. Mm-hmm. I do. Um, Reading books or book clubs. I always have, um, a quite a few novels that I cover, of course, of the year. Yeah. And I am a huge reader at home too.

Wes: Oh, that's great. Tell me one of the books that you've seen kids really gravitate towards in the last year or two.

Or are there certain titles that they're really,

Pamela: well, we've been teaching, um, the Lightning Thief and we've been able to cover, um, a lot of our standards through it, and they love it. They are so engaged. Anything about. The [00:26:00] Greek gods and goddesses, they just, they love. And that

Wes: ties back into that passion for ancient history that you

Pamela: Exactly.

And it's all about the Greek nice gods. And then you have

Wes: that book

Pamela: to deliver it Uhhuh and you know, um, Olympus is at the top of the, you know, empire State Building in the boat book. So I get a little bit of the New York and a little bit of the la

Wes: Oh, that's great. Um, tell me about, the other word that I was gonna, um, mention is that Caroline Loun drops in here is eSport.

Um,

Pamela: tell me about, that's been so much fun. Tell me about it. I'm really out of my wheelhouse. Okay. So I've never been a video game person and my kid who's 21, he loves video games. Okay. So he played all when he was lower l um, little. And I used to watch him play and I was like, eh, cuz I'd rather read. Right.

Right. So I'm a reader. Yeah. Um, I'd probably read three to four books a week. Oh my God. I know.

Wes: I can't even

Pamela: imagine. Well, I, you know, I go home, I read, yeah. I wake up in the morning, I get up early. I don't [00:27:00] sleep very much anymore. The older you get, you don't really sleep very much. So I like to read, but um, when someone needed an eSports coach, and again, people weren't, you know, it was hard.

People were asked, you know, small school were asked to do a lot. Yeah. I didn't want them to lose out, so I figured I'd do a lunch club and, um, I always had someone who was there to help me. Like my first partner was Cindy Wilson, who I missed terribly. She retired. Mm-hmm. And then my next partner was, um, oh, I did it last year with my student teacher and she was awesome.

And then this year, um, I have Daryl's. Um, Santos from, um, I think she was at Fern Drive. Right? Right. So she, she's been super fun and it just is like hilarious to watch them. And last year I actually had one of the winning kids. Oh, wow. So that was really exciting. Oh, that's great. He won the VERSES tournament and he was a, that's fifth grader.

So that was really fun. Wow.

Wes: [00:28:00] So it, you mentioned your son. In being into video games and you're not, and sort of watching from that lens, that was actually one of Caroline Lewellen's quotes that she included is that you love your son and he's graduating college with honors and you love spending time with him.

Yes. So, uh, tell me a little bit about

Pamela: him. He's the best. Oh, he's, he's the best. He is. He's, and he's grown up so much. He's, he's really matured. Four years of college Really? Does Yeah. Make a difference? Yeah. Oh my gosh. He's like a different human being. Wow. Um, we can hang, we can chat. Oh, nice. Um, we talk books.

You know, he, he is more of a listener now than he ever was. Mm-hmm. Uh, but he's more into the mechanics of Steph, so, Very often, he and Mark have conversations that my, mark's my husband that I don't even understand. They're talking tools that are talking mechanics. So he's studying to be a mechanical engineer.

Wow. He's got one more semester, thank goodness. Yeah. Um, one more, almost there. One more payment, which is beautiful. Yeah. Um, and, uh, [00:29:00] yeah. And he'll probably end up staying in Montana. He thinks if he gets Oh, he's in, if he gets Montana, he gets a job there. Wow. Yeah. He goes to Montana State University. Oh, wow.

Wes: What, uh, drew him to that? Was it the, the program or the Yes,

Pamela: the program. Wow. So we went and visited quite a bit of schools. Um, we looked at Wyoming. Okay. And that had a great program. We looked at Colorado Springs and a couple of other, the Colorado universities, universities, Boulder. Um, There was a tech one that's further north in Colorado.

Yeah. We visited the west coast, like Vancouver all the way down. But, um, he loved this program. He liked the whole research and development. Yeah. And that's been really fun for him.

Wes: Wow. That's awesome. Was that a big adjustment? Uh, culturally, Montana sounds not very populated compared to Southern California.

Which is

Pamela: not for him. No, he's he's pretty introverted. Okay. So it fit right. It was right up his alley. He loved it. That's perfect.

Wes: That's perfect. Um, one of the other things that Caroline, um, did mention is that you are [00:30:00] supportive of new teachers. You cheer on the new teachers, you support them in their journey.

What is some advice you might give to somebody who's, you know, like you mentioned, having a, a student teacher, I think, uh, somebody who's just getting into teaching. What is something that you could. Offer up that you think would help them, you know, find their path or, you know, maybe just learn the ropes?

What do you

Pamela: Well, it has to be fun. There has to be passion. You have to kind of find what drives you and the kids. It's really about relationships and over the 31 years that I've taught mm-hmm. You know, I remember. So much about, um, the kids that I've worked with. I mean, I don't remember all 31 every year.

That would be impossible, but there's always these kids that I've made connections with each year that I know that I've made an impact. And it's always been pretty powerful to, to hear it back, to have some one of these kids reach out, write me a [00:31:00] letter, send me an email. It's always beautiful thing. So I know that I build those relationships.

And that's where the power is. So building relationships is number one. Number two is I think, Would be to really find your way to be creative. Mm-hmm. That, that we're given curriculum and we're given standards, but it's up to me to design a curriculum that's engaging not only for them, but for me. Because if you are just doing the rote, you know, This page and mm-hmm.

Do this thing next and yeah, go move on to the next thing. You know, there has to be some kind of fun, like you have to, you know, break out into song every now and then, or dance around the room or wear jingly earrings. You know, it, it's really about having a good time and I love going to work every day.

Wes: That's [00:32:00] great. Well, we are about at time, and I just love your, your passion, your enthusiasm, the energy you bring. Thank you. And I think your, your students and your school community are so lucky and it's, it's clear from the quotes from Kyle and Caroline that. They really appreciate that energy as

Pamela: well.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

Wes: This has been the Teacher Interview podcast. Thank you for joining us.

Wes: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Teacher Interview podcast.

I'm your host, Wes Kriesel. I work as Director of Innovation and Instructional Support in Fullerton School District, and we are now in season four of the podcast where we get to know teachers better. Our themes this season, our passion, drive and determination. Join me today. We spend time with Melissa Zaucha, who is a fifth, sixth grade combo teacher at Commonwealth Elementary in Fullerton School District.

We're live. Hello, hello, hello, world. So thanks for joining us on the podcast today. We're so happy you're here. In the past we've worked on a few projects together. Yeah. And actually one will probably come up Which is the Master [00:01:00] Chef Project. Yes, we emailed some people you put us in contact with and asked them for some quotes about you, so we might introduce those along the way.

But first, because we're just trying to get to know you and what you're passionate about, what drives you tell us a little bit about your teaching journey. Like, where have you been, where are you now? Where have you been? Uhhuh, just a little, little like history of Melissa.

Melissa: Okay. So I, I didn't know what I wanted to do in college at all until I, where, where'd you go to college?

I went to Cypress College. Okay. And then Cal State Fullerton. Okay. And I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I was just going, you know, in 95. And I had a teacher or a professor at Cypress College who made me want to be a teacher. Really? She made history. I, I couldn't wait to get to school. Wow. It, I just wanted to be there.

I wanted to be listening to everything he said. I hung on as every word. He made it so much fun and interesting. So at that moment I'm like, oh, I can do what he does. I wanna do what he does. Wow. And so his name was Brian [00:02:00] Sealing. Okay. I still remember his name. I named my son Bryant, but not after him. But I, I could say that and just really make it

it's

Wes: whole other story.

Melissa: Yeah. But, and then from there I just, and I kind of got in on the tail end of that teaching hiring boom in the two thousands. So when I went to get a job, there was nothing available. Right. And I'm not saying I went to Compton because there was nothing available, but it was kind of far for me to drive.

Yeah. But I ended up going there and I was there for, Till 2018, so Oh, that's quite a while. And I, yeah, loved, I loved it. I loved it there so much. And that's where my, my mom grew up in Compton, so. Yeah. That's

Wes: great. And so then from, from Compton to Fullerton, you were at Commonwealth and maple. Mm-hmm.

And so you're combo teacher right now. Have you done that before?

Melissa: I, last year at Maple, I was a five six combo. Okay. And this year at Commonwealth, I'm a five six combo. Five six combo. So

Wes: what's what's [00:03:00] that like?

Melissa: I, I like it. I mean, ideally that's not the position you wanna be in, but Right. It, it works for, I mean, I did it and it's, it's the only thing that's really different that you really have to focus on is math.

Yeah. Everything else kind of falls into line. And even math kind of lines up sometimes if you're lucky enough to get those chapters or Yeah. Units that can line up. But generally everything is the same. You're just teaching at a little bit of a deeper level in the upper grade. But The kids are of so many different levels anyways.

Yeah. That it kind of, it works itself out. It really does. So

Wes: where in teaching do you find yourself, you know how you described your history professor at Cal State Fullerton and you're like, oh, I just, I just love going to class because of that energy. What, where do you find that kind of joy? Teaching?

What's your favorite thing to teach, let's say, or history. History. Yeah. Okay. Do you have a favorite, actually, standard or.

Melissa: Theme or US history? US history. Okay. I love US History. Yeah. So can you go more

Wes: narrow? Like a

specific [00:04:00]

Melissa: American Revolution, you know, founding of our country. Okay. Okay. Okay. The, you know, all of the things that came with how our country started and how awful it was, but also amazing, you know?

Yeah. So,

Wes: Yeah. That's cool. Do you have a certain thing that you usually, you see students light up, like where they get some understanding they didn't have before? Is there some like aha moment for students around the American history, American Revolution?

Melissa: I would say with how our C like and I, you gotta kind of be careful how you say these things to the kids.

Yeah, yeah. Because our country was founded in a pretty rotten way. So, but I do talk a lot about, I do tell them, yeah, like, cause you talk about the Native Americans and that's the beginning unit, right. In fifth grade. And so you talk about them and you kind of have to walk that fine line of saying, you know, This is their country.

Yeah. This is, it started, you know, this, we stole their land. But you gotta be careful cuz Yeah. You know, they're little kids you don't wanna, you know, do gl 'em too much,

Wes: but Right. You're trying to educate 'em, not [00:05:00] traumatize 'em. Yes, exactly. But, but yeah, that's true. And we do a huge disservice not telling students the truths.

True. Pretending like, oh yeah, no, they love Thanksgiving. Exactly. Exactly. It's, it's things like that get very nuanced. So that's interesting. Do you have any advice for teachers who don't know what that barometer is? Because you sound like you're trying to be sensitive. Walk a line. Is there anything you're like, oh, a teacher, you know, here's a gut check or something, or, oh, what do you do if you're not sure?

Melissa: I tell 'em the truth. Oh, okay. Yeah. But like, but in a, in a way that's, Palatable to fifth and sixth graders. Like I say, this country, like if we look at people and say, you know, the border issue that comes up and most of my kids are Hispanic. Mm-hmm. So I, I'm sensitive to that. And so I do say, you know, this, where we're at right now used to be Mexico.

Mm. Like this is the land of the Mexican people. And then, you know, through, you know, [00:06:00] treaties or Yeah. Purchasing and however, you know, it was taken I let 'em know, like everybody has a right to be here. Right. Like, and, and I want them to know, like I am fully aware of where this country started. Right.

And that it was stolen. Yeah. Yeah. And, and, and, and not just the Native Americans as we, you know, know, but also the Hispanic population that was here. Yeah. And so I'm very cognizant of that and I do let. Them. No. Like, I understand that.

Wes: Yeah. Let's I'm gonna include a, a topic here, a quote rather. This is your sister.

Oh, Meredith. Meredith. Meredith and

Melissa: Melissa and Melanie. Don't forget, she's oldest. And Melanie, I'm the middle child and I act like a middle child.

Wes: Three sisters that Start with Melanie Nelson. Meredith. Okay. So just a very short quote, inspiring reading. Mm. And your students is one of your great passions.

Mm-hmm. Tell me a little bit about that. What does that look like [00:07:00] in your classroom?

Melissa: Well, and I know it's probably what a lot of teachers do, but Harry Potter. Mm-hmm. I did not like to read. And I was like, eh, my mom goes, there's this book, this, you know, it's about a magical kid. And I was like, eh, I don't wanna, and I, and I was like, what?

18 when it came out? Yeah. And I'm like, oh, okay. I guess I'll read it. And I couldn't stop. I was like, this is amazing. How am I missing out on this opportunity? And I just wanted to be in a different world, and I knew that it could take me there. Yeah. And so then I started being an avid reader and then, So I bring that to my students.

We just finished Harry Potter about two weeks ago, the first one. Okay. And we did persuasive writing. Okay. Or no? It was no, it, it was an opinion. Oh, okay. And I had let, you know, let them know. I, I asked them, what is your opinion on Harry Potter? And they had to prove their, you know, give their reasons Yeah.

And examples. Yeah. And they, I, I had one student who didn't like it, but it was more of a religious thing. Yeah. But everybody else said, it's such a good book. And I don't know if they were trying to appease me, because I mean, you're a fan. Oh my gosh. My classroom is red. [00:08:00] It was ridiculous. Before the pandemic, it was, you know, I had a paper mache, giant train coming out of the wall, and the kids were sorted into their houses and yeah, I, I got so excited.

So they all know me as the Harry Potter teacher, my student from I had three, I had students, I had my last class for three years in a row. Yeah. And she just came to me about, you know, four weeks ago and brought me a Harry Potter purse that her mom and Oh, that they saw. And she goes to a difference.

She goes to Ladera Vista. And so she walked across the street to Commonwealth and was like, miss Zuko, we saw this. We got it for you. So I'm known as the Harry Potter teacher. And they, even kids' call me Harry Potter. They're like, I'm, I don't even think they know what it means, but that's funny. But yeah.

So I, when I do that now, my kids, they are all checking out Chamber of Secrets from the library. Mm-hmm. They wanna read the second book. So I, if I can get just one kid to be obsessed with reading. Yeah. I've done such a great thing. Yeah. And I think I have a whole class of kids now who they all want the second [00:09:00] book.

Well, Zuka, if we read the second book, you watched the movie in class. Cause we did watch the movie in class. I got all the permission slip sign, we watched it and they were just like, and so then we're doing compare and contrast and Yeah, how they, how the movie, they're like, Ms. Zuka, they love that part out.

Why did they leave it out? And, and we have really good discussions. And so yeah, I think. Just that, that's where I, and, and from there we move forward and we have all these different books, restart and Front desk and realistic fiction. Yeah. And they love that too. Okay. Because connects to them and I try to get books where they're gonna see characters like them.

Yeah. So, so yeah. That's

Wes: great. That's great. I'm going to go onto another quote here from Meredith in this I'm, I'm just, I'm gonna, not gonna read it, but she talks about a garden. Does that

Melissa: ring a bell? Oh my gosh. What? Yeah. Yeah.

Wes: Where's that in Compton? Yeah. Emerson.

Melissa: Yeah. Tell that was I, I named my dog Emerson after that.

Oh yeah. Because we found, he came onto the campus and ran in and they were track trying [00:10:00] to kick him out. And he was just a little puppy. And I, I said, please, can I keep him? And they're like, no, we're kicking him out. And I called my husband, he was on his way home from a midnight shift and he was my boyfriend at the time.

And I said, Kevin, come get the dog. And he. Came and got the dog. We couldn't get the dog. We had that dog for 15 years. Oh,

Wes: and so the garden. The garden at Emerson.

Melissa: What is that? Oh my gosh. So I couldn't believe when I got to the school, there was no grass. It was just dirt. I'm like, how are these kids gonna play?

There's no grass. And so the principal that I had, she was from Placenta or Belinda. Mm-hmm. And she came to Compton because she wanted to end her career. In Compton mm-hmm. Where she could make the most difference. Mm-hmm. And she and my mom, my mom and her are the same age. And sh, if you saw this woman, She would give you a kiss on the cheek, my baby.

Oh, I love you. That was my first experience at, with a, with a principal [00:11:00] hug and kiss. And you're my daughter and I love you. Like that's, that's so when I didn't have that kind of principal, I'm all, why aren't you hugging me like it was? But she was the most incredible woman and her name was Ruben White.

And I said, can I do something about the grass? What can we do? Right? And she's like, What do you wanna do? I said, can we just put a little garden in for the kids? And she said, go for it. So I got parent volunteers. I went to Home Depot. I said, can we get donations? And they yeah. Gave us donations. Parents came in and they donated.

Wow. And we got probably about 50 people. And I mean, we didn't have a lot of money, but we got probably, I dunno, I don't even know what the square footage was, but it was enough to have a bench. Yeah. And we got some. Really nice, like ev like plotted plants, but not things that would last. Yeah. And

Wes: just if you're listening to this, Melissa's illustrating everything with her hands while she's, I'm [00:12:00] thinking about thinking of the words, but your hands are going like, like, I'm picturing it because you're, you're like drawing it

Melissa: in the air.

Yes. Oh, it was. It was. It was. And it was when we were done, it was so cute. And the parents, they came on the weekend and I came on the weekend. My whole family came out. That's great. And so, ugh, this is this. It was cra it was wild. Yeah. So I, I took the Monday off. She said, I'll take the Monday off. You worked all weekend.

And then I walked on campus and everybody's looking at me with their eyes big. And I'm like, what is wrong? And they're like, don't tell Masuka, don't tell Muzz, Mazua, Uhuh. And actually I was Ms. Marshman at that point, and then I ca I came and they said Someone stole the grass. What, because we had sod. Oh.

And so somebody drove their Oh truck, their work truck into the thing. Oh, rolled up all the grounds. Oh no, they were doing a gar, a yard, not very far from there. And they stole it. So all who steals grass. Oh my. And I didn't, and I didn't wanna be like, only in [00:13:00] Compton, but that's not true. It would happen anywhere.

Yeah. There's there's people who would do something anywhere. Yeah. But I was just like, who steals grass from kids? From kids? So, but they ha they, they found the guy they took and they got the grass back. They got the grass bag. So we got it back and we put it back on the ground, but it was already dead.

And we tried. Oh my gosh. But the kids, the ki the but the but the moral of the story and the bene benefit was the community that came together. Yeah. They, they felt so bad for me. The parents like came around me, they're like, we're so sorry. I'm like, it's okay. Yeah. Like the kids. Yeah. We all put in work and the kids came and it was great.

It was a great community building experience and we did what we could. Yeah.

Wes: No, that's great. That's, and it's sometimes, You know, the, the effort to put it in is one bonding type of thing. Yeah. But then there's this other bonding that comes from loss. Yeah. You know, and grief and thinking about somebody else's feelings and helps you not take things for granted.

I don't advocate stealing grass, but No, but think the kids, you see how that's

Melissa: bonding [00:14:00] too. So upset. They were like, how can this happen? So that was a little, you know, a little tick in their brain like, Stealing is bad. Yeah. Like, and I know we say it to them all the time. Yeah. But that was a real moment.

They felt like they were robbed. Yeah. So, yeah, it was, it was a teaching moment for everybody. Yeah, for sure. Especially me. My, I was like very naive. Like, that's thin grass, but that's okay. It worked. I,

Wes: I wouldn't have thought that would've happened. I wouldn't have predicted that. I would've thought, no steals grass.

You're okay. I was like, wow. Okay, here's a quote. And this is from Davy. Mm-hmm. She remembers a time. Dressing up, like book character day. Mm-hmm. And then you brought an idiom book and then every one of your students. Dressed up like an idiom. Yeah. So, and then you made sure everyone had a costume.

Nobody was left out. Mm-hmm. So gimme an example cuz I'm, I can't

Melissa: picture it. So we had like raining cats and dogs. So a student had an umbrella and underneath we, she colored cats and dogs. And had them coming underneath her. We had [00:15:00] butterflies in my stomach. So a student had a box with butterflies and there were butterflies hanging.

Oh, that's fun. Teacher's pet. I was the teacher and one student was like my pet. Okay. And so she was, I, she was my teacher's pet. And it was actually like everyone goes, of course you're the teacher's pet. Of course. Yeah. My teacher's pet. It was great. The kids loved it. I have pictures of all their costumes and it was.

So fun because, and they also got to do their Halloween costume, but it had to be a book parade cuz we have to be like, you know, sensitive, but mm-hmm. Yeah, it was great. That's great.

Wes: And so what is it about these experiences, like the dressing up and tying in. The the idioms and also like the book, the Harry Potter and like, building a train coming out of your wall, like I sense a little bit of a, a dramatic flare.

Mm-hmm. Where's that come from? Like how do you explain that? Because you couldn't go through a teacher education program and you, you won't find that in the, in the books. Right?

Melissa: My, my mom. Okay. My mom, cuz she. [00:16:00] J and my dad, like, we don't do anything small. Okay. In my family, everything is grandiose and huge.

Like my mom ran the Homeless Children's Foundation for La Angeles County Sheriff's. I mean, we had Santa coming down on a helicopter and I mean, but I mean she had it through Lee Baca kind of endorsed her to do it, and yeah. So it was not, she had the funding. Yeah. And so we were doing thousands of bags and feeding thousands of children and because she saw some unhoused guy on the bench one day and she's like, let me help him.

And then, you know, he yelled at her and she's like, I can't help adults, but let me help children. So she just did that. And, you know, we do big things and I like, I'm the first teacher at my school to get my classroom ready. I will spend two weeks Yeah. All day. I want my kid. Yeah. It's because I want, and not because I like to decorate, because I was going to be an interior decorator and I realized they said, well, you are at the whim of rich people.

I'm all, wait. They're [00:17:00] like, well, who can hire an interior decorator? They're like wealthy people. I'm all, so if they want something, they're gonna get it because they have the money. I'm like, I don't wanna do that. I don't wanna listen to somebody and tell they're not gonna tell me what to do. So I didn't do that.

Yeah. But. I want my kids to walk in and know from the effort that I put in that I care. Yeah. Yeah. Like, my kids know that I love them. I tell them all the time. They know. Yeah. And they, they, they feel cozy. Like, you know, when we did Harry Potter, the watch, the movie, we all wore pajamas. We. Threw the desk to the side.

We laid on the floor. They bought their stuffed animals. Their blankets. Yeah, their pillows. That we were all, like we, I made hot cocoa. We had popcorn. I just want those moments because I grew up with those moments. Mm-hmm. I grew up with cozy grandma, cozy grandpa. Mm-hmm. My parents were very loving. And I want that for my kids.

Yeah. And I know I'm not their parent, but I can give them those Yeah. Experiences to where they're like, oh, I like this. Yeah. This is nice and cozy. And so,

Wes: and they'll [00:18:00] remember that that will be a memory above all others. Yeah. In their you know, school career. They're gonna remember those moments that were, you know, the deaths were pushed aside.

It, it's. The disruption of the

Melissa: normal, which is what Dr. Bob told us to do on that retreat you went on. Right. He said just, you know, just, just get to know your kids on a personal level and then that's, you could build the relationships first and then everything else is gonna fall. Yeah. And I've been doing that my whole career.

Yeah. Like I. My goal is to have my kids walking away saying, miss Zuka, you're the best teacher I ever had. Like, I want that. Like, and I, and, and I'm not trying to be better than other teachers, right. I'm trying to be the best for who I have that, that group of students that I have, I want them to go, wow, I feel loved.

I feel relevant. I feel important. Yeah. And I feel like I can do anything because our, that's awesome. Our country, you know, we say anybody can be anything, but it doesn't always, Everybody's not starting off equally. Yeah. And I want my students to feel as [00:19:00] much of that as possible. Right. And that I believe in them.

I full, I do, I believe in every one of my kids. Yeah. So,

Wes: yeah. That's awesome. Speaking of believing anybody can do anything let's bring in the master chef. Mm-hmm. Idea. So just tell us a little bit about what that is. So kind of start to finish. So somebody Who hasn't heard of it can understand it.

And then I, I have some additional follow up questions.

Melissa: Yeah. Though, so I was brought in with two other teachers, with the Iias team and Dr. Bob. He just wanted us to have a pa, like a passion project. Mm-hmm. An innovative passion project. Mm-hmm. And said, what's your dream field trip? And I was like, okay. And so I was sitting there, I didn't know what I'm like, okay.

And they said, no limits, no budget. And I'm like, okay. I wanna, I want them, my kids to cook in Italy. Like I want them to cook in Italy. I want them to learn from a whole bunch of Nonnas how to cook the best Italian food in the world. And so that's great. That's so great. Great. I'm gonna start there. And then they're like, okay, now realistically we can't do that.

So how can we bring [00:20:00] that experience to our students? And I'm like, okay. And I love competition. You can ask my students today, we have reflex math and I, we we get a tiger and I told my students, I'm all, we are not losing this tiger. Our class is going to win. And our class won today every Friday. Really?

Really? And I'm like, it's our tiger. Nobody else has ever had it. And I'm like, and they're trying to get it. I'm like, this is our tiger and if we lose it, I'm gonna cry. And they're like, I said, so I'm very competitive. So the competition came into it because I'm like, okay, let's have a competition cuz it's gonna drive.

It drives me. It doesn't drive everybody right. But I'm like, let's, yeah, let's do this. We'll have prizes and the kids are gonna, you know, work to win something. Yeah. So describe that

Wes: competition, what the kids did and the competitions for somebody who wasn't

Melissa: there. So we had the cooking and the competition, so I thought, okay, master Chef, and I'm just sure that's coins somewhere and.

Breaking some kind of laws. I don't know. I'm just kidding. But yeah, they, we split the kids up into groups of four. Okay. And we were so lucky that [00:21:00] Michael Burns and the nutritional services department bought eight, well, actually nine Yeah. Full kitchens. And, and not, you know, they're

Wes: like kind of portable mobile, portable

Melissa: mobile kitchen.

Mobile kitchen. So, you know, induction, stove and everything. You would need to cook a meal. Yeah. And he even bought a Vitamix and. Provided us with a refrigerator, a full industrial refrigerator. Yeah. And so I told the students, and I brought all this to Maple, brought it all to Maple in the npr. We had a great company help us like decorate it and get, you know mm-hmm.

The pipe and drain, pipe and drain all the way around. So just, we, we wanted it to look like a, a TV show, so, yeah. Yeah. And it did, it really looked great. And so the kids came in and they had all the swag you can think of. They had a cookbook, t-shirts, aprons bags. They got water bottles. They got a whole bunch, you know, everything they needed to plan three-course meal.

Mm-hmm. And we had chefs from Cypress College come in and support the kids for the week. So they met 'em on Monday. On Monday, they made a grilled cheese. [00:22:00] Tuesday they kind of prepped their food, like did you know, their first test of their, their dish that they were gonna make. And then Wednesday we went to an incubator kitchen in Santa Ana and they cooked in a real incubator kitchen, like with stoves and there was fire and knives.

And I, I, you know, when I, all the things that makes. Teaching. Exciting. Yeah. I was like, there's no way they're gonna approve this and Dr. No, we have Ladera Vista. They have, you know, they cook and we we're good. Yeah. Liability-wise, I'm like, this is scary. But I didn't have one IT issue. Yeah. We had one little nick on a finger and didn't even bleed.

Yeah. I was so proud. I'm like, because the kids really, even though sometimes they could be a little wild in the classroom and they don't pay attention and they run around and you tell 'em not to, Right here. They, they rose to the challenge. They rose because they were, I said, you do anything that's gonna hurt anybody else, you're out.

Yeah, you gotta leave because it's not safe. And they took it seriously. Yeah. And they did a great job. So

Wes: they plated the things they made. Then we had community judges. Yeah. And [00:23:00] then that's the competition, right? Yeah. They're all kind of up against the other groups and they have to present and kind of narrate through.

Yeah. They

Melissa: had to write a menu decision. So we had, we, we did, they had to do math with measuring and they discussed that with the chefs. They had to do science and if you put too much of this in it's, and you know, it wasn't act, no really science, but I guess it was. You know, when you, when, when it comes down to it, if you put too much salt, it's gonna be salty.

Yeah. Right. But they, you know, they did a great job. They had to write that menu and then they had to present their meals to the judges and describe what it was. Yeah. And you know, they're using words they'd never used before. Right. They increased their vocabulary a ton. They met people they never would've met.

Yeah. They went someplace they never knew was. In existence And yeah, it was just, and they, and they did have some guest speakers some people that had started restaurants Yeah. And talked to them about what they did. And I went over, I go to Ladera Vista a couple times, like once a month to see my old kids.

Okay. Because I. [00:24:00] Love my students. I love all my students, but this group, because I had them for three years, like, oh, wow. We got so close. Yeah. And so I, I went over to talk to them and a lot of them are taking the culinary, culinary arts class there. That's awesome. They're like, miss Zuka, we're in, we love it.

We're cooking. And so I don't know if I started a passion or not. Yeah. But hey, who knows? I might have the next James Beard winner and they're gonna, you know, invite me to come eat.

Wes: That's awesome. I even noticed the. Community college chefs those culinary students, like the way they looked at their students, I'm like, oh, they, they don't get this opportunity to like mentor somebody who, who thinks they're, you know, so amazing and advanced.

Yeah. So that was a, a cool Moment to kind of see them, you know, shepherding these

Melissa: students too. Yeah, I know. I'm working with a new group of chefs that's coming to Commonwealth cuz we're doing it again. That was my next

Wes: question is, okay. What's happening next is it's, you're doing it again at Commonwealth.

We're

Melissa: doing it again. So, okay. The, the whole idea with I, I think what you guys wanted to do and Dr. Bob was, have something that's reproducible and that could [00:25:00] be done again and again. And expose more students to different things. So we're doing it again and it's bigger this time. We have five teachers.

Oh my gosh. Three weeks, five teachers,

Wes: if I remember right. Last year was just you? It was just me, but it seemed like a hundred kids. It was because the presentations, it was like, yeah. And I remember the judges, they had to sample everything.

Melissa: Oh my gosh. I felt bad cuz they were

Wes: probably so full. It was so much to eat so much cuz it was, it was literally.

Three courses. Yeah. Like there was an appetizer, a main and then like a dessert and dessert. Yeah. Yeah. It was a lot. Now five teachers doing that, I can't even

Melissa: comprehend it. Well, we're not doing the competition this time. Okay. It's just cooking. Cuz I'm like, how, how can I replicate this with, yeah. So it's three weeks.

So I'm on Mondays. I'm every Monday and the first week we're doing grilled cheese parfaits, just Oh, okay. Things that they could do and then they're gonna plan our next week. They have to do ramen. Yeah. Because they have, I'm going back to TikTok again. They have these TikTok Ramen recipes, so I'm gonna have them doing research on which one they wanna do.

Cause we can just do the boiling water. [00:26:00] Yeah. Get the ramen done. And they have to add two vegetables. This is all things that they can do at home. Yeah. That they'll feel comfortable doing. Like my eight year old he'll, oh, sorry Joe, you're nine, my nine year old. He does this ramen on his own. And he, you know, he does the little kettle and he'll do, he'll do it on his own.

And so I'm like, okay, kids can start doing things Yeah. Independently and learning how to, you know, be safe in the kitchen. And this is something, and ramen is not expensive. Yeah. It's something they can always have on hand. So. Yeah. We're, we're gonna do that. And then last, the last day is when, so the chefs are not gonna be there all three weeks, right?

They're only gonna be there the last week. Yeah. So that last week. The kids are gonna have to bef without the chefs there, pick something they wanna make. And when the chefs come, they'll make this meal and they're gonna cook for a parent or a guardian. Oh, that's so they're gonna serve parents or great guardians.

Great. Yeah. So, okay, so

Wes: you're like creating a restaurant essentially.

Melissa: Yes. So it's, it's a little bit different. Yeah. But it's still, it's still the same idea because

Wes: the parents and gardens come in and then they sit down and have a meal and they're gonna sell [00:27:00] them. They, oh my gosh. So

Melissa: that's awesome.

Yeah, so that's really cool. Five different times for five different teachers and they, they don't know cuz they didn't see it last year. Yeah. So they're like, what is this? Like, they're all excited, but what's gonna go on? Huh? We're gonna cook with the kids. I'm like, okay. So I have, we're having a meeting next week so I can really break it down.

Yeah. You know, they can figure it out. But we are having a lot of parents come in to support cuz. We, one teacher can't do that by themselves.

Wes: So we're, we have to get to a place to kind of land the plane of this interview. But we have another quote. I want to, I think I'm gonna extract, extract a couple of adjectives.

So this from Gene Summy principle of Commonwealth. And I'm just gonna give you, I'm gonna give you three adjectives that she uses to describe you and pick the one that you wanna talk about first. We may visit the others. But she uses enthusiasm. Mm-hmm. Creativity. And then she uses authentic.

So I'm gonna say [00:28:00] authenticity. Okay. So out of those authenticity, creativity, and enthusiasm, which one strikes you? Enthusiasm. Okay. Tell me more about that. Why is that the first one

Melissa: you pick? Because I just. I want all the kids to have fun. I want them to experience school and go like, that was fun. Like today, I had a student say that today was the best day of my life.

Aw. Because we did secret snowflakes. Okay. And so we passed 'em out and she got who she wanted and she was so excited. And then I let them have a half hour free time and they were playing Super Mario because we're doing the eSports. Yeah. eSports. So they're playing Super Mario. And she's like, could it get me better today?

I'm like, that's what I want. Yeah. Like it, we weren't learning, we weren't doing math or anything. Yeah. But. You know, she was happy. Yeah. She was happy at school. And that's what I want them to have. And she prob like I, we weren't gonna have a haunted library this year. Mm-hmm. And I never even knew they had it.

Mm-hmm. And they're like, yeah, the college students aren't coming. I'm like, then we do it. It.

Wes: Let's

Melissa: go. So [00:29:00] I did the haunted library and did it. I don't know what a haunted library is, but it sounds, well, it's just basically like a maze. Like a knottsberry farm maze. Okay. Okay. So we made it spooky and we had Oh, that's cool.

The upper grade parents all donated and we had, it was great. They said it was the best one they've ever had. Okay. Maybe they didn't say that, but in my head it was the best one I ever had. Melissa.

Wes: This is the best one we've ever done. Yeah.

Melissa: Woo woo. So that's great. I think I've, this is my problem. I've pigeoned my whole hell myself in these plea.

Things and then people are gonna be like, well, are you doing it again? Right. So I mean, cuz it was a lot of work. But the kids, like they said, that was the hit cuz the lines were like not scary farming lines. The kids were waiting to get in and it was great. That's great. So I am very enthusiastic if you give me like any little opening, I'm gonna run with it.

Yeah. And be extra, but, and that's who I am. I'm extra. I'm extra. I am. And my mom tells me, but my sisters are too. So whatever, it's her fault.

Wes: Okay. Let's, let's end with a shout out to give you opportunity to, so On the side of enthusiasm and [00:30:00] extra, we have your family. Mm-hmm. I think, and that's probably clearly where it comes from.

Yeah. But any other people you, you think like, yeah. I, I love their generosity or their, like, over the topness, like o other people that you've noticed that you think, oh, that's, that's good. I like that. I want to be like that.

Melissa: Hmm. I would say like just in education or just here? Anywhere.

Wes: Like life friends growing up.

Yeah.

Melissa: My sister Meredith.

Wes: Okay. Tell us, tell us a little bit about her.

Melissa: She's just, Funny. She's so funny. And we used to fight all the time because I'm the middle child and I don't like people take my stuff. And she took my friends. She took your friends well, because she's so fun and I didn't like it.

And so my friends were like, bring your sister. I'm all, no, you're my friend. And she was always there. At everything. All of a sudden, Meredith's there. I'm like, why? And I didn't understand. Yeah. Because I was always, it was a [00:31:00] competition to me. And she was like, I just wanna be here. I just wanna be happy and have fun.

And I was like, get away. And then she had a baby. She had Austen and I, that was beyond end all for me. And so we became best friends after that. Oh. And she is just, and now I get it. Yeah. Once I let my. Bratty sister thingo. Yeah. I'm like, she's freaking funny. Yeah. Like so I don't know if you talked to her.

No, she emailed. Oh, she emailed. Oh my gosh. She's so funny. She just cracked and so everywhere. She, I wanna be like her. I am, I try to be silly in fun, but I don't compare to her. She should be a comedian. Like, she just makes me laugh. I, I'm

Wes: gonna end with this bonus feedback cuz everybody we said, you know, we asked some specific questions and then we just said bonus feedback.

Anything else you want to. To know. So this is what she wrote. She said I said, anything else you want to share about Melissa? She said, having Melissa as my sister and one of my best friends feels like winning the lottery. She's such an amazing person. She's a wonderful daughter, wife and mother, but I think she's the best aunt ever.

Oh, her ability to love [00:32:00] someone's child like a mama bear. I know my other sister would agree and not even be offended. She'd say, Melissa beat us both in that department. My kids have a second mom with her. She's generous with time, love, and gifts. She gives her undivided attention to children. She can easily see potential in everyone.

Oh, so

Melissa: she's much better writer than me too,

Wes: so I love that. Thank you for joining us on the podcast today. And I can't wait to see the master

Melissa: Chef this year. Well, it's called junior Chef Academy. We changed it. Ooh, junior Chef Academy Academy. Yeah. So, yeah. Yeah. My kids, and it's not a surprise this year, so my kids kind of know what's happening.

Yeah. But we got reordered, their books, they're all getting the, the same cookbook and they're excited, like, and that parents are like, I can't wait. They get to, you know, they're gonna cook. So That's cool. Yeah. That's great. When is that? End of January. So, like

Wes: last, oh, it's coming up? Yeah. Okay. It's. So in January, the three weeks, it's like on.

Melissa: Yeah. Okay, great. Thanks Melissa.[00:33:00]

Wes: This has been the Teacher Interview podcast. Thank you for joining us.

Adriana-Rada-Podcast--FSD-Innovation--Fullerton-School-District

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Wes: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Teacher Interview podcast.

I'm your host, Wes Kriesel. I work as Director of Innovation and Instructional Support in Fullerton School District, and every week we sit down and get to know a teacher better. My goal is to learn what drives and guides teachers, especially when venturing into that risky territory of trying something new.

Join me. Today we spend time with Adriana Rata. She teaches first grade dual language academy at Raymond Elementary.

Well, welcome Adriana welcome to the podcast. We're so glad for you to be here with us today.

Adriana: Thanks for having me.

Wes: So we're gonna do a little bit of, of talking about just how you got into teaching, what that was [00:01:00] like for you, and then we, we have done a little bit of pre-interview work. Okay. Contacting people that you connected us with and we'll hear what they think about you and how it relates to teaching. And then we'll just ask you to react to that.

Adriana: Sounds good.

Wes: Alright. So to start off with tell me how you became a teacher.

Adriana: It was a little not what I wanted at first. I started my career as an engineer major. That was my first, that's what I wanted to do.

But then somehow once I got to college, it, everything changed. I started a program at UC, Santa Barbara. It was called La Escuelita . So we will go, it's like school in Spanish. . And so we will go to different schools around the area. And we'll tutor the kids, we will have tutoring at the park.

And I really enjoyed it. I really liked it. Engineering was hard too, so that had to do with it. So I decided to change and I [00:02:00] just got really involved into a lot of things that had to do with school and with the kids. I learned that we had the dual immersion program, so I got my teaching credential plus the dual immersion program to teach.

Wes: So at UC Santa Barbara. You got a dual immersion credential?

Adriana: No. So I went to Santa Barbara and I did a Spanish major with a minor in teaching. And then I went to Loyola Marymount and I got my credential there with the dual immersion.

Wes: Wow. How was that experience? Did you find the classes, I mean, maybe there's a little, a bit of hindsight applied, but did you find the classes helpful looking back or?

Adriana: They were helpful in a way, but it was not a theory. So once you get to actually being a teacher in your own classroom, you get to experience the real. Teaching. A lot of times when you go to college, they always tell you the theory part and how this could help this class or this is gonna support you by classroom management or science, teaching science or teaching math.

[00:03:00] But once you're into the classroom, that's when you really get to experience teaching and what works in your classroom and what doesn't work in your classroom. So I really, really enjoyed it. I did a lot of volunteering and I went back to my high school that I graduated from and I did, I worked there as a teacher assistant.

And I got to, it was a high school, so that. It was nice to have high school experience and that made me decide that I need to go to elementary school because it was,

Wes: I Like how positive you are.

Adriana: It was a good spirit just to see that. But yeah, I, the kids are really the, I love first grade, second grade. The younger kids that really, that's where I like to be at.

Wes: And there's probably somebody, and maybe it's me who has the opposite of it experience. You know, the little kids are for other people.

Adriana: Yes, that's true. That's true.

Wes: Yeah. So that's [00:04:00] interesting.

Adriana: I Mean, I did had to when I was in middle school, so I came, I was born in Colombia, so when I came to the United States, I was 13 and I didn't have any English language at all. I didn't know how to speak English. So those two teachers that were with me in middle school, they really helped me a lot.

Wes: And where did you go to middle school?

Adriana: In Long Beach. So when I came to the United States, I've been living in Long Beach, my whole, the rest of my life until now.

Besides going to Santa Barbara and coming back.

Wes: But do you still live in Long Beach?

Adriana: Yes.

Wes: Oh, that's great.

I went back to Long Beach.

Adriana: So it was, those two teachers really helped me too. I still get in contact with one of them. . So when I decided to become a teacher, I talked to her and that was really it really helped me.

It was really nice to, to see that and to hear her experience and because she's also she also came at a later age. And so, and she came from Central America. So it was nice to have that experience for her to tell me that, her [00:05:00] experience. And for me to get that before deciding to

Wes: Did you know that part of her story when you were a student?

Adriana: I knew that she, like, she was speaking to me in, in Spanish sometime, so I knew that she was coming from, but I didn't know the whole story about her coming or her deciding to be a teacher or why that she decided to be a teacher. So it was nice to have that as a, an adult, not as a kid.

Wes: And do you remember that moment where you're like, oh, this is a different relationship, suddenly, like she's telling me about her personal journey into teaching.

Adriana: Yes.

Wes: What was that like?

Adriana: It was awesome. I mean, it was interesting because then. Like I said, it's hard. It's sometimes different to picture. You as a teacher in your classroom cause they tell you all these stories and they tell you all these great things that it's very rewarding, which it is. But they also don't tell you all the behind the scenes things that you also have to do as a teacher. So it was nice to, for her to be [00:06:00] completely honest and tell me, All the behind the scenes, like you just don't go and just stand in a classroom and teach, right? Like you have to prepare for it. You have to get things ready. You have to learn your what your kids like. How are your kids? So you have to really, really get to know your class, to know what works for your class, and every year is different. Every year you have different kids that maybe what worked last year is not gonna work this year. So you have to like adjust.

Wes: Yeah. So I mean, you have such a, a unique circumstance and then you had a teacher who almost had a similar, like a parallel of coming to United States and then learning English and then becoming a teacher. Do you find was all her advice about teaching or was there other information or wisdom that she could share about that journey? About learning? Like what was the teaching experience like for her that maybe some of her colleagues who grew up here [00:07:00] didn't know or appreciate in the same way? Was, was it that. Was there that kind of information shared or was it more just like about teaching?

Adriana: It was more just about teaching. I think she came much younger than I did.

Wes: Oh, okay.

Adriana: So it was a little different because at 13 you're already a little older. Teenager almost in, it's, it's different. It's a different than when you come like at seven years old or eight years old. So that was a little different in that sense. Because you have to, I had to like, take this. And my experience was a little different that Yeah, when when you start at seven years old, you pick up the English a lot faster, right? And then when I came was a little difficult in a sense of the language. It was a tough journey.

Wes: Yeah. Yeah. But it's good. You had, she was, she saw something. But where she could encourage you. That was good. So how did, how did you end up, was Fullerton where you started teaching or?

Adriana: No, I started teaching. So when I went to Loyola Marymount, I think I have a [00:08:00] really good models. My director of my program, the bilingual program, lmu she lived in Long Beach. She was a teacher at Long Beach Unified, so she really helped me a lot in that sense too. So I have really good models. When I finished there, then I started applying. I decided to do dual immersion. So I started at a charter school. In Los, in LA I did, I I was there for three years. And the whole school was bilingual? It was a, a school that had just started. They were there when I started. They had been there for like three years. So it was real, really new. So it was. I'd say an interesting an interesting journey.

Wes: You're very gifted journey at staying on the, the positive side.

Adriana: Positive. Which is, that'd be positive. That'd be positive. It's a good lesson. It's it was an interesting journey. Very helpful in a way of because like I said, that first year [00:09:00] as a teacher, it's tough because you don't know any better than what you've seen other people do, but when you come as a, let's say when I did my student teaching, I. I was teaching, but I still have my master's teacher right there next to me so she was still like, the kids knew that she was there. It was different than having my own classroom. And being in there by myself. And I was like, what am I gonna do? So it was a really, like, it was a struggle. . At first, yeah. It was a struggle at first.

Wes: You're not alone. I mean, my first year's teaching - I was gonna say horrible. But I'm learning from you to be positive. We're great learning experiences.

Adriana: Exactly. You learn from everything. In life and in, yeah. I work and everything. So it was, so I started at, at a church school. But it was really far from my house as well, so I was still living in Long Beach. But I had to commute. The way back will take me like two hours sometimes. So I decided to change. That was one of the reasons why I decided to change. And then I [00:10:00] found out that Fullerton was opening dual immersion program. And they had just opened the previous year. And they wanted a first grade teacher, and I've only done first grade my whole five years since I've been teaching. . So it's been first grade, so I was like, great, this is my opportunity.

Wes: That's so good.

Adriana: I need to go in. So I did it and I applied and I went through the process and I was very happy. It's a really great district and I'm very happy to. Be here.

Wes: That's great.

Adriana: Yeah. And it's much that can be as much, much, much smaller. Yeah. Yeah. That's good. So that was another plus.

Wes: So let's tap back into the, the first years where you said yes, there was a lot of learnings going on. What's one thing, looking back, if you were kind of paired up with a brand new teacher, somebody day one in the classroom, what's something you would reflect back on and say, if only they knew this. Like that was something that I struggled with my first six months, nine months, year. What would you tell somebody who's like brand, brand new, something that you think, gosh, I wish I would've learned that a little [00:11:00] quicker. What comes to mind?

Adriana: I think, now, that comes to mind it's classroom management. That's always, that was, that was one of the things that I, that I really worked on. And I, I mean, I would say not to feel so frustrated. Like it is not, sometimes at first, at first it was like, oh, like I'm horrible. Like, what am I doing? I'm not doing anything good. Like, they're not learning anything.

But it's not, yeah. Like they're actually learning and it's just being calm. I mean, it's hard. It's hard to do it. It's easier to say. It's hard to do it. But just be calm and, and know that, get to know your kids. And that would be the first thing, you know, get to know your kids. Get to know your class. Get to know who they are, what they like. And if you put yourself and you give them, be honest with them and give them a little more of like, this is me when I was in first grade for doing first grade. This is me. So put yourself in there as well. It'll be. They could relate back to that and they could respond, [00:12:00] have a positive respond to those stories or to those ideas of you sharing a little bit of view with them. I think,

Wes: So you said multiple things there, so it's like getting to know your students. So that's, that's sort of being perceptive about them. But then you also said sharing about yourself so that you are maybe sharing stories or something so they could see how you were as a student. So that was another thing. And there was at least two other things you said. So gimme a specific example of like, how would you share something, cause sometimes teachers might be told, don't share about yourself personally. It's too much. So what's something you, you. Could say like, this is, this has worked for me. Like this is something my students would relate to, or they'd be curious about, or it'd be helpful and it wouldn't, wouldn't be like, you know, a weird place to share too much information or something.

Adriana: I think the first time that I [00:13:00] did, I always have or I to have Like a mini of pictures of like a PowerPoint presentation. Pictures of me. Or things that I like. So I, maybe I put, I don't have pictures of me when I'm first grade. I don't really remember, but I put pictures of me with, like in Colombia. So I always tell them I was born in Colombia. I want 'em to also, like, since I'm a dual immersion, I want 'them to realize that I didn't came, like I wasn't born here. So I understand you learning a different language. Right.

Wes: Oh, that's powerful.

Adriana: So even though sometimes I don't know that I speak English, but it's, is, it's nice to have that in there and just tell 'them it's, it's hard to learn a different language. So I would always tell 'them, I come from Colombia. I wasn't born there. I have no idea what I was doing. So I always put that in my pictures. I wasn't married at that point, so I didn't put anything of that. And that's one of the things that I don't, when it becomes the awkward part of like, oh [00:14:00] yeah, Mary and then you have kids, like they'll ask a lot of questions. So I don't go there. So I'll go based on like, my background was like, this is who I am. This is what I like or my favorite subject. A lot of kids love math and that's i'll, that's one of the things that I always go to in math. So I do like a little presentation of pictures, of things that I like. . And things that they can look back and know me as a person. And not just like, A teacher, the authority, like Oh, as a teacher, but have a little more personal.

Wes: That's great. So just even sharing pictures and kind of where you. Like, I mean, for example, for dual immersion, just saying, I grew up in another country and I had to learn.

Just saying that is so much of kind of a, a bond or sharing or offer, at least offering a bond, even if they don't, you know, totally see the connection. So that seems like very sympathetic to where [00:15:00] they're coming from and that that could possibly help develop those relationships. That's cool.

What's, what's a one before we kind of move into the other quotes we have, what's one, maybe classroom management tip or principal or technique or just something that stuck with you from the kind of the very first days?

Adriana: I use a lot of songs. Songs to like a cleanup song. It's, mm-hmm.

So it's cleanup song, so songs to get them. Are you a good singer? No. That's why I use the songs. I'll try to sing. I'll sing. Only when we have to sing. Just play. Say, I'll play the ta. I mean, they know the song and we could sing the song. Yeah. But I use a lot of songs to that. So like a cleanup song? Yeah.

I use a song. A little more calm. Hmm. Song to like, it's time to be quiet. Transition. Exactly. Transitions or it's time to be quiet. That's cool. Yeah. I also use I like to use a lot of positive reinforcement. Yeah. So like we, right now we have a [00:16:00] bingo. Mm-hmm. So we use the bingo, the bingo cart, and every in, you either use it for like when someone's being kind, or let's say we're working on cleaning up.

Mm-hmm. And so every time they'll do it and then do like a, we'll put a cart in our bingo cart. Mm. And once they fill it up, then we have like a celebration of it. Oh, that's cool. So I, I got this idea from another teacher, but it was, it, it is just, and I try to change things like every so often. Okay.

Because I don't want 'em to like get bored or get Yeah. Just it's like, oh, we already did this. We're doing this the same thing over, over, over again. So I like to change things. Around. Mm-hmm. Or, or, okay. Today we're gonna do the bingo for like a couple months. Yeah. And then like next trimester. Then it's like, okay, so this time we're gonna do this to, and then they'll get excited and they're really, really engaged into like, okay, I need to be ready to Yeah.

Get that bingo or get this done. Yeah. So I try to give a lot of [00:17:00] positive reinforcement with that. So it's, we'll get something just for positive reinforcement. Right. And we don't take out, if. We don't do it. Yeah. Okay.

I get when you, you said we're gonna do this for the trimester and then we're gonna do something.

I mean, I got excited. I'm like, I'm like, oh, and I just sense this, like you have this ability to sell the idea that you have to, your students like to get them excited cuz I'm like, how did you just get me, like, anticipating what, what's coming next trimester? I'm not even in class. Like, so part of it is kind of that using.

Excitement or anticipation. Yes. Like keeping things fresh, like you said. But that's part of a, a management strategy is to like peak their curiosity. Right. Keep them interested. Yes. That's interesting. I love that. So we're gonna transition to some, some quotes here. So we have so one of the questions that I asked is What is one word to represent Adriana.[00:18:00]

Okay. And we have, we have three people. Mm-hmm. So your husband John, interested Rosanna Fonseka, who works at our district office and she helps with our English learner programs. And then we also have our other one was Colleague Elma. Right. Okay. So I'm going, you know, three people. Mm-hmm. I'm gonna say the three words.

Okay. And then you're just kind of trying to scramble who said what. Okay. And it could be just horribly embarrassing or, yeah, it could be, but you know, it's just a fun game. Okay. So one word was caring. Okay. One word was steady and one word was driven. Hmm. So, I'm just curious who, can you repeat those again please?

Yeah, yeah, for sure. So one word is caring. Caring. Driven. Driven. And

steady And steady. Steady,

huh? So your husband, district, office or colleague,

steady, I think Rosana would say that.

So that is absolutely right. Yes. So you got, you got one for three. Yeah. You're

one for three. The other one was [00:19:00] driven and Caring.

Caring who? I'm gonna say caring for Elma.

And then that means your husband says you're driven. Driven. Okay. It's actually the opposite way. Opposite almost. So that's interesting. Almost. Almost. That's interesting. Almost. So which one of those words stands out? Caring, driven, or Steady. Which one of those do you identify with?

Or just, you know, is like your, your favorite word?

They said it, so I can't say, I don't identify with any of them. I'm kidding. No. I mean, I'm very lucky to have them and to say those great things about me.

Do you think you're more caring, more driven, or more steady? Which one would you just kind of say?

Yeah, I'll, I'll put that one first and then why?

I'm gonna say and

it's not like you're saying one of them was more Right. It's just, just like caring. Okay. Caring. Why, [00:20:00] why do you

say that? I think I, I, in inside my classroom, I really care about my kids. I really want to get to know them. Like I'd said before, you know, it's just It breaks my heart, they'll cry.

Like obviously I don't show it. Mm-hmm. But it's just that idea of like, I don't want them to feel bad. Mm-hmm. I don't want them to suffer or get hurt or anything like that. Yeah. So I, I try to, to have that connection with them and also with my friends and my colleagues and, and, and at home as well. I, I try to, to have a little bit for like, Something happens, or like my husband, he's been working a lot mm-hmm.

Lately, like up to midnight. Mm-hmm. And so I try to like do something or like send him a text or something like, yeah, I don't wanna bother you, but like, here's a little something. You can do it. Like, we're almost there. Yeah. We're almost on vacation or something like that. Something to like, just encourage him and he's gonna be okay and he's gonna be fine and, and you can [00:21:00] do it and Oh, that's great.

Just things here and there that I, I think. I could, yeah.

Be one of the things. Yeah. It's interesting when you talked about the caring side in the classroom. I, I mean, I'm re reminded, your students are so young. Mm-hmm. So young, and it doesn't take. Much of anything to upset you because, you know, school is pretty much brand new, you know, things are confusing.

So that's, that's a really, and that's true throughout, you know, students career and school is, is things are upsetting and confusing and life is not always completely, you know, clear to us. But especially when we're. The students are so young. Yes. You know, so I really appreciate that, that empathy.

And you said you don't want 'em to hurt or suffer. Like I really, really appreciate that. That seems like it could be a little bit of a burden maybe, cuz you do, like you can't really protect them from everything. Exactly. So how do you balance it's interesting, you did say something [00:22:00] like, you know, I care so much, but I don't always let them see.

Like how much I care. So do you wanna talk about that balance?

I mean, I let them see how much I care. Mm-hmm. Because I want 'em to know that, even if I tell you like, this is not what we need to be doing right now. Even if I have to like be a little firm with them mm-hmm. And tell 'em like, this is not how we do this, then I, I also want them to know that I'm doing it because I want them to succeed because I want them to do good.

Mm-hmm. Because I care. Like, if I wouldn't care, then I wouldn't really care about what you're doing. Like, oh, you're doing it bad, then that's fine, you know? Oh well. Let's move on. Yeah, no. Like I, I want 'em to know that this is why I'm doing it. Yeah. Because I care. Because I want you to succeed because you have so much, you know, like I, I really want them to, to know that Yeah.

That all the things that, and I tell them all the things. This is what I'm telling you. This is because I want you to do good in this. Mm-hmm. Because I want you to go to second grade, ready to go and like mm-hmm. You know, learn a lot of things. So I always tell 'em those things. Yeah. So that's why I want them to know, but I also want 'em to [00:23:00] know that when we, when I say certain things, that I need to be a little more serious about certain things that they know that I'm also serious.

Yeah. Because this is something that we really need to talk about. Yeah. And not so much of like Me not caring or me not showing Right. That side of,

yeah. Well, I have a quote to share from you. Okay. And this is from Rosanna. So the, the question was one time when you were Adriana was acting like Adriana.

Okay. Like only could, so she said on the first day of school during your first year mm-hmm. Many parents were nervous about the dual language immersion program. Or is it called DLA Dual Language Academy? Is that what it is? Yes. Okay. And they were nervous what it would look like in the second year. So when you heard about this, you met with parents, you sent out information, you built relationships, and within the first week, those same parents shared how pleased they were with you in the future of the program.

Do you remember

this? I remember the first day of school. Yes. Yes. I do [00:24:00] remember it was last school year. Mm-hmm. And I mean, I was nervous too. It was my first time at the district, at the school. Mm-hmm. And I know those parents were nervous because that's the first class, so they were gonna get a new teacher every time.

So I know they we're nervous about who I was. They didn't know who I was. Mm-hmm. So I wrote a letter and I sent it the first. Week of school. Mm-hmm. Just explaining who I am the same way that I would tell my kids. I told them where I come from. I told them a little bit about me, my background, and I really, I like to talk to my parents.

Mm-hmm. I like to talk to them and just like sometimes joke around and just ha build that relationship with them as well. Mm-hmm. Because I think it's really important. I mean, I'm with their kids. Mm-hmm. A lot. Yeah. You know, a lot. The whole day almost. And so I, I want them to feel comfortable leaving them with me.

Yeah. Yeah. So I, I really want them to, to know that I care for their kids and to know that I'm there to [00:25:00] help them with whatever they need, that I'm there to support them and to help them in any way I can. Yeah. Like, I'm not here to just be the teacher. And if you tell me something, then. Sorry, it's my way or my way.

Right, right. But I want them to know that, like I'll take consideration what they tell me. Like I really like to reply to what they tell me and take take no note on that. Mm-hmm. So it was at the beginnings because I know that some parents, they're like, I don't know who she is. I don't know what this is.

And, and I know that they were a little, because I didn't get to meet them the first day, so I know they were a little concerned Right. The first day. Yeah. But after that, and once I got to know them, I know the parents that mentioned something, they, they came up to me later on and they were like, oh, like they were very, very nice.

Mm-hmm. They would come and help me and support me in any way. Yeah. Possible. So, I mean, it was a great experience [00:26:00] for me is having, Those parents with me. Yeah. I still talk to them. Yeah. And say hi. And it's just, it's nice. It's, it's great to have that relationship with the parents as well. Yeah.

And that, that leaning on someone else for support, like they would come in and support you.

So that actually brings us to a quote from Elma. And I'm gonna share that with you. And she says it's, it's there's not one moment, like you've been continuously a colleague she can lean on. And so she mentioned being a team player and flexible and open-minded, but this is the part that I wanted to share.

There have been time times when Elmas had to stay at school for a meeting and you'll offer to stay with her. And then there have been other times when she wasn't able to attend the meeting and you're, you would offer to attend the meeting. For her. Now, when I hear that, I'm, I'm like, wait, who's offering to go to meetings for people who's offering to stay longer at work?

So

is this true? Yeah. I mean, I, I stay you could ask my husband. He, when, [00:27:00] when he's up early, I, I usually get home pretty late. Hmm. And I, I am very, I try to be a lot like involved in a lot of things. I have a lot of adjunct duties or here things in there, community meetings. Mm-hmm. I like to be involved and, and yes, I sometimes she can stay and I'll offer to stay for her or just.

Let's say we have a committee meeting, for example, for, for our parents. And it's one per class, per grade level. Mm-hmm. And I always offer, it's hard for me to say no sometimes. Mm. She always tells me like, you never say no. And I was like, I know, I know. But, but I don't know. It's hard for me to say no sometimes.

So yeah, I mean, I try to help as much as I can. I, and if I, like I say right now, I don't have any kids right now, like on my own kids. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. My husband is working, so I, I mean, if I could help you in any way I can. Mm-hmm. And why not?

Yeah, [00:28:00] that's great. I might, I might keep your, oh, I'm busy right now.

Your phone number? I'm busy after three. I'm

sorry. Oh, okay. We're gonna end with this. We're al already at our time. Mm-hmm. But the last quote I just wanna share, this is on a more personal note. So your husband John said It was about a moment that he remembers and it was your wedding day. Okay.

He said You got married in Columbia? Yes. Friends and family were there. It was a fun night of celebration and dancing. He says, I don't really dance, but he says I did that day. Haha. And then he said he offered emotional support, but you and the wedding planner kind of took the lead. And he said, you look beautiful in your wedding dress.

Oh, so just any reflections on getting married in Columbia and just anything you'd like to share. Response to his, his

memory. Yeah. He doesn't like dancing. No. He got that right. No. Yes. He doesn't like dancing. But he did it that day because he knew it was important for me. Mm. So I'm very thankful for that.

And [00:29:00] it was a great, I. I had a great time. All my family lives in Colombia. I only here with my mom and now my husband and he's part of the family. It's only him, his brother, and his mom. So there it's, it's hard for my family to come here. Sure. So it was just nice to, for us to go there. Yeah. And have that my whole family.

Cuz when I say my family's not just us. My immediate family is like my cousins, my uncles, like everybody. It's involved. So it was just great and nice to have them. There with us. Yeah. And he, even though he, he's not like a, oh, my family could be a lot. So for him, he's very calm. He doesn't like the dancing.

He's very like, likes to stay home. Mm-hmm. Like he just, he just got with it and he is like, okay, let's do it. Oh, that's great. It's okay. That's great. It's fine. So I'm very thankful to have him. Yeah, he obvious. Obviously cares, cares

[00:30:00] about you a lot. Thank you. Yeah. Well this has been really good and the time just flew, flew by.

Yes. So I just wanna say thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for inviting. I would love to come visit your class. Yes. And

And see the dual. That would be awesome. They'll teach you some Spanish, I bet.

I bet they will. All right. Thank you.

Thank you.

Wes: This has been the Teacher Interview podcast. Thank you for joining us.

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Teacher Interview podcast.

I'm your host, Wes Creel. I work as Director of Innovation and Instructional support in Fullerton School District, and we are now in season four of the podcast where we get to know teachers better. Our themes this season, our passion, drive and determination. Join me. Today we talk with Christine Lee, who teaches third grade at Beachwood School in Fullerton School District.

Well, Christine, thank you for joining us. Thank you. I'm really excited about this. All right. Uh, it is, uh, Friday. It's the best time to record a podcast. It's like, let me go to my weekend. Um, but we have some quotes from people. Uh, and we're gonna drop [00:01:00] them into the interview with you. And, um, we are also going to, um, start by, let us know like, how did your teaching career start?

You're at Beachwood now, but like, where have you been? Um, and what are the kind of different. Places or stages of your teaching career, let us know what, what does that look like? Okay. Well, sadly, my experience is not very wide. Okay. In that I, I have to say, I've taught many different grade levels, but all of it has been at Beachwood.

Oh, that's fabulous. So, yeah. But I'm a product of Floor and school district, so I went to Center Lane Parks Junior High, went to Sunny Hills High School. I went to Cal State Fullerton. Yeah. And that's where I got my teaching credential. Yeah. And I did some. Um, work is practicum classes go and, um, I happened to be back when Beachwood reopened Oh.

Entered back into that, um, scene. Or I went into the classroom and um, did some science lessons with students. Yeah. And at the time, the principal who [00:02:00] reopened Beachwood Sue Fossen mm-hmm. Was, um, my former principal from Sunset Lane. Wow. And she, we connected and yeah. Uh, I interviewed with her. Yeah. And then the rest is history.

Wow. But, um, yeah, she hires me and I have been teaching there for 22 years now. Oh my gosh. Right. So I haven't been anywhere else. She picked very well. That's awesome. Well, that's kind of wow. I think, uh, I was just talking to Pablo, uh, and actually I'll drop in the first quote. Um, because Pablo, who I work with in the innovation and Instructional support office, um, I was asking him about you, and I think the reason I just occurred to me is I think Sue Fossen hired him Yes.

As well. That's good. And so, um, I was like, well, tell me about Christine. And one of the things he said, Is you're always open to listen and I don't know what that means to me. You seem very outgoing and talkative and I was like, oh, okay. Do you, does that resonate with you that you're a good listener? Um, I think I've [00:03:00] grown as a listener.

I really value more as a mature and I think experienced teacher is to just stop and to listen, to hear everybody's perspectives. Um, not be rash in making decisions of my own. Yeah. Um, or you know, I think in my young, in my younger years, I thought I knew everything. Oh, right. And as I, as I quickly realized, that's not the truth.

Yeah. And, um, and so I like to listen to other people Yeah. And take their wisdom, their advice. Yeah. Their sage advice is so important. Yeah. Um, that's interesting how you said the older. And more experience you get, you're more likely to like sit back and listen. Where does that, where does that come from?

Was there a a moment you remember kind of learning that? Or how do you, cuz that's something, I guess over time it can just sort of happen. I think we mellow out a little bit, but how do you [00:04:00] think that happened? Do you have any memories of like, oh yeah. There's a moment where I was like, oh, it's really.

Beneficial to stop and listen. I honestly can't pinpoint a specific memory. Yeah. I just think it's a, an accumulation of everything. Yeah. As a teacher, it's, it we have, so there's so many facets to what we do. Yeah. Whether it's communicating with parents, communicating with colleagues, with administrators, um, learning from people who are giving us PD or Yeah.

So we are constantly needing to take in information and Yeah. Um, SVE through it. Um, I, I think though I, in mo I think what I'm trying to get at is I try to just let it simmer for a little bit. Like just let it percolate. Mm-hmm. And, um, whether it's understanding or if it's a situation where I've read an email that seemed like, you know, it, it was almost like targeted at me or something, but then I read it again and I think, oh yeah.

You know, that person's I under, I try to take that person's [00:05:00] perspective and understand Yeah. Where are they coming from? Um, And I think that it just helps me as a teacher to proceed, um, and avoid a lot of landmines Yeah. Things that could potentially Yeah. You know, be upsetting. Yeah, for sure. So almost like first step is, okay, I'm gonna assume it's not personal, I'm gonna look for another perspective.

Mm-hmm. And we do, we're emotionally invested in our work, so of course, you know, we, when you're emotionally invested in your work, it, your emotions are engaged and it's easy to take things. And kind of read it as like, how, how's this about me? Um, how do you see that happening with students? Like, flip that and go, how do you coach students to have whatever grade level it is, third grade or what have you?

More of a listening demeanor cuz we know kids can be demanding. Oh my gosh. They can always want attention. They can always, you know, want their way. But what do you do in the classroom [00:06:00] just to facilitate more of a listening approach? Wow. It's, it's a difficult, it's such a difficult thing to teach, um, number one.

Um, but like I said, it comes with age. And so as third graders go, you're like, they're gonna get it next year. Yeah, no, um, they're getting. I guess one of the things I try to foster in them is I do listen to them. Mm. Um, sometimes if I'm like in a rush and I don't have time, we have a form that they can fill out and they fe they feel like I will eventually get to see Yeah.

What it was, was concerning them. And then I, so at, at the third grade. At the third grade, they have a feedback form that you can fill out For real? Yes. And so, and then I'll read it and then I'll Wow. I'll be able to address it at a different time. Yeah. Or. Um, ask them for more details or whatnot. Yeah. Um, that's really helpful.

That's been a huge help for kids. Yeah. So they feel like they've been listened to. Yeah. Cuz they feel so urgent. Like this is bothering them now. And if you're not the one person in the room who's [00:07:00] available then you know, it could fester, could be upsetting. Yes. Okay. I'm just curious, do you, do you just say, okay, go fill out your form and then they go to their iPad and fill it out?

Or, or is that kind of how it works? They have a form that they fill out and they, yes, they. They know that I'm gonna see it. Yeah. And they know that I'm gonna come back and follow up with them. That's great. Um, other times where though, like immediate things where they're sitting right in front of me, we're reading a story and they really, really wanna say something.

Yeah. Um, they just come with post-it in hand and they write things down and then they stick it on and they have wondering and predictions and I just gather them. Yeah. And then we'll talk about them when it, it's like the right moment. This is fabulous. Um, there's just lots of different moments, so you've kind of front loaded them with, uh, post-it notes and they know.

I don't have to jump up and raise my hand and interrupt. Yes. I have my notes and I'm going to ma leave a sticky. And they actually, during the reading, go and put it down. Oh yeah. So they, so that's interesting cuz then they, they see you do that and they know that you've seen them [00:08:00] give the feedback and that's also like a way for them to feel seen.

Yeah. But it's silent. And the feedback's going on the Post-it. It's kind of, yeah. That's pretty slick. Yeah. Yeah. We love Post-Its in third grade. Yeah. I can imagine. In a staff meeting, like everybody gets a post-it when you have feedback for the principal, people are just sticking stuff on the walls. Um, oh my God, that's awesome.

The other things, uh, well, I mean then I guess it's like giving them a chance to talk. So I forget about the importance of that and I re I realize that they're hungry for that. Mm-hmm. So they need a time to connect. It can't always be a hundred percent quiet. Yeah. You know, it, there are times where they need to move.

There are times when they need to speak. There are times when they need to be independent. Yeah. But that to really cue in on that. Yeah. And they give them that opportunity to have that outlet. Yeah. Uh, that's really helpful too. Do you have a favorite speaking. Activity or, or like lesson where you're like, I really like their discussions on this [00:09:00] topic.

Or what's your favorite, uh, you know what, no, I, but what we tend to do is like turn to a Nini partner. Mm-hmm. If you're sitting next to, um, a partner or an elbow partner mm-hmm. Um, share with them. Tell them, we try to give them a little bit of parameters and before they speak, here's what I want you to talk about and then walk around and listen.

Yeah. So, um, yeah. That's great. I mean, there are so many cool ways to try to collect Yeah. Student feedback and, and their thinking. Yeah. And exit tickets and all sorts of things. Yeah. And so the partner talk actually satisfies that need for an audience. Yes. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And, and there're probably some students who really like, more than anything, they want the adults approval.

Yes. Um, uh, any other kind of discussion. Types of strategies, anything. I've never, I hadn't thought about the Post-it note one, like post-it's like given to you during a reading in the real time for later. That's cool. Mm-hmm. Any [00:10:00] other kind of talking strategies, discussion strategies, facilitation things?

That sounds like a very cool boardroom kind of thing. I'm like, these are third graders. That's pretty sophisticated. Um, I don't know. It's like everything's, it, I always feel like whatever the need is, So I'm fee, I read the room, right? Yeah. And I know, oh, they're squirrely. I gotta get them up. Get, they've gotta get moving.

Right. Otherwise, or, or this is such, and it all kind of is. I think that's the craziness about being a teacher, is you're constantly assessing on the fly. Yeah. And you're like, wait, this is a really important moment. We need to stop. Yeah. And we need to address, oh, what this child has said. Yeah. It's gold.

Yeah. And then that can take the grip deeper. Yeah. Um, So it all is just relative to what, whatever's happening at that moment. Right. And I don't necessarily use the same thing every time. Yeah. So, so it seems like there's a chance you said something about like, there's [00:11:00] gold and we want other people to see it.

So the first thing I thought of as equity, like you're trying to maybe give somebody a voice who doesn't get listened to. Mm-hmm. Like it could be that. Mm-hmm. Or it could be like, The way they said it, another student will hear it different than the teacher. And so I kind of want to amplify their voice so that another student can receive it.

But say more about, cuz you, you talk about reading the room and stopping, like what are you looking for? Like what sorts of, is it non-verbal things or what do you see happening in the classroom where you're like, Ooh, that's, there's a chance to pause and. Amplify a student's voice or what are you looking for?

Well, I'll give you for instance, right now, so we're doing, um, like a deep dive into Patricia Palacco work. Okay. And, um, her literature. And so we're reading stories that really get you thinking mm-hmm. And characters who are experiencing, um, All of our stories have some really big message, some big ideas and, [00:12:00] um, life lessons.

And so when we're at certain parts, I'm reading the room to see like, are they understanding, are they getting the nuance of that? Mm-hmm. Or do I need to interject something here? Mm-hmm. And say, Hey, notice this. If they're noticing it before me, then I'm calling on the kids who are starting to notice it.

Mm-hmm. And then that's sparking. You can see the lights. In the kids' eyes who are like, oh, I didn't think of that. Mm-hmm. And that, that discussion that feels more, much more organic that's happening from the students than me. Mm-hmm. Being the person who's like, listen, this is what's going on. Yeah. Um, is way more powerful I think, when it's coming from them.

Yeah. And so that's when I will look for, um, you know, faces that look kind of confused or. Yeah. Pieces that are looking like, oh my gosh, I'm, I'm, you know, putting the dots together. Yeah. Here's what's going on. Yeah. Um, so I'm reading that. Yeah. I'm meeting on are they looking tired, are they out? Are they needing me to put this book [00:13:00] away?

Are they sleepy? Because s gonna be really lengthy. Yeah. Um, but no, fortunately with this group of students that I have this year, they don't want me to put the book away. Yeah, they, they're just like, what? You know, keep going, keep going, please. They wanna read more. And they're, they're like, give us another book.

So that's really exciting to see. Yeah. Um, that they're beginning to see. Yeah. A lot of those connections and, and ideas. Do you have a favorite way when somebody's like, got an expression on their face? Favorite? I don't know. I was thinking frame, but that's probably not. Like, um, like you notice them and how do you get them to speak up?

Do you just say, do you wanna say something or do you say like, what are you thinking? Or, I don't have a, I don't have, um, phrases that are just perfectly Yeah. It all depends. Yeah. Like some kids raise their hands, others might Right. Start to say something and I'll say, what do you wanna say? Like, cuz Yeah.

It, I kind of know where I think that's gonna lead. Yeah. And so I'll, I'll say, I'll invite that in. Yeah. So it's kind of [00:14:00] encouraging if they have a nonverbal, cuz a lot of kids will go, they'll sit up, like they have an idea, but then they'll self-monitor and like, oh, so you're watching for that and say, no, go ahead.

Yes. Say it. Yeah. Oh, that's great. Um, how, how would you think that might look, not between students but between adults? Like let's say you're running a school or you're doing a PLC grade level thing. What do you, what have you seen work. Well, to get adults talking amongst each other openly and sharing ideas and voices, because that's always, you know, we're, um, you know, sometimes defensive or, or we, we don't know if everybody's receptive or even listening, but what have you seen work well in either PD or staff, uh, interactions to get, kinda, I guess cuz you're encouraging an openness.

Mm-hmm. Like that you're so attentive that you are reading. Like a non-verbal cue and say, oh, what do you [00:15:00] wanna say? So in terms of adult interactions, where have you seen that work? Well, honestly, um, we're I, am we, we love to talk. No. And so when, when we're ever in PDs or in staff meetings or things Yeah.

It's, it's always great when they give us opportunities to talk. Yeah, because we don't always find that time in the day or throughout the week to meet with people. What I really value is the cross grade level, um, articulation meetings. Okay. Where we plan to meet with, um, other groups. And, you know, one of the things we, we've done, um, recently this year we looked at, um, like critical goals and standards in the areas of language arts and math.

Yeah. And then we were to look at grade levels, you know, we. Um, wrote it all on poster boards and or paper charts. And then we looked around the room and we visited other grade levels previous to us and then the future grade level. Mm-hmm. And then we [00:16:00] saw so many commonalities. And that's just a natural talking point.

Yeah. And that gets us into discussing like, what do you see happening there? And yeah. So we're asking questions and. Um, when we have, I think a collective need. And a collective, yeah. Oh my gosh, that's such a big issue that we need to tackle. Right. And everybody's on board with trying to problem solve, brainstorm.

Yeah. Collaborate, contribute. Yeah. So, um, yeah. I think when we're given a, a task where let's do something about it mm-hmm. As teachers, it's just a natural thing that we want to try to solve. Yeah. Or call solvers. And it's, it sounds helpful to have, you have the visual up there. And you're just almost, um, it's almost like an, an inquiry.

Mm-hmm. That's what this grade level said. That's what this one said, and that's the next one. And so you're like discovering commonalities. Yes. So it kind of provokes curiosity and it's empowering, you know, versus somebody talking down to you and saying, this is what we needed. Do or [00:17:00] fix. Right, right. Yeah.

That's cool. Yeah, it is really cool. And then from there we come up with areas that we want to target and thinking, Hey, we're noticing this. We feel like we maybe don't have, um, a strong enough approach with what we've been doing so far for, continues to be an area of concern. Yeah. What could we be doing?

And so we start looking out, out and then people are doing their own. Um, you know, professional development and seeking out things and going to classes and reading books and bringing things back and sharing it with the group and, oh, that's great. So I think when it's very like grassroots and it's wonderful.

It could be wonderful. Yeah. Take the word grassroots, which you kind of used for like effective pd and talk about your classroom. Like what's a grassroots, because I, I feel like that's what you value and that's. Probably how you orchestrate things in your classroom. You want kids to feel like it's organic.

What's a good example of grassroots teaching or like [00:18:00] using kind of, instead of telling them everything, you're like, okay, well I'm gonna. Create an environment where they can discover something or engage more organically. Like what do you think of when I describe that? Hmm.

I like to look at math as something like that. Okay. Because there's math is it could be so I think perplexing and it looks so foreign to them. If you're given, for example, a mixed number. Yeah. And then I'm saying, let's draw that. What does that look like? Hmm. And then they think they really do have to stop a moment and, and I'm not telling them, yeah, this is how it's to be drawn.

Right. So how would you go about drawing that picture? Yeah. And then ideas start to flow. And then one person's suggestion, Or offering of an idea Hmm. Is is like the sparking point for somebody [00:19:00] else thinking we take, they also know that there's no, I try not to, um, to the best of my ability say, oh yeah, you're right, and then stop right there for the first right answer.

Right, right. But I try to get every answer out there, even if they are the incorrect or non-example. Cuz then we'll look at why that non-example is so important. Right, right. So, um, I'll take all their answers and then we will then go back and talk about like, what would that look like, that non-example if I were to draw it out?

Yeah. And then, um, so it's really hard to just talk about it and not have my little whiteboard up here. This No. But they, they, um, they, they begin to be like, oh, then you start to hear. They're audible sounds of, I'm getting it. Yeah. Yeah. And then I'll say, let's try another one, or we'll do it and then try it again.

So that, that gradual release, like their initial idea finding. Yeah. And then allowing them to try it again with a novel problem and then feel success with that, and then that builds a little bit more confidence. [00:20:00] Yeah. And then, um, The next time we try it again. Yeah. And say, let's put this away. Yeah. You don't need to know it today.

Yeah. And I said that was like a little teaser and so we'll come back and talk about it another day. Yeah. And then we'll try it again. And with, um, they're starting to build that confidence even more. And so the next time I might even just draw a picture and say, how do I name that? And then I'm, I'm trying to change it up a little bit.

Yeah. Um. But I think that they like that. Yeah. And they're feeling more and more like, I re I re can recognize what that might look like. Right. What does four and three fourths really look like? Right. Um, yeah, so anyways, it's, it sounds like the phrase or maybe concept that was coming to me when you're talking about that is, well, a couple things, curiosity, but I was thinking of the word struggle.

Like you, like when you say, how would you draw that? And it's math and it's almost like you're giving them a disconnect. Mm-hmm. And say, kind of struggle through like, like, you know, get your brain [00:21:00] engaged, think of options and not all the options are gonna be right. But start just kind of moving your wheels.

Yes. Um, so how, how do you. I guess so if it's true that you provide struggle opportunities, um, and I like how you said, yeah, we tease it out and then we'll put it away and come back to it. So how are you? Um, How are you creating those and then discerning like, okay, I need to come back to it. Um, what's your like struggle formula?

My struggle formula is time. If I feel like, um, we've given it a lot of time and I don't feel like more time is gonna be beneficial, then I just back off and pull away and I'm like, okay. Yeah. You know? Um, If I feel like, and again, that's depending on them, it's like, it's so organic in that they have, if they're like, Ooh, I wanna try another one.

Mm-hmm. [00:22:00] And people are vocalizing that. Yeah. Then I'll do that. Yeah. If I feel like they're ready for that next level Yeah. Then I might, um, switch it up to, again, drawing a picture and saying, now try to name that mixed number. Yeah. And now I'm giving them a different Yeah. Kind of a, a lens. So, yeah, it's all just, I think being.

Very, um, in the moment. Yeah. Uh, there was, as you were talking, I, I, I kept thinking it's, some teachers are more, um, oriented towards, like, I, I have a list and I'm gonna do these 10 things, and that's, that's gonna take me from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM or whatever. And it's, and then when we check it off and then we can move on and it's more, um, Like concrete or, um, black and white or something like that.

But you have a definite sense of more like a, um, okay, here's a analogy. Somebody who cooks by a recipe. Mm-hmm. [00:23:00] Right. And I, it says two-thirds of cup. So that's it. No matter what it looks like on the stove, it's two-thirds of cup, no more, no less. Mm-hmm. And then somebody who's like looking and responding to how it looks in the pot and or tasting it and like seasoning.

Mm-hmm. So a little more, um, Using what's happening in the moment to give you, I guess it's as basic as feedback. Mm-hmm. You know? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, does that sound, does that resonate? Yeah. When you said that I was thinking fluidity. Mm-hmm. It's just being fluid. Yeah. Um, and yeah. Instead of fixed, right. Like being able to adjust.

Adjust, yeah. Right. Like taking my cues and then knowing here's where I think is gonna, here's an approach I think might be better at this moment. Mm-hmm. So a lot of like tricks in the bag, right? Like, or, or for what? For me, music is a huge part of our day too. So, or certain things that I know that's gonna stick to their memory because it's to music.

Mm-hmm. And that's kind of how my brain works. So [00:24:00] I tend to think I gotta turn it into a song and then, and invariably it does. They, yeah. They know. Um, Like polygons, uh, a Polygon song. Um, a more recent one I came up with was, it's kind of silly, but they all, anytime we talk about square numbers now, or any mult now that we're in multiplication in third grade mm-hmm.

They all, they recognize all of the products of those numbers. Like 7, 7 49 8, 8 64 because of the song. Okay. And then, uh, there's a song. There's a song. Okay. Yeah. Is it your song? Are you asking me? No, like four. I am. Okay. Uh, there's like four people. We got quotes from five. Oh gosh. Including Pablo. I think they all mentioned singing.

Oh yeah. So all of 'em. So say a little bit more about, like, you, you put stuff to a melody, right? It just happens. Just, it just, yeah. I don't know. I don't, I just, uh, one. Year. It was way back when we were giving the standardized testing in booklets. Oh [00:25:00] yeah. Yeah. So I'm, I'm aging myself. It's okay. But I was looking at, you know, you can walk around the room and you actually can see the questions that every kid is working on, and that was this, this one geometry question that they were all failing and I thought I have, I have.

Failed my students. Wow. That they did not know this. Yeah. And it was really simple. Yeah. So it was a polygon that looked more like a star. Okay. But it was actually an octagon. Mm-hmm. Um, but they didn't know how to name it. Yeah. And they were, they were choosing triangle and star and all the wrong choices.

Yeah. And I was like, oh my gosh. I was, I was beating myself up. But as they were. Testing and I just, I just walked around the room. A melody came to my mind and it was Supercalifragilistic Pocius. And so I thought, oh my, let me put the, so it came and then I wrote it down really fast so I wouldn't lose it.

Okay. But it goes quadri, penta, hexa, heta, Okta. These are all the prefixes of geometric shapes. So if I memorize these words, I never will forget them. [00:26:00] Polygons, polygons, polygons array, right? So, And then when we, I started singing that to the kids and they started memorizing it. Yeah. They would, um, know all they would know.

Yeah. Yeah. The number that corresponded to the science. Yeah. Um, this year I came up, or LA it was a couple years ago, but, I sing it to them all. I sing it at the beginning of the year. Yeah. And now I'm like, please don't sing it anymore. Because every time someone just starts singing it, humming it under their breath, and then the whole class starts, class just breaks out in song.

But it's just, which is fabulous. Yeah. When you think about like, it's really fun and endear it's school as a musical. Yeah. It actually kind of feels like that. Yeah. But it was, um, similar to a tune that I had heard, uh, a kid show, like I think it's super y or something, but the song, um, I put it due. 2, 2, 4 3 3 9 4 4 16.

5 5 25. 6, 6 30, 6 7, 7 49, 8, 8 [00:27:00] 64, 9, 9 81. 10, 10. Yeah. 100. Yeah. And so the kids just lo, I mean, it doesn't take them long to catch onto that melody and then to put it together. And they use that song when they're doing their multiplication facts, right. Um, so anyways, yeah, little things like that, that it sticks with them and helps them.

And, um, distributive property. We have a song for that commutative property. We have all the songs, so, and they all like to break out into song. Okay. I'm gonna drop a couple of quotes in here. Um, one is, I think this is from your daughter. I have a quote from your daughter, Joseph Josephine. Oh boy. Okay. And so she said, um, a significant mowing that showed your drive initiative or passion was when you created an afterschool course.

So here's singing, but then a school course is like a whole other thing outside the classroom. She says, uh, the school course was an idea that come, uh, came to mind for [00:28:00] you. And you pursued this idea until it became a legitimate and physical component of Beachwood School. You did this all voluntarily, staying beyond school hours and working at home to create flyers and inform parents and it goes on.

Oh my gosh. So what is the school chorus? It's so funny. Okay, so. Well, that Emily McDougle. Okay. Back in the day at Beachwood. Yeah. Um, after school we kind of put together a little cho and had all the little babies singing, and we'd do it around the wintertime so that they have a little winter performance.

Yeah. It was so much fun. Okay. Um, later as Beachwood grew, we got different teachers. We had, you know, musical, uh, Mary Louis Ace and um, Susan Ru who got to talk, teach vocal music, and then sadly we lost that teacher and there was never anyone to replace her. Oh, and I just think. Music is such an important part of all of our lives.

Yeah. Um, and I, I think that it's so necessary, um, just for like mental health, like how many of [00:29:00] us need to listen to music Yeah. Just to feel a little bit Yeah. You know, happier Yeah. At the end of the day or relaxed or whatever. And so, um, I, it was during the. Coming back to Covid, I just kind of noticed everyone looked a little bit like sad and down and not a lot of smiling faces.

Yeah. And I thought, what is that? And I thought maybe music would change that around. Mm-hmm. So I, I love singing and I wanted the kids to just come and join. Yeah. And, um, I said, okay guys, I'm gonna, See if they come. I'm gonna try to make a chorus and I'm gonna try to make a chorus and Yeah, we did. We met once every week for um, Several months and then we got, they got to perform and they got, I, I think it's another powerful thing for students to not only sing, but to get, to be on stage and have an audience and to feel that energy before you perform.

Even the nerves are okay. Mm-hmm. It's something that we all have to work with and get right. [00:30:00] Used to and get through. Right. Um, and then to feel the empowerment when they came off the stage when they were like, Hey. Wow. We did it. Yeah, we survived. We survived. That happened again last night cuz we actually, last night, um, we were invited by Fullerton High School Music Director.

Um, and she had all the junior highs, the feeder schools also come and participate in her choir. Oh. Performance. And it was at ev free. Um, our kids. Um, we meet only once a week, 40 minutes. Mm-hmm. If that. Mm-hmm. And you know, we were singing with all the choirs who have it on a daily, like a class. Like a class.

And you know, they, they killed it. They did so well. Yeah. And it, they were nervous cuz you can tell when they heard the other choirs practicing, they were like, whoa, there's harmony, there's choreography, and yeah. And I said, no, you guys are gonna do fine. Don't worry. Just, yeah. But it's all part of the learning experience too, [00:31:00] and it's to know there are people better than us.

Yeah. And that's what we're shooting for, you know? Right. Like it's okay. Yeah. To know that we're, we're novices at something and we're just, but we're here because we love it. And yeah. Um, it's been really great. So it's grown. Last year was just a semester worth mm-hmm. Of smaller group. And a former student came to me last night and said, Whoa, Mrs.

Lee, this is a big group. And I said, I know if you build it, they will come. And um, and then I even extended it to a second chorus where we have third through fifth graders. Oh, wow. Um, who also another big group. And we had a combined performance. But anyways, it's um, people might think, oh my gosh, how could you do that?

That's so crazy. You're, you're working and then you, and then you're working. But I honestly have to say that I get more energy from that after having worked with them. And I feel like I can go home and do even more. Yeah. It's, it's an incredible Yeah. Like a natural high that you get. Yeah. Those endorphins, the happy [00:32:00] feelings.

That, and that's also why I believe everybody should sing because there are happy feelings. Yeah. That you, you get Yeah. It like, you know, really. Yeah. That's great. So it's almost, um, it's almost like a, a social emotional learning. Mm-hmm. That's not a curriculum for that, but it's an experience that you're giving people is like, In this moment, you get to kind of lose yourself and, and disconnect from worries and just lose yourself in the music, you know?

Right. In last year's group, the middle schoolers were, they were the ones I started with. Um, you know, I asked them, how many of you guys actually raise your hand in class or talk or do any of that? And none of them raise their hands. Wow. Because I think, you know, they're in their classes, there's very little, um, time in each class.

Right? Yeah. So there's a lot of content to cover. And then, and some of them actually, I think, shy away from. Speaking. Yeah. And don't volunteer a lot. And yet they were sitting here in chorus and they were loud and, and bubbly and laughing. We shared about like our likes and our dislikes and, [00:33:00] um, just to kind of get to know one another.

Yeah. And they grew as a group. So having a cohort of friends who are not just your grade level, but everybody had this common value that we just, we love music. Um, At the end of the time, they had grown closer and they had this camaraderie and we even had a party. And that was just lots of fun. We, you know, ate, what do we have?

Um, ramen, poor little hot water, bought them some yummy treats, and then it, it's just that, that wellbeing that comes from being with people. Yeah. Being with a group of people and having fun. Yeah. I'm gonna read you a quote here. Uh, this is from Blair, uh, Blair Campbell. Okay. Uh, she says You're passionate about so many things, teaching.

First of all, wow, you're a true inspiration. Uh, she says she was lucky to work in third grade with you for five years. It was the dream team, and she says, you would come up with these brilliant ideas, whether it was beautiful art project, or an author [00:34:00] study or fun mu math music video that you insisted on making for the kids.

Ask her about. We are family. Do you know the rest of it? Yeah. She's so funny. Tell me, Nancy Regs worked with us at the time. She's the a Keisha and, um, tell me about, we are family. We were, we are teaching about fractions, decimals, and percents. Yep. Yep. And so they are the triplets is what we call them.

Uhhuh. And I come up with like visuals like. Um, Dessie Decimal, um, likes to wear a belt. No, no. I'm sorry. But decimal likes to wear dots. All Sorry. Dots all over. Polka dots. Yeah. Um, percent. Percy likes to wear a sash. Okay. Across that looks like the percentage Oh percent sign. And then, um, fraction is the one who likes to wear the belt.

The, the, yeah. To delineate the top on the bottom. That's clever. I've never heard anything like that. I know. It's kind of crazy. So then we acted like we were at the triplets. Oh, wow. And, um, [00:35:00] We went on a playground and we were swinging and sliding and we made a music video to We Are Family. Okay. Fraction, decimal percent.

That was the song. Yeah. Oh, that's great. Yeah. So, so it, it's more than music, it's, there's this element of your bringing. These concepts to life in sort of like a personified way. Or stories. Or stories, yeah. And the visual part of it, like the, the percent looks like the sash. Yeah. That's clever. Yeah. I just think the more we can make things unforgettable, Yeah.

Like quirky, strange, odd. Yeah. Those kinds of moments Yeah. Are the things that will stick in our students' minds. Yeah. So whether it embarrasses me or not, I don't care where, where did, did you, do you think that's something you've always had? Did you have an experience like that growing up where you're like, oh, that was so weird.

I'll never forget it. Like, where does that, because. I don't know that I would've used like quirky and odd and unfor. Like unforgettable, memorable. [00:36:00] Yes, but quirky and odd. Like you seem very like together. Professional. Oh, that's funny. Confident, funny. And then when you say quirky and odd, I'm like, but no, those are, those are words I don't fit with you.

Oh my gosh, that's so funny. So how do you, before teaching even, do you. Do you remember? I'm kind of a crazy, I, I think of myself as crazy and Okay. And I think some of the people who quoted in there might even say that too because, um, my other friend likes to say Reel Itk and Christine reel it in. Oh, your principal says, uh, you're a creative soul.

Okay, that's nice. Musically talented with the voice of an angel. Oh my gosh. That's what she said. She didn't say crazy, but, okay. But, but keep going. She talks about putting teaching points in the songs, but. Where's that craziness? Do you re, do you have an earliest memory of like, oh, I remember I was really, you know.

Okay. So my, one of the funnest things I did in school was I was calamity Jane. Okay. In a school plant at 16. Okay. [00:37:00] Okay. As a fourth grader. Yeah. And I thought, and I had no idea how funny that must look as a little Asian girl speaking and I did the whole accent and everything. Yeah. Okay. For the entire show.

Yeah. I don't even know where that came from. So it, wow. I, I don't know. And then I even remember at, uh, the end when we did as a sixth grader, I wanted to be the master of ceremonies for, um, our student talent show. Yeah. Were you? You knew I was. You were. I did. I don't even know how. So this goes way back. It does, and I That's awesome, man.

I had, I guess, gumption. Um, and no fear of what people might think of me. I had also in high school, a really weird fashion sense that now I thought, now I think back and I think, why didn't they tell me? That was, that's what it looked like. And I might not have what? Like I used to wear, um, suit jackets in high school with, on the lapel there were like the flowers you're [00:38:00] wearing right now.

Okay. But it had like little flowers, okay, flowers all over the lapel just sounds cute or I. Anyways, I had these big, thick glasses that people used to call me Run dmc. Oh my gosh. And it wasn't because I necessarily was trying to make a huge fashion statement because without, when I, when the dose, the lenses weren't in the glasses, I couldn't see, so they put these frames on and I was like, nearly blind.

Oh my gosh. And they would say, oh, it looks good on you. And I'd say, okay, sure. And then I'd get them, and I'd be wearing these glasses for. Years and years and years anyways. So you always had sort of a, what was it? Gumption? Is that the word you used? Yeah. Sort of like a And, but you also had no fear, so what, try to think, wait, where did that come from?

I don't, I don't know. You said, I don't know where that came from. Um, But were there're [00:39:00] performers in your house. I don't know, like people who were just like, go for it. You can be anything you wanna be or what's your earliest memory seeing somebody who was like that? Do you have a role model? You're like, oh yeah, that's, I don't know.

But, okay. So a couple of things. The first thing is my mom actually, um, went to. In college. She was a music major. And she was a singer, but she never did anything with that afterwards, like unless she wasn't a church choir. Right. But um, She would make us sing in front of everybody. Mm-hmm. Like go to a family meeting and then she'd make us sing and then we were forced.

Yeah. I don't ever think I had a choice. Yeah. So I was forced to sing and she would make us harmonize. And so harmony was something I could do from a young age. Yeah. Um, I was, I liked to perform, I think maybe because of that. Mm-hmm. Yeah. But then we were also latchkey kids and we watched a ton of tv. Okay.

So Gilligans Island, I remember like, wanting to be on that show or, okay. We have your moment. Okay. My psycho [00:40:00] analysis is complete, but, all right. So lots of shows that we watch that, that I think I learned from. Um, actually that's probably where I learned a lot of my, that's fascinating English because, yeah.

Um. My parents spoke mostly Korean with one another. Mm-hmm. Um, we had limited ability to communicate. E English was my first language, um, but not with them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I love that how, somehow, somehow what I, I see you seeing yourself as is, like you're, I'm a director of a variety show. You know, the classroom, the, the, you know, the npr, like, we're all trying to make this big Gilligans Island moment that's just entertaining.

Yeah. Everyone's absolutely engaged. You know, the whole world is, it can be funny, it can be ridiculous. It can be musical. Yeah. Yeah. That's cool. I guess it's a variety show, but I think most teachers might feel that way anyways. Cuz you're, you're ready, you're having the show. Different hats. All [00:41:00] the different hats and the, all the moving parts and Yeah.

You're kind of everybody. Yeah. Okay. I wanna make sure I don't overlook, uh, a quote from Kate Paul. Okay. Um, so specifically something she brought up that wasn't mentioned in the other quotes, she talked about Gate Creative Lab. Mm-hmm. After school two days a week. So you're already doing course after school, but Gate, creative Lab is different.

Yeah. So at Beachwood, what does, what does that look like? We have a large cluster of students. Okay. Who are identified as gate, but they, um, you know, they're in a cluster, so they're not in like a traditional GATE program and a gate class. Okay. So, um, at Beachwood we offer like an afterschool enrichment type of a thing, and so Charles Toy is actually a part of that.

He teaches the math component and he's been doing it for years. Um, but because this particular year we had so many students mm-hmm. There's no way he could have [00:42:00] 50 students Wow. In his classroom after school. Right. So we used our little creative, you know, planning here. Yeah. And came up with an idea that.

Charles would teach two times a week, you know, his two days and then, um, I'm sorry, a week. And then we would alternate with another teacher and myself. Now, because of my other commitments to doing chorus, I couldn't teach all week. Right, right. So a new fabulous teacher at our school, Megan Luci, came in and um, she's an amazing teacher.

And I'm like, you are so good at literature. We, we could in technology. She also has her, um, degree in tech, so. We were like, well, we, we can make something work here. Yeah. And we created an a little class, basically. Yeah. Where we're trying to infuse technology, literature, art. Wow. Um, and other id, anything Yeah.

You know, related to GA that we can put together. That's not the math piece. And yeah. So we're meeting, trying to meet the needs of the students, um, in that way. So she and I cha we [00:43:00] alternate. Yeah. She teaches two days. I teach two days. That's awesome. Yeah. I'm also gonna, um, I think we're gonna wrap it up here in a second with, uh, a quote from Kate, which is also, I just remembered the other thing that Pablo said.

And, um, Kate says she's the true meaning for someone who is humble and kind. And Pablo said that you are always open to listen, but he is always, he said, you're a kind person. What does it mean to be a kind person? That I think I also learned from others. Like I look at, um, through the years, people who have just, they show acts of kindness and I look at that and I think I wanna do that.

Hmm. I wanna be that. And so I just, I try to, you know, make it happen. Mm-hmm. I guess, um, Kate is actually the, the one I'm learning from a ton. She is so kind. It's funny [00:44:00] that she says that cuz she's the one I I'm telling her, you teach me so much about being a caring person, a mother, a teacher. Yeah. Um, the kind words that she uses towards her students or the kind things, the kind gestures that she does.

Um, my other colleagues and good, they're all good friends of mine, but I see. Their kindness day in and day out, like over the top kindness. Mm-hmm. And I'm like, I am learning from them. So I just, I think I'm a reflection of what other people have done before me. Yeah. I don't think anything has been my own original idea.

Um, but I, I think that that's such an important thing to model for our students. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And, um, to live. Yeah. Yeah, that's why I wore this shirt for you. You did love first. Love first, teach second. Aw. Um, there was a quote in here about T-shirts. Oh, what did it say? [00:45:00] I was ready to wrap it up, but it says, um, kid said that this is from Blair.

Okay. I asked for a significant moment. She said There are hundreds of significant moments I'll touch on one in third grade. Uh, we decide. Uh, we for a phrase or word to focus on with our students. We did be kind, be you humble and kind, and then designed shirts for the kids to wear. Um, and then there's a performance at the flag pole assembly.

My favorite was the year we did be You. She taught the students how to sing the song from The Greatest Showman. This is Me. And then we performed and you could feel everyone's goosebumps. You remember that? Yeah. Yeah. There, that group of students are now seventh graders and a lot of them are in our course again.

Oh wow. That's um, that's awesome. It's true. Yeah. And we try to, we try to take one song and a theme for the year. Oh, that's cool. And then our kids, um, we try to live it out. Yeah. And in everything we do try to, To see it and [00:46:00] spot it and catch it. Yeah. Um, and yeah. And then we make sure it's, but actually it ends up becoming a part of our, uh, foundation's, um, money.

Yeah. It's a fundraising, so the kids all, you know, who can purchase a shirt and then that goes towards our foundation. Oh, that's great. Yeah. And it's interesting that music is in there to kind of root that theme, you know, because it's so much a, a part of you and what you bring to Beachwood. So, That's great.

This has been really great. Thanks Christine, for, thank you for coming on the podcast and talking to us. You know, if you, you can't see that, but she just shrugged. Like, this is all I had. It's all I had. It was awesome. It was awesome.

This has been the teacher interview podcast. Thank you for joining us.