Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow

Tallwood High School

VTFT Internship Teacher Interview

Intern Name: Gabriella
Cooperating Teacher Name: Mrs. A
Class/Grade: 4th Grade
Number of Years Teaching​: 20-21 years
Number of Years at This School​: 18 years (since 2002)
Other grades/schools where he/she has taught​:
In Florida, she taught a 4th and 5th grade combo class, as well as a 3rd grade class.
Here in Virginia, she teaches 4th and 5th grade. For one year, she left and became a math
specialist in middle school. This position is for those that are very familiar with the curriculum
and support other teachers with various to help them understand new curriculum and lessons.
She chose to take this position in middle school, so she could observe where her 5th grade
students were going, as well as experience a new work environment. While in this position, she
saw many gaps in the math classes and noticed many students heavily disliking math. She
described those in SOL remediation classes as “miserable”. She understood more clearly how
foundational elementary school classes are, especially those in 5th grade. After that, she
returned to elementary school and applied everything she learned into her classes.

Previous jobs before teaching:

She worked in retail stores, such as Toys R Us and an outlet mall. She also worked in a daycare,
which taught her a lot about patience and working with children.
Awards, recognitions, achievements:
Her main award was Teacher of the Year in 2008. Most of her awards or recognitions are
centered around her students. For example, she was able to take her students to 3rd place in a
MakerBot competition. She has been or currently holds the positions of SCA advisor, newspaper
advisor, scholarship advisor, and AVID leader. Because of these many positions, she has had to
attend many leadership trainings and conferences outside of Virginia.

Favorite part about teaching:

She loves making a difference in children’s lives and making a connection with them. She
prioritizes relationship building over academics because she has learned that students try harder
when they trust the teacher. When she has spoken to her oldest daughter, she has learned that
the teachers that made the biggest impact in her life were those made learning engaging and
built a relationship with her.

Least favorite part about teaching:

Her least favorite part is not being able to make professional judgment in teaching based on
their students’ needs because everything is based on pacing. There are deadlines that need to
be met, especially because of the SOLs at the end of the year. She feels that the pacing of the
curriculum is very quick for the amount of time they are given, and she cannot spend a large
amount of time helping those who need extra help. In addition, she does not like that there are
unrealistic expectations from those who are not in the classrooms daily and do not know the
students. She also finds that there are always new initiatives each year, which means the
teachers are never good at one thing.

A summary of his/her philosophy of teaching:

She strives to be a teacher that provides and builds confidence in her students. The main part of
her philosophy is teaching her students to have a growth mindset. She wants her students to
know that failing is okay, especially for those who are not used to it, like gifted students. “With
a lot of tries and failures, they will gain the success they need.” By providing individual lessons
and meeting with students one-on-one, she is able to cater to all her students’ needs. “Be
proactive.”

2-3 Questions of your choice (Type the questions & answers below):
What is some advice you have for someone who wants your job?
“Challenges will be hard at first, but the reward is greater than you will ever know, and you
won’t even realize it until down the line.” She wants other teachers to know that they can be
the friend students need. She understands that all students come from different households,
and they need to have a teacher they can trust. “Just keep that positive outlook and prioritize.”
She often prays the serenity prayer, which speaks of not dwelling on things in life that you
cannot change and putting energy towards things you can. “Surround yourself with people that
are positive and that will help you move forward.”

What do you do when you have become complacent in your position?

“It depends on the person. Some have an “I don’t care attitude, so they get complacent and are
desensitized with what’s going on. You will never get complacent with teaching because of
everything that’s going on.” She finds that her job does not allow her to get too comfortable
because she gains a new set of students each year. Because of this, she finds that she can never
reuse lesson plans because everything changes. She can use the same ideas, but she cannot use
the same lesson plan when teaching in small groups or utilizing skill-based teaching.