Respect.
This is the main thing the new and the old teachers agree on. A lot of teachers say that respecting teachers and respecting each other is the most important rule in their classroom. What else do they have in common? What differences do they have? Teachers who have been teaching from 1 year to 26 years have been interview and questions, and these are their answers.
Questions
1) What rule do you find most important in your classroom?
New Teachers (1-5)
Respect. (3*)
Time management.
Make wise choices!
Do work on time.
Attendance.
No talking while the teacher is speaking.
Try and don’t give up.
Don’t stab anyone.
Old Teachers (10+)
Listen to the teacher.
Sit down, shut up.
Respect. (4)
Attention.
2) How do you feel about working at MHS?
New Teachers
Love it! (9)
It’s a great and very welcoming school.
Old Teachers
Awesome.
Best job ever.
I feel I’m where I’m supposed to be.
I enjoy working with students and other teachers. I used to work with numbers, and that was boring!
Love it! (3)
3) What kind of changes do you feel should happen?
New Teachers
Smaller class sizes.
Better materials- updated environments.
Continuous teamwork and cooperation.
Student funding, raises.
It’s important to foster a positive community within our school.
I would like to suggest having 36 hours in a day instead of 24. Everyone needs more time in the day.
Old Teachers
Nothing.
Better pay, bigger room, smaller class sizes.
Smaller class sizes would increase students’ opportunities for participation and teacher-student interaction.
I am on the MHS Committee for School Improvement, and though I believe we offer many wonderful opportunities for our students, there's always some room for improvement! We are always looking for ways to improve the educational experiences and opportunities for our students.
Smaller teacher/student ratio.
4) How many years have you taught here?
New Teachers
1 year
2 years (3)
3 years (2)
4 years (2)
5 years (2)
Old Teachers
10 years
26 years
15 years
17 years
12 years
13 years
16 years
5) Where else have you worked and for how long?
New Teachers
JYMS-15; Penn-1
A Southern Indiana middle school-2
West Central Junior Senior- 1
Adams- 8
Private Catholic school- 6 months
Riley- 3
IT Field- 13; Apple- 3
Old Teachers
Clay-7; Marian-5; Charlotte Catholic-2
La Porte High- 5
Cheerleading coach at St. Mary’s College- 10
Indiana Department of Workplace Development as a Market Analyst- 22
Warren Central High- 4; Arsenal Tech High- 1
English-language teaching assistant at a high school in France- 1
South Central- 1
6) How does MHS compare to your last teaching job?
New Teachers
It’s more a family.
There are more people, in a good way.
MHS is the absolute greatest, including students administration, and community.
Old Teachers
MHS has its own set of challenges, its own mindset, and its own attitude.
Smaller school, closer community.
7) What is your favorite time of the school year and why?
New Teachers
Fall, it’s brimming with energy.
Thanksgiving to Christmas, there are musical sing-a-longs.
Holiday season, the spirit that goes with it.
Right before the holidays, the school works so hard to organize charitable events for the community.
Spring, fun!
End of the year, opportunity to prove growth in students.
I love the Food Drive; it’s such an important thing in our community and really brings everyone in the building together.
The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas; everyone is jolly as our music groups rehearse and perform many concerts for the school and community.
Veteran’s Day; hearing a student play Taps over the announcements is an excellent tradition.
Old Teachers
Fall, it’s a fresh start.
Spring, we go outside a lot.
Beginning, students are more responsive and respectful.
Beginning, fresh start.
Beginning, everyone is ready to go.
Beginning, everyone is excited.
Christmas, it’s festive.
8) What is your favorite experience working at MHS?
New Teachers
Taking care of each other as a staff.
Getting to work with my brother, uncle, and best friend.
Seeing students succeed.
Going to sporting games.
Roasting students, having fun with them.
Being in the same building as my children.
I love seeing kids understand material for the first time or succeed after a long struggle; however, it is just as important to me to enjoy the little moments in my classroom. I love when my students make me laugh.
Students grinning from ear to ear after a performance of some kind. It is awesome to see students excited and proud of the success they had with their friends.
Getting to know my students and seeing them succeed outside of the classroom.
Old Teachers
No comment.
My son peed in the middle of the football field when he was 2, during the Princess Relays.
Past students visiting me.
Teaching Spanish and tasting the students’ dishes.
When a concept clicks for a student.
There are many! It’s difficult to choose just one!
Funny student interactions.
9) How do you think the referendum will impact MHS?
New Teachers
Very positive changes.
It will serve well-needed visual repair.
It will enable our students to make a great impact in the future.
Advancements in technology.
Create positive morals, grades, a more positive community.
Incredible lasting impact game changer, better quality everything.
I hope the referendum will bring new and meaningful opportunities to our students. This can be through new technology and programs, but also keeping up the many great things we already have.
I feel that everyone will have some weight lifted off of their shoulders. We can now focus on teaching on learning instead of money.
I’m excited to see the changes made to keep our students safe.
Old Teachers
No comment.
Positive.
Up-to-Date technology, better buildings.
Enable us to make needed building repairs and increase learning through technology.
Huge impact, it’ll take getting used to.
I’m excited to see the changes made to keep our students safe.
It will give us resources our students need and deserve.
*Numbers in parentheses are the amount of teachers who have said the same thing