Interview Data
Interview with Head Teacher and Assistant Teacher of a
Pre-Kindergarten Classroom
Speakers:
S- Myself
H- Head Teacher
AT- Assistant Teacher
//- pause
S- Okay, So where did you attend college?
H- Brooklyn College in Brooklyn New York
AT- I didn't
S- Okay that was my next question cause if you received, um
a degree in education or if you were alternate route, so you were alternate
route, or were you just…?
AT- I did ah, High School and I was done.
H- I received the um, education
S-Okay so how long have you been teaching?
H- uh, // almost 30 years… total
AT- 16
S- 16// what grades besides preschool are you familiar with?
H- 3rd, Kindergarten, 5th, All of elementary
AT- 1st and Kindergarten and pre-k
S- What schools have you taught at before this one?
H- Sunshine School House, which was a preschool in freehold,
and then um schools in New York City
AT- St. Thomas the Apostle in Old Bridge, a catholic school
S- Have you always been co-teaching, or where you just a
teacher by yourself, or..
H- I went, When I was in Brooklyn, I was teaching by myself
in the public school. Once I went into the preschool then I was co-teaching
S- okay..
AT- I have always co-teached
S- Always co-taught…how long have you been at this school?
H- 3 years
AT- 5 years
S- okay, so is this your first time in a co-taught
classroom?
H- No
AT- No
S- have you learned anything or what kinds of things have
you learned from co-teaching?
H- It becomes a lot easier because if you are working
together and your ideas are the same, it makes it a lot easier especially with
the children, you can separate activities and work in smaller groups
AT- I, I believe the same thing too, and it is helpful to
have another mind there, you know, you are racking your brain trying to
something one way, oh well look maybe you can try it this way, and maybe you
never even thought it
S- Did you learn anything about yourselves as teachers from
co-teaching or?
//
H- Um, about myself, yeah, I guess that its um, that I can
work with people with no problem and it just makes it a lot easier with
planning and everything else, as long as your working with somebody else, which
I am that have the same ideas and themes, and you know the way we are thinking,
and the way we are handling the children,
AT- Support, yeah
S- Support is big,
AT- yeah,..
S- Can you remember a time not particularly working with
each other because obviously you both co-taught before where you have had a
negative experience working with another teacher or had something that didn't
work out as far as your communication, or has it always been pretty good.
H- Ahh Sometimes when my co-teacher is not there, and
somebody else comes into substitute…
S- Oh that is interesting, substitute…
H- yes substitute if they are not familiar with the routines
and the children it becomes difficult,
S- Oh I never thought of that
AT- That is true, um, I , you have to abide by their mindset
and their job. I have, I was actually filling in for the head teacher that
particular day, the woman that was with me, like no regard and just left the
room. Now I gotta handle this because now you are leaving children alone,
number one rule never leave your children alone.
S- Right, interesting
AT- …and didn't have a problem with it. Huh, that shocked
me..
S-right, well you are supposed to be there
AT- your head needs to be there
S- Was there any communication about that, or she just up
and…
AT-yes, I told her, this is how we do it in here, and she
just went it did it the way she wanted to
S- Oh, so ignorant
AT- Upset me very much, Ah, you can come in my room and
don't do nothing, that's fine, but don't leave them, nah, that's just not safe,
you just..you just never leave
them alone
S- Do you, do you like being as an assistant teacher or..
AT- Oh I love it…
S- or would you rather have a different position
AT- no I love it, oh I love it as the assistant
S- What about you as the head teacher?
H- I love it, and I am very lucky to be with my co-teacher,
because we work extremely well together and we have been since day one.
S- Now as far as the planning, who is the sole planner of
all of your lessons?
H- I basically do all the planning
S- You do all the planning..
H-Mmhm, and then I brainstorm, haha, when I’m stuck with
something, haha
S- That was my thing, how do you consider her opinions when
it comes time for your planning
H- Oh, Ill tell her, I’ll, when I plan for the weeks, or the
month or whatever I tell her what we are doing what I would like to do, and then
if she has any new ideas or different ideas we bounce off of each other and
that's what makes it work
S- That's good, so when you are having those kinds of
conversations are they in the classroom or is it kind of outside the class…
H- Basically in the classroom
S- During that time when the kinds are kind of down..
H- Yeah well, if when I you know come in, during snack
during lunch, before…
S- Cause I noticed a lot just from watching, you almost have
an unsaid of what each other needs to do you know, I didn't see each one of you
saying, “oh can you do this” “can you do that”..
H-Right,
S- like before, “Do you need glue?” Done. And it was… You
don't really have to tell each other what to do..
H- Mhmm,
AT- Mhmm, yea
H- that's why ..
S- So was it always like that in the beginning or…
H- Yes I think so,
S- did it, or did you, did it take a while for the two of
you to get each other
H- yea, I mean it took a few weeks at the very beginning
AT- yeah you have to see how they work, then we worked
together and you know I am here to assist so and you know, I should be setting
up things that need to be going through the day
S- Right okay, as far as classroom management you know you
mentioned support before, your both always supportive of each other or is…
H- yes I believe we are
S- or is there a time where you are disagreeing
AT- no.
H- no
AT- There isn’t.
H- No no, You know,
S- flat out no? laughing
AT- we are on the same wavelength
H-yeah!
Both laughing
S- what support do you believe should be present between
co-teachers as far as the kids, the parents, the overall classroom
H- The same way of thinking in term of discipline with the
children, the academics that there should be academics in the classroom because
that is important, routines, structure, and open communication with the
parents, they should be able to speak to any one of us because I don't see
people in the morning to drop off, and then she doesn't see them at pickup, so
we both have to be open with the parents, she sees them in the morning and for
the most part I see them in the afternoon
S- That's good, how comfortable is your communication with
each other, does it ever feel strained or..
H- very comfortable , nope never.
S- How do you keep those lines of communication open are you
both comfortable to just freely talk to each other
H- Oh yeah, I think our personalities, I think
AT- yeah I believe we are both very honest, Ive seen many a
time, “well my opinion is…”
H- right
AT-just respect
H- very open with each other
S- so there was never a time where communication was
difficult, or just keeping that honesty policy?
H- No, I don't think so, I cant think of anything…
AT- No…
H- Even if we are talking about things that aren’t related
to the school, you know because we do, you know we are friends, laughing
S- Do you use any form of non-verbal communication?
All laughing
H- Um, maybe eye contact once in a while,
AT- Yes, the eye contact
Both laughing
AT- I would agree that would be the next that we can
understand
S- do you feel that you are able to read each other’s body
language?
H- absolutely,
AT- Mhmm Yep
S- know what the other one
H- Absolutely
AT- yes,
S-Okay good, thank you!
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