They were the regular hours, longer summer vacations, the everyday rewards, and the fact that teaching works well with raising a family. Probably the most important part of my conversation with Mrs. Deen was obtaining insight into her teaching values, style, and philosophy. Mrs. Deen s main goals in the classroom are to be fair and consistent with all students. She classified her style as not being authoritative and approaching each day with the attitude that the students and teacher are in the education process together. Mrs. Deen has a classroom philosophy posted on one of the walls in her room.
Adequate preparation is the key to success.
Determination and a winning attitude make goals achievable. I asked Mrs. Deen what she felt a teacher needed to possess to be effective. She began with knowing the subject. She also stated that the teacher should be well organized, that they possess a variety of ideas about teaching, that they enjoy working with young people, and above all respect the dignity of the students that they are teaching. Mrs. Deen was so enthusiastic about all aspects that we discussed, but her true passion for teaching was revealed when we began talking about the challenges and rewards of being a teacher after so many years.