Conversations with Caleb Lee (CWC) – #2 Soo An – NYC Public School Teacher Conversations with Caleb Lee

I can confidently say each and everyone one of us has had that one teacher who we will always remember. That teacher that actually saw something in us, or actually cared. It’s quite powerful to think that just one person can have such a strong impact on our lives. This made me think of the question of what makes a good teacher? Who are the people who are spending more time with our kids than we do? Soo An is a teacher at a new charter school in NYC. Her day starts at 5AM to get to school and prepare before the kids arrive. She shares her thoughts on why she went into teaching, and how none of that had to do with vacation days at all. She shares her experiences as to what it’s like to become a new teacher in the NYC public school system, and then some. 3:30 – How to become a teacher 5:00 – Why did you want to be a teacher? 8:00 – How to find out if a passion is different from something you just enjoy 11:45 – what is it really like to be a teacher? 18:15 – What makes a really good teacher vs bad teachers? 20:15 – What are you allowed to teach or not allowed to? 24:00 – On the DOE hiring 9 executive superintendents for $2.5 Million summer of 2018 27:40 – Why get up every morning/what drives you? 30:15 – Growing up in a broken family 35:00 – Why did you cling to God instead of turning away? 36:00 – thoughts about suicide 42:20 – Not getting involved 45:15 – advice for people want to be teachers & for those who are struggling over faith   1. What do you do? 2. When did you decide that you wanted to be a teacher? 3. What does your daily schedule look like? 4. I find that reality is always different from theory. With that said, how does being a teacher differ versus the idea of being a teacher? 5. What does it mean to be a teacher in 2018? 6. What can you not talk about in the classroom? 7. What would happen if you were to talk about these things? 8. What is the best part of actually being a teacher? 9. What is the world part of being a teacher? TOPICS TO ADDRESS: 1. JOB & ACTUAL DESCRIPTION 1. What do you do? 2. What do you actually do? 3. Does your grade involve standardized exams? 4. How much what you do revolves around standardized exams? 2. INDUSTRY PEOPLE INSIGHT 1. I feel a lot of people consider becoming a teacher, but I don’t think just anyone should be a teacher. What are some traits you’ve seen in great teachers? 2. Teachers are placed in one of the most interesting positions. I’ve had experiences with teachers and classes that have made me either love or hate a topic. What differentiates a good teacher from a bad teacher? 3. Do you find certain types of people are attracted to being teachers more than others? 4. What are some possible wrong reasons to want to become a teacher? 3. INDUSTRY FIELD INSIGHTS 1. Teachers on average make just over $45,000 per year according to salary.com. What are your thoughts on that? Are they underpaid? And why are they underpaid? 2. How much did you end up spending on class material? 3. I remember my high school had constant teacher cuts, even though it was in a great school district in the Suburbs of NY. Why do I feel that teachers are constantly being fired? 4. What are things that are mandatory in your school to teach? Are there? 5. What are things that are NOT allowed to be taught by either law or school policy? 6. If you can change one thing about being a teacher, what would it be? 4. JOB ASSUMPTIONS DOE – The New York City Department of Education is the department of the government of New York City that manages the city’s public school system. The City School District of the City of New York is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,800 separate schools. Wikipedia Did you know that principles have the right to pass failing kids? https://nypost.com/2018/06/12/doe-principals-have-free-reign-to-pass-failing-kids/ https://nypost.com/2018/08/27/doe-names-educational-veteran-as-new-chie