Q: What was your key focus for today? 

A: Today I have primarily been focused on completing what Dr. Rubin-Schlanksy and I call our snapshot visits. So we have been trying to just pop into classes throughout the semester. We have a goal to get into every teacher’s room at least twice in the semester. So we want to try and get that done [by] Dec. 3, so I’m kind of just trying to cross off different teachers that I still haven’t seen. And then later I have been invited to speak to a class during seventh hour. Those were kind of my two main focuses today.

Q: How are you preparing for the end of the semester? 

A: So, we’ve got a couple of different teachers that are working with us or asking for help with just different review type of games and engagement strategies to try to culminate whatever content that might be. We are also working with a few teachers, kind of looking ahead, restructuring their class, specifically semester, like elective classes, for example. And then we do some more general administrative stuff. So we’ll be focusing a lot of that time, kind of on professional development for the spring semester, working on a couple different feedback surveys that we’re going to ask people to fill out. So those are our focuses. 

Q: Is there anything you’re looking forward to for next semester or the end of the year? 

A: Next semester, we will be continuing to work with our new teachers in the building closely. That’s always kind of fun, just to see them grow. As you can imagine being a new teacher in a building, first semester is tough. So second semester you can kind of just get into it a little bit better. The spring semester, that winter time, January and February is kind of tough, so we just try to support teachers through that. I think students probably feel that same thing in the dead of winter. It’s just kind of tough to be here at times. And so some of that’s just relationship building and community building and kind of just figuring it out. I’ll be interested to see kind of what we get in those feedback surveys [as well]. So I imagine that we might be editing some of our plans for the spring based on what teachers and what feedback we get from [the survey] 

Q: How have the professional development days been going?

A: [For the] Nov. 4 [event], I have only heard good things, and the survey that we have filled out was good. I actually was not here. I was down on SLU’s campus defending my dissertation, but from what I understand, everyone felt like it was worthwhile. We’re actually looking forward to the January one. We are hoping to bring in a lot of student voice, so we are going to be reaching out to some students to run student panels and to talk to teachers about  student experience, and how teachers can best support them.

Q: What has been your favorite part of the day so far today?

A: I really enjoy being in people’s classes and giving them just a second set of eyes, of feedback, you know, ideas or suggestions of things they might consider. That’s really fun. Selfishly, it’s just cool to see the various classes and our amazing teachers. So it really is just fun getting to pop in and see how much really cool stuff is going on. Another thing I really enjoy in this job is when I get invited to co-teach, being in space and interacting with students. I think I will always enjoy teaching math. And so anytime I get an opportunity to work with students on math, I am enjoying it.