Teacher Interview Reflection

My mentor teacher for this semester of field experience is 5th grade teacher Mr. Kedrick Lusk.
Originally from Jackson, Mississippi she is in her 11th year of teaching and is currently in her 3rd year at
Rivelon Elementary. He is happily married and is the proud father of three children. He received his
undergraduate degree in Education from Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi and his
graduate degree from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. Before teaching 5th grade at
Rivelon. he was a science and math teacher at Riley Street Middle School in Hudsonville, MI. This year he
has 14 students in her 5th grade class; 9 boys and 5 girls, all of which being of African American ethnicity,
with the exception of one Hispanic.
Mr. Lusk is an experienced enough teacher to effectively manage his students in instruction. Ive
noticed that with this group of students, he has taken a more student centered learning environment
where students are actively involved in every lesson. When asked why he chose the profession of
teaching, he stated that I chose the teaching profession because I wanted to give back to my
community but I really wanted to help African American males and I thought teaching would be the
best career for me to do so. After hearing these words from him I reflected on all that I have seen in my
time in his classroom and I really see the effort for change he is trying to make in the lives of students,
especially males.
I also noticed throughout my time in Mr. Lusks class that he is rarely unprepared for the
obstacles that he faced every day. Every day presents a new challenge for him but he is always prepared
for whats ahead of him. I asked him the question on whether or not this type of preparation came in
time or was he fully prepared by courses and student teaching? He told me that when he came out of
college he felt that he was prepared but when it was time to teach in the classroom, he learned that
things are slightly different. He said explained by saying Yes, but looking back, student teaching

prepares you the most for classroom management. Other things such as technology changes every day
and it is almost imperative that teachers stay up to date to enhance instruction.
My next question was about lesson plans, right now I view lesson plans as a chore. I also find
lesson planning to be very tedious and tiring. I asked what could help me change my attitude about
lesson planning and the advice he gave was to always plan ahead, remain eclectic and find new ways to
enhance the plan itself that way lesson plans become less of a chore. We also discussed about how
frustrating it can be as a first year teacher concerning lesson plans. He told me not to be afraid to ask for
help because a lot first years teachers are. I further went into discussion on how he practices effective
classroom management and instructional strategies in his class. He told me My strategies consist of
being form, fair, and consistent. Meaning a teacher has to be consistent with expectations. Expectations
should be very clear. He also stressed the importance of technology in modern day instruction. Mr.
Lusk uses such technology in his classroom such as document camera to read different materials, a
Smart board which encourages student participation and iPads for the students to research and take
tests on; he says its an imperative in instruction. I asked what type of advice she would give me as a
beginning teacher, he told me being knowledgeable of content, not being afraid to ask for help, and
staying up to speed with the current best practices.
My last question covered assessment. I asked him to describe his grading procedures and the
methods that he uses to assess her students achievement. He said 60 percent classwork/participation,
40 percent tests/quizzes. The district has assigned a grading scale for them. He expressed that he feels
this is a lazy grading scale and all students learn differently. He also feels that this grading scale is not
the best for the district which reflects the rating of the schools.
After I conducted my interview I did some serious reflecting on not only the advice he gave me but also
some of the encounters he faces every day. I felt that after conducting this interview with Mr. Lusk, I

have definitely received insight to what it takes to be a teacher. This interview has grown me and it was
privilege to conduct the interview with an experienced teacher like Mr. Lusk.