Michelle Finney

Interview 2
Interview One: Age_____35_______ Gender_____Female_________

Your response notes should be comprehensive. No one line responses because this is intended to
be an in depth interview which brings out complexities in the learning process that would have
implications for teaching and learning and which guide you to understand more about learning.

1. What is something that you have you have learned in the past that you still know and
understand today? Describe the place and your age when you learned this information.

Something that I have learned in the past was that my parents always stressed the importance
of getting good grades in school. My father always told us: my siblings and I In life
nothing is free; you need to work hard in order to achieve your goals and accomplish your
dreams. I was a little girl probably around 11 or 12 years old in elementary school. As an
adult I tend to reflect back on my dads motto and his saying in regards to being a hard
worker.

2. Describe the learning process and explain why you think you learned (remember) that
information? For example, if the learning took place in school what did the teacher do to help
you learn?

Reflecting on my dads saying, that nothing in life is free and one must work hard in order
to achieve your goals and dreams in life, I remember throughout my schooling in
elementary, middle, and high school always working hard and trying to make my parents
proud. During my junior and senior years of high school, I remember that I was struggling
and falling behind in my classes. At times I felt like giving up, but I knew that I could not let
my family down.

3. What particular study strategies did you use to learn this matter? Please describe any
strategies or experiences that might have helped you in this learning process. Do you find
these strategies helpful in any other learning situations?

The particular study strategies that I used to learning the materials were to always listen to
the instructions and take any notes based on the teachers lessons or professors lecture.
Whenever I did not understand a lesson or subject matter, I would ask questions. However,
when I started to fall behind in my school work the school district will assign me to attend
remedial summer school courses.

4. How did you know you were learning? Please provide evidence that told you that you were
learning.

I knew that I was learning when my teacher/professors would acknowledge me in having

answered the question correctly. For example, in elementary school I would consistently get
 the student of the month award. Also my elementary school would always give compliments
to my parents regarding me.
5. Would you consider learning this information hard or easy? Interesting? Explain or describe
your learning experience.

For the most part, learning this information can be easy for me if I really enjoy the topic. On
the other hand, if it is a subject like math or science that I struggle with, then I have a hard
time learning it. With my learning experiences, I would be listening to the professor talk and
at the same time be taking notes.

6. What currently motivates you to work hard to learn something new?

What motivates me to work hard to learn something new would be to be able to learn a new
skill or subject. A while back I was working as a special education assistant. As I was
working with an Autistic elementary school class grade 4-6, some of the students were
nonverbal. In this job I had to learn how to use conversational sign-language because of the
students language disabilities.

7. Please explain how you remember new information today. Did your prior learning help you
learn better today?

My prior learning has helped me learn better especially if it has been a subject that I really
enjoy. For example, ever since I was a little girl and attended grade school, I always loved
history. I have found it interesting to learn about different historical events, cultures, and
languages.

8. Do you believe you are naturally smart or are you smart because you work hard? Provide
examples/evidence for your answer.

I believe that I am smart because I have worked hard throughout my schooling and obtaining
a bachelor degree within a higher education institute. When I was little I was enrolled in an
only Spanish speaking class. However, in first grade my family and I moved to the inland
empire and I was enrolled in an English speaking class.

9. What do you do to learn that is beyond or not required in school or work?

I have been thinking to self-teach me in trying to learn Italian. One of my brother

recommended Duolingo for me to use to help me learn. So far, doing my free time that I have
I try and take at least two lessons. I realized that I need to practice and review Italian word
phrases.

10. What would you like to tell educators about helping others learn?

What I would like to tell educators about helping others would be to try and relate and
connect to their students. First, educators should be allowed to know a little about every
students background and home life. As an educator, we need to have strong
communication skills and a good support system. For example, there are different types of
learners who are visual, verbal (auditory), reading/writing, and kinesthetic (hands-on). Also,
family life has a great influence n students school performance. I understand that all
educators and students alike come from different backgrounds and have encountered many in
some cases unfortunate life changing events.