I choose to ask those questions for the following reasons:

• Give an idea of what they thought their jobs were going to be like when they chose the teaching profession
• To give an idea of if they liked their jobs
• To know if they thought of themselves as productive leaders
• General understanding of why they choose to lead

ANTICIPATION AND RESULTS

Why Did You Choose The Teaching Profession?

I think teachers choose the profession due to the great benefits that come with it, such as two months of paid vacation and pension plans. As well as that, I feel they didn't find satisfaction in desk jobs and preferred some place they could make an impact.

“After completing my degree in kinesiology, I was reflecting back on all the experiences I had been a part off and jobs I had done. As I was reflecting, the common thread that came up was that I love working with kids and after completing my degree, I saw that my natural progression would be teaching. I found passion in developing students whether that be in their learning, fitness goals, etc.”-Ms.Brunett

Who and What Influenced Your Decision to Become a Teacher?

I anticipated the teachers would say their former teachers shaped their vision of becoming teachers. Also, I think they would desire to work with students and liked working in places with high energy levels.

"When I was in university, I did not become a teacher right away, so I actually did something else for 3 years and realized that wasn't for me, since I needed that interaction with people on a daily basis. The nice thing about teaching is that its different everyday, as there is always different things going on in my classroom, around the school, so it's exciting and different all the time. That was a big factor, since its constantly changing, and working with kids is also energizing for teachers as well, it’s exciting to be around the energy of students rather than being in a boring office.”- Mr.Blackwood

Do You Think of Yourself as a Leader? If So, Why?

I visualize teachers to think of themselves as natural-born leaders, because they're influencing young minds and have a daily role in students lives.

“I think teachers have to think of themselves as leaders, when you're responsible for shaping 90 kids a semester, 180 kids every year in the profession.You have to have some sort of leadership capabilities, because if you don’t, what are they learning and what is the next generation going to be. “- Mr.Robinson

"I think I’m a leader because I think they're things I do, that might be different from what other people do and others use that in inspiration in their teaching. Obviously, as a teacher I’m a leader because I’m infleuncing students and helping them grow as leaders themselves to see their potential. It's helping people recognize their strengths and how they become leaders. “- Mr.Blackwood

Why Do You Choose to Lead?

I think teachers would say that they choose to lead because, they have always liked the leading role, they like inspiring others to be the better them, and they like to help people pursue their goals in life.

"I choose to lead, because I can. I think everyone should choose to lead.Everyone can lead in different capacities, everyone has some sort of leadership capability in them,its more of what you decide to do with that. I choose to lead as a teacher as it is a passion of mine, other people to choose to lead in other ways and still make a difference because leadership is not something that is asked of you all the time. A lot of the time it is something that you want to do, and in your own way do on a daily basis, you just might not know about it.”-Mr.Robinson

“Part of my role here, at Jean Augustine is to be a leader around innovation and for me that is sharing the things that I have done in the past to my classroom and show staff what they can do in their classroom. From a student perspective , it’s sharing innovative ideas and approaches to work they're doing in the classroom.”- Mr.Blackwood

What Do You Think is the Most Important Part of Your Job as a Teacher Leader?

I assume teachers would say that the most important part of their job is getting students to successfully learn the curriculum, and build enthusiasm for learning. In addition, making students more involved in their learning and wake up everyday with a passion to learn.

“The most important part of my job is creating relationships with students and I think that is the number one thing because, if you have a students trust then they will want to do more for you . My goal is to try to create relationships with my students and to know their likes and dislikes and use them for learning purposes”-Ms.Brunett

"I think the most important part is to connect with students because everyone on the outside thinks that a teachers job is to teach students to be smart, well with all due respect they’re a lot of kids who aren’t going to be smart, and they’re is a lot students who don’t need teachers to be smart. A role of a teacher is to develop, nurture , and help adolescent kids, and prepare them in all aspects of life rather than just being book smart.”- Mr.Robinson

How and Why Do You Think the Success of the Education System Depends on You?

I believe teachers would say the education system does depend on them from the roots, since they provide a service.

"I think the success of the education system depends on a lot of people, from the top down all the way to the grass-roots that make this system function. I think that parents, the community, and students themsleves, also people higher up at the board at govt levels. Teachers just have to be caring and help nurture these kids and prepare them for the next steps of their lives in order to unlock their potential.”- Mr.Robinson

"I think it depends in part , because I enjoy what I’m doing and I’m passionate about working with students, and I think that is a very important part of being successful because I'm influencing change. Your doing what you want to do, rather than feeling like you have to do it. So, by doing things that I'm passionate about and enjoying coming to work everyday I’m part of that passion and enthusiasm, which then realizes their success and that's how I might influence the education system.”-Mr.Blackwood

Do You Think You Make a Difference in Someone's Live Everyday?

I thought teachers would say yes to this question, due to the fact that they're responsible of the learning of so many students a day and they have the power to decide what kind of impact they choose to make on young minds.

"I try to make a difference, as I think its important to help people recognize their potential , and if I’m doing that everyday, then yes."- Mr. Blackwood

“Absolutely .. I have had opportunities to bump into former students and they thanked me for making the impact I had on their live”-Ms.Cheung

What Are Some Ways You Show Leadership Throughout the School?

I consider teachers lead in many ways throughout the schools, such as participating in extra-curricular activities, whether it be clubs or team sports. I would anticipate their answers to be very close to leading with voluntary things around the school.

"Giving kids opportunities to do stuff outside the classroom. They’re a number of students who show up at school at 8:15 and leave at 2:25, and never really get the high school experience. In my opinion, students need something more than four academic classes a day, and I see my role as a leader to provide extra curricular activities, intramurals, etc.”- Mr.Robinson

"I choose to lead because I think it is important for me as a leader to help support leaders as I said before, but I think that everybody has something they can contribute to society in their own way. So, everyone has a skill or skill set, that is important to share with others so they can find that within themselves. I think it is important for people to share their skills as it might ignite those skills in someone else, and for me that is how I’m innovative in my class.”- Mr. Blackwood

What Will I DO About the Answers I Received?

Interviewing my teachers changed my perspective of how I perceive teachers,as they're not only educators but they're people who help shape the lives of students in their adolescence years. With all due respect, I had only thought of them to be teaching because of the benefits, such as having two months of off work. But, teachers actually come in everyday with a positive attitude to teach students something new and expand their knowledge to prepare them for the future. They come to school wanting to make students better people and turn them into leaders for generations to come. It made me very happy knowing that the people I grow up knowing as teachers, like to invest time in my learning and have their own goals of helping me succeed as a student. In other words, they want to see me succeed out of their own will. Teachers give students opportunities to find the best in them, and to enhance it, by not only making them book smart, but preparing them for their life to come.