The Teaching with Heart Interviews

Over the last ten years, we have worked with hundreds of teachers helping them write about their life and work. In helping them write and then edit these narratives, we have come to deeply appreciate the intricate elements that comprise a teacher’s relationship to the work and profession of teaching. In continuing our efforts to provide teachers with opportunities to share how they approach the work of teaching, we are launching a new series, Teaching with Heart Interviews.

This series will feature teachers sharing glimpses of themselves at work serving students, reflections on how they sustain their passion and energy for the work, and what resources energize their ideas and spirit. As with all our work, we hope that these interviews will serve as a source of inspiration, companionship and wisdom for all of us who care about the work of teaching.

Many thanks to Randi Winter for sending in the first entry. We were delighted to read Randi’s thoughtful responses to the interview questions. We hope to hear from many more of you. Please fill out the set of questions at the end of this post and send in your responses to teachingwithheartfirepoetry@gmail.com. Thanks!

Teaching with Heart Interview with Randi Winters

Name? Randi Winters

Current position?   Teacher, 2nd grade at Carl Hankey K-8 School

How long have you been in education? 27 years!

What’s a little known fact about you? I turned my dining room into an art studio.

When does your job feel the hardest? My job feels the hardest when I am working with people who think teaching is all about techniques, data and more pages of homework. This year working with a new teacher who values all of those and doesn’t value my 28 years of experience is hard. I recall when Parker Palmer wrote about wanting the admiration of the young and how hard it is to not have our wisdom valued. So I have been trying to work with that, remain open and yet stand strong in what I know is important in teaching the whole child.

What helps you get through those hard days? I come home from those hard days and work in my art studio, it helps me to recharge and also remember that imagination and creativity are gifts I have to give.

What makes your heart sing as a teacher? Can you describe a recent day or moment like that?  It makes my heart sing when I can connect on a deeper level. An example of a recent experience of that was when the kids were making fun of another student for saying he liked school but he didn’t like school. They teased him saying he couldn’t feel both. Instead of just telling them to stop I realized it was a perfect time to talk about “paradox”. We talked about how it was possible to hold two very different feelings at the same time and that was ok. The whole class seemed to drop into a deeper level and we had a great discussion. It made me especially happy when some parents told me a few days later that their children were talking about paradox at the dinner table and were pointing out some examples. A parent said to me, “Wow, it’s hard to believe you talked about such a deep concept in 2nd grade, but my son got it!”

Who was your favorite teacher and why? My favorite teacher was my high school English teacher—she brought literature alive for me and always had time for me, she really listened. I had many favorite teachers but the ones who listened and who challenged me to use my gifts and talents are the ones I remember.

Five items you can’t teach without?

  1. A bell to save my voice, do mindful “anchor breaths” and a signal for partner time
  2. My squishy ball for engagement, kids love to catch it and feel it while answering questions
  3. A collection of musical cards for dance breaks and freeze
  4. A picture of my two dogs Juju and Sammie for inspiration
  5. My lucky rock reminds me to stay present with the kids and breathe.

Three books you would recommend to a fellow teacher? There are SO MANY it’s hard to choose but the ones that have helped a lot personally in my work of Teaching with Heart that I would recommend are:

  1. The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer
  2. The Mindful Child by Susan Kaiser Greenland
  3. Living the Questions by Sam Intrator

Also wonderful is The Mindful Way of Education by Daniel Rechtshaffen, Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer and Awakenings by Mark Nepo.

I guess my book choices are focused on the inner life of the teacher rather than a book about teaching techniques or ideas. Nurturing my inner life is the way I can stay in teaching, which is a job that easily drains me.

Best teaching advice you ever got?   “Stress the strength, nurture the need”

What do you do to recharge?  I decompress and recharge by doing art (painting, fiber arts like spinning, felting and knitting); I also take nature walks with my dogs which are very relaxing and inspiring for me.

Poem or quote that you love? Mary Oliver’s poem: “The Summer Day” in which she asks that perfect question:

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

This poem always helps me remember that we don’t have forever, each moment is precious and I try to hold the paradox of being in the moment while asking the bigger question of what I am doing with my one wild and precious life.

Teaching with Heart Interview Questions

  1. Name?
  2. Current position?
  3. How long have you been in education?
  4. What’s a little known fact about you?
  5. When does your job feel the hardest? What helps you get through those hard days?
  6. What makes your heart sing as a teacher? Can you describe a recent day or moment like that?
  7. Who was your favorite teacher and why?
  8. Five items you can’t teach without?
  9. Three books you would recommend to a fellow teacher?
  10. Best teaching advice you ever got?
  11. What do you do to recharge?
  12. Poem or quote that you love?

Send your responses to teachingwithheartfirepoetry@gmail.com.

Please share these interview questions with your fellow teachers – the more the merrier!