“Well the first days are the hardest days, don’t you worry anymore.” - Robert Hunter 

The start of the school year can bring about feelings of exhaustion, apprehension, confusion, and difficulty for teachers and their students. I know for me the first two weeks of school always prove to be the hardest to get through, and in truth, each year feels like starting over again. Apart from not knowing the names of the students sitting before me, I’m unaware of what their interests are, how they like to learn, what their work ethic is, what talents they have, knowledge they possess, and how they like to express that understanding. Additionally, I am aware that they come to me from a variety of backgrounds, situations, and experiences. Apart from instruction and skill development, they will need individualized attention when it comes to their affective needs. 

Throughout the years I have come to realize that each year is like beginning anew. The material and overall theme of each unit of instruction does seem familiar, however, the experience for those seated before me is always different. Questions dictate discussion. Preferences and attitudes determine group dynamics. Levels of knowledge demonstrate competency and as students become comfortable with the material, the information uncovered and creative problem solving is often unique in nature. Each day becomes full of excitement and challenge. Curricular responsibilities, faculty meetings, and a host of other back to school tasks can often cloud up the first and most important order of business in any educational environment, getting to know who the students are. Many readers can relate to this annual ebb and flow of the educational profession, but there are others who will step into a classroom for the very first time, and despite what plans lie ahead, you should know who is seated before you.

I begin each year by issuing interest-a-lyzers, brief questionnaires intended to have the students reflect upon their own passions and interests, and in turn, allow their teacher to learn about them in an informal manner. You can read about this helpful method of questioning by visiting https://nrcgt.uconn.edu/underachievement_study/curriculum-compacting/cc_section11/ and access samples of these and other instruments here. 

Even though interest surveys have always worked very well I decided to do something different to start the year, and I would like to pass along the idea to you. I call the assignment The NPR Interview, as it presents a simulated interview conducted by a host of one of the National Public Radio’s shows. I have shared the template document at the end of this column but first let us look at the basics. 

I like to preface the lesson with time spent listening to an NPR podcast. There are a great variety of programs to listen to and by downloading a transcript of the interview you can offer students a chance to see the text of the chosen program, which comes in handy when they begin to answer the mock questions on the template transcript used in class. You can access the NPR Podcast Directory by clicking here.   

Simply click on one to listen and use the transcript link to access the pdf. Once the students have listened to a podcast and viewed a transcript, they are ready to start their own interest interview form. It is easy to create. I construct a series of open-ended and follow-up questions asked by the host of the program. Each question is followed by a series of blank lines intended for the student to write in their responses. Think advanced Mad-Libs. 

Never have I received such insight into my student’s interests, motivations, and passions. And, as I did not have the time to sit and conduct a lengthy interview with each and every student, this method provided me with a wealth of information all at once. I was even able to infuse some instruction about the skills related to interviewing during the introduction of the lesson. 

Once completed, finished forms are collected and read, with suggestions and feedback offered individually. You could also utilize Google Forms to create an online system for responses. This provides responses in an easy to use and sort excel sheet. Click here for my new podcast template, which uses the show Fresh Air with Terry Gross as a vehicle for interest exploration.

I have come to realize that by using an interest form such as the mock interview, one can assure a great start to the school year, with an enthusiastic outlook for both the teacher and the student, who will, at the very least, feel understood.

Have a great start to the school year!
--Jeff