EDUC 703: Professional Interview Analysis

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PROFESSIONAL INTERVIEW ANALYSIS

EDUC 703: Professional Interview Analysis

Deborah Davis

Liberty University

Abstract

For the purpose of this assignment, a woman of my acquaintance whom I shall call Diane* (not her real name) consented to be interviewed. She has changed her own educational goals as well as changing her career path in education recently, and I felt it would be for an interesting analysis. I was right. Diane is a bright, engaging, woman who exudes her love of Christ as she exudes her passion for education. Her interview allowed for insights related to many of the educators and philosophers presented in Gutek (2011).

Interviewee Context

This interview was conducted with Diane*, the eldest of three children born and raised with both parents. Her family was neither interested nor supportive of her education neither as a child nor as an adult. Diane attended school from kindergarten through her college years in a public school setting. Diane had a goal of serving her community through Criminal Justice and pursued her bachelor’s in that field. However, during her junior and senior college years she met and married her husband, and started their family. She was ready to approach her husband about how to school their firstborn when he came to her and suggested home-schooling. While she did not feel prepared, she felt called to do so, and home-schooled her eldest and second daughters until she was invited to teach in a Private Christian School. There she taught grades four through twelve in all content areas. About five years ago, she began teaching as an Adjunct Professor at the local University in the English Composition area, which she has continued to do sporadically. This work has prepared her for her newest endeavor and for the past year she has been teaching General Education Diploma students in preparation for the testing and for future post-secondary work. She also now teaches students who are transitioning into a post-secondary nursing program to prepare them for the rigors of college curricula. All her teaching is vastly influenced by her Christian worldview and she sees the student populous as her designated mission field, modeling the love of Christ and Godly discipline to her students.

Interview Report

Throughout this interview, three themes became apparent: listening to the Lord, obedience to His learning, and modeling Christ as an educator. It quickly became apparent that as Diane evolved as a Christian, her willingness to obey the Lord’s leading and follow his design became central in her worldview as she left her own chosen field to follow the path He had for her.

She started her undergraduate education with a goal in Criminal Justice. While she finished her baccalaureate in that field, the onset of her family precluded that career. When her first daughter was ready for Kindergarten, she recognized a calling to keep her child from the influences of public school. At that same time, her husband was prompted to suggest the issue of homeschooling to her. Despite a hesitancy based on her own educational past, she recognized the Lord’s leading in this direction, and obediently followed, to the blessing of five years home-schooling her first and second children.

By the time her third child was ready for school, she had been called to teach in a Private Christian School. While the pay was not substantial, the benefit of putting all four of her children in a Christian educational environment brought her such joy and peace she knew it was the Lord’s calling, and again, she obeyed. She spent years teaching grades four through twelve in all content areas. This experience broadened her love of education and led her to a desire to advance her own knowledge. She finished her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in 2011.

Prior to completing her Masters, she was encouraged by a friend to pursue the venue of teaching at the collegiate level. She took up the challenge and expanded her teaching in English Composition at the local University. In doing so, she found a love of teaching adults that was more fulfilling to her than she was finding with the youth. Eventually, she left her job with the Christian Academy for the public school system. There she teaches adults preparing for life and post-secondary education and models the love of Christ and Godly discipline for her students.

Diane stressed her inner beliefs of the importance of family when she realized that her passion as an educator was taking away from family time. As her four children have grown and started their own lives, she has made them a priority. She uses her inherent need for structure to compartmentalize her own life into family time and teaching time, so as to be able to give of herself fully to those she loves and to those she serves.

Interview Analysis

Diane reflected the view of Thomas Jefferson’s goal of “educate a literate people who could responsibly exercise their civic rights and responsibilities” (Gutek, 2011, p. 193). In her words, Diane seeks to “develop the skills, knowledge, and work ethic in order for individuals to be responsible and contributing citizens” (P. Baumgardner, personal communication, April 17, 2014).

Diane’s view of education reflects both Aquinas and Calvin as she sees it as a mission field. Aquinas presented that all education was the means to the end view of the “the beatific vision of God” (Gutek, 2011, p. 89). Calvin believed that the foundational humanities allowed for study of the scriptures which prepared students for the future of the church and of their civil duties (Gutek, 2011, p. 119).

While the family where she was reared did not focus on education in her childhood nor in her adult years, the family she has reared sees the importance of lifelong learning. Her two eldest children are pursuing baccalaureate degrees in nursing and education, and her son is excelling in his chosen field. Her youngest daughter is still in High School, and while doing well academically and intending to go to college, is still vacillating on her field. Diane continues to support her youngest goal-seeking, encouraging the child to listen for the word of the Lord, and follow His leading.

It is interesting to note, that like Confucius, Diane sought a career in public service (Gutek, 2011, p. 13). While Plato’s “Form of the Good” (p. 39), Diane would also seek, she would follow more closely Saint Augustine’s conversion of God (p. 39). She would disagree with Aristotle’s notion that “the ultimate good for the human being is happiness” (p. 61), instead, she would align with Aquinas, believing the “ultimate destiny is the beatific vision of God” (p. 89). She would enjoy the work of Erasmus and reflects his view that “teachers needed to be well-educated individuals who, although scholars, avoided the mindless pedantry” (p. 102). Her own education was significantly enhanced by her work toward her Masters in Education. While she would agree that the purpose of life and education “was to lead the knower to God” (p. 133), she would not agree with Comenius idea of pansophism; she believes and represents the need for life-long scholarship, never completely consuming universal knowledge, but always seeking to know more. Diane’s own calling is within Rousseau’s “age of humanity” (p. 151) those students seeking to broaden their experience from the immediate to the world. It is here where her impact is being felt today as a model of Christian leadership for young adults.

While her philosophy and worldview would start with a similar foundation to Pestalozzi, integrating home, education, and societal responsibility, she represents a goal more in concert with the “goal of schools as the preparation of socially responsible, economically productive, and civically active individuals” (Gutek, 2011, p. 380) as outlined by William Chandler Bagley. Further, while she echoes Jefferson’s desire for “a literate people who could responsibly exercise their civic rights and responsibilities” (p. 193), Diane would disagree with the segregation of gender as Wollstonecraft recommends (p. 218), instead supporting the egalitarianism of Mann’s common schools (p. 238).

Having educated her own children at home during their formative years, Diane most certainly would not condone Owen’s New Lanark School for children from eighteen months until twelve years (p. 259). Froebel’s Kindergarten, “a milieu in which children could develop freely and naturally” (p. 275) is more her model of early childhood education. In discussion before, during, and after the interview, Diane reflected John Stuart Mill’s goals for adulthood; basically that one goal of education is to make humans be responsible for their actions (p. 300). Her current activity as an educator follows the morays of Herbert Spencer as she encourages adults to pursue paths taking them off welfare or other government assistance. She would agree that “Government-assisted welfare programs . . . maintain the unfit” (p. 317).

Like Addams, in some ways, Diane had to “free herself from the constraints of family expectations” (Gutek, 2011, p. 338). Diane’s family had no expectations for her, yet in obedience to the Lord, she does great work in education. While her current teaching is in the vocational school, she is preparing these, frequently underprivileged or disenfranchised populations for higher education, a venue which DuBois would no doubt approve.

Interview Conclusion

My prior acquaintance with Diane had guided my assumptions in the interview. I knew her to be a Christian, and an educator with a Master’s degree, but learned more of her calling through this process. Her worldview is reflective of her educational role and is reflected in her educational role. Her obedience to the Lord in following the path of education in and out of an elementary through high school program and into adult learning reflects her desire to serve Christ over man.

The interview caused me to evaluate my own goals and achievements . . . are they for my glory or for God’s? Do I see to serve Him? Do I listen? Do I obey? Diane has inspired me to look more closely to God’s word, and listen more carefully for His voice, as I seek His will in my life and career.

References

Gutek, G. L. (2011). Historical and philosophical foundations of education: A biographical introduction (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Appendix

1. Do you have a preferred name for me to use throughout my discussion of our interview?

No, I do not have a preferred name.

Then, with your permission, I will use the name Diane.

That’s fine.

2. What kind of educating do you do now? Has that changed over the last five years? Ten? 15?

I currently teach GED students, students who are transitioning to post-secondary education or certificate program, and college English. Yes, the type of educating I do, has definitely changed over the years. Five-ten years ago I was a teacher in a Christian school. I taught grades 4-12 in all content areas. (ÑI don’t know if you want me to be specific here) I began my journey as an educator with my own children 15 years ago; I had the privilege of homeschooling my two oldest children for 5 yrs.

3. What did your family think about education and educators?

My family didn’t really place a lot of emphasis on education and educators. Education wasn’t stressed as being very important in my home. They were not actively involved with my education as a child or an adult.

4. What do you think is the purpose of education?

The purpose of education is two-fold; it is academic and relational. First, education is to develop the skills, knowledge, and work ethic in order for individuals to be responsible and contributing citizens. Secondly, education can provide the necessary skills to develop social interaction with peers.

5. What do you think your purpose is as an educator?

My purpose, first and foremost, is to minister and meet the needs of my students. Even though teaching academic content is very important, I believe it is an avenue to minister and show the love of Christ to all my students.

6. Looking back at your life, was this part of your plan? If so, why? If not, why do you do this?

Education was not part of my plan. I truly believe God has guided my path as an educator. When I was in my early twenties, I thought I wanted to pursue employment in the criminal justice field. However, during my junior/senior year of undergraduate school, I got married and had my first child. When my daughter approached the kindergarten age, I knew in my heart that I did not want to send her to a public school. My husband came home one day and shared with me the idea of homeschooling that he had heard about over a Christian radio station. The idea of holding my child’s education in my hands had terrified me. I decided to step out of fear and pursue homeschooling. I knew that was God’s plan for my life. God has opened many doors and opportunities for me as an educator—particularly since I do not hold a teacher’s license.

7. How do you think you present yourself as an educator? (planned, prepared, ad hoc?)

As an educator, I need to be very organized. I plan all my lessons on a weekly basis and try to have all necessary materials prepared before class. I feel this is a critical element in the classroom. Students need structure and it begins with the educator.

8. Does being an educator affect your worldview? How or why?

I believe being an educator does affect my worldview. As an educator, I have the opportunity to work with many diverse people. I believe this allows me to “see” things from a different perspective whereas if I wasn’t a teacher, I may be narrow-minded. In addition, I will always be a student at heart. I have the desire to read, research, learn, etc. This desire expands my knowledge base, therefore, my worldview.