PHS Spotlight Ms.Swan
I would like to thank Ms.Swan for giving me the time to interview her. In this interview, Ms.Swan shares insights into her teaching ideas, classroom management, motivation strategies, and personal life lessons.
Ms. Swan is a kind math teacher whose motivation to become a teacher was rooted in her passion for English and Math, but it was also fueled by her negative experiences with school. She wanted to ensure that young people didn’t go through what she did, aiming to create a better learning environment for her students.
Responding to disruptive students is a vital aspect of classroom management. Ms. Swan employs a straightforward approach by addressing the student by name, pointing out the disruptive behavior, questioning its appropriateness, and politely requesting them to stop. This clear and respectful communication helps maintain a focused classroom atmosphere. Ms. Swan’s classroom rules align closely with school policies, emphasizing punctuality, cell phone and air pods usage, and respectful behavior. She provides her Syllabus on the first day of school, ensuring both students and parents understand her expectations. This proactive approach minimizes misunderstandings and conflicts.
Dealing with stressful situations is essential in the teaching profession. Ms.Swan finds peace and comfort in her beautiful home and property, where she spends time with her animals and tends to her garden. She highlights the importance of identifying one’s own sources of joy and prioritizing them to manage stress effectively.
To motivate her students, Ms.Swan shares her life story through a quiz, revealing the challenges she faced and how she overcame them. She offers a glimpse of her life today, inspiring students with her journey from adversity to success.
Reflecting on her own high school years, Ms. Swan offers valuable advice to her younger self: ”It’s not your fault.” She encourages self-compassion and dispels the self- blame that once haunted her own experiences with school.
Ms. Swan describes herself as, “Grateful, peaceful, and blessed.” These words encapsulate her positive outlook on life. For Ms.Swan, her most significant accomplishment is her journey to sobriety overcoming personal challenges and achieving sobriety has been a profound milestone in her life. Among the things she holds dear, Ms.Swan treasures her home and property, including her animals and garden. Her son and close friends also occupy a special place in her heart.
