Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1067015
X Teaching and Learning 27 Getting to Know Lydia Rayfi eld 1. Name/Preferred Name? Lydia Rayfi eld 2. Current role in district/ college/institution? How long have you held this position? Kindergarten teacher at Henderson Elementary School, 4 years 3. Current role in WEA? Ethnic and Minority Representative 4. How did you get to where you are today/history? Why teaching? What did you want to be when you were growing up? I remember as a young girl playing teacher with all of my dolls. I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher, but my passion comes from my personal experiences. I grew up in a small Wyoming town. There was very little diversity. The leaders in my community and the teachers shared a very diff erent lifestyle and culture. As a student of color I felt disconnected. This is why I chose to stay in Wyoming and teach. I want to be a role model for students of color. I want them to know that people who look like them and share a similar culture can be successful. 5. Greatest joy in current position/What are we in public ed getting correct? I am a proud public school teacher. We are doing great things in public education. It is important that we are putting more focus on early childhood education. More and more public schools are adding pre-k classrooms. These early learning experiences help students build a strong foundation for their future academic careers. 6. Greatest frustration in current position/What are we in public ed doing wrong? I believe public education needs to better support teachers with students who have behavioral problems. I have seen an increase of students who come into the classroom with social-emotional issues and/or behavioral concerns. Schools need resources to better support these students; additional counselors and/or social workers, social-emotional curriculum, professional development on these issues, and paraprofessionals to provide extra support for the teacher and these students. 7. Unique skills? What do you bring to the table that allows you to be successful? The 21st century kindergarten classroom is challenging. The pressure of common core standards and standardized test can be overwhelming, but I have success in my classroom because I balance play with learning. I know that students this age learn best through play. I fi nd creative ways to include playtime in academics. During center time you will see my students building structures, painting, searching for sight words hidden around the room, singing, dancing, and playing games. 8. What advice would you give yourself in your fi rst year of teaching? I recently mentored a student teacher. At the end of this experience I told my student teacher to always remember relationships, rigor, and routine I often refer to these as the "Three R's of Teaching". I have learned that students perform best when teachers take the time to get to know them and build a genuine relationship. Rigor is important because students need to be held to a high standard. I have learned that if I challenge my students and expect top notch work they will rise to the occasion. Routines are also important. My classroom can be led by the students because they know what is expected. Routines also help me stay organized and less stressed. I have weekly routines that help me get everything planned in a week advanced. This allows me to do less work on the weekends and relax for the week ahead. Relaxation is another important word to add to this list! Teaching can be stressful, fi nd to time to slow down and do something that makes you feel happy. 9. Was there a teacher/mentor who had a great infl uence on you? And if yes, what did you learn from them? The most infl uence educators I met were during my undergraduate studies at the University of Wyoming. As a fi rst generation college student I was challenged in college. I wasn't sure if I belonged and I had to navigate an unknown world. Fortunately, I met many professors who made me feel welcome and believed in me. 10. How would you like your students to remember you? I hope my students remember me as a teacher who likes to have fun. I pride my teaching with fun and engaging learning activities; making slime to raise money for the homeless shelter, learning about our community and building it out of gingerbread houses, recycling products to create art projects, playing tag with the kids at recess, and hosting a family night where students created a variety of learning games to take home.