Interview with Carla Jackson, January 27, 2017

Partial Transcript: First of all I’d like to start off by asking you: how long have you been teaching?

Segment Synopsis: Jackson describes the elementary school where she teaches. She talks about noticing gaps in her public school music education that motivated her to become a teacher. She talks about the difficulty of her first day on the job and prioritizing a connection with students over the curriculum.

Keywords: Carroll County, Georgia; RES; Roopville Elementary School; Roopville, Georgia; Title I school; free and reduced lunch; improvising; rural

Partial Transcript: What can you say about the quality of your teacher training?

Segment Synopsis: Jackson talks about gaining helpful experience in classroom management from her teacher training. She talks about diverting from the training’s focus on the textbook and using the Orff Approach instead. She talks about the reasons she’s stayed with teaching and why others leave.

Keywords: Master of Music; Orff Approach; Orff Schulwerk; Orff certification; UWG; University of West Georgia; classroom management; elementary school; school administration; supervising teacher

Partial Transcript: When you think back on your teaching, tell me about a time when you felt proud to be a teacher.

Segment Synopsis: Jackson talks about the pride of seeing a particular student embrace the spotlight during a musical performance. She talks about the challenge of managing students with unruly behavior. She talks about the reward of seeing students’ hard work pay off in a live performance as well as not taking herself too seriously.

Keywords: Carol of the Bells; Orff instrumentarium; Rats!; elementary school; empowerment; glockenspiel; metallophone; musical; student behavior; xylophone

Partial Transcript: Have you ever thought about changing your career?

Segment Synopsis: Jackson talks about considering a career change to assisted living care. She describes the way she balances her teaching style to accommodate both order and fun. She talks about her eighth grade English teacher who devoted extra time to help her. She talks about motivating her students by demonstrating her own passion for music and its positive effect on her life.

Keywords: assisted living care; elementary school; music education

Partial Transcript: Teaching, of course, is a very demanding profession. What keeps you from burning out?

Segment Synopsis: Jackson talks about the various ways she avoids burning out. She talks about the experience of mentoring a student with a hearing impairment. She talks about learning from her students the value of accepting their input and giving them opportunities to flourish.

Keywords: conventions; elementary school; hearing impairment; professional development; workshops