Q & A with Mr. Fisher
Q: Where are you from?
A: I was born in a town called Claremore, Oklahoma, and I lived in a town called Choctaw, Oklahoma for most of my life. It’s kind of the central part of Oklahoma. So that’s where I’m from. But, I’ve lived in different parts of Oklahoma and in New York City and, now, [Kansas] over the last 30 something years.
Q: Have you taught prior to Southwest?
A: This is my first full year of teaching. I taught for a semester as a student-teacher at Parkhill.
Q: Why did you want to start teaching?
A: Mostly because I really like reading and writing, which is probably what a lot of English teachers tell you. I spend my free time doing it, so I do enjoy it. It’s a different thing to teacher than it is to enjoy it. I had a hunch that I would also enjoy that. It is completely different, but I’ve found that it is a lot of fun to try and articulate what it is I like about something and then see if anyone else agrees. And often, because it’s school, not everyone necessarily agrees with what we’re doing, what we like. If [I] [compare this] to working in a cubicle or something with some job where I’m just doing it to make company money, then I think what I’m doing is much more important so I take some value out of being able to contribute somehow, hopefully.
Q: What are some of your favorite things to do besides teaching?
A: Well, aside from reading and writing, because I do I read all the time, I listen to audiobooks when I’m exercising or doing chores around the house. I really do spend a lot of time doing that stuff, but I also I play music. I play guitar. I used to play a lot of drums but that’s a lot harder to do when you have neighbors; they get kind of cranky, so I haven’t done that as much. I listen to music. I just kind of hang out and listen to music. I play music, I like to exercise, sort of. I mean I don’t get to do it as much, but it’s sort of a hobby. I play fantasy football.
Q: How are you adjusting to Southwest?
A: I think I’m adjusting well. This isn’t a difficult place to settle into. The students are generally very kind and respectful and, for the most part, they all care about their grades or what they’re trying to learn. So, in a lot of ways, that makes my job easier than if I was somewhere where I would have to constantly fight for their attention. But, because Southwest is across the board no matter how you view it, it’s a good school and the district is strong. I think, because of that, it’s pretty easy to settle into. There are difficulties with every new teacher. You stay on top of the grading and the lesson planning, things that maybe students don’t think about so much. I didn’t think of that when I was a student but those are certain things that teachers are constantly juggling. The workload can keep you really busy but, at the same time, if you don’t hate what you’re doing then it’s not a bad thing.
Q: Where did you go to college?
A: I got my undergrad bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma (OU). My degree was in Sociology, technically. It’s Sociology but it was an emphasis with Criminology. I thought that, maybe, I was going to be in the FBI and I decided not to do that. I moved to New York and played in a band, and, after a few years, I decided to go back to school. I got a MFA in creative writing from the University of New Orleans and a master’s in education from Rockhurst when I moved from New York to Kansas City. I guess technically I went to three places: OU, University of New Orleans and Rockhurst.
Q: What do you do on a daily basis in class?
A: The teacher answer is that I try and engage the students. I try and make it clear what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. I can’t necessarily convince them that it’s important, but I try and give them a reason for [why it is]. Sometimes it’s just that reason in the moment and, sometimes, it’s the grand reason why we do it, but I try and engage the students. I try and offer my help in some way. I try and model something I can, whether it’s how I think of something or how to do something. I try and listen if I get feedback or if I get questions of if I get confusion. I try and listen because I think that’s the best way for me to understand whether or not I’m on the right path or I need to back up or start over if I’m failing at this. Then, I’m going to learn that, hopefully, through someone.