Goofing and Growing

Why I Chose Mr. Leonard

He’s a lot like me; so our philosophies are similar. I respect him and value

his opinions about the school system and teaching as a profession

He’s more than a teacher; he’s a mentor and his students respect him. I can only hope to be that influential.

He’s my Dad

He teaches in a same size school I want to teach in

His students have had the highest reading testing scores in Arlington.

About Mr. Leonard

• Mr. Dick Leonard is a father of three: Me, 21, my brother Zane, 19, and my youngest brother Jake, 17. • He’s been married for 25 years, to my mom, Tracy, whose also a teacher. • He’s been the head football coach at Arlington Local School and is also the AD. •He grew up in Upper Sandusky, Ohio where he was an all Ohio football and baseball player. • He went to the Bluffton University and played football and baseball there, as well and got his degree in Education, focusing on Language Arts and Science. He then came here to Bowling Green State University where he got his master’s and started teaching at Arlington Local and has been there ever since • When he started teaching at Arlington, he was the 7th and 8th grade English teacher and also taught health. After 10 years of teaching English, they switched him to teaching high school reading, still taught health, and also PE. •Now he is still teaching reading, but teaches reading for 7th through 12th.

JakeMe Zane

One of my dad’s greatest strengths is his ability to interact with people. Because of this, as a father, he’s extremely easy to talk to. He’s so supportive and, if you ask him, he’ll say that his greatest accomplishment is his kids and his marriage. He’s a family man first.

His wife, Tracy

Main Points• My dad’s ability to interact with people is one of his greatest strengths as a teacher; he uses humor to help make his students more comfortable and show them it’s a fun, non-threatening environment. •His teaching philosophy goes hand in hand with his humor. For example, one of his writing assignments, he has his students bring in an embarrassing picture of themselves and write a story based on the picture. It can be the story that goes with the picture, or a completely new one. He uses one of his embarrassing pictures and stories as an example. After my brothers and I were born, he used embarrassing pictures of us.

Or this one of me

Like this one of my brother

HUMORMy Dad has a very outgoing

personality and goofy sense of humor. He tries his best to make his students at ease and feel comfortable. He always starts the first day of classes by walking in the room and saying “THUNDERLIPS. IN THE FLESH, BABY!” which is a line from one of his favorite series, Rocky. He does the flexing, makes it sound intimidating, all that jazz. His easy going personality is contagious and makes everyone feel at ease when they’re in his classroom. He’s the type of teacher that doesn’t get mad that often, but when he does, he’s mad! Also, at the beginning of the year, he shows embarrassing pictures of himself, sometimes his kids, to warm up to his students.

He wants his students to learn that writing is important and that it’s everywhere. That is why he incorporates humor and outside factors, like movies and music. Writing stays with you through out your whole life and it’s important to have good skills.

Dad and his brother Dean, fall 1965

Like this one

Teaching PhilosophyMr. Leonard’s teaching philosophy deals with humor, and making sure the kids enjoy what they’re learning. He has them choose what books they want to read and write about. He has them creatively writing about whatever they want at least 3 days out of the week. He incorporates himself in his lessons, goofing around while teaching. He wants his students to learn, while not really knowing they’re learning.

Some Facts About Me• I’m a lot like my dad. I’m sort of goofy, once you get to know me, and I use humor to make other people more comfortable. • I really recently just decided I don’t want to be a teacher. • College has helped me learn a lot about myself and I had been thinking for awhile that I didn’t want to be a teacher. When it was time to sign up for methods, I couldn’t do it. • I had realized that I was going into teaching for the wrong reasons and, being from a teaching family, I know that to be a teacher, you need to give your all. I would be afraid that I wouldn’t put in the right amount of effort it would take to be agood teacher. •I am going to graduate next fall with a degree in independent studies, focusing on journalism and communications. (I think I should put all my English classes to good use)

1. What challenges did you face throughout your first year teaching?

a) How to handle disrespectful students. The teacher with great classroom management will have fewer problems, but there will be a few students who will “test” a new teacher. Another challenge was devising ways to challenge the very good students and help/remediate struggling students at the same time.

Question 1

I think that he makes a very valid point. It’s important to know that you are going to have a select few students that will test you. I don’t think you can ever be fully prepared for them, but just expecting it is preparation enough.

Question 22. What were your expectations for your first year as a teacher?

a) I wanted to improve my students’ performance. I wanted to see how much they could do that first day and then compare it to how well they do at the end of the year.

I really think it’s a good goal. Going into your first year, it’s important to hit the ground running and starting off on a good note.

Question 33. How did you set up your classroom so it was a good learning environment for your students?

a) Traditionally with desks in rows. My classroom is/was used by several different teachers throughout the school day, so my room needed to be useful for all those teachers. I did put my own touches on it, however. I like laughing. I like to use humor, so funny posters were on my walls. Funny posters that were universally related to the school system. I also put up posters of some of my favorite things, to help the kids get to know me a little better.

I think it’s important to put your own touches on your classroom; bring in a little of your personality. It helps your students get to know you a little better. I would put up posters of some of my favorite things and then maybe have a wall where students can put up posters or pictures of their favorite things

Question 44. What were some changes you made after your first year teaching?

a) I think changes come from confidence. The first year I was somewhat nervous and wanted to stay 2 to 3 weeks ahead of the students.. The second year I felt much more confident and relaxed. However, striving to improve instruction is and should be a continual goal of a teacher. My first year, I was nervous. Nervous about my students liking me, nervous about my colleagues liking me, nervous that I wasn’t going to do a good job. After you get that first year under your belt, it’s a lot more routine and more comfortable.

I believe confidence is key in any profession

Question 55. Throughout your career, have there been times when you wanted to change your profession? Why?

a) I really haven’t wanted to change professions. However, like every other American, I do wish compensation/salaries would change/increase as job demands increase. I have a family. Two, soon to be three kids in college, and I will be the first to say I wish I could give my family more, my salary doesn’t allow

that, however, so if I would ever want to change professions, it would be to be able to help my family even more. Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching, and money isn’t everything for me, but it’s a nice bonus in reward for doing what you love

Question 66. How do you deal with those certain students that don’t show any interest in reading/writing?

a) I have students complete interest inventories. Then we go to the library and check out material that interests them. I

provide 10 to 15 minutes each class period for SSR (silent self reading) and students read the material that interests them. This helps engage stubborn readers. It gives them a chance to read what they want, so they’re in charge of the material. It puts the ball in their court. It works.

My favorite book, Wuthering Heights.

I believe this is a fabulous idea!

Question 77. What is your favorite part about your job?

a) I genuinely like kids. I enjoy the students. I still get excited when students experience improvement, and master skills. The reason I went into teaching was because of the kids. Being able to watch them finally figure something out, that’s the real reward and my favorite part.

The kids would be my favorite part as well!

Question 8

8. If you could go back in a time machine to your first year teaching and tell yourself one thing that you didn’t know then that you know now, what would it be?

a) Maintain a “professional line” between yourself and the students. Caring for and mentoring students is important, but maintain a “professional line”. It is easy for young teachers to want to be friends with the students which isn’t always a bad thing as long as you maintain a “professional line”.

Professional

Inappropriate

Question 9

9. Is the teaching profession beneficial to your social/family life?a) Sometimes friendships can be strained

when a friend’s child is one of your students. It’s hard to draw that line between friend’s kid, who, at least in my experience, is a lot like my own kid, and student. It’s just establishing that line and maintaining it. Leave school at school. My family means the world to me. For my family life, the teaching profession is great. I get the holidays off with my kids and wife, I get to spend my summer with them vacationing, I make it to all of my kids sporting events, it couldn’t be anymore beneficial to my family life.

Question 10Would you encourage or discourage a senior that’s on the fence whether or not to go into teaching?

a) The profession is going to experience some substantial change in the near future. I expect the demands and expectations of teachers to continue to increase and I do not believe salaries will keep pace with the increases. I also believe teachers’ careers will be longer in terms of years then current practices. It would be difficult for me to encourage a “fence rider” to become a teacher. However, I wouldn’t encourage who is uncertain about a profession to enter that profession. My daughter, for example, has been questioning going into teaching for quite some time now, and I’ve had a difficult time keeping my mouth shut and my opinion to myself, but I’ve let her know exactly what I just said. I keep it neutral. I’m Switzerland.

By Kara Leonard

Mr. Leonard’s compassion and goofy personality makes him a wonderful teacher.

He puts his all into his teaching and coaching, and because of that, his results are unbelievable

I think it takes good balance and time

management skills to be a good teacher. Mr. Leonard

is very good at balancing teaching, coaching, and being a father/husband.

If all teachers put as much time, effort, and passion into their teaching as my dad does, every student would succeed with flying colors.

WORKS CITEDLeonard, Dick. Teacher at Arlington Local School.