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Can you tell us about yourself? 

"Good morning. My name is Barbara Buoy. I am a teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona. This is the going to be the end of my first year in Mesa. Um, before that I taught in Chicago." 

Why did you start a career in education?

"Anyways, I started a career in education many years ago and I did it because, um, I love kids. I love teaching and I love kids. Um, I went to teach in college, loved it so much. I was like, yeah, this is definitely where I need to be. Yeah." 

If you could have any other job what would it be and why?

"The job, I'd still be with kids, but I might be a speech pathologist. I think that would be another fun job to have."  

How are kids different now than 30 years ago?

"Um, kids now different than 30 years ago. Yeah, they're much more bold. Um, they're much more mm Hmm. They could be much more rude. They are, um, they are very electronically oriented where they weren't before. Um, they love computers and we have complete computers in our class and um, they don't have your phones. They don't have headphones. I bought them from your company. Actually, I bought them the little earbuds this year. So they do have them for this year. But I'm looking for next year, my next class coming up." 

How is teaching different now than 30 years ago?

"Um, teaching is different because I think it's the parents. I don't think it's the kids. The parents are, um, they're not as intuitive. They're not as like willing to the glare. They're not as willing to, um, there we go. They're not as willing to stick up for the teacher. Um, they stick up for their kids. And when there's an issue, I think sometimes, you know, the teacher is the one that's right." 

What would you tell someone who wants to become a teacher?

"What would I tell someone that was thinking of becoming a teacher? I would say definitely you should do it. It's a very fulfilling and a wonderful job. I love my job." 

What is one thing you would change to help kids learn better?

"One thing I would change to help kids learn better. Every kid in the world would have a computer and I teach in a very poor school. Um, kids have computers at school, but they don't have them at home. And they really do need them. And especially now since we are with this whole COVID thing going on, the COVID-19 virus, so all the kids are learning from home and all my kids do not have computers. And it's very sad that they don't. So that's what I would change. I would, I would make it so that every school district had to give the kids a computer. Anyways, thank you for the free earbuds when I get them."