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Can you tell us about yourself? 

Hi, my name is Sarah Ingram. I am a third-grade teacher at Seal Elementary in Douglas, Kansas. I am completing my third year of being at that school.

Why did you start a career in education?

I am completing my third year of being at that school. I started my career in education a long time ago as a para before I became a teacher, but I started in education just because I wanted to work with kids and I enjoy teaching my own kids how to read. And so I wanted to be able to do that full-time.

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

If I could have any other job I would have my own bakery. That was a goal I had a long time ago. Back when I was in high school, I wanted to go to culinary school, be a chef and eventually have my own bakery. Totally different from teaching, but that's what I would do.

How are kids different than they were 30 years ago?

Oh, my kids today are so reliant on technology to kind of force-feed them and spoon feed them, um, their knowledge. They don't have that drive to go to the library and do research or to go outside and explore things. They just want to be able to ask Google the question and get the answer super easy. 

How is teaching different than it was 30 years ago?

How is teaching different than being different from 30 years ago? I haven't been teaching quite that long, so I'm not sure, but I know, um, for one thing, technology wasn't like it is today for teachers even 10 years ago.  I know even just in this past year alone, teachers have had to adjust so many things, um, that wouldn't have even thought possible 30 years ago with technology, remote learning and all of that.

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

My daughter actually just switched her major from a physician's assistant to elementary education. So one of the things we sat down with her and talked about was, um, you know, in growing up with two parents that were educators, she knows you don't get your summers off. It's not just an August through May job. Teachers are constantly thinking about their students, how to make ourselves better so we can help our students be better learners. How can we help those struggling learners? How can we stretch those exceptional learners that are above their peers? How can we challenge them? So you are always working even on weekends, even in the evenings and especially over the summers. 

What would you change to help kids learn better?

And one thing that I've changed to help kids learn better. I wish kids could learn where they're at regardless of grade level and wish they weren't confined to. Well, you're a second grader. So here are the standards you're supposed to master this year. If they're still working on first grade standards, I wish we had more time to focus on those standards for that student and really teach kiddos who, where they are at, um, individually. I hope I've answered all of those seven questions. If this is successful, thank you so much for, um, the earbuds, because I know Mike students are in desperate need of them. I don't have enough headphones to share for everybody. So this would be greatly helpful in my classroom. Thank you.