Mrs. Brassler is a math teacher at Iselin Middle School. She teaches math for both non-honors and honor students. Diya decided to interview her to know a little more about her as she is her honors math teacher.
Panther Press: Good afternoon, Mrs. Brassler.
Mrs. Brassler: Hello, Diya.
Press: So, why did you decide to become a teacher?
Mrs. Brassler: I like helping students and doing work with them.
Press: That’s nice! Was that your dream job as a child?
Mrs. Brassler: No, it was not. I always dreamt of becoming a mascot for a TV show back then.
Press: What are your goals for your students every year?
Mrs. Brassler: I just want them to get better at math. Most of the time, it’s so that they can understand how to use it in real life and not hate it because a lot of kids don’t like math. I don’t want them to be scared of it.
Press: Do you have any children?
Mrs. Brassler: Yes, one seven-year old.
Press: Is it a boy or a girl?
Mrs. Brassler: One boy–his name is Chase.
Press: How many years have you been teaching for?
Mrs. Brassler: This is my 21st year of teaching.
Press: Impressive! What is your biggest inspiration?
Mrs. Brassler: My biggest inspiration would probably be my mom because she was also a teacher.
Press: What have you achieved most in your life?
Mrs. Brassler: Probably buying a house.
Press: Do you enjoy teaching the same thing every year?
Mrs. Brassler: No I do not. That’s why I’ve always taught different grades. I taught elementary– 2nd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade. And then I went to middle school and educated 6th grade and 7th grade. I taught math and finance.
Press: That’s crazy! What’s the most difficult thing when teaching students?
Mrs. Brassler: The most difficult thing is trying to keep things interesting. A lot of times, when you’re following a book, it gets boring, and so I try to think of things to teach in different ways and not the same everyday. It’s just to make it more fun.
Press: What do you do when students struggle with a certain topic or the overall subject?
Mrs. Brassler: I try to show them a different way. Usually, I break it down and show them visuals with it. Sometimes, I let students explain to each other in a way of helping them understand more clearly.
Press: What are your expectations for your students?
Mrs. Brassler: It depends on the students: So, for the honor kids, I expect more from them than the kids that hate math or those from my regular classes –and so I have different expectations from them. But overall it’s just the improvement of skills from the beginning of the year to the end.
Press: What do you like to do in your everyday life?
Mrs: Brassler: I love to shop, exercise, hang out with my family, and watch some movies.
Press: Cool! Have you ever wanted to switch jobs?
Mrs. Brassler: Yes. I first went to college to work in finance, and then I really wanted to be a stock marketer in New York when I first graduated in college. Then I went back to school to teach.
Press: That’s impressive! Would you like to add anything else?
Mrs. Brassler: That’s all, thank you very much!
Press: Of course! And thank you very much for letting me interview you!
