Scott Schmidt

Sra. Mendez teaches Spanish three Sept. 21. its Sra. Mendez’s second year teaching at Park

What do you teach and where did you teach before coming to Park?

I teach Spanish two and three. I used to teach at Susan Lindgren Elementary School and I taught there for 10 years.

How has the change been from teaching at Susan Lindgren to Park High?

It’s been pretty good. It’s my second year so I feel better about it. It’s a learning experience.

What’s the major difference between teaching at a high school?

Obviously the students can do a lot more stuff, they can do more advanced things. I would say that it’s harder to get high school students excited or into activities than it is with younger kids.

How is the staff dynamic different at the high school?

Well it’s really nice because I have people teaching the same things as I am, and I didn’t have that at Susan Lindgren. I had the gym teachers and music teacher on my team, but it’s different because we don’t teach the same things. It’s nice here to have people you can ask questions, and to have the same jobs as others.

How have you adjusted to teaching high schoolers?

There’s more independent work that students have to do. It’s a lot different because I see kids everyday here, unlike Susan Lindgren where I was seeing kids twice a week. So there’s more grading and more standards.

Who inspired you to become a teacher?

Someone who inspired me to become a teacher is my Spanish teacher in high school. She would share a lot about traveling and Spanish. So that’s what inspired me to become a Spanish teacher.

What type of teacher would you say you are?

I like to be prepared and have well planned lessons, and I try to make things fun and to have students talk and be social.

Why did you want to become a teacher?

I always liked Spanish so I studied Spanish in college, and I didn’t want to become a teacher right away, but later on I decided to and I discovered that I really like teaching kids. It was fun. 

How has teaching been going for you at high school?

It’s going well, I feel better this year than last year,  I’ve adjusted.