October - Conversation with Nurse JenniNovember - Conversation with Mr. Dioli December - Conversation with Sr. Dolan
Fridays with Fiona: A Conversation with Ms. Finch
Ms. Finch is my 2nd grade teacher and I wanted to interview her to learn more about her background. In college she was a national champion in soccer and now she is a national champion teacher, in my opinion.
FIONA: Thank you for your time, Ms. Finch. How do you like teaching 2nd grade at Sacred Heart?
MS. FINCH: I love teaching 2nd grade. It’s my favorite grade to teach. I think it is the best age because everyone is very sweet but also really independent, and I like that.
FIONA: Who is your favorite student? Oops! You don’t have to answer that!
MS. FINCH: [Laughing.]
FIONA: Did you have a favorite teacher and did that person inspire you to become a teacher?
MS. FINCH: I did have a favorite teacher; I had a couple. My favorite teacher was my kindergarten teacher and I think she just stopped teaching recently. She taught at Las Lomitas. Then I had a really good college professor who told me that I should be a teacher.
FIONA: I heard you were a national champion in soccer – which position did you play and what did you learn from it?
MS. FINCH: Yes, I went to USC and I played center midfield. I learned that hard work makes anything possible. I really wanted to play soccer in college, and I worked really hard and I was able to accomplish that goal. It taught me that hard work is really important.
FIONA: What is your favorite TV show?
MS. FINCH: My favorite TV show is one you probably don’t know because you are too young. It is called “Friends” and it is about a group of friends that live in New York City.
FIONA: What was your favorite book when you were growing up?
MS. FINCH: My favorite book was a series called the “Berenstain Bears” and my Dad would read it to me before I went to sleep.
FIONA: Where did you grow up and where did you go to school?
MS. FINCH: I grew up in Atherton, very close to Sacred Heart. I went to Las Lomitas, and then I went to Menlo [School] for middle school and high school.
FIONA: How is SHS different from other schools you have taught at?
MS. FINCH: I like Sacred Heart a lot. It is different in the sense that it is bigger than some of the other schools [I’ve taught at] and it has a really great sense of community.
FIONA: What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
MS. FINCH: Something active. I like to play tennis and I like to do yoga or run.
FIONA: What’s the hardest thing about teaching 2nd grade?
MS. FINCH: I think the hardest thing is when the class gets so excited about doing something, which is a good thing, but then doesn’t listen to me explain the instructions and I have to explain it over and over. So that’s the hardest thing.
FIONA: Thank you for your time.
MS. FINCH: Excellent, great! Good job, Fiona.