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An interview with Susan Spurlock, our talented clinician from Oakland, CA
Q: What is one question you like to ask every student you start working with?
I like to start with a few questions: 1. Do you have any pets? 2. Do you have any hobbies? 3. What are your favorite activities?
These questions start a conversation and show the child I’m interested in them, which makes them feel listened to. They are good starting points for building a trusting relationship.
Q: How do you boost a student’s confidence in learning?
Promote a growth mindset. Celebrate mistakes for what they teach us as well as celebrating accomplishments. Encourage the student to look back and acknowledge their own growth. Set up situations where they can coach others, even by ‘play-acting’ that role myself. In other words, I might ask the student, “How would you explain this to me if I was struggling with it?”
Q: How do you help students discover the joy in learning?
Root learning activities in the student’s interests, and make them real-life or like-real-life. Present students with reading materials about subjects they care about. Present math challenges in contexts the student cares about and which might directly affect them or their loved ones. Although the tasks must be developmentally appropriate for the learner, the context and subject matter should be complex and thought-provoking in order to make it engaging and joy-producing.
Q: How do you define success as an educator?
Student motivation is my idea of success. When a student is motivated and begins to participate in their own learning by adding interesting rules to games, asking for certain materials or activities, or in any way bringing new ideas to our work- that is my definition of success (or at least being on the right track!)
Q: You are self-quarantined for a week. What three items would you like to have with you?
I’d like to have my fiddle, a good book, and the “Hidden Brain” podcast.
Q: What makes you laugh?
Silliness makes me laugh. My granddaughters make me laugh. On my best days I laugh at myself- a lot!
Susan Spurlock brings a rich background of multifaceted experience with children to her work with SfL. As a classroom teacher, drama instructor, music specialist, and camp instructor working with children of all ages she has gained many skills over her 35 years in education. An understanding of students’ social-emotional and motivational needs informs her techniques in teaching.
Areas of Focus: Primary Education to Middle School, Reading Decoding, Reading Comprehension, Literature Circles, Language Arts, Written Expression, Elementary Math, Executive Function, Behavioral Coaching, Assessments, and Social Emotional Learning.
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