Published: March 10, 2007 12:46 am      

Q & A: Kindergarten teacher Scott Chandler

Imagine dropping your child off at kindergarten for the first time and out walks their teacher ... a man. A 6-foot 3-inch tall man. Not exactly what you had in mind, huh? Don’t worry. Scott Chandler takes no offense.

As the only male kindergarten teacher at Wilson Elementary School — and only one of two in the entire Greater Clark County Schools system — Chandler’s not surprised when parents are surprised the first time they meet him. The 35-year-old Jeffersonville native says being a man in a so-called “woman’s world” definitely draws more shock from parents than his above-average height. And in reality, 6-foot 3-inches isn’t all that tall ... unless you’re standing in a sea of kindergartners.

“There’s a lot of getting down on their level,” Chandler said of his students. “And it helps with the discipline aspect, too ...”

Chandler recently took some time to talk with The Evening News about teaching, being back in kindergarten, basketball and a few things in between.



QUESTION: How’d you get into teaching kindergarten?

CHANDLER: Well, there are actually two male kindergarten teachers in Greater Clark; Jason Cook at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School and myself. We both went to college at the same time, and when we were getting ready to graduate in ’98, there was a lot of talk that a teaching job was hard to get at that time. We both felt the more credentials you had, the better, so we both decided that we should also get a kindergarten endorsement with our Elementary Education degree. In truth, I feel like I got that endorsement to get my foot in the door and to make myself more marketable. I really didn’t think that I would start right out in a kindergarten classroom though.

Q: So you just fell into it?

CHANDLER: The job, yes. The career, no. My mother was a principal for many years. Obviously being around — and seeing — my mom as a middle school principal, I learned a lot about school before I ever started teaching. The thing that really sent me to a teaching career, though, was seeing the relationships that my mother had made with her co-workers after so many years. You know, a lot of lifelong friends; I just thought it was really neat. Following in my mom’s footsteps was the reason, I suppose.

Q: How has teaching kindergarten been?

CHANDLER: It’s a whirlwind. I have found over the years that it is truly an art to know exactly what a kindergartner is capable of and what they aren’t. Many people would be surprised at the things we do in here. There also is a lot of respect and the children love you no matter what. Anything I tell them they believe is written in stone, and a lot of times I have to check my facts to make sure I’m not telling them an animal can do something it can’t. That’s the biggest thing, they think of me as a knower-of-all. The fact that they’re always happy to come to school — that’s a nice thing.

Q. You teach full-day kindergarten. Do you like it?

CHANDLER: Absolutely. One of the best things about my job is when a kid comes in at the beginning of the year knowing one or two letters, and by Christmas they’re sounding out words. The smile that a child gets when they feel like I just gave them the gift of reading is a feeling that I wish every teacher in every grade could experience. When I taught half-day kindergarten, I just didn’t have the time to reinforce the concepts that the children needed help with. I always felt like I was rushing to get everything in and that the children were only getting about half of it. Full-day kindergarten is the reason that I go home each day feeling successful. I’m very thankful for it.

Q. Do the children react differently because of your gender?

CHANDLER: I tell my parents and students at the beginning of the year that I believe I’m pretty strict. I explain that I have a job to do, that it’s going to get done, and if your child wants to help get it done and co-operate, then they will like me and we will have a great year. I try to put it out there in the beginning. Tough love, I assume.

Q. Do parents react different because you’re a man?

CHANDLER: Not really. I do hear every once in a while someone say that they requested me because their child needs a male role model for one reason or another. That always makes me feel needed.

Q: How about your colleagues?

CHANDLER: My co-workers and I get along great. They treat me like one of the gals. Sometimes they use my male influence to talk to their boys about the proper way to use the bathroom, fighting, things like that. The three teachers I work with though are wonderful.

Q: Did you ever consider teaching older kids?

CHANDLER: I thought about it at one time. When I did think about it, the thing that made me keep turning back to elementary ed was the fact that I felt like I could be a bigger influence with the smaller children. I wanted to catch them when they were still ... very eager to learn.

Q: We hear you're a high school basketball fan. Why do you like it and what is your favorite team?

CHANDLER: I’m a huge Red Devil supporter. I coached middle school basketball for 14 years before my daughters came along and my last group of boys are now the juniors starting on the varsity squad at Jeff.

Q: Do you miss coaching?

CHANDLER: I miss it a lot, but in order to be successful, you have to put a lot of time into it and that is something that I don’t have a lot of anymore. My job and my family are where my time goes now. It is neat to know that I’ve coached some boys and girls that are now playing college ball though. Not quite the feeling of teaching a child to read, but you know.

Q: Do you have a favorite game for your students to play?

CHANDLER: To tell you the truth, I have so much to cover each day that we very seldom play any games. I know that sounds bad but we work so hard each day and we do so much, the children begin to think parts of our regular day are “games” we play. For instance, we do 90 minutes of reading instruction each day and 45 minutes of writing. Besides that, I have to fit in time for science, social studies, problem solving, and centers throughout the day. The children love going to centers because that is the time that they have free choice to do certain things. That’s when they think they’re playing a game. Kindergarten has really evolved over the years. Instead of just trying to get them ready for first grade, we teach things, such as our writing process, that will be used each year until they get into fifth grade.

Q: Do you have a favorite school lunch food?

CHANDLER: I remember when I first started teaching, I thought eating a week’s lunches for under twelve dollars was the best thing ever. I’d have to say that my favorite is probably lasagna or fish on Friday. Our cafeteria fixes some really good food so whatever is usually OK with me.

Q: Have your students ever done anything funny?

CHANDLER: Daily. Unfortunately, my aide and I are usually the only ones that find it funny because it went over the children’s head. One that just stands out in my mind better than all of them: About two years ago, it was winter time and we were getting ready to leave and buttoning and zipping our jackets. I noticed a student having difficulty with the fasteners on his jacket. I said to the student, “Are you having some problems with your snap?” He stopped fiddling with his jacket, picked up his hand, and started snapping his fingers. He then said, “My snap is just fine, it’s these darn buttons I’m having problems with!” I laughed for days.

Q: Has a student ever called you mom?

CHANDLER: I don’t hear that as much as you think I would. I do hear kids occasionally call me Mrs. Chandler, though. I tell them that’s my wife.



LIGHTNING ROUND:

Q: What’s in your CD player right now?

CHANDLER: “Country”

Q: What TV show can you not miss?

CHANDLER: “Lost”

Q: What the last movie you watched?

CHANDLER: (laughing) “Borat”

Q: What’s your secret food addiction? Something you can not pass up if it’s in front of you?

CHANDLER: “Reese’s Cups”

Q: What’s the best Jeff High game you ever saw?

CHANDLER: “I’m going to say Jeff/New Albany in ‘93.”

Q: It’s a Saturday, your kids are away, you’re home alone ... what time do you get up?

CHANDLER: 10:30

Q: 10:30? Don’t you feel like you’ve wasted away the day if you don’t get up until 10:30?

CHANDLER: “I was going to say 11”

Q: Have you read (Robert Fulghrum’s) “All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten?”

CHANDLER: “Umm ... No”

Q: But you’ve heard of it?

CHANDLER: “Yes”

Q: So, is it true, then? Do you learn everything you need to know in kindergarten?

CHANDLER: “Definitely. All the social skills ... all the manners. You may not know everything when you leave here, but you know how to walk up to someone and ask for the answers. That’s my job.”