Intro: Welcome to the Teacher Interview Podcast. I’m your host, Wes Kriesel. I work as Director of Innovation and Instructional Support in Fullerton School District, and every week we sit down and get to know a teacher better. My goal is to learn what drives and guides teachers, especially when venturing into that risky territory of trying something new. Join me. Today on the Teacher Interview Podcast, we interview Kristin Campos. She teaches at Fern Drive Elementary in Fullerton, California.

Wes Kriesel: Well, Kristen, welcome to the podcast.

Kristen Campos: Thank you.

Wes Kriesel: We’re so glad to have you here. So, before we get started, tell me where you teach and what grade.

Kristen Campos: I teach kindergarten at Fern Drive.

Wes Kriesel: Awesome, awesome. I was just there recently to tour the library.

Kristen Campos: Oh!

Wes Kriesel: That’s a gorgeous library.

Kristen Campos: Amazing.

Wes Kriesel: Right?

Kristen Campos: I love it. I love the color scheme and I like the metal and wood.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. Yeah.

Kristen Campos: Wish my classroom looked like that.

Wes Kriesel: There’s a video on our Facebook page of the library, so go check that out if you go to—just put in Fulton School District on Facebook and it’s one of the more recent videos.

Kristen Campos: Okay.

Wes Kriesel: It’s a cool space. It’s a cool space.

Kristen Campos: Yes. Yes.

Wes Kriesel: So, to open, we just want to kind of ask you about your journey into teaching. So, can you tell us, how did that happen for you?

Kristen Campos: I actually went to USC to become a pharmacist. I was a pre-pharm major and my first chemistry class I failed. So, I told my mom like, “Well, I can’t be a pharmacist if I failed chemistry.” So, and that being at USC, but…

Wes Kriesel: Did she believe you or was she just like, “No, you need to press ahead.”

Kristen Campos: Well, obviously, I failed, and so she was just like, “Well, what else can you do there?” So, I said, “Oh, well, SC’s known for their business school.” So, I actually went through their business school and graduated with a degree in marketing. So, I was fortunate that I graduated during the teacher shortage when they went 20:1, and so they really needed to hire a lot of teachers. And the summer before I graduated, I did intern, and I realized how much I hated going to the site. You go into a cubicle and you stay there all day, and then you leave for lunch and go right back in, and it’s just depressing.

Wes Kriesel: You’re depressing me.

Kristen Campos: Yeah, it was just so depressing and I realized I just wanted to be near sunlight. And so, I didn’t think that was a big deal, but that was.

Wes Kriesel: Isn’t this fascinating, like you went through a whole four years of a major and then found out that the place that that major is applied didn’t suit you?

Kristen Campos: Yeah. And so, I happened to walk through the career fair my senior year and went to the LAUSD booth, and then they said, “Right now, if you graduate a BS, you can come and do our intern program,” and that’s how I got my credential. I did a two-week bootcamp and they threw me in the classroom and go like, “All right, teach kindergarten.”

Wes Kriesel: No way.

Kristen Campos: Yes, yes. And then…

Wes Kriesel:  Wait, go back. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a two-week bootcamp. So, what was that made of?

Kristen Campos: That was just telling you how to handle kids in different situations.

Wes Kriesel: Was it specific to the kindergarten grade?

Kristen Campos: No, to elementary school.

Wes Kriesel: Okay.

Kristen Campos: So, it was basically just classroom management skills, just get you into the classroom.

Wes Kriesel: Do you remember anything from those two weeks? Is there something that…

Kristen Campos: No, it was a big blur.

Wes Kriesel: It’s a big blur?

Kristen Campos: Big blur, and then all of a sudden, I think two weeks after that, I was in the classroom.

Wes Kriesel: Oh my gosh.

Kristen Campos: It was fast. It was really fast.

Wes Kriesel: And you were in the classroom as a full-time teacher?

Kristen Campos: Yes.

Wes Kriesel: No way. Wow.

Kristen Campos: Yes, without any knowledge of how to teach anything. And so, luckily, I did reciprocal teaching, and so my partner taught in the morning and I just mirrored her in the afternoon. So, that helped.

Wes Kriesel: Oh. Okay. So, walk me through that. Reciprocal teaching where I came from was like a cooperative group strategy for teaching secondary. So, reciprocal teaching means like a split contract?

Kristen Campos: Well, basically, no. It’s we shared one classroom.

Wes Kriesel: Okay.

Kristen Campos: And so, in the morning, she taught and I was acting like her aide.

Wes Kriesel: Oh. Okay.

Kristen Campos: And then we flipped in the afternoon when the second group of kids came in, and then I’m the main teacher and then she’s my aide. So, I was kind of lucky because then I just modeled myself after her, and that helped a whole lot.

Wes Kriesel: Right. Wow.

Kristen Campos: Yeah. And so, she pretty much helped me and then, once I started learning how to teach, then I was able to create some of my own lessons after that.

Wes Kriesel: So, she wasn’t new as well?

Kristen Campos: No.

Wes Kriesel: Oh, okay. So, you paired with somebody—oh, that’s interesting.

Kristen Campos: So, I was very lucky.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah.

Kristen Campos: Yeah. And so then, every Thursday evening, I went to my classes and…

Wes Kriesel: And learned about teaching…

Kristen Campos: And learned how to teach different subjects, exactly.

Wes Kriesel: That’s interesting. What do you remember from that first year either from her or just by experience, lessons that you picked up that you’re like, to this day, you’re like, “That’s something, like a principle about teaching or a concept or a skill or a strategy even?

Kristen Campos: I don’t know. I think for me, it was just so natural to step into a classroom. I knew from a very young age I wanted to be a teacher, but my Asian parent said no. And so, I’m like, “Oh, okay,” and so then I just kind of followed what they did and then I just came back to teaching.

Wes Kriesel: So, go back. What was it that made you know you wanted to be a teacher?

Kristen Campos: My teacher. My sixth-grade teacher.

Wes Kriesel: Oh, okay.

Kristen Campos: She, Mrs. [00:05:56 Dunlop], was just someone that made an impact on me and made me want to be a lifetime learner.

Wes Kriesel: Okay. Tell me more about that.

Kristen Campos: She read to us the most amazing books after lunch every day.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah? Do you remember any of those books?

Kristen Campos: Yes.

Wes Kriesel: Yes? Tell me.

Kristen Campos: Yes. Anne of Green Gables.

Wes Kriesel: Really?

Kristen Campos: Still one of my favorites because it’s one of few stories I remembered where the character is female and strong and she was just feisty, and it resonated with me as a child.

Wes Kriesel: That’s awesome. That’s so awesome.

Kristen Campos: Yeah. And so, Mrs. [00:06:31 Dunlop] is why I sat there in her class and I fantasized about bulletin boards and how…

Wes Kriesel: You’re kidding.

Kristen Campos: No. I fantasized about like grouping kids and like what I could do, but my parents kind of shot down that idea. But, I knew from a, like I said, a young age.

Wes Kriesel: Wow. That’s so powerful because you saw this powerful model right in front of you and it engaged your imagination about…

Kristen Campos: Mm-hmm.

Wes Kriesel: That’s so awesome.

Kristen Campos: I know.

Wes Kriesel: You’re like, “I want to do that.” That’s cool. So, it’s interesting, so I just want to give a shout-out to reading aloud to students because that’s a very powerful moment. You remember it. I remember like I had a couple of teachers who would read to us after lunch. I still remember Runaway Ralph and all these books that we were…

Kristen Campos: Exactly. I remembered her reading Where the Red Fern Grows, Anne of Green Gables, yeah, and they’re not short, easy books and I loved it. But, it’s funny because my brother was in the same grade with me and he’s on the back sleeping. So, he didn’t get the same impact with the teacher.

Wes Kriesel: That’s interesting.

Kristen Campos: Yeah.

Wes Kriesel: Okay.

Kristen Campos: Yeah, yeah.

Wes Kriesel: Wow, that’s fascinating. Okay, so, shout-out to Ms. Dunlap.

Kristen Campos: Mrs. [00:07:46 Dunlop].

Wes Kriesel: Yeah, okay. And where was that? Where was that school? Is she still—are you in contact with her?

Kristen Campos: No. Well, she was already close to retirement when I was in sixth grade. It was at a school in Rosemead, Willard Elementary School.

Wes Kriesel: Okay. Okay. Great. Well, hope she’s doing well. She did good by you. She inspired you.

Kristen Campos: Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Wes Kriesel: Okay. So, let’s flash-forward. You started teaching in LA Unified, reciprocal teaching was the first year, and then where did you go in your career after that?

Kristen Campos: Okay. So, my husband and I got married after a few years and I taught three years with LA Unified. We got married, and then I came to Orange County. I did some subbing, and then I got lucky and got a job interview at Fern Drive with Harriet Herman, and that’s how it happened. And I’ve been at Fern Drive for nearly my entire Fullerton career.

Wes Kriesel: Okay. So, you started teaching kindergarten. Is that mainly where you stayed or…?

Kristen Campos: I’ve taught—let me see. Gosh, I’m losing track of my years now because it’s been like 20 years of teaching. I’ve taught mostly primary – kindergarten and first grade, and I did one year in second grade and one year in third grade, but I’m strongest with the little ones.

Wes Kriesel: Wow, that’s so great and much needed, so bless you for doing that.

Kristen Campos: And it’s funny, but I just find that it’s easy for me. I don’t find it too hard, I don’t know.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah.

Kristen Campos: Yeah, I find the big kids hard.

Wes Kriesel: So, tell me something else you learned in those first couple of years that has stuck with you about how to—you said it came naturally, so sometimes when things come naturally we don’t identify what we’re doing, but were there things that you either had to learn or you did naturally and people commented on that you realized, “Oh, that’s helpful for a teacher.”

Kristen Campos: Yeah. I like change. I don’t like a constant. So, I don’t do a good job keeping track of things I’ve created. So, if I lose it, I’m like, “I’ll just create a new one,” and usually if you have to create a new one, then it’s what you need at that moment for the kids that you have.

Wes Kriesel: Oh, that’s good.

Kristen Campos: So, for me, or if I really want something that I create and I can’t get ahold of it, I know one of my colleagues would have a copy of it. But, overall, that’s what [00:10:19 I always have, that mentality of doing, is] I like change. I get bored, and so every couple of years I try to do something else to jazz it up.

Wes Kriesel: Do something else, that sounds very broad.

Kristen Campos: I know, I know. For example, a couple of years ago, Ann Kozma did a presentation about sketchnoting and such, and so one of the things that stuck with me on that was she says, “Kill the worksheet.” And so, I’m like, “Okay.” So, I let it stew in my head for a bit. And then, I went to another presentation on Seesaw from her at CUE. And so, at that moment I said to her, “I’m going to do worksheet-free next year,” and she’s like, “Do it.” And then, once you say it, you’re kind of stuck with it because you just told somebody.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah.

Kristen Campos: And so, the following year, which was last year, yeah, I went worksheet-free. I didn’t use the photocopier unless I had a substitute. And, I also did flexible seating. And so, it was a lot of change at once, but it was scary at first, the first month. Then, once I got to the swing of it, honestly, I can’t go back. I’m so happy with what I’m doing now. I feel like it’s a challenge and it’s exciting, and it’s exciting to see 5-year-olds do it.

Wes Kriesel: Wow. Yeah. So, you just named a strategy that I don’t know if you maybe have done this other times, but you said you told Ann, “I’m going to go worksheet-free.”

Kristen Campos: Mm-hmm.

Wes Kriesel: And she said, “Do it.” And so, you said that moment of like telling someone else where you said, “Yeah, I’m going to do it,” so that verbal commitment, is that something you’ve done other times?

Kristen Campos: Yes.

Wes Kriesel: Okay. So, tell me about that.

Kristen Campos: It’s just it’s real once it’s out. It’s not in your head and just kind of like you stewing over it. And so, there’s, you know, I might not be able to pinpoint exact moments, but that’s how I make commitments to change.

Wes Kriesel: Ooh. That’s so good.

Kristen Campos: So, for me, if I say it or if I tell them, “I’m thinking about this,” and someone says, “Do it,” then I’m like, “Okay, I guess I’ll do it,” and that’s always been my personality.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. So, for our listeners, we talk about things of innovation and risk-taking, so here’s a strategy, is to make a verbal commitment to somebody else. It kind of makes it real.

Kristen Campos: Yeah.

Wes Kriesel: And then, so part of that is, like I picture that in my life, the times I’ve done it, I’m usually telling somebody who will help remind me or keep me on track or I’m going to see them and they’re going to ask…

Kristen Campos: It’s like having a workout buddy.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah, exactly. So, are there those people? Does it work for you to have somebody who’s going to be there for accountability or does it not matter and you’re just like, “Whoever I said it to,” that does something inside your head and you’re like, “I’m all in?”

Kristen Campos: It’s not accountability for me. It’s more, for me, it’s having someone believe in me.

Wes Kriesel: Oh, okay. Interesting.

Kristen Campos: So, I usually address it to my mentors. So, that’s why I told Ann, because Ann makes you feel like you can do anything you set your mind to. And sometimes I get ideas, I’ll tell Julie, my principal, and it’s the same thing, “Go do it.” And, what’s the worst that can happen? It fails, and then you can either learn from it and do better or just say, “All right, that didn’t work,” and then try something else.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. That’s great. There are some really rich lessons in here about risk-taking and innovation. I love that strategy of telling somebody you’re going to do and that verbal commitment. Do you have an example or a time related to what you just said? You try it, it doesn’t work, and then you just kind of throw it away and say, “Oh well, it didn’t work?” Can you recall a time where you did that?

Kristen Campos: Where it didn’t work? Yeah.

Wes Kriesel: Because I know our listeners are like, “Okay, but what’s the real example?”

Kristen Campos: Well, you know how they have that personalized gaming thing for the upper grades, right? And I was trying to think, “Is there something I can do for my kindergarteners?” And so, I thought about doing brag tags with them, so when they learn their letters, they get a little trinket to say, “Hey, I know my 26 letters.” But, with so many skills, it became so overwhelming just to keep track of like where everyone’s at with every single skill that…

Wes Kriesel: So, brag tag, is that something you made up?

Kristen Campos: No, it’s something I’ve seen where…

Wes Kriesel: I’ve heard of that.

Kristen Campos: Yeah, oh yes. So, it’s just like a keyring and whenever they do a skill they get a little, you know, really it’s just a little piece of paper that says, “I know 100 words,” and they put it onto their clip. And so, I did that last year, but it was just time-consuming to maintain. And so now, I take a picture of them and I just send it to Seesaw, and so the parents see it that way instead of the little, you know.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. Well, last year we had a sixth grade—it was a research study with Marzano, but we used spirit sticks. Have you seen those?

Kristen Campos: Mm-mm.

Wes Kriesel: They’re like a little embroidered patch, I guess, and it’s kind of long and it could have the word of the standard like word choice, and then they master that sound and they put it on a key ring.

Kristen Campos: Yeah. So, similar to that. Similar to that.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. So, brag tag, that’s cool. It’s catchy.

Kristen Campos: Yeah. But, yeah, it didn’t…

Wes Kriesel: But it was hard to manage all the skills.

Kristen Campos: Yeah. It was just, you know, because they were just learning so many things and there’s [00:15:50 30 kids] learning different skills at different times that it was just…

Wes Kriesel: I got carried away with the idea, but you’re using this as example of something you tried and then you’re like, “I can’t keep up with it.”

Kristen Campos: Yeah, it was really time-consuming.

Wes Kriesel: I got all pumped up.

Kristen Campos: Yeah. I think if I found a more effective way of doing it or streamline which skills I want to highlight and not do all the skills, I think there’s a way to do it successfully. So, I still have to let it marinate in my head a little bit longer.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah and that’s interesting. So, that’s part of trying something new, is it’s not—okay, so you didn’t do it again the next year, but that’s not the end of it.

Kristen Campos: No.

Wes Kriesel: You’re like, the idea’s there, it’s living, it’s part of your memory and your thinking and kind of your intellect about teaching, and it may come back in a different form.

Kristen Campos: Mm-hmm.

Wes Kriesel: So, have you ever tried something and then it didn’t work, but some part of it did work or did stick with you? So, like how ideas change over time. Like you said early on, you like change. That caught me off guard because usually I’m the one who’s trying to prompt people like, “How do you attach these things you’re talking to to innovation?” So, I don’t know if you’re the first person, but definitely you’re like, “I like change.” I’m like, “Oh, here we go. Let’s talk about this.”

Kristen Campos: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Wes Kriesel: So, what about ideas changing over time? Can you think of how you usually manage that? Do you write things down? Do you just let them kind of sit in your consciousness? I guess, what’s your practice as a teacher to be reflective about things that didn’t work out?

Kristen Campos: Huh. Gosh.

Wes Kriesel: No pressure.

Kristen Campos: It’s always so hard when you have to think of that one thing, right? I don’t know. Can you repeat the question?

Wes Kriesel: So, the idea, and we can come back to this because probably we should start getting into our quotes from our people, but the idea is like, how do you manage ideas that kind of come to the surface, they get your attention, you try them, they don’t work out, but then you don’t totally abandon them? Even your failures are a part of you. But, ideas that change over time, like that’s kind of the idea.

Kristen Campos: Sometimes I try to search out other teachers who have tried it. For example, I wanted to do genius hour with kindergarten, and so I…

Wes Kriesel: Okay. A genius hour with kindergarten.

Kristen Campos: Yes.

Wes Kriesel: Okay, so this is for my listeners and this is for me, so 20% time or genius hour is like, and you could tell me I’m wrong, but it’s like, “Hey, pick something you’re interested in and research it and it’s free time.”

Kristen Campos: Exactly, exactly. Exactly.

Wes Kriesel: With kindergarten?

Kristen Campos: Yes.

Wes Kriesel: You didn’t do this.

Kristen Campos: I tried it. It’s something that’s kind of one of my what’s new I’m going to do this year and see where I can take it. So, I launched it and the obstacle I’m finding right now is they have these great ideas but, with kindergarteners, if one kid does it, all of a sudden all of them will want to do it. So, the idea of genius hour is that you do something you want to learn about and then you help them create these projects, right? But, then I realized that one kid said cooking and another one said, “Oh, I want to do something for the school,” but they’re all great ideas, that I think once I help like, you know, Zachary, help with his cooking lesson, someone’s going to be like, “Well, that smells kind of good. I want to make pancakes, too.” Or, I have someone who wants to make a planter box for the school. That’s one of the ideas we came up with. I know that once we start that example, the other kids are going to want to do it, too. And so, right now, I’m trying to figure out, is there a way for me to maybe have us do all the projects? But, that’s a lot of projects.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah.

Kristen Campos: Yeah. So, I decided to kind of put a stop to it right now while I’m still working out the details, and then I’m thinking when we come back in January, when I’m organized a little bit more.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. So, that’s interesting, so kind of pacing things and don’t feel pressure to, “I launched it, I have to see it through.”

Kristen Campos: Yeah, exactly.

Wes Kriesel: So, that’s interesting.

Kristen Campos: So, I started it and then, when all these ideas, [00:20:17 I’m writing out] ideas with the kids and they’re really excited to learn it, too, but then I realized they’re such fantastic ideas that I think the kids all want to do it, you know?

Wes Kriesel: Yeah.

Kristen Campos: So, yeah.

Wes Kriesel: That’s great. I’m going to jump in, something you said there reminds me of one of these stories.

Kristen Campos: Okay.

Wes Kriesel: So, this is from your principal, Julie Brandon at Fern, and the question was a significant moment where you are being you. So, she writes, “A few years ago, I asked Kristen if she ever thought about being a presenter.” Okay, do you remember this?

Kristen Campos: Yes, because I thought she was talking about the staff in general. She prefaced it by saying, “You know what? Our staff is doing such amazing things. I think we’re ready to present.” And I’m sitting there listening to her, I’m like, “Yeah, that would be great.” I didn’t realize that she was planting a seed in my head and not anyone else’s. But, I think she knew how to say it to me that it’ll just stick in my head and I’ll think about it. And so, it happened at OCQ, and then I’m like, “Oh, okay,” and didn’t think much of it.

Wes Kriesel: Well, you said, “It happened at.” What does that mean?

Kristen Campos: Oh, when she says to me, “Hey, I think our staff should present.” We’re just sitting, talking at OCQ, and then we went…

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. Okay, okay. So, the conversation was at OCQ.

Kristen Campos: Yeah.

Wes Kriesel: Got it.

Kristen Campos: She mentioned it, and then she mentioned it again at the other Q, the one in Palm Springs, and then I really thought about it at that point because that’s the thing about me. If you just plant those seeds in my head, it just grows. And so then, the second time she mentioned it, I’m like, “You know what? I can do that.” And so then, after it clicked to me that, “Hey, I think I want to present,” I realized that she was just talking to me and not—I thought she was telling this to the whole staff. I thought she was just shooting the breeze and just saying, “Hey, it would be great if we did it.” No, it wasn’t the case.

Wes Kriesel: That’s funny.

Kristen Campos: So yeah, so the first time I presented was at the Strengthening Your Core one with Fullerton, and then I’ve done several after that.

Wes Kriesel: That’s great. What did you present on?

Kristen Campos: At the time, integrating art and technology into your curriculum.

Wes Kriesel: Oh, that’s great.

Kristen Campos: Yeah.

Wes Kriesel: That’s great. She actually mentions here what we already talked about, which is going paperless. So, she said just that you’re positive and you know your students can do anything, and one example is being willing to go paperless, and then she mentions you presenting at OCQ.

Kristen Campos: Uh-huh.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. So, that’s great. So, that’s interesting that she was talking, you just kind of took it as a general comment, but later you’re like, “Oh, that was really like,” almost coaching you, like prompting you?

Kristen Campos: Yes, I think so.

Wes Kriesel: That’s interesting.

Kristen Campos: She’s sneaky, that one.

Wes Kriesel: She’s sneaky. It’s funny because her bonus feedback is this. She says, “Kristen constantly challenges herself to improve.” So, you’re saying she’s planting ideas in your head, but she’s saying you’re doing it.

Kristen Campos: Yeah.

Wes Kriesel: And she says her word for you was fearless.

Kristen Campos: Oh.

Wes Kriesel: What do you think about that? How do you feel about being called fearless?

Kristen Campos: I think it’s fantastic. I don’t think you should be afraid of anything except the normal scary things in life. But, I don’t know, I don’t think change should be something to fear, and that’s what I want to instill in my kids, that they don’t, you know…

Wes Kriesel: Oh, that’s powerful.

Kristen Campos: Like when they accomplish something, it’s like, “You’re 5 and you did it,” and I’m like telling them, “I’m 42. I’ve had 37 years of experience. That’s why I draw so well. But, look, you’re 5, so,” you know? And knowing that they can do something at that age, I feel like there’s really no reason why they can’t accomplish anything.

Wes Kriesel: That’s awesome. That’s really awesome. All right, so we’re going to skip down here and get in another quote, okay?

Kristen Campos: Mm-hmm.

Wes Kriesel: So, interesting. So, this is a bonus from Ingrid Labutis, colleague. And so, this is the third question, is like, “Anything else you want to tell us?” So, she says, “Kristen truly enjoys working with her students. The children and parents adore her. She is constantly revamping,” and that’s something we talked about, “revamping and creating new and exciting lessons for her students.” But, I kind of wanted to focus on this part: “She’s the type of person who will not complain about things.” What do you think about that? Is that true or…?

Kristen Campos: Yes.

Wes Kriesel: Yes?

Kristen Campos: I don’t like to complain. Sometimes you just have to vent, but I personally don’t like to complain. Honestly, I don’t like when people complain. It’s like, what is there to complain about? I mean, if you don’t like something, then you change it, and that’s always been my attitude. And it goes back to the whole thing about I like change: If you don’t like something, do something about it. God gave you the power to do that.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. Change it.

Kristen Campos: Yeah.

Wes Kriesel: So, can you think of an example of something that was bothering you? So, so far, the change ideas I have interpreted as like, “Oh, here’s a good idea,” but I didn’t sense that they were coming from like a pain point or something that bothered you. So, can you think of something that somebody else might have complained about and put up with but you’re like, “That doesn’t sit right with me, so I’m going to do it differently?” Can you think of an example like that?

Kristen Campos: I think, okay, so we know that Fullerton is very innovative and, on top of that, there’s just things we have to maintain. So, we have to adopt a new reading series and a new writing program and a new master’s, and it all kind of came quick and fast. And for me, I feel like it’s happening, I can’t stop it from happening, so what am I going to do to do this in my classroom? How do I succeed in my classroom? And so, I sit and I really think about, “Okay, what can I do well now?” and I work on that and get better at it, instead of saying, “I can’t believe they’re doing this and we’re doing this and we’re doing this.” And I’m like, I try to be patient. So then, I would go back and I try to think about, “Okay, how can I help this person?” So then, hopefully I’ll try to find some baby steps to help them move along to just feel that they can do it because I feel like if I can do it, anyone can.

Wes Kriesel: So, it’s interesting, that connects to another comment somebody said, the one word. So, you were talking about when other people are saying, “I don’t like this, I’m uncomfortable with this, I don’t get this, I don’t know why they’re changing it,” and you go back away from the conversation, kind of think about ways to help that person.

Kristen Campos: Mm-hmm.

Wes Kriesel: So, the one word that your husband Justin gave us to stand in for you was compassionate.

Kristen Campos: Mm-hmm.

Wes Kriesel: And so, I make that connection where you’re trying to help somebody through change. What does that mean that he used that word to describe you?

Kristen Campos: He knows how much I love teaching and how much of my students at school are my children as well, and I truly care for people and the greater good. I am one of those bleeding hearts and I hear about things and it just makes me so sad if I can’t fix it, and it’s just one of those little things, like how horrible our environment is. And so, my kids at school, if you make a mistake, what you do? You flip the paper over because we don’t want to waste paper. And so, we’re drawing something and it doesn’t turn out right, then we use the other side. And even with my easel paper, I pull it off and I flip it over and I use the backside of it because there are some things we just can’t change. And he knows that I have a bleeding heart for some of those issues, and children that are just less fortunate, I cry over sometimes.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. He actually, in the second question, a significant moment where you were being you, he talked about a time where you helped him through a difficult time with his job. Do you remember that?

Kristen Campos: Yeah.

Wes Kriesel: So, he said he would come home feeling frustrated and uncertain about what he should do, and just talked about even after a long day of teaching you’re available to listen and encourage him and that you’ve always been there to help him through his struggles with work. So, it’s interesting, in the context of work, in classroom and thinking about students, but at both work and home, is it the same type of compassion, I guess, or what do you think?

Kristen Campos: I think so, if you’re a compassionate person. I truly care for people that I work with and the people I interact with. I love being able to help somebody and just having people know they’re not alone, and I think feeling alone is very, very isolating. And so, I know I’m a coworker but I want people to know that, honestly, if you need anything, you can just give me a call. And I’m like that with my students and like that with my colleagues. I try to be as available as much as I can. So, I do have a hard time saying no, you know?

Wes Kriesel: Yeah.

Kristen Campos: And it’s not so much in saying no. I can say no if you’re telling me to do something, but if you’re asking me, it’s different, I think. If you’re asking for help, it’s different.

Wes Kriesel: And that’s his third bonus feedback, was that you’d graciously give time and energy to those you care about, and he sees it firsthand, how you’re mother to your children and your passion for teaching. And he also attaches going above and beyond, giving your time and energy to looking for innovative things to do in the classroom. So, is that part of it, that looking for innovation is part of compassion?

Kristen Campos: I think so because I feel like—I know one of the easy complaints for teachers is the kids are so different from the way they used to be, and it’s not a fault of theirs, so I can’t say, “It’s your fault.” And so, now we know that these kids are tech-savvy. We know that some of them do live on an iPad. Some of them are babysat with an iPad. And so, that’s kind of why I really like the idea of going worksheet-free, was that, “Okay, these kids are coming to us different. Then, how am I going to tap into what they are interested in? And so, my poor husband, I am one of those crazy people with a phone in my hand all the time, and so my attention is split sometimes and I’m looking through finding apps that I can use in the classroom. I’m going through Pinterest and Twitter and trying to look for, what is someone else doing in their class and how can I bring it down to kindergarten?

Wes Kriesel: That’s awesome.

Kristen Campos: And so, I think so because the kids, they come the way they are, so what are we going to do to address those changes?

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. So, surprisingly, shockingly, our 30 minutes flew by, and so I’m going to just—I think this interview has been very, very rich.

Kristen Campos: Oh, thank you.

Wes Kriesel: I got some very concrete strategies, and I love how you were just directly like right away talking about change and how to manage change and it’s related to compassion. I got a lot out of it. I feel encouraged. Is there any final words that you want to add to share with anybody who may listen, maybe new teacher, maybe a veteran teacher, along the lines of being fearless and not fearing change?

Kristen Campos: I think with our district there’s such a wealth of knowledge and I feel like if you just reach out, you might be connected and you don’t even realize that there are so many people out there that are willing to help you. I think gone are the days where like, “I created this is. This is mine. I will only share with a few,” and I think we’re, as a profession, more willing now to share all of our ideas. And one of the great ways of doing that is searching out the experts, right? Or, seeing a lesson you like and just, with the use of social media, it’s amazing how you can still contact people over Instagram and Twitter and say, “Hey, how’d you do it?” And chances are, they’ll respond back, because I know I respond back when someone contacts me about something I posted.

Wes Kriesel: That’s awesome.

Kristen Campos: So, I think it’s just a matter of saying “I need help” and not being afraid or just swallowing your pride and saying, “I need help. What can I do or how can I change?” And I think some of us might have a hard time asking for help, but I think there’s nothing wrong with that.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. I love that. That’s a great place for us to end. Don’t be afraid looking for new ideas or feeling a little bit lost and not sure what to do. Ask. Ask somebody. Reach out. Connect.

Kristen Campos: Mm-hmm. Exactly.

Wes Kriesel: Yeah. That’s great. Well, that’s our time, and I just want to say thank you.

Kristen Campos: Thank you.

Outro: This has been the Teacher Interview Podcast. Thank you for joining us.

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