Meet a New Teacher: Bill Alsdurf

— from Orcas School District —

BILL ALSDURF Jr., 3rd / 4th grade Teacher

How would your elementary school or high school classmates remember you?
When I was a kid growing up, we moved around a lot. I went to 12 different schools from kindergarten until the time I graduated. It was always hard to get to know other kids each year because of all the moving around but I think my classmates would say I was funny, helpful, and a hard worker.

Did you have a favorite teacher? Tell me about her/him.
A teacher I remember who had a profound effect on me was my third-grade teacher. It was the first time I had ever had a male teacher and that year, he had an entire class filled with boys. He took us all on an overnight camping trip and took time to show me how to fish while we were there. I remember how interested he was in really getting to know me and build a relationship with me. It is something I have tried to emulate as a teacher for all my 32 years in the field.

When and why did you decide to become a teacher?
Because of all the moving around that we did, I was always the new kid and school was never really all that much fun for me. I finished my work really fast, did well, and never really felt connected to my teachers. When I was in second grade I remember deciding I was going to be a teacher and make it my goal to really know each of my students well, make learning fun, and create the type of classroom that I had hoped and dreamed of as a kid, I’d one day have the opportunity to learn in.

What was your first impression of Orcas Island?
The first two times I visited Orcas Island was as a teacher. I was taking my students to Canoe Island and so a boat picked us up at the dock to take us there. I had never driven up and around the island until my interview and remember how peaceful it felt. As I spent time downtown talking to locals in coffee shops, grocery stores, and just about anyone else I could find, it was obvious what a special place this was, not just for the beautiful surroundings but for the hearts and spirits of the people I had met.

Do you have any favorite pets, hobbies, interests unrelated to school?
I enjoy filling my away from school time with the theater. I am an actor, set designer, costumer, and director in both community theater here in Bend, and with children. I am also an avid quilter and enjoy running.

Tell me about your first day as a teacher.
I remember being really nervous and wanting to make sure I made a good impression on my students. I couldn’t wait to meet them and spent weeks getting the classroom just right…and then I changed it around and changed it around again. I probably rearranged the desks and the environment eight times that year, trying to get it right. I have been in contact with a student or two from that first group of kids some 32 years ago, and they remember a wonderful year of learning and fun. I remember how hard it was, how rewarding, and how glad I was that I had chosen to become a teacher.

Was there a teacher or teachers who had a particularly strong influence on your life? What did you learn about teaching from them?
Joe Rice, my colleague, mentor, and friend was an amazing school leader in the Edmonds School District. He has been a proponent of multi-age education for over 30 years and was my principal for probably some of the best years of my career. The trust we built and his profound impact on my current pedagogy has profoundly changed who I am as a teacher. He taught me how to communicate effectively with grownups in tricky situations, he taught me patience as a professional, and encouraged us to laugh with our students every day. We are planning to write a book together on multiage education and I can’t imagine having had the success I’ve had without his guidance and friendship these many years.

Tell me about a time when teaching made you feel the most hopeful.
As a male in this profession, I have often times been given the tougher boys in whatever grade I taught. In working with these students, listening to them, taking the time to get to know them, and showing them how much I cared through consistent and respectful interactions, they have most always been successful and showed dramatic growth. To see children respond in such a positive way to the kind of teacher I am and the environment I set up is very rewarding and has really shown me that any student can learn when we spend the time to get to know them and let them know we care about them and what they have to teach us in return.

What are the most challenging and/or funniest moments you’ve experienced in the classroom?
It’s always challenging when a student struggles to the point of intervention. It’s a hard conversation to have with parents to let them know that their child may need some additional or different support in order to thrive and it’s never easy to hear that as a mom or day. These kinds of situations used to scare me as a teacher, now I look to them as opportunities to get closer with a family, connect to them, and share in the journey of helping their youngster thrive.

A funny moment would have to be the times my teaching partner and I took our graduation third graders (we had grades one through three all together in one big class) to Canoe Island. Many of the parents joined us each year and the joy and laughter we found on the island each year were unforgettable.

What has surprised you most about being a teacher? Or, tell me about a favorite “aha moment” having to do with your teaching practice.
The biggest aha moment for me was my first year teaching a multiage classroom. I had no idea what I was doing – luckily my partner did. I was shocked and surprised all year at the learning, growth and development that went on that year outside of our teaching circles. When you allow students to become independent in their learning and construct their own level of understanding, the magic really happens. They learned so much from each other and from themselves, it was a magical year for me and has transformed the way I look at learning.

How would you like your students to remember you?
I’d like them to remember me as someone who was funny and creative…who truly cared about them as people on the planet, and who made every decision I did because I wanted them to be successful and motivated learners.

Looking back, what advice would you give to yourself in your first year of teaching?
Don’t take yourself too seriously Mr. A. Every day is a new day and every day we get a “do over.” Kids aren’t the only ones who make mistakes and it’s from those mistakes that we learn and grow the most. Take time to laugh, go outside, listen to each and every child, and know them…know them well.