The Journey to Teaching

Joining in an organization of people who are different than me

2009-08-18T09:08:00.001-07:00

Even though I have spent a good portion of my life within Mennonite institutions, There are many times that I feel like an outsider. I grew up attending Goshen City Church of the Brethren, which is a church within the Anabaptist tradition, like the Mennonites, so my background is similar. Because my mother was a teacher at the area Mennonite high school, I also attended Bethany for five years before going to Goshen College. Following my time at Goshen College I spent four years working as the admissions director at Bethany. All in all I feel like I have spent a large portion of my life in Mennonite institutions. There are sometimes when I fit in just fine and other times when it is clear I am an outsider.

I was not brought up in a pacifist household. Members of my family and friends of my family were involved in the military. While I personally consider myself a pacifist I can become irritated with the emphasis the Mennonite church puts on pacifism. It often seems to me that pacifism and nonviolence has become the central core of the Mennonite faith, when to me it is just a small portion. Nonviolence is just one aspect of my faith and in no way is it the most important.

I also seem to feel very differently about political issues than most of the Mennonites I am surrounded by in Goshen. I know that college towns tend to have more liberal leaning views than rural Mennonites, but this past presidential election it became very clear to me that I was in a political minority. My belief in small government has differentiated myself from many of the people I am surrounded by.

It has become clear to me that even though my religious tradition is similar to the Mennonites there are enough differences to make me feel like a fish out of water. As my husband and I continue to search for a church home, it is becoming more and more important to me to find a church that is different from my work environment. I want my world to be bigger than the Mennonite world. If my work environment continues to be at Bethany or in other Mennonite institutions, I want my church life to be something I feel more apart of.

Joining in an organization of people who are different than me

2009-08-18T08:56:00.001-07:00

I have put this portion of my blog off the longest because joining an organization of people who are different from me is not something I do naturally. I naturally shy away from things I am uncomfortable with. I like to be around people I have things in common with. I can think of very few times I have pushed myself to be in situations that are out of my comfort zone.

One example I can think of during college was the time I spent in the Voice's In Harmony Gospel choir. I have always enjoyed gospel music and one of the first things I did when I started college at Goshen College was join the choir. Truthfully I am surprised that I had the courage to attend the first practice without knowing anyone. My love of music overrode my fear of uncomfortable situation. Overall this was not a situation that was comfortable for me. I had grown up reading music and this group did not use standard music. The leader would often sing a line and we would echo. Or there would be one line of music and we would have to find our own harmonies. Being a part of this choir was also one of the few times in my life when I was an ethnic minority. Attending a primarily white church, a primarily white Mennonite middle school and high school, and finally a Mennonite college has often meant I am surrounded by people who look a lot like me. I stayed with the choir for one semester before getting busy with other school activities, but every time I heard the choir I was reminded of my time there and how it stretched me out of my comfort zones.

Practice democratic principles. Part 3

2009-02-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

One area in my life that is lacking is ethnic diversity within my "groups." Minus one Japanese friend I went to high school with, I spend my time with white, middle class people. My friends, family, colleagues, and church circles are filled with people who are almost just like me. I am drawn to and comfortable around people I have things in common with.

Several times this past year I have felt pulled outside my comfort levels. One of my responsibilities at Bethany is to organize host homes for our international students. This job has led to plenty of interactions with our South Korean students and families. I make trips to the airport to drop off and pick up students and I check in periodically with students to see how their hosting situations are going. I do not do when in situations with language barriers. I find myself becoming very flustered and overwhelmed with these conversations. I realize these situations are stretching for me, mainly because I do not spend a lot of time with people who are different from me.

Practice democratic principles. Part 2

2009-01-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

One of my responsibilities at Bethany Christian Schools is to run a middle school devotional group. This is a group of 10-12 6th-8th graders that meets once a week for 30 minutes with a teacher or staff person. This is my fourth year leading a group and in all honesty it is one of the most difficult things I do. I find myself struggling with the middle school age group. They tend to be highly negative, pessimistic, and critical towards each other and adults.

Earlier this year I noticed that the phrase "that is so gay" is used a lot by middle school students. This phrase is used to say things are dumb or stupid. In one of my recent devotional groups one student said the phrase multiple times, even after I told him not to. After the third time I stopped what we were doing and we had a conversation about what the phrase was implying and the undertones involved. The conversation turned into one of the best meetings we had all year. The students finally seemed to understand what they were saying and implying and we agreed, even if they thought homosexuality was wrong, that we wouldn't use the phrase anymore. Especially at a Christian school, our first calling is to show God's love to other people. I told them to use their words. To say what you mean, and mean what you say.

Become aware that you are a role model and act accordingly. Part 3

2009-01-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

"A good coach will make his players see what they can be
rather than what they are." - Ara Parasheghian

When I first began coaching I realized quickly that I had a lot of eyes on my, watching everything I did and listening to everything I said. I especially felt this was true at the high school level. My first day of practice, my first year out of college, I was amazed to have 20 pairs of eyes looking at me as the authority figure.

On more than one occasion I have said something flippantly, not thinking much about it, only to have a player repeat what I said back to me. It didn't take long for me to realize that I had the power to impact lives both positively and negatively.

During my four years of coaching I have worked hard to be a positive influence in people's lives. Tennis is such an individual game and one of my biggest tasks is to be a cheerleader for beginning players. A lot of what I do during matches is try to encourage players to help them believe in their abilities.

A tradition I started last year was to do a weekly devotional with my team. Each Monday we start out the school week with a devotional. This has been a good way for me to share my faith with players as well as to talk about issues that are more important than tennis. After 7 seasons of tennis, in 3 1/2 years I know the most important things that happen have nothing to do with wins and loses. The relationships developed are far more important than anything else.

Become aware that you are a role model and act accordingly. Part 2

2009-01-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

One way to be a role model is to attend church regularly. I grew up attending Goshen City Church of the Brethren, which is located in Goshen. My father and grandfather grew up in this church too, so we have a long history with the church. When I lived at home we went to church 3 times a week, Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday evening. Sunday morning we went for worship services and Sunday school. Sunday evenings was for youth group and Wednesday evenings was a church meal and choir practice. My parents taught Sunday School faithfully for years and the example was set for me that attending church regularly is important.

When I started college and was off on my own for the first time it was difficult to convince myself to get up for church on Sunday mornings. The first semester of my freshman year I did a pretty good job a going somewhere with a few friends, but I quickly lost interest and it was much easier to get a few extra hours of sleep on Sunday mornings instead of getting up, getting ready, and driving to church.

Even though I enjoyed sleeping in, I started realizing that something was missing from my life without church. I missed the weekly worship services and a connection to a larger Christian community. During my sophomore year of college I was asked to help start a campus worship service for college aged students. College Mennonite church was interested in offering a service that would draw college students. The fruits of our labor was Morning Song, an 11am worship service, led by students. It was heavy on singing and also included a short homily. Most weeks I was helping with something in the service. Whether it was worship leading, giving a homily, or playing music, I was involved several times a month. The final three years of college were some of the most spiritually fulfilling times in my life. I loved being involved and felt nurtured in this setting.

Since I have finished college my husband and I have tried out many churches. We have been married for five years and still have not decided on a church home. I often end up at my home church as a default. We continue to look because we feel it is important to have a church home. Until then we will keep visiting and hopefully soon we will find a church to call home.

Become aware that you are a role model and act accordingly. Part 1

2009-01-20T05:26:00.000-08:00

My mother was a science teacher for over 20 years. She developed an Environmental Science class at Bethany Christian Schools that focused on local ecosystems and our impact on the environment. I grew up in a home that recycled everything possible. We had several different stations in the kitchen. Some trash went directly into the trash can. Other food trash went into the container for the compost pile. Other pieces of trash were put in a bag to be recycled. We would be chastised if we put something into the wrong container. My mother hated the idea of anything being thrown away that could have been used for compost or recycled.

Since I am out of my parents house and living on my own I find myself doing the same things my mother did. My husband, Seth, grew up in a home that did some recycling, but the idea of sorting our paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, aluminum, newspaper, etc. is somewhat foreign. He doesn't understand why I get so mad when I find a stack of paper in the trash can. I find myself being as compulsive as my mother, but really feeling ok about it.

Become active in your community. Part 3

2009-01-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

I have worked full time at Bethany Christian Schools since I graduated from college (the first time) four years ago. I have always been busy. The first three years I coached 2 seasons of tennis a year and this past year I agreed to be a class sponsor as well as adding college classes to my list of activities. My husband often accuses me of taking on too many things at one time!

This past year a friend of mine, who is the basketball coach at Bethany, asked if I would be willing to volunteer as the official book keeper for home girls basketball games. My initial instinct was to say no, because I am already doing enough. I changed my mind though because I decided it would be a good way to involve myself in another aspect of community life at Bethany. Being the official score keeper would get me out at basketball games and introduce me to a new set of athletes I normally don't have much interaction with.

I have been surprised over the past few months at how much I enjoy being the score keeper. I enjoy keeping track of the details of the game like personal fouls, team fouls, individual points, team points, timeouts, possessions, technical fouls, etc. I've realized a new love for the game of basketball and have met a lot of interesting book keepers from the opposing teams! I've found this form of volunteering to be a great way to stay active in my community.

Become active in your community. Part 2

2009-01-15T11:55:00.001-08:00

I am a lifelong member of Goshen City Church of the Brethren. Growing up, my family went to church on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Wednesday evenings. I was baptized as an 8th grader and eventually married my husband in the church. As I finished college and entered the work force my church began asking me to serve on committees and help in worship services.

Goshen City Church of the Brethren is currently in the process of finding a new pastor. A few months ago I was asked to join a visioning team that would examine the current state of the church and make recommendations to the church about the direction we should take with our new pastor. Being a part of this team was a new experience for me. It involved gathering current and past information about the congregation, examining the data, working with a Church of the Brethren consultant, and making recommendations to the larger church.

We are currently finishing up this process and it continues to strike me that I do not feel qualified to assist in these kinds of decisions. I do not feel old enough or wise enough to offer counsel to the larger church. Even though I am 26 years old I still feel like a child within the church. I wonder at what point you begin to feel like an adult?

Become active in your community. Part 1

2009-01-15T11:52:00.001-08:00

For the past four years I have coached two seasons of tennis. One at Goshen College in the fall and one at Bethany Christian High School in the spring. These two seasons are huge time commitments, but always end up being rewarding. I enjoy getting to know the players on my teams, working towards a common goal, and striving for improvement.

I take seriously the fact that each team is a representation of its school out in the larger community. It is important to me that as a team we represent our schools well by showing respect to each other, our opponents, coaches, and fans. While athletics has the potential to bring out the best in people, sports situations can easily bring to the surface heightened emotions. It is important to me that my players are always honest and respectful. Players actions leave an impression about the institution they are representing.

Just yesterday I had my callout meeting for spring tennis at Bethany Christian High School. I had 23 players come to the meeting and am excited to have my largest team ever this spring. We begin conditioning in one week and will start official, outdoor practices on March 16.

Taking my education seriously. Part 3

2008-10-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

The semester is over halfway done now. Time is flying by. My work at Bethany Christian Schools and my school work is definitely keeping me busy. I continue to focus on the three goals I set for the semester. These goals were habits I had developed during college, the first time around, and I knew they would help me be successful again when I started the Transition to Teaching program.

1. Avoiding procrastination with reading and assignments.
2. Reading all of the material assigned to me and taking reading notes.
3. Leaving early enough in the morning so that I am not rushing into class at the last minute.

I continue to do very well with two out of three of my goals. I do not put anything off. In fact, this will be my last assigned blog entry for this semester. The original assignment of 5 areas with 4 entries each has been downgraded to 4 areas with 3 entries each. I was pacing myself so I could have everything easily completed by the Dec. 4 deadline and now find myself way ahead of schedule. I am not complaining though. It will be good to cross this off my list of things to do this semester and will allow me to start working ahead on a few larger projects that will be due towards the end of the semester.

I am taking two classes this fall and I've found that I do a great job of reading all of my assigned material and taking reading notes for one of the classes. The other class I am not doing as well with this. The difference is definitely that I have regular reading quizzes in the first class. I am losing motivation to do all of my reading in the second class because we do not have reading quizzes and the information is presented in class.

The third goal continues to go well. I become very panicked when I am running late and that in itself is enough motivation for me to leave early and get to class with time to spare. I have also used this time to look over reading notes and this has helped me be better prepared for reading quizzes as well as class discussions.

As the semester begins to wind down I will continue to focus on these three things. So far they have served me well.

Get experience with all types of learners. Part 4

2008-10-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

I have continued my time with the 6th grade class at Bethany. I continue to be impressed with how the teacher is able to work with students who are at such different levels and have such a variety of needs. Bethany Middle School is 100% inclusion. These students spend all day together, there is no pull out. Bethany does not have the resources that the public schools do to pull kids out of regular classes. Because of this Bethany isn't able to accept students with the most severe learning needs, but they still strive to serve a wide range of students.

The only form of "pull out" I have seen has come from more of a behavioral standpoint. The student with ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder has worked out a system with her teacher and the special services coordinator. At any point during the day if she feels like her emotions are building and she needs a break from the classroom she can get a pass by the door and go to the special services coordinator's classroom. No questions asked. The teacher is also able to send her at any point to his classroom as well. I have witnessed this happening on several different occasions. The teacher says, "I think you need to take the pass down to Mr. Mast's room" and without questioning the student does this. She leaves for 10-15 minutes, takes time to cool down and refocus, talks with Mr. Mast, and then returns to class. This method has seemed to work really well for everyone. There are just times when she needs distance from other students and her teacher.

I sometimes wonder why parents would send their students to Bethany when they could recieve so many more services at the local public school. I think sometimes parents worry about their children being in large schools. I think they also worry about the stigma that can be associated with students who are pulled out of classrooms for special needs. More times than not though the families who come to Bethany are interested in the Christian education component that is woven into the curriculum. I am a firm believer in Christian education, but I wonder how I would feel if I had a student with special needs. It must be such a difficult decision to figure out the best way to educate your children, especially one with special needs.

Developing ways to recharge my battery. Part 4

2008-10-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

Fall break has been a good time for me to recharge my battery. I had two days off at Bethany this past Thursday and Friday and now I have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off from Goshen College. It has been good to spend a few extra days at home and to put the books away for a few days. I told myself I would not do any schoolwork this past weekend and it was a good way for me to take a break and start re-energizing myself for the second half of the semester.

I have continued to focus on eating well, exercising, and staying current with all of my reading and assignements. This past weekend I did something I hadn't done in a couple of years though. My exercise routines most often include jogging or working out on my elliptical machine. On Saturday I got out an old pair of rollerblades and did 5-6 miles on them. It was a beautiful fall day. Sunny, but with a nice crispness in the air. The whole experience was a nice change of pace for me. I can easily fall into doing the same things over and over again with very little variation. It can be envigorating to do something new.

Getting political. Part 4

2008-10-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

"What's so interesting about Congressman Ron Paul is, you appear to have a consistent principled integrity. Ah, Americans don't usually go for that..."
Jon Stewart, June 4, 2007

Our presidential election is just about two weeks away and my goal was to choose a candidate to vote for. After my initial disappointment of Ron Paul pulling out of the election, I thought it was important to make an informed decision between Barak Obama and John McCain. I have watched presidential debates, daily news programs, and read local newspapers.

Sadly after this entire process I do not feel good voting for either candidate. Both candidates are proposing increased government spending, which is a huge turn off for me. I want as little government intervention in my life as possible. I do not think socialized healthcare is the way to go, which rules Obama out and I am dissapointed neither candidate had the courage to disagree with the bailout plan. The natural business cycle has poor businesses failing and I think it is ridiculous that tax payers will be bailing out businesses who were greedy and giving loans to people who had no business taking them.

Although it is possible I will change my mind and vote for a presidential candidate in Novemeber my latest conviction is that I need to focus more on our local elections. As a concerned citizin I need to make sure there are strong people representing me in city councils, House and Senate seats, and as govoner. My belief is that the road to the White House is corrupt and does not allow anyone with integrity to advance past the preliminary rounds.

Before this presidential election I would not have considered myself a cynical person. That has changed though. Our current system is broken and in desperate need of repair.

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in peoples minds." - Samuel Adams

http://www.ronpaulforpresident2008.com/news/

Taking my education seriously. Part 2

2008-10-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the semester I set a three goals to hopefully help me be successful in my classes this fall. I decided I wanted to focus on three things.
1. Avoiding procrastination with reading and assignments.
2. Reading all of the material assigned to me and taking reading notes.
3. Leaving early enough in the morning so that I am not rushing into class at the last minute.

Now that I am six weeks into the semester I thought it would be a good time to reflect over how I am doing at reaching these goals. I feel I have been very successful with two of the three. I have been leaving early enough in the morning so that I am not rushing into class at the last minute. I have not been late yet. This has been very helpful because my morning class often begins with a reading quiz. Arriving with a few minutes to spare has allowed me to read over my reading notes and I have done better on the quizzes because of that short review time.

The second goal of not procrastinating has also been going well. I have gotten most assignments done early. I was even able to turn a paper in early last week. I do my best work when I am not feeling rushed so starting things early is a must for me. It also takes the pressure off when due dates arrive. Most importantly, working ahead keeps my stress levels in check.

The third goal is the one I am struggling with the most. I have not been reading everything assigned to me. I continue to take notes on what seems to be highlights, but recently I have started skimming material more than reading in depth. I think I have still been able to find the major points, but I am definitely not reading everything. Some of this is a time issue and other times I just am not interested in the reading that has been assigned to me.

Two out of three isn't bad, but I could definitely do a better job with my reading.

Learning to identify allies. Part 3

2008-10-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

For my two classes this fall at Goshen College I have been assigned field placements at Goshen Middle School and Bethany Christian Middle School. I have enjoyed observing in both classrooms as well as getting to know two high quality teachers. I am also in the unique position of working at a school and interacting with teachers daily. Through my job at Bethany one of the things I have appreciated most is lunch time in the faculty lounge.

As a graduate of Bethany it took me the first year and a half to feel comfortable entering the teachers lounge. When I was a student the lounge was off limits to students, so that was part of the dilemma. The other problem is that I did not feel comfortable "lounging" with my former teachers. Now that I am past that stage I have found time in the lounge to be wonderful. The teachers at Bethany are very supportive of me. Most of them know that I am taking classes to get my teaching license and many will check in with me to see how my classes are going. They have been open to me observing in their classes and want to do whatever they can to help me.

I have a friend who teaches at West Noble High School. We got together last weekend and she was telling me that in her education classes she was told to avoid the teachers lounge. Her professors told her that nothing productive happens there and that teachers go there to complain about the administration. I do not feel like this is the case at all at Bethany. Teachers, administrators, and other staff members eat lunch together and it is a time to check in with each other and share ideas about how to best educate some students. I have felt Bethany to be a whole school of "allies" for me and my journey to teaching.

Getting political. Part 3

2008-10-06T08:34:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday night I watched the vice-presidential debates between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. Figures from Neilsen Media Research's preliminary figures have this debate being the most-watched vice presidential debate in history. 69.9 million American viewers tuned in for the only VP debate before the November election. This was 17.5 million more viewers than who watched John McCain and Barak Obama's first debate a few weeks ago.

Prior to the debate there was speculation if Sarah Palin was prepared for this large of an audiance. Some believe she had blundered in an interview with Katie Couric a few weeks ago. From what I could see there were no blunders. I could not bring myself to watch the full 90 minutes of the debate. I even wondered if "debate" was the right word to describe what I saw. It seemed more to me like both candidates had memorized a statement about each topic. Health care, the economy, gas prices, foreign policy, etc. Both chose to answer some questions directly and to shy around other questions, never really answering.

I was dissapointed with how quickly both candidates attacked their opponents. Barak Obama started his run for president by promising to run a positive campaign. He has completely lost track of his original plan. The first things out of Joe Biden's mouth were attacks on John McCain.

In most cases I felt like both candidates were saying exactly what they thought voters wanted to hear. I think they promise way more than they can accomplish and that there isn't integrity to what they are saying. Probably the most interesting thing to me was to watch reactions from news stations the following day. One news station took comments from both opponents and rated how truthful they were. Both candidates made statements that were truthful and statements that were completely false.

The website below does a great job of looking at both candidates critically and calling them on their lies.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/

Get experience with all types of learners. Part 3

2008-10-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I did my first observations in a 6th grade class that of 17 students has one student with autism, one student with speech and language impairments, one student with severe ADHD who also has been diagnosed as oppositional defiant, and one "miracle" student who is Trisomy 18 - Mosaic. I spent a little over an hour in the classroom right after lunch. Right away it was evident that this was a class with a lot of energy! I assume that the time period after lunch is a struggle many days because students are coming in from recess where they were able to run and play. It is never easy to come back to class, calm down, and return to work.

I thought the 6th grade teacher did a great job of keeping the students interested and focused. She also transitioned well from one activity to the next. Each day after lunch the students have a classroom job they are responsible for. One student cleans out the hamster cage, another picks up trash from the floor, and another changes the daily "Grieser Teaser" on the board. The jobs rotate from week to week and they give the students a sense of ownership with their room. This activity also served as a transition time for students. They were able to move around, but they also began to recenter back into school mode as they worked through their tasks.

Next, the teacher read aloud to the class as they worked on illustrating original books. She kept their attention by asking questions as she was reading to make sure they caught important details. This time quieted students down and helped focus them for the rest of the afternoon. After this activity they were able to move into more traditional school work of a grammer worksheet.

In the hour I spent in the classroom the one student who jumped out at me was the student with
severe ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder. She had difficulty sitting at her desk and remaining on task. Several times during the hour I observed she asked questions that were not related to what the class was doing. Her ADHD combined with an outgoing personality also made her a distraction to other students.

One of the best things the teacher did was continually have the students moving around. They did not sit still for long periods of time. The students took turns coming to the board to correct sentances, they worked in small groups around the room, and they had jobs that had them out of their seats. I think this strategy was helpful for the student with ADHD as well as the other students.

During my next observations I am going to be focused on paying attention to the other three students in her class with special needs.

Developing ways to recharge my battery. Part 3

2008-10-02T10:59:00.001-07:00

I continue to work on healthy habits and routines as a way to keep my battery "recharged." I feel like I am succeeding at all three of the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the semester. I am eating three meals a day, I am exercising 5-6 times a week, and I am doing leisure reading every night before I go to bed.

The third goal has probably been the most fun. I have so much reading for each of my classes at Goshen College and most times it is heavy reading. To off set this I have started rereading books that I enjoyed in middle school and high school for my night time reading. My husband laughs at the "childish" books I am reading, but I have really enjoyed the easy reading and have been flying through books. In the past two weeks I have read an eight book mystery series that I first read in 7th grade.

The most exciting reread so far has been The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. I remember reading this book for the first time on a road trip to Florida over spring break. I devoured the book the first time through and could hardly put it down to get out of the car for bathroom breaks and meal stops. I was inspired to read this book again after I observed a 6th grade class at Bethany where the teacher was reading the book aloud for her class.

This rereading has reminded me that there are great stories for all different reading levels. My love for reading should not confine me to age appropriate books.

Learning to identify allies. Part 2

2008-10-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." - Henry Ford

I attended a Professional Learning Community meeting this morning at Goshen Middle School. Several times a month the 8th grade social studies teachers meet together to collaboratively plan lessons for the upcoming week. The teacher I am observing really values this time to work with colleagues and bounce ideas off of other teachers.

I was able to directly participate in this collaborative process this morning with two other students in my Middle School Curriculum and Instruction Class. We are all teaching our first lesson next Tuesday and we used the half hour slot of time to plan our lesson together. Our teachers had given us a rough idea of what we could do, but the three of us worked together to iron out the details. I quickly realized that in working together we were able to combine our best ideas and come up with a solid lesson plan for Tuesday. Our final project will be much stronger now than it would have been if we had worked separately.

I have been told that some teachers at Goshen Middle School grumble about the PLC meetings. They do not find them valuable or a good use of time. I am impressed with how my teacher has turned this mandatory meeting time into a valuable teaching tool. The PLC allows her to work with "allies" in her department. It also cuts down on prep time when teachers are able to work together and share ideas.

Getting political. Part 2

2008-10-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

"Silence gives consent." - Canon Law

In my attempt to move beyond my disillusionment with the current political system and hopefully determine a candidate to vote for in November I have been striving to watch the news every weekday morning. I believe it is important to be an informed citizin and to vote in elections. Yet I struggle feeling like I will be forced to vote for the lesser of two evils instead of voting for a candidate I feel good about. I normally do not have the patience to watch the news but I have found that if I watch the news while I am working out in the morning I can get a good half hour of news in.

One of my goals is to not watch just one news station. I try to flip between two or three stations each morning. I have also been watching both local news stations as well as national programs like Today and Good Morning America. Hopefully this will give me a more balanced view of the news. The main topics on newstations the past few weeks has been the presidential campaign and the current economic situation.

I continue to be unimpressed as I listen to our two main presidential candidates and other politicians. All Republicans do is criticize Democrats and talk up John McCain and all Democrats do is criticize Republicans and talk up Barak Obama. I also remained smug when I heard both McCain and Obama talk about how bad of an idea the economic bailout would be and then 10 days later both had changed their tunes. My impression is that both candidates will say whatever they think voters want to hear. I do not feel a lot of integrity with either candidate.

I plan to watch the vice-presidential debates tonight on TV.

Studying effective teachers. Part 3

2008-10-01T10:21:00.000-07:00

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." - Confucius

I have been continuing my observations at Goshen Middle School in an 8th grade US History class. I continue to be impressed with my teacher and how she works to make history real and relevant to her students. My teacher seems to be the most effective when she brings the students out of their seats and has them "doing" things.

Yesterday in class she had a wonderful study session planned. Her students were taking a test on the 13 original colonies the next day and to help them prepare she put together 13 study stations around the room. These stations all focused on one important concept they would need to know. My teacher used maps, diagrams, charts, and other tangibles at each station. During the course of the class period each student had to move through each station. They also had to have their worked checked before they could move on.

The simple fact that they were not sitting in desks all day helped to make the study session effective. Students can become very restless when they are stuck in a small space for extended periods of time. The hands on aspects also kept the students engaged. It was a great class period!

Get experience with all types of learners. Part 2

2008-09-25T10:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I interviewed the special education teacher at Bethany Christian Schools. I have been paired with John Mast for my Adolescent Exceptional Learners class. I am to spend 7.5 hours observing special education at Bethany, interview John about the special education program at Bethany, and finally write a paper summarizing my entire experience.

Special Education at Bethany is different than what it is in larger schools. Bethany is not able to meet the needs of all students because it does not have the resources that are available to the public schools. This does not mean that only the best and brightest are students at Bethany though. This school year close to 25% of Bethany's students are receiving some kind of assistance through the special services department. This ranges from students with formal IEP's to the undiagnosed students who are receiving informal accommodations from teachers.

For part of my observations John is having me observe a 6th grade class that has 4 students recieving significant modifications and assistance. This class of 17 students has one student with autism, one student with speech and language impairments, one student with severe ADHD who also has been diagnosed as oppositional defiant, and one "miracle" student who is Trisomy 18 - Mosaic. John has given me some details about the modifications each students recieves and things to watch for when I am in the classroom. I am looking forward to the observations next week and seeing how the teacher works with the wide range of learners she has.

Study effective teachers. Part 2

2008-09-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

Twice a week I have been observing an 8th grade teacher at Goshen Middle School. I continue to be impressed with how my teacher makes US History relevant to her students. Yesterday in class she was attempting to explain the difference between a monarchy and a representative democracy. It was obvious that most of the students were not interested in the difference. To help put the idea into terms that the students could understand she brought up an issue they had talked about at the beginning of class.

Right before class started my teacher had told a student to spit out his gum. He wanted to know why they couldn't chew gum in class. She told him that it was a school rule. Next she explained that the decision to ban gum from school was made by school administrators, much like a king or ruler in a monarchy would make a decision by themselves that was then passed down to everyone else.

My teacher had the students brainstorm a better way for decisions to be made. They discussed how it wouldn't work for the entire school, students, teachers, and administrators to try to come to a consensus. Instead a better idea would be to have one or two students from each class speak on behalf of the entire classes wishes. Bam! All of a sudden the idea of a representative government goes from being abstract to concrete!

What a great teaching moment!
FYI: Blue countries have a representative democracy.

Get experience with all types of learners. Part 1

2008-09-24T09:20:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading the book Our America by LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman. In this book two African-American boys talk about their life in the projects of Chicago. They interview family members, neighbors, school personal, and friends to give outsiders an inside look into the poverty that surrounds them.

Both boys have a lot of circumstances working against them. Alcoholism has torn apart Llyod's family and LeAlan does not have a father. Both boys families survive on government welfare and live in a terrible housing project. Crime, gangs, and drugs are a regular part of life.

Lloyd and LeAlan talk about how they live in a different America than what most of us experience. Yet they also see education as a way out. The book covers a time period of just over 5 years and at the end we see one beginning college and the other working to graduate from high school.

These boys are at such a disadvantage to begin with. They do not have a lot of male role models in their life and they are constantly watching friends and family die from the senseless violence the permeates their neighborhood. I am inspired by their desire to pursue education as a way out of their current situation.

The adults who strive to teach these types of students amaze me. The lifestyle LeAlan and Lloyd describe is something I cannot even imagine. How do teachers reach these students who simply struggle day to day to survive? How do you make curriculum relevant to students who watch their friends die from gang violence and whose parents can hardly take care of themselves?

Practice democratic principles. Part 1

2008-09-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

An issue that I feel strongly about is gender equality. For the past 4-5 years I have spent significant time analyzing how gender equality is discussed in educational and media settings. In high school I become aware of the AAUW report on gender in the classroom. I studied "How Schools Shortchange Girls" and began analyzing the role gender plays in my life and in the larger world.

During my junior year of college I decided to do an independent study on gender issues and specifically men's issues. Much of my life I have heard about the struggles of girls and women, but much of what I heard did not seem to jive with that I was seeing and reading. After a semester of studying the issues of education and body image and conducting a study to analyze the difference between the awareness of men's issues when compared to women's issues, I have come to the conclusion that it is tough to be a male in the world today.

One of the most eye opening books I have read is Christina Hoff Sommer's The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism is Harming Our Young Men. In this book Sommer's sites information from the U.S. Department of Education to show how off base the AAUW's report was. The U.S. Department of Education information shows that it is not girls, but boys who are struggling in school.

Girls get better grades than boys.
Girls have higher educational aspirations than boys.
Girls are more likely to take AP classes
Girls are more likely than boys to enroll in high-level math and science classes than boys.
Girls are involved in student government, honors societies, newspapers, and debating clubs more than boys.
Girls read more books than boys.
Girls do better on tests of musical and artistic ability than boys.
Girls study abroad at a higher rate than boys.
Girls attend college at a higher rate than boys.

Looking at the negative statistics:
Boys are more likely to be suspended from school than girls.
Boys are more likely to drop out of school than girls.
Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls.
Boys are more likely to be involved in crime, drugs, and alcohol than girls.
Boys are more likely to die from suicide attempts than girls.

As a psychology major, one of the biggest issues we talked about is validity and reliability of research. How was the study conducted? What information was collected? What information was actually reported? What information was omitted?Groups like the AAUW clearly have an agenda with their "How Schools Shortchange Girls" study. As a critical individual I am much more likely to believe information I receive from the U.S. Department of Education than a feminist organization.

Learning all of this information was eye opening for me. The culmination of my independent study was a chapel presentation to all Goshen College students during May Term. I shared what I learned and was amazed at the positive response I received from other students. I continue to be aware of this issue and to voice an opposing viewpoint when I feel like only one side is being addressed.

Getting political. Part 1

2008-09-17T09:36:00.001-07:00

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." - Samuel Adams

If there ever was a time to "get political" it would be now. The presidential race is in full swing and has dominated news stations for the past six months. Regardless of the outcome of this presidential election it will be an election of firsts. We will either have our first African American president in Barak Obama or we will have our first female Vice-President in Sarah Palin. It should be an exciting time to be an American.

Unfortunately I am currently feeling disenfranchised by our political system. As an avid Ron Paul supporter I have become cynical about the role the mass media and the party system plays in elections, specifically presidential elections. Unless you have the media or your political party on your side you do not have a chance at being President of the United States.

Ron Paul is a Republican with enormous grassroots support who talks about how the Republican party has strayed from its roots. He raised record amounts of money this past winter, but was hardly given any recognition or time with the mass media. He was laughed at and ignored during the Republican debates even though he is a man of integrity and wisdom. His voting record backs up everything he says and he is willing to say things that are unpopular if they are the truth. He has been against the Iraq war from the beginning, even when it was the unpopular stance to take, and he believes the federal government has over stepped their boundaries.

http://www.ronpaulforpresident2008.com/news/

I was so excited about Ron Paul, a true "maverick," and the ideas he would bring to the presidency. It was very disheartening to watch how he was smeared by the media and the Republican party. To be honest I am not excited about either John McCain or Barak Obama. I think they are both dishonest and not men of integrity. I think both contenders are willing to make whatever promises they need to in order to be elected.

This assignment of "getting political" will be a stretch for me. After Ron Paul dropped out of the race I was tempted not to even vote this Novemeber. I will use this assignment though to learn more about the candidates and hopefully make an informed decision that will allow me to choose the lesser of two evils this November.

Developing ways to recharge my battery. Part 2

2008-09-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

I am one week into my three goals for developing ways to recharge my battery for this fall semester. I have not struggled to find time for daily exercise or leisure reading. The more difficult goal has been the healthy eating. Between my job, coaching tennis, and taking classes at Goshen College I am often on the run from one activity to the next. Eating three "real" meals a day has been a struggle.

I have come up with a few strategies to help me meet my goal of healthy eating. I've tried to think of ways to simplify meals for myself, since lack of time seems to be the main issue. This past weekend at the grocery store I bought a box of breakfast cereal bars that I can eat on the run in the morning. This has helped guarantee that I at least get a little food in my stomach first thing in the morning.

My second idea was to purchase lunches at Bethany in the cafeteria instead of packing my lunch every day like I've done for the past three years. This has worked out wonderfully. When I have extra time in the morning I have packed a lunch, but other days I've eaten in the cafeteria. I originally decided to pack my lunch daily because I thought it would save me money, but too many meals had turned into whatever I could grab and throw into a bag. It often wasn't a good lunch and I'd find myself hungry and cranky by mid afternoon.

Research shows how important eating healthy is, especially making it a priority to have breakfast every day. Studies have linked eating a healthy breakfast with a lowered risk of chronic diseases, increased longevity, and overall better health.

http://www.beyondthebend.com/health/breakfast.htm

Learning to identify allies. Part 1

2008-09-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

My current job is at Bethany Christian Schools. I have worked as their admissions director for the past three years. My job has kept me contained to the offices for a large majority of my day, but there are also times that I interact with teachers.

Each faculty member at Bethany is assigned to a Nurture Group at the beginning of the school year. This groups meets at least once a month and is designed as a way for teachers to spend time talking, problem solving, and supporting each other. This year I am in a Nurture Group with four teachers; two high school teachers and two middle school teachers. Even though on monthly meeting takes place at 6:30 a.m. on a Thursday morning, I have found it to be a helpful activity to be a part of.

This group provides intentional time for teachers to talk about their classes, students, families, and other areas of their life. These teachers and faculty members become allies for each other. Even though I am not teaching yet I have felt the support of this group as I continue to work towards my secondary social studies license. They check in with me about my classes and have also invited me into their classrooms. I feel I have four allies in this Nurture Group.

Studying effective teachers. Part 1

2008-09-11T10:50:00.001-07:00

As part of my Middle School Curriculum and Instruction class I have a field placement at Goshen Middle School with an 8th grade social studies teacher. I spend one period a day with her on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the entire semester.

Today in class she did a powerful exercise related to the slave trade. The teacher began the class by showing a short clip from the movie Roots that discussed the difference between a "loose pack" and a "tight pack." Afterwards my teacher had the students lie on the floor in the amount of space a slave would have had on the ship that was transporting them to Europe.

As they laid scrunched together she talked with them about how the journey often took longer than a month, how hot the conditions would have been, and how they would have been surrounded by bodily fluids. The students were appalled by the details.

The slave trade exercise reminded me of how important it is for teachers to make history "real" to their students. Worksheets and textbooks do not have the power that real life demonstrations do. Students need to be pulled out of their seats as much as possible to make learning effective.

Taking my education seriously. Part 1

2008-09-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

It has been three and a half years since I graduated from Goshen College in 2005. The past three plus years have been spent working a full time job at Bethany Christian Schools and coaching two tennis seasons. I haven't listened to a lecture, taken notes, or read a textbook since I graduated. I am very excited to be back in school working towards my teaching license, but I also feel out of the swing of things when it comes to school.

In order to be successful I am focusing on bringing back the good study habits I had formed over my first four years of college. Organization, punctuality, and thoroughness have all been qualities that I consider myself having, but applying them to the classroom setting is something I am lacking in practice. Three goals I have set for myself and this semester to help me be successful at taking my education seriously are:

1. Avoiding procrastination with reading and assignments.
2. Reading all of the material assigned to me and taking reading notes.
3. Leaving early enough in the morning so that I am not rushing into class at the last minute.

Developing ways to recharge my battery. Part 1

2008-09-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

All summer I have been waiting for September to come. I have known for nine months that the 2008-09 school year would be my biggest challenge to date. This fall semester I will be working full time at Bethany Christian Schools, taking two education classes at Goshen College, and coaching a college tennis team. I was anxious for September to arrive so I wouldn't have to wonder anymore about how I was going to manage all of my activities, I would be getting started.

This year, more than any other time in my life, I will need to develop ways to recharge my battery. I have several ideas that I plan to try out this semester.

1. Fitness - Exercise has always been a big component of my life. I played sports all through high school and college and regular exercise became a way for me to manage stress. I plan to continue this habit throughout the semester. My goal is to find time for exercise five times a week. This could include jogging, walking, using my elliptical machine, playing tennis, etc.

2. Leisure Reading - I love to read. Historical fiction, mysteries, dramas, and many others. Reading relaxes me before bedtime, but when I am taking classes and needing to read textbooks and class related materials, it is harder for me to find time to read for fun. My goal for this semester is to do at least 15-20 minutes of leisure reading every week night before I go to bed.

3. Healthy Eating Habits - When I am on the fun from one thing to the next, meals often fall by the wayside. I'll miss lunch and then be famished by mid afternoon and need to grab a snack. My third goal for this semester is to eat 3 "good" meals every day during the week.

I will work to start implementing these goals and will be checking in throughout the next 10 weeks with updates, failures, and hopefully a lot of success stories.

Sarah