Sometimes I wish I could fall asleep as easily as my pup. Seriously! As I tossed and turned last night, unable to sleep, each time I would glance over at little Dusty Shamrock peacefully content in a tiny curled up ball, I marveled at how easily sleep comes for him. As the hours from 2am to 5:30am ticked on by, I debated getting up and going into the office to grade the 25 exams that are waiting to be corrected. Or I could prepare for next Monday night's evening class by working on study guides and powerpoints. There are always Science articles to read as well. And I have a huge stack of emails I need to get through in various accounts. Instead, I lay in my bed wishing for sleep to come so I could get some rest. A rosary later, vain attempts at counting sheep, and more tossing and turning, led to the thoughts that are forming this blog post instead of slumber.
I even thought about food as my stomach rumbled. It is interesting how some folks prefer their meat to be heavily seasoned with garlic, herbs, and other spices while others prefer their meat to be more natural and less flavorful. Some might want their meat prepared to a tough finish or more crispy (burnt like my Dad) and others may prefer rare or pink meat (as Adam does). Yet, regardless of prep style spice can season the meat and change the flavor. Then because I was thinking of Adam's less than stellar choice in meat prep (ha!), I began to indulge in a pity party in not wanting to wait for 27 more days to be with him again. Yes, we've talked for 540 hours as of last night on Skype, seeing each other every day except for four days since 11/07/13. Yes, he'll be here in Ohio with me in a little over 8 months and in the grand scheme of things that is but a drop of water in the bucket of life. However, I miss him and crave being around him in person. Then, I start feeling sad thinking of how he will be leaving his family on the West Coast to live on the East Coast and how much they and he will miss one another. It's a slippery slope I try to stay off of and would instead rather focus on the joy in it all. Again, if God takes care of the sparrows, who am I to worry over such things for He is in control.
In an effort to distract myself from such musings in the darkness last night, I also thought about several student encounters I've had this week...and the uniqueness of each situation. One student missed a class because she is a young mother putting herself through school. She stood in line for five hours the other morning to obtain clothing assistance for her children from the local welfare office. Another student missed some classes because her family was unexpectedly evicted. She could barely hold herself together as she explained her absence. Yet another student is grieving the loss of her mother and carrying on her legacy after a brave battle against cancer. Yet all three of these women are striving to be the best versions of themselves and make better futures for not only themselves individually but also their future students through preparing to be teachers. My students, some who are facing much bigger and complex issues than I, are teaching me so much already and we're only four weeks into the semester. Yes, this adversity could be likened to the seasoning of the meat. Sometimes life is tough; at other times life is tender but through it all we can rest assured in knowing that all things work for the good of the Lord and He knows our plan even when we don't. So go on and embrace the spicy and seasoned times of your life for they are helping to cultivate you into the people you are destined to be.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
My bookbag for school is going to be heavy tomorrow
I just stumbled upon three interesting finds on the interwebs.
1.) http://nccatnews.com/2014/04/04/uncg-student-wins-research-award-on-work-at-nccat/ (article about an award presentation last spring that contained the picture below...)
3.) http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/listing.aspx?styp=ti&id=16183 (electronic version of my dissertation)
I also received a box in the mail today. In it was my dissertation bound into a book. Wow. All the blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention hours and hours of transcription, gas and miles I put into my car, and all the networking that went into making this study happen) are all wrapped up in this simple black book. It is almost too plain. I wonder if I should put a sparkly colorful butterfly sticker on the cover. No?
Anyhow, how awesome it is to hold this beauty in my hands. I'm going to proudly take it to school tomorrow and stick it on a shelf in my office. My family will probably grow tired from the sight of it as I bring it to family functions to show them during the holidays. What an incredible feeling to have this bound copy. Granted there are some mistakes in it that seem to glare back at me from the crisp white pages. It's a wonder the mistakes got past the editor, the dissertation lady at UNCG, my advisor, others who reviewed my work, and my own eyes (yet by the end the pages were all a blur to me) but no matter!!! This black book represents all that has happened since Super Bowl Sunday 2012 and then some!
I am so incredibly grateful to those who have helped with this leg of the journey (you know who you are!). Now, we can sit back, thumb through the pages, and say......"Finally!"
For those of you still plugging away at it....don't lose hope. It can be done and I'll be cheering you on as you inch closer and closer to that Phinish Line! :)
1.) http://nccatnews.com/2014/04/04/uncg-student-wins-research-award-on-work-at-nccat/ (article about an award presentation last spring that contained the picture below...)
-------------------------------
 | |
| 2.) This image with my advisor from the Graduate Research and Creativity Expo back in 2013 which is serving as motivation to find another avenue to present my dissertation research due to not having had an Expo in 2014 for which I already had created materials. I want the chance to play my Trivial Pursuit pie game with this research! ;) |
---------------------------
3.) http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/listing.aspx?styp=ti&id=16183 (electronic version of my dissertation)
----------------------
I also received a box in the mail today. In it was my dissertation bound into a book. Wow. All the blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention hours and hours of transcription, gas and miles I put into my car, and all the networking that went into making this study happen) are all wrapped up in this simple black book. It is almost too plain. I wonder if I should put a sparkly colorful butterfly sticker on the cover. No?
Anyhow, how awesome it is to hold this beauty in my hands. I'm going to proudly take it to school tomorrow and stick it on a shelf in my office. My family will probably grow tired from the sight of it as I bring it to family functions to show them during the holidays. What an incredible feeling to have this bound copy. Granted there are some mistakes in it that seem to glare back at me from the crisp white pages. It's a wonder the mistakes got past the editor, the dissertation lady at UNCG, my advisor, others who reviewed my work, and my own eyes (yet by the end the pages were all a blur to me) but no matter!!! This black book represents all that has happened since Super Bowl Sunday 2012 and then some!
I am so incredibly grateful to those who have helped with this leg of the journey (you know who you are!). Now, we can sit back, thumb through the pages, and say......"Finally!"
For those of you still plugging away at it....don't lose hope. It can be done and I'll be cheering you on as you inch closer and closer to that Phinish Line! :)
A little about where I work now :)
U.S. News & World Report
Gives Franciscan University Top-Tier Ranking
For the 14th consecutive year, Franciscan
University of Steubenville has received a top-tier ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges, 2015 Edition. Franciscan
University was ranked 30th overall among 146 Midwest Universities.
Among 12 evaluation categories, Franciscan
University ranked 8th best for freshman retention rate and 8th best for its
overall graduation rate. Taken together, these two categories demonstrate that
students who begin their education at Franciscan University like what they
experience and remain at the University until they graduate.
Earlier last week, the National Catholic Register placed Franciscan University among 38 “faithfully
Catholic” colleges in its 2014 Catholic
Identity Guide. In July 2014, FORBES
Magazine named Franciscan University to its list of America’s Top Colleges
2014, which put Franciscan in the top 8 percent of all the 4,500 colleges FORBES considered.
Life is a circle
Back in college (the first time, as an undergraduate...ha!) I remember hearing a neat expression from one of my best friends from high school. It went something to the effect of, "Life is like a circle. For good or ill, everything comes back around again". I remember liking it so much that I made it my signature line in my email when I set up my first email address. Recently, I was reminded of that expression when printing out my schedule for this semester. Anyone who knows me knows I recycle paper to a fault. I always have scratch paper on hand and would rather print out articles, coupons, to-do lists, and well, you name it, on scratch paper rather than using "good" paper. Printing out my Fall 2014 schedule was no different. When I printed out my new schedule for my new job in this new state I flipped the sheet over to see what I had printed the current schedule on and had to laugh at the irony. I had printed Fall 2014's new schedule on my plan of study that was drafted in May 2011. For those of you not familiar with UNCG's paperwork, I had to complete a plan of study outlining what courses I planned to take and when in an effort to outline my plan of classes/study. I remember working on that plan of study during my first semester of PhD classes and how at the time it had been an incredibly daunting task. I remember thinking that I was in for a loooooong three more years at the end of that first year. My how fast time can go....and here I am starting a new plan and thinking I'm in it for the long haul...but I wonder if in five years I will look back and wonder where the time went. Lately it seems the days are whizzing on by but the weeks are taking a longer time to tick on by but I suspect that is due to Adam and me counting down the days to "next time" (less than a month now!!). Anytime you are counting down the days to something, time has a way of slowing down for you. So, for now, I sign off wishing you a good evening and to embrace all that comes with the moments we are fortunate to be given for they will be nothing but a fleeting memory sooner than we would like to admit.
On a side note.....did you know this??
On a side note.....did you know this??
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Some things don't change
Guess what I did this afternoon!
I FINALLY finished unpacking!!! One month ago from today I returned to Ohio after having spent ten glorious days with Adam, his family, and other friends who had met us out in California. I remember all too well the feeling of sadness as I left my Aunt and Uncle's house in PA and made the 45 minute drive to Ohio. For I knew that by driving west out of the best state ever to my new home that the summer was officially over for me. I was closing the door to the summer of graduating and moving from NC, to the summer of planning for next year's wedding, to the days of staying with my parents at their home, and to the quick visits I had managed to squeeze in with some friends while staying at home.
I have made a career out of first days of school. I had eight first days of school as a teacher before I moved down to NC for my PhD program. August 2010 brought a whole new kind of first day of school. I will never forget coming home from my first official day as a UNCG student and my brother and sister-in-law running to the door asking, "Well, how was it?!" Their excitement and curiosity about my first day as a PhD student and as a graduate assistant were contagious and the two children at that time, Mason and Clark, could sense something was different. The next three years added more responsibilities, research, and more children to the mix. By August 2013, when I crossed that threshold down in High Point, the noise levels were a bit higher but so was the amount of love. Oh how I miss my sweet NC niece and nephews and seeing them when I would come home from school. Check out this picture from one of their first days of school my sister-in-law posted the other week.
I love how you can pick up on their personalities even with their backs to the camera. I wasn't there for this photo but I imagine that Mason is gently guiding Clark to stay turned around who is giggling with glee and wanting to turn around to his left to look at the camera. Braden was startled by little Nick who couldn't resist reaching out to him as he stood with the "big kids". Braden, the ever trying to keep up with his two older siblings seems irritated or surprised by this sudden gesture. Anyhow, I just love these four little ones and miss seeing them and hearing all about their days on a daily basis. I also can't forget my adorable PA nephews. They, too, are enjoying their days that seem to be filled with adventures and fun!
Looks like Thomas and Ben are trying to be another set of twins. They have twins on both their Mom's and Dad's sides of the family. :)
So, these days, I don't have children who serve as a break or distraction from my schoolwork. I now have the quiet days I used to long for but my lap and arms are empty. I no longer have sticky fingerprints on my laptop or screen from where they would point to the "movies" I would show them. However, I hear their voices and laughs in the "movies" of them that I show while teaching. We even got to skype the other night when my parents were babysitting in NC where I got to talk with each of the four NC kiddos. I also look forward to staying with the PA boys in a little over a month when Adam and I spend the night in Carlisle! I also think Dusty Shamrock is thoroughly enjoying being the only "kid" in my life right now too as he gets all the attention of not only me but also my two housemates and any company we receive. He has been quite the popular pup on our daily walks as the children on the street greet him and ask to pet him.
So, yes, in spite of missing the children in my family (and their parents and other relatives of mine) as I move forward with this semester, I have been enjoying getting to know my neighbors and housemates. In fact, this morning, as I waited at the back of the church I think I may join for a colleague and her family, who walked in but one of my housemates?! To think that one of my concerns about moving to Ohio after a summer at home with my parents and the last four years with my brother and his family that I was concerned I would have to go back to attending church alone as I did for so many years when living in Harrisburg and York!! Of all the weekends I've been living here in Ohio, I have yet to attend mass by myself. I also look forward to, in the future, attending mass with Adam at my side.
After attending mass this morning, I returned to the house to finish the LAST of the unpacking by going through the two boxes that for some reason I just couldn't unpack for the longest time. In the one, I came across a bright blue binder. Thinking it was left over from one of my undergraduate classes from eons ago, I flipped it open to find my schedule of classes from my junior year. That was the year I lived in an apartment on "Frat Row" with Ashley, Tracy, Amanda, and Monika and the year we all turned 21/22. I remember this schedule hanging on my bedroom door and cracked a smile when I saw the butterflies, glittery heart stickers, pictures, and rainbow colored font. Yeah, some things don't change.
What was under the schedule though was something that stopped me in my tracks. My eyes had landed on an Evaluation Team Report dated 10/30/84 that had been conducted right here in OHIO. An educational vision consultant, audiologist, occupational therapist, education specialist, and school psychologist had completed this report that was divided into several sections. These last few weeks, in one of my classes, we have been talking about assessment and the referral process for special education eligibility. It was so surreal to be reading these reports after having taught up and coming teachers about these and also thinking back to my eight years of being a case manager of these reports for my students when teaching. The report had been typed on a typewriter and the following phrases jumped out at me,
Behind all the official looking reports and documents, I saw the familiar handwriting of my mother. She had kept a log of all the contacts and phone conversations she had had with various specialists and staff. What dedication and hard work raising me must have been especially with three other little ones to consider. I'm thankful for the long hours and hard work on the part of both my mom and dad because I can honestly say I wouldn't be where I am today if not for them. At the end of the binder were old worksheets and manipulatives we used when "playing school"...see, I was destined to be an educator from the start but what delighted me the most in these old papers was seeing letters from the John Tracy Clinic out in Los Angeles, CA. My parents had enrolled in correspondence education and received materials/letters/advice/suggestions from this institution. Who would have thought 30 years later this little girl in Ohio they all worked with would be in Ohio (again) and marrying a boy from CA soon. Again, God's plans astound me to the point of just sitting here and shaking my head.
Something else that blew me away were all the references to my father in this paperwork. My Dad was the one who usually accompanied me on such "visits". I have so many childhood memories of riding with him to the ear doctor and audiological appointments during the school day and if we were lucky, we would go through the drive-thru of McDonald's on the way back to school..hehe. As a professional, I can probably count on one hand the number of times fathers were present at my evaluations/meetings/conferences. This makes me think of the research my colleague and friend, Margo, is doing with fathers.
I initially posted this on Facebook last night but this evening, after my unexpected find in my last box as I completed my unpacking, this meme takes on a whole new meaning. I'm so blessed to have been born into the family I was with all their support and love. The outcome might have been very different otherwise. Perhaps the report from Delaware that is tucked away elsewhere that says I was an "uneducably retarded child" might have been a self-fulfilling prophecy had the circumstances and familial environment been different. One will never know but these experiences just further reaffirm my belief that we all must work together to improve as a society for our children. As so many of my current students state through their work and responses, we must work to raise each other up to be the best versions of themselves they can be whether it be as a teacher, a parent, a sibling, an aunt or uncle, or just a kind smiling face as we partake in our daily walks around the neighborhood. That was how I met a new neighbor friend who happens to be a mother of an autistic teenager. I can't wait to see what else I find as I unpack these figurative boxes in life.
I FINALLY finished unpacking!!! One month ago from today I returned to Ohio after having spent ten glorious days with Adam, his family, and other friends who had met us out in California. I remember all too well the feeling of sadness as I left my Aunt and Uncle's house in PA and made the 45 minute drive to Ohio. For I knew that by driving west out of the best state ever to my new home that the summer was officially over for me. I was closing the door to the summer of graduating and moving from NC, to the summer of planning for next year's wedding, to the days of staying with my parents at their home, and to the quick visits I had managed to squeeze in with some friends while staying at home.
I have made a career out of first days of school. I had eight first days of school as a teacher before I moved down to NC for my PhD program. August 2010 brought a whole new kind of first day of school. I will never forget coming home from my first official day as a UNCG student and my brother and sister-in-law running to the door asking, "Well, how was it?!" Their excitement and curiosity about my first day as a PhD student and as a graduate assistant were contagious and the two children at that time, Mason and Clark, could sense something was different. The next three years added more responsibilities, research, and more children to the mix. By August 2013, when I crossed that threshold down in High Point, the noise levels were a bit higher but so was the amount of love. Oh how I miss my sweet NC niece and nephews and seeing them when I would come home from school. Check out this picture from one of their first days of school my sister-in-law posted the other week.
So, these days, I don't have children who serve as a break or distraction from my schoolwork. I now have the quiet days I used to long for but my lap and arms are empty. I no longer have sticky fingerprints on my laptop or screen from where they would point to the "movies" I would show them. However, I hear their voices and laughs in the "movies" of them that I show while teaching. We even got to skype the other night when my parents were babysitting in NC where I got to talk with each of the four NC kiddos. I also look forward to staying with the PA boys in a little over a month when Adam and I spend the night in Carlisle! I also think Dusty Shamrock is thoroughly enjoying being the only "kid" in my life right now too as he gets all the attention of not only me but also my two housemates and any company we receive. He has been quite the popular pup on our daily walks as the children on the street greet him and ask to pet him.
So, yes, in spite of missing the children in my family (and their parents and other relatives of mine) as I move forward with this semester, I have been enjoying getting to know my neighbors and housemates. In fact, this morning, as I waited at the back of the church I think I may join for a colleague and her family, who walked in but one of my housemates?! To think that one of my concerns about moving to Ohio after a summer at home with my parents and the last four years with my brother and his family that I was concerned I would have to go back to attending church alone as I did for so many years when living in Harrisburg and York!! Of all the weekends I've been living here in Ohio, I have yet to attend mass by myself. I also look forward to, in the future, attending mass with Adam at my side.
After attending mass this morning, I returned to the house to finish the LAST of the unpacking by going through the two boxes that for some reason I just couldn't unpack for the longest time. In the one, I came across a bright blue binder. Thinking it was left over from one of my undergraduate classes from eons ago, I flipped it open to find my schedule of classes from my junior year. That was the year I lived in an apartment on "Frat Row" with Ashley, Tracy, Amanda, and Monika and the year we all turned 21/22. I remember this schedule hanging on my bedroom door and cracked a smile when I saw the butterflies, glittery heart stickers, pictures, and rainbow colored font. Yeah, some things don't change.
What was under the schedule though was something that stopped me in my tracks. My eyes had landed on an Evaluation Team Report dated 10/30/84 that had been conducted right here in OHIO. An educational vision consultant, audiologist, occupational therapist, education specialist, and school psychologist had completed this report that was divided into several sections. These last few weeks, in one of my classes, we have been talking about assessment and the referral process for special education eligibility. It was so surreal to be reading these reports after having taught up and coming teachers about these and also thinking back to my eight years of being a case manager of these reports for my students when teaching. The report had been typed on a typewriter and the following phrases jumped out at me,
- non-verbal cognitive functioning at least in the average range with some skills substantially above age level
- vision and perception appear to be areas of strength
- information available indicated age equivalent functioning at 5.4 years which is approximately one year above expectations for chronological age
- Certainly, student seems to be progressing extremely well and prognosis looks extremely good for future progress (well, that's a relief!)
- Megan presents a picture of a fantastic little lady (I was 4 1/2) who has vision and perceptual skills more than adequate for the educational setting (nice to know I was a fantastic little lady as a kid).
- Megan presented as a very attractive, pleasant, and socially self-assured child (hopefully I still am as an adult..ha!). She separated well from her father to accompany this examiner into the evaluation room.
Behind all the official looking reports and documents, I saw the familiar handwriting of my mother. She had kept a log of all the contacts and phone conversations she had had with various specialists and staff. What dedication and hard work raising me must have been especially with three other little ones to consider. I'm thankful for the long hours and hard work on the part of both my mom and dad because I can honestly say I wouldn't be where I am today if not for them. At the end of the binder were old worksheets and manipulatives we used when "playing school"...see, I was destined to be an educator from the start but what delighted me the most in these old papers was seeing letters from the John Tracy Clinic out in Los Angeles, CA. My parents had enrolled in correspondence education and received materials/letters/advice/suggestions from this institution. Who would have thought 30 years later this little girl in Ohio they all worked with would be in Ohio (again) and marrying a boy from CA soon. Again, God's plans astound me to the point of just sitting here and shaking my head.
Something else that blew me away were all the references to my father in this paperwork. My Dad was the one who usually accompanied me on such "visits". I have so many childhood memories of riding with him to the ear doctor and audiological appointments during the school day and if we were lucky, we would go through the drive-thru of McDonald's on the way back to school..hehe. As a professional, I can probably count on one hand the number of times fathers were present at my evaluations/meetings/conferences. This makes me think of the research my colleague and friend, Margo, is doing with fathers.
I initially posted this on Facebook last night but this evening, after my unexpected find in my last box as I completed my unpacking, this meme takes on a whole new meaning. I'm so blessed to have been born into the family I was with all their support and love. The outcome might have been very different otherwise. Perhaps the report from Delaware that is tucked away elsewhere that says I was an "uneducably retarded child" might have been a self-fulfilling prophecy had the circumstances and familial environment been different. One will never know but these experiences just further reaffirm my belief that we all must work together to improve as a society for our children. As so many of my current students state through their work and responses, we must work to raise each other up to be the best versions of themselves they can be whether it be as a teacher, a parent, a sibling, an aunt or uncle, or just a kind smiling face as we partake in our daily walks around the neighborhood. That was how I met a new neighbor friend who happens to be a mother of an autistic teenager. I can't wait to see what else I find as I unpack these figurative boxes in life.
Friday, September 12, 2014
Just like the Energizer Bunny, the 3MT just keeps on giving and giving and giving...!
Thank goodness it is Friday. What a looooong week this was! I feel as if I've hit a wall; surely it's much too early in the semester to feel this way! The novelty of the new semester has worn off already, we've completed the first exam in half of the classes, and I'm enjoying being back in a regular routine. On the one hand, the days are going by quickly with not being able to get everything done within each 24 hour segment yet on the other hand, the weeks seem to be draaaaggggiiiinnnngggg on forever...which brings me back to my first sentence. I'm SO happy it is Friday again. I've no place to be until Sunday morning when I head to church which means I can slow down a bit, get caught up on things around the house, try to tackle my to-do list that is a mile long and even squeeze in a bit of blogging. I kind of want to go out to the kitchen and open a bottle of wine but will refrain. I have a feeling if I sipped some of that yummy goodness, I might end up relaxing so much that I would fall asleep!
So, instead, I opted to read my students' responses to the three minute video I showed them in class this afternoon. The other day, at the end of class, a student asked me what I had done my dissertation research on...this question came one day after I discovered the news that the research will be published very soon! So, I decided to share with them the video from last fall's 3 minutes speech competition. If you don't remember that task, click here to learn more about it. This video was instrumental in Adam's & my initial conversations by the way!! :)
Before showing the video during class today I instructed my students to write down a takeaway point for their future teaching (of Science and Social Studies) and have listed them below so I can always remember this snapshot in time of these young soon to be teachers and their ideas of what their futures will look like. At the conclusion of the video, half of the class applauded! I certainly wasn't expecting that to happen. To think that nearly a year ago I was working long hours on creating this speech...I would never have imagined that I would use it the following year in one of my classes. How blessed am I to have a job in which I can carry out my teaching, research, AND faith in this way!! Some of the written student responses were really sweet and others made me think of things I hadn't before considered. I'm so incredibly fortunate to be working at this fine institution with students who so obviously care and have a passion for our faith as well as making a difference as a teacher. Somebody pinch me please!
So, instead, I opted to read my students' responses to the three minute video I showed them in class this afternoon. The other day, at the end of class, a student asked me what I had done my dissertation research on...this question came one day after I discovered the news that the research will be published very soon! So, I decided to share with them the video from last fall's 3 minutes speech competition. If you don't remember that task, click here to learn more about it. This video was instrumental in Adam's & my initial conversations by the way!! :)
Before showing the video during class today I instructed my students to write down a takeaway point for their future teaching (of Science and Social Studies) and have listed them below so I can always remember this snapshot in time of these young soon to be teachers and their ideas of what their futures will look like. At the conclusion of the video, half of the class applauded! I certainly wasn't expecting that to happen. To think that nearly a year ago I was working long hours on creating this speech...I would never have imagined that I would use it the following year in one of my classes. How blessed am I to have a job in which I can carry out my teaching, research, AND faith in this way!! Some of the written student responses were really sweet and others made me think of things I hadn't before considered. I'm so incredibly fortunate to be working at this fine institution with students who so obviously care and have a passion for our faith as well as making a difference as a teacher. Somebody pinch me please!
- People's environments (community, family, home, friends) influence the way they respond to different types of atmospheres. Therefore, I can expect my future students to be more/less responsive depending on how they react in different situations.
- I thought it was really interesting that how someone identified themselves has a lot to do with the setting they are in. This makes me want to assure my students are in a setting in which they can be the best versions of themselves.
- From Dr. K's presentation I found that my takeaway point was on the communication. With children having different types of disabilities it can be difficult to communicate and be social with peers and teachers. I find it to be a mission for me to have all my students be able to understand no matter what it takes.
- Applying this to science instruction I could use interviews to conduct a study. I will need to understand how students with disabilities may view themselves and how their identity can be influenced. I will want to try to foster an environment that will lead to a positive self-identity.
- As a teacher someday, I want to give my students equal attention. So many times during my early experience I have noticed teachers who favor one student over another. By using the approach that causes a person to love before they teach, they can treat not only their students equally but everyone they encounter equally. That will be important throughout one's whole life.
- Interactions with others, setting/context, and life experiences all play a role in the identity of students, and how they view themselves is very important. It is good to take their perceptions of themselves into consideration instead of just "judging the book by its cover" from the start. This is so important for all teachers to know because every student is a unique individual with his/her own story, and they all deserve to be given the opportunity to learn and grow into the most full versions of themselves. Also, being open-minded in your perceptions of students allows them to be more open to learning!
- Identity is fluid. Student may choose a different identity according to a certain setting. A teacher should not assume that a child is well off and has an easy time socializing and making friends simply because they do well in the classroom.
- Identity changes according to settings, life experiences, and people's perceptions, etc. I think this is something teachers should be wary of in their classrooms. Each student has a different background that should be respected and the learning environment should be conducive to all students' learning.
- Identity changes with environment and social interactions. Students need to feel comfortable with who they are and not feel as if they are out of place. If the teacher understands better where the student is they can better be facilitators of knowledge.
- As a teacher, you must always be aware that a student's identity is largely formed in the classroom. Be careful in how you judge/shape your students.
- I think it is important to realize that people may view themselves one way, but their caregiver may have a different view. It is important to realize that students may see themselves differently, either positively or negatively. Do not judge a book by its cover.
- The way we define both ourselves, our students, and the way our students define themselves greatly affects their ability to learn. We should not judge a book by its cover and we should not let students' disabilities define them.
- The point about judging a book by its cover is so applicable, especially when teaching. It's important in social studies classrooms to look past social and cultural stereotypes and norms and go deeper. This goes for perception of students as well as instruction of backgrounds.
- A student's interactions, life experiences, and settings have a lot to do with how a student will perform academically. This can tie into their life even further when they have any kind of physical or mental disability.
- It is important that as a future teacher, I should realize that children have their own personal identities. With this fact in mind, it is important to foster their individuality and creativeness so that they know they are special and one of a kind.
- Using a multicultural book-I would have students make assumptions "judging a book by its cover" and then have the students read and reflect on what changed now that they have read the story.
- Identity can change depending on the setting. We must be aware of how we perceive students because they may view themselves differently.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Ups and downs and all around topsy turvy!
Good: The technology worked in ALL four of my classes yesterday when teaching.
Not so good: I made a few mistakes in two of my classes last night.
Yucky: I didn't get accepted to present my dissertation research at CEC in CA where I realllllly wanted to go in April for professional (and obviously) personal reasons.
So incredibly better than I could dream up: Just got the email saying my dissertation research will be published this fall/winter!!!
Next stop on this roller coaster we call higher education?? Unknown. ;)
Not so good: I made a few mistakes in two of my classes last night.
Yucky: I didn't get accepted to present my dissertation research at CEC in CA where I realllllly wanted to go in April for professional (and obviously) personal reasons.
So incredibly better than I could dream up: Just got the email saying my dissertation research will be published this fall/winter!!!
Next stop on this roller coaster we call higher education?? Unknown. ;)
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