Prof. Growth Reflection

Professional Growth

1. At the beginning of the clinical field experience, candidates learned that “educators should become knowledgeable about and sensitive to issues surrounding human and cultural diversity.” What does this mean and why is it important?

Growing up I was raised by both of my parents to be respectful towards any type of race, ethnicity, gender and religion. At the beginning of the clinical field experience I learned new rights as a soon to be teacher that I need to keep clear of my surroundings. I remember our discussion about the freedom of speech and how it is completely true how each teacher needs to be careful what is said around students. I do not allow foul language around my child so why would I let anyone else. I think also that sensitive issues come with a certain maturity level later in life. In my situation I am believe in Jesus Christ and it is hard for me to not talk about faith in a classroom to students because a lot of families are either Christians, Atheist or Agnostic. I think that once a student becomes a teacher then multiple roles of that person come into place- counselor, mentor, friend, trustworthy and respectful.

2. At the beginning of the clinical field experience, candidates learned that a goal of the experience was to assure that all candidates become reflective, moral, caring, and ethical classroom practitioners cognizant of their responsibility to assist all students to fully meet their learning potential. Now that you have completed the clinical field experience, why is this important for teachers “to assist ALL students to fully meet their learning potential?”

This semester has helped me extremely by focusing on accommodating students learning styles. In my educational psychology class, I learned how to prepare my classroom for time management and focusing on outside factors that a student may go through in life. Currently I am focusing on the elementary level, which is a time when a student’s mind is running wild, and putting new information into their schemas. One of the classes that I observed was a kindergarten class and I remember a Hispanic student whom had trouble and the teacher fully assisted him in the computer lab by using an online site and making him print out the results after the testing. The teacher encouraged the student to do well on each test and he ended up getting ecstatic and raising his hand afterwards. I enjoyed classrooms where each teacher was involved in some type of form that the student felt “supportive” by someone else other than a parent. I put myself in that position because I want Paisly to feel like she is worth more than our approval in life and education especially.

3. What perceptions of yours (of teachers, students, or schools) were changed due to the clinical field experience?
The clinical field experience reminded me a lot of my mother and the memories we shared throughout the years. My perceptions of teachers remain the same but I know that each teacher has a different teaching style and some just do not have the best patience after a long day. I observed a third grade classroom and the teacher would just yell at each student coming into the door to sit down and focus on her which brought me back to Mr. Wong. In order to be successful and enjoy the students it is best not to just throw worksheets at them and think it is ok because of course two wrongs do not make a right. Correct. My perceptions of students remain the same because each one wants to gain attention either by acting out or the right actions. I think I have more experience than others do because I babysit Megan after school and in the summer, I run a daycare in my home up to four children including Paisly. Although, it is not a classroom with twenty kids or more but I organize multiple activities, lunches, nap and give love to each one. Schools on the other hand I think are a little outrageous on their money funding because they remind me of the Springfield prison. Honestly, if a student has a parent in jail then it would just remind them of it. I think the technology is a great learning enhancement but the white walls and less windows is a little to the extreme. It just teaches the students that each person can have whatever he or she wants and not be appreciative or respective. I could possibly be thinking into detail more than I should. Unfortunately, I learned without those items and I think I turned out OK. J

4. What is the role of the teacher in the classroom?

I think that once a student becomes a teacher then multiple roles of that person come into place- counselor, mentor, friend, trustworthy and respectful. I am focusing on elementary and in the different stages each student will face obstacles were they would want to find trust in someone other than a parent, which plays into role of the teacher. I think students will reach out in other ways such as art and expressing their emotions, behaviors and home life and it will take a strong person to understand and help. I work at the Flip Shop as well as a tumble bear preschool coach, the “gymnasts” are three years old, it shocks me how much trust, and respect plays into role. The “gymnasts” will not do somersaults, cartwheels, walk the beam or flip on the bars unless I have a strong bond with each one. I have had to learn new names and focus on a trait that makes them unique in order to be accepted as their friend but instructor as well. It is the same in a classroom with twenty kids.


5. What are the teacher’s responsibilities to the learner?

The teacher’s responsibilities are to focus on trainings, lesson plans and curriculum through the school. One of the teachers at Irving Elementary explained to me (fifteen-minute conversation) what she has to do in order to teach her class. She first taught at Webb City Elementary and the Principal required that all lesson plans must be turned in before the school year and I agree because procrastination and certain events in life can slow anyone down. Then she explained that in the Joplin School District the teacher’s need to stay organized and it is not a requirement to turn in the lesson plans. I think this is a little ridiculous because in order to teach the students a teacher needs to be well prepared to propose the new information and conclude background information if it is not learned well enough. I am a very organized person, I do not plan to get behind on activities, and I will follow up on my responsibilities.

6. Why is the teacher referred to as a decision maker?

The reason a teacher is known as a decision maker is the option each one has to face in the classroom. A teacher must identify a student who might need further assistance in learning disability that might lead to contacting the parent. A teacher may encounter an explicit piece of artwork that concluded questions that would lead into talking to the counselor about a problem concerning the student’s safety. The teacher makes decisions throughout her classroom all day whether it is small to a huge flabbergasted ordeal.

7. What do you think are the characteristics of a “Master Teacher?”

A Master Teacher would be someone that is highly intelligent in his or her academics and can solve problems. This so-called teacher will maintain a high level of withitness in his or her classroom therefore, leading into a low standard of problems. Each teacher has different qualities, which makes his or her unique in their teaching. I think a teacher that understands problems, patience and teachers each student well is a master in disguise and a leader.

8. Is teaching what you want to do as a vocation?

Yes. Even before I had Paisly, I enjoyed children especially working at daycares. I have always provided parents with options for teaching children by swim lessons, gymnastics and care giving. I have definitely learned new things throughout the years that prepared me for motherhood. I volunteer in the children’s ministries on Saturday night and Sunday mornings at Forest Park Baptist Church and teaching them about Jesus is the most amazing thing in my life. I know that I make a difference in their lives just as much by being there and if things do not work out at MSSU, I know that my focus would be the children’s ministries. God comes first in my life so I plan to follow in his direction because he has provided me with a supportive family. The clinical field helped me to understand a classroom setting with only one teacher as the focus.

9. How did the clinical field experience help crystallize your decision?

My decision has been pretty set and clear for a few years I just took time out to care for my mother while she was sick. I now have more free time during the days in which I planned my observation hours according to my schools hours and Paisly time. The clinical field was a great experience to enhance new learning skills, attention getters, and understand what it takes to become a splendid teacher. I am sure I will have my moments the next couple of semesters…

10. Based on your own strengths and weaknesses, what skills do you still need to develop to fulfill the role of a teacher?

My focus is on completing and understanding the designing of lesson plans and not handing out random assignments to people, I barely know as a reference. I know I need to focus more on classroom management, withitness, structure, reinforcement, and punishments when needed. I eventually will learn more of this as the semester passes by in other classes. I have listed most of my strengths throughout this reflection. I would like to make a point about Head Start though because a few students made it out that it was a bad program. I understand it is based on lower income but if a person took time to do a survey of how many of those parents work or go to school full time the issue would be different. I just think that if a person wants to become a teacher they must be open to EVERYONE instead of judging each person depending on income, looks, background, parents and any other circumstance. EVERY child wants to learn.

Reflection

The beginning of the semester our focus was designing a website bibliography. This helped me to gain information throughout websites and collecting information for future classroom activities and enhancement learning. Once I gathered information over science, history, mathematics, technology and special education I then contributed the different websites, discussed the activities, and evaluated each category. This will be great information for the future as lesson plans and set curriculums to show and explore as further assistance.
The introduction PowerPoint was a great way to introduce the students to a teacher’s life, culture and background. I enjoyed this assignment because I was able to upload and scan pictures, hyperlink websites, explore my family and our adventures. PowerPoint is a technology tool to increase knowledge through teaching students in a different atmosphere. Through my PowerPoint, using narration to entertain, I enhanced videos, and followed my objectives. Although, the narrations were nerve racking to record I felt that it brought out my anxiety and helped me pursue a higher intellectual intelligence by writing down a few sentences and then talking through the recorder. Dr. Flatt helped me to understand the FLV converter by watching YouTube videos and then copying and pasting the link, which would automatically format where I inserted it into the PowerPoint.
Before the semester started, I stated objectives for each class and that was to push myself and fulfill each goal until I received a great extent of the material. This class has helped me learn technology in a different way than from High School especially after using a Mac for four years and learning new programs. In this computer software class, I learned to maintain one file for each project and to save each item to that one folder otherwise the file might become corrupt or information does not follow through. The Windows Movie Maker was a bit of a challenge because once I had all pictures in place the adjustment on the words would move which went into the transitions but eventually it worked out. I enjoyed downloading free music tones and testing each one on the movie to make sure it went with all my daughters’ pictures. I also found it interesting to include and watch videos for my final Capstone project because it helps the children understand the information by upbeat activity. I think that the different options through font, drawing, design and animation are a creative option also for children to understand the art of learning. It also is a great technology tool for the classroom such as introduction to the school, graduation, memories and commercials.
On each assignment, I stated my sources/references because I plan to use them in the future but I will never forget the six by six rules because it is easier for the children to read especially at younger age. Throughout my other classes, I learned that each student accommodates certain learning styles which rambling can often lose attention but regaining their attention by technology is a great effect. This has been an experience and a challenge at times especially when the MSSU computers did not function quite up to par but I have learned information that I plan to use in my classroom with the younger students.

HELP

Here goes another blog that I honestly am pulling out of my ass. The past few weeks have gone by so fast that I want to mention something that is bothering me again. One of my best friends is getting married June 5, 2010 and a group of us girls organized a bachelorette party. I chose the Hard Rock Casino in Tulsa, OK because it has the restaurants, ice bar, and the club called friction. I ended up leaving the so-called “meeting” early and then I get an email saying, “We need your money by this weekend.” I though ok that is completely fine because I was excited to shop for party favors with them. Come to find out I was not invited nor were the girl going to ask me to join. It was the crappiest thing EVER. Honestly, my feelings were crushed. Not only was she my best friend but her other so-called friends were taking over and they will not take care of her when she is completely trashed and cannot walk. It will be me caring for her of course…Like always. Not only to add on to that week of crap is our final exam focusing on a presentation with our group. It is five people, one of the students did not finish their part, and the teacher docked each person because of her un-organization skills. I dislike group projects with a passion and I will NOT ever have my students reliable for someone else’s work. Therefore, I had the group meet afterwards and told them to have their information ready by Monday or else I am taking over and finishing it because if not my grade will go down. I am not going to sacrifice my grade for someone who does not give two shits about anything. I thought the older a person got the more mature and organized they became. I guess that is just me. After all this happened I went to church and just poured my heart out to God and was just was hoping for guidance and security through all of this mess. Our pastor talked about Philippians 2:14 “Do everything without complaining and arguing.” It also talked about putting a hundred percent of effort into the things you do each day and do not get upset if your career or goals are goings as you planned. Focus on the plan that God has in store for you as a person. Of course here I am complaining like most people do, but this is my way of expressing to other students to get things together. Please focus on the money a person wastes by not trying to succeed. I understand things become a distraction and there is no way out but plan for the future and set goals high. This Sunday- David and I are dedicating our daughter to raising her in a Christian life, which it is Mothers Day and an emotional day for our family.

summer

The weekend has officially begun- Although, I manage to plan out my week and weekends in advance I have no clue what is going to happen. I know that one thing is for sure I am completely finished in one of my education classes. I finished my Capstone as our final project and I am ecstatic. The past few weeks I have worked so hard to complete according to the rubric. The assignment was to choose the grade each student would like to teach once they finish graduating. Of course, I chose kindergarten with a focus in math-learning addition, subtraction, and money, face and place value. On each slide I chose images off of Google and each item was placed into my capstone folder and on my jump drive. Throughout this course I learned how to use windows vista for movie maker and power point. In high school the money funding was provided towards Mac computer which are a bit different than MSSUs. I also had the courage to do a few narrations- where I recorded myself talking on a slide about the specific topic. It was not easy to do so of course I recorded the sound from home and then brought it to the school to add to the power point. Some of the disadvantages were that I do not have an upgraded computer with Power Point 2007 therefore; it corrupted a couple files leaving me to start completely over. One day I got to class and realized that I did not have my jump drive leaving me with nothing to do for a whole class period and then found out Paisly had put it in one of her purses, funny. If my memory was awful I have no idea where I would be right now. I am completely finished – burned the CD and turned it in to the professor. The only downside is I still have four classes including our English class. BOO. I hope these next three weeks pass on by and I can still squeeze in observation hours. I am really getting irritated with one of my teachers because she keeps assigning assignment and I turn them in before the due date and of course she extends the dates for the procrastinators. I honestly could have squeezed in a little more Paisly time; movie, outdoors etc… catch my drift? The assignment is over education in the different countries and to fill out a chart with our own words through the Power Point she shows in class. The students should all be writing down word for word, but instead they do nothing- then realization hits the night it is due and the Power Point on blackboard does not open.
Dear summer,
Please hurry. I need a break!

RANDOM

This is a random blog because my mind is completely scattered today.
This week has not been one of the best times in my life but luckily, I have a great family to support me. I have met a considerable amount of new people in our neighborhood. There is one woman whom is eighty-one years old, lives alone, and still manages to take care of flowers, bamboo tree, aloe vera plants etc… I have been very blessed to meet her and learn about her past. Her daughter passed away at eleven- years old and her soon about a year ago. She was explaining a fire pit that her father built on the farm and how she roasts marshmallows during the summer and asked us to join. As she explained this, I thought about the times when I was a kid and our family would go camping to Grand Lake. Of course, our camping trip was a little too pampered with a TV, VCR and a fan. My sister and I would spend quality time together watching The Parent Trap, laughing all night, and reciting the movie repeatedly. I think about the past a lot and wonder what it would be like to go back into time and re do a few things to improve. I think as a teenager I treated my mom disrespectful but I know by taking care of her when she was sick helped make up for it. I think about girls and their behaviors towards their parents and I would like to tell them you eventually might regret it. Although, it takes a mature person to accept different perspectives in others lives. It has also been a year since my mother passed away and of course, I had these vivid memories in my head. I walked to the cemetery and had the smell of bedsores and could hear the respirator working and then just hum... It was the worst feeling ever. I have not spoken to my mom in almost three years nor have I seen her face/body/expressions in a year. Paisly goes with me to visit and always says “hi nana” and kisses her mausoleum and it breaks my heart because my mom would love to be here with her but I know that she is in a much better place living eternal life with Jesus Christ. This is all a plan that I have not figured out I am just following it and trusting with everything.

WOW..

I am going to rant about a few things that happened this because I am not quite happy with the ending results. First off I enjoy giving other a helping hand no matter the situation but now that it has involved the school I am little aggravated. A person that I just met this semester recently has asked for help on some assignments of course I offered. The next week I was asked if I could e-mail my assignment that I had recently turned in two days in advance to look over as a reference of course I said “yes”. I thought it would be ok to help where the person did not receive a zero. Well… little did I know something BAD was about to happen. Our teacher had posted on BB that plagiarism is against the MSSU policy, could result in an F in the class, and kicked out of the teacher education program. Of course, my intentions were wow that is awful and I double-checked my work making sure I sited resources etc and I figured I was ok. I then get a phone call from that “friend” saying “Jenny…. We have a problem…. I accidently turned in your chart as mine with your name and nothing changed.” Are you serious? I was not a happy camper afterwards and then receiving an e-mail saying, the three of us need to discuss this incident. The next day the meeting took place of course I got punished as well for letting her “cheat” off my assignment and teachers are technically not suppose to do this type of activity. In the result, I received the same punishment- a zero on the assignment and a write up at MSSU- other (student giving education chart to another student). It was not a great Monday and Tuesday to start my week. I have worked my *** off this semester studying, assignments on time, observation hours, papers and much more. I have often helped others out who work full-time or do not understand. I recently had straight A’s but I now have a B in one class and perfect attendance. I could honestly ring someone’s neck, which I understand it was an honest mistake. I am not dishonest, that is what bothers me the most, and my feelings actually are hurt by this. I have learned never to do this again in the future. After all of this I then asked this person where in BB was our handout that the class was suppose to bring to class and I got a reply saying “Oh… I do not know but I printed it off already. Sorry” I was livid. Luckily, after deep searching on BB I found it and had it for our class discussion. Then I get a call today saying, “Hey have you turned in your assignment” I replied, “Yes… I turned it in the other night” then a reply of “Oh… I am turning it in late because I was busy tonight and I can find the submission for it.” I explained where it was in the assignments but the teacher had taken it down after the time limit. I checked my e-mail seriously twenty minutes ago and the teacher said she extended the submission until Friday at Five pm. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME…. I again turned in my assignment on the due date and I still get in trouble. RAR… Oh and not to mention my advisor is horrible and never once told me that I could fill out a petition slip for almost three classes that I transferred over from PSU. What a rough week… Is it
Friday…YET? ;)

BASEBALL

I have always found a passion for baseball games. I do not know if it is because my dad played as a kid and took us to multiple games. I have vivid moments of when I was kid going to the St. Louis Royals game and playing around with my sister during the games. My parents, now just my father’s home is fully decorated in signed baseballs and jersey from the Yankees and Cardinals. It amazes me how much money he will spend on random collections. When I think of summer, I remember the time our family went to a St. Louis Cardinal baseball game at Busch Stadium. There was a fundraiser held for patients that had been fully confined to a wheel chair. My mother was determined to be down on the baseball field taking her pictures with all the Cardinal players. The security officers took us through the VIP area and let my mom, sister and I explore and let me tell you it was the most amazing place and definitely, lots of money put into it. My mother sat in her wheelchair completely ecstatic and at that point, I knew that she was not thinking about her disease. I think about the movie the bucket list and I know that was one of hers on the checklist, meeting the St. Louis Cardinals-head coach Tony La Russa. The St. Louis Cardinals seem to be playing well in the pre-games, which help them out towards the main season. My mother always focused her disease around Lou Gehrig since that is what ALS is based off in the 1930s. It is a rare disease and completely paralyzes a person. Lou Gehrig was the greatest man in history for his prowess as a hitter, consecutive games-played record and its subsequent longevity, and the pathos of his farewell from baseball at age 36(Lou Gehrig). Lou Gehrig played for the Yankees for over two-thousand games in his career and rewarded with the Most Valuable Player from 1927-1936. This disease affects multiple people every day and one day there will be a cure. Lou Gehrig and ALS patients refer to this note:
Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.
Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I’m lucky. Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.
When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift — that’s something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies — that’s something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter — that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body — it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed — that's the finest I know.
So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for. Thank you.
— Lou Gehrig at Yankee Stadium, July 4, 1939