Get experience with all types of learners. Part 2

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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

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

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

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