Re: Class Discussion

Diversity targets legal discrimination, Equal opportunity targets illegal discrimination.

This is such an intriguing quote, that leads me to consider my perceptions of the education of minorities. Diversity is what we encourage to bring people of all cultures together. I suppose the reason we do this is to cultivate tolerance and understanding among people of all backgrounds. Diversity in a classroom can be a good thing because it helps give students different perspectives about many different situations. When diversity is encouraged in a classroom it can help students understand the differences in how other cultures bring up their children, what kinds of things are important, and what type of values they hold important. If the teacher mirrors this understanding the children will hopefully gain an understanding that it is important to be accepting of other cultures, and that all of these cultures have an impact on modern society. So much of America is shaped by ethnic minority groups, and it is important for students to recognize this early on. I wish that I had had more personal experience with diversity in my education because I think it would have helped remove some of my fear of saying something innapropriate, or not being able to relate to children from a different ethnic background than me.

Equal opportunity is there to satisfy laws. I think in an ideal world we wouldn't have to be concerned with equal opportunity, because people would accept and welcome diversity. Children wouldn't have to worry about getting a poor education just because their parents lived in segregated neighborhoods where the only work available was blue-collar and low-paying. Equal opportunity will be difficult to attain considering the current state of our nation and the overwhelming amount of stereotyping and racism that still exists. I hope that as a teacher I will be able to encourage tolerance and acceptance so that my students can grow up to bring the world that much closer to being equal.

Re: Class Discussion

Diversity targets legal discrimination, Equal opportunity targets illegal discrimination.

This is such an intriguing quote, that leads me to consider my perceptions of the education of minorities. Diversity is what we encourage to bring people of all cultures together. I suppose the reason we do this is to cultivate tolerance and understanding among people of all backgrounds. Diversity in a classroom can be a good thing because it helps give students different perspectives about many different situations. When diversity is encouraged in a classroom it can help students understand the differences in how other cultures bring up their children, what kinds of things are important, and what type of values they hold important. If the teacher mirrors this understanding the children will hopefully gain an understanding that it is important to be accepting of other cultures, and that all of these cultures have an impact on modern society. So much of America is shaped by ethnic minority groups, and it is important for students to recognize this early on. I wish that I had had more personal experience with diversity in my education because I think it would have helped remove some of my fear of saying something innapropriate, or not being able to relate to children from a different ethnic background than me.

Equal opportunity is there to satisfy laws. I think in an ideal world we wouldn't have to be concerned with equal opportunity, because people would accept and welcome diversity. Children wouldn't have to worry about getting a poor education just because their parents lived in segregated neighborhoods where the only work available was blue-collar and low-paying. Equal opportunity will be difficult to attain considering the current state of our nation and the overwhelming amount of stereotyping and racism that still exists. I hope that as a teacher I will be able to encourage tolerance and acceptance so that my students can grow up to bring the world that much closer to being equal.

Re: Observation

Today I worked with a totally new group of students, as they were on B schedule. The classes seemed much more mellow than the classes on A days. More of the students were focused on the teacher, and they were not as disruptive. I worked specifically with one student, S, who requested to work with me when Ms. H offered my help to the class. The students were working on a poetry unit, and Ms. H reads them a poem and asks them to write in their journals and answer some questions. S really enjoyed the poem, "Blackwater Pond" and seemed taken by the diction and beauty of the images. I did a poetry unit my senior year of high school, and I remember feeling so overwhelmed by all the intricacies of poetry. I think it is excellent that Ms. H is incorporating poetry into the curriculum, because I believe students are more likely to feel confident when it comes to poetry if they have more exposure to it early in their education. While I wish there would have been time to delve deeper into conversation about the true meaning of the poem, it was a good exercise for the children to become familiar with poetry in general.

One of the more interesting things I noted in class today has to do more with the social aspect of school. I think because I was new to the classroom last week I didn't get a chance to take note of the conversations between students during class or before and after class. One boy in class today was busy writing a note and drawing on himself rather than participating in teh class activity. I did not feel comfortable approaching him, so I observed him instead. I noticed him writing a note to another girl in the class asking her if she would 'go out' with him. At first I smiled to myself, but then realized the significance of relationships in junior high. While it may be too early to have a significant romantic relationship, it seems to me that dating in junior high is all about validation. Looking back I remember how important it was to me for boys to notice me, and how strong the rejection was when I realized they didn't even know who I was. While I know it isn't right for interactions like this to happen during class activities, I believe that we shouldn't discourage these kinds of interactions. Relationship skills are life skills, and relationships help us learn about ourselves and our interactions with others. What better place to experience these relationships than in school where we spend the most time with our peers?

RE: Class Discussion

I'm actually looking forward to getting my philosophy of education out on paper. I feel that I have a lot of ideas about what education is all about, but they're not completely organized or clear yet. The five branches of philosophy help provide a good starting point, but there are a couple that I really enjoyed considering:

Metaphysics: I think what's important in this category is the recognition that every home environment has the potential to be different from the next, which in turn makes each child unique. The home environment can either equip the child with skills to help them succeed, or it can present them with challenges in the classroom. Either way the most important thing is for the teacher to recognize and try to understand the culture and background of each child so they can incorporate that knowledge into the classroom interaction with the child. The further question of what is reality relates to how the child views the world. I think it's important for the teacher to literally ask the students questions about how they view the world. Children, no matter how young, can form opinions about why things are or how things are the way they are. If the teacher can achieve some understanding of a child's version of reality, they will potentially be better able to relate the material to the students in a way that will make it easier to understand.

Aesthetics: I think the concept of teaching and understanding what is beautiful is so important. As I said before, children have opinions about the world, and one of the things children can describe is what they believe is beautiful. One of the best experiences I ever had in a classroom was with my second grade teacher. She was young and fresh and brought these characteristics into the classroom with such flair. She introduced me to the beauty of words by instructing a poetry unit in which we made observations and wrote poetry about them. She took our class outside and encouraged us to write down anything we saw, heard, felt, tasted, etc. and allowed us to truly absorb what was going on around us. We all wrote poems, but I was particularly satisfied with mine. My teacher seemed to like it too, and offered to have it submitted to be published. To this day I have a better appreciation of the written word and the beauty of nature because that poem was professionally published in a book of poems. To see my work displayed was not only gratifying, but enriching because it made me realize the power of words and the beauty of creativity.

RE: Class Discussion

I'm actually looking forward to getting my philosophy of education out on paper. I feel that I have a lot of ideas about what education is all about, but they're not completely organized or clear yet. The five branches of philosophy help provide a good starting point, but there are a couple that I really enjoyed considering:

Metaphysics: I think what's important in this category is the recognition that every home environment has the potential to be different from the next, which in turn makes each child unique. The home environment can either equip the child with skills to help them succeed, or it can present them with challenges in the classroom. Either way the most important thing is for the teacher to recognize and try to understand the culture and background of each child so they can incorporate that knowledge into the classroom interaction with the child. The further question of what is reality relates to how the child views the world. I think it's important for the teacher to literally ask the students questions about how they view the world. Children, no matter how young, can form opinions about why things are or how things are the way they are. If the teacher can achieve some understanding of a child's version of reality, they will potentially be better able to relate the material to the students in a way that will make it easier to understand.

Aesthetics: I think the concept of teaching and understanding what is beautiful is so important. As I said before, children have opinions about the world, and one of the things children can describe is what they believe is beautiful. One of the best experiences I ever had in a classroom was with my second grade teacher. She was young and fresh and brought these characteristics into the classroom with such flair. She introduced me to the beauty of words by instructing a poetry unit in which we made observations and wrote poetry about them. She took our class outside and encouraged us to write down anything we saw, heard, felt, tasted, etc. and allowed us to truly absorb what was going on around us. We all wrote poems, but I was particularly satisfied with mine. My teacher seemed to like it too, and offered to have it submitted to be published. To this day I have a better appreciation of the written word and the beauty of nature because that poem was professionally published in a book of poems. To see my work displayed was not only gratifying, but enriching because it made me realize the power of words and the beauty of creativity.

Re: Chapter 2 Sleeter/Grant

I'd like to start out by saying that the second chapter of this text is so helpful in providing ideas of how to handle diversity in a classroom. Last year in 255 we read a lot of interesting and informative texts, but very rarely did they give any suggestions as to how to remedy problems and challenges that come with diversity in the classroom. Streeter and Grant give examples of classrooms as well as criticisms of the teachers therein so that the reader can better understand what skills and methods are effective. They truly practice what they preach, that students learn more effectively when they can relate what they are being taught to something they are more familiar with. A concrete example is something I can relate to much better than information about a subject without any suggestions.

Streeter and Grant discuss two different cognitive styles: analytical and synergetic. Analytical learners are "competitive and independent, and they focus well on impersonal tasks" (48). While Synergetic learners "prefer to work cooperatively rather than independently.....[they] attempt to integrate personal relationships into learning tasks" (48). I have noticed both of these learning styles both in my own education and my professional experience. Personally, I tend to be more of an analytical learner. I often get frustrated with group work because I am not always satisfied with the standards of my peers. My school work is very important to me, and I take it very seriously. Sometimes with group work, students have different ideas of what or how much effort is appropriate, and these conflicting views sometimes lead me to be dissapointed with the final result of the project. So, when given the choice to work alone or with a partner, I will generally opt for doing work by myself so that I can meet my personal goals.

However, in my field observations I can see both analytical and synergetic learners in the classroom. While I did not realize this at first, I now can see that the children that seem to be disruptive by talking in class with their peers could in fact be synergetic learners. This may lead them to desire interpersonal experiences in order to supplement and enhance their learning. For students that are synergetic learners, it seems to me that they would do better if their desks were set up in small groups rather than in rows. This would make it easier for them to have interpersonal experiences without disrupting the entire class.

Re: Chapter 1: Sleeter and Grant

The figures in this reading were rather jarring, because they give a very blunt statement about the state of the United States today. To begin, no nation is perfect in any of these respects, because these problems stem from human nature. It cannot be said for sure if any of these problems will ever be solved because for some reason it is a pattern of human behavior to reject others that are different from yourself. Children are raised that way, be it by their parents, teachers, or society in general, and this only perpetuates the problem. However, by raising awareness of these types of issues we can hopefully amend them accordingly.

In my personal educational experience, the most prominent of the issues discussed in the reading that I recall are classism and labeling.

I grew up in a primarily caucasion middle to upper middle class neighborhood. This did not provide much diversity in my education, but I did realize the different levels of privilege that surrounded me. The kids from the more well-to-do neighborhoods always wore nicer clothes, they were involved in more extra-curricular activities, they had all the latest toys and gadgets for school, and very often their mothers were very involved in school activities. I think this speaks to the way school activities were conducted. For instance, the room mothers were generally the mothers of the children who were more wealthy, I assume because one income was enough to sustain the family comfortably. Therefore, when we had school parties or holiday events, while they were geared toward everyone, I always felt that the boys and girls who were friends with the kids whose mothers were in charge got special treatment. These children all played together anyway, and their families were friends as well.
In middle school the gap increased, because it was easier to show wealth through clothing and activities, which also introduced labeling. The kids who had the most money generally hung out together and were labeled as the "popular" group. While I can't imagine it was intentional, the teachers were naturally drawn to these students because they tended to be more outgoing and confident.

At BJHS it is difficult to identify which children come from which economic background, but it seems that even the teachers play in to labeling. For instance, there is a class of LD/BD kids. Learning Disabled and Behavior Disabled are both labels that are standardized, so teachers use them naturally. But teachers can also label children as "unorganized" or "difficult" or "uncooperative." While these labels may be considered as more of ways to describe children, if the students realize that they are consistently labeled this way, they may be prone to continuing that behavior just because they feel they are expected to be that way. I believe it is the duty of the teacher to make every attempt to understand the child before giving them a label, and once the label is given, to make the student understand that they always have the power and control to change the way they are perceived by their peers and adults alike.

RE: The school as interpersonal space

Today was my second day of coaching at BJHS, and I felt it went well. My two students recognized me and were relatively cooperative. The class was working on memorization of the preamble of the Constitution. One of my students was working on that, and the other was writing a narrative that he had not completed the night before.

The E and R classroom always has a variety of activites going on because children are allowed to use that time to finish assignments that they may not have completed the night before for class that day. This class in particular has several students that tend to be disruptive and easily distracted. It seems that sometimes the teacher has difficulty maintaining control, mainly because there are so many different activities going on that she has difficulty keeping focus in the room.

The teachers at BJHS dress relatively casually, but professionally. I have felt a bit overdressed the last couple times I went, so perhaps I will dress down a bit more so the students do not feel intimidated by me. The students follow a variety of trends in their clothing. Personal styles are beginning to develop, for example, you see students following the punk/goth trend, the oversized clothes trend, and the tight-fitting expensive clothing trend. I had not remembered that developping in middle school at first, but looking back at my experience I realize that what you wore made a big difference in how people dealt with you.

So far I am not very familiar with the school procedures and rules as far as discipline is concerned, but I have seen teachers give detentions, and I know of students facing Saturday detentions as well as suspensions. There is a lot of diversity at BJHS, with children from many different types of upbringings and backgrounds. I feel that the teachers I work with are familiar with their students and can always provide the necessary information to help the students. So far I really admire the staff for their dedication to their students.

RE: Class discussion

I must admit the Springer reading was a little dense, only because it was difficult to jump from one minority group to the next and stay focused. However, I never really accounted for the differences in treatment of all the minority groups. When we discuss minorities we generally speak in terms of blacks and latin(a/o)s, but we leave out the Asian and Native American groups. This is very unfortunate because each of these groups has been affected differently by deculturalization techniques.

One of the things we talked about in class was that in the past few generations we have begun to lose our cultural identity. When our great grandparents emigrated from their native countries they came to America hoping to blend in, not stand out. Cultural differences were frowned upon, so in many cases they denounced their native culture for a new American life. These people often refused to pass on any of their native cultural heritage to their children short of physical charicteristics or recipes, perhaps. Now our parents and our generation are facing a cultural identity crisis. We can not trace our family trees back as far as we would like to because our foremothers and fathers were afraid to reveal any of their cultural selves. This puts Americans at a distinct advantage today, as the groups that were once in the minority are rising to be equal contenders in the population. Their cultural background is in most cases a big part of their lives, while those of us from a European descent are unfamiliar with our culture; all we are comfortable with is the life our ancestors created for us in America.

In fifth grade one of the big focuses of the year was Heritage Day. The work leading up to this celebration involved writing out family trees, interviewing family members, and finding out our family histories. Once we had our information, we put together books telling the story of our families, and provided information about the culture in those countries. Heritage Day itself required all of us to dress up in a costume that reflected our heritage. Each of us had to get up in front of our parents and fellow classmates on stage and say hello in the language of the country of our costume, and then we had to say a couple sentences about what we researched.

The sad part about this project is how little we all found out about our heritage. We all did the interviews and got the information, but we didn't really learn anything about our cultural identity. We were probably too young to even appreciate what our culture really means to us, so of course we were not dissapointed when all our questions couldn't get answered. I realize now that there are so many more questions I wish I could have had answered before my grandmother died, the last person on my mom's side of the family who could recount family history. I wish I could have had the opportunity to talk to my grandfather about his family, my opa about his family.....

Now we have to work a lot harder to get our questions answered. In the face of a cultural identity crisis, we essentially have to go back to the roots of our family tree, to the native country of our great-grandparents. I hope someday I can go back to the former Bohemia, and Germany and get some of my questions answered, so that I can pass on a strong sense of who I am culturally to my children some day. Armed with that knowledge, they will feel much more fulfilled by their multi-faceted identity.

My first day of observation!

I think the best part of today was the fact that going in to BJHS I wasn't nervous at all. It makes me feel good that I can walk into a classroom with a healthy amount of confidence, but also a general attitude of respect and desire to learn from the teacher and the students alike.

When I walked into the classroom, the students were busy at work at their desks, reviewing with Ms. H about an upcoming grammar test. One of the first things I noted was that the desks were set up in rows, with a circular back table of four students. The classroom is relatively large with a line of windows along the back wall to let in plenty of light. Ms. H had tables sectioning off her desk area, presumably to establish her personal space in the classroom.

I noticed that there were a few students seated near the front of the classroom that were talking while Ms. H was talking, and being a bit disruptive to the rest of the class. These were the kids I was asked to help during their time to work on their own. Some of them were more receptive to my assistance than others. I think I need to work with them further so they can become more comfortable with me and come to trust that I really am there to help.

In the next class, I noticed that the general tone of the room was more focused. More of the students in the second class were attentive and participating actively. This may have been because the second group had just finished their lunch, while the first group had not eaten yet.

I worked with one student, A, in the second class, that was doing work that was below the level of the rest of the class. Ms. H explained that she would be better suited to be in Special Ed level classes, but she did not qualify by state standards and couldn't be moved down. I worked with A on a set of vocabulary words from a different spelling book, helped her come up with simple definitions, and alphabatize the words. I noticed that she had a lot of trouble focusing on what was going on in class, and was easily distracted by things on her desk and the children around her.

I am really looking forward to going back next week to work with a new group of students, though I wish I would have been able to schedule more than one day a week worth of observation. Hopefully once I get my focal student I will be able to find some time to shadow that student in other classes. I feel like there is definitely a need for helpers in Ms. H's classroom, because it seems that a lot of the students in her classroom could use help getting organized and staying that way. I am ready to be a presence in that classroom, as much as Ms. H deems appropriate.

Although I've already remarked a bit on the atmosphere at BJHS, I'd like to start there again, and in more detail.

When I revisted the building yesterday for my first day of the Coaches program, I was struck by the open, airy feel of the hallways. Carpeting keeps it quiet, and neutral tones in carpet and lockers are complimented by some brighter accents. I recall my middle school feeling dark, with dark carpeting and old colored lockers. Because of the large nature of the population in the school, students are required to use a wide ramp instead of the stairs. Even thought the traffic during passing periods can be a bit intimidating, the wide hallways really makes it manageable to navigate, even during heavy traffic times. Walking past the lunchroom and food service area, I noticed that the room where students buy their lunches is a happy pink. I smiled when I saw this because it made me feel relaxed. As a student I would appreciate warm colors as I was buying my food because lunchtime is one of the few times during the day where students can relax. The lunchroom is open on all sides, which is also a positive thing. It probably allows noise to be dispersed more effectively, but also it allows students to feel less constricted during their relaxation period. The halls and rooms were generally very clean, also a difficult task in a middle school. This speaks to the expectation that students respect their workspace in and out of the classroom.

Now, in regards to my philosophy of education/class discussion today:
After reading Professor W's blog, I was inspired to consider some of my personal experience and relate it to how it has shaped my current philosophy of education. It seems to me that my most memorable teachers were those that incorporated some kind of creativity in their classrooms. I remember the big projects well: the Native American Project in 3rd grade, the Illinois project in 4th, Heritage Day in 5th...But of these the Native American project really stands out in my mind. My teacher, Mrs. M, had been teaching at the school for many years, and she was known to be the toughest teacher in the third grade. My grandmother, who taught at the school years before, worked with Mrs. M, and told me that if I wanted to succeed in her class I just had to follow the rules and be ready to learn. I always responded well to rules and structure as a child, so Mrs. M and I developed a strong relationship. When it came time to do the Native American project, she informed us that contrary to the other teachers, she would require us to do our entire project in class to be sure that it was our work, and not our parents. The project involved a building aspect, whether a diorama, or a piece of art, or a replication of something used by whichever tribe you were assigned. I was given the Navajo tribe, and decided to build a loom and during the day of presentations I would weave a piece. My dad helped me prepare the pieces I would need, drilling holes for me to put screws in and helping me measure out the wood, but I had to put the entire thing together in class.
Long story short, I was more proud of that project than any preceding it. I still have the loom in my attic, as well as the piece I weaved on it.

In short, I remember best the teachers that forced me to step outside my comfort zone, if even a little bit. I thrived on learning skills to help me become independent. Now, what can I take from this as it relates to my philosophy of education?

As a child I was driven, and I loved school. But there are always children in a classroom that do not receive the kind of upbringing or encouragement needed to foster such an attitude. Nor should all students in a classroom be of the same desires and opinions....that would be boring. The point is, I believe it is crucial to examine the whole child so that I can manipulate the curriculum in a way that reaches that child. Every child learns differently, we know this, but how do they feel about learning? Do they embrace learning new things and becoming independent, or would they rather not go to school at all and stay home with mom and dad? Or do they not even know what kind of attitude to have towards school because no one is supporting them at home? So many questions, all of which rely on the importance of truly knowing one's students. If an educator is really familiar with each child entirely, their classroom will be the one that is remembered ten years, even twenty years later.

I thought today's discussion went really well. I'm pleased that our class seems to feel comfortable sharing with each other, because it really does make the material more effective for me. I get a lot more out of class when I have other people's opinions to build on.

As far as the readings go, I think there was a lot of valuable information presented. All in all, I think reading these three philosophies of education will be really helpful in providing a basic structure for writing my own philosophy of education.

I agree completely that education needs to be more than just filling heads with facts and having them regurgitated. I know that from my experience as a student, I get a lot less out of a class where the teacher only lectures, than in a class where I am more of a participant in my education. Personally, I am much more of a visual learner than an auditory learner, so lecturing, while sometimes interesting, is not the most effective method for me to learn by. I know that in a history class, for example, where it is the norm to be taught through reading, lectures, and note taking, I do not test as well as I do in other classes where I can learn the information using multiple intelligences.

I also agree that children need to be actively involved in questioning their education and thinking critically. It seems to me that the workforce is seeking out critical thinkers and problem solvers instead of the machines that the educational system tends to produce. While I believe that it is important that children gain a healthy respect for authority figures, I also believe they need to understand that it is only right to question what you are learning. By not questioning your own education, you are allowing yourself to become robot-like and obedient. However, I do think that it may be challenging for current educators to change their methods so as not to turn out another generation of children raised to always be obedient. It is our job as future educators to understand the importance of critical education so that we can, potentially, save future generations of children from this same fate.

I thought today's discussion went really well. I'm pleased that our class seems to feel comfortable sharing with each other, because it really does make the material more effective for me. I get a lot more out of class when I have other people's opinions to build on.

As far as the readings go, I think there was a lot of valuable information presented. All in all, I think reading these three philosophies of education will be really helpful in providing a basic structure for writing my own philosophy of education.

I agree completely that education needs to be more than just filling heads with facts and having them regurgitated. I know that from my experience as a student, I get a lot less out of a class where the teacher only lectures, than in a class where I am more of a participant in my education. Personally, I am much more of a visual learner than an auditory learner, so lecturing, while sometimes interesting, is not the most effective method for me to learn by. I know that in a history class, for example, where it is the norm to be taught through reading, lectures, and note taking, I do not test as well as I do in other classes where I can learn the information using multiple intelligences.

I also agree that children need to be actively involved in questioning their education and thinking critically. It seems to me that the workforce is seeking out critical thinkers and problem solvers instead of the machines that the educational system tends to produce. While I believe that it is important that children gain a healthy respect for authority figures, I also believe they need to understand that it is only right to question what you are learning. By not questioning your own education, you are allowing yourself to become robot-like and obedient. However, I do think that it may be challenging for current educators to change their methods so as not to turn out another generation of children raised to always be obedient. It is our job as future educators to understand the importance of critical education so that we can, potentially, save future generations of children from this same fate.

Before even getting to BJHS, I knew a little bit about the student population and the way the school itself functioned. I was aware that there was a lot of diversity among the students, which sometimes created conflict in the hallways and the lunchroom.

Upon arriving at the school, I was pleased to see the sign-in procedure. It was nice to be welcomed to the school by a real person, and it shows how important safety is in the building. This must provide students with a sense of security as well. I did not realize how big the school would be, or how many students there were total. I went to a middle school with only 300 students, so BJHS will take some getting used to. My middle school had one long hallway with classrooms on each side. Instead of teams, each of my classes had a different group of students; however with only 100 students in my graduating class, I saw a lot of the same faces in each room. The team system is most likely a good thing for the students at BJHS because it makes such a large school feel a little bit smaller, and more manageable.

During passing periods, the kids at BJHS were monitored by what appeared to be designated adult hall monitors. At my middle school, teachers would occasionally stand outside their doors, but other than that, the hallways were not monitored at all. In addition, the population of my graduating class was over 95% white, so all the diversity at BJHS will be a new experience. Even in high school, the majority of the population was white, so I will hopefully be gaining important skills by working with children from diverse backgrounds.

I'm really looking forward to getting into the classroom and meeting the teacher and students I'm going to work with, both for observation and for the coaches program. I'm excited to compare this observation with the observation from 255 last year. I hope I can use what I learned from that class to help me in the classroom.

I suppose there are a lot of things that have driven me to become an elementary education major. When I was young I was constantly being told that I was bossy. At the time I didn't appreciate it very much at all, but as I got older I learned that bossiness could be used for good. I was always fascinated with children, the way they grew and developed, and how they changed as they got older. I was always eager to take the lead in projects and show other people how to do things, even when it wasn't really appreciated. In short, I was the kind of kid who got called bossy-flossy by kids and adults alike, but always acted way older than I needed to.

A few years into elementary school I realized that what I really wanted to do someday was to be just like my teachers. I loved school, and I would come up with ideas for how to set up my classroom some day. My desire to be a teacher never really waivered as I continued my education through middle school or high school. This surprised me because so many kids change their minds about what they want to be when they grow up at least once before they get to college. I did a lot of babysitting in middle school and high school, taught vacation bible school, taught dance classes, and did some tutoring, all of which kept my interest in teaching alive.

I knew that I would have to come up with an eloquent way of talking about why I want to become a teacher, but it's hard to say what makes me different from all the other kids that decide they want to do the same thing. One of the reasons that sounds cliche is that I really do have a desire to shape young minds. The development of a child from an infant that can't communicate to a unique person with opinions and emotions is unbelieveably fascinating. A child has so much to gain from a well-educated educator that cares about their profession. I want to be able to provide children with the skills to succeed in life, but also to enjoy and appreciate the world around them. Education is about more than just what we learn in books, it's about applying what we learn to the real world. I want to help children's creativity flourish. I want to see the lightbulb over a children's head when they understand a new concept. I want to make it possible for a child to have the same dream I did to become an educator. In my case, I also see myself participating in the education of children beyond the classroom. I feel that at some point in my career I would be a good candidate for an administrative position. The politics in schools can be overwhelming, but well-informed administrators are essential to the maintenance of a school. I feel my leadership and organizational skills could be useful in an administrative position as well as in a classroom. However, I also feel that administrators should really understand what it's like to be a teacher, so that they can rule fairly as a supervisor.

Basically, I love kids and I want to make them love learning. In some ways, it's as simple as that.