My dream career is to become a Bilingual Elementary School Teacher. Some credentials needed to become a Bilingual Educator is earning a Bachelors Degree with a teacher preparation program. During junior and senior year I will be participating in class room observations for a semester. After graduation, I will need to apply for a state licensure and take the exams necessary to earn ESL or bilingual endorsement. I hope to accomplish these credentials at University of North Texas or at the University of Houston.
The past few weeks in PEAT, we have learned about the Secretary of Education and about administration. Learning about our newly elected Secretary of education, Mrs. Betsy DeVos, has made me more interested in education and it's future. These last two weeks, I have been conducting a survey about Issues in Education to teachers, administrators, and students. With these surveys I will also share the results and talk more in depth on how someone could expand awareness over these issues. (click here to read about our prompt)
Below you will see the results after conducting five surveys to five different people that serve or attend in Birdville High School.
Based on what the results show, I can say that the majority know who our Secretary of Education is. However, there were a few voters who don't know her priorities. After receiving the surveys back, only two people got her priorities correct the others will either one or two off. I learned that all the people have a job in education (teachers and administrators) do have some knowledge about the issues in education. About 40% of the voters think that standardized testing is an issue in education today, and it should be taken away. Another 40% said that the issues at the moment is how the Secretary of Education is NOT qualified for the position. Lastly, 20% said, funding at state level is a issues that needs to be addressed to everyone. To sum up my results, I can say that all five voters are updated enough to make their own choices for education issues.
Although I have surveyed five voters, it doesn't mean that everyone in the U.S is informed about the issues in education or about the Secretary of Education. Some parents aren't even aware of these issues, or what is being suggested from the Secretary of Education. everyone should be aware of education issues because it plays a huge role in everyones lives. Spreading awareness about education issues like standardized testing and teacher salaries, can help voters make the correct choice when voting in their state. Here are just two suggestions on how we can spread awareness. To spread awareness about how ineffective standardized testing is to students, parents (or anyone) should speak out more on how those tests are affecting students and teachers each year. Having meetings with parents and teachers about standardized testing would help create awareness and new ideas. Another issue that was brought up was teacher salaries and how low they are getting paid. Everyone knows that teachers aren't given a higher salary, but no one has done anything about it. They only way to bring awareness to this matter is to use your voice. Your voice is powerful and it should never be taken away from you. Speaking about this could bring more people to their senses and stand next to you. Words and actions can be life changing.
If you want to know more about our Secretary of education click this link: Betsy DeVos
MY LEARNING STYLES
I have taken the test to find my learning style and it seems that I am more of a auditory learner and visual learner than a tactile learner.
An auditory learner is someone who learn best from hearing information.
In English class, I prefer hearing and speaking about the book than having to do a quiz or worksheet on it. Talking about the book helps me understand the different options other students have that could help me interpret the book.
A visual learner learns best when information is presented in front of them like writing, pictures, or diagrams.
In math, I like having a visual in front of me, like a drawing or a video to have a better understanding. Having an example on sight helps me understand how to do the work or project. In World History, I prefer having my notes color coded/ highlighted to remember the important information.
(I am answering the prompt on Mrs. Kallas' Blog. )
MY MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE
My Multiple Intelligences are naturalistic and intrapersonal.
Being a naturalist means understanding the patterns of living and applying scientific reasoning to the world. A naturalistic strategy I use is observing an recording the data.
Intrapersonal means the person is looking inward and figuring out their own feelings and goals. Whenever I'm in English class or World History, I like to take the topic and relate it to my life.
MY HEMISPHERICITY PREFERENCE
In class I discovered that I am a analytical learner, which means we prefer knowing the details and like to take a more logical approach.
Analytical characteristics are:
benefit from details, clear instructions
create organizing methods
prefer to work in a quite environment
defend their arguments with logic and common sense
want specific, constructive feedback
Some sayings an analytical learner would say are:
"What do you want the paper to be about?"
"Don't touch ANYTHING!"
TRUE COLORS
My true color is blue. Blues like harmony rather than chaos.
Some characteristics of a blue are:
compassionate
spiritual
imaginative
react to great sensitivity to rejection
respond to encouragement than competition
resilient
make decisions based on their feelings
prefer to share emotions
devoted to what they sett their mind to
easy going
My description of a bad is whenever I feel rejection or failure. On a "bad day" I feel depressed and isolate myself from my close friends. I also tend to lie to others about my true feelings and at times, if it really bad, I cry. I also start day-dreaming of how I could have prevented this type of day.
To learn more about the True Colors, watch this video.
For the past three days in PEAT we have watched the movie Beyond the Blackboard. The movie itself is emotional and inspirational. After watching the movie, I understood that every teacher, no matter the situation has to face challenges. These challenges can differentiate from the students to the school itself. Therefore, I'm going to discuss my challenges I think I will face when I have my own classroom. (click here to read the prompt)
The day I was certain I was going to be a teacher in the future was in 3rd grade. Ms. Aguirre was always excited to see us and would teach us until we knew how to do it ourselves. My inspiration didn't stop there; in my freshman year I had Ms. Keany as my algebra teacher. Being in her class made my passion for teaching flourish. Each teacher has faced different challenges with the school, students, parents, etc.
As I think about my future I have assumed that I will face challenges with becoming a teacher.
One of the challenges that I have feared is not being able to get students engaged in to the learning. If I can't get the student to understand the lesson then he/she will struggle finding answers. The student will loose interest in learning and will stop working. To limit this, I will give students a warm-up to that uses a mix of collaboration and competition. Another way is to let the students write down their questions or a quick write from the lesson they have learned. This method will let the student know where they need help, which then the teacher will have a discussion of the questions written down. If the teacher has a discussion then the student will be attentive to what the teacher is saying.
My second challenge is time management from school, planning lessons, and my personal life. Time management is still a skill I need to master. If I can't manage my time at school or at home them both places will be chaotic. I might mix up the class schedule, or give the wrong lesson plan on the wrong day. In the students and parents perspective, I seem messy and incapable to educate a classroom.They will soon lose respect towards me because I lost their papers or because I can't stay after school. To become more organized with my time I will start having a routine and keeping school and personal life in two separate piles. Another way to master my time management in the classroom is to have the activities, or worksheets out before the students come in. Reminders about the next day also help me and the students. If I forget to collect homework, hopefully, a student will remind me.
The past week in PEAT, we have read about the education in America from the beginning of America through the Depression. I have chosen prompt C from Mrs. Kallas blog and had given my honest opinion/perspective down below.
From the beginning of American Education through the Great Depression , teachers gained respect and were seen as role models to their students and, possibly their parents. However, I have noticed that in the 21st Century, students think becoming a teacher is "lame" and 'boring". Students have lost respect to their teachers and take school as a joke. In my opinion teachers are the opposite of being lame, they are powerful and can make our future better. Teachers in early education had respect and were proud of being a teacher; they were seen as heroes. Recently, teachers have been ignored and lost respect from their students, for the students start acting out and blaming the teacher. Every teacher works hard so that their students can pass and move to the next grade, and to get into a good college. One thing that hasn't changed is a teachers salary, teachers aren't getting paid enough for the work they have put in every class and every students. Teachers are slowly being disregarded from being an option for careers. Many bring down students who want to become a teacher by telling them teachers receive low pay and that the career won't get you enough recognition in the world. Teachers might not be payed like they should be, but they can get recognition by their students. They should receive as much recognition and respect as a doctor. Teachers help and guide their students so that they can change the future and make society better that it is now.
Recently in my Principles of Education and Training we have viewed the video, The Water is Wide, to differentiate education in the 1960's to today. You will find my response to the blog prompt below.
1. Education discipline has change sine the 1960's by banning paddling and violence to students and changing it to detentions, suspensions, and Saturday school. Also, schools have more race diversity within the education board and staff.
4. a) Mr. Conroy used the projector to show his class people from history to let them have an idea of how they looked like.
b) he took the students to a "field trip" around the island while learning about history
c) he brought technology to them like the record player, the projector , and the speaker to build their education and creativity they couldn't express.
5. Mr.Conroy got the community to support the school by actually letting the students to be creative and be themselves. When he told Barbara that Saul wouldn't get bullied anymore, she looked surprised because Mrs. Brown had never came up to her and talked about her students to the parents. Another way he got the community to support was by bringing the idea of field trip to Washington D.C. to let the parents know that he is giving the students fun and education.
8. From what I have seen, I can say that a teacher should put attention to the students needs and get them motivated so that they like learning. Also, to not kill their creativity because if we teach them like if they were robots then they wouldn't learn and become scared of doing something like speaking their mind.
A teacher and a leader share similar characteristics like demonstrating strong communication skills, optimism, and taking control of situations.
Demonstrating strong communication skills is an important characteristic for teachers because they will interact with different kinds of students that have their own way of learning. An example will be having different activities for those who learn best visually (like a written assignment), verbally, or non-verbally.
The ability to show optimism can also be motivational. When teachers show their optimism to the students, the students will be affected too and gain optimism too. If the class average is low, then the teacher will show optimism by telling their students that they did better in a certain category, or that they grew in numbers from the last test. When the teachers show the positive of the negative the students try harder and get motivated to get higher grades. This is why having optimism in a teacher is the same as in a leader, they both motivate their "teams" to improve.
Finally, taking control of a situation is a characteristic that helps the teacher gain respect and admiration from the students and other teachers. On the other hand, if the teacher is blind to the problem or situation then that teacher gains no respect and is seen as inefficient to teach a class. Stepping up to solving the problem gains respect to that teacher and shows their leadership. Also their capability to lead others in the right direction.
My Leadership in Action
I have joined the BHS Dance Department for my second time and I have taken the spot of a leader but this year especially. Participating in this class brings out confidence and helps me step up from being a follower to a leader. Helping and leading my group to making our dance look "on point" brings out the leadership in me. I plan on trying out for a dance team this year and with showing that I'm capable of being leader then I have a slighter chance in joining.
I am the second child in my family and my older sister, who is a senior, is thinking of college and is leaving the house next school year. Since I am the second oldest then I will need to step up and become the role model and leader for my younger siblings. That is why this year I will start showing my parents and the rest of my family that I will be a great leader when my sister leaves.
