Training on October 10th

Having the opportunity to read books on various reading levels and discussing them in small groups was extremely helpful. This portion of the session was important and applicable to our work. I definitely learned a lot of new techniques that will be useful to me when I start working at school, i.e. having the child point under the word, counting the errors, validating the students when they make connections and 'matches' even though they may say a word correctly.

Teaching Reading

I have always been apprehensive about teaching beginning elementary students, because so much rests on the teacher’s shoulders. As an elementary teacher, you are responsible for providing students with the basic skills they need in order to navigate the rest of the education and onto higher education. I never want to “mess up a kid” because I failed to teach them something. So, in my experience with working with young people, I have always had a preference for junior high or high school students. Although I am good with elementary students, initially I am always nervous of taking on the responsibility. Anyway, having the opportunity o learn how to teach the basics of reading, learning phonemes, pronunciation, drills, and tips we can use for the students makes me feel more confident about helping the students in our program.

Freedom Summer
- Many important issues came out of our discussion of Freedom Summer. While I do think it is important to choose books that match the age level and reading level of the child, I also think it is important not to lower our expectations of our students based on our assumptions or comfort levels. Freedom Summer seemed like a great book to read aloud to a group of students that would allowed for great discussion following the completion of the book. Additionally, the book would probably work well with a third grader with a decent reading level. It could be a challenge for him or her. Furthermore, the content of the book bring up some important issues that all students experience at some point during their lives. In the first and third grade, I noticed differences and understood that forms of prejudice and discrimination was taking place and I never think it’s too soon to begin talking about issues of discrimination.

Child Abuse "Training" Reflections: Part I.

Hmph....There are no words to describe how painful and disheartening it was to sit through that so called training on Friday. There were so many issues that were raised during the three hours we were there. I feel as though other reading buddies may not have understood the frustration that some of us were feeling. While some of the "laws" may have been a bit subjective and clearly written with cultural biases, my concern was not in the law or in the reporting that we are required to do. The training would have been better, if we simply reviewed the laws, went over examples of reportable situations, and viewed the appropriate videos....Instead...We had to listen to the presenter's ideas of how to raise "winner" children and not "loser" children. We learned about how well behaved and well disciplined her children were. We learned about how we all were abused as children. We learned about how poor people...Oh excuse me how "those people" often neglect their children. We learned about how teenagers will molest their younger siblings because of their curiosity. Oh, and I almost forgot...We learned that the black men who are in jail, are there because they were spanked when they were younger. LOL! As a presenter, she should have refrained from generalizing so much. Many of her so-called facts, were obviously her own biases and judgments. Okay...I am getting frustrated again....there will have to be a second part to this reflection....until....

Child Abuse "Training" Reflections: Part I.

Hmph....There are no words to describe how painful and disheartening it was to sit through that so called training on Friday. There were so many issues that were raised during the three hours we were there. I feel as though other reading buddies may not have understood the frustration that some of us were feeling. While some of the "laws" may have been a bit subjective and clearly written with cultural biases, my concern was not in the law or in the reporting that we are required to do. The training would have been better, if we simply reviewed the laws, went over examples of reportable situations, and viewed the appropriate videos....Instead...We had to listen to the presenter's ideas of how to raise "winner" children and not "loser" children. We learned about how well behaved and well disciplined her children were. We learned about how we all were abused as children. We learned about how poor people...Oh excuse me how "those people" often neglect their children. We learned about how teenagers will molest their younger siblings because of their curiosity. Oh, and I almost forgot...We learned that the black men who are in jail, are there because they were spanked when they were younger. LOL! As a presenter, she should have refrained from generalizing so much. Many of her so-called facts, were obviously her own biases and judgments. Okay...I am getting frustrated again....there will have to be a second part to this reflection....until....

Coping with Difficulties and Teaching Reading Presentations-


Coping With Difficulties
I enjoyed Dr. Rosa's presentation on the difficulties we may encounter at our school sites. Many of her comments confirmed some of my beliefs about working in schools. awareness, Knowledge, and Understanding are all important in working in any school environment. For me, awareness of the contexts is extremely important. I think it's important to understand where students are coming from and what they are bringing into the classroom in order to be effective "reading buddies" and mentors.

Teaching Reading-
While, I understand Dr. Peverly 's belief in teaching students to read words quickly and accurately, while still being able to comprehend, I think that making this the outcome for all students is important. However, I think students will get to this outcome in many different ways. It is important to understand that there are many different approaches that will work with different students. The goal should be providing students with processes that will work for them.

ENFJ
Yesterday was the 5th time I completed MBTI. My last two scores have been ENFJ, including yesterday. Every time I’ve taken the test, I am practically even on “E” and “I” and pretty even on “J” and “P”. I am so high in “F” that it seems like I hardly ever think at allJ I am not surprised that I am almost even on “E” and “I”. I started out “I” and throughout college, I developed extraverted behavior. Having done this test so many times, I know that my past jobs, educational experiences, and life experiences has shaped me. Throughout my educational, persona, and professional experiences I have learned to adapt according to the situations that I encounter.

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