3.Take your education seriously

What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. ~Karl Menninger

Work on good habits (organization, punctuality, thoroughness)

Through my student teaching experience, I have learned that just because you become a teacher your learning does not stop. Education is always changing and it is important to make sure that all teachers are staying up to date with their information. This can be done be continuing to take classes, reading up on new material and by collaborating with other educators.

One way that I have done this is by making sure I work on good habits.. I have always been very punctual throughout my life whether it for something professional or casual. I have learned the importance of this habit while I was student teaching. In order to get to all of the goals that I have for the day, I need to run on a tight schedule. I try to make sure that I never run behind on anything. I have learned that even 5 minutes is crucial to learning. It was very surprising to me how much a child can learn in that short amount of time. Therefore, I always try to make sure that there are never any gaps in learning. It is also important with specials schedules to make sure that I am punctual. The specials teachers plan their activities around the amount of time that they have, so it is important to make sure that students are on time to everything. I always make sure that I am always wearing a watch wherever I go. I have gotten in the habit of putting it on in the morning so that I have it to refer to all day.

I also take a calendar book with me wherever I go. I can immediately write down information that I need and refer to it if I need to make an appointment. I also try to keep post-it notes handy so that I can write down any information that I need. At the end of each day, I look at my calendar book and sync it with the post it notes that I have on my desk. That way, I can always see what my schedule looks like so that I do not miss any important appointments. This allows me to stay organized and on top of my schedule.

Another good habit to practice is thoroughness. It is crucial to spend time reflecting and planning the day. I have especially learned how important that is during my student teaching experience. At the end and beginning of each day, I check over my lesson plans. I want to make sure that all of my learning goals were addressed throughout the day and that I know what direction I want to go for the next day’s lesson. Focusing on being thorough, organized, and punctual is going to help me become a better teacher and influential leader.

Form a study group

Forming study groups and having a support system is a beneficial way to facilitate learning. One group member can give their advice or expertise on a topic while the other groups members are able to learn from them. They can share their opinions and advice without feeling like they are being judged. I have been in many study groups over my years at Goshen College. I formed a study group for a math class that I was in. The other members and I would get together before a test and review the material. We would do practice problems on the board and work through the problems as if it were the test. When one of us did not know how to solve the problem, another person was right there to demonstrate the correct way of doing it. We were able to ask questions knowing that someone else had the answer. I have also been in a group where we would edit each others’ papers. That was a group where I definitely had to feel safe in the environment. Having someone else read what you wrote can be very intimidating and nerve racking. I needed to get over that fear and let others read what I wrote, even if there was a mistake.

I think being able to do that and communicate with each other was an importance skill that I needed to learn in order to be able to successfully collaborate with colleagues and faculty. It is important to work with others in the teaching field and to successfully communicate my ideas. During student teaching, I learned that all teachers help each other and share ideas. It was important for me to be able to hear opinions from my teacher so that I could grow as a professional. I collaborated with other faculty and parents daily through notes, emails, and phone calls. Being able to express my ideas and constructed criticism was definitely strengthened by being in a study group.

Maintain academic interest outside of subject area

During my semester of student teaching, I learned how important it is to maintain academic interest outside of my subject area. Elementary teachers have to teach many subjects and often these subjects are always changing. There is new curriculum introduced to schools, different strategies to teach, and modifications that are constantly needing to be made. Continuous knowledge in these areas is essential is being able to stay on-top of teaching, especially in the areas of science and social studies. I have been working on reading professional books by famous educators in order to increase my knowledge of a particular subject. I have been staying up-to-date on the current news by reading my local newspaper and watching the world news. I have also been trying to take classes that are not necessarily in my subject area but can be applied to my teaching. I have learned that language classes are important, especially with the growing diversity in this country. My current goal is to learn Spanish so that I am able to communicate effectively with Spanish speaking students and their parents. As a future teacher, I want to continue to take classes outside of teaching so that I can be an example to my students about the importance of continuing your education and staying knowledgeable across content areas.

4. Become aware that you are a role model and act accordingly

May 10, 2008

Regularly Attend Church

I have been an active member of my church all of my life. I have grown up with my church family, and have confirmed my faith in Jesus Christ in front of them. Every since I was a child, I have volunteered for various activities at my church. I first started working in the children's nursery. I would help the adult worker with various tasks such as reading to the children, blowing their nose, or feeding them snacks. I would then go to Sunday School where I would bond with the other children my age, and listen to a Sunday school lesson. When I hit my teen years, I would continue to help in the nursery, but I would also help with Vacation Bible School. The years when I helped with VBS were the most rewarding. I was able to meet new children from the community and teach them about the lord. I think it was also nice to be looked up too. I remember my years in VBS school and I always could not wait until I was able to be the helper.

As a got older, I started to realize that the simple act of paying attention during church was a way that I could be a role model. The younger kids looked to me to see whether they should behave. I also joined the junior choir. This meant that we meet every Wednesday night to rehearse spiritual songs that we would perform in church the following Sunday. I learned what it was like to be in front of other people, and I developed a love for singing. I got the opportunity to sing a couple of solos in front of my church family. I was sad when I hit the age when I was no longer able to be in the choir, but I looked forward to many other opportunities that becoming older brought me.

A couple of years ago, I was baptized. I took the leadership and baptism classes with my brother and sister. We all three decided that we wanted to be baptized together, and we wanted our grandpa to do it. His health had been deteriorating for some time, and we knew we needed to do it as soon as we could. He unfortunately ended up in the hospital a week before we were supposed to be baptized, and fell into a coma a couple of days after that. He ended up waking up from the coma the day of our baptism and was very adequate that he go along with the service. We ended up having the service in his hospital room, with our current pastor assisting. I'm very grateful for this opportunity. Right before my grandfather died, he looked at the three of us, and said, “whatever you choose to do in life, do it with all your heart." I will remember his words, and I will apply it in my career, as well as with my day to day encounters throughout my life.

May 11, 2008
Wear Pink in your hair to support Breast Cancer Awareness

According to wikipedia.com, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer and the fifth most common cancer that causes death. It is the most common cancer for women though. As a female, it is important for me that I play a vital role in promoting breast cancer awareness, as well as showing my support to those who have it. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. The National Breast Cancer foundation has played a role in thousands of women's lives by offering free mammograms and educational programs. The foundation accepts many individual donations and donations from corporations. This year, the foundation has a new way to show support for those with breast cancer, and I knew that it was important that I take part in it.

I went to the local hair salon and decided to have a pink extension put into my hair. This would be a visible way to show my support. The extension was melted into my hair after I gave a donation to the foundation. I learned about the hair extension through my aunt who was also an avid supporter of the the Breast Cancer Foundation. She has also had a teal extension in the month before to support Ovarian Cancer Awareness. When I returned back to the college, I received many inquisitive looks. Many people came up and asked me why part of my hair was pink. I feel like the questioning was helping me to achieve my goal because I was able to inform others that it was to support breast cancer. Just that alone helped me to raise awareness.


May 15, 2008

Practice Recycling

According to Dictionary.com, Recycling is defined as:

• to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse, or

• to use again in the original form or with minimal alteration.

I would like to think that I am pro at recycling, but even I do not do all that I can do to help the environment. When I live at home, my family is always around to make sure that I am recycling effectively. We have two bins in our garage, one for papers and one for plastics. We are fortunate enough to have a waste collection service in our town, so every Thursday we put the bins out by the curb for pick up. We always make sure that our newspapers, containers, and other products are put into the proper bin. I also make sure that the items are as condensed as possible. For example, I push pop cans down so that they take up less room.We reuse many items in our house to avoid trash build up as well. I think that grocery bags are the item that we reuse most often. We use them as trash bags, drainage systems for plant pots, bags to carry gear, and we use them to line bins. We also reuse computer paper. We use both sides of the paper when copying, and we use it as scratch paper. It is important to make sure that we always get the most use out of everything in our house.

At school, it has been much harder to keep up my recycling habits. The dorms have more recycling bins than I do at my house, but I started getting lazy about it. My roommate and I set up a system for making sure the items in our room either get recycled or reused. First off, we reuse many bottled water containers. I will cut the bottoms off and use them for storage. My paperclips, staples, and hair accessories are all stored in these containers. Every time I see them, it reminds me of the recycling values that my parents have taught me. We also use both sides of computer paper just like I do at home. I turn in assignments this way, and teachers are usually grateful that I am recycling. Another way that we recycle is by using our magazine pages as art. Instead of going out and buying wall hangings, we find pictures from magazines that we like. We usually make a pile in the room, and then one of us takes it to the recycling bins. It is important that we are trying to help save the environment.

There are also small ways that I try to help with recycling. I make use of my library card and go checkout books instead of buying them. I have recycled my old cell phones through my mobile phone retailer. I am also a big fan of EBay and Amazon.com. I sell my old textbooks, Cd's, clothes, and other items I can find around the house. There is usually someone else in the world that wants the items I have to sell, so I am helping myself recycle as well as the person who buys my stuff. I try to do the same thing as well, I buy the majority of my stuff used. When I exercise, I use a reusable container instead of bottled water. I also have recently purchased a reusable bag that I can take shopping with me. With the bag, I can avoid wasting paper and plastic bags.

5.Become active in your community

Get involved in coaching

For the past three years, I have been a swim coach for a summer program. I grew up being in active swimmer on the team and then I became a swim lesson instructor. Once I felt comfortable enough, I took on the challenge of becoming a coach. This means I have to stay up to date on first aid and pool safety training as well as meet qualifications set by the pool. I have to make sure my team competes fairly in all meets and evens. I also have to make sure to handle required details.
I have had years of training in various swim strokes, drills and body physiology. I have been able to adapt teaching methods to every swimmer. I try to lead swim team members by motivating and inspiring them to do their best. I do plan practices and drills but my main goal of the summer program is to make sure that the students have fun. We spend a lot of time in the pool, so I try to make sure that at the end of our sessions, we play a game. That is one of the times that we bond together as a team. Another bonding time that is very important to me is the time we spend together at the meets. Although it is a time to prove if our practices have paid off, it is also a time to spend getting to know each other better and cheering on each other.

Being a swim coach is a job that I plan on continuing even after I become a teacher. It is a very rewarding experience!
Participate in Celebrate Service Day

Celebrate Service Day is a tradition for Goshen College Students. It is one day out of the year that we take a break from classes and go out into the community to volunteer at local organizations. There are various service sites from working construction with Habitat for Humanity, setting up for the Michiana Relief Sale, and canoeing while picking up trash.

I have participated in many Celebrate Service days with the college, but my favorite one was going to The Depot - MCC Thrift Store. The Depot is locally owned and operated as a not-for-profit organization by the MCC Resource Center. Their mission is to support the Mennonite Central Committee, the relief, service and development agency of the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Churches. Their spiritual motivation comes from the bible verse I John 2:17, "if anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"

I went with a small group of students to first do warehouse work. We then had to unload boxes from a school bus. This included a lot of heavy lifting which I was not able to do. These boxes had to be taken into the workroom so that they could be sorted. There were clothes and a variety of items in these boxes. We got to see firsthand how the Depot supports families and shelters. Being able to volunteer there made me so much more grateful for what I have and the opportunities that I have been given. I have a greater commitment to service because of Celebrate Service day. I was able to see God at work at The Depot.

Volunteering at the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale

I have grown up attending the Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale in my hometown of Bloomington. I have volunteered there for many years in the food serving line. My father would always volunteer to run a line by himself so the family would be called upon to help. Each year, eighty percent of the net proceeds from the sale are channeled through Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), which is a national relief and service agency located in Akron, Pennsylvania. There are over 1,000 volunteers working and financially supporting over 65 countries around the world.

When I came to Goshen College, I did not realize that it would mean I would miss the opportunity to volunteer. With the demands of school and the distance that I am from home, I missed several years of the sale. Freshman year, I wondered what it would be like to not be in attendance at the event that I had been to every year since I was born. I realized very quickly that there was a Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale at the Elkhart County Fair Grounds. Starting my freshman year, I got involved with the Florence Church of the Brethren Mennonite is located in Constantine, MI. I had a friend who attends that church and volunteers at the sale. I was able to volunteer at the tamale booth which is a traditional booth of the church. I usually work the Friday night sale which allows me to get up early for the pancake breakfast the next morning. Being able to volunteer your time to a great organization helps me to feel like an active member in my community.