Erica's Education

#7 Practice Democratic Principles

2010-04-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we celebrate it every year. What did the great doctor really do? Well he was a big advocate during the Civil Rights Movement. As I sat in a couple different lectures and had a discussion with people during one of the sessions, I realized how much it has changed from then until now (how much what he did really influenced). Sitting at a table with a couple friends and professors, we discussed our relationships with African American people as well as got each others opinions on certain topics such as discrimination and what not. For me, living in the Detroit Metro Area was one of the best experiences of my life. Going to school and hanging around people of many different colors allowed me to grow up and really appreciate people. Coming here to Goshen College is the exact same way.
Our team had an opportunity to speak up about the national anthem. We had a meeting with our coach to discuss how much it had been part of our high school experiences and how much we would really like to have it played at our games. We had the opportunity go to over to Bill Born's house, have dinner, and discuss this with him as well. He listened and took in everything we were saying. I am very happy for it to be playing next year.

#6 Develop Ways to Recharge Your Battery

2010-04-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

There was a certain way I was planning to recharge my battery, prayer a certain amount of time when I woke up and a certain amount before bed. The goal was 15 minutes and I did not know if I had actually set it too high. Not sure why I thought that at all because I love praying & talking with God. As I began to do this, I felt like 15 minutes was not that much and wanted to use that for more devotional time. As I would read and study, I began to feel better and stronger mentally. Reading in the morning got me ready for the day. The quiet time I got to have with God was so great and will continue to be. Through prayer and meditation, He began to show me what He wants done in my life. He has brought so many special people into my life over these past few months and I believe it is because of prayer. I've always wanted to keep a journal and write things down (verses, quotes, & such) that would be beneficial for me and others later on in life. I cannot express how much it has helped me and how many times I have used it for Him. Keeping this journal going is a goal I have. It's not an everyday thing, but the devotionals and prayer still are. God's opened up the door for a lot of different opportunities and I believe it has a lot to do with faithfulness in prayer. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to "recharge my battery" and I pray that He continues to equip.

Teachers in videos vs. Reality #9

2010-04-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

Recently a class I was in watched a movie in french called "The Class". It was about a teacher and his class, how he dealt with management, behavior, and all of the things that happened there. He was a very sarcastic teacher and this was one of the reasons his students did not like him that much. There was one point in the video where he said two of the girls were acting like "skanks". When he would be explaining something and one of the students would not understand, another student would make a smart remark about it and degrade the other person. However, the teacher asked that student a follow up question they did not know and this student was quiet for a bit. Many times students want teachers to care about them and ask questions about their lives. These students did not really want the teacher to know that much about them because they felt it there was no need for it in the classroom. This was interesting to me because I enjoy when teachers ask how everything is going. It shows me that they care about me as a person. At my high school, some of the teachers came to sporting events to cheer on their students. This shows the sense of community in the school. Many of my teachers would joke with us when we were in the classroom, so that we would feel more comfortable and want to participate. I did not want to participate as much because there were so many other students smarter than me in classes. However, teachers got me involved and that was greatly appreciated. In my classroom, I hope that my students will want to participate in discussions or lectures that take place. Allowing my classroom to portray community is a goal because it encourages learning through so many different things. Teachers should be people there students look up to. I can only hope to be such a teacher.

An Effective Teacher #9

2010-04-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

There have been a few effective teachers I have seen, that have been quite successful at what they do. One of them is a teacher I observed and taught a bit fore at Concord Junior High. Mrs. K had been there for a while and was pretty established as a successful Physical Education teacher. Walking into her classroom on the first day, the kids tried to get away with little things. Mrs. K had them quiet and ready for the activity they were going to do in record time. It was as if they knew how they were supposed to act, but they were waiting for the teacher to say something before they did. She had a strong teaching voice and this allowed the kids to know she meant business. However, she joked around with them a lot, got to know them, how sports were going or families. The classes I observed went smoothly (good management). Mrs. K had the respect of those around her as well. There were a total of five teachers who taught other parts of Physical Education during this time and they knew that she was in charge. I believe as an effective teacher, you must be able to maintain the rules and such of your classroom, but also be able to have fun and enjoy what you are doing. If you do not enjoy what you are doing, the passion for your content will not show and the students may begin to feel the same way. In another class, we went around the room and mentioned a teacher who had really affected our reasoning for why we wanted to become teachers. It was interesting that out of about 18 students, five of them said the same teacher. In a college classroom, that is pretty substantial. It was how the teacher presented herself and the content which made learning interesting. These students wanted to be able to do the same for the next generation. That is what I hope to do for my students.

#8 Learning to identify allies

2010-03-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Going back to my high school was so weird, but so fun. I went to a basketball game to see how the program was holding up. My high school P.E. teacher was there and so I got a great chance to sit and talk with her about what I was experiencing and also questions that I had about teaching in the high school setting. First, I asked her how bad of a student I was in P.E. She said that I was just a funny kid who loved to play. We did have a lot of fun times in that class. She was surprised when I told her I was going into P.E. Teaching because she knew I was Sports Ministry at my previous school. It's crazy how people can know you for a while or just a little bit and when you tell them something they say, "Oh I can see that." It was nice to know that she had that faith in me. She told me that I had to make sure and put my foot down when it came to kids acting out in class or enforcing rules. I asked her what her favorite thing is about being a P.E. teacher. She said that it was probably wearing sweats everyday. I mean who doesn't love that? My teacher really made Physical Education fun for me and I am truly thankful.

Academic Contacts:
Susan LeVasseur
Peg Kelly
Wayne Priest
Rhonda Pew
Barb Carbaugh
Anna Clark
Caryn Huntsman
Tom Bergler
Steve Wiktrowski
Pam Hayes
Kris Miller
Connie Updike
Rhonda Henry
Sister Mary Anne Smith
Geri Yost
Luke Fetters

#1 Getting Experience

2010-03-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

I got to know a little different perspective that I had not really thought about when it came to teaching in schools. One article I read talked about how schools were looking overseas to hire teachers and that in 2007, 19,000 foreign teachers were in the United States on temporary visas. There are more than three million in America's public schools. In 2005, Baltimore Public Schools hired 108 teachers from the Philippines (10 percent of the teachers). The article took a quote from a report which read “Rather than attending job fairs throughout the Mid-Atlantic, trying to persuade reluctant American teachers to accept positions in troubled inner-city schools, H.R. officials can meet all their hiring needs in one trip." They've done this because of how much success has come from it in the past. Other top states in the U.S. who have a lot of teachers with temporary visas include: Texas, Georgia, New York, & California. Think for a second about just how diverse those states can be. California has Los Angles, Oakland, and many other large cities. The second article I looked at talked about the affects of kids going to innter-city schools. Educational psychologists wanted to know how to educate students better and just how much of their learning was influenced (directly and indirectly) by their surroundings. The community involvement, parental involvement, as well as the teacher involvement are three big things that contribute to a students' life. It talked about how much kids look up to those above them and look for guidance. Also, there was the idea of integrating things that the students enjoy, making it more interesting for them.

Interviewing two students and two teachers, I found certain things that should brought up when it comes to how students learn. First of all, students like when you get to know them. One student I interviewed said she thought that certain teachers in high school did not like her because they never really said anything to her. Some of them were engaging, and she enjoyed their classes for the most part. The other student said that in high school, her teachers were engaging, but most so in certain classes. She said her history and art teachers made learning very fun and interesting.
As I asked the teachers what types of learning are in their classrooms, I got smiles from them. They are both second grade teachers and have been at this particular school for a number of years. I've been in a few classrooms these last two years, plus my mother's classroom, but they have taught and influenced so many lives. Being at a Christian school, they said they love who they are working for and being in this environment (even though it does not pay as much). One teacher said that she loves doing the "water books" with her kids and for some of them, it is their favorite activity of the whole year. She loves this age group and it has taken her teaching a few different grades to find which grade she believes she is the best to teach. The second teacher is in another second grade class and talked about a couple kids who had gone to school the previous year in an inner-city school. The parents decided that the extra money was worth having their child at that school. This was an interesting thing I got from talking to her.

Federal Reserve #2

2009-11-04T16:29:00.000-08:00

The Federal Reserve has decided to keep interest rate near zero. Even though the economy is improving, they believe it is important to keep it here this coming Wednesday (past fourth quarters have not been the best). The fed is reported as saying "likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period" about the economic conditions. However, ome criticize that the rates will increase a bit sooner rather than later. Many stocks went both up and down after this announcement. The various Federal programs are being monitored quite closely, so people should not be as worried.

Special Olympics Opportunity #5

2009-11-04T15:59:00.000-08:00

The Special Olympics has a flag football unit that they do every year. In Elkhart County, there are two different groups represented. There are the more severe athletes who have special needs and the less severe athletes. Practices take place at a park near by Goshen College.
On September 24th, my friend and I went over to assist the more severe athletes. We first got there and honestly had no idea what to do. After a minute, we met the coach and told him a little about what we were here to do. Also, we asked him what he would like for us to do, helping the team.
First thing we did was stretch. He got caught up talking to the one of the head people, so I offered to lead stretches. This was pretty cool; we got to have some fun with the kids. Next, it was time to practice grabbing the flag. We got into two lines and took turns going. We had to stay inside this marked area until our flag was pulled. Next we stayed in these lines and practiced passing. Looking down at the other group, you could definitely tell the ability level was greater, but I do not believe the heart level. These kids want so badly to succeed.
After this, we got to work on a couple of new plays for the upcoming game they had. Everyone got a chance to be a different position. They were giving high fives and getting so excited. It was great to see them smiling and laughing.

Recharging my battery #7

2008-11-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

Talking with someone helps me to relax and become calm if I am worked up. I know there are people I can go to and talk with if I ever need to talk about things. Also, if I ever need someone to just sit there with me and hang out to help me feel better or what not, there are people who are close to me and they would not hesitate to do that. Sometimes when I get overloaded I just get all worked up or get frustrated. Talking helps me get back to where I was. It helps me release most of what is bothering me. Talking in person is the best, just knowing that the person is there, but then it would be on the phone talking, and texting as a last resort.

Active in comm. #5

2008-11-30T12:07:00.000-08:00

This Leaf Relief that the athletic department is doing is something we are really trying to take seriously and helpe the community with. We had many people come in for a kids day at the college when the mens basketball team had a game. We worked a moon bounce and also did a few other fun things. During the Christmas break, our womens basketball team will be doing a few things such as going to a soup kitchen. I am hoping to get very involved with this because I really want to help people and just build up the overall strength of the community to help Goshen to grow what I can and also what we can as a team and department.

Volunteer #6

2008-11-30T11:57:00.000-08:00

I worked for two summers as a counselor at a camp for special needs children called Camp-We-Can. This was the most unique opportunity for me. It was such a humbling experience and I look forward to it every year. They pair you up with a child and you are with them for the entire day. The kids who are in chairs or in general can get a horse ride, get helped into the pool to go swimming and even get a convertible ride. Many kids have never gotten to feel the wind in their faces like that. We also do arts and crafts projects they can get help with or do them themselves. These kids get so much enjoyment out of this and that is honestly enough for me. Those kids deserve it.

Role Model #4

2008-11-30T11:50:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I realized how much a role model I must be on the team. We are such a young team and leaders/role models have to start to show. He asked me tell a post where to go on a certain play. Well I play point guard or shooting guard so I did not know where they post went. Well I had to go ask the senior and it just kind of made me realize a lot about what coach expects out of me especially as I will be stepping in next year as the point guard. He took me aside after practice and said that I had to start leading. This has been a very challenging thing because I never had to do that, even in high school. He's the coach so I will do that to my best ability. It will just be very hard. I am so glad our senior captain is the best at it, so I can learn from her and do everyday. Gaining the respect of my teammates is very important to me because it will make the team that much better, especially in terms of chemistry.

Politics #2

2008-11-30T11:33:00.000-08:00

President-Elect Obama is planning to do a lot of things differently and this may be a great thing for the country or may not. He is planning to change some of the things President Bush is doing. Obama wants to put a tighter hold down on embryonic stem cell research. He will also be working with oil and gas drilling on federal islands and organizations dealing with abortions. Obama supports the creation of new stem cells from human embryos, but he objects to the destruction of them. He is also planning on overturning things that Bush sees as controversial dealing with abortion. The "Planned Parent" planning group was started during the Reagan administration, dropped by Bush, it will most likely be reinstated by Obama. This does not allow tax payers to perform or promote abortions overseas.

Recharging #7

2008-11-30T11:28:00.000-08:00

One thing that a lot of people don't know about me is that I love to write, songs, poems and such. This is one thing I do if I feel inspired or just for fun. Writing allows me to get things out that I could not be able to say to a person or and idea that hit me and I was not sure how to word it.

Seeing as I love music, I have a lot of instrumentals on my computer. I take one of those and write a song. Some of them are very different and cover so many areas of my life. This really helps me get some of my frustrations out and just relax.

Volunteer

2008-11-30T10:45:00.000-08:00

Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a place all different athletes can come and talk about God. Again, we have many people here from all over the world. Every Wednesday night we get together to talk about our weeks, discuss God and how He is active, what we can do to help the spiritual development of our teams. Seeing that our group is so diverse, we get many different opinions and ways to look at things. We also get great ideas and other ways of doing things that we had maybe not thought of. This group helps us with so many different aspects of life and I am so thankful for it. It also gives a sense of community. Some athletes may not be comfortable in a small group with no athletes, so this really helps them.

Active in community #5

2008-11-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

Some days I like to go into the recreation center in the mornings because it is when most of the elderly people work out. They are so nice and I love talking with them and getting to know them. It is great to hear about what they did and also what they continue to do in the community. This is a great way to get them to come to our games and support. Also, they could bring their families and have a great time with them. Being elderly and still exercising is such a great way to stay healthy and shows so much about them.

Role Model #4

2008-11-30T10:12:00.000-08:00

The kids in my class where I observe/help/teach are such great kids and I can tell that they look up to me a lot. When I walk in, they get big smiles on their faces because a college student is there to see them!! The clothes I wear make an impact of how they see me as well as the teacher. How I talk makes an impact in how they may talk to a peer or even at home. Also, how my attitude is can rub off on them because they are so young.

Politics #2

2008-11-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Forner Vice President Nominee, Sarah Palin is back out campaigning. She threw her name in th hat of people still trying to get into the Senate. She is teaming up with Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss. Last week, former mayor of New York Rudy Guliani campaigned with Chambliss. Guiliani could be seen in the future election of 2012, however, Palin interestingly enough be in it as well.

Politics #2

2008-11-28T08:35:00.000-08:00

The United States is the only industrialized country without a system of universal health insurance. For some reason, health care has always struck me as an interesting thing. President-Elect Barack Obama and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle are working on helping this issue. They are looking at implementing the same system that Canada has, the Single Player system. Their health care is privately proveded and publicly funded. Many times companies will not offer insurance to people who already have conditions. This could be part of why 45 million Americans do not have insurance. It could also factor into why 18,000 Americans die each year because they do not have their insurance covered. Obama and Daschle have not said for sure if they are putting in this universal health care, but they both heavily favor it. Barack wants to give subsidies to families of low income and making sure companies cover everyone. As of right now, there is a bill in Congress (HR 676), The United States Health Insuance Act. It discusses a way in which to hopefully attain the universal health care and not increase in the spending of health care. This sounds like a great thing for the country. I really hope the bill goes through.

Relax.. #7

2008-11-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

With school being so busy, relaxing is what helps me get back to "neutral" so to speak.

Playing basketball does not really sound like something that would be relaxing, but it calms me down so much if I have had a very stressful day. It just clears my head and allows me to forget about everything. It lets me concentrate on shooting, dribbling, defense, and just improving my overall game. Working toward a certain goal allows me to have that sense of accomplishment. Another thing I do after practice to actually "relax" is just lay on my bed and listen to music, after I've showered of course. Putting on R&B helps to calm me down or even fall asleep if I need to. Also, slow Christian worship allows me to relax and focus on God, to have a little more time with Him. The recreation center again is a good friend of mine when it comes to calm me down because of the hot tub. I go in there and it just loosens up all of my muscles or something that is really sore. My teammates and I will go in there and that.

Role Model #4

2008-11-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

Being a role model is a huge resposibility. I was just used to being the kid who always clowns and is just silly. Going into my junior year of high school, I realized that this could not be the case. Yes, I still do it today, but I'm getting better at when and where. We would have summer camps and teach these little kids (pictured left) basic basketball skills. In order for them to get the most out of what I was teaching them, I had to be more serious because I cared about them as individuals. Teaching these kids every summer is so much fun. You see many of the same kids coming back and you gave them drills to do. It is great to see what they have done with that. Also, many times these kids see me in the community and all. Some of them go to the church that I attend regularly, so it is very important to be a great example to them not just for basketball, but spiritually, and life in general. These kids talk to their parents and say they want me to even babysit for them which is great because they are such fun kids. When babysitting for them, they know there are things they can do and cannot do, so it's that respect that is earned. They know if you respect them, they will return that. Also, I go back to my high school now that I am graduated and see the athletic director, my old coaches, and even parents who still have kids playing and that. This makes me feel good when they ask how everything is and I return the question. Even teachers who are there strike up conversations, talking about class and the good times we had.

God Is LOVE #6

2008-11-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

A Bible study is a place where people can come in to talk about God, learn, and grow. No one should judge about what someone says, what they look like, or even if they have a problem in their life and they are willing to share it. That is a huge step sharing. Well, in our group we have many people from all over the country. We have people from Malaysia, Indonesia, Guam, Etheopia, and the United States. Our cultures are many times so much different than the person sitting next to us. Some share about the trials they have had to overcome being Christian in their society. Others have shared about how God brought them through something and sometimes it is very hard to relate to. One thing that binds us together is our love for our Heavenly Father. We know that if one of us is going through something, he/she can talk to someone in the group about that particular thing and that person will be there for them. Meeting once a week is so great because it helps keep everyone on point, or hopes to. We are the gold and God is the goldsmith. One thing we talk about in our group is that we want people to see God in us. We want to be the best examples we can for Him. Many times we fail and get discouraged, but our group has learned through experiences and short videos we've seen that He is so forgiving. This is such a great group of people to be spending time with.

Trick or Treat #5

2008-11-28T06:52:00.000-08:00

My team and I volunteered to go into the city of Goshen and pass out candy to kids for Halloween. This was to get to know many people in the community, get the Goshen College name out there, especially the athletic department. The people were very friendly and grateful for the candy and flyers we were handing out. We gave some free tickets to games and also let them know about the Leaf Relief, which is a program started this year to help out with different service projects and that all over.

Being outside for a couple hours, the group I was in had a very spacious radius to fill. Thankfully, we got all of the candy passed out and saw some pretty neat costumes as well. It was also fun to see people we did know because even they had no idea what we were doing it for.

We were a little nervous about going out and talking to people, passing out things and whatnot. We really did not know how to say,"Would you like some candy?" People do strange things, and I was thinking to myself if my parents would allow me to take something from a complete stranger. However, the kids just kept coming back for more candy which made us all laugh quite a bit. Once we were all out, we had a large box and were walking back to campus. People thought were were trying to get candy, which was not the case, so we quickly found a garbage bin to put the box. This was probobly the funniest part of the night.