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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
