Article

Abstract



The article discusses a study by the authors on school leaders' ability to create and maintain a turnaround in low-performing schools. It shows that the financial statement in most high-poverty school is a restricted dilemma that doesn’t allow fair teaching, and it also states priorities. It shows questions that schools should ask themselves, including whether the research they have done will influence classroom and school leaders, whether policies and practices are manufacturing low achievement, and whether all students are proficient in reading. Questions about the learning environment include school safety, the influence of poverty on learning, and bonds between students and school. It cites several high-poverty schools that became high-performing schools through the process of asking important questions and working persistently on systemic improvement.































Introduction



Tough questions come with tough times, our school system is going down under, and what are we doing to stop it? Elementary schools are allowing their students to pass grade levels without reading at the proper grade level, and some can’t even add or subtract. What measurements should we stop allowing kids to continue on to the next grade level, and on what grounds should we let them continue, without the proper knowledge or the proper tools? We are telling kids it is okay to just barely get by, that it is okay to continue even if you don’t know the steps to further your education. How can we stop teachers from doing what they think is right? Who can we talk to, to inform the community the standards of their world, between the standards of the real world? Luckily there is a solution to every problem.

At Granger high school, that was known to be undeveloped and an inadequately graded school, has changed. A sixteen year old that was interviewed was ecstatic about the future. She stated “It didn’t used to be that way here, my sister told me…but that’s all different now. I’m hoping to go to a university in two years!”(William Parrett & Kathleen Budge, 2008) Dayton’s Bluff Elementary School has also taken a turn for the better. This school, which was known for being the “lowest-performing elementary school in Saint Paul, and the lowest- performing in Minnesota” (Gorski P, 2008), has taken a toll for good measures. They have celebrated having accomplished their goal of reading a million words in the past year. Principal Andrew Collins proudly exclaims that “twenty-five books were read this year by each of our students, and we’re letting our community know about it!” (William Parrett & Kathleen Budge, 2008) It seems that inadequately graded schools are now making a change for the better. Instead of coming out as C, D, or even F schools. They are making a comeback and even some competition for the upper level schools. As we continue to grow knowledgeable from research on school effects (Teddlie & Stringfield, 199), with more recent analyses of strategies that have guided hundreds of schools in their successful efforts to reverse historic trends of underachievement (Barr & Parrett, 2006; Calkins, Guenther, Belfiore, & Lash, 2007; Chenoweth, 2007; Duke, 2007), we initiated a study seeking to understand how school leaders actions influence a turnaround in low-performing schools.

Schools didn’t only get to where they are today by statistics and historical facts, they also had to ask the right questions, to the right people. Considering the economic down fall due to the recession budget cuts have hit home, when it comes to school. While coming to a bump in the road, they try to begin over coming one obstacle at a time. The first question that is being asked is “Building the necessary leadership capacity; Focusing the staff’s everyday core work on students, professional, and system learning; and creating and fostering a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment for all. (William Parrett & Kathleen Budge, 2008) Facing such a financial decline, these questions can help a school run, more effectively and allow them to concentrate on the main goal; the students future, how just because it effects us now, they can make a difference.

We have new obstacles to over come, does that mean now we eliminated our bad habits that manufacture low achievements? Just because you have bad habits, doesn’t mean your habits will continue as new options come about. Richard Esparza is Granger High school principal. He has been there through the bad, and now he is living through the change, the way things are suppose to be. He states that “All principal must accept that some students may fail, but you don’t stop there.” He has required that if students receive below a C on a test, they are required to get extra help. (William Parrett & Kathleen Budge, 2008) You should be concerned about your students, just because they listen, doesn’t mean they comprehend. A lot of students work better with individual help; they might not get a lecture the first time. This is why extra activities are required, they help students practice what they know, and some students will be able to learn it from their peers.

Learning doesn’t stop in schools; it also starts in the community and at home. When you build positive and productive relationships with students’ families and the broader neighborhood and community this helps high-performing and high- poverty schools. They go about interacting the communities, family, and schools together through service learning projects. Using service learning projects, allow students to help out the community. They are shown what happens outside of school walls, and outside of video games, and the internet. They are more active and become more knowledgeable about different subjects, they also stay out of trouble.

Tough decisions, for tough times, the schools that were studied to continue to develop successful rating, express confidence that the processes they had in place would guide their decisions regarding the use of possible stimulus funding. (William Parrett & Kathleen Budge, 2008) To maintain a high- performing school they also need to maintain a good staff. Funding is down, but to maintain this high- performing they want to add staff, because keeping personnel is key to a low student- teacher ratio and caring relationships in school; and providing targeted support to the students who need it most. (William Parrett & Kathleen Budge, 2008)

Schools can become a high-performance school, all they need is motivation, and confidence that their students will be able to come out of their bad habits, and continue new and improve habits. If not then those kids will be kept back, there is a pro and con for everything, and a consequence for become the best. To every great leader, there is a road, he or she must follow, and that road leads to greatness, but only you can become great.

Philosophy

Abstract

The article discusses a philosophy that was discussed during Plato and the Socrates time, the philosophy I used to guide the practices in the class room was “Who can take your happiness away? And how “Other people can beat, imprison or even kill your body, but they cannot alter the virtuous state of your soul.” These theories came from Plato and the Socrates, but instead of using them the way he did in his society. I gave examples and true influential stories, about how we can use Plato’s theories and use them in our society today. The article states how it is effective, and some society issues that correlate into classroom behaviors.







Introduction
Education is your way to the future, but before we can look into the future of education, what made education was its past. We believe in order to fix the future we must look at the past; I believe that in order to see the future, we often predict the past. We use many methods of the past in today’s education. Obviously we do not beat kids until they memorize the commandments, or the fifty states, yet instead we reward them and encourage them to learn. But why would students want to learn? What makes knowledge so powerful, that everyone must have it? I believe it strives with being the better person, and being the best in society. Society helps shift and make the person, who we become, and the person who we want to be.
A great man, named Plato once asked “Who can take your happiness away?”(Garth Kemerling, 2001) The response is, you. You are either happy with yourself and your decisions. Or you live trying to fix yourself, trying to improve your well being, trying to improve what you are and what you do. When a student in class acts up and doesn’t want to do work. In the long run, the student has inflicted evil upon himself. Plato stated that “No one can inflict fate upon someone else. Only you can make yourself evil, and only you can make yourself virtuous.”(Garth Kemerling, 2001) I believe that your character has a lot to do with how you handle school, whether or not you participate, and whether or not you do well. Your social actions affect how you live your everyday life, whether you see things optimistic, or pessimistic. Even someone who is having a bad day can be turned around with someone else who is having a good day. These emotions and interactions allow the other person to look on the brighter side. For example a student can show another student that there is no reason to mope around because, you received a C on a paper, when you knew you deserved an A. Instead of saying oh that’s too bad and walking away. Just being there for the student, list suggestions to help a person out, or hanging out with the student, this can change a person’s perspective for ongoing events in the day.
Plato also states that “Other people can beat, imprison or even kill your body, but they cannot alter the virtuous state of your soul.”(Lee Adams Young, 2000) Have you ever head the saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?” This is what Plato was trying to perceive to his listeners. But in the long run is this even true? Audrey Witterup came up with an influential story that had the views of Plato, it went like this, and “There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven six nails into the fence. Over the few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the numbers of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and then the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that we was able to hold his temper. The day passed and the boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out, It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the world is still there.( Audrey Wittrup, 1989) As for in Plato’s case no matter how many hurtful things people say to you, your soul should not be effected, because such words are meaningless.
I believe that no matter what you do in life, it is a lesson well learned. The fact that we make mistakes, and terrible things happen to us, as well as good things, it allows us to live life to the fullest. Plato and the Socrates were all about living life their way, how you have to be virtuous and you had to live life according to the rules. Everyone has to live life by some book or another, but which book, and what rules, are up to you. Society can only alter your ego, and your self esteem. You alter your soul, and your actions to confide in society, to make the world a little less complicated and a little more direct. The question that I ask you is, are you living your life, or are you living there’s?

Reflection paper 19

In the Colonial times, your society was based on rank. What you did and how you were perceive was all in what your parents did, and what was passed down to you. The colonial times used ranks. It wasn’t what you put in it, it was how much money you could provide, and that will do the talking for you. Judges and Ministers were considered top of the line royalty. This also comes to play in what they taught the kids in school. Considering your royalty were Ministers, the majority of your education was on religion. What was royalty, was obviously what was right, at least that’s how they saw it. The kids were treated equally to what their parents rank were, if you were lower class you did not get the extra treatment as the other kids. This was most important when it came to education. Education was a gift, a gift that not all should be given, yet it was still desirable to all. When it came to reading, everyone wanted to learn, though not everyone could because of your rank. If you had no money, you could not be shown these privileges because only the wealthy were taught the desirable subjects. The longer you stayed in school, the wealthier you were as well as your peers. In the colonial times elementary school was not to educate, it was to promise the youth to grant them their social station, and to encourage them to continue to go to school. They needed a new approach for schools, one where it would go beyond the training of elementary promises, and primary training. The Ministry and the churches decided to build colleges and grammar schools to better their society, to continue they training of the young developers. If it wasn’t for the Ministry or the churches, schools wouldn’t have been invented and our society would lack the greater knowledge. Yet the Ministry and churches wanted everyone to agree with their way of life, with their religion, so they funded the schools and created a new learning environment that would benefit them as well as society. Being a teacher was considered middle class and some were considered high class, you had the knowledge that everyone wanted to learn. Everyone committed their life to the jobs that they did, if they were doing a job they did it well, to their full ability. They did it with what ever that had, and gave it all they had. Teachers had a role they had to play. You either excelled at something, or you didn’t have a job at the end of the day. In order to be in a job, you had to be the best. In society teachers were considered greatness, nothing bad came from them. When they created high schools only boys could attend, eventually along the line girls were able to join, but it wasn’t years among years until it happened. Boys always had the upper hand on everything; it wouldn’t be introduced to females until the men mastered what ever they were learning.

ruler of the nation

The “ruler of the nation...” is about a man name Eshu. He has many responsibilities which include protecting the travelers from roads, crossroads. He also has the power to choose fortune and misfortune, and the personification of death. Though Eshu isn’t always about protecting, he believes in choices and chance. In order to get where you need to go, you should know where your going. In the beginning Eshu finds a Christian, he does not believe his way nor his beliefs. Eshu, mocks the Christian, he feels that he does not believe in free hardship because he does not please the Gods. Eshu, is known for not being weak or distracted, when it comes to blaming people for what they did. Eshu is mixed with good and evil. Some might think his doings are evil, when in reality he is just testing what you believe, and how you act upon your belief. Eshu believed that he can predict the future, because many people are predictable. He punished a person today for thoughts or actions that he had tomorrow. Society, gives credit and understanding to their citizens, as for Eshu. He defines what is pure and what filth is. He mixes society views and twists them. Instead of rewarding the good, and punishes the foolish, we rewards them both. The people believe as long as you are in good terms with Eshu, you won’t have any enemies. Eshu isn’t one who would seek to please himself, just to serve justice. But everyone questions everything, once in a while. When Eshu layed his eyes on Olorun he believed that he was born again. That somewhere out there, destiny had found its way to him and he is letting it in with open arms. Outside of the world of Eshu, people believed that a new world could be built, one where you can learn efficacy of patience that would be identical to heaven and earth. But in order to receive this you must have patience and resistance to the temptation of vengeance. That the place you live is just the dark before dawn. That you must reveal your weakness, and by resisting they will make you stronger. In the end, a new world will be given to you, but you must not give in to temptation, or else your new world will be gone, and you would create another world like your own. The ruler wanted peace and tranquility but in order to make it, he would have to give trust in his people to make it come true. Do his people have the strength not to give in to temptation?

Reflection 18

I believe education is for improving, and there is always improvement for the improving. A society is greedy, especially in today society. We always want what we can’t have, and if we have it we always want more of it. For example Power, Power is knowledge and an aspect that we have yet to grasp fully, because we don’t know how to gain complete knowledge or use it to our full potential. In the early centuries they used the bible to better themselves. For example they used “Our weakness and inabilities break not the bond of our duties.” Most people use the bible tells this day, they rely on it to better themselves, and to keep themselves in check. This is a different type of knowledge that they tried to teach their students, because they society had yet become so big. However, today the bible, to some people, is common knowledge. The sinner and the saints are basically wrong and right. What you choose to do and what you do isn’t Gods fortune upon you, but just what you know and what you need to learn. Though, now they do not teach us of holiness in school, if we want holiness we must seek it ourselves. Instead they teach us physically and mentally. Physically a man named Spencer taught us to use our surroundings to better ourselves. We have the strength to get pass anything, they just play different forms in front of us, and so we must over come the same obstacle, just in a different form. Spencer’s curriculum was based on that it will be put into practice in one form or another. In class or out of class, we still obtain knowledge. A class room setting only limits us to one kind of subject. But when you’re out in the real word, the knowledge you obtain has to be put into use, for you to use towards society. Putting your knowledge to use in society, allows you to move up in society, and makes a better living for you. The more knowledge you obtain doesn’t mean you will make it in society, but how you use your knowledge will take you places you want to go. In Froebel practice he taught teachers feelings as well as a role model. In society you have to present yourself so other people will acknowledge you and respect you at the same time. Feelings are a part of nature; whether you think of it as a curse or a blessing you must but it into good use. In society you will confronted by different kinds of people will different personalities. Not all personalities mix well and you might not like everyone you see. But still, if you work with them, you must learn how to act, and respect the person, just as your own equal. Froebel also taught teachers to be “open, and easily approachable.” If you are approachable you can move up in the world easily. Many companies want people who can work well with others. If you are approachable and have the knowledge to do the job, then you are hired. It’s a win, win situation for both of them, the company, and the employer.

Reflection 17

In the Early centuries New England education was based on Religion. Everyday they would pray in the morning and evening. In class they would dedicate time to teach prayers, creed, verses, and the gospel. They would make the children recite Gods work until they memorized it. When kindergarten students were taught the alphabet, they would relate it to the bible. For example for the letter A instead of apple like they use now, they would use “In Adam fall we sinned all.” They had a verse from the bible for each letter in the alphabet. In the early centuries they would mostly teach writing and grammar, the sentences that they showed taught them how to better themselves. For example they used “Our weakness and inabilities break not the bond of our duties.” Everyday they would learn numerous terms to better themselves and put it into action. They also took a catechism, which is a test answering questions about the bible, and God. This is a 107 question test, and this was called the “short” catechism. The early centuries New England did not different much from what our private schools offer. In Catholic and Christian schools like Dade Christian offers classes were they have to pray, and read the bible. This is a mandatory class that if you miss you will be punished for. In Dade Christian they also have something similar to the Catechism. Instead of taking the FCAT which is your requirement to pass, you have to take the Catechism. This is a mandatory requirement to pass. In 1852 New England education would change how we teach students today. Froebel was the first to practice and train teachers that they should “be highly respected people with values that the children should imitate. They teacher should also be a sensitive, open, and easily approachable person.” Froebel but his plan into action and opened up a school, for years he had it running training teachers, and giving students the knowledge that they deserved. The government became suspicious about this technique and didn’t believe it was to their beliefs so they shut it down. When German immigrated to the United States after the German Revolutions, they were taught by Froebel teaching. They opened schools with Froebel teaching up again and started teaching his way. Another man who didn’t believe that religion should control our school system was Spencer; he felt that “religion was a pointless attempt to gain knowledge of the unknown.” So his curriculum activities were based on needs to implement in one form or another. After they added different curriculums and taught writing and arithmetic as well as other general subjects the students attendance boosted from 1816 to 1861 by nearly triple the amount from before. This century is what shaped education today, why we teach the way we do and how we act towards our students. Because knowledge isn’t only a physical control, but it is also a mental one.

Reflection papr 16

Rhetoric is the oldest disciplines in the world; its earliest antecedents can be found in Greece. Greece had two reputations one on which they held high standards and high class, another one was that Greece was suspicious. Plato wasn’t found of the Rhetoric’s and constantly criticized them. Plato stated that the Rhetoric’s were “unintellectual and immoral profession.” Plato thought that the rhetoricians were more concerned with their “appearances” rather than the “substance.” This relates to Roman education because they always wanted to show off, they even gave their schools new libraries just to show that they are the best. The Rhetoricians played a major part in how everyone viewed Plato. You either believed Plato or you believe the Rhetoricians, because both of them had apposing arguments that if you choose to follow one, it would lead your life much differently then regular Greece. Plato believes that “genuine knowledge corresponds to a fixed truth.” In Roman education, they teach you character sound this allows you to speak up when you believe something is right or when it’s wrong. You can also learn to argue your situation. Plato did not want the citizens of Greece to become this way, because then they will question everything. In Greece you should not question the Gods or the way of the rules. Once you question the rules, you no longer believe or live by them. In that case you have created chaos, which is one thing Greece did not need, nor want. Were as the Rhetoricians wanted to use language to persuade his audience and teach them how to persuade other people. “By using language persuasively could naturally lead the listener away from the truth”, was Plato thought. In Roman Education two themes were quaestiones and causae. By practicing these techniques in school, it allows the students to imagine scenarios. For example they are allowed to give advice and be the teacher for a situation. The learning of the Rhetoric had a strong “democratic” and “civilizing” effect. This affects the society because in Roman education it taught the sententiae the division and the colores. In the sententiae, it allows the citizens to argue their statement for and against the apposing side. This allows the citizens to speak up, and stand for what they believe in whether it is right, or whether it is wrong.

Reflection paper 15

In Athenian the purpose of education was so that they could expand their knowledge. Instead of knowing a lot about a certain subject, they know a little about a variety of subjects. Athenian didn’t want their son’s to specialize in a specific job; instead they wanted them to explore and see what jobs interest them. As for the Roman education, it was passed down from generation to generation. The parents would specialize and teach the kids, the schools would teach the students as well. They did not see the variety of things, just what they should do, and get it done. As for the Athenians girls they stayed at home, they would learn housekeeping and motherhood. This rule did not apply to all Athenian woman, some families hired private tutors to educate their draughts. Of course this only came for a high price, but a high price gave them an education. As for the education in Roman, girls learned how to sue, they were not restricted to house chores, they usually spend an entire day sue, while also doing house chores. They learned how to multitask. In Athenian school’s were affordable to everyone, you still had to pay money for school, it’s just that everyone had enough money to do so. Unfortunately in the Roman education not everyone could receive one. The rich people in Ancient Rome put a “great deal of faith” in education they were taught in school and by a private tutor. Where as the poor people only learned how to read and write. In Athenian schools, there were no materials. Everyone sat on a bench and what ever was given to them would be placed on the students lap, and would be written on there. Students would receive their education at dawn; schools then would be let out at noon. For academic purposes they learned grammar, music, and gymnastics. As for the Roman education there classrooms were separated from the society by a curtain! As for teachers, they weren’t the nice young ladies you would see in town. Instead teachers were retired military men. Being from a military background, the discipline was strict, and the beatings were given out on two occasions, for misbehaving and for careless mistakes. Athenians children were also accompanied by a Pedagogue, a pedagogue was a slave. He did what the master want, and what the master want was what was best for his kid. The pedagogue was to make sure; the master son was not socializing with the “wrong” crowd. He also observed his masters son, making sure he did not obtain bad habits that would disrupt his learning. As for the education in Roman the boys did not have a pedagogue, instead his father would practice or teach his son reading at home. Though their learning experience was based on fear, the Roman boys were beaten for the slightest offence, the Romans thought that a boy would learn “correctly and accurately if he feared being caned if he got something wrong.”

Reflection paper 14

Aristotle’s ideas impacted the modern western education by, in the great chain of being; Aristotle was trying to make sense of the relationship among living things. Everything had a place in the world; you were either at the top of the food chain, or the bottom of the food chain. Aristotle had a vision of perfection and the universe was his subject. The Great Chain was perfect, there were no “empty links in the chain, and no link was represented by more than one species.” This impacted the modern western education by in Aristotle mind species could never change. This created higher thinking in the western education, not allowing them to create a more active view of the natural world. Without these limitations it is plausible that Darwin would never have made such an impression why he published his idea about evolution. Aristotle also came up with the four causes; the first cause described materialist views and outcomes. For example a silver cup, this cup was shaped to be a cup and there for will forever be a cup. This is taught that what you see is what you get, in order to receive more you must make the best out of what you already have. The second cause is, the objects form and pattern. What you make out if it is what you get, but the use you put in it, and the value you give it, is worth more than the actual object. The third cause is, initiating a source. This is where cause and effect come to play. When you cause something to happen, the effect will become your outcome and that is what has changed. The fourth cause is the purpose of the thing, the purpose to go to school was to get an education. You as a citizen were something to society being about to get an education was to improve your position, allowing you to move up in the world, or just giving you the chance to play your role in society. Aristotle also impacted the modern western education with the unmoved mover. Aristotle explains to us that this means what it is what it is, but it also is potentially something else. This comes to play in the western education with gifted programs. They may be perceived as dumb and initiatively have no motive in being in school. Yet just because it is perceived that way doesn’t mean it is that way. Gifted kids become unmotivated when they have no one to motivate them. Being stuck in a class learning the same thing as everyone else when you already know it gets boring. Therefore they get themselves into a habit of sitting back and not caring. This is the case of it being potentially something else, when you don’t feel you need to learn something you won’t; it is as simple as that.

reflective #13

Plato ideas impacted modern western education by as a child you are taught to dream big. Along the way your writing becomes your inspirations and what you write is what you imagine happening or hope to happen, this was one of Plato’s ideas the apprehension of pure sense images. Another impact was comparing objects to nouns and using metaphors. This was Plato perceptive knowledge of sensible objects. We use it in every day life, using words “of”, “like”, or “as”. This is especially useful in poetry and trying to convey the message. As for Plato idealism, he believed that the truth is in all things. You are not only taught to speak the truth at home, but during your life time it is suppose to carry out and become habit. Plato goal for reaching eternal truth and perfection is unrealistic. Yet Plato had taught us through his truth that we can create goals for our future, and create morals. Plato believed that math was the essential to truth, that sense math has a problem and a solution to each equations then so should the human race. Unfortunately as the human race evolved so did the math problems. There are more complex problems, in a math problem there isn’t always a solution. School teaches you good, and bad, and right from wrong. Plato believed that good was the source of all true knowledge. Good comes to us in different forms. Whether it is through a person, an action, or words good as evolved and interoperation comes into effect. To become a teacher your record must be cleared. In order to teach what you know and lead generation after generation you have to set an example. Good can only come when you layout certain restrictions so the outcome will become a good one. Plato thought that “people should embrace ideas and reject matter to progress toward the good.” When people reject matter and embrace ideas things become unstable. The thing with the human mind is that everyone can retain the same information and take different outcomes from it. This is not a bad thing, using interpretation and opening up people minds allows us to widen our society and accept different out comes or allow us to expand on different possibilities. Being open minded doesn’t always lead to possibilities; some can break an old habit. For example young boys were taught from day one competition the desire to be the best you must beat the best. Plato believed that just being opened minded means that this clears the way of being selfish and clears the desire to win. Allowing yourself to be open minded you have to have a critical focus of what others believe and what they do, not to mention why they do it and how it benefits them and their culture. In school you are presented with different race and ethnicity, you are exposed to something new each day. As teachers, they are taught to accept different cultures, yet you can only accept if you understand why they do the things they do, which is when your open mind comes to play. As for Plato reminisce he argues that the Socrates believed that “man cannot enquire either about what which he knows, or about what which he does not know; for if he knows, he has no need to enquire: and if not, he cannot; for he does not know the very subject.” This relates to education, because it’s as simple as that, you either knows your material or you don’t. Life has no time for you second guessing yourself, and neither does your teacher.

Reflection paper 12

What does the future hold?

After Sputnik the National Defense Education Act took place which revolution schools curriculum everywhere. Sputnik shared a common vision; things must change for the better. This is why the replaced the current content of topics and information with curriculum based on ideas and the modes of scientific question and mathematical problem solving. In past generations, only writing, and reading were important to the towns’ people. They only needed to learn to communicate with higher authority, and become priest. Society needed a change, they needed to better themselves and improve to benefit themselves. They learned that history shouldn’t repeat itself, and instead of learning about writing and reading. They could put logical thinking and create a solution to life’s problems. And what better way to do it, then introduce background knowledge and a hypothetical problem to kids in classrooms. While adding the curriculum they had also added supplies replacing textbooks with instructional materials that included films, activities, and readings. This would allow students with hands on activities allowing the students to get a real feel of the work that they could be doing. This revolution was an upgrade for education, meaning it was an upgrade for society. Kid’s were usually born into a family business and never had a say in what he or she wanted. Now that the schools are giving them a variety of activities and curriculum is allowing kids to see different sides to a job. This is also allowing them hands on action to become more experience and more knowledgeable to their career and take their liking and go further with their research and skills. The Sputnik was an improvement for education in the U.S. it allowed us to better ourselves so we can have more variety jobs, and more experience workers. It also allowed the kids to get a feel for what different jobs are out their and presenting them opportunities also presents possibilities of a better future. Allowing certain activities and criteria is giving children the possibility to create goals and expectations to look forward to in the future. What they do in the class room, is to improve and duplicate what they do in real life. Just giving them more time to practice and really know what they want to do in life.

Reflection paper 11

What does it have to do with you?
History is always repeated, because we let history repeat itself. The Socrates believes that the justification of their life is life and death. There is no I wish I lived longer, or I wish I could have done something different. Their apology to the world is life and death itself. Socrates has given the modern western education their philosophies to use and expand on. One philosophy that Scorates brought to western education was “The necessity of doing what one thinks is right, even in the face of universal opposition.” Unfortunately this has not impact the western education, in fact society itself has no room for individuality, because everyone is grouped up either way. Although you do not have to be an individual to believe this philosophical idea, what you think is right, might be right. Many people actually might think its right, and there you have reformed another group with ideas to follow, and that is all Scorates did, used their knowledge to help them grow. To grow is to question, and even though the Scorates believed they are not knowledgeable, they question the unthinkable just to make a point. Back then that was immoral and was punishing for, now it is creating better solutions for life’s problems. Everyone needs happiness, it’s what we strive to find as individuals. Scorates saw happiness as “What kind of person should I be” rather than “How I can succeed?” This strengthens our mentality as mankind to come together as a society rather than an individual. Such as survival of the fittest, they were taking back into how to work with one another, rather than how can this benefit me. In modern education, we are dependent on one another, to learn things we can not teach our selves. Skills are mastered over practice, and in our society we practice what we are good at daily and that is our job. We then venture off into different fields depending on what we like to view other skills to our liking. Happiness is also life, “The most important thing is not life, but the good life.” A large amount of us will take life for granted, never living in the moment, and always wondering the “what if’s”. People have even gone so far to be frozen when they die, so they can be born again. The Scorates has taught us to embrace life, take it as it comes; once your life is gone there is no turning back. The Scorates also lived by not believing in G-ds or setting up false G-ds. They believed that to believe in such corrupting matters went on through the youth. One example would be Callias it was wrong to not be moral and philosophical, worst of all he was sexual too. Now a-days talking about sex is still an awkward conversation to bring up it is also very conservers. This also related to western education, where religious views are also a very conservers subject. Everyone has their own beliefs and we should end it there, that what the Scorates taught us, to learn from their mistakes, not remake them. The Socrates believed that what their beliefs and morals were confusing even to them. This stands true today, with religion, sex, and identity roles. We talk about our morals and what is right and what is wrong. Yet people will still believe what they want to believe. What could be put on paper, doesn’t change how they feel about the subject. Words are only words until you give it a meaning, though people have different interpretations towards everything. So in reality we are confused about our own beliefs and mortality. It’s what we make of it that brings us together, and as long as we have a group who follows us, we have a strong moral, or belief.

Reflection paper #9

Only you can judge.
In Ancient Egypt, their education was based on what you would give back to the community, this does not different much now a days. Considering we teach our children to succeed and be the best that they can be, and the only way they can accomplish that is giving labor and work hours into our community. Another similarity is how the young imitate adult behavior, it might not be as severe as it was back then, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Kids imitate sign’s like food, and water, they later grow up to manipulate these meaning into what they want, and how they can get it. As for the Ancient Egypt their kid’s new right from wrong, and right from rude. Their parents kept them in checked doing anything to stay out of trouble, and looked down on from other tribal members. Home schooling came natural for Egyptians they had no other choice, depending on their status or rank was whether or not they received an education. Unlike now, were it is mandatory to install your kid into school at the age of six. They also teach different curriculum, the Egyptians would teach then how to do their day to day “job”, Were as in our school system we are required to teach Math, English, Science, Social Studies, Art, and Music. These subjects allow students to see the academic and creative side of work, allowing them to use their left and right side of the brain, to process more knowledge and more creativity. Instead of memorizing what they learned and reciting it, they had to learn the material and practice what they learned. Both boys, and girls are allowed to attend schools in the new age, were as in Ancient Egypt elderly would only teach the boys. Even though our technology and laws have change, allowing everyone to get an education, not everyone can afford it. Just because the opportunity is given to you, doesn’t mean you have the finances to run with it. School’s still offer fee’s and special shot’s to even consider being allowed into school. You have to see a doctor and make sure you have all your shots, then special fee’s like science, and computer are given out each year for lab supplies, paper and ink. Nothing is free in society, if you want to better yourself you must have the money to do so. Which is what Ancient Egypt had to go through; their lower class didn’t have enough money for education or even for scribble school. Instead their kids had to learn what they catch is what they eat, and how they make their money.

reflective paper 10

A believer in me.
I believe the statement “The teacher is the gatekeeper.” Is a very accurate statement, and hold true. Elementary teachers especially hold the title “gatekeepers” to high standards, as they should. Being an elementary teacher you have to teach kids the basics, the beginning to no end. You teach your kids what they’ve never been taught, and you install in them the right and wrong. You remember your elementary teachers if they hold a significance in your life. Most teachers don’t but there are a few that do. These teachers are the “gatekeepers” to the schools. If your teacher has successfully taught you everything she knows and you are able to use it in everyday life, the “gatekeeper” has done its job. Our job as teachers isn’t to let you eat us out of our misery. We must teach you and inform you on things you don’t know, but will learn and be able to put them into good use. What is the point in reading, if you don’t apply it by reading menus, books, magazines, articles? What about math, why teach you numbers if you can’t add, subtract, divide, multiply, or even count money. I believe being a gatekeeper is to show you beyond your schools setting and allow you to use your knowledge outside of the class room. You are in elementary for only so many years, once you get out what will happen then? You continuously grow, and continuously gain knowledge for your benefit. How am I to not let you expand your knowledge and impact your own life? The gatekeeper has an impact because they teacher holds the key to your future. Even though you send your kid to school to learn, unfortunately there are only a few who can grasp the information, and let the “light” shine on a student. Of course since all teachers can’t all be “gatekeepers” we have standardized test. Third grade students recently have been failing the FCAT because they can’t read. Is it because teachers aren’t doing their job, or is it because the student’s aren’t retaining the knowledge? Either way, our “gatekeepers” are slowly disappearing, without new ones to replace them. It’s hard to find a good teacher now a-days because of the passion and knowledge about a classroom, and how students react towards their teachers. Being a teacher isn’t a walk in the park, it’s as if you have three jobs on your shoulders, a teacher, parent, and day care. Yet half of the teachers out there don’t even do the teaching part. There too busy being a day care then giving the children the knowledge that they need. Hopefully we can get back our “gatekeepers” and shine some light on what our next generation has to offer us.

reflective paper 8

Waves that reform education
The waves that reformed education, the goal of the first wave was to raise educational quality by requiring more courses and more testing of students and teachers performance, this continues to be the strongest wave. The second wave was again to state governors who promoted “improvement” and “accountability.” Teachers were to be empowered, and given more control over their schools. Children facing racial and educational barriers were addressed. The third wave which was the most determined wave. Reformers calling “reformulating” our nation of schools, schools should be seen as more than educational facilities. They should provide health care, social services, and transportation. The services that need to bring the child into successful adulthood should be offered at the school. I believe that the most determined wave holds more dominate because many people wish to meet these expectations. Yet these expectations aren’t realistic. Education isn’t paying enough attention to how they should support their teachers. Recently they have gone back on their agreements to pay higher pay which was a sign agreement. In all economical needs educations funding get cut first. Medical insurance you can get else where for cheap if you have the right insurance, or if you don’t have enough money to pay for these things there are other ways to get it. Child care takes real good care of their children, it isn’t until children turn eighteen when things stop being cheap. Schools are already looked as a social, cultural, behavioral, and teaching environment. But schools shouldn’t take care of the basic necessities that a parent should have taken care for their kid. Parents leave to much responsibility to the schools and most important to the teachers. How do you expect your children to get a decent education, when we have all these other barriers that are distracting them from their education? Parents need to start taking in some responsibility they had kids for a reason, now they need to man up and pay for what ever is needed for their children. Heath care and social services shouldn’t be done through the school. If you are in dire need for such things, you should take the time out of your busy life and get what you need situated. It’s ridiculous how parents are placing their needs and responsibility on the school. Schools operate eight hours in a day, where teachers are educating and teaching their kids about social life, cultural experiences, and exploring the educational system, while relating it to life. We already have numerous interruptions with kids getting picked up, or someone needs something, which is taking valuable time away from the learning environment. Transportation has already been given to those who need it most. I believe if you live a few blocks away from school, you can walk there! If you parents don’t agree there are other arrangements that you can make to arrive safely at school. Society is trying to make necessity needs from schools who can barely afford hiring high educated teachers, never mind living to their promises of giving the teachers a raise.

reflective paper 7

Where the young die trying
The Egypt education came easy, most male children were educated. They learned the jobs that were past down from generation to generation, the type of jobs they soon would with hold in the future. Young men where home schooled by their fathers, they learned “on the job training” day in and day out. They never took on their own careers, because they never had the choice. Their choices consist of education, and on the job training. Of course these weren’t really a choice, more of a mandatory need for survival. But the sons never questioned it, they did as they were told, and never looked outside the box. As for the middle class they learned their education from elders who learned from noble men. Their concepts were familiar to all levels of the Egyptian. They learned life lessons which related to society in that “truth-telling and fair dealing” which were beneficial and desirable habits to obtain rather than be deceitful and be injustice and to lie. They also learned “justice, wisdom, obedience, humanity, and restraint” these were offered to Egyptians as “The way of life’, and a simple routine. These educational principles were summarized in “ancient Egyptian treatises.” the advice that was given in the “ancient Egyptian treatises’, were to ensure success and have the states needs met. Citizens did not disrespect or become rebels of their society, they knew what was to become of them and they did so. As for the king, he was the only one who did not personally tutor his children. The king had royal tutors tutoring the princes and princesses who also learned literature, mathematics, writing, and grammar. Depending on what type of upper or lower class you were born into, was whether or not your received your education. Unfortunately for woman this was not the case. Women were not schooled, they learned house hold jobs, and also learned how to sing, dance, and play musical instruments. The musical industry was implanted on woman in case they were to work in the temple or become a singer, or a musician. Women were taught from an early age that their importance were not as great as men. In their life time they must depend on men, so that they can survive. And as for men they were not allowed to explore the outside, of their society and have choices as to what job they would desire. The only boys who were to go out of their family profession were adopted boys, who had to learn the ways of their new family profession. In Mesopotamia, formal education was practical and aimed to train scribes and priests. Their education taught them basic reading, writing, religion to higher learning in law, medicine, and astrology. Young children from the upper class were prepared to become scribes; they ranged from copyists, to librarians and teachers. As fro priests it was said “that they would be teach in numerous temples and one priests for each temple”, being allowed in the temple shows the “supremacy” of priestly education. The methods of teaching and learning were memorization, oral repetition, copying of models, and individual instruction. To copy an exact script was the hardest thing to do in education, and therefore if you mastered it you would receive “excellence” in learning. Their life style was the same as the Egyptians. They were taught at a young age what was to become of them, their parents taught them, habits, religious beliefs, and on the job training at a young age. They were taught never to question the things they do; just to do it. If not they would be frowned upon.

reflection paper 6

Writing began 40,000 years ago, but it was not sentences, or even paragraphs. It all started with symbols and pictures. In Southwest Asia their simple pictures were used as labels for basic farm production. This was helpful so they could teach the other citizens how to practice the same structure before they got into the business. Kind of like teaching, we are taught different subjects before we go into our jobs, and learn hands on experience. Southwest Asia had developed out of economic convenience. They used their symbols to show other factories in the town how to run the way they do, because they are more efficient at what they do, and get things done. These ancient cavitations had changed the way how others looked at communication. Communication was not only done by conversing with one another, but they could also drawl things and as long as it had the symbol that everyone will recognize they could converse through that. What they didn’t know is later down the years other towns and societies would be able to use the same message. They would take there experience and expand on their knowledge. The more complex pictographic tokens who also devised to label manufacturing goods were the Sumeria. The Sumeria was also used for their writing for economic data purposes. They maintain their society in pictographic token, what they need, what they were running out of, and what they should invest more in. Sumerians developed a writing system known today as cuneiform. These two great ancient cavitations helped established the invention of writing by putting it down whether it was writing or symbols. There was documented proof of what other societies went through, whether it was their struggles or times that simply eased by. Later on we learned to make symbols into sounds. Different symbols had different definitions from what the world originally meant. English spelling is unbalanced and often dependent on semantic factors as well as phonetic factors don’t make it any less of a true writing system.

Reflective paper 5

When a culture goes through their rights of passages ceremony this is when a boy becomes a man, and from then on his whole world changes. This relates with teaching, because every culture is in your class room. The things you teach may relate to one kid but not the other. Teachers are not here to give special attention to every single kid in her class. Still as teachers we are meant to respect other cultures beliefs even if we don’t agree with them. Their cultures shape a person from who he is to what he wants to become. Being a teacher we play a major role in what our future generation wants to become. Depending on what we teach them, how we teach them and a big impact on guiding them in the right direction, the rest of the journey is up to the student. During the rites and rites of passages ceremonies, these students have been put through fear, courage, and bravery. While fear was installed at such a young age, bravery and courage take a main role in how a man is to represent himself to his society. This role is also played in schools. A man with pride and courage must be dealt with different care than a man raised in a different background. Teachers are not their just to teach, they also deal with social aspects in society in their classrooms. If you think going into teaching is just giving a child an education and moving them on in life, you have another thing coming to you. Teachers are built with charismatic care, courage, and the strength to know when the teacher can not help the student anymore and must send the student to hire authority. Teachers are presented with hundreds of kids each year, some teachers make a lasting impression on a kid, and therefore they go above and beyond. But, the reality is half of your students will go in and out of your classroom without a care in the world. The initiation rites and the rites of passage ceremonies students have gone in and out of their society just like any other kid that grew up in their culture. Their teaching ended when they went out through those forest doors, just like those students end their journey with you once they walk down the stage and receive their diplomas. It doesn’t mean life stopped, it just means they have moved on to bigger and better things.

Reflection paper 4

What we see, and what they want you to see.
What I learned from Early Human Phylogeny is that everyone will adapt and become more knowledgeable then the previous species. We are taught to better ourselves and to our run the person next to us. Though there will always be a few missing parts for example in the Phylogeny the “Sanhelanthropus tehandensis, and the Prrorin tugensis” weren’t linked with any particular group. Could this be that what they had to offer wasn’t passed on because of lack of communication. Or was it because our first species skipped a step because what they had to offer wasn’t at a greater power from what they originally know. We learn that as we grow our information doesn’t die, we pass on our legacy and hope that some one else can benefit through our trouble, and provide a safe way of surviving. In Hominids after each generation they saw the difference whether it was the brain, the body, or how they used different tools for survive. They were still evolving generation after generation, improving what they already know, and learning what has not been taught. In Lucy case I believe that back then our communication wasn’t as keen as it is today. What if we were in the same community just never meet? Chimps waddle as Lucy walked. What if our ancestors had a mutation and that was how our chimp became a Lucy. A mutation or a virus which our body accepted and slowly changed our body structured. No two humans are identical, even when they produce an offspring you have your father, mother, and your own fragment and DNA that makes you, who you are. It is known that AIDS came from a virus or a mutation what makes you cancel out that maybe we were mutated along the line. That we are originally supposed to look like Chimps, but have some type of virus in us that label us as humans. Lucy is also an example of a midget, what if we originated from midgets though our chromosomes decided to mutate with what ever our environment was feeding us and took an adaption to allow us to have growth spurts. We all know that human migrate where they once live isn’t where they always lived. It was proven that our ancestors were originated in Africa and then migrated to Europe and Asia. Where we originated is not always what we learned and how we evolved from our beginners point. I believe we migrated to better ourselves. Africa probably didn’t have all the resources we needed or wanted. Or perhaps it might have been too dangerous as the population grew. Wild life came into play because expanding out means other parts much reach further out or have a mutual boundaries. The key point is not to look at where they originated from but why did they migrate and how did they survive.

Reflection paper 3

What we know, and what they want you to know.

During elementary and secondary education, you are either born prejudice or adapt to the difference of society. Luckily you don’t know the difference until you reach high school. In elementary I realized that the competiveness came out in both girls and boys. Sure when it came to lunch “Woman were from Venus and Men were from Mars” just like 1+1=2 the equation was as simple as that. The competitive side usually stopped when we got out of math or spelling bees. Even when it came to physical education we had competition. We had a girl name Victoria E; she was the fastest runner in PSN. The second best was a boy named Stephan R, can you believe that! With all that physical strength and competitiveness a girl beat a guy? I guess we can’t take all of the credit; she later became involved in cross country and was naturally a runner by birth. Even though it’s one of those rare cases, boys are usually better at physical and competitive sports and activities. Now when music or art came along, I never heard a boy say I can sing better or higher than you can. Or I can drawl a perfect circle better than you can. The boy’s stuck to their elements as well as the girls stuck to their creativeness. No lines crossed, no questions asked. My experience with my teachers learning style was more on the transformation approach. We learned our multiplication by sitting down in a group and memorizing a song in a rhyme, exactly how it was 3x3 is 9 3x4 is 12. Of course it sounded more sync and cool back when I was 8. I realized female teachers have a more social and expressive way in teaching the class rather than males. My 5th grade teachers made us memorize our time tables, every Friday we had a sheet of paper handed to us, and only had a minute to complete as much as we could from 1 through 12 at what ever number you were on. If you could finish all of them and correctly you would move on to the next level, for example instead of being on your ones time table you advanced on to twos. This killed me, I couldn’t think everything so crammed in and rushed. I knew my multiplication, but when I was put under pressure, I cracked. If I were to go back in time I would have my teachers use the social action approach. Some kids don’t know the basic of being a kid, their parent’s pressure then straight into intelligence and learning that they skip their childhood, which could emotionally affect them in the long run. Not every student will learn how you teach on what they’ve learn. But they will learn what they know on how you teach.

Reflection paper 2

The world is how you see it, through your own eyes.

The world as we see it was never as it was once seen. A wise man once said “History will forever repeat itself.” I believe that those noble words can only go so far. In the 1970’s we’ve had love and peace. All we heard about was just to forgive and be loved, though what was going on in the world to bring up these feelings was the war. Yet in 2003 when we went to war with Iraq, love and peace was not a mind set everyone had. The event was similar; another country came and destroyed a monument that we held dear to us. Why were people more forgiving, than now? Even though history had repeated itself, what makes you think reactions of other people will be the same? Generation after generation has an effect on what we think, and how we see things and events the way we see them. More so, we have our own set of rose colored glasses. Viewing a human structure, how we think, and acts today is viewing a paradigm shift constantly. About 1.8 million years ago, the Homo Habilis made stone tools and weapons. This was just the beginning of the paradigm shift, man had to evolve. Knowing what he needed to survive and turning it into a way of different survival techniques. We once lived in a time where sticks and spoons were our greatest weapons; we dug soil and used the plants for soil. Man evolved and saw new ways of hunting and more efficient ways for survival. Their body changed, they had to have strength to capture their food, and the technique to bring the food back. I believe we change for the better. We understand that things change, so we are more inclined to change with them. Hunting was only the beginning of paradigm shift, fire and tools like communication came into play as we developed better ways to improve our lifestyles. Though not everything is a paradigm shift, people are used to what they grow up with, and most don’t take well to change. Whether its fear or they are not comfortable with the shift, most people will not change. This comes typically from religious beliefs, people often go by what he said or she said. In religious communities their bible is the written proof to their society, though even the bible had to upgrade. They follow the words of their priest, knowing it’s what was taught to him and he speaks from the church, so it must be true. Church’s don’t form by the media; they don’t change because of facts. They form to what they believe, and change will come over time, dedication, and when some one is about to get fired. Change will only come after their bubble has been tampered with. In the new generations kids and teenagers are more likely to conform to society’s belief. Rather adults have grown a liking to what their used to and wont change for society, because what they are doing works for them, and what they are comfortable with. I see no wrong in being comfortable in your own skin and what you do in your everyday life. Most things are worth the change, because it allows you to skip a step or two. But I believe some task you learn more with every step you take.

Reflection paper #1

I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, I have the passion. But there’s a whole another meaning to hands on when you look back at history and what teaching was really like. In the colonial times being a teacher wasn't a privileged, or a career. Being a teacher was like being an immigrant at a sweat shop. I guess education isn't mandatory when you are just programmed to function, and when you’re program to do your everyday job. Becoming a teacher didn't take four years to accomplish, you were lucky if you even took a year or two. Most teachers who taught in elementary were teenagers who were only teaching one or two years. Teachers never had the learning process, we have now. There were no preparation, no secondary school, and teaching skills were not necessary. It was found that most teachers were there to pay for their passage to America. People in the colonial times thought of teachers, as a joke. Teaching was never a career, just a temporary employment. Even today, we do what we love, what were good at. But if what you're doing isn't what you really want to do. How will others learn from your system? That's where the "sink or swim" system comes to play. Many teachers sank, along with their students during the colonial times. In 1823, Reverend Samuel Hall changed that. Students had a chance at a real education because Reverend Samuel Hall had established a "Normal School"; this includes Private schools, and elementary school grades to produce formal training in teaching skills. In 1839, Horace Man, established the first state support for "Normal Schools" in Lexington, and Massachusetts. This was a begging of a better future for our education system. Even though the school system changed for the better only so much good deed can go so far. Students were getting the education they deserved but what about the teachers? Don’t they have a say in this. In the 1920’s sexism was at its all time high. Even though teaching became a career it wasn’t fit for men. Men where known to do the handy work, or handle money. They had no reason to be in a classroom teaching students. Not only was it frowned upon for males to be doing a “woman” work, woman were not treated right either. The “Miss” had to sign a contract binding them to their studies. Their obligation to the school was a list that had to be followed or their contract didn’t mean anything. Teachers were not allowed to get married, have contact with men, not allowed to leave the house from 8p.m. until 6 a.m., not allowed to leave town without asking the permission of the chairman, and if they were caught drinking or smoking they would be let off at once, and we thought we had it bad. Never mind their salary, we complain about getting an average of 30,969 a year. In the colonial times they were only given 900 a year. Times could only get better, that’s why in the twentieth century the professional teachers training had gained support and were accepted population wise. In the 1900’s, elementary, and secondary education gained popularity, as well as the demand for better trained teachers. As for the “Normal Schools” they had expanded there teaching requirements to a three to four year programmed. In the 1980’s, this marked the beginning of the modern effort to “reshape” education. A highly publicized report which went by the name of Tomorrow’s Teachers and A nation Prepared, called for higher standards and increased professionalism for the nations teachers. They also called for an end to the undergraduate teaching major, to be replaced by master’s level degree in teaching. Still to this day, teachers don’t get the respect or the hard earn cash for what they do. Educating student’s to become high paid business major’s or lawyers, isn’t what life it’s about. Knowledge is the key to success, and your school system contributes to your life learned lessons, and accompanies you with the knowledge to be who you want to be and do what you love. In return we still suffer from lack of support and lack of funds.

Allow me to introduce myself.

Hello, my name is Catherine Mitchell. I just graduated high school, and came to Miami Dade because it was cheap, and Bright Futures covered all of it. Not to mention, I literally dread the day I have to pack my bags and leave Miami. I want to Major in Education and Minor in Sociology or Psychology. Both of my parents were teachers, my mother was a math teacher and taught at Barbra Golmen for fifteen years. As for my father he switched from teaching to engineering. He was a history teacher, and a good one at that. Even till this day he rambles on about the war, and what the Boston Tea Party was really like. I would love to become an English teacher, even though English isn't my strong suit. I know I would like to work with kids, it's a passion I've always had. In the beginning I wanted to be a consoler it was something I was good at, whether you asked or not. I would still love to do so, but I have to branch out to different opportunities and see where life takes me. During the summer, I was asked countless amount of times what my major was. As soon as I replied "Teaching" a negative response was soon to follow. I was never in it for the money. I do what I do because I'm happy doing it. Because in the long run I'd rather be doing what I love for less money, than getting myself into a degree that will make me money, yet my happiness isn't at its full potential. During my freshmen year in high school, I was introduced to a Youth for Christ organization. Since then, my opportunities started to open up and my passion for teaching grew stronger. Youth for Christ sponsors a teenage youth group called Campus Life. This isn't a normal youth group; it's the kind that keeps teenager out of trouble. With friends, games, knowledge, and a new lesson to learn every time you come back. Being a part of Campus Life has allowed me to show my true compassion and understanding for the cycle of events that happen daily, and how some events are beyond your control. Unfortunately Campus Life has a way of taking control of your life and has a way of getting in the way of my priorities. Looking at the past and seeing how easily life takes away your time is the reason why I learned to question almost everything I do. For in the long run, I like the challenge. Not so much to challenge G-d himself, which I've done. Yet to challenge my beliefs and my opinion on what I really do think. Information is given on a daily bases whether we chose to listen to it, or set it aside like it doesn't matter. Though it will affect us in the long run. I have taught myself to be very open minded to almost everything, though the tough part is being open minded to close minded people. I like to hear other people's opinion and see how they back their beliefs up, and see their passion. Because in the eyes of the beholder is the eyes of the receiver.