Recently I have been sort of questioning my plan for education and thinking more along the lines of a sociology major. Now, I understand that this topic is very broad, but I have come to this idea through various thoughts and experiences including, my working at Girls Inc (after school program), my intense dislike for long term planning, and my drive of working with people- this includes children- in a helpful environment.
This school year I have been working at an after-school facility for Manchester girls ages 5-15- Girls Incorporated. This is a well renowned, national, non-profit program which has helped the lives of many local community members, including my family. I have worked there for the last two summers and this year, upon my transfer to SNHU I have been able to work there after school as well. I enjoy working there very much and everyday I am able to pull something good or happy from my time spent working/teaching, but it has become very stressful and rather concerning. I have come to realize my habit of favoritism towards certain children, and in the teaching field, that is a huge no-no. Also, I have become aware of my sinking level of patience for some of the girls I work with, and that concerns me for my patience level when it comes to education. I am not trying to sound like a big cry baby about this, simply stating that various (rather negative) personal qualities have come to the surface as a result of working at Girls Inc after school.
I have never liked planning. Not even vacations or birthdays or exciting events. The idea of it is daunting to me. I am what some may call a "fly by the seat of my pants" sort of planner in that I sort of do what is best and right at the time and make it up as I go. That's no to say I don't plan ANYTHING simply, I don't go out of my way to plan things. Teaching is a profession where everything for pretty much the entire year is planned out perfectly with little wiggle room, because in order to accomplish all that needs to be accomplished within 180 days, it needs to be. This idea terrifies me, and I simply don't want to do it.
Finally, I have learned throughout the course of this pat summer and this school year that I enjoy working with individuals of all ages and feel good about helping them in anyway possible. Therefore with that thought in mind (helping everying not simply helping kids), sociology opens up a broad range of professional fields to work in: Counseling, Case Management, Advocacy, Mental Health Services, Programming, and Administration to name a few. This idea is not only appealing to me because it incorporates more of what I want to do, the less stressful path of getting to where I want to be, and it leads to potential professional happiness-more so than I think teaching could offer.
Now this is not to say that I will never want to be a teachers, simply that I might have jumped into the idea of education too quick before taking time to explore various fields. College is the perfect time in which to change you mind and explore new interest, and i intend to so just that (assuming it doesn't cost too much...)
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Educational Elements of Ski Instructing
Hello! Thank you for reading my post and taking the time to look at my blog.
I have been a ski instructor over at McIntyre Ski Area for about five years now, and each time I go out for a lesson I learn something new. Today I will be talking about some of such lessons and knowledge that I have gained through my experiences.
As a ski instructor, even the slightest failure can have enormous repercussions and pretty much a bad time for all involved. At any point during your lesson a child or a student could get seriously injured, so that's stressful enough. Another thing to keep in mind is that their parents/guardians are paying large sums of money for this student to learn, and if I as a teacher fail the student I have wasted all that time and money. Therefore through my experiences, I have learned how to cope with pressure and still work well and effectively under such.
Also, most of the time you are teaching someone an entirely foreign skill and that requires a great deal of patience and creative thinking to allow students the proper opportunity to learn how to ski. Much like in the classroom while teaching a new lesson, ski teaching requires practice, repetition, and creativity with games and explanations- I've found that kids learn best while having fun. Also, sometimes (more often then not) I will have to explain the same thing a hundred different ways and a thousand different times in order for anything to stick, and this goes for both kids and adults, therefore a great deal of patience is required.
All in all, I have learned more about education, working with people, and teaching through ski instructing than I have in my college career as of yet, and I am happy and proud to say this. Ski instructing, even at such a small hill, is what made me want to be a teacher in the first place and I can't wait until I can one day work with students in a whole different light, while sticking to the same practices.
MW
I have been a ski instructor over at McIntyre Ski Area for about five years now, and each time I go out for a lesson I learn something new. Today I will be talking about some of such lessons and knowledge that I have gained through my experiences.
As a ski instructor, even the slightest failure can have enormous repercussions and pretty much a bad time for all involved. At any point during your lesson a child or a student could get seriously injured, so that's stressful enough. Another thing to keep in mind is that their parents/guardians are paying large sums of money for this student to learn, and if I as a teacher fail the student I have wasted all that time and money. Therefore through my experiences, I have learned how to cope with pressure and still work well and effectively under such.
Also, most of the time you are teaching someone an entirely foreign skill and that requires a great deal of patience and creative thinking to allow students the proper opportunity to learn how to ski. Much like in the classroom while teaching a new lesson, ski teaching requires practice, repetition, and creativity with games and explanations- I've found that kids learn best while having fun. Also, sometimes (more often then not) I will have to explain the same thing a hundred different ways and a thousand different times in order for anything to stick, and this goes for both kids and adults, therefore a great deal of patience is required.
All in all, I have learned more about education, working with people, and teaching through ski instructing than I have in my college career as of yet, and I am happy and proud to say this. Ski instructing, even at such a small hill, is what made me want to be a teacher in the first place and I can't wait until I can one day work with students in a whole different light, while sticking to the same practices.
MW
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Tech Dummy
Throughout my K-12 years I had very little experience with any form of technology. Manchester school district is considered a "district-in-need" meaning there is very little money going around and going into the education of students, therefore there is hardly any extra tech in the schools other than regular computers in the libraries and classrooms. There were a couple Mac labs we were allowed to use occasionally, but they were simply used for research.
In third grade, my school Highland Goffes Falls received some grant money and was able to purchase a new "Mac lab" (cart with about 20 computers that was shared throughout the school). This was pretty much the first bit of technology I was taught in my educational experience, and it was not something I enjoyed. Having never really used the computer before I had no idea what the purpose of it was. My teacher explained to us that computers were used to find facts and information we didn't know, so most of what we did was typing in the URL given to use and simply reading whatever we were to read, and then taking paper notes on such. Throughout the remainder of elementary school I seldom used the computer or any other form of tech, and when I did it was only to do research or play on paint.
My middle school years at Southside Middle School were the first in which I received true instruction on computers and their usage potential, in my Computers class. In such we learned what Microsoft Word, Excel, Spreadsheet, and other techy things were and how to use them. I didn't like this class. The teacher was mean, and I didn't know what I was doing half the time, but I suppose in the long run, it helped.
Come high school I had full knowledge of how to use a computer to research, write, make spreadsheets, and how to use databases. However, the computer was the only form of technology offered to me, due to the financial struggles of the district. Now, as I study in college I am learning that there are far more forms of technology that can be useful in the classroom and future classrooms of mine. I still do not understand much of all the many forms of tech, and that scares me, but I look forward to learning how to use them personally, as well as how to use them in future classrooms.
I would very much like to include active technology usage both in and outside of my future classroom. I find this blogging thing to be pretty cool and useful and I think I would like to use this as a way to communicate with parents and students as well as engage them into higher level teaching/thinking. I do not however like Twitter or any other social media site, nor do I feel they are an appropriate tool to be used in education so I would not like to include such technologies in my future classroom. Overall, I feel as technology advances, we as future educators should advance with it, keep up with the times, and include such in our classrooms. For, what is the point of having all this great technology and not using it?
In third grade, my school Highland Goffes Falls received some grant money and was able to purchase a new "Mac lab" (cart with about 20 computers that was shared throughout the school). This was pretty much the first bit of technology I was taught in my educational experience, and it was not something I enjoyed. Having never really used the computer before I had no idea what the purpose of it was. My teacher explained to us that computers were used to find facts and information we didn't know, so most of what we did was typing in the URL given to use and simply reading whatever we were to read, and then taking paper notes on such. Throughout the remainder of elementary school I seldom used the computer or any other form of tech, and when I did it was only to do research or play on paint.
My middle school years at Southside Middle School were the first in which I received true instruction on computers and their usage potential, in my Computers class. In such we learned what Microsoft Word, Excel, Spreadsheet, and other techy things were and how to use them. I didn't like this class. The teacher was mean, and I didn't know what I was doing half the time, but I suppose in the long run, it helped.
Come high school I had full knowledge of how to use a computer to research, write, make spreadsheets, and how to use databases. However, the computer was the only form of technology offered to me, due to the financial struggles of the district. Now, as I study in college I am learning that there are far more forms of technology that can be useful in the classroom and future classrooms of mine. I still do not understand much of all the many forms of tech, and that scares me, but I look forward to learning how to use them personally, as well as how to use them in future classrooms.
I would very much like to include active technology usage both in and outside of my future classroom. I find this blogging thing to be pretty cool and useful and I think I would like to use this as a way to communicate with parents and students as well as engage them into higher level teaching/thinking. I do not however like Twitter or any other social media site, nor do I feel they are an appropriate tool to be used in education so I would not like to include such technologies in my future classroom. Overall, I feel as technology advances, we as future educators should advance with it, keep up with the times, and include such in our classrooms. For, what is the point of having all this great technology and not using it?
Monday, September 8, 2014
Friday, September 5, 2014
How did I get here?
What brings me to SNHU? Well to start, I live only 15 minutes from campus so the location is perfect. I can keep my jobs, I can work at home, I can see my family, and I can sleep in my own room! I recently transferred to SNHU from the University of New England for many reasons, but to keep things brief I will list only three. First reason: the caliber of education SNHU has to offer, specifically their Department of Education, is much greater than that of UNE. Second reason: SNHU is much cheaper, for I can live at home and commute, cutting out room and board cost, among other things. Third reason: overall, I very much disliked UNE due to multiple happenings throughout the year, the overall community, and the food… In short, my “journey”, if you will, to EDU 235, stems from all such happenings last academic year, as well as my many childhood experiences which further supported my dream of one day becoming an elementary school teacher.
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