This semester my placement is in a 3rd grade class.  I am enjoying my class, the students are willing to learn and we do not have any serious behavior problems.  My mentor teacher is very helpful and I am learning a lot from her.  I like the 3rd grade, but I prefer to to teach 4th or 5th grade.  I like the older kids.  I could teach 3rd grade but I prefer not to teach anything under the 3rd grade.  I hope this semester continues to be a positive experience for me and I continue to learn, so I can become the best teacher I could be.

This is the first week of a new semester.  The first day I was overwhelmed due to all of the new information we were given on the first day of class, but I am feeling okay today.  I got through last semester, so I will get through this one also.  I try to take it one day at a time, so I do not get stressed.  I enjoy my new placement.  My 3rd graders are well behaved and I look forward to getting to know them.  I hope all is well with everyone else and good luck this semester.

It is the end of the semester and I have a bittersweet feeling inside of me.  I am excited about the break and relaxing during the holidays, but I am going to miss my students next semester.  I feel like I have made an impact on some of their lives, but I hope that they continue to try their best.  I am also anxious about my placement next semester because I know that I have to be in a Pre-K or Kindergarten classroom.  I hope that I can be a great teacher for that age group because I am use to the older kids and I prefer the older kids.  But I believe that I will be able to adjust and do a good job with them.  Well I hope all is well with the rest of the cohort and enjoy the break.

Last night, as a class we attended the Mays Lecture.  Marian Wright Edelman was the speaker and I thought the speech was interesting.  I can tell she is an advocate for equal opportunities for all people, especially disadvantage children.  One of the reasons I entered the UACM Program was to serve students from disadvantage backgrounds.  I want to serve students who are considered the ”underdogs” because I believe they need the service the most.  I believe attending the lecture was a good experience for me because I have been very stressed lately and questioning the program very much.  The lecture help me to refocus on the big picture of making a difference of the lives of students who need it the most.  Also the video at the end of the lecture really touched me and gave me the motivation I needed to do my best in the program.   

This morning I felt extremely overwhelmed, but I feel a little better now after my wife gave me a pep talk.

Friday, we finally decided on a class name, Pangea.  Initially, I wanted the class name to be The Revolution, since we are in the process of trying to make a social change in the world through the process of education.  But many of my classmates were not behind that name so I had to choose another name I did not mind having.  Urbtopia was another name I liked because we will be serving students who attend urban schools, and we are trying to do the best for those kids.  But many of my classmates like the name Pangea because we want to bring everyone from all aspects of life together.  So I felt that Pangea was a name I could get behind, although it was not the name I initially chose.  I believe when working with a group of people there has to be compromise, so that the group can be successful.  Compromise is necessary in all relationships.  Well, I look forward to working with you Pangea for the next two years.  Good luck to all.

Today as a class we met at Idlewood Elementary School.  We observed a few classes and interacted with a 2nd grade class.  I was really impressed with the students at Idlewood, they were very intelligent kids who have big dreams about their future.  These kids really enjoy school and had a great passion for learning.  It really made me feel good to see these kids wanting to do well in school and in life.  I really encouraged the kids I had interaction with to continue making good grades and remember that school in very important.  I will love to be at a school like Idlewood, so I can be a positive influence on the kids very many people do not have much faith in.  I really look forward to becoming a teacher, so I can be involved in making some significant changes in our society.

I believe censoring books in schools today is wrong.  Of course I do not believe having adult magazines in schools, but students should be able to read what they want.  I do not believe reading certain books will not have a negative influence on children.  We should be happy as teachers and parents that the students are interested in reading.  I do not see any issue with a child reading Harry Potter, there are so many people out there who just need to loosen up and allow these children to read what they want to read. 

When I started the 9th grade many years ago, I was given a choice to follow the college preparatory track or the vocational track.  Of course, I chose the college prep track, but did I choose that track because I was placed on a certain track once I started school?  Today kids are tracked from the time they start school.  Usually those kids stay on the same track until they leave school and once they leave school their school tracking usually determines their role in society.  I always wondered if parents knew that their child is being tracked.  Because if I was a parent there is know way I would allow my child to be placed on a track that will have a negative effect on their self image.  I think parents need to know how their children are tracked and really need to get involved in their education or the system will do what they want to do with their children.   Tracking can label a child and prevent he or she from reaching their full potential.

Today in class we had a discussion about intelligence.  Initially, I believed everyone was born with a strength, but I thought intelligence can be nurtured.  After reading Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences I believe that everyone has high intelligence level in something.  Schools only notice children who have a high intelligence level in math, science, or verbal reasoning, so the students who strengths are in something else usually do not do well in school.  I think this is extremely unfair because what happens to these students?  I think something has to be designed so that the students who have a high intelligence level in something other than math, science, or verbal reasoning will have a chance to function in society.