Park n' Fun.

Culture & Diversity Paper

This is a paper I wrote for my culture and diversity class. I wrote about the importance of teachers caring about students and how much of a positive influence it can have on students. Enjoy :)

 

            As teachers we take classes and contemplate what it means to care for our students. We learn techniques, skills and methods that have been proven to be successful. To be genuine is to actually possess the alleged or apparent attribute or character. I say we start by building our character with sincerity as the base. All of the teachers that I have loved and learned from throughout my education were people who possessed this attribute. They didn’t have to learn how to show me they cared. They already did and even as an eleven year old, innocent child, I knew. Does this mean that all the training and schooling education majors do is useless and of no importance? It does not. However, I want to stress the importance of building upon our own sincerity if we are going to truly care for our students.

            Savoun Nouch, a senior from Providence Rhode Island, expressed feelings of gratitude towards a teacher who showed him that she really cared. He explains his experience by saying, “The way she was, the way she treated us, the way she made that connection—it made me work. She would contact me, out of school, to see what I was doing. We would have conversations, like friend to friend. That made us bonded very well and then I opened up. To improve schools, if they change the system, the way they teach, that would be [a] great idea, but even if they can’t change the system, have a good relationship with the students and be in contact with them, always be in contact with them. Call them up” (Nieto, 331, 2012.) Savoun description is a perfect example of what it really means to care. It was “the way she was,” that helped Savoun to succeed and have a positive experience in her classroom. Savoun mentions that teachers should call their students and to be in contact with them. There are many simple things that teachers can do to show their students they care.

            It doesn’t take much effort to call a student or parent and begin building a relationship with them. Doing this will allow you to work together as a team, all working towards the same goal, the success of the student. Building relationships with parents is crucial to effective teaching. Having potlucks, sending home notes or cards, inviting parent volunteers into the classroom are all ways that we can encourage parent involvement in our classrooms.

            I can recall the moments of my education that have truly impacted who I am today. Teachers who cared about me have been a big influence in my decision to become an elementary school teacher. One teacher in particular always believed in my ability to accomplish any goal I set for myself. Her high expectations were apparent and like Savoun I was willing to work harder. I still correspond with this teacher and there are not words to express how much that friendship means to me. Linda Howard a high school graduate from Boston Massachusetts shares an experience similar to my own. She says, “My first-grade teacher and I are very close. She’s always been there for me. After the first or second grade, if I had a problem, I could always go back to her. Through the whole rest of my life, I’ve been able to go back and talk to her….It’s just a feeling you have. You know that they really care for you. You just know it; you can tell” (Nieto, 89, 2012.) 

            Once again we are presented with proof that our students will know if we truly do care for them. In Sonia Nieto’s book “Affirming Diversity,” she mentions research done by Nel Noddings who also recognized the importance of “the ethic of care.” “Her research is corroborated by a nationwide survey of several hundred 13- to 17-year old students who were asked whether they work harder for some teachers than for others. Three out of four said yes, and they explained the reason was because these were the teachers who cared the most for them. The survey authors concluded that effective schooling relies almost entirely on creative and passionate teachers” (Nieto, 255, 2012.)  

            There is not one way to care for all of the students that we will have in our classrooms. Each individual will require different needs to be met and as the teacher it is our responsibility to recognize what those needs are. Some of the students we encounter will struggle with discrimination based on race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation or economic status. There are five distinct themes investigated by Ruben Garza that deserve mentioning. These are strategies used by teachers that students recognized and appreciated. “ Teachers (1) provided scaffolding during a teaching episode, (2) reflected a kind of disposition through actions, (3) were always available to the student, (4) showed a personal interest in the students’ well-being inside and outside the classroom, and (5) provided affective academic support in the classroom setting” (Nieto, 256, 2012.)  

            All of these simple strategies, if implemented, can help us to be the teachers we are all striving to become. Recognizing each students’ potential and taking the time to show we care will provide an environment where our students will exceed our high expectations and we will build relationships that will last a lifetime. Our students will appreciate our friendship and in return will bless our lives. As important as curriculum is in the teaching profession all teachers must accept the reality that their job is more important than two plus two equaling four. Building off of our genuine love for the students will help us to change more lives than having our students complete the most worksheets than any other class. It’s time to dedicate our careers to loving and caring for our students and to never give up the hope that we are making a change.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited:

 

-Nieto, Sonia. (2012). Affirming Diversity: The Socio-political Context of Multicultural Education, 6th edition. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Its almost the weekend HOOOORAY! (random post)

I love the weekends.
Mainly because Dane doesn't have to work and then I get him all to my self! mrahaha

Hiro loves them too, because then we are at home instead of school.

Today Hiro and I are going to have a cleaning party and then we are going to dye my hair. She's a profesh.

Today in school I learned that Greenwich England is pronounced "Grenidge," at least by the British.

I edited some pictures yesterday! Here is my favorite for obvious reasons! Enjoy. <3

Thy will be done.

So I haven't posted on the blog in a really long time. Which in a way I sort of feel guilty about. So I am sorry, and now I am going to change that!
First by explaining some reasons as to why I haven't been a dedicated blogger!  The first main reason was that school took a lot of my time and whenever I had time I didn't really feel like writing or editing pictures ha, so yeah, I'm lazy. The second reason was because right after Thanksgiving I found out that I was pregnant. Which if any of you reading this have ever been pregnant then you understand exactly why I have been a slacker. For those of you who haven't ever experienced this then the only way I can explain it is that you are tired all the time, you eat a lot, at least until you start to feel the nausea, and your body is just plain weird, in some ways abducted by your new growing fetus.
So thats why I haven't been a good blogger. However today I want to talk about something that has recently happened in mine and Dane's life together.
On Friday I had my first appointment with my midwife, and was supposed to be able to get an ultrasound that would show the babies little heartbeat. I was way nervous, mainly just because I haven't ever had a Dr.'s appointment that seemed to be so intrusive. Looking back now I wish I would have let those feelings go because the Dr was awesome and surprisingly I didn't feel awkward at all.
Unfortunately the ultrasound did not show what Dane and I had been expecting, the fetus was too small and the Dr. couldn't find a heartbeat. At first I didn't really understand what this meant, okay so I wasn't as far a long as I thought? But then the Dr. explained that the fetus looked to be only about five weeks developed. But I didn't understand, I had been having symptoms of pregnancy for over 10! How could this be and what did it mean?
The Dr explained that most likely we were experiencing what is known as a failed pregnancy or miscarriage. Whoa, did not think that the outcome of this Dr's appointment would be this.
The information was a shock and to be honest I just wanted to get out of that place so that I didn't start crying there and I could digest what I had been told. I felt sorrow for the baby that I never got to meet, the fetus that never developed. I also felt silly for already have bought baby stuff, what about the baby onesie, or the journal I had started to the baby? I felt like I should have waited to make all these changes in our life.
But really I know that that is not true. I may have felt sad, depressed, loss and fear but to be honest the one thing I felt the most was the love that my Heavenly Father had for me. The feelings of sadness soon were gone and were replaced with a deep sense of gratitude to my Father in Heaven who loved me and who was with me. I can't explain all the feelings and strength that I have been receiving over the last couple of days, and because of the sacredness of this experience I will only testify of what I know to be true.
I know that my Savior and my Heavenly Father have been with me through this experience. I have felt their presence and love for me. And I cannot and will not, deny that they are real. They recognize my faithfulness and my love for them and in return have blessed me in more ways than I will ever be able to comprehend. My relationship with them is real and ever so special to me and to my divine potential. I believe that no matter what happens in life they will always be there to protect me, love me and strengthen me. At times of struggle or pain the Holy Ghost will remind me that this trial is "only for a time." How powerful those four words can be, to remind, and help each of us see the eternal perspective. I know that someday Dane and I will be able to have a child and that whenever the Lord decides to bless us with one of His choice spirits, that we will accept that duty and thank Him with all our might, mind and strength. I bear my testimony of these things in name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I am grateful that I have been able to share my experience and testimony with anyone who has read this.
Love,
Jacie

my Loves.

So I want to share with All of you, because there are so many people following my blog,  (A bit overwhelming) the few things I have just been so grateful for as of late. :)

My pooch: Hiro Nakamora

Finding a pair of purple Patagonia hiking shorts for only a dollar at a thrift store in Park City. Cha-Ching-a ling.

The watch I made. One part U.O. One part J.crew. <3

Braids.
And the best for last my main man Daners.  oodles & oodles of love for heeeem.

Book Worm.

So I have been way slack-a-lacking on the whole Blog thing. BUT my spirits have been re-vamped and I am giving myself another shot at it!! Here goes nothin!
As of late I have been a complete kermit, couch loving, book worm!! NO Joke, or kid. It has been intense. I hardly ever get sucked into the book world unless the story is absolutely, 100% amazing. And well, the Hunger Games series my friends is just that. I read all three books in like two weeks....okay thats not exactly earth shattering, but it is beyond buzz lightyear for me. :) I loved it!!! I do have to say that when I get into a good book, it's like a drug that I can't quite stop taking hits from. It literally takes over my world, and I almost feel connected with the characters. Its the kind of connection you would actually wait in line for just so you could meet them...haha So Cheeeezy. I know. But lets just remember how awesome it is that I just read three books. ;p After I finished the last chapter today I must admit that I was very well.... sad that it was over. I wish that someone would invent a never ending book. I mean they already have it for televison, SOAP OPERAS. haha But the book version would of course be nothing like S.O.'s and would be totally captivating that all you would want to do was read and read and read your life away. Sounds like a perfect world to me.
Anyways, I am hoping someone can refer another amazing novel to me.. Hint hint. haha
Thanks for listening to my book-rant.

GIVE-A-WAY-HAY

Its from the spactacular "Edleweiss by Sarah." MUST CHECK OUT PEOPLE. Her stuff is absolutely stunning. This dress is AMAZ-ZA-ZING!! Daybook is hosting the giveaway of this dress. Fingers crossed I win!!!