Parents.

In response to Mrs. Stevens blog....

     To become a teacher, you must seek further education after the mandatory twelve years of schooling. Once you've been accepted to a college, you must register for your classes, pay thousands of dollars for your schooling, pass a few dozen classes, tests, and exams. You must do that for four years. Eight semesters. 216 weeks. 1,460 days. It's a job in which others expect only professionalism, but none is given in return. Teachers should be treated like most people treat surgeons. We are experts in our craft. We've trained for years to try to teach the future generations. But that becomes difficult when we are constantly having to answer minuscule, irrelevant questions from tight-rein parents who doubt our judgment.

     Most parents are very quick to administer discipline to their children when they've done something wrong in their household. If a child pushes his sister in the dining room, he sits in time-out for twenty minutes. If the same child hits a student on the playground, and the teacher calls home, that teacher is accused of naming the child as "violent". We love your kids. We look out for your children. We try to coach and tach your kids not only curriculum, but the basic skills and morals needed later in life. We do not ask for your whole-hearted approval, but we ask for your acceptance and your trust.

     Kids are learning excuses. They're full of them. Excuses for not turning in homework, excuses for bad behavior, excuses for attitudes, excuses for attendance, ect. Parent's need to squash this in the bud. If we instill in our children responsibility and truth in their childhood, those morals and standards will stick with them through adulthood. The repercussions of those negative traits can affect the children in the future. They have the potential to leave everything unfinished, and never fully showcase their potential.


     For example, responsibility in school is something I have always struggled with. This year in my algebra two class, at the end of the six weeks i had twelve missing assignments, 2 missing k-checks, and two missing tests. I don't know what that happened either. It taught me that I cannot slide by the system and I will receive what I put forth.

     Students need to also learn this lesson. The sooner we instill moral codes in them, and have parents back us up as professionals, the more positive results we will see.


 

Kreativity Kountz!

     

There is a man by the name of Sir Ken Robinson. He is a world renown public speaker, advocate of education and a believer in creativity and the resounding impact it can leave on our world. He attended the "TED" Convention, which is a conference where the greatest minds come together and discuss things such as politics, environmental affairs, and education. But most importantly they discuss our future. He presented his speech entitled, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?" Which imposed the question of 'Is education really teaching our kids the necessary information needed to succeed, or merely stifling their already instinctive creativity to do wonderful things?'
    Creatvity is the natural output of the innate sense of self each person contains. Just like the lion is born a predator, each child is born with creativity. Though it may be stifled for some time, a child just like a lion, will exhibit their natural sense of self, when given the opportunity....When the lion is around prey; or when the child is put with a pencil in his hand, on a stage, set to music, or an instrument in his lap. The natural beauty of presenting  yourself exactly how you are. Without limits or restrictions.

     The hierarchy of education and the importance of certain subjects over others, is not adapted to each individual child. Instead, we choose to impose a blanket system of education over the mass of them, and teach them all as if they were exactly the same. Each child has creativity. Each child has potential. We, as an education system, need to instill a sense of individuality in our children that can only be progressed through education... Instead of training our children all the same; and constantly reliving the disappointment of unexpected outcomes. 

     But, the change begins with us. And whether you are an educator or not, you are a teacher. If you are a mother; you are a teacher. If you are a father, banker, construction worker, mechanic, dancer, artist, or actor; you are a teacher. We interact with children everyday. Learning is not something that is learned strictly in the classroom, but it is also learned through observation and everyday learning.
                             

                             To better our future we must first better ourselves.

   

Appearance Counts!

     This is in response to Mrs. Stevens blog on appearance....



APPEARANCE COUNTS

     Yes, it does. It matters in your social life and in your business life. It is the defining line between your success, and your ridicule. For example, Ugly Betty.Yes, though she is a fictional character in a fictional business, following a fictional story line; the message still rings true. When you present yourself in the manner in which you'd like to be treated, then you receive that kind of treatment. Ugly Betty presented herself in an adolescent way, so she was treated as a child and as if she was incompetent in her job.
     

These are a few good examples of professional dress:

And with the good comes the bad....

Storyboard

Here is a copy of my Storyboard and lesson plan.

Here is a link to my lesson plan.  Click here.

Glog Blog

This is a glog I made through edu.glogster.com. This glog explains the steps to creating a controlling idea in a thesis paper, and provides videos, visuals and step by step instructions. This glog is targeted to my 7th grade Comp. class.

Thank you! Enjoy! 


http://s6jko72.edu.glogster.com/taren-holder-7th-grade-english-and-comp-controlling-idea

My Plans for the Future

As the last first semester of my high school career closes, and the beginning of my second semester unravels, I cannot help but think of the road that lies before me. But more importantly, where that road is going to take me. The place where I'm going to end up. I also have to consider how my actions now, dictate whether that road is a road of success or a road of unnoticed potential. Then I think of the things I want to change in myself...

1. I want to change my attitude. Compared to how I once was, I developed the traits of a Negative Nancy. I've created quite a sadistic outlook on life, and tend to often see the glass half empty... or just empty. Because that's how it's gonna end up anyway. I hope that by changing this outlook, I can become happier, and by expecting things to be better, things will become better.

2. I need to start getting on top of this whole college thing. Like seriously, it's about six months away. Six months. And I'm just now applying for FASFA? Yikes. I've kind of set myself up for failure. And I hope by changing this pattern I can set myself up for success instead.

3. I want to make better grades this semester. I need to start turning in my paperwork on time, and staying on task so I'm not hurrying to turn in papers last minute.Hopefully, by making better grades, I can have a more enjoyable second semester.

20 minutes

When I become a teacher, I can make sure that my kids develop a love of reading by reading in class often. I would also choose books that I know they can connect with, and will catch their interest. I'll praise them when they finish books, or when I see that they're becoming passionate about what they're reading.


As an intern teacher, I can MAJORLY see the difference in the student who read versus the students who don't. The students who read have a larger vocabulary, don't stumble during popcorn reading, their writing is more fluid, and they understand classroom material more than the kids who don't.


If I was a parent, to ensure that my child reads, I'd instill a love of learning as soon as possible. Children act by example, so I'd make sure to read in front of them often, and always praise them when they do read. I'd start a library for them, and add higher level reading books as they grow older. We'd read together, and I would make sure that they understand what they're reading, and how it affects our world.


I love reading. It provides an escape from reality, and hooks you into a world different from your own. 


I believe that if we read more in classes, I'd have a higher understanding of those subjects.


When I read, I mostly read mystery books. Just fun, easy, and interesting books. But lately, I've been wanting to challenge myself even in my recreation reading. I recently bought "Emma" by Jane Austen from Barnes and Nobles, and plan to start that book very soon.


I probably have twenty minutes that I could read more, rather than twitter or facebook.


If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't blow off my junior year. I'd buckle down, and do all my work when it was assigned. I would read more as well.