Looking back in my childhood, the hardest part about moving was leaving the people I met behind. I was almost always upset to leave, but I was happy when I made friends.The downfall of moving so much was I never had the long-term childhood friends that many kids my age had. I only told certain friends certain personal information, because I didn't know how long we would be friends. Keeping in touch after a move usually did not happen. In the back of my mind, I never knew how long I was going to stay at my home/school. All of the knowledge that I have acquired through every move will help me be more empathetic toward the students that are frequent movers. I have the understanding of what they could be going through. I know that what they are going through is probably different and their feeling maybe different, but I can let them know that I am there if they need help catching up on a topic, because the school they came from is in a different place than were I am at in my lesson.
Moving a lot means you live in a variety of neighborhoods and homes. In my life time so far I have lived in what I would consider low income to middle class homes/apartments. The most cramped in a home has been when my family lived with my grandparents in a 2 bedroom 1 bath trailer. My brother and I slept in the dining area. This was not a fun experience. The nicest place that I have lived is now. I am a proud home owner making mortgage payments in a nice neighborhood. I have lived in areas where there has been gang activity,drug activity, and severe crime area. In living in a variety of areas, I learned how to communicate with a variety of people. I am hoping that I will be able to use some of the knowledge that I have gained from this neighborhoods to apply it to my teachings, especially if I talk about communities.
Alcoholism was mainly in my extended family. I didn't have it in my home, but I experienced it none the less. I understand what it is like to witness child abuse. My uncle would come home drunk, yell and hit his kids with the belt. He never curved his language at all when I was around. My family stressed me out when they drank. I never new if they were going to be violent or over loving (ranting on how much they love you). I do have one thing to thank my family for. I knew I didn't want to be like them and I am not.What I have learned as a child was how to be better than some of the role models before me. If a student felt comfortable to talk to me about their family; I would listen to what they have to say. I may share some stories with them, if they want to hear them. I hope that I am able to guide and help students to be better people. Good role models are sometimes hard to find, especially when you are a place where you want to hide.
From moving, family, and being picked on at school and home I have developed a tough side to me. I have been in a few fights, but I usually don't try to be in them. The first one was to protect my brother from a kid that was being a bully. To me protecting family is the right thing to do. I love my family and I am very attached to them. The second one the kid just wouldn't back off and it just happened. I person can only take so much before they blow. As a teacher, I hope that I can be the mediator before a student blows and two students decide to take it to the next level. I have found that sometimes fights break out over misunderstandings. Most of the fights that I have seen ( that I have not been apart of) have been the same gender. I believe that girls can hold their own in a fight just as well as boys. Girls are a little more brutal. They pull hair, use nails, and rip out earrings.
As gender as a whole the experiences that I have had have been people telling me that I can't do something because I am a girl. That statement always has made me angry. If you want something bad enough, you have to try for it. If it doesn't work, it is not because of your gender. It is because you were not able to do it. I want all of my students to try in my class. It doesn't matter of their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation. They all will have a fair chance in my class to succeed.
I am very blessed to have a good family structure. Both of my parents loved me and showed me that they loved me. They were very supportive in everything that I did. As I have grown my idea of family has changed to include my friends into my family. Family to me is a group of people that may or may not be related to you that care about and/or love you. Hopefully most of my students will have at least 1 person in their life that care about them. If not, I can tell them that I care what happens and that they have options in their life.
Since I have seen so much in the last 35 years, my perspective of the world is not very rosie. Students are different and come from different backgrounds. They may have home issues, school issues, learning disabilities that have been overlooked, english as a second language, and many more. It is my job to guide them and teach them. My job may include talking to them about personal issues or class work. I may have to be a mediator of a fight or help students solve a problem with another student. To one or more students I may be a role model. I want to work as many problems out in my classroom before calling the parents into play. Since I don't know what kind of home life my student has, I don't want to make it worse at home unless I have to.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
equity- Autobiography
Autobiography
Almost 36 years ago on December 1, 1974, I was born. My birth took place at San Jose Community Hospital. Before I was 2 my parents moved to Southern California. That was where my brother was born. He began to irritate me from day one. Shortly after he was born we moved to Milpitas, California. I was lucky enough to stay there through the first time I took third grade. Then the Ford plant closed where my dad was working (he lost his job) and our house got burglarized. My parents said enough and we moved to Wisconsin to live with my grandparents.
The trip to Wisconsin was a very long 4 day trip in a Pinto. My grandparents lived in a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath trailer on property. There is nothing like sleeping in the dining area with your brother in the bed next to you. One of the morning chores is to put the hid a bed away. We had to catch the bus before the sun came up and take over an hour bus ride to school. My grandparents also smoked heavily in the house. Luckily we only had to live there for about 9 months. I spent most of my second year of third grade there (I was held back because of reading comprehension problems).
My dad found a job in a foundry in Iron Mountain, Mi and a house in Niagara, Wisconsin. I then started the Niagara, Wisconsin public school system to finish up the second part of my third grade year. I had a lot of fun in Niagara. We had the cold, snowy winters which was great for snow ball fights, ice skating outside, and making snow forts. In the summer we had playing in the forest and the creeks. I brought home lots of frogs and toads. My fifth grade year I was able to learn how to play the trumpet. I was terrible. I parents made me practice in the basement with 2 doors closed. I stuck with it and made all the neighbor kids listen to me play. I was able to stay in Niagara through my fifth grade year. Then we found out my grandma Evanoff was really sick. We moved back to California. Nothing like having your mom tell you what ever you can fit in a moving box can go.
Sixth-eighth grade we moved every year within nearby cities. We either shared a dwelling with family or lived in a 2 bedroom apartment during this time period. In sixth grade I was able to participate in a group called Young Astronauts. It was a great opportunity for me and since my aunt started the program in that area I was allowed to participate a year early. I was able to see the Hubble Space Telescope before it went in space. I was able to go to the state capital and launch model rockets. Sixth grade was also the first time that I got into a fight and it was with a boy that was picking on my brother. I told him to leave my brother alone or I would rearrange his face and he told me to try it so I did. I tried to punch him in the face and he blocked it, but I punched him so hard that he hit himself in the face. He left my brother alone and stayed away from me. This happened in the apartment complex that I lived in.
In my eighth grade year was the second time that I fought with another kid other than my brother. A boy was teasing me and wouldn’t back off and eventually we got into a fight in the street. One of my friends broke it off.
I found relief in sports and band in high school. In my ninth grade year I learned how to play field hockey. I loved it. It became a stress reliever for me. I volunteered to be goalie. I ended up being goalie for all 4 years. I played softball for 2 years. I used to have a great arm in softball. I could throw the ball from right field to home plate. I did a pretty good job of catching the ball, but my batting needed a lot of work. I became involved with Science Club. Science club gave me great opportunities to escape life and enjoy life for a bit. Through Science club I went on several trips including week long trips to Death Valley. We camped in the desert for a week with no electricity, running water, or toilets. I found out by high school my trumpet playing became a lot better. When you are the only trumpet player or one of two you have a tendency to work a little bit harder. Every piece you play is a solo. I had to deal with the death of my grandmother in my freshman year. It was hard because I was very close to her. I also had to deal with the ’89 earthquake that shook the bay area. There is nothing like having reality swing a hammer at your head. The earthquake was so strong that it knocked my bookshelf onto my water bed. I barely had enough room to get into my room. The reality part was if that quake would have happened in the middle of the night instead of the day, I would not be typing this blog right now. In my sophomore year I found out that my school was getting closed along with some others due to budget cuts. I had a little adjusting to do going into my new school my junior year. My junior year was a mix of the social and ethnic classes. If you didn’t go to the right middle school you were not easily accepted. There were a lot of fights on and off campus. No, none of the fights involved me. Being at this new school gave me 2 opportunities in band to travel to Disneyland to play. My senior year my grandpa remarried. I was very angry about his choice. I was very vocal about it. At the end of my senior year I moved to my aunt’s house. My parents moved back to Niagara shortly after graduated (1993). I was promoted at my job to assistant manager. My grandpa Baker was not doing well health wise and my brother was in a lot of trouble and going down the wrong path. They left without me this time.
College came before I knew it. I decided to work full time and go to school part time at a junior college. Within a year of going to school, I new California was not the place for me. I moved to Oregon and lived with my cousins in Aumsville. My job allowed me to transfer. I worked for a year and then went back to school at Chemeketa and continued to work full time. During this time period my parents got divorced and my grandpa passed away (1995). I transferred from Chemeketa to Portland State. I quit my job and moved in with my boyfriend while I was attending PSU. That only lasted a year. When e broke up with me I found a job and a place to live within 2 weeks. I was out the door and on my own again. I have a wonderful aunt that paid for my housing while I was at PSU. I was taking 16-18 credits and working 20 hours per week. After the break up I reconnected with some old friends in Salem. That is how I met my current husband. After graduating from PSU (2002) I moved in with my fiancé. About eight months later I was married.
I am still married and I have 2 wonderful boys. Sean is 6 and Jordan is 3 1/2. I have wanted to teach for a while. I was talking to my mom about it. I was going to wait until Jordan was in school and she told me to do it now. I talked to my husband and took her advice. I relearned everything that I forgot from high school and college in 5 week chunks to try and pass the exams needed to be a teacher. I volunteered in high school classrooms last year. For the last 2 years I have been a math tutor for middle school and high school students. I have tutored students in science over the last year. I have been a preschool teacher to Jordan and my friend’s daughter. I have also been supplementing school work for Sean to make him learn more and reinforce what he knows.
I will have a lot to offer the students that I teach. I have gone through a lot in my life both positive and negative. With all of the moving that I have done has taught me how to make friends and the importance of good friends. I have also learned the importance of family and I understand that people have different home lives. I have experienced a loving family, but have seen my cousins being hit and yelled at by their father. I have seen what alcoholism can do to a family dinamic.I have experienced being poor and I have experienced being middle class. I have lived in communities that have ranged in diversity. I believe that every student needs to find an outlet for life.This outlet can be sports, music, reading, etc.
This is just a brief door that I have opened for you. I have believe that I am a stronger person for all that I have seen, dealt with, and enjoyed in my life so far. I believe that I will be able to relate to many students and I will have many stories to share with them.
Almost 36 years ago on December 1, 1974, I was born. My birth took place at San Jose Community Hospital. Before I was 2 my parents moved to Southern California. That was where my brother was born. He began to irritate me from day one. Shortly after he was born we moved to Milpitas, California. I was lucky enough to stay there through the first time I took third grade. Then the Ford plant closed where my dad was working (he lost his job) and our house got burglarized. My parents said enough and we moved to Wisconsin to live with my grandparents.
The trip to Wisconsin was a very long 4 day trip in a Pinto. My grandparents lived in a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath trailer on property. There is nothing like sleeping in the dining area with your brother in the bed next to you. One of the morning chores is to put the hid a bed away. We had to catch the bus before the sun came up and take over an hour bus ride to school. My grandparents also smoked heavily in the house. Luckily we only had to live there for about 9 months. I spent most of my second year of third grade there (I was held back because of reading comprehension problems).
My dad found a job in a foundry in Iron Mountain, Mi and a house in Niagara, Wisconsin. I then started the Niagara, Wisconsin public school system to finish up the second part of my third grade year. I had a lot of fun in Niagara. We had the cold, snowy winters which was great for snow ball fights, ice skating outside, and making snow forts. In the summer we had playing in the forest and the creeks. I brought home lots of frogs and toads. My fifth grade year I was able to learn how to play the trumpet. I was terrible. I parents made me practice in the basement with 2 doors closed. I stuck with it and made all the neighbor kids listen to me play. I was able to stay in Niagara through my fifth grade year. Then we found out my grandma Evanoff was really sick. We moved back to California. Nothing like having your mom tell you what ever you can fit in a moving box can go.
Sixth-eighth grade we moved every year within nearby cities. We either shared a dwelling with family or lived in a 2 bedroom apartment during this time period. In sixth grade I was able to participate in a group called Young Astronauts. It was a great opportunity for me and since my aunt started the program in that area I was allowed to participate a year early. I was able to see the Hubble Space Telescope before it went in space. I was able to go to the state capital and launch model rockets. Sixth grade was also the first time that I got into a fight and it was with a boy that was picking on my brother. I told him to leave my brother alone or I would rearrange his face and he told me to try it so I did. I tried to punch him in the face and he blocked it, but I punched him so hard that he hit himself in the face. He left my brother alone and stayed away from me. This happened in the apartment complex that I lived in.
In my eighth grade year was the second time that I fought with another kid other than my brother. A boy was teasing me and wouldn’t back off and eventually we got into a fight in the street. One of my friends broke it off.
I found relief in sports and band in high school. In my ninth grade year I learned how to play field hockey. I loved it. It became a stress reliever for me. I volunteered to be goalie. I ended up being goalie for all 4 years. I played softball for 2 years. I used to have a great arm in softball. I could throw the ball from right field to home plate. I did a pretty good job of catching the ball, but my batting needed a lot of work. I became involved with Science Club. Science club gave me great opportunities to escape life and enjoy life for a bit. Through Science club I went on several trips including week long trips to Death Valley. We camped in the desert for a week with no electricity, running water, or toilets. I found out by high school my trumpet playing became a lot better. When you are the only trumpet player or one of two you have a tendency to work a little bit harder. Every piece you play is a solo. I had to deal with the death of my grandmother in my freshman year. It was hard because I was very close to her. I also had to deal with the ’89 earthquake that shook the bay area. There is nothing like having reality swing a hammer at your head. The earthquake was so strong that it knocked my bookshelf onto my water bed. I barely had enough room to get into my room. The reality part was if that quake would have happened in the middle of the night instead of the day, I would not be typing this blog right now. In my sophomore year I found out that my school was getting closed along with some others due to budget cuts. I had a little adjusting to do going into my new school my junior year. My junior year was a mix of the social and ethnic classes. If you didn’t go to the right middle school you were not easily accepted. There were a lot of fights on and off campus. No, none of the fights involved me. Being at this new school gave me 2 opportunities in band to travel to Disneyland to play. My senior year my grandpa remarried. I was very angry about his choice. I was very vocal about it. At the end of my senior year I moved to my aunt’s house. My parents moved back to Niagara shortly after graduated (1993). I was promoted at my job to assistant manager. My grandpa Baker was not doing well health wise and my brother was in a lot of trouble and going down the wrong path. They left without me this time.
College came before I knew it. I decided to work full time and go to school part time at a junior college. Within a year of going to school, I new California was not the place for me. I moved to Oregon and lived with my cousins in Aumsville. My job allowed me to transfer. I worked for a year and then went back to school at Chemeketa and continued to work full time. During this time period my parents got divorced and my grandpa passed away (1995). I transferred from Chemeketa to Portland State. I quit my job and moved in with my boyfriend while I was attending PSU. That only lasted a year. When e broke up with me I found a job and a place to live within 2 weeks. I was out the door and on my own again. I have a wonderful aunt that paid for my housing while I was at PSU. I was taking 16-18 credits and working 20 hours per week. After the break up I reconnected with some old friends in Salem. That is how I met my current husband. After graduating from PSU (2002) I moved in with my fiancé. About eight months later I was married.
I am still married and I have 2 wonderful boys. Sean is 6 and Jordan is 3 1/2. I have wanted to teach for a while. I was talking to my mom about it. I was going to wait until Jordan was in school and she told me to do it now. I talked to my husband and took her advice. I relearned everything that I forgot from high school and college in 5 week chunks to try and pass the exams needed to be a teacher. I volunteered in high school classrooms last year. For the last 2 years I have been a math tutor for middle school and high school students. I have tutored students in science over the last year. I have been a preschool teacher to Jordan and my friend’s daughter. I have also been supplementing school work for Sean to make him learn more and reinforce what he knows.
I will have a lot to offer the students that I teach. I have gone through a lot in my life both positive and negative. With all of the moving that I have done has taught me how to make friends and the importance of good friends. I have also learned the importance of family and I understand that people have different home lives. I have experienced a loving family, but have seen my cousins being hit and yelled at by their father. I have seen what alcoholism can do to a family dinamic.I have experienced being poor and I have experienced being middle class. I have lived in communities that have ranged in diversity. I believe that every student needs to find an outlet for life.This outlet can be sports, music, reading, etc.
This is just a brief door that I have opened for you. I have believe that I am a stronger person for all that I have seen, dealt with, and enjoyed in my life so far. I believe that I will be able to relate to many students and I will have many stories to share with them.
equity ch 1
ch. (1.1-4,1.11-13)
1.1
I have a vision of myself as a fantastic teacher. I want to teach students not only the content material that they need to know but also how to use the resources available to them. I want my students to develop and fine tune critical thinking skills. I want to capture my students’ attention by having a variety of learning materials, so they don’t have to learn everything from lectures and textbooks. I want to have my students learn how to work in groups as well as by themselves. I want my students to learn to respect each other and follow the rules that are set for them. I will be honest with my students and let them know that I am there if they need help or need to talk.
1.2
Love(ing) children means being there for them when they need someone. Loving children means caring. Loving children means having boundaries and structure.
Want(ing) to help students means learning. Both students and teachers need to learn (knowledge, self, and about each other). Wanting to help students means opening their eyes to possibilities. There is more to life than what is in front of you.
Another reason I want to teach includes enjoying the material that I teach. I want to pass on my knowledge and share my passion of science.
1.3
Loving children will sustain me if I am strong and don’t let the system wear me down and I keep my boundaries and structure.
Wanting to help students will sustain me if I continue to learn with the students & realize that I can’t help every student.
Another reason I want to teach includes will sustain me if I incorporate a variety of techniques in my curriculum and make it interesting for my students.
1.4
The similarities between Darling Hammond & 1.2 are that I want them to learn and acknowledge that there is diversity out there and we can learn from it. The differences are that I didn’t mention as being a teacher to be prepared for diversity. I talked about having boundaries or rules. I didn’t state anything about using students’ backgrounds for teaching strategies. I talked about caring for my students and letting them know I am there.
1.11
Dale Spender’s new interpretations
I believe that Dale Spender’s interpretation is that we couldn’t rely on men to talk or put together women studies. In “men’s” eyes it was perceived as no problem. This could have been the norm at the time. Many studies are of white males. Since no studies were available women had to get it going.
1.12
The main purpose of schools is to have a place where students can gather to learn about book knowledge, to socialize with a variety of people, and learn to work together.
This purpose relates to or serves a diverse society because students are able to work with a diverse group of people. While spending time in a diverse group the students will learn patience and learn knowledge that will hopefully carry them through life.
This purpose relates to or serves a socially stratified society because people come from all walks of life and when in a social community it allows people to learn from each other. Students will choose to which direction they want to go but hopefully they will take the knowledge that they have learned with them. It can help bridge gaps in society and lessen any fear that people may have or preconceptions.
The implications of what I wrote above for the work of a teacher will be to have students work in groups. Teachers need to help students work through problems that they may have and to learn tolerance, patience, and respect. Teachers need to integrate multicultural material into the curriculum so students can experience different cultures and to relate to the material that is given.
1.13
As a teacher I envision myself teaching students to work together in learning knowledge, having tolerance and respect for each other. I also want a variety of material to keep my students interested and I expect my students to work. I will be honest with my students and expect them to follow the rules that I have set and the school has set.
The one thing that added from 1.1 was tolerance.
1.1
I have a vision of myself as a fantastic teacher. I want to teach students not only the content material that they need to know but also how to use the resources available to them. I want my students to develop and fine tune critical thinking skills. I want to capture my students’ attention by having a variety of learning materials, so they don’t have to learn everything from lectures and textbooks. I want to have my students learn how to work in groups as well as by themselves. I want my students to learn to respect each other and follow the rules that are set for them. I will be honest with my students and let them know that I am there if they need help or need to talk.
1.2
Love(ing) children means being there for them when they need someone. Loving children means caring. Loving children means having boundaries and structure.
Want(ing) to help students means learning. Both students and teachers need to learn (knowledge, self, and about each other). Wanting to help students means opening their eyes to possibilities. There is more to life than what is in front of you.
Another reason I want to teach includes enjoying the material that I teach. I want to pass on my knowledge and share my passion of science.
1.3
Loving children will sustain me if I am strong and don’t let the system wear me down and I keep my boundaries and structure.
Wanting to help students will sustain me if I continue to learn with the students & realize that I can’t help every student.
Another reason I want to teach includes will sustain me if I incorporate a variety of techniques in my curriculum and make it interesting for my students.
1.4
The similarities between Darling Hammond & 1.2 are that I want them to learn and acknowledge that there is diversity out there and we can learn from it. The differences are that I didn’t mention as being a teacher to be prepared for diversity. I talked about having boundaries or rules. I didn’t state anything about using students’ backgrounds for teaching strategies. I talked about caring for my students and letting them know I am there.
1.11
Dale Spender’s new interpretations
I believe that Dale Spender’s interpretation is that we couldn’t rely on men to talk or put together women studies. In “men’s” eyes it was perceived as no problem. This could have been the norm at the time. Many studies are of white males. Since no studies were available women had to get it going.
1.12
The main purpose of schools is to have a place where students can gather to learn about book knowledge, to socialize with a variety of people, and learn to work together.
This purpose relates to or serves a diverse society because students are able to work with a diverse group of people. While spending time in a diverse group the students will learn patience and learn knowledge that will hopefully carry them through life.
This purpose relates to or serves a socially stratified society because people come from all walks of life and when in a social community it allows people to learn from each other. Students will choose to which direction they want to go but hopefully they will take the knowledge that they have learned with them. It can help bridge gaps in society and lessen any fear that people may have or preconceptions.
The implications of what I wrote above for the work of a teacher will be to have students work in groups. Teachers need to help students work through problems that they may have and to learn tolerance, patience, and respect. Teachers need to integrate multicultural material into the curriculum so students can experience different cultures and to relate to the material that is given.
1.13
As a teacher I envision myself teaching students to work together in learning knowledge, having tolerance and respect for each other. I also want a variety of material to keep my students interested and I expect my students to work. I will be honest with my students and expect them to follow the rules that I have set and the school has set.
The one thing that added from 1.1 was tolerance.
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