Children Experiencing Homelessness

Hi everyone! In my Child and Adolescent Psychology class, I responded to a discussion board post on the issue of children experiencing homelessness. After reading this article: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jFNmEMLVh9v4STp5tCBePxSDzP2wD96QUC7G0 I wanted to share my thoughts with you. You may also comment on the issue if you'd like.

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Every child deserves a home. No matter what the circumstances are, children as well as adults need shelter, food and clothing (the basic human necessities) to survive in this world. I thought this article was very sad to read. Many of us are so fortunate to have homes and have never had experiences such as these that we look passed some of the major problems affecting the world, one of which being homelessness. It was disturbing for me to see 1 out of every 50 children is homeless. That is A LOT of children and as a soon to be teacher, I have to ponder what this means to their education.

"The report said homeless children are far more likely than other children to experience hunger, suffer chronic health problems, repeat a grade in school and drop out of high school." - Crary Children have so much potential and I believe every student is intelligent in his/her own unique way. To have them need to repeat a grade or see them dropping out of high school as a result of being or having been homeless, I feel, is a waste of talent and hinderance to their development. To try to conquer this problem in school, as a teacher, I can bring awareness to the issue of homelessness. I would explain to children that a home is where your heart is. It can be anywhere and it is important to stay postive and focused on the future because things can get better. As a school, I would suggest having monetary, food, and clothing fund raisers for homeless families. This would give them some comfort while they are in the shelters. I would propose the idea of a "career fair" at school where different employers would come and interview homeless parents for jobs, hopefully hiring some and enabling them to get back on their feet. Finally, I would have students do projects and papers on homelessness dealing with: what it is, statistics, how to help those in need and what can be done within our own communities.

Overall, I would be as optimistic with them as possible and keep them busy so they stay focused on their education. I think it's best to keep things as normal as possible, such as in a death, so students do not dwell on the issue. It would be one of my goals to have them hopefully realize being homeless is just one part of their lives. With self motivation and a different outlook on life, I would want them to know it can even help them become a better person. "Out of our greatest rejection comes our greatest direction." - Joel Osteen

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For more information, you can go to: http://www.familyhomelessness.org/

Standardized Tests

SAT'S, CAT'S, Terranova etc. - As far back as I can remember, I have always disliked standardized tests. Particularly in grammar school, I recall being prepped sometimes months in advance and having great emphasis put on our results to them. We were lectured on how important these tests were and how serious they should be taken. As a result of such pressure being put on students, many of us performed poorly, I believe because we were stressed when the day of the test ultimately came. Because of the experiences I have had with standardized tests, I still do not enjoy them to this day. Another reason I dislike them is that there is not much you can do to prepare for them. Sometimes these tests are just based on general knowledge. So, all you can do is make sure to get a full night of sleep the day before, have a good breakfast the day of, have your materials ready, be on time for the test and try your best. This may seem like a pretty simple routine, but for many children, it is accompanied by nervousness and upset stomachs. Just hearing the word "test" puts children on the edge of their seats. As a result of the experiences I have had with standardized tests, I would like to make the "preparation" for them as stress-free as possible for the students I will teach someday. I believe it is sometimes better to have students very relaxed and calm for tests such as these, so they are able to think clearly and try their best, without feeling as if they MUST do well, because it is expected of them. I feel students should know that these tests are important, because they are, but not be pressured in the process. Students, especially children, are under enough stress with their school work that these tests, I feel, shouldn't be added onto to them. I believe there should be a balance between explaining the importance of standardized tests and what they mean, with reassuring students as long as they try their best, they will have nothing to worry about. I know, as a future teacher, I will do my best to relieve students of the tension that comes with taking these tests because I know how it feels to have been in their place. I understand they are a necessity to schools and will most likely continue to be present in classrooms for years to come. But, I feel the preparations for them should be altered a bit, to reassure students that they are capable of doing well and can accomplish this, with a bit of confidence. They should also be taught that standardized tests are just another part of school and nothing to be afraid of. I believe if students begin to see standardized tests in a positive light, this view will be displayed in their test scores as well.

Reflection on Presentations

I would like to reflect on the presentations that have been given in class so far. Overall, I think everyone did a good job and had interesting lessons. I believe when preparing lessons, especially for the younger grades, it is important to have some sort of visual aid available for them to accompany any lectures or seatwork to keep their attention on the work at hand. They can be easily distracted, so it would be helpful to have something handy for them to view or study while doing their work. With the behaviors given out by Dr. Luongo, it was seen how easily the class could get out of hand if not properly managed. Behavioral problems will be seen in every classroom at somepoint in our teaching careers. So, being introduced to them, whether in a daycare setting, afterschool program, tutoring groups, or during our lesson presentations, will assist in our preparations for becoming teachers. I believe it is important for us to know that we will soon be responsible for a large group of children, ranging from all ages, who will depend on us for a variety of things, not only their educational development. We are going to have to be part-time care-givers, nurses, custodians, advisors, etc. A teacher is not just a teacher. He/she has a very important job, one which we have to be sure is right for us because of the tremendous responsibility involved in such a profession. With this responsibility, though, comes great rewards and personal satisfaction, knowing you are making a difference in the lives of countless children everyday. So, although it is not an easy job, if you are committed to it, and love what you do, I believe you will be fine. Personally, I have enjoyed all of my education classes and feel they have each helped me in some way towards understanding the field of education in more depth. On the contrast, I have met others who have taken education classes and discovered teaching is just not right for them. That is why we need to practice teaching and be exposed to a variety of aspects in this field, such as special education, so we can be educated on these subjects and hopefully, find our niche. We will experience good and bad days when teaching, which is like any other profession. The important thing to remember is why we are there and to not get discouraged along the way. Everything we experience, positive or negative, is just a part of our journey to get where we need to be.

Report Cards

I believe if there is anything that is essential in a classroom, it is the use of report cards. Students are present in a classroom for 180 days a year to learn and develop their minds based on fundamental teaching. Parents pay for their tuition and leave them with a responsible adult for 6-7 hours, 5 days a week. Report cards show students, parents, teachers and administrators how well a child is doing in school, not only academically but many times behaviorally as well. This written document displays to parents the outcome of all of their child's work throughout the academic year. It is imperative to keep track of students' records and have them available for future use. Although there are many benefits to having report cards, for students, they may sometimes be embarrassing and discouraging if they are not doing well in their studies to see the outcome of these results. A student who is trying to achieve an A in his/her science class, who is averaging out a C could get discouraged seeing this on a report card when they possibly know they are capable of doing better. In contrast, a student who believes he/she is doing well could be surprised to know they need to work harder if their grade is below what they expected. In either case, report cards open up students' eyes to the reality of their time in school and how they are using it when dealing with their studies. Although, as I just said, they can discourage students if they are not doing well, they can also encourage students to do better so their grades improve. I believe in order to solve the problem of seeing less than satisfactory grades, there should be positive reinforcement and feedback given from the teacher. I believe the teacher should be able to write comments on how to improve in the subject areas that need it, as well as behaviorally, for example: if the student talks too much, how to prevent this from being a habit. Also, if students are doing well, the teacher should praise them and encourage them to keep up the good work. Teachers should also highlight the strengths of a student who is having difficulty academically, to give him/her courage to know they have good qualities in the classroom, but just need some help in other areas. With this information, students will be given guidelines and assistance in areas they may really need it in. Overall, I believe report cards have more strengths than weaknesses in schools and should always be given as a form of assessment.

Portfolios

Portfolios, as defined in the Assessment and Grading in Classrooms text is: "a limited collection of a student's work used either to present the student's best work(s) or to demonstrate the student's educational growth over a given time, on one or a set of learning targets." In my opinion, portfolios are this definition and more. As discussed in class this past week, portfolios can be a collection of anything a student produces. The first time I ever made a portfolio was in high school for a photography class. I look back on that experience and although it was a lot of work to put together, I definitely feel it was a necessity because it showed all the progress I made in that class throughout the year and how much fun I had in doing so. As a future teacher, I believe portfolios should be made in every grade level for any subject, as young as pre-school. It is a great way to collect the students' work and have it showcased in a book or set form. It can be organized by work in a certain subject, a particular theme such as Fall or Thanksgiving, time of the year (beginning - September) or semester, etc. There are endless ways porfolios can be made. I feel that along with representing students' work, they also show who the student is as an individual and how he/she thinks. Artwork, in particular, such as paintings and drawings brings out creativity and personality in students. This, along with anything else a student produces such as essays, is a physical representation of him/her and their intelligence. I think they are also a wonderful keepsake for students to have and be able to look back upon with pride in what they accomplished educationally. The sooner students' are introduced to portfolios and how to use them, the easier it will be for them to be made and have for years to come.

My Access

My Access is a program Dr. Luongo introduced us to in the computer lab last week and I must say, I enjoyed using it. I believe it is a wonderful tool that can be used in the classroom to help students with their writing skills. Teachers can use it to keep track of their classes and students' work, while seeing their overall progress in writing, as well as where they need assistance. I feel this program can do wonders for children who do not particularly enjoy writing. They can use a computer to organize their thoughts and not worry about how neat or presentable their handwriting is. If they are not good spellers, or are having trouble getting started on a prompt, My Access provides them with spell check and suggestions to help them get their ideas rolling. This program also saves paper if the work is not printed out and instead just monitored by the teacher. Overall, I feel it is very useful for schools to have and available for students to use. The question I have is what grade level to start children on this program and how often to have them use it so that they do not become dependant on it whenever they have to write something. I commented on Michelle's blog regarding technology to which I said the following:

"I have to agree with you that technology should be used in the classroom. To what extent is the question I find myself asking. I believe it is something important to have students introduced to and know how to use because of its wide presence in our world today. But, I do not feel it should be the primary source of instruction in the classroom because students should know how to think for themselves and do things on their own, without relying solely on a computer. With that being said, I do hope that we, as teachers, will be able to use technology through some form in our classrooms because it can be a wonderful tool to work with. Since there is so much to offer educationally, I feel students should be introduced to both the new and old ways of instruction to better help them learn, technology being one of them."

So, I feel My Access should be used in the classroom, but strictly as just another source of writing for children. I feel they should primarily know how to write with a pen and paper and organize their thoughts by themselves from a very early age. Once they have the basics of writing mastered, this program can be a tool to help them learn where they need improvement and point out their mistakes, while giving them a chance to correct them.

Special Education

Special education is a form of schooling I strongly feel you must be born to teach. I do not believe just anyone can do this. It is a difficult job that involves much patience, caring and understanding for your students. In my family, among a few teachers present, there is a special education one. He has been teaching in this field for about ten years now and absolutely loves his job. Like his students, he looks forward to seeing them everyday and they rely on his presence to help them learn and grow intellectually. Although he enjoys what he does, he admits it is draining for him and says you must be truly committed to this form of work. I have thought about teaching special ed, but I believe it would be too much for me to handle. I am afraid of the emotional attachment I would develop with the students and as a result, I feel this may prevent me in performing to the best of my abilities. Even after being exposed to some information on it, I do not feel it is the right field of education for me. I have spoken to my parents about it and afterwards, I knew I could not see the children like that on a daily basis because it would just make me too upset. For those that are teaching special ed, I have the utmost respect for them. I believe they are very special people who God gives the strength to make a difference in the lives of many children. They realize these children are like any other student who just need a little more asssistance in learning. To see these children, in particular, progress toward success in their studies must be one of the most rewarding experiences in life. To accomplish this, these children need extremely dedicated individuals to teach them, who I know are out in this world and will do a wonderful job doing so. Children are one of God's most special gifts and we must always be there for them, especially in education.

"Exceptional human beings must be given exceptional educational treatment, treatment which takes into account their special difficulties. Further, we can show that despite abnormality, human beings can fulfill their social role within the community, especially if they find understanding, love and guidance.” - Hans Asperger