Hatred in men
I remember watching the movie Hotel Rwanda and was wondering how could a screen writer come up with such terrible imagery, I remember my heart was breaking for all of those people that were being slaughtered and both my husband and I were at home discussing what we just saw not knowing that this movie was based on actual events that occurred. The reason these events that took place in Africa was not known by everyone is simply because these events did not get much press here in the America, so a lot of people were not aware of the terrible deeds that were occurring over there, also the press themselves were too scared to go and cover these events, because these wars were not military style wars there were no rules at all this type of war was called guerrilla warfare it’s a anything goes type of war, you could not make out the combatants because some were young children not yet reached puberty carrying these killings. This war was triggered by the death of the president of Rwanda who was from the Hutu tribe, which the Tutsi blamed the rocket that shot the plane of the president was done by members of the Hutu tribe to provoke the civil war. During these one hundred days of war in 1994, the death toll was approximated to be between five hundred thousand to one million dead, this is about twenty percent of the total population. No one was spared on either side, women were raped and passed around once they were done with the woman they were then killed, children were killed because they did not want them grow up, even little babies were ripped from their mothers arms and murdered without any hesitation in cold blood, bodies were piled everywhere in the streets the ravines, members of the Hutu tribe place the dead bodies of the slain Tutsi into the ravine to float them back to Nigeria, because they were often compared to the Nigerian due to their physical structure, the Tutsi people were tall and slender and muscular, while the Hutu people were the opposite they resented the Tutsi for something they were not able to control and that’s your physical characteristics. This war in Rwanda reminded me of the civil war in America between the North and the South, where brothers were pinned against brothers because of their different point of views.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
American School System: The Beginning
American School System: The Beginning
The puritans were group of Protestants that escaped England and came to the new world to practice their religion without the fear of persecution from the throne. The puritans were not the only group that arrived to the new world; there were also the Dutch, English, Irish, Scottish, and German. The puritans were the dominant group out of all the other ethnic groups. The Europeans brought their formal education system, culture and philosophy.
The puritans purpose for establishing their educational system was to strive to save the souls of the villagers, their beliefs is that human beings are born morally corrupted because their sense of right and wrong therefore they need to be thought how to live righteously and the only way they can ever achieve this feat was to be thought the bible. They had to achieve their own school system which was mainly the same system that they brought from Europe, which was call, the Dane schools.
Dane schools were schools that was established by women and were commonly ran from the house of the person or teacher that was in charge of that particular house. The Dane Schools were not free, those that could afford to send their children to school, they were charged a modest fee, the type of education these students receive were the basics reading, writing and mathematics, attendance was not too important because on top of going to school the children still had to do their daily chores, farming, herding of animals basically anything to help their family out, so depending on the season that’s how attendance was determined, girls were educated as well but not to the extent as the boys were, girls were mainly thought how to do certain chores such as sewing, cooking and how to be a good hostess, once a young men has finished with their basic education, if necessary they were enrolled in college.
Colleges were mainly to teach the bible, which these students will be thought Latin and religion, being that religion was the central purpose of the schools the training was extremely rigorous and only the sons of the wealthy members of the society could afford to attend a secondary school. The first every secondary school was Harvard College which was established in 1636, in Boston Massachusetts the second college was established in 1693 which was called the College of William and Mary which was founded in Williamsburg, Virginia. These post-secondary schools were established for one reason and one reason alone and that reason is to save the souls of the puritans.
The puritans were group of Protestants that escaped England and came to the new world to practice their religion without the fear of persecution from the throne. The puritans were not the only group that arrived to the new world; there were also the Dutch, English, Irish, Scottish, and German. The puritans were the dominant group out of all the other ethnic groups. The Europeans brought their formal education system, culture and philosophy.
The puritans purpose for establishing their educational system was to strive to save the souls of the villagers, their beliefs is that human beings are born morally corrupted because their sense of right and wrong therefore they need to be thought how to live righteously and the only way they can ever achieve this feat was to be thought the bible. They had to achieve their own school system which was mainly the same system that they brought from Europe, which was call, the Dane schools.
Dane schools were schools that was established by women and were commonly ran from the house of the person or teacher that was in charge of that particular house. The Dane Schools were not free, those that could afford to send their children to school, they were charged a modest fee, the type of education these students receive were the basics reading, writing and mathematics, attendance was not too important because on top of going to school the children still had to do their daily chores, farming, herding of animals basically anything to help their family out, so depending on the season that’s how attendance was determined, girls were educated as well but not to the extent as the boys were, girls were mainly thought how to do certain chores such as sewing, cooking and how to be a good hostess, once a young men has finished with their basic education, if necessary they were enrolled in college.
Colleges were mainly to teach the bible, which these students will be thought Latin and religion, being that religion was the central purpose of the schools the training was extremely rigorous and only the sons of the wealthy members of the society could afford to attend a secondary school. The first every secondary school was Harvard College which was established in 1636, in Boston Massachusetts the second college was established in 1693 which was called the College of William and Mary which was founded in Williamsburg, Virginia. These post-secondary schools were established for one reason and one reason alone and that reason is to save the souls of the puritans.
Sexual Orientation
Homosexuality is when a person chooses to enter into a sexual or romantic relationship with a person of the same sex. We’ve learned that many tribes and even the Spartans of old have used behaviors that would be considered at our time as being homosexuality. The Spartans would take a young boy from his family’s home to train to become a soldier, usually the young men’s first lovers. Therefore homosexuality was mainstream in the ancient times, because women were not allowed to perform on stage all roles in stage plays were done by men this includes love scenes which were often between two men therefore this made homosexuality acceptable, no one really had a full fledge homosexual relationships it was more as a rite of passage than a relationship this was not an acceptable lifestyle, therefore it was kept in the preverbal closet. Even religious groups such as the crusaders were involved in this practice to say the least. Scientists and psychologists are saying homosexuality is in a person’s genes meaning they were born gay, I find that hard to believe even with the scientific findings it is still a matter of choice to me, I only say this because in today’s society we allow the homosexual lifestyle is so acceptable.
The most disturbing part to this lifestyle right now is that kids elementary school age children are experimenting with this as a fad, most school age kids are forming clicks known as rainbow clicks and these clicks are mainly made up of homosexual teens and or bi-sexual, this is because homosexuality is plastered all over mainstream entertainment, movies, music videos, music lyrics such as “I kissed a girl and I liked it” which makes it cool to be a homosexual. This will pose pressure on a child who is now learning about sexuality and if the only images that see as being cool are girls kissing girls and boys kissing boys, it becomes more confusing to them because they don’t really know about the right or wrong way only what is acceptable.
I don’t agree at all with the theory that people are born gay, there is the theory that some people are born bad and that theory was quickly dismissed because there were people that was born with the same extra chromosome and did not become violent, people make choices and it’s about time we in society understand and stop making excuses and guide our children from birth on how to conduct themselves and we should also listen to our children and answer their questions honestly and not sugarcoat the answers that they seek, it’s best we teach them instead of letting other confused children like themselves to talk to them.
Homosexuality is when a person chooses to enter into a sexual or romantic relationship with a person of the same sex. We’ve learned that many tribes and even the Spartans of old have used behaviors that would be considered at our time as being homosexuality. The Spartans would take a young boy from his family’s home to train to become a soldier, usually the young men’s first lovers. Therefore homosexuality was mainstream in the ancient times, because women were not allowed to perform on stage all roles in stage plays were done by men this includes love scenes which were often between two men therefore this made homosexuality acceptable, no one really had a full fledge homosexual relationships it was more as a rite of passage than a relationship this was not an acceptable lifestyle, therefore it was kept in the preverbal closet. Even religious groups such as the crusaders were involved in this practice to say the least. Scientists and psychologists are saying homosexuality is in a person’s genes meaning they were born gay, I find that hard to believe even with the scientific findings it is still a matter of choice to me, I only say this because in today’s society we allow the homosexual lifestyle is so acceptable.
The most disturbing part to this lifestyle right now is that kids elementary school age children are experimenting with this as a fad, most school age kids are forming clicks known as rainbow clicks and these clicks are mainly made up of homosexual teens and or bi-sexual, this is because homosexuality is plastered all over mainstream entertainment, movies, music videos, music lyrics such as “I kissed a girl and I liked it” which makes it cool to be a homosexual. This will pose pressure on a child who is now learning about sexuality and if the only images that see as being cool are girls kissing girls and boys kissing boys, it becomes more confusing to them because they don’t really know about the right or wrong way only what is acceptable.
I don’t agree at all with the theory that people are born gay, there is the theory that some people are born bad and that theory was quickly dismissed because there were people that was born with the same extra chromosome and did not become violent, people make choices and it’s about time we in society understand and stop making excuses and guide our children from birth on how to conduct themselves and we should also listen to our children and answer their questions honestly and not sugarcoat the answers that they seek, it’s best we teach them instead of letting other confused children like themselves to talk to them.
Friday, December 11, 2009
The acceptance of public high school
In today’s society, there are many social problems that plague our schools today. Students face many challenges like depression and suicide, homelessness, violence and abuse in the home, broken family structure, lack of structure and discipline, no boundaries set by parents, lack of parental supervision, and in some homes just overall lack of parenting. Our kids live in a world that is constantly changing where the adult community transmits mixed messages. The answer to “How do I deal with the child that appears in my classroom?” is twofold: one is inward the other outward. I must focus on my vocation of teaching and know myself while at the same time be open to pursue professional education and receive suggestions from peers and supervisors.
More than any other job, teaching requires that you have your self-esteem in check, that you are comfortable with your flaws and shortcomings, that you can stand being hated and laughed at, that you can bounce back, and that you are not friends with your students. From this will flow other good habits that you create for yourself in your classroom environment. From the last chapter, we learned that you must understand your preferred style of learning and what Multiple Intelligence(s) are strongest for you. This impacts how you teach and help someone who has problems. From this confidence flow many decisions you make in your day. The first starts the day you introduce yourself to your students. You must create boundaries in your classroom with clear rules and consequences. Show that you believe in fair play, that you base your teaching on a value system and explain that value system.You must also be a role model for them as this may be the only good one they may encounter. Repeat the importance of character building and state that you do not tolerate gossip or others to be put down or criticized. Speak in a low voice even if your classroom is loud and find a way that works for you to quite down a noisy group of students. I will set goals and high expectations for my students and base my curriculum on Christian values. The peace and confidence that you model will be your greatest ally. Arrive early so that you see which students are dropped off very early and which leave late. This might give you clues. Make your classroom a peaceful, beautiful safe haven for all. This implies that you should have nice décor, keep your area clean. It culminates in inspiring the students to take ownership of their area. Finally, if in your classroom violence erupts, you notice students that might be depressed or act unruly immediately ask for help from your school counselor and dean of students. There is nothing wrong with inviting the dean to sit in one of your more rowdy classes. The confidence and classroom control that you demonstrate will avert many potential problems. I drew from Dr. Wong’s books called “The first days of School” and “how to be an effective teacher” to arrive at some of my opinions.
In today’s world, change is the only constant. You should read study and learn. There is a great deal of free literature to help teachers become Master Teachers. Early on, when I was learning to teach at a High School, I always read all the flyers and books the head of school kept in her office. There were so many but could be read quickly during lunch. They gave me ideas on how to be effective in the classroom. The first basic tip I implemented was to get to know my students background as much as possible. The second was to make sure I made myself available to students who needed help and to help them showing concern, compassion and then reaching out in days that followed. While it is hard and draining at times, once you develop the reputation of being fair, firm, and compassionate and a good listener, you can be effective in your vocation. Helping students is about being interested in “their” lives and not needing any reward in return for your dedication. There is no way you can learn to deal with all of the social problems that exist because “you can never really understand” their situation. You aren’t in their lives so don’t pretend that you are. The new school where I currently teach strongly believes in professional education. We have five professional education days set aside each year to help us learn more about social and academic needs of our students. Additionally, in the summer, they invite us to be mentors for 10 days in the Network for community outreach programs. These experiences help us to grow and learn more about our students.
One example of what I would do is what I did when I taught from August to December at a Catholic High School. I taught New Testament for a semester while the permanent teacher went on maternity leave. Every day, I arrived before 7am and left around 4:30 Each day, I allowed one of the students to sit quietly in my classroom while I graded and until they were officially allowed to enter the classrooms. By mid semester, she mustered her courage to see me after school to confide in me about a personal situation. After helping her by merely listening and helping her solve her problem, others became permanent fixtures in my class after school, at lunch and right before homeroom. I even had the opportunity to help a girl who was severely depressed. While I did not “solve” her problem, I was the first step to her recognizing she needed help. I developed close relationships with the guidance counselors and by year end; they recommended I pursue studies and counseling.
In conclusion, we are called to be good role models. One way to accomplish this is by being people of courage and integrity, confident in our beliefs and who we are and always be open to learn and grow. The school where I teach says “We must educate towards a social awareness that impels others to act.” This means I must be aware of the needs of others and work towards understanding how to best teach the child that appears in our classroom.
In today’s society, there are many social problems that plague our schools today. Students face many challenges like depression and suicide, homelessness, violence and abuse in the home, broken family structure, lack of structure and discipline, no boundaries set by parents, lack of parental supervision, and in some homes just overall lack of parenting. Our kids live in a world that is constantly changing where the adult community transmits mixed messages. The answer to “How do I deal with the child that appears in my classroom?” is twofold: one is inward the other outward. I must focus on my vocation of teaching and know myself while at the same time be open to pursue professional education and receive suggestions from peers and supervisors.
More than any other job, teaching requires that you have your self-esteem in check, that you are comfortable with your flaws and shortcomings, that you can stand being hated and laughed at, that you can bounce back, and that you are not friends with your students. From this will flow other good habits that you create for yourself in your classroom environment. From the last chapter, we learned that you must understand your preferred style of learning and what Multiple Intelligence(s) are strongest for you. This impacts how you teach and help someone who has problems. From this confidence flow many decisions you make in your day. The first starts the day you introduce yourself to your students. You must create boundaries in your classroom with clear rules and consequences. Show that you believe in fair play, that you base your teaching on a value system and explain that value system.You must also be a role model for them as this may be the only good one they may encounter. Repeat the importance of character building and state that you do not tolerate gossip or others to be put down or criticized. Speak in a low voice even if your classroom is loud and find a way that works for you to quite down a noisy group of students. I will set goals and high expectations for my students and base my curriculum on Christian values. The peace and confidence that you model will be your greatest ally. Arrive early so that you see which students are dropped off very early and which leave late. This might give you clues. Make your classroom a peaceful, beautiful safe haven for all. This implies that you should have nice décor, keep your area clean. It culminates in inspiring the students to take ownership of their area. Finally, if in your classroom violence erupts, you notice students that might be depressed or act unruly immediately ask for help from your school counselor and dean of students. There is nothing wrong with inviting the dean to sit in one of your more rowdy classes. The confidence and classroom control that you demonstrate will avert many potential problems. I drew from Dr. Wong’s books called “The first days of School” and “how to be an effective teacher” to arrive at some of my opinions.
In today’s world, change is the only constant. You should read study and learn. There is a great deal of free literature to help teachers become Master Teachers. Early on, when I was learning to teach at a High School, I always read all the flyers and books the head of school kept in her office. There were so many but could be read quickly during lunch. They gave me ideas on how to be effective in the classroom. The first basic tip I implemented was to get to know my students background as much as possible. The second was to make sure I made myself available to students who needed help and to help them showing concern, compassion and then reaching out in days that followed. While it is hard and draining at times, once you develop the reputation of being fair, firm, and compassionate and a good listener, you can be effective in your vocation. Helping students is about being interested in “their” lives and not needing any reward in return for your dedication. There is no way you can learn to deal with all of the social problems that exist because “you can never really understand” their situation. You aren’t in their lives so don’t pretend that you are. The new school where I currently teach strongly believes in professional education. We have five professional education days set aside each year to help us learn more about social and academic needs of our students. Additionally, in the summer, they invite us to be mentors for 10 days in the Network for community outreach programs. These experiences help us to grow and learn more about our students.
One example of what I would do is what I did when I taught from August to December at a Catholic High School. I taught New Testament for a semester while the permanent teacher went on maternity leave. Every day, I arrived before 7am and left around 4:30 Each day, I allowed one of the students to sit quietly in my classroom while I graded and until they were officially allowed to enter the classrooms. By mid semester, she mustered her courage to see me after school to confide in me about a personal situation. After helping her by merely listening and helping her solve her problem, others became permanent fixtures in my class after school, at lunch and right before homeroom. I even had the opportunity to help a girl who was severely depressed. While I did not “solve” her problem, I was the first step to her recognizing she needed help. I developed close relationships with the guidance counselors and by year end; they recommended I pursue studies and counseling.
In conclusion, we are called to be good role models. One way to accomplish this is by being people of courage and integrity, confident in our beliefs and who we are and always be open to learn and grow. The school where I teach says “We must educate towards a social awareness that impels others to act.” This means I must be aware of the needs of others and work towards understanding how to best teach the child that appears in our classroom.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Teaching through inclusion
Teaching through inclusion
Teaching through inclusion means involving the child into their education, meaning taking the child’s opinion serious like they matter, it means a whole lot to a child to feel that their voices are being heard and taking seriously will elevate a child self worth. One way we can achieve togetherness and understanding in a classroom is to encourage kids to learn each other’s names and interact with kids that are different from themselves from different races, ethnic backgrounds, and social and economic background this exercise will help these children to learn to accept each other as friends and remove any type of stereotypes they might have had about a certain ethnic group those stereotypes would be removed through the interaction of the children.
I know we’ve been there on the first day of school when everyone stood up and tells the classroom a little bit about themselves to the classroom, as a teacher we must not stop getting to know the child after the first day of school, as an educator we wear many different hats one such hat is we have to be a counselor better yet a friend to your students, when students feel comfortable talking to you as a teacher that child will be more open and speaking out whenever they need someone to listen to them at the end of the day all anyone of us really want is to be heard and taking seriously.
The best way to continue this way of teaching is to allow a child to volunteer whenever a question is asked, when a child is forced to take part in a discussion prior to them being ready to participate in that discussion, this act of forcing a child to take part of a discussion can be seen as singling the child out or picking on them if that child perceive that to being the case they would seclude themselves and would shy away or get angry if they are called upon at anytime. Let’s help our children by taking them seriously and make them feel welcome.
Teaching through inclusion means involving the child into their education, meaning taking the child’s opinion serious like they matter, it means a whole lot to a child to feel that their voices are being heard and taking seriously will elevate a child self worth. One way we can achieve togetherness and understanding in a classroom is to encourage kids to learn each other’s names and interact with kids that are different from themselves from different races, ethnic backgrounds, and social and economic background this exercise will help these children to learn to accept each other as friends and remove any type of stereotypes they might have had about a certain ethnic group those stereotypes would be removed through the interaction of the children.
I know we’ve been there on the first day of school when everyone stood up and tells the classroom a little bit about themselves to the classroom, as a teacher we must not stop getting to know the child after the first day of school, as an educator we wear many different hats one such hat is we have to be a counselor better yet a friend to your students, when students feel comfortable talking to you as a teacher that child will be more open and speaking out whenever they need someone to listen to them at the end of the day all anyone of us really want is to be heard and taking seriously.
The best way to continue this way of teaching is to allow a child to volunteer whenever a question is asked, when a child is forced to take part in a discussion prior to them being ready to participate in that discussion, this act of forcing a child to take part of a discussion can be seen as singling the child out or picking on them if that child perceive that to being the case they would seclude themselves and would shy away or get angry if they are called upon at anytime. Let’s help our children by taking them seriously and make them feel welcome.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
My opinion on Race and Racism
A person’s race is determined by an individual’s skin, color, and country of origin. Normally it is very easy to determine a person’s race just by their outward appearance, a person of African descent can be dark skinned. There are many different shades of black , from the darkest lightest almost white looking, eye color can also vary from hazel, dark, green, and blue. There are many different characteristics to determine a person’s race. People are generally proud of their race no matter what because your race makes you who you are. It is also necessary for us to comingle together in order to better understand each other’s cultures when there are so many diverse cultures and subcultures in one area the chances of having turmoil becomes great. The worst is racism, because people are making judgment calls on an individual or a group simply by the color of their skin, or their country of origin. I was not aware of racism until I moved to the United Stated even during the time when I used to traveled to Canada maybe I was too young to understand what racism was, but I really didn’t know that is was that serious.
I grew up in a country that was predominately black even though I was aware of the different colors because of my mother’s side of the family where their skin were yellow and also due to the fact I started traveling at a young age; therefore I aware of the differences skin types.
When I was living in Haiti, the only difference was a person’s class in the society because Haiti is a class society where the highest class does not mingle together. The U.S. turned this around and make this about race and the inferior race was the African Americans who were denied any form of formal education because they were thought of a s less than Human and they were no more valuable than livestock, their lives were no more important , and they were being killed and persecuted for being black. It is a shame to see racism is a major concern in today’s society. From what I understood, in some part of this country black people are still not permitted. Till this day I still don’t get what is the big deal about our skin color because we all are god creatures and we do look alike.
A person’s race is determined by an individual’s skin, color, and country of origin. Normally it is very easy to determine a person’s race just by their outward appearance, a person of African descent can be dark skinned. There are many different shades of black , from the darkest lightest almost white looking, eye color can also vary from hazel, dark, green, and blue. There are many different characteristics to determine a person’s race. People are generally proud of their race no matter what because your race makes you who you are. It is also necessary for us to comingle together in order to better understand each other’s cultures when there are so many diverse cultures and subcultures in one area the chances of having turmoil becomes great. The worst is racism, because people are making judgment calls on an individual or a group simply by the color of their skin, or their country of origin. I was not aware of racism until I moved to the United Stated even during the time when I used to traveled to Canada maybe I was too young to understand what racism was, but I really didn’t know that is was that serious.
I grew up in a country that was predominately black even though I was aware of the different colors because of my mother’s side of the family where their skin were yellow and also due to the fact I started traveling at a young age; therefore I aware of the differences skin types.
When I was living in Haiti, the only difference was a person’s class in the society because Haiti is a class society where the highest class does not mingle together. The U.S. turned this around and make this about race and the inferior race was the African Americans who were denied any form of formal education because they were thought of a s less than Human and they were no more valuable than livestock, their lives were no more important , and they were being killed and persecuted for being black. It is a shame to see racism is a major concern in today’s society. From what I understood, in some part of this country black people are still not permitted. Till this day I still don’t get what is the big deal about our skin color because we all are god creatures and we do look alike.
Double Standards
Double standards
I could not help my contempt for the way America treats Haitian refugees, these people are coming to the U.S to escape the same type of hardships that the Cubans are facing under Castro’s regime. Growing up in the U.S. especially in Miami I’ve noticed the bias against the Haitians, it’s clear to me that Haitians are like the unwanted people in Miami. I say this not only how they are treated by other people but also by the immigration system especially the wet foot dry foot rule, we have read or seen how majority if not all Cubans that enter the U.S. shores are given asylum and rarely do they get detained by the INS, more often than not they are released to their relatives and does not have to worry about anymore interference from the INS ever. The part this I don’t understand and still struggling with is if Cuba is under an embargo by the U.S, how come then they are given free entrance to the America? This question is one that I can never receive an answer to by anyone. Cuba is a communistic country which will not change their ways for several years, they don’t have any trade agreement with the United States therefore America has really no interest in Cuba.
Haitians are not really welcome here for the most part, I feel like even if a Haitian refugee is caught on dry land and a Cuban were caught together and were facing the same persecution back in their own homelands I truly believe they would still deport the Haitian refugee and give asylum to the Cuban , this is not fair at all, I believe both countries are going through some of the same financial strains it’s well documented that Haiti is one of the poorest if not the poorest country in the world. In Haiti it is so bad that you will find more uneducated people than educated ones, it is the total opposite in Cuba, Cubans have it better than the Haitians if there were ever any country that would be worthy of given a free pass to enter the U.S it would have to be the Haitians. Financially Haiti is the poorest country in the civilized world and yet they are still not permitted entry to the U.S. I’m not sure why that is the only reason I can think of is because they happen to be a black country who happens to have defeated Napoleon’s powerful army back in May 18, 1804 and since then the country and the people is paying for that freedom, and this defeat was almost like a slap in the face to America who was one of Napoleon’s Allies. After the war was over and the country became liberated from its oppressors the French, America placed a sanction on Haiti to pay restoration for every slave that died because of the revolution against Napoleon. Even to present day this debt has yet to be not paid in full nor will this un-sanction and criminal debt will ever be paid, because of this debt Haiti will never recover from its financial ruin and it not in favor with the U.S.
Cuba on the other hand is a communist country, where they are not in such financial strains as Haiti, but yet gain entry easily into the U.S... I may be bias in my opinion but the facts are anyone can check the comparison between the two countries and I am sure they would arrive to the same conclusion I’ve come up with and if not one hundred percent agreement but I would say somewhere in the neighborhood of the high ninety percentile. The only thing I want to see is everyone given fair chance and not being judged for where an individual is from but for their situation on an individual basis.
I could not help my contempt for the way America treats Haitian refugees, these people are coming to the U.S to escape the same type of hardships that the Cubans are facing under Castro’s regime. Growing up in the U.S. especially in Miami I’ve noticed the bias against the Haitians, it’s clear to me that Haitians are like the unwanted people in Miami. I say this not only how they are treated by other people but also by the immigration system especially the wet foot dry foot rule, we have read or seen how majority if not all Cubans that enter the U.S. shores are given asylum and rarely do they get detained by the INS, more often than not they are released to their relatives and does not have to worry about anymore interference from the INS ever. The part this I don’t understand and still struggling with is if Cuba is under an embargo by the U.S, how come then they are given free entrance to the America? This question is one that I can never receive an answer to by anyone. Cuba is a communistic country which will not change their ways for several years, they don’t have any trade agreement with the United States therefore America has really no interest in Cuba.
Haitians are not really welcome here for the most part, I feel like even if a Haitian refugee is caught on dry land and a Cuban were caught together and were facing the same persecution back in their own homelands I truly believe they would still deport the Haitian refugee and give asylum to the Cuban , this is not fair at all, I believe both countries are going through some of the same financial strains it’s well documented that Haiti is one of the poorest if not the poorest country in the world. In Haiti it is so bad that you will find more uneducated people than educated ones, it is the total opposite in Cuba, Cubans have it better than the Haitians if there were ever any country that would be worthy of given a free pass to enter the U.S it would have to be the Haitians. Financially Haiti is the poorest country in the civilized world and yet they are still not permitted entry to the U.S. I’m not sure why that is the only reason I can think of is because they happen to be a black country who happens to have defeated Napoleon’s powerful army back in May 18, 1804 and since then the country and the people is paying for that freedom, and this defeat was almost like a slap in the face to America who was one of Napoleon’s Allies. After the war was over and the country became liberated from its oppressors the French, America placed a sanction on Haiti to pay restoration for every slave that died because of the revolution against Napoleon. Even to present day this debt has yet to be not paid in full nor will this un-sanction and criminal debt will ever be paid, because of this debt Haiti will never recover from its financial ruin and it not in favor with the U.S.
Cuba on the other hand is a communist country, where they are not in such financial strains as Haiti, but yet gain entry easily into the U.S... I may be bias in my opinion but the facts are anyone can check the comparison between the two countries and I am sure they would arrive to the same conclusion I’ve come up with and if not one hundred percent agreement but I would say somewhere in the neighborhood of the high ninety percentile. The only thing I want to see is everyone given fair chance and not being judged for where an individual is from but for their situation on an individual basis.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
How do you prepare yourself to teach?
How do you prepare yourself to teach?
This Chapter discusses the many social problems that plague our schools today. Students face many challenges like depression and suicide, homelessness, violence and abuse in the home, broken family structure, lack of structure and discipline, no boundaries set by parents, lack of parental supervision, and in some homes just overall lack of parenting. Our kids live in a world that is constantly changing where the adult community transmits mixed messages. I must focus on my vocation of teaching and know myself while at the same time be open to pursue professional education and receive suggestions from peers and supervisors.
More than any other job, teaching requires that you have your self-esteem in check, that you are comfortable with your flaws and shortcomings, that you can stand being hated and laughed at, that you can bounce back, and that you are not friends with your students. From this will flow other good habits that you create for yourself in your classroom environment. From the last chapter, we learned that you must understand your preferred style of learning and what Multiple Intelligence(s) are strongest for you. This impacts how you teach and help someone who has problems. From this confidence flow many decisions you make in your day. The first starts the day you introduce yourself to your students. You must create boundaries in your classroom with clear rules and consequences. Show that you believe in fair play, that you base your teaching on a value system and explain that value system. You must also be a role model for them as this may be the only good one they may encounter. Repeat the importance of character building and state that you do not tolerate gossip or others to be put down or criticized. Speak in a low voice even if your classroom is loud and find a way that works for you to quite down a noisy group of students. I will set goals and high expectations for my students and base my curriculum on Christian values. The peace and confidence that you model will be your greatest ally. Arrive early so that you see which students are dropped off very early and which leave late. This might give you clues. Make your classroom a peaceful, beautiful safe haven for all. This implies that you should have nice décor, keep your area clean. It culminates in inspiring the students to take ownership of their area. Finally, if in your classroom violence erupts, you notice students that might be depressed or act unruly immediately ask for help from your school counselor and dean of students. There is nothing wrong with inviting the dean to sit in one of your more rowdy classes. The confidence and classroom control that you demonstrate will avert many potential problems. I drew from Dr. Wong’s books called “The first days of School” and “how to be an effective teacher” to arrive at some of my opinions.
In today’s world, change is the only constant. You should read study and learn. There is a great deal of free literature to help teachers become Master Teachers. Early on, when I was learning to teach at a High School, I always read all the flyers and books the head of school kept in her office. There were so many but could be read quickly during lunch. They gave me ideas on how to be effective in the classroom. The first basic tip I implemented was to get to know my students background as much as possible. The second was to make sure I made myself available to students who needed help and to help them showing concern, compassion and then reaching out in days that followed. While it is hard and draining at times, once you develop the reputation of being fair, firm, and compassionate and a good listener, you can be effective in your vocation. Helping students is about being interested in “their” lives and not needing any reward in return for your dedication. There is no way you can learn to deal with all of the social problems that exist because “you can never really understand” their situation. You aren’t in their lives so don’t pretend that you are. The new school where I currently teach strongly believes in professional education. We have five professional education days set aside each year to help us learn more about social and academic needs of our students. Additionally, in the summer, they invite us to be mentors for 10 days in the Network for community outreach programs. These experiences help us to grow and learn more about our students.
This Chapter discusses the many social problems that plague our schools today. Students face many challenges like depression and suicide, homelessness, violence and abuse in the home, broken family structure, lack of structure and discipline, no boundaries set by parents, lack of parental supervision, and in some homes just overall lack of parenting. Our kids live in a world that is constantly changing where the adult community transmits mixed messages. I must focus on my vocation of teaching and know myself while at the same time be open to pursue professional education and receive suggestions from peers and supervisors.
More than any other job, teaching requires that you have your self-esteem in check, that you are comfortable with your flaws and shortcomings, that you can stand being hated and laughed at, that you can bounce back, and that you are not friends with your students. From this will flow other good habits that you create for yourself in your classroom environment. From the last chapter, we learned that you must understand your preferred style of learning and what Multiple Intelligence(s) are strongest for you. This impacts how you teach and help someone who has problems. From this confidence flow many decisions you make in your day. The first starts the day you introduce yourself to your students. You must create boundaries in your classroom with clear rules and consequences. Show that you believe in fair play, that you base your teaching on a value system and explain that value system. You must also be a role model for them as this may be the only good one they may encounter. Repeat the importance of character building and state that you do not tolerate gossip or others to be put down or criticized. Speak in a low voice even if your classroom is loud and find a way that works for you to quite down a noisy group of students. I will set goals and high expectations for my students and base my curriculum on Christian values. The peace and confidence that you model will be your greatest ally. Arrive early so that you see which students are dropped off very early and which leave late. This might give you clues. Make your classroom a peaceful, beautiful safe haven for all. This implies that you should have nice décor, keep your area clean. It culminates in inspiring the students to take ownership of their area. Finally, if in your classroom violence erupts, you notice students that might be depressed or act unruly immediately ask for help from your school counselor and dean of students. There is nothing wrong with inviting the dean to sit in one of your more rowdy classes. The confidence and classroom control that you demonstrate will avert many potential problems. I drew from Dr. Wong’s books called “The first days of School” and “how to be an effective teacher” to arrive at some of my opinions.
In today’s world, change is the only constant. You should read study and learn. There is a great deal of free literature to help teachers become Master Teachers. Early on, when I was learning to teach at a High School, I always read all the flyers and books the head of school kept in her office. There were so many but could be read quickly during lunch. They gave me ideas on how to be effective in the classroom. The first basic tip I implemented was to get to know my students background as much as possible. The second was to make sure I made myself available to students who needed help and to help them showing concern, compassion and then reaching out in days that followed. While it is hard and draining at times, once you develop the reputation of being fair, firm, and compassionate and a good listener, you can be effective in your vocation. Helping students is about being interested in “their” lives and not needing any reward in return for your dedication. There is no way you can learn to deal with all of the social problems that exist because “you can never really understand” their situation. You aren’t in their lives so don’t pretend that you are. The new school where I currently teach strongly believes in professional education. We have five professional education days set aside each year to help us learn more about social and academic needs of our students. Additionally, in the summer, they invite us to be mentors for 10 days in the Network for community outreach programs. These experiences help us to grow and learn more about our students.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
