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After reflection back upon what I wrote, I have learned some skills that will help me. The first question asked what I hoped to learn in this introduction to education class. I stated that I wanted to learn how to become an effective teacher. After going to student mentoring a few times at Mt. Blue Middle School I have developed some skills that I think have helped me learn how to be an effective teacher. I have found that if a student isn't understanding what you're trying to say to them, have them try to walk you through it step by step with some helpful hints along the way. 

The other question asked what is my greatest fear/concern/worry about this class. I really didn't have many fears coming into the class, and I'm glad I didn't. The class itself was not too difficult; there was quite a bit of homework, however. The homework that we were assigned was not just busy work, and there was a clear purpose in doing it. That made the homework bearable and easier to do. This EDU class was definitely helpful and made me want to continue striving and working hard to become a teacher.

Chapter 14: Succeeding in Your Teacher Education Program--and Beyond

I first decided I would like to be a teacher my Junior year of high school. I was nervous because I didn't know what it took to be a teacher, and I was not sure of the qualifications. I started watching what my teachers did in class very early on and began to feel more reassured that I could do that profession. Now that I am in college, taking classes to become a teacher, I have few worries about becoming a teacher. I know the UMF will prepare me very well for being a successful and effective teacher. Many teachers that I had in high school said that the education UMF gave them was impeccable and made them feel confident about joining the profession. I do not have very many concerns about being a teacher. If anything, I would say I am slightly concerned with the fact that I will look like I am still in high school when I teach, and my students won't take me seriously. I am also slightly concerned that students will preform badly on exams, and I will be questioning myself about my teaching abilities. 

1. The area of concern, or areas, would likely be Unconcerned and Impact. I am not worrying about becoming a teacher a whole lot, because I know that every student is going through the same thing I am, and I know that with hard work and perseverance I can achieve what I want to. I said I was concerned in the area of Impact because I want to make sure my students are learning all that I teach them, and I want to assure that they will preform well on exams. I feel like I will take it personally when a student does not do well on a test. I did not address Self or Task for the stages of concern. One of my concerns was about teaching, and the other was a personal concern. My concerns were basically centered around my ability to succeed in teaching. I want my students to do well, and I want them to be able to learn from me.

2. I am the Personal and Refocusing stages of concern. In the personal concern, I am concerned with the fact that I might look like a student while I am teaching, and I am a little concerned that I will not be the most effective teacher to some students. For the Refocusing stage of concern, I am will take it personally if a student doesn't do well, or I will always be thinking about new ways to change my teaching to be better and more effective. That, however, isn't a bad thing. 

Chapter 13: Improving Teachers and Schools, and School Reform

I have never made a resume before; however, in high school I had an activity tracker that was very similar to a resume. The activity tracker did not have personal information such as my address, contact information, job histories, etc... It was more along the lines of high school activities, clubs, organizations, sports teams, awards, and community service. It was a very lengthy list of various achievements, and I would like to continue that into college.

Before I graduate college I would like to accomplish many things that would better my resume. Some things such as student mentoring, practicum, and student teaching will be required in my schooling, but I would like things that are outside the box. Some things that I have already started that would look good on my resume would be president of the Indoor Track Club Team, Secretary of Purington Residence Hall, member of CRC (Campus Residence Council), member of the volleyball and kickball intramural sports teams, and baseball varsity athlete. Other things include possible job opportunities on campus, community service through APO, and other intramural sports.

When I get my teaching certificate and start teaching, I still need to remember that there are things I can do to enhance my resume in case there are other job opportunities. I would like to become a coach of at least one sports team, be the adviser of at least one club, and bring good fundraising ideas to the school that I could be the head of. I would also like to go back to school part time while teaching in order to receive my masters degree in either mathematics or education, and I would like to achieve certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). There are many different things that can be brought to the table to better a resume, and it just depends on how hard you would like to try, and how much time you are willing to give.

Chapter 6: Social Context of Schools

Bullying has always been something that has upset me. At times in my life I think it is safe to say I was mildly bullied; however, I was not bullied to the extent that most victims are. When I become a teacher I, like most teachers, will be dedicated to keeping a keen eye open to bullying. I have received a lot of bullying education  starting in middle school and progressing through high school. It amazes me that bullying is still an issue inside and out of school. While I will not have much authority outside of the classroom, I will do everything I can inside the classroom to create a bully free environment. One way to do this is to put the students who I believe are being bullies in the front of the classroom, and the other students in the back of the classroom. This will ensure that the bullies are always facing forward and if they turn around it will be easier to detect. If I am lucky enough to catch a student bullying, I will give them a very strict warning to never do it again or else there will be major consequences. I will also give them a detention and make them write "Bullying is bad" several hundred times on the board. I think this is a good strategy that was once used, and still should be. On the second offence, they will be sent directly to the principle/headmaster to be punished more severely. I will then talk to the student who was bullied and hear it from their perspective. I will try to sympathize with them and make them feel better about what happened. If the student ever needs to talk to someone about it again, I will make sure to tell them I am always available for something of that matter. I believe bullying can be stopped in the schools, and it takes every teacher and administrator to make it happen.

This brochure is original and unique to signify bullying is a very serious threat to students, and it shows how students and faculty can work together to eliminate it.
Anti-bullying programs for teachers and students.

TINK

I read about four important things that UMF Secondary Education majors should know.

• I will need to take Praxis I my freshman year. I am a little concerned about the reading and writing portion of it, because I didn't do too well on my SATs. I will need to pay a large fee to take the tests because I do not qualify for the financial help. 
• I did not change my major to secondary education. I did have to write an essay on the same topic for admittance into UMF, however.
• I will have a GPA of 2.0 or higher for sure. In order to take practicum I would have needed to pass all three Praxis I exams which I will do. For ENG 101 I brought a high school credit to skip out of it. I still must do my fingerprinting and criminal background test, although I have plenty of time to do that. I will likely take one more class along with practicum because I would like to double major and double minor. If I don't take extra classes when I can I might have to stay longer than four years at UMF. I must apply for practicum when the time comes!
• I have a Sony Vaio that meets all the requirements specified. 

Chapter 7: Thinking about Teaching and Learning

"...they [educators] don't know exactly what skills a 5-year-old of today will need 30 years down the line in order to be successful and to contribute to the will-being of society. The constant generation of ideas about teaching and learning is one way of educators attempt to imagine and prepare for the future."

While I will not be a kindergarten teacher, I will give high school students the tools they need in order to be successful when they are older. I will incorporate it into my teaching so students will get the best of math and skills for the future.

"In Plato's discussion of epistemology, he argued that in order to grasp reality or know, individuals use understanding, reason, perception, and imagination."

Educators need to have the skills of understanding, reason, perception, and imagination to work with students effectively. This will be part of my personal philosophy because teachers that don't have these skills are the ones that are ineffective and do not make the classroom environment interesting.

"Teachers must negotiate the omnipresent conflict between societal values and individual values in the classroom. A well-informed teacher understands and respects the diversity of cultural and ethnic thought in any community and uses this knowledge to help all students learn."

This will be in my personal teaching philosophy because every student must be integrated into the the activities regardless of their ethnicity or cultural background. I will assure that will happen in my classroom so every student feels comfortable.

Chapter 4: Schools as the Workplace for Students and Teachers

Theoretically creating a school takes a lot of consideration when it comes to the little details. Schools in the United States are very complicated and have many positions crucial to the proper functioning of the school. In the build a school project, Homer Academy was created to give students interested in an outdoor career an opportunity to get prepared for what they will encounter. While this is far fetched from any school in the U.S. today, it resembled some of the key characteristics that are necessary in a healthy functioning school.

The staff for Homer Academy would consist of regular teachers who are qualified in math, science, social studies, etc... as well as professionals. Game wardens and Forest Rangers, for example, would be present at times to teach the students about their job and responsibilities. This is similar to that of U.S. schools because teachers must be specially qualified to teacher their concentrations. On occasion, some schools have professionals come in and give a presentation to the class, or some schools may give to opportunity to shadow a worker. In contrast, Homer Academy is more specialized in the outdoors, so more teachers will be needed to teach recreational courses such as rafting, hiking, biking, etc... while most American schools do not have that ability.

Our group did not discuss the relationship of the school district to the state because there was no school district. Homer Academy was a private school with a small number of board members who made decisions for the school. However, in the U.S. public schools are mandated by the state because the funding is a huge part of the state's budget.

Even though Homer Academy is a private school, the federal government still has jurisdiction over it. Every school in America must abide by the constitution and its laws. The U.S. Congress is made up of the House of Representatives, and the Senate. Each year there are multiple education bills and statues initiated and approved by both the house and the senate (the president must then sign it into effect). Both Homer Academy and U.S. schools are influenced by these laws.

Homer Academy is a private school, so tuition for students of surrounding towns is payed for by tax payers. If students are not in the surrounding towns, they will need to pay for tuition and room and board. This is the same for private schools in the U.S. as well because at Erskine Academy (my high school) there were seven surrounding towns that payed for the tuition of the students from those towns; however, students who did not reside in those towns needed to pay tuition. In contrast, public schools in America are state and federally funded by all tax payers of the state.