Do you have Allies? Learning to Identify Allies

Entry One:

This year I have established not only many lasting friendship but also many allies. I learned that it is best to find someone that you can go to or identify with in each of your classes. When you have people who can help you or work through things with you it makes the load a whole lot easier to carry.
Earlier, I explained that I have been participating in a Math Study group. My group has been a very big support system when it comes to Math. We work through our struggles together. We support each other, laugh through our frustration, and even celebrate together when we finally understand something we've been struggling with.
In my physics class I have allied myself with the assistant in the class. Steven Cress is a student at Goshen who is majoring in Physics. He has helped me so much because I am definitely not a great science student. He has guided me through tough homework problems. It is really great to know that I have someone who knows what I am struggling with.
Some of my friends and I are in Bible 100. We decided that we would form a sort of study/homework group so that we can work together to better understand.
Through my many groups and allies I have learned how important it is to find individuals that you can go to for help. I learned that when I get into the teaching field I am going to need to people to support me. I am going to need people who know what they are doing to go and talk with them, to bounce ideas off of. By learning now that I need to find people to work with and help me it makes it easier to go out into the work field.
I have also identified an ally in my best friend Melissa. She just graduated with a degree in Elementary and Special Education. I look to her for support, advice, wisdom, and a listening ear. She takes the time to offer up solutions and allows me to talk through situations within my life or in my teaching. Identifying peers who are going through some similar situations can really help you in your profession. I count on Melissa to hear about her life and her teaching and to listen to mine.


Entry Two:

Along with my peers I have also identified allies in my profession. I have become very close with a high school teacher back home in Pennsylvania. Carolyn Woodford has been a friend of the family for many years and talks with me about some of her struggles with special education and inclusion and gives me a different view of how general education teachers are feeling. I also talk with her about my experiences and get advanced from her as a mom of a 7 year old. I have also met many academic contacts over the years my professors at Goshen: Christie Bonfiglio and Kathy Meyer-Riemer. Throughout my placements: Jen Drescher - Chamberlain Elementary, Mary Genovese - Eastwood Elementary, Kevin Beveridge - Eastwood Elementary, Emma Dugger - Eastwood Elementary, Kathy Heyse - Oxbow Elementary and Liz Kieling - Daly Elementary. These are just some of the academic contacts I have made in the past years and I know that there will be many more to come. I believe that it is very important to have peers that you can identify with as well as professional contacts.

Everyone is Different. Take the time to see those differences!

Entry One:

For the last 4 weeks I have participated in the school sponsored Diversity Circle Meetings. I joined the meeting because I could benefit academically but also socially. When I first heard about Diversity Circles I thought it would be a very time consuming activity that would consist of a bunch of Caucasian students sitting around discussing racism and diversity. I was extremely skeptical of the meetings at first. At the very first meeting, before it even began, I realized that I was in for a very interesting time. The people that sat around me were from all over the world, with histories completely different from my own. Not only were some from Mexico but also Africa and all across America. We all came from different cultural and economic backgrounds.
What is said at meetings and who attends meetings is confidential but the topics we discuss are not. We discuss a wide range of topics from racial stereotypes to difficulties understand people who are different from us. It is amazing the things we discuss. Sometimes things get pretty tense but it helps to talk things through and has really helped our group.
With my experience of working with the people in the Diversity meetings I have been given the chance to see the differences that exist between people. I have learned it is not your skin color it is your background, where you come from, how you were raised, and then your cultural background.
I feel that my experience will definitely help me when I become a teacher. I know that people are different. When I have students I need to see them as a class and as individuals. Differences are the hardest thing for teachers to understand and see because they have their own agenda which blinds them from seeing how to conform to their students.
I love my experience with Diversity Circles. I hope that next year I will be able to continue my experience and see many others there learning from others like I have.

If you are interested in the types of things we discuss during our meetings; you can look at our resource website: www.studycircles.org


Entry Two:

Over the summer I began volunteering at my church's food pantry. Through this experience I learned not only the meaning of riches but got to know a lot of people who have lived a very different life than I have. While volunteering I worked with people who were children raising children, large families, older couples, and even people who did not speak English. It took me a few moments to gain my composure and talk with everyone. At first I was angry at myself for all that I have and I took for granted until this past summer. I realize how important some of the little things I take for granted are. Out of the whole experience I learned many valuable lessons but the one that will always stick with me is Love is all that you need to be happy. All of the people that I encountered could still share a smile, joke around, and live life and those are things that I take for granted but things that are so important to have. I have continued volunteering my time especially with children and families.

Take your Education Seriously

Entry One:

In high school I often procrastinated everything. When I started college I made a promise to myself to complete my work early and also put a lot of time into each class. Some of the ways that I have decided to take my education seriously is by making a daily list of what I have going on that day and also what homework I need to complete. I make sure to accomplish each homework assignment at least 2 days before it is due so that if something comes up I will have extra time to work with. I find that making lists pushes me to complete what is on the list. Another method I have to make sure that larger projects get done on time is a board at my desk that tells me the due dates of my next big activities. This board allows me to plan my time accordingly and also reminds me daily of what is coming up.
I also participate in the Math study group that was set up on a weekly basis. Our teacher set up a group so that we could work through any problems we are having with the class load. I am a part of the "Mathletes" group. We meet on Wednesday night at 9 pm. At this time Hugo also comes by to check in and see if we are having any problems. Our group has also taken it upon ourselves to meet outside of this time to do our homework together and study for any quizzes or tests. Mathletes is made up of Eliza H., Jenna Z., and I. Working with them has made me feel like I have a support system and a place to go to ask questions.
By getting into the habit of working ahead and preparing I have learned an important strategy that will help me plan my time accordingly when I get out into the work field. I now know that scheduling time to relax or even time that I don't have anything planned is important so that I can be sure that rearranging is possible. One thing that is really helpful that I have learned is that I can't control what I can and cannot get done; meaning that if something doesn't get accomplished when I want it to get accomplished I have to just move on. My schedule is structured to guide me but it is not what I necessarily live by. It was difficult for me at first to go out of my realm of the structured schedule but once I realized that it was possible I became less stressed. Going with the flow is an important part of becoming a Teacher. When I become a teacher it is important for me to know that I cannot control everything. If my class is struggling with something I need to be able to go away from my lesson plans and take more time working through the issues my class is having with the lesson. The biggest lesson I have learned about taking my education seriously is that I can't control everything and having people to fall back on when you need help is really important; as well as having a plan to my day.


Entry Two:

While I was student teaching, I had the opportunity to participate in a DIEBLES palm pilot training session. Although it was not required for me to attend I found it important to take the time to learn more about the specialized training that is being offered to our teachers. I feel very strongly about the important of literacy in school and progress monitoring our students. The palm pilot offers an effective way to easily record the tests and then sync the device directly to your computer to provide for data to be easily transferred and stored. The training taught us how to administer a test individually using the palm pilot. With prompt the palm pilot would explain exactly what needed to be said and scored the assessment immediately. The immediate response allowed for us to continue with testing or stop and analyze the data.
I very glad that I had this opportunity and I look forward to many more opportunities to learn something new and to help me with my teaching. I was very lucky to have this training and I will definitely encourage the school district I work in to invest in DIEBLES palm pilots.