Through my many interactions with young children as well as student I have come to realize how important being a role model is. I believe that it is a ridiculous idea to ask students to do something that you yourself are not willing to do. This year I have taken on and continued certain tasks that I believe help me to become a better role model.
I have always believed it is important to recycle and not to litter. If we want to live on this Earth we have a responsibility to the Earth to not pollute. I have taken care of the Earth by taking advantage of the recycling bins in our dorms, as well as recycling off campus or keeping the trash until I can recycle it. I believe that if people have taken the time to figure out a way to reuse materials it is the least I can do to provide the materials needed if I have them.
I have also continued attending church every Sunday. Something to believe and trust in is extremely important for myself and also for kids. It is important to have faith and to show children that you have faith. I am from Pennsylvania, but I came to Indiana and took the time to experience a few
different churches and found one I really like. I have been attending Maple City Chapel every Sunday and also some nights during the week for different activities they offer as well as bible study. (Left: founder and pastor Mel Shetler)Something that I find extremely important when being a role model is your outward appearance. Children have a tendency to want to look like someone they look up to. If I don't pay attention to what my clothes look like and the type of character I am portraying I can give the wrong impression to young people. My dad always taught me dress to impress; and dress to your inner self. I make sure that my clothes are not too low cut, don't have bad slogans on them, they aren't too tight, and then I make sure they make me look professional or casual depending on the activities of the day.
The one thing that I have been working on most this year is my language. I have a tendency to
use horrific language. I have decided to stop swearing. My friend Melissa is also giving it up with me as a way to help the other and lean on them for support. I find it easier to accomplish when I have someone catching me and watching me. I have seen how children like to mimic adults and even other children. If I am at Walmart and I swear and a little kid is standing near by I have just introduced a bad word to their vocabulary that their parents will now have to correct. As someone who wants to go into the teaching profession I need to start now with how I behave. This has not been an easy task so far but I am pushing through. I have messed up a few times. I have a system of punishment for myself if I mess up. If I mess up I have to give up desert at meal time.Through this experience I have learned how important it is for me as a prospective teacher to be a role model for all kids. I have not only recycled, and worked on my language but I have also refrained from underage drinking with friends and drugs. I do not want to have to tell my children one day that I messed up and did something that I don't want them to do. I have learned to practice what I want to preach. If I want to be a teacher I have to start being a role model now.
Entry Two:
On Wednesday September 19, 2007 I attended the school wide Celebrate Service Day.
On this day I went with a group of girls to Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center. At the Learning Center we split up into two groups. One group went off to paint and trim outside around the windows. The other group (which I was in) received the tougher job; we were asked to help by washing windows. If anyone has visited Merry Lea and stayed in the cabins you can only image how many windows the cabins have. We washed over a hundred windows inside and out, upstairs and downstairs. We work from 11-2. After the event I began talking to the cook. She was from Kenya and was visiting until April. I asked if she knew why the windows were being washed besides the obvious dirtiness of them. She then explained that a group was coming in for a seminar and they didn't have enough time to prepare the cabins accordingly. After realizing that I helped make a part of Goshen College look decent for visitors I felt a sense of satisfaction. It may have been a minor task but it really made a difference to the staff at Merry Lea and those that were visiting; 
through this experience I learned that even lending a hand in what seems like a small "we really appreciate this"way, really means a lot to the people who are being helped. It felt good making some one's load a little lighter.I feel like this experience will really help me when I become a
teacher because I believe it is really relevant for people to volunteer. So, I feel that it would be beneficial to use volunteer work to expand children's minds. I believe that I could have my students volunteer to learn more about certain subject matter. Such as cleaning up a lake to learn about water pollution and what we can do to help the environment.Be sure to check out Merry Lea online http://www.goshen.edu/merrylea/
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