community and education

I come from a fairly small community and as far as I'm aware the community really doesn't interact too much with the school system.  I would like to see more events held by the school in which parents can get involved with.  Perhaps more plays put on by students or things such as bake sales run by students to raise money for a good cause.  Anything the parents or other members can get involved in.  

One thing that my community does get actively involved in is scholarships for high school senior scholarships.  Many businesses offer generous scholarships.  I was very impressed with the amount of help they gave to my graduating class.  There is also a fairly decent turn out at sporting events.

I do wish the community could be more involved, however it's hard for me to think of other ways in which this can happen.  I've never been from a community that has an active role in the education system.

parent teacher conferences

I feel that parent teacher conferences went well.  It was fairly simple to prepare for.  The first conference went very smoothly and I was able to get all of my information across.  The "difficult" conference was obviously not as easy.  Her position was to be late for work and in a hurry.  It was annoying to deal with.  I was constantly interrupted and it seemed like a parent that did that would not even get all the information I had available.  If an actual parent did that, it would be difficult to completely keep my composure.  I don't think it's much to ask for a parent to take half an hour to discuss their child.

This video was definitely disturbing.  The part that surprised and upset me the most was a picture of one of the houses.  The dresser was cluttered with meth substance.  All of this was easily in reach of children, which according to the video, children did live there.  I cannot fathom how someone could leave something so dangerous in reach of their children.  I also found it upsetting how so many families get separated because their parents are abuse meth.  It's sad that those children have to grow up without their parents because of something like that.  What also surprised me was the testimony by the young boy about his previous meth addiction.  He looked way too young to be someone who had been in that situation.  I don't understand how parents could even allow their children to become like that.  Any decent parent would figure out soon enough that their child was addicted to meth.  If that should happen, I don't understand how a parent couldn't take serious action to discontinue the behavior.  If this ever happened to my child, I would literally not let them out of the house except for school until they were clean for a long time.  I am just shocked how some individuals can be so careless when it comes to their children.  It's really upsetting to see.

Youth Poverty

There is a large problem in America today concerning youth in poverty.  The numbers are overwhelming and too many young children struggle to eat on a daily basis.  These children struggle to eat and find a place to stay at night.  These problems may interfere with schoolwork and makes it difficult to consider college as even an option.  Without college in their future it will be difficult for these children to ever get out of poverty.  As teachers it is important to let bot the students and parents know of help that can be found within the community.  Newsletters can be sent out with information on food stamps, housing shelters, soup kitchens, and other forms of help.  It is difficult for the teachers to fully be able to step in without crossing the professional bounderies.  However, letting the families know that there is help available and that you, as the teacher will be there if they need it is important.  Many students may need someone who cares that they can talk with about their situation.  Simply being there may help children in poverty overcome the emotional burden.  There are many things that teachers can do to make a difference.  It's whether or not the teacher takes the initiative to do them that matters.

Historical event

An event that completely changed the direction I was heading in regards to education was the birth of my daughter.  I had her at the age of 19 and was then attending the University of Iowa in pursuit of a career in the Pharmaceutical field.  Around the time she turned six months, I realized that Pharmacy was not working for me.  I really enjoyed the time I spent with my daughter and even enjoyed hanging out at her daycare.  I loved being around the kids and decided to change my major to elementary education.  Going from Pharmacy to Elementary Education was a huge change, but it was definitely the right one.  I love working with kids and I enjoy the classes that I've been taking.  If it wasn't for my daughter I don't think that I would have realized how much I enjoy working with kids.  Thanks to her, I am now on the right track.