Response from Ms. Jones:
What prompted your decision to be a teacher?
When I was in high school I had teachers who cared so much about me and if I learned. They went the extra mile to help me understand the content they were teaching me. So, in my junior year of high school I decided to give back what was given to me.
What was your journey like when you decided to become an educator? What steps did you take? Were there moments when you felt discouraged/unsupported on your journey to become a teacher? If so how did you overcome the discouragement?
Once I decided to become a teacher, the journey was magnificent. When I graduated from high school I received a full scholarship to Roosevelt University since I wanted to become a teacher. I met a lot of people who helped me along the way. Every time I had a question or problem another educator was there to help me along the way. I started my freshmen year volunteering at different elementary schools to find out what it is really like work with children. The only hard part was when I had a child my senior year of college. I had to learn how to balance school, work and a newborn. I managed it all and made it out of school that year. The first couple of months after my son’s birth, I felt discouraged and wanted to drop out until he was older. It was becoming hard for me to manage doing homework and waking up in the middle of the night every night. I decided to stay in school because I started to think about how I can provide for my son with an education. I started to believe everything will get better and then it did.
ClaireLacey♥
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Interviews pt.2
The questions that i asked were:
What promt your decision to be a teacher?
What was your journey like when you decided to become an educator?
What steps did you take?
Were there moments when you felt discouraged/unsupported on your journey to become a teacher? If so how did you overcome the discouragement?
Mr. Goewy's response:
I can't say that I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I intended to be a business major when I went to college. After my first economics class, I knew that it wouldn't supply the challenge I needed. i fell back on what I was always good at, mathematics. i also was young and idealistic so I decided teaching would be a way to incorporate my strength in math with my desire to help people. I discussed my desire with my adviser and then changed advisers to someone in my field. I was pursuing a Bachelor of Arts and started with general education classes. I fulfilled all the requirements and got in a program so I could do my student teaching in Chicago even though I attended college in Iowa. I often felt discouraged during my student teaching at Kenwood Academy. i took on too much in terms of different classes, different levels and 2 co-operating teachers with diverse styles. I barely survived. As my undergraduate studies were ending, I took on the task of looking for a teaching position. It's hard when you start out because you have no experience. i wasn't able to secure a position for that fall , but I was offered a teaching post in the U.S. Peace Corps - it was a life-changing experience. I taught math in French in Rwanda for almost 3 years. I came back and it was quite an adjustment. I took a position at St. Martin de Porres. My colleagues especially Bob Predl (a fellow math teacher) helped me through the hard times and helped me to see teaching ( especially working with young people) was my calling. Having experienced teachers to talk was an asset I can't put a price on.it is not to say in my 20th year that things are easy, but I understand the process better and can deal with the highs and lows.
ClaireLacey♥
What promt your decision to be a teacher?
What was your journey like when you decided to become an educator?
What steps did you take?
Were there moments when you felt discouraged/unsupported on your journey to become a teacher? If so how did you overcome the discouragement?
Mr. Goewy's response:
I can't say that I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I intended to be a business major when I went to college. After my first economics class, I knew that it wouldn't supply the challenge I needed. i fell back on what I was always good at, mathematics. i also was young and idealistic so I decided teaching would be a way to incorporate my strength in math with my desire to help people. I discussed my desire with my adviser and then changed advisers to someone in my field. I was pursuing a Bachelor of Arts and started with general education classes. I fulfilled all the requirements and got in a program so I could do my student teaching in Chicago even though I attended college in Iowa. I often felt discouraged during my student teaching at Kenwood Academy. i took on too much in terms of different classes, different levels and 2 co-operating teachers with diverse styles. I barely survived. As my undergraduate studies were ending, I took on the task of looking for a teaching position. It's hard when you start out because you have no experience. i wasn't able to secure a position for that fall , but I was offered a teaching post in the U.S. Peace Corps - it was a life-changing experience. I taught math in French in Rwanda for almost 3 years. I came back and it was quite an adjustment. I took a position at St. Martin de Porres. My colleagues especially Bob Predl (a fellow math teacher) helped me through the hard times and helped me to see teaching ( especially working with young people) was my calling. Having experienced teachers to talk was an asset I can't put a price on.it is not to say in my 20th year that things are easy, but I understand the process better and can deal with the highs and lows.
ClaireLacey♥
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Interviews
I interviewed two teachers. here are the questions i asked:
What promt your decision to be a teacher?
What was your journey like when you decided to become an educator?
What steps did you take?
Were there moments when you felt discouraged/unsupported on your journey to become a teacher? If so how did you overcome the discouragement?
Pauline Lampkin's response:
I honestly became a teacher because the opportunity presented itself and because I needed more time at home to spend with me kids.
It was rough because :1. I had to teach class while I pursued my creditials to become a teacher. 2. My income was substantial reduced. 3. I ddn't have the opportunity to student teacher. 4. I taught in what was considered a bad inner city school. However, this prepared me to handled rough kids and appreciate finally teaching at a better school like Brooks. I went through a progam called Teachers for Chicago which recruited mature individuals in other career fields. There were many times that I was discouraged because I felt that students really did not want to learn. It was like pulling teeth to get students to buy in to their own education. When I first started teaching, students did not come to class. The school was rough and many times I was on my own. I had a white advisor that came to my school to observe me. He told me to look out the window at the unemployed men drinking and hanging out in the streets. He told me that the things that I was seeing was the real world and if I couldn't help my people then who would. That's why many times I am tough with my students and don't accept excuses because the real world does not care about your excuses. And sometimes its discouraging because I see that many African American students still have a plantation mentality. Dr. Dyson also said this when she was at Brooks. Overall despite the ups and downs, teaching can be rewarding as you see yourself reaching some students. And it's very refreshing when you see the young adults later on in the streets after they have graduated. And its good when you a student tell you how well they did in college because of your influence. I hope I answered your questions.
David Cohn's Response:
1. My decision to become a teacher was motivated by the profound impact music education had on my life during my high school years. Beyond the musical benefits of the experience, I found myself part of a meaningful community that supported me in challenging myself. In setting out to become a teacher, I wanted to provide a similar experience to new generations of young musicians.
2. I trained to become a band director a the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and completed my student teaching at Evanston Township High School. Being a part of the music program at such a major music school provided me with incredibly memorable experiences, including marching band performances for thousands of people and a performance at Orchestra Hall. Any music program is challenging by nature, and competitive between the many fine performers there, but I generally felt healthily nurtured by my instructors. The only time I really felt discouraged was when one of my performances was critiqued in a very negative way by one of my professors. He asked me to "think about what I was doing." While I viewed that experience very negatively at the time, in the end it only caused me to reflect and confirm my resolve to move forward.
ClaireLacey♥
What promt your decision to be a teacher?
What was your journey like when you decided to become an educator?
What steps did you take?
Were there moments when you felt discouraged/unsupported on your journey to become a teacher? If so how did you overcome the discouragement?
Pauline Lampkin's response:
I honestly became a teacher because the opportunity presented itself and because I needed more time at home to spend with me kids.
It was rough because :1. I had to teach class while I pursued my creditials to become a teacher. 2. My income was substantial reduced. 3. I ddn't have the opportunity to student teacher. 4. I taught in what was considered a bad inner city school. However, this prepared me to handled rough kids and appreciate finally teaching at a better school like Brooks. I went through a progam called Teachers for Chicago which recruited mature individuals in other career fields. There were many times that I was discouraged because I felt that students really did not want to learn. It was like pulling teeth to get students to buy in to their own education. When I first started teaching, students did not come to class. The school was rough and many times I was on my own. I had a white advisor that came to my school to observe me. He told me to look out the window at the unemployed men drinking and hanging out in the streets. He told me that the things that I was seeing was the real world and if I couldn't help my people then who would. That's why many times I am tough with my students and don't accept excuses because the real world does not care about your excuses. And sometimes its discouraging because I see that many African American students still have a plantation mentality. Dr. Dyson also said this when she was at Brooks. Overall despite the ups and downs, teaching can be rewarding as you see yourself reaching some students. And it's very refreshing when you see the young adults later on in the streets after they have graduated. And its good when you a student tell you how well they did in college because of your influence. I hope I answered your questions.
David Cohn's Response:
1. My decision to become a teacher was motivated by the profound impact music education had on my life during my high school years. Beyond the musical benefits of the experience, I found myself part of a meaningful community that supported me in challenging myself. In setting out to become a teacher, I wanted to provide a similar experience to new generations of young musicians.
2. I trained to become a band director a the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and completed my student teaching at Evanston Township High School. Being a part of the music program at such a major music school provided me with incredibly memorable experiences, including marching band performances for thousands of people and a performance at Orchestra Hall. Any music program is challenging by nature, and competitive between the many fine performers there, but I generally felt healthily nurtured by my instructors. The only time I really felt discouraged was when one of my performances was critiqued in a very negative way by one of my professors. He asked me to "think about what I was doing." While I viewed that experience very negatively at the time, in the end it only caused me to reflect and confirm my resolve to move forward.
ClaireLacey♥
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Networking
I had to get ten contacts who I can look at as role models ( people has achieved what I want to achieve.)
Well I tried really hard to get ten contacts from the few contacts I already had. Unfortunately, those people were too busy to reply to emails this week (I'm guessing.)
Davida Stephens teachinuenglish@yahoo.com (teacher, my main goal)
Sheila Morriss http://mrd.mail.yahoo.com/compose?To=Srmorris%40comcast.net (teacher, my main goal)
Justin Wier http://mrd.mail.yahoo.com/compose?To=jrjustin%40uic.edu (counselor, one of my five lives)
Gayle Layman http://mrd.mail.yahoo.com/compose?To=layman%40uillinois.edu (counselor, one of my five lives)
Shyla Krzeminski smichk74@yahoo.com (teacher, my main goal)
More contacts to come!
ClaireLacey♥
Well I tried really hard to get ten contacts from the few contacts I already had. Unfortunately, those people were too busy to reply to emails this week (I'm guessing.)
Davida Stephens teachinuenglish@yahoo.com (teacher, my main goal)
Sheila Morriss http://mrd.mail.yahoo.com/compose?To=Srmorris%40comcast.net (teacher, my main goal)
Justin Wier http://mrd.mail.yahoo.com/compose?To=jrjustin%40uic.edu (counselor, one of my five lives)
Gayle Layman http://mrd.mail.yahoo.com/compose?To=layman%40uillinois.edu (counselor, one of my five lives)
Shyla Krzeminski smichk74@yahoo.com (teacher, my main goal)
More contacts to come!
ClaireLacey♥
Going for the Goal!
Goal: By the time I am twenty-three, I AM going to be an elementary school teacher.
How will I do this?
Linear Flow Chart:
1) Be accepted into the College of Education at UIC
How will I do this?
Linear Flow Chart:
1) Be accepted into the College of Education at UIC
- to do this I must get my grades up, do volunteer work (pertaining to teaching), obtain the required reccommendations, complete the application by the required due date
2) Networking
- I need to meet people who are already teachers, they can lend advice on things I should be doing, they could possibly help me student teach at the school they work at and possibly help be get a teaching job
3) Complete my student teachung requirement
- What school to do it at????? This is where my networking comes in!
4) Graduate!
5) Find a school that is looking for a teacher
- Research! Networking also helps in this situation.
6) Get an inteview
7) Get the job!
ClaireLacey♥
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
