Minnesota alternative teaching license

http://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011101200005

I really enjoyed reading this article. It explains both of the bills that have to do with alternative teaching license. It explains it in more detail than the previous article. It also gives both the positive and negative aspects of the alternative teaching license. I agree with this article 100%. It is possible that people who enroll in these alternative teaching programs can teach as effectively as people who have been taught using the original method. However, I agree with this statement, "Lesson plans, grading, dealing with behavioral issues and how to effectively communicate academic knowledge can’t be learned overnight".

International education article

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/opinion/17burde.html?ref=education

Nongovermental groups from the United States are setting up educational opportunities for poor children in rural Afghanistan so that they are able to attend school and get some form of an education. Since schools in this area are a target of bombing and killing they have set up community based schools that allow families and teachers to attend without being scared of losing their lives. It gives them an opportunity to teach and learn.


I find this article very sad. It is so sad that children are in this situation. They can't go to school and they can't learn because they fear that they will lose their lives. However, they are making the best of their situation. With some help they are finding an opportunity to learn in a time of great struggles. This goes to show that whatever the situation, education and learning is always possible. Education is important and it is nice to know that the children of Afghanistan are getting the opportunity to attend some form of it. It is also nice to know that teachers are still so motivated to teach students even through a crisis like the one Afghanistan is going through.

Freedom writers Journal

Prior to starting her first job Erin expected an easier experience then what she originally had thought. She expected to teach the students and that they would really enjoy learning from her. Erin was confronted with many troubles when she first started. They students she was going to teach hated each other, as well as, their teacher Erin. They did not want to be at school. They did not care about learning. They were just trying to survive in the world that they were living in. The students of room 203 have all gone through a lot of hardships. Some of the things they experienced were gangs, violence, poverty, drugs, abuse, and death. They had all been through a lot and instead of coming together to support each other, they hated each other and their own lives. The students hated learning so much that they wouldn't even try to do it. Everyone else saw them as unteachable and couldn't wait for the opportunity to get rid of them. Erin recognized that the students were similar. She made them read books that were very similar to their own lives and taught them that they can succeed. She made them believe in themselves, each other, and her role as teacher to get them to want to learn from her. She also had each student start keeping a journal so that they could get their thoughts out and move forward in life. She connected their lives within her curriculum through the journal entries and the books that resembled their own lives.

Also, Erin had to deal with many challenges within the school system and other teachers. The school system and teachers had already ruled out the students of 203. They didn't give them a chance to learn and wouldn't provide them with the necessary tools to get them to accomplish their learning goals. However, Erin did believe in them. She expected more from them than anyone else did, which made them strive to learn and succeed. Erin believed in these students, made them believe in themselves, and had a huge impact in their lives. I strive to be like Erin.

The Freedom writers

The Freedom Writers was a very inspirational story of one women (Erin Gruwell) who believed in a group of kids when no one else did. She gave them a chance, believed in them, and helped them to open up. She had to undergo obstacles and find a new way of teaching just to get through to these kids. She didn't give up on these kids, she actually wanted to help them succeed. This story taught me a lot. I never want to give up on a child. I want to do everything that I can to help them succeed in their lives. I want to help them have happier lives and I want to help them believe in themselves like Erin did. I also strive to be creative and find different ways to teach a student if he or she happens to be struggling. Erin Gruwell is a very inspiring teacher and I am glad that she had the opportunity to tell her story. She has inspired me to strive to be the best teacher I can be.

Minn. House takes up alternative teacher licensure

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=900178

I think that an alternative teacher licensure would be great. It would make it easier for some individuals to get into the field of teaching. If it could fill some much needed spots within the teaching program it would be even better. Young students need passionate teachers and I feel as if this alternative teacher licensure would bring about more of them.

Special Education: Why do I want to become a teacher?

As a child my first years of attending school were hard for me. I was a homebody and didn't want to leave the comfort of my mother. Getting on the bus was a task. Staying in school for the entire day was a task as well. However, in the first grade my views about school completely changed. My teachers made school and learning fun for me. They made me feel like I was at home. I wanted to go to school and I wanted to learn because of the teachers in my life. All of the teachers in my life, especially the ones from my elementary school, have made me look up to teachers. I want to help students the way my elementary teachers helped me. I want to make learning fun for kids. I want to help them succeed in their lives. I want to help them break through all of the barriers that life throws at them. I want to teach them that whenever life throws you hurdles, all you have to do is leap. And that they don't have to leap alone, for a teacher is always there to help.  

Hello

This is a blog about my educational pursuits in Special Education.