Personal Learning Goal #2

This past week I set a goal for myself to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night. Until I had to work on gettting that much sleep, I didn't realize how sleep deprived I was! I would go to bed at 1 or 2 am on a good day, and wake up for 8:00 class. Since I am a person who needs a lot of sleep, I thought it would be a good thing to revamp my sleep schedule so that I could better concentrate in my classes. Each day I made a schedule for myself of things that I needed to do for the next day and another schedule that involoved long-term projects. Then as I went through my day it was easier not to procrastinate and to be on top of things so that I had everything done by the time it was time for bed at midnight. This system is working out really well for me, I am continuing it into this week to see how it works on a prolonged basis, which I think it will. Some things I noticed this week were that I had a longer attention span and I found most class material more engaging. Also, I was far more motivated to actually start homework and go to class than usual (connection to Chapter 10!!) and although I typically have a ton of energy anyway, my energy level was only increased by getting more sleep. I also daydreamed less, which is always a plus. I did notice that my social life went down the drain however, so I think in the future I will make sure that I schedule time to hang out with my friends even if it's just for a little while becuase I don't want to continue to be a hermit just so I could get to bed on time!

Florida Vacation

For those of you who didn't know I went to Florida this past week with my family. I know, it was in the middle of the semester and I missed an entire week of school, which was and is extremely difficult. But in my defense, it was for an extremely good cause. My sister Andrea, who is 14, was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes) this past May, and faught her little heart out until November, at which point the doctor's declared her cancer free! My family and I are still kind of on edge about the whole situation because it takes a year before she will be completey home free because there is a 50% chance it could return. But, we try not to dwell on that and just celebrate the fact that she's cancer free now :)

Anyway, that's a little background, the reason we went to Florida is because the hospital she was being treated at has a very strong relationship with the Make a Wish Foundation, a charity that grants the wishes of children with potentially terminal illnesses, and our family was told that if we filled out the paperwork Andrea would have her wish granted. Well, of course Andrea was excited about this prospect and wished to go to Disneyworld becuase she has always wanted to go, but never had the chance. Knowing that she had this trip to look forward to truly motivated her to keep fighting when things were difficult for her.

For me, the trip was not so much about the vacation, or Florida, or Disneyworld or getting out of class for a week, it was more about spending an entire week with my family where we didn't have to stress out about what doctor's visit or test was coming up and what that would mean for Andrea. When the biggest worry on your mind is taken away for an entire week and you can just watch your loved ones enjoy themselves utterly, that is just priceless.

We had the opportunity to stay at the Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, which is about 20 minutes from Orlando and 10 from all the major Disney parks. The Village is a place for families with children who have or have had terminal illnesses to come and stay for a week and the visit typically coincides with a child's wish trip to Disneyworld since the wish of many kids is to go there. This village is just the cutest thing in the entire world. It is totally and completely centered around children. Don't believe me? Well, the building where they serve the food is called the Gingerbread House and it looks like one inside and out, from the fake frosting coated paint on the outside to the "cupcake room" where you can eat breakfast, it is just cute. There is also the Ice Cream Parlor where families can get free ice cream treats all day, which is constructed to look like a banana split, complete with ice cream cone pillars and giant bowls to eat ice cream in outside. And everything is child-sized, the chairs are little, the counters are lower, the door handles are closer to the ground, and everywhere you look there are cheerful murals painted on every available surface. It is a child's dream world. Literally.

I cannot express the love and caring that was felt each and every day we stayed there. The Village uses about 1,500 volunteers every day plus some regular paid employees and every single one was there to try and make our stay the best it could possibly be. I think the most memorable part of my trip was the day some of the Disney characters came to the village to take pictures with the kids and sign autographs and stuff. You cannot even imagine the joy on some of the children's faces as they fufilled their wish of meeting Mickey and Minnie Mouse, or horsing around with Goofy.

Once moment in particular will stick with me forever: there was a little boy of about 7 or 8 who was confined to a wheelchair and he always had his head down becuase he had a very difficult time supporting it himself. Him and his dad (who was just EXCELLENT with him-talked to him and wheeled him everywhere, the little boy just adores him) were there at the same time as my sister, mom and I were and my mom was talking to him when Mary Poppins came over and started talking to the little boy. What followed was just amazing: Mary Poppins was asking the boy all sorts of questions like if he was polite, did he clean off his plate at breakfast, was he a gentleman, and would he like to pet her parrot on her umbrella? Completely in her character but still caring. The little boy pulled his head up (and it was clearly a struggle to do it), started patting the parrot/umbrella and just beamed at her. And the dad looks at my mom with tears in his eyes and says, "That's the first time I've seen his smile in months." That is a moment I will never forget.

I don't think people realize what a positve affect they can have on another person's life just by doing something so simple. And every moment we stayed at the village we experienced things like this. There are so many children there with diseases they will never recover from and that week they spent there will be the best time of their life, and I just think that what they do there is absolutely priceless. To give someone happiness and hope is the greatest gift you could ever give, and I believe that to the core of my being.

There is a quote etched into the entryway to the Give Kids the World Village, it happens to be the founder Henri Landwirth's favorite quote, and I think it is appropriate to close with:
"You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give." ~Winston Churchill~

Music of the Heart

This is an excellent motivational movie to watch for anyone who wants to be a music educator. It follows the life of Roberta Guaspari, a single mother of two boys who has a passion for the violin and needs a job. She walks into the principle's office of an inner city school in East Harlem looking for a job and, although she lacks prior experience, the principal hires Guaspari based on her firm belief that any child can learn to play the violin. Guaspari starts out with 50 students who have no appreciation for the violin and using her strict teaching style and love of her students, her number of students triples in 10 years. But when funding for the arts gets cut in her district, Guisparri finds herself fighting for the program that changed the lives of every student in her classroom over those 10 years. The ending of the movie is truly inspirational: it features Guispari and her students performing with the greatest violin names alive today in a benefit concert held in Carnegie Hall.

There are two main reasons I love this movie. One is becuase even though her students are mostly underpriviledged and have difficult home lives, Guaspari treats them just like every other child and, in some ways, expects even more from them. She never lets them get away with not practicing and consistently demands excellence. Because of these expectations her students grow to have a deep appreciation for the violin and music in general, a stellar work ethic, and a love for Guaspari. Many of her students grow up to become things like doctors and lawyers and are able to succeed. I think this movie is a great example of how a great teacher truly can influence and change the path of a child's life. Along these same lines, I get frustrated when people say that children in inner city schools aren't able to succeed because of where they live or their upbringing. I think that is totally false and this movie is the perfect example of what a great teacher can do for inner city kids when he or she doesn't see them as "inner city kids" but just a group of students that he or she expects a lot out of. The second reason I love this movie is becuase it demonstrates firsthand how not just a great teacher, but how music can change someone's life and how much a child's life can be compromised when funding for the arts is cut. (Can you tell I'm passionate about this topic? It just keeps coming back!) The ending where the kids and professional violinists (who are NOT played by actors by the way, they are the real deal!) come together to make beautiful music in order to support the continuance of Guaspari's program is one of the most powerful moments. This movie is a must see for future and current music educators.

The Vagina Monologues

This was my second time seeing the Vagina Monologues and I enjoyed them more this time for a couple of reasons. First of all, I was prepared in advance for the shock factor of the content unlike the last time. I still found myself getting embarrassed or uncomfortable from time to time, but I feel that is an okay thing. Also, I knew several of the cast members and I had a great time watching them showcase their talents.

The reason I went a second time to see a show that is so controversial is because I feel seeing the show brings a greater awareness for women's issues. Everything from funny anecdotes about menstruation to heart-wrenching stories of rape are addressed by this production are all powerful and have a deeper meaning: that of the respect of women and how much still needs to be done in the global society.

This year's theme was all about striving for peace and with the war in Iraq and the genocide in Darfur, among many other horrific events, I felt this was an appropriate one.

Assignment for February 22: Take a position on a controversial topic relating to education

Funding for the Arts: It's IMPORTANT!!!

So many schools today do not even have art or music programs, which frankly is just sad. I think the fact that schools are cutting funding for the arts, especially music, is ridiculous. It has been proven by studies upon studies that music increases test scores and attention spans, so why when schools are so concerned with raising standardized test scores for NCLB do they cut art and music classes first? I know, funding is hard to find and technically reading, math and science are the "important" classes, but I think for many students, the arts are what keep them going during the school day. And if that is true, the only thing that is going to be achieved by cutting the arts is lower test scores and more students not caring about school. In one of my favorite movies of all time, Mr. Holland's Opus, there is a great section of dialouge about cutting the arts that goes like this:

(Vice Principal Walters): "I care about these kids just as much as you do. And if I'm forced to choose between Mozart and reading and writing and long division, I choose long division."

(Glenn Holland:) "Well, I guess you can cut the arts as much as you want, Gene. Sooner or later, these kids aren't going to have anything to read or write about."

In my mind that about sums up the debate on whether or not schools are hurting students when they cut the arts. Not only do the arts help students out in the "academic" areas of school, but they teach valuable life skills such as hard work, perserverance, patience, cooperation, collaberation, and active listening that can be used in any aspect of any job in the future. So even if students don't choose a career in the arts doesn't mean that they cannot transfer the knowledge they learn in an art or music classroom. If as educators we are concerned about our students being able to compete in the global economy then the skills that art and music classes teach students should be valued just as much as "academics" and not be considered dispensable.

February 16th Assignment: Why Teach?

Why do we teach?
I think that the reasons people go into teaching are as varied and unique as teachers are. Some people go into it to change and have a positive impact on the world, some do it because they want to pass on something they are passionate about, and still others, sadly, go into it because of the three months of summer vacation. Sad, but true, I have been taught by some of them. Personally, I am going into teaching because I love children and I have a passion for music. I believe that each child can learn to appreciate and love all kinds of music and that a love of music should be fostered from an early age. This is why I'm going into elementary music education.

What is the difference between school "work" and student "learning"?
Just becuase a student is working quietly at their desk on their assignment does not ensure that the same student is actually learning. Many assignments given in schools are just a regurgitation of facts that the student forgets after the lesson is over. When this is the case, even though the student has done all the work, nothing was actually learned, except how to complete the assignment. I believe that for a student to actually learn a teacher must somehow connect the work with a student's life and have a concrete reason for doing so. Also, in order to actually learn I believe that a student must actually care about what they are learning so that they become emotionally invested in their education. This is not to say that each child should tailor-make their own education and only learn what they feel like because that does not make for well-rounded adults who can function in the global society. I think it is partly up to the teacher to create emotional investment in his or her students so that retains the knowledge that has been taught.

What makes for good teaching?
Above all, I believe that a good teacher must be passionate, knowledgeable and caring. Without one of these three characteristics I feel a teacher would be incomplete. Without passion for a subject a teacher cannot cultivate interest in students; without knowledge of the subject nothing can be taught, period; without caring the teacher cannot relate to the students and thus making the subject matter relate to their lives so it can be retained later is not a possibility. Every good teacher I have ever had has displayed these traits and I remember what I learned from them.