Delicate Socially Important Work of the Teacher - Essay Example

Reflective Journal 1

We are all brought up in different families and set up in terms of environments. The differences are what influence how we turn out to be and how we end up growing up. While now technology has advanced so much and everyone can access it, it was nor the same case two decades ago. While growing up, there was barely any advanced technology. Sure there were the televisions available. Unlike today, there was no way one could stream a movie or a series. It was done the old fashioned way. The communities were more conjoined as people had more time to interact without the many distractions of the internet and devices. That is why it was easier to know everyone within a community, and that is what happened to me. As a family unit, we spent a lot of time together, which is why we even engaged in games like scavenger hunting, which brought the family together and facilitated the bonding. I remember while growing up, we used to have a beach scavenger hunting every once in a while, and I looked forward to it every time. At that age, one barely has anything that they can call their own. That is why I took pride in the toys that I had as they were the only thing within the family that I could equate to being mine. On my tenth birthday, I got a dog from my parents, which became my price possession. Even when I got angry and ran to the park, I never left my dog, Azizi alone. That is why, as a teacher following up and paying attention to the kind of life that a child has at home is essential. It helps shed light on various factors that they are portraying and even act as a way forward towards helping the student.

While at school, it was a different kind of set up. In as much as there was the drive to learn, there was also the aspect of playing and interacting with friends during breaks. Hanging out with friends at school was a highlight, especially when you all share the thoughts and patterns of behavior. I remember that out there, especially up to middle school, used to involve us in scavenger hunting. It started with alphabet hunting at an earlier age, but it evolved to things like objects finding. It was very competitive at times and involving. At this period, there still was no much media the much that one could floss with was a watch, unlike today, where children are showing up with phones. The friends that I went with to school together were from the same community that I lived in. We all went to the same school as it was the nearest and best within that environment. This made it easier for us to interact both in school and out of school. Some of my friends were also family friends to my parents. The much I owned at school were the items that we made as assignments or for school projects. With this, I learned that there is a need to include playing and learning together as a teacher. While I did learn a lot at school, the media of learning were mainly charts and graphs. I realized that the teachings that were done via charts were easier to understand as one kept on visualizing the charts or even looking at them until they stuck. Even with factors like algebra, the charts helped. That so why, I realized that in as much as a teacher is committed to teaching, taking steps like using learning aids can go among the way in facilitating the understanding by students. Also, at school as a teacher, one has to be a bit strict; otherwise, the students will walk all over you and not even pay attention, which beats the purpose of learning.

Blake was one of my friends, and in as much as we lived within the same community, there were some differences that we shared. A look at the way that they interacted with the district. The parents were strict on who hand out around Blake to the extent that they would handpick the friends that they could have. The father was not necessarily popular within the community, which is what made the community experience different from mine. We also have the fact that they rarely played any games or scavengers hunting within their family. As a result of this, Blake accompanied us once in a while, went to the beach as a family. Such interactions strengthened our friendship and also added some fun within the family game.

When together, we often get mischievous, which did not always end well, especially when it ended up pissing the parents. Even then, it marked a great moment on our growing up that we cannot go back to and ones that we will never forget. They had the same set of media that I did. What he owned were the toys that he had gotten as he grew up. The parents ended up separating when we were twelve, which, of course, affected Blake. He had to now move from time to time, especially during the holidays to visit his father in a way that did change him negatively, too, as he felt like he lacked a complete home. Such thoughts can be detrimental for a child to bear. Sure, I did not notice it at that time bit when we got older, I started noticing that he had changed over time after the separation. With increased knowledge, I understood that the separation of his parents probably caused it. Even then, it meant that people were more accepting and open to him without the father in the community, which increased his connections within the community. That is why following up on children, especially on the environment that they are in at home, helps a teacher know how to better support and deal with the student to bring out the best in them.

Additionally, a teacher has to be sensitive to other factors like the social status of school children, events that occur within the school, and how they might affect the students. A good example is in the article on chocolate bar selling while it engages the students; there are those who come from low-income families and society, making it harder to make any sales. Being a good teacher means looking after the welfare of the students in all sectors. Follow up to ensure that no matter what social status they are from; they do not get to be discriminated against. Despite their status, teachers and the institution, in general, should ensure that the children are getting the best education. Use the media as a way to push for growth and the best treatments of students. Once they are within the institution, they are all the same despite where they might come from, and that is what entails being a good teacher. Sometimes, the kid from a poor family may need more attention than others. It is important to note that it is not about better treatments, just special treatment as they may have a totally different environment at home. In places where children come from poor communities, they barely have time to think of schoolwork while at home. That is why it is important to take a special interest so that the teacher can help push the student to do well within the range of the other children or even better if they can.

Reflective Journal 2

I remember going to church when I was younger. At some point, it was mandatory to attend church in our family. It was not a big deal for me as I like going to church as I had been doing it since I was small. The attendance of church does have its effects on me and how I thought. For instance, at a young age, I used to believe that anyone who did not go to church was destined to go to hell. It also influenced how I treated people. I considered those who were churchgoers more special than others. I believe if I had to choose between two people that I do not know the only criteria that I would have used was if one of them was a churchgoer, I barely understood most of the teachings but the fact that I believed that God was found by going to church was enough for me.

To some extent, I do think that I was the holier than thou kind in some instances. When I turned 13, things did change. I started not going to church every Sunday and would instead hang out with my friends. My elder brother never went to church, and I was trying to be like him in so many ways that I decided to try it out. It then became a habit, and so many things changed on how I saw them. Even then, some biases were hard to leave even after changing my beliefs a bit. Even today, religion does play a role in how I act and the way that I do think at times. Therefore, a teacher must understand that religion though not mandatory plays a great role in some students’ lives.

In middle school, religion was essential for my survival, or so I felt. At times, I was annoyed at school when I made references to the teachings within the church. At the same age, I inspired to be a preacher or pastor, which led me to, at times, end up giving preaching's which were at times accepted, especially when we were younger. As we got older, the idea was not appealing anymore to my peers, and that, combined with the teasing that came with it, I stopped to. The teasing led me to want to stay at home, combined with the need to emulate by the elder brother. Biases are things that, if we want and change our mindsets, we can avoid. Even then, there was already the belief that those who went to church were way better and holier than the others. This kind of bias was hard to get rid of, especially with the children and other students. Whenever we had to discuss religion in class, I was very passionate about it. I remember the teacher telling me that everyone was different in terms of their beliefs, which also meant that the religious affiliations differed. That is why a teacher needs to keep an open mind on diversity in any sector, be it cultural, ethical, or any other area. Every student stems from different families, and the family values may differ, yet the teacher cannot afford to discriminate. Discrimination gives in to new populations, which can be termed as unique. We also have social communities due to various factors like deformities. One of my classmates had to use a wheelchair for almost a year, which created a new view of the special populations. I remember I used to think that she was less due to her use of the wheelchair, and now, I realize it was such a shallow way of thinking. We are all the same despite the differences that we cannot overlook. When I think of teaching, I think of all the students that I will have to interact with. How different they will be, sure some will have special needs, and the best that I can do is be very helpful as much as I can.

As for Blake, religion was not necessarily prominent within their family. Sure there are the family beliefs, cultures, and practices, but extremes like going to church were not on the list. We would hand out after church some times where I would go to their place after church. Before the parents separated, they would go with their father up to the lake where they would spend days fishing. Such parties are some of the things that I had wanted to try out if I had not been going to church. After the separation, he would stay at home and maybe join the other friends to play in the afternoon. Once, we went to church together as he always talked of how he wondered how it felt like. In as much as he had been eager to go, it was not anything that he ever did again. He had dozed off the better part of the service. Still, it was good for him to try it even that once. When I stopped going to church completely, he could not let go of how he always wondered how I managed to stay awake every Sunday for the whole service hours. He had a cousin who was autistic, which made him very respectful of individual populations within the community.

At the same time, he had a likening inclination for in-group bias. It was tough to get in with him if he felt like you did not belong to the group of friends. That is why within our group, and it was rare that we got new friends who could join in in everything that we did. He was very strict about that. To some extent, he felt that if anyone could join the group, it meant that it was not special at all. Sometimes, such biases can help preserve group practices, but it can sometimes be termed discriminatory and promotes prejudice, which is something as a teacher; it would be essential to avoid at all costs. Every student is an individual in their way but should be treated equally as a teacher and interact with so many students. Among them, they have different personalities and characters. Above all, they have to be treated the same with no prejudice. Teaching is meant to help them grow and learn while developing. That is why one as a teacher has to keep their personal preferences or affiliations from interfering with how they treat people with different ideologies or affiliations.

In as much as there is the ideology of equality, there is a necessity top note that there are differences that cannot be ignored. One is the gender identities, and in an institution, they have to make sure that some facilities are gender labeled. That is things like washrooms, changing rooms, they have to be separated as per the gender. In a society that is becoming gender fluid, this must be observed. Things like religion are personal, but they have to be included in the curricula so that they can help the students. While there is a difference between state and church, religion is a necessity in the curriculum. They were advocating for the respect of each other as students are different in terms of culture, race, beliefs, among other things. As a teacher, one has to be open-minded to deal with it. Being sensitive to the issues in society is essential to avoid being biased.

Reflective Journal 3

My parents are rigorous when it comes to education, just as they have always been as long as I can remember. Even at an early age, knowledge was something that they had invested in that is flowing up on what we did at school, the assignments are given, the follow-ups with the teachers on the progress we were making and the constant reminder of how important education was. There was a time in middle school. I managed to fail in science, and that did not get well with them, especially my mother. So, she called the teacher and requested a reckon on how the semester had been. She ended up being too extreme as she even asked if the teacher used learning aids to teach. It was very embarrassing, and during that year, I had no peace. She could not hide her disappointment, especially during thanksgiving. By the end of the day, every member of the family knew that I had failed in science. In a way, I felt betrayed by her as he had not considered how I felt bit after that I swore never again to abandon to that extent. Join in extra curriculum activities is one thing that they do not let go. My elder brother was on the football team, which was enough pressure for me. I had to join a very competitive sports activity as well so that I would be in line with their expectations. When we got into trouble, the immediate action by the parents was being grounded. At times I had to sit down, explain why I did what I did, why it was the wrong mention what it should have done is noted. These were the restorative practices that we used at home though it was not every time. Here I see that at times the way that the students are disciplined at home is different from school, and it is essential to understand both so that the teacher can best discipline the students.

The reason why we attend school is so that we can learn and develop, especially intellectually. Even then, with the wrong education system, then there is nothing much that people can get to learn. That is why, while institutions establish themselves in the education sector, they have to ensure that they are using the correct education system. Within the system, there are the scheduled times of lessons, playtime, and early childhood, there is even nap time. That is, the education system is set up to accommodate everyone at every student's appropriate age. It's a transition between the different levels of education. When we get to middle school, there is no more nap time, and when we get to high school, there are also differences from higher education, which could be college. That is why we do not automatically make it to go to the next level of studies. We have to reach a certain threshold determined by the education system so that we can proceed. There are some GPAs that necessities a person to rewind a year at the same level so that they can get a better understanding of the information at that level before moving to the next, which is more complicated. In schools, when one is I the wrong, we are mainly given detentions, which is an extreme case, then there is the suspension. Sometimes, using restorative practices goes a long way to enhance change in bad behavior. If the student understands why it is wrong to something and why they should avoid it, they are likely to prevent it. That is why, in as much as the active punishing like detention is essential, as a teacher, it is essential to know when to use restorative practices.

Joining school is one thing that most children look forward to. As they grow, we get to wish that we could skip school every once in a while as it is too demanding, boring, or not favorable to us. Even then, we have to acquire education so that we can have a standing in the future; the more we grow, the more there is to learn, and the education system enables that. Like any other child, Blake, at times, hated going to school, but he did look forward to his basketball games. He was very good at basketball, which fit in well in his extra curriculum activities. Having a sport that we can rely on is essential, and basketball is that for Blake. Asa student, he is always much disciplined in terms of the GPA and follows ups within the systems. That is why, even though at times he can be quiet mischievous, he gets along worth most of the teachers due to how performances. I guess that is one of the biases that are hard to fight. Teachers being friendly to students who are very good at what they do. In as much as he was not a teacher pet. He was not far from it. Being the student who is famous in basketball and his grades made him pretty known around the schools due to either of the reasons. When he was on the wring, the first options were always to use the restorative practices on him before considering the extreme actions. Even then, once in a while, he had detention, which was also useful in preventing favoritism. Being a teacher means that one can differentiate between the students so that each of them is given the help that they need. Some students require more attention than others. The education system dictated that the teacher is there to help the student get better, which so something that, as a teacher, I will aspire to do to the best of my abilities.

Notably, being a teacher is a commitment that cannot be taken lightly. It holds the futures, so many students help them reach their potential, which makes it so unique. That is why, in every aspect, the teacher is supposed to be the best version of themselves so that the student can learn from the best. Multicultural practices are essential when in a learning institution. In as much as there is equality, there is the aspect of equity. One way or another, students are bound to find themselves on the wrong side. There are various established ways in which the teachers can respond to this. While detention and suspension have been used a lot in the past, there are other more progressive methods that can be used. S good example is the use of restorative practices when disciplining. Here the students involved in the dialogue of how to handle and issue. It involves restorative thinking so that they can help the student understand what they did and how it is wrong. It is, in a way, an effort for enlightenment. While it does not always work as expected, at times, it bears more fruit than physical punishment. It is a moment for dialogue which also an emphasis on pushing towards goal attainment. Everyone has a goal to achieve, and within the restorative dialogues, the students rediscover their goals.

At times, they involve the use of classroom circles whereby every student is involved. At times, the dialogues can be with the student on the wrong, but at other times, it is important to involve the whole class. That way, by the end of the practice, they too are well enlightened, and they may pick up one or two things along the way. The happiest moment for a teacher is when a student is the best at what they do, and they follow the instructions towards getting better. With the restorative practices, they are enhancing the idea of taking responsibility, even when they feel that they have to be malicious. That is, it promotes them to be better students and the teacher having a better chance at improving their influence on the students and chartering positivity. It also promotes the spirit of a community within a class and the school. That way, they can live as a body while they are at school and look after each other and help each other where they go astray. Various schools have taken up the restorative practices approach like the case of Texas, whereby, the teacher took up training in the sector in 2016. Times are changing, and we have to change accordingly as well both in the teacher capacity as well as the students.

Blake was one of my friends, and in as much as we lived within the same community, there were some differences that we shared. A look at the way that they interacted with the district. The parents were strict on who hand out around Blake to the extent that they would handpick the friends that they could have. The father was not necessarily popular within the community, which is what made the community experience different from mine. We also have the fact that they rarely played any games or scavengers hunting within their family. As a result of this, Blake accompanied us once in a while, went to the beach as a family. Such interactions strengthened our friendship and also added some fun within the family game.

When together, we often get mischievous, which did not always end well, especially when it ended up pissing the parents. Even then, it marked a great moment on our growing up that we cannot go back to and ones that we will never forget. They had the same set of media that I did. What he owned were the toys that he had gotten as he grew up. The parents ended up separating when we were twelve, which, of course, affected Blake. He had to now move from time to time, especially during the holidays to visit his father in a way that did change him negatively, too, as he felt like he lacked a complete home. Such thoughts can be detrimental for a child to bear. Sure, I did not notice it at that time bit when we got older, I started noticing that he had changed over time after the separation. With increased knowledge, I understood that the separation of his parents probably caused it. Even then, it meant that people were more accepting and open to him without the father in the community, which increased his connections within the community. That is why following up on children, especially on the environment that they are in at home, helps a teacher know how to better support and deal with the student to bring out the best in them.

Additionally, a teacher has to be sensitive to other factors like the social status of school children, events that occur within the school, and how they might affect the students. A good example is in the article on chocolate bar selling while it engages the students; there are those who come from low-income families and society, making it harder to make any sales. Being a good teacher means looking after the welfare of the students in all sectors. Follow up to ensure that no matter what social status they are from; they do not get to be discriminated against. Despite their status, teachers and the institution, in general, should ensure that the children are getting the best education. Use the media as a way to push for growth and the best treatments of students. Once they are within the institution, they are all the same despite where they might come from, and that is what entails being a good teacher. Sometimes, the kid from a poor family may need more attention than others. It is important to note that it is not about better treatments, just special treatment as they may have a totally different environment at home. In places where children come from poor communities, they barely have time to think of schoolwork while at home. That is why it is important to take a special interest so that the teacher can help push the student to do well within the range of the other children or even better if they can. Read More