New Breed of Teachers

There is a new breed of teachers that are entering into today’s classroom. I honestly do not agree with some of the things that are permitted in today’s school districts.

     Some of the members of the new breed of teachers do not follow dress code regulations. Low cut shirts and short skirts should not be permitted. Teaching is a profession, therefore dressing professional should be a requirement and not an option. I also believe that outrageous hair color should not be allowed. I think that if it is not suitable for students to wear, then the teacher should not be allowed to wear it either.

     I also do not believe that some of the new teachers are not equipped for the classroom. Prospective teachers should have more hands on time in a classroom so that they can get a better understanding of what it is like to become a teacher and the daily issues they will be challenged with.  

Budget Cuts in Texas

     Many districts across the state of Texas are feeling the effects of the budget cuts. This year Governor Rick Perry and his representatives found a solution to cut back spending. This solution was found in the education system. Many school districts are being forced to cut the jobs of many effective teachers and staff members. Another proposal in the budget cut was to increase each class size to 30- 35 students in one classroom.

     I believe that the budget cuts should not be made in an area that is far more important than other areas. Education is the pathway to all careers. I believe that the budget cuts will lower the quality of education given in a public school system. Parents will be left wondering if their child is receiving a quality education in the public school system. Students will be forced to see many of their favorite and most effective teachers get cut. Many teachers are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping and wishing that they do not get caught up in the cuts.

Here is an article about the current budget cuts:
http://bit.ly/dVpHjE

Houston Daycare Fire, Woman Flees to Nigeria

The Houston area daycare fire has had an impact on many people not only across Texas, but across the world.  This fire as impacted me as a future educator because I know that many innocent lives were lost in a fire that could have been avoided. The fire impacts me personally because I undersand that this situation could have happened to any child in my family, although I do not have children of my own, I am sympathetic to the parents of the children who lost their lives because I know how precious the life of a child is. Taking early childhood education courses has helped me understand more about an early childhood center and elementary schools and I know that this situation could have been prevented.

Identifying Cultural Differences and Developmental Delays

It is important to distinguish between cultural differences and development deficits so that a child will not be wrongly diagnosed. Many students are wrongfully placed in Special Education classrooms because the instructor lacked knowledge on varying cultural differences. As an educator it is important to know the culture and beliefs of every student in the classroom, this helps distinguish between a developmental deficit and cultural differences.  Some cultures do encourage children to participate in activities that will help improve fine motor skills, an educator should know that this does not mean that the child has a developmental delay, but they should be encouraged to do exercises that will help them develop necessary skills.  

Who Am I Developmentally?

The developmentalists and pioneers of education I would align myself with would be both Commenius and Jean Piaget.
  I would align myself with Commenius because he believed that learning should go hand in hand with a child's natural growth and development. This is important because it helps determine what should be taught at certain ages. He also believed that a child will learn something when he or she is simply ready to learn. Many times parents or teachers push a child to learn a certain skill, but the child may not be ready to learn.
 I would also align myself with Piaget because he believed that "learning is constructed through the action of the learner" (Piaget, 1971). I believe that incorporating hands on activities in the classroom is very important. This ensures that learning is taking place because the learner or student is actively engaged in the learning process. He also stated that although you may teach a new concept, if the learner doesn't mentally process the new information, then learning is not taking place. He called this process assimilation.
Like most cognitive developmentalists I agree that mental growth is the most important stage of development for a child. If a child cannot function mentally he or she may have problems functioning physically. I believe that mental growth is the command station for learning.

Social Media

The social media that I plan to use in my career would definitely be Twitter. I believe that Twitter is a way for students to display the knowledge learned in a course while also incorporating technology. When younger children use Twitter I do believe that the page should be private, allowing only parents and other classrooms in the school the opportunity to view any posts made by the students. This microblog site makes using technology an essential part of learning. I also think that using Twitter in the classroom would be an excellent way to give students, who are normally shy, the opportunity to interact in the classroom. Twitter also gives students the chance to display the knowledge they learn in class. When children are able to show others what they have learned they feel more confident in what they do. Using this piece of social media also actively engages parents and other members of the community in the learning process.

ESL Certification: In High Demand!

With growing numbers of English Language Learners in the United States, there has been an increase in the demand for ESL certified teachers. In many districts there are very few jobs that are available that do not require teachers to be ESL certified. In other school districts they are requiring that most teachers attend ESL classes in an effort to increase awareness regarding ESL certification. Once the TExES examination has been take and passed, one can seek ESL certification without returning to a college or a university. To become ESL certified all you have to do is study the material required for the certification and sign up to take the exam. In many districts teachers who are ESL certified receive a stipend also. Remember that being ESL certified does not require you to speak a language other than English. Speaking both English and another language is known as being bilingual.