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.