Yesterday I got to work on time... I know, it's very shocking. I'm ususally about 10-15 minutes late, but yesterday I decided to make a concerted effort to be there on time. I'm going to try to continue to do this every day. I'm not sure what exactly I will do with my extra 10-15 minutes, but I'm committing to doing something each day during that time for someone else. It could be working a little harder on my lesson plan to engage my students, running an errand for another teacher, sending an email to a friend who needs some support, or cleaning my room a little for the custodian.
Yesterday and today Obama has been working on the second economic stimulus package. He met with congressional leaders of both parties to determine what needs to be done to get it passed. He's also starting a daily economic briefing just like the daily national security meeting that it already in place.
Today I have decided I will spend part of every week catching up with friends over the phone who I don't get to see. Now this is somewhat selfish, because it definitely serves me as well. However, I want to catch up with people who really are having a bit of a difficult time. Earlier today I talked to my friend Michael O. He has had a fairly rough time over the past few months. He graduated from Carolina last spring, but he's now taking a few prerequisite classes so he can go to graduate school for genetic counseling. During this time, he's taking care of his grandmother who has Alzheimers. He's really helping his family out because they do not have to pay someone else to do it or try to put her in a nursing home. He cares deeply for her, but it is almost shattering him to be there with her as she deteriorates. I need to do a better job of being there for him throughout this process. So today, we talked about the LOST premeire and made plans for when we could see each other again to renew each other.
Although much of what we can do to bring change to America requires sacrifice and responsibility, some of it just requires being more present in our own lives. So, I will jump start each work day by actively doing something for someone else, and I will keep track of my friends who need some support each week.
Eventually I want to write about how these small changes are affecting me and changing me as well, but for now this space is just for my promises to help renew America.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
admire the consistency
Day 2... and I'm still doing this thing. I tend to have really fun ideas, get really excited about them, and then forget to follow through on the details. So, I'm glad that I'm still trying to consciously think about specific things I can do right now to help realize Obama's (and our) vision for America.
Today, Barack signed an executive order to close Guantanamo Bay within the next year. This will be tricky, but again, this ambitious and constitutionally focused agenda is very refreshing.
All day I was not sure what I was going to do to help change America. I was stressing out over it because many things seemed like a cop-out or just not something sustainable in the long run. James and I went to dinner at Five Guys (I'm not even going to pretend that it's remotely good for you... we'll tackle that eventually). I was getting the napkins and ketchup, and I immediately thought of something. I decided to get back to doing something that I started to do a long time ago. We unintentionally create a lot of waste during the day, and some of it can be avoided if we just think about what we are doing. A couple years ago I saw an Oprah show about decreasing your carbon footprint. A lady discussed how many napkins we use a day (about 6) and how much we could change the environment if everyone just stopped using one of those napkins a day. It seems simple, but I mindlessly grab a handful of napkins any time I go out to eat. I also constantly use paper towels or clorox wipes instead of cleaner and a scrubbing cloth. So today, and hopefully from now on, I want to think about and limit the amount of napkins I use.
So at Five Guys, after I grabbed a handful of napkins, I just used two (the food is very tasty, but very greasy). I put some back in the napkin holder and took a few home to use later. Again, this is nothing groundbreaking, but just think of what could happen if everyone began to seriously consider how many napkins they are using. So today, like yesterday, I pledge to be more conscious of my consumption.
Today, Barack signed an executive order to close Guantanamo Bay within the next year. This will be tricky, but again, this ambitious and constitutionally focused agenda is very refreshing.
All day I was not sure what I was going to do to help change America. I was stressing out over it because many things seemed like a cop-out or just not something sustainable in the long run. James and I went to dinner at Five Guys (I'm not even going to pretend that it's remotely good for you... we'll tackle that eventually). I was getting the napkins and ketchup, and I immediately thought of something. I decided to get back to doing something that I started to do a long time ago. We unintentionally create a lot of waste during the day, and some of it can be avoided if we just think about what we are doing. A couple years ago I saw an Oprah show about decreasing your carbon footprint. A lady discussed how many napkins we use a day (about 6) and how much we could change the environment if everyone just stopped using one of those napkins a day. It seems simple, but I mindlessly grab a handful of napkins any time I go out to eat. I also constantly use paper towels or clorox wipes instead of cleaner and a scrubbing cloth. So today, and hopefully from now on, I want to think about and limit the amount of napkins I use.
So at Five Guys, after I grabbed a handful of napkins, I just used two (the food is very tasty, but very greasy). I put some back in the napkin holder and took a few home to use later. Again, this is nothing groundbreaking, but just think of what could happen if everyone began to seriously consider how many napkins they are using. So today, like yesterday, I pledge to be more conscious of my consumption.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
day one
Since I don't really need this for school anymore, and I can't remember my password for emily-faith.blogspot.com (because the last time I posted there was Nov 6, 2006), I'm going to publish a bit here for a while.
Today is the first day of Obama's administration, and if you read my last post on emily-faith.blogspot.com, I've been waiting for this for over two years. Going to the inauguration is the absolute best thing I have ever done. Oprah keeps saying that Washington is vibrating, and she's not kidding. The entire city seemed so much more vibrant and alive than it did when I was there for a month this summer. People were shouting Obama's name from the top of tour buses, staring at the capitol with tears in their eyes, and singing "Lean on Me" on the metro. People all around are not just talking about what Obama will do for them, but how he has changed and inspired them. With CHANGE being the major theme, it's refreshing that people seem to understand that his call is for us to take control and be part of the change that he will work to bring.
CNN is doing a special on Obama's first 100 days... probably trying desperately to hang onto the viewers they had over the last few days. Today, Obama froze salaries of staffers making over $100,000 dollars a year and issued ethics rules restricting lobbyists and creating more transparency in government.
I almost hate the focus of the first 100 days because of its limited time frame and its blatent reference to FDR (and it is ridiculous... obviously CNN will report on the president's actions after that). However, the focus on the first 100 days provides a good challenge to the American people as well. Obama and Biden have promised to work tirelessly every day for our country... but what are we all doing? Right now, I'm watching Oprah on DVR and getting excited about Carolina v. Clemson and the LOST premeire tonight. There's nothing wrong with that, but I have exactly decided how I'm going to be part of all of this change. All of us, all 300 million, need to be actively considering how to incorporate change into our lives. We need to be more conscious of our decisions and how they impact our world.
So, for the next 100 days, I will pick something to do that will help bring change. It does not have to be something huge, but it does have to be something. Today I unplugged my cell phone charger after it charged last night. Although it will be a slight annoyance to plug it back in every night, doing this will decrease my consumption of energy.
Today is the first day of Obama's administration, and if you read my last post on emily-faith.blogspot.com, I've been waiting for this for over two years. Going to the inauguration is the absolute best thing I have ever done. Oprah keeps saying that Washington is vibrating, and she's not kidding. The entire city seemed so much more vibrant and alive than it did when I was there for a month this summer. People were shouting Obama's name from the top of tour buses, staring at the capitol with tears in their eyes, and singing "Lean on Me" on the metro. People all around are not just talking about what Obama will do for them, but how he has changed and inspired them. With CHANGE being the major theme, it's refreshing that people seem to understand that his call is for us to take control and be part of the change that he will work to bring.
CNN is doing a special on Obama's first 100 days... probably trying desperately to hang onto the viewers they had over the last few days. Today, Obama froze salaries of staffers making over $100,000 dollars a year and issued ethics rules restricting lobbyists and creating more transparency in government.
I almost hate the focus of the first 100 days because of its limited time frame and its blatent reference to FDR (and it is ridiculous... obviously CNN will report on the president's actions after that). However, the focus on the first 100 days provides a good challenge to the American people as well. Obama and Biden have promised to work tirelessly every day for our country... but what are we all doing? Right now, I'm watching Oprah on DVR and getting excited about Carolina v. Clemson and the LOST premeire tonight. There's nothing wrong with that, but I have exactly decided how I'm going to be part of all of this change. All of us, all 300 million, need to be actively considering how to incorporate change into our lives. We need to be more conscious of our decisions and how they impact our world.
So, for the next 100 days, I will pick something to do that will help bring change. It does not have to be something huge, but it does have to be something. Today I unplugged my cell phone charger after it charged last night. Although it will be a slight annoyance to plug it back in every night, doing this will decrease my consumption of energy.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Digital Primary Sources
I really did not realize how many great sites there are online for digital primary sources. Analyzing primary sources are an important part of learning what it means to be a historian. We barely focused on primary sources when I was in high school. Even when we did, the rationale was to prepare for the DBQ on the AP exam. During college, I was suddenly forced to analyze primary sources and construct meaning from them, with very little practice. Primary sources are such a huge part of history, and they can really connect with students on a different level than textbooks and other secondary sources. Using these sources has become easier than ever because they are in digital format. Each of the sites we have explored offers a great variety, so we can be sure not to present a bias picture of history. They also are mostly very user-friendly and search-able.
If nothing else, as a teacher I can access them myself and teach students methods of extracting meaning and incorporating them into the secondary information they already know and have studied. Even if I teach in a school where there is minimal technology, I can bring most of these resources such as photos, political cartoons, music, and newspaper articles to my students for us to use in class. Hopefully, with technological innovation and improving situations in schools, I can even scaffold students to find and piece together these sources themselves. Using primary sources promotes creativity and requires analysis, and these skills are important. It may take a little more planning and effort, but I hope the integration of digital primary sources in my classroom will move past the limited use of occasional special projects and into daily meaningful integration of content and technology.
If nothing else, as a teacher I can access them myself and teach students methods of extracting meaning and incorporating them into the secondary information they already know and have studied. Even if I teach in a school where there is minimal technology, I can bring most of these resources such as photos, political cartoons, music, and newspaper articles to my students for us to use in class. Hopefully, with technological innovation and improving situations in schools, I can even scaffold students to find and piece together these sources themselves. Using primary sources promotes creativity and requires analysis, and these skills are important. It may take a little more planning and effort, but I hope the integration of digital primary sources in my classroom will move past the limited use of occasional special projects and into daily meaningful integration of content and technology.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Classroom Culture
A tolerant classroom can be difficult to achieve, but if created in the first few weeks of school, it can be invaluable to your success as a teacher. It seems critically necessary, especially in a social studies classroom, as we will be exploring controversial issues with the chance for things to get messy. Differing opinions can be exciting and could really aid class discussion, so they should be encouraged. I want my classroom to be a place where students feel comfortable answering questions and offering their opinions. This is a bit of a teacher's dream, especially for high school students. However, I think it can be created by developing a no tolerance policy for bullying, making fun of people, and general disrespect of other students and myself. This policy must be communicated from the first day. In the beginning, this may cause a rush of discipline issues, but I think if the students know the rules and know that I will enforce them, they will quickly learn that intolerant behavior is not accepted. Working on these things immediately should actually save time for content later in the school year.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Let's revist why we're doing this...
Throughout my college career, I knew that I would be an educator because of my promise as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow. However, as an undergraduate at UNC, I had a myriad of diverse experiences, some of which challenged me to re-examine the reasons why I want to teach. When asked that question during my Teaching Fellow interview, I said I wanted to make a difference. My college experience opened up my eyes as to how many different ways there are to help people.
My passion lies in leadership development, which led me to the Department of Student Affairs and my work with orientation and Carolina Leadership Development. I wrestled with the idea of pursuing a career in higher education administration. However, I realized that what I love about Student Affairs is not the field itself, but how the experiences and training I had helped me reach my full potential as a leader. When teaching high school, I will have the opportunity to incorporate my knowledge of leadership development and my love of the social studies content area into my classroom to help students realize their potential as leaders. I also want to continue to work for education being a great equalizer for economically disadvantaged students, because our democracy depends on equal opportunities.
Social Studies is so encompassing that it is almost overwhelming. My father instilled his interest in United States history in me at an early age, literally through bedtime stories of Sacajawea and Davy Crockett and family trips to Kitty Hawk, Manteo, and Williamsburg. Teaching is the one place where I can combine my hobbies of learning about politics and history while changing students' lives, with a challenging environment that is ever-changing. I am passionate about teaching social studies because I believe that students can simultaneously experience personal and academic growth, ultimately becoming well-informed citizens by understanding the mistakes and triumphs of our past. It is a flexible discipline that enables us to examine governments, cultures, and ourselves. The study of citizenship, leadership, and democracy can empower our students while teaching them that in a democracy, their participation (and they, themselves!) is inherently important.
In working as a teaching assistant in the Duke University Talent Identification Program last summer on Duke's East Campus, I rediscovered my passion for teaching. In addition to being in the classroom daily, I taught a one hour evening session for four days a week to academically gifted high school students. TIP is definitely not a normal classroom experience, because each of the students come into the classroom excited about the subject matter, and usually they genuinely want to be there and be involved. Actually, they paid to be there and chose among a variety of classes before considering Revolutions and Terrorism. The instructor and I expressed very high expectations of our students, but we also truly believed they could reach those expectations. The students thrived in that environment, many expressing excitement that the material challenged them academically for the first time. I have done a bit of research on the relationship between gender, class, and race in education, and I cannot help but hope that children of all ability levels, economic statuses, races, and genders can thrive in a classroom under the correct supportive conditions.
These experiences will no doubt affect how I will teach, but I am not sure to what extent they will yet. Personal development and skills such as writing, reading, and public speaking, are almost as important to me as content (but please don't tell NCLB). My belief in the worth of every person as a leader will help me try to reach and teach every student. I think the two most important qualities to have as a Social Studies teacher are creativity and an ability to think broadly. Creativity in lessons and assessment is critical to combat the boredom that some people immediately assume will occur in a history class. Creativity can help keep students interested with fresh approaches to standard material. A broad outlook is also extremely important. I had few teachers that could provide context for anything in history or civics, much less connect it to where our class had been and where we were going. Social Studies is a lucky discipline to be a part of because everything seems connected to everything else. It is critical that we teach our students how to discover those connections and their own.
My passion lies in leadership development, which led me to the Department of Student Affairs and my work with orientation and Carolina Leadership Development. I wrestled with the idea of pursuing a career in higher education administration. However, I realized that what I love about Student Affairs is not the field itself, but how the experiences and training I had helped me reach my full potential as a leader. When teaching high school, I will have the opportunity to incorporate my knowledge of leadership development and my love of the social studies content area into my classroom to help students realize their potential as leaders. I also want to continue to work for education being a great equalizer for economically disadvantaged students, because our democracy depends on equal opportunities.
Social Studies is so encompassing that it is almost overwhelming. My father instilled his interest in United States history in me at an early age, literally through bedtime stories of Sacajawea and Davy Crockett and family trips to Kitty Hawk, Manteo, and Williamsburg. Teaching is the one place where I can combine my hobbies of learning about politics and history while changing students' lives, with a challenging environment that is ever-changing. I am passionate about teaching social studies because I believe that students can simultaneously experience personal and academic growth, ultimately becoming well-informed citizens by understanding the mistakes and triumphs of our past. It is a flexible discipline that enables us to examine governments, cultures, and ourselves. The study of citizenship, leadership, and democracy can empower our students while teaching them that in a democracy, their participation (and they, themselves!) is inherently important.
In working as a teaching assistant in the Duke University Talent Identification Program last summer on Duke's East Campus, I rediscovered my passion for teaching. In addition to being in the classroom daily, I taught a one hour evening session for four days a week to academically gifted high school students. TIP is definitely not a normal classroom experience, because each of the students come into the classroom excited about the subject matter, and usually they genuinely want to be there and be involved. Actually, they paid to be there and chose among a variety of classes before considering Revolutions and Terrorism. The instructor and I expressed very high expectations of our students, but we also truly believed they could reach those expectations. The students thrived in that environment, many expressing excitement that the material challenged them academically for the first time. I have done a bit of research on the relationship between gender, class, and race in education, and I cannot help but hope that children of all ability levels, economic statuses, races, and genders can thrive in a classroom under the correct supportive conditions.
These experiences will no doubt affect how I will teach, but I am not sure to what extent they will yet. Personal development and skills such as writing, reading, and public speaking, are almost as important to me as content (but please don't tell NCLB). My belief in the worth of every person as a leader will help me try to reach and teach every student. I think the two most important qualities to have as a Social Studies teacher are creativity and an ability to think broadly. Creativity in lessons and assessment is critical to combat the boredom that some people immediately assume will occur in a history class. Creativity can help keep students interested with fresh approaches to standard material. A broad outlook is also extremely important. I had few teachers that could provide context for anything in history or civics, much less connect it to where our class had been and where we were going. Social Studies is a lucky discipline to be a part of because everything seems connected to everything else. It is critical that we teach our students how to discover those connections and their own.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
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