UNCA Teacher Education

Wrong

2011-04-22T12:17:00.006-04:00

Have you ever watched TEDtalks? They're kind of like the best, nerdiest thing ever. Well, that's what I've spent my shift today doing, watching TEDtalks. One of the ones I watched was titled "On Being Wrong," by Kathryn Schulz. It was precisely that. Why are we so afraid of being wrong? Schulz has spent her life studying error, and human behavior regarding it. She spoke of what it actually feels like to be wrong. That is, it feels like being right, up until that moment when you look down and you've already gone off the cliff, and you're hanging in midair. (I wish I could take credit for this explanation, but it's pretty much word for word what Schulz said).
So what if we weren't afraid of being wrong? More importantly, what if I wasn't afraid of being wrong? I've even had teachers and professors comment on my lack of confidence in my academic life. Now, it might seem like I'm considering going all out, no holds barred, nothing matters type of deal. But, I'm really just thinking more about not being afraid of guessing, of trying, of putting your ideas out there for discussion and criticism. That's kind of the spirit that TEDtalks embodies.
While watching this video, my AVID tutoring boss walked in to say hello. We started talking about just this, as well as my research for this summer on math tutoring in which my team will be identifying top issues students struggle with and ways to correct them. A lack of confidence is most certainly an issue. At the same time, we don't want students to go to the other extreme, where guessing overtakes rationalizing and analyzing. Where is that balance?
I think I may just read Schulz's book now.
What do you think? Are you afraid of being wrong? What have you done to change your self-criticism in this area?

Earth Day

2011-04-22T11:49:00.003-04:00

I found an article from the New York Times about Earth Day and just want to share some of it with everyone. Nearly 20 million Americans attended the first Earth Day celebration on April 22, 1970. Earth Day has spread globally with thousands of events in over 180 countries. In the beginning, this event influenced environmental politics and triggered national legislation such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act. "Earth Day is a commitment to make life better, not just bigger and faster," said by the organizers of the first celebration. "It is a day to re-examine the ethic of individual progress at mankind's expense."

In the beginning the organizers took no money from corporations. While their are more supporters today and it's just as widely marked, the movement doesn't seem to have the same kind of support it had four decades ago. Today it has turned into a market for selling a variety of goods and services. This is a need to make money from corporations or to become partners with them, if to change social behavior. Even though it seems this event is now to make money, corporations feel that Earth Day is to get their customers informed and to learn about environmentally friendly changes.

There is Always Something to DO!

2011-04-21T12:06:00.003-04:00

It seems like there is always something going on around campus. You never have to be bored at UNC Asheville if you don't want to be. Last Saturday, Underdog Productions, a student run organization, planned a fun filled day on campus. Starting at noon on Saturday they hosted the superhero lawn party. It was originally suppose to be outside on the quad, but because of the rain the night before it was moved into Highsmith. This did not put a damper on the activities, there were still a lot of students having a lot of fun. Some of the activities they had planned were a big inflatable wrestling ring, inflatable basketball hoops that you could challenge a friend to see who could get the most points (I won that one ;) ), and several booths set up with different fun things to do like face painting.

There was also plenty of free pizza and drinks, and who doesn't love free food, especially when you are a broke college student!

Also that night Underdog Productions brought in some famous comedians that have been on shows on comedy central. I was really excited for this! I had watch these comedians before on TV and was excited to see them in person. The show was better then I expected, by the time it was over my stomach hurt from laughing so much. The best part was that it was free! I have been to a comedy show before in a big auditorium with my seat way in the back so the comedian looked like a little spec on the stage and paying close to 30 dollars to see it. For this show I could practically reach out and touch the comedians.

I had a great time Saturday and was able to do a lot of cool things all for no money which is great when you are in college. It is great to know that UNC Asheville offers opportunities like this pretty much every weekend!

Mature Teens

2011-04-21T11:50:00.004-04:00

As I finish up the semester, I've been working on numerous research papers and projects. For my Lang 120 class, my topic focuses on the issue of adolescents making decisions in health care. I have found in my research that the brain of a minor goes through significant development throughout puberty. By the time they reach the age of 16, they are fully capable of making logical health decisions when properly informed by their parents and physicians. I've found that while teenagers are still going through development (for their emotional and social skills), they have fully developed parts of the brain that allow them to make reasonable choices.

The more I look into this subject, the more I want to prove it true. I believe I was a reasonably responsible 16 year old and that not much has changed in my decision making. However, simply because adolescents are capable of making the right decision, does not necessarily mean that they always do. In the right environment and proper technique in nurturing from the parents, the teenager will be much more likely to make good decisions. Just because they know what the right thing to do is, doesn't mean they will always do it.

So now I ask, what do you guys think? Do you think that you were mature enough at 16 to make your own health decisions (for the ladies, what if you became pregnant)? Can you think of any situations you know where an adolescent showed a considerable amount of maturity? Let me know! Have a great weekend. :)

Reefer Madness!

2011-04-17T15:03:00.003-04:00

This weekend I was lucky enough to see UNCA's production of Reefer Madness! I had never heard of this show before, but after seeing it twice, I can't get the lyrics out of my head. You may or may not know that it is, in fact, a play about marijuana. Yes, you read that correctly. It's a hilarious spin on the influence of the drug starting in the 1930s. From crazy dreams, to getting the munchies, to a singing Jesus, it's so much fun! A good friend of mine was in the chorus and from what I hear, the rehearsals have been consuming their evenings every night for the past two months. I can honestly say the work paid off. I love going to shows and I am so thankful that UNC Asheville put on such a wonderful production. It was only a few months ago that I saw another play that was just as entertaining and I look forward to all the productions in the future! I'm very busy with work and school, but I hope to be in one of the shows before I leave Asheville. Gotta love the performing arts. :)

To read more about the show visit: http://www.unca.edu/news-events/news/2011/3/theatre-unca-reefer-madness-musical

On a different note, it's hard to believe I only have 2 weeks left!! This year has flown by! I'm scrambling to get all my papers finished so I can start studying for those finals. I'll be happy when summer gets here, but sad to leave Asheville. Good luck to everyone in their studies!

The End is Approaching!!

2011-04-15T11:23:00.004-04:00

Well it is that time of the year, spring semester is almost over and summer vacation will soon be starting. As the end of the semester approaches it is time to start cramming for finals, finishing up end of the semester projects, and making sure everything is in order to finish up all your classes with good grades. I feel lucky, in that, I don't feel to much pressure with the end approaching. I have worked hard all semester and fortunately the classes I am taking aren't to demanding so I am pretty confident I will end this semester on a good note! That doesn't mean I wont have any late night study sessions! :)

As for summer vacation, I can't wait. I was planning on taking as many classes this summer as I could to knock some classes out, but being an out-of-state student I figured it might be better to wait and hopefully gain residency by next year. Oh well.... now I guess I'll HAVE to spend my summer on the beach or something.

More art!

2011-04-14T15:09:00.004-04:00

This week in my Art Education lab, we started another project that I am very interested in. Today we were told we were going to start clay pots. I have never worked with clay before and have always wanted to. I always thought it was interesting how people would use spinners to make clay pots, but we only used our hands today. We were given clay, smoothing tools/shaping tools, water. The teacher showed us a few simple steps on how to make the pot. We started off by making a coin shape about a 1/4 of an inch thick so the bottom of the pot wouldn't fall out. We then made several long snake shapes to go around the bottom to make it taller and wider. As we made our pots, we got to make them however thick and tall we wanted. After we shaped out pots, we also got to decorate them. The teacher brought screws and other very different types of tools for us to draw patterns, make indentions, and write whatever we wanted to on our pots to make them our own.

I believe clay is a great tool for kids because they can be very creative and make anything they want to. It can also be used to give kids a visual element to whatever lesson you, as an elementary school teacher, choose to do.

Earth Day

2011-04-14T11:45:00.004-04:00

It's that time of year again! Earth Day is probably Asheville's favorite holiday of all, with its art-, diversity-, and nature-loving community. One thing I'm noticing, though, is that Earth Day is not just a celebration of Mother Earth for Asheville, but also a celebration of those of us on Earth. The YMCA is also hosting an event this Saturday called Healthy Kids Day, in order to promote strong, healthy relationships between families. Several thousand people are expected to attend. Musicians will be coming to perform for Asheville's Earth Day celebration, including Toubab Krewe. I'm sure there will be an abundance of community outreach booths amongst the food, music, and environment-centered stations.
I feel so lucky to live in a city that values loving above all else, whether it's the love for nature, love for art, for culture, or just love of love. I find stories like this one about John Davis and his trek across the country so inspiring, and I know that I live in a community full of like-minded people. Everyone in Asheville has a cause, and together we're going to make a dent in the change that this world needs.
Now if only I could convince my parents to let me take 10 months off of life to go for a little hike...

Wow Time Flies!

2011-04-11T09:53:00.004-04:00

Well, I can't believe it. It's already April and finals are quickly catching up to us. It feels like I just stepped on campus with all my bags ready to start college, and here I am about to finish up my first year!

Last weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to help in a fun visit for high school juniors called Roadtrip2Teach (check our Cassie's blog entry with a little more about that). As I started to talk with the students, I was remembering what it felt like when I was searching for the right college myself. While senior year was a lot of fun, it was also a lot of work: filling out applications, looking into the teacher licensure programs, applying for scholarships, and trying to keep up my grades. It's hard to believe I was in that same boat almost two years ago and now, here I am preparing to be a teacher and couldn't be happier with my choice!

I feel lucky that I found the school for me and discovered my passion for teaching so soon. I know a lot of people who have trouble not only deciding where they want to study, but what they want to study. The best advice I can give when choosing a school is to go to the place that feels right. It wasn't long after I stepped on UNC Asheville's campus that I knew where I wanted to be. When it comes to a future career, do what makes you happy. The path you choose will be one you follow for much of your life and you want to do something that feels more like fun than work. It'll take a lot of time and a little stress, but with some hard work, you can find the college and career that is best for you. Good luck!

Getting toward the end

2011-04-08T21:25:00.003-04:00

I am very surprised at how fast this semester is going by for me. I am shocked that we have around 3 weeks left of school this semester. I have loved this semester and all the classes I have had. Last semester was pretty tough for me, especially my humanities class. I was placed into a third level humanities and I've never taken one before, so it was pretty difficult. This semester I am taking a resource class, social studies education class, health and wellness, piano 1, and an education arts lab and the only one that has been kind of hard for me is the health and wellness class. I am getting by a lot better than last semester.

I am also very glad that I am still so passionate about teaching. I am still hoping that I will find the perfect job for me when the time comes for me to find one and that the economy gets better as time goes on. My hopes are still high and I'm sure others are as well!

There's Hope Yet

2011-04-08T11:39:00.003-04:00

Just when the future couldn't look any worse with the awful budget issues our country is facing, I've found inspiration. As a licensure student, I may be a bit biased, but I support education funding above most other fiscal issues. What we don't know, don't see, is that there is money out there. We just have to fight for it. CNN.com posted a video about just that. A school fighting for its students, winning the money it needs, and putting it to good use! Watch this video about a lovely school in Boston working to improve its students' education and well-being.
This is something I'm constantly reminded of, but I still need that reminder. When it starts to look like a dreary future ahead, I need to find the schools that are succeeding, the students that are getting stronger, the teachers that care more than anyone else could. They're all out there!

Roadtrip 2 Teach

2011-04-06T11:29:00.010-04:00

Last weekend was our big event Roadtrip2Teach! It was a lot of work but I had a great time being involved and meeting a lot of great juniors from all over North Carolina. We started our event off by taking the group to downtown Asheville. The bus ride there was an adventure in itself! I've not had the chance to use the public transit system so that was a new experience for me. We went to MellowMushroom for some pizza-- it was delicious! After dinner we split into teams to start our downtown scavenger hunt. I had a lot of fun with this! My group of students were a blast to hang out with and it was fun starting to get to know them a little better. Even though the weather was not ideal, the scavenger hunt downtown was fun and helped the students (and me) enjoy downtown Asheville. The next day was a full day for the juniors! We started early and had breakfast at the dining hall. The had two great sessions with some of the faculty from the education department. After that they got to meet individually with Admissions Counselors and have lunch and a little bit of free time. Later in the afternoon was their tour of the campus. Before dinner in the dining hall we got to put all of the things each group had learned the night before about the different cultures and the different items from each culture into stories that the groups made up and presented for everyone. Finally on the last day the students got to go around to the different halls and learn about majors, clubs and other activities on campus. By 1:00 they were all packed up, had their boxed lunches and were heading back across North Carolina. The weekend was packed full of interesting activities, hopefully the students got a lot of good information about what UNC Asheville has to offer and I personally had a lot of fun being involved and meeting everyone!

Weather Patterns

2011-04-05T11:07:00.003-04:00

Living in the mountains can get kind of crazy. I'm from Shelby, which is only an hour away, but it's like a completely different world sometimes. For instance, it snows and snows and snows... and SNOWS during the winter here. In Shelby, we were lucky if we saw snowflakes. This was a HUGE adjustment for me. Especially now that I pay my own heating bills, I can see how much I hate the cold. What was I thinking, moving to the frigid mountains? I had to buy an actual winter coat (and by actual winter coat I mean just a fleece North Face jacket...). My collection of tights and thick socks quadrupled. In mid-March when it hit 70, I almost cried I was so happy. I was SO ready for it to be warm again.
The very next weekend, guess what? Yep. More snow. Now, yesterday it was 80 degrees. Today, 30 and raining. This weather is driving me crazy! I can't wait for the relief that summer brings, when it is fairly consistently 70-90 degrees and sunny. What kind of climate are you looking for in your college town? Or, if you're already in Asheville, how do you feel about this crazy weather? Let us know! : )

The day in the life of a UNC Asheville Student

2011-03-25T12:15:00.008-04:00

So I didn't really know what to write about this week so I thought I would share my day and give you a little glimpse of what being a student at UNC Asheville can look like.

For one of my education classes I get to observe a classroom, specifically and elementary classroom to watch a social studies lesson. Today was the day I went to do this. So I observed at an elementary and went to a few classrooms. I saw a little bit of a fourth grade class, a third grade class and a kindergarten class. As of right now seeing the different age levels I cannot choose one I would like to teach more. They all seem fun and interesting! So I spent a couple of hours in different classrooms watching kids work on projects and work on their reading and spelling. In the kindergarten class they were writing their own books with a different fact about penguins on each page. (one little girl had 19 pages!) I also got to see how the teachers handled discipline and keeping the kids focused.

So after that crazy adventure I hurried back to the school so I could get to my on-campus job (which I really love!). After spending a few hours here at work I have only one class to get to today. After class I will get a head start on some of my homework (maybe). Since it is a Friday night I will probably hang out with some friends, go to a movie or maybe go out for dinner.

This is just one busy day in my week!

NCLB

2011-03-25T11:33:00.003-04:00

One topic that always seems to surface in my education classes is the No Child Left Behind Act. Created by George W. Bush, the idea of the act is to assure that all children (regardless of economic status, race, or location) receive an equal, full education. While NCLB succeeded addressing issues such as violence and the important role of guidance counselors, there is still much reform that needs to be done to make this act as successful as it could be.

AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) is part of the problem. NCLB requires that the schools are "graded" and have a yearly report card to see how well the school is "succeeding". However, the problem with this report card is that it is based solely on test scores. The scores given to children in grades 3-8 determine how well a school is performing and if it can stay open. After only a few years of having a low AYP, a school can shut down simply because their students did not do well on these tests. While I do believe it is a great concept to be able to assess how well schools are doing, a yearly test should not be the sole factor.

Honestly, I could go on forever, but as you begin to take more college education classes, political issues like this will come up often. Since most of us will be working in public schools, the government's decisions will affect much of our lives. Therefore, we need to be fully aware of the current issues in the American school system and need to do all we can to reform in the interest of our students.

Braids and Knots

2011-03-25T11:23:00.006-04:00

This is a braid. Probably not the type of braid you're used to seeing, but I assure you it is a braid.And this is a knot. A trefoil knot, to be precise!
So, as I've mentioned once, twice, every time I blog, I am a math major. Part of the awesomeness that UNCA has to offer is the fact that I get to do research with my professors before I graduate. Next semester, I'm signing up to do research with one of my professors dealing with the two shapes above. The research I'll be working on is actually continuing some research that was done by an undergraduate already, and an undergraduate before both of us as well. The paper that this all stems from was published in the International Journal of Algebra and Computations. That's a pretty big deal. That means someone who was probably my age or close to it was published in a prestigious scholarly journal. Larger schools generally leave the research up to its graduate students, but UNCA prides itself on the research opportunities it can offer all of its students, like me.
This may just seem kind of dorky if you're not into math, but there is research in every discipline on campus. One of my friends is presenting in NYC on her research dealing with student values and important international events like 9/11. Another of my friends is presenting in Oklahoma on her philosophy research. If I'm lucky, I will come up with enough results to be able to share with you what I've done!

Special Education

2011-03-24T11:44:00.003-04:00

For my observations this semester in one of my education classes we have/had to observe 10 hours at Hall Fletcher Elementary school with kids with special needs, as well as do 8 hours at another assigned school of a resource class as well as classes with special needs children.

I was really excited about this but nervous at the same time, because I had never observed a classroom with special needs kids and was not sure how it would go. While observing these specific classrooms, I thought of how much courage and strength these teachers had, to do this job. I found it difficult to observe some of these classes and could not imagine having to teach them for several hours a day. I believe these teachers have great heart for these type of students and really try to have a close educational relationship with them.

I overall really enjoyed observing these types of classrooms because it gave me the idea of how they were run and how different they were than the normal classroom. Overall they were not ran much differently than a general education classroom. These kids had rules, procedures, guidelines, and learning outcomes/goals just like kids in the general education classroom.

Through this experience I found that teaching an entire classroom of special needs kids would not be the choice for me but it did not dampen my spirits for teaching overall.

Admirable Teaching

2011-03-18T18:04:00.005-04:00

Hello All!

With spring break over, it was back to the grind this week with endless amounts of homework and studying. Thankfully, I've made it to Friday. :)

Just this morning, I had the opportunity to observe another middle school class. The teacher, Mrs. Beard, is nothing short of the perfect teacher. My first semester observing and my expectations are so high! What made her so great? She seemed to hit every technique we talked about in my education class while just having a ordinary class. She gave individual attention to each student while keeping everyone engaged and all in order. Not to mention, everyone seemed to actually enjoy learning. It was quite amazing.

As I sat there taking diligent notes, I couldn't help but hope that I would be as great of a teacher as Mrs. Beard. She had to repeat the same equation numerous times to assure that everyone understood and didn't get frustrated once. Her patience was admirable. While we mostly bash the American education system today, we have to remember that there are great teachers out there and they deserve to be recognized. Don't you remember one teacher that impacted your childhood? I know I can think of a few. All we have to do is prepare ourselves for this career and hopefully, we can start having better and better teachers and eventually, an admirable education system as well.

Loving Math

2011-03-18T11:36:00.005-04:00

Math and I go way back. Like, all the way back to elementary school. Kindergarten even. Now, my first love was reading. I taught myself how to read when I was 3 because I was jealous of all the books my brother (who was in elementary school, learning to read) was getting. I would stay up all night with a flash light reading in my bedroom. I was happy on the few occasions I was grounded, because it meant I could read uninterrupted for hours!
In middle school, I was placed on the advanced track for math classes (which means I took a pre-Algebra course, Algebra 1, and then Geometry). I was doing fine, but mostly because my best friend was, and still is, a math genius, and she never failed to help me learn the material. Then, in high school, the only option was to go up. Thus, I took Algebra 2, Precalculus, Calculus 1, and Calculus 2. I threw in AP Statistics, too, because at this point I was bound and determined to never take math again after high school. My math confidence was still pretty low when I came to high school. Sophomore through senior year, I had the same wonderful math teacher. She basically told me that I could do math, all on my own even, no help needed from my best friend. And she was right. Why had it taken me so long to realize that?

This article posted by one of my math professors helped me to understand why I feel the way I do about math. Slate's article on hidden sexism in the math and science fields discusses how those who teach can truly affect their students' futures. It combines everything I love: math, education, and a little Desperate Housewives! I was lucky that I had female math teachers every year until I reached college. According to the article, that means that I had the correct support to feel comfortable being a math "person." Vedantam, the author, states

"Our reasons for feeling suited to particular professions are only partially—and perhaps tangentially—tied to our interests, determination, and talent. More than three decades ago, psychotherapists at Georgia State University studied why some women, by all objective measures bright and talented, believed they were less gifted than they were. No matter the evidence, they believed they were impostors."

I find myself feeling this way even now. I wonder if it is because I am now in a male-dominated environment. Our math department does have a good balance of male and female students, most certainly, but we are still off-balance in regards to faculty. How does this affect my education? This article brings up some good points that help me to see where I can take control of how I feel about math as well as how I feel about my performance.

Raising teacher status

2011-03-18T11:08:00.003-04:00

I was currently reading this article about raising teachers' statuses. In this article, according to Andreas Schleicher, places like Korea, Singapore, and Finland are starting to only recruit high-performing college graduates for teaching jobs, help them with mentoring and other help in the classroom, and take steps toward raising respect for the profession. He mentioned that teaching in the United States isn't a high-status occupation anymore. He also said how he does not believe that short days and summers off make this job easy and that dedicated teachers in the U.S. work long hours for little pay and get insufficient support from their leadership.

There was a conference, convened by the federal Department of Education, that was expected to bring together education ministers and leaders of teachers' unions from 16 different countries, also state superintendents from 9 American states. The Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, said he was hoping education leaders would come to the conference and use it to share strategies for raising student achievement. This meeting occurs when teachers' rights, roles, and responsibilities are being widely debated in the U.S..

Our own President Obama said, "In South Korea, teachers are known as ‘nation builders,’ and I think it’s time we treated our teachers with the same level of respect."

The article also mentions that raising the teachers' statuses is not about raising their pay but it is a very important factor.

Homeless Youth

2011-03-18T10:42:00.005-04:00

In my Psyc of Adolescent class we recently watched a 20/20 special on homeless youth in America. This was a real eye opener for me, I know there are homeless people in the United States, but I never really thought of some of those being young kids. Here is a link to the video, http://abc.go.com/watch/2020/SH559026/VD55108764/2020-128-homeless-youth. It is a great video and was inspiring to see the young kids overcoming their struggles but it was also really hard to watch what they had to go through.

954,914 children were homeless and enrolled in public schools in the 2008-2009 school year. I got this fact at http://www.naehcy.org/facts.html and there is also a lot of other good information if you wanna check it out. This got me thinking of how this would affect my teaching and classroom environment. Schools are suppose to be a safe place for kids where they have structure but enjoy being there. As teachers we may be wanting the kids to focus on their work without knowing they may be worrying about where they will get their next meal or where they will sleep for the night. We might have the student that doesn't have the best hygiene and wonder about the parenting or think the student is to lazy when really they have no place to take a shower. As teacher this is just another example of why it is really important to know our students and their background to offer the best education possible. I encourage everyone to watch this video!

Classroom Experiences

2011-03-04T09:13:00.005-05:00

I'm just starting out in the education program here at UNC Asheville but so far I feel it is a great program and will really prepare me for a career in teaching.

Right away when you start out in the program they have you in classrooms. In my Edu 210 class, the intro class, we did a lot of observations in a couple of different classrooms. You get to observe a middle school class and then a classroom in the grade you are interested in teaching, so if you are interested in high school you go to a high school classroom or if you are interested in elementary education you get placed in an elementary classroom. This allows you to see the difference in teaching at the different levels and can be very helpful if you know you want to teach but are not exactly sure what grade level you want to teach. In another one of my education class we have two observations. This is a class specific for Elementary licensure so the observations are in an elementary classroom. After all the observations you write reflections about what you saw, the kids behaviors and the teachers behaviors. Doing this kind of activity really helped me understand what a classroom is like from the teachers perspective because for most of our lives we have been the students and see it a whole different way.

A Student Project

2011-03-03T14:07:00.003-05:00

Last Wednesday, the 23rd, one of my education teachers told us about this project that some students had to do for a class presentation. It was a presentation going on in Highsmith and we got to go look around it during our class that day. When walking in, I observed that there were poster boards that were made up of different countries, as well as the tables they were on. As I walked around I noticed boards that were from countries such as Ghana and others with similarities. Some had food from those countries, others had brochures, and some had maps.

I really liked going to this presentation because it was interesting to get a hands on take from these countries. These students were well informed of their countries, so we were able to ask questions about the country as well. I believed this was a great opportunity for those students to get knowledge on those countries, as well as help us understand them more. Culture is very important to a lot of people and learning of others culture, especially from different countries, is very interesting.

Embracing Culture

2011-03-02T09:09:00.006-05:00

Hey everyone!

Recently, I've been talking a lot in one of my education classes about diversity. Honestly, it's something I hadn't thought about as a future public school teacher, but it's true: American public schools are very diverse. Coming from a small private high school (full of mainly Caucasian kids), I forgot just how many different kinds of people I will be teaching in the future. From Hispanics, to African American children, to children from all different parts of Asia, America truly is a melting pot.

As we discussed this further in my class, I realized that I'll need to be aware of these differing cultures in order to ensure that each of my students learns the information I'm trying to convey. I read an interesting article explaining how everyone learns differently, but if you embrace these differences as a teacher, your students will get much more out of the class. I hope I will be able to relate to all kinds of students and help my students become learners of the world and not just of America. Our country is unique in the fact that we have so many different cultures and practices within our boarders and we need to remind our students of not only where they came from, but where their fellow classmates have as well.

All this talk about culture made me think back to a project my younger sister did in 2nd grade. Each student chose a country to study. This included the common religions there, the food, the holidays, the style, and their history. It was their biggest project of the year, but I truly believe every student found it more fun than like homework. It was a great sight. All the kids were lined up outside with their own booth, poster, and knick-knacks. My sister even wore a traditional Polish outfit for her booth. They let the whole school walk through during lunch and looking back, I'm so proud of my school for coming up with such a great assignment. The students had the opportunity to not only learn about all different kinds of countries, but also looked deeper into one in particular as well as share their knowledge with other students. I hope to inspire my students someday with the same engagement in world culture.

Ahh...Middle School

2011-02-25T13:54:00.004-05:00

Hello again.

This week, I ended up working with a bunch of middle schoolers. It began Thursday night when the UNCA Education department had a group of kids visit from a local middle school to discuss career options, interact with some college students, and attend a Bulldogs basketball game! The evening started with a fun game of charades (in which I ended up becoming one of the actors) followed by dinner and the game. Then, just this morning, I had the opportunity to visit Valley Springs Middle School to observe a 7th grade math class for one of my education classes.

It's been quite a while since my sister has been in middle school and I forgot how different middle school students are. It's such an awkward age when you're no longer a little kid who needs to hold the teacher's hand, and yet, you still find bathroom humor hilarious. Middle schoolers sometimes try to be grown up by using cuss words, but still have no idea who they want to be yet. I remember mostly thinking of how to be "cool" (whatever that meant) and didn't realize until later in high school, that I can be whoever I want to be and it doesn't matter what others think.

Maybe because I had a bit of a difficult time in middle school, I wasn't sure for a long time if I could ever teach that age group. But after interacting with the middle schoolers last night, and then observing a middle school classroom this morning, they're really not so bad. Sure, it's an awkward time for most of them (boys voices begin to change, girls start wearing make-up), but they're not as scary as they appear. Actually, I wouldn't mind teaching a middle school class now. They still have that youthful energy elementary school kids have, but are also beginning to become more mature like high school students. Maybe if I had a more caring teacher in middle school, it would've seemed so bad. Something to think about. :)

Finally!

2011-02-25T12:10:00.002-05:00

Anyone who comes to UNCA's campus knows that there is a lot of construction going on: trucks and fences at Rhodes Robinson, hard hats behind the Justice Center, and digging beside Governors... I think for the most part I've gotten used to the noise and sights. BUT! Finally, finally, finally, all of that is slowly coming to an end.

In April, (and early April at that!) the new Sherrill Center will be completed. That means a new gym! A new parking deck! New places to eat on campus! Ahhhhh I can't wait! I love working out. It's my main source of stress relief. Now, UNCA is going to have a state of the art gym with plenty of space. As an added bonus, it means part of the construction on campus will be over with. If you're interested in reading more about this beautiful new building at UNC Asheville, here's an article from our newspaper, The Blue Banner.

Yay for new gyms!

Far From Home

2011-02-25T10:52:00.003-05:00

This is my first year not living in my parents house and I live twelve hours away in a different state! I never thought about living so far away from home especially for my first time living on my own but so far it has been a pretty good experience. My sister and friend moved out here with me so I do have some comforts of home. Seeing the occasional Facebook status from my sister and cousin saying they are hanging out for the day or getting together with the rest of my family makes me a little homesick but for the most part I love living out here and I especially love living on my own! I have been lucky though and have been able to go back home a couple of times during the breaks to see my family and for spring break some of the women in my family are coming to Tennessee which is close enough to drive up for a weekend and we will be able to spend some time together. Its a tradition in our family the we call "girls weekend" and we try to do it every couple of years. My classes and my new job and the great activities on campus are keeping me pretty busy which helps when I'm feeling a little homesick.

Education Arts Lab

2011-02-24T12:54:00.004-05:00

As you can tell from my other blog posts, I love the arts. This semester I am taking my Education Arts Lab with Mr. Sidelnick and I just want to talk about my experience in that class. Even though the class is only a 1 credit class and 1 day a week, I look forward to going to it all the time. In this class we do crafts and learn how to do these crafts with Elementary school aged kids. The past two weeks we have been working with paintings. We each picked a painting that Mr. Sidelnick provided and looked for the artist, title of the painting, when the painting was done, and any other information provided on the painting. For our assignment that was due this week, we had to come up with questions related to our painting. We had to come up with a question dealing with Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies; then pick an elementary grade and look up a goal in the Standard Course of Study that was associated with the grade and subject.

This assignment, as well as the others we have done, have helped me understand how to approach doing these assignments with elementary kids. I enjoy this class very much and I believe it is very helpful for future elementary teachers to take as well.

The Life of an RA

2011-02-18T15:41:00.004-05:00

Hello again. :)

This has been an interesting week! Much of my time recently has been put into the RA position I've been trying to get for next year. I've considered being an RA for a long time and after much encouragement from some friends, I decided to apply. After getting 3 recommendations, filling out an application, have an individual interview, and a group interview, I got the job!

Now, just in case you're not sure what being a campus RA means exactly, let me explain. An RA, or Residential Assistant, is a student who lives in one of the dorms on campus and keeps their hall in order while providing lots of fun student activities and events. Even more than that, an RA is someone a student can go to for advice, whether it's what professors to avoid to resolving a roommate problem. As a future teacher, I realized that this position is great training for working with people as well as learning to be creative and handle conflicts. Not to mention, it looks great on a resume! So, as possible future teachers yourself, you might want to consider the position. I've heard from a lot of the current RA's (whether planning to be in education or not) who are so glad they chose to become one because of the great experience they've gotten. Not to mention all the crazy stories I've heard! Feel free to visit the UNCA website: http://housing.unca.edu/resident-assistants for more information.

On My Own

2011-02-17T12:56:00.001-05:00

I work at the YMCA here, in child care. On a regular basis, we run into the child whose attitude always screams, "I can do it all by myself!" These kids are exploring their own abilities, testing themselves with new tasks, especially children in the autonomy vs. doubt stage that Erikson proposes. It's completely healthy, for the most part. I see how my children learn from trying things on their own.
I remember as a teenager in high school and middle school the desire to rebel against my parents. I wasn't crazy, but I pushed the envelope from time to time. I figured I was old enough to go out of town without adults, things like that; I didn't need my parents' help anymore. For the most part, I was right. I was fine without my mom to make decisions for me. Now, I'm 20 years old, an hour away from my parents (I know, not that far), in an apartment, with my own financial responsibilities. Let me tell you.... It can certainly be stressful.
Yes, it can be stressful, but! It is so worth it. I am so glad that I have made the decisions that I have, such as moving off campus and getting a job (or 3). I have a built-in support system at school, including my professors and my sisters in Gamma Phi. My professors know if something is stressing me out. They can read people fairly well, but they also listen when I want to complain, and they offer me advice when I need it.
Even without that support, I just am glad that I can be proud of myself for making it. Each semester, when I come out of school without failing or going bankrupt, I give myself a pat on the back. I did it. I successfully got myself through another semester on my own.

Feed your kids the arts!

2011-02-17T11:41:00.004-05:00

I recently stumbled upon this idea called "Feed Your Kids the Arts." It talked about how art is very important for children to succeed and compares the need for it to the daily need of nutrition. Mentioned in this article, it said that involvement in the arts will help and has helped kids test scores become higher and it promotes academic achievement. There was statistics on kids who are involved in art and they were:

*4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.

*3 times more likely to be elected to class offices within their schools.

*4 times more likely to participate in a math or science fair.

*3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance.

The fear is that children are not getting enough art in or out of school. There is a public service advertising campaign called "The Arts: Ask for More." It is designed to educate parents and citizens on why the arts are so important and essential to a child's education, development, and empowerment to get more kids involved in arts, both in an out of school.

Here is a link to 10 simple ways to get art in your kids lives: http://www.americansforthearts.org/public_awareness/get_involved/001.asp

Also here are some interesting facts on arts education: http://www.americansforthearts.org/public_awareness/artsed_facts/

Tracking: Good or Bad?

2011-02-16T10:07:00.010-05:00

In my Edu 210 class last semester we spent a lot of time talking about tracking in schools and whether or not it was a good idea. More recently in my Psyc of Adolescents class I presented on a chapter in my textbook; more specifically I talked about tracking. For those of you who may not know exactly what tracking is, it is separating the students usually in different classes based on their academic abilities. There are usually three levels of classes; high achieving, average and remedial

An advantage of tracking is it can allow teachers to design lesson plans that best fit students abilities. As far as I can tell there are many more cons to tracking then pros. In general students in lower tracks receive a poorer education, either because the quality of teaching is less or because the work is less challenging and is less likely to involve critical thinking.

While researching this topic a little more I came upon an article at usatoday.com. The article, Some Schools Grouping by Skill, Not Grade Level, shows a different take on tracking. A school district in Kansas City, MO is trying this new approach. It has been done before in smaller districts in Alaska and Maine, but this will be the largest district to use this approach. Basically instead of kids moving from grade to grade based on their age, they will move up in school once they have mastered a subject. The students will work at their own pace and meet with teachers to decide what part of the curriculum to work on. They would work individually or in small groups on projects, or units, that are tailored to their skill level. This means some students would be able to get the work done quicker and move on the college while other students can take longer and stay until they have mastered the material.

What do you think? Does this seem like a good alternative to the traditional tracking system?

Remember AP tests?

2011-02-10T13:09:00.004-05:00

For my first blog post, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to write about. I ended up googling "education," and I'm sure you know the wormhole that can lead you into. Eventually, I stumbled upon this article on AP testing. The article from the Education section of the NY Times is called "Rethinking Advanced Placement," by Christopher Drew, and discusses some upcoming changes in the way AP classes will operate.

I'm pretty familiar with the current process that is an AP class. I took seven of them in high school. I felt like the way they worked was perfect. A teacher submits a syllabus to have it approved as an AP level course, teaches that course, and at the end of the year, students are subjected to an extremely rigorous test in that subject. It is my opinion that the test should not be one that any student can pass, but it should be one that truly tests mastery of the subject.
The changes that the College Board are proposing aim to help teachers guide students to mastery of the subject, but I'm not so sure I agree that they reach that goal. Instead of having teachers responsible for creating a course framework for AP classes, the College Board is spelling out exactly what needs to be taught and, more or less, how. The article talked more specifically about AP Bio, which I know was a daunting course for many students. Drew discusses how AP Bio teachers usually end up teaching to the test, but fall short because of the massive amount of information that needs to be processed. I hope that the tools the College Board comes out with to assist teachers helps them avoid teaching to the test, but I don't see that as a likely outcome. It will be interesting to see what these revisions mean for AP Bio students, as well as future revisions to other tests.

Do you guys have good memories of AP tests? How did your classes work? Did you participate in the IB program instead? Let me know what you think!

Rock stars in the college classroom.

2011-02-10T12:58:00.004-05:00

I recently found this article that seemed very interesting called "College classrooms replace stages for rock stars." This article talks about several rock stars who have started teaching in several colleges in the United States. One star, Steve Miller, recently began teaching at the University of South California's Thornton School of Music. The dean of USC talked about the importance of these stars taking on teaching positions because "it brings the subject matter to life for the students in a way that a professor, no matter how well intentioned, just can't do." I found this very cool because other than being a rock star, they have showed everyone how they can do good for students everywhere by applying their skills to education. The article also spoke of another star, Mark Volman, who runs the entertainment studies department at Nashville's Belmont University. Along with teaching in the music department at their Universities, most of these stars teach other things such as the subjects of Science and Forensic Linguistics, which are a few examples.

Music is such an important subject to me and because of teacher cuts, it seems to be one of subjects that the teacher's are being let go from. I think music needs more attention in the schools everywhere and these rock stars are great examples of people who are trying to save music in the school systems.

Here is the link to the story if you are interested in taking the time to read it:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110207/ap_en_ot/us_school_of_rock;_ylt=Am6bWW4eXNmclDdp3AnVOGZQXs8F;_ylu=X3oDMTJuazZsNGVjBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTEwMjA3L3VzX3NjaG9vbF9vZl9yb2NrBHBvcwM5BHNlYwN5bl9wYWdpbmF0ZV9zdW1tYXJ5X2xpc3QEc2xrA2NvbGxlZ2VjbGFzcw--

Teach The World Online

2011-02-10T08:23:00.010-05:00

Hey Everyone!

Now that we've done introductions, I wanted to share this great opportunity that I experienced at UNC Asheville this week. Through one of my education classes, I've been able to teach children in Haiti over Skype in a program called Teach The World Online (TWOL). As I'm only a freshman, I was extremely nervous when I heard I was going to be teaching a class already and not to mention, one that was learning English hours away. However, I had my first class yesterday and the lesson couldn't have gone better. Considering the horrible state of Haiti, the students are eager to learn and are becoming very good at speaking English. I learned that through Skype, ordinary people can teach students around the world with the TWOL program. I'm so thankful I can be a part of the program and I hope to continue it after my education class.

I've been so amazed at the experiences I've had in Asheville so far. By being a part of the UNC system, we receive so many opportunities while still having the great sense of community only a small private school would have. I'm only in my second semester of college and I've already tutored students at a local elementary school, taught a foreign class online, and will be observing more classrooms soon. I feel so lucky to already be emerged into classrooms since the beginning of my college career and I know I'll feel more than prepared for my career in teaching once I leave UNC Asheville.

If you're interested in Teach The World Online, you can visit their website at http://www.teachtheworldonline.org/. Have a great weekend! :)

TravelMates!

2011-02-09T10:04:00.012-05:00

Hi everyone,

In my Edu 344: Teaching Social Studies K-6 class, we recently sent out our travelmates. This is a project we are doing and is something we can do with our students when we get out into the classroom. Basically we send out a travelmate, a stuffed animal or toy, on a journey (by passing them on through the mail or person to person) and see all the different locations it travels. This is a great project for the kids and is a fun way to learn about different states or countries, depending on where the journey takes our travelmate.

My Travelmate is named Baylee the Bear. I just sent her out this morning to my sister who lives in California. I thought that would be a great place to get Baylee's adventure started. I also sent along a camera and a journal to keep a record of all the cool places Baylee may travel.

I can really see using this type of project in my classroom. I think this is an exciting way to get young kids interested in places around the country and around the world. The only downfall of this project is sometimes the travelmates do not make it back home. In the classroom it would be really important to explain this possibility to the students. Young kids could get really attached to the travelmate and it would be hard for them if they never made it back home.

I'm already attached to my travelmate and can't wait for her return (hopefully)! Baylee is expected home April 25th so stay posted for her return, and any cool pictures from her journey.

A Little About Me..

2011-02-04T15:08:00.008-05:00

Hello everyone! My name is Sophie Ferguson and I am currently a freshman at UNC-Asheville. Although I've only been here for a semester, I love it more and more everyday! I was lucky enough to land a job in the UNCA Education Department for this semester and couldn't be happier. I've wanted to teach for as long as I can remember. I grew up surrounded by little kids and always loved being the oldest and leading everyone around. After working at a daycare last summer, I am sure I want to be a teacher. :) I plan to major in psychology with a teacher licensure in K-6.

Now onto the fun stuff. I grew up singing and dancing. I took dance lessons for about 15 years and loved being a part of my high school chorus. I'm also a big fan of theater. I haven't been able to participate in any productions recently, but I'm always up for going to a show. I love playing the piano and painting too although I don't do either as much as I'd like to. I'm currently on a mission to finish all the Harry Potter books before the last movie comes out (since I never finished them as a kid). I'm almost done with the 3rd one!

Last semester I took a really enlightening education course that gave me a better perspective on the American education system today. We discussed a lot of current issues in our system as well as our many accomplishments. I'm excited to be a part of the public school system eventually so we can work to improve it throughout the nation. I look forward to writing about a lot of the pressing issues facing our schools and hope to spark some interesting thoughts!

hello world!

2011-02-04T11:09:00.006-05:00

My name is Celeste Burkhardt, and I am in my second year at UNC Asheville. I'm pursuing licensure in secondary math education, and I couldn't be happier! I am also a NC Teaching Fellow, which is a wonderful scholarship program offered at several schools in North Carolina. The picture above is actually from our recent Teaching Fellows trip to New Orleans (see our post, NOLA!). On campus, I'm in one of our two sororities, Gamma Phi Beta, and I also work with other students as an AVID tutor in Asheville City Schools. In my free time, I love to go hiking. Luckily, I live in Asheville so there are plenty of gorgeous places to hike!

I never thought I would want to major in math, but as soon as I got to Asheville and took my first math class, I fell in love with the department and never looked back. I'm looking forward to teaching high school students to love math (I promise it's possible!) the way that I have learned to love it. I am hoping that my position as a Teacher Recruitment Representative at UNC Asheville will allow me to develop my professional skills as well as helping me to network with my future peers!

About me (Tracy Lyons)

2011-02-03T13:32:00.006-05:00

Hi! I'm Tracy and I recently transferred to UNC Asheville. I'm an undecided major but getting my Teacher Licensure (K-6) here at UNCA. I want to major in either music or art because I love both subjects. I am in my 4th year of college and I already have an Associate in Arts Degree from Catawba Valley Community College back in Hickory, NC where I'm from.

I love music because I played clarinet for 7 years and have been playing piano for 9 years. I have such a passion for music. I can always find a song to tell how I feel and a song that will always fit my mood. I also chose teaching because I absolutely love working with kids. I really want to teach kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd grade but I will be happy no matter what grade I end up teaching. I'm very excited to be an Teacher Recruitment Representative with the Education Department this semester. I'm looking forward to meeting lots of new people with the same passion for teaching that I have and to also help people who are interested in coming to UNC Asheville to get their Teacher Licensure.

Let me Introduce Myself

2011-02-02T10:06:00.010-05:00

Hey everyone,

My name is Cassie Schueler and I am currently in the K-6 education program here at UNC Asheville.

I am also a psychology major. This is my second semester at UNC Asheville and I am really enjoying it! I moved here last summer with my sister and friend. We moved from Michigan so its been a BIG change. The weather here is so much better! My family back at home just got hit by a blizzard. They have at least a foot of snow.

I love basketball- playing, coaching and watching. Before I moved to North Carolina I was around basketball all the time. I assisted the girls varsity and 8th grade teams at my high school and midddle school. I also helped with camps for their younger girls too. I guess that's what got me thinking about being a teacher. I am interested in the lower grades, like 1st or 2nd. I think the most important thing you can do as a teacher is to inspire kids to learn and show them learning can be fun and exciting!

NOLA!

2011-01-28T11:37:00.007-05:00

The UNCA Teaching Fellows took their yearly January trip to New Orleans, Louisiana this year.

As always, students were exposed to the beautiful diversity that characterizes this bustling city.

An unexpected lesson, however, came in the charter school movement pushing NOLA to its best. Students and faculty on the trip were asked to blog about their experiences.

"I hope that the world is watching, because the charter reform happening in the New Orleans Parish is quite remarkable. We went to four individual schools, and three of them said they have seen immense improvement in their students since Katrina. At the first KIPP elementary school we went to the principal bragged that their students were improving by three grade levels in reading in the lower grades. Once the students reached their grade level, improvement leveled out a little more, but the students did not fall further behind.

It is amazing that these schools are taking children who are normally considered to be failing beyond repair and transforming them into highly successful college-bound scholars. I have never seen such drastic improvement, and I like it. I want to be the kind of teacher who can inspire this kind of change in her classroom and then have that effect bleed into the other classrooms throughout the school. I may never have the opportunity to work in a charter school, but I want to inspire the kind of change that I saw happening in these classrooms. I wa

nt to be the teacher who takes her students to new, amazing levels and has all of her students go on to be successful college-graduates. We need reform like that all over the nation, so I hope everyone is watching, because it needs to happen."

--Brittany Huffman, Sophomore TF

The group also made a stop in Montgomery, AL, birthplace of the civil rights movement.

"As a teacher, I could tell my students about the civil rights movement and the part Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. played in the establishment of federal laws that guarantee the rights of all citizens. My students might take away facts and figures, names and dates. I could show them photos or video clips of key moments in history where people were discriminated against, had dogs set upon them, and were driven from their homes from fear. My students might take away images and a sense of the injustice of it all.

Or – I could stand with my students on the street corner where Rosa Parks was arrested. I could walk on the street where 25,000 marchers approached the capital building of Alabama to confront governor

Wallace over the treatment of Blacks. I could enter, with my students, the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where Dr. King lead his first and only congregation, view the desk where he worked the phones setting up carpools to assist African-Americans during the bus boycott, and stand in the pulpit where his profile was raised to national import as he became the most well-known leader of a movement that still resonates with people across all nations.

The most recent TF January tripafforded me that very opportunity. And my students took away an experience – an interaction with the people and places that shaped the world they live in;

an emotional engagement, an encounter with history that transformed their comprehension of the events that preceded their own births, yet daily impact their lives."

--Mark Sidelnick, Associate Professor of Education

Check back for more inspiring posts and some pictures from this trip!

The North Carolina Teacher Education Forum

2010-10-21T13:20:00.005-04:00

The North Caroline Teacher Education Forum was without a doubt, one of the best opportunities I have had as a student thus far at UNC Asheville! I not only learned more about the ins and outs of teaching as a profession, but also came to fall in love again with my future career even more.

In the course of the two days of the conference, I met several principals (current and former), superintendents, teachers and administrators from a diverse set of schools and universities across the state. The coming together of these individuals and myself helped to reflect the importance of a co-curricular partnership with individuals of different educational background and experience.

For example, one of our sessions, Reflections through Creative Interpretations, was a little bit more interactive than the others in that it allowed us to write and discuss some of our memorable teaching experiences from that week. While discussing my experiences with people, I came to realize that reflection on classroom

experiences is a vital part of better managing my classroom and helping my students to make real world connections.When it came to presenting our Collaboration Project, our status as sophomore undergraduates surprised a lot of people but helped us gain respect amongst those who have been in education for years. Each person I discussed our project with gave me a better understanding of not only our own partnership, but also how various other institutions and schools were helping to form their future teachers.

Coming into the conference, I was unsure as to what to expect. However, while the conference was more greatly targeted towards administrators, teachers and professors of education, I still managed to come out of it with a greater understanding of what it takes to be a teacher.

-Kelsey Cain

Megan's Thoughts

2010-10-21T13:12:00.003-04:00

My name is Megan Donnelly, and I am a post baccalaureate education student at UNCA in my final semester of course work for elementary and middle school licensure. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to take an education course with Dr. Nancy Ruppert called Literacy in the Content Area. For this course, we completed a service learning requirement by partnering with the

AVID Summer Bridge program operated by Asheville City Middle School. Throughout our course, we monitored how students benefited from the use of visual materials in a series of lessons about the Gulf oil spill. We administered surveys, observed students interacting with materials, and analyzed interest inventories to determine how visuals enhanced student learning. Dr. Ruppert also gave us the chance to present our findings by attending the Teacher Education Forum in Raleigh on September 23-24.

I was the only student able to attend the forum from my class, but there were a number of undergraduates from other universities, as well as two other UNCA teaching fellows, also presenting research results. After checking in, we had the option of

listening to presentations by other professors before we were required to set up our displays for the undergraduate poster presentations. Our slot in the program was actually pretty fun. We had each created a poster to display our research, and we were able to talk with other conference attendees about our processes and results. Throughout the conference, I met and talked with professors from other universities in North Carolina, and it ended up being a great opportunity for professional development.

-Megan Donnelly

Hindsight

2010-10-20T13:49:00.005-04:00

One of the things that stand out most to me from my first visit to UNC Asheville is a single phrase: “you can’t use my grandma died excuse more than once.” I was on my first campus tour at a school west of my small home town, and I was falling in love. What my short, frizzy-haired tour guide meant by this statement was that I was in a place where I would not be another number on the class roster. However, at this place I would be a member of a community. At this campus, I would receive personal attention and I would be given the opportunity to prove myself. At the University of North Carolina at Asheville I would be given the opportunity for excellence. A few weeks ago I saw that promise come to fruition when I was given the opportunity to attend the North Carolina Teacher Education Forum. This forum is a conference that takes place every year. It is an event for professionals in the field of education, in as many capacities and positions as one can imagine, to gather together and to share their ideas and experiences from their myriad of backgrounds in education. This conference offers esteemed speakers, interactive presentations, and a couple pretty delicious meals. At the forum, there was also a poster presentation for students from different universities during which we were given the opportunity to showcase some of our own experiences as future educators; this was a tremendous honor. Kelsey Cain and I were able to make a poster and present to the attendees of the forum the after school tutoring partnership with the Mountain Housing Authority of Asheville and UNC Asheville’s freshmen teaching fellows. We were able to tell anecdotes from our experiences just one short year ago. We explained the importance of asking freshmen students to step outside their comfort zones and how they grow because of the challenge. We were able to share with many of the best and brightest minds in North Carolina education what we were doing at UNC Asheville, and they were impressed. This was an opportunity most people do not get in a lifetime, let alone as undergraduates, but there we were presenting a project of which we had personally reaped the benefits. As I stood in Raleigh, I realized what my tour guide had meant a few years ago, and I was grateful that by some great cosmic design I had landed at the place that would give me such a wonderful opportunity.

Ariel James

Welcome back!

2010-08-23T10:28:00.002-04:00

Since today is the first day of my "professional" year in college for teaching, as well as the year that Ashley will be student teaching, I thought it would be appropriate to link anyone that reads this blog to a great site:

New Teacher Survival Tips

Enjoy!

Heather

TRI

Kids Reporting News!

2010-08-03T15:03:00.004-04:00

I think I am probably the last person on the Earth to find out that Scholastic has a kid reporter program.

I really like the idea of kids reporting news to other kids.

Here is a great one (Harry Smith is just too sweet to this little girl):

Harry Smith Video

Heather

Did you know…?

2010-07-28T12:51:00.003-04:00

If an educator can find a way to make students laugh, and then apply the humor to a lesson plan, then adolescents are more likely to remember what is being taught? It is a fact according to the researchers in this article. However, if you are currently a teacher, I doubt this comes as a surprise.

With that said…

I did some digging and found some jokes, toys, and activities that are humorous and teach my discipline (literature). What is the point of this? If you are a teacher, or if you are considering becoming one, you can surf the web and find jokes, props, toys, and activities for any subject! If nothing else, I am sure your students will love you for the break from constant note taking.

Joke ex: Why did Macbeth never worry about salmonella? He always knew that Lady Macbeth's hands were clean.

Toys ex: Shakespeare insult card game or prop of Shakespeare.

Activities: Have the kids act out scenes from Macbeth. Ask specifically for them to read with over-animated emotion.

The most important thing about all of these exercises is that they prompt giggles-- making students have a positive view of the subject you are teaching.

Heather

TRI

Very interesting article about abuse

2010-07-21T15:43:00.005-04:00

Maltreated teenagers

'overlooked' by professionals

"The research found professionals wrongly assumed older children were more resilient to maltreatment and better placed to disclose it.Teenagers in England who are abused or neglected are not being properly protected as resources are directed at younger children, a report warns.

A fifth of child deaths where abuse or neglect is suspected or known involve children aged over 11, the study said.

It was written by the NSPCC, the Children's Society and York University.

The three-year study of maltreated 11-17 year-olds called for a new approach to child protection for older children.

The researchers said that while safeguarding young children was currently high on the political and professional agenda, the risks faced by 11 to 17 year olds were being overlooked.

This group often faced a wider range of risks due to their social networks, lifestyles and increasing independence, the report said.

"There were indications that young people aged 11-17 were seen as more competent to deal with maltreatment, including being able to escape the situation and seek help."

They were perceived by some professionals as more 'resilient', it said.

"They were more likely to be seen as contributing to and exacerbating the situation through their own behaviour. Young people were sometimes perceived as 'putting themselves at risk'."

In fact, young people had huge difficulty disclosing maltreatment, because they feared the ramifications for their families, struggled to strike up trusting relationships with social workers and did not know how to speak out, the study concluded.

'Just as vulnerable'

It found that the older children became, the less likely they were to be judged at risk and made subject to child protection procedures.

The chief executive of The Children's Society, Bob Reitemeier, said: "Many older children who we work with are just as vulnerable as younger children, if not more so.

"It's important that we review the way we support these young people and which approach works best for them once they have disclosed maltreatment."

Professor Mike Stein, of the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York, said: "Society is very quick in condemning the behaviour of teenagers.

"This research shows that we are far less responsive in understanding and meeting the needs of those young people who are maltreated'.

Phillip Noyes NSPCC director of strategy and development said: "Children and young people must have access to safe confidential spaces so they can speak about abuse and get help."

Food for thought at least.

Heather

I was in the grocery store a week ago...

2010-07-13T14:14:00.007-04:00

When I saw my 85-year-old Kindergarten teacher. She gave a disapproving look at my Pop Tarts and Chef Boyardee, gave me a lecture about proper nutrition (I can't live off of apple juice and animal crackers forever), told me my pants had holes in them, and asked me if I still liked to paint pictures (I'm entirely serious). However, those things weren't even the most astonishing thing about seeing my old Kindergarten teacher-- instead it was that I had not seen her since I was roughly 10-years-old (I promise I didn't repeat Kindergarten five times) and the woman still remembered my name.

How do you remember one child's name from twenty years ago when you saw roughly thirty new faces every year for thirty-five years? She literally taught over a thousand students and still can remember almost everyone's name.

She can probably recite the Iliad backwards too.

Anyway, I ran across what might be the answer for future teachers who are trying to memorize names (thanks to BBC):

The idea

This technique helps you to make a memorable connection between the face you’re looking at and the name they just said. It takes a little effort at first but once you’ve mastered it, you’ll get quicker and quicker, and hey soon it’ll be almost like these people have got their names written all over them …

Here’s how to do it:

Step One

Might seem obvious but PAY

ATTENTION when you’re

told the person’s name.

Step Two

It’s good to hear the name more

than once. So you could get

the person to repeat it – or you

repeat it. Perhaps ask a question.

Step Three

Think: what does that name remind

me of? The name ‘Roz’

might remind you of a ‘rose’ for

example.

Step Four

Now have a close (but subtle) look

at the person’s face and decide what’s

their most noticeable bodily feature.

It could be a big nose, or freckles or

a beauty spot.

Step Five

Now use your imagination to link

the name image with their noticeable

feature. If Roz has a lots of freckles for

example, you could imagine each of them

turning into a tiny rose. If possible, make

the link memorable! Funny, bizarre,

weird – all good.

Step Six

Next time you see her, scan her

face, and you’ll see those freckles

again … and remember the rosebuds …

and remember her name was like

rose … Roz.

A little silly, but consider that it makes me feel special

that my Kindergarten teacher still remembers my name

(and it makes you feel special too, don't lie). I know

I'd like to show my students that I have enough respect

for them to learn their names and pronounce them

correctly--even if the method I use is completely

corny. :)

Heather

Miss Bryan

2010-07-07T16:01:00.003-04:00

I have recently read Blood Done Sign My Name by Timothy B. Tyson (he was nice enough to visit UNC Asheville’s campus in 2007). Aside from the horror stories of Tyson’s experience growing up in Oxford, NC in the 1970’s (segregated schools and racially fueled murders without repercussions after the Civil Rights Movement), the book included one of the most amusing descriptions of a teacher that I have ever read:

Miss Bryan had been teaching the fourth grade at Credle since large reptiles walked the earth. She was an utterly unreconstructed Confederate. When she talked about the Civil War, which she firmly insisted that we refer to as “the War Between the States,” I was pretty sure that she had marched up Cemetery Ridge with Pickett, though this could not have been true or the Yankees never would have won at Gettysburg. I had run afoul of Miss Bryan early in fourth grade, when she gave a true-false quiz on North Carolina history, the final question of which was “Granville County is the best place to live on earth.” Methodist ministers moved every few years, and so I considered myself a man of the world. My grandmother’s house, for example, was only eighty miles from Oxford, and anything that I wanted at her local drugstore lunch counter—fresh squeezed orangeades and limeades, a “cherry smash”—was charged to “Miz Buie” without my even asking. And so I naturally marked the statement false, a mistake that Miss Bryan designated with a big red X and for which she deducted ten points. No discussion. As far as she was concerned, this was a simple point of historical fact (Tyson 22).

Sadly, I suppose the rationale of why this is so hilarious is that EVERYONE has labeled a former teacher a “Miss Bryan.” This resonates with me well as I also find it comical that every time I tell someone my future occupation I get bombarded with “worst teacher” stories. Its not that I do not care about these stories, or that I do not take a story as advice for how I should not treat my students, it’s that I really want to hear the part where the former student earned resentment from the teacher.

There is a teensy bit of Miss Bryan in all of us (not just teachers). Everyone has their own biases and opinions—something that is best to take into consideration before letting those feelings overlap with the curriculum. However, teachers and students are going to butt heads occasionally—some of this being healthy while other times it is disparaging.

This is not to say that it is okay for a teacher to be flat out mean to students, but if one of my students fails a test and then rolls my house in toilet paper, then I can assure you that they will not be getting any special treatment in class.

Just sayin’.

Heather

School’s out for summer!

2010-05-07T11:04:00.011-04:00

Yes it’s true. I’ve survived the craziest semester I’ve ever had at UNC Asheville. I need to hand it to the Education Department, because they definitely made things challenging for me! And why not? The classes should be hard because teaching is hard.

And I must admit the thing that I was dreading the most (3 days of in-class teaching) was actually what I enjoyed the most. It was most certainly stressful getting up in front of a class and trying to convey what I’d spent days (okay weeks) planning out. I kept thinking: What if they don’t get it? What if they don’t like it? It was then that I realized that connecting to them on a more personal level was half the battle. Once I accomplished that, things got much easier.

In the end I think that the overall experience went well. My kids were excellent. I couldn’t have asked for a better class to have had my first semi-real teaching experience in. They were so awesome that they even threw me a surprise going away party(ish). I said ish because it wasn’t as well organized as my co-op wanted it to be, but I thought it was pretty excellent. One of my students even bought me a cookie cake. So I got a little choked up, totally understandable right?

My point is that I know that Education 380 is pretty much designed to get us candidates into gear so that we will be prepared for next semester, but overall I think it was a pretty enjoyable semester. There were sometimes when I thought I wouldn’t make it to the finish line, but in the end it was a really great semester. I’d like to thank my wonderful cooperating teacher Mark Harrison (can’t wait to work with you next semester) and my supervising teacher Reid Chapman for all of the support. You guys rock!

And now I think I will reward myself with a visit to my local used books store. After all, this lit teacher thing does have its perks.

Peace J

Ashley

P.S. Don’t think I’m leaving just yet. In fact, I’ll be around all summer here in the office. Feel free to drop by and say hello. Oh, and snacks are always appreciated.

Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today...

2010-01-19T09:56:00.011-05:00

We all know those famous lines to Sinatra's "New York, New York", but how many of us actually get the chance to go there? Well that dream became a reality for a select group of UNC Asheville students and faculty. We've invited Nancy Ruppert, UNC Asheville Education Department's middle grades and math licensure coordinator, to contribute her thoughts and experiences on the Teaching Fellows Program's excursion to the Big Apple during winter break. This exciting trip to New York was filled with life-long learning experiences and was organized by Brenda Hopper, the Director of UNCA Teaching Fellows. Teaching Fellows and Burroughs Welcome Scholars participated in the New York trip along with Dee James, professor and coordinator of the 1st year experience, Lise Kloeppel, drama licensure coordinator, and Mark Sidelnick, art licensure coordinator.

"Licensure candidates participated in a five-day New York rendezvous... complete with visiting AVID(Advancement Via Individual Determination) schools, charter schools, conducting a service project at St. Anne's (an after school homework experience), attending musicals Fela and Wicked, visiting the Tenement Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and exploring Wall Street, Greenwich Village, China Town, Little Italy, and Times Square.

Forty-five students and five faculty members lived New York; all while considering how life experiences impact the children we will teach. Our common experiences remind us of how rich our country is in history and heritage, and how important our lives are as teachers. We have an awesome responsibility to meet the needs of all our students.

On this trip we met teachers and administrators who were passionate about their roles. We met children whose lives would break your heart, but whose dreams were being realized by supportive, interested, caring teachers and leaders. We are in this business of teaching together; and together we returned hopeful and committed to making a difference." - Nancy Ruppert

Taking the Plunge

2010-01-19T08:33:00.016-05:00

Good morning. Today feels like as good a day as any to jump back into the groove of things after a long winter's nap(I mean a long, productive break filled with studying and constructive activities-for any of my professors who may be reading this).

I would first like to say HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone. Even though it's almost the end of January, I'm still writing 09's on all of my papers. Does anyone else have that problem?

Anyways, I have now begun the "semester of madness." So-named by my friends who found out that I am not only taking Senior Comps and writing a thesis this semester, but also taking my Education 380 capstone course. Needless to say, I'm feeling the walls closing in already, but I can tell you that I'm way excited about the prospect of getting back into a high school classroom environment.

The best quality of UNC Asheville's licensure program is that they really do make sure all candidates get as much perspective as possible on what it will be like to teach. And who better to prepare you for the real thing than the actual kids you will be teaching? All the theoretical knowledge in the world can't prepare you for what those young adults have in store for you. Does it sound scary yet? It does? Good, I've made my point.

I may be crazy for saying this, but despite all of the fear, I'm ready to be humbled once again by the greatest, and at the same time harshest,critics in the world. So wish me luck, pray for me, meditate, chant or just send some good vibes my way. Trust me, I'm going to need all of it!

Best of Luck for this semester!

Ashley

Crunch Time

2009-12-07T11:17:00.004-05:00

Just stopping to proclaim that I'm officially in the week of madness that every college student must endure. My sanity is waning along with the 6to 7 hours of sleep I usually get. It's times like these that questions pop into my mind like, "Where did the semester go?" "Why do I want to be a lit major again?" and "Is it too late to switch majors?" Well it's too late for me, so now, armed with the mantra "You do it, because you love it", I plunge forth and do battle with three papers, three in-class exams and a hellacious Shakespearean performance. Whew! Wish me luck. And good luck to all of my fellow comrades in academic arms for this week. Remember everyone, "if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball". Wait, something didn't seem quite right about that, but my brain hurts too much to figure it out.

Good Luck & Godspeed,

Ashley

Happy Turkey Day!

2009-11-26T10:51:00.003-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Wow it's amazing how much a few days off from school, work...EVERYTHING can help you feel like a new person! I'll almost be sad to go back on Sunday, but for now I endeavor to consume as much home-cooking as possible! Best wishes and safe travels to everyone spending time with family today. Gotta go, my gram's sweet potatoes are calling my name...Peace.

The Last Dragon

2009-10-26T13:52:00.002-04:00

Last Friday was one of the most interesting AVID visits I've ever been involved in. The day started out normal enough. The 9th graders from Asheville High School came to visit the campus of UNC Asheville to get the feel for what college would be like.

In the morning the students participated in a CFNC (College Foundation of North Carolina) information sessions in a university lab. It was during this time that students were shown how to navigate through the site and create their own profiles. To some, 9th grade seems too early to be planning for college. But those who are connected to the field of education know that it is never too early to start planning for the future.

So back to Friday's events: after the information sessions, students were given the opportunity to observe actual college classes. I had the fortune of having two of my own AVID kids in my class. They proceeded to talk and joke around in the back of class that is until my professor started to talk about interpreting standardized test scores with standard deviation. The two high school girls immediately stopped and stared at my professor with two of the most confused expressions I'd ever seen. This was amusing for me, but I really just hoped that they'd take this experience to heart when considering what it takes to be prepared for college.

The fun really began after lunch. The students were to be led in a campus tour. This was challenging because a majority of the students have been to the campus at least once before. Also connecting what they’d learned earlier that day was crucial to ensuring some of the information was taking hold.

Enter the CFNC ninja. With grace, poise and a super fashionable scarf, the ninja undertook the arduous task of connecting the tour with what was on the CFNC website. The ninja popped up at strategic spots throughout the tour to connect major areas of preparation for college with major areas of campus, and to ask questions and give prizes. It got to the point that the group was wondering where the ninja would show up next and what question the mysterious figure would ask. If nothing else, at the end of the day the students definitely remembered the ninja and hopefully will do what is necessary on the CFNC website to keep the ninja from coming back again.

Appropriateness in and out of the classroom

2009-09-23T11:45:00.001-04:00

I was checking my Facebook this morning and my boyfriend had left me an article titled: “Teacher Disciplined For Unusual Creative Writing Assignment.”

The first time I read the article I giggled at the prompt, shocked but found it amusing nonetheless. When I reread the article an hour later, the first thing that came to mind was, “What in the [blank] was this teacher thinking?”

The prompt was, “If you knocked your brother down, would you urinate in his mouth?”
No, I wouldn’t urinate in my brother’s mouth and to be honest, I really would not want to know if any of my students would either.

The article states that, “The question was designed to help motivate students to improve their writing.”

However, the action of knocking down and then urinating on another individual seems to convey a strong sense of aggressive, if not sexual, violence. Considering the consistent rise in student on student violence in public high schools, I am surprised this teacher was only reprimanded and not fired.

This also brings to mind my own experience with creative writing prompts from when I was in school.

My teacher wrote on the board, “Why do you think so many people are fat today?” A heavy girl raised her hand and said, “That is not appropriate.” The teacher erased the word fat and replaced it with “obese.” The girl bolted from the room crying.

As an educator, you have to realize that with your assignments you have to consider appropriateness with the information you give to students and how you teach it. You also have to accept that you are teaching a diverse body of students, such as in my personal example.

It does not stop there. You also have to be “appropriate” with everything you will do in your life—not just with assignments. Teaching becomes your life. You are a teacher. You are Miss, Ms, Mrs, Mr, _________. You are, to all your students, an example of how a responsible and educated adult thinks and acts. You are there to guide, not to be a best friend.

I think far too often people pursue teaching and forget this hidden rule—often with embarrassing results for the rest of us who try or want to teach with professionalism.

However, the truth is that most teachers do teach with a high level of professionalism, take their job very seriously, and spend late nights putting together lesson plans to further your children’s education.

Unfortunately those are never the educators we see on the news.

Heather

And Austen is fun again!

2009-09-23T09:01:00.004-04:00

Okay, so I've always felt a little guilty for not completely enjoying the prescribed canonical works that we cover in literature. Most of the works are okay, I can wade through them given enough time and patience. BUT there is one author who I am sad to say will most likely never get my fullest appreciation. I'm sorry Jane Austen, though you're a classic, it takes me too long to get through three hundred pages of "witty" social commentary. That is, until I found Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith's book titled Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. This book basically has most of the original Austen words and story line with a gooey zombie center. And oh yeah, there are ninjas too!

And now there is another book out by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters called Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. I can't wait to read it! Something that gets people this excited about reading Austen has to be a good thing. I'm not saying replace all of the classics normally read in the classroom with hilarious spin offs, but maybe it's time to think outside of the box when assigning works for literature classes.

Hooray for AVID!

2009-09-16T08:35:00.006-04:00

It's the second week of AVID and the first week of tutorials. In case you're not aware of what the acronym means, it stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. I was first introduced to this program in ED 314 last year and immediately took to the philosophy of AVID and the opportunity to work with high school students. The individuls I get to work with are definitely determined to succeed not only in school, but also in life. It's a privilege to be a part of this program and to work within my local school system. What is most rewarding to me is that students look to themselves to cooperate and come up with some great answers to level 2 & 3 questions. I look forward to working with these kids and watching them develop throughout the semester!

Ashley

The New TRO Website!

2009-09-09T13:58:00.003-04:00

toothpastefordinner.com

The construction to the website is finally over. If you have any suggestions to improve our site or the information on it, please e-mail teach@unca.edu.

Thanks!

Heather

Introducing...

2009-08-31T08:24:00.003-04:00

So I just realized that I have actually never written a blog before. How about that?! So this will be my first job in the Teacher Recruitment Office here at UNC Asheville as well as my first blog; so here we go!

I'll just start this off by introducing myself: Hi, I'm Ashley Pompey, senior Literature major with education licensure 9-12. I hail from Jamestown, NC (anyone know where that is?) but I call Asheville home now. I am the new TRR(Teacher Recruitment Representative), but I am also a UNC Asheville Ambassador, a member of the BSA(Black Student Association) and an avid Bulldog sports fan.

Firsts things first, why did I come to UNC Asheville? When I first applied and got into this university, most of my classmates, family and friends said, "UNC what? Is it near Boone?" Yes, the university was a relatively unknown in my high school but, I knew that if I wanted the small class sizes and individual attention from professors, I could get it here. Now that I've spent almost four years here I couldn't imagine myself going to school anywhere else. And I'm happy to boast that the number of Ragsdale Alum who are now Bulldogs has grown significantly!

When I first came to UNC Asheville, I wondered what I wanted to do as far as a major and career. One of the great advantages of a liberal education is that we all literally get a taste of what most of the departments are like before we have to declare. The multi-disciplinary approach to education lead me to the Literature & Language department because it was not simply focused on one dynamic or region of literature. As for my licensure area, it was the experience of having excellent teachers in my family and high school that influenced me to want to become a teacher. I love the liberal arts education I've gotten here and I know our department cultivates future educators to not only be proficient in their subject area, but also in educational pedagogy.

I could go on and on about how wonderful UNC Asheville is and that everyone should want to be a teacher; but I won't do that. Basically, it all comes down to doing what you love in a place you love. I've found that here. I'm really excited to begin work in the Teacher Recruitment office. I think it'll be a ton of fun and an excellent experience in my field of study. Wish Me Luck!

Dreams

2009-08-24T14:17:00.003-04:00

Here I am at the beginning of another semester. Full of dreams and hope. And prayers for good grades (to all Gods just in case).

I wish everyone a great start to the school year.

Heather

Classes Begin August 17th, 2009

2009-08-06T13:43:00.005-04:00

Toothpastefordinner.com

However, that does not stop my professors from bombarding me with e-mails about assignments due on the first day of class. After being in a completely stress free environment for three months, I am finding it hard to adjust to the idea of going back to school for another semester. Luckily, thanks to my googling skills, I found this article about how to mentally prepare for another term in college.

How to Prepare for a New Semester

After a break between semesters, most people have to mentally prepare themselves to get back into the groove at the start of a new semester. There are several things you can do to jump start your new semester and begin your new term at school prepared for success.

Instructions
Things You'll Need:

An positive attitude for the new semester.

Step 1
Scope out a convenient place to study somewhere on campus that is free of distractions.
Step 2
Buy your books before classes begin in the new semester and go ahead and skim through them and start to read them.
Step 3
Try loose-leaf paper and binders to better organize your notes. This also makes it easy to insert class handouts right next to the page you took notes on for a particular day in class.
Step 4
Try to get to know your professors and instructors early on in the term, before you have any problems during the semester.
Step 5
Always remember to talk to your professors or instructors if you have any questions.
Step 6
On the first day of classes, get the name, phone number, and/or e-mail address of one or two of your classmates in each course if you need a study partner or so that you can get information about days you missed if your are sick or have to go out of town.
Step 7
Plan out your semester on a monthly calendar. Use the syllabus from each course to record test days and due dates of assignments, projects, and papers. Mark times for events, appointments, and vacations or holidays.
Step 8
Take time to plan know activities each week on a weekly planner. Connect this with your monthly calendar in Step 7. Assign time on the weekly planner to study and do assignments.
Step 9
Connect daily to keep up with assignments, papers, and readings for each class. Check in daily with your weekly planner. Try to identify and prioritize goals.
Step 10
Finally, and most importantly, remember to balance each area of your life - work, school, social, physical, and spiritual. This helps to reduce stress and anxiety and greatly improves academic performance. It also helps improve your overall level of health and well-being and helps you become a more well-rounded individual.

- Heather

AVID and Gear Up!

2009-07-15T22:56:00.006-04:00

Here are some pictures of recent AVID and Gear Up local participants at UNC Asheville!

Yay! They all did so well with their scavenger hunt on campus!

Heather

So I was watching the Bonnie Hunt show this morning...

2009-05-07T12:47:00.004-04:00

That was dedicated to teachers!

There is a music teacher, Greg Breinberg, who had kids doing some pretty amazing things with singing and writing their own lyrics to songs. He made an excellent point by saying that not all kids are "good" at tradtional education-- such as math or science-- and that is why exploring the arts is so important for those kids. It makes them feel worth something.

This reminds me of the idea of multiple intelligences. This website reminded me that even though I could read at age three, I still can't play a violin after 10 years of lessons and I use my cell phone for simple math.

Anyway, you can view Greg Breinberg's site here. Prepare to be wowed.

Heather

Project

2009-05-05T12:41:00.007-04:00

Today I am not really willing to talk about how I have three exams this week. So... I will talk about my summer project instead:The people at the vet hurt Buddy's feelings when they nicknamed him Tubs-- dogs have feelings too. He was pretty upset when I bought him special diet dog food. He said he'll lose the weight when he's ready and that his low rise jeans still fit. We're not talking.

No, he does not have a tiny head-- he's just spent too much time staying up and studying with me this year. Doritos are written all over his little tummy and thighs.

He's become rather disgruntled as the chips have disappeared from our study sessions. He's taken to chewing on his squeaky ball, alone, eying me from across the room.Buddy's friend Buckley is mad at me too. This healthy dog project has brought on special dog food diet for him as well. Perhaps they can form some sort of support group this summer that involves more walks at the park.

Heather

Teaching Elementary School-- Japan

2009-04-24T13:22:00.004-04:00

This week's blog will be especially short due to the prep time it is taking me to get ready for open house tomorrow. I found this video on youtube about elementary schools in Japan that is very interesting. Enjoy!

Heather

L.A. Teacher Layoffs

2009-04-16T11:18:00.002-04:00

First and foremost, I would like to note that Melinda is safe and well in Chile! We have linked Melinda's blog to ours for anyone who is interested-- I'm interested in the food she is evidently feasting on. *Sigh*

Anyway, I was catching up on news this morning when I found this article about how Los Angeles school district officials moved forward with plans to lay off more than 5,000 teachers, counselors, custodians, clerks and other employees.

Most of the teachers being laid off are new teachers who are not protected by tenure. How does this relate to new teachers in the state of North Carolina? According to this article from January that discusses possible layoffs, the same thing might very well be in the works for teachers in North Carolina. However, in the case of NC teachers it is not only length of service that is being considered in the possible layoff. Factors such as performance ratings, the status of a teacher's license, service in extra duty positions, and a possible recommendation by a superintendent will be considered.

The most concerning part of the article is that it is stated that N.C. teacher layoffs are a possibility if the economy continues to decline.

Were the L.A. layoffs a sign that the economy is continuing to decline? Is it a good idea to layoff teachers to make budget when students could be facing learning in a classroom with 40-50 students per class? Is teaching still going to be effective for both the teacher and the students if that happens? Could this happen in North Carolina?

Unfortunately only time will tell.

Heather

Melinda C. Bullen, GSE Team Member to Chile!

2009-04-13T11:27:00.002-04:00

Teacher Recruitment's Melinda Bullen is a GSE Team Member to Chile! She will be leaving tomorrow, April 14, 2009, for a month. You can follow Melinda's blogging here.

Here is Melinda tying up some loose ends in the TRO office. Have fun, Melinda!

Midterms

2009-02-25T12:41:00.003-05:00

It's that time again for midterm exams... Yay... Going to bed at 3 am in the morning, waking up at 7 am to be at school on time, classes until 3 pm, and work until 10 pm. Unfortunately this is a very common schedule for most college students.

Before you skip your sleep though, you may want to take a look at this article.

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1690

Heather

Growing Up Online

2009-02-25T12:11:00.004-05:00

This is a really interesting PBS special about the generation of students that have heavily incorporated electronics into their lives. Teachers are having to adapt by doing podcasts of their classes!

This is a little scary.

Enjoy!

Heather

What Makes a Good Teacher?

2009-01-29T10:35:00.003-05:00

I came across this article this morning and it had some really useful advice about what makes a "good teacher." Remember Edna Krabappel from the Simpsons? The entirely jaded but once optimistic educator who burnt out because of the flawed education system? Sure she has her own Wikipedia page, but that is because she is the only teacher on TV who smokes heavily, especially during school hours. I think we all had a Krabapple growing up. I think we all have the potential to become Krabapples.

Unfortunately there is no hotline to call when helicopter parents, crunching budgets, standardized testing, and children with behavioral issues seem like too much to continue on teaching. All you have as an educator is your determination to succeed and come through the journey of teaching knowing that you did help someone, if only in a very small way. So put down those cigarettes and brush the leaves out of your hair-- being a Krabapple is not for you.

Then pour yourself a nice cup of coffee and read this article.

Heather

TRO Events

2009-01-23T13:39:00.001-05:00

TRO Spring 2009 Events and Programming:

FTA/Teacher Cadet Conference – March 6,7^th
Calling Campaigns for Admitted Students – March 15 – April 15th
Accepted Student Day – March 20^th and April 10th
Avid Conference Day – March 25^th
“Exploring Worlds, Building Bridges” Dinner – April 8^th
Roadtrip2Teach Event – March 18^th – 19^th
University Open House – April 25^th

UNCA Academic Calendar

2009-01-23T13:37:00.005-05:00

Spring 2009 Academic Calendar

January

14	Wednesday	Classes begin Late registration
16	Friday	Last day drop/add Term I Last day register Term I
19	Monday	Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No classes
21	Wednesday	Last day drop/add Full Semester Last day register Full Semester
22	Thursday	Late-Add with Instructor Permission begins Withdrawal period with W grade begins
28	Wednesday	Last day to Late-Add with Instructor Permission

February

Wednesday

Last day to withdraw Term I Classes

March

6	Friday	Term I classes end
9	Monday	Spring Break begins
16	Monday	Classes resume Classes begin Term II *Term I grades due* Advising Begins for Summer & Fall 2009
18	Wednesday	Last day to drop/add Term II Last day to register for Term II
25	Wednesday	Last Day to Withdraw Full Semester Course
27	Friday	Annual Spring Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creativity - No classes

April

6	Monday	Early Registration begins for Summer & Fall 2009
10	Friday	*Incomplete grades due from Fall*
17	Friday	Last day to withdraw Term II courses
19	Sunday	Early Registration ends

May

1	Friday	Competencies due for May graduates
4	Monday	Classes end
5	Tuesday	*Grades for graduating seniors due by noon*
6	Wednesday	Finals begin
12	Tuesday	Finals end
16	Saturday	Commencement
18	Monday	*Final grades due by noon*

Scholarships Available to Prospective Teachers 2009-2010

2009-01-22T12:11:00.004-05:00

Scholarships for Education Licensure Candidates 2009-2010

For more information on these scholarships visit: http://www.unca.edu/education/grants/index.htm

Dr. Linda C. Winner Scholarship: Awarded to Outstanding academic full-time students in the licensure program demonstrating financial need. Students are nominated by the faculty of the Department of Education. Candidates must be a resident of the state and must teach a minimum of one year in a public school in North Carolina upon receipt of the license. Amount to be awarded: up to $1,000.

J.W. and Rose Byers Scholarship Fund: Awarded to a candidate who is working towards teacher licensure. Amount to be awarded: up to $3,000.

Don & Marjorie Locke Scholarship: Provides opportunities for students in education and to enhance diversity at the University. Amount to be awarded: up to $500.

Burroughs Wellcome Fund Scholars Program (for science and math majors seeking teacher licensure): Qualifying juniors and seniors seeking math or science secondary licensure will receive up to two-year scholarships of $6,500. Licensure completers will teach in a NC public school in math/science for one year to repay the loan/scholarship. In addition they qualify for a five-year $5,000 annual salary supplement in their teaching position. Scholars will work within a learning community that provides unique support services for students as they complete their program of study. An international experience will be designed for scholars between their first and second year of employment as a teacher. Fifteen scholarships will be awarded in 2009-2010.

NC Teaching Fellows Program-This program was adopted and funded by the 1986 North Carolina General Assembly as part of a ten point teacher recruitment plan proposed by the Public School Forum of North Carolina. The first recipients of North Carolina Teaching Fellows Scholarships were named in 1987. Applicants must be North Carolina residents currently enrolled as high school seniors. http://www.teachingfellows.org/

Scholarship-Loan Programs Available through the College Foundation of NC
PTSL—Prospective Teacher Scholarship-Loan Program: merit-based scholarship-loan program for students pursuing teaching as a career. $2,500 for freshmen and sophomores; $4,000 per year for juniors and seniors. The recipient agrees to work full-time as a teacher in North Carolina’s public schools one year for every year of funding received. (Visit CFNC.org/PTSL)

Future Teachers of North Carolina Scholarship-Loan Program: college juniors and seniors seeking licensure to teach math, science, special education, or English as a second language in North Carolina’s public schools are eligible for this scholarship-loan. Recipients agree to teach full-time in a qualifying subject area for three years. The annual award is $6,500 per year for students enrolled full-time. Visit CFNC.org/FTNC)

Inauguration and Snow

2009-01-20T23:22:00.003-05:00

Hello! I’m Heather and I am new to the TRO. This is my first blog for the spring semester so I suppose I will discuss a little about my unexpected day off.

Today UNCA functioned on a delay because of snow. However, because I commute I could not master driving over the glacier that surrounded my house and opted to stay home and perform a celebratory inauguration/snow dance in my PJs.
Today finished the final chapter of my first presidential election as a legal adult—my first time researching a candidate, voting, and finally watching the inauguration. It would have been nice to have watched it on the big screen at school with snacks but I won’t be picky.
I expected a larger than normal turn out for the inauguration of President Obama but the estimated 1.5 million people than came truly shocked me.

It’s amazing to see how one person could stir up so many people around the world—including the kindergarten class I worked with last semester that would burst into Obama chants when the teacher would count down the days until Election Day.
Despite the excitement, I am pretty sure those people were freezing. I’m glad I was at home in my PJs.

Heather

Photo credit to these links:
Obama, Geoeye

Remodeling!

2008-12-04T00:48:00.007-05:00

No, not real remodeling, although that would be fun. This is more the imaginative kind.

I seem to find that at this time in the semester everything seems to go crazy and everyone becomes completely bonkers and a bit miserable. Every time I ask someone I run into, as we rush along our busy paths, they seem to reply with the same answer these days about how things are going--something like busy, hectic, crazy, oh-my-god I want to quit college. Ya know.

It is especially easy in the fall semester to let it get to you as the landscape gets more bleak by the day, the weatherman seems to deliberately lie to you about whether snow is coming, and exams hang like a looming black cloud on the horizon of your next two weeks. Totally gross and depressing.

So, in these moments of despair, a few things I find helpful for cheering up, finishing my work, making the good grades I need so badly at this point in the semester, and celebrating life.

-Eat well. No matter how busy you are, grab some vegetables, an apple or orange if you can find one, and foods that have vitamin D to cheer up your sunshine-lacking self (Practical).
-Light candles. They make you feel warm and fuzzy (Practical).
-Get outside, even if its cold, for at least 30 minutes everyday (Practical).
-Try to be active in someway everyday, even if it's just walking your dog (Practical).
-At your very busiest moment, doing something nice for someone (Pleasant!).
-Get lots of sleep. Its true, cramming all hours of the night seem like an efficient way to prepare for an exam, but rest assured that if you've been working like you're supposed to through the semester, the knowledge is there and needs sleep to be unlocked from its dusty chambers (Practical)!
-Listen to music that makes you feel optimistic. Today I listened to the Postal Service on my 10 minute walk to school. If you are familiar with them, I listened to Natural Anthem. This is what inspired my remodeling, and I think this is the best way yet to brighten up (Splendiferus)!
So, listening to this song, looking at gloomy, creepy trees, I decided to remodel my surroundings in my head. First, the trees burst into lovely, Monet inspired green leaves with hues of blue and brimming with lovely spring flowers. Then, I repainted the ground everywhere with long twists of grass and thousands of purple violets and irises. I then changed the lighting by changing the light bulb on the sunshine which also increased the temperature and gave me that instant rush of summertime happiness. Then I added details that brought the whole thing together such as picnic-ers, croaking frogs and chirping crickets, brightly waving peacocks, a glowing person on a purple bicycle riding past me, chirping blue birds, the distant drone of cicadas, fat tulips along the sidewalk, and a plethora of other silly things that instill happiness in all its forms.

Ok, so maybe it wasn't quite this thorough when I created it at three o'clock today on the way to my chemistry lab. But the trees did burst. It was amazing.

Alex

Thanksgiving!

2008-11-30T17:00:00.007-05:00

Neither I nor my roommate go home for Thanksgiving and we have a few friends who live in the area so we did our own Thanksgiving.

My first turkey turned out really great! Our first real Thanksgiving dinner was amazing overall.

My roommate carving the turkey.

We only served 4 people! I have tons of leftovers. Thankfully, I like Thanksgiving food on a normal basis.

We only have a week and a day before finals after this break! I'm not too bummed. I want my break already. The 3-day Thanksgiving break was such a tease. Also, I missed having everyone in Asheville! :/

It was my BFF from home's birthday so we held this sign for him. Look at our snowflakes! :)

Time for the holidays!

Houses of Worship Tour

2008-11-24T11:24:00.025-05:00

This is post is a little late but I was lazy in uploading my pictures. On Monday, November 3rd, I traveled with a team of 7th grade students and their teachers to Atlanta, GA to tour various houses of worship. The bus left NC at 6am and we returned at 10pm. It was a LONG day but good experience for a budding middle school teacher like myself. This trip was provided by The Center for Diversity Education which is housed on the UNCA Campus. The trip's goals are to help educate 7th grade students in the area of world religions which is a part of the North Carolina Standard Course of study. Here are some pictures:

This is the entrance to the Muslim Mosque that was our first stop on our tour. This building also houses a school where 29 full time male students study the Koran and are homeschooled in other areas through the state of Georgia education system.

This is the main entrance to this beautiful building!

Next we headed to a Jewish Temple. There was a service going on and I was only able to take a few pictures.

Next we stopped at Martin Luther King Jr.'s Gravesite. We could only take external pictures as the famous Baptist Church is closed for renovations. The students were fasniated that his grave sits on top of a pool of water.

While it was a very long day for me, I really was grateful for the opportunity to spend this time with middle school students and their teachers. I think this field trip is a wonderful way to have students to have a learning experience outside the classroom.

2008-11-20T12:03:00.005-05:00

I can only start out by saying how insanely glad I am that Thanksgiving is almost here! Like most people probably, I have a list a mile long of things to get done before the end of the semester! Not to mention the class I teach at the community college and all their final papers, exams that I have to grade! This has been a busy week in my schools as well, where I am going to do my student teaching I have been teaching this week too as a type of 'preview' and it is going pretty well so far, well its done now actually and I think it was a success. They finished the projects that I had assigned and I think that they really liked it (as much as high school students like anything at school anyway...). Yesterday my professor from here at UNCA came to observe, so of course it was the worst period out of the week! My co-op teacher actually left the room (which she has never done for the whole period) and the kids really did try me beyond belief- all in front of my professor- so he probably now thinks I am horrible in the classroom! Argh. Of course, after he left the other two periods were much better. It always happens that way! But at least I survived that, so it is fine! Today I am going to listen to research that was done last semester in the education department so that should be really insightful into what works and what did not. I am looking forward to those a lot, I hope they offer some inspiration!

Next week is a short week since turkey-day is coming upon us, and it will be nice to be able to at least slow down a little bit- even though there is so much going on! Talk to you soon!

Snow?! Please

2008-11-19T14:15:00.002-05:00

Hello! It is so amazing that this semester is flying by! November has been a busy month! I will be very excited for a break next week but I have so much to do between now and then! I'm very anxious about my final full week of classes. I am teaching on my own for EDUC 380 Dec. 2nd-Dec. 4th for one whole period at my school placement. I am very nervous even though I am pretty used to this group of students by now! Wish me luck!

Opening Doors to Teaching was a great event and I am so glad that so many people came out! We had a great time interacting with potential teaching candidates! The food and cake were wonderful! We had great participation from our faculty as well!

November also reminds me that my time as Teacher Recruitment Intern is coming to a close. That means we are recruiting a new intern for Spring 2009 and Teacher Recruitment Representatives. If you are a current education student at UNCA please check your e-mail for an email from us or stop by our office in ZH 138. We look forward to meeting you!

I am now off to do a snow dance...

~Adrienne

2008-11-13T11:50:00.001-05:00

Well! I have already had a crazy day and it is not even noon yet! I was out at my high school that I will be student teaching at and my co-op teacher was not there today so there was a sub, but they did not know I was going to be there so I got to do the whole lesson and run class for the two periods I was there! There was no lesson plan or anything done that I could look at since it was an unplanned absence, but there were some worksheets and activities that we did that were really fun and the students enjoyed. The best part for me was being able to really be in charge of the class and I did get to experience first hand what it was like to have to be strict! The students already know me, of course, but without the co-op there they definitely tested me a little, but all in all they were really good- probably since they knew I would tell if they were not! (hahaha). It really just reaffirmed that I do want to teach and I do really enjoy that age group!

So a few nights ago we did Opening Doors to Teaching and it was a complete success! There were high school students and also transfer and other non-traditional students from all over who came to look into the Education Department and what we have to offer. I saw a high school student that I saw at one of the local college fairs a few weeks ago and talked to her for a while, it is so nice to already start building relationships with future students (hopefully!) We got good feedback on the program so I think we all did a great job!

The weather is starting to get cold and rainy and it seems like winter is definitely impending, all the leaves have almost fallen off the trees, but that also means the holidays- my favorite time of year- are coming up! I have been so stressed out lately but I feel like now I have it all under control and it is all going to pull together, so even though it is icky outside I am in a great mood! I wonder how long it will last... Talk to you soon!

2008-11-13T01:57:00.002-05:00

Last night was Opening Doors to Teaching. We had an amazing turnout, good food, and lots of fun! Really! I enjoyed talking to all the people there, some all the way from Raleigh! I was impressed. :)

I've got a busy few weeks ahead. It's nearing the end of the semester. I had TWO papers due today! Ahead: final thesis, unit plan for middle school methods, and revision of a psych paper on UFC fighter Randy Couture. My friend was shocked I get to psychoanalyze anyone with a biography and I chose a mixed martial arts fighter. The paper I'm reading is about Eric Clapton!

Oh yeah, I'm presenting at the Living With/In Diversity Conference here at UNCA on November 21st. I haven't started making my poster, which will happen this weekend, but I have started designing it.

Okay, aside from the schoolwork, tutoring is amazing. We have a student taking Spanish 3 Honors and really needs help. I sent an e-mail to my fellow tutors today and already I have everyday I need filled up!

Today, the students in one of my groups and I all wore some, well quite a bit, of purple... and I have boys too, one who had the most awesome black, white, and purple high-tops! I think that coincidence shows how much we've bonded. Haha. :)

Alex and I are still trying to start up the Education Club as she mentioned. We're getting TONS of help from the staff in the department. It gives us lots of hope and motivation and I'm still pretty excited about it. I'm also happy that I'm only taking 12 hours next semester! I decided that, as a senior, I need to take the classes I need and two classes I really want to take: Tudor-Stuart England (history) and yoga! This will allow me to have time for tutoring, observing/some teaching for my last year before student teaching, the Education Club, and finally, fun?! Hopefully!

Education!

2008-11-12T23:09:00.001-05:00

It seems like it gets harder and harder to get people excited about a cause. In Asheville, we have so many empowered, passionate people, fixated on their cause whether it be to destroy any Starbucks that heads in the downtown direction or getting people excited about a presidential candidate. We all have our issue that we advocate, some people more than one, and some people have dozens.
I always feel so badly for those at school who are trying to start a new club or bring in a speaker or are just trying to get something accomplished by getting people around campus involved. It often feels like an uphill battle and when you don't get a huge turn out it can feel very taxing.
With Julie and my recent attempt at an Education Club, I could feel the weight of upholding my issue on my shoulders, especially when we got out grand total of four people! It seems discouraging, but I just keep remembering that these things take time and that we can't hold it against people who don't come. How many times have I missed a meeting or an event for something I felt strongly about for one thing or another? Everyone has their lives, everyone is busy, especially at this time of year.
We have a few outlets to reinvigorate ourselves after this minor defeat! We can first take a bit solace in the fact that the Opening Doors to Teaching program was a complete success! We had a large number of people come, the speakers were great, the food was great, it was well-organized and very beneficial for those that came.
Another point of respite--the future! So the timing is perhaps not ripe for the starting of an education club at this late point in the semester. There is hope for next semester yet! We are working on trying to get affiliated with other groups to offer more to those who would join the club. Next semester we should also have funding. We are hoping to have an end of year "celebration" to try to gather the education troops one last time before next semester and try to pass the torch since Julie will be in her professional year next year and I will be in Iceland.
So, there is hope yet! We are trying our hardest to get teachers, and we will get them no matter what!

PS: A big big thank you to all of my wonderful classmates and friends who have come to some of these events out of interest and/or support! It is so nice to see familiar faces at such events! Thanks!

This magic week...

2008-11-12T12:18:00.001-05:00

This past week and a half hasn't really been magic. It's been the most stressful and yet liberating past few weeks.

I finally got rid of my roommate (as an RA, I'm not supposed to have a roommate but due to a housing overflow I had roommate). Our school's housing office does a great job handling these situations and finding people comfortable spots to live until a permanent space is available. That's been the liberating spot of my week.

So over the past few weeks we've had Opening Doors to Teaching where students came and we had the opportunity to learn about our school and our education department. There was a HS senior I met there who had many good questions, and luckily, I could answer all of them for her because of my other involvements on campus. Even with a full schedule, I could afford time to do things like work as an Ambassador for admissions and be an RA. You can never learn enough about your school to share. I find that people in education at UNC Asheville seem to have the fullest experience and like it the most and are involved in other things on-campus.

The most amazing thing about Opening Doors program was the fact that someone sent us a nice e-mail afterwards about the program.

Educationally, it's been a rough few weeks with a pretty big French paper (10 pages-15 pages) due, presentations for Marketing class, and tests for my Arts & Ideas class. Although I didn't ask for it, teachers noticed how stressed some of us were, and our paper was delayed by a week. As a teacher, sometimes you just have to survey the situation and consider everything to help the student succeed the best way that they can. If they really need help, lend it - or help them find it.

Time is worth a lot, and I found that out quickly over the duration of this semester. Luckily at UNC Asheville there's a lot of support for these times of learning experiences and transitions. Taking on too much has been a tradition of mine, but my academic advisor gave me great advise and why I don't have to do everything. After this whole semester, I feel liberated for next semester, although I'm taking way more hours.

Crunch Time is here!

2008-11-07T10:25:00.001-05:00

It's Definitely Crunch time! After Halloween it always seems that the semester goes into warp speed around here but all if us start to fade! I realize that this is a very busy semester though and when I think of what the overall reward will be it is so worth it. I gave a lecture here yesterday at the Squibb lecture series in the Science department on what I did my masters thesis research on and it was so great to be back in a lecture hall where I took so many classes and be on the other side! I was introduced by one of my favorite faculty members who was a mentor when I was here for my undergraduate work as well as an advisor of mine in grad school. I was presented as an 'alumna' which is awesome- even though I am back and still classify-(hahaha). I have to admit that as my final classes here come to end(with the exception of my student teaching) I am sad that my days at UNC-A are numbered, but I am really excited at the same time because I know that I could not have gotten a better education anywhere!

I am working on lessons for student teaching already and the entire process is so exciting! We have to do a research project in our class that we student teach and I am really excited about mine and think it will be quite useful to me in the future!

On a non-school topic the election is of course over- and NC finally decided who we voted for...- and I am really excited about how the country is going to change and the things that are about to happen in our government. I think everyone will eventually come together because we so need that as a country. I was really touched and humbled in a way about the concession speeches of the candidates that did not win. They were all so gracious and polite and talked of unity in the country although they had suffered defeat. I find it to be truly inspiring that there was none of the bickering over the final election count or mud slinging afterwards. I am truly proud of how our country handled the election and how many people turned out to vote! It is a very exciting time in our country!

Lots of work and play!

2008-11-05T01:39:00.001-05:00

Tonight is exciting! Who can sleep? Instead, my friends and I went out to eat at TGI Fridays. They even had blue and red drinks. :) I thought everyone was just as excited about this election and voting as we are in Asheville until I spoke to my friends a few hours ago. They didn't vote because my home state, California, always goes blue. Whether you vote red or blue, it doesn't matter. I thought this was a myth and that "your vote counts" is ingrained in everyone's head. My family members didn't vote either, but I can say I called my mom to make sure she voted.

So all in all, I found out all cities and campuses are NOT the same. Here, whether or not you wanted to be sucked into the elections, you were. Some people, like me, straddled the fence publicly to avoid tension (especially with working in the schools). I think it also had to do with North Carolina being such a pivotal and as we now know, close-call state. I'm happy we got a healthy dose of politics during this tough time in our nation. We had the Clintons, the Obamas, Sarah Palin, and Kal Penn (Kumar from "Harold and Kumar") come to talk in Asheville or even at UNCA. I'm happy to be a part of the fun and the ringing in of changes whatever they may be.

Apparently, the World Zombie Day/Walk came before Halloween and I missed out. However, my roommate went and took tons of pictures of this huge event that coincided with Sarah Palin's rally. He also met some "zombies" downtown, caught a ride with them, and went for food! I guess you can feel that safe in Asheville but not me!

I recently shared my Halloween costume with you. Well, my friends and I attended the Sigma Nu (fraternity) sponsored shuttle party on Halloween Eve. A shuttle (bus) toted us to a secret location for a party.

My roommate was Quailman and I was Sailor Moon.

Everyone is so friendly on Halloween! I have no idea who these people are, but they wanted a picture with Quailman, Eve, and Sailor Moon. :)

I woke up early the next day (Halloween Day) to take my 9th grade students to classes. Again, we went to Spanish where the students enjoyed hot chocolate and "pan" (bread) for Dia de Los Muertos. They also played with computers as they learned some statistics. We were treated to lunch in the caf with pumpkin-inspired everything from pumpkin burgers (pretty good!), pie, iced cookies, and staff in costumes.

On Monday of this week, I went to a meeting with all the other tutors. We did group work where we wrote on papers affixed onto the walls around the room. I had so much fun with my group consisting of mostly my high school tutors. I also saw some of my "old" tutors who are now at the middle school. We chatted and planned to watch some UFC fights together soon. :)

Afterwards, some 9th graders from a neighboring county came to visit! Alex went with them on their tour. We didn't realize that the end of daylight savings would make 5pm so dark! Anyways, we ate pizza with the students and took them to a UNCA basketball game. They were super talkative kids and I enjoyed my first basketball game in years! :/ I remember how much I love basketball now - I used to be a big fan of the NBA. I think it surprises everyone because I rarely talk about basketball now that I've dedicated my TV time to the UFC.

Our players getting ready for the 2nd half

Our dance team - one of my fellow tutors appears to lead it!

Lots of work the next couple of weeks but also lots of fun as I countdown my fall semester!

The Essence of UNCA

2008-11-02T13:01:00.001-05:00

Halloween, shockingly, has now officially passed and the holidays are well on the way. I personally have never been a huge Halloween fan. Of course it's alright, the kids get excited, it's a nice reminder of just where we stand in terms of the semester, and everyone takes a little breather. So, lacking enthusiasm, I did not go trick-or-treating, but rather visited a friend at a private, expensive university not far from here that shall remain anonymous for the purposes of this post. Some things I noticed that made me proud of UNCA:

1. Our campus is decidedly not as glamorous--we are short about 15 fountains to keep up with this schools crazy obsession with trickling water down a piece of engraved marble.

2. Our facilities (i.e. labs, libraries, computers, etc.) are not as cutting edge or expensive.

3. The cars you see around campus are worth, typically, much less.

4. Our student population is larger for the size of our campus. The student to teacher ratio is higher at UNCA.

5. People often have much larger groups of friends than at UNCA.

BUT

6. Our students are here for a reason--this isn't just a place to go after high school, a necessary step to keep up with social circles or please mom and dad. Not that this completely doesn't happen, but mostly UNCA students are really interested in something or are trying to get somewhere in their life.

7. Tacking on to the above, this means that people are INTERESTING, the absolute most important part about college. Everyone is going somewhere or doing something, or is passionate about one thing or another, whether it be about politics or anime. We are REAL people!

8. With our unmanicured lawns and centrally located quad, you can be sure to find someone you know lying around on the grass at one point or another throughout the day. Our campus is small, which means that you see new people and friends alike every time you walk through campus.

9. We appreciate our campus and our city and take advantage of them fully. People don't just hang around campus--there is always a hike to go on, an open-mic where a friend is playing, a group of people going for coffee, an awesome concert to attend at the orange peel, contra, swing, hip-hop, african, or belly dancing to check out, a politician to hear, a festival to attend, or a plethora of other awesome things to do in and around campus, versus the never-ending party scene you see at some schools.

10. We relish in our own oddities. Never will see a group of crazier dressed, more hippified, more diversified, bizarre group of people than in this city and school. We are crazy! Don't let anyone tell you differently! And we love it! Homogeny is just not for us.

So, even over a beautiful, well-endowed, cutting-edge school, I would still pick UNCA. It's just hard to match.

Alex

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-31T12:41:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!!!! When Halloween rolls around, I always freak out because it means the semester is moving quickly along! I am so very busy! However, I am very excited about the month of November for the following reasons:

On Monday (11/3), I will be traveling with a group of 70 7th graders from a local middle school to Atlanta,GA on a tour called "Houses of Worship" which aims to teach 7th graders about the different world religions as part of the social studies curriculm. This tour was created by the The Center for Diversity Education which is housed here at UNCA. I will be leaving at 5:30am and traveling most of the day. I am so excited about this opportunity to once again engage with current middle school students and their teachers!

On Tuesday (11/4), unless you have been living under a rock, it's Election Day! I am a political buff so this Election has been so exciting to watch! I voted last Friday and am proud to say it was my 3rd presidential election to vote in!

11/11: Opening Doors to Teaching! I am so excited about our open house! It is shaping up to be a great event!

And finally...Thanksgiving! I love food therefore I love Thanksgiving. My mom is thinking of switching out the traditional fair for her world famous lasagna! A little different but I would never turn down her italian feast!

Have a great week everyone!

The below photo is of my younger brother and I on Halloween many years back! I believe I was 3 or 4 years old and was very thrilled about my pink tutu!

~Adrienne

Countdown to Election Day!

2008-10-30T10:48:00.001-04:00

I realize that I wrote a lot about the election last week but since next Tuesday is election day I think that it warrants more talk! I am proud that so far there has been little or no major conflicts between the parties here on campus, although there is a lot of heated discussion (and yes, it is still nearly completely one sided)... I love election time! People actually get involved and have meaningful discussions on country and world topics. I think that we are all pretty worried and interested about what is happening and will be happening in our economy but there is also the War, environmental issues and health care! I am excited to have a change in government and I think that things can only get better- or at least different!

My students that I tutor and the classes I observe at the school where I will be student teaching are also getting even more excited,which I think has a lot to do with what is going on at home probably!

Although this year is and has been extremely busy and stressful at times it has also been one of the most exciting for me so far. Teaching at the community college and finishing up my pedagogical classes in preparation for student teaching has really made me realize that I am about to embark on my career in less than a year- and that is so great- especially since it took me so long to actually figure out what it is I wanted to do.

Don't Forget to Vote!

2008-10-30T02:49:00.000-04:00

SO MUCH IS GOING ON!

Alex and I are starting up the Education Club with TWO meetings next Tuesday. Alex will run the interest meeting from 12:15-12:45pm and we both will be at the nighttime meeting from 5:15-5:45pm. The night one is also a potluck. I'm excited and I hope to see tons of people there. I've begun recruiting. Alex handmade huge posters and I designed some smaller ones that I will post up tomorrow morning.

Normally, I don't wake up early on Thursdays, but I forgot to turn in my old draft (#1) with draft #2 of my thesis. Draft #2, by the way, was due today! :) I'm happy because it's slowly getting more polished. Next month, before Thanksgiving, I'm presenting my research at the Living with Diversity Conference on campus. I'm not so much speaking, but I'm making a big poster. I'm ecstatic because I've fallen in love with my paper and history once again. I love the multiple opportunities to showcase my hard work. In addition to this conference, I'm considering the spring symposium on campus and the Big South conference this spring also. :) My topic is complex though so I'd rather make posters. than try to explain it sometimes. Plus, I love designing things!

Speaking of design, one of my projects for class is to make a parent newsletter. I'm writing parent expectations and having everyone send me their parts to compile a fancy newsletter. :) I'll post it up when we finish!

The Education Department also has a newsletter called "Chalk Talk," which we were featured in this time! I definitely grabbed a couple to commemorate this great event. Furthermore, I love reading about my fellow classmates doing research, graduating, or doing other amazing things!

Amazing things: HALLOWEEN is on Friday and my 9th graders are coming to visit UNCA! Some of them were here this summer for AVID Summer Bridge. They loved the opportunity to learn and use the school facilities. Of course, they're excited about the college caf food especially in comparison to what my students joke as "roadkill" in their schools. :/ I don't think it's that bad, but they do at least enjoy the break from high school food and classes. Instead, they're attending classes with us. I'm taking students to Spanish once again because I loved the teacher and class so much last time. My other class is an Intro to Statistics course, which I took freshman year.

Here's my Halloween costume:

It's a tribute to when I was like 10 and liked Sailor Moon. Haha. Most people just think I'm a sailor. You can see that my house is clean, or at least this is what I call clean!

Other things I'm excited about include applying for graduation! This is both a happy and sad event. As I mentioned before, this is an accomplishment. However, it's also the end of my schooling (not my education though).

I'm also continuing to form relationships with my fellow tutors, which is another reason I don't want to leave! With everything going on and so little time to socialize and meet new people, I'm happy that I work with such amazing people and that they've become great friends. :) It's a great bonus.

Oh yeah, I found out that being around the department so much, some people know my name even though I've never formally introduced myself. I think that's awesome because the other day, I had to ask a student I never tutored to do something and used his name. He didn't know I knew his name and was so shocked and excited about it. I think I've mentioned this before, but knowing student names and interests is so important. You can tell without even talking to them what they are into. For example, students may come in with an instrument or a jersey on and from that, we know some of their activities and we can chat with them. I'm a huge believer in building relationships with students and having an interest in them and their success.

Week Oct. 20-26

2008-10-27T01:33:00.001-04:00

This week has been riddled with tests, quizzes, challenges and much work. However, it's good to be back on here to talk to you guys again for another week.

It's really easy to get comfortable with being mediocre after spending so much time with putting in your all and feeling as you don't see the fruits of your labour. Well, that happened to me. I went from great time management, friend/work balance, work/academic balance, and choosing what organizations to consider myself a member. One thing you'll learn as an education person is that you must always be in good balance and the best thing about it is - You'll notice really well when you're not in the groove.

This week, I met students who came to a seminar on our education program here at UNC Asheville. For the first time, I met someone who is involved in my education field - French. So I had the opportunity to make that official connection with someone with true experience in a 360˚ fashion. It was nice!

This Sunday, I had the opportunity, also, to attend a political rally here in Asheville, and I would like to encourage everyone to vote if you are legally eligable. Enjoy your week to come, and I hope to have the opportunity to meet more great foreign language licensure potential candidates here at UNC Asheville at our November Event and future Open Houses and campus visits.

I. Lemar Newsome

Nothing too lofty--Just making history.

2008-10-26T18:00:00.000-04:00

All over Asheville and especially on campus, anything voting related is all the rage. Lawns all over town are spotted with political signs. Early voting posters plaster halls and windows all over campus. My facebook inbox seems to receive more political postings and invites than friend requests. NPR, or FM 88.1, (my radio station of choice) serves up continuous reports on the Obama/ McCain race as fast as they can form them, interviewing experts, listening to the opinions of average Western North Carolinians. Music continuously plays from all corners of the downtown area in rallies for Obama, including the rally I attended last week starring the legendary James Taylor.
The concert was held in Martin Luther King Jr. Park and it was PACKED. A line all the way around the block, people all bundled up against the cold, an angry republican clown drifiting through the crowd trying to sell balloons, blankets and picnic baskets abundant, a few of my favorite people as shown in the phote above, and older generations of Ashevillians and children alike, all gathered together because of their belief in this campaign or their love for James Taylor. Tickets were begot by voting early, two per voter, only 5000 up for grabs. Thus all of those in attendance where especially pumped, all of us part of this truly momentus election year.
To be a part of a city that is so involved in this election, to be a part of a campus that is so thoroughly commited to its promotion--it is truly great. After leaving the rally concert, I felt the full effect of my time, this era, like a history already in the making. Much like a college student of the '60s, living in times that would make and change history, I am a college student in 2008, that great year of political upheaval, when all anyone can talk about is the state of our nation and how greatly they yearn for change, when the economy every day seems to grow more sour but the people continue to hope for tomorrow, when I could hardly pay attention to my studies out of the desire to be a part of all of these great things happening around town, whether it be Michelle Obama coming to UNCA, Hillary Clinton coming to the Civic Center, or Sarah Palin visiting town this evening.
I am marked and changed by these things, and our nation will feel the same effects in a different way. How remarkable to be a young person, right now, doing these things, in this place.
Only time will tell just how great the effect will be.

JAMES TAYLOR

Alex

2008-10-24T02:31:00.000-04:00

Okay, first, can we talk shopping? I love shopping for everything from clothes to home accessories and school supplies. I'm rather obsessed with buying the perfect school supplies. Anyways, I don't know how I ever survived without a nice wool (blend) pea coat and sneakers. I've lived in Asheville for 3 years now and finally decided to make the jump! I'm definitely a sweater person so the 40% off pea coat was a steal. Yet I wear sandals all the time. This wasn't always true. I once had twenty-some pairs of sneakers. I won't try to analyze why I only own one pair of sneakers now, but today I got pair #2, my grey and pink Asics Ultimate 81 in the mail today!

Hm, I think my new pea coat and sneakers will go to great use this fall as I actually might go out into nature. I did this a lot freshman year, but since I already had that experience then, I never really needed to go outdoors again. :) We are blessed with nature in Asheville and it's not something I'm used to, particularly because I have terrible balance, can barely swim, and hate bugs. Because of this, I'm actually going to find someone to make me do these things and maybe even camping! Oh!

This weekend, my friends and I are going to have a fall picnic. Tomorrow, I'm spending the day cleaning. Trust me, we're in dire need of some tidying up. With so many options, who would anyone want to clean? Right?

So I'm a history major with a psychology minor. I'm getting my license in 9-12 social studies, but at one point, I wanted to add on 6-9 language arts until I realized how much I love my high schoolers. Still, I decided to take the Middle School Methods course anyways. Okay, my advisor teaches it and I learn so much from him about teaching any student. But I love that we don't just meet in class. We go to the middle school all the time. This week we saw the literacy coach. We each also get placed with a teacher there and get to interact with the teacher and students. The students are working on a unit called the Hungry Planet and my class is collecting canned foods to take on their field trip to the food bank. I definitely think this is the best thing about our education program, the field experiences. When we talk in class, everyone connects the theories or whatever to things they've seen in classrooms.

I am extremely nervous. I had advising with my profs and it seems like I have so much to do yet I'm graduating?! I don't want to go yet. What's even more of struggle is anticipating my meeting for student teacher observations and placement! I'll be at a school for about eight months! Clearly, I have a request and wrote a hopefully convincing request. I know wherever I go, I will love the students and connect with them, but today, I just had such an amazing day tutoring. We're doing our mid-semester reflections with the students where they make comments about what works, what doesn't, and any additional comments. I let my students fill in "additional comments," which included "Bring Julie back!" from a super adorable sophomore and "Thanks for the best tutor ever!" from a junior I've known since she was a freshman! :) I LOVE THEM TOO! I think my positive experiences have come from being with the students consistently and some interpersonal skills. My main goal, and I wrote this in my self statement, is to surround the students with an upbeat, encouraging environment.

Tomorrow, Alex and I are getting together to forge ahead with the Education Club. I'm definitely recruiting my tutors for this!

*Oh, I've totally got the handshake with one of my students down. It takes us 5 seconds to do the whole thing and this is done when I see him and once I return as they leave the class. :)

Politics are heating up!

2008-10-23T14:07:00.000-04:00

It seems that at all the schools I am at during the week- four in total!- that the main thing on everyones mind is politics! In the high schools the mood is a little less intense, mainly because the students can't vote yet, but they definitely have opinions already which is nice to see, I can't remember being so involved when I was their age! At the college level there is so much discussion about the issues and how exciting it is to have an election such as this one- definitely history in the making! That is one of the things that I love about being on a college campus- all the different opinions and the openness that people feel because of the accepting environment. UNC-Asheville definitely seems to leaning way to one direction, but there is plenty of banter from both sides!

On a more academic side, classes are going well and I am planning on teaching a unit in the class that I will be student teaching in next semester and that is taking a lot of time to plan, but luckily my co-op teacher is wonderful!

The weather is definitely colder now- that always signals to me that the semester is going to be over soon and there is still so much to do!

Full speed ahead!

2008-10-17T13:46:00.000-04:00

Amazing how time flies! Things are moving right along here in the Teacher Recruitment Office. We have been busy working on the Open House scheduled for October 25, 2008 and Opening Doors to Teaching which is scheduled for November 11, 2008. Opening Doors to Teaching is going to be a event where prospective teacher licensure students can learn more about our program. This program is open to current UNCA Students, post-baccs, prospective undergraduates and transfers. The event will take place from 4pm until 7:00pm. For more information or to register please e-mail teach@unca.edu.

I have been busy enjoying the crisp weather and being very diligent in my studies. The professional year not only entails a lot of valuabe field experience but a solid foundation in educational methodology. I have been busy doing a lot of reading, research and reflecting. As overwhelming as it can be sometimes, I know that I will be better equiped to student teach in the Spring.

As I've mentioned before, I love animals and have quite a few. The one I am featuring today is one of our five cats, Whitney. Whitney is 8 years old but spent the first 5 years of her life in a cage in a shelter. A chance encounter at a Petsmart Adoption a few years back, and Whitney finally had a home. She was barely 4lbs when she became ours but we are happy to report she is nearing the 7lbs. Here's a picture:

Iceland!

2008-10-16T18:07:00.000-04:00

WELL I feel that I must gush a bit about Iceland because it's pretty much all that has been on my mind for the last few weeks, and apparently all that has been in the news. To start the whole story from the beginning, I am WAY interested in Iceland initially because of a music group called Sigur Ros (check them out if you haven't heard them!). UNCA has a study abroad program there sooo I decided I wanted to go and, like magic, a spot turned up for this spring, 2009, pretty suddenly. This is great news because it was hard before to get a spot at the university in Reykjavik, Iceland, and now it will be especially hard with their newly failing economy. Most people in Iceland seem to have lost a great deal of their assets due to some improper investing by the richest of the country and now the bottom has dropped out in the last few weeks as the world economy in general begins to take a dive. The latest financial drama concerns the suing of Iceland by Britain, and the return suing of Britain by Iceland--it's like a national/financial soap opera! ( here is a link to read more if you are interested: http://www.icelandreview.com)

The severely degraded Icelandic economy will be great for me however and all other tourists in the country--everything is cheap!
So why Iceland? I'm a big geology fan and Iceland is a great place for studying this subject--it's an island formed from the activity of a mid-oceanic ridge....
Awesome.
So there are lots of cool rocks...
Even better.
And volcanoes...
Oh my gosh I have to go.

The largest city is called Reykjavik and it seems quite lovely, full of lots of history. These are the ancestors of the vikings! Lots of great old literature and neat monuments, but also, apparently, a place with a very "colorful" nightlife.
Lots of adventures to have! I, of course, must make a trip to the north to see the Aurora Borealis which I am THRILLED about. Geothermal pools are also a must-see. Icelandic sheep and ponies should also be interesting!

ICELAND AURORA

ICELAND-BLUE LAGOON

So, the greater message here--college is for the traveler! Study abroad! It's not impossible, ridiculously expensive (through ISEP it is the same as going to UNCA for a semester plus a ticket), or as daunting as it may seem. UNCA gives you the option of going just about anywhere you could ever imagine, the farthest, most ridiculous reaches of the earth--even Iceland!
Alex

2008-10-16T16:34:00.000-04:00

Fall is here in full swing and it is so lovely everywhere! It has been unseasonably warm lately but no one is complaining, it is supposed to cool down tomorrow and feel more like normal! The majority of this week I have been working on my education research paper topic that I will be working on when I student teach next semester and that has been very enlightening! There are so many articles on education and styles of teaching that I am very thankful to be in a program that requires research because it really is helping me realize all the factors that go into being a great teacher!

I did not have tutoring this week because we had Fall break here at UNC-A and I missed it! It is amazing how attached you become to students and look forward to helping them with their work. My co-op teacher and I discussed a lesson that I am going to be teaching in a few weeks and I am very excited about it! I feel very confident because she is so helpful and gives me so many ideas. I was in my class today and they had a test and it was bizarre being on the other end of the test!

My class at ABTech is going well also, we are getting into the hard stuff now so there is a little more confusion than there was at first but I am using some of the skills I have learned in my education classes and it seems to be helping them (I hope!)

Now that Fall break is over it is like we are all in hyperdrive which I guess we will be in until the end of the semester but I think I have it all scheduled...I'll keep you informed!

Bye for now!

Happy Wednesday and a short week! :)

2008-10-15T18:54:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday... now that the day is over! Mondays and Wednesdays are long, but I got through it and I'm pretty energetic. I was thinking of taking a nap after my class ended at 4pm. I still have the habit of tiring in the late afternoon. I think that comes from 12 years of public school when I came home for a snack, TV, and possibly, nap time. :)

Today, though, I had my individual meeting with my thesis professor after class. I drank part of an energy drink to stay awake for my 5:30pm meeting and sat waiting in the lobby. Two of my thesis classmates sat with me and we talked for a bit. One of them graduates in December and is going to Australia!

The person with the 5pm meeting has such a tight thesis that he just needed a 5 minute chat, which meant I got to use up his 30 minutes. I sat with the prof for an hour and got excited about my paper. I absolutely love my professor! She is so much help; I feel confident and know exactly what I need to do.

Everyone who has read my paper loves the quotes I found so I want to share - one funny and one sad.

"You can be fat and frumpy in Orange County, but you better have good nails." Laura Saari, “Waiting on Women Hand and Foot: Barely a Mini Mall Exists That Doesn’t Have a Nail Salon,” Orange County Register, November 27, 1989, E01.
He "saw tears dropping down in the water of the toilets I was cleaning and wished I could die." “Vietnam’s Legacy: Indochinese Refugees Prosper in United States, Drawing on Survival Skills, Special Values,” Wall Street Journal, March 21, 1985, 24-25.

We've had two days off school for fall break (Mon/Tues)! I love the fall and that is just one more reason. Because of break, I haven't seen my students in almost a week! :( I still haven't seen my seniors since last Monday, and today's PSATs meant I didn't get to see my sophomores!

A few stories from tutoring, and some lessons.

One of my sophomores just started the program this year so I just met him, but we already have a special handshake! I still need practice.
I also felt loved when I told one of my juniors I start observing the teacher I will student teach for next semester. He hoped I would still have time to come to tutoring.
I know all my students by name and always acknowledge them when I see them. It's tough especially the first couple of weeks and I'm meeting entirely new classes.
I love my students and I hope you get to love the students you tutor!

Fall break, tutoring, and my meeting today has relaxed me, so I picked up Thirteen Moons, a book by Asheville native Charles Frazier, who wrote Cold Mountain. One of my amazing tutor buddies recommended it and it's right up my alley - historical and detailed, fancy folklore literature (I'm not sure how else to put it).

Hm, I'm contemplating sushi tomorrow. Zen Sushi, which is like a 2-minute drive or 10-minute walk from school, serves a lunch deal of miso soup, salad, and TWO rolls. I like the bagel and Boston rolls, and I'm full the whole day!

It's Going to Be a Bright...

2008-10-14T12:16:00.000-04:00

...Bright Sunshiny Day!

It's been a little while since you first heard from me. I've been a little busy running a hall, programing, being an awesome barista, and an even better student. I've also been sick since last Wednesday with everything from a virus, upper respiratory infection, and an ear infection. But life must move on!

Since we last talked, I've gotten to talk to so many high school students who want to be science teachers, math teachers, Spanish teachers, art teachers, and mostly social studies and history teachers. Now is a great time! UNC Asheville is the right place! The high school students that I met at Mayfield Community College were excited about the possibility of attending UNC Asheville and becoming a student at our asthetically pleasing campus. Moreover, the students at the Departemental Fair at our Open House were even more excited because they had prospects on coming to UNC Asheville, and they were scoping out their options. They were the most excited.

Everyday I look at CNN with the economy going in circles and people losing their jobs and jobs being cut, now is the time to almost guarantee a job once you graduate. I think about it everyday and how what I do will help me be a good educator one day. Running a hall and creating a bulletin board and programing is somewhat like having a 24 hr classroom.