Journal Entries Post-Initial Visit Entry: On September 22, 2014, I had my first visit to my service-learning site, Red Caboose. As I volunteered at this site through Badger Volunteers, I arrived with three other girls who were my team members. When we arrived the executive director buzzed us in and met us at the door. She gave us a tour of the building which ended in her office where she spent about an hour going over the volunteer information, rules and regulations. From this, I learned that the Red Caboose Day Care Center is a non-profit corporation created to provide quality care for children ages 11 months through 12 years and the families are a diverse group in terms of race, ethnicity, income and family type. This includes children …show more content…
Schools are sending children out of the classroom because “the definition of what is a crime as opposed to a teachable moment has changed in extraordinary ways” (Editors of Rethinking Schools, 2011/1012). The article further discusses that “We cannot build safe, creative, nurturing schools and criminalize our children at the same time” (Editors of Rethinking Schools, 2011/1012). Instead it is vital to create “alternative approaches to safe school communities that rely on restorative justice and community building instead of criminalization” (Editors of Rethinking Schools, 2011/1012). I think Kathy does just this; she empowers the children to communicate their feelings and create solutions to the problems they …show more content…
Recently, a child named Jake has joined the Grasshopper classroom. Since he is new to the class, he clearly has no understanding of the rules and routines of the classroom. He always seems agitated, often has temper tantrums and has difficulty sharing and initiating play with other children which correlates with some of the behaviors described in the article we read on trauma (Bassuk, Konnath and Volk, 2006, p. 13). At one point, Kathy mentioned to me that Jake is homeless which explains his behaviors because as Jani Koester mentioned in her presentation “every homeless child has experienced trauma” (Koester, 2014, p. 3). As Kathy is well aware of Jake’s circumstances, she provides him the safety, stabilization and support he needs. Firstly, Kathy always patiently handles Jake when he has a temper tantrum, fights over a toy with another child or refuses to do something she asks him to do. Secondly, she keeps a routine and has a schedule clearly posted on the wall for all of the students to see. Lastly, she has developed an environment that encourages learning and cooperation. The children who have been in the classroom from the beginning of the year know all the rules and expectations. Jake on the other hand is continuing to learn how to follow these expectations. Therefore, the other children can get frustrated with Jake as he will sometimes push over the tower they built or skip
Based on the information provided in case 8, Crashing Planes and Tranquil Dreams, Richard is a 4 years old boy, who is experiencing challenging behaviors at school, as well as at home. Richard lives with both parents, and two older brothers. Richard has been attending the YMCA’s full-day preschool program for the past 2 years. He is described as a “good kid” by parents and teacher, however, he is constantly active, impulsive, and frequently becoming involved in conflicts with adults. Parents are continuously working, and as mentioned in this case, they have to spend most of the time at home yelling at Richard or putting him in time-out as part of his consequences for not listening or misbehaving.
Is education wasted on low income families? Are housing projects and ghettos nothing except undying monsters for taxpayers to fight? According to society, maybe. According to Principal Clark, no. Not only does he believe in his students, but he forces them to believe in themselves. Joe Clark makes very compelling appeals to the three rhetorical devices, pathos, ethos and, logos. Joe Clark was an excellent principal in all areas, this idea is further proven by the speech he gave his students before their skills test.
The controversial topic about the function of school is discussed at many school board and PTA meetings throughout America. In Anita Garland’s opinion, schools are not functioning properly. Garland states her reasons as to why the purpose of school has to change in her article, “Lets Really Reform Our Schools”, where she starts off by saying, “Desperate illnesses require desperate remedies. And our schools are desperately ill.” She proceeds to list the remedies in order to transform our schools into a more healthy, successful environment. First, Garland claims that the students who are not interested in studying should not be allowed, better yet, never forced to attend school with kids who want to receive
Some school critics and statisticians have observed that drug-dealing, vandalism, robbery, and murder have replaced gum-chewing, “talking out of turn,” tardiness, and rudeness as the most chronic problems afflicting today’s schools. If the intent of this observation is to shock and rattle the public’s sensibilities, it’s working. Of course, some of us may interpret such suggestions as merely dark, stoic, and cynical—“scare” tactics quite in keeping with the current national mood about many social issues these days.
Mathis, Deborah. “Schools Fail at Stopping Violence.” The Cincinnati Enquirer 7 December 1999, Final ed./Warren: A3.
It gives people the insight on what she had to go through as a kid and that there are many more like her. Prior to reading this I was not aware of what a school could actually do for children. To me school was always just a place that I had to be. I did not dislike going to school it just seemed like it was something that was a given in this world and everyone felt as I did. Lynda made me feel differently about all of that. She opened my eyes to, when you get down to it, what school really does for kids. School provides a place or kids to feel safe and wanted which is essential for everyone. This narrative about a personal experience helped me to realize how school also relates to my life the same way it relates to the authors. I can remember times in my life where I have left home for school aggravated with what was going on between me and my parents. When I arrived at school all my worries about the world seemed to drift away, just like in Sanctuary of School. Like Lynda I had not realized what actually made me feel so much better after arriving at school until later. Her story led me to think back on my personal experiences and apply the knowledge she was telling through her story to my
As children, we look to our parents to teach us skills that we need in everyday life, whether it be social skills or how to. Yet for a variety of reasons, some children do not have this personal role model for them to follow and learn from. For these children, their teachers may be the first adult to give them any sort of attention or care. As a result, a teacher can play a huge impact in a young child’s life. The Allentown School District’s high schools are both considered Title I schools, meaning that over 40% of the school’s students come from families that are legally considered low-income (www2.ed.gov). In the ASD, this number is nearly doubled at 88.7% (www.allentownsd.org). Most likely, these students come from homes in which the adults they live with are working most of the day and
Children are reacting to the authority of persons in their lives. The teacher acts in a firm but friendly manner to reinforce limits, raise conscious levels, and teach alternative behaviours. I have noticed a child in a childcare, showed mistaken behaviour as a result of dominant character. Despite her small size, she has rapidly become one of the leaders. She plays with just about all of toys, and she has a constant need to be in control of other. She occasionally gets in to arguments, with her peers when they no longer accept her leadership. She has difficulty resolving these conflicts and frequently has a tantrum when she is unable to have her own way. Then I made them sit quietly and I asked her whether she likes it when her friend feels sad. He says "no." I continue to guide him through discovering a solution by asking questions until we reach one that works. The kind gesture makes her feel happy and stopped her argument with peers. Together we find a solution that builds her awareness and how to solve peer conflicts, giving him tools to build positive relationships in the future. According to Gartrell” At the socially influenced level, children have learned that using
Jace is six years old and very intelligent. He can do advanced math problems for his age/grade such as multiplication and division. He is reading at a third grade level, and has outstanding writing abilities. Jace has a love for Legos. He does not want to leave the room or much less his house without them. Jace is in first grade this year and despite many efforts to help with behavioral outbursts his teachers and principal do not know what to do with him. They are considering putting him in a self-contained classroom to minimize the problems they are facing now. For instance, when Jace does not get what he wants he begins to clench his fists, yell, and act out violently both against his peers as well as his teachers. Jace does not like large crowds, noises, or distractions-- all of which seem to set Jace off into one of his violent episodes. Jace has extreme difficulties identifying his emotions, taking responsibility for his actions, and communicating his frustrations.
Liam is a great example of a student struggling to fit in a generalized classroom, and do the same work that his peers are doing. He likes drawing and doing hands on activities like arts and crafts. He seems to struggle in music and mathematics. This is usually where he is either noncompliant or acts in bad behavior. He enjoys the attention of the teacher and usually does the right thing when his parents or teacher is looking. He does however have a hard time changing tasks, or doing things that he does not enjoy doing. This plan is to help increase good behaviors that Liam possessed why systematically lowering the bad ones. This will happen through a few interventions that involve both parents and teachers. An outside source will also be needed for a good assessment to occur. Our assessments cover a wide range of situations and come from multiple sources to measure multiple different traits in Liam. Hopefully the outcome of Liam’s intervention will be positive. If things worsen or do not get better there may be a chance that he may need to go on medication to maximize results. Luckily, Liam is only six years old and in kindergarten. Early prevention is a great start to overcoming problems in school settings before they affect more than just learning.
The aforementioned are example of student trauma, that can lead to further bad behavior and many harshly repeated reprimands targeted toward so-called problem students, for minor infractions that use mean a visit to the principal’s office or staying after
This film focused on a teacher who was willing to fight for the students and find ways to reach them with tactics other than just typical pedagogy or academic discipline. Where it is commonly believed that students growing up in poor families seem to be labeled as juvenile delinquents and not much is expected of them, Mr. Dadier tried to change this perception by showing his s...
a really powerful process to repair harm, so students can go back into the classroom community and
The stories and resilience I’ve seen and heard remind of the importance of civic engagement and leadership. I recognize that without the support of mentors such as Mr. Bravo, I would not be writing these words today. At age 22, I have returned to the community that shaped the individual I am today. My way of giving back for the opportunities I have had in life is by serving as a resource, mentor, and tutor to the youth in my community. I work closely with 11 at risk eight grade students at Carver Middle School, a school in South Los Angeles. My purpose in serving in this community is because my students deserve a quality education that will allow them to develop the skills to be civically engaged citizens. Therefore, building brave spaces for my students is crucial to me; because, I am aware of the importance of social and emotional support of one’s personal and professional development. I want my students to know that they matter and that they are not
Child A is a forty month old male pupil at this setting and attends regularly for five mornings a week since September 2011. He has two siblings and he is the middle child. He lives with his siblings and both parents. He is one of the younger children in his nursery year. He has not yet formed any friendships with his peers at the setting and children are wary of him due to his unpredictable volatility. His behaviour has also been ...