The Favorites

nikki's 1st editorial

2006-10-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

Nicole R. Borne10/12/06The Unfair Treatment of Educators“The Wages of Teaching” by Anna Quindlen makes an unmistakably blunt point that is it wrong for any school administrator, or a state legislator for that matter, to ever receive a higher percentage pay raise than teachers are awarded. Now you may be asking what the state legislature has to do with pay raises for teachers. The state legislators are predominately the people who make the decisions on what percentage pay raises are given to teachers. This opinion was formulated by Quindlen through experiences of her own such as spending time at an elementary school in New Jersey. Observing how hard these teachers worked compared to her own line of work made her realize how unfairly teachers are treated in regards to salary. Studies show that teachers are starting out getting paid just under $30,000 per year. This is knowingly less than people in fields such as medical, law, and business. I feel that due to the fact that teachers have a lot to do with most people’s career success they should have decent pay raises. If not a huge difference they should at least have the same pay raise as the administrators of schools. After all, it’s the teachers that made those administrators who they are today.Quindlen illustrated the impact teachers have on people’s lives perfectly when she stated that teachers are “the gardeners of the landscape of the human race.” Teachers instill in little children and older children alike that they have the power to succeed in being whoever they want to be in life. They have worked so hard to ensure that we have a bigger and brighter future. Why couldn’t we at least pay them enough money so that they won’t have to worry about living paycheck to paycheck and also about how they are going to keep their kids in school? Sure school administrators might find a problem with teachers receiving the same pay raise that they do because of the simple fact that, in some situations, they may have worked a little harder or went to school a little longer to get where they are today. The same goes for state legislators. All the administrations and legislatures need to think about is the numerous teachers who have helped them get where they are today. To quote Quindlen with what I feel is the best point she makes in the article, “If these people can teach 6-year-olds to add and get adolescents to attend to algebra, surely we can do the math to get them a decent wage.” As true as this statement is, it must also be true that there is something we can do to pay teachers what is fair even if this fair treatment consists of just a minimum starting salary of $40,000. Although, that change is minimal, I am sure that teachers will be gracious for the small amount of appreciation it will show. I am grateful to be able to draw attention to an issue that is given very little thought. Recent studies by the Department of Education have shown that for every five teachers one leaves within the first year, and almost twice as many leave within the first three. What will we all do when there are not enough teachers left? Why can’t we just make the changes that need to be made now rather than wait until it is too late? Although other ideas of change have been made such as giving raises to people with higher pass rates or higher standardized testing, these ideas are blind to the people take the challenge of working to educate the disabled or troubled. They work just as hard if not harder as those who have high pass rates and test scores. To finalize the idea that teachers deserve more money and equal treatment is the statement that best sums up Quindlen’s entire article. “They made us. We owe them.”

School Choice:Not A Choice

2006-10-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

School Choice:Not A Choice
Thursday, October 12, 2006

School Choice:Not A Choice
The Bush administration has made major decisions addressing school choice, an attempt to promote greater accountability of the American public school system. School Choice was designed to enable students to exit “failing” schools, and enroll in successful schools of their choice. The term, “failing”, in this context is determined by schools not measuring up to state approved scores established through standardized testing. Gail Russell Chaddock, author of the article, “A Step Toward School Choice, Ready or Not”, introduces the pros and cons regarding the topic of school choice. She does not flagrantly support or oppose Bush’s reform, rather she brings up interesting aspects of this issue sure to present problems. I believe there are several attributes of school choice which will have a negative impact on schools, as well as students. Two debatable areas of concern are overcrowding of presently successful schools and transportation .Therefore, my stand is against school choice and for internal school improvement.Of great importance to this issue is the effect at-risk students will have on alreadysuccessful schools. Those schools will suffer from overcrowding in classrooms which will ultimately lower that schools’ performance and initiate losses in what makes that school successful. Class size is proven to be a crucial factor in a successful learning environment. The higher the student to teacher ratio, the less time teachers will have in addressing the needs of at-risk kids, the exact students who require the most individual attention. Money should be directed towards better teacher training, improved materials for students, and implementing smaller classes within existing schools. The influx of these students is detrimental to all involved.Another aspect posing to be problematic to school choice, is the requirement to provide bus transportation for students who opt to leave these failing schools. While the intention of this proposal appears beneficial, funding to provide transportation for out of area students will tie up a great amount of money which could be used in a more productive way. Instructional support for teachers and more effective educational programs to promote learning in their current environment are examples of better use of the taxpayer’s dollars. This does not even address the added hours many of these children will spend on the road, instead of In the classroom. Transportation therefore negatively contributes to the school choice dilemma.At first glance, President Bush’s school choice reform seems to remedy classroom deficits our country experiences by addressing the needs of low income, low achieving students. However, it creates a cycle of lowered school performance caused by overcrowding classrooms and spending valuable time on the road, instead of in the learning atmosphere. Creating progress within current schools instead of seeking answers in other schools is the only effective way to eliminate the educational problemsconfronting our country.

T. Scott's Editorial

2006-10-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

Editorializing About Education

SEX! Do your children know about it? These days, sexuality education in school is being taught only one way, abstinence-only. Federal funding of $102 million a year is the current spending for abstinence-only programs in the U.S. Abstinence-only programs teach that the expected standard of human sexual activity is “a monogamous relationship within the context of marriage” and that sex outside of marriage is likely to be “psychologically and physically harmful.” The problem with abstinence-only programs is that almost half of the teens in the U.S. are sexually active by the age of 18. They need programs that not only teach abstinence, but also give medically accurate information on STDs and preventing pregnancy.

Abstinence-only programs can only do so much for children. According to the government, abstinence-only programs must stress “the social, physiological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity.” These programs teach that abstinence is the “only certain way” to avoid pregnancy, STDs, and teach young people strategies they can use to reject sexual advances. Contraception isn’t brought up as another option. The only thing contraception centers on in abstinence-only programs are failure rates. These are the guidelines that teachers have to follow when they teach sexuality education. Many of them focus on the “morality” of remaining abstinent as well as the dire consequences of premarital sex. The main goal of these programs is to scare or shame teens into remaining abstinent until marriage.

Comprehensive sex education programs aren’t much different from abstinence-only programs. Also known as “abstinence-plus”, these programs also stress the value of abstinence and teach how to reject sexual advances. The supporters of these programs recognize and address the fact that almost half of U.S. teens are sexually active. Comprehensive programs would provide teens with information on the health benefits and side effects of contraceptives as a means to prevent pregnancy and reduce the risk of contracting STDs, including HIV and AIDS. These programs would be age appropriate, begin in the early grades and continue through high school, and cover a broad range of concepts that include human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, and sexual health. Comprehensive programs would give more and better information on sexuality education than abstinence-only programs.

Some republicans in congress have begun to question the wisdom of funding abstinence-only sex education, with many signing on as cosponsors of an alternative bill, the Family Life Education Act. The bill proposed spending $100 million a year for five years in federal funds on programs that teach both abstinence and contraception. The Bush administration, determined to fulfill what observers say is clearly a “non-negotiable” campaign promise to Religious Rights, continues to press hard for even more federal funding for abstinence-only initiatives. As you can see, teens aren’t being properly informed about sexuality education. The government has set standards for programs that try to scare or shame teens into abstaining until marriage. These teens need to know that there is another way to approach sex, not just abstinence. Contraceptives need to be included into these programs. Is this how you want your children to be taught about sexuality education?

Ross's draft

2006-10-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Ross Viltz
10-12-06
Rough Draft

Our World, Tested

The world we live in today expects high standards with everything we do. Education standards, along with effective ways of measuring them are a major concern in our country today. Many people believe that standardized tests are effective ways of discovering the yardstick to which people believe is essential to having a successful life. The amount of emphasis put on these test is affecting students’ performance and the overall goal of schools. I believe there are methods of evaluation other than standardized testing that would vastly improve the schools in America along with the performance of students. The desire to meet the standards set by these test effects teachers, causing them to teach towards the test and not toward the curriculum. “Standards, testing and tough accountability for schools” (Bennett and Paige) are major ideas of standardized test supporters. There is a major problem with these ideas. Teachers and schools focus on meeting the standards and scoring high on the test for a possible financial reward usually. There is such a focus on the “test” that the effectiveness of the curriculum often gets overlooked. Some will argue that testing provides the same basic knowledge as the curriculum if the student is prepared and does well on the test. My nephew, Curri, is currently a 4th grader attending a private school this year. Unfortunately, he was a 4th grader last year as well attending a public school. He is repeating the grade because he did not make high enough standards on the LEAP test. The public school was concerned with meeting the standards. Instead of reading and learning how to comprehend typical 4th grade level stories, the school made the students practice LEAP test type readings just to learn how to understand them for the test. The same approach was taken in the other subjects also. Curri is a smart kid but he struggled in reading. Reading was so overlooked at his public school. He never learned how to correctly comprehend stories. This affected his reading grade in the class. This year Curri is doing much better in at the private school. This school has no criteria to meet through standardized test. Much more focus is placed on actual learning instead of preparing. Curri’s overall personality has improved. He likes and cares about school more. His homework is no longer a hassle. Standardized test can lead teachers away from their original duties and affect students’ learning habits. A reduced curriculum is only one of many problems that results standardized test and high standards.
Lower scores on standardized test are not due to the United States having an unintelligent population but the way our students are being taught. Standardized test in the United States are mainly composed of multiple choice while in most other countries students are evaluated by actual work such as activities, projects, and essays. “Ironically, other nations who do not teach the multiple choice test have higher scores than United States students on those kinds (multiple choice) of tests.” (fairtest.org) The ACT is a popular standardized test. There are many resources to help improve your personal score. I went to a week long class that stressed repetition of multiple choice test or older copies of the ACT. I made a 25. The public school I went to stressed ACT practice. We learned through activities and good examples. We actually learned new material. My ACT score rose two points after the real learning experience. Supporters of standardized tests believe that the U.S. schools are producing unintelligent students while the concern of meeting standards is the real problem. Although believers of high standard testing argue there benefits, the long term effects are negative. Standardized testing takes away from students by focusing on statistics and goals. Dealing only with mastering these tests will not produce a more intelligent nation. We must look at other ways to improve the education of our schools.

Perserverance: Shaping My Life (Ross's draft)

2006-09-25T20:02:00.000-07:00

Attending the different levels of school is a part of everyone’s life. Education is the main purpose of going to school but there are many other benefits. The latent functions of school are limitless. Many times these unintended experiences are more beneficial and helpful in life. I have personally learned many things in school or through people involved at those schools. I believe one of the most important aspects I have taken from my education is the way I have learned to persevere on my own and from others.
Throughout my life, I have made very good grades. Everyone makes good grades in kindergarten and the earlier grade levels but, I was always determined to go further than that. The first times I was put in a situation where I had to persevere on my own was in third grade. Third grade is when students first have to really apply themselves to make good grades. This is the dreaded years of cursive writing and multiplication table. My teacher clearly expressed how important it was not to fall behind. I was involved in extracurricular activities. I played in a recreational basketball league. The season was during the winter so I had to balance my time between basketball and school. I managed that fine. When the season was over, I was selected to the All-Star team. I continued to play on the team. We were very successful and made it all the way to the world tournament. Going this far was unexpected and led to some time conflicts with school. I ended up missing about a week of school because of basketball. At the time I thought I was the luckiest kid alive. The day before I was supposed to return to school I caught the chicken pox. In total, I missed about 2 consecutive weeks of school. Still happy about missing so much school, I was not prepared for the consequences. My teacher was very considerate but also had to be fair. I had to make up three tests, a paper and a project in a week. I did not know where to begin. When I got home from my first day back , I remember crying all afternoon out of frustration. My mom sat me down and made me realize that I had to do it, even if I thought it was impossible. She made me manage my time and helped me as little as possible during the week. Finally, I finished the week and the work. I had done well on everything. I had persevered on my own. The right encouragement and approach from my mom helped me achieve this. I feel privileged now that she had not babied me through that week. The lesson I learned here would prove to be valuable in many future situations of my life.
Elementary school taught me a lot of things but, it did not nearly prepare me for world of middle school. I went to a middle school that was known for pushing its students. My first year in middle school was by far my hardest. All of my teachers were good but all demanded a lot. I had not adjusted to the high amounts of homework and the different classes and teachers. I was miserable everyday of school. These miserable feelings affected the way I interacted in school. I was really shy, did not involve myself in any clubs and isolated myself to my original few friends. It seemed like I was destined to have a bad year. I took chorus that year only because I did not want to be in the band. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. My chorus teacher, Mrs. Arceneaux, was a very mom-like figure to her students. She had short a bouffant hair style, bright red cheeks and that fancy women’s perfume that your mom had. She was a happy but stern woman that cared about her students. Every report card day, she would take off a whole class to individually go over each report card with every student. She was very warm and eventually I opened up to her. She saw a side of me that I felt I could not show to everyone else, a confident side. Every so often she would test me in class. I would always be called to answer questions. She made me sing solos. She even convinced me to try out for honor chorus. All of these were things I would never have done in normal situation and even though I liked her, I dreaded her class. Mrs. Arceneaux wanted me to be better than what I was making myself. She wanted me to overcome my fear. I learned how to do that because she pushed me to do so. I was able to persevere through that school year with her help. The remaining years of middle school were fun and much more memorable. The influence she had on me changed my life. Being confident and overcoming my fears of facing change to persevere is something I will always use in life.
Later on in my life, during high school, I was faced with a more extreme circumstance. My best friend, Seth, lost his only sister in a car accident. I did not have to deal with losing a sibling but Seth and I were very close. I saw everything he went through. Unaware people would ask him how his sister was doing. Girls that shared his sister’s name were everywhere. The gossip of high school about his sister was present everyday. All of these things would bring him down. We shared a class during that year. The teacher, Dr. Hopson, was our favorite and very close to both of us. She was far more intelligent than anyone we knew but, always treated us like adults. We often would go visit her away from school . Together Dr. Hopson, Seth and I spent many lunches in her room just talking. She did many things that simply got Seth’s mind away from his sister. I noticed these things and took them with me away from her room. Obviously, I did not have to apply her techniques for the same reason as Seth. I did use them to a smaller degree with situations that came up in everyday life. Everyday I found uses for them and to this day I still use them to make my life easier. I personally did not have to overcome what Seth had to but, I learned many things that will somewhat prepare me if anything like that would ever happen to me. I learned new ways to handle hard times in life whether it was something serious like death or something typical like a bad day.
Being able to handle tough times is a major part of every person’s life. Many times people have to make mistakes and figure these rough moments out alone. I was very fortunate to have help role models to guide me at different levels of life with different circumstances. Perseverance has taught me many things about myself that I have and will use for my entire life.

PEER RESPONSE GUIDE

2006-09-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Your job, between now and the time we come to class on Tuesday, is to thoughtfully read and respond to the peers in your group, helping them to see how they can improve their essays.

How you’ll go about that:
1. Post your draft to your group’s blog (IF YOU DON'T SEE YOUR DRAFT HERE, YOU NEED TO REMEDY THAT IMMEDIATELY!)
2. Read through the drafts your group members have posted, and post comments for each draft.
3. Be prepared to lead our class in a discussion of each of your essays.

Guide to Responding
Use these questions to guide the comments you make (you don’t have to answer them question by question; just use them as you write to each writer):

What do you think the specific focus is that the writer is trying to communicate? What suggestions can you make to help the writer sharpen that focus or make it clearer? Are there ideas that don’t fit into that focus?
Do the events of the essay come to life for you? Point out places where you’d like more details. Do you want to know what the teacher looks like? What the smells, sounds, sights are in any particular part? Etc.
Do you understand the “so what” part of the essay? Is the writer drawing you to understand the significance of these events on who they are? Where does the significance need to be clarified?
Does the organization make sense to you? Are there places you could suggest to have stronger transitions or a more logical order of ideas?
Finally, you don’t need to focus on grammar and style, but if there are common mistakes you see (the writer is consistently misspelling a word, for instance), feel free to point them out.
Make some final suggestions for the writer about your overall impressions.

DUE: Your responses are to be posted by the time you come to class on Tuesday, September 26. Don’t put this off until the last minute: these responses are your primary responsibility this week. Half-hearted attempts won’t be helpful to your group (and consequently, won’t earn you the points for participating either). If it's useful to you to think of the comments you and the other members of your group are making as a conversation, feel free to refer to the comments others have made, agreeing or disagreeing (of course, "I agree with everything she said" and nothing more won't be helpful, but "I agree with this point, but I wonder if maybe you need more details instead of..." might be a useful way to dialogue). The point is to help the writer see her or his essay in a new way.

Courtney's Educational Autobiography draft

2006-09-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

Courtney Pickett
English 1002-003
September 19, 2006

How I Learned to Persevere

I have been attending school since I was four years old. As I look back on the many experiences I have had, I realize that I learned a lot about myself throughout my entire educational lifespan. One thing I certainly had to learn was patience. I consider myself now a much more laid back person, but I was not always that way. When I was in seventh grade, I had a teacher that tested my ability to hold my tongue. When I was a junior in high school, I had an amazing teacher who taught me about not giving up. Both of these teachers, each in their own way, taught me an important lesson about perseverance.

When I graduated from my elementary school in fifth grade I was scared and excited because it meant that I would be switching schools. I went to an Episcopalian elementary school where things were very traditional and disciplined. Given that I had been there since Pre-k, everything was easy for me because I knew everyone, and everyone knew me. In the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t like this for everyone in every school, but I just didn’t know any different. This is the reason why I was scared to move on to another school after my fifth grade graduation. I went to one school in sixth grade, but it was so difficult to make new friends and I didn’t like it at all. So, in seventh grade I went to a well-known Baptist school. Considering that I went to an Episcopalian school my entire life, I thought all of these people were crazy! It was just so different from what I was used to, including Bible class instead of Religion class. It might sound very similar, but it isn’t at all which is something I learned the hard way.

Mrs. Miller was my Bible teacher at my new school. I liked her well enough because she seemed sincere in the things she did. However, she was the first Bible teacher I ever had, so the things she said to me would have been very formative. On one certain day in her class she was going over something, when a student asked her opinion on another religion. It just so happened to be my religion. She had a very different opinion about me and all of my old friends, which I just knew not to be true. After hearing this, I was horrified. I just wanted to lash out at her. How could she say such a thing that she knew nothing about? It was at this very moment that I knew I had to have patience. I also realized that people are different and I would have to respect their opinions if I wanted to make it in this new school, and in life in general. However, not all of my learning experiences were negative in this new school, nor were all of my teachers.

Mr. Liner was my high school chemistry teacher. I knew his reputation of being a hard teacher, but he was one of our younger teachers and he seemed pretty cool. I was invited to be in the honors chemistry class over the summer and I accepted. I was a little scared of chemistry and Mr. Liner when I got to his class. Throughout the year there were some really hard tests. He always helped me with the things I didn’t understand, but sometimes I just didn’t get it. He still didn’t give up. When the chapter for organic chemistry came up, I just knew I would never get it and I got really discouraged. Mr. Liner still encouraged me not to give up and to really try. It turned out that organic chemistry, which everyone else had a problem with, really interested me. That was the only test in chemistry that I made a 100 on. He still never gave up on me though, and he encouraged me to take Chemistry II my senior year. It turned out that chemistry was really my area of expertise, and I really enjoyed it. His patience with me taught me a lot about perseverence and believeing in myself when I don’t think I can do something.

Mrs. Miller and Mr. Liner each taught me a very important lesson; that I have to have patience both with myself and with others if I want to make it in the real world. This lesson of perseverence has helped me emmensely throughout my college experience. I had a tough first two years of college because I had to re-learn how to study. It was very difficult for me. When all I really wanted to do was just give up and quit, I honestly would think about how I just needed to be patient and it would all be over soon. I am really glad I stuck it out and didn’t quit, because if I had, I would have disappointed all of the people who believed in me along the way.

T. Scott's Educational Bio

2006-09-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

Rough Draft

Who am I? When I ask this question, there are many things that come to mind. I can think of different events throughout my life which can answer this question. From my early childhood, I have found out that I am outgoing, a son, and a brother. When I was in elementary school, I was very outgoing. I like to meet new people and socialize with everyone. I got to know my teachers in every grade. Every new school year, there were a few people that I didn’t know because they moved to Louisiana just recently or they were just in a different class than I was the previous year. I realized I was a son and a brother around the same time. My parents got divorced when I was seven. Before that time, my mother was pregnant. When she had the baby, I found out that it was a girl and my dad said something about me being a big brother now. It was new to me. I had never thought about having someone that I had to look after now, besides myself. It was then I realized that I was a brother. I had a responsibility to care for my sister now. This was also the time that I realized that I was a son because I was my father’s only boy. I was the first born and I would always be special for that.

Later in life, I have found that I am funny, a friend, musically creative, and intellectual. Finding out that I was funny and a friend happened simultaneously. I liked to hang out with friends during recess, lunch, after school, on the bus, pretty much anytime. When we hung out, we talked about different things, how the day was going, what we were doing after school, what happened over the weekend. I would sit down and listen to what they had to say whether it was important or not. My friends always said that I helped them with their problems. I usually just listened to what they had to say and make a comment about it. I never thought that I was helping them with it. I was just giving my insight on the problem. They would also say I made them laugh because of the way I acted when I talked, not that there was anything wrong when I spoke. It was here when I found that I was a good friend who could make you laugh when you needed one. Music happened to me when I was in seventh grade. My dad wanted me to play the saxophone, but I had no interest in playing an instrument. I took private lessons all year during seventh grade and joined the school band in eighth grade. I didn’t think that I was any good until I played at school. I wasn’t the best, but I could hold my own against some people. Music stuck with me throughout junior high and into high school. In high school, I found that I was intellectual. I could have a conversation now with older people and know what I was talking about. My parents and I used to talk about random things and I had my own opinion about it. I had the same thing with my grandparents as well. My grandmother would here something on the news one day and would talk to me about it the next day.

Within the past few years, I have found that I am an individual and a leader. During my first two years of high school, I conformed to who I was with or what I was doing. I never really stood out as an individual. It wasn’t until my junior year in high school that I thought of myself as an individual. I had my own personality and appearance. I stopped conforming to who I was with or what I was doing. I think that it had a huge impact on my friends and classmates, not in a bad way, but it helped shape me to who I am now. Along with being an individual, I became a leader in high school too. I was in band throughout high school. My junior year I tried out for the section leader position because I thought the previous leader did a poor job running the section. He graduated so the position needed to be filled. I became section leader that year and I found that I was in control of my section, about thirty saxophones. I accepted the challenge and did my best. That year, our band was ranked seventh place that year. It was amazing. That wasn’t the best part. The following year, my senior year, I received the section leader position again, leading over thirty members in the section. I already had a year with some of the members, but for the new ones, it was a brand new experience. That year, we went to the state competition and took home fourth place. It was the highest award the school had ever won. I don’t think the new members knew how important that win was for the upperclassman and for me. This was one of the most evident and most rememberable examples of my leadership qualities.

Nikki's Educational Autobiography

2006-09-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

Nicole R. Borne
English 1002 – 003
09/19/06
High School: My Life-changing Experience
For many students, starting high school is a very new and exciting experience. As for me, this new endeavor seemed to be just a continuation of middle school due to the fact that my new school would be right across the street. Another reason for my lack of anticipation was that my same friends I had had all through grammar and middle school would also be joining me at Immaculata. One thing that I had to look forward to was starting out as a member of the cheerleading squad. This was also nothing new seeing as how I had been a cheerleader since I could walk. Still in all I kept a positive attitude so that I could at least attempt to enjoy what then seemed was going to be the longest four years of my life.
Freshman year was exactly what I expected it to be. Teachers were laughing at us because we were just the “young, silly freshmen.” Upperclassmen were doing all the normal injustices such as cutting in the lunch line and being able to wear the older, more comfortable uniforms, penny loafers included. As if that wasn’t enough, freshman induction began. Just to clear up what this is, it is basically a number of freshman embarrassments that include wearing ridiculous outfits to Friday night football games and singing “I’m a Little Teapot” whenever anyone, including my teachers, called my name. Getting through freshman year meant gaining just that little bit of respect by not being known as “fresh meat” anymore.
Sophomore year was one of trying times and life lessons. I can still remember walking into my religion class and staring into the eyes of who was rumored to be the rudest, roughest teacher in IHS history. Surprisingly enough, she was a nun! That first day, Sr. Maria made us write every curse word we had ever heard or used on the chalkboard. She then told us that we should not use these words unless we knew the exact meaning of each and every one of them. For the rest of the 90-minute class period, Sr. Maria gave us the definition of each and every word and also used them repeatedly. As if all of this wasn’t mind boggling enough, every person in my immediate family was unreachable when I got home. I automatically knew something was wrong when my sister-in-law’s father called me and asked me if everything was alright. I raced to the local hospital to find that my brother and my niece were in a terrible car accident. My niece Lexie was in the hospital for several weeks. Who knew that the same nun who could intimidate me beyond belief would be the same teacher that helped me get through every bad day and every breakdown during this extensive time period? Sophomore year ended with our cheerleading team winning the title of Cheer fest National Champions, my niece waking from her coma, and my gaining a newfound respect for nuns, especially Sr. Maria. My sophomore also made me better realize the importance of family and living every day like it is the last.
My junior year in high school was very frustrating because it seemed as if nothing exciting would happen as a junior. Most of the frustration comes from the constant pressure from all of the guidance counselors and teachers about deciding which college you will attend and which career you will pursue. LSU was always my school of choice, but as far as a career was concerned, I had absolutely no idea what to do with my life. All I knew was that I did not want to be one of those people who stay in college for eight years and still claim their major to be General Studies. I did not decide on my major until January of my junior year during parade season. As I was getting ready for another rainy Friday night Cleopatra march, I had the constant excitement in the back of my mind that my sister-in-law, Noelle, was expecting a second child. I was going to be a nanny! I looked at this opportunity as a direct gift from God considering we had almost lost my brother’s first child the year before. When I passed my family on the parade route I could think of nothing but to hug my sister-in-law and let her know how much happiness she was bringing into our family by having her children. Noelle was waiting for me when I arrived at my house to tell me some news. I was in complete shock and disbelief when she told me of the miscarriage. I did not understand why something so great could come into all of our lives and be taken away. For some reason, I could think of nothing but to share my feelings with the one person who had helped me so many times before, Sr. Maria. She was now our principal, and I felt very grateful when she made time in her busy schedule to speak with me. Her words made me use what happened in a positive way. I now plan to get my nursing degree and later specialize in Neonatology. Sr. Maria showed me that by doing this I can help the people who fight to keep their babies alive every day. To be able to give good health to someone so little and helpless and to give happiness to parents who would give their own lives to keep their child alive will be enough of a rewarding experience in itself.
Senior year was the best year of my life. I learned more about life, love, and true friendship than I had ever thought I could. Mrs. Vanderbrook’s English class was the best class I have ever taken. If anyone would ever ask me for one memory from high school it is most likely that Mrs. Vanderbrook would be a big part of it. Her English class was more about finding ourselves than reading all kinds of books by well-known authors. Even more important, she went above and beyond to ensure that we had the best senior year possible. Mrs. Vanderbrook was not only a teacher to us, but she was also a close friend and a mentor. My experience in her class caused my interest in teaching English. I contribute my decision to minor in education solely to Mrs. Vanderbrook. If it turns out that I do pursue teaching full time, I hope to teach a senior level English class. I want to be to my students what Mrs. Vanderbrook was to all of us. I want to make learning fun and interesting for people who normally are just ready to graduate.
Although I thought that high school would be long and boring, all of these experiences taught me that high school is not just about learning Algebra, English, Spanish, etc. It is mostly about finding out who you are and what you stand for and believe in. I learned more about myself in those four years than I ever could in my whole life. With guides like Sr. Maria and Mrs. Vanderbook, I feel like I am now prepared for anything life may throw at me. Sr. Maria always promised me that something good will come out of every hardship in life. Noelle did get pregnant again about a year later and gave birth to Alaina Nicole, the most beautiful, healthy godchild I could ask for. Mrs. Vanderbrook was a real-life example of “carpe diem”. Both of these teachers have caused me to want to pursue my career full force. They have also taught me to have fun and take the time to enjoy every college, family, and career experience I am fortunate enough to have. Finally, what I think is the most important lesson they have given me, is to always take the time to love. This lesson and every other memory will last me a lifetime, and will be passed down to my kids and hopefully my students.

Education:A Journey of Self Discovery

2006-09-19T15:40:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Lorio
Professor Jones
ENGL. 1002-003
18 September 2006
Education: My Journey of Self Discovery
“An educational system isn’t worth a great deal if it teaches young people how to make a living, but doesn’t teach them how to make a life”-Anonymous
The small school I attended, located in the rural community of New Roads, Louisiana, offered many opportunities in educating the “whole person“. Top performance was top priority to False River Academy pupils, and high standards were set for every student that attended our educational institution . There were many opportunities to become involved in our school through extracurricular activities such as sports, and volunteer organizations. These activities provided a basis for self discovery and individuality Most importantly, they have given me the opportunity to recognize my personal capabilities how to improve my shortcomings. Many of the experiences I had as a member of organizations such as cheerleading and Youth Group have served to shape me as a person, and allowed me to recognize the fearless woman I aspire to become.
Upon entering Junior High School, I made the decision to try-out for our school’s cheerleading squad. I was initially intimidated by all the other girls who appeared to have much more talent than myself. My mother told me that I needed to focus on being the best I could be, and to not be afraid of failure. So I set aside my apprehension and decided to give it a shot. Try-outs were held once a year and were preceded by three days of intensive training necessary to learn the material. We would be expected to perform individually in front of a panel of judges, our parents, and the other prospective cheerleaders. I practiced numerous hours to learn the cheer and chant we were to perform. When the night of the try-outs arrived, all of the girls met in our gym. We were each seated on the floor and given a number which corresponded to the order in which we were to perform. My heart feel from my chest as I discovered I would be third in line. As I watched the two girls who preceded me, my initial feeling of self doubt returned, and I realized the remainder of my confidence was dwindling by the second. As I walked in front of the judges that night, I looked up into the stands and my mothers face shone before me. It was at this moment I remembered her words of confidence, and I made the choice to set aside mt insecurities and do my best. I put a smile on my face and discovered the words were flowing out and the motions were following. I had given everything I had, and overcome my fear. I made the squad that night and learned a very valuable lesson: fear is on obstacle which must be set aside in order to recognize your true capability.
Throughout my junior high and high school years, I was an active member of my high school’s youth group. We were involved in many events around our parish which allowed us to volunteer our service. While many of these activities hold a special place in my heart, none affected me as much as the day we visited Bishop Otts Mens Shelter, a shelter designed for homeless men in the Baton Rouge area. I was afraid of these men which I had believed did not posses goals and were unemployed simply because they found an easy way out. Upon arrival at the shelter, we served a meal which we had prepared for the men .Afterwards, we found ourselves sitting at their dinner tables beside them. Instantly, it seemed, the men began conversing about everything from their family lives to their future aspirations. They spoke of their continued efforts to hold a steady job which they felt was necessary in order to provide for their loved ones. I was astounded of how close-minded I had been regarding these men. Many had fallen of track somewhere in their lives as many of us do, and were doing all they were capable of in order to recapture stability in their lives. This experience taught me a lesson which I will never forget: ignorance inspires fear. In order to diminish that fear, we must experience all aspects of life, and create a realistic view of the world which surrounds us.
The educational moments I had in junior high and high school taught me lessons which I will carry throughout my life. Education has no set time frame, and at any point in our lives, we can be confronted with situations which serve to build character. Through education, we find ourselves able to set our fears aside, and recognize our strengths and internalized prejudices. It is in these moments that our true self is revealed.

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2006-09-19T12:30:00.000-07:00

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