• Philosophy of Education
  • About
  • Facebook Page

Universe as Text

~ Navigating our Textual Universe through Reading, Writing, Thinking, and Teaching

Monthly Archives: May 2008

Summertime Posting

27 Tuesday May 2008

Posted by Ms. C in Reflections

≈ Leave a Comment

Well, it’s official–I have survived Spring semester, 2008. This has been the most challenging semester of my academic career so far, which *may* explain the recent lack of posting. Now that “summer semester” has come, I intend to mine this semester’s coursework for material to post on. So much learning, research, experimentation, networking, and observation has transpired, and now it’s time to reflect on it.

Here are some of my intended areas of discussion for the coming months:
*Reflections on my observation experiences at two very different institutions, Milwaukee’s Hartford University School for Urban Exploration and Saint Paul’s Cretin-Durham Hall.
*Gender issue concerns in teaching
*What is the “teacher identity”?
*Pedagogy: Art vs. Science
*White privilege and cultural sensitivity
*Curriculum and the Canon
*Teacher communities
*Motivation (for teachers AND students)
*More entries on the “books” page

I expect the next series of postings to flow at a rapid-fire rate, so be sure to visit again soon!

Exciting news!

24 Saturday May 2008

Posted by Ms. C in Reflections

≈ Leave a Comment

I was recently informed that I am the recipient of two scholarships awarded through UW-Milwaukee’s School of Education: the Cozette Krueger Scholarship, and another scholarship from an anonymous grant. The generous funding from these scholarships will assist in paying NEARLY ALL of my tuition for next year. I couldn’t be more ecstatic! Thus far, I’ve been working myself to the point of exhaustion just to pay for school. Thanks to my donors and Dean Thurman, I’ll be able to present a better-rested, better-focused, happier teacher to my student teaching classrooms. I owe him, and the School of Education at large, at least ten million thank you’s.

THANK YOU X 10,000,000!

In honor of this occasion, I thought I’d post my response to one of the scholarship prompts. As I now stand on the brink of my first urban teaching experience, I find it timely and relevant. Also, I offer this as a response to all those who recoil when I tell them I’ll be teaching in MPS:

What are your career goals? Be specific in how your goals demonstrate your commitment to urban education or the urban community.

I have a lifelong desire for diversity, equality, and tolerance. My biggest career goal is to be an excellent teacher to every single one of my students, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, gender, creed, orientation, or any other quality. I can only fulfill this goal if I am exposed to a variety of students from all of these categories, and I therefore embrace the challenge of an urban environment. It seems that everyone says that he or she wants to work for equality in our communities. I don’t want to be someone who writes those words down on this page and then walks away from them. I want to be part of a real change in a society that still does not exhibit true equality. I want to live this sentiment through how I treat my future students as well as the high standards that I will hold them to in my classroom.

I was raised with the idea that everyone has a social responsibility to show compassion for the poor, to respect those different from ourselves, and to give of ourselves in service of our community. I still cling fiercely to that ideal. I welcome an urban setting, where such values will thrive. My commitment to service is part of why I want to be a teacher.

Another major goal of mine, which is particular to my field, is to instill the idea that English is an invaluable subject area. Reading, writing, and interpreting text is necessary at nearly every level of every profession. I hope to show all of my students the skills to be superior readers and writers, to ensure that they can understand the world around them and express themselves with eloquence. It is my belief that those who can wield language can create and advocate for their own success. I want every student to have that chance, especially in an urban environment, where people seem to expect lower things. I want to help my students prove them wrong.

♣ Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

♣ Archives

  • April 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • August 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • January 2017
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • February 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • October 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • March 2012
  • January 2012
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • June 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • March 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007

♣ Categories

  • Art
  • Classroom Management
  • Educational Leadership
  • Issues in Education
  • Journey to publication
  • Literary Theory
  • Literature
  • Pedagogy
  • Poetry
  • Project-based learning
  • Publications
  • Reading
  • Reflections
  • Research
  • Resources for Educators
  • Speaking
  • Technology
  • Theater
  • Uncategorized
  • What it is all about
  • Writing

♣ Meta

  • Log in

Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: Chateau by Ignacio Ricci.