WebLog 1

WebLog Queries

WebLog 1: Class Survey

1. My name is Jennylee Gandarilla and I was born and raised in my hometown of Bridgeport, Connecticut. My email address is: jgandarilla12@jcu.edu.

2. I would prefer to be called, "Jenny".

3. I want to teach Pre-K to the 3rd grade and I do not really have a specific area of interest that I want to teach at the moment.

4. I love to read all kinds of books and my two favorite hobbies are collecting quarters for my coin collection and taking in part in arts and crafts. What makes me unique is that I am a mother of a two and a half year old named, "Antonio", and he is the love of my life. I am also very organized, I do not mind working in group projects, and I do NOT like to procrastinate. I like to get things done ahead of time.

5. For me to feel comfortable in a classroom setting, I like rules to be posted so I know what is expected of me and I also like the classroom to look engaging with posters and signs that show that learning in this particular environment will be fun, intriguing and educational.

6. I will honestly say that I am not going to be the first person to raise my hand for a discussion, but I will still participate. I am a hardworking and determined individual and I like that my work shows the kind of person I am and the characteristics I possess. I am also an honest, but a blunt person, in a polite way. I am open to other students learning abilities and their methods and approaches to teaching. When I feel that I do not understand something, I will always ask either my peers or the instructor for help. I feel that if I had been more proactive in my approach and raised my hand in other classes, I know that I could have done better.

7. In confidence with Dr. Shutkin, my life hasn't been easy and it has taken me quite a long time to reach this point in my life. I have been through plenty of obstacles and I feel that even though those times are trying on me, I do learn to overcome these harsh times. I feel that our negative experiences make us stronger as individuals and we would do well to learn from our mistakes. My parents are divorced so it is hard to get the emotional support that I sometimes need. My parents divorce impacted myself and my younger siblings in a way that makes me want to be a better person and a better mom for my son. Family is the first and most important aspect in my life and even though my family "stands divided", I still feel that it is within my power to help us unite once again. My schooling was affected for a short period of time when all of this took place, but I still graduated and I went on to succeed. Because of these issues that I have dealt with, I see that I am not the only person to deal with issues like these. Young children deal with even worse situations and I feel that school should be a child's home away from home and that they should feel safe when they are in this environment. That is exactly why I wanted to become an educator in the first place. I want to give my students a sense of well being and show them that even though things may not be working out at home, that there is a place where they can come to and feel safe.

8. Looking back on one experience when I was back in high school....I had a history teacher who I felt absolutely hated his job. If he wasn't screaming and telling the class to do their work, he was busy mumbling about how he hated his job and how he should have sought a different career path. So it was obvious that he did not like us as students because he had to deal with us and he made it clear that he hated his job. This was a horrible combination and the people who suffered were the students. I feel like I did not learn anything being in his classroom. It felt like an enormous waste of time and space. I hope that when I become an educator that my students will enjoy themselves and be happy and motivated to learn.

9. The school system today is in dire need of new people on the committee and hearing board. Cutbacks in afterschool programs, money problems, and layoffs have all resulted in larger class sizes, fewer resources, and less one-on-one attention for students who need it. I feel like educators are the people who should be getting paid millions of dollars a year instead of athletes because without educators, how would we have learned all that we know today? Who would have showed us our ABC's and our 123's? It takes people who have the passion and a love for teaching to become educators. You have to be able to have the mindset and be able to teach those who do not know that learning can be fun and it is supposed to be educational. Teachers have to deal with inequalities and limited resources everyday and still strive to promote a just learning environment. It is a difficult struggle that many see every day. Why do some schools have everything students need and more in one district and then in other low-income and poor neighborhoods, we have students who are struggling just to have the same resources that other students already have?! People need to wake up and start taking action because our children are suffering and their educational needs are not being met. Teachers can only do so much to help their students, but that is only half the battle. Parents must also be willing to take initiative and help their children succeed at home and engage in activities for the children whenever possible.

10. I believe that service learning projects are extremely helpful because we can get to know the environment in which we would like to teach, but also engage with students who look forward to our guidance and our help. These projects help bridge gaps and help to form new relationships within different groups of people. Projects like these motivate both the students and future educators to get hands on with learning and open new doors for different methods of teaching. While having to learn about numerous topics depending on what grade level will be taught, I feel that an overall general knowledge is necessary for any educator about to step into a classroom because it would better help the students learn more effectively. While not overdoing it, we as educators can also help our students explore different ways of thinking and analyzing topics. Educators should be passionate, understanding, and patient when teaching because not everyone will understand the topic of discussion the first time it is brought up and patient teachers, I feel, do better with their students. Students should feel that the teacher is a good person and they only want to help them be better individuals while still actively taking part in the learning environment. Every teacher should avoid negative reinforcement and never use name calling or any such behaviors as an excuse for a learning environment. Teachers should instead show students how to deal with problems and show them what the consequences will be for their actions. Teachers should attack the problem and not the student. That way both students can see how things can be solved in a nice and friendly manner.

11. I would like to know how long have you been teaching? What made you want to become a teacher? Do you think the need for educators will increase as time goes on?