Journal Reflection #4

Pick one of the social challenges and give as many ideas as you can for how a teacher could address its effects in his or her classroom.

One of the major social challenges in schools that should be way ahead of the game and have no negative impact on any student is sexual education.  Sexual education should be implemented at a more strict level; there are so many resources available that this should not even be a challenge.  Now, this year, this time there should be no accidental teenage pregnancies or sexual transmitted diseases affecting students from retrieving their education.  We learn it from our parents, religion, even in our Biology class how much unexpected pregnancies are not only affecting the world due to over capacity but affecting the lives of young teenage girls and the lives of unborn children. We learn that countries that live in poverty have no education in the handful of methods that can be utilized to prevent this, but in the United States we do. Women at any given age have the ability to get educated, low income families that blame “it’s the only route they knew” have no excuses now.  Schools, universities, clinics, and many other women centers offer this education and the sources needed to keep from these things happening.  Babies are precious, and one day I would love to have my own, but I’ve been educated enough not from my family because at home it’s no premarital sex allowed, but through courses at the university and even Google.  I do think school especially high school is the most appropriate institution to provide instruction to young teens.  Whether it should be strictly factual information, psychological, social, health, I think they should teach it all.  Education is the key to success and educating young teenagers on sex is very important. Surveys mention that 47% of students engage in sexual relationships, that is more than enough to strike red flags in a school, and develop more secure yet more programs that provide education in this area.  If this was my area of study and I was in charge to address its effect in my classroom. I would cover 100% of the material and attempt to drill it in each one of my students. 

Journal Reflection # 3

Which area of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences do you feel is your area of strength? Explain why, and give an example.

From out of all the multiple intelligences Gardner has created I would have to opinionate that the area of strength is in the intrapersonal intelligence.  This area refers to gain the ability of understanding yourself and knowing your preferences, capabilities and deficiencies.  It’s by far obvious that once you develop that relationship with yourself you can accomplish things at a greater level.  I feel that it has somewhat of a similarity with learning to love yourself before you can love others.  In some cases there are many students that are bright but don’t get anywhere in life because of fear and lack of confidence in themselves to go deeper and try harder.  When you know yourself, what you want, the preferences the things you rather have in life and measure what you are capable of and what might be an obstacle you have a clear path to handle any given situation at any given moment. It’s important to realize how much your worth and building that relationship with yourself will have nothing but positive results.

Journal Reflection # 2

Name one common practice in schools that you would like to change, and describe how you would change it.

One common practice that some schools now offer is professional development.  This gives each student the opportunity to get their feet wet and get some hands on education.  Deciding what you want to be for the rest of your life at age nineteen is somewhat difficult.  I know for me it was tough, and till this day I still keep changing my mind and finding different areas in the workplace that I rather be doing.  The main goal would continue to be based on the fundamental belief that all students can learn and improve their performance.  The only difference is that we would implement more of the professional courses in the high school level.  This would give each student the opportunity to get real life taste of what the rest of their lives might be like.  For instance if a student wants to be a teacher, observation hours can begin in the high school level and that student can have an assigned teacher to observe.  If they want to be pediatricians a couple of observation hours and some hands on help at the local clinic would benefit the student in numerous of ways.  There are so many careers to choose from it would be impossible to include them all in one school. I would advise each school district to divide the schools into different areas and have a variety of professional fields.  This will not only help the students in deciding, it can also benefit society.  Helping hands never hurt anyone.