Internship #3

Project Ideas

Brandon/Randy

Post your project ideas here!

-Some ideas I was thinking of for my project were to make an arts and craft project for the pre-schoolers to do that would help them better understand a certain subject. For my first graders I was thinking of either making a lesson plan based on a subject they were having difficulty on, or becoming a tutor like person. For the school as a whole I was thinking about creating an advertisement for the new student store they just opened with all the merchandise and prices. Hopefully this advertisement would be sent home with the weekly newsletter.

1. What skills would you like to develop at your site?

Some skills i would like to develop at my internship site would be how to discipline, earn respect, and how to solve problems. Both knowing how to discipline and earning respect is extremely important when teaching children from all ages, especially younger ones, and I would like to develop these skills because they are important anywhere. Learning how to discipline will help better myself, by helping me saying no to things I don't want to support, while earning respect is important to do with everyone. I would also like to develop problem solving skills because this skill also comes in handy everywhere. Problems in life will come out of nowhere and can hit you by surprise, and knowing how to solve these problems will make my life much easier.

2. What interests do you have regarding the work done at your site?

I have always been interested in teaching since middle school because not only do I love kids, but I am also great at seeing from a different perspective. Teachers do this all the time when teaching an education that is lower than theirs, they put themselves in the shoes of their pupils and teach to their understanding. I share this skill with teachers because I have always been able to see the world from a different stand-point. All this means that my main interest regarding my site's work is to teach.

3. What needs can you address (needs your mentor has, your company has, etc.) based on your skills and interests?

Some needs I can address based on my skills and interests would be to actually teach my classes a lesson, and come up with projects that are suitable or their education. Maybe some students are having trouble grasping a certain subject, I could be sort of like a tutor that stays after with them and view their challenges from their perspective. I could then try and see exactly why they are struggling and would hopefully teach them how to overcome that.

Internship #2

Questions and Answers

Randy

-What have you actively done to start off on the right note?

I set goals for myself to start off on the right note. Sometimes I have a problem with being on time, so on the first and second day of internship I woke up a whole 15 minutes early just to make sure I wouldn't be late. Being late and in a hurry is a horrible way to start because it makes you stress and freak out, while also setting a bad reputation. Another goal I set for myself was to constantly ask if there was anything I could help with. I feel that if you ask they are more willing to accept your aid, giving you a better experience.

-What have you actively done to create interesting opportunities for yourself?

Recess is a big part of an elementary school, and when the children from both my pre-school and first grade class get the opportunity to go out and play I join them and watch carefully. This part of the day can be extremely dramatic, with throwing of sand, not sharing toys, calling names, and even holding up the long slide line. To create interesting opportunities for myself I approach a problem with the kids head-on. For example, on my second day at internship I was watching the students play when I look over and see a little boy crying on the playground. I had two choices, I could let a teacher handle it on their own because they know how to, or I could challenge myself and try and handle the situation on my own. I decided to go over and see what I could do. Two boys were standing next to each other, and only one was crying so i knelt down and asked what happened. He answered but I could not comprehend over his sobs, when a teacher on duty came over to see what the problem was too. She asked me what happened and I confessed that I couldn't understand him, so she asked him herself and after just a few seconds figured out that they had bonked heads. I was surprised she could understand the boy, but was impressed with this skill. I challenged myself and created interesting opportunities by throwing myself out there and trying to handle situations I have had no experience with.

-What have you actively done to advance the interests of your mentor and/or site?

To advance the interests of my mentor I have showed enthusiasm with every job I am asked to do. Even with the smallest job of handing out snack, I was still excited to help out and showed that excitement. This advances the interests of the teachers I am working for because it shows them that I am willing to do anything, with a smile on my face. They will be more interested in giving me harder jobs.

-What can you do in the immediate future to improve yourself and your experience in the above areas?

In the future I plan to ask more questions and request that I do the things that I want. Asking more questions will improve my experience at internship because I will understand the concepts of being a teacher to a deeper level. I will be able to compare and contrast the knowledge from grade level to grade level, while also figuring out how difficult it is to teach such a small age. On my second day at internship I was asked to teach the class math, which I did extremely willingly. When I began teaching I found it hard to realize that these first graders might not understand why the number 26 is before 35 when putting them in order from least to greatest. I assumed that they knew why, but the teacher then pointed out to me that I should expand and explain why by using a number chart.

Asking to do the things you want to do at an internship is also very important. If you don't speak up and tell your mentor what you want to do you might be stuck with something you are not interested in, like cleaning, or organizing. Luckily for me the teachers I am helping asked me right off the back if I wanted to be at the front teaching, and I said yes because I am interested in that. But in the future if I begin to stop doing the things I would prefer to do, I will request to do them.

Internship #1

PICTURES:

Brandon

1. Workspace

Throughout my internship experience I get the opportunity to help out three different teachers from three different grades, preschool, first grade, and fourth grade. The first week I will be working with the preschool teacher, Mrs Songer, and above are pictures of her classroom. Her classroom was my working space for today, and will be for the next few days.

2. Typical Dress

The staff of Warren-Walker Elementary School had a wardrobe that varied from semi-casual to extremely formal. The pictures above represent the attire I would be aiming for, kind of the exact middle. These two looks were both pleasing to the eye and professional, while also being comfortable enough to work with small children. The pictures above show the typical dress at my internship.

3. My Work

The pictures above show the work I was requested to do for my first day at internship. When I was working with the preschoolers for the first half of the day (before nap time) I had to cut out 24 circles of each color, according to the size, so each student could create a "Mickey Mouse" character. The next half of the day I moved up to help first graders, and finally I got to stand in front of the class! I was asked to write words the students did not know how to spell down on the board.

4. Something that Struck Me

Something that struck me at my internship was the way they taught different subjects. For example, the picture above is a picture from Science class for the preschoolers. What the teachers did was drop five "Mentos" into four different kinds of drinks, Diet Coke, Coke, Diet Pepsi, and Pepsi. Once the mints were dropped in, they would measure the height the explosion went, and marked it on the page behind. In the end Diet Pepsi exploded the highest, and I feel this was an interesting way to keep the attention of preschoolers, while also teaching the ways of science.

5. Interesting Photo

I found this photo interesting because I did not expect to find this in the staff room. The idea of a suggestion box at a school is a great idea because it shows how respectful every staff member is to one another, while also improving the school suggestion by suggestion.

Q&A:

Sarah

1. Has the recession impacted the amount of students each year?

-The amount of students from when I attended the school in 1994 until now has decreased by a few, and very gradually. Every year the amount of students attending fluctuates only a couple of kids, and while the ideal amount of preschoolers a year is 12 per class, this year has been short a few. Mrs. Songer's class has 10 four year olds, and the girl to guy ratio is extreme, 3 girls and 7 boys.

2. How has the recession impacted the school's source of funding?

-The schools main source of funding comes from the tuition of each student, which is quite 'pricey'. The tuition amount does fluctuate with each few years but not by much. Warren-Walker is a private school so no funding comes from the state, but from being around for 75 years, the school knows how to handle the hardest times.

3. Have teachers had to be "laid-off"?

-Some teachers were asked to leave, but they usually were going to leave the next year or were brand new. The teachers that have been with Warren-Walker for years have worked there so long that no matter how bad the financing was, they would never be laid-off. Even though some teachers were asked to leave, Warren-Walker has never had a problem with a teacher shortage due to the minimal amount of children.

Logistics

Darren

This morning I woke up a whole 15 minutes earlier just to make sure I would be at Internship on time, and as a matter of fact I arrived a few minutes early. I had no breakfast that morning, and drove my car just down the street to Warren-Walker, taking me only 3 minutes. My mentor Mrs. Volker, and the teacher i would be helping, Mrs. Songer, were standing outside greeting the kids and helping them get their stuff out of the car. I watched while they finished up and only had a few words with my mentor until I was taken away to the classroom I would be working in. The whole first half of the day I worked with that preschool class, handing out snack, playing at recess, and helping with projects. When lunch came around I was given a 30 minute break to come home and eat, which I did joyously. After lunch I arrived back to help the first grade teacher, Mrs. Thein by, cutting out more paper for one of their projects, playing with the kids at recess, spelling words on the board in front of the class, and even reading to them at the end. My work there was done and I was off to speak with my mentor. Overall I feel the tasks I was asked to do were not challenging, but I feel over the course of the next few days I will be at the front of the class more, and working more hands on with their education. For the most part I think I am prepared to each at their level, but I am nervous that one time I won't know the answer to one of their questions. I'm excited to see what challenges I will have to overcome, while also learning that being a teacher isn't as easy as it looks.

Most Proud Composition

Holly Ryan

Deeper Then Our Redskin

Stereotypes are an oversimplified conception, opinion, or image that is held in common by members of a group. These ignominious mental images have existed in our society since the early 1800’s. At this time the most common stereotypes were inflicted upon Native Americans, who were generalized as savages, liars, boring, and even immoral. In the short story, “What You Pawn I Will Redeem,” the main character, Jackson Jackson, persuades the audience to believe that he is just another stereotypical Indian, when in reality his sociable and reliable personality is inimitable, and contradicts his argument. He bases this argument on the way he has always been portrayed by prominent races such as whites, less than human.

Jackson convinces the readers he is a stereotype by repetitively generalizing himself to all Indians throughout the text, in a sarcastic tone. For example, Jackson says “Homeless Indians are everywhere in Seattle. We’re common and boring, and you walk right on by us, with maybe a look of anger or disgust or even sadness at the terrible fate of the noble savage.” (1) In this quote Jackson uses multiple degrading generalizations to describe all homeless Indians, including himself, as common and boring. This is a simplification because he is saying himself and every other homeless Indian are ordinary and uninteresting, when he is truly fun and intriguing through his friendliness. He is a friend to not only other homeless Indians, but also restaurant and convenience store managers, who grant him the rare privilege of using their clean, “employee’s” restroom. Overall, Jackson classifies himself as something he is not, because that is how white people have always viewed him.

According to Jackson Jackson’s best friend, Rose of Sharon, he is “the most honest Indian,” but Jackson oversimplifies himself once again to be something he is not, a liar. He does so when he says, “we Indians are great storytellers and liars and mythmakers.” (1) In this quote he once again refers to himself as a group of Indians, while also classifying both Indians and himself as liars. This is a common stereotype white men inflicted upon Native Americans, and Jackson was aware of this. He tries to generalize himself into the mold society built, but in actuality he himself is an individual. He makes a sarcastic point to the audience by portraying himself as just another Indian, and that point is that stereotypes are false accusations if you look passed someone’s exterior image.

Classifying Jackson as either a stereotype or not is extraordinarily complex because he shows qualities that do not fit into the generalization he persuades of boring, and a liar. Such qualities are that he is extremely fun, outgoing, and honest. Even though Jackson tries to portray himself as a stereotypical Indian in order to make a point to the white audience, he is really his own person, with unique qualities that make up himself.

Historical Analysis Essay

Holly Ryan

Her Personal Battles

Slavery dehumanizes everyone it surrounds, as learned from prior texts, and can corrupt a person forever. Slaves especially are made less than human from the agonizing hostilities of slavery. They share the same hardships with each other, but also face such brutality on their own. Each slave, just like every person, has their own story and challenges to overcome, some more than others. Mary Reynolds was a slave that encountered these hostilities of slavery, and her story increase my awareness on this disgusting time period. The slave narrative of Mary Reynolds expanded my understanding of slavery by describing her personal struggles and the cruelties of slavery that affected her, while also providing evidence of such harsh times.

My previous awareness of slavery was expanded through Mary Reynolds’s personal struggles with endurance. During the bitterest cold winters, “when the frost was on the bolls” as she said, Mary hated picking cotton. Her hands were so cold they began to crack open and bleed, a personal struggle that she described with great detail. Her explanation expanded my understanding of slavery because it was personal to her slavery experience, making it more powerful and realistic. Also, it used more specific evidence to show how she overcame her crusade. In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave, written by Himself, Frederick Douglass briefed on the idea that work was torturous during the ice-cold winters, but never provided specific examples or struggles he personally had. While on the other hand, Mary Reynolds exhibits an image of how she suffered in the freezing weather.

Mary Reynolds expands my awareness of slavery by describing the cruelties that were unique to her. She does so when explaining her wardrobe, all she wore was a long collared shirt that went down to her knees, with an unsuitable pair of shoes. “Shoes was the worstes' trouble… they'd never git them to fit. Once when I was a young gal, they got me a new pair and all brass studs in the toes. They was too li'l for me, but I had to wear them. The trimmin's cut into my ankles and them places got mis'ble bad.” No one cared that every step she took, her wounds would expand greater and greater. Slavery consisted of multiple outrageous acts of cruelty like this, but because this inhumanity was so personal to her, I can now fully understand how devastating slavery truly was.

Mary Reynolds’s entire body is cover with battle wounds from the harsh crusades of slavery, forcing me to honestly believe the hardships slaves had to overcome; the hardships of beatings everyday, of working with shoes two sizes too small, and of frozen hands. Every personal encounter Mary had with slavery left a scar, whether it was on her back, her hands, or her feet. She claims, “The scars are there to this day”, from wearing those uncomfortable shoes, and from the whippings on her back, “They was things past tellin', but I got the scars on my old body to show to this day.” Evidence that proves the struggles and cruelties of slavery are real and scar a slave for the rest of their life, not only physically but also emotionally.

The Land of Red Apples Poem

"My Uncomfortable Surroundings"


Their glassy blue eyes upon us,
Staring.

Fair women stopped their haste,
scrutinizing.

Large men halted nearby,
watching,
I resented being watched.

Bold, white faces pointed.

I was embarrassed,
sinking deep into my seat, eyes downcast,
constantly on the verge of tears.

We were disturbed and troubled,
us bronzed children.

Fear made my body tremble,
the only safety was up against a wall.

I was not happy,
falling asleep heaving deep, tired sobs.

My tears left to dry themselves,
my mother had never made a plaything out of her wee daughter.

Fatal Border Crossing Essay

Holly Ryan

The Risk of Crossing

More than one illegal immigrant dies each day in attempt to cross the dangerous borders of Mexico to the United States. These migrants died from suffocation in airless trucks, vehicle crashes, downing, and most commonly heatstroke, and dehydration. Crossing the border has become increasingly difficult since 1994, when the Border Patrol launched a policy that would forever change the lives of illegal immigrants. This policy was known as Operation Gatekeeper, which was an effort to put a halt to immigration in the San Diego area, but took a turn for the worst when it expanded to both Arizona and Texas. The death rate of illegal immigrants began to rise rapidly since this operation began, leading up to 2,000 deaths of migrants. The Border Patrol is to blame for these mounting deaths because of Operation Gatekeeper, by enhancing their security, driving migrant traffic to the most severe areas, and in the end even increasing immigration.

The number of Border Patrol agents, surveillance equipment, and physical barriers in the San Diego sector dramatically increased after the launch of Operation Gatekeeper. The rank of Border Patrol agents was nearly doubled nationwide, rising up to 8,200 agents. With an increased budget of 578 million dollars from the United States government, the Border Patrol was granted an alarming amount of power. Taking advantage of this power, these agents would arrest or even kill anyone who tried to illegally cross the border, most of which were just immigrants searching for a better life. From the time of October 2008 to March 2009, 265,000 people were arrested after attempting to cross the border with no legal documents. These people trying to find freedom and success in the USA were arrested and caught by the overwhelming amount of border patrol agents, driving future immigrants to cross in unsafe areas.

Major cities abundant in migrant traffic, such as San Diego and El Paso, were the main targets of Operation Gatekeeper. Due to this policy, militarization and security were enhanced in these cities, forcing immigrants from the popular suburban migration routes to severe terrain. The only route to entering California that remained was either through the Imperial Desert, or over mountains north of Tecate. These regions were both harsh and desolated areas, making it extremely dangerous for anyone to trek through. Days of traveling in the extreme climates of these areas led to the rising of deaths, being that they had to travel light with few assets, such as water. Whether it was dehydration or suffocation, these immigrants had a higher risk of death when trying to cross over into America. This was all because the Border Patrol focused on strengthening the border in big cities, where trekking conditions were less cruel.

Operation Gatekeeper’s intensions ended up going in the exact opposite direction. The result of this strategy was actually an increase of illegal immigration due the problem of “border buildup,” says a study by the Public Policy Institute of California. After the border’s security was strengthened, it made it take even more time to cross the border, whether or not you had a passport. This caused for a border buildup, which meant that a great amount of people would build up at the border when trying to pass, leading to an increased amount of illegal immigrants crossing over. Operation Gatekeeper actually ended up doing very little to diminishing illegal immigration. In the end this policy that the Border Patrol launched was a failure and took the lives of many.

Operation Gatekeeper was a policy that ended up creating more problems than solutions. Through the attempts of strengthening all the major cities’ borders, the cost of this operation got up to be over two billion dollars a year, and for what? The deaths of illegal immigrants rose dramatically and there are even more attempting to cross the border now. Overall the Border Patrol was to blame for these deaths because of this policy.