I find the story of Greg Mortenson’s life interesting and courageous. For him to be in a part of the world that was tumultuous at the time of him building schools, I admire his passion. Reading Mortenson’s life story in “Three Cups of Tea” by him and colleage David Oliver Relin, empowers me to get things done that I feel need to be done to help others.

His courage to weather the storm through Afghanistan, the regions of Pakistan, through language barriers, and become amiable to opposing chiefs, is impeccable. I think that by him being taken care of by the Balti ethnic group in Pakistan, it drove him more towards getting the schools built. His prior fragile situation being deserted in the mountains later made him passionate.

Knowing that some of my educators and friends have balanced their lives and family to reach the goal I’m striving for, encourages me to the finish line. Whether it’s your own family or personal duties of a single person, it can still be overwhelming. If balance is absent from your life, the quality of your life is in danger. Although working hard and partying hard hasn’t worked for me in light of the pile of responsibilities I have. Finding time to laugh and enjoy precious moments with my children helps me so much.

I recently started utilizing all of my resources to make things happen for me. With help from my good friend, Shallah, she told me how many resources are on Queens College campus. This information was priceless. Nothing like good peers around you to encourage you, while you are both trying to accomplish common goals. Sometimes I felt like I was neglecting my two younger boys because they need help with their homework. Finding out that there is a daycare center that has personnel who are equipped to help my children, was a blessing. My children are able to complete their homework assignments and eat dinner with amiable faculty at Queens College. This is something that I wasn’t able to do with them because of my commitment to my studies. No I feel like I don’t have to make a choice between my studies and my children. All of our immediate needs are being satisfied through the help of a friend sharing helpful information.

When I think about all the red tape I have to go through to complete an asssignment, it makes me feel like napping. To accomplish at least one master’s degree will complete a part of my life I always dreamed of. Everyone has responsibilities that have to be managed in order to reach their goals.  I constantly take deep breaths while I walk through the maze I characterize as my life. One step at a time is what I remind myself of so I won’t feel overwhelmed. 

Getting rid of clutter allows me to think clearly. Yes clutter, whether its in my mind or in front of me, I have to rid myself of it in order to achieve the goal I set for myself. The sky is the limit. As I keep reaching to the sky, the sun will shine in my maze to steer me through.

Usually the goals of ED Tech grants are to enhance students’ technological growth.  The US government’s goal is to have students technologically literate by the eighth grade.   It seems like students are technologically advanced much earlier than the eighth grade; I have witnessed that the US department of Education has reached their goal throughout classrooms across the nation.

I read literature on Edmoto which is similar to bringing Facebook in the classroom.  It’s a good tool for teachers to make themselves accessible to students.  Animoto aids in making memories last on video and through pictures.  I am fond of Glogster because it allows students to share their artistic work while receiving comments from their viewers.  I find that a majority of creative students are introverts when it comes to sharing their work publicly. They need positive feedback for encouragement.

I would definitely incorporate modern technology in my FACS classroom to enhance the learning of my students.

What a great six grade teacher a student could ever have with the name Keris Murray.  Ms. Murray had students digging in dirt looking for archaeological finds that told a story of what once was.  Whatever the agenda, it was exciting and memorable.  She had a way to a student’s heart whether it was a defiant student or a creative intellect.  Ms. Murray went above and beyond the curriculum and in doing so, she always butted heads with the principal.  She taught us how to stand up for ourselves and not to feel to bad about who we were, teaching us that no one was perfect and there was always room for change; but to never look down on ourselves was an asset.  She had a sense of empowering you to do anything you set out to do.  Somehow Ms. Murray’s way was going against the grain.  Amongst all her attributes a trend would start.

Ms. Murray was known for sitting in your living room or kitchen table with your mom after school if their was a continuous problem with a student.  This was when teachers took on the job as a school social worker after hours.  She became a family friend and most often the best teacher that made a difference in your life despite the four children she had of her own and one attending Princeton University.  She aimed for expunging the negative and exposing the good in her students.

I would have never thought that I would enjoy teaching in a FACS classroom as much as I enjoyed attending class in the sixth grade.  Ms. Murray produced plays and talent shows that reflected the culture of the community and abroad.  She always had us guessing what was next.  She traveled on every school break and was anxious to show us artifacts attached to interesting stories upon her return.

I always wanted to be her favorite throughout the sixth grade but from understanding that it’s not productive for students to notice there’s a favorite makes me miss her even more.  I’m glad I was able to spend the last years of her life as her mentee.  I will always be inspired by her.

No More Butter

Writing a book with the title, No More Butter, has been in my head for a long time.  From poor eating habits to needing to exercise for good health, writing this novel about my road from living to eat and not eating to live is a work in progress.  It becomes redundant writing and reading about obesity and how it plays a role in this society.  There’s no escape when obesity has an affect on an enormous amount of people including me.   It’s a fight waiting to be won and expressed with words by revealing feelings of overcoming an obstacle and getting through it.

For years I have watched the patterns of my family members’ eating habits that caused them ailments and eventually death at an early age.  Eating wrong foods in abundance, never helps a situation get better.  Poor eating habits learned from years ago passed on to generations of today; especially in my family. 

Writing this book will take readers through my journey of holiday dinners, breakfasts that were like feasts, fish frys, and many more events that contribute to poor choices in Americans’ diets that can relate to my story.

Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR)

APPR standards are important to all teachers and I think that these standards should be mentioned more often.  This is the first time I heard about APPR standards.  I believe that having  standards  gives educators goals to achieve.  There should always be a standard of some sort to measure the progress of teachers as well as students.  APPR standards can be a reason or guideline for salaries being structured; this is a good thing when salary is mentioned.   But when standards are enforced, no one wants to hear about it.

If AAPR standards are taught early in a teacher’s career then it would never be a problem to tackle the issues or roadblocks that the standards bring when the drawing board is near.  There is always some sort of milestone we have to go through in our careers,  educating ourselves on whats expected makes life easier in the long run.

The reason I choose to become a Family and Consumer Science teacher began in Hillcrest High School when I made apricot tarts in cooking class.  This is when I learned how to cook and use measurement utensils to become a gourmet cook.   I wish.  I went to York College and received a Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education.   In order to graduate I had to complete an internship so I volunteered at Elmhurst Hospital in the Social Work department with the Community Health Educators to become familiar with the type of environment I might work in.  After volunteering at the hospital, I received a call from the Associate Director of the Social Work department inviting me to become the Coordinator of the Smoking Cessation Research Program for the upcoming summer semester of 2007.  I agreed and enjoyed speaking to patients about their success in quitting smoking.  I gave out nicotine patches to the hospital population and on the campus of Queens College in the Student Union Building.

Upon entering Queens College as a Family and Consumer Science major I began working in the SEEK department at York College as a Counselor’s Assistant.   I work with the incoming freshman’s inside and outside the classroom making sure they know how to acclimate to the college environment.  I made sure the students knew how to use the college as a resource for success.  I also conducted workshops on how to register for the classes according to their majors.  Additionally I became a Supplemental Instructor at York College teaching the SEEK students self awareness and encouraging them to progress positively.

In conclusion, I’m inspired to be in a position that involves me helping and encouraging others with helping them pursue their  success.  Whether it’s an individual’s career, daily life style, or someone making a positive choice I like to be a part of it.  Learning starts from within.  Your mind doesn’t work if your heart is not there.