Phlog #2 State of Education

The current state of education in New Mexico is viewed negatively by the media and others.  Although we are facing various challenges in our education system with budget cuts, teachers not getting paid what their worth and so forth we need to redirect our focus on the creative and innovative students that we are losing along the way. In New Mexico there are many schools failing but there are just as many who are graduating students with the accurate proficiency to attend college and move forward with their education.  We just don’t hear the positive side of education very often. There are exceptional teachers who are teaching in a failing school who are giving their students the education and skills they need to succeed.  I feel that teachers need more support and career development that relates to their specific classrooms.  The teacher’s effectiveness will improve and help her class achieve all the standardized testing that is required for each student.  One of the comments in the documentary that was viewed in class stayed in my mind.  The comment was “If students aren’t learning in your classroom then you’re not a good teacher, you’re a good person”. I believe that education should not only be measured by all the standardized testing and requirements by the state, but by the student’s intellectual development as well.  There may be a student who comes into a class room at the beginning of the year that is immature and not on the right track academically, but because of his “great” teacher, he changes his behavior and education path by the end of the year.  This is a perfect example of how a teacher can do what is required by the state, education wise, but also help a student grow.  So in my opinion she is a “great” teacher as well as a good person and that’s what it takes to be an educator.

Blog assignment #1

Reflecting on my personal educational experiences, the central themes that defined me as a student were the commitment and dedication I spent working on achieving a passing grade in class.  School was difficult for me and it took a lot of sacrifice to make that “B” in my math class.  I spent many lunch breaks in tutoring sessions but I knew what I had to do in order to succeed.  I was very involved with the cheer and dance teams in high school and had to maintain the G.P.A. requirements to participate. I was also very lucky to have a few influential teachers who helped me fulfill my dream of college. 

During my first two years of college at the University of New Mexico, general education courses and G.P.A. were again a means to keep my Lottery scholarship and stay involved as a Lobo cheerleader and the Chaparral dance group. My commitment changed when I began my specific course work for my family studies degree. I became very interested in learning about child development, family dynamics, socio-economic status, and the link between education level and job earnings. Education was still a means to an end but, instead of eligibility, it became a personal need to fill my “toolbox” with the skills to be an important part of the lives of the adolescents I worked with in my job.

I have been employed with the Bernalillo County Parks and Recreation Department since I was 15 years old as a part-time summer employee. My work began with seasonal recreation programs and grew into a teen dance program. My experiences have taught me to listen, be compassionate, and to speak at a level young people understand. I have developed a sense of how unique each individual’s view of the world is as they grow. My passion for dance and young people, combined with my with my education in family studies, has again inspired me to commit and dedicate myself to expand my knowledge. 

My work experience has developed my soft skills: compassion, communication and hard work. Earning my teacher’s license is also a means to an end—to further link my passion for youth to measurable education outcomes.