D&Z Ch 12

Here we are, at the finish line!!! D&Z provided some great strategies this past semester that I will keep in mind and refer to when I have my own classroom.  The "How Students See it" section was probably the most valuable to me in regards to the kind of teacher I want to be.  Take Hal's perspective for example, "I asked Mrs.Stoop, "What's the point in reading anyway?" "So she sat me down and she printed out an article that told all the different ways that reading could help me.  She really took the time for me." [Amy explained later that he had been on the verge of dropping out, but was now a very successful student.]  I think there was much more to that story that "saved" Hal's academic career, however, had she answered with a simple generic "because it's important," Hal would have probably rolled his eyes and not read. As a student, knowing that a teacher has faith in you. believes in you and is willing to take the extra step is incredibly motivating.  At least it was for me in high school.  I think that's what separates those who were meant to be teachers and those who teach for convenience.  There are teachers who cover content and their job is over at 3:00 when they walk out of the building.  And then there are teachers like the one i want to become.  Your work day is never finished. You go home and think of new ways to do something, better ways, how to improve and how to be there for your students.  Those were the teachers who had a substantial influence on my life and I feel as though I owe my success thus far in college to them.  They inspired me to become a teacher and instill in my students the motivation they instilled in me.......Even if that means I have to be a super senior and spend ridiculous amounts of money on multiple brutal Praxis tests!!!!! :)

D & Z Chapter 11

Chapter 11 connected well with my SPED 312 class.  My professor often stresses that by the time students enter high school many of them are unprepared or come with lower reading levels than we may expect. So what do we do? At that point RTI is irrelevant so we must come up with strategies to help these struggling readers. I agree with D & Z that creating a supportive relationships with our students is essential to the success of a student.  If a student trusts their teacher they are more likely to go to the teacher when they need help without feeling insecure about themselves or level of ability.   In the past students may not have established a form of trust with their teachers and felt as though they were failures.  Fostering motivation and determination and a "can do" attitude is much more encouraging and beneficent than having a student throw together a book report.  This has been more and more apparent in my observation at North Providence High.  The 11th grade American History inclusion class has many students who struggle with reading and writing.  From conversation with my teacher, many other teachers do not like working with her students, complain about them and essentially give up.  The students in this class have a great relationship with their teacher.  The kids were with her last year as well and there is a certain level of respect between both student and teacher.  The students are willing to try because they feel comfortable and they know it is acceptable to try again. 

D&Z Ch. 9 and 10

Chapter 9 brought up something I never really thought of doing, but totally love - Content Area Book Clubs. In many of my history courses in college we read at least 2 books each semester, yet in high school I don't recall reading much in history classes, which is a shame.  History is a content area with a countless number of great nonfiction books that can provide as supplemental material to a lesson and just enjoyment in general for the students.  The note taking choices and roles of connector, questioner, passage master, vocabulary enricher, illustrator and researcher are great tools to ensure that everyone is accountable.  Small groups can be difficult as some will not speak at all, and others may do all the talking.  With this method each student is responsible for reading the material.  I also asked the question of assessment because when reading a novel, certain moments will sick with students, and not all of the moments will be the same. The idea of a portfolio and project takes away the stressful aspect of assessment.  In high school it was easy to go on spark notes and memorize the characters and plots and regurgitate them on the test, without even opening the cover of the book.  That certainly did nothing to foster a desire of reading.

For my AP Human Geography class in high school we read the book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. It is a story about Hmong immigrants and at first glance I dreaded having yet another novel to read on top of a heavy course load of my senior year.  My teacher organized the class similar to that of the book club.  We had many class discussion and activities that coincided with the book. Unfortunately the assessment part was more traditional with quizzes here and there to make sure we had read the material.  However, to my surprise, I actually really enjoyed the book and found it as enjoyment more than just "another homework assignment."  The book is used in a variety of fields.  I have friends in the nursing program who are reading it as part of health care classes.  I toculd be used for sociology as well.  Check it out!

http://us.macmillan.com/thespiritcatchesyouandyoufalldown/annefadiman

D & Z Ch. 5 and 8

I regret renting this book and not purchasing it because the strategies in chapter 5 are super helpful and is the perfect go to when planning lessons and introducing a new unit that may have difficult content. The strategies are all aligned to the Common Core Standards which is also helpful. For history, I particularly liked front loading with images post-it response notes (something totally new) exit slips and admit slips and tweet the text. Front loading with images prior to reading is common in many history classes and as a visual learner it was something I always appreciated.  I think what I liked most about the strategies offered in this chapter is that they are geared towards all students.  There are strategies for all learners and they allow for differentiated instruction in the classroom.  The Tweet and talk strategy caught my eye as a millennial who is overly addicted to technology. This concept can go much further than simply summarizing a text. A class twitter account is a great way to connect with students.  However, it is something to be cautious of when creating this account.  Do students have the ability to access twitter at home? Do they have a laptop or smart phone? Will it be used strictly in school?  Anyway, I checked out the link that was provided in the text and if offers some pretty cool stuff!  For history or sociology classes there is so much you can do! I particularly like the idea of following accounts with different biases to see how the media covers current events and interprets them differently. Tracking the government by following organizations is also a good idea.  In regards to current events and the news, lets face it, it's 2015 and our students are most likely not reading the newspaper.  I get almost all of my news from twitter. It's instant and in 140 characters you get the gist of what's happening and can chose to click the article and continue reading.  Students can share their findings via twitter and create a small academic sphere outside of the classroom. Check out some other cool ideas here! http://www.teachhub.com/50-ways-use-twitter-classroom

Another cool strategy that incorporates social media and was not mentioned (but maybe could have been) is having students create a facebook page as a specific character or person in time.  For example, each student can assigned someone in history, let's use the Civil War.  Someone creates a page for Abraham Lincoln and after reading about him they can summarize what they learned and create a status perhaps with a picture.  Other figures of the time can comment and create a dialogue.

Moving on from that excitement, the independent reading workshop is great to get students to read for both learning and enjoyment. Giving students choices can motivate them and they man actually look forward to reading.   As a teacher you would have to pay close attention to scheduling and timing to ensure that it does not too much time away from instruction. Other than that I think the idea is great!

D&Z Ch. 6 and 7

Chapter 6 is a great tool for the textbook analysis assignment, so I am glad to have read it before I started looking into textbooks. I will definitely look back to the Textbook Feature Analysis on page 184 as I analyze my textbook.  Questions 2-5 will help me assess areas that I had not previously put any thought into - sidebars and pull boxes, typography, color, and symbols and icons.  While reading a boring text with just black and white print can be boring, too much color, symbols and sidebars can be overwhelming. While looking through the text i will think about what activities would work well with the text, if any.

However, what I really want to talk about is Chapter 7, "Building a Community of Learners."  I first want to start with PBIS because I think when they threw it in the text it was a little confusing. PBIS is part of what is called MTSS, Multi-Tiered Support System which includes both PBIS and RTI. PBIS is used in many schools in Rhode Island, all of which have been trained by members of the Sherlock Center here at RIC. From all of my almsot 4 years as a college student and zero years of being teacher, I think D&Z did a poor job discussing it.  They threw it out there and say "We certainly hope this is not just another fad or mandate to be piled onto teachers, however."  Research has shown PBIS to be effective in the schools in which it is implemented.  Tier 1 is universal, for all student sin the classroom.  At this tier, students collaborate with each other and their teacher and devise a system or procedure for the classroom. Students have a say in how they conduct their classroom expectations and environment.  This is a crucial aspect in creating a community that establishes success, belonging, and value before students can establish academic belonging, success and value.  For student who express excessive problem behavior, supplemental intervention is applied in tier 2, which may include checklists, behavior systems or a check-in, check out system.  In order for students to work well together in an academic setting, respectful behavior must be established early on with each other and the teacher.  PBIS offers that opportunity and so much more.

Now I've cleared that up for myself, I like the five points they mention that help teachers build a community in the classroom.  High school is so much a social sphere as it is academic.  Some students may be timid to ask questions in fear of looking dumb, or may not try their hardest because its cooler to look like you don't care. Developing a classroom where all students feel safe to ask any question and work to their full potential will not only aid them right here and now, but in the future as well in college and their future careers. I particularly liked the idea of "using jigsaw activities in which small groups of students give presentations to help the rest of the class learn about various aspects of a topic.  Students dive into the material, while practicing teaching and presentation skills and helping their peers in an academic setting.

Connecting learning with students' lives and larger issues around them is also extremely important, not just for building community but for students to understand the importance of what they are learning and how it will affect them outside the walls of the classroom.

Strong Ch. 6

       The craft assignments given as examples in the reading were all very interesting and great ways to promote writing motivation.  While reading, I thought about assignments I've had as a student both in high school and college and which ones fostered the most motivation. Take these blog assignments for example. I we were assigned a 1-2 page APA format reflection or a paper in response to a prompt every week, we would most likely groan the first day of class looking at the syllabus (I know I would).  The fact that we are using a blog, a form of technology with which are familiar, and writing in a less formal academic tone, the burden is lifted.  I look forward to reading how my peers responded and seeing if they have the same questions and feelings. The dialogue aspect of these assignments motivates me to not only write a quality blog, but to actually read the material.  If I just skimmed every reading, my blog would be lacking and I would miss out on the conversation - hence motivation (for me anyway).
       I wish I could go back in time and give multiple teachers the Ten Design Principles, specifically #2 :"Would I be interested in doing this assignment if I were one of my students?"  I've had many assignments I am sure my teachers would not have the time or energy to complete.  I was thinking about an assignment I had a few weeks ago.  I was assigned a "Critical Essay" about Morocco's history precolonial, colonial and post colonial. Going into the assignment I had no knowledge of Morocco (which was the point) however, I did not particularly care about the history of Morocco.  Why should I?  I don't live there, don't know anyone from there and it does not really play that big of a role in international affairs. I wrote the paper to get the A.  The essay could not be more than 5 pages, even though Morocco's history can be dated back for centuries.  As a history major, research skills are implanted in brain and it is a routine task. A "no brainer" - literally. Essentially I researched and regurgitated what I found.  I did not have to formulate any type of opinion or idea about Morocco's history.
        Lately, I find myself in "teacher mode" more often when I sit through hours of classes and complete numerous tedious assignments.  I ask myself what the purpose is and why the professor thought this subject or assignment is important.  I also think of how I can alter the assignment if I were to give it to one of my own students.  I came to the conclusion that the "big idea" of the Morocco assignment was to catch a glimpse of how a period of colonialism can affect those being colonized. We have been learning about the colonialism of Africa in general.  As a future history teacher I would definitely change the assignment. First, I would ask students to research material and organize/minimize their research.  (The essay only being 5 pages tells that it was meant to be a brief overview).  This could be done by providing students with questions they can search.  Did women's roles change and if so how? Which time period produced the best economy?  How did the political system work in each period?  After organizing their thoughts, students could write a letter to the French government as the sultan asking for independence based on the evidence they found about precolonial and the colonial time period. Students could act as citizens writing to the sultan during the neo colonial era about the various issues they now had to face as an independent country, etc.  This type of assignment shows that students have researched the material while causing students to actually think about the material they found. Students are forced to think about how people were affected by repression and exploitation and what it means to rebel and fight for freedom after it has been taken.  Students can relate this more recent struggle of freedom from a European colonizer to that of the 13 colonies of the United States.  Comparisons can be made of taxation without representation. Students will be aware of the big idea and the assignment will be worthwhile, and worth their time.  Students have the ability to be creative and as a teacher, I will not have to read 100 essays of the timeline history of Morocco or any other country for that matter.
   

(I could elaborate on writing motivation but I will stop here! This took a totally different path than I intended but it's okay because I like it!!!)

D&Z Ch. 3 and 4

While I appreciate the writing in D&Z, I have to admit chapters 3 and 4 were a little "much" for me.  I feel like it could have been consolidated into one chapter.  I got the point rather quickly that textbooks are not enough to be the sole basis of class instruction and the only supplemental material in the classroom.  Maybe it is because this is nothing to me, a frustration I have always had a student, so the emphasis placed on numerous pages became boring to me.  With that being said, I enjoyed the portion where they talk about how to balance reading from a text with other sources....

When I used other sources such as primary and secondary sources, documentaries and novels in high school I became more interested in history.  We had always used a text book (some years more than others) but the years when the book was a source of terms to know and and overview were the years I learned the most.  The supplemental sources allowed me to bring the text to life, to make it "real" and to make it "matter."  Reading about the March on Washington in a text book is much more dull then watching footage of Martin Luther King Jr.'s  "I Have a Dream" speech. Allowing students to actually witness what they are learning through media or other outlets of text brings a sense of reality that a text book cannot.  Students may become more engaged or motivated when they get this sense of reality.  When teaching history there is also the opportunity for students to relate content to current events and link the events of the past to the present.

I particularly appreciated the content areas D&Z provided.  I agree that there are key concepts that should be linked to teaching all year.  This made me think about our class discussions of backward design when trying to design desired results.  The "Big Ideas" that we want students to learn may not come out of one single unit.  I can definitely see myself placing little emphasis on textbooks in my classroom.  Last semester I had a geography class where no textbook was required.  The first day of class Professor Dixon placed 4 huge textbooks on his desk and I was immediately frightened I was going to need them all! He had a little speech on how each book had something better than the other and how each book was over 100 dollars and about 20 pounds. Instead, he showed a website he created with materials, links and articles that would take place of a textbook.  At a high school level this may be a little more difficult to align with curriculum but it could be used as a supplement in addition to the text.  Geography is an easier content area to do this with as well because students could chose any article about a certain region to read and review.  I learned so much more from these articles than I would have from a textbook.  There were length requirements and other specifications, but reading something from a newspaper or watching something from the BBC was much more interesting and enjoyable than scanning a textbook.

Overall I think textbooks are not entirely awful if they are used appropriately and sparingly.  Having a classroom set rather than one for every student is a much more efficient idea budget wise.  Students can use the text during group work, copy an pertinent info or terms to know and then use the other materials for more direct instruction and cooperative learning.



Here is the website I used for my geography class! Super informative, user friendly and FREE!
Geography Education

UBD Reading

I found the readings on Understanding by Design particularly useful as I am preparing to take the Praxis PLT next week (YIKES). The only prior knowledge I had of backward design came from sample question explanations in a Praxis practice guide.  The timing could not have been better!

Chapter 1 began with a quote from the book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." "To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination.  It means to know where you're going so that you better understand where you are now so that they steps you take are always in the right direction."  I have not read this book, however I have read "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens."  The book was assigned to us in 9th grade, although I feel like it was somehow tied into my religion class? I can't remember.  Either way, the book was great and I got excited to read when I saw the opening quote for the chapter.  The book did not have so much of an emphasis on knowing exactly where you're going so you take steps that are always in the right direction, because let's face it, in 9th grade that's a pretty big nut to crack.  However, after Habit 1 (Be proactive) is Habit 2, "Start with the end in mind."  This Habit has stuck with me since 9th grade and applying it to teaching makes perfect sense! If you set a clear destination you then backtrack your way and find out how you will get there! The "defective" teen had no end in sight, went with the flow and wasn't very successful.  Kind of like lessons I tried to plan in the past with no end goal in sight!
(Sorry for this rant, I just got excited! Here is the link to the book on amazon - you can take a sneak peak and check it out. It;s worth taking a glance at in the future, it could be something you could direct your students to if need be!) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

On to the good stuff - backward design. When I designed one of my first lessons, I had a nice template with neat boxes to fill in.  I was excited to start but had no idea what I was doing.  It was pretty much free reign.  I could pick whatever topic, align it with some standards and fill the required amount of teaching time. I had no idea what I was doing.  Once I had chosen a topic I was concerned with finding interesting activities for my students to enjoy and learn from, rather than first examining my desired results from the lesson.  Eventually after much tweaking I caught on to this idea somewhat - although knowing these stages ahead of time most definitely would have not only saved me time, but it would have helped me to clarify my goal.

The application scenario of the health teacher using backward design, step by step, was extremely helpful.  I was able to envision each step and could see myself working a lesson similarly.  When the scenario got to stage 2 I starred, underlined and highlighted the statement, "Kids tend to focus on their races rather than on their learning. Perhaps the way I've used assessments - more for grading purposes than to document learning has contributed somewhat to their attitude." YES! This was almost my entire schooling experience! Teachers say "try your best," "do the best you can do" as if doing your best will get you some type of reward.  What happens when you do your best and the answer is incorrect? You get a bad grade and the cycle repeats. The teacher here is reflecting on ways in which HE assessed his students and how he contributed to this attitude of needing the right answer for the grade.  Determining how you will assess and thinking as an assessor will ensure that you are spending time on what's really important.  We've all had that teacher who puts questions on the test that we have never seen before.  Sure they intended to get to that content but something along the way didn't work out.  Starting with the end in mind allows us to make sure the desired results are met through our instruction and planing of instruction.  *SIDE NOTE: I also thought of a Jerry Seinfeld SNL skit that Emily showed me (I can't take credit, so thanks Ems!).  SNL History Class Skit  If you don't have time to watch, the students are simply concerned with their horrible quiz grades and not concerned with learning the content.*  And why is this? Because too often teachers assess solely with tests and quizzes and regurgitation rather than assessing the connection with understanding and learning - learning in the sense of "something that should serve us in the future" as Bruner noted in 1960.  Most of the time the only purpose those quizzes of regurgitation serve is a grade on a piece of paper. I felt this coincided with Module A and the idea that teachers impose understanding by good fortune more often that understanding by design where they throw content and activities to the wall and "hope it sticks." Overall I enjoyed the readings, although lengthy they were not difficult to comprehend and brought back a lot of memories of my entire academic career both good and bad!

D & Z Chapters 1&2

Daniels and Zemelman's," Subjects Matter," is definitely a text book worth keeping.  Chapter 1, The Core Purposes of Reading, gave insight to realistic issues regarding literacy today in high schools.  It also gave meaningful suggestions for how to better provide strategies for readings in our classrooms. I particularly liked the two visions of reading and the examples of how teachers taught.  The lesson on Fast Food showed that is had genuinely inspired students to take initiative and do something about what they had learned.  Not only did the students understand what they were learning, they understood why.   Looking back to my high school years I experienced both visions.  I had dedicated teachers who created lessons that inspired me to take action or research further outside of school.  I also had dedicated teachers who assigned text book reading, answering questions from the text and regurgitating the material the next day on a pop quiz to see if we had really read and done the assignment.  Daniels and Zemelman point out that content teachers care about reading, and that studies shoes most teachers are similar to those who assign the reading and questions without providing reading strategies.
As I read the story of the science class I thought about when I am assigned readings in classes that i do not typically enjoy.  Most of the time I do not enjoy the class if it is a topic that does not interest me.  At the college level I know enough that my interest does not really matter, I have to complete the assignment regardless to the best of my ability.  I muster enough courage to get through the gruesome pages with strategies I have learned along the way.  I know if I do not, and simply try to read the text I will end up finishing the text not remembering a single thing I had just read. At the high school level this occurred many times when I was not interested int he reading or if the language was too difficult.  I would have to re and reread the text to fully comprehend the content, and then for what? The next day I would complete a quiz, have a discussion on what we read and move on to the next topic.  I was not particularly moved by any of the information nor did I really care.  I simply read the content because it was assigned.
On the flip side of this, I thoroughly enjoyed completely the exact same type of assignment for my history courses - because I was interested.  But still, I did not take away the amount of meaningful and effective learning as I had from assignments similar to the Fast Food assignment.
In the United States there is the never ending debate on how to close the achievement gap and the search for the perfect recipe for the educational ranking to increase.  The reality is there are so many factors that go into educational achievement and the achievement gap that many of the top countries will never face.  This text was the first in my career at Rhode Island College to point out the fact that non of the top scoring countries "have anywhere near the levels of deep, enduring poverty of America."  Along with poverty is diversity.  We live in a country that is so culturally diverse, and teach in heterogeneous classrooms with different cultural and educational learning styles.  Catering to each cultural norm and style, along with the issues that come along with poverty are factors that affect these scores.  Creating a system of standards that takes all of these factors into account is no simple task.  The Common Core State Standards Initiative, while brand new, has been the topic of debate.  With any implementation of a new system there are pros and cons and reasons for doubts.  The intent behind the initiative is one that makes the most sense in proposals we have seen thus far.  Literacy is involved in all content areas and all teachers are reading teachers in one way or another.  The standards do need fine tuning (which we can find on page 19) however, that will come with time. For now, we can experiment with the standards and measure progress made in literacy since the implementation of the standards.
Chapter 2 was also very interesting and make me assess myself and my reading strategies. The reading lessons the book provided, were frustrating at times.  I am a college student, I know how to read! Yet some passages I did not understand at all! The reading lessons give teachers a perspective of how their students may read certain subjects.  We cannot assume because our students made it to 12th grade AP History that they are 100% able to read the text the same way their teacher is able to read the text. Stressing the stages of reading at all academic levels, even so high as 12th grade is an essential tool that will not only aid the students' comprehension of material but can also decrease the amount of stress and anxiety a student may face when they are asked to read difficult content.  With multiple groups of students we are unable to gauge our students reading ability right away.  Teaching and reviewing reading strategies early in the year will help all students become better, more effective readers.

Wilheim Reading

Chapter 1, The Theory of Teaching, addressed aspects of teaching that I have never thought really thought about during my time studying education.  I never looked at teaching as a science.  After reading further about teaching as a science versus a profession I understand more how theories and methods can make teaching a science.  I agree that looking at teaching as a profession is not entirely correct.  The vignette about the student teacher Nate and abiding by the curriculum while incorporating theory of teaching, shows the struggle between profession and science.  "A profession defines itself and its boundaries." If teachers were to teach solely the factual content of the curriculum without providing further methodology, students would not gain the ability to examine, process and interpret information, think critically and compose their own thoughts and ideas.

In the Secondary Education program were are given more content courses rather than education courses.  After performing practicum hours in school I have the fear of not being prepared to actually teach.  I will know the facts and the content I need to teach, I will know how to write a goals and objectives and write lesson plans, I will know how to write and IEP and conduct screenings for RTI, but how will I become an effective teacher? At the elementary level there are multiple "methods" courses on "how to teach" certain subjects.  "Teachers are not taught to teach, and most often they do not teach."  This line taken from the excerpt in Tharp and Gallimore's book Rousting Minds to Life is quite frightening and true. I have had teachers who were examples of this statement and I hope to not be another example. Looking back on my school years, I remember "wide awake" teachers and teachers who were not so wide awake.  With teachers who are not wide awake as Wilheim describes, I did not understand what I was doing, why I was doing it and how I could be doing it.  I simply did what I was told because that's "what we did."  However, I had teachers that were fully awake more in my upperclassmen years of high school where I fully enjoyed what I was doing.  It was with these teachers I became the most success in learning and actually appreciated their gift of teaching.  The further I pursue my career in education the deeper understanding I am receiving of what it really entails.  It is not just a profession, it truly is a science.

Another aspect of teaching that I feel as though is concentrated more on elementary years are the theories of Vygotsky and Hillocks.  The zone of proximal development tends to disappear in the secondary level of education.  As a high school student not too long ago I worked in my zone of actual development until it was recognized and I was moved into honors classes. Teachers want their students to succeed, but as Wilheim states, the most excellent projects may not have really taught students anything new. Support is still needed as not all students have mastered all steps by this point in their education. Self-teaching is one of the higher levels of teaching, however at some point the basic tools were taught and mastered along the way. 

The second chapter on reading strategies and teaching those strategies provided insight on how crucial it is to "Knowing how to teach how." Students should know how to read at the secondary level but their level of comprehension and sophistication of reading and writing at that level are not always up to par, because they were never taught how to go beyond. We must teach students to ask themselves questions when they are reading and the inquiry square is a good tool to look as an aspiring teacher. We as teachers must refer to the square ourselves when choosing passages or materials we want students to read. Creating an inquiry environment throughout the classroom will allow students to explore learning in their own realms. 

I think the Wilheim reading was an effective piece to read especially as the introduction to this class.  We now understand the importance of methods and reading strategies and can apply them to our own content areas.  

Literacy Profile: Fitness

Growing up, I always struggled with becoming literate in an activity outside of school.  School was my thing. I was a good student and received great scores and I could never really find something that peaked my interest.  My cousins were all star athletes and I was the star student.  Regardless, my parents enrolled me in an array of extracurricular activities - none of which I ever really enjoyed.  I would quit one and jump into another.  It began with figure skating, then karate, then softball, soccer, lacrosse. When we realized I had not a single athletic bone in my body at the time, (and played the bench far better than the field) I tried piano, then theatre.   I enjoyed theatre and excelled, but after high school the opportunities were scarce and I lost interest.  It was not until college however, that I found something I was truly passion about and for once, completely worth my time.

            In fear of the freshmen 15 and in embarrassment of my couch potato tendencies, I decided I would start exercising. Everyone laughed.  When I first started I had no idea what I was doing, and did almost all of the exercises entirely incorrect.  I would go on the elliptical machine for an hour and just observe everyone else’s routines.  I researched exercises online and joined a gym with my Dad.  He demonstrated things I could do and really taught me how to work out effectively, without getting injured-a tendency of mine.  Within a year I was exercising regularly and maintained my weight.  I became bored and decided that I needed a new goal for myself. I wanted to take this daily routine further.  

            I changed my eating habits and learned the correct way to diet with the intentions of fat loss and gaining muscle. I subscribed to fitness magazines, followed multiple instagram accounts and spent hours on www.bodybuilding.com.  I read articles and watched videos and even “practiced” the exercises at home in my mirror before performing them in the gym.  I was extremely self conscious and nervous about stepping outside of my comfort zone.  In a few months time I was on my way to total transformation.  I lost 10 pounds and began to tone my body.  I was approached by a personal trainer and was asked if I ever thought about training in a bodybuilding competition. He had seen my progress and wanted to take it to the next level. 

            We spoke about competing and I agreed that it was something I would try.  Although I did not end up competing, we trained together for months.  He taught me exercises that my former self would never dare to do, how to manipulate my body, what to eat, when to eat, and the nutrition my body needed.  He told me in the beginning, “This is the hardest thing you will ever do in your life.”  And he was correct! Prepping for the show was rigorous, tiresome and at times truly miserable. However, seeing my body transform by my own doing and my discipline was incredibly rewarding.  As a client of his I joined his team and being a part of his team was a wonderful experience.  I was no longer playing the bench and watching my teammates succeed.  We helped each other on the floor and motivated each other.  We cheered for each other when we were successful and encourage each other on the bad days. The gym became my second home.

            For financial reasons I started to train on my own, taking what he taught with me in all of my workouts and meals. I do not train as rigorously as before but I take my workouts seriously.  I never thought I would be someone giving advice to others about dieting and the importance of protein and various supplements.   My friends often ask me to train them after seeing my transformation and dedication in the gym.  I have inspired them to make a change for the better, and to help rid their couch potato tendencies as well!  I have encouraged friends to run 5k’s together and I have acted as their teammate, which I learned from training.

            When I am training in the gym each workout is a new task and I strive to make each workout better than my last. By doing so I not only make my body stronger, but my mind grows as well.  I increase my motivation and determination and feel as though the sky is the limit.  I can grow to a point where I can conquer any weight (within reason, obviously I am not the Hulk).  In order to do so I have had to prioritize my life and meticulously manage my two jobs and a full time academic schedule.  I look at my training as a journey.  There are days when I walk out feeling defeated.  My body is sore and I am exhausted.  Yet there are days when I walk out feeling triumphant.  No matter the emotion I am still progressing and accomplishing my goal. 

            As a teacher candidate I am always nervous entering a new school for practicum and although I will be prepared I am extremely nervous for my first day in my own classroom. It will be outside of my comfort zone but I know I will accomplish my goal of success in that environment as I have in the gym. I know I will have days when my body will probably be sore and I will be drained and exhausted.  But I know I will also have days when I feel triumphant.   I may not get it right every time but I will bepersistent and remain consistent even if it is the hardest thing I will ever do in my life, I won’t give up on my students.  I want to be able to inspire my students to step outside of their comfort zone and pursue their goals regardless of who may be laughing.  I have learned what it means to be a teammate and truly care for the success and well being of others from example.  I do not want to be the teacher that only cares about academics and dismisses my students when the bell rings.  I want to teach my students more than the history, but how to find within themselves the courage to pursue whatever is next for them after high school. 

I hope to pass on the notion of being a team leader and teammate to my students, something I may have never learned if I were still a couch potato!

Friends and I at an outdoor 2 hour Kickboxing event to benefit Meeting Street School!