•Families in poverty or low SES are placed in Head Start to try to help their children but what about those families above the poverty level?
I think that we are sometimes so focused about all the problems that we end up letting the children that at first didn't need the help fall behind, because we are so worried about help the children that show problem early. This seems like a double edge sword, but still it is something that really need to be looked at. I remember from my own experience that I was a child that did well in elementary and middle school, but when high school came I ran into some problems. Since I wasn't labeled earlier with having any learning problem, I was just labeled a slacker. I felt that some of my teachers were so worried about help the kids that they though needed it, that sometimes over take a back seat.

School and Community Partnership!

I feel that the community should be playing a large role in the education programs, but I feel that around here in Muncie the community has not taken the role it really should have. I think that the largest goal for the community should be to advocate learning, and I believe thats one thing that Muncie has either lost or never had. I feel that the community need to set up programs that make it where the kids are rewarded for achieving in their educational goals. I have heard about a lot of cities that set up different learning programs for their students, but Muncie hasn't been one of those. I think that the community can partner with the schools in many ways. A few of the things they need to address is fighting for grants, setting up programs for young adult education, and scholarship chances for students after graduation only for students in that community. The only thing that I have ever seen Muncie do that I like was a program where they had a junior Mayors, and it comprised of one student from all the surrounding schools and their job was to present their own ideas on what they though needed fix in their school to the Mayor. I really believe that most communities have taken a back seat when it comes to education and has let it fall on the schools themselves, but they need to realize that these students that are failing and not achieving to their full potential also reflects on them. 

Family Conference

I thought that the family conference was helpful in seeing issues that I might face when I actually become a teacher. One that really stuck out was that the parent thought that when I was only discussing problems that the student had and not strengths, and I was labeling their child as a problem child. I now understood how important it was that the parents really understand that their child has many strengths and that we are not attacking them. I also found that even though I made up the entire situation that a teacher can never really be totally prepared to deal with all the parents, and this is because all parents are going to come in with totally different attitudes.
I especially like the difficult family conference. I thought that this was really helpful, and it also added entire different spin on everything. I had to deal with the parent bringing the other children with them, and I found this very difficult. I found that the parent has a hard time really listening to what you have to say, because they get so distracted by what is going on around them. This might cause them to only pick up on certain things, and they might end up missing out on the most important things that were said during the conference.

Meth!!!

That is some pretty scary stuff, but what I thought was most important was the impact that this dangerous drug has on the kids that surround the users. I think it is important as a future educator to keep eyes open for behaviors from parents that might be abusing this drug and others. I think a major role that teachers can play is making sure that the students have the proper education, and we need to understand some of the things they may be seeing at home is not the norm. Teachers need to make sure that the students always feel comfortable talking to them and feel safe opening up. In class we talked about "Parent Education", and teachers also need to make sure the the have information available to the parents about abuse on days like this.
I think that meth is a problem that is overwheling everyone. Teachers need to understand the we are at time the students first line of education on drugs, and I believe that the days of focusing on beer, pot, and tabacco are over. We have larger battles to fight, and I believe the new pot is meth!!!

Reflection 2

I feel that this has become such a problem, because lack of education. We have so many people in the USA that struggle finding jobs, and the main reason is because they are all under qualified for jobs. I feel that another large issue that we are also looking at is a lot of the good job in America are going over seas. We need to find a way to keep these good paying jobs here.

I know as a future educator that I will run into a lot of students that parents are struggling to make ends meat and might be living just to see the next day. I feel that the only thing that is able to help these students are equipping them with proper education and stressing the fact of a college education. It would be such a hard task to help the students that are living like the currently, but the schools can make sure that they are always getting their bellies and minds full. We need to make sure that these students know where they can get help, and also they need to know they can come to us for emotional help. 

Jason Richards

1st Reflection....

I think there was a lot of things that reflects my decision of becoming an educator. Growing up Ive always struggled with a learning disability, and I never found out till later in life. I' ve always wondered why I had such a hard time in school and why I never understood what was going on in class. Another reason that I wanted to become an educator was the ability to build bonds with the kids and coach them in various sports. My true goal be the end of my career is working in finding better ways to detect learning disability with students. So many kids get passed through the cracks and never really get the same opportunity that other kids get.
When I came to college I had every intention on being in the sports med. field, but I later found out the my true love and passion was in the education field. I have been taken back by the amount I love this field, and I truly feel that this is my calling. I have experienced a lot of bumps along the way and struggled with grade and other family issues. Since then I've been able to get back on track and stay focused and work on achieving my true goal.