Constructed Reflection Paper

Learning is at the heart of assessing for transfer and application. This tool is defined by assessment activities where students act because of their learning.

On September 6, 2017, I were documented for an incident that involved a University Housing policy violation. I was charged with violating the University Housing Alcohol 1.2 policy. With my violation, came consequences. I met with The Residence Conduct Coordinator to discuss my actions and came to the conclusion that I would have to schedule a meeting with The Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center (CADEC) and with that, a reflection paper.

The first student to perform for the fundraiser was Candy Tsai. She performed Arabeske, Op.18. Candy tends to use more of her arm muscles when playing rather than wrists. She sets a great example of pedal use throughout her piece. Although she uses pedal, she distinguishes her articulation correctly. Overall, she was fantastic but could use more dynamic contrast. The next student to perform for the fundraiser was Joshua Tessler. As a performer, he did not start until he made adjustments to the seat. Once he was comfortable, one could see how graceful he was. He was constantly moving throughout his piece and at one point, he crosses his hands to perform.

Over the course of the semester, I have been fortunate enough to work with a student who is having difficulties when it comes to reading. My student does not have difficulties when it comes to hearing a word, but rather when he sees a word. My student has definitely benefited from one on one work with me as well as the additional help he’s getting from the reading specialist during their WIN (what I need) time. My student does not like to read because he knows that he is struggling and he is embarrassed about it. When my student goes to his WIN time, he does really well because the instruction is at his level and there are only two other students who are also on the same level there as well. Besides the current intervention, programs I would recommend are Direct Instruction: Reading Mastery, Letter Spacing, Wilson Reading System and the Lindamood program (LiPS).

Writing has been something that I have grown to love. At first, writing always felt like a chore. It felt difficult, boring, and tedious. However, once I entered my junior year of high school, my perception on writing immensely changed. During this year I fell in love with analyzing novels and finding new things within them. I enjoyed scouring the novels for any bit of new information and re-reading to gain another perspective. A paper that I was particularly happy with was on The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. There was never a paper that I enjoyed writing so much. I find that when I am truly interested in a work, I can write about it much easier. It is refreshing to dive into a book and to be able to put your thoughts into words on a paper.

The environment I grew up availed me in building my confidence and paved the way for me as an individual. I’m the first U.S. Citizen in my family considering both my parents immigrated to the United States in the late 90’s from Ethiopia, a country in Eastern Africa, where education remains unfunded. The downsides as a first generation student comes with the struggles of learning from the outside of your family circle.

First I would like to mention that I enjoyed reading this Chapter as it hit home for me because the teachers from Loyola Marymount University believe in building family and community strengths and I fit that mold. Even though demonstrating passion and empathy is mostly frowned upon by many in our institutions due to concentrating on teaching to the test. If you provide your students with a safe learning environment, my experiences have shown that they are more apt to flourish. As a result, I provide this type of atmosphere in my classroom. For example, one of the teachers interviewed, Leticia Ornelas, had “Lotion Day” Nieto (2013). I have shared my lotion with students as well. Some of them fall under the English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. And like she mentions, it provides them with a safe, caring, and passionate learning environment because you build that rapport. Building teacher to student relationships is essential to student outcomes.

The Father, the son, and the Holy Spirit have been recited so fondly that nearly everyone can pinpoint where it is from. For me, religion was more of an obscure and abstract painting, but more my family members it was always so crystal clear especially for my mother. Prayer at the dinner table was for good health, and that the food would nourish the family so that everyone may be healthy and live long lives. I have known a general story of God, the creator and father of all things on this planet, and Jesus, his son who sacrificed himself for his father’s creations. We sing songs to worship and honor Jesus’ choice to prevent us from falling too deeply into the faults of our choices. For me, Jesus is always around us and not at all, he is a whisper in the wind that beckons me to come closer, but I stumble and lose my way. When I am lost in a sea of religious doubt or confusion, I look to my mother who is there light the way.

Throughout my career as a student, I have met several great teachers that have inspired me in their field of expertise. These teachers often use approaches of great educators and their philosophies of teaching in order to become great teachers. One of the educators that have a valuable approach to teaching is the educator Eleanor Duckworth, who emphasized the development of intelligence through ideas from students (Hall, Quinn, & Gollnick, 2017). Duckworth’s philosophy can be seen in the two great teachers that I explored in this paper: Dr. DiFabio and Hanne.

In this Discourse Community paper I will be writing about a time I had moved into a new area where I am stuck for the rest of my youth life. It was a very hard move and was not fun by any means. My dad had finished his schooling and had become a nurse at Provo Canyon Behavioral Hospital in Orem. He needed to be closer to his job. At the time we lived in a small town and had my whole life. This town was Manti. It is a popular little town but nevertheless small. Everybody knew me and I knew them. It was hard coming from that to what was a big city in my eyes. Payson is not a huge place comparing to towns further north here in Utah.

During today’s lesson, we focused on doing some final edits on Ryne’s Gold Rush piece.

When I was tasked to write this paper, I tried thinking of people that I didn’t know well, but I knew would have interesting stories to tell. I asked one of my professors, he asked for his name to not be used, for an interview. Before I listened to his story I asked him questions about himself to get a sense of who he is. He puts a very energetic and social face when in public, but he is more introverted in private. Also, he really holds honesty and respect close to his heart, and his story shows why this is so. His starts his story during his high school years; telling of his life and relationships. Then after a falling out he picks up the story in college and his interaction with an old friend there. Then the traumatizing even happens and he reflects and gives anecdotes to further explain his thoughts on the matter.

I have also seen the courage of those who have dedicated their lives to promoting justice and equality and would like to work alongside them. I have helped in various situations ranging from lobbying for the BRIDGE act last year at Senator Wyden’s office to prolong the protection of DACA to showing documentaries for Fields Hall on mass incarceration to raise awareness to simply having a dialogue about human rights. Each of these actions is a step towards justice.

Throughout the course of the semester we have covered three different philosophers and how those three philosophers think differently. Our first philosopher was Friedrich Nietzsche. The second philosopher was Maurice Merleau-Ponty. The third and final philosopher was Martin Heidegger. This paper is going to consists of Martin Heidegger’s work and how he thinks his way through the journey of his life.

A friend, who I had once argued with beforehand, said to me, “Whatever happens, will happen, in the case, that is just the way life goes.” Even though I felt as if I should thrive by his saying, I could not, not now, and not anymore. It was rainy today, skies were gray, and the atmosphere was foggy. Although I never notice the weather, I did, especially today, as I drive alone to school in the comfort of my warm car. The road was empty, and so, my mind distracted itself towards my dashboard. There lay my license, which I had received a month after my friend’s passing. Under that smile was the grief and nonacceptance of the past occurrence which had taken his life over the year before. Today was the day, today had been the year anniversary since his tragic death. Looking back on the road, I could not help let a tear fall from my eye, which then led to an overflow of tears. After all this time, I thought I was okay, that I finally gained that acceptance, I guess I had not.