Reflection Paper

When I first decided to expand my education, it had been so long since I had been to school, and I was very hesitant. I talked at length about my decision with my husband and with his encouragement, decided to enroll but still was not quite sure which degree program to enroll in. I knew that this was something that I had always wanted to do since I obtained my Associates Degree in Nursing, but I did not have the courage, nor did I want to give up the time with my family and children. I second guessed my abilities and my knowledge because it had been so long since I had been in college. Now that my children are about to graduate high school and

Throughout the course of this semester, I have continuously grown as a writer. Prior to taking this course, I had little experience or knowledge when it came to writing. I used to struggle with forming my thoughts into writing, let alone a paper. I was never confident with what I wrote. My writing had no greater purpose other than the assignment. My writing process included: writing my paper, proofreading it, and turning it in. Once the paper left my hands, it also left my mind. Throughout this course we worked with others, visited the writing lab, wrote critiques, and we were able to revise our papers. I believe that all of this is has caused me to grow greatly as a writer.

When I entered into high school nearly four years ago, my motivations were purely academic. I was there to get the best education I could, and to maintain a standard of scholastic excellence. Of course, the only way I knew to measure my own “success” was through concrete and quantitative means; this led me to spend my Freshman and Sophomore years fawning over test scores, GPA points, and even fractions of percents in my grades. I know now that this strategy, while effective in getting me what I wanted (or at least thought I wanted), actually left me missing a huge part of what it means to be truly educated.

[Prompt the students to think about the learning skills they will need to use to successfully complete this lesson. Ask them to strategize about how to address the material specific to this lesson,

In part 2, I will provide a critical reflection on my own teaching practice during recent placement by making detailed connections to an appended lesson plan.

What is your objective(s) for this lesson? Identify what the students will be able to do following

What is your objective(s) for this lesson? Identify what the students will be able to do following

After every lesson I take time to assess what I should change for the next time I do a lesson. Often during post-conference conversations with Reiko I am able to identify places for improvement on my own. Juliet also said that I am increasingly proactive, and initiating in regards of being reflective. Also, I would say that compared to short practicum, I am much more “open and responsive to feedback and constructive criticism” (Goal 4); I ask questions to clarify the feedback I receive so that I am able to apply this feedback, and make changes to my future lessons. Furthermore, I have been adjusting my lessons to better fit the needs of the students I teach; my curriculum is continually and consciously reshaped through my experiences with a variety of learners in a range of socio-cultural contexts (Goal 1). Where in the past, I have been worried about timing, I have been working on slowing down, and making sure that students understand the content of the lesson. For example, the TPCASTT analysis of poems ended up taking almost two more extra blocks then I had thought it would take. However, I also think that slowing down the lessons has helped more students understand the analysis process better. Additionally, I feel like I am gaining a “stronger sense of what is best for particular students in particular situations (Goal 5). When I see a student struggling, I am able to break down the assignment or re-explain the task in a different way so that the student understands it better. I have one student in my class who needs some direction before she is able to understand the assignment. I often help her with her pre-write, and guide her as much as I can, so that she feels comfortable completing the rest of the assignment. Overall, I have grown in my

I will add a strategy to the lesson to promote learning. I will add questioning to the group work and the Power Point activities to promote higher level thinking skills. This will allow students to think about their answer and explain why they think it is correct. They will also be able to ask one another and the teacher questions to clarify information.

[Prompt the students to think about the learning skills they will need to use to successfully complete this lesson. Ask them to strategize about how to address the material specific to this lesson,

During lessons students should be aware of what is expected of them throughout the lesson. To ensure that students are aware of what is expected it can be helpful to have daily objectives on the board and review with the students. When beginning lessons it can be helpful to start the lesson by reviewing and asking questions about key vocabulary and content from previous lessons that can help connect prior knowledge to new material. Students should be encouraged to use notes from different lessons to help answering questions. This type of instructional practice can help promote students to want to participate and feel confident in the answers. The environment in the class can change from the teacher teaching the students to the students participating

Growing up in a Christian home, I was surrounded by people telling me about Jesus and what he for me by dying on the cross and saving me from my sins. Not putting together that it isn’t just about the knowledge of God, but fully believing what His word says. However, in eighth grade I started to see faith differently. That winter, four years ago, the church planned on going to Hume Lake as they do every year. I had gone to this camp multiple times, considered myself saved as a result of knowing bible stories. On one eye-opening night, a speaker explained the difference between knowing the real Jesus with all your heart and not just your head. I felt a tugging in my heart that night and decided to give my life to Christ.

On December 5th, I, along with Nicholas Vigilante and Tessa Bloomer, led the final recitation for our section. The friday before we were to lead the class, we met in Van Pelt library to discuss our lesson plan, included in the final page of the PDF. Our discussion was very focused and organized, and it did not take us too much time to agree on what was most important to cover for our lesson. Because it was required for us to allot some time to review each other’s final projects, we decided to do so in the beginning of the class. Nicholas pointed out that it would be worth it to talk about the UN Sustainability Goals mentioned in class, so we decided to spend the next section of class discussing how those related to our peers’ majors. Afterwards, I thought it would be prudent to have a discussion on the United States’ decision to drop out of the Paris Climate Accords, given how it connect to the unit’s material and the potential ramifications the decision has on our future as humans. As a whole, we decided to look at one more case study, the Bhopal disaster, and then transition that into a discussion of the readings.

Our civilizations relies upon people to develop morals and resilience through family, however, what happens when you grow up in an abusive family? Sure, you develop resilience quickly, unfortunately, you may build your moral foundation over a sinkhole. In addition to family dynamics, by age eleven, I survived being hung by a Mexican gang, three dog attacks and a house fire which left both legs covered in second degree burns. Fortunately, at age twelve, I ran away and a couple discovered me sleeping in their garage. Compassionately, they took me in and allowed me to live in a travel trailer on their property.

“We need all empty hospital beds to the trauma center now!” I, the baby-faced medical scribe, yelled to the medical staff in D-pod of the ER. Ten police officers and two citizens had been shot in nearby downtown Dallas. I was assigned to work with Dr. Schaff who instructed me to recruit the open beds needed to accommodate the influx of patients. Walking into the frantic trauma room, I appeared with a blank face, dazed by the situation. I regained a perceptive state of mind when Dr. Schaff began asking me details about a patient while telling me to track down an extra tourniquet for a heavily bleeding gunshot wound to the leg. In such a chaotic situation, I became amazed by Dr. Schaff’s skill to quickly assess and treat the patient to allow a higher chance of full recovery. The patient’s wife arrived at the ER and was overcome with emotions. As Dr. Schaff entered the room, she was still in shock from her husband’s condition. Dr. Schaff proceeded to sit down and have a long and considerate conversation with her. Her tear-covered face transformed to a glimmering smile when she realized her husband would make a full recovery, and she joyfully hugged Dr. Schaff. Watching Dr. Schaff interact with her gave me an intoxicating feeling I had never experienced. It demonstrated to me that being a doctor involved not only scientific knowledge and skill, but also human compassion and interpersonal qualities.