Reflection Paper

This semester, in HPE3200, I worked with students at the KSU Play program, Kennesaw Elementary (KE), and Big Shanty Elementary (BSE). Within the Play program, my student, Troy, was a student with special needs. Troy lives with autism; therefore, he requires a more complex set of teaching skills, behavior management, and instructional strategies. However, while working with Troy and other students in the Play program in contrast to those at KE and BSE, I found the challenges offered me growth as an educator.

A colleague informs you that she has completed her science lesson plans for the following week. She agrees to share her lessons with you and leaves them in your mailbox. As you look through the materials, you quickly realize that most of the content does not coincide with your teaching style because the lessons consist primarily of lectures, tests, and worksheets.

How many hours have you spent crying out to Jesus and waited desperately for a response? I don’t know about you, but I have spent many of nights and days crying to God for answers or simply to just take away the “current” problem. I often times get stuck in a rut of feeling like a failure, only to feel the presence of the Holy Spirt who brought the peace and hope that God’s got this problem too. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13, New International Version). God has met me through the different and difficult events of my life and it is through the various struggles and victories I found strength in Him to continue my daily duties/routines and allow Him to do His perfect work. Further, and most importantly, I find myself moving into a closer and deeper fellowship with my Heavenly Father as my eyes are on Him and not my problems.

Unfolding is not simply teaching, but rather meeting (Stewart, 73). Doing so requires believing in the other person, which can only take place by making the personal present. Seeing someone for who they are and completely accepting them. Only when one can truly see someone, can they believe in them or see their true existence. Likewise, “the educator…committed to his care…sees each of these individuals as in a position to become a unique, single person, and thus the bearer of a special task of existence” (Stewart, 73). When presenting the personal one is able to see one for who they are, in the context of unfolding, as an educator whose role is to teach others about the world around them. When one makes the personal present, they are open to these new viewpoints, which can make one’s life more meaningful with the increase in answers, opportunity, and so on.

Throughout this semester I have slowly honed my writing style and skills through the creation of each piece of this portfolio. At the beginning of the semester, the starting paper was a daunting task due to the unique task of writing with another person’s writing style. I tackled the paper head-on by first choosing a topic that I had many thoughts on. The topic of how fear and curiosity drives humanity’s own personal drive to accomplish. This allowed me to see which essay style best suited the topic, thus letting me to jump start the writing of the essay. At the beginning all of my thoughts tumbled out onto the paper; however, as I revised, slowly the paper came together into a semblance of cohesive thoughts. With the second revision the essay ended up containing varying examples within the writing style to truly embody Solnit’s writing style of utilizing various examples for one general topic. Moving from the first essay to the second essay, I returned to more familiar territory of writing academic essays. Writing this essay was comparatively easier than the first essay mainly for the fact that I have written academic, analysis essays throughout my high school career. Getting all my thoughts out onto paper came easily, without much brain scraping. With the first revision I added more quotation and analysis to beef up what was already in my paper. The analysis added within my paper after the first revision provided a stronger argument on the position I took on the presence

In 1994, my parents immigrated to Canada from Vietnam to seek better living conditions and a promising future for their soon-to-be children. However, to live in a free nation filled with opportunities, the two left everything behind. While living in rent, my father worked full-time at a factory while my mother had found a job as a cashier. Although they had a sustainable income, my father understood that raising a child would cost them more than they were currently making. In 1997, my father decided to study computer science at Langara in search for a better-paying job while working part-time as a security guard. Meanwhile, my mother took up housekeeping, working at two different hotels to earn more money for their coming child. Understandably, my parents had made their lives much harder immigrating to Canada, but their sacrifices - I can say - has paid off.

Students all attend school, for the same reason, and that is to learn. While most of the time we are being taught the same material, our school experiences vary from student to student and from school to school. Some countries schoolings are known far and wide for their academic performance and then there are some that don't even have basic schooling necessities. Some experiences are so wonderful, you never forget them. Others are so bad it's impossible to forget about them. I have had my own fair share of experiences be it domestic where I was shunned or foreign experiences which gave me a whole new perspective on education. It is these very experiences that have made me who I am today, a strong, critical-thinking and compassionate person.

Walking down the Loras Boulevard with ease at the beginning of the semester to the bookstore for my first writing assignment captured my initial perspective of the College Writing course. My thoughts were it would be a smooth transition from my high school writing courses, and I would glide through the course with ease like my downward strides to the bookstore. However, over the past semester I have never been more challenged and intrigued by the course material and assignments in a writing course. As I conquered the steep, upward hill of Loras Boulevard it portrayed the knowledge I already possessed, the new writing skills necessary to succeed in the class, as well as changes and growth in my writing style.

Writing is like a fine wine, it only improves with age. Through this semester I have meticulously learned the art and appreciations of writing. Over the long semester, I have improved through long sleepless nights. Which in fact were worth it in the very end, upon receiving my grade through the last 3 essays. My last essays that have enhanced my knowledge of writing of summarizing an article, defending a claim, and an op-ed piece. I’ve ultimately used my writing to not only learn, but also to critique and analyze my works, and use them to successfully thrive in this class.

When we place our faith in Christ, something happens. We are reborn. God changes us and we become a new creation. The Bible tells us that the old things pass away and new things come. This rebirth is spiritual. The spirit that God breathed into man at creation died when Adam sinned. When we accept Christ and place our faith in Him our spirit is reborn and we become a new creation and the Holy Spirit indwells us. Paul tells us that we are no longer a slave to sin and we are free to obey God.

This past year has been a learning experience that has led me to where I am today, attending Citrus. I graduated from Glendora High School in May of two-thousand sixteen with the intention of moving away to school and attending the University of Arizona; however, within the week post-graduation I decided it would be in my best interest to take some time away from the books. I love education and every ounce of learning. My school work, grades, and attendance have always been a top priority, but I began to feel as if I was a car running out of gas, I knew that if I went into my freshman year at a university with the mindset I had and the drive I was lacking, I probably would not be very successful nor would I get very far. For me to figure out myself and where I desire to be a break was needed from not only school, but also this town. Unfortunately, my gap year wasn’t filled with any crazy stories of finding myself while lost backpacking or traveling, but it was filled with personal growth amidst new coworkers, a newer environment, and a boyfriend as well as some family. I moved to Arizona anyhow and that is where I did most of my recent growth. Now you’re probably wondering how I landed myself back in Glendora, a question I now have the confidence to answer. Arizona was great, I love it, and it holds such a large part of my heart however I could not muster up an ounce of motivation to go back to school. I felt too comfortable with what I had and feared going back with

At this moment there is currently 7,430,931,842 people in the world. Nearly 3 billion of those people are currently living in poverty. Today, 350,000 babies will be born. The world, continues to grow, to prosper, as I sit in my bedroom staring out the window waiting for creativity to strike and give me the words that so effortlessly describe me. There is currently only one person in the world with the name Gabrielle Vozzi, and right now she is attempting to describe something that is indescribable: herself.

Every student deserves the best chance at getting the highest level of education they can, however, some students need a little extra support that others may not. A student, Axel, who is currently in my classroom has had a hard time keeping his focus and is often avoidant when it comes to his work. It has become clear that his avoidance becomes a distraction to the whole class. His behaviors currently include but are not limited to: rolling around on the floor during rug lessons, yelling across the room, walking around the room talking to friends, sharpening his pencil five or more times throughout the day, asking to go to the bathroom at inappropriate times, spending fifteen to twenty minutes in the

Since 2011, I devoted my life to God, this happened when I get convert and be baptized to the church of Jesus Christ. I was still a babe spiritually. I learned many things in the Gospel and I felt the Love of my heavenly Father. I couldn't speak English back then when I joined the church, but through reading the scriptures daily, the Lord help me learn and understand the scriptures. Today, I can testify to you that I have read the bible many times from the start to the end. And most importantly, I teach the Gospel in English.

In this world everything happens for a good reason but the result of everything that happens in our life is not a joyful. In order to find happiness and joy in this world even in the most sad or lowest point of the chapter in our life, we have to pay attention to the universe in the present moment. The universe has voice and it tells us the truth, so for us to find happiness we need to pay attention to the universe at that moment to find the true reason behind everything. The true reason behind everything that happens in our life brings us peace. The major focus of the teachings of the Buddha in Life of Buddha, the book of Ecclesiastes, and The Alchemist is the need to exist in and pay attention to the universe at the present moment in