Emotional Education Should Be Addressed in Schools

            I believe that schools should address emotional education in their curriculums. I feel that emotional education is especially important for kindergarten teachers to include in their lesson plans/activities. Many children upon entering “school” for the first time, have separation anxiety from their parents. Therefore, it is important for kindergarten teachers to allow their children to express their feelings through art and by talking. Teachers also need to help children realize that school is just as safe a place as their homes are. This will help the students to view school as a positive and safe place for them to come to every day.

           Many children also have diverse home situations. They might have divorced parents or they might be living with a grandmother or grandfather. The children might also be experiencing verbal abuse at home or parents who are constantly fighting and doing drugs and alcohol. Many children come to school with stress, anxiety, and feelings of sadness and anger which are then reflected in their interactions with other students and in the way they behave during the school day. It is important for teachers to teach their students about different emotions, so the children can begin to match the name of an emotion to how they are feeling. It is also important for teachers to help children learn how to express their emotions in safe ways. According to Child Development and Education by Teresa McDevitt and Jeanne Ormrod, “As children grow…they may observe their parents controlling anger physically…They may use a similar strategy in dealing with peer conflicts” (422). Because children learn how to express their emotions through their parents, it is important for teachers to correct their students actions if they are getting their anger out physically instead of with words. Teachers need to teach their students “I feel” statements so they learn to verbalize their feelings when they are in a conflict with friends or with siblings. Teachers also need to provide their children with a variety of situations so children practice how they would respond to those situations in verbal ways. It is very important for the physical, violent, and aggressive behaviors of students to be corrected in school while they are still young, otherwise if this behavior is not corrected, then it will become worse as the students get older.

           Another part of emotional education is building children’s self-esteem and helping them to realize their own identity and how they are similar to and different from other people. This is touched upon in an All About Me unit that is very common in the primary grades. In order for children to begin to form friendships, especially in first grade, they need to have an understanding of themselves and their likes, dislikes, and interests before they can have the confidence in theri own abilities to find children in the class that have the same interests as them. Children also need opportunities for them to share aspects of themselves to peers and adults and receive positive compliments and encouragement from their teachers and parents so they feel good about themselves. When children have a high self-esteem, they perform better in school.

Topic for Original Piece of Writing

Topic for my original piece of writing is:

•  Childhood obesity for elementary school children affects their:

 
                        -  Physical development

                                       -asthma,

                                       -type 2 diabetes,

                                       - cardiovascular disease,

                                       - high blood pressure,

                                       - high cholesterol, and

               - fatty liver disease.

      - Decreased joint flexibility and orthopedic problems leading to 
         limitations in physical play.

               - Sleep apnea and inability to develop proper sleep patterns,
                  which may limit energy levels and attention at school.

               -depression

 

                        - Social/Emotional development

                                       -Poor self-esteem and body image

                                       - Feelings of loneliness and isolation

                                       - Difficulty in making friends

               - Withdrawal (avoiding social interaction)

 

-  Cognitive Development

     -children’s diet can affect children’s mental or thinking abilities

              

Classroom Management

        I believe that the key to having a successful classroom with well-behaved students is based on the classroom managment skills that the teacher possesses.
       When I become a teacher, to help my students control their behavior in the classroom I would have a How am I doing? pocket chart. On the chart I would list each student's name and behind each student's name each child would be given a red, yellow, and green square. Green means that the child has good behavior and is following the classroom rules. Yellow is a warning, this means that the student is beginning to get off track and is not behaving and acting in the way that he/she should. If a child gets to red, this means that the child is continuing to act badly and I would either have to send a letter home to the parents or I would have to call the parents. The How Am I Doing Chart? would help the students to learn to control their behavior in the classroom (and could also be a form of positive or negetive reinforcement as well).
         In the classroom, I would also manage the students by creating a way to get all the children's attention if they are being too loud, if I want to signal the end of an activity, or if I want to give directions. I might clap my hands in a certain way and then the children would have to stop what they are doing and respond back by clapping their hands. I could also strike a chime and when the children hear the chime they would freeze, stop talking, and would put their hands on their shoulders. Then after I stated the directions I would say "melt" and the children would unfreeze and would do what I asked them to do.
       Classroom management in a classroom also means that the teacher is giving her students enough time to do each activity. If a teacher is doing a group activity where she is having students write things down, she can determine whether every student in the class is finished by telling the students to give her a thumbs up when they are finished. Once the teacher sees every student with their thumb up then she can move on and instruct the whole class on the individual activity the students were just doing. This can also be useful if the children are taking a spelling test. Before the teacher moves on to the next spelling word she can have the students give her a thumbs up so she knows if she can continue to the next word and so that she is not moving too quickly for the students who work at a slower pace.
      

Graduating with Top Honors

       One of the most cherished family memories that I have from school, is the day I graduated from high school.
       I remember sitting in the front row of metal folding chairs right in front of the stage. My hair and white gown were blowing in the warm breeze, and I touched the medal and gold cords hanging around my neck as I waved to my parents and sister who were sitting in the row of chairs across from me. I was an academic varsity scholar, which is the highest academic honor that a student can be given in their last year of high school at my school. 
          I was so excited to be sitting in the front row with the other varsity scholars and I waited eagerly for my classmates to finish their speeches so that the principal would start calling the students' names up to the stage. I looked at my parents and sister who were on the edge of their seats with their cameras ready. They waved to me. Then the ceremony began. On the principal's word, me and the other 19 varsity scholars stood up.  My heart was pounding in my chest. I looked out at the other 192 students in my graduating class who were still seated in their chairs. This was it! All my hard work had finally paid off! I had worked so hard to be here, standing up in the front row as all the other students looked up at me from their seats, wishing they had worked harder in school so they could be standing up first and not sitting down. All the snobs who thought they were better than everyone else and all the students who had made fun of me because I was smart, for four years, now looked like idiots as I stood proud with the other varsity scholars knowing that my accomplishment was a real accomplishment. I had never been more proud of myself in my entire life!
            Then when the music began to play, me and the other varisty scholars headed toward the stage. One by one our names were called first before anyone else's. I inched closer toward the stage...My hand was on the rail...now my feet were on the first step, then the second, then the third, now I was on the stage facing everyone. I smiled at my parents and sister who were now snapping their cameras like mad and yelling my name and cheering for me. My name was called. I walked toward the principal, I shook her hand, I was handed my diploma by the gym teacher, then I headed down the stairs. My parents and sister were cheering wildly! I did it! I had graduated from high school! Excitement and relief flowed through my veins as I headed to my chair... I didn't want to sit down... I had so much energy! I wanted to just leap into the air and scream at the top of my lungs! But of course I couldn't do that, not until the end of the ceremony. I sat back down and flipped open my diploma. There was my name printed in bold black letters. I looked up at my parents and sister who were beaming with pride and watching my every move. This was such a special day and a gorgeous afternoon! The sky was bright blue, the sun was shining, and the the gold and maroon balloons tied to the stage were dancing in the breeze! I focused my attention on the other 192 students who were now being called up to the stage. I cheered for my friends and I clapped for everyone! For 3 hours the ceremony went on. Them the last name was called. On the principal's ending sentence, we moved our tassles to the left side of our caps. Then all the students tossed their caps into the air and cheered! Everyone was yelling and shouting, horns were blasting, whistles were blowing! Then the ceremony was over. As I placed my cap back on my head and headed back to the school, I couldn't wait for another day to come like this one when I would be walking across the stage again, looking out at my parents and sister and seeing them smiling at me and cheering me on! And now that moment is only one more year away................
       
               

Reflection on The Road Less Traveled Article

         After reading, the article, The Road Less Traveled, by Jane A. Leibbrand and Bernardine H. Watson who drew the information in the article from papers by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), I believe that the focus of this article, developmental science, is a vital concept that all teachers should know and use in the elementary school classroom.
      One of the problems in the United States today that the article pinpoints, is that many teachers in the United States still do not have knowledge of developmental science. Therefore as the article states, "Disengagement and alienation are reported by youth at an all time high, often resulting from classroom experiences that are disconnected from developmental needs. Many public school systems continue to fail a large percentage of our children....By high school, as many as 40 to 50 percent of students become chronically disengaged from school" (3). When teachers do not take into consideration their students' developmental needs, then this has a negetive affect on the students. More and more children are becoming disengaged in school because they are not being taught in a ways that help them to learn. Every child learns in a different way, and if teachers do not take the time to learn the strengths of their students, and use those strengths to help a child to learn or to help change a child's behavior or outlook in school, then children are going to become bored, they are going to struggle, and eventually they will give up on school altogether. This is a serious issue. The article states how "A 2009 Editorial Projects in Education nationwide study shows the average high school graduation rate in the nations largest cities is only 53%, signifiying hundreds of failing city schools that some call dropout factories" (3). If the developmental sciences are not applied in classrooms at every age level, then students are going to become disengaged from school because they are not receiving the support they need from their teachers. This leads students to drop out of school altogether.
          Therefore, this article is suggesting and stating that more Education Programs at Universities and more teachers across the nation need to obtain knowledge about child and adolescent development (developmental science) and apply this knowledge to their classroom lesson plans and with their students. Teachers can help students to strengthen their social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development which all impact learning, if they just take the time to observe the behaviors and actions of their students. For example, a child who is not very social and is quiet and maybe even unfriendly in class, might change and become more friendly, if the teacher incorporates group activities and games where the child can build his or her self-esteem and confidence and at the same time, get to know other children in the class and make friends.Teachers need to make more of an effort to know their students, to realize the best ways in which their students learn, and to become aware of the aspects of development that their students are struggling in. All of these factors when addressed can help the students have a more positive outcome in school.          
          In additon, developmental science, also includes taking the time to get to know the parents of the child, understanding the homelife and environment of the child, and the culture of the child. As the article states, "Just as effective teachers realize that classroom environments affect student's emotions and academic performance, they are also aware that home, community, and cultural experiences impact children's growth and development and use strategies to mitigate vulnerability" (7). Many students, for example ELL or English as a second language students, struggle in school because they have a different culture from the other students, they speak dual languages, and they feel like they don't fit in. Many students also struggle because they are coming from homelives that include violence, abuse, drugs, and they do not have parents that are willing to help them with their homework. Teachers need to try to understand where a child is coming from, and they also need to try to form a relationship and team with the child's parents to ensure that the child will be receiving help at home. If parents are not doing their job in helping their own child at home, then the efforts of the teacher will not be completely successful. Teachers should also try to incorporate a child's language and even culture into the classroom so the child feels more comfortable.
        Teachers also need to try to form a relationship with their students so that their students feel comfortable in the classroom and are not afraid to raise their hand and get help when they do not understand something. Students should feel that they can trust their teacher, and having a feeling of trust between teacher and student in the classroom also helps to make learning more enjoyable and positive for students.
       As the article states there are three features of emotionally supportive classrooms that can help students' learning become more positive: "Positive classroom environment, as evidenced by both an emotional connection between the teacher and students and by students' feelings of safety and excitement about learning, teacher sensitivity, reflected in the teacher's awareness and responsiveness to students' academic and emotional needs, and respect for student perspectives, including the degree to which the teacher places an emphasis on students' interests, motivations, and points of view" (7). Students need to feel excited about coming to school, they need to enjoy learning, and they need to believe that learning can be fun. If a positive outlook on school is not established when children are young, then children will never look at school in a positive light and this will affect their willingness to learn. When teachers have an understanding of the developmental sciences, then they will create a safe and comfortable classroom environment where children do not have to be afraid to express their opinions and to participate, they will observe their students' struggles and will find ways to help improve and solve their students' weaknesses. Most importantly, with knowledge of the developmental sciences, teachers will take into consideration the ways in which their students want to learn and the interests that their students have so learning for the students will be more interesting and enjoyable.
         Teacher knowledge of the developmental sciences can change students' futures in school. As the article states, in New York City only 28% of black male students graduate, where in Montgomery County, Maryland, 68% of black males graduate on time. The percentage is higher in Montgomery County Maryland because that county and state "[Have] long had in place a systematic, intensive strategy based on developmental principles and strategies from pre-k through high school" (3). This piece of evidence prooves that when states, schools ,and teachers, apply developmental sciences in the classrooms in every grade, and with their students, then more children stay in school and more students graduate.
        Therefore, when the needs of all learners in classrooms are addressed by teachers and staff in schools, and all aspects of students' development are being addressed in classrooms, then more children will stop dropping out of school, more children will become engaged in school, and more children will become successful across ethnicities and cultures in education.