Opening Convocation 2008

Luther's opening convocation was held on September 4th, 2008. The keynote speaker was David Treur. David Treuer is an Ojibwa Indian from northern Minnesota. He grew up living on Leech Lake Reservation. His father was also a holocaust survivor, which I found to be very interesting.

Treur talked a great deal about the hardships that he dealt with because he was of Native American descent. Kids were constantly picking on him because he was different. He has become a very successful individual. He graduated from Princeton, and is now an author. I think that he can be a motivation for children who feel like they are different than everybody else.

I think that David's message can be tied into education. As future educators, I think we can all learn something from what he went through as a child. We, as teachers need to make sure that we are embracing ALL children, despite of their differences. It is very important for teachers to create a classroom environment in which children are taught that differences are not a bad thing. As a future teacher, I know that one of my main goals will be centered around making sure that children do not feel uncomfortable about being different.

Like I said earlier, I think we as future educators can all learn something valuable from David.

Some Thoughts About Ed. Psych.

I really like my educational psychology class so far. The class has a very relaxed atmosphere, which is really comforting to me, because I know that I do not have to feel intimidated to speak up during a discussion. We have been talking a lot about No Child Left Behind, and the measures that teachers need to take in order to accommodate different types of learners. In class, we did an activity regarding our thoughts about education before we read chapter one, and then our attitudes after we read the chapter. We had to act out different situations that we may encounter when we become teachers. This was very beneficial for me, because I am more of a visual, hands-on learner. To see examples being acted out helped me to apply the ideas to real life. I really learned a lot during this exercise.

We watched a great movie called "Lions for Lambs." Doug and Jim encouraged us to pay attention to the teacher in the movie. He had a rather laid back style of teaching. He invited a student into his office, to have coffee and discuss what had been going on during the semester. I really liked how Robert Redford's character talked to his student as though they were on the same level. He did not talk down to him, he treated him like an equal. The teacher also did a good job of challenging what the student was saying. I feel like that is an important part of being a teacher. Making a student defend what he or she believes, will get the them to think more deeply about the given topic.

I want to be the type of teacher that Robert Redford portrayed. I want my students to feel comfortable talking to me, and I want to avoid being an intimidating teacher. I have already learned so much in Ed. Psych., I cannot wait to see what else I will learn!