Ed Psych. 10-27-08

Tonight's lecture was based around the viewpoints of two school board members from Decorah Public Schools. I have to say that the majority of what was discusses was a bit over my head. I don't really feel like I will be able to relate to most of what was said, until I become a teacher.

I did; however, learn a lot of things about what school board members do. Before this lecture, I was not aware of the responsibilities of school board members. Mrs. Nelson said that the two main responsibilities of school board members are setting policies and hiring the superintendent. The school board plays a big part in school referendums as well.

I really enjoy the Monday night lectures, because it allows me to better understand how many people are involved in running a school. Like I said, this lecture was probably the most difficult to follow, because lots of rules and "legal" material was discussed. Although the majority of the information was over my head, I am really glad that I gained more insight into what it is like to be a school board member.

Oct. 6th to the 10th

This was a very busy week in Ed. Psych! On Monday night, we did a role playing activity. I thought it was quite interesting to listen to every one's opinions regarding the "school proposal." One thing that really stuck out to me, and really upset me were comments made by the parents of low achieving students. They were complaining about having conferences for their children several times per semester. They made some comment about how they would have absolutely no time to attend a meeting for their children. I was really upset by this, because as a parent, the children should be FIRST PRIORITY. My parents each have three jobs, and they made time for conferences EVERY SEMESTER, as well other meetings for my siblings and me. On the other hand, as future educators, I think that it is important to remember that we need to be flexible for all of those busy parents out there. Parents want to do everything possible to ensure the success of their children, but they also have a lot on their plate. I promise that when I become a teacher, I will do my best to work around the schedules of the parents, and go along with what is most convenient for them.

On Wednesday, we took IQ tests. This was quite amusing for me. I scored a 138, which is quite above average. It basically told me that I am brilliant. I don't think that is true. I looked around, and I noticed that everybody got really good scores. In fact, mine was one of the lower ones, and 138 is really good. I talked to Prof. Bruneau, because we are talking about Intelligence testing in one of my other classes. She says that the online IQ tests are not an accurate measure of intelligence. So I guess we aren't as smart as we thought we were. Just kidding :) I think that Dr. Langholz was just trying to prove a point, that IQ tests should not be the only basis for how much success one possesses. That means there is hope for me! I am not the most brilliant person, but I have a good personality. :)

I really do not think that we should base success off of strictly intelligence. There are so many things in life that require compassion and empathy, as well as intelligence. I can think of one such example. A girl that I graduated with is extremely intelligent. She is an elementary ed. major with a 4.0. But I can say with almost one hundred percent certainty, that she is going to be a crumby teacher. Her personality is very cold, and she is so smart that she has trouble explaining things to others, because most things come so naturally for her. On the other hand, I think that I will make a great teacher. I may not be a genius, but I have patience, and compassion, and empathy for kids who struggle, because I was one of them. I realize that nobody wants an idiot for a teacher or doctor, but we NEED to factor in their personalities as well.

Class Discussion for the Week of Oct. 29th

This week in Ed. Psych. was probably the most interesting so far. I really enjoyed the conversations we had, and the movie that we watched.

The discussion we had about the kind of music that children listen to was very interesting. I enjoyed hearing all the opinions regarding whether or not parents should control their children's music. I have always had the personal opinion that music does not have that great of an effect on children. I actually believe that parents have more power than the music does. If parents explain that the messages in songs, and that most of them are derogatory, hopefully the child realizes that they should not use these songs as basis for a lifestyle. Personally, I admit that some of the music that I listen to is very explicit, but it has never made me want to commit murder or become a whore. I think that it depends on what you want to get out of the music. If you are just looking for a form of entertainment, then the music will be harmless. But if you are looking for something to base your lifestyle on, and you turn to music for this, there is going to be lots of trouble.

In class, we also watched a clip from the movie "Thirteen." It was very interesting to see Tracy transform from an innocent thirteen year old, into a trashy troublemaker. I feel sorry for Tracy, because there were so many outside factors that contributed to her transformation. Her mom was a recovering alcoholic, who always seemed to busy for Tracy. She was also portrayed as "a cool mom," and those are never good. Parents need to realize that they cannot be their children's best friends.

Tracy was also peer pressured by Evie, and this caused her to commit acts that she probably never would have committed, had she not met Evie. Being thirteen is such an awful time. You are insecure, and trying to find out who you are. Most kids are fortunate enough to find good role models, but Tracy did not have that luxury.

I think that the movie "Thirteen" can send a message to us as future parents. We need to make sure that we are talking with our children, and making sure that they do not have to hide all their concerns and emotions inside them.

As future teachers, we can learn that we always need to be aware of what is going on. We talked about how in the movie, we rarely saw any teachers around. As educators, it will be our jobs to protect our students. That means we need to constantly be on the lookout for inappropriate and harmful behavior.