Journal # 8

I really enjoyed this class! The part I liked the best was how we watched films and then chose what we wanted to write about. This gave us a bit more freedom than being told exactly what to write. It was interesting to see the topics that fellow classmates came up with. It just goes to show how each person interprets things in their own way. I also enjoyed the movies that where chosen for us to watch. I found them all interesting! 

I found the peer critiques to be helpful as well. Sometimes it takes a second (or even third) pair of eyes to catch something we may have missed, even when we read our drafts over and over again! My only suggestion for this area would be to maybe change the groups up more often. I would have liked to read the papers of more than just the few classmates I did get to critique. It is always nice to be exposed to other ideas and ways of writing.

Other than that, I feel that the class went very smoothly. I had fun! I wish I had taken you for ENC1101, as I found the teacher I had to be quite boring...

Education Essay

What Could Tenure Be?

            It is no great mystery that America’s education system is severely flawed. While there are many issues and problems that plague the world of education, such as under-paid and over-worked teachers, the issue that really strikes a nerve with many is that of tenure. Tenure has not always had a bad rap. The word tenure comes from the Latin tenere, meaning “to hold” or “to keep” and was created in 1866 with the original purpose of protecting educators from losing their jobs for arbitrary reasons (Chesley). Since its beginning, however, the overall perception and understanding of tenure for teachers has been skewed. The problems associated with tenure, however, could be solved if several steps are taken. Principals could avoid giving tenure to undeserving teachers by following such guidelines as more meaningful evaluations for new teachers, ensuring more involvement by teachers in not only their classrooms, but also their communities, and finally, providing better guidance and intervention for those struggling during their early years (Chesley).

            The process of evaluating workers on their job performance is not a new concept. Many companies routinely evaluate and track the achievement of employees in the workforce, and make adjustments accordingly. The idea that teachers should be evaluated is also not new. While most teachers are evaluated and tracked, the problem comes when the administration gets lazy. Since the guidelines for measuring the effectiveness of teachers will vary from state to state, it is up to the schools to make sure that the teachers are performing at their very best (Marshall). In an article by Patricia Marshall, which reviewed the tenure policies and related resources in ten states, she discovered that many administrators use a “classroom-teaching-performance check list” which fails to measure such things as the teacher’s “reasoned commitment to the education profession” (Marshall). This should be changed. Although it is important to evaluate teachers on their ability to educate the students, it should also be taken into account the way they feel about their jobs and how much they strive to improve themselves on a daily basis.

For those individuals planning to enter the world of teaching, it would serve them well to be actively involved in their communities. Teaching should reach far beyond the classroom and day to day instruction. Teachers, both new and those with much experience, should all work together to foster learning in their classrooms and communities. Some ways to become more involved would be to hold open houses, allow for many parent teacher conferences, as well as volunteering in the surrounding community. According to a NEA policy brief,

“Parent, family, and community involvement in education correlates with higher academic performance and school improvement. When schools, parents, families, and communities work together to support learning, students tend to earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, stay in school longer, and enroll in higher level programs” (NEA).

Not only does community involvement help the students, but it can also help the teachers feel that that are a part of something bigger. Principals and other administrators in charge of granting tenure should take into consideration a teacher’s involvement and overall feelings toward the community in which they work and live.

            Teaching is a scary profession. It is perhaps most terrifying in the first few years. New teachers are thrown into a world in which they are given the task of shaping young minds and building the future of this country. What could be more intimidating? “So well-known is the hectic nature of the early period in a teachers career that it is commonly referred to as the “survival stage” (Marshall). That being said, many may find it unfair to judge teachers during their first few years on the job and use those judgments to determine their eligibility for tenure. An article published in the American School Board Journal in 2009 titled “5 Reasons to Quit Whining About Tenure”, offered this suggestion; “Identify your poorest-performing teachers and work with them” (5 Reasons). The article goes on to suggest such methods as regular evaluations and coaching, providing the teacher with a mentor, and offering professional development (5 Reasons). These are all great ideas to help teachers who are new and might just need that extra push to get where they need to be. Everyone has room for improvement, and given the right tools, teachers who are struggling may be able to overcome the difficulties of those first few years on the job. As the article states, “The worst that can happen: The teacher doesn’t improve, you have invaluable documentation for a termination hearing, or maybe the teacher will see the handwriting on the wall- and quit” (5 Reasons).

            “Schools take the path of least resistance by allowing the mere passage of time to automatically affirm a teacher’s abilities. Teachers receive tenure by default in the absence of a finding of gross incompetence” (Chesley). This is a trend that needs to be stopped. We should not be allowing teachers tenure merely because they managed to “stick it out” for a few years. Principals and other administrators must put the effort in to make the changes necessary to ensure that all schools are filled with competent, wonderful, and caring teachers who have a natural passion for helping others. “Now is the ideal time for educators to redefine the concept of tenure. Principals can establish a culture in which granting tenure is not the mindless, default position” (Chesley). 

Journal #7

    This is my third time watching the movie Waiting For Superman, and this is the third time it has brought me to tears. The first time I saw the movie, it made me question my decision to become a school teacher. The second time I saw it, it did just the opposite. It made me that much more confident that this is what I want and NEED to do with my life. The way I see it, if I can become a good or even a great teacher, then I can do my part in helping the future of our children and of our nation as a whole.
    One part of the movie that really got to me was the children waiting to see if they got into schools based on a lottery. Seeing the sadness and disappointment on the faces of their mothers, fathers, and grandparents was very hard. I could not imagine being in a position such as theirs. Having to sit back while my child got less than they deserved would be unbearable. The fact that this country can not fix its broken education system is appalling.
    Perhaps the most disturbing part of the movie was that about tenure. I think it is ridiculous that teachers are granted tenure just for "continuing to breathe for 2 years" (Waiting For Superman). As the movie pointed out, teaching is not a right, it is a privilege. If teachers are not doing their very best and helping children grow and learn, they should lose their jobs. Most other jobs, if you are doing a bad job, you will be fired. Why is this not the case for teachers? By allowing tenure we are telling lazy and incompetent teachers that "its OK, you can still have your job", when they do not deserve it.

Beauty Pageants: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Beauty pageants have gained much attention recently as such shows as “Toddler and Tiaras” and “Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo” have gained popularity. While pageants that judge participants on their beauty have been around since the ancient times, the first Miss America Pageant was held in 1921 in Atlantic City in an effort to make tourists stay past Labor Day (PBS). Since then, the face of pageants has changed, and not for the better. Contestants are becoming younger and younger and the stakes are higher. While some would argue that beauty pageants help build girls’ self-confidence and positive self-image, they are far more damaging to young children. Participants in these types of pageants are more likely to develop body image issues as well as unhealthy ideas about their worth. For these reasons, beauty pageants for young girls should be stopped.

            An article by Andrea Canning on ABCnews.com reports that an “estimated 250,000 children compete in more than 5,000 pageants in the United States each year” (ABC). Upon viewing the website for the Royal International Miss pageant, it can be seen that there are many supporters for children in pageants. Glancing through the photos of these children painted up like dolls was a little disturbing. Perhaps the most fascinating part of the website that I found was their mission statement.

“Empowering young women while giving them the opportunity to grow and develop a positive self-image is the focus of Royal International Miss Pageants. By providing opportunities for young women and girls to cultivate their talents and public speaking abilities, we help facilitate self-confidence” (Royal).

It is clear that the supporters of such pageants are in agreement that these types of competitions among children are healthy and can only have positive outcomes. There is much research, however, that point to the contrary.

            Body image is the way we feel about how we look. For young girls, developing a positive body image can have many benefits. Girls who are happy with the way they look are less likely to have eating disorders, less likely to suffer from depression, and more likely to develop positive and healthy relationships both in their teen and adult lives (Psychology Today). A study done by Costal Caroline University in South Caroline on the correlation between beauty pageants and eating disorders revealed some startling results. Out of 131 female beauty pageant contestants, over 26% had shown signs of an eating disorder. The average age at which these problems began was 16 (NCBI). Depression is also higher for girls who participate in such competitions. When they do not win, they feel as though they are not good enough the way that they are. This brings me to my next topic, damage to the self-worth of these young girls.

            Self-worth is defined as the value we place on ourselves as human beings. Beauty pageants and the messages they convey say that all that is important about us is the way we look. “When it comes to performing, education takes a back seat. The performers bodies are their livelihood and less-than-perfect might lead to unemployment”(PsychologyToday). It is this message that is damaging to our society’s young girls. We should be encouraging young women to expand their minds and better themselves through education. Beauty will fade, but intelligence is something no one can ever take from you. The fact that so much pressure is put on girls to always look their best is a tragedy.

            As the mother of young daughter, it is my hope that one day the attitudes toward women will change. With such an abundance of beauty pageants that claim to offer girls self-confidence and pride; this is where we need to start making the changes. We need to teach young girls and women that their value does not lie in their faces or bodies, but instead in their minds.

Sources:

"Beauty Pageants for Teens, Girls, Toddlers, & Women (State & National). N.p., n.d. Web. 09     Apr. 2013.

Cartwright, Martina M. "Child Beauty Pageants: What Are We Teaching Our Girls?" Web log                               post. Psychology Today. N.p., 12 Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.

CANNING, ANDREA, and JESSICA HOFFMAN. "On TLC's 'Toddlers & Tiaras,' Little Divas            Make Their Entrance." ABC News. ABC News Network, 21 July 2009. Web. 09 Apr.   2013.

"People & Events: Origins of the Beauty Pageant." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2013.

Thompson, SK. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National     Library of Medicine, 08 Sept. 2003. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.