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Thursday, June 7, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Little by Little
Parenting my children over the last fourteen years I have discovered that my children’s personality traits and interests require me to use different approaches to their upbringing. Applying individualized parenting styles based on each child’s differences enables me to more effectively raise my children. Being flexible and adapting to each child’s needs is crucial in the parent–child relationship. Children really are individuals and want to be seen and treated as such.
One of the areas I have learned to handle my children differently is in their response to change. Kindra, my fourteen year old daughter, and Jakob, my seven year old son, deal with change on a daily basis because we are a blended family. Bringing two families together puts the children through adjustments to new siblings, step-parents and in our case, a new home. Kindra has always been the easygoing one who adapts quickly to changes although she does not trust new people immediately. I can let her go at her own pace. She is more able to find her own space and fit in quickly, adapting herself to new surroundings whereas Jakob requires more guidance to adapt to new situations. Jakob needs to walk around and observe for a few minutes before he is comfortable enough to leave mom’s side. Even then he does not always feel comfortable. I have learned to go with the kid’s response. If they do not feel comfortable in any situation, I try and talk about why and how I can help them feel more comfortable. Recognizing how each child deals with change helps me to know how to make the transitions in day to day life go smoother. Whereas I can just let Kindra adjust herself to the new situation, Jakob needs the reassurance from me that everything is ok.
Another area of challenge is the competitive nature of my children. Kindra likes to be the best at everything she does. However she has also learned to work hard to win. Because of her age, my role is to support her, make sure she is on time and cheer her on at all she does. Jakob, who is much younger, still thinks he should just win automatically. I spend more time teaching him that winning and doing well takes time and patience and that sometimes he will not win. Not always winning is not as much fun, but Jakob is learning to accept it. Because they both are extremely competitive and are different ages, I have to monitor competitive situations more closely. A game of soccer in the backyard between Kindra and Jakob usually ends up with hurt feelings about someone being better than the other.
In addition, knowing how they each express their emotions in tough situations requires me to work through problems differently. Kindra tends to bottle things up inside. She needs me to help her learn to talk through her problems and work them through. With Kindra I try and engage her in conversation and push her to talk and express herself. On the other hand, Jakob is quicker to express his emotions, sometimes exploding! He needs help learning to control his anger and channel his emotions to a healthy outlet. Both need my help learning how to handle their emotions in an age appropriate manner. Because life gives them daily challenges, I try to deal with their emotions in a proactive way. Every day I talk with them and try to find ways that each child can express themselves in a healthy manner. Sometimes I do this by letting them see me act or respond in the wrong way. When mom walks away from a talk or blows up they can see how ineffective this behavior is. I try to help them see how I could have handled the situation better. I have even thrown myself on the floor and screamed. They just laughed but it got my point across and started us talking.
In the same way I have found teaching each child the fundamentals of obedience is very challenging. No one likes to always be told what and when to do something. So, I try and find creative ways to teach them to obey and respect the parental authority. Kindra will challenge me when I ask her to do something and then look for a loop hole to get around the request. I can say “ Kindra, why don’t you sweep the floor?” Later, the floor will not have been swept and when I ask why she did not sweep the floor she will respond with “You asked me why don’t I you didn’t tell me, to do it.” When she was younger a raised voice would usually get her back in line. Now, because of her age I am able to reason with her. A raised voice with Jakob can send him into a rage. He needs a non–dictator tone, one that is allowing him to “think” he has an option even though he really does not. So when I am asking Jakob to sweep the floor, I can say “Jakob you can sweep the floor first or take out the recycle.” He will feel he has the choice apposed to feeling like I commanded him to do a chore. He does not see he still has to do the same amount of chores. Although both kids really need the structure that discipline brings them neither one likes it very much. Kindra and Jakob’s response to discipline requires me to be flexible, yet very consistent, with each one of them. Obedience is a lesson they both will need to work on throughout their childhood. My hope is that they will have both learned this by the time they reach adulthood as they, like all of us, will live under some kind of authority.
However time consuming, mundane, and exhausting this job can seem at the end of each day, I am thankful I had one more day with my two unique children. As I look on to tomorrow I hope I do a better job parenting than what I did today. Remembering that, with all of their differences, my children have one big similarity: they each want and need to know that I love and respect them for who they are and need my encouragement of their individuality through my unique parenting style for each of them
One of the areas I have learned to handle my children differently is in their response to change. Kindra, my fourteen year old daughter, and Jakob, my seven year old son, deal with change on a daily basis because we are a blended family. Bringing two families together puts the children through adjustments to new siblings, step-parents and in our case, a new home. Kindra has always been the easygoing one who adapts quickly to changes although she does not trust new people immediately. I can let her go at her own pace. She is more able to find her own space and fit in quickly, adapting herself to new surroundings whereas Jakob requires more guidance to adapt to new situations. Jakob needs to walk around and observe for a few minutes before he is comfortable enough to leave mom’s side. Even then he does not always feel comfortable. I have learned to go with the kid’s response. If they do not feel comfortable in any situation, I try and talk about why and how I can help them feel more comfortable. Recognizing how each child deals with change helps me to know how to make the transitions in day to day life go smoother. Whereas I can just let Kindra adjust herself to the new situation, Jakob needs the reassurance from me that everything is ok.
Another area of challenge is the competitive nature of my children. Kindra likes to be the best at everything she does. However she has also learned to work hard to win. Because of her age, my role is to support her, make sure she is on time and cheer her on at all she does. Jakob, who is much younger, still thinks he should just win automatically. I spend more time teaching him that winning and doing well takes time and patience and that sometimes he will not win. Not always winning is not as much fun, but Jakob is learning to accept it. Because they both are extremely competitive and are different ages, I have to monitor competitive situations more closely. A game of soccer in the backyard between Kindra and Jakob usually ends up with hurt feelings about someone being better than the other.
In addition, knowing how they each express their emotions in tough situations requires me to work through problems differently. Kindra tends to bottle things up inside. She needs me to help her learn to talk through her problems and work them through. With Kindra I try and engage her in conversation and push her to talk and express herself. On the other hand, Jakob is quicker to express his emotions, sometimes exploding! He needs help learning to control his anger and channel his emotions to a healthy outlet. Both need my help learning how to handle their emotions in an age appropriate manner. Because life gives them daily challenges, I try to deal with their emotions in a proactive way. Every day I talk with them and try to find ways that each child can express themselves in a healthy manner. Sometimes I do this by letting them see me act or respond in the wrong way. When mom walks away from a talk or blows up they can see how ineffective this behavior is. I try to help them see how I could have handled the situation better. I have even thrown myself on the floor and screamed. They just laughed but it got my point across and started us talking.
In the same way I have found teaching each child the fundamentals of obedience is very challenging. No one likes to always be told what and when to do something. So, I try and find creative ways to teach them to obey and respect the parental authority. Kindra will challenge me when I ask her to do something and then look for a loop hole to get around the request. I can say “ Kindra, why don’t you sweep the floor?” Later, the floor will not have been swept and when I ask why she did not sweep the floor she will respond with “You asked me why don’t I you didn’t tell me, to do it.” When she was younger a raised voice would usually get her back in line. Now, because of her age I am able to reason with her. A raised voice with Jakob can send him into a rage. He needs a non–dictator tone, one that is allowing him to “think” he has an option even though he really does not. So when I am asking Jakob to sweep the floor, I can say “Jakob you can sweep the floor first or take out the recycle.” He will feel he has the choice apposed to feeling like I commanded him to do a chore. He does not see he still has to do the same amount of chores. Although both kids really need the structure that discipline brings them neither one likes it very much. Kindra and Jakob’s response to discipline requires me to be flexible, yet very consistent, with each one of them. Obedience is a lesson they both will need to work on throughout their childhood. My hope is that they will have both learned this by the time they reach adulthood as they, like all of us, will live under some kind of authority.
However time consuming, mundane, and exhausting this job can seem at the end of each day, I am thankful I had one more day with my two unique children. As I look on to tomorrow I hope I do a better job parenting than what I did today. Remembering that, with all of their differences, my children have one big similarity: they each want and need to know that I love and respect them for who they are and need my encouragement of their individuality through my unique parenting style for each of them
Judging cover
In her article “Judging by the Cover” writer Bonny Gainley gives a great example of the public’s right to posses their own appearance however do not expect all employers to hire you unless you meet the standards they have in place... Gainley Explains that when you go out into the work field do not look to prospective employers to change there standards to suite ones needs rather investigate which employer has standards that match your needs. Do they allow body piercing, tattoos, or do they have restrictions on hair styles? Some people expect the employer to change for them not so, the employer is looking for someone who will fit there need. Appearance is not everything but it will sometimes push a potential customer out the door rather than bring them in. Employers need to be careful to not discriminate however applicants need to be sensitive to the employer’s specific guidelines for its employees. Over time the standards will probably change and what is not ok today will be ok in years to come. Changing the accepted trend in the workplace will be something that changes with time.
Intro to Breatharianism
Paying money to learn how to lose weight is not a new concept however breatharianism is. In my English 98 class we were assigned to read a story on Breatharianism and after reading this story we were to pick one of three assignments to complete.
I chose to write a brief radio advertisement. While keeping in mind the audience that would be listening knew nothing about this new plan I was really focused on some main questions to myself. Would my word choice be strong enough to persuade someone to sign up? Would I be able to read this far fetched story and translate it into a believable commercial? These questions were tougher than I thought. However word choice made the commercial sound believable. (There is always someone to believe even the strangest of ideas) I was able to analyze the story and chose passages and words that made my commercial seem very strong in content, one that others could believe based on the way it was written. I think I showed a really strong thought process in this assignment.
I chose to write a brief radio advertisement. While keeping in mind the audience that would be listening knew nothing about this new plan I was really focused on some main questions to myself. Would my word choice be strong enough to persuade someone to sign up? Would I be able to read this far fetched story and translate it into a believable commercial? These questions were tougher than I thought. However word choice made the commercial sound believable. (There is always someone to believe even the strangest of ideas) I was able to analyze the story and chose passages and words that made my commercial seem very strong in content, one that others could believe based on the way it was written. I think I showed a really strong thought process in this assignment.
Breatharianism commercial
Are you breathing? Sure you are everyone is. Would you like learn how to make every breath count?
With our proven five day training you could be breathing easier, shedding unwanted pounds, dropping pant sizes all just by BREATHING!
No drugs, no pills, no diets!
Join us for five days of intensive fun and educational training on how to effectively lose weight with every breath you take.
BREATHARIANISM……..
With our proven five day training you could be breathing easier, shedding unwanted pounds, dropping pant sizes all just by BREATHING!
No drugs, no pills, no diets!
Join us for five days of intensive fun and educational training on how to effectively lose weight with every breath you take.
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Judging Introduction
Have you ever looked at someone and made a judgment about that person by what you saw? Even though I try hard not to I know I have been guilty of doing just that. In my English class I was assigned to read a short essay titled “Judging by the Cover” by Bonny Gainley. After reading it I had to summarize it using the skills we had been learning in class. I chose to use my summary as my example of my improvement in effective writing. I think I did a good job at summarizing the author’s thoughts and yet not just copy her words. One example would be when Gainley describes how when looking for a job prospective applicants should research what employers have standards that meet there needs apposed to thinking the employer will change there standards to meet each applicants needs.
Cliff Hanger
The three quotes I found most interesting are:
“Joe had smiled as I let him slide away from me. It wasn’t much of a smile. His pain twisted it into a grimace. I let him go fast and ignored his cries” (Simpson 100).
Joe already had broken his leg and Simon was faced with the responsibility of getting them both down. The tone Simon has in his passage “I let him go fast and ignored his cries”
Simon really had to separate himself emotionally at this point he was going into command mode. Seems he was just trying to get them down alive. I think he did not have time to really care if he was hurting Joe, he knew he needed to get them both down and an overwhelming sense of responsibility for both of them making it down alive. This seems like a decision Simon had to make about survival.
“Place – lift –brace-hop… Keep going... look how far you’ve gone. Just do it, don’t think about it” (Simpson 163).
This passage really is telling of Joe’s struggle to stay focused on his main goal, to survive! Joe was not going to just lie around and die, his instinct was that of survival and he had to tell himself, sometimes even out loud over and over again how to move. The natural instinct was gone he had to verbally command himself. Joe was unable to even limp, crawling was not going to work .This act of “Place – lift – brace-hop...” was Joe’s only way of survival. I think that this really shows the mental state he needed to be in and his capacity to survive. Joe was able to push himself physically beyond what he ever thought he could go.
“They were the last obstacle which could kill me” (Simpson 165).
Seeing the last of the cliffs, Joe has a sense of accomplishment, he realizes that he has gotten through so much already. Just this one last hurdle then he will be out of danger. Unfortunately he finds himself getting too confident almost sarcastic in his attitude. He ends up losing all focus and is almost throwing away yet another chance at survival. Joe really stops thinking survival mode and relaxes in his thoughts and determination, unaware of his surroundings he had his eyes set on just getting to Bomb Alley. This seems to be a turning point in his survival. Again he has to re focus himself to his earlier way of thinking staying focused on where he is going but also aware of how far he has come and how long it took. I found myself feeling so sorry for him at this point. He seems so defeated. Yet he has accomplished more than he thought he would the day before. The courage Joe shows is unbelievable.
“Joe had smiled as I let him slide away from me. It wasn’t much of a smile. His pain twisted it into a grimace. I let him go fast and ignored his cries” (Simpson 100).
Joe already had broken his leg and Simon was faced with the responsibility of getting them both down. The tone Simon has in his passage “I let him go fast and ignored his cries”
Simon really had to separate himself emotionally at this point he was going into command mode. Seems he was just trying to get them down alive. I think he did not have time to really care if he was hurting Joe, he knew he needed to get them both down and an overwhelming sense of responsibility for both of them making it down alive. This seems like a decision Simon had to make about survival.
“Place – lift –brace-hop… Keep going... look how far you’ve gone. Just do it, don’t think about it” (Simpson 163).
This passage really is telling of Joe’s struggle to stay focused on his main goal, to survive! Joe was not going to just lie around and die, his instinct was that of survival and he had to tell himself, sometimes even out loud over and over again how to move. The natural instinct was gone he had to verbally command himself. Joe was unable to even limp, crawling was not going to work .This act of “Place – lift – brace-hop...” was Joe’s only way of survival. I think that this really shows the mental state he needed to be in and his capacity to survive. Joe was able to push himself physically beyond what he ever thought he could go.
“They were the last obstacle which could kill me” (Simpson 165).
Seeing the last of the cliffs, Joe has a sense of accomplishment, he realizes that he has gotten through so much already. Just this one last hurdle then he will be out of danger. Unfortunately he finds himself getting too confident almost sarcastic in his attitude. He ends up losing all focus and is almost throwing away yet another chance at survival. Joe really stops thinking survival mode and relaxes in his thoughts and determination, unaware of his surroundings he had his eyes set on just getting to Bomb Alley. This seems to be a turning point in his survival. Again he has to re focus himself to his earlier way of thinking staying focused on where he is going but also aware of how far he has come and how long it took. I found myself feeling so sorry for him at this point. He seems so defeated. Yet he has accomplished more than he thought he would the day before. The courage Joe shows is unbelievable.
Little by Little Introduction
The differences and similarities of my two kids is why I chose them as my topics for my first major writing assignment (MWA). We were to pick something to compare /contrast.
Well I cannot even begin to explain how nervous I was at this first major assignment.
However when our instructor Phebe said the magic words ‘’ WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING YOU KNOW, SOMETHING YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT” I thought, SCORE! Wrong, this did not prove to be as easy as I imagined. After the fifth rough draft having input from peers as well as my instructor I was finally submitting my very first final draft. Throughout this essay I used personal examples and supported each one. I was able to take one idea create a strong thesis that clearly stated my purpose and create supporting details. An example would be from my essay “Applying individualized parenting styles based on each child’s differences enables me to more effectively raise my children.” I then went on to support this thesis by giving detailed information about my kids. Putting all this information together in a way that flows and reads nice was hard; however I was able to accomplish it by writing a more narrative paper. Learning the entire writing process from thinking of the concept to complete and final essay was a great experience. I picked this piece to share with you as my “writers choice” because it is a favorite subject of mine!
Well I cannot even begin to explain how nervous I was at this first major assignment.
However when our instructor Phebe said the magic words ‘’ WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING YOU KNOW, SOMETHING YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT” I thought, SCORE! Wrong, this did not prove to be as easy as I imagined. After the fifth rough draft having input from peers as well as my instructor I was finally submitting my very first final draft. Throughout this essay I used personal examples and supported each one. I was able to take one idea create a strong thesis that clearly stated my purpose and create supporting details. An example would be from my essay “Applying individualized parenting styles based on each child’s differences enables me to more effectively raise my children.” I then went on to support this thesis by giving detailed information about my kids. Putting all this information together in a way that flows and reads nice was hard; however I was able to accomplish it by writing a more narrative paper. Learning the entire writing process from thinking of the concept to complete and final essay was a great experience. I picked this piece to share with you as my “writers choice” because it is a favorite subject of mine!
Cliff Hanger Introduction
“They were the last obstacles which could kill me” (Simpson 165).
This quote is from the book “Touching the Void” by Joe Simpson. In our English98 class we were assigned to read this book. At first I had a hard time overcoming all the technical mountain climbing terms however after I looked them up in the back of the book things became clearer. In this quote I referenced, the writer is talking about his survival after a mountain climbing adventure gone bad. He and his partner share there stories that are at times gut wrenching and amazingly when reading this story I found myself scared at times as if I was there. We had a seminar with a couple other English classes that were also reading the book. In preparation for the seminar we were to write a paper based on some questions our Instructor gave us. This really gave me a chance to practice my analytical writing. By taking words someone else had written and re writing them using my own words while still keeping the authors meaning and points. Putting myself in the author’s shoes so to speak, breaking up and dissecting what was written. Really analyzing what was written.
I chose to share with you this assignment because. I feel I was successful in using good sentence structure and I was able to effectively use parallelism with regards to my sentences, causing the writing to flow and make for easier reading. Using proper quotes was a helpful tool I also learned and used in writing this assignment. I hope after reading this you will be inspired to pick up a copy of the book and read it! The story is truly an example of perseverance in its finest example
This quote is from the book “Touching the Void” by Joe Simpson. In our English98 class we were assigned to read this book. At first I had a hard time overcoming all the technical mountain climbing terms however after I looked them up in the back of the book things became clearer. In this quote I referenced, the writer is talking about his survival after a mountain climbing adventure gone bad. He and his partner share there stories that are at times gut wrenching and amazingly when reading this story I found myself scared at times as if I was there. We had a seminar with a couple other English classes that were also reading the book. In preparation for the seminar we were to write a paper based on some questions our Instructor gave us. This really gave me a chance to practice my analytical writing. By taking words someone else had written and re writing them using my own words while still keeping the authors meaning and points. Putting myself in the author’s shoes so to speak, breaking up and dissecting what was written. Really analyzing what was written.
I chose to share with you this assignment because. I feel I was successful in using good sentence structure and I was able to effectively use parallelism with regards to my sentences, causing the writing to flow and make for easier reading. Using proper quotes was a helpful tool I also learned and used in writing this assignment. I hope after reading this you will be inspired to pick up a copy of the book and read it! The story is truly an example of perseverance in its finest example
Introduction to 2 peas
Two Peas in a Pod is what I titled my last Major Writing Assignment (MWA) which happens to be the first one I chose to share with you. This paper was to be a persuasion essay. I chose School uniforms as the topic. I took the side of pro uniforms. In writing this essay I was able to go from the idea that all schools should have uniforms to really investigating my feelings, researching and documenting my findings in using the skills that we have been learning for the last 10 weeks in English 98. My argument for school uniforms was best summed up by saying “Students eagerly wear uniforms for sports such as football and baseball as well as activities like cheerleading and ROTC and 4-H Why then is there such a reluctance to wear a school uniform”? I Used some new skills we learned on citing our works and making sure to do it properly to avoid plagiarism.
I used strong transition sentences and had a very strong thesis along with a strong argument to back up my thesis. Using creditable facts was crucial to this essay and especially this topic. My conclusion however was my favorite part of writing this essay. Learning to tie everything up at the very end without bringing up any new information and closing the package so to speak was fun. I learned about
I used strong transition sentences and had a very strong thesis along with a strong argument to back up my thesis. Using creditable facts was crucial to this essay and especially this topic. My conclusion however was my favorite part of writing this essay. Learning to tie everything up at the very end without bringing up any new information and closing the package so to speak was fun. I learned about
Two Peas In a Pod
Two Peas
In a Pod
Students today eagerly wear uniforms for sports such as football and baseball as well as activities like cheerleading, ROTC and 4H. Why then, is there a reluctance to wear a uniform while attending school? Schools should require students to wear a uniform which would allow each student to attend school with more or less the same status among his or her peers. Too much emphasis is placed on individual dress which can lead to cliques and bullying that is counter to a learning culture. In addition, uniforms would prevent students dressing in a manner that is demeaning to them. Some will argue that requiring uniforms takes away from the person’s ability to be an individual while others feel it violates a student’s right to freedom of self expression. This is an unfounded fear. There are many ways a student can express his or her freedom of expression and individuality while still being required to wear a uniform.
Although at this time no long term case studies have been done on the effectiveness of school uniforms some schools have studied and recorded their experiences. In one such case California Long Beach Unified School district adopted a mandatory uniform policy in 1994. Since this time school crime has dropped 76% and attendance has reached an all time high. While it cannot be proved that uniforms made the difference, the circumstantial evidence cannot be ignored. Anthony Poet, Asst. Principle of Pueblo Del Sol middle school Arizona who recently implemented a uniform policy, agrees kids do not like uniforms but states “The kids who hated the idea are glad to have it in place”. In the words of a student “uniforms make the school safer, but I do not like wearing them” (Family Education).
Sadly enough some children are ridiculed for what they are wearing because their family cannot afford the latest fashion trend. If uniforms are required every child would be visually equal, there would be no hierarchy based on your clothing label. The “dress to impress” attitude would be removed from the school day. According to Dr. Alan Hilfer Senior psychologist in the Maimondies Medical Center in Brooklyn: “Uniforms do eliminate competition, pressure and assaults perpetuated by older kids on younger kids for their sneakers and other possessions. They also allow some kids to focus better, especially in the lower grades.” This would leave students with their free choice of friends based on who they are rather than what they wear.
Every day it seems students push the limits of the school dress code. Uniforms would take care of the “judgment” of each individual as to what they call appropriate dress. What one person calls appropriate may be totally inappropriate for a healthy productive learning environment. While it is true that schools would actually have to enforce the rules, the job will be much easier with a uniform as the students only choice.
However tough a lesson it is discipline is something that we all have to get used to at some point in our lives. We will all be accountable to some higher authority. Teaching our children this early will help them make the transition into adulthood. For instance, in the workplace, uniforms are seen everywhere. The military, police departments, airlines etc. all requires uniforms that distinguish them as employees giving the employee a distinct look. Does this violate the employee’s freedom? If it did, we would see pilots in shorts, police officers in swimsuits and firefighters in drag. According to Dr. Alan Hilfer, senior psychologist in the Children and adolescent Unit at Maimondies Medical Center in Brooklyn: “Discipline problems may be decreasing in schools with uniforms because the school and the parents have begun taking the discipline issue more seriously.” Nevertheless some feel requiring a student to wear a uniform violates the student’s right to be themselves. Are they really being themselves or are they trying to fit in, going along with the latest style or trend? Individuality is defined in Webster’s dictionary 2007 edition as: “personality, character, distinction, difference, uniqueness.” While personality, character, distinction, difference and uniqueness can be expressed by clothing, school is not the place to do that. There are plenty of opportunities at school to be distinct, unique and different in ways that do not involve dress. Academic distinction, unique writing and creative art works are just a few of the many ways students can express their individuality. To say a uniform takes away students individuality is untrue, much like saying members of a football team wearing uniforms are all the same. The uniform brings unity to the team. Students wearing uniforms could bring more unity to the school. According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals, “Clothing requirements are not considered a violation of their freedom of expression if there’s a valid educational reason for imposing them.” (Wingert, 1999)
Implementing uniforms into our school system will be a positive step towards a better education environment while still allowing students to be creative, showing their individuality in the work they do through writing, achievement, artwork, etc. Mandatory uniforms will help to provide a safer school environment. If a uniform saves just one kid from being ridiculed or beaten it’s worth it. In addition, schools should be a place where nothing gets in the way of a student receiving an education. While some may say that mandatory uniforms are a violation of a student’s rights, the evidence and the law do not support that. Finally, and for me most importantly, uniforms will bring back a level of decency to the school campus. School uniforms are a good idea, good for the schools and good for the students.
Reference:
Hilfer, Dr. Alan. "School Uniforms Pros/Cons." Family Education.Com. Maimonides Medical Center Brooklyn. 25 Spring 2007.
www.psparents.net/insupport.html
www.psparents.net/inobjection.html
Poet, Anthony. "School Uniforms Pros and Cons." http://school.familyeducation.com/educational-philosophy/individuality/38676.html. Asst Principal Pueblo Del Sol Middle School Arizona. 16 May-June 2007 httpschool.familyeducation.com.
http://www.psparents.net/
Kizis, Sarah
“School Uniforms and Dress Codes”
Writing Stamford. Sept 2000 vol.23, Issn02797208 1 page 18
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=69560579&sid=fmt=38&clientld=8125&RQT=309&VName=PQD
Document 69560579
Daugherty, Richard F.
“Leadership in Action: Piloting a school Uniform Program.”
Education. 2 2002.390. elibrary. Proquest. EVERETT COMMUNITY COLLEGE.18 May 2007
http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/.
"Uniform." Def. 1. Webster's New World Dictionary. Fourth ed. 2007.
In a Pod
Students today eagerly wear uniforms for sports such as football and baseball as well as activities like cheerleading, ROTC and 4H. Why then, is there a reluctance to wear a uniform while attending school? Schools should require students to wear a uniform which would allow each student to attend school with more or less the same status among his or her peers. Too much emphasis is placed on individual dress which can lead to cliques and bullying that is counter to a learning culture. In addition, uniforms would prevent students dressing in a manner that is demeaning to them. Some will argue that requiring uniforms takes away from the person’s ability to be an individual while others feel it violates a student’s right to freedom of self expression. This is an unfounded fear. There are many ways a student can express his or her freedom of expression and individuality while still being required to wear a uniform.
Although at this time no long term case studies have been done on the effectiveness of school uniforms some schools have studied and recorded their experiences. In one such case California Long Beach Unified School district adopted a mandatory uniform policy in 1994. Since this time school crime has dropped 76% and attendance has reached an all time high. While it cannot be proved that uniforms made the difference, the circumstantial evidence cannot be ignored. Anthony Poet, Asst. Principle of Pueblo Del Sol middle school Arizona who recently implemented a uniform policy, agrees kids do not like uniforms but states “The kids who hated the idea are glad to have it in place”. In the words of a student “uniforms make the school safer, but I do not like wearing them” (Family Education).
Sadly enough some children are ridiculed for what they are wearing because their family cannot afford the latest fashion trend. If uniforms are required every child would be visually equal, there would be no hierarchy based on your clothing label. The “dress to impress” attitude would be removed from the school day. According to Dr. Alan Hilfer Senior psychologist in the Maimondies Medical Center in Brooklyn: “Uniforms do eliminate competition, pressure and assaults perpetuated by older kids on younger kids for their sneakers and other possessions. They also allow some kids to focus better, especially in the lower grades.” This would leave students with their free choice of friends based on who they are rather than what they wear.
Every day it seems students push the limits of the school dress code. Uniforms would take care of the “judgment” of each individual as to what they call appropriate dress. What one person calls appropriate may be totally inappropriate for a healthy productive learning environment. While it is true that schools would actually have to enforce the rules, the job will be much easier with a uniform as the students only choice.
However tough a lesson it is discipline is something that we all have to get used to at some point in our lives. We will all be accountable to some higher authority. Teaching our children this early will help them make the transition into adulthood. For instance, in the workplace, uniforms are seen everywhere. The military, police departments, airlines etc. all requires uniforms that distinguish them as employees giving the employee a distinct look. Does this violate the employee’s freedom? If it did, we would see pilots in shorts, police officers in swimsuits and firefighters in drag. According to Dr. Alan Hilfer, senior psychologist in the Children and adolescent Unit at Maimondies Medical Center in Brooklyn: “Discipline problems may be decreasing in schools with uniforms because the school and the parents have begun taking the discipline issue more seriously.” Nevertheless some feel requiring a student to wear a uniform violates the student’s right to be themselves. Are they really being themselves or are they trying to fit in, going along with the latest style or trend? Individuality is defined in Webster’s dictionary 2007 edition as: “personality, character, distinction, difference, uniqueness.” While personality, character, distinction, difference and uniqueness can be expressed by clothing, school is not the place to do that. There are plenty of opportunities at school to be distinct, unique and different in ways that do not involve dress. Academic distinction, unique writing and creative art works are just a few of the many ways students can express their individuality. To say a uniform takes away students individuality is untrue, much like saying members of a football team wearing uniforms are all the same. The uniform brings unity to the team. Students wearing uniforms could bring more unity to the school. According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals, “Clothing requirements are not considered a violation of their freedom of expression if there’s a valid educational reason for imposing them.” (Wingert, 1999)
Implementing uniforms into our school system will be a positive step towards a better education environment while still allowing students to be creative, showing their individuality in the work they do through writing, achievement, artwork, etc. Mandatory uniforms will help to provide a safer school environment. If a uniform saves just one kid from being ridiculed or beaten it’s worth it. In addition, schools should be a place where nothing gets in the way of a student receiving an education. While some may say that mandatory uniforms are a violation of a student’s rights, the evidence and the law do not support that. Finally, and for me most importantly, uniforms will bring back a level of decency to the school campus. School uniforms are a good idea, good for the schools and good for the students.
Reference:
Hilfer, Dr. Alan. "School Uniforms Pros/Cons." Family Education.Com. Maimonides Medical Center Brooklyn. 25 Spring 2007
www.psparents.net/insupport.html
www.psparents.net/inobjection.html
Poet, Anthony. "School Uniforms Pros and Cons." http://school.familyeducation.com/educational-philosophy/individuality/38676.html. Asst Principal Pueblo Del Sol Middle School Arizona. 16 May-June 2007 httpschool.familyeducation.com.
http://www.psparents.net/
Kizis, Sarah
“School Uniforms and Dress Codes”
Writing Stamford. Sept 2000 vol.23, Issn02797208 1 page 18
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=69560579&sid=fmt=38&clientld=8125&RQT=309&VName=PQD
Document 69560579
Daugherty, Richard F.
“Leadership in Action: Piloting a school Uniform Program.”
Education. 2 2002.390. elibrary. Proquest. EVERETT COMMUNITY COLLEGE.18 May 2007
http://elibrary.bigchalk.com/.
"Uniform." Def. 1. Webster's New World Dictionary. Fourth ed. 2007.
Its over!!!!
Thanks for taking the time to read my entries. I hope you enjoyed your reading and possibly inspired by something you read!
I AM DONE YEAH!!!!!!!!
I AM DONE YEAH!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Momma's Pride and Joy
Kindra and Jakob they are part of the reason I came back to school. At the bottom of this article you will see a picture of all 4 of our children the "full" picture of my family, this picture is the last day they were all together.It was a snow day and I wanted to take pictures for Christmas cards that year. I got my picture. The picture that would prove to be the last of them all playing together.Being a wife and mother is a lifelong full time endeavor something I have ALWAYS wanted to do. Four years ago my husband and I lost two of our other children Elisse and Marisa in a tragic plane crash. This has been tough on our entire family and has given us daily challenges in dealing with grief and all that it encompasses. Even though we had just a short time with "the girls" (that's how we refer to them) they were 11 & 9 when they died. We have such wonderful memories of there smiling faces. This is probably the HARDEST part of my mothering experience.One experience I think has made me a stronger mom always careful to give my kids a hug and tell them I love them whenever I can especially when we are not together. Naturally as a mom I want to take all the pain away from my kids and I just want to fix it all for my husband so no one hurts. Well I have learned I cannot do that. Our faith in God has gotten us through and will continue to see us through. He has a plan and knows what we need.
As if this was not enough pain, in December of this year (2007) 1 week prior to Christmas Jakob and I were in an armed robbery at a pharmacy . The pain that goes along with this horrific nightmare seems to be endless, we both are always looking over our shoulders he is scared of things he never was before.I had a moment where I had to make a decision and I responded in a way that probably saved his and my life. For that I am forever grateful that I had the response I had. I wrote of this in one blog entry titled " Robbery of the Young" this was a great way to get some feelings out and work through them. Something we try and do everyday!
For the last 15 years I have been trying hard to model what I wanted my children to grow up to be. I have not always succeeded in making the correct choices however I feel like at least I point out my mistakes and they both see that even mom messes up sometimes. I do know that however I mess up they Have never seen me give up.Completing this first quarter here at Everett Community College has been just another example of the example I want my children to see.I think I have been able to set a really good example for both of my kids. They have seen me upset because I couldn't figure out what the heck my instructor meant by a comma splice (I am the UN official queen ) or watching me get so excited because I got a good grade on an assignment. Never quiting! I have grown a lot this quarter not just academically with my writing but as an individual as well. I know that writing better was the main objective I just think I conquered more than learning to write better. I am proud of all my writing assignments good and bad, they all represent some different area of learning from basic sentence structure to full process essay writing.
Although my favorite thing we did this quarter would surprisingly have to be when we did a seminar! I was so nervous when our instructor Professor Shen told us about her plans to seminar with 2 other classes. Come to find out a seminar was just meeting breaking into small groups and talking about the book. Lucky for us our class came to the seminar with typed papers of notes. I felt so prepared when my group used what I had written because the other classes had not come that prepared! Well this was a first for me and I felt really good about the grade received on my seminar paper. Hard work paid off. As I sit and look back at this first quarter I see some growth and I see area's that still need a lot of work,grammar and COMMA use will be a struggle but hey I may get it. I have made some new friends and have had fun I am looking forward to my summer quarter here at EVCC, I am taking Child development. I am interested in Early Childhood development. The younger kids always pull at my heart strings. Looking forward always remembering where I came from but not looking back! It is now the end of Spring quarter 2007 ! I can honestly say I made some new friends and look forward to watching myself and them grow in our educational pursuits.
Make it a great day!!
Shellee
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