Thank You & Good-bye from EDI 600 Class
By
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June, 2009
I can’t believe the end is here. The time in this class went extremely fast! I must tell Dr. Boyanton that I am so lucky to have had her as my professor. As this was my first graduate class, I walked into the unknown on May 18th. I was very nervous since it was my first class into a whole new journey. After being in this class for four weeks, I can say I am happy this was my first experience as a graduate student.
Dr. Boyanton’s class couldn’t have come at a better time in my life. I had decided that this summer was going to be one of reflection. I have never gotten to know true self and I decided that this summer was going to be where I found out whom I was. Both the self-management and research papers have helped me on this journey. I discovered that I can thrive on my own and I don’t need anyone else to help me to grow. I also learned a lot about my childhood and how it relates back to my life now.
I have formed many bonds in this class with students that I plan on keeping in touch with. I have found those students who will continue to help me achieve my goals in life. I plan on leaning on them for advice when we graduate and have our own classrooms. Thank you Dr. Boyanton for this great opportunity. I was truly a pleasure to be a student in your class. Thank you for engaging us as students and helping us to develop ideas for our future. You are a wonderful person and congratulations on your pregnancy! You are going to be a great mom to a beautiful child! I am so very happy for you!
(Justine Balsan - June 15, 2009)
=========
The Last Class
A problem that I have always had was public speaking. I would consider myself to be a somewhat shy student, with bad nervous habits. This is why chose the topic of public speaking for my self-management project. I tend to be a shy in class and don’t like to participate and talk with my peers. In addition, when I get nervous I tend to use the word “like” with out even realizing that I am and I speak way too fast.
I was extremely nervous for the presentation, I really wanted to do well and prove that my self-management project was in fact a success. At first, I admit I was very hesitant about the assignment, the problem is, I have been this way for many years and have not had much success in the past. I am so happy that Dr. Boyanton gave us this assignment, which at first seemed impossible.
However, in class we learned ways in each to track out project using charts and logs which I had never thought to do before. As the semester went by, I also spoke with classmates to see if they had any other ideas for me. In the past I would not have had the courage to ask my classmates for advice. Needless to say, I think presentation went well!
Being in Dr. Boyanton’s class has opened up my eyes to so many new ideals about education, and life in general that I will always remember. As a perspective teacher I aspire to be just like Dr. Boyanton. I am determined to always be available for my students and to help them through both the coursework and life experiences.
Thank you!!!
(Amanda Zack, 6/18/09)
========
I never experienced a class where such a warm community of respect was built. I truly feel as though we had spent a full semester together rather than just a summer session. Through our presentations, role model activity, etc. I feel like I know so much about each of my classmates. A true bond and connection has been made between many of us. The presentations were very impressing. I cannot believe the trials and hurdles many of my classmates have overcome to be where they are today. Justin, Scott and Debbie were just a few that were very inspiring to me.
I think the course content was excellent. The psychological theories were really interesting as well as all the memory exercises. I enjoyed all the readings in the text as well as creating mini-lessons in class.
I enjoyed the class very much because we did a lot of work; we grew in knowledge and relationship with one another. This class took a lot of work and dedication to get through, as you said it would Dengting. It was worth it. I learned ALOT and made lasting friendships as well.
Thank you for an amazing summer session!
(Tiffany De Rosa, June 19,2009)
=========
I Never Thought…
I must say that I am very impressed with the sense of community I felt in this class. I am usually very uncomfortable and quite in my classes. However, the way Professor Dengting guided us and helped us learn about each other, accept each other, and respect each other really helped me feel the opposite. I have never felt so sad from walking away from a class before because I felt a connection with many of my peers, we learned so much from each other!
I hope to succeed in creating this sense of community in my future classes. I must say that I was very overwhelmed with the amount of work that we had to do in this class in such a short period of time, I thought it was impossible! I really did not think that I would be able to complete everything in an unstressed manner; but the way that Professor Dengting, planned it all out, it worked pretty well. Future students must follow the guidelines and make sure not to fall behind in course because it is a lot of work! Make sure everything is done on time! I learned a lot from this course that I can apply to my teaching in ways that I did not think were possible. Everything done in this course was very unique. Thank you!
(Eugenia Splinis, June 18, 2009)
========
The Grande Finale
First, I would like to thank you for a wonderful although very short semester. We all worked hard and I feel like accomplished something great. I have never been in a situation that challenged me academically and emotionally at similar levels. I don’t think in all my time at Post that I ever learned more than two names in any of my classes. We are a supportive group and I can honestly say that I have made actual friends. Friends that I think I will stay in touch with after my education at the University is over.
The presentations, covered the one thing we had not gone into this semester, which was what made us the people we are today and eight minutes fly by quickly. I also found there were many commonalities in our educations as a group. I was surprised and saddened by how many people had terrible and esteem defeating teachers. I am confident after getting to know my classmates that they will not repeat history and will concentrate on building the esteem of their future students. We should all learn from experiences, aspire to the great ones and make sure not emulate the bad ones.
(Heather Hoffman, 6/17/09)
==========
What A Class
What an experience the last four weeks has been. I have learned so much about my self and I am still dissecting the information. I was so scared on day one. I did not know how I was going to get all that work done. I wanted to succeed in my first graduate level class and after my presentation I feel that I have.
I never thought that the Phycological Foundations of Educations class would lead me to explore my self so much. Like I said in my presentation some of the topics I discussed has never been said out loud. To hear myself and others discuss how we learned was really eye opening. Everyone taught me that although we all come from different places we have so much in common. We all wanted to succeed but just did not know how.
Realizing this as a teacher will enable us to keep our eyes and ears open. Being able to be open about our experiences let us be genuine teachers. We now have the opportunity to see how at one point in a child’s life we can make a difference.
(Kevin Norris, 6/17/09)
==========
Prof. Boyanton I want you to know that I honestly appreciated you class and just looked forward to attending every class. I loved the journals, logs and even the research project and the class assignments. For me, it didn’t seem like class because it was so engaging and just fun. I was absolutely an awesome time. Your class decisions and assignments and other interactions with my fellow classmate really have opened my eyes to the world of teaching and I know I have achieved some much in such a short time flame of and it’s all because of your wonderful class. Thank you! :)
It was a pleasure being in your class and I will stay in contact. :)
Wish you have a great summer! Take Care.
(Shahira Asadi, 6/18/09)
===========
I enjoyed listening to my classmates’ presentations last night. However, I am disappointed that I was unable to finish my own within the time limit. I found it very interesting how many women spoke about being shy and not wanting to speak up in class. For some of them, this is still a fear, while for others; they have gotten over this hurdle and are more active participants in class. I wonder what changed for those students like myself who are now comfortable speaking in front of a class.
I believe that I gained confidence when I finally realized that I was as smart as everyone else in the room and that what I had to say was valuable. I think Stacie’s presentation was really good as she presents as a very intelligent woman. I wish she had spoken up more often in class this past semester. I am sorry that I was unable to stay late and hear the rest of the presentations, but I have a one-hour commute and had to complete work for my job for the next day.
Overall, this class was an excellent learning experience filled with many intelligent people. I believe that most people in the class will make excellent teachers not only because they will be well prepared, but also because they have learned from their past experiences what worked and didn’t work for them as students.
(Heather Adams, 6/18/2009)
==========
WE DID IT!!!
Today’s class was one of my favorites! I dreaded this day for a long time because I had to present today, however I will remember it as one of the best days in my school career. I shocked myself at how calm I was, presenting my research topic and my life experiences. I was so afraid to stand in front of everyone today and admit my shortcomings and deficiencies throughout my life. My nerves and lack of confidence in myself usually get the best of me. However, I stood up there and told my story and all of its implications with conviction. This is a monumental event for me, one that I will call upon the next time “I think I can’t”. As my personality would have it, I have to give credit to all the extraordinary peers I was so fortunate enough to find support from: Justin, Lisa, Ilana, Judy, and especially Brian. They probably don’t even know how much there words of encouragement and advice helped me get through the presentation, but it meant the world to me. Brain looked at me and smiled as I stood in front of the room mouthing, “I’m so nervous”. He mouthed back, “Just breathe…you’re fine”. I firmly believe that support and empathy from others is the boost we all need to overcome our fears. For the record, I think he has all of the makings of a great teacher.
I have learned so much from listening to everyone’s presentations. I think that listening to the different life/school experiences and how they affected the person was one of the most valuable lessons I will take with me. We are all human, we all make mistakes, and we all learn from them. We have feelings as students, as we will have feelings as teachers. I’ve not only learned to identify and analyze my own experiences, but also I have learned to recognize the significance and importance of my peers’ experiences. This raw exposure of my classmates and myself will not only make me a better teacher, it will make me a better person.
I want to take this final opportunity to congratulate you as you await the arrival of your daughter. Your life story as you told it to all of us is truly amazing and it seems as though your hopes and dreams have come true. Good luck and enjoy every moment!
(Stacia Roth, 6/17/09)
=========
The presentations in class today were so motivating to listen to. I cannot begin to imagine some of the hardships that my peers have gone through. I feel so fortunate to have been raised by two loving parents in a loving family. I will never take that for granted again. The aspirations these students had, with all the cards stacked against them, are a testament for all people to learn from. It is important, as future teachers, for us to see just how important our role is, and how we can truly impact someone else’s life. So many teachers think there role in their students’ lives are meaningless or small. They are so wrong! Students, especially who come from a difficult home, need these teachers more than anything, to help guide them.
This class was such a motivating class for me to keep pursuing teaching. It showed how important my role is and how much thought and time I need to put into it. You are not just teaching kids how to read or write, your inspiring them (or unfortunately hindering them) to attain all of their goals. When you really begin to think about it, you see how important this job, a teacher, is to society.
(Brittany Leigh, 6/17/09)
===========
Look How Far We Have Come!
All I could think about tonight while I was watching and listening to the PowerPoint presentations was how much we had learned in only five weeks. The majority of the class does not have an undergraduate degree in education; we were all beginning in a new field. We have bonded like family, each of us supporting one another.
There were several outstanding presentations, specifically Justin’s, Scott’s and Kevin’s. I cannot imagine having to go through the obstacles that each of them have encountered and to emerge such strong, vital people. Scott gave me his paper to read early on: I could not fathom how this hard working, soft-spoken, father of two was able to emerge from the wreckage of his childhood. Most people in his position would have either mimicked their parent’s behavior (they would consider that the norm) or opted to not get married or have children at all. Instead this wonderful man, who listened with his mind and his heart whenever I spoke to him and who could also make me laugh so hard it brought me to tears, is a shining example of persistence and determination.
I was inspired by Justin’s quest for accepting both a disability as well as being abandoned by his father. Again, he had every legitimate excuse in the world to give up, instead he extolled his mother’s patience and determination. He is an extraordinary human being and will be an amazing teacher. Kevin has a spark and spirit that I am sure will help him continue to deal with the problems he has encountered with his family.
When we started class writing our journal entries and childhood chapters was especially laborious. To be honest, I did not fully understand why we were spending so much time working on them. Dengting, after witnessing the culmination of our work last night I sincerely thank you for your innovative and introspective curriculum.
(Lisa Pratt, 6/18/09)
=========
I was very impressed with the lessons learned during tonight’s class. I now know, more than ever, how one person can really make a difference in someone’s life. I also know that so much unfair disappointment occurs in each of our lives and the only way that we can overcome it is through our own strength. Feeling sorry for oneself is a waste of your time. It was clearly pointed out tonight that there is always someone who has a more horrible situation than you do. What you need to do is be confident, if you don’t believe in yourself no one else will. This is much easier said than done.
Teacher’s can ruin a child’s experience or make it great. A teacher’s warmth or lack of it may cause a student to thrive or shut down. It is so important for a teacher to create a comfort level in the classroom and realize that their classroom contains many different personality types. Everyone is an individual and it is crucial to build confidence in your students. The research that shows how the overall student confidence level drops to 20% by the time they reach 5th grade is very telling. Teachers need to be nurturing, sensitive and open. They should not discriminate; they should encourage, promote and push their students. They very well may be changing an individual’s life forever, for better of for worse.
(Scott Robinson, 6/18/09)
==========
One Final Time
Overall, I was very impressed by the class presentations. Most notably, I appreciated how honest and open everyone was about their years in school and how they affected their learning and who they are today. I guess that shouldn’t have come as a surprise though because that was the trend throughout this entire semester. As I think most people were, I was shocked by how difficult Scott’s upbringing was. I was painful enough just hearing him talk about some of those things, let alone trying to live through it. I also found Debra’s story extremely amazing. I did my self management progress of sleep behaviors and it seemed like she lived her entire college career on no sleep. I sleep very little and have trouble making it through the day sometimes. It is impressive how productive she was on such little sleep.
Thank you for a great semester.
(Adam Cirnigliaro, 6/18/09)
=========
Once again I am amazed at how open and honest my classmates are with their life experiences in regards to their research question. I have been very open myself, and have found that it has eased a burden on my mind. Although I have had issues in my life, I have found that my classmates have overcome hurdles and have had experiences that I would not wish upon anyone.
Every time one of my peers presented, I found myself listening with an intense feeling of knowing who they are and who they want to become. Once again, this is a new concept for me as I am a talker. As we have learned, listening is a skill that will enable us to be better people and better teachers. I now consider myself lucky to be a part of this class, where I can learn from my peers and of course my professor. It has been a tremendous journey for me as I have found my quest for knowledge is growing daily.
In reviewing all of my journals, I have found a degree of learning and self efficacy. I was very afraid to come back to school. Because I was not a great student in my undergraduate degree and also my early education, I was afraid I would fail. What I have learned is that I have the drive to succeed. I will be a successful teacher and if anything I am not a confident student and human being. I learned that we must all respect each others values, ethnicities, races, and in short, EVERYONE!
My advice to the instructor is to continue inspiring students to be the best they can be. I believe that Dengting has been able to do this for me. My advice for future students is LEARN, LISTEN, BE HONEST, and RESPECTFUL! With these words you will become the person you want to become – a PROFESSIONAL!
(Brian Bergman, 6/17/09)
============
In Conclusion…
Overall I feel that I did well in this class! I defiantly learned a lot from my peers through our class discussions and even more so through their presentations. I found shocking similarities in so many or the presentations and that has made me feel more comfortable in my classes. I feel that I am not in this alone! I look forward to my summer break and I also look forward to continuing my education next semester. All the while I continue to look forward to the day that I can take what I have learned and apply it in my own classroom and motivate my students to their full potential!
(Tamara McAtamney, 6/18/09)
Long Island University, C. W. Post
June, 2009
I can’t believe the end is here. The time in this class went extremely fast! I must tell Dr. Boyanton that I am so lucky to have had her as my professor. As this was my first graduate class, I walked into the unknown on May 18th. I was very nervous since it was my first class into a whole new journey. After being in this class for four weeks, I can say I am happy this was my first experience as a graduate student.
Dr. Boyanton’s class couldn’t have come at a better time in my life. I had decided that this summer was going to be one of reflection. I have never gotten to know true self and I decided that this summer was going to be where I found out whom I was. Both the self-management and research papers have helped me on this journey. I discovered that I can thrive on my own and I don’t need anyone else to help me to grow. I also learned a lot about my childhood and how it relates back to my life now.
I have formed many bonds in this class with students that I plan on keeping in touch with. I have found those students who will continue to help me achieve my goals in life. I plan on leaning on them for advice when we graduate and have our own classrooms. Thank you Dr. Boyanton for this great opportunity. I was truly a pleasure to be a student in your class. Thank you for engaging us as students and helping us to develop ideas for our future. You are a wonderful person and congratulations on your pregnancy! You are going to be a great mom to a beautiful child! I am so very happy for you!
(Justine Balsan - June 15, 2009)
=========
The Last Class
A problem that I have always had was public speaking. I would consider myself to be a somewhat shy student, with bad nervous habits. This is why chose the topic of public speaking for my self-management project. I tend to be a shy in class and don’t like to participate and talk with my peers. In addition, when I get nervous I tend to use the word “like” with out even realizing that I am and I speak way too fast.
I was extremely nervous for the presentation, I really wanted to do well and prove that my self-management project was in fact a success. At first, I admit I was very hesitant about the assignment, the problem is, I have been this way for many years and have not had much success in the past. I am so happy that Dr. Boyanton gave us this assignment, which at first seemed impossible.
However, in class we learned ways in each to track out project using charts and logs which I had never thought to do before. As the semester went by, I also spoke with classmates to see if they had any other ideas for me. In the past I would not have had the courage to ask my classmates for advice. Needless to say, I think presentation went well!
Being in Dr. Boyanton’s class has opened up my eyes to so many new ideals about education, and life in general that I will always remember. As a perspective teacher I aspire to be just like Dr. Boyanton. I am determined to always be available for my students and to help them through both the coursework and life experiences.
Thank you!!!
(Amanda Zack, 6/18/09)
========
I never experienced a class where such a warm community of respect was built. I truly feel as though we had spent a full semester together rather than just a summer session. Through our presentations, role model activity, etc. I feel like I know so much about each of my classmates. A true bond and connection has been made between many of us. The presentations were very impressing. I cannot believe the trials and hurdles many of my classmates have overcome to be where they are today. Justin, Scott and Debbie were just a few that were very inspiring to me.
I think the course content was excellent. The psychological theories were really interesting as well as all the memory exercises. I enjoyed all the readings in the text as well as creating mini-lessons in class.
I enjoyed the class very much because we did a lot of work; we grew in knowledge and relationship with one another. This class took a lot of work and dedication to get through, as you said it would Dengting. It was worth it. I learned ALOT and made lasting friendships as well.
Thank you for an amazing summer session!
(Tiffany De Rosa, June 19,2009)
=========
I Never Thought…
I must say that I am very impressed with the sense of community I felt in this class. I am usually very uncomfortable and quite in my classes. However, the way Professor Dengting guided us and helped us learn about each other, accept each other, and respect each other really helped me feel the opposite. I have never felt so sad from walking away from a class before because I felt a connection with many of my peers, we learned so much from each other!
I hope to succeed in creating this sense of community in my future classes. I must say that I was very overwhelmed with the amount of work that we had to do in this class in such a short period of time, I thought it was impossible! I really did not think that I would be able to complete everything in an unstressed manner; but the way that Professor Dengting, planned it all out, it worked pretty well. Future students must follow the guidelines and make sure not to fall behind in course because it is a lot of work! Make sure everything is done on time! I learned a lot from this course that I can apply to my teaching in ways that I did not think were possible. Everything done in this course was very unique. Thank you!
(Eugenia Splinis, June 18, 2009)
========
The Grande Finale
First, I would like to thank you for a wonderful although very short semester. We all worked hard and I feel like accomplished something great. I have never been in a situation that challenged me academically and emotionally at similar levels. I don’t think in all my time at Post that I ever learned more than two names in any of my classes. We are a supportive group and I can honestly say that I have made actual friends. Friends that I think I will stay in touch with after my education at the University is over.
The presentations, covered the one thing we had not gone into this semester, which was what made us the people we are today and eight minutes fly by quickly. I also found there were many commonalities in our educations as a group. I was surprised and saddened by how many people had terrible and esteem defeating teachers. I am confident after getting to know my classmates that they will not repeat history and will concentrate on building the esteem of their future students. We should all learn from experiences, aspire to the great ones and make sure not emulate the bad ones.
(Heather Hoffman, 6/17/09)
==========
What A Class
What an experience the last four weeks has been. I have learned so much about my self and I am still dissecting the information. I was so scared on day one. I did not know how I was going to get all that work done. I wanted to succeed in my first graduate level class and after my presentation I feel that I have.
I never thought that the Phycological Foundations of Educations class would lead me to explore my self so much. Like I said in my presentation some of the topics I discussed has never been said out loud. To hear myself and others discuss how we learned was really eye opening. Everyone taught me that although we all come from different places we have so much in common. We all wanted to succeed but just did not know how.
Realizing this as a teacher will enable us to keep our eyes and ears open. Being able to be open about our experiences let us be genuine teachers. We now have the opportunity to see how at one point in a child’s life we can make a difference.
(Kevin Norris, 6/17/09)
==========
Prof. Boyanton I want you to know that I honestly appreciated you class and just looked forward to attending every class. I loved the journals, logs and even the research project and the class assignments. For me, it didn’t seem like class because it was so engaging and just fun. I was absolutely an awesome time. Your class decisions and assignments and other interactions with my fellow classmate really have opened my eyes to the world of teaching and I know I have achieved some much in such a short time flame of and it’s all because of your wonderful class. Thank you! :)
It was a pleasure being in your class and I will stay in contact. :)
Wish you have a great summer! Take Care.
(Shahira Asadi, 6/18/09)
===========
I enjoyed listening to my classmates’ presentations last night. However, I am disappointed that I was unable to finish my own within the time limit. I found it very interesting how many women spoke about being shy and not wanting to speak up in class. For some of them, this is still a fear, while for others; they have gotten over this hurdle and are more active participants in class. I wonder what changed for those students like myself who are now comfortable speaking in front of a class.
I believe that I gained confidence when I finally realized that I was as smart as everyone else in the room and that what I had to say was valuable. I think Stacie’s presentation was really good as she presents as a very intelligent woman. I wish she had spoken up more often in class this past semester. I am sorry that I was unable to stay late and hear the rest of the presentations, but I have a one-hour commute and had to complete work for my job for the next day.
Overall, this class was an excellent learning experience filled with many intelligent people. I believe that most people in the class will make excellent teachers not only because they will be well prepared, but also because they have learned from their past experiences what worked and didn’t work for them as students.
(Heather Adams, 6/18/2009)
==========
WE DID IT!!!
Today’s class was one of my favorites! I dreaded this day for a long time because I had to present today, however I will remember it as one of the best days in my school career. I shocked myself at how calm I was, presenting my research topic and my life experiences. I was so afraid to stand in front of everyone today and admit my shortcomings and deficiencies throughout my life. My nerves and lack of confidence in myself usually get the best of me. However, I stood up there and told my story and all of its implications with conviction. This is a monumental event for me, one that I will call upon the next time “I think I can’t”. As my personality would have it, I have to give credit to all the extraordinary peers I was so fortunate enough to find support from: Justin, Lisa, Ilana, Judy, and especially Brian. They probably don’t even know how much there words of encouragement and advice helped me get through the presentation, but it meant the world to me. Brain looked at me and smiled as I stood in front of the room mouthing, “I’m so nervous”. He mouthed back, “Just breathe…you’re fine”. I firmly believe that support and empathy from others is the boost we all need to overcome our fears. For the record, I think he has all of the makings of a great teacher.
I have learned so much from listening to everyone’s presentations. I think that listening to the different life/school experiences and how they affected the person was one of the most valuable lessons I will take with me. We are all human, we all make mistakes, and we all learn from them. We have feelings as students, as we will have feelings as teachers. I’ve not only learned to identify and analyze my own experiences, but also I have learned to recognize the significance and importance of my peers’ experiences. This raw exposure of my classmates and myself will not only make me a better teacher, it will make me a better person.
I want to take this final opportunity to congratulate you as you await the arrival of your daughter. Your life story as you told it to all of us is truly amazing and it seems as though your hopes and dreams have come true. Good luck and enjoy every moment!
(Stacia Roth, 6/17/09)
=========
The presentations in class today were so motivating to listen to. I cannot begin to imagine some of the hardships that my peers have gone through. I feel so fortunate to have been raised by two loving parents in a loving family. I will never take that for granted again. The aspirations these students had, with all the cards stacked against them, are a testament for all people to learn from. It is important, as future teachers, for us to see just how important our role is, and how we can truly impact someone else’s life. So many teachers think there role in their students’ lives are meaningless or small. They are so wrong! Students, especially who come from a difficult home, need these teachers more than anything, to help guide them.
This class was such a motivating class for me to keep pursuing teaching. It showed how important my role is and how much thought and time I need to put into it. You are not just teaching kids how to read or write, your inspiring them (or unfortunately hindering them) to attain all of their goals. When you really begin to think about it, you see how important this job, a teacher, is to society.
(Brittany Leigh, 6/17/09)
===========
Look How Far We Have Come!
All I could think about tonight while I was watching and listening to the PowerPoint presentations was how much we had learned in only five weeks. The majority of the class does not have an undergraduate degree in education; we were all beginning in a new field. We have bonded like family, each of us supporting one another.
There were several outstanding presentations, specifically Justin’s, Scott’s and Kevin’s. I cannot imagine having to go through the obstacles that each of them have encountered and to emerge such strong, vital people. Scott gave me his paper to read early on: I could not fathom how this hard working, soft-spoken, father of two was able to emerge from the wreckage of his childhood. Most people in his position would have either mimicked their parent’s behavior (they would consider that the norm) or opted to not get married or have children at all. Instead this wonderful man, who listened with his mind and his heart whenever I spoke to him and who could also make me laugh so hard it brought me to tears, is a shining example of persistence and determination.
I was inspired by Justin’s quest for accepting both a disability as well as being abandoned by his father. Again, he had every legitimate excuse in the world to give up, instead he extolled his mother’s patience and determination. He is an extraordinary human being and will be an amazing teacher. Kevin has a spark and spirit that I am sure will help him continue to deal with the problems he has encountered with his family.
When we started class writing our journal entries and childhood chapters was especially laborious. To be honest, I did not fully understand why we were spending so much time working on them. Dengting, after witnessing the culmination of our work last night I sincerely thank you for your innovative and introspective curriculum.
(Lisa Pratt, 6/18/09)
=========
I was very impressed with the lessons learned during tonight’s class. I now know, more than ever, how one person can really make a difference in someone’s life. I also know that so much unfair disappointment occurs in each of our lives and the only way that we can overcome it is through our own strength. Feeling sorry for oneself is a waste of your time. It was clearly pointed out tonight that there is always someone who has a more horrible situation than you do. What you need to do is be confident, if you don’t believe in yourself no one else will. This is much easier said than done.
Teacher’s can ruin a child’s experience or make it great. A teacher’s warmth or lack of it may cause a student to thrive or shut down. It is so important for a teacher to create a comfort level in the classroom and realize that their classroom contains many different personality types. Everyone is an individual and it is crucial to build confidence in your students. The research that shows how the overall student confidence level drops to 20% by the time they reach 5th grade is very telling. Teachers need to be nurturing, sensitive and open. They should not discriminate; they should encourage, promote and push their students. They very well may be changing an individual’s life forever, for better of for worse.
(Scott Robinson, 6/18/09)
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One Final Time
Overall, I was very impressed by the class presentations. Most notably, I appreciated how honest and open everyone was about their years in school and how they affected their learning and who they are today. I guess that shouldn’t have come as a surprise though because that was the trend throughout this entire semester. As I think most people were, I was shocked by how difficult Scott’s upbringing was. I was painful enough just hearing him talk about some of those things, let alone trying to live through it. I also found Debra’s story extremely amazing. I did my self management progress of sleep behaviors and it seemed like she lived her entire college career on no sleep. I sleep very little and have trouble making it through the day sometimes. It is impressive how productive she was on such little sleep.
Thank you for a great semester.
(Adam Cirnigliaro, 6/18/09)
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Once again I am amazed at how open and honest my classmates are with their life experiences in regards to their research question. I have been very open myself, and have found that it has eased a burden on my mind. Although I have had issues in my life, I have found that my classmates have overcome hurdles and have had experiences that I would not wish upon anyone.
Every time one of my peers presented, I found myself listening with an intense feeling of knowing who they are and who they want to become. Once again, this is a new concept for me as I am a talker. As we have learned, listening is a skill that will enable us to be better people and better teachers. I now consider myself lucky to be a part of this class, where I can learn from my peers and of course my professor. It has been a tremendous journey for me as I have found my quest for knowledge is growing daily.
In reviewing all of my journals, I have found a degree of learning and self efficacy. I was very afraid to come back to school. Because I was not a great student in my undergraduate degree and also my early education, I was afraid I would fail. What I have learned is that I have the drive to succeed. I will be a successful teacher and if anything I am not a confident student and human being. I learned that we must all respect each others values, ethnicities, races, and in short, EVERYONE!
My advice to the instructor is to continue inspiring students to be the best they can be. I believe that Dengting has been able to do this for me. My advice for future students is LEARN, LISTEN, BE HONEST, and RESPECTFUL! With these words you will become the person you want to become – a PROFESSIONAL!
(Brian Bergman, 6/17/09)
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In Conclusion…
Overall I feel that I did well in this class! I defiantly learned a lot from my peers through our class discussions and even more so through their presentations. I found shocking similarities in so many or the presentations and that has made me feel more comfortable in my classes. I feel that I am not in this alone! I look forward to my summer break and I also look forward to continuing my education next semester. All the while I continue to look forward to the day that I can take what I have learned and apply it in my own classroom and motivate my students to their full potential!
(Tamara McAtamney, 6/18/09)
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