Week 4 Free Choice Entry - The Journey Is Almost Done

Here we are in month 11 with one more to go. There are so many emotions running through me that they are hard to catalog. I don't wish I didn't feel them because I have earned each and every one: excitement, fear, pride, chaos, jubilation, madness, deliriousness, hopefulness, and wonderment. Each one has taken me through a stage in this journey to my Masters degree. There were even moments of panic when I wasn't sure if I could do it. And that's where my classmates turned friends came in.

They knew where I was in my journey, what I was feeling every step of the way, and how to reassure and support me all the way through. I counted on them as my critical friends for my Action Research and as my close friends through some hard tribulations of my life. They became my support: Kimberly Coast, Amanda Beery, Nathan Eshe, Tom Kowalewski and Joy Flack in particular. I, in turn, have been theirs as well. We have become more than we set out to be: classmates turned family.

Though the journey was long, our destination is more than worth it. As we walk across that stage, we will reflect on what it took to get there. Yet what it took to get there is far more than our deepest imaginings for what it took to get there are our FRIENDS AND FAMILY!! The bond we have is something that can never be taken from us. We met for school, we remain for life! Thank you to all of you.

Week 4 Comment 2 - Amanda Beery

Ah, the blame game. My students would do better if the teachers they had last year taught them more, their parents were more involved, we have more money to spend on them. I have what I have and I am given the students I am given…I can find excuses for why they aren’t performing at the highest levels or I can look for ways to help them achieve more. I choose to look for ways to help them achieve more.

My comment:

Funny how great minds think alike. My blog runs similar course as yours because our thinking runs similar path in that we, as educators, need to change our focus into what will happen from this point versus what happened before. We can't undo what was done but we can lay an excellent framework from here. As you stated, we can either make excuses or we can change the situation.

Week 4 Comment 1 - Vandy

Where are these P's coming from: purpose, promise, project, people, passion, peers. Following right in suit, it's time to Publish. Time to wrap up all my research in a little nice package and send it out to the publishing world.

My comment:

I absolutely love this beginning to your blog entry. The P's accurately sum up our degree program at Full Sail yet you forgot three: patience, partnership, and pride. We have all come a long way and we have formed partnerships that will take us through the rest of our lives. Even being across the country, we have forged friendships that transcend distance. I am so glad to have made the journey with all of you. You ought to definitely publish because the senior community is a lot larger than previously imagined as technological advances are extending the median age. Keep it coming.

Week 4 Activity on Being the Board

'It's not you, it's me'...I have a blouse that says that. Of course, many of us associate this phrase as the break up speech headliner. Well, imagine if you will that more people used this philosophy in their everyday instead of playing the blame game. How much different would society be? How many differences would we see in the realm of education? There would be fewer instances of passing the buck and way fewer children being left by the wayside or being left behind. Sure, we have the law of No Child Left Behind but as educators, we know that there are many children still being left behind through no fault of their own yet no one takes accountability because too many are trying to pass the buck. With budget cuts being the administration's first priority, no teacher wants to be blamed for a child's shortcomings.

What a world we can have when we stop saying others did it, and say, what can I do to improve this circumstance? What can I do to make things better and keep this child from failing? How can I be the change I want to see in this child's existence? Taking accountability is not an easy thing to do however, it begins with small steps. Accountability makes us take more time to weigh decisions, use critical thinking, and seek solutions that will really work versus just applying a small Band-Aid to a gashing wound.

It isn't even just a scenario painted for educators and administration. Parents also need to embrace accountability for their child's failed educational goal. Not enough parents are involved. Not enough know what is going on in their child's school and classroom. Whether due to employment, social obligations, or total disregard, parents are just not as involved as they need to be to ensure the success of their children's education.

I am also of the mind that I am the master of my own destiny. As such, what occurs in my life is what I allow to happen even if outside influences beyond my control affect it. I must be the one to transform any negative effects into a positive framework for my existence. This philosophy creates accountability in my life. By blaming myself for anything occurring in my life, I am embracing both successes and failures for failures are learning experiences. To learn, we must often fail. Through this trial and error, we can see where mistakes happen and we can then prepare to prevent further mistakes.

When we teach children to accept responsibility, we must be mindful that we, too, must do the same. Accountability is the name of the game. We must indeed be the board that the game of life is being played on for every move our player takes, is one that we have caused whether through knowledgeable desire or ignorant indifference. I don't know about you but I prefer to be the control behind the pieces rather than just a pawn.