Journal Entry - Jan. 26th

In class this week I did my magic trick - one of the activities that I picked for my toolkit - and it actually worked. My second activity was just a simple Mad Libs but I may expand on it more, or swap it for something more fun. I'm not quite sure yet, but I'm going to do a little more looking and see if I can come up with something really cool.

I have been assigned Stephens as my middle school, which is fantastic since it's only a small ways away from where I live. Since I'm currently carless (sigh!) I have to walk or find an alternate type of transportation so having something that isn't a million miles away makes it alot easier for me to do this.

I'm excited about being paired up with someone! It should be a lot of fun and a really rewarding experience.

Responsive Reading - Advantages of Being a Good Listener

Being a good listener is an important part of being a mentor, or part of any other type of healthy relationship. You can't interact with someone, get to know them, or work out any issues you might have if you refuse to listen to what they have to say. Not just nodding your head and staring out the window, but really listening. Listening, and not letting your own personal views, opinions, or feelings get in the way of what they're saying. Just as I'm initialed to my opinion and the respect of that opinion, so are others entitled to theirs and the same sort of respect that I want.

Parental Notification

A school board in Roseville, California recently attempted to pass an issue that would make it so that schools could deny parents notification if their children left the school grounds for confidential medical appointments or counseling during regular school hours. [Read It Here] The issue was removed when parents and the local community voiced their concern over its possible inclusion in their school district.

I agree with the parents and other concerned community members on this issue. I believe that as long as the student attending the school is a minor, the parents or guardians must be informed if that student will be leaving the school property during the school day. As a parent or a guardian of a child you are legally and morally obligated to the wellbeing of that person, and it is important that our schools assist the parents or guardians of students in informing them when a student will be leaving the grounds during school hours.

There are some situations in which students may wish to keep meetings with health care workers, law enforcement or councilors private because these meetings may be directly related to their current guardians or home life. In these types of situations the school faculty should work with the child to help them make the choices that are best in those circumstances. In either case, it is important that our school systems have the best intentions for our children in mind at all times.

Journal Entry - For Jan. 19th

This week we're supposed to work on creating activities for a Toolkit that can be used by all the other mentors as icebreaker of sorts. Something to do with your Protégé to either get to know them, or just as something fun to do.

I am completely at a loss with this one.

The example that was given in class was drawing a pig, and then having your drawing interpreted as to what sort of personality you have based on your drawing style. It was pretty cute.

I've done a bit of looking and found a few things that would be fun, but I'm not sure about how involved (or, dare I say it, messy) the activities should be. I'd like to do something really interesting that would get the kids (students? little people?) involved and something that they would enjoy, but it's been an awfully long time since I was in middle school and I don't quite remember what it was that I liked to do.

I'm sure that something will come to me eventually.

Responsive Reading - School Uniforms

The Phoenix Preparatory Academy has a school dress code [readable here] that could almost be defined as harsh. The school has some of the same basic rules as other schools do - like no offensive or immodest clothing - but also has some pretty extreme rules as well. Things such as pants must be no more then one pant size too large, and that all shirts must be tucked in.

Although I agree with the majority of these rules, some just seem like too much hassle for the students, faculty and parents to worry about. I can understand that you want shirts tucked in, but what does it really matter what color belt is worn? I think that although it is important that guidelines and rules are set so children are not wearing clothing that is distractive or harmful, it's also important that children are given some leeway with those same rules.

Even though schools aren't (as most parents say) "a fashion show", and that children are there to learn, I think that the ability for children to express themselves in the safe place that the spend the majority of their childhood with their peers is also important for healthy self-esteem and development.