EDEL 3250 Week 1 Educational Hero

I have had many heroes in my long journey through the American Education System lol. But since Doc Waters would like me not to write a dissertation I will focus on one or maybe two.
My big hero that I can think of is my high school English teacher Mrs. Lee. She was complete opposite from me in nearly every way, but I loved her confidence and her ability to question EVERYTHING and I mean everything. She taught me that it was really okay to question. She even let me question her, which was a big no-no for me underneath (you wouldn't know it if you know me, but it's true). She became one of my best friends and I really want to allow my students to question me (in a good way of course). I want them to trust me and I want to have enough trust in myself to allow my students to ask me questions about what I believe.

Resources

www.uvu.edu/csse
UVU’s job board and student employment services.
www.bridges.com
Site ID: 1020676
Password: uvsc123
Explore careers, education and money outlook to help with career decisions
www.linkedin.com
A networking site that you can use to network with others in companies or similar interests
http://www.uvu.edu/csse/students/resources/resumes.html
CSSE’s page for helping with resumes
http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/careerfair/students.html
Useful information about attending career fairs and elevator speeches

Final Reflection

When I first went into this class, I thought I had made my decision with my major and I found that I was still unsure even after being admitted to the Education Program. I wasn’t sure I had made the right choice. This class helped me think of all the possibilities and consider other options that might fit my interests. Also through this class and my Introduction to Education class, I found that I really enjoy the idea of teaching and I feel that with time, I can grow into the role of a teacher.
Also through this class, I found that maybe there are other options I can pursue if I find somewhere down the road that teaching isn’t for me or that teaching elementary school kids isn’t for me. I found that I could go to school to be a librarian or maybe a school counselor. I could even go and get a Master’s or PhD and teach college classes. So I feel much better knowing that there are other options I can choose if this one I have chosen doesn’t work out for one reason or another.
I really found the Informational Interview, Job Shadowing and Networking to be extremely helpful to me. I really think the Informational Interview and Job Shadowing go hand in hand. I talked to the same person when I job shadowing and I found so much insight from her. She gave me such good advice and guidance to help me know what was coming in the program and what it really took to be a teacher when you are just starting out after college. Networking was also very helpful, because I have a hard time with networking. I don’t like asking people for jobs and using them just for my careers sake. But I found if I talk to family members or friends, then it is much easier to network and get the information I need, rather than speaking to a complete stranger who doesn’t even know me or my circumstances.
My plans for the future are to finish the Education Program and while in my last year of school, I will be doing an internship or student teaching. My hope is to get hired at the school I student taught at or interned at. If not, then I will build my network and start using it to look for jobs. I will also gather the necessary materials for a classroom of my own and consider looking into Master’s degree programs for a couple years down the road when I get more established as a teacher. I also want to move out of my parent’s house and start my own life as an independent adult and I hope by the time I finish my schooling, I will have the tools and the confidence to start shaping a life that is completely my own.

Revised Action Plan

Fall 2010
• Take required classes for the first semester of professional program.
• Begin thinking about where to do student teaching for next year, research elementary schools.
• Research possible internships and see if I can do that instead of my student teaching.
• Start thinking about what grade I want to teach for student teaching.
Spring 2011
• Take required classes for second semester of professional program.
• Decide which elementary school I want to do student teaching at or have found an internship that I wish to apply for.
• Decide what grade I would like to teach for student teaching.
Fall 2011
• Take required classes for third semester of professional program.
• Begin networking at the elementary school I want to do my student teaching at and begin to prepare for student teaching/internship.
• Begin gathering necessary materials for me to teach in a classroom.
• Start researching what schools are hiring and prepare a resume for interviews after graduation.
Spring 2012
• Take required classes for fourth semester of professional program.
• Do student teaching/internship.
• Have necessary materials needed to start my own classroom once I graduate.
• Begin applying at the schools that are hiring teachers and use networks to help me find a job.

Decision making model

To make this easier for me to explain, I will put my decision making model into the context of how I decided to be an elementary school teacher, so please bear with me.
1. I looked at what was most important to me and what kind of things I enjoyed. I started making goals of how long I wanted to be in school.
I decided that having a stable and secure job where I can help people was a good place to start.
2. I start researching various careers basing my search off of classes I liked and excelled at.
I started looking at fields like history, psychology, pharmacy, education, etc.
3. I listed the pros and cons of the careers I found interesting. I also took several assessments and continued taking classes in the subjects I liked.
I really narrowed it down to education and psychology by this point, though I did love history as a hobby.
4. After logically evaulating my choices and doing job shadowing and talking with other people. I listened to my heart (super cheezy I know, but it's true). I listened to my feelings and went with what I felt would make me the most happy.
That is generally the model I follow on most if not all of my decisions, not just school, but in life as well.

Goal Sheet

Short term goals
1. I will turn in all my assignments for the Program early or on time as well as be at least 10 minutes early to my first class.
2. I will study at least 30 minutes a day, for the 3 days before a major test.
3. I will get at least a 3.0 GPA in my classes for the Fall Semester.
Mid-range goals
1. When I graduate in Spring 2012, I would like to apply for a job to become an Elementary School Teacher with Alpine School District within 6 months of graduation.
2. By 2017, I would like to start looking into applying for a Master’s Degree at either UVU or BYU.
3. During my years in the Elementary Education program (Fall 2010-Spring 2012), I will expand my network by at least 5 people.

Job Shadow

Kathleen Robinson
Shelley Elementary, American Fork
1. What made you decide to be a teacher?
a. I really liked teaching and when I was a child I would teach my friends or even my dolls. I liked to play school all the time so it naturally made sense for me to want to be a teacher. As I got older, I taught in primary and found I really liked teaching children, so I choose to go back to school and become a teacher.
2. How do you deal with students who are disruptive or have bad behavior?
a. Try to find out what could be causing them to act this way. Of course, if needed you take disciplinary action as needed to correct the bad behavior, but if you if out why the child may be acting this way, then you can prevent it from happening again.
3. How do you actually plan out all your lessons? There is so much to cover in the state core and I’m not sure how to cram in all in and make sure the students learn it.
a. I have a team of teachers that help me do that. We try and teach the same subject matter at the same time so all the students are learning the same things at the same time. It really helps when you have a team to help you plan all that out. And also to help the students learn, I would suggest group work. It allows the students to learn from each other and teach each other which will help the students learn better.
4. You’re class is so well behaved, how did you get them to do that?
a. I simply got them into a routine. Then they know what to do and how I want it to be done. It takes a whole year to get that down pat and you are seeing the results. The first month of school was the worst because all I did was correct bad behavior and try to keep the students on task. They were testing my boundaries and I just made sure to stay firm on the rules I had laid down.
5. Do you get good benefits and security from this job as well as the sense of satisfaction?
a. Alpine School District is pretty good with benefits. Their health insurance plans are one of the best in the state. That’s why I wanted this job so badly when I applied for it. When I was applying for this job, it was a lot easier to get and keep then yours will be because the economy was better. But hopefully by the time you graduate, the economy will be stable again and you will find a job fairly easily.
6. What educational requirements did you have to get to be a teacher like you are now?
a. I went to school at UVU and got a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. It helps that UVU’s program has a lot of observation hours to do, so I felt very prepared to be a teacher by the time I got out.
7. What do you do with your students in the morning to help them get set for the day? Mornings seem to be the worst for elementary school children.
a. I have them start reading a book as soon as they come in. Once everyone has arrived for class then we have morning meeting. We sit in a circle and introduce ourselves and say something nice about someone in the circle. This teaches children to complement each other and to listen as others are talking. Then children who want to share what is going on in their lives can do so. This helps the students unload and get out the things they need to say before I start teaching them. It really helps them focus better when they have talked about what they want to talk about before class officially begins.
8. How was your first year of teaching? I’ve heard it’s really hard until you get tenure at year 3.
a. My first year was pretty hard. I stayed after school until 7 or 8 every night working on lessons or other odds and ends. It was really hard to start everything from scratch and try to make everything work nicely. I didn’t have my team of teachers like I do now so that made it much harder to do everything as smoothly.
My impression of the job is that it is very hard, but seems very rewarding. Teachers work hard to help their students succeed. I had a very good time observing in a school because it helped me get a look at what a classroom is supposed to run. I wish I could have done it at the beginning of the year to see how they teach actual curriculum, but at least I got an idea of what being a teacher was like towards the end of the year. You have to be very flexible and willing to work with things. I really feel like this may be a career I want to pursue. It seems so rewarding and you get to see kids learn and grow, which I would really like, since I like helping people and I look for work I care about.

STAR Stories

1. Give an example of what teamwork means to you.
When I am working at my job in a pharmacy, it is critical that we work as a team to accomplish the task of getting a prescription filled for a patient and making sure it is billed properly. When a patient presents a prescription to us, one of us has to go and talk to the customer and gather the necessary information. Sometimes the person at the drop off counter is busy, another person on the team will go and pick up the slack and talk to the customer.
Once we get the necessary information, the person who is entering the prescription begins to enter the necessary information. Another team member may help out by counting the medication, answer phone calls, helping customers, or answering any questions that the data entry person may have. They may even make calls to the insurance if another pressing problem comes up that the data entry worker needs to take care of. By doing all these things, we support each other as a team and encourage working as a team.
2. Give me an example of a major challenge that you faced, and how you went about addressing the problem, and how it turned out.
When I was in high school, I participated in the marching band. We had to memorize our music and pass it off to section leaders and staff members in order to march in the show. I had a hard time memorizing music, as well as I had a major case of nerves when I was passing it off.
I choose to take the approach of working on the music at my pace, when I had a spare second in band class or after practice. I worked on it until I could do it with the music and then I would start trying it without it.
To help me with nerves, I would pick a section leader that I trusted and have them work with me to get through doing the music. I also explained that I was nervous and they helped me by working through my nerves while I was passing off. The result was that I got all my music passed off that year and was able to participate in the show.
3. Describe a past goal and how you achieved it.
I believe the previous example with my experience in marching band is a perfect example. I had a hard time with the music and the nerves of passing it off. I worked through it by practicing and then talking to section leader I trusted and had them work with me one on one to make sure I could do it. The results were that I passed off the music and could perform in the show.

Resume and Cover letter

Cover letter
Mr. Ken Brown, Pharmacy Manager
I am applying for the position of a Pharmacy Technician at your store. I feel that I am highly qualified for this position and will serve Rite Aid’s current needs in that position.
I have been working as a Pharmacy Technician for 3 years. I am Nationally Licensed through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) and am licensed with the state of Utah through the Department of Professional Licensing (DOPL). I have worked in several work settings and have a lot of experience in retail pharmacy that would be beneficial to your company. I work well with others and will be a great asset to the pharmacy team.
I have enclosed a copy of my resume for you to read as well as a list of references. I would like to meet with you as soon as possible to further discuss the position in question. My phone number is included on the resume. Thank you very much for your time and interest in me as a possible candidate for the position.

Sincerely,
Heidi Hutchinson

Resume
Pharmacy Technician
Work experience [05/08-Current] Rite Aid Pharmacy Orem, Utah
Pharmacy Technician
 Gained additional experience in filling prescriptions, computer processing, worked with doctors and insurance companies, and customer service.
[09/07-04/02/08] Wal-Mart Pharmacy South Jordan, Utah
Pharmacy Technician
 Gained experience in filling prescriptions, computer processing, worked with doctors and insurance companies, and customer service.
[6/6/06-9/07] Arctic Circle Restaurant Lehi, Utah
Cashier
 Gained experience there in customer service, how to use a cash register, sanitary and cleaning practices, and working on a team with others.

Education [8/2007-Current] Utah Valley University Orem, Utah
 Studying General Education for the last two years. Currently has an associate’s degree and is working towards a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Expected to graduate Spring 2012.
[9/2004-5/31/2007] American Fork High School American Fork, Utah
 Graduated in May 2007. Have taken several Advanced Placement and honors classes as well as several college classes.
[9/2006-5/2007] Attended Mountainland Applied Technology College. Graduated from the Pharmacy Technician Program. Passed the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam. Obtained State License from Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing.
Extracurricular activities Participated in the American Fork Marching Band from 2004-2007. Learned the value of hard work and how to work as a team.
References Ken Brown:
Rite Aid Pharmacy
774 South State Street
801-426-6650

Michael Jepson
Wal-Mart Pharmacy
3706 West 9800 South
801-282-5732

Jesse Kyte
Arctic Circle Restaurants
35 E. Main Street
801-768-4679

Find an Internship

http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?jobid=89463633&source=jswidget
Amity-Teaching English to School Children in Japan
http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?jobid=88743693&source=jswidget
Ivy League Tutoring Connections Inc.-tutoring kids at all grade levels
https://www.myinterfase.com/uvu/job.aspx
TEFL International-Teaching Abroad
https://www.myinterfase.com/uvu/job.aspx
Elko Institute for Academic Achievement-Teachers K, 5th, 6th.

Internship Group Project

Paul,
Thank you so much for seeking our help in your career search. The following are recommendations that we suggest taking in order to achieve success:
 Take some of the career tests at your local college. Discuss with a counselor his options in conjunction with his interests and needs. We suggest discussing related fields to Theatre with a counselor so that they can use his interests and needs to find a career that will fit with his major.
 We suggest that Paul may want to look into going into a technical college. Since he has already almost gotten his degree in Theatre and wants to pursue that as a hobby, he may want to consider getting a certificate in a skill so that he can support his family, but not have to go back to school for another degree.
 Paul should begin looking for an internship through his local college before he graduates so that he can possibly find a related field to his major and have some work experience before he graduates.
 To help Paul find a job that suits his interest, we recommend that Paul begin networking with individuals that he knows such as teachers and advisors in his major, fellow actors and students in his program, friends, family, etc. This will allow Paul a chance to get a vast network and build a foundation that he can use when looking for a job or internship.
 Finally we recommend that Paul be proactive in his career decision. We suggest that he discuss his options and research them carefully. Look into companies that he may be interested in working for and do an internship for that company. If he uses his network that he has built up and follows the recommendations listed here, then he will be successful in his chosen career.
As we discussed in our initial consultation, we researched a few possibilities of jobs that fit the requirements specified. They are:
 SCERA Theatre internship
o UV Job Board-https://www.myinterfase.com/uvu/job.aspx
 Assistant Buyer (Marketing)
o UV Job Board-https://www.myinterfase.com/uvu/job.aspx

If Paul follows these recommendations, we as a department, feel that he will succeed in his quest for a successful career.
Group 6 Counseling Department
Heidi Hutchinson

Elevator Speech

Hi! My name is Heidi Hutchinson. I am currently majoring in Elementary Education and will graduate in the Spring of 2012 with my bachelor's degree. I have had many field hours of experience in classrooms and will have the skills necessary to run a classroom effectively. I currently work as a Pharmacy Technician which has given me the skills of working with people and solving difficult problems which will prove useful when I deal with problems in the classroom, whether they be with parents or teachers.
I want to be able to teach children the skills they need to succeed in life as future members of society.
I would probably use this in an interview or possibly at a job fair to explain who I am and what skills I have to draw on. I haven't had a chance to practice this yet, but I will post again and tell about what happend with practicing it.

Tempting 10

Education-Elementary School Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Librarian, University Professor, Speech Pathologist, School Counselor, School Administrator.
Creative Arts-Writer, Artist, Musician, Screen Writer, Editor, Photographer, Broadcast Journalist.

WebQuest Research

WebQuest research paper
Speech Pathologist
Works with people who are hearing impaired including administering hearing tests, preparing and conducting plans to help clients with speech and hearing problems.
They also work to fine tune hearing aids and cochlear implants so that they can help their clients.
They may also advise educators or other professionals on hearing and speech problems.
Most professionals in the field get a master’s degree in speech pathology. More than 230 colleges and universities in the United States offered graduate programs in speech pathology.
Licensing in most states requires that you take a national examination through the Praxis series. Other requirements may vary including clinical experience of 300-375 hours or 9 months of post graduate experience.
In Utah, the starting salary for Speech Pathologists is $36,890. Experienced Speech Pathologists earn $84, 530. Outlook is supposed to increase by 31% around the state.
In the U.S., the outlook looks stable and it is supposed to increase by 10.6% overall. The majority of Speech Pathologists work in elementary or secondary schools.
Skills needed are you need to be good at reading comprehension, writing, speaking, critical thinking and active learning.
Related Occupations are Audiologist and Voice Pathologist.
The personality types that fit this career are INFJ, ENFP, ENTP, and ENFJ.
Librarian
Compiles lists of books, periodicals, articles and audio-visual materials on particular subjects.
Searches standard reference materials in order to answer patrons' questions.
Helps patrons to search for information in databases.
A Masters in Library Sciences (MLS) is encouraged for this career, though school librarians may not have to get a MLS. They will be subject to licensing requirements for their particular state.
A PhD in library sciences may be required for teaching or administration positions at a large university or if the librarian is supervising a large library.
In Utah, the starting annual salary for librarians is $27,000. An experienced librarian can earn $70,950. The outlook is stable and is expected to grow about 17%.
In the U.S., the outlook looks stable and is expected to increase 3.6%. Most librarians work in schools or local government. The most opportunities are to be in schools where librarians are picked from among the teaching staff.
The skills needed for this career are reading comprehension, writing, active listening, speaking, critical thinking, and active learning.
Some related occupations are Acquisitions Librarian, Children’s Librarian, Library Director, and Audiovisual Librarian.
The typical personality types for this occupation are INFJ, INFP, INTJ, and ENTJ.
University Professor
Develops teaching materials.
Prepares and gives examinations.
Grades examinations and papers.
Prepares and delivers lectures to students.
Directs the research of graduate students working for advanced academic degrees.
Conducts research, and publishes findings in professional journals.
For most colleges and universities, a doctorate or PhD is required for full time teaching positions with tenure.
Teachers may be hired if they have a master’s degree for certain fields like the arts or if they are just temporary or part time teachers.
At 2 year institutions, most teachers have a master’s degree, but if hiring is competitive, then the school is most likely to hire someone with a PhD.
For University Professors in Utah, the starting wage is around $28,130, though it varies between disciplines. The wage for an experienced professor is around $124,780.
The outlook for the U.S. is very good. It is expected to grow around 32.2% as professors retire and enrollment numbers increase. Most of these positions opening up will be part time positions.
In order to be successful as a professor, the following skills are needed: reading comprehension, learning strategies, writing, speaking, and critical thinking.
Some careers related to this one are teaching in different specialties like nursing, engineering, history, the arts, computers, etc. There are also positions in administration when the professor is a little further along in their career.

Informational Interview

1. What made you decide to be a teacher?
a. I really liked teaching and when I was a child I would teach my friends or even my dolls. I liked to play school all the time so it naturally made sense for me to want to be a teacher. As I got older, I taught in primary and found I really liked teaching children, so I choose to go back to school and become a teacher.
2. How do you deal with students who are disruptive or have bad behavior?
a. Try to find out what could be causing them to act this way. Of course, if needed you take disciplinary action as needed to correct the bad behavior, but if you if out why the child may be acting this way, then you can prevent it from happening again.
3. How do you actually plan out all your lessons? There is so much to cover in the state core and I’m not sure how to cram in all in and make sure the students learn it.
a. I have a team of teachers that help me do that. We try and teach the same subject matter at the same time so all the students are learning the same things at the same time. It really helps when you have a team to help you plan all that out. And also to help the students learn, I would suggest group work. It allows the students to learn from each other and teach each other which will help the students learn better.
4. You’re class is so well behaved, how did you get them to do that?
a. I simply got them into a routine. Then they know what to do and how I want it to be done. It takes a whole year to get that down pat and you are seeing the results. The first month of school was the worst because all I did was correct bad behavior and try to keep the students on task. They were testing my boundaries and I just made sure to stay firm on the rules I had laid down.
5. Do you get good benefits and security from this job as well as the sense of satisfaction?
a. Alpine School District is pretty good with benefits. Their health insurance plans are one of the best in the state. That’s why I wanted this job so badly when I applied for it. When I was applying for this job, it was a lot easier to get and keep then yours will be because the economy was better. But hopefully by the time you graduate, the economy will be stable again and you will find a job fairly easily.
6. What educational requirements did you have to get to be a teacher like you are now?
a. I went to school at UVU and got a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. It helps that UVU’s program has a lot of observation hours to do, so I felt very prepared to be a teacher by the time I got out.
7. What do you do with your students in the morning to help them get set for the day? Mornings seem to be the worst for elementary school children.
a. I have them start reading a book as soon as they come in. Once everyone has arrived for class then we have morning meeting. We sit in a circle and introduce ourselves and say something nice about someone in the circle. This teaches children to complement each other and to listen as others are talking. Then children who want to share what is going on in their lives can do so. This helps the students unload and get out the things they need to say before I start teaching them. It really helps them focus better when they have talked about what they want to talk about before class officially begins.
8. How was your first year of teaching? I’ve heard it’s really hard until you get tenure at year 3.
a. My first year was pretty hard. I stayed after school until 7 or 8 every night working on lessons or other odds and ends. It was really hard to start everything from scratch and try to make everything work nicely. I didn’t have my team of teachers like I do now so that made it much harder to do everything as smoothly.
I really enjoyed talking to Kathleen and she taught me a lot. She gave me a good look into what it was going to be like to be a teacher that was just starting out. She also gave me good insight into UVU’s Education program which is what I am scheduled to be in. I really felt comfortable talking to her, even though I had just met her to do some observation hours. I liked how she didn’t seem bothered by my questions even though we had just met. I was so excited to meet someone who knew something about the field and was willing to talk about it.

SWOT Analysis

I did my SWOT Analysis on my major (Elementary Education).

Strengths
• I like that I already have taken a lot of the classes needed to graduate.
• The classes seem interesting.
• I believe this degree will prepare me to be a teacher and give me the tools I need to be successful.
• The classes that look the most interesting to me are Elementary Social Studies methods and the Creative Arts Methods.
• It will take me 37 more credit hours to graduate or approx. 2 years according to the Education Department.
Weaknesses
• What I like least about this major is the workload once you are in the major. The maximum amount of credits I have ever taken is 13 and I nearly lost my mind. The program has between 14-16 credit workloads every semester.
• I also don’t like how my classes are chosen for me. I like to take things I am interested in as well as required classes.
• Most students in the program work part time and some ever work full time so that works really well. I just got accepted into the 8-12 cohort, which works perfectly with my schedule.
Opportunities
• This major has a lot of field experience hours. So I believe I will be prepared for what the real job is like. There won’t be too many surprises once I enter the workforce.
• It will open doors that will allow me to become an elementary education teacher. I can’t get into a school and really teach without this degree.
• I hope to learn how to effectively teach and manage a classroom. I also want to learn what I can do to help kids learn to succeed.
• There are a lot of mentors in the program that will help me out. Supposedly teachers in the program become like your family and when you are doing your student teaching then you are assigned a mentor teacher to take care of you.

Threats
• Financing an education could become complicated if my parents don’t help me finance it. I don’t qualify for scholarships or grants at the moment and I don’t want to take out loans if I can help it.
• Finding time to work, study, go to school and have a life could be a problem for me. The first semester which I start in the fall is 16 credits which is way more than I am used to.
• There are not so much family issues as personal issues that this major could cause. I don’t really date and don’t have a social life. So it’s hard to think of having one when I am taking 16 credits and working at the same time.