Oh Finals....How I Hate Thee

As finals are approaching, I am of course just now realizing all the little things I have (cough) slightly forgotten (cough cough) about, that need to be completed. However, I always make it through every assignment, every semester, and I plan to do the same now. Along with my to do list I always look back on my classes and usually I appreciate a majority of them. This class has helped me to recognize what aspects of my writing need improvement, with special thanks to the books we have read. They each demonstrated writing in different ways and I know in the future I will return to them when I need some inspiration and help. We had a great group in our class and while discussions were meaningful and worthy, I think these blogs were an awesome exercise too!

Thanks Tom

Today I will be sharing my one pager with you all and I have to say, after reading all your spectacular one pagers, mine is not wonderful, but I really enjoyed writing it. Tom Romano's piece was my focus and he really inspired me in the way that he went against most norms and introduced his students to an incorrect style of writing, in simpler terms, he let them break the rules of writing and experiment. I was locked down with writing rules throughout high school and even during those few times when I had the chance to write about whatever I wanted, I had no direction so I was lost. If my teachers would have just explained what I could do with that freedom I would have done better. Because we are so conditioned to rules in school, it is when they are not there that a majority of us freak out and cry for, "Direction! Boundaries! Anything! But Romano did what our teachers should have done and what we can do. He introduced a freedom style of writing, explaining it to his students and making samples. He then let them get to work and the final products were successful. More background on this will be presented in class! See you all tonight!

Practicum coming to end...

As I am in my last weekend of practicum I am literally getting really sad. I also submitted my student teacher application today, so as one chapter is closing another will be opening in the next couple months for me. My teaching philosophy about teaching and professional statement for practicum includes this following excerpt, written by yours truly:

When I volunteered during September and October last year in 2009 at Iowa City West high school, Ashley, an at risk student asked me to help her with a creative writing paper that focused on a life-changing experience. She was writing about her Dad who recently went to jail and suffered from an alcohol addiction. Every student comes from a different family and background and aspects outside of school can affect students’ academic achievement, motivation, and may be the cause that places them in an at risk class. Being on the opposite side of a student-educator relationship reminded me of the support and encouragement that my teachers provided me with.  Working with students from various backgrounds is something that every educator faces in the classroom. The biggest challenge of this reality is forming interpersonal, constructive student-teacher relationships that provide every student with the equal opportunity to obtain successful levels of achievement in and outside of the classroom. Personal, positive relationships with students are created when teachers willingly support them academically and acknowledge the importance of learning who every student is individually. Since then and presently, I have established a basis for what I believe will contribute and help me form personal and positive student-teacher relationships when I become an educator. 

I still believe this fully and during practicum I did my best to practice forming such relationships with my students. It is vital to their growth as a student and as an individual, and if you make the effort, I promise the experience is rewarding!

Procrastination - My Partner In Crime

As I sit in the library with my unopened Chipotle next to me, (that is the first and last time Kim Philipp will ever make that statement because when I get Chipotle, it is gone in about 5 minutes, however my stomach kills from the 5 Hour energies I just gulped down alongside with the Chex Mix I decided to munch on even though I knew I was going to get Chipotle) I keep going back and forth on a paper topic. My English Professor for Topics in African American Literature provided four paper topics and for choice D (mine) we have the option to compare Valerian and Margaret OR Jadine and Son – has anyone read Tar Baby? Those are some of the characters and I keep changing, which couple I want to choose and write on. I thrive on the opportunity to utilize quotes, make connections, and the like in essays and usually I know exactly what I want to do.  I love the feelings of incorporating that perfect quote, BAM on the keys! And then the explanation that releases the POW! And the result where my instructor marks in bloody red ink – good! I’m a nerd because of the satisfaction I gain in accomplishing such with my papers, I know. Alas, I am in my senior year of college and am stuck, mind you, on and English paper that should not be giving me such trouble. Frustrating.

The thing about college is, as one of you wise peers stated on your blog, that it’s all about knowing what to skip. However, this paper cannot be skipped, like so many other assignments and I feel the meltdown coming very soon considering this is due tomorrow. I have to write a paper the day before it is due, it’s true, and it is a terrible flaw of mine. Procrastination is my middle name but somehow it is also the companion that has provided me with many A’s and B’s in my high school and college days and I wouldn’t travel anywhere without it. It’s working on me now as I sit her procrastinating my paper and blogging to my classmates. Sigh.

Procrastination and me, me and procrastination: 2 peas in a pod.

P.S. I apologize that I have not blogged in the last 2 weeks until today, I was sick and very rundown– sorry I was overdue for writing! 

My Memoir Needs Work, But It Starts A Little Something Like This....

Kim Philipp

Approaches to Teaching Writing

Mondays: 7:00- 9:30PM

Draft 6

It was my senior year of high school. I was still blonde then and working at a local Italian restaurant that had the best fettuccine alfredo in town and the craziest owners with the biggest hearts. I loved my job. I had already applied to The University of Iowa and had been accepted, so although school wasn’t my first priority, I still made an effort to get my work done. During those weekdays that I would head to work to hostess for the night, I would drag along some books to get a little bit of work done, or attempt to because I rarely had the time due to the fabulous business we did. It was a cool crisp Thursday in October and before I left for work that afternoon I checked my Mom’s work schedule on the fridge. It read: Cynthia Philipp 11:00AM – 8PM. My content calm mood immediately shifted into despair and as I sunk down in the driver’s seat of my brother’ black Honda and reversed out of the driveway, I tried to consider a happy ending to my evening. But I knew how it would go, and even though Mr. Block freshman year told me I had one of the most imaginative minds ever, my imagery and creativity couldn’t block out the reality of the day’s ending that would come too soon like it always did.

I was driving home. Work went well and I enjoyed flirting my co-worker Mark all night. He had the brightest green eyes you’ve ever seen and I had quite the crush on him, so working with him was always a plus. As I turned down Buffalo Grove Road my happy thoughts turned grave and the all too familiar empty, numb shell that I learned to surround myself with began to form as I realized how close to home I was. I saw her car in the driveway as I pulled into our cold a sack. I already knew. I felt it. I could hear it now because it was all too common. (Door opening)”Mom?”…..(response in baby voice)……”HHHHIIIII”…..”Wha..What’s happening” (she stutters when she’s drunk)….”Just gone done with work”….it would usually start with that and go  something like “Mom, please leave me alone……you’ve been drinking and I don’t want to talk to you”….”I DIDN”T DO ANYTHING YA BITCH”….and shed slam her bedroom door for the evening. Her answer, her response, and reasoning was always the same. “I didn’t do anything!!!” You could say you were craving a milk shake and that’s what’d she tell you because deep down beneath the intoxicated women full of hate she was a sad and ashamed because she was struggling with an alcohol addiction that she couldn’t shake or accept.

            I came in from the garage. “Mom?” No answer. I figured she was upstairs however I didn’t have to go very far within the house to find her. I made a left into the kitchen and there she was. Passed out on the kitchen floor. The birds were screeching as soon as they saw me, their entire cage knocked over with birdseed, water, and feathers everywhere. She didn’t do anything.

Okay – So a bit of an intense beginning but the story from there leads into my high school, sophomore health class that opened many windows for my in terms of writing. Later on in the paper, in one paragraph I say:  “No doubt, I hesitated when it came time for me to decide whether I would share this information about my mother. I decided that I would just start writing down everything that came to mind regarding her alcohol addiction and as the words flowed the reassurance that I wanted to put it my journal was made. I took a leap and shared that personal, once closed off, information with a personal stranger who I knew as my instructor” - - - Basically, this beginning will tie together in the end I promise, it is there for a reason, but let me know your thoughts!

Sleep? Where did you go?

Sleep has been something I have been lacking for the last couple weeks and for those of you in Practicum with me may also agree. I love to sleep, I always have. I enjoy naps and will sleep, and have, until 2PM if you let me. However, I considered myself to be a bat, or owl if you will,  because it has maybe happened five times tops during my time at college that I have fallen asleep before 1AM. Usually I am wide awake until about 2:30AM and eventually by that time my reruns of Top Chef and Real Housewives of New Jersey/Orange County/New York - now Beverly Hills - are done playing for the night. I now awake every morning at 7AM in order to get ready and arrive to West High on time, but trying to fall asleep by midnight in order to gain that beauty sleep I need for the day ahead, has been quite the challenge. I love practicum because it is the one thing I look forward to every Monday - Friday, but the lack of sleep I have been getting, because I cannot master falling asleep early has been catching up with me. If I don't start getting some sleep, when I am a teacher, I am going to be in big trouble. I would like to note, however, that I somehow fell asleep last Sunday around 11PM, therefore, this blog is making up for last week and I will post this Monday's blog giving you all a preview of my very rough, messy, disorganized memoir. Tootles!

Responsibilities

Currently, I am watching the Bears game with three of my seven roommates and while we yell at the Bears for terrible plays, we are also complaining about our landlord. (If he was yours, I promise you wouldn’t like him either). He is irresponsible and doesn’t complete the tasks that his job description entails. We have called him about some things that need fixing in our home, and instead of coming over to check it out, he asks us questions and attempts to blame us for everything that needs fixing. Talk about frustrating!

This past week I started practicum and although I have a good idea of what is expected of me as a future educator, being back in a high school classroom really laid out those extra responsibilities that I slightly forgot about (woops!). I am passionate about studying to be a teacher and I absolutely love the students I am working with at West high school, along with my cooperating teacher. It is great being able to experience what is it like to be the one in charge of a classroom and I take it very serious. I had teachers in high school a lot like my landlord. Both they and you know what is expected of them but they don’t provide. These educators frustrated me to no end and as a result I resented them and going into their classroom. I always wanted to ask, “Why are you a teacher if you aren’t going to follow through and complete your job?” In any profession it is very important to keep up with your responsibilities and for us if we remembered to stay motivated and do this everyday, then both you and students can succeed, plus, they will respect you more too. Responsibilities are a huge part of life and even though it sounds cheesy, I like what is expected of me as a future teacher and am motivated to take on tasks, completing my job to the best of my ability. Practicum has only reassured me more about how excited I am to be an educator and I am willing to take on all expectations.

As you might have guessed, I don’t respect my landlord.