Friends and Peers

Life has been insane. I know it has been a while since I wrote last but I knew that eventually I would be drawn back to this beautiful self-expression of mine like a moth to a flame. It’s summer; the weather is beautiful, the sun greets me and wakes me up every morning and I still find myself in the classroom. I am taking summer classes like the studious little bookworm that I am. I've been busy preparing for the week all day - lying in my bed doing a book report that’s due this upcoming week as well as a chapter presentation on the assigned classroom textbook. Since we talked last my life has been the same but a tad more interesting. I had a seasonal job but finding that it’s very hard to get a job around here, I've been busy searching for a new one ever since the initial one ended. It’s been difficult, but like I always do, I keep on trucking and moving forward! Sometimes it’s really the only thing you can do!

Anyways, now that I've had my little intro I’m going to get down to business. I am taking a TCE class during the summer it’s nice because I can use some of the material that we are talking about in class. I am taking this class by, in my opinion, the best professor at Oregon State. His name is Mike O’Malley. He is one of the reasons why I decided to have education as a future profession; he helped make everything possible.

The class that I am in is learning about adolescence and the changes they undergo as they transition into adulthood. Yeah, learning about puberty. The one bane of my existence that I wish I could take back and never think about again - constant embarrassment, the struggles of fitting in… Ah but alas, it’s a necessity in order for me to reach the much desired adulthood. There’s good news and bad news… Since I will be teaching high school students I will be right in the middle of those crazy hormone driven transitions, the good news is that I will never have to live through it again. However it will be difficult handling these students in the classrooms, but I knew that already and I look forward to the challenges I will be facing. No matter what grade or wherever I end up I will always be faced with challenges. That’s the exciting thing about this profession! If I do it right, it will never be boring!




So… FOCUS CARLY, FOCUS! I was reading about friends and peer groups and a couple of things that I found interesting that I didn't know before were brought to my attention. One factoid ;) was that peer pressure shouldn't really be called peer pressure - it should be called “friend’s influence.” This is a common mistake when talking about peers and friends. Peers are individuals in the same concrete grouping of age, gender, or education, etc. Friends are intimate individuals that you share and connect with on a deeper than surface level. “Peer pressure” isn't really peer pressure, it’s your friends; the individuals you’re closest with that you push you or thrust you into situations you might not be comfortable with.


When you think of friend’s impact you probably automatically think of the negative. WRONG! According to the chapter there are four types of positive support that individuals can give and receive in a friendship:


1.      Informational Support: Advice or guidance involving personal problems such as those in families, relationships, and schools.

2.      Instrumental Support: Helping with different tasks such as homework, household chores, lending money, etc.

3.      Companionship Support: Being able to rely on one another, and being reliable companions, like having someone to go to lunch with.

4.      Esteem Support: Encouraging or consoling when one fails, or congratulating when one succeeds.

These are things that I will have to keep in mind as I become integrated into the different classroom settings. It’s exciting.

I’m going to cut it a little short this evening because, beloved readers, it is late and I have class in the morning.

Until we read again.

Friends

I know it’s been a while since my last post but that’s okay, I’m writing now! I've been working long days and although the paycheck will be nice I’m exhausted at the end of the day. All I can do is go on a walk with Cleo, get a shower, curl into bed and watch me some Parks and Recreation. I love that show. Just mentioning it makes me smile!

Also recently I've started writing a novel; it’s fun and interesting since this is the first one I've actually decided to stick with writing. The ideas keep flowing and I am enjoying it whole-heartedly!

Also the reason that I have been a slacker (McFly!) is because I haven’t had any new material to mull over and think about. My TCE class ended for winter term and now we’re on Spring Break. This means I have another week until I will be working with some new information and also a new professor. I’m excited though because a new professor means a new outlook or perspective and also new information to work with. It shall be interesting.

I’m going to jump right into what I want to talk about. I want to talk about forming relationships with your students. The reason I want to talk about this is because it’s important to remember that as educators we are NOT student’s friends. We can be friendly, but ultimately they are placed in our hands for a portion of the day. In that day we are required to teach them, take care of their needs, and protect them. We are not there to be seen as cool and we ARE there to give them every opportunity to succeed. In saying this, we need to remember that forming relationships with your students is VERY IMPORTANT! But forming friendships where they see you as an equal is not. The moment that they see you as an equal, all the respect you have been working to earn and the entire group of rules that you have set in place go right out the door. Or flushed down the toilet. You choose! Either way the point is, the moment they think they can be friends they will take that advantage and lose all that we build our classroom upon. Its bad news bears.

I know this may seem like common sense but when we are in the classroom setting, we want our students to like us! It’s hard not to get caught up in trying to be their friends. But those rules are put there for a reason and we need to stick by them. We are essentially their guardians for eight hours a day. Do you think their responsible parents want to see their child’s teacher trying to be their friend not their educator? No. SO lesson here is don’t try to be a friend, be a teacher.

And as always, the continuation of learning is important!

Signing off,

Carly!