Teaching Tolerance

Going into the education field is hard. Just being a teacher is hard enough with all the responsibilities.  For me, I want to go into the physical education side of teaching.  Most people think that being a PE teacher, all you do is let kids play games and run some energy.  I agree, there is some of that but there is a lot more than you might think.  As a physical education teacher, we are having to control the classroom setting, help students understand what their bodies’ go through, weight control, and how to live a healthier life. 

Today, obesity is considered a disease and childhood obesity is on the rise. “In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease” (2).  There are many different reasons why we have this issue.  Physical education teachers have the obligation to show students the right and wrong about their diets and how to control their weight.  “Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases” (1).

The teaching tolerance website has a lot of good information on it.  For a physical educator the biggest help for us would be having the parents becoming more involved.  Educators can only help so much before the responsibility is turned over to the parents and students.  Parents play a big role in child’s behavior such as their eating habit.  Having parents know the risks and the solutions will help stop the obesity we are experiencing.  Educators could have handouts to give to students to take home for their parents to read.  Once parents have seen the risk and statistics on obesity most would probably begin to change their ways.  Once the parent’s change their habits, children will follow right behind them.  So as physical educators our main goal is to have the parents on board with us.

Work Cited

1)    Office of the Surgeon General. The Surgeon General's Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation. Rockville, MD, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2010.

2)    Freedman DS, Zuguo M, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS, Dietz WH. Cardiovascular risk factors and excess adiposity among overweight children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Journal of Pediatrics 2007;150(1):12–17

Youth

With youth in today’s society, they face many challenges in front of them.  Things have changed a great deal for kids since I grew up.  I believe that technology is one of the biggest risks for youth in today’s society.  With technology, many have become lazy and forgot what it is like to get outside and play.  I know many of my friend’s kids sit around playing video games and staying inside.  I know for me growing up I was always outside doing something like working on the farm, riding motorcycles, shooting, or whatever else I would get into. 

            With this technology, children believe things are a right not a privilege. They have a sense of entitlement. With the technology it also brings violence to teens.  “Technology can facilitate the discovery of violent behavior patterns, and it can help prevent violence from happening. If parents, educators, and mentors are aware of the risk factors and warning signs, they can use technology as another tool to prevent and detect violence among the young people they know” (Thomas).  Technology in today’s society is more than keeping up to date on things but causes a lot more problems for them.

            Going through school, most teens use twitter, facebook, snapchat, and other social media.  These have some positive and some negative uses.  There is a lot of drama and problems that come along with these.  With that being said, children do not know how to communicate anymore.  Instead of communicating face-to-face, children just send a text or facebook message or use some other multimedia outlet.  Children are becoming socially awkward which can lead to hard challenges later in life.  Being socially awkward makes it hard in some jobs that require you to be sociable.  As our youth continue to grow older, they need to realize that technology is great, but they do not need to forget the basics.

Work Cited:

Thomas, N. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ikeepsafe.org/articles/youth-violence-using-technology-for-prevention-intervention/

Geographic Area

            The geographical landscape where I was raised is very out in the country and a lot of farm land.  People always called it “living in the backwoods”.  Most people around the area knew everyone and if they needed something would call up a neighbor and ask for it.  I know growing up if my mom need something for cooking and did not have it, she would call the neighbor and I would have to go get it.  The area made people be more dependant and live off the land.  Most people had gardens in the summer time, hunt, fish, and farm.  I grew up on a small farm where we did all that and in hunting season would go out hunting.  The people in this area were close and could always count on each other.

            My papa has told me all kinds of stories from his life around here.  He has talked to me about working on the farm and using a mule to plow it up because grandpa would not let him use the small tractor they had.  He knew how to work on the tractor but was never allowed to use it.  Papa talked about having to go down to the river to get water a lot to use in the house.  If he needed to get somewhere he would walk to it.  As for the weather, he told me a lot of times he wore shorts year round because it never was really cold. 

            Growing up where I did impacted me by learning how to work hard.  I am able to do a lot of things that most guys cannot.  At a young age I was driving a tractor, plowing the garden, taking care of all the animals, and learning about how to work on different things.  If I did not live where I did, I do not think I would be the way I am.  Most of my buddies are all the same because of where we lived.  Living in the country has only made me a better person and showed me how to work hard.

Religious Experience

Growing up my family and I have always been Baptist.  My grandmother’s father and brother were both Baptist preachers, so being Baptist runs in our family.  For my religious experience I chose to go to a Catholic service.  For me it was a lot different than Baptist.  There was a lot of sitting, standing, and kneeling.  I was getting a workout in compared to a small portion of standing and sitting I am use to.  My friends, who I went with, were getting a kick out of me because it was so much different than what I was accustoming to.  I had gone to a Catholic before when I was very young but did not remember it and I wanted to go again.

            Even though I was with friends and knew some people there, no one really talked to me or introduced him or herself.  Baptist people are very sociable and have that southern hospitality.  Another thing is Baptist pray silently while Catholics have confessions to the priest.  For me, it would be hard because I am not use to talking to someone about my sins even if they know me or not. I feel as if that should be something between God and me.  It was different though having different people come up and do the reading.  Baptist has the pastor come up to preach and he is the only one who reads. 

            For me I enjoyed going to the service to see the differences in them.  There are some similarities but a lot of difference between the two.  It is a good thing to view different ones’ views and beliefs.  As far as your religious beliefs I believe a lot of it comes from your family and how they were brought up.  I know you can switch religions because my buddy is Baptist and his wife is Methodist.  She comes to church with him now so things can change.

Disabilities

Disabilities

            Over the past few days I have been noticing how some of the places I go are handicap accessible and how others are not.  To start off, the gym I workout at has front parking and a handicap ramp onto the sidewalk.  Besides that there is not much to accommodate for handicap.  The doors into the building and then into the gym are not automatic and are a pain to open without anything.  The gym has some machines someone might be able to use with help.  So for the most part it does fairly well with accommodating.

            My old high school where I am observing does a good job.  The new high school is not but a couple years old so it is up to date with a lot.  Now the old high school is a different story.  At the high school now there are automatic doors with the handicap push to open buttons.  There is an elevator to allow someone to get to the second floor without having an issue.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network have requirements for parking lot requirements on how many handicap spaces are needed.  For example, “A parking lot with 400 total spaces needs eight accessible spaces, and two of those eight spaces must be van-accessible” ("Accessible parking," 2012). 

            Along with the parking lot spaces there is a certain requirements for the doors.  “At least one primary entrance to each building shall be accessible to and usable by individuals in wheelchairs or with other handicaps. Doorways shall be a minimum of 32 inches (clear opening). The floor in the inside and outside of each doorway shall be level for a distance of five feet from the door in the direction the door swings. There shall be no sharp inclines or abrupt changes in level (more than 1⁄2 inches) at the sill” ("Handicapped accessibility specifications," 1991).  Since 1990 the ADA has been around and over the years been developing guidelines.  It was not until “March 15, 2011, the Department of Justice adopted the ADA 2010 Standards for Accessible Design” ("The ada and," 2011).

            I think since the ADA has come up with these that it is making handicap people feel more comfortable about going places.  I know for some, if there were not handicap accessibility then they probably would not come around.  I still think there is a lot to improve on when it comes to disabilities, but for the most part people are trying to be better with it.

Gender Identity

Everyone has his or her own appearance and personality.  You identify yourself by who you are and things you like.  For me, my identity would be towards the masculine side.  I am this way by how I was raised, and the people I am around.  I think people you are around a lot are the ones that influence you.  Most people I am around are older and that is how it has been my whole life.  Having older friends made me act older and made me feel like I was older.  My actions showed I was around older people more because I did things older people would do.

            I think my dad has had the biggest influence on my identity, along with friends and other things.  Growing up I lived on a farm and was always having to work along with my athletic events.  I know my identity has changed over the years especially since I have been out of high school.   The friends I hang out with have some of the same identities I have.  Most of us are all country and share the same interest.

            When it comes to how other people act or dress does not affect me at all.  I might look at them and wonder, but nothing is ever said.  If someone wants to act or dress like that then that is his or her business.  If it does not involve me, I really could care less and that is their personality and who am I to judge them.  I feel that men are the ones that suffer the most because men are a lot meaner and tougher on things like that.  Most men do not want to be around or apart of anything like that.  They feel uncomfortable in situations and at times would become aggressive. 

Genderless Baby

Being a parent, you always want what is best for your child.  Whether it is in school, sports, friends, or work.  Parents are there to help you along when you need it.  The issue with having a genderless child for me seems to do more harm than good.  I believe it is up to the child to decide how he or she will present himself or herself.  If parents do not let their child grow up without being told things, how are they to decide for themselves and personality?  Society today is much different than it was years ago.  You see a lot more and people trying new things.

            I do not agree with running a child life in a way you might want them to go.  Children are to grow up and makes decisions on their own about how they want to be.  Being told what to do or how to do it, will in my opinion, cause issues as they become older.  For instance, kids who grew up under strict guidelines most of the time were the wild one in college.  I believe the same thing applies here with being genderless.

            For me, being a parent I would want my child either to grow up as boy or as a girl.  In some cases depending on the territory girls grow up as if they were a boy and some boys grow up a little differently.  As the child begins to grow he or she will go into puberty and become more one sided.  There is a reason why people do not raise a genderless baby because the one that treats their child that way are more prone to get pick on in school and have physiological problems in the future.  I do not agree with parents who do this to a child, but I am not one to say what is right and what is wrong in today’s society.

Privilege

To me privilege is having special treatment done to you that others might not get.  You have more opportunities than everyone else does.  Some privileges I have enjoyed over the years were being a football player, Eagle Scout, and others.  Being a football player in high school we were able to have privileges on and off the field.  Especially on Fridays most teachers would let us relax and get ready for the game.  During season we were able to get away with more but at the same time, the teachers would report to our coach each week about our performance.  If we did not meet the requirements of the team, we ran or sat out the first half of the game. 

Most all athletes get special treatment but football players always had more because of how we were a football town.  During the summer if we made a certain amount of workouts we had the privilege of a steak dinner during camp and had our names put on the back of the jersey.  For those who did not make it did not get their names on the jersey and had to eat regular dinner.

            I understand that having privileges gives students the chance to push themselves to rewards.  Most people want to have privileges to make things a lot easier for themselves.  In the classroom as a teacher, you want to be equal towards all students but at the same time you need to be able to push students to achieve more.  I know if there were a reward, I always would work harder to receive that.  As teachers, you should try to make everything as equal as possible, but all students be treated equal and have a fair chance of obtaining privileges in the classroom.

            My senior year we had the privilege to having our own section of the lunchroom closed off just for seniors.  We had TVs and couches to make it more relaxing.  It was very nice and gave all of us something to look forward to for lunch.  Both guys and girls really enjoyed the new privilege and we never really had any problems out of it.  The guys would always watch sports and the girls would watch different things.  

Racism

Race

            When race is discussed in classrooms, many people have very different opinions.  For me I do not agree with today’s racial issues.  I am not racist, because the way I was raised everyone is treated equal no matter color or gender. My generation was raised on the values of hard work and learning to appreciate the things you have instead of having things given to you all the time.  The way race is portrayed now is people not being able to get over what has happened in the past and blame today’s problems on the past instead of finding new ways to solve the situation. People want to fuss about every little thing and play the race card instead of actually standing up and making a stand for what is right no matter the race involved.  In the classroom it should always be equal regardless of your race or ethnicity.  As a teacher you should take the responsibility of not being bias toward any students or coworkers. 

            In the classroom teachers need to discuss racial issues but as they teach these topics they need to show the students every side of the spectrum. I feel a lot of the time only one side of a racial topic is presented and that’s why people today label things as being racist instead of standing up and fixing the actual problem.  In today’s times we label to many people as the victim of racism instead of understanding the actual situation they are in. I feel that in most of these cases we don’t ever hear the whole side of the situation, which of course leads to a misunderstanding of the issue.

When it comes to America, we are a nation of many races and ethnicity groups.  If things have changed so much in our history then why do we still have race issues.  We cater to what happen to those in the past instead of taking care of the present and our futures.  I am part Cherokee and what the government did to us has been a lot more harsh than what has happen to others but you do not see people complaining about that today.

Matt Roberts

Dr. McFaden

Educ 2120

January 22, 14

Cultural Norm

            Being a firefighter we are always helping others and doing things throughout the community.  There was a 5K race that some firemen were running in, and my station did not have anyone to run.  So everyone voted that I do it and they would pay for my race fee.  The only draw back was, I had to wear what they chose for me.  Many ideas came about very quickly.  They all gave me a hard time about what I was going to have to wear.  After they talked it all over they had decided on me wearing a dress.  Not just any dress, a white sun dress.  Once I was told this I wanted to strangle them, but that was the agreement.

            Once race day came, I went out and found a dress to run in.  I wore normal cloths up to the race and while I waited for my time to run.  Once it came close to race time I changed into my dress.  While I was changing I wondered what people were going to think about me and wonder why this guy is in a dress.  I came out from the room and immediately everyone began to laugh at me.  My buddies laugh because I actually did it and did not back out of the deal, while other people looked at me with confusion.  I was receiving a lot of different looks and some did not look very pleasant.  I know people did not know why I was in it but it still showed me how I was being judged. 

            Being a guy in America, your not suppose to wear a dress and since I did it was not culturally right.  As I ran throughout the course somehow I was separated from my group and that is when people really started making comments.  About half way through the race I ended up seeing a group of girls wearing dresses like I was.  I hurried up to them and they had a good laugh saying, I had some sexy legs.  I told them why I was in the dress and they welcomed me in their group to run.  It turned out to be a real fun race but for most people who saw me did not agree with what I was wearing at all.  It showed me how easily people will look at a person who does something a little different.  In our society you are judged by your appearance more than anything.  I learned not to judge people by there appearance but their actions instead.