Blog Post #1

About me:

Hi! I am Amanda Christopher. I am from Lucedale, Ms. Currently, I am a fulltime mommy and student, and I am blessed enough to be able to focus on the two without working. I have an interest in photography; however, I rarely have time for it during the spring and fall semesters.

I attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) right out of high school in 2000. In January of 2002, I moved to Las Vegas for a year for work with the family. Upon returning I completed another year at MGCCC. I then took another break from school and had my two boys before enrolling at South in 2010 where I am now pursuing a secondary education English / language arts degree. Since enrolling in South in 2010, somehow between, a divorce, raising two boys, their school activities, their sports activities, and life in general I have maintained a 4.0gpa.

I enjoy the grammar and the writing part of English and language arts. I’m really not that big on the literature part. I know, I know, but it is not my favorite. I look forward to teaching, and I hope to be in a grade in which grammar is still being taught. I believe everyone should at least strive to be grammatically correct. I regret that grammar is not taught as often as it should be, and I hope to teach my students to avoid at least the most common mistakes. I make mistakes myself, but I will admit that I secretly correct posts on social networking sights and texts I receive. I do not do this because I am judging the writer but for my own practice, and I suppose it is a bit habital now.

My two little boys are Mason and Adison. Mason is seven and has my temper. Adison is five and, like me, expects to always get his way. They both keep me busy. I am happiest when I am playing games or watching movies with my boys. Our favorite thing to do is to go to the movie theater, and we go often, eight times in a month this past summer. The three of us are addicted to Angry Birds and Sour Patch candy. We spend a lot of time helping each other open the next level and eating the color of candy the other one doesn’t like. Okay, that sounds like a “Brady Bunch” line, doesn’t it? I should probably note that during this “happy” time, I serve as a moderator, a referee, and often times a warden. There are plenty of heated moments. As I mentioned earlier, Mason has my temper, and Adison expects to get his way. There is never a dull moment.

About my classroom:

I will be teaching high school English. I specifically hope to be teaching 11th grade. I picture a classroom in which every student desires to learn, believes that writing is important to his or her daily life, and finds text speech as repulsive as I do. And then I wake up. So, these are some values of English that I would like to instill in my students. How will I do this? How will I inspire high school students to view writing and grammar as a vital component of everyday life? I know that I will hear at least one student utter, “You know what I meant. So, why do I have to say it correctly?”

I have this fantasy of having my students describe what writing and grammar means to them. I would guess that many of the students will find little importance in the two. I hope to prompt them to give me examples of how written language is used daily and specifically how it will be used in their lives beyond high school. I’m prepared to counter argue that every possible occupation utilizes some form of written language. I want to teach my students that grammar and writing extend well beyond high school. My “planned” tool and theory to achieve this goal is to get to know my students and find some way to convey this message on a level they will understand and appreciate. I feel I must relate the use of grammar and writing to my students’ lives.

One exercise I would like to complete to show my students how correct grammar is crucial to the clarity of a written message, is to have them bring in copies of (school appropriate) texts, letters, emails, and social networking posts from friends. Together, we can read over them and discuss the many ways of interpreting the messages, as well as the correct way of conveying ones intentions through written language by the utilization of correct grammar, word choice, and syntax.

I suppose that I have high hopes that my students will learn to appreciate the idea that grammar is as important as adding numbers. With one misplaced comma, a message can be completely misinterpreted and yield negative consequences both in high school and in life after high school in a resume.

I’m excited just thinking about it. I know there will be curriculums and state standards which I will have to adhere to, but I hope through all the formalities of teaching I can find some way to help my students relate grammar to the real world. Even if my only opportunity to achieve such a goal is through ice breakers and brain puzzlers during the first five minutes of class.

Randy Pausch on Time Management 3:59

Prior to watching the assigned video, I had never heard of Dr. Pausch. I agree with his views. I guess the biggest thing I learned from his video is that not everyone thinks like I do. I see money and time as being closely related. I make to-do lists. The one thing I do differently than the advice offered in the video is that I normally save a larger task for last. Not because I am putting it off in an attempt to avoid it, but so that I can devote more time and focus on that particular task after completing any smaller tasks. This process is efficient for me, as I do well with time management. I am somewhat a perfectionist, and I do not enjoy waiting until the last minute and rushing through something.

About time management:

I have never really experienced time management issues. I have been enrolled at USA since 2010, and I have a 4.0 in addition to raising two boys. I have managed to handle my life and course load well so far. I am taking 15 hours including EDM 310. Between my classes and other priorities in life, which also include attending church three times a week, I will certainly consider time management tips. As Penn State University's page Time Management Exercises suggests, I will be more specific in my to-do lists.

I truly believe some of the tips listed can be helpful for people who experience time management issues. However, I have to chuckle at the one that suggests "setting times or a signal to indicate you are studying and need to be left alone." The page even suggests using a "Do Not Disturb" sign. I chuckle because I know my five and seven year old have no respect for a "Do Not Disturb" sign. And regardless of any agreement we may decide upon for my study time, one of them will certainly fail to uphold his end of the bargain. As with any area of life, what works for one person will not necessarily work for another, and a person has to use his or her own judgement when deciding if a tip will contribute to his or her time saving skills or simply be a waste of time itself.