Rants on Education...finally

Hello everybody!

So after last weeks very personal and challenging post, I am going to make it less personal this week...but not really, when you think about it, because education affects everyone, even if you are done with school (temporarily, like myself, or forever).  I'm finally doing my education post! Huzzah!  Who's ready for some ranting?

So, to get an idea of some of my ideas on education, I will post two things that back up my thoughts.  The first is an article from Buzzfeed about dumb things people say about teachers.  Here is the link:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/antwaunsargent/lies-people-tell-about-teaching-that-simply-arent-true

Some of these....wow.  Maybe I'm biased because I have a mom for a teacher, and many friends who are in education (including the one I live with), but...I don't think so.  General rants about teacher pay:

First, teachers really do spend a lot of their own money for their own classrooms.  Like even upwards of a few hundred dollars a year.  That includes curriculum books, classroom things, conference fees (yes, oftentimes those aren't fully compensated, or at all).  Maybe this is just the office I work in, but the only money people spend from their paycheck that goes towards the work place is bringing food for the monthly birthday lunches, or if you want a special fancy office chair or something (although some of those get covered).  And I'm thankful for that. 

Second....teachers really do work a lot outside the 8-hour day.  Is the time before and after school helping kids or running after school programs or time spent grading or planning curriculum during weekends and holidays paid? Pretty much no.  And if your office is anything like mine, people gripe about lack of compensation for a half hour or hour of overtime they did in a week. 

Third....this is mostly about Colorado teachers, so I apologize to my out of state buddies.  If you look at the article and click the link on average teacher salary, you'll see Colorado is on the low end, but not the worst, so maybe you're thinking, "hey, it could be worse...it's not like we're in South Dakota or Montana." The problem with that is their cost of living is much lower, because it's a lot more rural (aka no one lives there-no offense if you live there, but if you are, isn't that probably a reason you do live there?)  Colorado's cost of living is average on paper, but that's factoring in places like the eastern plains and mountain towns (the ones that are away from the ski resorts), where again, not many people live-about 85% of Colorado lives between Fort Collins and Pueblo.  And on the front range, the cost of living is pretty high (coming from friends that have lived in other states-and if you live in Boulder, which is pretty awful).  Many teachers struggle to make ends meet, and that's just sad.  

Alright.  Second aspect to this article. The failure our high school systems in preparing us for college. 

Here is an amazing TED talk that articulates my point very well. 

http://youtu.be/GZVxA0J5g28

Basically...many schools teach students to take a test.  This benefits the school because they get more money.  This hurts students, especially those wanting to go on to college.  Pure memorization will get you through maybe a year of college.  Two if you are lucky.  Once you hit upper division courses, that won't get you A's and B's anymore.  You have to know how to think critically and apply knowledge to everyday situations.  It sounds easy, but it's not.  College dropout rates will tell you that.  I am really glad I took AP courses in high school-those classes did prepare me for college-not just due to difficulty, but also helping me learn...well, how to learn.  My best teachers didn't tell me what to see; they simply pointed out the starting point.  Many of my CU professors did the same.  Those are the best teachers. 

In direct response to the TED talk...extracurriculars teach students so many things.  They teach sportsmanship, teamwork, how to set goals, and subtly reinforce things taught in "regular" classes.  Is it a coincidence that the students with the highest grades were in music or sports? No. 

Also...if a dean at MIT is telling schools they need to put more emphasis on extracurriculars and a tad less on pure academia...you're doing it wrong. Schools like MIT WANT to see that involvement. Why?  Because they know that's where so much of a person's education comes from.  And it sets students apart. 

A final thought on why people should  care about teachers and education:  those people will see your children more than you do.  The majority of their waking hours is at school.  Caring about kids lives means caring about the education they get.

So...that is my education rant for now.  It is a bit rudimentary, but it's a subject I feel strongly about.  Without a good education, our society will not survive. Period.

I made the wrong choice. And I'm so glad I did.

Hi everyone!

Yes, this post is about education.  No it's not my rant about the public's disinterest in education or how high schools and colleges should change to better prepare their students.  Not entirely.  This is definitely a personal matter, one that unveils a secret that no one knows about me.  Until now.  It's definitely a shocker, and might intially upset people, but keep reading.  It has taken me a long time to admit this to myself, let alone to others but...here goes.

As the title suggests, I made the wrong choice about something.  What was that something? 

Well, dear reader, that choice was in where I chose to spend four years getting my undergraduate degree.  I attended CU Boulder.  It is a great school and has a lot to offer.

But for me, personally...it was not  the right choice for me.


I realize most of you now have had a similar reaction to the ones below:

And that's understandable.  But let's keep reading.

When I was in high school, I never had any desire to go to school in Colorado.  I was ready to leave and go on an adventure.  Then senior year came.  I was seriously considering two schools in Pennsylvania.  I was also planning on being a music major, which I changed my mind about around Christmas Break.  That took one of the schools out of the running.  The other one...well...I never sent the application in, despite loving the school.  Why?  Because I was afraid.  I was afraid to leave a place that had always been my home.  Worse, since I had so many relatives in the state, I had places to spend most of my breaks, so I would only be returning to Colorado for a few weeks a year.  That scared the shit out of me.  So I didn't send the application in, told everyone else the school "wasn't a good fit".  Most people bought it.  I'm sure a few of my closer friends didn't.  That left me with UNC, CSU, and CU.  I didn't want to be in Greeley, CSU was too much like LP University, and CU had some really cool programs, so I chose to go to school there. 

Over the four years I spent there, I learned a lot-personally and academically, made great friends, made shitty ones too, got really involved in Res Life and had some cool opportunities through that, and a lot more.  However,  personality-wise, it was never the greatest for me-I didn't feel that click like I did at the schools back East (both were private, liberal arts colleges btw).  Most of it was due to what my interests are.  Things that I felt I had to hide-partly because I was too insecure to let those different qualities come through, and also because it's different than the 'typical student'.  Since graduating, I have been coming to terms with these things, and learning that those qualities are what make me a pretty awesome person.  I will list some here for you.

I like meat and eating a diet where I don't cut things out, but try to moderate.
I really don't like pot.  I never tried it at CU-the smell alone is too much.
I like skiing and hiking and outdoorsy things to an extent, but I'm not obsessed.  I like inside too.  Air conditioned gyms are great.  So is just chilling at home.
I don't like partying until I pass out, throw up, or whatever.  I like having fun at the bars but I don't like the feeling of being out of control. 
I like dressing up and putting on makeup and looking pretty when I go out in public.  I don't need to dress to the nines just for class, but I like to look nice. 

I realize not everyone at CU fits those stereotypes, and there's more things about me I can talk about.  But the point is-Boulder isn't the home for me.  The school is like that too.  The size was a bit much.  I got jealous of my friends at smaller schools. 

BUT BUT BUT.  I am glad I made this mistake.  It's like how penicillin was discovered.

Like I stated above, I learned a lot of valuable life lessons while at CU.  If I had chosen that other school, I don't know what I would have learned.  Maybe the same things, maybe different things.  But I took the opportunity to make the best situation I could.  That's my second 'confession'-I figured this out while I was still at CU.

I found that close niche by getting involved in Res Life.  I learned a lot from that and had opportunities that a smaller school wouldn't have provided, like NACURH.  It has proven valuable in job interviews and in life skills in general. 

I did make some great friends, and not so great ones.  But I'm learning how to tell the difference and the important of making those that care about you back a priority, and forgetting those that don't care.

I had some great classes at CU with some great professors, and graduated with a valuable degree. 

Even if I made the wrong 'choice', I still managed to enjoy my four years at CU and learn a lot of valuable life lessons.  I have also realized that it's okay to make mistakes, and admit them-like I am right now.  I learned to discern what makes me happy and what I need to do to take care of myself.  When I one day have to make a big decision again-like grad/law school, a job opportunity, etc.-I can better know what the right decision is, because I have learned how to listen to myself.  I am still learning, but I am on that path.  Self-discovery is an amazing thing. 

So, while going to CU may not have been the best fit for me, I managed to adapt and thrive, and learn how to make a better decision later on in life.  If this sounds like you-you can too. 

Ironically I almost hurt myself discovering this epiphany

Hello!

So I know I was going to talk about intellectual stuff like the education system or something for my second post-but I have a life epiphany that I would like to share with you all.  And it's  not even one I've been thinking about the past few days (which I have been doing).  I came up with this about an hour ago while driving and almost ran into a car but I DIDN'T so it's okay.

It kind of encompasses lots of aspects of life, from really important things to little things.  Anyway...

My big 'life epiphany' is this:  Anything in life worth doing-there's a risk of getting hurt.

If you're reading this and thinking "wow, um...you just figured this out?", well then, maybe I should congratulate you for already knowing.  But for me, it really made sense today.

Probably part of what started it was some tragic news I received today.  One of my teachers/mentors in high school, Ms. Howard, passed away.  As sad as it is, it is sort of beautiful to see all of my high school friends come together-even if its via internet or text or whatever-to remember this amazing person who touched our lives.  We're all going our separate ways and live far apart, and may not really speak to some of them outside of Christmas time anymore, but in this, we were brought together.  Now, when we were in high school and Ms. Howard was a daily presence and we saw our high school friends every day, none of us would have imagined that just four years after high school, this would happen.  We were naive-but that's how life works.  But we still enjoyed our time with her and each other as much as if she lived another 50 years.  It's sad that she died, but the fact that we are sad shows how much of an impact she had on our lives, and how lucky we were to have a teacher in our lives that cared about us.

This goes for any special relationship; spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, fiance, friend, family...whoever is important to you.  Those that really matter...they'll make us sad or angry, even before someone dies.  They'll betray you, not listen to you, do something you asked them not to, say something negative about someone else you care about-you name it.  It'll drive you crazy, and make you almost wish you didn't have those emotions (I have thought that SO many times)-but don't.  The fact that they can make you this upset shows how much of an impact on your life.  The good has to come with a little bad-it's part of being human.  That pain shows that you care about them, and most likely they feel the same-embrace it.  Work through what happened and grow in your relationship with them.

I said this applies to more mundane things too.  When I was little (and to an extent now), I've been kind of afraid of playing sports like soccer, basketball, etc.  I did to appease my parents.  But I was so terrified of getting injured.  But this epiphany applies to sports and other fun things in life.  There's a risk of getting hurt-and it being painful, having to miss out on future things to recover, etc.  But people still do those things in droves.  Why? Because they are fun enough that it's okay to take that risk of pain.  And really, anything fun will.  The only way to avoid pain is to hide away and live in a little room...which is kind of impossible, but also really sad. 

Of course, too much pain isn't good, and if the main emotion in a relationship is pain and suffering-get out of it.  But in order to ENJOY a relationship, and I mean truly enjoy it-be it a sport, vacation, etc., you have to accept that there will be pain.  But that's okay. Because it means you're ALIVE. And LIVING. And on the way to bringing happiness to your life.

Yay for blogs and stuff!

Hello!

I love minions so much.  I kind of regret not being one for Halloween...oh well. 

I have wanted to start one of these crazy things for awhile, but didn't get around to it.  Then I saw a really interesting TED talk about the college and high school education system, and I had so many thoughts and opinions on it that I wanted to just  ramble on about it as long as I want and maybe talk about it with people.  So I decided now was the time.  And I will write about it.  Probably next time.  This is just me saying hey and stuff

So I plan on writing about some current event type issues (I was an International Affairs and Chinese double major at CU Boulder-go Buffs!) as I miss being able to talk about this stuff all the time.  I love learning and am missing it a bit after being away from school for 6 months.  So some of that will happen. 

I'll also write about personal growth and thoughts and feelings-not just about myself, but what i notice in people in general.  I think the age I am at now (and most of the people that will read this) are at is one of the most vulnerable and exciting and scary and yeah.  So much to talk about. 

If you have a blogspot, you should follow me.  I will post these to Facebook as well.  But for now, it is time to go.