Crazy Day

Today has been a crazy and a little bit stressful day. Let me start off by letting you know that about a month ago my fiancé decided to surprise me with a puppy. The only problem is we do not have our own place so we both live with our parents. My parents would not let her stay at their house so she is staying at his parents house. His parents were not to happy at first about the fact, since they already have two dogs. Maya has now become part of the family. Lately my fiancé has been bring up the idea about getting other dog, I told him one is enough for now. Well this morning I get a phone call from him asking me about how I would feel if he brought home an alaskan malamute and wolf mix dog from the humane society, that is where he got our first dog from too. Of course I was not a fan because that would make four dogs in a small house. When I get to his house there is the alaskan malamute/wolf, which is not a small dog. I told him that he was not allowed to go to the humane society without me any more because he does not have the will power to say no. He has too big of a heart to turn away a dog that needs a home. I am sure if it was up to him and if he was able to he would bring all the dogs there home. He tells me that they asked him to foster her for the weekend. I figured we could handle a weekend with a gigantic wolf. That was until I walked out into the back yard and she was no where to be found, she had jumped the fence. Luckily she had not gotten far and we were about to get her back pretty easily. My fiancé then decided to go get a stake to put out in the yard. While he was out getting it I got a phone call from him, he wanted to let me know I was right and that he would be taking her back tomorrow. Do not get me wrong she is a adorable, sweet, and loving dog. There is just no way for us to keep her at this time. If you are looking into getting a dog I recommend the humane society. Our dog Maya is an amazing, loving, and playful dog. So is the alaskan malamute/wolf, Summer, that we our fostering. 

Cosmetic Surgery To Avoid Bullying

         Have you ever been teased or made fun of? Have you ever wanted to change something about yourself? Have you ever thought about having surgery to fix the things about yourself that you do not like and get teased about? Well that is what more and more teens are starting to do, to avoid bullying. In 2007, around 90,000 teens underwent cosmetic surgery. The most common procedures were nose jobs, breast reductions, breast augmentations, ear tucks and Botox.

         You might ask, What causes many of these teens to want to have surgery? The answer to that question is bullying and low self esteem. One in five high school students are bullied every year. One in twenty students miss school to avoid bullying. The question that many people are asking is if this is a good way to deal with bullying. One surgeon likes to make sure the issue of bullying is taken care of before performing surgery. He also makes sure the teen is mature enough. On top of that he advises many teens to what to make the decision until they are adults. Many people believe this is not the way to handle bullying. A majority of bullying happens because the bully has low self esteem themselves and it is a way for them to make themselves feel better. The bullying usually wont stop just because the teen being bullied changes the thing about them that they get made fun of. 

         In an ABC News report two teenage girls talked about there experience with bullying and cosmetic surgery. One was a high school senior, Erica. When she was growing up she was made fun of for having a big nose. It got so bad that she would miss school and she tried to brake her nose by banging her head against the wall. This was all because she was so fed up with the bullying. Her mother saw that it was a big problem and decided to let her have plastic surgery on her nose at the age of 15. Her and her both feel like it was a good thing because it allowed her to feel good about herself and feel beautiful.  

         For me I do not know if I would be willing to go that far to change something about myself but that is just my personal belief. I believe bullying effects people in many different ways and for some people they believe the way to solve that is to get cosmetic surgery. I do worry about teens getting it done so young. I do not think if I was a mother I would let my 15 year old daughter have plastic surgery. I think having cosmetic surgery is something that should be thought about and researched before actually doing it. I agree with the doctor in the interview that said he feels like teens should wait until they are adults to make that decision. I feel this way because the thing they might have wanted to change as a teenager might not be as big deal as an adult.   

Valentine’s Day

        This Valentine’s Day was my fiancé and I first Valentine’s together. He is not really a fan of Valentine’s Day so I did not know how it was going to turn out. Me on the other hand, I really enjoy the day. I see it not just as a day to show someone you love them, that is something your should do every day, but a day to something different and special for the one you love that you do not normally do. 

         My Valentine’s Day started off at one in the morning. I was up since I could not really sleep, so I decided I would decorate the house for Valentine’s for my family. I am one of those cheesy people who like to decorate for everything. I blew up balloons, hung up streamers, and made posters. By three thirty in morning everything looked really great. When my family woke up they loved it, it made their day. For lunch my sister and I went out on Valentine’s date with our dad. He took us to one of our favorite places, Johnny Carinos. I was a great lunch, we had a lot of fun helping our dad plan a romantic candle light dinner for him and our mom. At lunch I also came with the idea to feel my fiancé’s car up with balloons, so when he got off work he would find them. It was his first day at his new job which made the idea even better. So after lunch my sister and I went and picked up two dozen heart shaped balloons and fifteen white balloons. We then stuffed them all into his car, which was a tight squeeze. Once he got off work he called to tell me that I was crazy and that he really liked it. Later that night we went over to his house to have dinner with his family. We had an amazing stake dinner. At dinner I handed him a box that looked like a ring box. He ask me if I got him a ring, because he always jokes with me that is unfair that I get an engagement ring and he does not. I told him he would just have to open it to find out. When he opened it he was shocked to find out that is was a ring, just not the ring he was expecting. Instead of getting him a ring I got him a ring pop. I think he might have ended up liking the ring pop more then an actual ring. He then surprised me with my Valentine’s gift which was a hundred dollars to go shopping with. He knew that there were something I was wanting but was holding off getting because they were not really things I need and he wanted me to have them. 

         He is such a sweet and loving guy and I am so lucky to have him. It was by far the best Valentine’s Day I have ever had. I look forward to spending the rest of my Valentine’s with him. 

Finding the Dress

        Every girl waits for the day when she to meet her prince charming. Every girl dreams of the day they get to wear their very own white dress and be a princess for a day. I am one of those lucky girls that have found her prince charming. The next step is getting the perfect dress. For me this was something I had always dreamed of. After watching countless wedding shows and see hundreds of dress on television, I had no idea of the type of dress I wanted.

        The day came for me to find that perfect dress. Since I knew I had no idea what type of dress I was looking for I knew it could take a while to find “the” dress. The first dress I put on I really liked but I was not sure if it was the one so kept looking. Every dress after that was pretty but just not the right one for me. Then I came to this one dress that was pretty. It was simple a simple dress, just like I am a simple girl. I liked the way I looked in it and my family loved it. Compared to the first dress it was the cheapest out of the two and I felt like I like it just much, so I said yes to the dress. I was so excited and could not wait for everyone to see it. As time went on I started to have some doubts. I started to wondered if I had looked around enough or if I had chosen the wrong dress. I started to have these thoughts because I could not get the first dress I had tried on out of my head. Even though I am a simple girl I wanted a dress that was not so simple and this first dress was not so simple. I had these thoughts for about for over three months. Then I decided to tell my mom. She told me to contact the store. After contacting the store they told me they would exchange the dress. So I made an appointment and tried that first dress on again. Once I put the dress on again I knew that it was the dress. 

        I have watched hundreds of wedding shows where a bride would change her mind on her wedding dress or have second thoughts. I told myself countless times that I would not be one of those brides. In the end I became one of those brides and I am okay with that. I am okay with it because now I know I am truly happy with the dress I have now and that my fiancé will love it too. Today was my last fitting it was exciting to be able to put on my dress and realize that here in just three short months that I will be marrying the love of my life. Finding that one dress ended up being an experience that I will never forget.  

Neglect

         Neglect is offend ignored, due to the fact that not many people know what to do when the find out about a situation where a child is being neglected. Neglect is also overlooked some times due to the fact that it is not always as noticeable as physical abuse. Since it is some times not that noticeable, there are secretion signs that you should look for if you think a child might be neglected. There are four major types of neglect; physical, educational, emotional, and medical. For each of these four types there are different indicators you should look for. Neglect is also some times over looked because of a certain culture or a communities way of life.    

        Child neglect is not just segregated to one area or region. Child neglect is something happens every where. Although it has been shown that neglect is more likely to accrue in larger families and or lower income families. Large families run into issues with the parents being able to provide for all their children with the things they need, like clothing, food, healthcare, and nurturing. This is due to the fact that their paychecks have to provide for more than a normal size family home. In addition with a larger family it is more difficult for a parent to show each child love and compassion. Just like in a larger family, lower income families are not always about to provide their children with the things the need to maintain a healthy and happy life. Most of the time, parents of lower income house holds work multiple jobs, which either leaves the child home alone or costs them more for a babysitter. In most situations of neglect, the three major contributors are the lack of time, money, and knowledge. Many parents are unaware of the ways in which they can receive the help they need to be able provide for their children’s needs or are just simply unwilling to use resources provided. Many parents are not willing to admit that they are incapable of providing for their children, but by doing this, they put there children’s health and well being at risk. In many of these cases, the government has to step in for the sake of the children’s welfare. 

       Another contributing factor to neglect are culture and the standards of care in the community. In the United States of America, we are extremely blessed to have the resources to provide for our children and all of the things they need. However, this is not the case in other parts of the world. In places such as South America and Africa, parents struggle to be able to provide their children with one meal a day. This means they do not have the money to take their child to the doctor if they get sick or to send them to school or even buy them clothes that properly fit their children. Many of these families are not provided with the resources that we have here. In some cultures, it is common for a parent to leave a child to fend for themselves or they are seen more of an object than a person. Many times parents will sell one or more of their children just so they are able to feed and take care of their other children and themselves. The children that are sold are usually sold as child work slaves or as sex slaves.

      If someone believes a child is being neglected, in any way, there are signs they should look for. The most noticeable indicators is poor hygiene, such as dirty skin, body odor, unwashed hair, unclean clothes or clothes that do not properly fit. There are also the indicators of poor health and malnutrition. Children who are malnourished will do just about anything for food, such as beg, steal and even rummage through the garbage. Malnutrition leads to poor health, which is usually gone untreated in a home where the child is neglected. Things that teachers should be concerned about, if they notice these things in a student: the child cries easily when slightly hurts, comes to school without breakfast or with no lunch or money for lunch, falls asleep in class, does not want to go home, has a poor self image, or has trouble with school work.( Some children will show one of these indicators but a child that has been neglected shows more than one or all of these signs.  

     Neglect is something that happens everywhere and can happen to almost any child who is having any kind of issues at home. Each child neglect case happens for a different reason. However, when it comes down to it, there is only one main reason neglect happens. Child neglect occurs because the parent is incapable of providing their child with basic needs and no one stands up to defend the child.

Why I Want To Be A Teacher

        There were three teachers in my life that impacted my decision to become at teacher, Mrs. Stanley, Mr. Conklin, and Mr. Huff. They also had an influence on what kind of teacher I want to be. I want to be one of those teachers that has an impact on my students, by giving them a since of worth and like they can achieve there goals. The teacher that did that for me was Mrs. Stanley. 

        Out of Mrs. Stanley’s second grade class I was probably one of the worst readers and spellers. While the other students would make fun of me for not being as good as them, Mrs. Stanley encouraged me every day to my best. She believed in me when it felt like no one else did. Mrs. Stanley would work with me to improve my reading and spelling skills, she even made it kind of fun too. Mrs. Stanley was one of those teachers that you can tell really cared. I know this because she was not only caring and encouraging to me, she was like that with all her students. If any of her students need help she was right there to assist them. So it is not a surprise to me that she is the person that help me decide I wanted to be a teacher, in the second grade. I looked up to her so much that I wanted to be just like her so I decided I wanted to be a teacher too, and that hasn’t changed since. 

        Another teacher that has impacted me was Mr. Conklin. He wasn’t one of those teachers that you want to be like, he was quite the opposite. He was a very intimidating person. When I would mess up he would make me feel like I couldn’t achieve at  any thing. I remember when our class read How to Eat Fried Worms and I was having trouble comprehending what I was reading so I went to and talk to Mr. Conklin about it. He didn’t even seem to care and was not willing to help me. The one good thing that Mr. Conkiln did help me with was teaching me what kind of teacher I did not want to be. He made me realize I want to be a teacher that makes students feel they can come to if they have questions or just need to talk. He also taught me that every student needs to feel like they can succeed and it is my job to make they do. 

        Then there was my fifth grade teacher Mr. Huff. Mr. Huff taught me what kind of teacher I wanted to be. He made everything we did in class fun. We would reenact history and create board games using our math skills. Even today I remember so much of what we did in class. He taught in so many styles. One day things would be hands-on and the next it would visual, no matter his teaching technique he would always get everyone involved in learning, that is the kind of teacher I want to be. 

         I decided to become a teacher to impact children's lives in a good way. I want them to feel like they can achieve anything they set there mind to, or work hard for. I want to be a teacher to make a difference in at least one students life. I want to make learning fun to where every student wants to learn and develops that passion for learning.

Homeschool

       “Should I homeschool?” is a question many parents have been asking lately do to the increase of home-schooled students. Around 1.5 million children are home schooled, across the country, and that number's growing. Within eight years, home schooling has grown nationally by almost 75 percent and has a growing rate of 7 to 15 percent each year. Before choosing to homeschool their child/children parents pose the question, “is this the best thing for my child/children?” To answer this question parents tend to collect research and talk other parents. After doing both those things most parents tend to weigh both the pros and cons. 

  Many people believe homeschooling is the best way to go in educating their children. I am going to share with you the top reasons parents lean toward homeschooling. To start it allows the parent the opportunity to have quality time with the child, which gives the parent the chance to know and understand their child/children better. Being able to observe their child’s need allows them to adjust the curriculum at the pace which is best for the child, which is another advantage. Not all kids learn at the same pace of their classmates. Some students have difficulties in some areas and need more time, while in other areas they excel and are ready to move on before others. Since a teacher has a class from 20 to 30 students to help not every student gets that one on one attention that they will be able to get at home to help them in those problem areas. Plus when they are ready to move on they are able to do so while being home schooled. Being able to choose the curriculum allows parents to do more “hands on learning.” Parents are able to take their child to parks, museums, and zoos more easily then a teacher is able to take their whole class. This allows the student to see more things first hand then just from a text book. One of the things that many parents worry about in a public school that they do not have to worry about so much in homeschooling is peer pressure. Not having constant peer pressure allows the child to make their own choices based on what they want rather then what their peers are pressuring them to do. One of the biggest reasons for homeschooling is the freedom of religion. Many parents want to include their child’s religion into their education, which they are unable to do in the public school systems. 

  Even though homeschooling has its plus it also has its drawbacks. For the parent it takes up a lot of their time. They have to take time from their schedules to not only plan the lessons but to also carry them out. On top of that they are with their children almost 24/7 which can some times be hard on the parent. Since one parent tends to stay home with the child it tends to cause financial restraints, with only one parent working. Plus you have to pay for all the materials needed in order to do your lessons. One of the most common stated drawbacks would be social interaction. This is not so much a draw back now as it was a while back. There are now team sports for homeschool children and other homeschool activities. The only problem is some of the things are not offered near every family. Many people see homeschooling as outside the norm. This causes many home-schooled child to automatically get the label as socially awkward. 

  Homeschooling is not for everyone. It is something that works for some but not everyone. Not everyone has the time for financial stability to do it. On top of that not every parent or child has a desire to homeschool. Just because you do not homeschool does not mean you care any less about your child’s education then of the parents of a homeschool child.