It has now been some times since the following events actually occurred. I will try to recount them to the best of my ability.
Out of all the educators at Queen of Peace, only about three are non Catholic. This being said, on Monday mornings the staff meets to discuss things and to pray. I was included in this and introduced at the end. Everyone was very warm and welcoming. It was some one's birthday amongst the staff and everyone sang Happy Birthday to here. Incidentally it was also my birthday as well as a student in the class. The class sang to both of us. It was really sweet and charming for me.
The school day started off with a very quick run through of the upcoming week. This week included the Diasason (spelling??) Mass. Lunches would be provided, but those with food allergies were recommended to bring their own. The students were to dress nicely and behave in a respectful/pious manner. One of the students was asking if the service would break for lunch and the teacher explained that no it wouldn't because they would have extra people on hand to help with receiving communion.
In speaking about church, that is where the class was headed to hear a guest speaker's message. He was an ex-Packer's player who considers himself to be a messenger rather than a motivational speaker. He definitely had a religious slant that he added to his message, but it is a Catholic school. He told of his early life, discovering football, etc. The dangers of life, SAD, and how it can be tricky to navigate through these without GLAD. Sex, Alcohol, and Drugs are traps along the way that GLAD can help with (Glad ???stands for what again??) A student was brought up to the stage and blindfolded to try and find her way through SAD obstacles (aka chairs). She couldn't do it on her own so a friend was called up to help. But he kept telling her false directions and she was following the voice she heard until her friend's voice came through and told her what to do. There are many voices that can take us off our paths. We need to listen to God's voice, parents, friends (good ones) - that kind of thing. At the end he has students write down some of their take aways from their time with him. He read off a few from previous times. I am not positive, but I'm pretty sure one of the cards that he read off said something like; "I now realize that my homosexual relationship is wrong and that with help I can overcome it. But, it's hard to get over someone that you love". The main thing is that it appeared to be getting across to other students in the audience a very un-accepting view of those who are homosexual in orientation. I do know that the church, especially the Catholic, doesn't seem to be as accepting, but this just seemed really out of order to me. Coming to Edgewood where education classes are constantly promoting acceptance, tolerance, and multiculural-ness this came as a step backwards to me.
I am not Catholic, I was raised Lutheran so perhaps part of my ignorance about another religion is part of the barrier here. Even upon entering the church I got a very different experience. There are the little fonts by the door so that worshipers can bless themselves with the Holy water, Jesus is portrayed differently as well. It was different and different doesn't have to be a bad thing. I just wish that the 'Jesus died for you and accepts you' vibe could not be circumstantial and judgmental.
The assembly basically took up most of the time that I was there.
Plans were made for me to teach a review lesson the following week. I stayed a little longer than before and learned that the class prays before going down to lunch.
Introductions
September 6, 2012 from 8:00 - 8:30
My practicum cooperating teacher for my English Methods class has never had a practicum student before. She is at the Queen of Peace Catholic Middle School and teaches 7th and 8th Grade English Language Arts, 7th Grade Literature, and 7th Grade Religion.
Upon meeting with my teacher by the office, she was kind enough to introduce me to the Principal and later on to the secretary whom I will be seeing upon signing in each morning. Her classroom is on the third floor and there are Psalms/Bible verse banners that hang from the ceiling. In her room there are tables and chairs arranged in rows. Homeroom students are able to keep stuff in the desks. There are two computers and no air conditioning. Four cabinets, one at each corner of the room, serve as the majority of the storage space. Along one of the walls there is a sink and a series of short cabinets with a shelf above them. On this shelf there is a ceramic letter A at one end and a Z at the other. In between there are more decorative items. A Hunger Games movie poster is proudly displayed, which surprised me since the school is Catholic. Numerous Wizard of Oz themed items such as a calendar, poster, magnets, and more are placed throughout the room. Originally from Illinois, the teacher displays her sports allegiances through pennants and posters of the Fighting Irish, Bears, and the Green Bay Packers. Posters of the parts of speech, punctuation, plagerism, and citing sources are also on the walls of the classroom. The door has what appears to be some sort of sign one would see while driving on it, this poster reads something about Jesus will take you down the right path or find your direction through Jesus.
There is a bulletin board up in the hallway with the teachers names on it and students listed beneath each teacher. Each teacher is assigned a Saint and students. Depending on the Saint the teacher will do various service activities such as St. Vincent DePaul's or making sandwiches for the poor.
It appears that each graduating class gets to paint or design a mural in the stairwells. Inspirational quotes and designs are at each landing and I find them fascinating. It gives the school a positive feeling that is uplifting. The school as a whole works as a community. Each class got to decorate a pink stuffed piggie and each class then voted on which pig they liked best. It's a nice way to provide a common ground between the elementary and middle school.
A note on organization: Mrs. Britton remains oranized using a color coded folder system. She has two sets of folders; one set on her desk of work to be gone over/graded, and the other set is beneath her podium with work to be handed back to the students. In her grade book she also has a highlighter color system. Certain colors mean that she has to make copies, that copies are made and the work is being assigned, etc.
School Policy: Absences
There is a system set up in the middle school that deals with student abscence and late work. If a student is absent an "I miss you" is assigned to one of the other students in the same classes to take down the assignments and worksheets for the missing student.
My practicum cooperating teacher for my English Methods class has never had a practicum student before. She is at the Queen of Peace Catholic Middle School and teaches 7th and 8th Grade English Language Arts, 7th Grade Literature, and 7th Grade Religion.
There is a bulletin board up in the hallway with the teachers names on it and students listed beneath each teacher. Each teacher is assigned a Saint and students. Depending on the Saint the teacher will do various service activities such as St. Vincent DePaul's or making sandwiches for the poor.
It appears that each graduating class gets to paint or design a mural in the stairwells. Inspirational quotes and designs are at each landing and I find them fascinating. It gives the school a positive feeling that is uplifting. The school as a whole works as a community. Each class got to decorate a pink stuffed piggie and each class then voted on which pig they liked best. It's a nice way to provide a common ground between the elementary and middle school.
A note on organization: Mrs. Britton remains oranized using a color coded folder system. She has two sets of folders; one set on her desk of work to be gone over/graded, and the other set is beneath her podium with work to be handed back to the students. In her grade book she also has a highlighter color system. Certain colors mean that she has to make copies, that copies are made and the work is being assigned, etc.
School Policy: Absences
There is a system set up in the middle school that deals with student abscence and late work. If a student is absent an "I miss you" is assigned to one of the other students in the same classes to take down the assignments and worksheets for the missing student.
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