Focusing the Lasers

   In the Focusing the Lasers video we were introduced to a few "types" of students of students attending community college. The first being Visitors: who come to community colleges for reasons that may not be academic. The second Wonderers: They don't have much of an idea when it comes where or how or what they are going to focus on as a student. Next was Seekers: they are wiling to try things have a good idea about college culture, they are focused academically and have a good idea of where they want to go. Lastly are the Lasers: they know what they want to do and more than likely have been doing it for a while and are very driven.

   I would normally consider myself to be a laser  in fact Debriana a year or two ago would have said she was a laser with no hesitation, because I have always been very goal orientated, and I plan everything especially when it comes to my education. This started in the beginning years of high school and senior year I had everything planned out all of the schools I was going to apply to, prior to getting accepted I knew the order in which I would choose my school that I would attend. None of the schools did I mark undecided/undeclared as far as majors I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I chose my school but before I chose it I did the overnight experience at the campus just to be sure because I always had to make sure all of my i's were dotted and my t's were crossed. After a few months of being at my dream school I realized a few things that took me a while to admit to myself one being that I made a huge mistake and I did not want to be where I was currently. I didn't know what I wanted to do anymore, and I made a big mistake and I felt like I shouldn't have and what would I look like transferring schools after ONE YEAR? I had to stop and take a step back and reevaluate myself as a student and realize its ok to be a wonder for a while and for me it was actually imparitive in order for me to regain focus.

I would say now I'm a laser I know were I'm going and what I want to do I am just a more improved laser in the sense that although I'm focus and driven but if my plans ever change I am able to go with the flow a bit easier now.

I think being a laser people may mistake you for having your shit together all the time, lasers themselves sometimes feel like thats how they have to be I know I did and they can feel like they are a lotted less mistakes than others because their looked at as people who "know exactly where their going". I would say to the lasers as well as people looking at or up to lasers remember they are first students and are still learning just like everyone else and for "maximum results" its best to combine all of the student types together in a classroom so they can all learn from each other because guaranteed they all have weaknesses where others are strong in and vise versa and to me thats one of the most beautiful things about the classroom.

to be continued maybe...

The Soundtrack to My Life

The first part of the video I did not film, but spring semester of my freshmen year I took a class: Passport to Leadership that my previous school offered, and this was my final project. I completely forgot about it but I found it and decided to share. MY PASSION.

The Future of this Nation.

   Jeff Bliss the young man in the video brought up several great points one was "if you want a student to care you have to touch his heart". So many educators are going through the motions because they have gotten comfortable and lost in their "Jobs"and not lost and comfortable in their passion. Teachers have a very important job that should not be taken lightly, they are nurturing our future so for a teacher to be as lax as she was it a bit disheartening .

   For a person to go into the field of education, teaching specifically one would think that they have decided to follow their passion because they are not paid nearly as much as they should be, but why are more and more "passionless teachers" surfacing? It really scares me because one day I plan on parenting children of my own and if things are only getting worst what type of education do my children have to look forward to? As a parent you should secure in knowing that my child is at school more than they are home and the faculty and staff their have my child's best interest at heart at all times be it academic, emotional, safety or whatever.

   The second great point he made was the fact that He (WE) are this nations future. How can we the future be equip with the necessary tools to lead this nation when more money is being put into the department of corrections than into education. It costs more to house an inmate annually than it costs to send a student to school. This is just my thinking but wouldn't it be a lot smarter to put more money into education, after-school programs, and summer programs, and post secondary education then maybe, just maybe we will grow up children that don't resort to a life of crime because they never had the resources to be able to do anything but that.

Deal Breakers

   It's hard being a first generation college student although I have a sister, brother and cousins who have started college none of them finished and sometimes it feel like the pressure is on and everyone is looking at me to be the first to finish. I feel like there is nothing wrong with a little pressure because pressure breeds amazing atributes like character, and perseverance, a good work ethic and many other things, BUT when you feel like its not ok to mess up or not have all the right answers is when pressure shifts into something more negative. That negative space is a place I don't want to be because I feel like it will start to make me hate school and education something that I love.
   Another thing that makes thriving in college difficult is being at a community college coming from a university it took me a while to get over that because I had a lot of shame I felt like I was less than the rest of my friends that were continuing on with their 4-year college. I felt embarrassed because in high school it was like an unspoken "thing" with the group of people I hung out with that no one wanted to go to a community college and community colleges were only for people who "weren't ready" for a 4-year. So having to come to Chabot was almost a deal breaker for me.
   I think dealing with pressure the main thing you have to know is that you're enough and it's your own trail that your blazing and it does not have to look like anyone else's and making mistakes is ok. Just like a little pressure builds so many beautiful atributes and characteristics so does making mistakes and learning from them. Another way do deal with pressure is finding an outlet to release your anger, stress and frustration because what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger.
   I had to learn that my situation was not unique although a lot of people go to community college then transfer to a four-year there are people who start at a four-year and for whatever reason transfer to a community college. Once again learning its your educational path that your blazing and it won't like the everyone else's and there is no cut out educational path that you have to follow but the one you set for yourself and even that one may change over time.

THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS,

   The song is called Changes and in this song Tupac talks about how he see's no changes. The type of changes Andrade is trying to make for our urban youth, but in this song Tupac talks about the hand of cards that life has dealt him by default. In one line he says "I'm tired of bein' poor and even worst I'm black my stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch". Like Tupac a lot of young people deal with REAL LIFE prior to entering the classroom and once they leave, so as education should be set up to meet all of their needs as Andrade stated.
   Tupac was very passionate about the voiceless people, people who struggle silently, people who grew up in the hood. He spoke a lot about politics, race and class and how it effects African Americans. With his fame and spotlight he was granted he wanted upper middle class and upper class america to be able to see what he grew up seeing and doing and what they rarely see and the way he did that was through his lyrics.

THOUGHTS about Jeff Duncan Andrade's speech...

The Education system and the hood/streets are at war with one another both for the lives of "urban youth" how do we combat and suit up for the war when our ammunition, our backing (the Unified School District) is not so unified.

So educators like Jeff step in and begin to do what is looked at as extraordinary things in order to take back our youth. What he's doing as an educator should it be extraordinary and unusual? Or as an educator and having a passion for children and education when you see the system and your colleagues failing to rise above average shouldn't that be when your passion kicks in (if not already) to begin to find ways to change what is failing? Or is fear really that crippling to keep educators standing on the sidelines watching the war being lost.


FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
1. Do you think the issues with education and urban communities will ever be soloved? why or why not?

2. Do you believe the system is set up to fail minorities? why or why not?

the CONNECTION between PASSION and POVERTY.

The question posed-- What is the connection between poverty and passion 

 

 This question is very deep, and I truly believe there is no right or wrong answer, but I also knew that it was something I was going to want to get another opinion on just to see initial reactions and first thoughts on the question. 

  I asked my best friend and she said people in poverty find passion in the smaller/smallest things because they have been stripped away from a lot or most of the luxuries we have and may take for granted every day. 

  To some extent I agree with my friend and not having a lot can help you find your passion and become passionate about the more simple things in life, or become passionate about things you would have never thought about, but if I can I would like to play the devils advocate on this topic.

If a person is in poverty, or in need or without a sufficient amount be it mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical and they find their passion shouldn't that be enough or the driving force to help them come out of poverty? to me passion goes deeper than just something you really like, the word passion IMPLIES devotion, dedication, intensity, and love. 

incomplete. thought in progress...