Goverment in Our Daily Lives

Did you know that when you watch TV, the government is actually there with you? Well, I don’t mean physically there, but they control what you’re watching. To be more specific The Federal Communications Commission regulates what’s on that TV in front of you.

Source: http://www.publicworks.org/support-government-regulation-declines/

The point I’m trying to make is that the government is involved in every aspect of our daily lives as citizens. This is not only important to know but to understand the impact the US government has in our lives.

Here is an example of a schedule highlighting the government's effects:

7:30 am. You wake up to your favorite song blaring in your ear because it's time to get up and you know it’s 7:30 in the morning because The National Institute of Standards and Technology keeps official time.

7:35 am. Filling up your water bottle is a necessity in the heat and because of the City Water Department and the regulations put in place, that water will be healthy to drink.

8:00 am. Your classes start and if you go to a public school or public university, the government plays a role in funding that institution.

12:30 pm. It’s lunch time and you really want to know what ingredients are in your microwavable Mac & Cheese, you can just look at the label on it  to find out because the US Food and Drug Administration mandates packaged food to have a label containing information regarding that food or drink.

3:00 pm. Let’s say you want to buy a new shirt, what do you buy it with? You would use the currency of the United States Government to purchase that shirt.

4:00 pm. Time for work! It’s 30 mins away, so using a car is a must, and the only way you can drive is if you have a license, which is an official governmental piece of paper.

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Who cares? Why should you care? I’ll tell you why. Knowing the role that government plays in our daily lives is important. Whether we realize it or not, we as a society are impacted by the government with every little thing we do, from buying a Coke to getting dressed in the morning, and by knowing that they have a presence in our lives only makes us better informed citizens.

-Riley

Create Change, Don't Wait for it

One thing I have noticed is that professional athletes think very highly of themselves. I’m sure I would be the same way if I made millions to play a sport but unless I start playing for the golf team, I don’t think that will ever happen. Anyways, athletes believe they can change things just because of who they are, not by actually doing anything. For example, in recent news San Fransisco 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick is being bombarded with either ridicule or support for kneeling during the National Anthem in protest of black rights and equality in law enforcement. Personally I feel it is wrong to disrespect the flag in protest because it is the same flag that gives you the right to do so. However, being someone who wants to serve a life in the military or government, I may not agree with how Kaepernick is protesting, but I will defend his right to do so as it is protected by the constitution.

Anyways, you can kneel or put your fist in the air like some players have been doing instead, but still you aren’t changing anything. Just because you are a professional athlete doesn’t mean anything will happen by you taking a knee or raising your arm. To change something, you have to actually do something. Take NBA player Iman Shumpert for example. He posted this on Instagram last week attached to a picture of his baby daughter:

"Take a good look at my daughter Iman Tayla Shumpert Jr. The moment she was born was the day I saw the world a lot different. All day I wonder how can I raise her the right way and teach her the right lessons. I can't explain to her what's going on these days between the badge and the people. The badge was made to protect us, not scare us. #stealthefear #steal🔓fear#weprayforpeace For each steal I’m going to donate money and time towards a foundation(s) striding to improve the struggle between the badge and the citizen. I challenge all sponsors and athletes to match these proceeds to contribute to the cause helping families affected by all the killings leaving families and communities traumatized. As big as an awareness Kap has raised by taking a knee and the bravery it took for so many to follow I also understand those that fought for that flag have nothing to do with whats going on in our society today and I no longer believe taking a knee is the answer. This news makes me sick and I am challenging myself to make a difference! #stealthefear #steal🔓fear #weprayforpeace"

It is very simple, don’t wear a t-shirt or make a motion to fight for your cause. Yes, that will get attention, but to make a real difference, put yourself out there. Make the news for doing something to create change, nobody can argue with someone trying to do right in the world.

-Eric

Prompted Post #3: Communication Between Teachers

For this blog post, I decided to interview a teacher who teaches at the elementary school I attended in Wilmette, Illinois. Her name is Emily and is currently a kindergarten teacher and teaches both morning and afternoon kindergarten. She grew up down the street from me and went through all of the same schools as I did so I decided to give her a call to conduct an interview for my blog.

I prepared questions about how her students are choosing to be in her class, and how the school decides which students are enrolled in varying first grade classrooms. Emily told me that there is an extensive process before the previous school year ends to picking what children she will teach the following year. This process consists of multiple get-to-know-you days, parent meetings, trial run days where students sit in on a few lessons, and orientation. All of these factors lead into which teacher and which time slot (morning or afternoon) each student will be assigned.

There are 4 kindergarten teachers at Central Elementary School and Emily is the only one that teaches both the morning and afternoon time slot. She says that communication between her and the student’s parents can get very tricky since she has double the workload. Sometimes she says that dealing with the parents is even harder than dealing with her 5 and 6 year old students because their parents are very quick to judge her teaching tactics. The reason for all of this she says is because parents of young children have a hard time letting go of their child for a large portion of the day and they think that their views are the best for their children. When this happens, Emily has to take the complaint to the administration because she does not have the full authority to override a parental complaint even though she is the primary teacher. This she says is a big complaint of hers because she feels like she should have the power to advocate for herself and her teaching methods because she has put a lot of time and effort into what her students are leaving the classroom with.

A common misconception is that elementary aged students are randomly assigned to their teachers, but when it comes to the student’s next step in schooling, that's when Emily’s life gets hectic. First grade is an even bigger step in a young child’s life because it entails a full 8 hour day of school instead of a half day. First grade teachers are very different from one another and it is Emily’s job to analyze her students to see where they would fit best. This requires her to monitor all 46 of her students for the duration of the year and fill out a lengthy report for each student in April. She says that this process is very long and tedious, but it is crucial for her student’s future success in school. She is in contact with all 4 of the first grade teachers throughout the year scheduling times for them to stop in the room and observe their potential future students.

Speaking with Emily really opened to my eyes to how significant her role in all of her students lives are. Without her constant attention and effort into their lives, they wouldn’t thrive in their future classrooms. The early elementary years are imperative to a student’s future and it is Emily’s job to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.

-Jenna

Prompted Post #8: Experience in the Workplace

Internship at the Mayor's Office

This past summer I was grateful enough to get an internship through The City of Rochester Hills in Mayor Bryan K. Barnett’s office. Rochester Hills is a thriving city of 80,000 people which meant that there was always something to do and I loved growing up there but going into this internship I just expected a lot of paperwork coming my way and it to be an overall boring experience. From what I’ve heard of city government from school and the media, I originally pictured an office full of cubicles just doing paperwork, with no interaction or fun taking place at all. Those were my expectations, but my reality turned out to be just the opposite.

                                                                                                                                                            

Throughout my internship, I did a wide range of activities from searching for grants, to doing odd jobs, and I even went to Detroit and help cleaned up the neighborhoods for a day, but the part I liked the best, even loved, was the interaction with the people in the office. My supervisor was the Mayor’s Assistant and I was lucky that she took me under her wing and was really invested in me and what I had to offer. There was never a dull moment with her along with everybody else in that office either. What I'm trying to say is that I've made relationships at that office that I’ll take with me for a long time and I’m so grateful for that.

My perception of City Hall had completely changed after my internship had ended and it just made me realize how much good the Mayor’s Office does that people can’t see from the outside looking in. It’s not at all corrupt like the media portrays the government to be and I think this is very important because everyday the people in that office and most of all government offices go out of their way to help people.

At one point the Mayor sat down with me personally and explained why he loved his job and the little things that he does, that he doesn't have to do, just to benefit Rochester Hills like walk around the park and ask people about their day. I could see his passion for his work and the City and I completely believe some people over look that.

Also, in the Mayor’s office, the phone was constantly ringing with complaints and my colleagues handled them with the utmost respect and tried to fix them as quickly as possible. For example, a stop sign was bent over and we got a truck out to fix it to prevent accidents. Even when a new resident came into the office, we introduced ourselves and gave them a welcome packet and it had a positive effect on their day. It's really the little things that they mayor's office does that has the true effect on people and overall the community.

I can honestly say that I loved working in the Mayor's Office and made a lot of great connections and it's really opened my eyes up to the things we, as a community, take for granted and it's really important to acknowledge that because without the hard work of those individuals we wouldn't have the communities that we grew up in or are currently a part of right now.

                                                                      -Riley

Sources:

"Goofy Government in Boulder." Boulder County GOP. N.p., 29 May 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

Michael Dwyer. "A Taste of Rochester State of the City Address 2015." Rochester Media. N.p., 1 Apr. 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

Introduction to Teaching

In this blog post, I am going to give an overview into what the life of a teacher is like. This post will be shorter than my future posts because I am not diving into a specific teaching method just yet. My future posts will contain articles and links to specific teaching resources and articles that I find relevant to my standpoint. Teachers are so crucial to the changing world and I can’t want to tell you all about it!

A teacher is a profession that people hold to an extremely low regard. As a student, I have noticed that the majority of my peers take their teachers for granted, primarily complaining about how awful the workload is. In reality, teachers and professors are there to help you improve your life and more importantly give your future more importance. As I’ve grown older and have moved through more institutions, I’ve realized that my peers have gradually become less and less fond of their teachers and professors. It angers me that students can be so completely  disrespectful to their teachers when all they’re trying to do is educate them; a privilege not everybody has.

The impact a teacher has on the lives of their students is what inspired me to blog about it. My blog posts will mainly focus on elementary school teachers because of their significant impact on building a knowledge baseline for their young students students to later grow on.

A teacher does not teach solely out of their love for children, they’re teaching to lay knowledge groundwork in their student’s brains that their future education will build on. The main takeaway that kindergarten teachers want their students to leave their class with is the ability to write. Kindergarten year is crucial for becoming familiarized with the alphabet, basic sentences, and numbers. All starting points to the next step in schooling. Not only do these teachers have a classroom full of 20-30 moldable little minds, but they hold the fate of the future world their future students will operate.  

-Jenna

This is Why I Want to Change the World

In this video, you will see a man with nothing but an urge to help people. He expects nothing in return and in fact, he will do anything to make someone smile. The only thing that gets him down is when someone will not smile and it sends him into a frenzy. He may not be changing the world for everyone, but he is absolutely changing the world, one person at a time. 

This video is what inspires me to want to change the world. I first saw this video in 2012, way back when I was a freshman in high school. It taught me that something as small as a smile or a few words can change someone's day or even their life. I want to make the world a place where everyone can smile and be happy. This is a thought I fear most politicians have lost. 

In today's society, politicians care more about what their party wants, as opposed to what is important to them. This creates a divided system where compromise is ruled out making it impossible to do any kind of real work or make a real difference. Today, there are about 39,000 homeless veterans in the United States. This is because of a flawed Veterans Affairs (VA) system that is supposed to be helping them, however can not function well enough to take care of everyone. In fact, most veterans will never go to the VA because they are not required to and do not want to deal with the system. This is just one of thousands of problems our Country faces that simply cannot be solved because of the way our government functions.

I have always wanted to make a difference in the world, ever since I was a little kid. However, I've come to realize that this goal is impossible for one man or women to do. This video expresses exactly how I plan to change the world. I want to focus on the little things in life, make people smile and most importantly, make an impact on peoples lives. As I said before, you may not be able to change the world for everyone, but you can certainly change the world, one person at a time. 

- Eric

"National Coalition for Homeless Veterans." National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.

TheDoodle1966. "Validation ..Get Your Love Ticket Stamped..the Tide Is Turning." YouTube. YouTube, 2011. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.