Teen Terrorism

So let me get this straight. Dangerous Minds was a fictional movie and not a documentry? Seriously though, was anyone that surprised to find out that teen violence is a biproduct of abuse and poverty. I don't mean to sound so sarcastic, but none of this is news to me. The streotypes we create about teens is based on the same principals as racial streotypes, misinformation and ignorance. As a prospective teacher, the only way to combat this is to find some way to involve oneself with teens before we enter the classroom. I'm only ten years removed from highschool, and I'll admit that teens seem almost alien or foreign to me at times. What is that kid wearing? What's with this music? And yet I'm not so sure that many prospective teachers are taking this step to familiarize themselves with future students. Not to mention that teachers who grew up in rural areas or suburbs are facing a double whammy. I think that sometimes people underestimate the culture shock and subsequent peroid of adjustment that come with being a new teacher in an urban school. I was fortunate enough to graduate from MPS, and I believe that this experienc will be a valuable asset; but I can't help that I'm getting older, I need to find ways to reconnect with my younger self.

Blog Entry #2

Anyone up for a discussion about the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadotropin-gonadal system? I understand that this subject can make people a little uncomfortable; so to make things a little easier, I found this pamphlet: "The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadotropin-Gonadal System and You(Hair in Funny Places)". This was pretty much the same treatment that I received from my parents in regards to puberty. I'm 27, and I still don't even know half of the words that were in this chapter. Why can't parents be more honest with their kids? It's easy, "Son I'd like to talk to you about spermarche". As fascinating as this subject is, I kinda wish I could take back the hour out of my life that it took to read this chapter. Assuming no one in this classroom is above the age of 85, I think we all know what we need to know about puberty. It wasn't that long ago the we lived through it. We've all had the embarassing pimple, and certainly some of us have spent five or six days fasting in the comfortable confines of a menstration hut. Let's be serious, yes puberty can be an "akward" and "troublesome" time in a kids life, but there are a variety of factors that account for this, and they certainly extend far beyond the limits of the pubertal process. Bottomline, parents need to talk to their kids, regardless of how uncomfortable it may be for both parties.