2/28/09 Reflection #3

I was really surprised by this video. Although I knew that meth was a problem, I didn't know how big of a problem it really was. I was also surprised to find out that even if a meth user becomes clean, their brain function may never return to normal. I think meth can create a huge problem in my classroom and school. Meth makes you jittery and talkative so if a student happens to be on it, they will distract the other students and hurt themselves academically. The student doesn't have to be on the drug to cause a problem. They just have to see the violence associated with it. These children become violent with their siblings and could possibly bring that aggression to school. The kids who have parents that are addicted are more likely to be victims of sexual, verbal and mental abuse. This can cause disiplinary problems in school and cause the student to hurt themselves academically. It is important for me as a teacher to watch out for these behaviors in my students so that I can catch the problem early and hopefully help them get into a safer situation than they are in now.

2/13/09 Reflection #2

Poverty and homelessness is a huge problem for children in America. Kids tend to have to grow up faster and become the caregiver for their families. This means the kids can't do what they want to do. They only get to do what they have to. The children that don't get to be kids miss out on simple things such as participation in sports, clubs, and other school/community activities. Along with this, the children won't perform to their highest ability in school. If the children have to work and take care of their families, they won't get the nutrition they need because of lack of money and they won't get the rest they need to function. They have a higher chance of getting sick as well. As a teacher, I will address these problems about informing the students about poverty and homelessness. I will make sure to keep an eye on the children that aren't themselves and see if I can help in any way I can.