Critical Issues in Education

Anonymous. (2023, April 20).   50 of the best teacher memes that will make you laugh while teachers cry . Bored Panda. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://www.boredpanda.com/funny-teachers-memes/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic   Part 1: Very often, when students reach middle and high school, the connection between teachers and parents falls through. Students are becoming mini-adults and the responsibility shifts into their hands almost entirely. However, while parents are relinquishing the job of checking over homework every night, they are still parents of their children, which means they desire success for them possibly more than the students do themselves. Something I noticed throughout many of these articles was the approach to parents from an angle of positive reinforcement. When I was in high school, I had a teacher in both freshman and junior year that would take the time to call every single parent of all of her...

Dworkin, J. (2021).  Teens Online and social media use . UMN Extension. Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://extension.umn.edu/tough-topics-kids/teens-online-and-social-media-use  As I write this blog post hours before it's due, I can't help but fear that I am a victim of today's topic. My phone is currently completely shut off and sitting on the floor on the other side of the room because there is simply no other way I would've been able to get my work done in time. As a student, I have seen and experienced the pros and cons of social media throughout my educational journey. While both sides add up to quite monumental amounts, I must say this: social media usage cannot continue on the path it is currently on. Reforms need to be made immediately. Social media has its issues and its benefits, many of which have been discussed thoroughly throughout this class already. Access to social media can provide a sense of community for students who can't seem to find it. I h...

 The lesson I chose to analyze this week was about cannabis and how it impacts adolescents. The first step of the lesson is to initiate a discussion among yourself and your students about what they've noticed regarding cannabis in their community. In recent years, many dispensaries have opened up in my town after the new legalization in New York State. This conversation has been going on for years, so I am sure many students will have something to say regarding it. The next step of the lesson is to read the article titled Cannabis: The Facts You Need to Know . The article goes into detail about what exactly cannabis is, how it is often used as prescription medicine, and how THC affects the teenage brain, both short-term and long-term. The most frightening statistic to me was that " about 11% of adolescents (ages 12–17) developed a cannabis use disorder within  12 months of their first  cannabis use versus about 6% of young adults (ages 18–25)" from a 2021 study. While rea...

  Hartmann Garner, A. (2017, August 26).  Creating a mindful classroom environment . Getting Smart. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/08/26/creating-a-mindful-classroom-environment/  This week, I chose to embrace the topic by using the app Calm every morning when I woke up and every night before I went to sleep. I could not have loved it more! They had amazing selections for meditations for sleep so I was able to use a different choice every night. My favorite was "Quieting the Mind and Body" because it helped reduce the hyperactivity that my thoughts go through every night before bed. In the mornings I would use "Daily Calm" or "Morning Stretch" to prepare myself for the days ahead.  I thoroughly enjoyed my experience using Calm and I am able to see the impact it made on me in just a week! I noticed I had much more energy in the mornings and was able to get my work done in a more timely manner. With my free time, I was able ...

 The topic of this week's module and post is poverty and homelessness. Fair warning: this has been one of the most heartbreaking posts to write. Brace yourself. The stories of Anthony, Kasey, and Roque in The Homestretch  (2014) were nothing short of gut-wrenching while also quite inspirational. Each of these teenagers went through traumatic experiences at such a young age in their lives, causing them to live under a constant stream of pressure. None of them should have had to deal with the issues that were presented to them.  Throughout the film, all three teenagers fight for their right to be happy by finding outside joy in the little things, despite the challenges they face constantly. Take Roque as an example. Through difficulties with his parents and the Department of Immigration, he was forced to separate from his family and fend for himself at the start of his sophomore year of high school. SOPHOMORE YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL?!?! He was still a child. Thanks to his kind-...

Mental health is a major concern for all people, as it is just as important as physical health. This week, I researched seasonal pattern depression and its symptoms, treatments, and how we as teachers can help our students who suffer from it. Seasonal pattern depression is a subcategory of depression that only takes place during 1-2 seasons throughout the year and repeats yearly. It is usually due to the lack of sunlight during the darker winter months, but can occur during spring and summer as well (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2021). Seasonal pattern depression typically attacks women more often than men. It also tends to impact more people living in the north than the south, as northern areas face harsher, darker winters (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). While medication can be used to treat seasonal pattern depression, natural sunlight can also be a great remedy. Getting our students outside is quite difficult during the school day, especially with the colder weather of the win...