Adventures in Parenting, Marriage, and Teaching

Philosophy of Ministry

2016-10-12T20:49:00.000-05:00

Philosophy of Ministry Project (December 2004)

I. A Definition and Description of My Pastoral Call

Preparing to describe my personal pastoral call brings me to think of one verse in Hebrews 10:31, “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” In one simple sentence we can sum up just about anyone’s idea of ministry calling. The Pastoral Call places me out of my hands, out of the world’s hands, and into the hands of God Himself. Realizing the awesome influence of this verse helps me begin to define my own calling.

Ministry for me is something all people are meant to do in various areas of their life. It is said that preaching itself is something one should only do if he could do nothing else. No matter how hard I try to run from the feeling, there is always a strong desire in me to fulfill what God has called me to do. My life is meant to be one built around helping to build others and increase in them the knowledge and hunger for God that first began in me.

Intake and study of God’s word is and has always been one of my greatest passions. There is never a time I do not enjoy spending free time looking through theological books and studying up on various scriptures. From what I have studied, I also learned that we are to give away what we get. By this I believe those who desire to know more about God must be ready to teach and preach that message to others. This combined with my compassion for people slowly integrated to the desire of teaching people about what God has taught me. I found it interesting that the Bible gives a major Pastoral role to that of a shepherd. Since my namesake is that of King David and he was too a shepherd, I was excited to learn more about what it is to be a watcher of God’s sheep. “The Title of shepherd elevates the pastorate to the highest honor possible, the honor of being the Good Shepherd’s under shepherds” (Lawerance 75). One must take that title along with the honor and use it in humility. Pastors may be leaders but they need to remember they are also servants.

When I read that the Bible tells me to serve out of a willing and eager spirit, (1 Peter 5:1-4) I get excited. One thing I know the Lord has given me, is the heart of a servant. It doesn’t matter what the circumstance or how far I had to go to get it done, if someone wants or needs something, I am always happy to help. Pastors must never serve out of an obligation or duty before they serve with a willing and giving heart.

Good shepherds of God’s sheep also need to be holding themselves accountable. Keeping watch over oneself (Acts 20:28) is a Biblical command. Pastors must guard their own hearts and lives so they do not become corrupt or complacent when handling the people of God. I often wonder what would have happened if David started thinking to much of himself and let the sheep wander away without care.

Shepherds must have compassion on the helpless and harassed (Matthew 9:35). A Pastor’s heart must be for those who are in need and those who require aid and direction from God. I have noticed, how it is always when my week has been bad or tiresome, that I gain so much more from hearing my Pastor/Shepherd on Sunday morning. Just as I need the Pastor to help me, I too must direct myself toward those who need God.

As Shepherds, the Pastor must be willing to give his life for the sheep (John 10:11). He must dedicate himself fully to the work of taking care of those sheep. It can be difficult for any Pastor to give up their own life, reputation, career goals, and self in order to give their life for the sheep. It is when the Pastor has that mindset, they are truly ready to gather a scattered flock (Ezekiel 34:11-13). Pastors must be willing to go to great lengths in order to bring back those lost and astray from the Church. Pastors are not called to simply forget about the sheep when the hour is late, for even through prayer the Pastor can be helping the sheep in his care. A Pastor must never forget who the true owner of the flock is. “The pastor’s role is that of manager or steward of what belongs to God. Pastors are not owners of the flock. The flock is God’s. God is the owner; pastors are the managers” (Blackaby 11). While shepherds are watchmen they must not forget God is the ultimate Shepherd and Leader.

II. My Leadership Style

Leadership style is grown and produced through experience rather than learned skill. Truly there is a good deal of learning that must be done to find our ‘style’ but when we do it is often the thing that has already been active in our lives. There are many kinds of leader character tests and types which all mix together. Of the four particular styles studied there is only one which seems to define me the most.

In the “let me help you” style I can see my gift of service used strongly. This is the major style for me, as it characterizes my lifetime desire to be optimistic and supportive while trying to help people along with their goals. In contrast to this I have never been much of an action initiating “let’s go” style. I do like to keep careful planning and think through everything with care as the “let’s be careful” style suggests. The final style of “lets stay together” would be the second most that fits my character as a leader. I find myself easy to get along with and one who tries to be at peace with all people when it is possible. Friendliness and service are the marks of my leadership style.

After developing a leadership style of my own it is good to see what the Bible says in regard to being a servant leader. Jesus came to earth and made nothing of himself but became a servant (Phil 2:7). In this same way every believer and every leader should take on the same nature and not put themselves on a high scale of importance. What Jesus says after washing the feet of the disciples gives an important lesson for all masters or leaders. There is no servant greater than the one who sent him (John 13:16). For all Pastors who have been called as leaders of God’s people, there must be a humble acknowledgment of service to the greater master and leader.

With my leadership style defined the next thing to do is examine the function of myself as a pastor and leader. Most people follow leaders today because they have a position and the people have no other choice but to follow. It is a slow process to go from this level of leadership through the relationship and into the results levels. Once a leader develops a relationship with people, they begin to work and do things beyond the call of duty. After a while the leader is followed simply because of the things he does for the organization. It is after these beginning levels that one would get into reproducing the work environment and gaining respect. For my position currently, in the very least a beginner Pastor, there is a long way to go before I get to the higher levels of leadership.

Followers and leaders ask similar questions that must be answered to gain an understanding of leadership. It all begins with us knowing what we are supposed to do and how much authority we choose to delegate. Leaders cannot stand alone and I know I will need a good team to work with me. I have observed my role in the ministry and come to understand the importance of relationship between leaders and followers. The leader must be able and willing to help and encourage the follower. The follower must also be ready and willing to give all they are able to complete goals. Both the leader and follower must serve each other in order for there to be a balanced and healthy working environment. Finally, the ultimate goal of the leader is to follow the model Jesus gave as a servant. Jesus spent more time touching people and talking to them than in any other action. Jesus knew, touched, healed, affected, and mentored the people with a Shepherd’s touch (John 10:14-15; Luke 4:40; Matthew 15:30; Luke 6:40; John 13:15-17). As a leader I aim to follow the model set before me by Jesus as one who reaches out to the people with the hands of a Shepherd.

III. Biblical Purpose Statement of the Local Church

During the formation of any church there must be a development of a ministry model. This model gives the Church or organization a foundation of its core purpose and mission. In the creation of my own model for my Church I have laid down three basic elements, which in order, cover the whole. The three areas that form my Church are the worship of God, study of His Word, and reaching to the world. The area of worshiping God comprises the element of Upreach as we move our hands up toward heaven and seek to glorify God in everything. During our study in His word we will focus on the inreach done within the core of the Church body in that we study and fellowship together. The last element which many Churches have neglected is the outreach to the world.

Worship takes on many forms in my Church as we do emphasize it in various ways. One thing I have always been is a man of prayer. It is a vital part of the life of any church to have constant prayer. Prayer should be a devotion in the Church life (Acts 2:42). Along with prayer there needs to be communion, and dedication to worship. We hold services for just prayer and worship at times in order for people to simply come before the Lord.

For the practice of studying the Word together, my Church has developed small group meetings where various homes are set up for times of fellowship. I have created the opportunity for lives to be touched on a more intimate level in this form so people can get to know one another. The body of Christ should be working inward to help keep itself healthy and going strong. We are told in Scripture to pursue building up one another. Another thing we have also created is a place in our budget to help families who are having difficulty with paying bills, or cannot afford to send their children to youth retreats. One must exercise the body as well as the spirit in order to be ready for the battles we face in this world.

As much as I have always tried to avoid the whole missions concept, there is no way as a Pastor I can ignore the nations of the world. There are far too many needs out in the world and in our country that must be met. My Church is dedicated to rise to the call of world evangelism. The cry for preaching to the world comes from Jesus after the resurrection, He commanded us to go into the world (Matthew 28:18-20). The Church is to go and to promote the work of the message, pouring it out into all the earth. We aim to see everyone having help when they need it. All believers have the call to ministry in their own individual way. The Church will work on developing the people with the right gifts and information they need to take the Gospel to the world.

A couple of Biblical images of the church stand out when I look at my church

ministry. The body of Christ has been described as a household of God’s people. Everyone is a member of the Lord’s house (Ephesians 2:19-22). Every member is involved together in a family relationship as we are in the same house. All believers are therefore to relate to each other as children and brothers and sisters.

The second image of the Church goes along with the household of God with another step forward. The Church is one body made up of different parts with different functions; giving each person their own gift and talent to use in the body as whole. Every individual in the church is to use what they have for the benefit of everyone else (Romans 12:3-6; 1 Corinthians 12:27-28). This description of the church helps us to see every person as unique and as important as everyone else. No one person is more important than the other. Every Christian in the church acts with a direct reaction on the other people in the church. We have to all work together or the body as a whole would not work. The Church is to use those things it is given as the body of Christ in order to help one another in the body to grow and work. The gifts given are given to aid.

My Church is unique among many for its emphasis upon the knowledge and understanding of God and His Word. Within the culture and society of the modern day church there are many various divisions and styles that take place. Of all the different types of churches around, my own can be narrowed down to a mixture of three.

First and foremost my ministry has been based in the classroom environment. My pleasure is to seek out knowledge and information and develop a way to translate that to the students in the church. Through email devotions, midweek Bible Studies, and other avenues we have quickly gotten a hold of an expository form of preaching.

A second type my Church ministry fits into is being experiential. In this form we seek to have the people experience God in a whole new level. The desire is to see Christians be empowered and feel what it is to have a real relationship with God outside the guise of religion.

The third type of Church we relate to most is the family reunion type Church. It is important for us to develop a system that brings the believer out of the world and reminds them they belong to the family of God. The term family and concept of traditional values have been lost in this world and the only place they can truly be restored is within the Kingdom of God’s children. It is there the people can learn they have a place and identity in Christ.

IV. A Unique Mission Statement for Your Ministry Context

The current ministry environment for my Church organization is found in the basic small town environment of nearly 16,000 people. Many of churches already located within the city limits are Baptist, Catholic, or Methodist with a handful of others. We are living in the middle of the “bible belt of America” which means Christianity is wide spread around here. This is a community so drenched in the Gospel it might be difficult to find new ways to draw people toward God. I realize the importance of getting together with my fellow colleagues who Pastor in other Churches in town. It is important to have honest and trusting relationships with other leaders who can assist in understanding the needs not yet met and how we can work together for the greater good of ministry.

For the time being my congregation is filled with either busy college students or hard working parents. Both find it difficult to always meet demands of the Church life. It is these though that I am able to talk to about where they want to go and what the vision should be for the Church. We have set standards and are always trying to develop good ways to work hard in the community. I receive feedback and am always encouraged to hear reports positive and negative on how the ministry is going. I realize there is a great deal of competition for the free time of the people. There are so many things going on in our lives to keep us from wanting to spend even a couple hours attending the Church. I want to move past the feeling of duty into desire. My longing is and will always be for people to take pleasure in working as the body of Christ both to bring aid to the community as well as bring encouragement to one another. Above all it is important for the Church to work toward the fulfillment of its own core values.

All ministries and Churches should have a developed set of core values that they seek to follow and hold firmly as standards. My first core value is to see the healing of broken and wounded people. My heart breaks for those who have been going through trouble and struggle and I long to reach out to them. Jesus proclaimed “the favorable” year as: a time of release from bondage and healing to the sick and broken. The healing of the sick, wounded and broken is a high priority in a compassionate and loving God. It is a service and act of obedience for us to lead people to healing (Luke 4:18-21).

With my experience working in a mission organization I have developed the value of providing opportunities for missions. I aim to provide the Church with materials for education and evangelism as well as support world missions as a main goal (Acts 12:1-3). My desire is to send teams out, and at the same time train and expose my church to as many cross-cultural types of ministry as possible.

Though Jesus said we will always have the poor among us, there is still the Biblical mandate to reach out and care for them (Matthew 26:11). This takes pleace both physically and spiritually. Salvation is for the “whole” man (James 2:14-18) and I believe one of our main priorities is to those in need. We give and love because we are being taken care of by God in all ways.

Another value is to empower disciples with the teaching and education they need to understand the Word of God and present it to others in the world (Matthew 28:19). So many people think they know the Bible and never take the time to dive into it deeply.

I desire to create a team driven leadership of elders and people to serve in the Church (Ephesians 4:11-16). We need to have people willing to give everything they have to do all things in order to glorify Christ. A Church working as a hard moving and growing organization will only be effective with a good solid leadership team.

My church will focus greatly on keeping a solid Biblical prayer life (Colossians 4:2). Many Christians have lost the significance of having a daily prayer walk with God. Our goal will be to bring people back to having a firm hold on what it means to have a relationship with God that goes beyond attending services.

My Church seeks to have integrity to God and the community as it witnesses of Christ (James 2:18). The people are watching the believers to see if their faith is real and if they can be truly trusted. It is important for us to have a accountable and faithful body of believers.

A final value for my church is worship that draws people to glorify God (Psalm 68:35). So much of what we do in this world is done to get through the day and not worry about what our relationship with God is like. Our prayers are more requests than praise. This value is to bring people into a worship service which allows them to step into the presence of the Lord and remember who He truly is.

Our core values undergird the mission of the Church. That mission is to be: prepared to equip, energize, and engage people into relationships with each other and with God. We desire to see growth and life fill every person in the Church, the community, and the world. In equipping, we are teaching and training our people how to witness and evangelize in the world. We want to make them ready to face all kinds of situations and problems they will face when they carry the Name of Jesus. By energizing, we want to fill the people with excitement in their relationship with God as well as desire to make that known to the world. In engaging people there is a bond of fellowship that must take place as the people begin helping one another to grow and make it through life. It is easy to get lost in the world and even the church today, so I have developed my mission and values in such a way to focus on the preparation and growth of the individual to be more like Christ and ready them to go out into the world carrying the Gospel message.

V. A Statement of Vision that Describes Your Preferred Future

My vision for my personal ministry is to be in a place where people feel they are growing in their relationship with the Lord. I do not like how many Churches just go stable throughout the years and never appear to change or grow. Often I find myself talking of myself as one who will be a Senior Pastor of an average size Church but one that abounds with grace from the Lord. My Pastoral role will be in an area where I can teach others and watch them get closer to God. I also hope to be doing a great deal more for the Kingdom in areas of prayer, witness, and mission work. God has placed a desire on my heart to preach His Word in a way that is not typical or normal. I intend to find the right place where God wants to use me and stick with complete commitment to the growth of the Church.

VI. A Declaration of Vision Strategy

My specific ministry model will employ a three strikes rule which will bring the people into the vision. At the very beginning we have to work on what will draw people into Church and give them a taste for what the Lord is doing. Questions of why they would even want to come, need to be answered. My church will seek out ways to invite people in and show them an environment of kind, loving, and fun Christians.

After we have drawn people in the second strike will be developing various ministry opportunities. This is first going to require careful planning and qualified leadership to head up the various positions in the church. As a major role, each ministry will be tailored to specific needs. Divorce, singles, anger, healing, youth, and other various classes must be formed to encompass all of the people who call the Church their own.

After the ministry is laid down the people will begin to develop and mature as Christians. We will offer classes which teach discipleship and early Christians. I want to make sure there is help needed for every situation that arises. Once this step and the others are complete we will see to having our mission complete. There can be nothing else better than to extend God’s love to the people through a passion and compassion.

After all is put into place and my Church is working on the vision and mission we have laid down, we will have a hard working established plan. Just like a shepherd the Pastor needs to have a reason for what he does with the sheep and a plan for helping them grow. He must know what to do when they fall down and are sick, or when they are in any other kind of need. Pastors are called to watch over the flock and take care of them in the essential role of leading and feeding the people. Without a clear vision we run the risk of perishing. This is why we must have a developed plan of how to take care of the sheep and stick to it as our mission and purpose for being a Pastor.

Bibliography

Blackaby, Henry T. & Henry Brandt, The Power of the Call (Broadman & Holman,

1997).

Bruce, F.F., Word Biblical Commentary: 1&2 Thessalonians. Waco: Word, 1982.

Hawthorne, Gerald, F. and Martin, Ralph, P., Dictionary of Paul and His Letters. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1993.

Lawrence, Bill, Effective Pastoring (Word Publishing, 1999).

London, H.B. & Neil Wiseman, The Heart of a Great Pastor (Regal Books, 1994).

Warren, Rick, The Purpose Driven Church (Zondervan, 1995).

When we said I Do

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Hour hand on the one and the minute hand on the fourteen, but the clock itself was still. Time it seemed had frozen in that very moment on the afternoon of June fourteenth two thousand and three. I stood at the top of the altar in a little church north of town. I was breathing slowly, waiting patiently, for this moment. I had waited for this moment since I met her.

She appeared in her flowing white gown as beautiful as she always is. In that single moment I was struck by the awe and wonder of the moment. I asked her to marry me and she said yes. It was simple and yet truly the most amazing moment. And here she was walking down the aisle with purple flower pedals and scented candles everywhere. Our guests lining both sides of the church watching with joy as we prepared to say our vows.

I remember so vividly how she looked that day and how everything else faded in the room at the sight of her walking toward me. My heart was racing. My thoughts trailing back to the first time I saw her in the airport several years before. My head was racing with memories rereading her email she sent me wanting to make a new friend, and all the emails since. We waited anxiously for this moment where our two lives would become one. Together we would be complete.

I think back now at that day as still one of the moment joyful moments of my life. Since then of course there have been many other great moments including the births of our children. As I reflect upon our wedding day though I can treasure each moment and keep it close to my heart for eternity. I remember feeling the huge amount of reasonability I now had and how it all felt like second nature. It was truly second nature to love her, it had been since I met her. Loving her comes as natural to me as breathing our and breathing in. She truly makes my day begin. Not a day will go by where I am not thankful she said I do, forevermore.

Rebalanced

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Re balance. It is a word I probably would never have thought I would use in relation to my teaching career. And yet here it is. In my case it is referring to what appears to be a standard reallocation of teachers nationwide based on district and school enrollment. Now I see why schools are so pushy about early enrollment and numbers. It is so they know how many teachers they need per student and such. In my case my school had two few first graders so they needed to combine the two classes into one. The first grade teacher moves up a grade and takes on my students while I am re-balanced.

When a re-balance occurs, it typically goes off sonority apparently. In my case by twenty minutes I was the last one hired, which is why I am changing schools. The other new hire teacher seemed a lot more nervous about the prospect of losing her position here, so in a way I am thankful it was not her. Re-balancing is a part of every district and it happens all over the country. Comforting I guess, but not really. It at least happens early in the school year, this is week four. It does not make it easier.

I am really truly going to miss my second graders. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing them every school day and teaching them all the subjects to help shape their knowledge. I had nineteen which is a lot really, even though I am sure some schools have more per class. You know you are a teacher when you love them, even when they are not always respectful or obedient to the rules. As for me now I am being reassigned which I am taking as well as I could be.

Re-balanced or reassigned whatever way you want to call it. It is good because it gives me a change to take from my experiences here and grow and learn. My whole curriculum changes over now to fifth grade language arts! This thought excited me quite a bit. I really enjoy English and reading so I can see this being a positive change for me.

So at the moment I am between schools, between assignments, and ready to see what the Lord has in store for me.

First week of teaching

2016-08-26T00:26:00.000-05:00

On the way home from my last day of my first full week of teaching I imagined I would be a tad bit exhausted. And why should I not be, for there are never enough hours in the day to get all your work done as well as any sleep. However even with my sleepiness I was longing to get more done, and in truth there is always more to do. But you see new teachers like myself must be alert and not allow burn out too quickly. The job is exciting, its demanding, it’s a challenge, and let’s be honest it never ends. We go home from the busy week and our ideas are flowing and desire to get back in and try a new lesson is simply all we can think about. Relax, Monday will be here soon enough.

I have learned a lot this week from my students and from my fellow teachers. One thing is for sure, it is always good to surround yourself with people who not only have experience but can be encouraging and considerate. This is good to remember in any working environment, not just teaching. Life lessons are always present, just be watching.

Our first week of an awesome second grade year began and finished well with fairy tale stories and mathematical equations. I would say the reading time is the most fun for the students, especially when encouraged to work on answers and when they receive confirmation of doing a good job. I want so desperately for them to get the meaning of the lessons though. We talked today of the message of Beauty and the Beast and how it is not good to judge a book by the cover. We talked briefly about prejudice. My second graders did a great job and I hope they were listening.

Some mornings I might be driving to work a little dazed. In fact, if I am not careful I might forget if I am coming to school or going home since the sun is still low on the horizon. In my car I currently have Dr. Chuck Missler’s commentary on the Book of Matthew. I have been enjoying that since the 10^th of August. I love being able to listen to good rich Bible study during on the road times. Those are the times when I am the student. Which reminds me of another point.

Teachers will always be students. We do not cease learning once we begin teaching. Every day is a learning moment. We learn what the students know, they need, where we think they will grow. We learn about what makes sense to them and new ways to teach them. We learn development skills, classroom management, learning styles, ect. Overall we as teachers are sometimes our own worst students because it often feels like we still need to learn the basics. But be open to learn, be open to grow. There is always something new and exciting ahead of us. This first week of teaching for me has already taught me a host of valuable lessons as I press on ahead.

Back to School Night

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Woke up this morning with an incredible feeling of joy and purpose as I set out toward my second grade teaching assignment. Throughout the day I was busy in meetings going over procedures and other important essentials for me to know. All the while thankful and thinking about how exciting it is to be in this new place and in a great school.

All the tables were ready in groups, greetings written on the dry erase board, and I anxiously awaited my first students to arrive. I put out little gold fish crackers and a note to welcome them “o’fishly to the second grade! I even put on some ocean sounds for the back ground and had my power point introduction slides I made back in my Media class. All things were ready and set to go!

That is when the little ones started to arrive. All over the school kids running around meeting new teachers, hugging previous teachers, and carrying loads of school supplies everywhere. Then my first student showed up. And another. And it gave me great joy to introduce myself as their teacher and welcome them to the classroom. It dawned on me all at once with great joy all these little ones are going to be there next week waiting for me to teach them! For the first time it all suddenly felt real and amazing all at once.

This is the place of ministry the Lord has chosen. I say that because when I tell people my background I want it to be aware any job for a believer in Jesus is meant to be a ministry position. It makes it all the more exciting and gives me great responsibility.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. II Corinthians 5:17

First my identity will be in Him, as a husband, father, and teacher but over all a believer in Him. So tonight was amazing. I realize no matter how much you work at it, being really ready to receive kids into the classroom can seem like an enormous adventure. It is, and truly this is the beginning of the year so anything can happen. We just need to hold on to tonight and look forward to what is ahead.

No Nonsense Nurturer

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Professional Development is about as necessary to the teaching world as board waxing is to surfers. Really that was the first analogy that came to mind. And I like it because just like surfing, teachers have to deal with the waves of students come in and out while looking for that moment where the kid gets it! Anyway today was the first of a lifetime supply of development trainings I will experience in this new career. The topic mostly dealt with Classroom management and how to work with students emphasizing the important of relationships. Here are some points I noted and liked:

No significant learning can occur without a significant relationship. – Dr. Comer.

The world is unpredictable and chaotic. Don’t let your classroom be the same.

Students have the same needs as teachers.

Teach every student knowing their future possibilities are endless

Invest in the kids who are not successful.

Don’t confuse being liked with being respected.

Unintended enablers are all grace. Negative controllers are all law. No nonsense is a little of both.

It does not matter how much you know until Scholars known that you care.

Precise directions must have moment, voice, and participation.

Scan the room after giving precise direction.

When checking for understanding, check those who are successful.

Acknowledge the ones who are on point and on task.

A tool no nonsense nurtures use to notice out loud scholars who are following directions.

Praise when praise worthy, academically not for behaviors expected anyway.

Show the students they are important and you love them.

Scholars as a group achieve incentives as they meet predetermined expectations.

Save time and have students write questions while waiting on you to help them.

Remain consistent in classroom culture with what you expect and what you accept.

Consequences acknowledge choices students make.

No nonsense nurturers intentionally plan to build relationships.

Overall a great day of learning and developing more of myself as a teacher. I always welcome those opportunities and tomorrow we will do some more!

New beginning

2016-08-17T04:01:00.000-05:00

It is completely feasible the summer went way too quickly for most of us. Quickly because there was so much to do and get done, so it just seemed to go by fast. The kids thought it was great, since they had a family vacation to the North West coast to visit their Aunt. We saw Mount Saint Helens, camped at Mt. Hood, hiked Mt. Rainer, ate at the cheese factory, played in the ocean surf, overall it was a blast.

Thankfully before the vacation the Lord opened up the door for me to teach! This is a door I have been waiting to go through for quite some time. I believe most of my college friends have all found jobs and places where they are supposed to be now. For me the door opened into second grade! So now I am a teacher with a class of students. I have spent the last several weeks preparing for this new teaching assignment!

I have the walls all decorated, the desks lined up, and the place is just about ready for the second graders. As for me I have been gleaning as much professional development as possible and getting myself ready to begin next week! Last week I started listening to Dr. Missler’s commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, while I drive to and from the city for work. It is great to be able to have a bit of time to gear up for the morning and wind back down at the end of the day.

As I lay awake in the early hours thinking of all the things I have yet to get done before the big meet the teacher night, I realized I needed to blog. Here is my place where I can post updates and share experiences thus far. So with that in mind I think I will run down a quick list for new teachers who might need this in the future… a list that will be ever growing with each new day.

First and foremost, find a mentor, find a friend, find someone who you can learn from. We will never have it all down completely and there will always be time for learning. I am in a smaller school and all the staff there have been awesome. I am glad I have a good team to work in and look forward to learning from them all.

The second thing to do is not over think everything. Yes we want the room to look great, the supplies organized, but do not stress over every small thing. Make lists, take time to reflect, and decide what matters most. I am already thinking of lessons and ideas to share with the kids.

Third and last for now, go out of your way to go the extra mile. Be willing to serve, be a giver, and do what you need to do to get it done. I came in last week and painted the dividing wall blue because it needed a fresh coat, and it adds to my overall theme of oceans and aquatics. Truly I want my kids to feel anchored in the classroom and be able to feel good about learning.

So I shall press on to what is ahead for teaching and look forward to more learning experiences as they come. God bless.

David

Searching for a teaching job.

2016-05-12T12:55:00.001-05:00

As a father of three children under ten, I have a lot of personal experience with the growth and education of young children. It has been a goal of mine since grade school to become an elementary school teacher so I could inspire the upcoming generation in the same way my teachers had before me. I have always strongly believed education is a lifelong journey and the quest for knowledge is one of the greatest adventures life has to offer.

From California I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical studies before moving to Oklahoma to get married and start a family. I have worked several places along the way and volunteered in multiple children’s ministry departments. I have also substituted in classrooms ranging from first grade to high school seniors. Six years ago I switched to being a stay at home dad and went back to school to finish my teaching degree. I obtained an associates at Oklahoma Wesleyan in early childhood education.

The past three years I have been studying at RSU and Cameron University to further advance my education degree. In May I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Elementary Education and am certified to teach elementary grades 1-8. During my course of study, I worked as a student teacher at Inola Elementary with fourth grade and at Verdigris Elementary with second grade. I have also worked with students at various schools helping them with their math and reading skills.

There are so many ways in which teachers can make a difference in the lives of their students. My ways include: helping build self-confidence, focusing on the developments of communication techniques, exposing each student to the latest developments of technology, and assuring each student that he/she is wanted, respected and valued in my classroom.

Years of experience with children and with technology has shown me how well the two can work together. Children quickly respond to interactive and enjoyable activities. I have always had a vivid imagination and creativity. I look forward to using that creativity in the classroom and helping students to find a love for learning which will be ever growing. I appreciate your consideration of my resume and would welcome an opportunity to visit with you further about a teaching position.

Respectfully submitted,

David Bowlby

Parental Involvement Plan

2016-03-05T06:45:00.002-06:00

Developing partnerships

It can be difficult to look at the amount of children you have in a classroom and the amount of parents and believe you can ever achieve a level of partnering with them all. At the starting point it is important to remember having a healthy relationship between teachers and parents is for the benefit of the students learning and the teacher’s ability to educate to the needs of the children individually and collectively.

Parents will not always feel connected into what is going on in their children’s lives. Teachers can help by sending daily or weekly reports on what is being learned in the classroom along with tips and ideas for the kids to do at home as a family. Such tools help aid the process of learning and school work becomes homework.

Teachers need to know a little about what is going on in the lives of the kids they are teaching every day. This knowledge helps them to develop lesson plans and strategies designed to specifically hit points the kids will understand and want to learn. Not everything in the classroom will be fun for every student, but the teacher can work to make sure everything is presented in ways to engage the imaginations and excitement of the students.

A classroom is a community of individuals brought together for a year to learn and develop new skills. The teacher is the leader and head of the group and is in the place of getting to know the kids and being able to help them learn more. Students who know they are appreciated as individuals will function better in the group. Once they know they are a partner in the overall learning plan, it gives a kid -confidence and assurance they are not alone.

Creating a social media outlet for the classroom can help boost communication and an easy way to share between the teacher and parents. This can be done with a private Facebook page designed for the class. Other online formats could include a blog and standard teacher website. Most schools have web space already reserved for teachers but most of the time it hardly gets used.
Setting up a positive relationship with parents is a key to helping students be successful in school. This can include texting, email, and calling parents frequently. If the teacher is calling the parents to give positive feedback it can be easier to approach a difficult topic when it comes.
Having the parents assigned to come to the class and share can be a major motivator. I plan to have a full classroom library available for the classroom and will invite parents to come in whenever they want to read to the students and encourage their learning gains.
Parents will have access to contact me and I will try to get back with the parent within a quick time frame to answer questions or concerns. The gradebook will also be accessible to parents to see how their child is doing in the class. Make up work or extra credit will also be possible for students who need to improve on their learning.
I will use remind texting to send reminders to parents or class events or if supplies are needed for an activity. I want the students to have as many opportunities to have fun and learn as possible and regularly invite parents to help.
A youtube channel will be created for me to upload a video of my lessons for the parents to review or the children who miss a class to help them keep caught up. This may not happen for every lesson but at least once a week. There will also be links to other helpful videos to help the learning process.
I welcome parents anytime to come and volunteer time in the classroom. I will take advantage of parents who wish to use their organization and creative skills to help with projects and general help in my classroom.
Weekly home communication will occur through the use of a newsletter sent home. Every week a student will be highlighted along with some kind of achievement they did that week. We want to honor each other and show we respect hard work in the classroom. Home communication is crucial to effective team building between parents and teacher..

Tips for Classroom management for new teachers

2016-03-05T06:41:00.002-06:00

Tips for Classroom management for new teachers

Top Ten Tips

1. As a teacher you will never stop being a student

· Remember whatever happens this year, next year is a new year. The important thing is to learn from every new year. Evaluate your own lessons and activities. Decide what worked well and what did not work at all. Keep in mind that every teacher is a student of methods and strategies. New developments and ideas come along all the time, so teachers need to stay on top of the latest trends. You will never stop learning from yourself and changing things from previous years teaching. Set up precedents and high expectations. Make sure kids understand what you expect in your classroom. To help them be successful. School is a fun place to learn. Kids are followers.

· Ask yourself what should you do again and what should you do differently. Learn from your reflections. Never stop reflecting.

2. Keep an attitude of confidence and service.

· If you want to learn how to do something, find someone who does it better than you. Once you find that person, learn everything you can about the skills you seek. I believe teaching is one-part self-confidence and one-part service. The greatest leaders know when it is time to serve. An attitude of humility is essential for all teachers. This way they do not choose favorites in the classroom.

3. Begin the year out firm since it is easier to soften over time.

· Be very firm when setting up classroom expectations for the room. Smile when you start off the day during introduction. First few days are setting tone for classroom. Not as a friend, but as the educator. Lay down the law. Make sure they know you are there for them. Set high expectations. Instruct from the very beginning, the classroom is where the learning will take place. It is the only job you have as a child is to be ready for life. Set up that as long as they are following the rules. Teachers job is to be creative and help them to learn.

· Be consistent. If you say that you are going to do something. Do it. Follow through every single time. There will be times where grace and flexibility are needed. However, as soon as you start to give in or not follow through with something, students will begin to take advantage of it, and the remainder of the year you will spend your time trying to reign them back in.

4. Develop a positive behavior system.

· Develop a positive behavior system where students get rewarded or reinforcement for their positive behavior. When you focus on the positive (thank you for doing this, great job with how you did that) your attitude tends to stay more positive. If you focus on the negative (don't do this, don't do that), your attitude tends to spiral into the negative rather quickly.?

· When giving rules and having them give you their own do not take yourself too seriously. Have students develop rules of the classroom ahead of time. Most children know what they should or should not be doing. Have them come up with some rules you can narrow down and you can agree with in the start. Make sure they know they will never be alone. Someone else may also not understand stuff. Positive behavior in school rules. Reinforce those rules and setting expectations for what it will be like. Tell them if they get kicked out they will be missing out from something. Put it on them that it’s their choices they are making. Set up rules and consequences. And positive behavior systems as well. Set up the system as far as rules ahead of time. Get a reward as much as possible. Raffle tickets work really well. Take them up every week and draw classroom at end of the week. Those kids who win can get something out of the fun drawer. So they do things just to earn a ticket. Reward incentive. Computer time as free time. Points for class or for table groups. Can have them work at table groups if they follow directions quickly. Put points on the wall as they go. So they can earn something with their points as a class like a movie Friday or pizza. Something fun. Set up system in the class to focus on the positive ways to be rewarded. Do not want to set up classroom management only about punishments and consequences. Set up the rules.

· Seven rules.

o Rule number one: respect one another.

o Two: help your partner or each other.

o Three: do your own work. (we help each other but we do not get lazy or cheat. Talk through the answer do not simply writing down the answers. Big difference between helping and cheating)

o Four: ask three before me. (Be a problem solver)

o Five: raise hand for permission.

o Six: Follow directions quickly.

o Seven: keep teacher happy. (Just look at that student and say “seven” seriously)

· The best advice your students can give at the end of the year to the next years class: the teacher is awesome just do not make the teacher mad.

5. Develop ongoing parent communication

· Parent communication from day one is very important. Sending a letter home to parents regarding communication. Anything above fifth grade weekly check in with the parents if they are doing all their work and reading. A system to communicate with parents every week. Send home a paper to students to help me get to know me students. So parents can give the teacher information. Like what are my childs weakness and strengths. Fills in the background for students. From the beginning.

· Make it a priority to let their parents know that you care and that you are available. Don't wait until conference week to do this. Contact parents the first week of school. Ask them questions about how their child learns best and how you can best support them.

6. Children learn from each other

· Kids are going to talk because they do. You cannot expect the classroom is going to be silent. Children learn from each other. Put them in group situations and partner situations as much as possible. They will learn from each other more than anything else. Set up lesson and facilitate and share with each other. To work together and to help each other as much as possible. There is a difference between collaboration noise and being out of control. They should be able to turn to their neighbors and share what they are thinking. Letting kids be in table groups in fours as much. Giving them a chance to share with each other because they will make connections. The learn best throughout collaboration. If they know they will be given an opportunity to express themselves later since it is the teachers time not their time. Count down or up loudly. Allow them to talk and express themselves.

7. Collaborate with everyone

· Collaborating with other teachers in other subjects and grades. Be free with your material and share with other people. Feel free to give and share with other people you work with. (best friend you will ever make on campus are the secretary, custodian, librarian – they will do more for you than anyone else). Get to know them and be friendly as possible with others. Make friends with coworkers. Avoid teachers’ lounge in a school has a lot of drama. Do not isolate yourself in the classroom. Spend some time in other teachers classes and after school activities. Be aware teachers tend to act like the students they teach when they are together. Be aware of those around you to spend time with.

8. Be a listener not a talker

· Let people tell you stuff. Never tell people anything. Let them gossip to you and tell you about stuff. Just smile and be active listener. Do not share back or participate in conversation. Avoid gossip circles. You cannot get that reputation back. Get to know people.

9. Build positive relationships with your students.

· One great tip is morning meetings. Only one person at a time is allowed to speak. Usually, we have an object of some type that the speaker holds. You can talk about issues in the classroom, events, curriculum, anything you want. You can do this once a week, or every day. With any type of classroom management, this will work better with some classes than with others. Classroom meetings give you, the teacher, an opportunity to build those, oh so important relationships with your students.

· Regardless of age or grade level, establishing a relationship and rapport with each of your students should be your number one priority. Students need to feel respected, safe, that they can trust you, that you care for them, and that you are there to help them be successful. - How do you do this? Get to know their names quickly. Greet them at the door. Expect students to respect each other while they are in your room. Allow them to get to know you. When they walk through your door, they should know that they've just entered a family.

10. Repeat everything and expect response.

· Repeat everything. Have them respond to you. Make sure they repeat everything to you. Make sure they are responding back to you get them to talk to you. Gets them to reiterate and reemphasizes their own learning.

· Establish clear and concise procedures and expectations. If your procedures and expectations are too lengthy or there are just too many of them, students will get confused on what they can and can't do and it will be difficult for the teacher to keep track of them all. If they are too few, then students will find loopholes. Will you get them right the first year? Most likely not. Each year, as your experience grows, you'll develop better and more clear and concise procedures and expectations.

Guiding down the river

2015-12-16T21:57:00.001-06:00

Finishing up another semester with straight A’s makes me feel extremely elated and proud of myself. I do owe all praise and glory to God for helping me through the semester and my family for always being my support system. I must say my school and classmates really have become like family as well and we are all wading these educational waters together. After so long I am embarking on the final leg of my college journey and approaching the wide open ocean of opportunity. It seems like so far it has been a long treacherous journey down a rapid river and I can see the final leg at last.

This previous semester gave me a lot of new insights into teaching and allowed me seventy hours of student training under a mentor teacher in practicum. I also had ten more hours in reading diagnosis tutoring a fifth graders. My other two classes were Educational psychology and Social studies Methods which were very informative and helpful. Now next semester in the spring I have twelve weeks of student teaching to complete. I am excited and ready to get out there, make contacts, gain knowledge, and practice everything we have all been working toward so far.

My darling bride has been stuck at home for several weeks now getting over pneumonia in both lungs. She is understandably ready to get back to work hopefully soon and ready to regain strength and energy. I however have had the best Christmas present just being able to spend so much time with her, even though she has been sick.

Our oldest is doing wonderfully in third grade and is at the top of her class. The twins are growing too fast as well and I can hardly believe it watching how much they have grown. Every day is something new with my children. They are always teaching me as much as I am trying to teach them. I look forward to the coming Christmas season as we are in the middle of it now. I am eager to see all that is in store for our family. Trusting God to walk us through every step and guide us down the river of life.

Called to Obey: Genesis 22:1-19

2015-12-09T15:30:00.000-06:00

Called to Obey

David Bowlby

Genesis 22:1-19

One of the most important stories in the Old Testament is based on being obedient to God. We are called to obeying God’s will no matter it is.

Now the first point I am going to make is the worship. Abraham brought glory to God
by Believing God could do something great. Gen 22:5 - And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the donkey and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” By saying this he declares that God has something in mind and will provide a way to bring both of them back. Even if it means God brining Isaac back from the dead. Heb 11:17-19 - By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in as a type. In the way Abraham lived he brought Glory to God.

We pretty much all want to be like Jesus? Sure, we all do. of course. John 17:1 - These words spoke Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

Many times in the gospels Jesus tells us He does only what He sees the Father doing
and was sent to bring glory to God. In what way did he bring this glory. By living a perfect and blameless life. Every moment before the cross, He lived a holy lifestyle. Jesus worshipped the Father by the way He lived, just as Abraham worshiped God the way he acted and spoke.

Then there is us. Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” In the way Abraham and jesus lived, so we must live. What do you think of when i say worship?
What is the typical idea of worship? Singing and dancing around most likely. Worship is more then music and dancing around. It is the daily adoration and respect we show to a superior being. (God). But we don’t just worship God. People worship things and other people all the time by placing them above God in their adoration and respect. By giving them more value then God. We have to be careful in the way we live to glorify God by giving him all priority

Now we move onto my next point. The Willingness.
Gen 22:3 - And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

God has spoken, Abraham didn’t waste anytime, but got up early and went to obey God. Later in verse 18. “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” God tells us Abraham obeyed God's voice. He rose early to do the things which God called him to do. He didn’t know until he got to the place how long it would take him to get there it took him three days and in Abraham’s mind Isaac was dead from when the commandment came till later when God intervenes; three days. But I will leave that to you to think about.

Also we note that God said "Burnt Offering." Now a burnt offering we see in Leviticus
as a complete sacrifice this means God wanted Abraham to give Isaac completely
over to God. God calls Isaac the "son whom you love", your beloved son, your most precious possession. As far as God is concerned Isaac is the only son. Abraham had in the spirit and Abraham loved Isaac. The same word used for Abraham loving God is used in the love for Isaac but as this story shows we see how much more Abraham loved God.
By being what? Willing to give his only begotten son over to God completely wholly as a burnt offering.

We move into the New Testament. Matthew 26:39 - And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. Jesus prayed for the Father's will to be done.
Knowing full well that He was going to be in for the most painful and dramatic moment in all history; the Cross. He is going to carry His cross up the mount and pay the price for our sins. Jesus was willing, Jesus was obedient. Philippians 2:8 - And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Now flash back to Isaac for a moment the word used to describe Isaac can be translated to mean young man meaning he wasn’t that little 10 year old we see on the flannel graphs in Sunday school. Isaac was old enough to carry the wood up the mount and there is no sign that Isaac resisted Abraham. Which would have been easy enough to do. Abraham was old and Isaac was willing to do what God wanted Him to do.

This brings me to the hard and difficult part of this. The call we have to be willing to obey God. 2 Corinthians 2:9 - For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.” The hard part of this message is when we see that we are also called to be obedient to God “Acts 5:29 - Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. This is not any easier then Abraham or Jesus. But the truth is there. For my illustration on this i think back to when i started this study. My girlfriend Holly, whom i love dearly, and i were talking about her future. Where she wants to go, or what she wants to do. Well its pretty hard to make these choices and as much as i want her to move out here sooner the better. We both had to realize we have to let Gods will be the way we follow.

We are called to obey God in all things. This may indeed waiting a few years before we live in the same state. It could mean anything; in Gods will! The point is: no matter what we must put God first in ever area of our lives He must be first. Whether it be school, careers, family, boyfriend, girlfriend, possessions, goals, dreams, and all other areas. If he says go to India for a month, then go. If he called me to sell my car and ride my bike to school, i would, well. "Its a 40 minute drive God." You get the picture?!

We have been over the Worship, and we have been over the Willingness. Now we are going to talk about: THE Way.

Abraham. Gen 22:8 - And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.” He knew God would provide a way. God provided the way for Abraham in response to the obedience. God also blesses Abraham as a result. Gen 22:17 - That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. Gen 22:18 - And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Because Abraham obeyed Gods voice. He had a three day journey were I’m sure he was tempted to just forget it. But did he listen to even himself those days? No. He obeyed God.

What about Jesus then. The response to Jesus giving Himself up is that Jesus was able to take all of our sins all of them... completely....burnt.....all....our sins past, present, future.... all our sins upon Himself and then He rose from the dead on the third day to give us a new life in Him. John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Abraham showed his love for God by giving up his most precious son, Isaac and God provided a ram in the place of Isaac. God tested His own love for us all by sacrificing His own son for us, His only begotten Son. After three days the Son rose again and later goes to the Father.
Now what about our needs? What about those. Philippians 4:19; “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches.” He will give us our needs. All of them. When we give to Him in obedience he will give us what we need.

We ask So what? Three things we need to remember. The first: We have to ask ourselves how obedient we really are? Are we giving completely as a burnt offering or not. The second, Are we willing to obey God and trust for his provision? Third: Like Abraham
we have been called to obey.

Anatomy of an Exam

2015-12-09T00:18:00.001-06:00

We’ve all had those moments in life where we have been faced with the extreme pressure and daunting task of taking a major test. Tests are a part of life from the very beginning of our early preschool years. Our teachers have been giving us tests from the simple things like social skills to the abc’s to the more difficult tasks of higher critical thinking skills. They are simply unavoidable and probably going to be around for the rest of our lives as well. So how do we deal with the tests, the struggle, the stress, the aggravation of sitting down and approaching with any shred of confidence the very goliath before our eyes? Run!

Alright so maybe running is too strong a word and when first used it looks like I am saying to run away from the test, run from the problem. But no in truth we cannot run from the tests in school or the tests in life. All of these exams before us are placed there for an important reason, to examine our knowledge and increase our wisdom. So the first thing to do is stop being afraid of the tests in our lives, even the ones which could easily trample us underfoot. We should run into the battle, across the enemy lines and into the territory of possibly the unknown. Because the battle is where we learn and grow.

Today I approached another big test of my life, a real hurdle separating me from my life goal of becoming a teacher. Now while I will not know the results for another few weeks I thought it would be good to just get some of the destressing accomplished now. Because this particular test was taken once already in May of last year and not passed by a mere five points. So that was rather disappointing, as well as it would be even more so if today’s exam did not go well either. Time will tell. And time is something else to learn from.

In life exams take time to accomplish. Today’s particular test was a four hour exam which included multiple choice options and written portions. They were simple enough questions all regarding my knowledge of teaching and appropriate practices in the classroom. I am not sure I agree that this simple test really says I am able to be a teacher, I leave that to the Lord really and the strong desire I have to meet the goal itself. When I reached the written essay portion I froze in a panic at first because it occurred to me that this is extremely difficult to write without having proper time and maybe a good spell check along with me. But in the real world and life our tests often have to be even quicker, leaving us very little time to have the best answers when faced with difficult moments. Preparation is everything.

Preparing for the unknown is difficult. Even with study guides and booklets on the subjects being studied it can still be scary once approaching the test. I read many books on marriage before getting married and again books on parenting before having kids, but none of them really made me the perfect husband or father. Neither do passing some state required tests make me an excellent teacher. I will be an excellent teacher because that is what God has called me to be. But it is going to take time and I will be learning from the experiences I have going forward. What astounds me the most about test taking is how completely stressful it is and how much can be learned more from our reactions to the test then the actual tests themselves.

Article Review: Connecting Classrooms & Communities

2015-09-12T23:43:00.000-05:00

Article Review

Reference:

Favela, Alejandra, and Danielle Torres. "Connecting Classrooms & Communities: Identifying Student Needs & Assets Inside & Outside Of School." Multicultural Education 21.2 (2014): 51-53. ERIC. Web. 2 Sept. 2015.

Summary:

Self-esteem, belonging, and security are all parts of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. It is important for students to have healthy understanding and appreciation for their own culture and surrounding cultures. Since students in school are usually diverse in background and language, it is important for them to have an understanding of where they are in the community and how to appreciate their roles.

            Teachers should collaborate and work with parents and counselors to connect students with the community and help them understand its importance. Mixing up students from various backgrounds helps them to give each other feedback on all things. A lot of families struggle with problems such as food, housing, employment, and health insecurity.

            Many schools and districts who are attempting to reach out to the community, have training for their staff so they will be equipped to help the students. The first main idea is to first establish a sense of self-worth and value to each students. Once students are aware of themselves they will also be aware of their place in the community around them. Every person has a role, a task, a position in which they are assigned for a time. It is good to give students the encouragement that what they do matters, who they are matters, and there is a purpose for them in this world.

            One suggestion in the article is for teachers to perform cultural awareness interviews. The interview would be as simple as bringing people into the class to speak to students regarding the culture they are from. As students gain knowledge of the various cultures in they begin to connect to others and create a network.

Students gain understanding on how to get their own needs met through helping meet the needs of those around them. They learn who they are, how they belong, and how everything fits together. Teachers should ask themselves how they are identifying the needs of the students and focusing on promoting their strengths. Teachers are advocates to the student and should be working toward the students learning goals.

Review

            One thing I am sure of is that I strongly believe in connecting my students with the world around them. I believe having guests come in to speak to them regarding various ways of life, careers, hobbies, adds enrichment to what they are already learning. It is beneficial to the student as well as the teacher to include as much community culture into the classroom as possible.

            In the article there are very good points made regarding community culture and including it in the classrooms. In my study of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self-acceptance and belonging are extremely important. I believe if students can see themselves in their community and understand where they fit in, those needs will be met.

            When I am running my own classroom I will be using outside sources as often as I can to bring my students a sense of purpose and position where they live. I want my students to feel important and valued in everything they do.

Article Review: Behavioral Problems in the classroom

2015-09-03T23:40:00.000-05:00

Article Review

Reference:

Tommerdahl, Jodi, and Peggy Semingson. "Behavioral Problems In The Classroom And Underlying Language Difficulties." Journal Of Education And Training Studies 1.2 (2013): 217-223. ERIC. Web. 2 Sept. 2015.

Summary:

“Behavioral Problems in the classroom,” raises awareness of the link between behavior and language issues. Communication is a key tool in any setting where people are seeking to pass along information or understand a lesson. Language impairment often goes unnoticed and untreated by teachers who immediately assume behavior problems are not related to understanding. In some cases children do have the ability to listen but chose not to, and this causes difficulty for those who need attention to get help.

            Teachers often lack information regarding potential language problems. Students who deal with impaired language may struggle with their social relationships and find it difficult to express themselves. Children who are having difficulty understanding instructions become frustrated with their academic performance and the parents or teachers do not seem to notice. Problems are multiplied when children become victimized and bullied by peers who call them ‘weak’ or ‘stupid’ regardless of their intelligence.

            In the article several language problems are explored and explained. Parents and teachers have the opportunity to spot language difficulties when children are young so work can begin to help the student with their learning. If children are not following the basic rules of a conversation, for example, there could be causes that go beyond simple behavior. There are several activities which focus on the language components of phonology, grammar and pragmatics. It is good for teachers to have several helpful tools and strategies ready depending on the need of the child. There are many ways for the classroom to do group activities which help all the children, not just those dealing with language frustration. It can be useful for all students to gain knowledge so they can also know how to work together. Classroom discussions can include topics of social uses of conversation and appropriate language.
            When there is an increased awareness of the link between language difficulty and behavior problems, teachers will be more equipped to focus on working to help children in their areas of need.

Review:

Language difficulty is something I have personally dealt with my entire life so I am glad I found an article that does a wonderful job pointing out the issue. It is important for teachers to see that behavioral problems are not always related to issues of attitude or laziness. Sometimes students simply are not able to comprehend the instructions or they do not know what they are being asked.

In some cases hearing impairments are a big issue with behavioral problems. Students who are whispering in the back of the room might be asking a friend to repeat what the teacher said because they are too afraid to ask themselves. Students who are quite might simply need to engage all of their attention to comprehend the lesson being taught. Other students with similar hearing difficulty might not care as much about their academic goals so they goof off more in class than others. A lot comes down to what the student individually feels about their personal struggles and if they care to push through.

Having my own experience with language difficulties will help me take this article and put the skills to good use in my classroom. It is important for the teacher to be aware that just because they are saying something clear, does not mean each student is hearing everything clearly. This article relates to classroom behaviors as well as reading diagnosis as students may be struggling to read and write as a result of language impairments. There could also be discussion about how language barriers are present with second language learners as well.

What do you know.....child development

2015-08-05T22:11:00.002-05:00

Effective Teaching in Christian Education

“What do you know…”
(Sept 2003)

By David B.

Every human being goes through a life series of changes and growth development. In each stage there are new discoveries of life and various personality marks that form. The basic four age groups include preschooler, elementary children, youth, and adult. Of these four there are wide ranges of characteristics that will show the steady increase of age and bring the person from child to adult.

The first age group begins with the child as it is born and enters into a new world of discovery and preschool. It is in these early years of development that the child is just starting out with new sights, sounds, and smells. Every new sensation and touch is something to take in fully but the child’s attention span can only take in so much at a time. They express curiosity in everything as they explore the limited amount of space they can realize.

Preschoolers are commonly reserved in social climates when it comes to strangers and new unidentified people. Most children of this age group feel insecure when their familiarity is taken away or something changes. They have a strong need for routine and do not find repetitious habits boring or tedious. To every child the world is only seen from their eyes and theirs is the only right perspective. They do not mentally look for several meanings but focus on whatever aspect appeals to them.

In the mind of the preschooler there is a limit to what they can do and usually seek to attain far more then their skills allow. Their time frame is always now centered and logical answers to their endless questions are difficult to understand. What they think and feel about the world is in a literal perspective often best depicted in pictures. As they grow and discover new things their excitement continues to reach far beyond their capacity. Preschoolers will soon develop patterns, which slowly take them from their age into the age of elementary children.

This second age group, elementary children, has a fading line from preschool but becomes clear as their character develops. As the child’s muscles coordination and height level begins to grow so does their ability in other development. The child’s elementary years are a series of growing and discovering new things as well as being able to mentally determine and make choices for themselves. Their attention span slowly increases but still requires the need for various activities. In the span of years learning is a growing desire for the child as they begin to think more and use more decision making in situations. It is a great age for memorization as they will acquire much and be able to display almost accurately what they learn.

Emotions and feelings are slowly developing throughout the elementary years. A child will begin to make more friends and cling onto social relationships. Their feelings are held out to the world and most easily hurt. Because of their growing need for acceptance it is important to instill confidence and assurance into the child’s life. As the child watches and feels the love from parents and teachers they are able to understand the feeling better and experience the difference between emotions. A child’s enthusiastic behavior is often overpowering and they lack the ability to know how to control themselves.

As the elementary years continue on the child will develop more and more patterns seeking adult hood maturity. They watch adults and mimic them hoping to soon be bigger. In the growing of a child comes the search for self-identity and worth in the world as each new day new things are discovered. The child develops the understanding of right and wrong and seeks to maintain positive behavior and emotional balance. There is a strong dependence on friends and seeking strong relationships with others. Interests grow and strengthen the child’s personality and character.

With the growth of the child comes more evidence of intellectual development. It is the age when the child groups’ people and can distinguish between various types. There is still a struggle with abstracts as the mind tries out new forms of thinking. Creativity is high in the elementary child and they have the ability to come to logical conclusions with help. Often the child can be critical of adults as they struggle for the answers and rebellion spurs. Their sense of right and wrong along with ability to seek God as a loving friend continues to strengthen. Knowledge of responsibility and personal conviction will grow more as the child continues to develop out of the elementary years.

As the child approaches the third age group, youth, the slow growth speeds up rapidly. These are the days of early adolescence when everything about their body, their social world, and their feelings begins to change. There is a great amount of development that occur during the years of this group which prepare it for adulthood while tearing it away from childhood.

Energy levels are among the many things, which increase in the youth. They have a fast train of thought and experiment with adventurous risky behavior. As this takes place their bodies begin to change from children into adults and this causes them to feel new things and experience new desires which are often scary to them. The youth goes through changes, which affect their social and emotional style as well.

Since there is an increase in change the youth becomes more aware of their body and outward appearance. Youths desire to blend into their group on part while seeking their own individuality. They develop attraction with one another and have higher interest in the opposite sex. The changes, which take place, cause many questions and searches for answers.

There is a strain on the youth to find his or her personal identity and be able to make something out of their life. Each stage in their development through Jr High and High school years takes the youth from stage to stage in emotional growth. It is the age of youth where faith is taken personally and worth can come from what others and think. The growth of the youth reaches closer to adult maturity as they seek to fit in socially and become emotionally balanced.

Adulthood comes as the last of the four stages of development. It is this stage where the child is now a man or woman and has a defined self-impression of their world and place. The adult has come along away from the years of preschool and continues to learn on the basis of personal experience and growth.

The life of an adult starts in the mid 20’s after they have grown out of childhood and matured to an understanding of the world around them. Throughout their days there is much more stress and frustration as age progresses and responsibility increases. Their need for goals and to deal with life issues is stronger in adulthood. As age progresses so does the need for support from others who have experienced the same life issues.

Adults never outgrow the need to learn nor the desire for knowledge and wisdom in any age. They continue to seek out understanding of things that have been kept with them for years and they seek to teach the younger generations. Every need varies on the adults individual social and economic status in the world. Their age, health, martial and other such things affect the adult in great ways throughout their age. They continue to seek close friends and will gather around support and encouragement groups as needed.

Throughout the four age groups there is a great deal of development and learning taking place. Each new age slowly increases the persons overall character and personality in every physical, emotional, social, and spiritual way. What can be learned from seeing how the individual develops is the defining sense of change and the power of experience in all of lives stages.

Exodus 20:1-7 in the light of Exodus 19-24

2015-08-02T14:02:00.000-05:00

After taking Israel out of slavery the Lord God makes with them a covenant relationship. This covenant is created partly in the form of the ancient covenants of that day. In it there is an introduction, relationship, stipulations, and a sacrifice of blood given. Israel comes into a covenant with Yahweh by a sacrifice made to show what would happen if the covenant was broken. Exodus 20:1-17 breaks down into two categories: Israel’s relationship with God, and Israel’s relationship with itself. But first is God’s proclamation of Himself.

The Lord begins speaking with the people directly by reminding them of His past deeds. He is the one who delivered them from the land of slavery and because of this Israel is obligated to obey the stipulations of the covenant. The rest of the passage is usually referred to as the Ten Commandments, when the word command is not even mentioned. “The ten words are commands, nor are the couched in command (i.e., imperative) language. They are simple future indicative verbs that indicate the future action that is expected consequences of the preceding prologue” (Mendenhall 1184). The words given to Israel were expected to be followed because the Lord is their deliverer.

Yahweh goes through the first four words in telling how Israel should behave before Him. Unlike other ancient treaties of this kind there is no mention of other gods as witnesses. The reason for this is that there is only One God and the people are His witnesses. There is no other God and Yahweh makes that clear as well as making sure they do not form idols. Idols were a big part of the ancient lands and Israel was not to be a part of those practices.

The Lord makes it clear that they are to treat His name with respect and not use it in an unworthy manner. He does this because He is a real God opposed to the worship of false gods that was done throughout the lands. His worship was to be pure and the way they sacrificed was to be holy. Chapters twenty-one through twenty-three give stipulations of the covenant that expound on the original ten words given in chapter nineteen. The last word given in how the people should relate to Yahweh is to treat the Sabbath day holy. This word could be taken in the second part of the passage but related more to the first. It is the day of Yahweh and should be remembered by resting.

Verses twelve through seventeen outline the remaining six words of Yahweh to the people of Israel. These deal with the relationship between Israelites with each other. The first five are direct outward actions made toward other people. These actions are prohibited and not detailed more in chapter twenty. In the chapters following there are many other stipulations given that relate back to each of the words including these last six. The final word is a prohibition of inward desires that Israel might have. They are told to not desire something of their neighbor’s to the point of coveting. After that word is given the text goes on to give more laws to Israel.

The Lord gives blessings for what He will do for Israel if they follow His laws. Then in the last chapter, twenty-four, there is a sacrifice to ratify the covenant. This ceremony involves sacrificing the blood of an animal. The blood was then thrown on the altar and the people. “The latter was a symbolic action in which the people were identified with the sacrificed animal, so that the fate of the latter is presented as the fate to be expected by the people if they violated their sacred promise” (Mendenhall 1185). If then one of the people of Israel failed to keep a law they would be subject to death as a penalty. The salvation of a person would be by the blood of an innocent animal. But even before the law was given there was a relationship Yahweh set up with His people, Israel. Therefore there is relationship before law, and law brings forth salvation, and salvation is a response to that law. The purpose of the law is to bring people to the need for the blood sacrifice because they will fail to keep the law. In Yahweh there is law and salvation.

Bibliography

1. Mendenhall, George E. and Herion, Gary A. “Covenant.” In The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Ed. David N. Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992. Vol. 2: 1179-1202

Twenty five years of Water of Life

2015-07-31T21:04:00.003-05:00

My earliest memories of Water of Life include going to the Terra Vista building for services and soon relocating Sunday mornings to the Ruth Musser Middle School gymnasium. The high school continued to meet at the Terra Vista building while I was attending. I cannot remember the exact date we first went to WOL, but I know it was in the middle of my Jr. High school grades from 1994-1996. It was both a major transition time for the Church and for me personally.

Previous to Water of Life my family attended another large non-denominational congregation we had been at since moving to California in 1987. There were several reasons why the Lord was leading us to a new church, one which was that I needed a good youth group to start attending once I hit high school. It is hard to believe now looking back that it has been that long. Water of Life is celebrating twenty five years this year, I am about to turn thirty-four years old. Time goes so fast.

In the wonderful miraculous journey that the Lord took the church on during those years, from the inheritance, to the land at East Ave. I can remember praying over the Inherit the Land and Possessing the Land campaigns, which included walking around the property and praying. We sought God for His rich blessings to flow on the land, and on the people who would be ministered to in that place.

In the summer of 2003 I moved away from Water of Life and California to the east in order to get married and start a family. For several years I still listened to sermons coming from the church and Pastor Dan Carroll. I continued to email him regularly to keep him updated on what God is doing with me. I still listen regularly to the messages via the church website and podcast. Every week I am anxious to hear more about what God is doing in the Church and what God is speaking to me through the messages.

We serve a mighty God who is madly in love with people. This is something which I have learned and witnessed over and over again throughout the years. I praise Him for all He does. I think about the prayers we prayed over the land, seeking God’s will and work to be done. There are thousands touched every week in that Church and around the world through outreach missions. God has all the glory for everything. It is a constant reminder to keep praying by faith, even for the things we cannot see or understand right now. We do not know what He has in mind. He is still doing amazing things at Water of Life and doing amazing things in my life.

In the great divinely crafted tapestry of my life, I am thankful every day for Water of Life and the work of those individuals who served and continue to serve God’s Kingdom. I am continually blessed and marked for life having WOL woven into my story. I know whatever He has planned for me now in the place He has planted me will be full of purpose. So I strive forward to what is ahead for all that He wills.

My teaching philosophy

2015-07-27T16:48:00.001-05:00

Every child is a unique individual capable of learning, understanding, and responding to education. Children come from all different backgrounds, and are placed in with a mix of others who are all in the same way going to respond to everything in their own way. I have always believed it is important to understand what a child is saying and respond to them with respect and kindness.

There really can be no other way as a teacher, as teachers are called to teach and guide.

Elementary education is the very roots of the rest of a persons’ life. As that child grows up to be an adult what they learned while young will have greater influence on them as anything else they experience. Kids are going to take the things they learned growing up, from the classroom environment to the home environment and use those lessons to become who they are in the world. One of the most vital skills a child will take from school is not just the ability to read but the enjoyment of reading.

As every child is an individual learner, there are a multitude of ways to help them understand reading. For those kids who learn through visual or spatial means, it might be as simple as learning to read instructions to play a game. Naturalistic learners can find animal facts an interesting thing to discover. With each child there is a way to present the love of learning and the desire to continue in the skill.

With each new child I teach I will look at them as an individual, deserving my attention, along with all of their classmates, and acceptance that they do not know everything yet. I can be confident in what I know and am able to teach them. I will be ready; knowing everything I do is a reflection of what I believe. When there are challenges to be faced, and there will be, I will handle them with sensitivity. It is important to me that the kids learn how to love reading and writing so they will be successful adults and enjoy all of the wonderful worlds contained in books.

All my life I have always had a creative mindset when it comes to accomplishing a task. I am always on the lookout for any tools near me which might be of help. This makes me more of the stage manager when it comes to playing and teaching children. As a child myself I was the one who came up with the creative ideas for the neighborhood kids. I would grab empty buckets and some wood beams to set up obstacle courses for one example. This creative aspect of my nature will enable me in the teaching world to help aid children in the art of learning while playing. As long as I have the resources I will enjoy watching the children learn and discover along with me.

My goal is to be the teacher the children remember later in life as the one who had the most fun ways of learning new things. There is so much to learning then simply reading in a text book and answering questions. Real life is hands on, so the children should have as much hands on learning as they can. The best memories I have from early elementary school are those involving special project assignments. When a teacher takes something and helps it come to life with the kids it holds a special meaning.

As I grow as a teacher all of the different roles will manifest at one point or another. I like the focus of a stage manager, as they present the various pieces or props, for the children to work with and learn from. I imagine it is very much like a science lab in a sense as I present the children or subjects with tasks to preform and watch what they and I learn from them. There will never be a time when I am not learning as much as the kids are. All teachers have to be open to allow the kids to teach in return even as they are learning.

It will be my responsibility to present the children with the learning material in a fun and creative way every day. I want my kids to talk about what they are learning and doing in my class even when it is not obvious to them what they are gaining. It will take a lot of effort on my part but I look forward to gaining more skills and knowledge so the future children I help will benefit.

Review of “Understanding eating disorders”

2014-09-20T22:03:00.000-05:00

One of the major disorders known in Psychology today deals with eating and the problems people have with eating to much or too little. The article from Psychology for Living by Vicki K. Harvey deals with this issue. The article is called “Understanding eating disorders” and goes into a discussion about anorexia and bulimia. Both of these disorders greatly influence the world we live in.

The purpose of the article is to get a better understanding on eating disorders, to find their cause, and know what to do about them. The author gives an example of a fictional girl who developed a disorder and shows how it affected her life. The disorders affect the person both physically as well as emotionally and can take years to get away from. The cause usually comes from girls or guys who are insecure about the way they look and feel they must do something to look better. The author explains the best approach to this disorder is to be very careful and open to the one who is suffering from the disorder.

As one who is about to go into the ministry full time this article is giving me a better understanding into a disorder I will come across often. It is important that we not ignore the existence of these bad food habits of many young teenagers who are in need of support and help. Loving them and knowing how to treat them is a vital part of to helping them get through the period of their lives that is causing them pain. I have known and do know people who have experienced this disorder in their lives and I feel it is good to know more about it so I can understand what they went or are going through.

The article made a lot of good points in the area of eating disorders. The author describes the world of an anorexic or bulimic as hellish which helps to better see how horrible it really is to go through. They also remind us that millions of people suffer from the disorders and many of them have been women; men are beginning to show up more as well with symptoms. Most of the time girls will start to compare themselves to super models and try to make themselves look thin. A lot of the time girls who are already skinny still think they need to lose weight and this can be devastating and highly dangerous for them. These disorders must not be ignored or taken lightly. People who have them already feel bad about it and do not want anyone else to know they have the problem. It is always best to be concerned and open with the person who is suffering so you do not push them away.

In this world it is important that we do not overlook people who are suffering from eating disorders. It is also important that we know how to deal with those who have problems eating that have deep rooted reasons. All in all anorexia and bulimia are very serious disorders and must be taken seriously and handled carefully.

Personal reading history

2014-09-01T16:54:00.000-05:00

Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies both for learning and pleasure. One thing that is amazing about books is their ability to take the reader into new worlds and allow them to experience adventures they would never imagine on their own. I believe those things we read as children shape who we become as adults. From the earliest days of reading all the way through to college, I have used reading as a tool to help me relax as well as give me new things to think about. My reading adventure continues to be just as much fun as when it first began.

Memories of my oldest sister reading to me are some of my earliest and fondest. She would hold me in her lap and read to me from the latest favorite story book. I remember when she wrote my name down in the inside cover how good it made me feel to be the owner of that book. She taught me how to read along with the education I received from school. In the school I attended we had reading centers which allowed the students the chance to go and spend some time in books. One option for students was a read along cassette tape player, for those students who wanted to follow along in the book. I enjoyed those as well as sitting alone reading in a good book. I always had a new book from the reading list to work with and enjoyed it greatly. Every morning I would start out the day reading portions of the Newspaper, mostly the comics section. My teachers always encouraged us to look up difficult words in the dictionary, and to start using them as new vocabulary.

Once I was in middle school my love for books had expanded to owning a full library of them in my bedroom as well as borrowing as many as I could. Much of what I read was involving adventures between family and friend groups. Since I have two older sisters, much of their books were on my reading list as well. I remember reading almost all of “The Babysitters Club” books. I read for fun and I read when I had to for school. I believe my enjoyment of reading books also carried over to doing well academically, as I enjoyed reading for information. My junior high language arts teacher liked to decorate her room with a comfortable area for reading so it would feel as if you were at home enjoying your favorite book. She would read to us and have us write in a reading journal at the end of the day. We also had books to read at home which we would then write about in our journals. I still have a couple of my journals which I enjoy reading.

High school reading was mostly involved around school text books, which was the same for college as well. I do enjoy reading for knowledge and wisdom collecting, I even read twenty books the year before I got married as to prepare myself to be the best I could be. At the same time I make room for fictional stories as well and have continued to be the book worm I was growing up; always enjoying a new novel or story.

From the earliest memories to the most recent I have always enjoyed reading. There are so many wonderful books to read, I could almost read all day every day. A lot of time if I am alone I will even read aloud just to see if I can match the mood of the books’ characters. I also enjoy using observation skills to examine what is being read and see how it can be used to teach life lessons as well. I enjoy reading for pleasure and for education, and will always push people toward a love for reading, so they will enjoy it as much as I do, and love reading.

Article review “Is Mental Illness Catching?

2014-08-20T22:07:00.000-05:00

People with psychological problems are always considered in a class to themselves as emotionally different then others and have mental handicaps. An article called “Is Mental Illness Catching?” introduces through scientific studies that mental problems may be just as common and no more unusual then any other disease.

The purpose of this article is to bring to light some recent studies that have shown people who seem to get mental problems from strep throat and other infections. Kids have begun to suffer from mental illness after having sickness. They appear to develop symptoms of different disorders.

This article concerns me because it does not go into greater explanation about how to handle the illnesses. They give a great deal of scientific cases and introduce the topic really well. There does appear to be a link between psychological disorders and mental illness. Not everyone with a disorder can say they got it from a common sickness at any time in their life. Many get sick and never experience symptoms of mental problems. Even with the date to confirm the possibility of these being disease it is still hard to put in perspective with apparently hereditary problems passed on down the family. The article does not go into the subject in depth enough to fully understand the topic.

I have personal experience in my own life and family of a psychological disorder being passed down from generation to generation. Linking such disorders to childhood infections seems to me far fetched. However, the article does support the claims well and gives reasonable examples. When I go into the ministry I will be coming across mental problems from time to time and it will be good to understand how they came about better. It may very well be that the problems people suffer from are not just mental and emotional but also physical.

The author of the article talks about three different mental problems, that appear to come up after infections in children. The first one is obsessive–compulsive disorder has developed in children who have gotten ill and suddenly show symptoms of it. There have been cases of pregnant mothers catching colds and coming up with children who have mental disorders. Such facts are proven and are used to try to link illness to mental problems. Depression and schizophrenia are also described in the article to apparently occur after a child has a flu or other sickness. Before these it used to be thought that abuse was the reason for OC disorder and is not a abnormal response of illness. Schozophrenia was thought to be from bad parenting and is not factors of biology and environmental. Depressed people were thought to be able to just get happy anytime but are not seen to have chemical imbalances.

I agree with a few of the points of the article, that much of what we see as mental problems are chemical biological ones. The article is good at introducing the thoughts and giving examples for each. The mental disorders we now face may very well be grouped in the same category as cancer or diabetes.

Article review “Insights on Anxiety from Charles Spurgoen”

2014-08-05T22:05:00.000-05:00

A great problem we all deal with from time to time is being anxious. An article called, “Insights on Anxiety from Charles Spurgoen” written by Elizabeth R. Skoglund gives us some help with fear and anxiety. We will see five things Spurgoen has to say about anxiety and facing the fears.

The purpose of this article is to get a better understanding of what anxiety is and how it related to the Bible and Christians. It is also important to know how to face the fears as they are real fears of real people. The author wants to help us to see what the famous preacher, Spurgeon, has to say so we can we can understand how we should look at fear and seek to overcome it.

Since we all face fears and periods of anxiety I thoroughly enjoyed this article. It is relevant in a time when things are getting tense and seems like fear is greater these days. There are a lot of “what ifs” in life that we have to go through. The author is good at telling us who to go to when facing those fears. God and Christian friends are the best way to handle what life brings our way. Fear is not always a sin, as is not trusting the Lord. The article gives examples of King David being afraid, and even Jesus experiencing fear on the night of His betrayal. The Bible even tells us to have a fear of the Lord. Having a holy fear of the Lord is a good thing but fears of doubt and confusion are not. It is easy to let fear control you but we must not let it, we must seek to control fear.

The Author gives us first an introduction using examples of people with fears in their lives. She then tells us how fear is a part of everyone’s lives including that of the great preacher Charles Spurgoen. From there five points are highlighted to talk about anxiety. First is a reminder that even God’s greatest followers have been afraid throughout history and in the Bible; King David is the example. Second we see that Jesus went through a period of fear in the Garden before His death on the cross. If our own Lord could be afraid then we sure cannot expect we will never suffer from anxiousness. The third distinguishes between being afraid sometimes and living in anxiety, the latter is worse because it can harm a person. The fourth point shows us that not all anxiety is sinful but we must also realize some is sinful. It is important to try not to be anxious, but expect it will happen. The final point made is that the fear of the Lord is good cause God commands us to fear Him. The last things the article talks about are causes of fear and facing those fears. The message of the article was good and informative. It helped me to have new insight into the psychological problem of anxiety.

Evolution of a Rumor

2014-07-28T17:08:00.000-05:00

Information, statements, and briefly uttered phrases are the very early stages of rumors and the heart of their beginning. Rumors themselves are just another form of communication passed on from one source to another, slowly weaving into the fabric of society until they have become complex creations, which are given life by the continuation of human emotion. Rumors, from the beginning of their existence, thrive upon the hopes, fears, and desires of mankind as they make sense of a difficult and confusing world.

To study the reasons why rumors spread so well, you begin first with the anatomy of a rumor. Rumors themselves are often merely pieces of information. Nicholas DiFonzo in his paper on, “How Rumors Help Us Make Sense Of An Uncertain World”, states that “rumors are unverified information statements that circulate about topics that people perceive as important (DiFonzo 375).” At the heart, a rumor is simply a passing phrase or comment formed by thought and introduced through communication from one person to another. These pieces of information are considered important enough to those who hear them to pass them along. Cass Sunstein, points out in his paper, “Rumor Cascades and Group Polarization,” most rumors involve topics on which people lack direct personal knowledge, and so most of us defer to the crowd (Sunstein 389).” Rumors do grow. They spread from person to person, feeding off of human emotion, helping them to continue to develop and spread.

Human beings are often driven by their passions and emotions even more than their need for physical survival. A person can be eating well, exercising every day to stay fit, but still be in need of something. They desire peace, knowledge, or some type of gratification to put the heart to ease. Rumors feed off of the desire people have to understand the environment in which they are living. In a way, rumors can thrive, depending upon the strength of that desire. “Rumors express and gratify the emotional needs of the community in much the same way as day dreams and fantasy fulfill the needs of the individual (Knapp 360).” Rumors can slowly evolve or change as they are passed along from person to person. The evolution is each individual’s adaptation to the rumor based on his or her environment. Such changes can involve intense events, or the amplification of current opinions and ideas.

Every day in our media there is a new event, whether it is a tragedy or new a scandal involving high-level celebrities or authorities. Rumors are especially prevalent around the times of war and conflict. They can utilized by the government to help deflect attention from what is really happening or what they would rather the public not pay attention to at all. Rumors can be used to encourage people to deal positively in potentially threatening situations (DiFonzo 378). Such types of communication are also known as a “pipe-dream” or “wish rumor,” and quench the human need to feel at peace or to overcome stress in the midst of difficulty (Knapp 361).

Conversations from one person to another perpetuate the rumor simply and informally but the information often changes as it continues on through various social circles. Rumors, especially negative statements, have the potential to impact the central core of a person, thereby, giving rise to false ideas and theories, which, help to create negative thoughts and aid destructive emotional desires. The rumors themselves will adapt and change, as needed, depending on those who hear and further transmit the information. With each new set of ears comes a new set of perceptions, which, in turn impact how the rumor continues.

Another type of rumor that can elicit a powerful human emotion is the wedge driver. These are rumors are formed from the conflict between multiple sources and the tension among groups, especially peer groups. Wedge driving rumors do just what their name suggests, they put pressure between two groups by spreading negative information. “These rumors serve a purpose—to justify negative prejudice toward the rival group (DiFonzo 382). Another expert defines this form of rumor in the following statement, “so termed because of its effect in dividing groups and destroying loyalties; its essential motivation is aggression or hatred (Knapp 361).” Human emotion can be the main driver of wedge rumors because this type of rumor plays on anger, fear, and the anxiety people have toward other groups of people. These anxieties are typically rooted in groups and social circles rather than individuals. However, the rumor can target specific people in groups as a way to attempt to sway public opinion.

Once a rumor is in full swing and is growing among the masses it thrives based on the continuation of its initial statement. A rumor is usually something simple and precise. Often there are pieces of a rumor which remain unstable and are subject to change. “There are abundant examples of rumors circulating in different totalitarian nations, all of identical plot, yet each employing the names and places familiar to the local populations (Knapp 362).” Such rumors have adapted to the environments culture and social climate. Numbers change, names alter, and rumors continue to take on characteristics necessary for survival.

Rumors require people in order to exist; and people in large groups only further aid their growth. Stemming off the desire for people to make sense of life, rumors are often found in the mist of the questions and ponderings regarding circumstances and life events. “The successful rumor, to thrive, must adapt itself to the immediate as well as to the traditional circumstances of the group; it must ride the tide of current swings in public opinion and interest (Knapp 360).” Conversations taking place in social networking have grown a great deal more since the creation of internet discussion groups. These groups are comprised of any number of individuals seeking to make sense of the world around them. As more information is sought, discussions continue to grow. “Despite the apparent chaos and confusion, these discussions are colorful and purposeful interchanges that—collectively—proceed in s fairly predictable fashion around the central task of sense making (DiFonzo 386). Rumors themselves are popular because they feed off of the interest of larger groups. People who have a common belief often share rumors. This form of social networking or persuasion is what one author calls a conformity cascade. “In a conformity cascade, people go along with the group in order to maintain the good opinion of others—no matter their private views or doubts (Sunstein 393). The passing of the information amongst the groups of people in large masses is what changes and enhances a rumor while the emotional desires of each individual is what allows it to survive.

Every day there is a new event or tragedy worth discussing or talking about. With each new event mixed with the human need for understanding and truth seeking, a rumor is formed. The rumor begins as a simple statement and idea passed along from one person to another. Growing off of the desire to make sense of things, the rumor continues forward gathering momentum. As it grows and spreads it becomes virtually impossible to ascertain the original source or the original information. The rumor has adapted to its new environment so well that those who are passing it along do so without question of its intent or original purpose. Rumors can provide the glimmer of truth or at least the hint of hope or the answer to the questions every individual has about their own lives. With these rumors life continues on and people converse and attempt to make sense of the world in which they live.

Works Cited

DiFonzo, Nicholas. “How Rumors Help Us Make Sense Of An Uncertain World.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th ed. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 375-87. Print.

Knapp, Robert H. “A Psychology of Rumor.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th ed. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 360-63. Print.

Sunstein, Cass R. “Rumor Cascades and Group Polarization.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 12^th ed. Ed. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 388-96. Print.

Coming to Terms with Internet Addiction

2014-07-22T17:05:00.000-05:00

Coming to Terms with Internet Addiction

Today’s generation has advanced in its extent of technological achievements bringing the internet into the hands of almost everyone. Easily accessible via laptops, tablets, smart phones, and even television, the Internet is a powerful and almost necessary part of daily life. However there is a growing and alarming rate of people developing unhealthy addictions toward daily internet usage. Even with all the glamor and usefulness of the World Wide Web, the internet can still be a dangerous tool if not handled correctly and moderately.

Internet addiction is a growing problem which has been the cause of many social and personal problems. Mustafa Koc in his research essay, "Internet Addiction And Psychopathology,” states, “Internet addiction, also described as pathological internet use, is defined as an individual’s inability to control his or her use of the internet, which eventually causes psychological, social, school and/or work difficulties in a person’s life.” (Koc 143) Those who have become addicted to internet access have gone from controlling their use of the internet to being controlled by their use. Users are no longer in control and it causes psychological, social, school and/or work difficulties in a person’s life. Net addiction is much like other forms of addiction only without the toxin in the blood stream; it is purely mental. Several types of internet addiction include: sexual addiction to adult chat rooms or cyber pornography; relationship addiction to online friendships or affairs that replace real-life situations; extreme compulsions to online gambling, auctions, or obsessive trading; increasing excess to habitual web surfing or databases searches; and computer addiction to game playing or programming. Further problems result from internet addiction such as little sleep, poor eating habits, limited physical activity, and the disruption of daily study and the life of the individual (Koc paraphrase). All such problems come from the overuse of one of the world’s greatest inventions. It is important to understand the possible problems the internet can bring in order to avoid them in the future.

Like any habit, the internet can useful but it can also be overwhelming and easily abused. What may seem like a harmless amount of time on the internet via smart phone or laptop, can carry on to extended periods of time locked in an imaginary social environment. Many research studies have gone into understanding the significance of overusing the internet for personal pleasure and gain. Internet addiction has been compared to other forms of addiction. Chou, in his article on the subject explains several results of spending too much time on the internet, “Tension, anxiety, depression, withdrawal, guilt, mood swings, etc. or psychic and physical dependence such as dishonestly, manipulation, irresponsibility, etc. may occur because of Internet addiction” (4). The internet provides a certain amount of personal fulfillment and enjoyment. Chou points out that, the pleasure experience makes people feel happy, content, delighted, and certain degree of enhancement of self-existence” (6). While there is nothing wrong with looking for satisfaction and happiness it is important to not over indulge in the internet any more than the many other habits popular for pleasing the mind.

Time management is a good solution toward the problem of over extending use of the internet. Since one of the many issues connected with net addiction is involved with the user’s lack of getting important things done, it is an indication that the tweaking of priorities is a good solution. Chien Chou, in his research article, "An Exploratory Study Of Internet Addiction, Usage And Communication Pleasure,” explains. “Eighty percent of the respondents indicated at least problems such as failure to manage time, missed sleep, missed meals. etc., suggesting that such patterns are in fact the norm. Some respondents reported more serious problems because of Internet use: trouble with employers or social isolation except for Internet friends; such troubles are similar to those found in other addictions” (Chou 5). Psychologists are concerned about the effect of the internet on the mind and the mental capacity of those given over too much to the computer. The addictions are powerful and consuming:

“Between 5% and 10% of Web surfers suffer a Web dependency, according to experts like Maressa Hecht Orzack, director of the Computer Addiction Study Center at Harvard's McLean Hospital. They experience the same cravings and withdrawal symptoms as, say, a compulsive gambler waylaid en route to Vegas. She refers most of her Net-addicted patients to psychiatrists for prescriptions for antidepressants and anti- anxiety meds.” (Goldman 54)

Understanding the reality of internet addiction allows people to come to grips with ways of not being deeply hooked.

Nothing is inherently wrong with getting on the computer daily to get a task accomplished, whether it be shopping, paying bills, or simply checking the news. Internet groups full of non-addicted members are just as frequent as those addicted to the internet. The difference in the amount of time spent by addicted internet users is vastly outweighs the non-addicted. Mustafa Koc’s research on social networking yields some information on internet communities, “Because addicted internet group; preoccupation with internet, need for longer amounts of time online, repeated attempts to reduce internet use, withdrawal when reducing internet use, time management issues, environmental distress (family, school, work, friends) and deception around time spent online mood modification through Internet use.” (Koc 148)

“The strong influences of computer technology and the emergence of new varieties of domestic hazards are likely to continue as computing technology makes further inroads into households.” (Oravec 320) There is a growing number of computer related technological advances coming out every year. Everything from the dashboard in the car, to the cell phone and computer access available through a cable company, provides the internet more readily than ever before. As the last decade would show to be true, there is much ahead in regards to internet accessibility. Families become the number one area where the internet is driving wedges in the home.

A new form of counseling is forming around the notion of helping those families having social dysfunctions based on their internet usage. Computers enter the lives of the family unit and everyone can retreat into their own virtual world without being forced to interact. JoAnn Oravec, in her article, "Internet And Computer Technology Hazards: Perspectives For Family Counselling." States:

“Parents who bring Internet access into their homes today are encountering a wide range of problems that the parents of the previous generation did not have to face. Often, the problems are only partly defined and solutions to the problems are seemingly unavailable…. In the course of counselling, families as a unit can gain a better sense of their situations in the context of the large-scale cultural and economic changes that they and other households are facing, as well as explore potential solutions.” (320)

Families have the important choices to make in how the internet will be allowed into the home and into their lives. The more society begins to box itself into the internet social sphere, the less it tends to interact in the physical reality. As Jo Ann Orvec points out in her article, “Families that restrict their definition of neighbor to those with whom they can interact face-to-face may thus deprive themselves of vital interpersonal resources. Families are also receiving more of the assistance they need for their healthy functioning through the Internet, either through websites, support, or on-line counselling.” (311) When it comes to needing a helpful hand from a neighbor, it is more common to post for the need on a message board than to walk down the road and ask. The internet makes getting out and getting to know people in person much more uncommon.

Social networking is not really as new a term as it sounds when it is used in the context of the internet. Groups of people have been networking socially since their beginning. Interactions may have included written notes back and forth between parties as writing became popular, but in the modern era everything is digitally typed and electronically mailed. Emre Cam, and Isbulan Onur in their paper, "A New Addiction For Teacher Candidates: Social Networks" explain, “Social network applications now provide communication only and intend to meet almost all the requirements of the users by use of many branches such as games, knowledge acquisition and searching. Thus, people who can find almost everything they look for on a social network will not need another tool” (14). Finding information online has become so much easier than going out and looking for that information personally. Attaining knowledge firsthand becomes a great deal more difficult.

Studies over internet social networking sites and personal excitement levels have shown how much mental pleasure the internet brings. There is a direct link to how being noticed online makes the person feel good and important. Often the simple acknowledgement of a post on a social site is enough to make the author feel excitement. “Users, even though they think that they will socialize by sharing notifications, become unsocial and prone to avoiding real social relations because they are prevented from the time that the brain has made for socialization.” (Cam 15) Mentally the mind is so wrapped up around the idea of virtual satisfaction and acceptance it clings toward the internet sphere as a place of connection and rest. “The fact that an addict who does not keep in touch with his own relatives says “hello” to those on his friend-list every morning and converses with them, trying to solve their problems points to a serious contradiction.” (Cam 15) Serious reflection should be done for everyone taking the use of the internet social networking world to find friends and keep up with the latest news and gossip. By itself as a tool these things are fine and useful but without moderate use the internet can be dangerous.

Resolving the issues of internet addiction are often based on simply acknowledging the existence of the problem and coming to terms with ways of avoiding over consumption. “For example, creating and reviewing time logs of family members’ computer usage is a beginning step in understanding and resolving problems such as computer addiction and information overload; these logs expose many patterns and trends that may not immediately be apparent.” (Oravec 318). Internet use is a vital tool in society all over the world, and it will only continue to advance in relevance and importance. “The internet has positive aspects including informative, convenient, resourceful and fun, but for the excessive internet users, these benefits turn out to be useless. Most individuals use the internet without negative consequences and even benefit from it, but some individuals do suffer from negative impacts.” (Koc)

Internet addiction is a scientifically proven mental problem which can easily affect anyone who uses a computer daily. It is vital to the health of every individual to be aware of such a danger as overuse of social networking, online shopping, and other forms of communication. Making use of the internet to better the world and one’s own individual life is the overall goal. Seek the resources of both the virtual and physical worlds without allowing an over dependence to be built on for either.

Works Cited

Cam, Emre, and Onur Isbulan. "A New Addiction For Teacher Candidates: Social Networks." Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology - TOJET 11.3 (2012): 14-19. ERIC. Web. 13 July 2014.

Chou, Chien, Jung Chou, and Nay-Ching Nancy Tyan. "An Exploratory Study Of Internet Addiction, Usage And Communication Pleasure." (1998): ERIC. Web. 13 July 2014.

Goldman, Lea. "This Is Your Brain On Clicks." Forbes 175.10 (2005): 54. TOPICsearch. Web. 13 July 2014.

Koc, Mustafa. "Internet Addiction And Psychopathology." Turkish Online Journal Of Educational Technology - TOJET 10.1 (2011): 143-148. ERIC. Web. 13 July 2014.

Oravec, Jo Ann. "Internet And Computer Technology Hazards: Perspectives For Family Counselling." British Journal Of Guidance & Counselling 28.3 (2000): 309-24. ERIC. Web. 13 July 2014.