Feel the Music by Anthony Mitchell
The Dancer by Gina Barboza
Breaking Loose by Natasha Tibbs
What Matters Most by Hank Kelly
The Harm Parents Do by Anita Jones
A Fair Evaluation of My Teachers by Santina Tate
Re: Forced Faggot Glorification by Devette Lewis
Trust Me, I Was a Child Once by Jamel Robinson
Why Students Fail in College by Donover L. Butler
A Different Perspective on Failure by Sharon Daniels
Why Teens Run Away by Janet Dalling
College is Tough by Takenya Beasley
Assessing My Instructors by Lance Dunn
Talk Show Sleaze by Tammy Favors
Self-Improvement
by Antoura Reese
Over the years I learned to appreciate different styles of music whether it be jazz, r&b, or rap, I learned that music is a general language that people of all cultures can relate to. I learned from playing a musical instrument for several years that music basically will sound good if it is arranged and composed the right way. Most people generally listen to one style of music but I learned by listening to other types of music you will find something that will have the same type of rhythm, beats, and singing that you are accustomed to. When I was younger I used to only listen to rap and rhythm and blues. But as I got older and started listening to other stations, I learned that jazz incorporates some of the same styles.
My personal preference is for a musical composition to start of with a strong beginning that leads into a nice melody that takes you to the bridge of the song with a climax that brings you back down to the original tempo without losing the main flow of the song. Most of the jazz compositions that I have heard start off this way. There are also a lot of classical compositions I've heard that have this same effect to them. Believe it or not, a lot of rap songs I heard have this type of arrangement. The only thing is that the average person is either not trained in recognizing this type of style or they choose not to listen for it. I feel once someone learns how to look out and recognize this and other types of patterns he or she will appreciate the music more.
Some musical selections I have heard, mostly jazz songs, have this type of effect. One song in particular that illustrates this technique is from a band whose name is Mint Condition. The name of the song is "So Fine". Basically the song started out with a very strong beginning to it that captures the listener's attention at the very start. Then the song goes into a nice melody that does not drag but stays at same tempo. Then once you the reach the middle of the song or the bridge of the song, it start to build back to that strong beginning. This is what I feel separates a moderate musical composition from one that will get recognized by different critics as being exceptionally good. At the climax of the song you will hear an array of different instruments that blend in with each other perfectly. This pattern is repeated only once. Therefore it gives the listener the feeling like you are there in the studio with them. Finally at the end of the song this group gives the illusion that the song is going to continue but it all of a sudden just stops with a strong climax.
Another group that gives this type of musical experience is a jazz group called Urban Knights; it consists of four very successful jazz artists who decided to do a album together. Most of the songs on the album have the same types of style as my previous example showed. One in particular that I liked the most is "Be with You." The beginning of the song has the same type of strong introduction to it but instead of having a sort of climax it has a nice horn section to it that alerts the listener that something big is going to happen later on in the song. Then later each artist plays some type of solo that doesn't slow down the tempo of the song. During the solos each artist shows off their talent by playing in a way that you sense that they are showing some type of emotion though their playing by going into different sounds. What is unique about this is that they always have a way of coming back together without losing the listener.
There are also a lot of classical pieces that have this same type of effect to them. There is one artist by the name Kathleen Battle; she is an accomplished opera singer who writes her own music. She arranges all of her songs so they will have a strong beginning and a melody that builds up at the bridge of the song but it doesn't stray away from the main tempo of the song. And mostly throughout her songs she has a melody that doesn't leave the listener wondering where she is going from here. The album I liked was the one that came out last year where she incorporated her style of singing into spirituals and jazz pieces . She blends all of the styles of music perfectly with each other.
Once a person learns how to pick up on different artists styles of playing he or she will more than likely appreciate the music they listen to and in turn be more selective in the music they choose to buy. A majority of the music people listen to might only have one aspect that they like about it. But I think people will enjoy it more once they learn to listen for certain musical attributes: Is the tempo slow, or does it have a strong beginning that captures the listeners attention, or does it incorporate a strong but consistent bridge that keeps you on the edge of your seat?. I think music should make you feel like you going through an new experience every time you listen to it. And after you have listened to one of the artists musical compositions I have discussed earlier you then will know the difference between listening to a song and actually feeling the music.
Watching the crowd, from behind the curtain, still gives me a chill after three years. With my costume for my first number intact and my makeup set to the stage lights, I am ready to entertain. Although there's a lot of people who wouldn't approve of what I do two nights a week, I am happy and that's what counts. I'm doing exactly what I always wanted to do and that's dancing. I'd like to call myself a dancer and so do all the other girls that grace the stage with their presence. However, society has some how managed to labels us as strippers.
My mother put me in ballet classes as soon as I could walk. I hated ballet until I reached high school and was able to perform in plays. I guess you could say I always loved the stage. I never imagined I would be dancing for strange men and taking off my clothes, but the hours accommodated my school schedule and the money was good.
My story started like most dancers. I was poor, I was starving and I was a student attending college in Berkeley, California. I didn't become a dancer until my junior year. My college roommate, at the time, had a boyfriend who was a bartender at Chest King, the club I got my first dancing job at. I couldn't get the job without an audition. I had to dance for the club owner and three other men while the other dancers looked on. I was so nervous that I tripped on the stage trying to do a full twist. I thought for sure I lost out on the job, but the owner offered it to me anyway. He also made it clear that he gets a $10 bonus for every fall that we did. I knew there had to be a catch.
My first few months didn't bring in a lot of income but I didn't give up. I was determined to show them that I was a good dancer and deserved more money. Three of the veteran dancers started to take me under their wing and gave me a lot of pointers. It wasn't long before I was making over $800 a month. At the time that was like a million dollars. After all I was a student. They called me "school girl" because I always studied before it was my turn. They even talked me into dressing like one for one of my performances. The men loved it.
Ivory, Lady Gee, and Ima Kitten were like the sisters I never had. Of course those names were stage names, but in a lot of ways it fit them to perfection. For instance Ivory was a beautiful black ex-model from Africa. She lost both of her parents in a war, and she came to America when she was 14. She met an American man who was there to help the victims. He fell in love with her beauty and he brought her back to the states with him when he left Africa. Ivory was so use to her native land that she would walk out of the house without her clothes on. He beau never knew she did this until he was called to get her out of jail for indecent exposure. And because her beau loved her, he wanted her to be happy. He brought her to the Chest King so she could work and be naked at the same time. She also modeled for Playboy magazine.
Lady Gee, on the other hand, didn't need to dance at all. She was a little envious of the women at the club and decided that she would be a dancer as well. Her husband owned the club and wasn't very thrilled about her wanting to dance. He decided he would allow her to dance but it had to be in their club. Lady Gee wore the pants in the family so her husband didn't have much of a choice. She taught me how to be a strong woman. I was so in love with my boyfriend, at the time, that I was oblivious to the cheating he did. All my friends at school would tell me they saw him with other women but I was stupid. Lady Gee fixed that. She helped me develop an inner strength and I walked away from him. He called me and cried for three weeks poor sucker.
Ima Kitten was a natural red head. You know the kind of red that Anne Margaret had back in the days. She was very much like a kitten. She was quiet and soft spoken but if you got her mad, scratch! She would fight in a heartbeat. There were a few times where a fight would start in the club and Ima would be right there boxing. Her dad was an army boxer and unfortunately he practiced on her mom. One day Ima fought back for her mom and gave her dad two black eyes. Her dad never hit her mom again after that. She became a dancer because she wanted to prove to herself that she could also be feminine.
All three women taught me things my own mother had not. My mom and dad lived on the east coast while I lived perfectly fine, away from them, on the west. I was paying my way through school without any assistance from my family. I know they would object to the dancing but hey they weren't paying my way.
I worked at Chest King for two years. When I graduated from college all my friends from the club came to my graduation. I was quite popular on campus because of my night job. The Dean was a regular. Although he wore a wig, I knew it was him.
After graduation I started interviewing with advertising companies. I had majored in Advertising and minored in Marketing. I walked out of college with a 3.0, and the opportunities were knocking on my door. After interviewing with ten different companies, I chose the one that I had always dreamed of working for. Unfortunately, I would have to move to Los Angeles and I wouldn't be able to see the girls as much.
Through tears and laughter the girls helped me pack and drove with me to my new home. After settling me in they all drove back to Berkeley. It was so hard to see them leave but we promised to keep in touch. And we all kept our promise.
My job was going well but I was bored. I didn't know anyone yet and I stayed home a lot talking to the girls on the phone. They worked a lot so they weren't always available for conversation.
One weekend, while walking on the beach I saw this sign, "Dancer Wanted." A chill went up my spine and that old feeling came back. The following week I was dancing again at night. I could only work two nights a week but it felt good to dance again. Standing behind the curtain, watching the crowd felt great. I would watch them and wonder what kind of imagination do they have. After all I have one. This whole story was part of what I call my imagination. I have never stripped in my life nor do I ever chose to. The power of writing a story is so wonderful don't you think? You can create a world you never lived in just by writing it down. After all Ima Kitten, pronounced I'm a kidding, couldn't have been a real red head. They don't exist anymore. Or do they?
I did not come from a broken home. My father never hit my mother. My parents were not alcoholics or drug users. My father never touched me in a funny way and my mother never ignored my cries. I came from the perfect home, the kind of home most people claim that if they had come from, they would not be so screwed up. My father is a preacher and has always been there for me, a" mister mom" if you will. My mother is a "teacher of the year" kind of high school teacher. They have been married for 27 years and are more in love today than the day they said I do. I have not even heard them say a bad or unkind word to each other. Whatever I wanted or needed was mine for the asking . I could almost be classified as spoiled. Because of all the opportunities that I have had, I should be a doctor or lawyer, or maybe even a opera singer. I should at least be a missionary or married to a popular television preacher ,with five wonderful, talented, and anointed children. Maybe I should have been a poet, with a vast number of published works. Well, why not? I am the product of a moral leader and an educator. I should be perfect.
Unfortunately, life does not work that way. The path of life you choose is no necessarily patterned or directed by your upbringing. I rejected all the teachings of my parents and leaned to the calling of the world. I wanted to be a party girl . A typical night for me was drinking a bottle of Boone's Farm wine, smoking a pack of cigarettes and having a ten spot to get into the club to see my stripper boy friend dance. If my family said no, I screamed, "Hell ya! I wazn't studing em! I do what I want to do."
You may ask me why, Why after all your opportunities and family influence are you not perfect? Well, I have come to this conclusion and I'm not pointing fingers and saying "if this than that," I am just stating a personal feeling. For years I thought it was because I was possessed by a wild demon, or a rebellious spirit. Or maybe it was a genetic disorder, that I just did not get the smart gene. But it was that my parents raised me inside a perfect bubble world, not allowing even the slightest imperfection to come in . And if by chance it did, they would cover over it, so that no one from the outside would find out I was less than super human. For sixteen plus years, I was cradled and rocked in the bubble, and with out warning some where between high school and second semester college, I was suddenly let out of the bubble into a imperfect world and was expected to function. I felt just like a bird who was never taught to fly and fend for food for themselves. Suddenly I was pushed out of the nest , and like that bird I landed flat on my tail feathers. Instead of giving up I refused to dead or be eaten by vultures, I put my legs to use and set out to blaze my own trail. Along the way I ran face first into the many walls of reality--boy, did they hurt -but after a few big disasters I learn to get over them the best way I could.
I do not blame my parents for their decisions in raising me; as a matter of fact I thank them with all my heart. My sheltered upbringing has added to my character tremendously. But I also do not blame myself for the less conservative lifestyle I lived either. Both have come together to make me a well rounded person, not so perfect and not wild and carefree, I am just right in the middle, a balanced person, someone who has experienced enough to have some thing real to share, but also who has seen enough to know when not to get involved.
Now that I am a mother I fully understand and realize all the emotions and desires a parent has for their child, which can be overwhelmingly powerful. The need to give them every thing you did not have is almost consuming. Just in a matter of painful hour I experienced the feelings my parents felt when they had me. They wanted the best for me and were willing to give up what ever would stop them from raising me the way they thought was the right way. The moment Caleb's head crowned the threshold of this world, I said to myself, "Self, my son will not make the same mistakes I made; because of my experiences I will be able to recognize and head off all the bad stuff." I want to protect him and not allow any thing or anyone, including myself, to get in the way of his perfection,. but because of my upbringing, I am going to go about it in a different way. I am not going to shelter him from the world , but I am going to allow and encourage him to embrace the world. I am not going to encircle him in a cover of fear, but with God's help show him how to use his wings as well as his legs.
Each year many are frightened out of their sleep to face the smell of fumes and the sound of alarms. People lose love ones and valuable possessions turn to ashes due to blazing fires. In the excitement of trying to save yourself and loved ones valuables are usually left to burn. However, what if you could go back and save just three things? The most important items to me that I would have to save from the fire are my black box, comic book collection, and my picture of my grand father, Henry Kelly III.
Ever since I was a young child I saved everything from love letters in fifth grade to pictures of spring break' 96. I collected almost all the pictures of females I dated during high school. I also had many things that where very dear to me that I kept. My letters from my mother when I was away from her for more than a year are very important to me because it really put in words how much my mom loves me. My graduation card from my father was another sacred item that was kept. These items were all stored in my black box. Along with my emotional possessions there were my valuable paraphernalia. I had my rookie Hank Aron baseball card and my autographed picture of Michael Jordan. This box basically contained a large part of my life in it. This is why I would save coveted black box first.
In my spare time as a kid, when I wasn't collecting particulars for my black box I read comic books. The first time I started collecting comic books was in fourth grade when I found this old comic book in the woods behind my elementary school. That comic book was volume 1, issue 1, and first print of Hawk Eyes the Avenger. I was so happy I went home and tried to stuff it in my black box. Finding this book, I began to beg my dad and mom for more comics. I took my first comic book out my black box and started my own collection of comic books. I still have every comic book I ever bought. Therefore I wouldn't let a fire burn such a valued collection of big pictures and little words. So I would have to grab my collection of comics next..
My last choice for an item to save from my burning house would be an easy choice. Being named Henry Kelly the third, I have a lot of history in my name. Nevertheless, I didn't have very many things to show for that history. The only thing I had were endless stories, nothing tangible. However, I did have big mural of my grand father ,Henry N. Kelly the first. I have the only picture of him in the whole family. He was horrified of taking pictures but he did let a painter draw him once before he passed. I never got see him living. Fortunately I somehow got this picture in my possession. If I lost that picture to a fire, it would be like my last name going up in smoke. I would gladly take down my grandfathers picture for my final third item to be saved
Instead of teaching fire drill procedures in school they need to teach how to pick what items to save from a fire. My rule on what to save was quite simple. You should save four things one of them being yourself. The other three are quite elementary to pick: something of emotional value, a collection accumulated over time, and an item that can be passed on to your child. Valuables can't be measured by a price tag because some things are priceless, especially assets that are close to your heart.
I believe it is very important for a child to have a father in their life because if one doesn't it takes away from the family structure. When I was about thirteen years old, my mother divorced my father and within about one to two years time, she moved another man in the house with me and my three sisters and my brother. I feel that neither he nor my mother set a good example for us as children. He was very, very emotionally abusive towards all of us and my mother allowed it . She always defended and condoned everything he did or said. It seemed that he always had something negative to say and he never showed any emotional support . I feel that if that was her idea of a father figure, I would rather not have had anyone there at all.
Growing up in that type of environment at the time made me feel scared, insecure and unloved. He was very loud, rude and walked around the house making disgusting bodily sounds on purpose because he knew it annoyed us. He did not work and or do anything constructive with his life. A lot of his time was spent drinking Wild Irish Rose, injecting himself with dope and smoking crack on a pipe. As children this devastated me and my sisters and brother.
The whole time all of this is going on I saw my mother drinking more and more as the months and years went by and it really hurt, but there wasn't anything any of us could do or say. Every time we tried to talk to my mother about how we were feeling about the situation she would get very defensive start cursing and telling us not to judge her and giving us this old song and dance about how everybody needs somebody in their life, how she deserves to be happy too and about how we need to mind our own business. As far as we were concerned she did not have any business and did not have a clue as to what happiness really was.
I feel that there are a number of different ways a father can be absent from a home. Sometimes a man can be there and not show emotional support, encouragement or love for a child and to me that is just like being absent. This I know from experience. A s a result of growing up in this type of atmosphere, I developed an inferiority complex and a low self esteem.
Growing up I was often angry and very depressed. I turned to drugs, alcohol and a promiscuous lifestyle. I often looked to men and numerous unhealthy relationships in search of happiness , fulfillment and most of all the secure feelings that only a loving nurturing father can provide to his child . All of these things went on for many years until my step father died in 1995 from cirrhosis of the liver . At that point all five of my mother's children felt sadness and some sort of relief all at the same time.
Seeing him suffer and die a miserable death gave me a inner motivation to live and be happy. I now have a daughter of my own and her father has some of those same traits as my mother's ex-boyfriend had so I choose not to have him in my daughter's life. That seems to be having a more positive effect on her than just moving any man in the house with us for my own comfort and to substitute a father for her. I have now discovered, through a lot of research, reading, talking with people at my church and attending various twelve-step groups that children often follow the example that they see in the household that they grow up in, almost without giving it any thought, whether that example is good or bad. I also found out that my mother as a little girl watched my grandfather beat her mother. Until this day I can remember my grandmother sticking with him until the very end when he died and could not even feed or shave himself. I think this is where my mother's pattern probably began. But just because a pattern has been set it doesn't have to continue. I can break the cycle with my daughter.
I found that what I had to do is read my bible, pray , trust in and develop a relationship with God and look to him as my heavenly father and instill that same quality and behavior in my daughter as a solution to the past pain and grief that I experienced and suffered. Today I try and stay connected to God as much as possible . Most importantly, I had to forgive my step father and my mother in order to be happy, whole and free.
If I were asked to make a fair evaluation of my teachers I would use good standards in my judgment. First, the teacher must have a good attitude toward teaching. Second the teacher must have a good and fair relationship with his or her students. Finally the teacher must keep and maintain a fair grading system. These three standards alone can make or break a teacher's ability to teach other people.
A good attitude about teaching should be very important to a teacher. Many students base their attitude about learning from their teacher's attitude. A teacher that comes late to class sets bad examples for his or her students. Students feel that if the teacher does not get to school on time then it is not important that they come to school on time. In college my spring quarter classes started at 5:45pm and ended at 8:10 pm, but my teacher did not get to class until 6:00 pm and ended the class at 6:45 pm. This teacher's lateness not only caused the students to believe that he did not care about teaching but our attendance rate as a class dropped. This also shows that the teacher does not care about his or her job.
Teachers that have a good relationship with their students usually have better grades and results than teachers that do not have a good relationship with their students. Students are more eager to learn when they have a teacher that creates a nice and friendly environment. In high school I had a teacher that almost every student in the school loved. When a student was absent for a long period of time she would called his or her home to make sure everything was okay and send all of the assignments that he or she had missed plus make up work home to that student by a student that stayed nearby. She also became a second parent to a lot of students that were not close to their parents. It did not matter to her if the student was the gangster wanna-be of the school or the valedictorian. A good relationship comes when the teacher is willing to stay after class to give that extra push or when the teacher goes that extra mile to make passing easy.
A fair grading system is also a requirement I would used in grading teachers. Teachers should set up a grading system that would be fair to all student. For instance, a teacher should not make his or her grading system easy for a student that he or she like and make it harder for the student she did not like. Although the grading system should be equal and fair, it should also meet the school board of education requirements.
It is hard to evaluate a teachers because some teachers are better on some things then other teachers are. I would try to stay on track with the standards that I would use in evaluating. The perfect evaluation of a teacher would be one who has a good attitude about teaching, a good and fair relationship with his or her students, and a teacher that maintains a fair grading system.
Subject: Re: Forced Faggot Glorification
From: lewisd@amcmail.atlm.peachnet.edu
Date: 1997/05/29
Message-Id: <864941199.5240@dejanews.com>
Newsgroups: alt.politics.homosexuality
[More Headers]
In article
<Atilla-1805971937420001@ppp-206-170-66-212.nhwd02.pacbell.net>,
Atilla@Hun.com (Atilla the Hun) wrote:
>
> Now all along homosexuals have been claiming they just want to be left
> alone. And all along I've been saying that a huge part of the current
> homosexual agenda is forcing others against their will and beliefs to
> glorifiy homosexuality. Homosexual agenda foot soldiers rabidly deny this,
> however, such denial is also part of the homosexual agenda.
>
> As proof to what I've been saying all along, read the below news item that
> a homosexual foot soldier under the Wachner News has posted:
>
> GAYS SUE NEW BRUNSWICK MAYOR
> >
> > Fredericton, New Brunswick, Mayor Brad Woodside is being
> > hauled before the provincial Human Rights Commission over his
> > refusal to proclaim Gay Pride Week -- the only known denial of a
> > proclamation in city history.
> > "Sexual orientation belongs in the bed chambers not the
> > council chambers," Woodside explained.
Atilla, I've had the pleasure of reading several of your articles in
reference to Gays and their continued attempts to destroy the fabric of
Family Values, and if it weren't for my towering intellect, my compassion
for all people, and strong hold on common sense (something your prejudice
has taken away from you) I would be forced to agree with you. In the
most recent post of yours, "Forced Faggot Glorification", you speak of
the evils of gay folks and their need to compel the general public to
accept them. You attempt to convey your point of forcing acceptance by
citing a news story of gay people filing complaints against Mayor Brad
Woodside for not proclaiming Gay Pride Week. Mayor Brad's argument for
not proclaiming the week is that he believes:
> >"Sexual orientation belongs in the bed chambers not the
> > council chambers," Woodside explained.
Let me begin to tell you how WRONG you and people like you are.
First, gay people don't spend their lives, any more than straight people,
in the bedroom doing what ever. Gay people have jobs, families, social
activities, and many other expressions of themselves that do not depend
on the bedroom aspect of any type of sexuality. For you or your Mayor
Brad to assume that Pride week would include anything requiring a bedroom
only shows your true ignorance about this subject.
Now to deal with the lager issue of "Forced Faggot Glorification." From
your news clip that you so graciously provided this denial of a
proclamation is a precedent:
> > Fredericton, New Brunswick, Mayor Brad Woodside is being
> > hauled before the provincial Human Rights Commission over his
> > refusal to proclaim Gay Pride Week -- the only known denial of a
> > proclamation in city history.
Why is it that Mayor Brad was hit with a sense of self righteousness at
the moment when this request was placed before him. Cities from coast to
coast have Gay Pride days or weeks and not at any time has there been an
attempt to make any group of people that doesn't approve of gay people
accept gay people or as you say "Glorify Fags." The fact is that these
communities have understood that gay people, being 1% or 50%, pay taxes,
obeys the law, and contributes to the community as a whole. Gay people
should not any more barred from civic rights than any other citizen that
obeys the law.
As far as "Glorification" if you spent less time stockpiling guns and
Bibles for the end of the world and more time trying to understand the
issue you so despise you'd know that is not what Gay Pride is really
about. Pride by definition is a good feeling one has about one's self.
Gay Pride's purpose is to allow our community the opportunity to
fellowship within itself in a festival atmosphere just like any other
type festival for any ethnic or social demographic. Our concern of
whether or not we make other people accept us is minimal at best. It has
been long understood in the gay rights movement that not everyone will
accept us. Our concern is to be able to be visible without harassment and
enjoy all the rights we have as citizens.
Each post I've read of yours you insist on citing how gay people are
determined to destroy your way of life. I suggest you stop being so
defensive and try to understand the whole freedom issue. If you really
see what gay activist groups are doing it has nothing to do with making
you stop being you, it only has to do with stopping other people from
being able to control our lives.
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
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Everyone in the world makes mistakes sometimes and they wish they wish they could change them but a person cannot change the past. People sometimes want to change the appearance and lifestyle for experimentation but some just want a change. I learned from my mistakes in life but there are a couple of things I would like have changed.
I think parents play an important role in the way children are raised and taught. For this reason, the Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it." For example, Ms. Joan Carson made sure her two sons did their homework as soon as they got home from school, limited their television time to one hour a day, and made them read a story a piece to her at night before bed. Also, she kept them away from gang boys in the neighborhood but aloud them recreational time at the park under her supervision. John Carson, her oldest son, graduated from Fisk University with honors and now is Owner & CEO of Carson Enterprises in Boston, Massachusetts. And Ben Carson, her youngest son, graduated from Yale University with honors and is world's best heart surgeon. So the bible has a lot of truth in what it is saying.
My parents raised me well but they made a couple mistakes along the way. My father loved me very much but he was never at home; he was always at work or going to school at night to get his Ph.D. in education. Most of my life, I grew up without a father figure to look up to in life and I missed it a lot. For example, my friend's fathers would play catch with them outside but mine never was at home or had enough energy from working to play catch with me. On the other hand, my mother, I can't complain about because took good care of me and made sure I had the best. Mom made sure I did my homework, ate a healthy meal, and was disciplined properly. Also, mom was at every football game I ever had.
I got into a little trouble now and then; because my parents were always working, I had time to hang around the boys in the hood. They were a group that liked to get in trouble for fun and not do any homework at all. For example, my five friends and I would go through the neighborhood knocking on people's doors and running, we would throw eggs at the cars on expressway and steal hubcaps off of cars to see who collect the most. My mother would tell me to stay away from them but since she worked swing shifts at Grady hospital, I did what I wanted to.
In conclusion, most parents try to buy their children's love, by giving them or leaving them gifts all the time but that's not the way to love your child. I think that parents should spend quality time with their children because what most children are missing is a little love and attention. Hugging a child, playing a game with child or just having a decent conversion with them for a moment can mean a whole lot. Trust me, I was a child once.
As a student enrolling in college for a second time, I can identify with academic failure. I feel that students become victims of academic failure for several reasons, but there are three chief reasons that jump out at me. Students entering college for the first time don't take education in serious manner, they go to school for the wrong reasons, and they experience financial difficulties.
Most students that go away to a college or university experience freedom for the first time and they start to neglect their education needs because they don't have a forceful figure looking over shoulder. They begin to neglect their classes for various reasons and start to develop a slack attitude when they attend class. They don't realize that once you get behind in college it's hard too catch up and they start to lose interest in their subjects. For example, I recall when I first enrolled in college in Florida I was in awe of all the beautiful half-dressed women walking in all directions right before my eyes I had to have them all. My only reason for going to class was not to hear what the class was about but to see who was in there and if I got a chance to know them on a more personal level. Well, I just started a trend. I would take that same mentality to all my other classes.
Many students go to school for the wrong reasons. Some go to school for other people instead themselves and this could cause an effect on their motivation. Others go to school because they have a life long dream of being a member of a certain fraternity or in a certain band hoping that it would motivate them to continue their strive for a higher education, but in actuality it doesn't. For instance, I was in the band at Florida A&M and every year we would have near two hundred new members try out for the band. You would think if you have these kind of numbers every year your band would be huge, and you would stop new members from joining until a class graduated. That wasn't the case. You see, at the beginning of every season the band would start out small simply because all of the new members dropped out of school and went home thinking that this small prestige would get them a spot in the real world.
Finally, there's the financial aspect of school and this affects the good as well as the bad. I mainly blame the educational system for this because they tell you that they simply can't generate enough money to allocate among the students when in fact they can. So students enroll in school thinking that they have taken their first giant step to a bright future when in all actuality the government has them sailing on a dream. Without the financial backup in college you miss out on the necessities of your survival such as food, books, and shelter.
Getting a education is a important part of life and as we move towards the twenty-first century it will become a necessity. Students must realize that it's getting to the point to where a bachelor degree is just not good enough so they need to give it all they have to receive a education. I hope pupils are able to overlook their personal gains in attending college and focus on the one that really count, their degree.
Students don't fail in college because they are stupid or because they don't belong there. There are students who do not have the luxury of just attending college. Many students have to work in order to stay in school. Others have problems that are so overwhelming, they cannot concentrate on classes all day. There are also students that simply do not have their priorities in order.
When I was younger I thought that college was kind of like high school. Taking on a job was optional. Later I learned that everyone cannot afford to just attend college everyday and do nothing else. I am one of those people that has to work and go to college. Sometimes this can be tiring considering the work you do during the day and the studying you have to do at night. Very few people can manage this fete without stumbling. It is hard doing both so many people have to choose. Usually there isn't much of a choice, because the person has to survive, so they simply stop going to school. Sometimes the person thinks they can come back the next quarter or semester and start fresh, but usually this doesn't happen so they end up failing.
People of think when students stop attending classes it is because they are failing or they're lazy. Sometimes students have personal problems that prohibit them from concentrating on their classes or even attending them. One of my family members had to stop attending classes because her mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness and she had to stay home and take care of her. She wasn't failing or lazy; she just did what she thought was best at the time.
There are also times when students don't have to work while attending college, they don't have personal problems and they still fail their college courses. Usually this happens because the student does not think of his or her classes as a real priority. Sometimes students are away from home for the first time and really do not know how to handle this new found freedom. They end up staying out too late and not devoting enough time to their studies. Some students think if they do most of their assignments, they will pass but end up failing instead.
Most students have a grasp of what is expected of them when they enroll in a college or university. They know they have to study hard and attend their classes everyday. Students have different reasons for failing, some are good, and some aren't good enough. The best advice any student can give is very simple. Put your priorities in order, work hard but study harder, and take your problems each day at a time.
Each year teenagers run away from home for several different reasons. The teenage years are one of the most difficult periods in growing up. Your body undergoes so many changes, it is hard for the teenagers to comprehend what is happening. Then there is the problem of peer pressure, dating, school work and trying to identify who you really are. Teenagers run away from home for three major reasons. First and foremost, they refuse to obey the rules of the house. Secondly, they have this burning desire to be with the opposite sex. Last but not least, they might want to achieve personal goals that cannot be reached in the area in which they live.
When children become teenagers it seems as if they are creatures from another planet. The very same rules they have obeyed all their life suddenly seem to the teenagers as torture for runaway slaves. Teenagers are very rebellious and they find pleasure in doing everything the opposite of what their parent says. I remember my teenage years. Anything my mother told me not to do, that would be the thing I desired to do the most. I would always believe it would be punishment to my mother if I did the very opposite of what she said. My mother would always warn me that one day my child was going to do the same thing to me. When my mom would fuss at me, the thought crossed my mind several times to run away but I did not have the guts to do it. It is now sixteen years later, and, boy, have the tables turned! I have a sixteen year old son and I do believe someone switched him while everyone was asleep. It seems as if history is repeating itself. Only I am on the opposite side of the stick. Whenever I complain to my mom, she just laughs and say, "I told you so."
Teenage years are the time when the body changes and attraction to the opposite sex becomes prominent. You take more pride in your appearance in order to be even more attractive. When I was a teenager I remember having a boyfriend at sixteen. At the time I thought that this was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was not a bad or promiscuous teen but I felt the need to have a boyfriend because I could confide in him. He also offered me emotional support, which I did not receive at home. But when teenagers find someone of the opposite sex that they want to spend private time with, they will lie, steal or cheat to be with that person. If their parent tries to caution them about the dangers of pre-mature dating, this might become a major fight. Sometimes teenagers accuse their parents of being jealous of their youth.
Teenagers sometimes do not share the same goals for their future as their parents. For example, the family might live in New Jersey, and the teenager desires to attend acting school in New York. This type of study might require the teen to live in New York. Parent have a tendency not to support teenagers if they want a career that is not academic. Teenagers are very impressionable at this age. On television acting is a very glamorous life that involves a lot of money. If the teenager believes that this is what they want to do, nothing or no one can stop them from achieving their goal, or so they think.
I do believe that teenage years are very difficult and parents need to be more patient and understanding. I wondered if my mother was ever a teenager. Why wasn't she more understanding whenever I made a mistake? Whether it be a problem of the rules being too strict, or the desire to be with the opposite sex, or just wanting to pursue your dreams, running away will not resolve it. It will only compound it.
When I entered college, it turned out to be totally different than I expected it to be. I thought college would be a breeze. I assumed that I would go through my college courses very easily and in two years I would graduate with my degree, but as I see it now, it's not that easy. The college courses that I have had the most difficulty with were my remedial English, my remedial reading, and college Algebra 101.
When I entered college I was never warned about remedial courses. I thought once you told the admissions office about your major, you started into the college credit classes. After I completed the CPE exam (College Placement Exam), I got my results back. The results explained that I had to complete remedial courses in English and Reading before I could get to my college credit courses because I didn't do well enough to pass. My first remedial class I took was reading. The class was very easy. We went over vocabulary everyday so we could enhance our usage. We also learned to skim and scan through passages to try to have enough time to answer all the questions on the test.
What made the courses so hard for me to pass was the CPE exam. Every time it was test time I would freeze up. For example, I finished my first class for reading and it was time for me to take the CPE. I entered the testing site very calmly and coolly. After I received my test I got started , and I skimmed and scanned though the passage just as I was taught. I finished the test on time and I passed it in. A day later I received my results back and I did not pass. I messed up badly. I felt the problem was we didn't practice enough of the passages; we were going over something that really didn't help us pass the CPE exam.
Another college course I had problems with was my remedial English class. I think it was difficult because it's one of my worst subjects. I went through English 095 and 096 very well, but when I got to 097, that's when the problems began. I took this course over about two times. My problems came from my writing. I would make it through the class ok, but when it was time to take the writing sample, I could not pass it. If the topics that they gave were boring or something I couldn't relate to, I would take up too much time trying to think about what to write. By the time I would think of something it would be too late. For instance, I received a topic about whether gays should be able to enter the armed forces. I'm thinking to myself, "I don't care. Somebody's got to fight for our country." I spent a half of an hour thinking about what to write. By the time I gathered something about the topic, I didn't have enough time to write about it, so I didn't pass.
Once I was out of remedial courses, I knew it was going to be a breeze. But I spoke too soon. The first course I took was College Algebra 101. I had a foreign teacher whom I could barely understand. I would sit in class and try to take notes and I could understand only a little of what he was saying. I tried sitting in the front row, but that didn't help. Also I tried getting notes from someone else in the class, but they couldn't explain it so I could understand it. Knowing I had a problem I went to the professor and explained to him that I couldn't understand his work, and do you know what he told me, "I can't help you . I think you need to drop the class and take it another time." I was very upset because I paid for this class out of my hard earned money and I didn't want to repeat it, so I got a tutor. I had to spend extra hours after my class late at night just to pass this course, but it had to be done because I refused to take the course over.
When you enter college you need to maintain your work no matter what it takes because it's not all that easy. It might take eliminating things or getting extra help. It all depends on you.
Teachers like students have goals and standards to meet. In order for them to meet these goals and standards, teachers should be evaluated by their students and not only by their superiors. The three standards I would use would be based on attitude, patience and the ability to teach.
Attitude is one of the most important standards to meet. I believe this can be an important factor due to some experiences I have had in classrooms in the past. If a teacher does not have a good attitude it can be detrimental to the learning process and well being of the student. A teacher, in general, is looked up to by their students. This is because the student is often times trying to be like his or her teacher inasmuch as they aspire to have an education. Teachers with negative attitudes are known to single out certain students who for some way or another strike unease or dislike in the teacher. Sometimes the teacher is perceived as a plain old jerk because his or her character lacks all the good qualities that most students normally expect of a teacher. Whatever the case may be, teachers should be seen as leaders in their classrooms; therefore, they should in this regard try very hard to meet these expectations and should lead by example. The attitude of a teacher should always be a fruitful one that creates a positive environment for students since attitudes can spread like wildfire.
Teaching ability can be a great asset or liability. I would make that a standard because, naturally, if the teacher's ability to convey information is poor then the students understanding will be poor to. The most fundamental reason for coming to school is to learn and if a teacher impairs that through their lack of ability the student should not have to suffer. In the situation mentioned up above the teacher's lack ability would be a liability. However if the teacher has a rather rock solid prowess in teaching they can take students to limitless possibilities.
Patience has always been considered to be virtuous and should always be valued. As a student I believe teachers are wonderful individuals for the most part. Patience must be exercised by teachers since learning can be a painful as well as pleasurable experience. Some students learn quicker than others. Many students, especially in the inner city community colleges, may suffer from emotional damage. While I realize that some may say that this is not their responsibility, it is inexcusable to be impatient and should not be permitted. Some of these wonderful students are on the cutting edge of success yet a teachers lack of patience could steer the student of track forever. So in the future we should always keep in mind as students or teachers to have undying patience.
Positive attitude, teaching ability and patience are the three standards I would recommend for teachers who are to be evaluated if I had my own institution. They are the most important of all standards. If these are employed in the correct manner they will keep teachers like they ought to be, bringing light, life, power and energy for the mind to grow and make school a powerhouse.
Working at night gave me the opportunity to watch television during the day. I found myself switching from station to station, talk show to talk show and finally turning the television off. The only programs that were on during the morning were talk shows. I found the talk shows to be insensitive, violent and really about sensationalism. I try to avoid watching these shows.
I remember one morning watching the "Sally Jesse Raphael Show" and how insensitive the audience was to the guests. The title of the show was "My Teenager Is Out Of Control." The teenagers were accompanied by their parents and the parents spoke of the child's problems. I remember the child crying her heart out on stage as the mother spoke of her child's escapades. The audience was yelling at the child and calling her a bad seed. Another talk show I recall scanning a few weeks ago was titled "Mothers And Daughters That Think They're Sexy." The women were introduced and wore sexy clothing that revealed their bodies. The audience yelled out names such as fat pig, whore and slut, even before hearing the women speak about the topic.
I do not like the violence that is taking over talk shows. Is this the only element that will attract an audience? "The Ricki Lake Show" is famous for its violent guests. This is one of the reasons this show became so popular. You could look forward to one show a week providing a wrestling match between guests. "Geraldo" is famous for his violent shows also. The most watched episode was when the host was hit in the nose with a chair by one of the guests. What happened to sitting down and discussing ideas?
Many talk shows only promote sensationalism. They are more concerned with the ratings rather than the programming. Talk shows do not try and educate their audience but only entertain. First they give the show an eye catching title, for example-"I'm Having My Father's Baby" or "If You Don't Lose Weight I'll Cheat On You." Next they recruit people for these shows to tell the whole world their private business. The guests are usually uneducated and only there for the money.
Whenever I have free time to view a talk show it's always "Oprah." She has set morals and guidelines for her shows. She has not jumped on the band wagon just for ratings but also to inform. More shows need to follow "Oprah's" pattern and be more concerned with educating their viewers.
If there were something I could improve about myself it would be my attitude, my appearance and financial status. These are the few things that I would improve about myself. Why would I improve these things? These are some of the things that I don't feel good about. I often feel hate toward myself because I have these problems. The reason is because I can't seem to change them myself.
My attitude is very negative most of the time. I am always in a grouchy mood. No matter how good things are going for me it seems as though I am always looking for someone to be negative toward me just because I am in a bad mood. Another attitude problem I have is feeling things have to go my way and if they are not my way they are not the right way which is not right. Feeling this way gets me in a lot of trouble and it also causes people not to want to be around me.
Secondly, I would improve my financial status. I would have more money than I have now. I would use the money I have very wisely. Instead of trying to keep up with the latest fashion styles and having the attitude that every time I go in a department store I must leave out with a week's worth of clothes for me and my kids. I wish I had the will power to just save more than I spend. Therefore, I wouldn't have to worry about where I am going to get my bill money from, instead of just being able to go to the bank to get the money I need. If I could improve that I wouldn't have to live from pay period to pay period. With two kids I think I should be better off and more responsible than I am.
The last thing I would improve would be my appearance. To me I am overweight. I have two children and I understand with children comes fat--sometimes. I am 5'4, 160 pounds and I really do consider that being overweight compared to what I weighed two years ago, which was 135 pounds. To me that was a perfect weight . I could wear anything I wanted without looking fat. Now, I have to worry about my stomach hanging over my jeans and my leg smiling showing all of those ugly dimples, a.k.a. cellulite. What makes the situation so bad is that I have tried everything from exercising to dieting and nothing has seemed to work for me. I feel very discouraged and with discouragement comes disappointment and that leads to me feeling sorry for myself and feeling sorry for myself leads to anger. I don't like feeling miserable like this. That is why I would improve my appearance.
Therefore, if I could improve three things about myself it would be my attitude which is very negative at times, my financial status and my overweight appearance. I would feel much better about myself if I could change these things.
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