User:Sthur002

Introduction

Hi and welcome to my page. My name is Stacy Thurber and I am a student here at Old Dominion University. I am not only a student here at ODU, but I am a substitute teacher for Newport News Public Schools, Williamsburg-James City County and Gloucester County Public Schools. I know that sounds like a lot and yes sometimes it can be, but I have wanted to be a teacher since High School and have come to realize that in order to get your foot in the door you have to make yourself known.

Besides being a substitute teacher and a student, another one of my many roles is that I am a member of Alpha Phi International Fraternity. My sisters are my life and without them I really do not feel that I would be here where I am today. The sisters of Alpha Phi came along when I needed them the most, of course at the time I did not realize it, but I do now and do not hesitate to mention it to anyone that I meet.

I think the last and perhaps the most important role that I have in life, besides being a future teacher, is that of a wife. I am married to the most wonderful man in the world, Rob, who is in the Air Force. We have been married for almost 4 years and have loved every minute of it. Yes, it is not the easiest life at times, but the many people that I have met so far are all wonderful and dear friends of mine and I would not want to change that for anything.

That is all that I have for now, but for those of you that are interested in seeing what I look like, what my husband looks like and what my furry puppies look like (sorry did I forget to mention that I have dogs) please check back in the coming days and I will post some pictures.

What is Education

I believe the purpose of education is to provide every child an equal opportunity to learn. As a future high school social studies teacher, I feel that it is my duty to ensure equality in the classroom. I also believe that education should prepare children for life beyond the school walls, while at the same time allowing for experimentation with individual interests. As a student, I feel that education has provided me with more than content knowledge. I have also gained values and socialization skills. In my opinion, education should involve students in democratic activities and reflective thinking. Education can take various forms, but should produce the same outcome, which is ability to become productive citizens. I believe that teaching should involve the infusion of historical events, the concepts of today and the expectations of the tomorrow. In my opinion, this is the only way to ensure that each student receives an ideal education. I believe that learning should be a cooperative endeavor between the teacher and students. It is a shared responsibility with the teacher being responsible for providing the knowledge and presenting it in a comprehensible manner while the students are responsible for asking questions and forming their own conclusions. The role of the teacher is multidimensional and he/she needs to find an appropriate balance between these. The teacher is the authority figure, but should allow for a democratic classroom, rather than a dictatorship. He or she should ensure the environment of the classroom fosters learning, while keeping the children safe. This is the expectation for my classroom. I want for my students to feel comfortable asking questions. To me, a teacher should be caring, compassionate and trustworthy. They should nurture, guide and be a moral role model for their students. Although teachers are often the disciplinary figures, they are also motivators and facilitators who promote independent learning. Students also assume many roles. It is their job to attend school and actively participate. I believe that they should engage in independent learning and conclusion making, while being responsible and courteous. It is the obligation of the student to ask questions to ensure understanding. As a teacher, I will provide opportunities for class discussion and questioning. Through the efforts of the teacher and the curriculum, students should learn civic duties to prepare them to become efficient citizens. Knowledge cannot be confined to any one particular area. I believe that the curriculum should not be biased. It must encompass all aspects of society. Multiculturalism is essential to facilitate understanding and acceptance while eliminating discrimination. I think that this is the key for the future. I think that for a child to understand his or her future, they must understand their past. I also believe that children learn best through interaction; therefore, the classroom should offer hands-on teaching methods and activities. Interests of the students should not be ignored, but I don’t feel it should be the entire basis for education. To me, the main purpose of education is to instill children with the knowledge to succeed or survive in society depending on what decisions that they make. I can not identify with any one particular philosophy of education. I am able to identify with certain aspects of each. For instance, I agree with the progressivisist idea that schools should help students develop personal and social values. I also agree that new ideas are important to make the future better than the past. I can also identify with perennialism because I believe that students should learn about the Western Culture. To a certain degree I also can relate to essentialism. I think that the back-to basics approach is a good idea. Additionally, I believe that students should learn discipline, hard work and respect from authority. This is necessary for a better society. For this reason I can also associate with reconstuctionism. I believe that education should transform society to a certain extent. It seems that I have tendencies toward most of the philosophies, which in my opinion is good because it indicates adaptability.

Important Sites

http://www.alphaphi.org

http://www.airforce.com

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/

Pictures



This is a picture of my husband and I from last Thanksgiving.