It's all one big package.

One of the main themes that I have been thinking about through this whole course is how IT'S ALL ONE BIG PACKAGE. What I mean by that is that a child is a whole. They can not be separated into who they are at school and then who they are at home, who they are as a friend, etc. Each of our lives is made of a continuous sequence of events and many of these issues will be encountered if not in our own lifethan in someone that we know or in a student that we teach. This is what has motivated me to understand the complexities and symptoms of the topics that we are talking about. As a teacher, we may be the only one that is able to reach out to a specific child. But at the same time, the line from the panel keeps reminding me "there is only one Savior."

A child who is in foster care comes with a lot in his or her package. This is not something that can be left at the current home they are in or that they can disregard from the last one. They make attachments at the old home and if transferred to a new, they may try not to form any attachments in an effort to protect themselves. There are the good homes with caring families and encouragement, but there are also the really bad homes where one would wonder if they may be better off with their original parents. It all comes down to the child just wanting to be loved. They do not chose their condition or circumstances and they are just moved from one place to the next; in some cases school may be their only security. As a teacher I want to provide that loving and stable environment for any foster children that should come into my class. Like I said, all they really need is love. I can show that to them by getting them oriented into the class, trying to build a positive relationship with the foster guardians, and simply taking a personal interest in them as a person.

Also, the panel with the counselors and the paras helped me to realize again the deeply seeded issues and "baggage" that students come to school with. This is their life. The counselors helped me to see that children will face a wide range of needs and I want to be able to utilize their profession by knowing the children in my class. I need to be aware of what is going on in their lives, and what should be mended before they move on from middle school or high school or onto what ever step they have next. The same goes for the paras. They are there to help! What more could I ask for than another adult in the room to support me in my mission as a teacher to help everyone succeed.

Finally on the sexuality issue, this is something that I feel I may still be somewhat naive about. I want to believe that every child understands his or her self worth. I want to be believe that they abstain until marriage. But I also know that the environment that children grow up in is relentless. They are constantly being fed and surrounded with sex. The TV, their peers, the media...the environment tells children to do what is contrary to what they need...they need to be LOVED. I don't know what the best answer is for sex education. I do know that it needs to be addressed. In an ideal world these values and teachings on the beauty of sex and the body would come from the home, from two loving parents who model this and are able to convey it to their children. But the reality is that school may be the only place where they receive guidance that will help them to see the affects of having sex, including the terrible STDs and emotional results of premarital sex.

Altogether there is just so much that a child has to deal with. But school has so much to offer to support them through it. I want to utilize all of my resources and knowledge to make it just a little bit lighter of a package for them.