My Research Paper

Since our research paper is due on April 1st, I want to start it before it is due because I tend to wait until the night before to start projects and papers; well not this time! I have my outline done to the fullest, all I need to do now is put it into a paper and make my thoughts complete. I have enough information and articles to make 6 pages, I think. Before I start really getting into writing the paper, however, I want to get input from my sponsor and mentor because they may have some really good information about my topic. Maybe they will know a good book or two that I could use, rather than using all electronic sources. I did though already write my first paragraph, so I am kind of on my way! Haa (: Once I really start on this, I am going to be so happy!

Friday was a no-go! =/

So on Friday, I was supposed to go to my sponsor because I haven't met with her in a while! I decided to e-mail her and set up that I would come see her on Friday around 1:30. Well as usual, I left school and went on my way to School #5. When I got there, come to find out Mrs. Teti called in sick and was not there. So instead of returning back to school for half an hour, I decided to go home and run some errands. She had e-mailed me and told me to come this week and that she would let me know when she was planning on returning to school. Hopefully, this week I will get to meet up with her and catch up on the time lost. Although, after this blog I am going to e-mail her and ask her a few questions I have on my research paper. Maybe she'll give me some good input on that and that way I can be on my way to writing a good research paper! (:

St. Patrick's Day

Today is Saint Patrick's Day, and even though it is on a Tuesday this year, many people will still be out to celebrate it. Over the weekend that just passed, on Sunday, there was a Saint Patrick's Day parade and celebration held. I heard it was a lot of fun and very tiring, one of my teachers told me so.

Many people think of St. Patrick's Day as little leprechauns and pots of gold and all that fun stuff; however, it is a religious holiday that the Irish have been celebrating for over a thousand years. The first St. Patrick's Day parade was not held in Ireland, but in the UNITED STATES- crazy, right!? Since the holiday is celebrated during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families tend to go to church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Since Lent makes people not able to eat meat people dance, drink, and feast on Irish bacon and cabbage.

People would never really think of Saint Patrick's Day like this, however, this is the TRUE meaning of the holiday. It is a time to have fun! (:

Pi Day

So this year Pi Day was celebrated on Friday the 13th, and boy was it an extravaganza! This year it was pretty exciting! Mr. Davidson won the "Pie in the Face" contest, however, he would not let anyone put the pie in his face. We were all fascinated when Brittany Robertson and Symone Robinson tried to smash him with a pie. They were not lucky however, because Mr. Davidson made dip moves and matrix moves- it was crazy!! He actually threw himself on the ground to avoid getting a pie in the face. Although, at the end when everything was being cleaned up, Sam Messner threw one at him and got him right on his head and side of the face- it was so funny! The wall however was also smashed with chocolate pie! It was a pretty exciting time at our annual Pi Day Celebration! (:

Only TEN more dayss!! (:

So my birthday is in ten days and I am so excited because I am finally going to be LEGAL! (; My mom and dad are finally allowing me to get a tattoo; therefore, I am hoping they start treating me as an adult, rather than how they treat me now! Since my birthday is on a Friday, I am hoping to go out with my friends and be with them all weekend. However, I am still celebrating with my family on my birthday. We are having ice cream cake at my house and I'm sure a few close friends will be included! (: Well, I just keep counting down the days until I turn eighteen because I am excited. It probably won't feel any different, but it has me looking forward to something good! When March 20 does come around I better get "Happy Birthday Aliccia" in the hallways and everything! :D

Intro Paragraph

Educational research is increasingly determining how to retain quality teachers. As I found on EBSO, a website to find primary documents, in different states and school districts they are trying many different things to keep quality teachers. For example, in an article from New York Times, at the capital advisers spoke about how getting rid of being tenured would help to keep quality teachers. However, some articles were saying that being tenured gives the teachers a sense of job security and makes them know that they are guaranteed their jobs after four years! The opinions go back and forth on how to keep quality teachers, so what is the real solution- only the researchers can come up with it!

This is what i got so far for my introduction paragraph, so what do you think!?

More Research...

I read an article that was saying how teachers really only care about how much they are getting payed, in Cumberland County. Cumberland County has lost almost 500 teachers, last year, because of the salary they were receiving. For example, most of the teachers moved on to places where the salaries were the highest. So, basically teachers were greedy and wanted to leave certain districts in order to make more; which that is not a quality teacher, they should care more about teaching the students, NOT about how much they make. It makes me angry that teachers don't care about their students, they basically only do the career to make as much money as they can! It is not fair for the students because it is affecting their education and the facts that they need to know, in order to succeed. I mean this might not be the number one cause of retaining quality teachers, although it could be a major cause of it.

The following is the link to the article:
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=6&hid=3&sid=932723c8-b0ff-4f37-bf7d-8e7ddf203283%40sessionmgr8&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=nfh&AN=2W62W63519800546

Teacher Tenure: A Battle in the Capital

I read an article on New York Times called, "Teacher Tenure: A Battle in the Capital." It was about how getting rid of the tenure plan would not solve the issue of the educational systems. For example, Michelle Rhee wants to get rid of the tenure program and raise salaries of the better teachers; however, this will not help with the issue of retaining quality teachers. A group of researchers want to start to decrease class sizes, reduce school sizes, make sure the students come to class on a full stomach, and so on. They feel that if this starts to come in affect, it will improve the students behavior in the classrooms, which will help the teachers be able to teach better and get their lessons across easily. I want to research more on how other schools and states are thinking of ways to improve their school systems and such.

The following is the link to the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/opinion/l15teacher.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=retaining%20teachers&st=cse