What's your preferred teaching style? by Erick

As a Liberal Studies major at Chico State I have been fortunate enough to work one on one with children in elementary schools. I have been able to observe teachers’ teaching styles. The EDTE 255 required me to observe and assist in a classroom. This really opened my eyes to how an elementary teacher really works when under pressure. I never really paid attention to how much work an actual elementary teacher had to do until I was assigned to observe. It’s a lot different when you aren’t the one being lectured tor or yelled at. “Erick stop talking so much,” or “Erick stop getting out of your seat!” I remember my days in third grade. I now can tell how stressful it might have been for my third grade teacher.

One difference I noticed between the teacher I was assigned to watch and another teacher in that school was the level of comfort their students had with them. I observed my 5^th grade teacher Ms. Frizzle (name has been changed). She was an amazing teacher and she still is today. I was fortunate enough to observe her and her teaching methods. The other teacher though, that I sat in her class one day just to compare, was a lot different from Ms. Frizzle. I noticed she taught more directly, almost like a robot. She was boring and so blunt. She was a new teacher, to be precise; it was her second year teaching. Ms. Frizzle has been teaching for over 20 years and obviously has more experience with children.

One thing Ms. Frizzle did mention to me is how she notices the differences in the teaching style of the newer teachers. She isn’t saying that their teaching style is bad, but just different from hers. She remembers when she first started off teaching; she made sure she knew almost everything possible about her students. She wanted to make her students feel comfortable around her and be able to trust her. She believes trust plays a big role. A teacher needs to build that trust with her students. With trust a teacher is able to have the student open up and really let the teacher help them solve their problems, whether it’s school related or not.

I am looking for your opinion.  Do you think older generation teachers have a different teaching technique compared to the newer generation of teachers?  What have you observed in your field experience placements?  Comment below or on Facebook.

            

Making Stress Your Friend by Krista

Hey all! I hope everyone reading has had a great week and are managing well! For this blog, I really want to pay attention to stress. As the semester continues it is so easy to get engulfed in stress that you feel yourself struggling- or almost drowning in some cases. And guess what, I totally get it! I watched this awesome Ted Talk the other evening that has to do with stress and I thought I would share it with all of you! I found it really motivational and it helped me create a new foundation for thinking about stress and how it affects my life. The Ted Talk itself is called “How To MakeStress Your Friend”  ,but here is the link  

I know what you may be thinking though - why would I listen to this? Well, the magic is, when you are sitting there stressed and panicking but somehow end up on my blog, give it a try to kill time and hopefully relax a little bit!

Make sure that you are also taking time for yourself. It is necessary to provide yourself with many options throughout your day/week. I find it helpful to spread out dedications and availability because it allows me to dedicate specific time to “sanity."  Personally, if I don’t set aside this time, there is pretty much a zero chance that I will take the time for leisurely activities on my own. I sometimes find myself panicking and driving myself into the ground, so by taking the time out of my schedule for myself, it allows me that extra flexibility that I don’t even realize I needed!

There are many ways to do this, which I will be touching on throughout the semester! Keep checking in to read about athletic opportunities, current situations in my life, social opportunities, and assistance (both on and off campus). 

How to Save Money While Going to College by Lidia

Is it difficult for you to save money throughout the semester? I know that for me making sure I will have enough money for the whole semester is difficult especially with back to school shopping.  I usually get a little carried away and purchase things I do not need and buying textbooks for classes can also get expensive.  We cannot leave out the eating out with our friends on special occasions.  There are simple little tricks that have worked for me to save money that I would like to share with you.  Cutting out simple things here and there adds up and before you know it, you have saved more money than you thought.

1. Don’t get carried away with back to school shopping! As hard as it may seem, only buy what you actually need and reuse utensils from other semesters. Some easy things to reuse are backpacks, binders, pencils, and pens
2.   Borrow books from friends or purchase a used copy of the textbook chances are that someone you know may have a copy of the book you need and are willing to let you borrow it. 
3. Pack your lunch. If you know that you do not have time to go home and eat, it is very simple to pack your lunch instead of buying something overpriced on campus.
4. Walk to school, bike, or use public transportation limiting your car use will help you save gas money as well as money used to park your vehicle.
5. Find out when restaurants have student specials and plan a night out with your friends on that day.
6. Don’t spend money on unnecessary items.  Cutting out cable may save you some money and give you more time to focus on schoolwork.

Meet the PALS: Fall 2015

Lidia and her dog

Hello, my name is Lidia Leal and I am a peer advisor in the Liberal Studies major and I would like to tell a little about myself.  First of all, I am a local student, which means that I commute to school Monday through Friday.  At times it seems a little tedious but it is also nice to have a home cooked meal almost every day of the week with my family.  I am interested in almost anything that has do with outdoors; something as simple as a walk through the orchard with my dogs or as scary as beekeeping. 

I am a junior and I am pursuing a major in Liberal Studies with a bilingual option.  In the future I would like to teach at a local elementary school between 1^st or 2^nd grade.  My preference would be 2^nd grade because I was really inspired by my 2^nd grade teacher. She was really understanding and thoughtful in meeting the needs of all her students.  I think that being a peer advisor has helped me become more understanding and thoughtful in order to meet the students’ needs.  Over the past year it has been a great experience to meet many other students and offer them some of my knowledge to help them do their absolute best here at Chico State.  I am really looking forward to meeting more Liberal Studies students and answer any questions or simply just to have a nice talk.  

Hello everyone my name is Erick Garcia and I am a Liberal Studies major with a bilingual option. I am passionate in what I plan to pursue one day and that is becoming a college counselor. It’s a little different compared to everyone else who wants to become a teacher, but different is good. I am the oldest of three brothers and the first to graduate college in my family. I am a very passionate person and love to help people in any way possible, which is why I joined PALS, to assist students in any way. It doesn’t matter if you need help picking classes, switching majors, or just to talk about your day. I love playing soccer and going to the Wrec. Friends and family are important to me because they‘re our support system and we all need a little support now and then. Well, hopefully I will see many of you who are reading this in Tehama 211.  Remember that we are here to help you.  

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Hi there, my name is Krista Freeze. I am a senior here at the university. I am really excited to start blogging and sharing my research and experience with all of you! First, I’d like to tell you a bit about myself. I am a second year peer advisor, and the new TTEC peer advisor. I am in a sorority on campus known as Gamma Phi Beta. I love photography and I also spend a lot of time at the gym. I work in two departments at In Motion Fitness off East 1^st Street as a lifeguard and at the daycare. I absolutely love children and working with them. I have been lifeguarding for seven years now along with teaching swim lessons.

I think it is so fun to watch children learn and grow and being a part of that process as a Liberal Studies major makes me very happy. I am also minoring in Special Education and plan to go into the Concurrent Credential program in fall of 2016 here as well.

I am really excited to start blogging! I have never done it before and I look forward to sharing my findings with all of you. My email is kfreeze1@mail.csuchico.edu if anyone would like to contact me! I have office hours in the Liberal Studies office as well. I have attached a simple picture of my brother and myself so you can get a feel for who I am! Thanks for reading!

Summer Challenge

Coming out of an intense finals week is considered a relief. No more papers, no more deadlines and so on. Surprisingly, it is the disappearance of all these tasks and obligations that prevents many students from fully enjoying their summer vacation. When structure in our lives disappears and we are left with open schedules and empty planners, it actually results in a whole lot of nothing, Netflix and Nutterbutters. How many times have you reached the end of a summer and thought "I didn't do a THING!" I am challenging you to do some brainstorming and have a fun, meaningful summer...one worth remembering! 

Here are some ideas to consider...

1) Help Someone Who Needs You

Every town/city is full of people in need. You might help serve meals at a homeless shelter or become a volunteer visitor at an assisted living facility. You can find these opportunities through your city's website or often through local religious organizations.

2. Set A Health Goal

If you are like me, by the end of finals week you probably haven't seen the gym in a while. Now that you have this extra time, set a personal health goal! Look for fitness or sports clubs in your area. Many offer student discounts. If running interests you, Fleet Feet offers wonderful, affordable running groups for all ability levels.  FF is located in most towns. Finally, if you don't feel like joining a group or club, visit Pinterest--->health, for some great ideas.

3. Learn a New Skill

We might think of summer as a time to shut off our brains, and we should all take a little time to do that, but this break is also an opportunity to explore interests outside of school. For example, if painting is something you've always wanted to try, Michael's craft store offers weekly painting lessons for a very affordable price. Most communities also have opportunities such as foreign language groups or meditation/discussion groups (e.g. Chico Dharma Center). 

4. Go to New Place 

Traveling makes us better, more open individuals. You don't need to travel to an expensive, tropical resort to get the benefits. Along the coast of California are beautiful little towns and beaches as well as many, many clean, highly-rated hostels. You can stay at these hostels for $25-30 each night. I personally recommend Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel which is located near Point Reyes. The hostel is on the edge of cliff and has a great hot tub that overlooks the ocean. Many travelers come through here and in a single night I had the opportunity to meet people from both Holland and Germany. Treat yourself to an enriching experience for a low cost.

These are just a few ideas for your summer! Make it fun and make it meaningful to yourself and to others!

-Kaitlin 

Closing Thoughts as an Undergrad

Wow where has the time gone!

It seems like only yesterday I was watching my mom and grandma pull away after dropping me off at the dorms, my stomach slowly sinking as the feeling of impending doom crept upon me. I hated change and loved home, so living four hours away at college was one of the scariest things I had ever done. I felt that there was no way I was going to fit in here, no way I was going to find friend as great as the ones I had left at home, and no way I was going to succeed. Boy was I wrong.

Graduating in 3 years was something I used to just tell people I was going to do because that’s what my program entitled me to do. But low and behold, here I am a soon to be (sane) college graduate entering the credential program, who has had just about the best three years I could ever ask for. I would definitely have to attribute a heavy bulk of that to the Liberal Studies program and the ITEC program, for allowing me such amazing opportunities both in school and in the community. If anything, these past three years have reaffirmed that I am in the exact right major/career path for me.

This past year as a Peer Advisor in Liberal Studies has blessed me with many amazing opportunities to branch out and connect with other in my major. It also allowed me to meet other majors throughout the school and see what they have to offer, as well as show what we’re all about. I have been able to see the extent to which our major really excels and helps set people up for their future. My pride in Liberal Studies has grown exponentially, and I’ve loved taking the time to spread the word to not only other majors, but administrators, incoming freshman, and high schoolers as well. When I look back on my time here as an undergrad, my memories from my year as a PALS will definitely stand out from all the rest. 

~Lisa

Parents and Commuting…the struggle

Commuting is not an easy thing. It puts a burden on you and how you can spend your time wisely. It can also affect your family. There can be some commuters out there who may have families who stress about you coming home and not staying in Chico too long. Maybe not all students who commute have parents like these, but I know I did. My parents would worry too much if I was going to come home or stay in Chico for the day. Sometimes I had to stay in Chico to get some extra studying in or go to group meetings. Having them stress would stress me out and make me leave and never really attend my study sessions or group meetings because I always tried to make my family happy. 

Sometimes you have to realize that your education is more important then always giving your parents what they want. Family is a huge part of our lives and they are the people in our lives who will always be there for us, but we have to realize that school comes first at times. Students who commute know that it is a hassle to get up and drive to school everyday. Sometimes you just want to leave school for the day and relax, but no, we have to drive home for about 30 minutes or more. 

One solution would be moving to Chico, but again there can be some parents who aren't very fond of the idea. Again, we have to do what is best for us and our education. We can get a lot more done if we just lived in Chico. We are able to take more classes and dedicate more time to our studies. Sure some people may not have trouble commuting and finding the time to study, but for some people it can be hard. I am not going to say move out! What I am trying to say is, find ways to make your life a lot easier. Sometimes we have to put our foot down and do what’s best for us.