My hometown.
“Kids don't remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” This quote was spoken by the creator of “The Muppets”, Jim Henson, and was published in his collaborative book of quotes; It’s Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider. Many questions arise when thinking about the true definition of what makes a “good” teacher. Is a good teacher ranked by how much information the students retain? Or by how much fun the students have? Or by how comfortable students are around their teacher? What defines a “good” teacher? All of these qualities define small characteristics to makeup a good teachers. In addition, many events and occurrences shape people into the teacher they are today. Childhood, various occasions, incidents, people, religion, and other factors have already influenced who I am as a person and who I will be as a teacher in the future.
I was born in Farmington Hills, Michigan, where my family and I have lived for 18 years. The city of Farmington Hills prides itself on being nationally ranked in the 46th safest city in the United States and the third safest city in the state of Michigan. With minimal robberies, break-ins, murders, and other crimes, Farmington Hills was and still is a very harmless and close-knit community to grow up in. This city is predominantly a white, suburban area with a population of about 80,300 people. Seventy-six percent of the population is Caucasian, 12% is American Indian alone, 9% is African American alone, and 2% are two or more races. The current age demographics of Farmington Hills include the following: 8% of the population range from age 75 and older, 7% range from 65-74 years old, 12% range from 0-9, and 18% range from ages 10-24. Majority of the population in Farmington Hills ranges from 25-55 years of age (42%). This is understandable due to its thriving business community, exemplified by the lowest vacancy rate for corporate real estate in the metropolitan Detroit area.
The resources and businesses within the area allow for families to move here, stay here, and grow here. My father works four miles away from home, which gave him flexibility to attend sporting events, take time off to travel, and go to and from work without hassle. Having him around in close proximity has really benefitted me. Family is the most important aspect of my life. Total employment is more than 79,000 personnel, including a vast, highly-skilled technical workforce. Botsford Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in Michigan and the main site is located in Farmington Hills, which offers many job opportunities and good wages to local doctors, nurses, etc. The Robert Bosch Corporation, Quicken Loans, Cengage Learning Gale, and Chrysler Financial Services are other businesses and corporations that provide local workers many jobs and also attract many commuters. Living in an area highly impacted by the work force has given me a good sense of what work ethic is and how to best motivate myself to work hard.
My home is centrally located within the city. My house is about 4 miles from my middle school, post office, and local library; about a half of a mile from the grocery, many restaurants, and gas stations; and about 5 miles from my old high school. Visiting the entertainment center and shopping mall was a hot spot growing up, which was only about 3 miles away from my home. I live in a very privileged area that tended to all of my needs and beyond. The average cost of a house in my hometown is $234.871 as of 2011. The socioeconomic classes include the following: 12% $15,000-$34,999, 10% $35,000-$49,999, 16% $75,000-$99,999, 17% $50,000-$74,999, 18% $80,000-$99,999, and 27% $100,000-$149,999. Evidently, my neighborhood and community is on the wealthier end of the spectrum.
With communities, comes education. With education, come schools and school districts. Oakland school district contains 20 schools. On average, there are about one to three schools every mile on the grid. My city consists of four public high schools, one private high school, two private middle/elementary schools, two public middle schools, two public upper elementary schools, nine public elementary schools, and two early childhood centers. Three of the twenty schools are Catholic-affiliated. I attended the St. Fabian Catholic Elementary and Middle school; in addition to, Mercy Catholic High School. There are no charters or magnet schools in my district.
Attending Catholic schools has been extremely beneficial in terms of providing a strong foundation for my beliefs. Catholicism is very certain about its opinions and beliefs about many aspects of life. For example, debatable topics such as abortion, death penalty, gay marriage, and divorce are either completely pro or con in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Faith is a huge part of who I am and the beliefs of the Catholic Church have been a part of my life since I birth. I believe having that strong establishment in my life will affect where I want to teach in the future, in regards to religion, and how I will run my classroom.
The population of my elementary school was 550 students (at least 60 per class). I like how small elementary and middle school was because it allowed for more intimate relationships with people, rather than many mutual relations. I was able to grow up with them during the important years of my life where friendships were important in order to feel accepted and loved. My social relations from middle school to high school were not extremely altered. The population of Mercy High School was about 720 students (180 per class). Even though I was not as close with everyone in my grade, I did familiarize myself with most of the girls. Interactions between people and their perceptions of various groups and cliques are what transform people into how they carry themselves today. My whole life I have surrounded myself with people who are fun-loving, easy-going, loyal, and bubbly. The girls who I associate myself with make good decisions and avoid negative influences. Establishing these friendships allow me to see how well I get along with different personalities, as well as how to avoid conflicts between others. Knowing different personalities is beneficial as a teacher because I can observe both strong relationships between students along with the bully-like interactions and act upon it.
The student body is made up of young women from over 60 metropolitan Detroit communities, giving Mercy a rich, multi-ethnic constituency from diverse, socio-economic backgrounds. Thirty-two percent of the student population is African American, 48% percent of the population is Caucasian, 7% is Asian American, 7% are Indian American and 6% are foreign exchange students from mostly Europe and Asia. Mercy High School prides itself on diversity. The mission statement is “a Catholic college preparatory school for young women fostering spiritual, intellectual, moral, physical, and cultural development. Enriched by students from diverse backgrounds, Mercy High nurtures compassionate leaders committed to addressing human needs, working for justice and serving the poor”. Diversity is important in a classroom because it provides our culture with unique and inspirational perspectives.
Unfortunately, it was quite costly to attend my high school. While tuition was high, so were food prices and fundraisers. The per student expenditure at Mercy High School was about $350.00 per semester. Playing sports were costly, as well. The sports programs available to athletes included the following: basketball, bowling, cross country, equestrian, field hockey, figure skating, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, pompon, skiing, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. The numerous extracurricular clubs and student organizations available to students included: International Thespian Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, French Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Latin Honor Society, Art Club, B.A.S.E (Black Awareness Society for Education), Science Club, Mercy Works Club, Model United Nations, National Honor Society, Pastoral Team, Technology Club, Student Government, and Human Relations Council. There was a place for everyone. Cliques were very prominent at Mercy; however, there wasn’t any bullying between cliques or putting another group down. Life is too short to be rude to others; moreover, the classroom motto will be the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. In the lunchroom, an observer would see the theater kids, the athletes, the freshman, the “Black” corner, the bookworms, and the party girls. I associated myself with the athletes and the theater kids.
I would not be the person I am today without my friends. My best friends lived in close proximity to me, which made the world of a difference. I rely on my friends for support, advice, and loyalty. I know they are always there for me. Having friends live close to you while growing up is vital with shaping the person you are into a strong, confident individual. Establishing these types of bonds in the classroom and outside provides security and even confidence. At school, my friends and I would play tag, hopscotch, gossip time, sing, and makeup dances. Like them, I was very energetic and excited to learn in the classroom. I rarely spoke out in class; however, I was immersed in everything I learned. These characteristics carried over to high school. I always did my homework on time and studied to the best of my ability. I was an excellent student in the classes where I was exceptionally fond of my teachers. My favorite teacher was my senior year Microbiology teacher. The information was fun, every class was exciting, and he truly wanted us to succeed in his class. When he was enthused, the whole class was enthused.
The article, The Culture Builder, discusses the impact that school culture has on a student. “The way we do things around here” has a far greater influence on life and learning than the principal, parents, and teachers, do. Mercy High School’s culture was based on diversity and creating women who make a difference. Majority of the student population and faculty were in agreement with the culture at Mercy. In order to change a school’s culture; however, it takes time and cooperation. For example, if people didn’t like certain aspects of Mercy, or “nondiscussables”, then that group of people would need to transform the negatives starting at the beginning of the next school year.
Nondiscussables are apparent to newcomers and they may be “hospitable…or toxic” (Barth). One nondiscussable problem that could arise within the Mercy community could be the fact that Catholic schools sometimes try to pressure being Catholic on the students too harshly. We pray at the beginning of the day and attend mass once a month. The way we dress should not be affected by our religious beliefs. Mercy students were required to wear uniforms with other restrictions. Why should it matter if we dye our hair ridiculous colors? Or paint our nails outrageously? Should we be punished for creativity? Expression of oneself is a freedom that doesn’t go against our faith with God. Many students felt that these rules should be exempt. Fortunately, as the years progressed, administration heard these nondiscussables and relaxed their grasp on the way we dressed. Culture building requires the courage of someone to address the issue. The student body courageously spoke up about their complaints and the problem was nearly resolved.
It’s important to remember that “the fewer the nondiscussables; the healthier the school” (Barth). This type of school system and district is my ideal working environment as a teacher. I hope to use many of my positive attributes to promote healthy environments for my future students. I believe that growing up and experiencing the community I have lived in will benefit my students and pass on qualities that they can carry with them the rest of their life.
Works Cited
Barth, Roland S. "The Culture Builder." Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. EBSCO Publishing, n.d. 12 Oct 2012.
"Data Center: Kids Count." Farmington Hills Demographics: Michigan. Annie E. Casey Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Oct 2012.
http://datacenter.kidscount.org/
Earle, Julie. "Mercy High School." Educating Women Who Make A Difference. Brain Wraps Web Design, 13 2012. Web. 15 Oct 2012.
www.mhsmi.org
Henson, Jim, and Cheryl Henson. It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider. 1st ed. . New York City : Hyperion Books, 2005. Print.
http://www.adprima.com/tipson.htm
"The Oakland Press." Farmington Hills Ranked Third Safest City. MI Central Netword, 08 2012. Web. 12 Oct 2012.
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2012/02/08/news/local_news/doc4f3308a1f2bcb881186859.txt
I was born in Farmington Hills, Michigan, where my family and I have lived for 18 years. The city of Farmington Hills prides itself on being nationally ranked in the 46th safest city in the United States and the third safest city in the state of Michigan. With minimal robberies, break-ins, murders, and other crimes, Farmington Hills was and still is a very harmless and close-knit community to grow up in. This city is predominantly a white, suburban area with a population of about 80,300 people. Seventy-six percent of the population is Caucasian, 12% is American Indian alone, 9% is African American alone, and 2% are two or more races. The current age demographics of Farmington Hills include the following: 8% of the population range from age 75 and older, 7% range from 65-74 years old, 12% range from 0-9, and 18% range from ages 10-24. Majority of the population in Farmington Hills ranges from 25-55 years of age (42%). This is understandable due to its thriving business community, exemplified by the lowest vacancy rate for corporate real estate in the metropolitan Detroit area.
The resources and businesses within the area allow for families to move here, stay here, and grow here. My father works four miles away from home, which gave him flexibility to attend sporting events, take time off to travel, and go to and from work without hassle. Having him around in close proximity has really benefitted me. Family is the most important aspect of my life. Total employment is more than 79,000 personnel, including a vast, highly-skilled technical workforce. Botsford Hospital is one of the largest hospitals in Michigan and the main site is located in Farmington Hills, which offers many job opportunities and good wages to local doctors, nurses, etc. The Robert Bosch Corporation, Quicken Loans, Cengage Learning Gale, and Chrysler Financial Services are other businesses and corporations that provide local workers many jobs and also attract many commuters. Living in an area highly impacted by the work force has given me a good sense of what work ethic is and how to best motivate myself to work hard.
My home is centrally located within the city. My house is about 4 miles from my middle school, post office, and local library; about a half of a mile from the grocery, many restaurants, and gas stations; and about 5 miles from my old high school. Visiting the entertainment center and shopping mall was a hot spot growing up, which was only about 3 miles away from my home. I live in a very privileged area that tended to all of my needs and beyond. The average cost of a house in my hometown is $234.871 as of 2011. The socioeconomic classes include the following: 12% $15,000-$34,999, 10% $35,000-$49,999, 16% $75,000-$99,999, 17% $50,000-$74,999, 18% $80,000-$99,999, and 27% $100,000-$149,999. Evidently, my neighborhood and community is on the wealthier end of the spectrum.
With communities, comes education. With education, come schools and school districts. Oakland school district contains 20 schools. On average, there are about one to three schools every mile on the grid. My city consists of four public high schools, one private high school, two private middle/elementary schools, two public middle schools, two public upper elementary schools, nine public elementary schools, and two early childhood centers. Three of the twenty schools are Catholic-affiliated. I attended the St. Fabian Catholic Elementary and Middle school; in addition to, Mercy Catholic High School. There are no charters or magnet schools in my district.
Attending Catholic schools has been extremely beneficial in terms of providing a strong foundation for my beliefs. Catholicism is very certain about its opinions and beliefs about many aspects of life. For example, debatable topics such as abortion, death penalty, gay marriage, and divorce are either completely pro or con in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Faith is a huge part of who I am and the beliefs of the Catholic Church have been a part of my life since I birth. I believe having that strong establishment in my life will affect where I want to teach in the future, in regards to religion, and how I will run my classroom.
The population of my elementary school was 550 students (at least 60 per class). I like how small elementary and middle school was because it allowed for more intimate relationships with people, rather than many mutual relations. I was able to grow up with them during the important years of my life where friendships were important in order to feel accepted and loved. My social relations from middle school to high school were not extremely altered. The population of Mercy High School was about 720 students (180 per class). Even though I was not as close with everyone in my grade, I did familiarize myself with most of the girls. Interactions between people and their perceptions of various groups and cliques are what transform people into how they carry themselves today. My whole life I have surrounded myself with people who are fun-loving, easy-going, loyal, and bubbly. The girls who I associate myself with make good decisions and avoid negative influences. Establishing these friendships allow me to see how well I get along with different personalities, as well as how to avoid conflicts between others. Knowing different personalities is beneficial as a teacher because I can observe both strong relationships between students along with the bully-like interactions and act upon it.
The student body is made up of young women from over 60 metropolitan Detroit communities, giving Mercy a rich, multi-ethnic constituency from diverse, socio-economic backgrounds. Thirty-two percent of the student population is African American, 48% percent of the population is Caucasian, 7% is Asian American, 7% are Indian American and 6% are foreign exchange students from mostly Europe and Asia. Mercy High School prides itself on diversity. The mission statement is “a Catholic college preparatory school for young women fostering spiritual, intellectual, moral, physical, and cultural development. Enriched by students from diverse backgrounds, Mercy High nurtures compassionate leaders committed to addressing human needs, working for justice and serving the poor”. Diversity is important in a classroom because it provides our culture with unique and inspirational perspectives.
Unfortunately, it was quite costly to attend my high school. While tuition was high, so were food prices and fundraisers. The per student expenditure at Mercy High School was about $350.00 per semester. Playing sports were costly, as well. The sports programs available to athletes included the following: basketball, bowling, cross country, equestrian, field hockey, figure skating, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, pompon, skiing, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. The numerous extracurricular clubs and student organizations available to students included: International Thespian Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, French Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Latin Honor Society, Art Club, B.A.S.E (Black Awareness Society for Education), Science Club, Mercy Works Club, Model United Nations, National Honor Society, Pastoral Team, Technology Club, Student Government, and Human Relations Council. There was a place for everyone. Cliques were very prominent at Mercy; however, there wasn’t any bullying between cliques or putting another group down. Life is too short to be rude to others; moreover, the classroom motto will be the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. In the lunchroom, an observer would see the theater kids, the athletes, the freshman, the “Black” corner, the bookworms, and the party girls. I associated myself with the athletes and the theater kids.
I would not be the person I am today without my friends. My best friends lived in close proximity to me, which made the world of a difference. I rely on my friends for support, advice, and loyalty. I know they are always there for me. Having friends live close to you while growing up is vital with shaping the person you are into a strong, confident individual. Establishing these types of bonds in the classroom and outside provides security and even confidence. At school, my friends and I would play tag, hopscotch, gossip time, sing, and makeup dances. Like them, I was very energetic and excited to learn in the classroom. I rarely spoke out in class; however, I was immersed in everything I learned. These characteristics carried over to high school. I always did my homework on time and studied to the best of my ability. I was an excellent student in the classes where I was exceptionally fond of my teachers. My favorite teacher was my senior year Microbiology teacher. The information was fun, every class was exciting, and he truly wanted us to succeed in his class. When he was enthused, the whole class was enthused.
The article, The Culture Builder, discusses the impact that school culture has on a student. “The way we do things around here” has a far greater influence on life and learning than the principal, parents, and teachers, do. Mercy High School’s culture was based on diversity and creating women who make a difference. Majority of the student population and faculty were in agreement with the culture at Mercy. In order to change a school’s culture; however, it takes time and cooperation. For example, if people didn’t like certain aspects of Mercy, or “nondiscussables”, then that group of people would need to transform the negatives starting at the beginning of the next school year.
Nondiscussables are apparent to newcomers and they may be “hospitable…or toxic” (Barth). One nondiscussable problem that could arise within the Mercy community could be the fact that Catholic schools sometimes try to pressure being Catholic on the students too harshly. We pray at the beginning of the day and attend mass once a month. The way we dress should not be affected by our religious beliefs. Mercy students were required to wear uniforms with other restrictions. Why should it matter if we dye our hair ridiculous colors? Or paint our nails outrageously? Should we be punished for creativity? Expression of oneself is a freedom that doesn’t go against our faith with God. Many students felt that these rules should be exempt. Fortunately, as the years progressed, administration heard these nondiscussables and relaxed their grasp on the way we dressed. Culture building requires the courage of someone to address the issue. The student body courageously spoke up about their complaints and the problem was nearly resolved.
It’s important to remember that “the fewer the nondiscussables; the healthier the school” (Barth). This type of school system and district is my ideal working environment as a teacher. I hope to use many of my positive attributes to promote healthy environments for my future students. I believe that growing up and experiencing the community I have lived in will benefit my students and pass on qualities that they can carry with them the rest of their life.
Works Cited
Barth, Roland S. "The Culture Builder." Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. EBSCO Publishing, n.d. 12 Oct 2012.
"Data Center: Kids Count." Farmington Hills Demographics: Michigan. Annie E. Casey Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Oct 2012.
http://datacenter.kidscount.org/
Earle, Julie. "Mercy High School." Educating Women Who Make A Difference. Brain Wraps Web Design, 13 2012. Web. 15 Oct 2012.
www.mhsmi.org
Henson, Jim, and Cheryl Henson. It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider. 1st ed. . New York City : Hyperion Books, 2005. Print.
http://www.adprima.com/tipson.htm
"The Oakland Press." Farmington Hills Ranked Third Safest City. MI Central Netword, 08 2012. Web. 12 Oct 2012.
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2012/02/08/news/local_news/doc4f3308a1f2bcb881186859.txt