Out with the Old, in with the New =)

Since 2011 is coming to a close, I figured now would be a good time as any to reflect on what has happened throughout this year. Of course, like so many others, I have had to face many challenges which have affected my view on life immensely. I’ve learned that saying good-bye, whether to a friend who moves away or to a relative who passes on, is never easy; that no matter who your captain is, if they are not by your side when your ship is sinking then they are not worthy of your commitment or efforts. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way, and this is a ‘to-be-continued’ since I won’t know how my ship will fair until the coming year. I learned that as much as we want things to go our way they seldom ever do.

                Aside from these hurdles, there have been some good times in the year too. I turned the Big 2-1 and had the time of my life with some of the most important people in my life. I saw firsthand that puppies and babies come at the best times. I had many laughs around my kitchen table and driving around in the car with my best friend.

                So, with this, what can I teach you? Well, I guess it starts with the simple things. Enjoy your time with family and friends whenever possible because it is through them that we can better understand ourselves. Their unconditional love makes life bearable when times get tough. Next, do not be ashamed to take some down time. You will help no one if you do not take care of yourself first. Finally, never forget what it is to laugh. Sometimes, in the darkest moments of your life, laughter can be the best medicine at your disposal.

                Now, my New Year wish for you is simple: I wish you always have what you need as opposed to what you want, I wish you learn to love as well as learn what it is to be loved, and I wish you laughter through the tears because there has not been a year without both of them.

P.S. Don’t forget, the best is yet to come <3

Family Values

*This was one of my first essays that I truely felt proud of.

Family Values

            There are three things Mexican families are known for: having a lot of kids, big parties, and being very religious. My family fits this example like a glove because I am one of 50 grandchildren my paternal grandparents had and I am proud to be part of such a big family. Of course, being one of 50 can be hard at times because I never really knew my grandparents like some of my cousins did. My dad did his best to keep us in touch with them, but I still wasn’t close to them despite all our visits to their house. Not until my grandma died did I realize that out of all the memories I had of the visits, I never really saw my grandpa.

            As time passed my grandpa re-married and moved from his house but I still wasn’t close to him, even refusing to go to his wedding. One day while in my History class a sudden pang of guilt hit me and it nearly left me in tears: I missed my grandpa, I needed to talk to him and strongly felt the need to see him. That afternoon I went home and my mom brought up a very good point, “Just call him.” I picked up the receiver and when I heard his voice on the other line I felt the knot in my throat get bigger. It felt so good talking to him. During the conversation I realized how empty my life was without my grandpa, then I said three little words that I had never told him before, “I love you” and without hesitation he said, “I love you too.”

            By my sophomore year we had grown closer and my dad and I would go visit him every weekend. At the end of every visit I never forgot to tell him that I loved him because I feared that I would never get that chance to tell him again. In December my grandpa told us that he had to have triple-bypass surgery, his second one since he was 50. I went with my dad to visit him in the hospital and I will never forget the sight of him in his hospital gown. My grandpa’s the type of man that doesn’t like to show pain or sadness in front of anyone, so despite his having trouble breathing, he told me he would be okay. I went to school the next day and all I could think about was my grandpa. His surgery was only supposed to be three hours, so my eyes never left the clock. When I got home, my mom told me the surgery ended up being eight hours long and they had some complications, my grandpa was in a coma. That night I went to go see him and all I could think about was how mad I was at the doctors, how could they have gotten my grandpa into a coma, why him? The next couple of days I got sick, so I wasn’t allowed to see my grandpa, which ripped me apart, I wanted to see him but couldn’t. When I was some-what better, my dad came into my room and told me that everyone had decided to take my grandpa off of life support that night. He asked if I wanted to go, but he told me, “I don’t want you to remember him like this, but it’s up to you.” After 5 minutes I decided to go see him.

            I walked in and my family was everywhere, in the lobby, the waiting room downstairs, the elevator, we were like a sea of paparazzi waiting for some celebrity to come through the doors, they had to make a line outside the room he was in so everyone could see him. Finally my turn came and my parents walked in with me, my heart felt like a sledgehammer hitting cement. When we got to his station, my heart sunk, he was nothing like the strong man I had seen before he came to the hospital. He looked as if he was in pain and you could see his chest going up and down. I realized the respirator was the only thing keeping him going. I took my grandpa’s frail hand and was prepared to tell him that I loved him, that it was okay for him to go, but all that came out of my mouth was, “Grandpa…” My mom told me to give him a blessing, so I made the sign of the cross on him and walked away before my tears became hysterics and I held them until the waiting room doors, after that I felt like my inner dam burst.

            I remember waking up the next morning and my dad told me my grandpa passed away before they could take him off of life support, I had no more tears to cry. I didn’t realize that he wasn’t going to be around anymore until we reached the cemetery and I saw his white casket marked with the lipstick stains of my cousins, and then it hit me. I kissed his casket and walked away, determined not to look back, fearing that if I did it would drive me crazy.

            Looking back I thank God that I got the chance to spend time with him, that I got a chance to get to know him and make up for the lost times of my childhood. I still miss him greatly and at times it’s still hard to talk about him. His wife told me that before he died, he told her that I was one of his favorites and I realized that I touched my grandpa’s life, even if it was only for a while. I have no regrets except not telling him that I loved him that night at the hospital, and without him I would be lost. I still keep in touch with his wife, but sometimes it’s painful to walk into the house he lived in and not see him sitting in front of the T.V. asleep while waiting for me to show up. When I think about my grandpa I will always remember him that way, waiting for me patiently, because he always seemed to understand me more than anyone ever did.

Persuasive Essay

Cyber Bullying in El Paso School Districts

                Bullying has come a long way since those days of teasing in the school yards. Technological advances now make it possible for the bullies to go home with children of all ages, and this is important for school districts in our El Paso areas to notice. In researching four El Paso school districts’ student code of conduct it is safe to say that cyber bullying is in the handbook, but not all of them are taking the necessary precautions to make it an important topic within the districts’ policies. For this reason it is necessary that all El Paso school districts write in specific rules and regulations involving cyberbullying in order to protect all their students from future harm.

                The reason that cyber bullying is important to take note of is simple: our children need to feel safe in and out of school regardless of what Medias they use to keep in contact with the outside world. In the tables below from cyberbullying.us/research we see the technological means used most by children ages 10-18 as well as the percentages of students who have been cyberbullied. The use of technology shows a large usage in cell phones, but there are still other higher percentages included as well. This tells us that with an increase in technology use we can expect to see more means for bullies to attack their prey. Close to 21% of students in the chart below mention that they have been cyberbullied at one point in their lifetimes. The effects of bullying can be anything from unnecessary stress, feelings of sadness and depressions, change of character, and can lead to very serious decisions like suicide. Bullying of all types isn’t something to be taken lightly, so school districts should do what they can to place and enforce specific guidelines and punishments regarding cyberbullying in particular because it is a form that hasn’t been fully explored and discussed.

There are four school major school districts in the El Paso area that should be looked at closely to see how children in our communities are being served; they are: Ysleta ISD, Socorro ISD, San Elizario ISD, and El Paso ISD. Each of these districts includes a definition for cyberbullying, but each of them does it differently. We need to see cohesion in order to show that cyberbullying will not be tolerated within the halls of our El Paso schools, so in order to do this we need to see how far each district goes into discussing the topic in their student code of conduct and what action will be taken if it occurs.

The first school district that we need to look at is the Socorro Independent School District. Out of the four above this school district has the least information regarding cyberbullying. The farthest they went into the subject is by including a specific definition of the action, but no discipline action was mentioned within the policies. By including a specific definition it does allow the students, staff, and parents to be aware of what constitutes cyberbullying, but by excluding the punishment for the action we are ignoring the safety of our children. Including the discipline measures would be more advantageous because it puts specific consequences into the hands of those who practice cyberbullying.

In the Ysleta Independent School District we see the definition of cyberbullying as well, but it is classified as a Level II offense which means that the student may have to enroll in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP). This is a step up from the Socorro District, however this is still not enough when it comes to cyberbullying. By allowing them to only be enrolled in an alternative program doesn’t limit or stop the torment they cause, it just delays it or makes it worse for the student.

                In the El Paso Independent School District website we see a different approach to the subject of bullying. They have added a whole section dedicated to informing the community about bullying and listing the districts goals towards the subject. As helpful as this is in informing our community about the dangers of bullying in all its types, we do not see the specific consequences that will be given because of the action. This is very unfortunate because it would give the district a larger strength if they could include specific disciplinary actions that will be taken when bullying or cyberbullying occurs.

                Out of all these four districts, the one that stands out the most is San Elizario ISD. In their online policies they also include a specific section dedicated to bullying and cyberbullying, but what is amazing is that they paint out all the specific details such as the definition, procedures to report bullying, and district action information. Though it is still limited in the description of what actions will be taken, the San Elizario ISD is far above the rest when it comes to informing the community in what is expected of their students and how to approach this very important topic.

                Although all of the school districts include the topic of cyberbullying in their policies, it is important that school officials take the time to update and elaborate on what actions will be taken should cyberbullying appear in their campuses. The way they could do this is by coming together and delegating specific punishments for bullies in order to prevent future occurrences. The action that should be done shouldn’t be limited to expulsion; it should go further than that. What needs to be done is that the students who participate in cyberbullying should also have their technological privileges be revoked for an extended period of time until they show they are responsible enough to participate again within school grounds. They should also have to be made to do community service in order to foster responsibility in them as well. Without specific guidelines cyberbullying will most likely continue to grow until the districts enforce consequences that will affect the bullies. Our children need to feel safe, so in order to do this we need to take action; no child should be afraid.

Works Cited:

“Cyberbullying Identification, Prevention, and Response.” Accessed November 7, 2011                http://www.cyberbullying.us/Cyberbullying_Identification_Prevention_Response_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Cyberbullying Research Center. Accessed November 7, 2011. http://www.cyberbullying.us/research.php

El Paso Independent School District Website. Accessed November 8, 2011.

                 http://www.episd.org/bullying

San Elizario Independent School District Student Code of Conduct. Accessed November 7, 2011.

                http://www.tasb.org/policy/pol/private/071904/pol.cfm?DisplayPage=FFI(LOCAL).pdf&QueryText=BULLYING

Socorro Independent School District Student Code of Conduct.  Accessed November 7, 2011. Page 60.

http://www.sisd.net/cms/lib/TX01001452/Centricity/Domain/92/English.pdf

Ysleta Independent School District Student Code of Conduct. Accessed November 8, 2011. Page. 75

                http://www2.yisd.net/education/page/download.php?fileinfo=RW5nbGlzaE9ubGluZTA5LjIwLjIwMTEucGRmOjo6L3d3dzEwL3NjaG9vbHMvdHgveXNsZXRhL2ltYWdlcy9kb2NtZ3IvQUxMZmlsZTY3OTg5LnBkZg

My Writing Philosophy

My writing philosophy has changed through the years. When I first began writing it was mostly done to fill the pages, but as I grew used to it (and later fell in love with it) I saw that length had nothing to do with how good you were as a writer. My philosophy is simple: Write what you love to read, and don't be afraid to "be yourself" on paper. Structure is important, so always keep your audience in mind. I'm not completely comfortable with my grammar, but that is when we use the resources available to us. Just like in everything, writing takes time, so understand that it isn't always going to be a couple hours process. Most importantly if you feel stressed put your paper away for a while and bring it out when you've had a chance to rest your mind. Writing is a form of expression, so go out and express yourself!!
             

Autobiographical Essay

               As far as I could remember, education was always the forerunner of my life; both of my parents have been in the teaching field for as long as I can remember, my grandmother taught me to read at an early age, and playing school was one of my most popular past-times. In the summer months my mom would have my brothers and I do worksheets everyday to keep our minds at work. Despite these constant reminders of learning while growing up, I never believed teaching was in my future. My relationship with education has been a long and bumpy road, but now more than ever I am convinced that we are destined to be together. 

                There were times that I struggled through my own education. I’ve always been an AB student, but some grades were easier to pass through than others. My junior year in high school in particular was difficult; I had the stresses of passing the TAKS and the SATs on me and graduation was another looming factor beating on my back. I felt lost at times because I wasn’t ready for “the real world.” I ended up going through a stage of rebellion and wanted to drop out of school. What got me through was of course my family and friends, but an unlikely source of comfort were my books; reading took me to worlds I didn’t think I could go to, and it helped me get through my educational roadblock because I knew that if I ever wanted to be as good as the authors of those books, I needed an education.

My first burst of inspiration from education came in high school when my freshman English teacher came and brought a new way of teaching into my life. Besides teaching us the standardized lessons required, he chose to let us come into our own with journal writings. Whenever he would ask us to free write I was always excited to let the words in my mind loose on paper. Those journals that I wrote made me comfortable with my way of processing the readings assigned and I was finally able to create my own writing style. I believe that this new found freedom allowed me see that education wasn’t limited to textbook solutions, but could be incorporated to form a perfect union of standardized old fashioned learning and a new individualized twist.

                My confidence in my writing and learning grew from there. My second glorious encounter with education came when I started El Paso Community College. In my second semester I found a part-time job at the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD). I was a note-taker and my job meant that I was able to take notes at different classes for students who needed them. In those classes I saw different teaching styles and I learned how to engage students in classroom discussion, which question styles for tests are more effective, and what type of teacher the students felt open towards. I was able to see what made a teacher “good” and “bad” in the eyes of their students. This experience made me yearn to be up in front of those podiums and teach what I knew best.

                I was a note-taker for a year before I was offered another job within the department, and the experience that made me truly believe that teaching was for me came after that year at CSD. I was promoted to the position of a student services assistant which meant that I would be allowed to tutor students in many different areas. I went through different required trainings so that I could be certified as a tutor. In order to be certified we need to go through 3 levels of training and practicum, and currently I am in Level 2. My goal is to be a Level 3 Master Tutor because I will be officially certified. Through my tutoring I fell in love with instilling knowledge to my students. I have tutored Remedial Math, Art Appreciation, English 1301 and 1302, ESOL, Reading, and Biology. I believe that my experience will help me in teaching because I’ve learned that not all students learn the same way, so I have to come up with different ways to help foster as much understanding as possible.

                Within my first six months as a tutor I saw both the good and the bad. There have been some less than perfect tutoring sessions, but those experiences have helped me see what works and what doesn’t. One of my most memorable, and at times demanding, students came to me in the form of a 60 year old Korean woman named Sue. She was the most determined of my students, but also the one that required the most work. With Sue I learned how to develop mini lesson plans because she demanded that I teach her everything that I possibly could about the English language. There were some times that I felt drained by our sessions because she would attack the worksheets I created like a lion attacked its prey. Then again, there were times that I was excited to learn that she passed her tests with flying colors because of what I taught her. My time with Sue, though draining and tiring at times, was one of the most rewarding sessions I had because she placed demands on me that most students take for granted, she demanded an education.

                Education has been a continuous presence in my life. As a student I learned what it was like to have teachers make a difference by teaching me old subjects with new twists. I have overcome some hard times and different stresses through my journey as a student, but what I have experienced only makes me compassionate for those kids who will one day be my students. Now in my junior year at college, I find that I am one step closer from being a pupil to a teacher.  As a note-taker I was able to observe teaching and learned from those who have been in the field for many years. Through my observation I was able to see what made a teacher a teacher. As a tutor I put my knowledge to the test and found that this is what I want to do for a living. My students, though different in learning styles, all taught me how important another person’s education is when it’s in your hands. I still have much to learn and more to experience, but from what I’ve been through I know that I am ready for whatever comes at me. Education and I haven’t always been friends; there have been times when I felt tired and wanted to give up, but it was through these struggles that I was able to find the beauty in knowledge and the will to take what I learned and share it with someone else. Education may not have always been my first choice, but without a doubt I can now say it has been the best choice for me.