1. Melissa Bullen
Journal
Entry
#2
I understand that I will never be able to work in an environment that I control all the time. There will
always be things that I would like to change about the education system, but mine are not the only
views to consider. I hope that I will always have the courage to stand up and vocalize my beliefs in an
effort to improve how students are taught. To that end, I have here six items I would like to see
improved upon or changed as I believe they are not in the best interest of the students.
1. Student attendance is a challenge I see affecting students and their performance greatly. There are
very few consequences given to students in high school for skipping classes. Also, being late to a class
isn’t met with the consequences it should be. This lack of respect worries me greatly as an educator. I
have explained to a number of students in my class that at university, they will be on their own and
allowed to choose which classes they attend. This freedom can cost them dearly if they abuse their
new found privilege and are forced to take classes over again. I hope that I have helped a few students
understand that in life we have to do things we don’t always want to and this can include attending
classes we don’t love. But it is no excuse to distract or interrupt the learning of students who want to
be in class and are keen to advance their own education. As an educator I found it hard to not address
this lack of respect for me, the institution and fellow students.
2. Sometimes, I found that the acceptable behavior in some students was far below what I expected to
find. There are incessant interruptions in the classroom that are, for the most part, unwarranted. Cell
phones and the use of them in class is not only unnecessary but has a negative impact in the classroom.
They distract the class unnecessarily and teachers either don’t notice or choose not to address the issue.
Another behavior I found disturbing was the failure to complete assigned tasks both at home and in the
classroom. The students were not made to take ownership of these behaviors by anyone and I believe
this is not a good habit to encourage. Being a teacher is very difficult when the students fail to show
respect and no one calls them on their actions.
3. Some parental involvement can be very positive in the life of a student. I found that during parent
teacher interviews, it was clear which parents were active in the lives of their children academically
and which were not. I also found, however, that there are a great many parents who are quick to blame
the teacher and education system for the shortcomings of their child. Instead of taking the approach that
we are all involved, the student included, parents assumed that we the teachers were not taking a keen
enough interest in the lives of our students. It is a very fine line we must walk in defending our actions
and helping the parents understand that at this grade, students must be self-motivated to a certain
extent.
4. I had hoped to see teachers display more of an interest in professional development. As a student
teacher, I have been very eager to learn from the experiences of my cooperating teacher and other
members of staff. I found that a number of meetings were called at the last minute and that staff would
show up late to meetings they didn’t feel mattered as much as others. It is hard to align with the school
values and their development plan if staff do not know what they are. I look forward to the opportunity
to further my own development by attending teacher workshops and meetings put on by the
administration.
5. My school does not have a breakfast program. I firmly believe that every school should have a
nutritious program available to all students first thing in the morning. Many studies have been done
concerning a students ability to learn if they do not have breakfast. Instead of a breakfast program,

2. Park View sells cookies first thing in the morning. This does not have the nutrition value of a breakfast
by any means! I for one would be happy to help develop a breakfast program at a school and track the
progress of the school thereafter. I believe that a change in classroom behavior would be noted and an
improved learning environment would ensue.
6. There is one school policy that I find very troubling and am wholeheartedly against. At Park View,
there is a “No Zero Policy” in place for all assignments given to student. This means that students are
not assigned a zero on papers or assignments until the end of term. Many, many students failed to hand
in assignments that I gave in class and I was helpless to enforce any kind of consequences. Students
are not accountable for their own learning in this model. I found that I spent a lot more time reviewing
classes I taught because the learning had not been reinforced after my classes ended. I had worked
hard to develop assignments that would help my students but this policy turns them into a waste of
time. The parents are not able to track their child’s progress throughout the semester since these marks
are entered as an N/A until the final report card. A student could have a very favorable mark in a class
only to end up failing when all the zeros are added at the end of the year. This policy is not preparing
students for post-secondary education, nor real life and I see it having real consequences in the future.
While I am sure none of these challenges are uniquely mine, I do think that they need to be looked at
further. I hope that I will find a permanent placement in a school whose values align with my own. I
look forward to being a positive influence in the lives of my students and my eventual school as a
whole.