June 28, 2009

This morning Chelsey Cook and I woke up bright and early to participate in the Early Bird Fitness Bootcamp. This was an optional program that we decided to participate in that was led by personal fitness trainers from the San Diego area. As a future educator I believe that it is important to find a balance in our lives when it comes to our jobs as teachers and all that work that goes along with it, social life, and our own physical wellness. The bootcamp provided a great opportunity for us to relieve some of our stress.

All of the student delegates had the opportunity to attend three breakout sessions provided by the NEA Student Program. I attended MyFace-Spacebook, Welcome to the Jungle, and Reality Check. MyFace-Spacebook discussed different issues related to using the internet and online activities that could possibly cost future teachers their jobs if not followed or done in a professional manner. Welcome to the Jungle discussed many different issues that could come up during your first year of teaching. Students who attended this session were provided with tips and tricks of setting up a classroom, managing time during our first year, difficult situations that may arise, and what different supplies to include to survive your first year as teachers. This was my favorite session that I attended because of all of the different ideas that the NEA Members in charge provided us with. My last session that I attended was Reality Check. This session discussed student and teacher behaviors that our methods didn’t cover. We had the opportunity to read and discuss different issues that teachers were fired for in the past.

During the next Fall Student Leadership conference, the student delegates who attended the NEA Leadership Conference will discuss what we learned during these sessions with other student members. As a future teacher I will apply all that I learned during my sessions to my career. Being a member of the teacher union I appreciate having the opportunity to participate in these breakout sessions. The sessions I attended dealt with one of the NEA student program’s core value relating to teacher quality which is a very important part of the classroom.

Laura Hillman
Student Delegate
Gustavus Adolphus