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Saturday, October 1, 2016
Friday, September 23, 2016
Home, Sweet School
Hello friends!
I'm back, ready to report on another weeks thoughts.
Have you ever been in those classrooms where the teacher simply talks and talks and talks....and talks...and...zzzzzz. Seriously, it seems like those are the classes where I always end up in some awkward position in my chair, catching some zzzs . Then part two of the sleeping frenzy begins when I start the fifty page reading homework assignment that evening. Ugh.
Anyone else feel my pain? Bueller?...Bueller?
This past week in my Family Relations class we were assigned to study the Learning Model. This is a teaching method that is implemented at Brigham Young University-Idaho. To catch you up, it is a process of learning that includes three different steps:
1. Preparation
2. Teaching One Another
3. Ponder and Prove
The first step is pretty self-explanatory; come prepared! Students bring materials and come with a mind ready to learn. Since BYU-I is a christian school, it also includes being prepared spiritually.
The second step means that the class is not just a teacher lecturing. Rather, it consists of students researching and teaching different concepts and ideas. This may be done through presentations, or group discussions.
The third step happens mainly outside of the classroom. This simply means that rather than checking off each homework assignment, students are really trying to think about what is being studied. This may include talking to other people about what they are learning and/or writing down questions they may have.
Part of my assignment was explaining how this Learning Model could be applied to a family setting.
Hmmmm.
Why did my professor ask this? Is this something that could be used in the family? If so, would it be beneficial?
Lots of questions have been flooding my head!
I firmly believe that the best place to learn is in the home. Generally speaking, those in your family make the biggest impressions on you. That could be a good or bad thing depending on the situation. My family isn't perfect (who's is?), but some of my deepest opinions and beliefs started in the home. And I'm not just talking about my religious beliefs. I'm talking politics, food preferences, and everything in between!
The Learning Model is a great way to teach in the family but it certainly isn't the only way (sorry BYU-I!). Even though I don't have children of my own yet I find myself thinking about how I will teach them. Being religious, I think about Jesus Christ and how he taught. I also admire people I have known in my life and how they have raised their families. There have also been many great teachers in history that have shaped a lot of people and societies by the way they taught.
The reason for this post is to get you to think. How will you teach in your home? Or, if you have a home, how are you teaching in your home? Are you like a lecturing professor or are have you found an effective way to teach? Will society and the world benefit from your teaching years from now?
Deep questions, I know. But believe me, you will be thanked for thinking deeply and acting quickly. Pinky promise.
My challenge for you is to ponder one of two questions:
1. If you don't have your own home, think about how you will teach when you have one. How will you teach? And, are you a good student?
2. If you have a home (this could include college apartments), how do you teach? What can you change to be more influential? And, are you a good student?
After answering these questions, act. Either prepare for your future home or implement change in your current home.
My idea is that as we ponder more of these kinds of questions, and then act, society will start to heal itself. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Please leave your thoughts and comments!
You all are wonderful.
God lives.
Truth triumphs.
Eat some good food.
incepto ne desistam,
H.K.S
I'm back, ready to report on another weeks thoughts.
Have you ever been in those classrooms where the teacher simply talks and talks and talks....and talks...and...zzzzzz. Seriously, it seems like those are the classes where I always end up in some awkward position in my chair, catching some zzzs . Then part two of the sleeping frenzy begins when I start the fifty page reading homework assignment that evening. Ugh.
Anyone else feel my pain? Bueller?...Bueller?
This past week in my Family Relations class we were assigned to study the Learning Model. This is a teaching method that is implemented at Brigham Young University-Idaho. To catch you up, it is a process of learning that includes three different steps:
1. Preparation
2. Teaching One Another
3. Ponder and Prove
The first step is pretty self-explanatory; come prepared! Students bring materials and come with a mind ready to learn. Since BYU-I is a christian school, it also includes being prepared spiritually.
The second step means that the class is not just a teacher lecturing. Rather, it consists of students researching and teaching different concepts and ideas. This may be done through presentations, or group discussions.
The third step happens mainly outside of the classroom. This simply means that rather than checking off each homework assignment, students are really trying to think about what is being studied. This may include talking to other people about what they are learning and/or writing down questions they may have.
Part of my assignment was explaining how this Learning Model could be applied to a family setting.
Hmmmm.
Why did my professor ask this? Is this something that could be used in the family? If so, would it be beneficial?
Lots of questions have been flooding my head!
I firmly believe that the best place to learn is in the home. Generally speaking, those in your family make the biggest impressions on you. That could be a good or bad thing depending on the situation. My family isn't perfect (who's is?), but some of my deepest opinions and beliefs started in the home. And I'm not just talking about my religious beliefs. I'm talking politics, food preferences, and everything in between!
The Learning Model is a great way to teach in the family but it certainly isn't the only way (sorry BYU-I!). Even though I don't have children of my own yet I find myself thinking about how I will teach them. Being religious, I think about Jesus Christ and how he taught. I also admire people I have known in my life and how they have raised their families. There have also been many great teachers in history that have shaped a lot of people and societies by the way they taught.
The reason for this post is to get you to think. How will you teach in your home? Or, if you have a home, how are you teaching in your home? Are you like a lecturing professor or are have you found an effective way to teach? Will society and the world benefit from your teaching years from now?
Deep questions, I know. But believe me, you will be thanked for thinking deeply and acting quickly. Pinky promise.
My challenge for you is to ponder one of two questions:
1. If you don't have your own home, think about how you will teach when you have one. How will you teach? And, are you a good student?
2. If you have a home (this could include college apartments), how do you teach? What can you change to be more influential? And, are you a good student?
After answering these questions, act. Either prepare for your future home or implement change in your current home.
My idea is that as we ponder more of these kinds of questions, and then act, society will start to heal itself. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Please leave your thoughts and comments!
You all are wonderful.
God lives.
Truth triumphs.
Eat some good food.
incepto ne desistam,
H.K.S
Monday, September 19, 2016
Who's That Hailey Girl?
Hello there, and welcome to my blog! I thought I would take
a teensy bit of time to introduce myself! To start off, here are the most
crucial facts that you must know about me. And I mean crucial:
- My name is Hailey Smith.
- I claim Germany as my home. Ich liebe Deutschland!
- I have been married to my absolute best friend for five months and it has been the bee's knees!
- I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Or in other words, I'm a Mormon.
- I love kettle corn and fuzzy blankets!
- Cantaloupe = blech.
- I try my best to be active and healthy....but it's definitely a work in progress.
- Psych and Sherlock are my go to TV shows! Wait for iiiiiiiitttt!
- When in doubt, I nap it out.
- I love my life very much :)
I told you, crucial. Now that the essentials are out
in the open, let me tell you about why "My
Little Agora" was formed.
I never wanted to join the blogger world. I've never been a
fan of writing and I have really never been a fan of electronic
journal-ing.
But here we are.
You might be thinking, "so,
if you dislike blogging, how did you end up here?" Well friend, the story
is long, but I have tacos to make so I'll do the Readers' Digest version.
I am studying Marriage and Family Advocacy and Policy at
Brigham Young University-Idaho, basically learning how to strengthen the family
through working with the government, as well as other organizations. SUPER FUN!
The process of finding my major was a long one; I started
school at Brigham Young University-Idaho during the 2012 Fall semester. I
declared photography as my major because, at the time, that was what took up a
lot of my free time. My life plan was to eventually start my own photography
business, get married, have kids, and enjoy life.
But let me explain how my life plans go.
They don't.
"My" life plans don't ever really work out as I
want them to. God always steps in and says: "you silly,
silly human. Let me show you the real path you need to take." Then He
lovingly nudges me in the right direction, and off I go on my merry way until I
start to veer off, after about five steps. Repeat that process about one
hundred more times, and there is my life. I absolutely love it!
During that fall semester, I started to feet strongly
that I needed to serve as a missionary for my church. I did NOT want to do
that. No way, no how. But alas, the nudging persisted and I eventually went on
to serve for one and half fantastic years in and around Pocatello,
Idaho. And boy, am I grateful for those 18 potato-filled months.
I learned many things from my mission. I learned how to
teach, how to be open minded, how to get a car out of a pile of snow. But the
most important lesson I learned was the priceless value of family and marriage.
I knew that I needed to pursue a greater knowledge about this subject so that I
could preserve such a special organization.
Fast-forward seven months to the beginning of fall semester
after my mission. I sat talking to a friend who told me about the Marriage and
Family Advocacy and Policy major. I immediately had a great feeling of urgency
to declare this as my major as well; you might compare it to the urgency that a child would feel when someone is
giving out free balloons. Yeah, it was that intense!
That same semester I got engaged, (woop woop!) and then the family really became
important to me, because it became more personal. So, I signed up for the marriage
and family major and now, here I am a few months later starting my journey as a
marriage and family advocate!
Starting this blog was one of my class assignments. It was
originally meant as a way to report my findings in the class at the end of each
week. However, I believe this could be a great tool in my learning process. I
feel like this is a great opportunity to advocate the family, marriage, and any
other worth-while truths I find in this life.
Now you may be thinking, "Oh no. Another crazy,
anti-whatever lady is going to force-feed me her yucky cantaloupe-tasting
ideas." Well, random cyber-friend, don't you worry. I'm not here to force
my ideas on anyone. I am here to share my ideas, and to gain knowledge from the
many readers out there, much like the ancient Greeks
did in the agoras, or "gathering places" (Does my title make sense
now?).
I'm not quite sure what other plans God has for
me. But in the mean time, I will learn and speak out as much as I can. The
family is central to life as we know it, so I can’t afford to sit quietly and
watch it all fall apart. I must do my part, and am excited for the adventure
that this life choice will take me on!
Now it’s taco time.
incepto ne desistam,
H.K.S
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