Harrison 1

NAME: Kayla Harrison

TITLE: Emerging From the Cocoon
PREFACE: Growing up as Kayla Harrison was great for the first ten years of my life.
From then on, the road got a little bumpy. Throughout elementary and middle
school, I was severely bullied. The words I heard every day and even the unspoken
words, hit me like a wave and I felt like I was drowning. The bullying left me
lonely, and shattered my self-esteem. A few years later when I was 16 years old
and in my freshman year of high school, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
At the time, I was playing tennis for my high schools team. Whenever I played, my
wrists would be in excruciating pain; but from the encouragement I got from my
team and my coach, I pushed through. I went out there each match and played my
hardest. My coach always told me to play at my very best, no matter the situation
Im in. I started applying the Protestant work ethic to my schooling. I pushed
through the painful days and found a method to help me focus on my work and try
my best. All I had to do was think of all the encouragement from my family, friends,
and my coach. Another thing that helped was praying. God has helped me
tremendously in my life. He provided me with friends a few years after the bullying
had finally ceased, He gives me strength to get through each day, and He continues
to amaze me.
I distinctly remember the day I prayed for God to show me what He wanted
me to do in life. It was the summer of 2011 and I was part of my churchs Vacation
Bible School. I was helping out in a class of 3-4 year old children. Seeing their
smiling faces each day they came in, hearing their crazy but interesting stories, and
seeing their creativity come to life on a piece of paper, left me wanting to learn

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more about young children. That led to visiting centers in Camden to help and
interact with young children and also to going on mission trips with my church. I
knew a short while after that, I wanted to teach children. I wanted to be able to be
a part of their story and to let each child know they are special and loved, no matter
what environment they come from. During my senior year of high school, I applied
to colleges and discussed college plans with my friends. Graduation came swiftly.
The whole graduating class said goodbye and good luck to one another. Not even
one week later, I received a text from one of my close friends saying our friend Nikki
had passed away. The shock came first, then the tears followed. My summer was
very gloomy. Not only had my close friend passed away, but my great-grandma
became very ill and was admitted into the hospital. I also became very anxious
about starting college and I began to worry about not being able to make friends
and not being able to find my classes. I felt at that point that I wasnt ready for
college. I didnt think I had made the right choice; but I later realized that coming to
Rowan has been one of the best decisions Ive made in my life.
At this point in my history of education I am an eclectic. Along with being an
eclectic, I am a humanist, behaviorist, and a perennialist. In my future classroom I
want to use different resources and techniques. I would like to incorporate
humanism by helping the children to discover the good in each other. Showing the
differences in cultures and ethnicities but also the good in each will help the
children to get along better. A set of rules will be in place in the classroom and
there will be punishments if the rules are not followed. If there are certain
procedures, rules, or activities that dont seem to work, Ill adjust the curriculum to
fit the needs of each child. I will be further discussing my educational philosophies
in PART I. Also included will be the organizations/institutions that contributed to the

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history of my education. Any words that are underlined are terms/concepts relating
to the history of my education.
PART I: ORGANIZATIONS/INSTITUTIONS: FORMAL AND INFORMAL
The older I get, the more I realize how much Ive learned about life and about
myself. When I was younger and in Kindergarten, I learned the importance of
sharing, by observing that my classmates were happier when I shared a toy with
them than if I didnt share. One experience I remember is when I was reading the
book The Hungry Caterpillar and one of my classmates asked to read it. At first I
said declined due to the fact that I was reading it. However, I saw the look in her
eyes. I distinctly remember her face and how upset she looked. After that, I
decided to let her read the book and she smiled as she picked up the book and
walked over to her chair. The value of sharing was recognized at that moment.
When I was in the second grade, my teacher would give out play money each
day to the table that behaved the best. The money could be used at our classroom
store which sold school supplies, fun toys and activity books. Each time a student
wanted to purchase an item, the student would need to give the correct amount of
money to the cashier (teacher) and make sure they received the correct change
back. This taught me to count and manage money. Learning how to manage
money early on has helped me manage it later in life when I achieved EEO3.
Several days a week, I work at Duffields Farm Market which sells all sorts of
things ranging from baked goods and vegetables to pumpkins and hay. Formally, I
was taught how to use a cash register. Informally, I learned the differences between
each kind of pumpkin and gourd we sell. Whenever a customer asked my coworkers which was which, I carefully listened and retained that information. I also

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learned to count up, in order to give change back to the customer. The register I
first started on did not show the proper change to give the customer. I had to learn
how to count up from the total amount to the amount the customer gave me, in
order to give change. Knowing how to count up is helpful also when youre trying to
do mental math in school. This experience has changed the way I look at math and
being a cashier. Before this experience, I was always horizontally mobile. I didnt
want to do new things or meet new people. I wanted to stay in my comfort zone.
In about sixth grade, I was bullied severely by my peers. I was made fun of,
talked about, and looked down upon because of my weight. I talked to the teacher
and she talked to the students but nothing more. The school did very little about it
and no rules were changed or put into place. This illustrations that the school was
not one to use connectionism because they couldnt figure out how to fix the
problem. They tried making students obedient, one of the 3 core values, but that
created more social distance. I was demoted to the non-friend zone. After this
incident, I realized I was a behaviorist. Those kids deserved reasonable punishment
for their actions. There should be consequences for all actions, whether they are
good or bad.
Entering high school was hard for me because it was a new school, and I
didnt have any friends. However, I decided to join the girls tennis team and it was
one of the best decisions Ive ever made. Tennis was a sport I didnt know how to
play very well, but my coach was so encouraging and helpful. This was part of the
nurturing in my life. She taught me how to use logic while playing and I eventually
learned how to play tennis fairly well. A lot of tennis is perennial; you learn from
your mistakes. I worked as hard as I could and after two years on the team, I made
it into varsity. I became analytic when I started tennis because during the matches I

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thought about every possible situation and how I could win each point. With the
support of my teammates, coach, and my family, I was able to win a good amount
of the matches I played in my four years of high school.
Having my family always supporting me is such a good feeling. My family
and I are really close and Ive learned a lot from them. My dad, being a software
engineer for Lockheed Martin, has taught me a lot about engineering and how they
plan some of their projects. I also learned a lot of vocabulary words from my dad
because he uses an advanced variety of words. Both my mom and dad have taught
me how to cook and bake which has prepared me for the future when I will need to
cook for myself and possibly my family. Both of my brothers are sports fanatics; so
when we gather in front of the television to watch a sporting event, they teach me
all about the sport and the game plans, etc. Some things I learned from my family
that they didnt teach me directly is how I need to communicate with them, when to
communicate with them, and how to know when they are in a good mood or not.
By observing, I can tell when my mom is upset because she starts grumbling or
shell develop a look of disgust on her face when she talks to someone. I know not
to ask my dad to do something when hes watching TV because he gets annoyed.
My brothers wont do anything I ask them to do if theyre playing video games. I
can tell what my dog wants when he whimpers or barks. There is a certain
whimper/bark meaning my dog is hungry; my dog wants to go outside; and my dog
wants someone to pet him. These are just some of the things Ive learned about my
family by observing. By observing, you can find out a lot about people or things.
College is one of those places that a lot of observing can take place, in and outside
of the classroom.

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Choosing Rowan has been one of the best decisions of my life. In my few
weeks at Rowan, Ive had to learn how the teachers manage the classroom, interact
with their students, and what they expect of us as students. Another thing I had to
learn was time management. It was hard to adjust my time management schedule
because I am more of a pragmatist. I like to do something as much as I can, my
way, until I absolutely cannot anymore. But in college, it doesnt work like that. I
have to get used to having free time between classes and the large work load I
receive each week. College is hard but it is going to make me a much more
prepared and equipped teacher for the future.
One thing I wish I had done more of in my education was get more involved. I
was always involved in a few clubs, but I wish I would have been involved in more
clubs such as drama, Renaissance, and Interact. I also wish I would have gotten
more involved in Basketball. My educational history has had both its ups and
downs. I am ready to see what my future education has in store for me.
PART II: INTELLECTUAL HISTORY
When I think of my educational history, I can clearly recall the times when I
felt I was an intellectual. In 2005 when I was in the fifth grade, I entered into a
spelling bee. I made it all the way to the top 5. After I had failed to spell my final
word, I sat down in my seat and felt ashamed. However, I was awarded a certificate
by the teacher in charge and she told me I did my very best and that I was one of
the smartest kids she knew. At that moment I felt smart for one of the first times in
my life. Another date I distinctly remember was last year (2012) in my high school
Honors French IV class. At first, learning French was difficult. Starting freshman
year of high school, my journey through French class was similar to Blooms

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Taxonomy. It started out with me trying to remember basic words in French, then
understanding how sentence structure works, applying those skills, and so on. At
the end of class one afternoon, my teacher called me over to her desk and she
showed me a music video that was all in French. She told me I should sing the song
for an upcoming coffee house at our school. I didnt understand how I was
supposed to be able to sing a song all in French but my teacher believed in me. I
worked with her over the following two weeks learning the lyrics and the meaning
behind them. After returning from spring break, I performed the song in front of my
fellow schoolmates, not sure of how I did. My teacher approached me after the
show and told me I did so well and she was so proud of me. She said my French
was trs bon or very good. My hard work, which is part of the 3 core values,
paid off. I felt smart, talented, and proud of myself.
Being intellectual is more of a challenge for me when I am surrounded by
people Im not comfortable around. When Im surrounded by people Im
comfortable with I feel that I can reach my full potential and strive to be the best I
can be. I feel most comfortable around my family because theyre who I grew up
around. They encourage me, support me, and give me advice when I dont know
what to do. They have influenced me the most and have led me to be the
intellectual I am today. Alongside my family, I have a core group of intimate friends
who I can be myself around. They encourage me to strive for the best. In my
Composition class senior year of high school, my friends and I were all in class
together. That class was not only the most fun class Ive had in high school, but it
was the class in which I studied the most, scored the highest on tests, received the
best grades on my essays; and I learned the most. Being in a classroom full of kids I
dont even know, such as my current college classes, is tough for me because Im

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not comfortable being around them. I dont know anything about them, their
families, their lifestyles, or their values. The more I know someone, the easier it is
for me to strive for my best when around them.
Not only having to know people to feel comfortable, I need to be familiar and
comfortable with the environment Im in as well. For me to perform at my best, the
setting which Im in must not be cluttered, noisy, or exceedingly bright. If a room is
cluttered, my conceptual framework kicks in. I feel the need to clean up the place
or organize it into sections and so on. If it is noisy, I cannot focus on the task at
hand, and therefore, do not perform well. The last thing that bothers me in any
setting is having the lights a little too bright. I start to develop a headache and
cannot focus on anything other than how much my head hurts. Some places I love
to be are my house, my church, and my work. At home, I can be myself, try new
things, and continue to improve my current abilities. No judgments are made about
what I can or cannot do. Inside my church, I know it is quiet there. It is filled with
memories of some of the happiest days of my life. When I do anything at church, I
feel welcomed and appreciated. The last place I mentioned that I love to be is my
work. I work at Duffields Farm Market. It is a farmers market that sells vegetables,
fruits, desserts, deli meat, and more. I love the people that work alongside me and
that the market is family-oriented. Not one day do I come home feeling like I hate
my work or anything I do there. It is a place one can look at from a distance and
see the inviting, welcoming environment. When I learned how to work the register,
mentioned earlier in PART I, I didnt feel uncomfortable because I was in a place of
comfort, with people I was comfortable being around; that is when I succeed the
most.

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Besides being intellectual in school, I am intellectual in tennis as well. I
participated in the Tri-County Conference tournament for the past two years and
have achieved Tri-County Conference division awards. I also received numerous
awards from the local Joe Dunn tournament held every year in Glassboro. I
earned first place in doubles this year (2013) and last year I earned a second place
trophy. Out on the tennis court I unleash the beast. I try the best that I can and
strive to win. I have so much fun playing out on the court and never wish to stop
playing. It is one of the things I know I am truly good at.
Growing up, kids are taught to fold their hands and bow their heads, be polite
and to close their mouths when chewing. These things were taught to me when I
was young as well. My parents taught me to be polite to everyone I meet. I should
listen to what they have to say, and when they are finished, I may give my input. I
mustnt be rude and interrupt a conversation or talk when someone else is talking.
These are a few folkways I was taught as a child. Growing up, I learned what I
should do and how I should be behave, by observing. Some things, however,
couldnt be observed. My parents always told me that God wanted each person to
save sex until marriage. He created us to be with one person and one person only.
In the Bible it also says to stay away from sexual impurities (Ephesians 5:3). I made
a commitment to save sex until marriage not just because I was told to by my
parents, but because I feel in my heart that it is the right thing to do. I know some
people think it is okay to mess around with whoever they want, but there are
consequences for their actions. Other mores that I have are found in the Bible as
well. Things such as no murdering, no lying, no stealing, and putting nothing before
God. These things are frowned upon in the world and in Heaven. Some of them can
even be punishable by law.

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This world is filled with hatred, madness, and trials; but one of the things I
love about myself, is that I am optimistic in every situation. Some of my values are
things like optimism, kindness, modesty, and hard work. One must be kind to
everyone they meet because no one knows what situation theyre going through. I
value kindness because I know what it feels like to be treated with unkindness.
Moment by moment we have the chance to say, I want to change the
world. We can get to that place with hard work. All my life, I have worked so hard.
I studied for all my tests, completed all my projects, and had to learn my
Epistemology. Hard work will get someone to where they want to be. However, that
person should be modest about it. Modesty is something I dont see a lot, especially
in todays society. All you have to do is look on TV and youll see the complete
opposite of modesty such as Miley Cyrus. I value modesty because it makes a
person seem personable, intellectual, focused, determined, and thankful for what
they have. Values are an important part of my educational history.
Everyone in this world has something they dislike. I for one, am a
germaphobe, so I have a prejudice toward public bathrooms and using the
bathroom at other peoples houses. I have prejudices toward anything that seems
unclean or unorganized. I have a tendency to start picking things up and organizing
them no matter where I am. For example, today at the store I saw a display of this
powdered juice that you add water to, and the containers were flipped upside down,
sideways, and pushed together to form clusters. I started flipping the containers
around and started to organize this shelf of juice when it wasnt even my store.
Another thing I have a prejudice toward would be girls dressing like theyre about to
have sex. A lot of girls walk around town with short skirts, see-through shirts, and
short dresses. Some of these girls dont respect themselves which allows others to

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disrespect them as well. Lastly, my biggest prejudice is against people who dont
acknowledge my hard work. For my honors Early Childhood class in high school, I
was the student who did all their work early, turned it in and started my next
assignment. I did everything to my best ability when the other students in my class
did not. However, at awards night, all the kids who did nothing in class, got
rewarded for Outstanding Performance in class when I am the only one who
performed well. I am not conceited about being smart and doing my work; but I am
upset that I was not recognized for being an intellectual.
When a couple gets married, they promise to stay with each other until
death. So many couples today, give up their marriages and they dont fight for the
marriage. I have a prejudice toward people who give up so easily. A lot of people in
todays world want easy-to-access things. When something doesnt fit that
description, they give up without a fight. I had a friend once who would get in fights
with her mom every day. She was definitely one of those at risk kids. I would hear
about it later on and would be asked for advice. I would always tell her, Dont give
up on your mom even though this situation may not be the best one. There are
always better things in store for each person.
As mentioned earlier, my conceptual framework is slightly compulsive. I feel
the need to clean up after people, clean up a cluttered room or closet and so on.
This compulsiveness also transcends to the classroom. My folders and notebooks
are extremely organized. I characterize my notes in my book with color sticky
notes; I love outlines because they keep my essays organized; and I even order my
books/folders in my backpack, smallest to largest. Id say I am an extremely
organized individual.

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My abilities of being a critical thinker have improved immensely over the
course of the last four years of my life. In my Composition class we were taught
how to think critically. We must first analyze then synthesize, until we can evaluate.
I can easily analyze anything as long as it is in my range of liking and/or has to do
with one of my hobbies. Synthesizing takes place is about 90% of my daily
conversations. I talk with my friends about their thoughts on books or movies and
share with others what they think. I then evaluate if the book/movie was good or
not, based on the shared opinions. Critically thinking is a crucial part to being
intellectual.
Materialism exists in my life, as well as non-materialism. I value some
possessions such as my Bible, my phone, my iPod, and especially my collection of
books. I am also non-materialistic because I value my relationship with God and all
His commands. I value honesty, kindness, optimism, and other traits that can never
be materialized. My personality might suggest I am 100% non-materialistic
because I am constantly giving away to the poor or needy; but I do have some
possessions that I greatly value.
Books are some of the things I own that I greatly value. Books are my escape
from the craziness of the world. A book can take you to so many places where you
can experience never-before adventures with people youve never met in real life.
The books I like to read are suspenseful, dystopian, mysterious, fantastic, and
romantic. Suspenseful books keep me guessing and never leave me bored. I love
books that make me think because my mind is constantly problem solving while
reading words on a page. Fantasy and dystopian books help sustain my
imagination. They also open my mind up to millions of possibilities about the world.
Books take up most of my free time, which means I typically dont read any

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magazines, journals, or newspapers. If I ever were to pick up a magazine, though, it
would be a cooking magazine. I absolutely love being able to read about peoples
current recipes, what they recommend for new cooks, and how they started off as a
chef. Magazines and book that relate to me most are the ones that catch and
sustain my attention.
My favorite authors are John Green and Cassandra Clare. John Green writes
books typically for teens that deal with issues teens face. My favorite book of his is
titled The Fault in Our Stars. It is a book about cancer patients and a romance story
between the two main characters. I was drawn to the book because 1. I know what
its like to lose a loved one to cancer, and 2. I love a good romance novel. The
books focuses on the cancer patients journey in life and how they overcome or deal
with obstacles. It has a very sad ending but it taught me to tell everyone I love,
that I love them and also that life needs to be lived to the fullest because it doesnt
last very long. My other favorite author, Cassandra Clare, writes all
fantasy/action/romance novels. Her books focus on a strong female lead who
proves to everyone that she can do anything she puts her mind to. I love the fact
that she puts her characters in roles not normally portrayed in society today. Still,
women are seen as weaker than men. Cassandra turns society around in her books
and makes a very appealing, adventurous story. Her series are heart-throbbing,
emotional, and exhilarating at times. Books are my escape when I need a break
from reality. I can travel to worlds while staying in the safety of my own home. My
imagination goes on an adventure that I never want to end.
PART III: FUTURE HISTORY

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As a child, I always dreamed of becoming a teacher, of being able to make up
assignments for my class and help them grow up and one day reach EEO2 and EEO3.
Last summer, I was helping out with my churchs Vacation Bible School and I worked
with children ages 3 and 4. We got to sing, dance, and teach the Word of God to the
children. That summer, I realized I love working with kids and being able to see
their imaginations come to life. After I graduate from Rowan University, I want to
apply for a job as an Early Childhood educator. I would love to be able to work with
children and be a part of their journey in life. My classroom will promote
multiculturalism and Ill teach my students the importance of the core values. I
hope to one day get all my students to the point of readiness for the future. I
understand there will be many challenges such as at risk kids, poor critical thinking
skills, and kids who have corrupt PIVs. Knowing about possible obstacles and
having them occur, will help me be prepared and help me overcome them more
easily. My future as a teacher depends on how well I prepare while I am still in
school.
My future as a teacher also depends on my personal experiences outside of
school. One day in the future I hope to get married to a man who will take care of
me and the kids I wish to have after marriage. I would love to have two or three
kids and watch them grow up. We would live in a log cabin house in Tennessee
where the land is beautiful. My dads side of the family grew up in the South, and
thats where I want to live the rest of my life. Ive never been much of a city
person. Its always been about the country, spending family time together, and
loving the environment and the people that come with it. Tennessee has always
been the place I wanted to live. However, since I am getting teacher certified in

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New Jersey, I needed to research the rules of certificate transferring from state-tostate.
In order to become a certified teacher in Tennessee, there are rules that must
be followed. I have to have at least 3 or more years of teaching experience in
another state (New Jersey) to receive a 5-year Out-of-State License and then a 10year Professional License after teaching for one year in Tennessee. If I start my
teaching in Tennessee, I receive a 5-year Apprentice License and after teaching 3
years in TN, Ill receive a 10-year Professional License. As every state, Tennessee
has its own teacher rules and also curriculum standards. There is a developmental
learning program in which the room is arranged to promote small group and
individual interactions with the teacher and students. Also, this program requires
the teacher to perform evaluations of each student in each area such as cognitive,
physical, and emotional. As a teacher, I will have to observe my students as well as
teach them each day. Teachers have a lot of responsibilities tied to them; not just
the teaching aspect of it all.
Teaching isnt the best option if someone is looking to make lots of money.
However, being a teacher brings more joys than money can fulfill. Since being a
teacher entails a summer break, I wont get paid during that time. I will need to find
some way to receive an income. I have a few ideas in mind such as working in a
bakery during the summer, finding a summer camp to work at, or working
waitressing in a restaurant. Some times when I sit down and think about my future,
I wonder if I had subconsciously created a self-fulfilling prophecy for myself. My
mom, aunt, and grand mom are all teachers. Even my dad went to school to be a
teacher until he decided he wanted to pursue engineering. In my spare time, I have
started thinking about what my career could be otherwise. I could be a guidance

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counselor, work in a day care, or I could even look for a job as a secretary
somewhere. Teaching is my number one choice but there are many options for
careers similar to that of teaching.
As much as my mind is made up, it could certainly change in the next few
years. I recently got a job working in a local bakery. At one point as mentioned
above, I wanted to be a baker and own a bakery. Having the experience actually
working in a bakery, could certainly change my mind about my career path. If my
career path changes, my other life experiences are destined to change. I could end
up living in Wyoming with five kids and a husband who works in a grocery store. I
have no idea how my future is going to turn out; but I know that my future rests in
the hands of God. If I had the chance to change anything that happened in my life
so far I honestly wouldnt change a thing. My educational history is a mix of good
and bad, all of which have contributed to the person I am today.