Our Perception of Health

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Focusing on stress and our own perception of health was interesting. Personally I have never really thought about my own stress levels. I tend to put others before myself.

As a student teacher it is vital that we understand that other people view things in a completely different way. How we see and feel things may be completely different to others around us. It is also important that we understand how children can experience stress too. There are certain ways that we can help ourselves and others manage stress.

Stress can have a serious affect on our health. It can lead to problems with our heart rate and digestive tract, it can also affect us mentally. We all have various ways of dealing with stress, for example, if I am really stressed I often feel myself close to tears but with support from my loved ones, I get to say out-load what my problem is and talk through the various ways that I can deal with it. I feel that in this country that lately there has been developments in the way that people view metal health and stress. It is important that we take away the stigma surrounding these issues and encourage the people around us to talk about their feelings and issues.

During today’s independent study I completed “The Holmes-Rahe Stress Calculator”. At the end of the test my score was 277. This was a higher number than what I thought I would get. While in my personal life there has been many negative points within the last year and a half there has also been many positives. Being a caring person, I would rather help someone else with their issues than focus on mine. While I realise this is not always a good thing, I know that I have people around me that I can go to for advice and guidance. Getting a score of 277 meant that I fell into the middle category for stress, according to “The Holmes-Rahe Stress Calculator” this implies that I have a “50% chance of a health breakdown in the next two years. I do tend to stress a lot and I understand it affects my health. I feel that I need to do more to combat my stress levels and I am working on doing this.

There are a lot of factors that can negatively affect our health. It is important that we recognise these in order to keep us both physically and mentally healthy.

5 factors are:

  • Stress
  • Life events/circumstances
  • Economic circumstances
  • Risk behaviours
  • Loneliness

While there are various factors that affect our health, there are also methods that can support a healthy lifestyle:

  • Exercise – It has been proven by many studies that regular exercise can help us feel more positive. It can help people who are struggling with stress, depression, body dysmorphic disorder and various other health complications. It can be a release for some people to help them cope with feelings and as we exercise we release endorphins that make us feel happy.
  • Talking to people around us – If we have an issue or problem it can help to talk to someone. This can be friends, family, medical staff or a helpline such as Samaritans. By speaking about how we feel we can get relief as we have finally got it off our chest and said it out loud. Speaking to people also offers us the chance to talk about what to do next or how to combat the issue.
  • Surrounding ourselves with positive people – By being around people that are positive, it offers a happier outlook on life and the struggles that we may face. Situations that may be lowering your mood can be looked at in a more optimistic way.
  • Seeking professional advice and information – In todays’ world we are surrounded by information and many of us have easy access to the internet. Seeking advice on websites such as ‘NHS 24’ may reassure us about our health issues.
  • Touch – offering someone a simple hug can make people feel a lot better. A simple hand on someone’s shoulder to say ‘everything is going to be okay’ can be all it takes to calm someone down.

If we realise what causes us stress, what we can do to combat it and how we can live a healthier lifestyle then we will be able to help the young people that we will be working with to do the same.

 

Society and Lifestyles

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This weeks lecture we focused on the module assessment. As a class we discussed the best ways to tackle the seen question. At first the seen question seemed to be quite challenging but now that I have seen the way that marks are awarded, I feel the question is much simpler to answer. Now I know which areas to focus on and this will help me succeed in my exam.

 

At Risk Behaviours and Society

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Learning and developing an about what impacts a child’s ability to learn is extremely important for my future career. The environment they are surrounded by has a major impact on children and their behaviours.

The focus of the lecture today was about “At Risk Behaviours and Society”. This topic is of extreme interest to me as I have been brought up in a family and background that is very aware of some risk behaviours and the affect it can have young people and their families. Many people often ask “Why bother about what other people do?” and yes everyone is free to make their own choices but I hope that when I qualify as a teacher that I can be an influential and effective educator that will help children make choices that keep the safe and healthy, this is a reason to bother about what other people do.

So what are risk behaviours?

  • An insignificant amount of physical activity
  • A diet that leads to health concerns and disease
  • Substance use/abuse
  • Sexual behaviours that result in unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases
  • Behaviours that lead to injuries (Planned or unplanned)

As educators we need to be aware ourselves of ways in which children can be influenced and how these behaviours have consequences. We need to be open-minded enough to take on-board childrens issues and why they do things. We as teachers need to be good role models!

Society and Culture are part of who we are, they are part of our identity and to an extent they influence our daily choices and actions. Living in a culture where jobs are scarce, food prices change daily and where without budgeting it can often be cheaper to buy an unhealthy meal than a healthy one will subsequently have an effect on your health.  It has been proven that their is a strong link between deprivation and health (Glasgow Centre for Population Health, 2010). Scotland has the lowest life expectancy in Western Europe and this can be linked to social-economical factors (Glasgow Centre for Population Health, 2010).

One question asked in the seminar today was: “Scots: Are we healthy?”

After reading over and analysing some of the data in “Investigating a ‘Glasgow Effect'” (Glasgow Centre for Population Health, 2010). I came to the conclusion that we as Scots are not the healthiest and  a lot needs to be done to improve the overall health statistics in Scotland however through education we can help guide the next generation on to a healthier and more successful future. As a future educator I want to be part of a society that helps lower statistics such as: Deaths related to ‘drug-related poisonings’ are ‘2.5 times higher’ amongst ‘Glaswegians than those in Liverpool and Manchester’ (Glasgow Centre for Population Health, 2010). We need to work together to become a healthier Scotland.

References:

Glasgow Centre for Population Health (2010) Investigating a ‘Glasgow Effect. Glasgow: Glasgow Centre for Population Health.

 

 

 

 

Society and lifestyles – focus on disability

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In this week’s lecture and seminars we worked on how people that have a disability maybe affected by their surroundings and environments. We discussed what can be done to include everyone in all aspects of society. During the seminar we looked at specific scenarios and discussed with our peers if they showed discriminatory practice, once we had decided on an answer we listed our reasons and came up with ideas on what could be done so that no one is discriminated against.

Even though people may have good intentions, the actions they take may not portray the true meaning of what they were trying to get across.

As a group we have agreed that: good practice for one child is good practice for all children.

As future teachers we should be aware and promote anti-discriminary practice.

This is a photo of the work we done in the seminar.

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Inclusion and Equality

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Todays lecture was based around society and inclusion.

Being an open-minded person I find this subject interesting.  I an interested in learning more about how to promote diversity and inclusion within the classroom setting. I am also interested in learning about the history of exclusion and how we have developed as a society. 

I understood the concepts discussed during the lecture and seminars. I built on my pre-existing knowledge. I had a very basic understanding of the Equality Act 2010 through doing Modern Studies at secondary school. I now understand more about the act and how it came to be.

During our seminar we were asked to create a drawing that showed discrimination we had witnessed. My group discussed how the word ‘gay’ was often used to cause offence in school. People did not understand the meaning of the word fully and the did not think of the consequences of what they were saying. Many of my friends are in same-sex relationships. I have always been open-minded to the issue. As a group we discussed how being in a same-sex relationship is more acceptable now.

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This is the group work we produced in class.

Religion and Society – Part 2

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The focus of this weeks lecture and tutorial was: How religion influences culture, how culture influences religion and ‘unchurched’ spirituality.

For many people region and culture come hand in hand. They are part of that persons identity, they influence a persons day to day life.

Religion can give people hope in times of distress and pain. People who are part of a religion are also part of the community that religion can provide. They can work, talk, help and interact with others who are facing the same difficulties. Religious communities sometimes provide material help for those in that religion who are less fortunate. They can provide; shelter, food and advice.

Although religion can provide many benefits to those who believe, there are issues within religion that many see as negative and unethical. Some religions do not accept medical treatment, medication or contraception as it against their religious views. This can impact peoples’ health.

‘Unchurched’ spirituality was also discussed. This is when a form of spirituality is not within an organised religion and outside the church. Throughout the years religiousness has been in decline and this can be seen as a point to why ‘unchurched’ spirituality has arisen. This decline can be seen in the 2011 Scottish Census (National Records of Scotland, 2013). ‘Unchurched’ spirituality can be with or without the belief in a ‘God’ or ‘Gods’.

I am going to work on understanding theorists views and criticisms of religion and spirituality. I find this interesting to learn about and by understanding theorists this will enable me to provide a higher quality of answers in my exam.

As a student primary teacher I can see the importance of learning religion as it will help me to engage better with the pupils within my classroom. We are living in a society where culture and religion is so diverse therefore it is vital that we can have knowledge of the background the children in our classes are from.

While the concepts discussed within the lecture and tutorial were at times challenging to comprehend I now feel that since I have re-read the lecture slides and done further research on the concepts that I have a good understanding of the concepts. I plan on doing more academic reading to cover the concepts covered as this will help me for my exam.

References:

National Records of Scotland (2013) 2011 Census: Key Results on Population, Ethnicity, Identity, Language, Religion, Health, Housing and Accommodation in Scotland – Release 2A [Online] Available: http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/documents/censusresults/release2a/StatsBulletin2A.pdf [Accessed: 25th of January 2017]

Religion, society and Diversity

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Todays lecture and tutorial was very full on. Taking RMPS in secondary school already means that I have an interest in religious studies.

I learned that religion plays a part in todays society wither you as a person finds it important or not. There are many aspects of religion and multiple theories behind them. Todays tutorial enabled us as groups to discuss some opportunities that religion can provide in a society. That religious institutions can provide a place of comfort and care in a community. That religion can guide people through difficult times. Malinowski believes that religion fulfils people biological and psychological needs.

As this was our first religion input, I feel I have grasped the concepts discussed but will need to do more academic reading to gain a better understanding. Speaking in class also furthered my confidence and made me realise that its okay to answer out in class.

I feel that this topic will be useful and important in my teaching career.

Reflections on Placement

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Placement definitely allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of how a school is run and what goes into a teachers daily routine.

Starting on the Monday I was nervous about the new experience I was going to participate in. I had prepared all my placement tasks and any questions that I wanted to ask the teacher. Walking into the massive school reception was overwhelming at first however by remaining calm and reminding myself of good communication strategies and tips I was able to make a positive first impression.

In the class I was based in the children were aged between 7 and 8 years old. This was an age range that I had little experience working with. Providing me with an exciting challenge for the week ahead. throughout the week I had many opportunities to take part in class activities, speak to and observe the pupils, interact with my peer partner and other staff members as well as working with small groups of children covering different areas of the Curriculum for Excellence. By doing this I was able to identify communication strengths and areas that I needed to develop.

Strength

A communication strength that I identified was being able to effectively and positively interact with children. I used an appropriate pace, pitch and tone of voice when speaking to individual children or groups of children. I used an appropriate volume when talking to the children about the tasks they were about to participate in. One of the times I interacted with children during my weeks placement was when taking a small group of children and helping them to develop their knowledge on three-dimensional shapes. I feel that my HNC Early Education and Childcare course really helped me when discussing with the children the worksheet they were about to do. It helped me change my ways of communicating with individual children to suit their learning needs. I received positive feedback from my mentor and she observed that I was able to recognise individual childrens learning needs.

Area of Most Progress

Before going to placement I realised that I lacked confidence in speaking to other adults. I wanted to develop this skill. I done this by engaging with various members of staff during my placement. I avoided the temptation of using my mobile phone in the staff room and if I had any questions I asked someone, even if I thought the question was a bit silly. I have now realised that I do not need to shy away from social interactions with other adults and that everyone feels shy or lacks confidence at some point in their practice.

Area Requiring Progress

A communication area that I need to work on is trying not to use colloquialisms or missing “t’s” from my words during speech. I had never realised that I do this and was quite shocked when it was pointed out by the teacher and my peer partner. I especially had an issue pronouncing the word “Literacy” as I would miss out the “t”. throughout the week I tried my hardest to correct this issue and as the week went on it started to feel more natural to put emphasis on the “t” in words.

Action Plan

My action plan is to keep up to date with new polices and changes to the curriculum as this will help me in my teaching practice. I will also do more reading on different learning theories, personally I think it is very important to understand the various ways that children can learn and the influences that affect childrens learning.

I want to develop my confidence further and I can do this by answering out in class and taking part in various class activities were I need to present my ideas.

I also aim to speak better English. I can do this by asking my friendship group to observe the way I speak and give me constructive criticism on my pronunciation.

Placement

I know that teaching is what I want to do and placement reinforced this. This profession can be so rewarding and knowing you have helped a child learn a new concept not only develops that childs knowledge but develops us as people. Education is one of the keys to success in life and I want to help children on their journey to success.

Personal Response to ‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue

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Personal Response to ‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue

Reading has always been part of my life. Reading was enjoyable even from a very young age. My gran would always read me a traditional fairy tale before bed and my mum constantly had a book in her hands. This is a reason why reading has always been pleasurable. Growing up with two brothers meant that the texts in the house were often of a dark nature and these are the texts I continue to enjoy. My first experience of being hooked to a book was ‘Cirque du Freak’ by Darren Shan. Shan created an imaginary world that I found myself lost in. From that point most books I have read featured themes such as; murder, fear, fantasy, adventure and mystery.

I found ‘Room’ by Emma Donoghue an enjoyable but challenging read. The book introduced the reader to themes of fear, communication, family and society. Donoghue used language that allowed the reader to immerse themselves in the main characters ‘Jack’ and ‘Ma’s’ world. I found myself constantly wanting to know what was going to happen next and I was intrigued by the character ‘Old Nick’. The story appealed to me because of its dark themes and context. The story was very realistic as cases of kidnapping happen often in this world which made me even more interesting in Donoghues telling of the story. Donoghue could capture moments which triggered certain emotions. Such as happiness and relief when ‘Jack’ and ‘Ma’ finally escaped room although sadness was also captured as ‘Jack’ did not fully grasp why they had to escape from the room.

‘Room’ was a challenging read at times as you often had to put yourself in ‘Jacks’ mind to understand what he was talking about. Jack often used personification when talking about furniture in the room. His language acquisition was at times very typical of a child his age however he would often discuss subjects and use words not typical of a five-year-old. Donoghue used words like “Scave” (Donoghue,2010) which ‘Jack’ described as a “Word-sandwich” (Donoghue, 2010) which immersed the reader in childlike mannerisms. These ‘Word-sandwiches’ though logical to ‘Jack’ often were not logical to the reader which added a challenging aspect to the book.

I would recommend this book to many of my friends as most of them enjoy stories with a realistic feel to them. The book could be described as a gripping, interesting and intense novel with various twists.

‘Room’ developed my reading skills as it has been a while since I sat down and read a full novel. I found myself often having to read over sentences to make sure I understood the context in which Donoghue was trying to convey. I developed a greater awareness for the importance of grammar after reading ‘Room’ as ‘Jacks’ speech was not always grammatically correct. Through school and college, I understood that fiction could be used in academic study. Fiction helps us to understand and analysis many subjects such as; a person language acquisition, behavioural development and implications of peoples’ actions. ‘Room’ was very effective in helping me to understand language acquisition and development because of the language Donoghue used. Donoghue used words like “Meltedly spoon” (Donoghue, 2010) to show ‘Jacks’ language acquisition and development, that he understood grammatical rules enough to make his own words. Once ‘Jack’ and ‘Ma’ escaped the room Donoghue showed ‘Jacks’ language skills developing and his grammar becoming more correct.

‘Room’ encouraged me to find more novels that have realistic themes. I feel that it important to immerse myself in many fictional texts as this will help me grow as a person.

References:

 

Dongohue, E. (2010) Room. London: Picador.

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