Self-Assessment

I think that this semester was the most challenging one that I have had throughout my college career but I still believe that I achieved a lot of good things throughout it. Looking back, I began college at the age of 17; dropped out 2 semesters in because I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life; went to community college 1 ½ years later and received my Associate’s Degree in Management at the age of 22; took another year and a half hiatus and then decided to pursue my Bachelor’s at Montclair State University. I am currently 25 years old and a father of two beautiful children. My belief before taking this course was that I had to work and support my children by following the systematic approach to the world. I quickly realized that this mentality would not get me anywhere and am thankful for the chance to endure the challenges of this course.
I believe that I stood up to the challenges of reading, understanding, and analyzing all of the material that was presented throughout the semester. Some of the readings were very intense but I felt a type of reward when I went to class and learned deeper knowledge from the information in the readings that I attained. The time spent at Arts High School was also a great eye opening experience. This was my first time student teaching and I was able to see the entire spectrum of the educational system (i.e., administration, student/teacher interaction, lesson plans). The inquiry project was a great jump-start for future projects that I was planning on working on. My plan (which has actually already begun) is to create a non-profit organization that will bring Arts programs to the children of Jersey City while at the same time building their character and exposing them to a more positive lifestyle and new visions of life. I was motivated by this class because it made me realize the different point-of-view’s that there are for each and every topic. I also learned to be a more justice-oriented citizen and get up and active in my community. Overall, I believe that I have a stronger character because of this class and am glad that I took it very seriously.