Soar Application Rough Drafts

a. Explain your reasons for wanting to be a SOAR Peer Counselor.

b. What qualities do you possess which will make you a successful peer counselor? These are a few words that I think describe me and why:

· Joyful: my name is Joy and I continually want to live up to my name in all I do

· Creative: art (either in writing, dance, music, or visual art) becomes a part of any job I do because it is how I express my thoughts, heart, and ideas

· Worker: I grew up on a farm and am not afraid of difficult or dirty work.

· Friendly: People cannot be stereo typed and stored like boxes but instead friends and relationships grow through love and time.

· Brave: I think that Life= new things+ mess ups + ask what to do better+ try again.

· Curious: When I feel like I have learned how to do something well with my right hand I like to relearn it with my left and over the Christmas break I started reading an encyclopedia… I like finding new things to learn about and trying out things I have never done before.

c. What have you done or are you doing to achieve the Aims of a BYU Education?

· One of the ways I chose to achieve the Aims of a BYU Education was to join the BYU Honors Program. No one encouraged me to join because once I graduated it was the certificate that mattered. So, first week of freshman year I found the Maser Building on printed out campus map, wondered campus, asked for directions, found the building, and signed all the paper work. This choice has provided both educational and personal experiences that have helped me to achieve the Aims of a BYU Education.

· My most spiritually strengthening class was not in the Joseph Smith Building but in my Honor Biology Corse. The class discussions Darwin and the theory of evolution shattered my paradigm that secular and spiritual information cannot coexist. I now firmly testify that real truth is supported by both secular and spiritual knowledge.

· An intellectually enlarging experience was my freshman year in an Honors 300 level class about civilizations… it was not until my sophomore year that I would realize the numbers in front of classes signified something. Although, the entire class curium was challenging I will never forget that during one of the class discussions I voiced my opinion and my professor challenged my response. I blushed when I realized his logic was sounder and shrunk into my plastic chair. That moment changed my entire classroom approach because I realized that I can change my opinion.

· Even today I find myself pondering the theological question and reforming the answer, because I am no longer afraid to know the definite answer I am more willing to learn.

One of the ciriculum requirments is a foregn language Without a doubt learning Spanish is a

I want to be a lifelong learner.

· be seperated the spirit confirmed to me countless times, the beauty of the earth, the divinity of mankind, and how personally invested I must be to discover and explore truth.

d. How has your cultural background impacted your BYU experience?

e. How has the BYU Honor Code influenced your college experience?

· It was my senior year of High School and I sat at an oak desk gazing at my Bishop finishing the final steps of my BYU application. He asked me if I had any questions about the BYU Honor Code before he signed my ecclesiastical endorsement. I blurted that I did not know why they would not let us light candles in the apartments… it had bothered me; in general all the rules I had read through bothered me. I grew up in Utah Valley and I had heard all about those BYU zoobies: those brainwashed rule lovers. As I sat in that worn out chair across from my Bishop my only fear was that all of those rules would force me to forget who I was. As I sat listen to my Bishop explain the reasons BYU does not allow students to light candles in the apartment I silently vowed that because I signed that I would keep the rules I would keep the rules, but the instant the rules made me forget who I was I would respectfully leave BYU. In that worn out chair I never imagined that the rules at BYU would help me to remember who I am. Now, I don’t think of the BYU Honor Code as a list of rules but more like a personality check list. Am I chaste? Am I modest? Instead of asking myself if I cheat I find myself striving to become an honest person. Against all my expectations living the BYU Honor Code has helped me to find myself.

f. List your extracurricular leadership and involvement experiences. What are the most valuable things you have learned through these experiences?

Brigham Young University Tribe of Many Feathers Historian Officer 2011-2012

Adopt a Grandparent Trinity health and rehabilitation volunteer.

I used to image great leaders standing in front of micophones and always starting something new: Martin Luther King Jr., used to think of leadership I thought of one thing, a speaker. The image of microphones. Of all of the leadership, club, and organization experiences that have changed freshman year I volunteered to adopt a grandparent. It started something like this: my freshman roommate blustered into our bedroom fumbling her American Heritage textbook while explaining that our lives would be better if we started to volunteer off campus and we would both have priceless experiences if together we visited the local retirement home and adopted a grandma. Yeah, I agreed that sounded good and the next week I drove us to volunteer at a nearby retirement home. She had to do community service hours for her American Heritage class and I had a car… we were a perfect pair.

That first semester was a learning curve to say the least. The building rooms and rooms of cream colored walls filled with people laying lifeless

Fortuntly I learned fast: never eat the free treats on the table because they sugar free, gluetten free, and flavor free; always stop to talk to the two women playing Sorry because they want to show everyone their new color of fingernail polish,

Why? Out of dancing across the Western United States, volunteer teaching on the Navajo Nation, learning to Native American Hoop Dance, serving in local elementary schools, … do I believe that adopting a grandma has changed me most? It is the silence. College life is amazing, just what I like, new places, new problems, new thoughts, new people, everything is energized on the new and the creation. I feel that most of my leadership experiences have been packed with the new and excitement, but visiting Clara a few times a month was embedded in silence.

There is nothing new about believing that all people have rights, there is nothing new

She

My personal reflection of the course and how I developed this semester was how if I want to have engaged readers, literate, and creative writers I need to be intentional and direct when creating my curriculum. I have always thought that writing and literature can be taught in a classroom without traditional “what I read” sheets being the assignments. This semester though I began to actually write out lesson plans, research ideas, and organize my thoughts so that I am prepared to teach students without requiring them to fill out work sheets. One of the best ways I think is to use literature that relates to different classroom subjects and I have thought of three specific ways I can use literature in my classroom in social science, art, and science.

The social sciences are one of the most obvious ways to encourage literature. This semester I became convinced that it is not enough though to simply have the books in the classroom but there has to be a way to help students realize that there is information that relates to them in the books. I think that one of the best ways that I can encourage students to be interested in reading about other places, cultures, and people is to let them chose the people, places, and cultures they want to read about. If the school curriculum requires certain social issues to be studied then I can put those on the list of possible books to read. Oh, there are so many ideas running through my head about projects and assignments relating to this topic but the truth is that this is the first semester I realized that the school’s specific curriculum should hinder my creativity as a teacher to create a classroom that is engaging and based in literature and writing.

Another subject that I want to incorporate literature in is art. When I do my own art I find inspiration in things around me, and one of my favorite ways to find inspiration is in children’s picture books. I think that before doing an art project we could read portions of a picture book that demonstrates the style of art we will be using in art class that day. I actually have a few motivations in this. First, I want to increase my student’s awareness of the different moods literature can create by discussing why the artist’s work relates to the mood the text creates. Second, as we have discussed in class relating literature to students’ lives helps them value it. I think most Kindergarteners sincerely care about their art work and so I believe this is the perfect subject to talk about audience, mood, and styles found in literature. Throughout the year I have learned that it is important to relate literature to subjects, people, and places my students care about.

Unfortunately many students already do not believe that science is important to their lives but I think that literature can help me engage my student in science. I have never enjoyed writing a research paper more than when I had to write a grant for this English class because I knew that what I was writing had real world application. While writing this paper I was not motivated by the grade but by the possibility that there was real world application to my writing. An idea I had to motivate my own students was to have each of my students write a scientific article, I could even establish classroom peer editing boards, and then eventually publish our own class scientific journal. In a classroom of Kindergarteners I think if I showed my students a scientific journal and we then published our own my students would be motivated to write and research because they could see how both science and writing have real world application.

Because of the lessons I learned this semester I have begun to think of ways I to incorporate literature in social science, art, and science. I was shocked to learn how many creative ways there are to teach literature and writing without relying on worksheets. Now, I firmly believe that it is not important to think of imaginative ways to teach literature but engaging ways to teach literature.

Sometimes I think teachers believe they can change nature, which, is really quite laughable because even a gardener knows that you cannot change the seasons or make the sunshine. A successful gardener changes the environment: they build greenhouses, the plant seeds at the right time of year, but every good gardener knows that naturally not all plants grow in all areas or during all seasons. The article Viewpoint: Teaching for Literacy Engagement by John T. Guthrie helped me to think of ways that I can create a classroom environment that grows engaged readers no matter what type of “seed” my students are. I reflected on a few ways I can change my classroom environment to harvest more engaged readers. Some simple things I can do to change my classroom environment are to allow my students to choose what they read, encourage out of classroom reading, and to have free reading in class.

Something from the article that impressed me was the author’s detail about how important it is to allow students to make their own choices about what they read. The research in the article supported the author claim that students perform better when they chose what they read, but how can I incorporate reading choices into my kindergarteners curriculum. First, the article suggests to let students chose books and research topics form a specific list. I know that many districts have a required curriculum and I would compose my list from these required subjects. Instead of having my students each research a topic I think that allowing them to vote on the order we research the topics as a class will improve their reading. We would read books on the topic in class then then encourage students to do out of class reading. I could organize class field trips to the library, talk about Google book, and if the student’s parent is in a profession that relates to the subject we are researching we could have them fill out a class written questionnaire. Because I will be working with such young students I think that it is more important for me to show them how many different ways we can do literary based research from the internet, textbooks, and magazines. I believe that introducing my Kindergarteners to all of the different types of literature and then asking them to research their own chosen topic would be an over stimulating curriculum. I think by allowing my student to vote on which order we research the topics and also then providing different choices of how they can research at home my curriculum will be engaging with choices but not overwhelming.

Another thing that the article brought to my attention was the importance of out of classroom reading. The author stressed how an engaged reader would read at home and an unengaged reader would not. This made me think of how important it is to create a classroom environment that encourages reading outside of the classroom as well as during class. There are a few simple things that I can do in my classroom such as have a class library with books that can be checked out or go on class field trips to check out books from the local library if it is close or the school library. I think that another way to encourage at home reading with Kindergarteners would be to have a class reading wall were they could recommend books to each other. Because I intended to work with younger students I think on my classroom reading wall I would have them draw a picture from a book they read at home and want to recommend. Personally, I do not believe the reading incentive programs are highly effective and I do not believe that this author found them effective either. Consequently, in my classroom I would try and avoid “rewarding” students for out of class reading at all costs. I hope to be able to encourage out of class reading by making reading an important and social part of my classroom.

I have been spending a lot of time thinking about how I can practically have a free reading time with a group of kindergarteners. The article was mostly directed at teachers in grades 3^rd to 8^th, but that does not mean that I cannot apply these suggestions to younger grades. The first thing I learned from the article is that the more opportunities I provided for my students to be engaged in reading the more likely they are to improve in their reading. Most of the students I will be working with will be “too” young to read and those who can will probably not competent readers. Until I read the article I thought that a free reading time would be a waste of time. All of the research in the article supported common sense though that the more you practice something the better you get at it, and if I want to have better readers in my classroom I need to allow them time to practice reading. Even though right now I am afraid that free reading time with kindergarteners will turn into an empty period of the day this article has inspired me to research ways that I can incorporate a free reading time with kindergarteners.

The article Viewpoint: Teaching for Literacy Engagement by John T. Guthrie inspired me to think of ways I can change my classroom to harvest more engaged readers by give resources to my students that will help them choose how they want to research our chosen class subject at home, to encourage out of classroom reading, and to think of practical ways I can have a free reading program with Kindergarteners. I cannot change nature. I cannot go against were my students come from. I cannot change who my students are. I can change the environment of my classroom and this empowers me enough to help my students’ grow.

EFY application

After regurgitating ideas in a club meeting about our Homecoming Parade Float, the instant we had a realistic designed I volunteered to drive and get my family’s hay bail trailer. A few hours later my brother helped me hitch it, I drove ten feet, hit the barn, blew the tire, STOPPED THE ENGINE, and crawled out. My 6’9” and almost 300 pound brother examined the brownout tire and asked me if I was ok. I nodded. He smiled, “A little shaken up?” He helped me call the shop and said to call when I got to Provo. I called the other club members and explained why I would be late. Once the tire was fixed I drove to campus. We won the Most Spirited Club Award in the parade, but I learned no matter how powerful someone is a team leader stays calm.
While volunteering in Navajo Nations Reservation I was discussing art and asking the students to describe Window Rock (a local natural monument). At first, it was impossible to get the students to say anything beyond red and brown. So, I began asking specific question and the list snowballed: scribble through fire engine red and circle around basketball orange. When the small chalk board was out of room I erased part and kept writing until there was silence. I called for more colors before I turned around and almost dropped my chalk. The students were leaning out into aisles, standing up in the back row, gripping the edge of their desks- all their eyes were on me to know what was next. In that instant I understood that what I was doing mattered: Window Rock, their color being written on the board, me (their teacher), and they (the students) all mattered.


Joyful: My name is Joy and I want to live up to my name even at work.
Creative: Some how art becomes apart of any job I do because it is how I express my thoughts, heart, and ideas.
Worker: I grew up on a farm and am not afraid of difficult or dirty work.
Friendly: People can not be stereo typed and stored like boxes but relationships should grow just as people do. My friendly personality helps me to befriend people I work with.
Brave: Life= new things+ mess ups + ask what to do better+ try again

REL

Light and truth it seems so simple, but even in my physical science class it is difficult. No one knows exaclty what it is and how it works and what it does and how to measure it and when to watch it... well the list goes on and on. I often times get intimidated when I think of how little I know about the gospel and how little I know at all. Most days I am still trying to figure out myself; I am still trying to remember how to open the door at the WSC. It is not enough to tell you how many dumb things I do every day and how offten I do them, but that is not what the Lord focuses on in this passage. That is not the attitude taht I got any way. The feeling that I recieved was that I must continue to search for light and truth, let it fill me. That I can not stop and say I am too dumb to figure that out, because the truth of the matter is that I am not too dumb to figure it out.
In these passages the Lord tells us that we have potential to become like Him, filled wtih light and truth. That we have the potential to know the things that were, the things that are and the things that will be. I have been thinking the past few days about spiritual gifts, and wondering if it is a spiritual gift to have the ability to be given... does that make sense. Like for example I have been given so many things: family, friends, education, clothes, roof, food, comfort, physical body... the list can go on and on about all of the things that I have been given. It has caused me to wonder if the it is a spiritual gift to be given. I believe that it is, because in these verses the Lord talks about giving light and truth, and that he will give more unto us the more that we receive. The light and truth that I receive is from God, all things are from God, but I am still exploring the question about is getting gifts a spiritual gift, and how to I spreed and use this gift to bring to pass the imortality and eternal life of man?

Reg

The spirit of understanding scripture. This passage was about the word of wisdom something that I feel like gets a little too much attention in my home. I was pondering upon the spiritual lesson behind the word of wisdom one evening while I was driving home and I had the idea that the word of wisdom is atattched to the lesson that everything was created for a purpose and that not following that purpose is against the commandments of God.
For example, meat has a purpose and should be eaten sparingly. The lesson book also says that it should not be eaten when it is rotten. That there are many health benifiets from following this advice, well, commandment from God.
I feel that I can apply this to myself. I have a particular purpose. There are times and seasons to my life purpose, and there are certain percasions that I have with my own purpose. That my physical body, and my spiritual body have a particular purpose. That when I help to keep my body fit and active I can better full fill my life purpose. I fell that keeping the word of wisdom is not making a list of do and don't but it is understanding that every thing, even grain, meat, fruit, all of it has a purpose and that I should respect the purpose of all of God's creations.
The second lesson for me is that by respecting the purpose of God's creation I can better full fill my own purpose. That when I respect the purpose of Tabacco and use it as a medicine and not as an addiction I can utalize the purpose of Tabacco to more fully complete my own life purpose. It testifies to me that all of our purposes are interrelated and that by making the choice to respect other of God's creations purpose I can better respect my own. That when I respect my own purpose I can help others to find and obtain their life purpose. That is what I believe about the word of wisdom.

REG

Timing. That is what I learned from this chapter. God has timing. He has his own timing. All things it seems will happen: the second coming, Christ entering the world, everyone will hear the truth, but it is all depending on God's time.
That has been a central theme He has been trying to send me lately. The devotional was on prayer; trusting in the answers that God gives and not praying to have the answer that we want.
There have been three times this week that I have been struck with the lesson about asking questions: the first time was when I went to Church instead of going to the normal Sunday School class I went to the Mission Prep class and the lesson was on what types of questions to ask the Lord and that He wishes us to ask Him questions, the second time was when I was studying for my Physics test the article was on how religion and science are a kin to each other because they are based on asking and discovering true answers, the third time was at the form today on campus (the speaker's entire talk was about asking and testing the gospel to know if it is true) That leads me to believe that part of a growing testimony is constantly questioning my testimony to expound upon the knowledge that I know. I have been wondering why I have been impressed with so many talks about questions: is there a question that God needs me to ask right now. I guess that I am more wondering if there is an answer He is trying to give me right now. Most of all I believe that it starts with asking questions; I need to ask God more questions about truth. I focus on asking questions about me, my life, my problems. This may be a point in my life when I need to start to learn how to ask questions for others, enabling me to help them in their eternal progression. How this process begins I am not quite sure... does it relate to the whole time thing? I am sure that it does.
Some questions I can begin on my list:
In the timing of God what can I do to prepare myself now for the life that is going to come?
When is a time that I was a ware that God was preparing me for something that came later in life?
How have other people's lives been blessed because I was prepared?
Things that I know I want to be prepared for: temple marriage, being a loving wife, being a loving mother, the second coming, trials that will surly come (making the Savior my rock), maintaining an organized and clean home, teaching... I feel that sometime shortly I should read my blessing and learn of the things that I know I can begin to prepare for now in my life. When God's timing is these things will surly come to pass.