Thanks to everyone that came to Sioux Falls for the SDEA student fall conference! I think that everyone that was there would agree that it was certainly worth their time thanks to the wonderful speakers. Sue Nipe gave us a taste of our legal duties as we look ahead to our years of teaching. Former teacher of the year Jeff Lukens enlightened, inspired, and even made us laugh as our keynote. Sioux Falls Education Association's president Ann Tornberg taught us a lot about the association including the new pay scale that Sioux Falls is observing. If you do not know about the new pay scale I encourage you to check it out because I truly believe that you will want to encourage your home districts to consider it. We are extremely grateful to our speakers for taking time out of their Saturday to share with us!
While I am stoked about our attendance at the fall conference with 25 students, I am at the same time slightly frustrated. As a state we have around 400 student members. I don't know if we are not delivering the information correctly, or if the geography of our state is what is preventing a higher attendance. Our fall conference was wonderful, and I KNOW that the spring conference will match the standard if not raise the bar, SO if you have any ideas of increasing attendance I would L-O-V-E to hear them.
We are excited to announce that Dakota State has offered to host the Spring 2008 conference, and we may be having it at Prairie Village in Madison...something to think about.
Later Tater
Michael
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
THANKS NSU!
Thanks to Northern for having Rich and I yesterday (9/20). It was good to see all of the student teachers about to enter the world! Make sure you check out the GEM resource we talked about that is available on the NEA website or SDEA.org. I think you will be surprised at how much info there is for your content area. Next wednesday we are traveling to USD to speak with education majors. Hopefully for this trip I won't have to leave at 4:30am :P
Good Luck student teachers! Let me know if there is anything we can do for you. Feel free to post any new experiences on this spot.
Michael
sdea student president
Good Luck student teachers! Let me know if there is anything we can do for you. Feel free to post any new experiences on this spot.
Michael
sdea student president
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Newspaper Review for Spring Conference 2007
Power of positive thinking stressed at SDEA conferenceRoss Dolan The Daily Republic - 04/02/2007 Positive thinking isn’t a problem for Bob Sprang.
Sprang, assistant professor of education, physical education department chairman and assistant football coach at Dakota Wesleyan University on Saturday was the keynote speaker for the spring conference of the South Dakota Education Association’s student program, held at DWU. Nearly 50 students attended the conference.
The meeting was an opportunity to encourage students to continue their interest in the teaching profession and to consider a career in South Dakota.
SDEA state Student Coordinator Rich Mittelstedt said the main drive of his organization during the past year was to increase funding to schools. But working with students now will hopefully increase SDEA numbers next fall, he said.
“Our goal is to promote membership and show that there’s power when people join together to protect their rights,” he said. “We also try to promote goals that they can accomplish as students — applying for different grants for projects on their respective campuses.”
SDEA didn’t have to sell Kristi Anderson — co-president of DWU Future Teachers, senior class president, and elementary education major — on a career in education.
Originally from Hitchcock, she hopes to begin student teaching next fall, possibly at Ethan, where the 6-foot-1 Anderson worked as an assistant basketball coach.
But inspired by books like “Educating Esme,” and “Inside Mrs. B’s Classroom,” Anderson also wonders what it would be like to teach in a Chicago inner city school.
“The books really inspired me,” she said, admitting that the thought of working in a city school is a bit intimidating for a girl from a town with a population of just 108.
It doesn’t bother her that South Dakota teachers are in 51st place in national salary rankings. She estimates that 60 to 75 percent of approximately 118 education students at DWU will remain in-state.
“I’m personally not concerned (about the salary situation) because you don’t do it for the money. If you’re a teacher you do it because it’s what you love,” Anderson said.
She hopes eventually to get a job teaching in grades four through six.
Anderson also is positive about job prospects, although in-state slots for elementary teachers have been difficult to find. There are jobs opening up, especially on reservation schools, she said.
Part of each SDEA student conference is doing some community outreach activity, Anderson said. Heavy rains washed out plans of painting playground equipment at L.B. Williams Elementary School, but students ended up helping the school bag raffle tickets for an upcoming carnival.
“We’ll have another painting party on a sunny day,” she said.
It was Sprang’s job, as speaker, to keep that positive flow rolling. Sprang, who also taught at Mitchell High School for a time, said he has enjoyed every day of his 43-year teaching career.
Among other tips, he told students to choose friends well, to be a friend, to smile more, and to give recognition to others.
Just as you are what you eat, Sprang told students, the same principle applies to the mind. He said you are what you think about.
“We have 45,000 to 51,000 thoughts a day,” said Sprang, “and 75 to 80 percent of those thoughts are negative.”
Sprang stressed success, attitude and motivation.
To motivate students, said Sprang, teachers have to remain positive, set goals, be consistent, be disciplined, and set a positive example by being enthusiastic about whatever they do.
The successful person knows that motivation comes from hard work, he said, but the complacent person thinks things will be delivered without effort.
Success is not always perfection, said Sprang; it’s giving 100 percent of effort to whatever you do.
“Enjoy each and every day,” said Sprang. “You never know when it will be your last.”
Sprang, assistant professor of education, physical education department chairman and assistant football coach at Dakota Wesleyan University on Saturday was the keynote speaker for the spring conference of the South Dakota Education Association’s student program, held at DWU. Nearly 50 students attended the conference.
The meeting was an opportunity to encourage students to continue their interest in the teaching profession and to consider a career in South Dakota.
SDEA state Student Coordinator Rich Mittelstedt said the main drive of his organization during the past year was to increase funding to schools. But working with students now will hopefully increase SDEA numbers next fall, he said.
“Our goal is to promote membership and show that there’s power when people join together to protect their rights,” he said. “We also try to promote goals that they can accomplish as students — applying for different grants for projects on their respective campuses.”
SDEA didn’t have to sell Kristi Anderson — co-president of DWU Future Teachers, senior class president, and elementary education major — on a career in education.
Originally from Hitchcock, she hopes to begin student teaching next fall, possibly at Ethan, where the 6-foot-1 Anderson worked as an assistant basketball coach.
But inspired by books like “Educating Esme,” and “Inside Mrs. B’s Classroom,” Anderson also wonders what it would be like to teach in a Chicago inner city school.
“The books really inspired me,” she said, admitting that the thought of working in a city school is a bit intimidating for a girl from a town with a population of just 108.
It doesn’t bother her that South Dakota teachers are in 51st place in national salary rankings. She estimates that 60 to 75 percent of approximately 118 education students at DWU will remain in-state.
“I’m personally not concerned (about the salary situation) because you don’t do it for the money. If you’re a teacher you do it because it’s what you love,” Anderson said.
She hopes eventually to get a job teaching in grades four through six.
Anderson also is positive about job prospects, although in-state slots for elementary teachers have been difficult to find. There are jobs opening up, especially on reservation schools, she said.
Part of each SDEA student conference is doing some community outreach activity, Anderson said. Heavy rains washed out plans of painting playground equipment at L.B. Williams Elementary School, but students ended up helping the school bag raffle tickets for an upcoming carnival.
“We’ll have another painting party on a sunny day,” she said.
It was Sprang’s job, as speaker, to keep that positive flow rolling. Sprang, who also taught at Mitchell High School for a time, said he has enjoyed every day of his 43-year teaching career.
Among other tips, he told students to choose friends well, to be a friend, to smile more, and to give recognition to others.
Just as you are what you eat, Sprang told students, the same principle applies to the mind. He said you are what you think about.
“We have 45,000 to 51,000 thoughts a day,” said Sprang, “and 75 to 80 percent of those thoughts are negative.”
Sprang stressed success, attitude and motivation.
To motivate students, said Sprang, teachers have to remain positive, set goals, be consistent, be disciplined, and set a positive example by being enthusiastic about whatever they do.
The successful person knows that motivation comes from hard work, he said, but the complacent person thinks things will be delivered without effort.
Success is not always perfection, said Sprang; it’s giving 100 percent of effort to whatever you do.
“Enjoy each and every day,” said Sprang. “You never know when it will be your last.”
Monday, April 2, 2007
What do you think?
Hey -
So I'm just sitting at home and thinking about the conference and this past weekend. Then I thought about this blog and wanted to hear your thoughts! What do you guys think about this idea? Am I too excited about this new addition...because I think it will be a great communication tool for us. More than just SDEA business, I believe this will become a great tool for us to share ideas and useful information for our own personal advantage.
Honestly, I don't know everything about running a blog site, but it doesnt seem too difficult. So whether you would like to add a comment, or shoot us an email and have us post, add some input :) Talk to you soon!
Nicole
So I'm just sitting at home and thinking about the conference and this past weekend. Then I thought about this blog and wanted to hear your thoughts! What do you guys think about this idea? Am I too excited about this new addition...because I think it will be a great communication tool for us. More than just SDEA business, I believe this will become a great tool for us to share ideas and useful information for our own personal advantage.
Honestly, I don't know everything about running a blog site, but it doesnt seem too difficult. So whether you would like to add a comment, or shoot us an email and have us post, add some input :) Talk to you soon!
Nicole
Friday, March 23, 2007
Wahooo! We have a blog!
Welcome to the OFFICIAL SDEA Student Program Blog Spot. This will be the home for helpful advice, tips, ideas, and anything else that may be helpful to future teachers. If you have any lesson plans ideas, good books to read, movies to see (i.e. Freedom Writers) anything at all that would be fun, interesting, or helpful send it to SDEAstudent@gmail.com and we will throw it down on the blog! It's easy! This will also be a place that we will report any helpful or important SDEA student program information, so check back regularly.
Until Next Time,
Nicole Hoiten and Michael Anderson
SDEA Student Program President and President Elect
Until Next Time,
Nicole Hoiten and Michael Anderson
SDEA Student Program President and President Elect
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