Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
We would all wake up and get on buses and just get dispersed out throughout the city
and dropped off at random schools. I went into it a little skeptical, I didn’t
know what to expect, but as the two weeks progressed it became this awesome experience.
The Urban Seminar is a two-week , extensive, around the clock, program in the city.
What made me go into it was Dr. Verden encouraged me during class to attend the meeting, the
preliminary meeting for the Urban Seminar. Actually, I’m invested in urban education
because I taught in the School District of Philadelphia so I know how much fun it can
be, how challenging it can be, but mostly I know how desperately they need new and enthusiastic
young people to come into their schools and into their classrooms to support them.
Urban education is about helping these kids get a better life.
I put all my heart into it because I know that is what the students needed.
They still come in smiling and happy and ready to learn and like love any like affection
you give them, was just the best experience ever.
The biggest lesson for me is that as a teacher you can still be a great teacher with what
you have. I feel I can teach anywhere, especially in
the urban environment. For two weeks you are there every day, all
day, and you get the best experience and you don’t get that in a practicum where you
go for two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays mornings.
The program involves not just the school time, the school day. It involves evening workshops.
We have great speakers who come in. Persons that have written books and done research
on urban education. So, just about every day there is an activity after school. They then
are the immersed in the culture of the city. There are basically two community service
projects that go on during the Philadelphia Urban Seminar. One is with the Norris Square
Neighborhood project and the other is with the Germantown Beacon Center. We did work
with them on one occasion, but mostly West Chester students have been involved with the
Norris Square. These were the best two weeks probably of
my college career because of all the amazing experiences we go through in the short amount
of time. It was really great that we got to experience
a new culture. One that I’ve never been in before.
Our West Chester students are just incredible, they are incredible. And the effort they put
in, and the passion they put into this is evident.
Personally I loved it, I loved the Urban Seminar. I would absolutely recommend the Urban Seminar
to other students. If you have the opportunity you should jump
on it. It’s easy to do things you are comfortable
with that you are familiar with. Try something that you have never done before. Have that
experience; see how it changes you. Even though it is only two weeks, I promise
you, you’ll have a different world view on education after you do this experience.
I’m Jennifer Schneider; I’m a senior here at West Chester.
My name is Christin Pasella My name is Theresa Grasso
I’m Shannon Holly My name is Kevin Schuck.
My name is Erica Smith I did the...
And I participated... And I participated in the Urban Seminar…
This past summer.