Sunday, August 26, 2012

Blog Assignment 1


Who Am I?

The first thing that I can think of when it comes to telling someone about me is the fact that I am Indian. Actually, I was born in the United States in Raleigh, North Carolina, in between almost my entire family, both my mom’s and dad’s side.  So, I grew up in a very family-oriented environment learning Indian values and traditions. In consequence, my parents forgot that I was a child born in the United States and failed to teach me English. Therefore, when I stepped into Kindergarten, I had no idea what the teacher was saying.  Because of the lack of a common language (thanks to my parents) I didn’t have friends for a long time.  However, the values and beliefs that my parents taught me are the core of who I am. There is no one else that I could be more thankful. As a result of the great amount of trust they placed on me and my brother, we learned to have discipline and make sure that we don’t hurt them in any way possible. This leads me to saying that I have a younger brother about two years younger than me. We both do not fight like typical brother and sisters but just get annoyed with each other once in a while. We have learned that the less we expect of each the less we get into fights (try it). Our relationship is built with trust and understanding to the extent that we can read each others’ faces. Basically, he is more of a friend than brother.

My parents bought a business in Mobile, causing us to move 12 hours away from Raleigh when I was 11. I came to a place of which I had not even known existed on the map. The bright side of it was that my dad’s business partner had three kids in the same age group as me and my brother. Their family became family to us, and we all went to school together and with each other. We still do. We all attend South because of the fact that it is close to home.

Other than the fact that I like to teach, I have many hobbies and interests. I love making art and crafting. I enjoy cooking, especially Indian food. I am an outdoor person, who likes to take a trail, bike, river raft, and enjoy scenery, in particular at the mountains. In addition, I enjoy playing sports, such as badminton, cricket, and basketball, even though I am not good at them. Last, I am a very spiritual person.

I had always dreamed of becoming a teacher. I used to make my brother and cousins sit and listen to me teach (they almost hated me for it), promising their mothers that I would help them bring up their grades. I went to the extent that I even made lesson plans, worksheets, and had a grade book!  I even had a small white board. When my grandmother came from India to visit, I took the opportunity to teach her English.

As I progressed through school, I found my interest in the sciences. My 11th and 12th grade science teacher from my IB Biology class at Murphy High School, Mrs. Sudeiha, has been my greatest inspiration. What foremost surprised me was the fact that she actually cared about her students. I had never seen such a lively teacher in my life. She sometimes would become enzymes or a body organ. It was simply amazing to me!  Due to her encouragement, I started to take part in the science fair, twice ending up at the state fair. Mrs. Sudeiha is a great role model. It is because of her that I have realized that I want to be able to teach students in such a way that they do not get frightened by science, but rather have fun and find an interest. I want to play an active role in impacting a student’s life positively for his or her present and future.


Dr. Pausch and Time Management

Randy Pausch was a computer science professor who died from pancreatic cancer. He became famous for his very influencing lecture called “The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”. As a matter of fact, there is a lot to learn from him, ranging from fulfilling dreams, living life to the fullest, and core skills like time management. In his lecture on time management, Dr. Pausch urged students to understand the importance of doing something and realize its goal. He also said that students need to focus on doing the right things rather than doing things right. It is necessary to have a to-do list and some kind of plan. Last, Dr. Pausch encouraged students to break things down and to “do the ugliest things first”. I have always found it tough to apply this last one. I tend to the easiest things first and stress about the hard things I have left to do. I recommend this video for all those out there who have a hard time managing time.

1 comment:

  1. The assignment was clear and to the point. I understood that she had read the assignment and is grammatically sound. I was genuinely interested in the post and it was clear she had viewed Randy Pausch's video and had further researched his career. I do think it was a little lengthy and could have been shortened, but all together I enjoyed getting to know a little bit about you!

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