Rapattoni

Yesterday, I met with Mrs. Rapattoni and it was very refreshing. We talked about how this class is going and even some personal stuff. 99.9% of the time was spent weeding through the ten pounds of research I have collected over time. Now, I know I have been procrastinating but a lot of my hours are spent organizing the information that I have and figuring out a grabbing introduction. I am feeling very confident about my paper and I hope that it comes out as a success.

Painting

In an article I read a couple of weeks ago, there was a woman who was bipolar and every time she felt angry or manic, she would paint. All of her negative energy was released through the tip of her paint brush and transformed into a work of art which was merely a reflection of her emotions. This has recently inspired me and encouraged me to find a way to release all of my negative energy rather than lashing out on someone or something. I know I am not bipolar but I do throw tantrums. Sleeping or eating is not a good way to handle your emotions. All it does is repress your feelings instead of release them. Hopefully this weekend, I can make it over to a craft store and purchase a canvas and some paint. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Ask For Help

Never be afraid to ask for help. I have been using EBSCOhost as well as GALE all along and I could not figure out why I was not getting any really awesome articles. Well, yesterday Ms.Hans pointed out that I did not place a check next to all of the things I wanted to search for. Once I took her advice, everything worked out great. I ended up getting an article about art therapy that was extremely helpful. Speaking to Mr. Abrams about my thesis made me realize that in order to really prove my point, I should change the thesis to something I will have an easier time proving. I felt more confident in changing my thesis so close to the due date and I already have information stored that will be great for my paper. It's not what you know, it's how you use the information you know to make your paper as good quality as possible. Next time, I will not wait so long to ask questions. Trial and error is what it is all about!

Research Paper

I know we only have a week left for this project and I am a little worried. Mr. Shannon talked to the mentors in 3rd period freshman seminar class and he asked what was stressing us out so bad. Honestly, I get nervous with trying to finish up projects because towards the end, I get lazy or I procrastinate and cram things in last minute. Usually, I think I work better under pressure but I know it is a bad habit that needs to change. I cannot live my whole life pushing things to last minute because I do not know what assignments or projects in other classes are going to pop up. Then, I'll really be in trouble, trying to find the energy and ideas to finish the main project while working on everything else. It would save me tons of stress if I work my behind off this week and try to get the project done early. Negativity has to be thrown out the window and I need to stay positive and focused. Wish me luck!

How my attitudes have changed.

Since the project, my patience was very low and my understanding of others was one dimensional. Now, I am more patient, with kids especially, and I definately try to see things from everyone's point of view, rather than just mine. I was always very considerate towards other's feelings but recently, I have tried to get to know more about people's background to get a better perceptive of how their past or home life has made them who they are today. Working in the after school program has helped me gain patience as well as learn how to put my foot down when I need to. When I go over to the elementary school or the middle school and I meet a group of kids for the first time, I hold off on the judgements. Instead, I listen to what they have to say and take their personality for what it is. I think these new traits could really help me when I become a counselor or working with children.

Falling behind

I feel like everything is coming down on me at once and it is very nerve racking. My grades are pretty decent but I know they could be better than they are. Due to my absence, I have fell behind in a couple of my classes and missed out on a couple of important lessons. In psychology, I missed a part of the movie Butterfly Effect but fortunately, I was able to borrow it and catch up. Math is very difficult for me right now, I'm not used to being completely lost. With the Senior project, I feel as though the week is flying by and it is difficult to find time to meet with both my sponsor and mentor weekly. Filling out the blog sheet and the reflections on the back has become pretty tough for me to. I am glad that I was lucky enough to be chosen for this class and get the opportunity to explore what counselors do but I had no idea what this class had in store for me. Senioritis is making it hard to stay focused and stay on track. Hopefully, I get a boost of energy- enough for me to finish the year off. Holla

You can't always get what you want.

So, today, I went over to school #4 to meet with Mrs. Burns and I was informed that something had just came up and she needed to take care of business. Instead of being mad and discouraged, I realized that things are just going to pop up sometimes, especially when a person is a guidance counselor.

New info.

I'm finding that everything I have learned so far throughout my life has some sort of connection in a weird way. It is strange, but if everyone really sat down and thought about it, they would soon realize that all of our classes in school, all of the lessons we have learned are linked somehow. For example, sometimes when we read books in English, there is a historical background to it; therefore, we're combining literature with history. The only reason this has come to my attention is because recently, as I have been working little by little on this research paper, I have noticed that psychology plays a big role in how we live our every day lives and how people can break down a picture or painting into bits and pieces and come up with a logical explanation as to why or how the picture was created- what were the feelings behind it, what could have caused these feelings, what can you do to overcome these feelings. Well, just thought I would share some insight! I'm sure I'll have lots to blog about later.

It has been five days since I posted my last blog- I know, Mr. Abrams, it's pretty sad. So here I am, home sick, blogging about some information I have just learned. First and foremost, the packet about writing formal oulines has helped me out a bunch and I feel a little bit more confident now with my outline. While I was catching up on some more reading in my book about Art therapy and some techniques that are used, I have a better understanding of art therapy. Jean Piaget, one of the most influencial developmental psychologists of all time, studied his own children to find out exactly how they problem solved at an early age. He developed a theory about intellectual development. Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational are the names of the four stages Jean came up with. Piaget believes that most teenagers have reached the formal operational stage. The formal operational stage basically means they are capable of abstract thinking. BUT! before this happens, a child needs to go through concrete operational, which usually happens around age 7 and during this stage, kids know how to place information into categories and order it but have a hard time placing that information into words or explanations. It is believed that around the age of eleven and continuing onto adolescense, children reach the formal operational stage. Unfortunately, some people do not reach this stage, even as adults. Art therapists need to know how to properly assess which stage their client is in and work it. If the client has not reached the formal operational stage, they will have a more difficult time with their drawings and may need to start off with more simple activities instead of the more complex, reflexive ones.

Interactive Art Therapy

I just took out a book from the Camden County Library and it is about... DUN DUN DUNNNN, none other than ART THERAPY!! So, while I am stuck in slow-motion and caught a slight case of senioritis, I have been reading little by little every day. One part that caught my attention was the intro. Since "psych lingo" is sometimes hard for clients to understand, by looking at their drawings, they can visually SEE their ideas and feelings. Therefore, they get a better understanding of themselves instead of trying to comprehend what their psychologist is telling them.

LMS Renaissance

Friday, I went to the middle school to help out with the renaissance pep rally. Besides the gym being a sauna, I had a good time. I helped Mrs. Rapattoni gather up some 6Th graders to participate in some of the games. It was kinda cool because I knew a lot of the kids there from NJ After 3. I could definitely see myself being a guidance counselor. They don't just mediate kids and talk about problems, they are very involved with school activities.

E.D. Boys - Part II

I went to Mrs. Rapattoni's office yesterday to meet up with the E.D. boys again (I previously blogged about them not too long ago). Finally, I got to see a side of them that I was warned about. The first time I met with them, they were total sweethearts but this time, there was a slight problem. Mrs. Rapattoni had two 6th grade boys and Ms. Ryan had another two in 7th grade so everyone agreed to combine the two groups together to try and work on getting along. Since the last time I met Mrs. Rapattoni's boys, they decided that I could pick the game the next time I come in. I picked Trouble and everything seemed perfectly fine until it was time to choose who got which color. Popping the bubble to see who gets to go first was easy but once we had to pick the color, the real trouble happened! Since the board doesn't have a regular spinner like Life does, we tipped the board upside down and spun it around to find out who would get which color. One boy, Ted, said that he would only play if he had the color red. Unfortunately, Ted did not land on the color red so he stole some of the game pieces and hid under the table. Mrs. Rapattoni and Ms. Ryan gave him the opportunity to leave and go back to class rather than play with the rest of the boys but he never left so we had to call Mr. Bullicki in. He did not cooperate so Officer Burlap was called in. Ted had to be restrained while the other three boys played the game quietly and got along just fine. Eventually his mother arrived and Ted went home on suspension for a couple of days. I can certainly say that yesterday was not like an average middle school visit!

Mara Williams

http://www.maramcwilliams.com/articles/2005-07_art_therapy.php



Mara McWilliams is a bipolar woman who struggled with this disorder her whole entire life. She goes into euphoric manias where she hallucinates and becomes extremely depressed to the point where she is harming herself and possibly suicidal. Throughout the years, being bipolar was unidentifiable- people rarely were diagnosed bipolar so Mara went on trying to manage her rollercoaster-like emotions. Throughout this time, she found that when she went into these euphoric manias, she was at her most creative peak. All of her art work around the time was very expressive and detailed. Art therapy helped her release all of her negative energy onto paper or a canvas instead of throwing tantrums. It is understandable why people turn to art to relax and find themselves.

BJ BURNS

Today, I went and seen BJ Burns over at the elementary school and it was a very relaxed day. We discussed the Senior Project and what it's all about and she even got a chance to check out my blog. She was interested to hear about some of my classmates ideas and career goals so I led her to some of their blogs as well. Speaking to her about the senior project made me realize how involved this class really is and how lucky I am to go to other schools to see what counseling has to offer as a career.

Along with the senior project comes a couple papers in between. I mentioned the research paper coming up and to my surprise, she has some experience with art therapy. She gave me some ideas on how to start off my paper. Now, all I have to do is look up the history of art therapy and all types of things it is used for and I'm golden! For the 45 minute presentation at the end of the year, she said that her and I have permission to tape a little session with the kids (a fake one, of course!) and I can use it in my presentation! I am really looking foward to the rest of the year as far as the senior project goes.

The Media

It has been said over and over again that the media has a huge affect on it's viewers, specifically the younger ones. I mentioned in one of my previous blogs that Mrs. Burns had a talk with a group of boys over in the elementary school to see what they thought of the whole domestic violence issue with Chris Brown and Rihanna. It is obvious that elementary school children are more likely to pay attention to things that their idols do and follow their behavior. Nobody would really expect the Middle school or High school to take after this violent behavior, or would they? It is found that in poverty stricken areas, children mostly look up to athletes or celebrities, while wealthier or upper middle class children look up to their parents, teachers, doctors, etc. There is nothing wrong with finding a role model but what happens when Little Billy finds out his role model has allegedly hit his girlfriend. To Billy, this behavior may be percieved as acceptable. Chris Brown did it, why can't he?

One of my teachers, here at the high school, witnessed a male-female altercation and this undoubtedly worried some of the advisors in the school. He explained to them that although we are older, the media still does have it's effects on us and that our school needs to make sure that students do not follow this behavior. An assembly on domestic violence is being taken into consideration and I agree with the idea 110%. Along with the music lyrics, radio station talk shows, movies, magazines, and television shows, celebrity drama has an affect on the viewers and listeners. We are in a world where violence, sex, drugs, and profanity is more than acceptable. We are being desensitized day by day by being surrounded by this mess.

Helping people move on...

Since I have started working on my outline, I found some new facts about art therapy. People who choose art therapy as a profession specialize in both art and therapy. They know art techniques as well as human development and psychological theories. It helps people overcome trauma , illness, or people who seek personal development. Art is their own way to release all their feelings and emotions into a 2D or 3D masterpiece. This helps patients cope with stress and also increase self-awareness as well as the awareness of people around them. Well, when I find some more info, I'll holla :)

NJ After 3

As most of you know, I work for EIRC NJ After 3 program at the Middle School. The kids here are wonderful. Although it is tough sometimes trying to get them to behave, they are great to work with. The middle school is full of personality and talent. Observing the students is very entertaining and my days go by fast working here. I can learn a lot about people by noticing their habits and different ways they handle situations. All I know is middle school is D-R-A-M-A city! There is conflict with he said-she said at all times. If I were to become a counselor for a middle school, I would have a handful to deal with! It seems like everything around me is beginning to connect with my project and this class. From my psychology lessons and peer mediations to an after school program- I'm always learning new things that can relate to counseling.

Back At It

Unfortunately, I have not gotten the chance to blog since last week but I am back and ready to blog again. So, yesterday I went to the Middle School and met with Mrs. Rapattoni to join her with a group of boys from a class called ED. ED stands for emotionally dysfunctional (I'm ALMOST positive, lol). This group of boys were supposedly, from what Mrs. Rapattoni told me prior to the meeting, these boys are crazy, loud, and argue constantly! Well, well, well... the three boys surprised both Mrs. Rapattoni and I with their wonderful behavior. It was honestly a pleasure to meet these boys and get a chance to observe them and how they interact with each other. We played the board game, Life. They took turns nicely, helped organize pieces and cards, and refrained from calling each other cheaters. One of the boys even said I could choose what board game to play next week! Hopefully, I can make it down to the Middle School and visit them in their class room.

My Idol

Aside from her remarkable beauty and acting talents, Angelina Jolie has a lot more to offer. She is an ambassador for the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) Goodwill where she travels throughout the world to work with refugees and displaced people. She has traveled to Darfur to talk to refugees and young children about the current crisis happening in Africa and also has been to a Bangkok refugee camp. She is very passionate about what she does and it is obvious she cares strongly for children. Ever since I was about 11 years old, I babysat my brothers and baby cousins and I promised myself I would not have any children or work around children when I am older. To my surprise, I find children to be great company and very lively. Although they can sometimes be a pain, I am lucky to spend time with them every single day and learn more and more about them. I hope when I become a social worker or a counselor, I am this passionate about my career and what I do. (I would also love to travel the world!)

School #4

Today, I got to meet the counselor at Lindenwold School #4, Ms.Burns, and she is amazing. She made me feel very welcome in the school and I even got a chance to sit in on a group session with a few young boys who were very lively. She told me it would be entertaining and she was not lying! The topic she presented was domestic violence and the whole Chris Brown and Rihanna situation. Listening to their opinions on the topic was extremely interesting. Gladly, they all agreed that domestic violence is wrong and had some very nice things to say about Chris Brown (not really). Aside from the group session, Ms. Burns told me the difference between high school, middle school, and elementary school- she even gave me a packet of information about each one, which helped me get a better understanding. She told me that she did not get a degree in guidance counseling, that she is a certified social worker, which is something different from what I understand. Before the kids move up to middle school, they need to work on decision making skills and learn that for every action, there's a consequence. While I was looking around her office, I noticed a sign that said something along the lines of "When you __(action)____, I feel ___(emotion)_____ because __(reason)____. Please __(response desired)___." I guess this was a way to help the students address their problems and express their feelings toward certain behaviors. Overall, today was a great experience and I cannot wait to visit the elementary school again!