Discovering the Wealth of Our Students!

It has taken many years for me to personally accept life’s challenges as opportunities to mature while developing patience and appreciation for the experiences.  Yes, I’ve learned to appreciate the challenges and curve balls life has pitched my way.  Of course there have been and probably will continue to be times that I strike out trying to hit life’s curve balls.  However, I choose to focus on sharpening my skills by reflecting upon the ways I was able to effectively complete the task and make it across home base.  Seemingly stalled, there have been times I’ve had to stop and check each base before making it to home base.  There have been times I’ve had to slide into home base all the while enduring the bumps and bruises it took to achieve the task. There have been times I’ve hit the homerun that has allowed me to breeze smoothly to home base.  It is not my intent to imply that life is a game to be played.  I simply want to share that one must remain focused, reflective and patient to persevere through challenges as they are bittersweet opportunities.  Most importantly, like Maya Angelou, I’ve learned that one shouldn’t live life wearing a catcher’s mitt on both hands as one must be able to throw or give something back!

As an educator, daughter, friend and human being, I intentionally try to keep centered and remain focused so that I can give back and pay it forward.  It truly is a great place to be in LIFE!

It has been said many times before, “A picture is worth a thousand words”.  However, “sexting”, a fairly new phenomenon among teenagers, involves sending nude or near nude pictures of themselves via cell phone text messages.  Sexting has proven to be a costly mistake for teens across the country.  Recent national news stories share a common thread of how a middle or high school girl takes a nude picture of herself with her cell phone and then sends it to her boyfriend.  Before or after they brake up, the ex-boyfriend forwards the nude photo to friends and soon after, it is forwarded to large groups of other teenagers. 

Teens involved with sexting have served jail time and/or suspension from school, been placed on a sex offender register, faced continuous ridicule at school and in one recent case, committed suicide.  Far-reaching consequences may also include loss of college entry and job opportunities years after they to graduate from high school.

We must educate and remind our teens about the moral and ethical issues that surround social networking, electronic messaging and any other modes of communicating.  Help is available if you are seeking assistance with how to talk with your teen.  There are websites available and your local school counselors may also offer assistance.

Just one day after the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President-elect, Barack Obama will be the first African-American man to take the oath of office of the President of the United States. Inauguration Day – January 20, 2009, is a day that will forever be etched in my memory for it is evidence that dreams can be realized when you believe. I will always believe that great things can be achieved when people combine their efforts and resources. A peaceful revolution, a focused stand, a common language spoken across our nation that has been heard around the world! I am proud to be a part of this movement which some connect with the civil rights movement and others, the movement toward equality demanded by a new generation.

It is estimated that over 2 million individuals are expected to witness the presidential inauguration live from the Washington Mall. The events leading to this presidential election have proven that the people of all races across our great nation are standing upon the shoulders of past civil rights leaders. Perhaps this generational movement is one that will inspire others to break the “race” and other barriers globally.

We must encourage and applaud the young adults that demand change and embrace diversity. Consider the high school seniors attending Charleston High School in Mississippi who rallied to have their very first racially integrated senior prom in June 2008. I trust my fellow educators across the nation will continue to find ways to enable youth to Realize the Dream!

BoostUp, one of the Ad Council’s programs that focuses on dropout prevention reports that 4 out of every 10 high school students in America don’t graduate from high school.  At the completion of the 2007-08 academic year in Virginia, approximately eighteen percent of 97,007 students, that were supposed to be on-time graduates, did not earn a diploma.  At this rate, it doesn’t appear that we will likely reach ambitious NCLB goals in just 4 to 5 short years. Community members, parents, educators, political leaders and others must decide to be a part of the solution and act aggressively! 

No one wants to fail, dropout or be unsuccessful.  The reality of life happens and young people often feel compelled to make a decision based upon the short-term rather than the long-term solution.  As stakeholders, we must identify when and how the road begins to turn for so many young people that don’t complete high school successfully.  Once the pitfalls and potholes along the K-12 educational journey have been identified, we must change those things that must and can be changed immediately.

The solution to addressing the nation’s dropout problem doesn’t involve a magic wand, Aladdin’s Lamp or silver bullet.  As a new doctoral student at Virginia Tech, I would like to identify practical solutions that effectively address a targeted issue that causes young people to take “dead end” detours along their educational journey.

Today is Election Day, November 4, 2008, a day that undoubtedly will be recorded by historians across our great nation and world.  Unlike past presidential elections, this election will be burned in my memory for years to come not just because of the presidential candidates but also because of the enthusiasm and energy displayed by the voting constituency.  This presidential election has proved to be the most engaging election I’ve witnessed since my eighteenth birthday, just over twenty short years ago!   In just a few hours, a new president will be elected for and by the people.

I believe every American appreciates the freedoms we are afforded, particular the right to choose and vote as we wish.  Whether it’s a choice between schools to attend, neighborhoods in which to live, or which faith community to join, we have the right to choose.  This basic right has encouraged Americans to step up and hold themselves accountable to choose the next president of the United States.  Watching the young people in my community embrace this right as a responsibility has been most rewarding. 

While the list of pre-election activities involving the youth in my community has been great, a few that I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy include voter registration drives, candidate rallies, literature sharing, mock elections, and panel discussions.  During a school visit yesterday, a student encouraged me “to get up early to vote” as she had heard the lines would be long.  She expressed her excitement and anticipation of “going to the polls” since she had just turned nineteen years old.  In response, I shared her enthusiasm by extending a happy birthday hug while congratulating her on assuming her civic responsibility to vote! 

Be encouraged.  Celebrate youth awareness and participation in the electoral process in your community.  Secure the future.  Promote leadership development for the youth in your community.  Take a stand for all youth.  If you don’t, who will?

How many buckets did I fill today is a question I ask myself as I drive home after a long and busy day.  No, I am not talking about buckets on a sandy beach!  I am referring to the “invisible bucket” that everyone carries along with them while at school, work, home and anywhere else they may go. 

To better understand what I mean, you could ask anyone at Monterey Elementary School or simply read, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids written by Carol McCloud.  This children’s book is a wonderful story that encourages children to fill someone’s bucket by way of a kind word or deed.  Building upon very basic principles, McCloud’s book is a fine example of how to teach civility by encouraging adults to model “bucket filling”. 

The Monterey Elementary School community has embraced the culture of “bucket filling” as the foundation of their school-wide respect plan.  The teachers and administrators model and use language that is associated with being a “bucket filler” as opposed to being a “bucket dipper”. Bucket dippers by the way, are bullies or individuals that seem to enjoy conflict.  I was amazed to see how even the youngest of students understood the concept of filling a bucket.  Happy faces and brightly colored pictures of smiling tin buckets that share a rainbow of brightly colored stars and hearts are among a few things that introduce newcomers to the school culture.

As educators, it is our responsibility to fill every child’s bucket every chance we have.  You may agree that filling one’s bucket makes you feel good which in turn fills your bucket! 

Pay it forward, share the wealth, extend a helping hand, fill a bucket…

What is cyberbullying?  The National Crime Prevention Council claims cyberbullying occurs when “a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones”.  There is a wealth of research on cell phone and Internet use among youth.  A 2006 study conducted by Performics, a search marketing company, revealed that over 6.6 million American children between the ages of 8 and 12 owned a cell phone while another revealed that 83 percent of Internet users between the ages of 10 and 14 spent an hour or more online per day.   Surprisingly,  over 60 percent of 13 to 17 year olds have a personal profile on a social networking site such as MySpace, Facebook or Friendster.  What is most concerning is that half of that group has posted pictures of themselves, some of which can be described as provocative. 

Teaching “cyberethics” is not an insurmountable task.  It is a lesson that can be taught at home, in school and the community.  Most school divisions have an acceptable use policy that can address appropriate Internet use.  Guidance counselors can also provide direction on how to avoid and respond to bullying.  Parents are encouraged to maintain an open relationship with their children while monitoring Internet sites that are frequently visited.  Many children will avoid telling their parents about a cyberbullying incident in fear that their parent will only make matters worse.  Thus, open communication is critical! 

The media and other community outlets should be applauded for their awareness, prevention and intervention efforts.  Please join me teaching our youth to make responsible choices when texting, surfing the web, posting to a personal profile or when chatting online.  Posted below is an example of a community service announcement this has recently aired on national television. 

Using technology lingo, today’s youth can be described as “digital natives” given the fact that they’ve lived their lives surrounded by the latest and greatest technological tools!  My own teenage nieces and nephews think I am from another planet when I show them items that I refuse to throw away. Among their favorites are my collection of albums, records and cassettes which play quite well on my first stereo that was purchased in 1987!  Also in my collection is my first cell phone. You guessed it, bulky, coiled cord attached, permanently attached to a bag for primary use in the car.  Oh, and the computer of the time would be my typewriter which could also be considered a primitive word processor.  Of course, they were not impressed with its tiny army green screen!

So, how does one with such primitive beginnings communicate with today’s digital natives? Wikis, podcasts, blogs, RSS feeds, video conferencing, social networking, texting, oh my!  Okay, just take a deep breath and embrace the change. It really isn’t that scary but it is important that as a parent, you are knowledgeable of what your child is doing when online.  While it is always a good idea to respect your child’s personal space, it is also acceptable to be nosy! Simply put, ask questions. Ask to see their Facebook or MySpace page as well as their contacts. Create opportunities to work together using the technology your child uses.

Keeping our students safe takes a village approach where everyone involved in the child’s life reminds the child to avoid posting any identifying information such as last name, address, phone number and pictures of themselves.  School systems across the nation are beginning to incorporate internet safety lessons across all grade levels into their curriculum.  It is equally important that parents become knowledgeable about internet safety. 

While I continue to keep my ancient technologies in my toolbox, I honestly would not be able to function effectively without the use of my Blackberry, laptop, and online resources.  It is critical that we and our children embrace and use advances in technology to stay connected and competitive in our global society. 

Listed below are a few websites that may be helpful when talking with your child about internet safety.

http://www.staysafe.org

http://www.ikeepsafe.org/PRC

http://www.incredibleInternet.com/index.php/do/home

While it has been many years since I watched, “Pay It Forward”, the motion picture inspired by a novel written by Catherine Ryan Hyde, I still remember it vividly.   Written as a fiction novel, this tearjerker has been a catalyst for acts of kindness and civility across the world since its inception.  I believe this story exemplifies Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point – How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” for the young man in the story truly starts an epidemic by way of his social studies project.  Challenged and inspired by a clever teacher’s extra-credit assignment, the middle schooler puts the needs of others above his own in response to the assignment – make a positive difference in the world. 

The concept of “paying it forward” involves paying forward a favor through random acts of kindness while personally looking for nothing in return.  Instead, the recipient of the deed is asked to pay the favor forward to someone else.  Thus, starting the epidemic of repeated acts of kindness! 

The pictures included in this blog entry are, in my opinion, one art teacher and his students’ way of “paying it forward”!  Mr. Kuehl and his students at Breckinridge Middle School recently completed an assignment they call “Project Africa – A Work of Heart”.  The works of art below were created from pictures taken of orphaned children in Namibia.  Most of the children living in the Children of Zion Village have lost their parents to AIDS.

Mr. Kuehl explained, “I wanted my students to create portraits of the children at the orphanage.  As the art teacher, I was interested for my students to learn portraiture, which I find to be the hardest artistic endeavor to do well.  I was also interested in creating awareness of a worldwide problem.  I felt the responsibility of seeing what we could do about it. Children in Namibia probably do not have many possessions, and children in an orphanage may have even fewer things to call their own.” Hats off to Mr. Kuehl and his students for sharing their talents with others an ocean away!

Please share how you and others under your direction spread the epidemic of kindness!

A recent celebration hosted by the Roanoke City Youth Services Department of Parks and Recreation inspired me to pen this particular entry.  Unlike your typical awards assembly held at the end of the marking period at most schools around the country, this “awards assembly” began with a catered meal and ended with middle and high school students dancing to the music of national recording artist DJ Kool! Students from each middle and high school beamed with pride while standing on stage in front of a crowd of over 700 participants and guests.  The goal of this annual event is to recognize youth that give back to the community through good character and excellence in the arts, academics and sports. 

As our greatest resource, I believe our youth must be encouraged to “Represent” at all times.  How inspiring it must have been for each of those students honored at the City’s awards assembly.  Investing time in meaningful ways will undoubtedly encourage greatness in our youth.  Meaningful is the operative term that is often defined differently by students as compared to their teachers.  Gail Thompson, in her March 2008 ASCD article, Beneath the Apathy, suggested a significant difference in the perceptions shared by the 121 teachers and 268 students she surveyed at a southern California high school.  While 97% of teachers surveyed agreed with the statement, “I care about my students’ academic and personal welfare both inside and outside of school”, only 61% of students surveyed agreed with the statement, “Most of my teachers care about me”.  Given the fact that most teachers try to provide safe and nurturing learning environments by building positive rapport with their students, why were the perceptions of the surveyed students different from those of their teachers?  What is considered a “meaningful relationship” to our students?

I believe all students, regardless of age, want to experience academic success at the highest levels. As educators, we must be intentional in our efforts to provide instruction that demonstrates connectedness to real life experiences.  In addition to such relevancy, instruction must also be connected to student culture.  I am reminded of how excited one of my Hispanic students was when she found a collection of books written entirely in Spanish at our book fair.  As I reflect upon my years as a child growing up in New York, I am grateful that my teachers taught me about lesser known African Americans in addition to those often highlighted during Black History Month.  Among other things, learning about the heroism of the Little Rock Nine, the creativity of McCoy and the flow of Giovanni’s words truly inspired my thirst for knowledge!

Kudos to all of the wonderful teachers that consistently provide instruction that is rigorous and relevant in classrooms where students feel encouraged.