Inspiration
Is it too late?!!?
By katelmoore | Friday, April 17th, 2009
Right now I’m at the National High School Journalism conference and the issue of hope is very real for me. Last week I had an awful teaching experience that really made me question if I’m cut out for this. It was certainly not my worst teaching moment ever, but it was a doozy. Today I am surrounded by awesome amazing teachers who have done this hard, hard job for 30+ years, “flunked retirement,” and come back to mentor new teachers and encourage them. Without my journalism mentor teacher I know I would have quit a dozen times this year. Which really speaks to me about the need for hope and encouragement in our students lives. If I didn’t believe, every moment of every day, that every kid can learn, succeed, and live a successful life, I would think that I had perversely chosen my calling. A long time ago I went to hear Howard Zinn speak. If you’ve never read his book, “A People’s History of the United States” you may not know that it is a recitation of the historical horrors of our country that are not generally included in your average text book. After the lecture, an audience member asked Dr. Zinn how he remained so positive and hopeful in the face of reporting such horrors.
Dr. Zinn answered, “There is always hope. Each one of us is like a man throwing pebbles into the river to try to change its course. We never know which pebble will do the job, we just have to keep throwing them.”
We never know which pebble will turn the course of a student’s life. I, for one, never want to stop just one pebble short, even though sometimes my throwing arm, and my soul, become weary.
Topics: Inspiration, Mentor Stories, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Making Connections beyond Oregon, and the United States
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
Last term one of our Making Connections students was teaching in a school in rural Viet Nam. It was consistently fascinating to see how the material and ideas in this course fit into the work she was doing in a country and culture so far from Oregon. Among the things she shared was that in order to do her online class work, she needed to take a bus into the city to have access to the internet. Sometimes I believe that perspective is not only a great teacher, but a great way to help us appreciate our own circumstances, not matter how challenging.
With this in mind, I share this student story describing a very different school and community. I hope you will be as fascinated and impressed as I was.
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“Hello all, since I am in a special circumstance, I am going write about the school where I currently teach. I am going to tell you guys about the lovely school and about my lovely students. Background: I am currently a senior at PSU, on a break, so that is why I have an opportunity to go back to my country and participate in a non-profit program for teaching in a rural area. The school I am teaching is named Kim Dong. Due to the population of the area, and the limited resources, the school consists of both elementary and junior high grades. The school is located on Central Highland in Vietnam which is called Kom Tum. The population is diversified, including ethnic Vietnamese, and other minorities groups such as GiaLai, Ede, etc.. I teach both second and third grades, and there are a total of twenty students in my class - nine girls and eleven boys. They come from second generation of minority groups, but speak Vietnamese fluently. They don’t have Vietnamese names, and I have a hard time to pronounce their names right. I have been teaching them for at least 5 months. Since the school is located faraway from the city center, I have no choice but to sleep at school. The school has 10 classes, and we don’t have chairs like other schools. The only thing that we have is the old blackboard and a low table. We use the local made clay as a marker to write on the board, and we sit Japanese style to study, since we have no chairs anyway. School always starts at 7 am, but most of my students have to wake up around 5 am or earlier, depending on the weather. Since we live on the high hill, there is always fog every morning, and most of my students walk to school - about 5 km per day. Some students use a cow to get to school, to save energy, and after school ends, they take their cow to the farm to be fed. I am teaching Vietnamese and Math to them, just simple Math, for example plus and minus. We don’t really have any text books, since everything is written by the Vietnamese Education Board. They give us a package and ask us to teach according to the information in there. I don’t like method to teach, but I have no choice since we have to follow the rules. One good thing is since minorities are poor, they don’t have to pay tuition for their children to go to school. Most of my students’ parents don’t really hope that their children will be successful in school or go to college, or anything. They just want their child to know how to speak and write Vietnamese, so they can help them in business. I think it is so unfair for my students. They should have an opportunity to pursue their goals, but due to financial and family cultures, they really have no hope. More than half of my students want to move to the city center and attend college, some of them want to be a doctor since they think a doctor is great, they cure diseases and the main important thing is that they cure the sickness of animals in town. Anyway, back to the school. After school is ended, all the instructors and students gather together and cook together. We don’t have to buy foods since we plant on a school farm, and some foods are donated by parents. It is thanks to them that I know how cook, since I don’t really know how to cook in the U.S. We do the dishes together, and take a nap after that. When we wake up, my students leave to their farm to help their parents, and we instructors have to grade their works and prepare for tomorrow. Most of my days follow the same routine. I love being together with the students, and it so sad to leave them, but since the program is ending. I have to go back to U.S. for spring term. I hope I can be back with them soon enough in the future. |
Topics: Culturally Competent, Inspiration | No Comments »
The Meaning of International Women’s Day
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Saturday, March 7th, 2009
Sometimes its easier to let someone else say speak for you. Today is International Women’s Day. In my opinion, anyone, woman or man, who cares about kids, will understand the meaning of this simple message.
Just in case … for our kids to thrive and succeed, everyone - our parents, communities, families and schools must too.
Thanks Jan Eliot for doing my job for me today.
Topics: Inspiration | No Comments »
A Taste Of Success
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
“I don’t accept excuses about kids not learning. You can’t blame the kids … If a child does not succeed; it means the adults around him or her have failed.”
Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone, a nonprofit providing education and support programs for poor families in Harlem.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the challenges of educating tough kids, kids from poverty, kids who don’t want to learn, and kids who seem beyond the reach of what our schools can provide. I’ve been reading a lot, and turning to the media for ideas. One of the messages that keep coming up is that to reach those kids who are hardest to connect with, we need to find ways to make what they learn meaningful; to connect their learning to their real lives and real goals. In other words, find ways to motivate kids to want to learn. All good advice, but how?
A blog is a great venue for sharing other people’s great thoughts and ideas. And this message, an essay for This I Believe, by Geoffrey Canada, on the NPR website not only contains an inspiring message, but expresses what I BELIEVE far better than I can. It is also a recipe for success (listen, you’ll see what I mean.)
PLEASE TELL US: What motivated you to stay in school? What motivates you now? Please share your thoughts, and your ideas for ways to motivate kids.
Topics: How to Help, Inspiration, Recommended Resources | 1 Comment »
Photo of the Year Contest: An Opportunity for YOUR Kids to Show Their World
By jqwaller | Friday, November 14th, 2008
The 7th Annual Photo of the Year amateur photography contest is underway. Photo of the Year is a benefit for the MESD Outdoor School Program, which has been providing natural science education to sixth grade students in Portland for the past 42 years. Visit our website for all details and to enter the contest.Participants in Photo of the Year are supporting photography, education, and an appreciation for the natural environment all at the same time. While the contest is open to all demographics around the world, we have made special effort to allow young photographers and classrooms of students to participate as well through our Youth Category.
Have a Photo Contest in Your Classroom or After School program.
Photographs can enhance your classroom in many ways. Photos expose places, faces and things that your students may never have seen or imagined. They can bring color and beauty into a grey day; they can help express and share ideas—especially for visual learners. They hold the past and capture the present. They are fun to take and fun to look at. And, when entered into the Photo of the Year contest, they are a way to support an Oregon school program.
Whether you choose to submit photos or not, a class photo contest is a great way to encourage students to think critically about photography. As both photographers and judges, students have a chance to learn about the elements of a photograph, and to establish their own criteria for what makes a “good” photo.
To start the contest, invite students to bring in photographs they have taken and display them around the room. Then, the group can collectively choose the five best photos and submit them in digital format to the Photo of the Year Contest along with the $15 donation fee.
In doing so, your class becomes eligible to win “Photo of the Year” and a $500 grand prize. And the entire time everyone involved is supporting the MESD Outdoor School Program.
For ideas and information about how to take great photos, check out this blog entry - Get to Know the World Through Someone Else’s Eyes
Topics: Inspiration, Quality Time, Things to do | No Comments »
Where are the Role Models?
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Friday, September 19th, 2008
Sometimes questions seem to pop up in several places at the same time. I had a great conversation at Portland State
University about the problems that kids have after they graduate (after all the effort to NOT DROP OUT). My companion pointed out that (based on her personal experience as well as research) even when they make it through school, some kids find themselves unable to continue to college.
There are many reasons that kids don’t go on to college; financial reasons, or family responsibilities for example. But for some, even if they are able to attend, they don’t because they simply have no idea what they might be or do if they get there.This subject has also been mentioned frequently in the Making Connections course. There has been discussion about how to keep the students who make it through school connected – with learning, with work, and with the desire and inspiration to continue to move forward in their lives. Students state that they are looking for ways to inspire the kids who are currently in school (at every grade) with the idea that if they STAY in school – they can go on after school to do something they love, or at least, are interested in.No matter the discussion, the same question keeps coming up - where are the role models? How can teachers and mentors connect their kids with people of every color and kind - who can demonstrate by their simple presence, that there is a place in the world of work for people of every description?
One student expressed this question perfectly. “What I want to work on this year is introducing the kids to some successful minority community members. I am thinking about how I can do this in the most effective way, because I want my kids to get to know (and see) business people, doctors, scientists, lawyers, dentists, college professors, business owners, financial planners, engineers, and the like. I want my kids to know that there are more possibilities for them besides being a teacher, working in a factory, in construction, or selling drugs. I really believe that the students need to see successful people who look like them.”
I agree that this is an important issue, so I am including some ideas that teachers and mentors can use to think creatively about find interesting people who do interesting things. I hope that readers will add to my list, even add specifics. If you would like to volunteer to share your experiences with work and school, please post your information and ideas to this blog.
• Talk to your friends and colleagues who do interesting work, and have interesting hobbies and sidelines. Ask them to talk to your kids about the things they needed to learn in school to be able to do what they do now.
• Ask these same people about the people they know. Build a list - think of this as your personal backpack of connections.
• Seek out people who do interesting or valuable things - who have NOT gone through the traditional college path - but needed to learn skills to do their work.
• Read the newspaper – this can be a great activity for students. Ask each student to find a story about someone who does something that is interesting to them (mountain rescuers, firefighters, soldiers, artists having an opening show, dancers, photographers, lawyers who win a case, doctors, veterinarians at the zoo …. the possibilities are endless. These articles are useful in several ways – it allows you to build a list of jobs that people do, it lets you get to know your kids a little better, it provides names and organizations connected with the work that people actually do, and, at times, contact information. Use this list to start thinking creatively with your students about ways to invite people to come to your classroom, program or school.
Years ago, I was a TAG teacher - working with kids of many colors. One African American girl seemed shy and was having a hard time connecting with the class. I tried all everything I knew to connect with her and draw her out - with minimal results … until …We were doing a unit on whales, and the kids had invited a speaker to come from Greenpeace to talk to them - purely randomly, a young black woman came into the classroom. My student literally snapped to attention - she was riveted by this woman. She spoke in class, asked questions and dsiplayed a great sense of humor. What a difference! Long story short the changes stayed. She was a new girl - bright, involved and far more confident. When I asked her at the end of the term what she wanted to be - she (who in the beginning wanted to ‘have no responsibilities’) wanted to be a Marine biologist. So the key to finding role models may not be to look for people who fit a description, but to keep your classroom and program open to the many people who may be part of your community. Trust that color is not the only diversity your kids need to see, and that the perfect role model may look different, but still bring that perfect something into the life of a kid, without YOU needing so hard to make things happen. Present as many possibilities as you can, as you go through your classwork and activities, and trust that the details will take care of themselves.
Topics: Creating a Positive, Inspiration, Mentor Stories | 2 Comments »
Inspiring Words for Leaders (That’s All of Us)
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Thursday, August 21st, 2008
Michael G Fullan, 2001
Michael Fullan is author of numerous books for educators, check this page for a list of his books.
Topics: BACK TO SCHOOL, Inspiration, RESOURCES | No Comments »