Making Connections

Mark Your Calendar: World Animal Festival

tobip — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:16:48 +0000

Well, I was at the zoo yesterday to see the new baby elephant. You must have gone over the long weekend because, the crowds were smaller yesterday, and I heard it was packed Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The new baby is a wonder, and standing on line was an opportunity to hear kids of all ages, and their adults talking about all things elephant, where they live, how they live, and how mothers and babies interact. It was quite educational, and a great reminder of informal learning.

Another thing I learned yesterday is of a great event coming up soon:

World Animal Festival:
September 27 - October 5 (details on the site)
This is an “exciting showcase of how various cultures around the world revere and celebrate animals. Local cultural groups will present animal folklore to zoo guests in a variety of ways, including performance art, hands-on crafts, educational activities and art exhibits.”

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Ten Ways to Make a Newcomer Feel Comfortable in Your Classroom or Program

tobip — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:10:29 +0000

A new school year is beginning. Every year, children and families come to Oregon from around the country and around the world. For some kids, this means not only a new classroom, but a new school, and for some, a new state, even a new country and a new language. It can’t be easy to be in a new place surrounded by unfamiliar faces, rules and expectations. The climate is different, the rules have changed, and even the way people speak is new.

To start year off right, for newcomers (whether from around the block or around the globe) are ten things that teachers and mentors can do to help newcomers feel at home:

1.      Help orient newcomers to their new school (or program) with a complete tour.
2.      Make sure they have a buddy for recess, lunch, bus, etc. If possible, extend the buddy system to include an older native speaker (6th grader, HSer, adult) to chat, read, help with homework.
3.      Invite newcomers to tell their story - either to you or the class.
4.      Draw and present a picture or share photographs of their former home. Invite the newcomer to include pictures of family, pets and favorite places.
5.      As the class learns about the place the newcomer is from, compare details such as climate, language, school clothes, etc.
6.      Invite non-English speakers to help label classroom items in room in their native language(s). You might provide 3×5 or sticky notes to hang around the room. For example, the door will have labels saying puerto, and whatever other language is found in the room.
7.      Hang flags from native countries that represent the school population.
8.      Have multi - lingual welcome signs to welcome families and students.
9.      Schedule culture days – opportunities for students to explore different cultures, read books, view movies, hear music, taste food, share pictures from their original homes.

10. Provide multi-lingual books and books that take place in other states and countries to read during quiet reading. Encourage student to maintain 1st language reading skills.

One more thing, teachers - allow newcomer to “checkout” for a bit, especially if they are immersed in a new language. A card with green on one side and red on the other let’s the student flip it to red when they need a break. Experience shows that this prevents students from hiding in the bathroom for a brain break.

Thanks to Ms. Sooper, English Language Development teacher from the North Clackamas School District for these ideas.

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Introducing Laurie Thurston – and Ideas for Starting the School Year Right

tobip — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:07:39 +0000

I met Laurie Thurston at the Annual Conference of the Oregon Chapter of the National Association of Multicultural Education this spring. (Note: There is another conference coming up in November.) Laurie was presenting, and I was in the audience - dazzled by her energy, her passion and her incredible ideas about how teachers can work effectively with kids at risk.

We’ve gotten to know each other this summer, and I’ve asked her if I may include some of the ideas that she is currently developing into a book, in this blog. I know that you will find her thoughts about working with kids (and families) in poverty and in crisis as useful and compelling as I do. I think her ideas are the perfect way to start off the new school year – for teachers, and for mentors.

First, a little about Laurie, in her own words.
“For 20 years I’ve worked with kids identified as “at risk”, the last 17 of those in a large (1700 students, grades 9-12), comprehensive public high school just outside of Rochester, New York. It was here that I ran the Alternative Education Program, which later came to be called Crossroads. And it was here that I learned how to teach because my students taught me so well. They taught me how to listen and suspend judgment, how to respect their families and be a mentor, how to model what I taught and how to create classroom community. Most importantly, however, they taught me that I’d never be able to teach them until – first – I was able to reach them.

Today, I live in Portland and work with the Oregon Small Schools Initiative. As a school coach, I assist teachers and principals in developing the school and classroom communities conducive to connecting with kids. Our goal? To close the achievement gap by ensuring equitable practices in order to make a difference in kids’ education and lives. It’s because of these experiences that I’m sharing what I’ve learned (and am still learning) about reaching kids in crisis: those who’ve grown up in the context of poverty, who don’t ‘fit’ within the complex social hierarchy that thrives within the traditional public school system, and who don’t understand why they should even consider graduation when “no one in my family finished school.” It’s for these kids that I want to help you work smarter - because each one of them matters.”

Over the next few weeks, and throughout the school year, this blog will focus on several issues that my learning leads me to believe are the keys to helping build the relationships that keep kids at risk in school. These are the ideas included in this course, and they parallel Laurie’s ideas as well.

So watch this blog for ideas, information and strategies that YOU can use – in your classroom, your program and your organization to make a difference in the lives of kids. Laurie believes that if all teachers started by connecting to their kids – all of their kids – discovering what makes them tick, uncovering what fears are holding them back while sharing their own passions and goals in order to reveal how alike we all are – everyone would benefit. So that ‘s where we will begin - by talking about the things that you can do get to know who your kids really are … and their families and community too. And, we will consider lots of ways to create a classroom/program community where EVERYONE feels welcome, comfortable and able to learn.

Come to the blog often – and please share your comments, your ideas and your experiences. That’s how we can all work together to create the best school year yet.

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At the Minority Affairs Conference

tobip — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 16:15:09 +0000

The Minority Affairs Conference was held this year on Aug 12 and 13 at KahNeeta. This conference is an annual event for educators (mostly teachers attended this year) who work with minority students. This summer, people came from all around the state to learn from one another and be inspired by experts in the field of equity, teaching and learning and social justice. Click here to learn more, and see a video about the conference

I attended the conference, and presented there too, with Patricia Martinez, former principal and Executive Director for the Oregon Council of Hispanic Advancement (OCHA). We offered two presentations of our talk, The Third R: Strong Relationships Help Keep Kids in School and Achieving. These were a great opportunity for both Patricia and I to share stories about how building relationships can make a difference with kids at risk of dropping out of school, and ALSO with coworkers, parents and members of the community. The stories we told, and the stories shared in the workshops illustrated the power of connecting with the people in our community, and the positive difference that even something as simple as a smile can make.

If you have stories about relationships – both good and bad – and how they affected your willingness to stay in school, your desire to teach or work with kids, or your sense of yourself, please share them on this blog. Experience and research shows that, for many of us, it’s the stories that we hear and read that inspire us to work harder to help kids (and they help us to understand ourselves better too.)

During our talks, Patricia listed several resources that teachers in the classroom, and mentors who work with culturally diverse kids can use to extend their learning about how to work with kids and families from diverse cultures. These are some of the suggestions.

If you attended the conference, and/or, if you have ideas for resources (books, speakers, websites, etc.) that teachers and mentors can use to learn more about subjects such as Cultural Competence, Social Justice and How to Bring Family and Community into the Schools and learning community, please add your ideas to the list by clicking the COMMENT button below.

Building Culturally Responsive Classrooms: A Guide for K-6 Teachers
By Concha Delgado-Gaitan
Published by Corwin Press, 2006
ISBN 141292619X, 9781412926195
166 pages
http://books.google.com/books?id=_aCWtZmBFSUC

Con Respeto: Bridging the Distances Between Culturally Diverse Families and Schools: An Ethnographic Portrait (Paperback) by Guadalupe Valdes
http://www.amazon.com/Con-Respeto-Distances-Culturally-Ethnographic/dp/0807735264

Alma Flor Ada (San Francisco State Univ)
http://www.almaflorada.com/
This website shows the collection of work by the extremely talented and prolific writer. There are books, resources and learning opportunities on the site.

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Its All Happening At the Zoo

tobip — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:07:38 +0000

I admit it. I have been totally obsessed with the birth and beginnings of our new baby elephant over the weekend. I have followed every news break and bit of information, and am so glad to know that our newest zoo member seems to be ‘making connections’ with his mother. (She is a perfect example of the fact that being a new mother, especially a teenaged mother with little experience, can be a challenge.) Fortunately for Rose Tu and her new little boy, she has lots of help and support around her.

Enough metaphors - the reason I am writing about the baby elephant, other than the fact that he is so much on my mind, is that when searching for even MORE information, I came to the Oregon Zoo website and discovered that it is loaded with great information, things to do, and curriculum ideas. There is really something for everybody - kids, teachers, parents, mentors and … animal lovers.

There is a wide variety of information in different media. There is an events calendar to help you plan ahead. The Education section has pages for Kids, Kids and Families and Teachers. The Animal sections include information, photographs, videos, a cool behind the scenes virtual tour, and lots more.

You might already have guessed that, for me, anything to do with animals is fascinating and inspiring. I believe animals can open new doors that will allow you to to connect with kids, and they can also bring big ideas, new words and concepts into the classroom and conversations.

So, whether you are a teacher or a mentor, whether you are looking for information about the environment, conservation or animals, or, if your just are looking for a great website to share on a rainy afternoon, or to make part of an after-school event; or, if you are planning a trip - for a group or just two of you, the Oregon Zoo website has the information and ideas you need.

See you there.

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A Principal’s Ideas to Strengthen the Family/School Partnership

tobip — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:25:26 +0000

Thank you to Jared Cordon, Principal at Fir Grove Elementary School in Beaverton for these ideas. I heard Jared speak, with Susan McKinney, Principal of McKinley Elementary School, at the Beaverton Diversity Summit. To learn more about this event, and you can find the brochure online at http://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/pdf/ins/ins_2008%20Diversity%20Summit%20Program.pdf

The theme of the talk I listened to was Honoring Cultures by Honoring Our Families. These are some of the ways that Mr. Condon strengthens the Family/School Partnership in his school. He was kind enough to allow me to share his ideas on this blog. These are his words edited for space and clarity:

Home Visits: Everyday I would recieve a list of students who had been absent more than two days without an acceptable excuse (sickness, vacation, etc). I would visit the family, meet the parents, bring the school assignments the child missed, talk to the parents about the importance of education in their child’s life, and problem-solve ways to get the students to school and the parents involved. I tried to follow-up with parents periodically and find good news to report to them regarding their child - to positively reinforce the fact that the child does well in school - no matter how difficult it is for some parents to get them there.

Parent Nights: These nights were targeted toward educating parents around best practice strategies. We asked parents what they wanted to know more about and asked teachers what areas their students needed more work in. Attendance (at these events) increased dramatically throughout the school year. We always provided a full dinner and tried to have extras to send home with families. (NOTES: Baja Fresh and Noodles were wonderful to work with. We spent about $4300 on food. The PTO was a great help. Attendance figures for the 07-08 school year Parent Nights increased from 20 at the first, to 41, then 72, 151, 219, 286, 423 and about ONE THOUSAND at the Community celebration at the end of the school year!!!!)

Teaching in Apartments: At Fir Grove Elementary, all of our Somali families lived in one large apartment complex. We went to them. Parent education forums, teaching their children. (Thanks to the Welcome Center for providing a translator.) We had huge results. Some tips - always have food and books for the families. Consider their basic needs.) A side benefit of these ‘apartment nights” was that great networking and support began to develop among the families who met through these meetings.

SOME ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS: When the goal is strengthening the Family/School Partnership:

Think Outside the Box - Think adaptively. It is easier to react than to create. Start creating - the results are worth the effort.
Listen to Your Community - Create venues and opportunities for community members to communicate with the school, the principal and with each other. Principal Chats are one of the ways I create an opportunity to listen to community members.
Involving Parents is NOT an Option - As challenging as this may be, we need to recognize that we (educators) commited to work as much with some adults as with some kids. Involving and helping to educate parents is the only way to eliminate the achievement gap for some students - especially those who live in generational poverty.

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Call 2-1-1 for Health and Human Services information and referral

tobip — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:34:49 +0000

2-1-1 is a three digit number to know about and remember if your work with kids and families, especially those in need of help, services or information.

Think about 211 as the 911 to call to locate basic resources such as food, shelter, employment, or health care. 2-1-1 is intended to cut through the maze of agencies and services individuals and families often have to go through to to get the help and information they need.

Its mission is to provide individuals and families with access to quality information about health and human services resources at all times.

For more information, help numbers, stories and access to a huge number of resources, check out the website.

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Inspiring Words for Leaders (That’s All of Us)

tobip — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:21:05 +0000

I attended an excellent workshop today at the Beaverton Diversity Summit, taught by Susan McKinney, Principal of McKinley Elementary School, and Jared Condon, Principal at Fir Grove Elementary. All of the conversation was interesting and valuable - some was positively inspiring - none moreso than this quote that I beleive applies to all of us who teach.

”We have found that the single factor common to every successful change initiative is that relationships improve. If relationships improve, things get better. If they remain the same or get worse, ground is lost. This leaders must be consummate relationship builders with diverse people and groups - especially with people different than themselves.”

Michael G Fullan, 2001

Michael Fullan is author of numerous books for educators, check this page for a list of his books.

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Teaching Tolerance: A Great Magazine (and website) for Free

tobip — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:42:58 +0000

I am just back from the Minority Affairs Conference where I had the chance to speak to two groups of educators about the importance of creating relationships - not only to keep kids in school, but to strengthen school, family and community bonds. I will be writing more about the conference later, but today, I want to share a great resource I discovered tucked into my bag of goodies.

Teaching Tolerance is a magazine “dedicated to reducing prejudice, improving intergroup relations and supporting equitable school experiences for our nation’s children.” The Teaching Tolerance website is another powerful resource. It features information for teachers, for parents, for teens and for kids.

Published twice a year, Teaching Tolerance magazine “showcases innovative tolerance initiatives in schools across the country. ” The Association of Educational Publishers has named it the 2007 Periodical of the Year, and it is FREE for educators.

The magazine, which is well designed and written, features articles, stories, interviews and more. But of special interest to teachers and mentors working with kids is the Activity Exchange - an array of excellent, easy to use curriculum ideas that work in the classroom or after school program - NOW.

In the latest issue, the theme is Anti Bias Activities. These ideas include Identity Posters - a simple and effective plan to “start the year off right and stop teasing” (about ‘different’ names) before it starts. This is perfect for grades K-6.

Riding With Rosa is another idea - this one allows kids (grades 3-6) to go back in time and sit on the bus with Rosa Parks and consider how they might have responded if they were on that bus too. These are just two of the great ideas that will help any educator explore challenging topics in interesting and engaging ways.

Also, Teaching Tolerance will publish YOUR good ideas. To find out how you can share your ideas in print, go to http://www.tolerance.org/teach/magazine/getpublished.jsp

To learn more, to order your free subscription, and to explore the huge array of free and excellent resources available, visit the website - and, while you are there, take some time to discover the other free resources that can work with your kids.

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How to engage families in their child’s education

tobip — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 23:25:20 +0000

This is a great topic to open up for this group. It is a question we as educators ask ourselves every day, “How do we engage our families so that they become an integral part of their child’s educational success?” We have found that regardless of culture, language barriers, socioeconomic status, having minimal/maximum or no education at all, students will not have academic success unless their families are involved in their children’s academic process.

Many of our families feel like they are unable to help their children due to either one or more of the following: not finishing school themselves (sometimes the 3^rd grade is the highest they have attended); unable to read the language of the books; not understanding how the work is to be completed; and /or needing to work several jobs to keep the family “afloat” and not being home to help out with class work.

So how do we engage our families? Through school-to-home correspondence, teacher/parent conferences, emails/phone calls, after school activities, and in-school volunteer opportunities. We work with families to teach them on how to set up an environment in their own home that creates centers for learning. It may be just as simple as showing parents how a short break of play and snacks right after their child gets home from school, then setting up a quiet place in the home that is where all home work is completed, that sets up a routine for daily learning. For parents who work many hours and are not home to help with class work? Their children can stay after for homework club, or individual-group tutoring during their recess or lunch time during the school day. After school activities, after 5:00 p.m., that engages families and their children to the learning process. Activities such as reading nights, math nights, bingo games, etc… These activities allow teachers to engage with their student’s families to help them understand the process of working together and how that leads to academic successes. We have also made home visits in the evening to help engage families, or to make calls home later on in the evening to talk with parents personally.

When students know that their parents/guardians are working closely with their teachers, students will work harder to be successful when the school and home have the same expectations of them.

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