Diary of a Mad Black Teacher

 

Hello Family!

This posting was done by my guest blogger, Dr. Donna Graham. Dr. Graham is a veteran technology teacher who retired from the District of Columbia Public Schools a few years ago. Since her retirement she has been busy consulting for various educational organizations, playing tennis and taking Tai Kwon Do! Enjoy this humorous look back on her experiences as a public school teacher….

Diary of a Mad Black Teacher

As we wind down another school year, I decided to reflect on some of my experiences as a teacher.  Over 30 years ago, a fellow teacher and very good friend (running buddy) decided we would write a book about our experiences as teachers.  At that time, the book, “Up the Down staircase” had just been published.  The book talked about a teacher’s experiences.  Of course, we have not as yet written our book.  I decided I needed to share my feelings, thoughts and experiences to my teaching and non-teaching friends.

My name professional name is Dr. Donna Graham.  However, for some reason or another, the students would call me “Ms. Dr. Graham”.  At the end of the day someone would always ask me “What hospital are you going to?”  I would tell them St. Elizabeth’s.  For those of you who don’t know, it’s the mental hospital in DC.  There’s also the Cafeteria Manager who asked me, “If Dr. was my first name.”   At that point I decided that you could call me anything but “bitch.”

Remembering the times

• I couldn’t pick the best students for my class.  The parents sent the best they had.  The good ones were home in the closet.
• I couldn’t have the best room assignment.  You were lucky if you had heat in the winter.  Not located on the 3^rd floor without an elevator.  Don’t think about air-conditioning and windows that didn’t open.
• I couldn’t take off from work because the school would fall apart.  I see now that’s not true.
• I remember the students who always needed a hug.  But had to remember you might be labeled as a sexual abuser, lesbian and/or a pedophile.
• I remember the student who I loved so much that I invited him to meet my family (he had been adopted by a gay couple after his mother, their housekeeper was steadily killed) during Spring break.  Unfortunately, the student was stabbed to death 2 days before at a Carry-out because someone thought he was “taking his girlfriend”.
• I remember a fellow teacher who died in his sleep at the age of 40 and was found died by his blind mother and a 5 year son.
• I remember the time when we had at least 9 or more administrators in a year and a half.  The joke was “we changed administrators more than some people changed their underwear”.
• I remember when the Principal asked that I and another teacher never seat together at a faculty meeting because we caused such a disruption at every meeting.  After that I would find a corner and sit with no one.  However, I discovered a teacher who knew sign language and that also caused a disruption.  So I sat on my hands.
• One day I asked my 2^nd grade class what was a “margin” and a student said, “that’s what you put on bread”.

Grade 5 student definitions for Geography

Plain – something that flies in the air.

Bank – where you put money.

Damn – a bad word.

All and all, I miss my students greatly.  They taught me about life, love and compassion.  I have no regrets in taking this path and would gladly do it again.  I would gladly do this again because if I could take my experiences as a teacher and a retired person, I would be a “Hell of a Teacher.” Bringing more experiences to my students about life and academics;  bringing more to the parents who need understanding and resources and bringing more to administrators who don’t realize we have done these programs in the past, they just changed the name.

 

But….. it was Ahmad Jamal

 Happy Jazz Appreciation month family….

 I dedicate this posting to my oldest brother, Clark Grayson, who if he had lived, would be celebrating his 60^th birthday next month….

In honor of Jazz Appreciation Month, I wanted to share with you a funny family story about my brother  Clark.

Clark was a “wannabe” jazz musician; he played the soprano sax. As a high school student, Clark would spend his Saturday afternoons hanging out at the Crawford Grill, which was the premier Jazz club in Pittsburgh at the time. Well, this one particular Saturday he heard that legendary pianist and Pittsburgh native Ahmad Jamal would be in town the following week. Clark knew he would stand a good chance of meeting him if he spent as much time at The Grill has he could, even if it meant missing school!

So that next Monday, Clark headed off to school in the morning just like any other day. But instead of actually going to school, he went up to the Crawford Grill, and hung around outside the building waiting for it to open. Usually it opened right before lunch time.

Sure enough, the next day, Tuesday, Clark goes into the Grill, saxophone in hand, hoping to get a glimpse of Mr. Jamal. Ahmad was there. He and some other musicians were rehearsing a set as Clark sat there and watched mesmerized for hours.

On Wednesday, Clark went back to the Grill to watch the rehearsal section again, and again, with his sax in tow, hoping Ahmad would notice him and maybe even ask him to join the session.

On Thursday, finally Clark’s prayers were answered!  Mr. Jamal noticed Clark and saw the eagerness in his eyes. He asked Clark to join the impromptu jam session that was going on that afternoon. Clark was on cloud nine, got his chance to play with the “big boys!”

Now, family you know me. One of my favorite sayings is “It takes a village to raise a child.” You recall back in the day, (which is how it should be now, but that’s another post) in our neighborhoods, if somebody saw you doing wrong, word of it got all the way back home to your house before you did! So, of course, the Crawford Grill owner at the time, Joe Robinson was friends with my grandfather, Wendell Stanton. The entire week,  Mr. Robinson knew Wendell’s grandson was cutting school to hang out at the Grill!  I guess he gave Clark the chance to meet Ahmad Jamal by not telling  on him right away, but by the weeks end, Mr. Robinson  had enough and phoned our grandfather to tell him of Clark’s true whereabouts.

Clark was busted… LOL 

Well, when Clark got home that evening it was like the Spanish inquisition. See, my grandfather was a District Attorney for western PA, so when one of us got in serious trouble,  he called FAMILY COURT into session; but in this court he was the JUDGE! (LOL) Our mother was the Prosecuting Attorney. There WAS NO DEFENSE ATTORNEY! (LOL) Various family elders and neighbors were the jury….

So of course Clark had to appear in court, and got the charges read to him… Our mother berated him for missing his class assignments and made him wonder how he was going to make it into college with that kind of behavior.  They fussed at him for what seemed liked hours. Now, you may be asking yourself how would I know because I was not a part of the court… well, being the sneaky little sister I was, I was sitting at the bottom of the steps just outside the dining room listening to the whole thing! If I had gotten caught I would have been in trouble too, so I was very quiet. LOL 

After the stern lecture on the importance of education was completed Clark was given his sentence… Grounded for 3 weeks, no telephone, or playing his music!  He had extra kitchen duty, and he HAD to take care of me after school, giving my mother a financial break.

So, when it was all over, Clark was almost in tears… he hung his head as our Granddad (the judge) asked him, “So, do you have anything to say for yourself?”   Clark somberly looked up at our grandfather, and in his eyes pleaded for mercy, I’m sure he was thinking how could Pop not understand as he said, “But, but…. It was Ahmad Jamal!”

“Boy, get your hind parts out of here before you get a month!” was our mother’s reaction. Clark ran out of the dining room and started up the stairs. He passed me by and of course I was cracking up laughing at him and mockingly repeated… But it was Ahmad Jamal!  LMBO   Then all of the sudden Clark’s foot hit my leg!  “Mommy!”, I screamed, “Clark kicked me!!!”  Mommy yells back… “And leave your little sister alone!”

Oh family… it was so funny. After Clark went upstairs to his room, everyone in the court room cracked up laughing too!

I want to thank Mr. Ahmad Jamal for allowing my brother to live out a dream and jam with him that afternoon at the Crawford Grill.  I want to thank Mr. Joe Robinson, who stepped in to help guide Clark in the right direction, that did ultimately lead him to Cornell University. Finally, to my dear brother Clark who I love with all my heart. I’m sure, big brother, you are  jamming with all the jazz legends now.

Thanks for listening family, I’ll talk to you later.

 

I’m Just Sayin’…….

This is part of a reading assignment I was given while taking an  “Introduction to Instructional Technology” class during my graduate school program at Indiana University in Bloomington…. First day of class…. first reading assignment….. first class about the “history of educational technology…..first paragraph……

“Instructional theory and method have an ancient heritage that can be traced to the time when tribal priests systematized bodies of knowledge and early cultures invented pictographs or sign writing to record, preserve, transmit, and reproduce information. There is even good reason to believe that the first makers and users of tools, living more than a million years ago, systematically taught their children many kinds of skills, attitudes and concepts thought too complicated for mastery by unsupervised imitation.”

~Mark Hanna Watkins, “The West African Bush School,” American Journal of Sociology, vol. 48, no. 6 (1943), pp. 666-675

“If you know your past…. you understand your future……”   I’m just sayin……

 

Preparing for STEM: Don’t Let This Happen to Your Daughter!

For me, it was really weird… I came up in the Pittsburgh Public Schools in the mid to late 1970s. At that time, experimentation in public education was ramped.  There was forced busing at my elementary school (East Hills, if you know anything about The Burg); white kids from other parts of town were bused  to my neighborhood (the black one); like that was supposed to fix  the academic achievement problems, LOL!  Also, my elementary school was brand new at the time, and was a model of the “open classroom learning environment” that was popular at the time.  I just remember constantly being distracted because you could always be able to see and hear stuff going on in the other classrooms.

About the only good thing I remember during that time was my selection to be in the Pittsburgh Scholars Program, which was a city wide accelerated learning curriculum aimed to prepare students for college.  I was placed in the reading and math track. I remember being so proud when I got the selection letter. My mother took me shopping and got my hair done to celebrate! LOL

So I breezed through elementary school math with no problems… the only time I had a little trouble was in 4^th grade when I had to convert fractions into percentages… but I got through it with the help of my older brother… (I recently had flashbacks when Nia came to this in her 4^th grade math curriculum, but she didn’t have a problem with it at all… they teach it differently now, it’s very visual…)

Anyway, I was fine until I got into 6^th grade and entered into junior high school (back then, junior high was 6, 7 and 8, and “middle” school (at least the term) didn’t exist. My 6^th grade math teacher was Mr. J. (just the first initial) To put it mildly, he was strange. First off, he always seemed to have an attitude; like he didn’t like coming to work every day to teach us. He would teach a concept then ask us if we understood it. If anyone dared say NO, he would start screaming and asking us what’s the problem… it’s easy…… he was very impatient; and short tempered. I remember feeling “beat up on” after leaving his class; afraid to ask questions, or say I didn’t understand, so I just shut down. In short, my breeze through grade school math came to a screeching halt!  I remember actually failing one of his math tests and I was devastated! I was so confused.  I asked myself, “How did I become so DUMB in math?”  

SO WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON IN MATH CLASS..

Towards the middle of the year, there were tryouts for the school play… I jumped at the opportunity because my then I had decided that I wanted a career as a performing artist… I remember distinctly going to the gym after school for my audition.  Much to my surprise, I discovered that the director of the play was going to be Mr. J! WHAT??…..  How did he go from being a math teacher to a drama teacher?  Shouldn’t he be in charge of the Math Club or something like that!

Well, I got in the play and remember rehearsals; Mr. J was like a different person when he was preparing us for the play. He was full of energy, happy, and very passionate about his role as director and choreographer. But back in math class….. OOOhhh, how I HATED his class!! 

At the end of the 6^th grade, my math grades had dropped significantly. I was put out of the Math Track of the Pittsburgh Scholars program and placed in the regular math curriculum. I feel humiliated and ashamed. There began my official “hatred” of math!!!

My negative feelings about math continued through 7^th and 8^th grade.  I had such severe anxiety about math, I blew it off; telling myself that I wouldn’t need it in my career since I was going to be a famous performing artist, (and I guess was going to have all my money stolen from me too, LOL)  I truly just did the minimal amount to get by to pass. My confidence in math had been shattered. I felt like math just wasn’t for me, and there was no one in my school or community to tell me differently.

Of course, once I entered high school, I had to take algebra and geometry to graduate. My 9^th grade algebra teacher, (the first female math teacher I had ever had!) noticed that an alarmingly high number of students coming from my junior high school were lacking the pre-requisite skills needed to take her algebra class. They determined that a majority of us had been instructed by Mr. J! (I could have told them that… all my friends were in class with me!)  Unfortunately I was one of those students. So by this time, we were so far behind, our 9^th grade math teacher ended up having to teach pre-algebra for most of the year, and only got to full algebra by the last quarter. I was so discouraged by then… I struggled through algebra and 10^th grade geometry. In 11^th grade, I bowled out of math all together and took a home economics class which served as the final math credit needed for high school graduation.

BIG MISTAKE!!!

Two years later, I am a freshman at Howard University and had to take the dreaded Functions Math class which was a university wide freshman requirement.

After miserably failing that class, I was put in a remedial math class in the math department in order to increase my skills to the level of being able to pass Functions.

IT WAS AS IF A LIGHT HAD BEEN TURNED ON

First time EVER I had an African-American math teacher. First time EVER I was taught about the rich legacy Africans have had in mathematics and science.  We were told that society had let us down. There was nothing wrong with us; there was something wrong with the educational system that discouraged young African-American students (especially females) from achieving in math and science. We were exposed to our historical greatness! We were told we came from a people who were at the forefront of inventions in science and math.   We were taught about the mathematics used by  t he ancient Egyptians who build the great pyramids; about great African math scholars, scientists and universities and how people from all over the world traveled to Africa to learn from them.  Wow! I had no clue… I just did not know… those lessons changed by entire perspective, and even though I was still going to pursue a career in theater, I was going to work my butt off to make it in that Functions class… Now, I knew, Mr.  J. was a jerk! He had low expectations of me and did not believe in my success. Therefore, neither did I, but all that had changed in an instant!  

When I re took the Functions class, I worked my A** off. I bugged the teacher asking for extra help. I got friends to tutor me and even got my Mom’s boyfriend to help! LOL I ended up getting a C in Functions! But, you could not have told me that a C did not feel like an A!

SO WHAT’S THE POINT?

As we continue to push our young people, especially girls in STEM related fields, let us keep in mind that there are still countless numbers of girls like me who are falling through the cracks. Many of these girls will not succeed in math; not because they lack the intellect; they continue to be stymied by a multitude of cultural and societal factors that have nothing to do with their brain.

Today’s global economy is urging young people to pursue technical careers that focus on STEM.  Our girls must be prepared by taking rigorous courses in science, math and technology in grade school.  We’ve got to spark a passion and love for STEM in these girls and encourage them to dream about career paths outside the box of what society says they should aspire to. You may think it sounds trite, but trust me… it will make all the difference in the world!

PARENTS: HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO!

Advocate for your child! Make sure your school district offers the intense math and science classes needed for college entry.

•  Make math a learning activity in your everyday life; and make it fun! For example, buy a bag of MM candies and have your daughter estimate the number of green MMs she will find. Then count to see if she is correct. (Ask your daughter’s teacher for ideas that are grade level appropriate, most teachers would love to offer them!)

•  Make a cake, or brownies or something yummy! Reading recipes and following measuring directions is always a sure thing.

• Allow your daughter to operate a summer time or weekend lemonade stand; reinforcing math and entrepreneurial skills.

• Just like reading; make sure your daughter is practicing her math skills EVERYDAY for at least 15-30 minutes a day; depending on her grade level.  Oh, and that is AFTER the MATH HOMEWORK IS DONE!

• Expose your daughter to the great female pioneers in STEM!  Women like Ada Lovelace, Evelyn Boyd Granville, Madame Marie Curie and Mae Jemison (and so many others) should be household names

• Stay on top of your daughter’s math curriculum at school, work closely with her teacher and jump on any sign of trouble she is developing; hire a tutor if you have to… but be on point immediately.

• Make use of the many online math games and math education resources available on the internet. Go to the library if you don’t have a computer at home.

• Teach your daughter to network with STEM professionals, living and working in your community. Use community resources to find them.  Ask around! Seek out people through community centers, libraries, local businesses and universities, churches, social and civic groups, friends and family.  Be bold… go up to someone, introduce yourself and your daughter and ask if you could set up an “information interview.” (Really, what do you have to lose, most people would be flattered!)

• Encourage your daughter to join STEM related clubs at school; like the science club, IT club, etc… find summer time activities directly related to STEM. I plan on putting Nia is a robotics camp this summer.

• Finally, encourage your daughter to believe that she can do anything she wants!  if she wants to be in a STEM related field, then tell her to go for it… don’t let anyone, or anything stop her… the sky is the limit.

Here are some resources to get you started…. Get to it!!

 http://www.healthcarecolleges.net/blog/twenty-reasons-why-girls-dont-like-math/

http://www.ns.umich.edu/index.html?Releases/2005/Apr05/r041405

http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Bibliography/African_Origins_Math.html

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/africa/science/numbers.htm

http://www.livingmath.net/MathSites/C1U1AncientsCultures/AncientsCultures/tabid/318/language/en-US/Default.aspx

http://www.stemedcoalition.org/

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Ten-Historic-Female-Scientists-You-Should-Know.html?c=y&page=2

http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/granvill.htm

http://www.drmae.com/

http://www.computerhistory.org/babbage/adalovelace/

http://www.math.com

http://www.webmath.com

P.S. I found out years later is that Mr. J had been a drama teacher in a school district outside of Pittsburgh. He had lost his job and was thrown into teaching a math class; having had no formal math education training; no experience teaching math… he just got the job…. SMH

 

Black History Month: Just Tryin’ to Help Out!

Hello Family!

Very briefly…. I prepared this document for Nia’s school and decided to post it on my blog in the event that there are any teachers, parents or administrators out there who need a quick and last minute resource to begin their Black History Month celebrations tomorrow!  It’s a “On This Day in Black History…” and gives an important fact for each day of the month…

Feel free to use and share!

 Happy Black History Month!!!

I’ll be posting again before the month is out, so stay tuned..

Click to download  > BHM-History Facts

TDanyel

 

World Read Aloud Day

Hello Family,

I hope all is well in the new year for everyone….

During last summer while attending the SOS Conference and March, I had the pleasure of meeting Ruby Veridiano; Lit Corps and Social Media Ambassador for an organization called Lit World.  She was a featured speaker at a conference session I attended on education and it’s role in world literacy. I felt an instant connection with Ruby. Her warm and personable demeanor made it very easy for me to engage in conversations going on during our conference session. I admired her passion and drive as she discussed her role in Girls LitClubs in NYC. I was just really impressed with her and the organization she represents. (oh, and not to mention; too, she told me she is a native of one of my favorite cities on the west coast (shout out to Oakland, CA) (smile)  Anyway, Ruby and I became instant friends….

A few weeks ago, Ruby emailed me to ask if I’d like to help her spread the word about a special day coming up on March 7th, 2012 – World Read Aloud Day! Of course, I jumped at the chance.

Did You Know?
(Source: http://www.proliteracy.org)

Defined, literacy is the ability to read, write, compute and use technology at a level that enables an individual to reach his or her full potential as a human being.

Now, you know that usually, I don’t like giving you a bunch of stats… however, when I was preparing this post, I ran across these and was amazed at the numbers. They are truly staggering. Take a look for yourself:

•  Over 700 million adults, approximately 16 % of the world’s population have only basic or below basic literacy levels in their native language.
•  Two-thirds of those with the lowest levels of literacy are women.
• In the U.S., 63 million adults (roughly 29% of the country’s adult population (those over the age of 16) do not read well enough to understand a newspaper story written at the eighth grade level.
• 43 % of adults with the lowest literacy rates in the United States live in poverty.
• The United States ranks fifth on adult literacy skills when compared to other industrialized countries.

In short, adult low literacy can be connected to almost every socio-economic issue in the United States; including (but not limited to):

•  65% of all state and federal correction inmates can be classified as low literate.
•  Low health literacy costs between $106 billion and $236 billion each year in the United States alone. (77 million Americans have only and 2-in-3 chance of correctly reading an over-the-counter drug label or understanding their child’s vaccination chart.)
• Low literacy’s effects cost the U.S. $225 billion or more each year in non-productivity in the workforce, crime and loss of tax revenue due to unemployment.
• Globally, illiteracy can be linked to:
  o Gender abuse
  o Extreme poverty
  o High infant mortality and the spread of HIV/Aids, malaria, and other preventable   infectious diseases.

World Read Aloud Day

Therefore, I am happy to join in the cause and support Lit World’s World Read Aloud Day; being held on March 7, 2012, globally. I will be participating in a World Read Aloud Day event at Nia’s school as well as live tweeting. The thing that also really excites me is Lit World’s commitment to using technology which of course leads to an increase in global technology literacy as well! Folks, everywhere will be using Skype, Twitter, Face Book, U Stream and You Tube and other social media platforms to connect and engage. If you represent a group of students who would like to live chat with an author; or if you are an author that would like to live chat with students, Lit World will provide the platform for you. All you have to do is sign up.

Family, please join me on March 7th for this awesome event. Here is an opportunity to do something… big or small, to truly change the life of children and help put an end to global illiteracy in our life time.

Here is a link to get you started…. http://litworld.org/worldreadaloudday/

Thanks! I’ll talk to you later

 

Shaking My Head….

OK I know it’s the holiday season and everyone is supposed to be of good cheer, but again, I got frustrated and had to get this off my chest. I’ve been so busy lately that I am just now getting to sit down to write about it…

 A few weeks ago, I was in the library doing some work. As I was working, an interaction between a teacher and student caught my attention. The teacher was going over incomplete assignments the student had to finish before the end of the semester.  She points out what he had to do and tells him to sit at a table and get started; she was getting ready to give him an exam after that…

 I had to ask

 I made eye contact with the teacher and smiled. She smiled back and we started to talk. She told me she was a “one on one” teacher at an alternative high school for troubled youth. We continued our conversation, but were interrupted by her student who approached her and said his stomach hurt and he didn’t want to do the work!  As they were talking, I looked over at the table where he was sitting and saw two pretty girls sitting there! All of the sudden, his “stomach ache” made sense. The teacher said, “Oh, so your stomach just started hurting, huh?” It was obvious that she didn’t believe him; and neither did I.  She tried to encourage him to complete his assignments and as a compromise, she offered to let him take his exam the next day. He said no, he didn’t want to work and asked if he could go home.  He said he was going to the bathroom and would be right back. She said OK. He walked away. She looked at me and rolled her eyes.

 Been there, done that!

I felt so bad for her at that moment. I decided to tell her that I had been in her shoes and felt her pain. I began telling her a little about my experiences as a teacher. She explained that he is really a bright kid, and she really works hard trying to get work out of him. We got so involved in our conversation, that we didn’t see him come out of the bathroom and had walked back over to the table with the girls and began talking to them again! I brought her attention to it. I said, “Oh no. I’m sorry, but look.” I pointed over to the young man who was seriously “rapping” to these young ladies.

 “Oh, don’t feel sorry for me” she said. “My daughter just finished her master’s degree in engineering, and my son is in his third year of undergraduate; he wants to be a doctor. I AM FINE.”

 The truth is I do understand that…

She called her student back over and told him to leave the girls alone. He laughed and said, “OK, OK, I’ll stop” and went back to the table. We both watched as he sat down and did seem like he started reading over the assignment, but then after a few minutes got distracted and started talking again…

The teacher went over to his table and decided to sit there with him to make him do the assignment. However, after a few minutes she came back over to me and said, “He’s still saying he’s sick and wants to go home.” “I told him he should really try to complete his work, but he’s insisting that he wants to go home.”

Then, he comes over to the teacher with a cell phone and says, “Here, my mom wants to talk to you.”   After a few minutes, I hear the teacher say, OK and then hands him back the phone. She looks at me with disgust and says, “His mother told me to let him come home.” Clearly upset, she starts packing up her instructional materials while she continues her conversation with me. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t go against his mother.” If his mother lets him get out of doing his work and gives him a pass, what am I supposed to do?” “I can’t compete with what’s going on in his house.” “Obviously, he messed up before which is why he’s with me in the first place. It seems like his mother should be supporting me and helping to get her son on track. She’s the one who’s going to have to deal with him later on down the road if he doesn’t get his act together.” “I just don’t get it.”

Sigh…..SMH

For a moment, I actually entertained the idea of going over to the student and trying to talk to him, but decided not to because by now (of course) he was back over at the table with the girls and it wouldn’t of been a good time for a stranger to approach him and try to reason. So I just thanked the teacher for trying and wished her well.  After she packed up, she went over to her student said something to him and left the library.

I just put my head back down and continued my work.  After a few minutes I looked up and saw the young student staring at me! I looked back at him and gave him the “you know you are wrong” look, as I shook my head.  (I had to make some sort of statement to him; the teacher in me just couldn’t let it slide.) He gave me a funny look back and smiled. He seemed to be saying that he knew he was wrong, but glad that he got away with it.

So now what?

Frustrated family…. I along with that teacher and so many other teachers in schools today have had similar experiences. You do get to the point when you get tired…. It does start to feel like, as long as I get my pay check and my children are doing well in school, that’s all that really matters (and you really hate it when the frustration level gets that high)…. Of course we all know that it does very much matter that her children AND her students achieve academically in order to become successful in their life.

So I ask… What do you think of her response? Is she a bad teacher? Do you understand her frustration? Should she get out of teaching? Should I of taken the risk and tried to talk to the young man anyway? (Remember, it does take a village) Should the parent have allowed her son to come home? Was the teacher’s response to the parent appropriate, or should she have tried harder? (I don’t know what the history of their interaction is) What is YOUR role? Should our role as a community be to do everything to SUPPORT her (and every other teachers’) efforts and TRAIN the parent (and all other parents who need it) to empower and not hinder her son?

Big Sigh….. (Again)

Just some questions…. And hopefully some answers….

Have a wonderful holiday season family…. See you in 2012!

 

The Question

It’s a moment all parents face…. and a few days ago I faced it for the first time… Nia comes home from school and begins telling me about all of her friends who are on Facebook! “Uh oh, here we go,” I said to myself.  Then came… THE QUESTION… “Mommy, can I have a Facebook account?”

I asked her why she wants a Facebook account now. Is it just because everyone else is doing it? You know communicating on the internet can be dangerous! But she began whining, “But Mommy, I know to be safe on the internet, I won’t chat with strangers and I won’t go to the mall to meet strangers…can I PLEASE Mommy!!”

After serious deliberation, (which lasted all of 20 seconds, and that was for effect) my answer was NO. “That’s not fair, she whined, “I thought you liked technology. I thought you liked for me to use the computer.”  (Now that was below the belt, LOL) At first I tried to reason with her by telling her that it’s my responsibility to protect her; to make sure she is focused on school. “But Mommy,” she said, “Facebook is educational!” (WHAT??!!!)  “You can learn a lot on Facebook!” (I thought to myself, yeah, I’m sure you can!)  She worked on me for about 20 minutes after that, but I wouldn’t budge. In the end she wasn’t hearing it, so I just told her to go to her room, start her homework and that was the end of the discussion…

I’m sure those who know me are surprised.  I am usually the first one in my social circles (real world social circles, that is) to promote the use of kids using technology. Having been a K12 technology teacher for so many years, many of my former students and colleagues would be shocked.  However, I guess because of my profession and being a Mom, it forces me to use extra caution when it comes to my child.  Oh, and by the way, I LOVED my students I taught over the years, as do so many teachers. If I were in a k12 classroom today and the question came up with one of my students, my answer to them would also be NO! I would even reinforce my recommendation with a phone call home.

See family, there is growing evidence out there now that kids today are becoming too wired, too engaged in their technology tools. Researchers are even beginning to wonder if all this over use of technology in younger children is actually rewiring their brain in ways that are different than ours; causing a change in how these children learn and function in society.

Take a look at some of these articles…

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/technology/21brain.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.livescience.com/8763-young-brains-teaching-technologies-hit.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-565207/Modern-technology-changing-way-brains-work-says-neuroscientist.html

http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2011/3/29/pediatrics-group-says-doctors-should-ask-kids-about-social-media-use.aspx

A Little History

The concern really is the same one that started years ago with the advent of television. Once television became a technology standard in the home, educators began to worry about the effect increased television viewing had on learning. I recall a conversation I had about 20 years ago with a veteran 5^th grade teacher who was close to retirement.  She said she saw the change with the ‘TV generation.’ “All of the sudden,” she said, “We (teachers) had to make learning, FUN!” “Kids today have to be entertained all the time, or they lose interest.” “You know, learning has to be effective, it doesn’t have to always be fun.”

During this time, educational media became very popular as television executives responded to the concerns of the educational community. Shows like Sesame Street, Electric Company, Romper Room and Captain Kangaroo (I’m sure you can think of others.) were developed to bridge the gap between education and media. One of my all-time favorite educational television shows was created by one of my personal heroes in the industry, Dr. William Cosby Fat Albert and the Cosby kids  (BTW, did you know that Bill Cosby has an earned doctorate degree in education from the University of Massachusetts?)

Later as video games came into the mix, the issue became even more pervasive. Again, educators struggled to compete with the video game industry for the attention of children. Teachers saw an even bigger decrease in the attention span of their students, while students’ complaints of being ‘bored’ in the classroom escalated.  Most of the day’s instructional strategies did not account for the fast action packed pace of  video game programs. In addition, educators became alarmed when they began noticing an increase in violent, aggressive behavior in students with the advent of the video game industry. There is a ton of research out there to support this notion. Here’s a link to just one article… http://www.apa.org/research/action/games.aspx  Efforts were, and are still being made to create video games that are entertaining and instructional, however the more popular games that are on most children’s holiday wish list generally don’t have anything to do with education at all.

With the advent of social media, the issue has become (if I may borrow a social media term) viral!  I don’t have to spend time giving you the stats.  Social media is everywhere! Kids today are using it at younger and younger ages. What’s surprising to me is the growing number of Nia’s friends who are her age (9) and have social media accounts!

What’s My Point?

I guess, the point I’m trying to make is really the same one I harp on… too much of a good thing ends up not being good.  Parents have to remember that the primary goal of these social media sites is to entertain children, not educate. There is a growing movement of educators using social media in their classes more and more; however most administrators, (and especially school IT officers) are still somewhat leery of this. (Although, I believe that will decrease over time.)

 If you decide that social media use for your child is OK, then consider these points…

• Monitor your child’s social media use. Demand that you be given the password, or better yet, create the password for them when you help them set up the account.
• Limit the time students can spend on social media; and even on the computer. If the computer is needed to complete homework assignments, then fine, but after that shut it down and tell them to find another activity! (preferably not watching TV, or talking on the phone)
• Consider creating and using a social media account yourself. That way you’ll be aware of trending topics, controversial postings etc. You can at least be aware of what your child is being exposed to. You can try being their friend or follower, but don’t be surprised if you get denied!
• Have on going conversations about social media with your child; discussing its benefits and downfalls.  Teach your child to be an educated consumer of social media. Tell them not to go for the new fad just because it’s popular.
• There are numerous ‘kid friendly” safe social media sites out there that your child can be a part of. Consider getting together with a group of your child’s friends’ parents, and as a group decide on using one of these sites and allow your children to create a profile on these sites only. That way, they will be able to interact with friends, they know in the real world; which is one required rule for safety on the internet.
• Finally, realize that your ability to say No will not last forever! Eventually, your child will create a social media account on their own and without your permission, and you won’t have the password! Now is the time to teach them how to be responsible social media users so that they will make wise decisions later on. When the day comes that they are using social media on their own, close your eyes and hope for the best! Hopefully, you have prepared for the worse.

In the End

As a compromise, Nia is beginning to be allowed to create profiles in sites that have various online activities, not necessarily social media; but it’s a step in that direction. She has her own playlist on my MySpace site that she can access on her own. She is also being allowed to view my Facebook and Twitter accounts when appropriate. She also is being encouraged to email people more often as long as they are family members, or someone I know in the REAL WORLD. Soon, we will be using Skype to talk to her very good friend who now lives in Texas.

I’m sure there is going to be growing debate as time continues. Each side will have valid points and arguments to make.  The important thing is before you tell your child Yes, or No, consider all the factors and make an informed decision based on your family’s computer ‘lifestyle.’ You set the tone and your child will follow!  Here are some resources to get you started…

Good Luck!

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/11/137705552/ten-safe-social-networking-sites-for-kids

http://www.amyhodgepodge.com/

http://www.kidssocialnetwork.com/

http://www.theboocrew.com/

http://www.nick.com (beware, very commercialized)

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec14.shtm

http://www.staysafeonline.org/

http://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/2011/06/22/come-get-your-kids-foolishness-on-facebook

http://www.msoyonline.com/lilbits/

 

Diversity Dialogue

Hello Family,

I hope all is well with everyone. Just wanted to share with you the first edition of Diversity Dialogue. A newsletter that I did in my role as a  Parent Council Representative with the NAACP.  I hope it will serve as an inspiration to you to get involved in your child’s PTA, PTSA, School Improvement Team or any other parent vehicle that serves your school community.

If you don’t have any school aged kids, don’t worry, there’s plenty of work to be done for any concerned citizen.  Get involved!!!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

I’ll talk to you later…. TDanyel

Diversity Dialogue November 2011

 

African-American Parents, What Are You Waiting For?

Ok, Family I need your help… I was asked by my Asst. Principal at Nia’s school to serve as the Parent Council Representative of the local chapter of the NAACP.  In that role, I am charged with bringing together African–American parents in the school and creating an opportunity to share information, network, and discuss issues that affect our children in the school.

 In preparation for this, I began reflecting on my past experiences as a teacher…. Wondering what am I going to do?

Early in my career, I was teaching in an inner city elementary school in Washington DC.  I was very idealistic and somewhat naïve. It was the first Back to School Night in September. I remember working tirelessly for days prior to the night; preparing my classroom for the room full of parents I was expecting. I put together a PowerPoint presentation; describing my classroom procedures, the class curriculum, my expectations of my students and parents. I even set up some music to play in the background to “set the mood” before I began my presentation! LOL I put my all into preparing for that event; in quite the same way I did (back in the day) when I was an aspiring professional dancer.  Getting ready for that big opening night… doing whatever it takes to shine.

Yeah, You Know What Happened!

Well, out of 25 students in my class. The parents of 2 students showed up!!!  One was the single mother of one of my brightest students; (I knew she would be there.) The other, a grandmother of another who admitted to me (still can’t understand why she did this) that the only REAL reason she came out that night was to pick up her grandson’s jacket that he had accidently left in class….  Really???  Yeah, Really!!  LOL

Meanwhile, on the “Other” Side of Town….

During this year, I was also taking some professional development courses at a university. I was the only African-American student in the class, and the only teacher in an inner city school. My classmates were mainly all Caucasian female teachers in either an affluent suburban public school district or in a private school. We were all chatting before class on this particular evening and I listened with envy as they shared stories of their Back to School Night Events. They were talking about how many parents were there; how the parents were bombarding them with questions, and how SO many parents joined the PTA and signed up to volunteer in the school building. When they asked me how my Back to School Night went, I froze…  I just gave some real general “Oh it was fine.” statement and whispered “Hallelujah” to myself as the professor called the class to order!

What’s Wrong with this Picture?

Ok, no need to explain it any further. We know what’s wrong.  An alarmingly high number of African-American parents in inner city schools are NOT actively engaged and involved in their child’s school and do not support the teacher’s efforts in the home. Too many parents; don’t come out to Back to School night; don’t join and are not active in the PTA (the same 5-6 parents do ALL the work); Many don’t even come out to pick up report cards, or attend previously scheduled parent teacher conferences. I can’t tell you the number of phone calls I’ve made literally begging parents to come to my class. Overall, a few here and there actually showed up.

 The Next Question is Why?

 Just like everything else, there has been a ton of research out there on the issue. Unfortunately, it’s not a new problem. The lack of parental involvement in inner city schools has been studied by many educational researchers and scholars. It’s a complicated issue, and YES, I’ll say it again… one of the BIG underlying reasons is POVERTY…. So many, do not understand the devastating impact poverty has on not just the economic structure of the inner city, but also on the  emotional psyche of its’ residents. Poverty =low self esteem =low expectations= a “why bother” kind of attitude.So many don’t get that equation… it’s generational… and extremely dangerous.

While the specific answers to WHY will vary based on the school district, community and city/state; there are some generalizations we can make based on the research out there. 

It’s Because….

• Parents feel disenfranchised by the school system, they are intimidated by it. They see it as “the enemy” instead of an ally.
• Many parents who were poor students themselves, or had bad experiences in school do not want to be reminded of their past failures.
• Parents feel that “those” teachers (usually someone other than them) don’t respect them. Those teachers look down on them, and don’t understand where they (parents) come from.
• Some parents feel that it’s the teachers’ job to teach. They get bothered when they have to always go up to the school. These parents don’t see why “they have to come up here (the school) to do the teacher’s job! (I actually, had a parent lay me out over that once!)

In short, many parents in the inner city do not trust the school system and the people in it. This lack of trust is exasperated when teachers are of a different race, culture and do not live in the community.

Ok, So What Do We Do About It?

Fixing the problem is about building relationships. Trust between the parent and teacher must be established. Teachers have to find ways to convince parents that teaching their child is about more than just a pay check, (because in most cases, it actually is) and they are genuinely concerned about the growth and development of their child. Teachers have to prove that they LOVE their students, as much as their parents LOVE them.

Teachers must understand and respect the cultural differences between them and their students’ families. Teachers must spend time in the community. Teachers must be sensitive to the differences in culture, language, family relationships and community traditions that may be different than their own. This holds true for even some African-American teachers who have had the benefit of formal higher education and enjoy a higher socio-economic status than that of their students.

Many inner city parents want the school to be an extension of their home; a part of the community. They want to feel comfortable when in the school building. Many parents complain that teachers do not “really care” about their students; at the end of the day, they get in their car and drive to the other side of town, without looking back.

That means that teachers must be seen in the community! Attend community events; create opportunities to interact with families outside of the school building, on weekends or holidays. Develop a vested interest in the success of the community. That way, you won’t be perceived as an outsider who comes into the community simply to earn a paycheck.

I know funding is tight and this may be hard; but let’s figure out a way to keep the school building open in the evening. Hire a second shift set of teachers, tutors and counselors. Provide dinner. Offer homework help; extra-curricular activities; including THE ARTS and SPORTS! Computer training and STEM related programming.   Ok, let’s add to the wish list, training for parents! Offer GED courses, workshops on just about anything! How to be a better parent classes; maybe even financial management or learning how to improve the nutrition of your family!  Sounds like a community center right?  YES, that’s exactly what it is… or should be.

 But Wait, What About Parents?

 Parents…. It’s time to get off the fence and change your ways!  Whatever the issues are that’s keeping you from being an active and engaged parent; it’s time to deal with them and put them behind you. If I may put it bluntly…  BGOI !!  (Better Get Over It)  Time is short; you only have one chance at this; your child’s future is at stake. It is time to stop playing around.  I know it’s hard to get out of that comfort zone. People don’t like being pushed into action, but please realize the power you have in your child’s life..  I’ll say it again. REMEMBER that YOU are your child’s first and most influential teacher.  If they see you engaged and involved; they’ll become engaged and involved also. 

Reach out for help.  Email me, if you need to!!  I would be glad to help you talk it through and work it out!  This year, promise yourself to do at least one thing, in the school and in your home. True educational reform of YOUR CHILD starts and ends with YOU. Start off small if you need to, but please do start… what exactly are you waiting for?

 

 Ok, Now Some Resources…

 Check out the following to learn more and ways to get parents involved.

  http://www.projectappleseed.org/chklst.html

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/parentacademy/schedule.aspx

http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR5-3/mcdermott.html

http://www.mybrotha.com/parent_involvement.asp

http://journalofafricanamericanmales.com/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2010/05/FINAL-REMA.pdf

http://nbcdi.org/

I’ll let you know how my year as a Parent Council rep with the NAACP progresses… If you have any suggestions.. please leave a comment, send an email, tweet or FB me

Thanks Family, I’ll talk to you later…