Remembering Who We Are

I listened to the BYU Devotional this morning given by Doug Prawitt on July 19, 2011. His comments caused me to ponder not only on my own life but also on how we want to help our Esperanza scholars. He said, “We are not here to prove to everyone that we are perfect." He explained there is danger in such a perspective, because when we commit mistakes we condemn ourselves and at the same time we justify and hide them. Making mistakes is part of living, he said, and those mistakes are the ones that make us stronger.

He went on to explain that it is important to remember who we are while striving to correct where (mistakes) we are. It is also important to remember this when working with others.

When our Esperanza colleagues and/or scholars make mistakes we need to help them remember who they are and their potential before focusing on correcting mistakes they have made. It's hard for a person to permanently change an undesirable behavior if he sees himself as a trouble maker and/or a bad person.

If we can help each other as colleagues and with our scholars to understand that mistakes are part of the process of reaching our potential, we will create a more inviting environment and experience more growth individually and as an organization.

The "Matthew Effect" Is In Full Force

I listened this morning to a segment "In Perspective: Tricia Rose on America's growing inequality" on PBS Need to Know that was disturbing. Rose reported that according to the Congressional Budget Office, between 1980 and 2007, average household income for the bottom 80% has remained relatively constant, while the top 20 has doubled, and the top 1% has nearly quadrupled. She also noted what I mentioned in a previous blog posting about the discrepancy in the drop in median wealth for different American households (white 16%, African American 53%, and Hispanic 66%). White wealth now stands at 20x that of black wealth and 18x that of Hispanic wealth.

Rose also mentioned a study from last year that described wealth as "What you own minus what you owe" which "allows people to start a business, buy a home, send children to college, and ensure an economically secure retirement."

The "Matthew Effect" appears to be in full force. The Matthew effect is the phenomenon that "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." Before education can address this inequality the opportunity gap for young people needs to be addressed. This is a responsibility that belongs to everyone.

Personal Hall of Fame

THOUGHT FOR TODAY:There comes a point when a man must refuse to answer to his leader if he is also to answer to his own conscience. -Hartley Shawcross, barrister, politician, and prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes tribunal (1902-2003) As I read this thought this morning I was reminded of a BYU Devotional speech “But We Heeded Them Not” given by L. Aldin Porter on February 14, 1995.

Our Esperanza scholars (and educators!) not only need to learn to think critically but also to carefully choose heroes who deserve to be followed and emulated. Elder Porter mentioned that we cannot permit ourselves to be led by foolish and blind guides. Just because someone is talended in the arts or in athletics or in the professionas does not mean they should be permitted a place in our personal hall of fame. Elder Porter gives the following example:

Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof taught a marvelous principle. You'll recall he sang a song entitled "If I Were a Rich Man." He expressed the thought that he would like to be rich so people would come to him for advice. Then Tevye says, "It won't make one bit of difference if I answer right or wrong. When you're rich, they think you really know." It is important to understand that everything said, written, sung, or insinuated by the wealthy or famous is not necessarily so.

We need to help our Esperanza scholars (and educators) critically examine who they admire and what qualities they admire in that person to make sure that only those deserving of their highest respect and emulation receive that honor In other words, we want them to choose carefully whom they will give their hearts and minds to.

Confronting Brutal Facts

There is a charter school dear to my heart that is losing at least half its staff every year. Until this school faces the "brutal facts" of the common denominator(s) as to why staff are leaving it will never move from a good to great school as Jim Collins explains in his book Good to Great.

Collins explains that leadership must create a climate where truth is heard and the brutal facts are confronted. He suggests that the following things will help:

• Lead with questions to gain understanding rather than answers.

"So, what's on your mind?"

"Can you tell me about that?"

"Can you help me understand?"

"What should we be worried about?"

• Engage in dialogue and debate, not coercion, to search for the best answers.


• Search for understanding and learning, rather than blame.


• Build "red flag" mechanisms to gather information that can't be ignored.

Brutal facts addressed appropriately can make the organization stronger and encourage everyone in it to prevail in their commitment. If brutal facts are not addressed people will be demotivated and choose to leave.

Hispanics Always Seem to Pay a Heavier Price

Yesterday the Pew Hispanic Center published a disturbing report: Hispanic Household Wealth Fell by 66% from 2005 to 2009. This statistic is even more shocking when compared with Blacks whose wealth fell 53% and with Whites whose fell only 16%.

For some reason Hispanics seem to pay a heavy price (if not the heaviest price) in a variety of arenas whether we are talking about dropout rates, scores on tests, teenage pregnancy, obesity, gang affiliation, etc. It is probably for this reason that research has shown that factors that effect education more often than not have a higher influence on Hispanics and other minority students. These factors include such things as having not only a qualified teacher but a quality teacher (especially three years in a row), class and school size, attendance in a quality preK program, community involvement, etc.

When we say that Esperanza is being founded to target Hispanics and/or low income students it is not to say that other students aren't welcome. We just know that if we provide the best learning environment possible for our Hispanic students all students will benefit.

In 1996 John Morefield said something that I wholeheartedly support, “I have come to believe that a school designed for children of color, works for white children. The reverse, however, is not true. Consequently, if we design our schools to work for children of color they will work for all children.”


Resource:
http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=145

When a Coincidence Isn't a Coincidence

Yesterday while taking notes from the book The One Thing You Need to Know by Marcus Buckingham I noted a book he recommended--Bringing Out the Best in People by Aubrey C. Daniels--that I wanted to read. The title sounded familiar and I thought I probably had the book but had no idea where it was. Then today when I went down to the basement with a load of washing I just happened to look in a box of books for no apparent reason. There staring at me from the box was the book Bringing Out the Best in People. This was one of those occasions where a coincidence is too much of a coincidence to be one.

I started to read the book this morning. AMAZING!!! It is filled with wisdom and insights that I had forgotten from the first time I read the book 14 years ago in 1997.

I share this experience as a reminder that we need to:

• Be aware of those things happening around us.


• Follow promptings even when we have no idea why.


• Remember than when we have a stated and written goal we will have help from the universe at unexpected times that will help us achieve it.

Creating A Community

Elder Jeffrey Holland spoke to a capacity crowd during the Ogden Pioneer Days Devotional on Sunday, July 17, 2011. He spoke about the need for us to be like the pioneers and learn to work together. He said, “…people working together are more successful, more prosperous and much more happy than neighborhoods or ethnic groups or religious faiths that are suspicious of one another, threatened by one another, and all too often hostile, even violent, toward one another.” He went onto say that individuals today can strengthen their communities by minimizing differences and emphasizing common values, aspirations and virtues that create success in a modern world.

It is our desire to create such a community at Esperanza.

We Are Pioneers

Today we celebrate Pioneer Day in Utah. Therefore, it seemed to be an appropriate time to reflect upon what it means to be a pioneer and how it relates to Esperanza.

A "pioneer species" is the first organism formed on the lifeless ground. A pioneer community is a group of people that settle a previously "untamed territory" by tilling the land and beginning to grow their own sustenance.

We as Esperanza founders and stakeholders are settling an “untamed territory” in order to reap our own unique harvest. We are on a journey that no one has ever taken quite like us. Being a pioneer on this trek will not be easy. Therefore, while on this journey, it would behoove us to remember and apply some words from the LDS Hymn, “Come, Come Ye Saints.”

Come, come, ye Saints (Esperanza stakeholders), no toil nor labor fear;

But with joy wend your way.

Though hard to you this journey may appear,

Grace shall be as your day.'

Tis better far for us to strive

Our useless cares from us to drive;

Do this and joy your hearts will swell —

All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?'

Tis not so; all is right.

Why should we think to earn a great reward

If we now shun the fight?

Gird up your loins; fresh courage take.

Reaching Decisions

Yesterday I listened to Pres. Obama explain the breakdown in the debt ceiling talks. I then listened to the Speaker of the House Boehner explain how he viewed the situation. Needless to say, they both saw the situation from different vantage points.

Watching this situation unfold has reminded me of some important things we need to remember when addressing Esperanza issues:

• People view situations through their own "awareness wheel."


• People need to strive to first understand rather than to be understood.


• People need to stay focused on the issue rather than personalities (Insults and finger-pointing are completely inexcusable).


• People need to be aware of how decisions will affect people rather than stay married to a specific ideology.


• People need to focus on reaching a consensus (the Third Space!) that is a win-win rather than a compromise which could be win-lose.

We as the Esperanza leaders and educators need to set this kind of example for our Esperanza scholars.

Action Is Critical

I recently read a speech, "Trust and Accountability" given by Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley at a BYU Devotional on October 13, 1992---http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=7095 In this speech he mentioned the book Lee and Grant by Gene Smith. Not only did I feel it would be advantageous to read any book Pres. Hinckley read I was also drawn to the book because of my love for history, this time period being one of my favorites.

I finished reading the book this morning and loved it. I learned so much about these two incredible men as well as what it means to be a leader. One of the things that defined Grant was his willingness to take action in the war. Pres. Lincoln had been so frustrated with other military leaders who spent a lot of time talking and planning but wouldn't take action. A book The Knowing-Doing Gap by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton I am now reading is a perfect follow-up to what I learned from Grant about the importance of action.

Pur Sang

The "A. Word. A. Day" for today was pur sang (pyoor san), a French word which means something or someone who is genuine. It is my hope that Esperanza will be filled with educators who are "pur sang" and who are people of excellence and integrity. To me these qualities are more important than a list of skills for skills can be taught.

James Allen said, "We do not attract what we want, But what we are." If these words are true, and I believe they are, the leaders of Esperanza must set the example of genuiness, excellence, and integrity. If we can desire and work to be these kind of people, like minded people will want to join us.

Only then-- when we have a school filled with educators and staff members who are genuine, excellent, and have integrity-- can we have the greatest influence on our Esperanza scholars.

Be Clear

Even though I happen to like President Barack Obama I have to stifle a chuckle every time he says, "Let me be clear," because he says it so much. Yet, the very thing Marcus Buckingham says in his book The One Thing You Need to Know a leader must do if he does nothing else is be clear.

Buckingham notes the points of clarity:

1. Who Do We Serve?--Who first and foremost do we want to please? If we focus on serving this group we will most likely experience "the power of the ripple effect" and serve many others, too.


2. What Is Our Core Strength? This will determine where we should and shouldn't spend our time and money. The leader must be able to tell the followers: a) Why will we beat our competitors?, b) Why will we overcome our obstacles, c) What advantages to we have?, d) What is our edge? The leader only needs to be clear about the answers to these questions, not necessarily right. If he is clear, the followers will make the leader right.


3. What Is Our Core Score? The leader needs to tell the followers the one score they need to focus on that will determine our progress towards a better future. It needs to be something we can do something about. Once it is chosen, broadcast it, publicize it, and celebrate it.


4. What Actions Can We Take Today?--Identify the few actions that can grab attention and do them.

Focusing on these points of clarity and responding to them will help us to be clear at Esperanza.

Manager Vs. Leader

I have been reading a fascinating book by Marcus Buckingham--The One Thing You Need to Know. In all my reading and research Buckingham has done the best job of differentiating a manager's role from a leader's role. He describes a manager's role as being a coach who figures out the best way to transform each employee's talents into performance. In other words, each employee's success is his focus. He describes the leader's role is rallying people to a better future that he sees. No matter how good things are at the moment, the leader is never satisfied with the status quo.

For an organization--like Esperanza--to be successful both roles are needed. One person can possibly fulfill both roles but it may take at least two people.

Thank You to the U.S. Women's Soccer Team

I, like so many others, was heartbroken when the U.S. women's soccer team didn't win the World Cup title. They were so close! They had come so far and had had so many miraculous wins.

Numerous times I have experienced personal and professional losses when I was so close. Often times the loss has caused a great deal of pain and heartbreak. During these times it is helpful to pen my ponderings on the following questions:

• What more do I have to learn?




• What is the lesson here for me?




• What is the waiting teaching me?
  

I want to have the courage that the U.S. women's soccer team displayed by picking myself up from the ashes of broken dreams and face the next challenge.

Trust and Accountability Are Essential

This morning I listened to a BYU Devotional Speech on trust given by Pres. Samuelson in January 2009. He mentioned in his talk a talk titled Trust and Accountability given by Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley on October 13, 1992.

In Pres. Hinckley’s talk he told about a book that he had recently read-- Lee and Grant: A Dual Biography. The author of the book, Gene Smith, made the following conclusion after tremendous research on both men who were generals on opposite sides in the Civil War: "Trust is what makes any army work, and trust comes from the top down."

Pres. Hinckley in his talk also shared the words of Lord Nelson on the morning of the Battle of Trafalgar: "England expects every man will do his duty."

We want everyone at Esperanza starting from the top down to learn his duty…and do it---without any excuses. If Esperanza is to become what we want it to become trust is critical, and with trust there must be accountability. This includes Board people, administrators, educators, parents, and scholars. We want all those who serve in Esperanza to have the very best academic credentials and strive for a quality of excellence in all that they do. In order to do this, their lives must be guided by true principles. According to Pres. Hinckley only when we do this will we be prepared “to live beyond ourselves and rise to higher planes of service.”

Tertulia

Last night I went to dinner with my monthly Tertulia (a Spanish word meaning a social gathering of friends). The group was originally organized over 30 years ago for people who wanted to preserve their Spanish. Now the group is composed of a variety of people:

• Hispanics/Latinos who speak English but don't want to lose their Spanish


• Anglos who learned Spanish usually while living in a Spanish speaking country at some point and want to keep up with their Spanish


• Anglos who don't speak very much Spanish but want to learn it

This Tertulia is similar to what we want our Esperanza classrooms to be. The affective filter is very low because the setting is non-threatening and everyone is supportive of everyone else's level of Spanish. A lot of scaffolding and sheltered strategies are happening all the time so everyone can participate in the conversation. In other words, everyone feels like she is amongst friends.

"Doing What We Know"

Yesterday as I was preparing the Esperanza training for this coming Saturday I decided to title it, "Doing What We Know." Although it is definitely advantageous to continually be learning the learning is useless if it isn't applied. Too often we equate attendance at a conference or reading a book with professional (and/or personal!) growth. We really haven't grown until we apply what we have learned.

It is much easier to read a book or attend a conference than it is to apply what we already know. This could be due to the fact that we are usually quite clumsy and uncomfortable when we first step out of our comfort zone and implement a best practice that's new to us. We avoid that feeling of clumsiness like the plague. We forget that feeling clumsy is part of the process. Yet, if we are going to grow professionally and make a greater difference for our Esperanza scholars we must work through the clumsy stage and not give up because we feel and look like a novice at the beginning.

Anyone who is an expert at anything wasn't always an expert. The difference between a novice and expert is someone who stuck with it.

The Think System

Last night we watched The Music Man. In spite of the fact that the movie is almost 50 years old, it is still a great movie and the music is delightful. Even more important Professor Harold Hill teaches the timeless principle about how powerful our thoughts are with his "think system." Hill doesn't even know how powerful the system is until the end of the movie. Needless to say, in real life the boys may not have been able to play the instruments without any actual practice but even with practice thoughts contribute to ability.

We can teach our Esperanza scholars to use the think system to help them achieve in any academic discipline. Just like Hill hummed the tune and taught the boys to hum the tune they were going to eventually play we can help direct the thoughts of our scholars by helping them to see the final product and continually keep that picture in front of them. This is similar to staying focused on a vision.

Stepping Out of a Comfort Zone

I had two experiences yesterday that reminded me how valuable it is to stretch and step out of a comfort zone. First, I finished reading Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. Fantasy is not one of my favorite genres so I had resisted reading this book. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It changed my attitude about fantasy books, and I will probably read the rest of the series.

The second experience was having lunch with a dear friend and former DIA colleague, Angela Fanjul, at O' Falafel which is a Mediterranean restaurant. I had never been to this restaurant (although it was only a block away from my house!) and almost everything on the menu was foreign to me so finally Angela and I decided to share an 8 choice sampler. What a delight! I found delicious foods that were unknown to me before this experience.

Not only do we need to encourage our Esperanza scholars to stretch outside of their comfort zones but we as educators need to set the example.

Leadership In Spite of Others

Joan of Arc to a general: "I will lead the men over the wall."

General: "Not a man will follow you."

Joan of Arc: "I won't be looking back to see if they're following me."

Joan of Arc understood that the number of people following her did not define her mission or her leadership to accomplish that mission. Relying on the opinions of others and/or their support limits us.

Yesterday for Family Home Evening I read a BYU Devotional talk by Adrian Van Mondfrans that he gave on June 1, 1982 called "Becoming Men and Women of Principle." I feel strongly that the leaders I want to follow and the leader I want to become needs to be a person of principle. This requires developing good characteristics. Mondfrans suggested the following steps to acquire good characteristics:

Step 1: Read about the characteristic I want to develop. Ponder on it to gain greater understanding.
Step 2: Make the commitment to do it--over and over. Be stalwart, not easily discouraged. Don't make excuses for failures.
Step 3: Pay the price. There will be distractors because opposition is real.

Some distractors will be people who are not supportive as well as some who are critical of the leadership. At these times it is helpful to remember the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." The words, "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds, from Albert Einstein can also be helpful.

The Value of Spanish

What countries have the largest Spanish speaking population?

1. Mexico 106,682,500
2. Spain 45,200,745
3. Colombia 44,087,000
4. Argentina 40,677,348
5. The United States 34,000,000 - 40,000,000

It is amazing that the U.S. has the 5th largest Hispanic population when there are many other countries that are Spanish speaking countries. This statistic demonstrates how valuable Spanish is to our Esperanza students, whether as a 1st language, 2nd language, or even 3rd language. Also, the fact that Spanish is spoken more in the world than English is another reason why learning Spanish can be extremely valuable.

Top 10 Most Spoken World Languages
10. German
9. Japanese
8. Russian
7. Portuguese
6. Bengali
5. Hindi
4. Arabic
3. English
2. Spanish
1. Chinese

Giving AND Receiving

This morning I listened to the BYU Devotional talk recently given by Kent Jackson. It made me think about how important it is to give Esperanza stakeholders opportunities to receive as well as to give.

Jackson said that as a young adult working with friends away from home, people from his church would offer them home-cooked meals but they refused the service. “We always turned them down,” Jackson said. “… You see we turned them down because we thought it was the noble thing to do as we could take care of ourselves and we didn’t want to inconvenience anyone.” As he reflected on the moment years later, Jackson said he realized he was making a mistake and was being prideful.

Jackson shared another experience where he had been taught the importance of being able to receive kindness and service, including the memory of a thoughtful boy in Turkey. He had been on a bus waiting with fellow American tourists when a local boy boarded to hand out sweet cucumbers as a gift of hospitality. After the boy had given out the cucumbers, someone offered him money, which he refused.

“The American became insistent and eventually stuffed some money into the boy’s pocket, much to the boy’s embarrassment and dismay,” he said. “As he tried to escape to the front of the bus, others followed suit, putting money in his pockets or throwing it in his box. As he made his way to the front exit, his expression changed from happiness to disappointment to embarrassment to sadness. By the time he arrived at the front, he was in tears.”

Jackson described the boy as being deeply hurt. “His act of love had been prostituted into an act of business,” he said. “But the people on the bus—all fine people—felt good about themselves; they felt justified. Someone had provided them with a service, for which they needed to pay. They had paid their own way, and they didn’t want to owe anything to anybody.”

Too often we want to give the impression that we don’t need any help. Having this attitude is an expression of pride. Others have knowledge and abilities that can make a huge difference for us. In other words, we need to be humble and receive the “invitations” and “gifts” others offer us. People want to know that they are needed and have something of value to give. Feeling that one has something that can benefit others can do more for self-esteem than constantly being on the receiving end. Therefore, at Esperanza we want to be able to constantly think of ways we can give colleagues, parents, students, and other Esperanza stakeholders opportunities to give AND receive in authentic ways.

Betty Ford Had Her Brand

Listening to responses to Betty Ford's death yesterday at the age of 93 is a reminder that each of us can develop a personal brand--what we are known for.

I recently finished reading a book How to Say It: Be Indispensable at Work. There is a chapter focused on the personal brands we would be wise to develop if we want to get noticed, get hired, and get ahead. These brands are what I would hope each Esperanza educator would develop. Some of them are:

• Be the Eternally Brand-New Brand: Keep up with the latest developments in education and think of ways to apply them.


• Be the Problem-Solver Brand: Take the initiative to find solutions to problems. Also, avoid being a high maintenance employee--one who is a constant complainer and/or one who requires constant supervision and instruction. In other words, be a problem solver rather than a problem maker.


• Be the Clutch Brand: Be committed to being one who does whatever it takes to meet deadlines and brings the work in on time--consistently. If there is an unavoidable "glitch" offer explanations rather than excuses.

These are only three of the brands that the author mentions but committing to these three will be a great start to making Esperanza a quality school.

Benefits of Membership in Professional Organizations

I recently joined ASCD (formerly Assn. of Supervisory and Curriculum Development). A couple of days ago I received the May 2011 edition of its publication, Educational Leadership. The theme of this edition is school, family, and community partnerships. The articles were excellent! The timing couldn't have been better since Carmen Thompson--one of our Esperanza Board members-- and I are going to be meeting soon about this very topic for Esperanza.

As I ponder on this whole experience a few things come to mind. First, just like any other profession, it is important for our Esperanza educators to belong to professional organizations and read their literature...and even attend conferences and participate in the organization when feasible. It helps us stay on top of what is happening in our profession. We wouldn't want to go to a doctor, dentist, lawyer, etc. who wasn't aware of the latest research. Second, I am amazed that when we have a focused goal how many serendipitous experiences occur. If we didn't have an Esperanza focused goal to be a Community Learning School I'm not sure this recent publication would have caught my attention--at least, not to the degree it did. Third, it is important to share what we learn so we will remember it better. Therefore, not only will Carmen and I be discussing this but I'll make copies of 3 articles from the publication (the allowable amount) to give to our future Esperanza educators. Fourth, a professional publication such as this can lead to more people, books, and other resources that can benefit us.

Obviously educators are extremely busy but it is well worth it to glean from professional organizations.

Timing Is Everything

Timing is everything. I (or we) may be ready for something to happen but there is a possibility that someone else who needs to be involved or a situation isn't ready, yet. All the pieces have to come together before it can happen. If I (or we) push too hard because of impatience to have the vine bear its fruit too early the fruit won't be good or at least not of the highest quality.

I must trust that all the pieces are coming together even if everything looks the same on the outside...and has for the past ten years. One day in a split-second or less it can all come together--when the timing is right. Remembering all that has happened and the people I have met since we contemplated starting a dual immersion school about 7-8 years ago testifies to this.

For all that we want to happen with Esperanza requires patience--continually preparing while trusting in the proper timing.

Thirst For Knowledge

The desire of knowledge, like the thirst of riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it. -Laurence Sterne, novelist and clergyman (1713-1768)

This is what we want to instill in our Esperanza scholars--a thirst for knowledge. This is what will turn them into lifelong learners. All it takes is one book that catches a child's interest to get him hooked on reading. It only takes one topic to pique a child's interest to cause her to want to continue learning about that topic that leads to wanting to learn about other topics. Therefore, we need to continually expose our Esperanza scholars to all kinds of books and all kinds of learning experiences. We can only do this if we are continually reading and learning ourselves.

Our Esperanza Walls Reflect Our Values

Because today we are celebrating July 4th I am reminded of when we were at the Karl G. Maeser Academy last week for the Charter School Symposium. I was impressed with the beautiful paintings of moments in U.S. History as well as documents like the Declaration of Independence that were on the wall next to the front office. These paintings and documents made a statement about the what the Karl G. Maeser Academy values.

What we choose to put on our walls at Esperanza Elementary will tell all who enter what we value. Therefore, it behooves us to choose carefully what we want to reflect on our walls.

Stepping Out From the Crowd

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:The world looks with some awe upon a man who appears unconcernedly indifferent to home, money, comfort, rank, or even power and fame. The world feels not without a certain apprehension, that here is someone outside its jurisdiction; someone before whom its allurements may be spread in vain; someone strangely enfranchised, untamed, untrammelled by convention, moving independent of the ordinary currents of human action. -Winston Churchill, politician and statesman (1874-1965)

I love this quote. If we are to truly make Esperanza all it can be it will be important to follow this wise counsel and advice from Winston Churchill and step out from the crowd.

"Into the Burn" Counsel

I listened this morning to the rebroadcast of the BYU Devotional speech given last Tuesday by
Val Jo Anderson, department chair for Plant and Wildlife Sciences, titled “Into the Burn.”
The title of his devotional came from a command he was given by his crew boss when he was working on a fire crew. While fighting a wildfire, his crew boss saw that the wind was blowing the fire directly toward Anderson and the other members of his crew. “Into the burn,” he yelled at them, directing them to go into the fire to the other side where the fire could not return. By following this counsel, though counterintuitive, Anderson and the other men were saved.
“This was an intense lesson,” Anderson said, “that helped me understand the importance of knowing in advance who you should trust and follow without hesitation, especially when the correct choice may be obscured by our own limited experience or instinctive bias.”

I thought while listening to this speech that there will be numerous times when we as Esperanza stakeholders will have impressions that seem counterintuitive. In other words, reason will tell us that one path seems the most logical while quiet whisperings to our hearts and minds tell us that we should take a different path and go "into the burn." It is critical at these times that we follow the quiet whisperings and not rely on our limited experience or instinctive bias. It can make all the difference.

Be Committed

Yesterday I read an article by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf--Brother, I'm Committed-- in the July 2011 Liahona magazine. Even though he was speaking to an LDS audience I feel that the message can also apply to Esperanza stakeholders. He started the article by sharing the following story:

Two young brothers stood atop a small cliff that overlooked the pristine waters of a blue lake. This was a popular diving spot, and the brothers had often talked about making the jump—something they had seen others do.
Although they both wanted to make the jump, neither one wanted to be first. The height of the cliff wasn’t that great, but to the two young boys, it seemed the distance increased whenever they started to lean forward—and their courage was fading fast.
Finally, one brother put one foot at the edge of the cliff and moved decisively forward. At that moment his brother whispered, “Maybe we should wait until next summer.”
The first brother’s momentum, however, was already pulling him forward. “Brother,” he responded, “I’m committed!”
He splashed into the water and surfaced quickly with a victorious shout. The second brother followed instantly. Afterward, they both laughed about the first boy’s final words before plunging into the water: “Brother, I’m committed.”

Pres. Uchtdorf went on to say, "Commitment is a little like diving into the water. Either you are committed or you are not. Either you are moving forward or you are standing still. There’s no halfway...we must ask ourselves, 'Will I dive in or just stand at the edge? Will I step forward or merely test the temperature of the water with my toes?'... Those who only intend to commit may find excuses at every turn. "Pres. Uchtdorf ended the article with a German proverb to emphasize his message: “Promises are like the full moon. If they are not kept at once, they diminish day by day.”

If Esperanza is going to be all that it can be AND needs to be, we need people who dive in and are committed.

Our Esperanza Scholars Are More Than Recipients of Knowledge

This morning I watched a segment on C-Span with a gal from the Governing Board of the Nation's Report Card. She was discussing the results of the history segment of the testing. It was a reminder how important it is to teach history, but I was also reminded that expecting English Language Learners to do well on a test such as this after only being in the U.S. only one year is unreasonable. Not only will the majority of them not have the necessary academic vocabulary to do well but they won't have the advantage of all the years of U.S. background knowledge.

I finished reading a book--Mockingbird-- this morning by Kathryn Erskine that fits with this topic. Although the young girl in the book is a native English speaker she has Asperger's syndrome. Also, her mother died a couple of years ago from cancer and her older brother who she adored was recently shot and killed at a shooting at his middle school. In other words, she was dealing with a number of issues. I was enthralled with the message I was getting from the book.

Both of these experiences--the woman on C-Span and Caitlin in the book--are reminders that we can't just look at our Esperanza scholars as recipients of knowledge who are expected to regurgitate it. They are also young people coming to us with many issues that can have an impact on their learning.