Commitment to Education

I have been reading a wonderful book Black Stars African American Teachers by Clinton Cox.  I have been inspired each day as I have read a 3-4 page synopsis of an African American who overcame insurmountable obstacles at different times in history to educate himself/herself and to educate others.  What a commitment to education. 

It Takes Everyone to Make a Team

During the football season we watched LOTS of football games at our house.  I am not a football expert by any stretch of the imagination but I have learned a few things.  I know how important it is to have an excellent quarterback but I have also learned that no matter how excellent the quarterback is each player must do his part.  A great pass means nothing if there isn't a great receiver who can catch the ball and run with it.  The quarterback can't even make the pass if there aren't other team members blocking those who are trying to sack the quarterback.  Also, I have watched a number of games that were won or lost because of a kicker making or not making a field goal. 

Although it is important for us to seek excellent leaders for Esperanza that leadership will mean nothing without each "player" doing his/her part in an excellent manner. 

Build on Their Strengths

Last night I watched a segment on “60 Minutes” with Scott Pelley about children who were homeless.  What he learned from and about these children not only applies to children who are homeless but also to children from low socioeconomic status.  Because we will be working with low SES children at Esperanza there are some things from the segment that would be wise for us to remember. 

 Q: What did you like about Destiny Corfee and Jacob Braverman [two of the children interviewed]?

 A: What I absolutely loved about them was neither was whining. They answered our questions about what it's like to be homeless, but each of them went out of their way to say things would get a lot better and we'll be fine. Destiny says, 'When we get back on our feet, we'll be able to help others.' Jacob says, 'You can get through anything as long as you have your family together.' Those are both ideas we put in the piece that said so much about the character of those kids.

Q: Will we see more stories from you about the Great Recession?

 A: Absolutely. The Great Recession has been an incredible story to cover, because so many Americans are hurting. We're told the recession ended in 2009. This is a jobless recovery we're in. Millions and millions of people are hurting. It grinds on and on and on. We're raising a generation of kids in hard times. These are formative years for these kids. They know this time as a time of hunger and homelessness. You talk to a lot of older Americans who grew up in the Great Depression who say that it made them better. I wonder if we're doing the same thing.

Overcoming Language and/or Culture Misunderstandings

This morning I watched the BYU Devotional that Dr. Bill Eggington gave on November 8, 2011.  It was a perfect speech for those of us who are Esperanza stakeholders.  Even though I encourage all of us to read the whole speech once it becomes available the following are some highlights.

Dr. Bill Eggington, BYU’s Department of Linguistics and English Language Chair, used several studies from his field of study to illustrate how misunderstanding can develop between individuals from differing backgrounds, even without a language barrier. Language not only has grammatical meaning, but also an intended meaning that develops out of cultural norms.

In Australia, teachers met in the lounge to commiserate with each other about certain classes or students. But in America, when he voiced similar complaints among his colleagues, they responded by giving unwanted advice. His fellow teachers, he said, interpreted his complaints as pleas for help, and he subsequently interpreted their suggestions as assumptions of his incompetence.

“I even went through a period where I started thinking about know-it-all, patronizing Americans in terms of stereotypes reinforced by a process known as confirmation bias,” Eggington said. “This process can easily become a silent killer of goodwill, charity and compassion.”

In these situations, Eggington said individuals have two choices — either withdraw and create an isolated environment to avoid such situations, or become open to foreign ideas and treat other cultures with respect, love and understanding.

With English quickly becoming a dominant world language, Eggington said it is easy for native English speakers to develop a subconscious sense of cultural superiority — a belief that other cultures could be improved by becoming more like a more prevalent culture. Eggington cited statements made by former LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley to suggest that we  resist this mentality.

“This is our responsibility to all the kindreds of the earth,” Eggington said. “This responsibility extends not just to people who are like us, or to people who want to become like us, but to all the kindreds of the earth.”

Great Idea for Meetings

Barbara Glanz had this great idea on her BLOG:
Are most of your meetings dull and laborious? Here is an idea to make them more efficient, more creative, and more fun!
Get red, green, and yellow paper plates. Glue each one to a tongue depressor or other kind of stick. Give one of each to each person in the meeting.
When someone agrees with what a person is sharing or wants to vote “yes” on a question, they hold up the green plate. When someone disagrees or wants to vote “no” on an issue, they hold up the red plate. When someone wants more discussion, has a question, or wants to share their opinion, they hold up the yellow plate.
You will be surprised at how much clearer this makes everyone’s communication and how much more efficient your meetings will be. It also adds the element of creativity and fun to what most employees dread the most — boring meetings!
For more creative ideas to spread contagious enthusiasm and enhance employee motivation, go to www.barbaraglanz.com/ideas www.barbaraglanz.com/ideas/

Such a Time As This

LINCOLN, THE MAN OF THE PEOPLE

by: Edwin Markham (1852-1940)

HEN the Norn Mother saw the Whirlwind Hour

Greatening and darkening as it hurried on,

She left the Heaven of Heroes and came down

To make a man to meet the mortal need.

She took the tried clay of the common road--

Clay warm yet with the genial heat of earth,

Dashed through it all a strain of prophecy;

Tempered the heap with thrill of human tears;

Then mixed a laughter with the serious stuff.

Into the shape she breathed a flame to light

That tender, tragic, ever-changing face.

Here was a man to hold against the world,

A man to match the mountains and the sea.

The color of the ground was in him, the red earth;

The smack and tang of elemental things:

The rectitude and patience of the cliff;

The good-will of the rain that loves all leaves;

The friendly welcome of the wayside well;

The courage of the bird that dares the sea;

The gladness of the wind that shakes the corn;

The pity of the snow that hides all scars;

The secrecy of streams that make their way

Beneath the mountain to the rifted rock;

The tolerance and equity of light

That gives as freely to the shrinking flower

As to the great oak flaring to the wind--

To the grave's low hill as to the Matterhorn

That shoulders out the sky.

Sprung from the West,

The strength of virgin forests braced his mind,

The hush of spacious prairies stilled his soul.

Up from log cabin to the Capitol,

One fire was on his spirit, one resolve:--

To send the keen axe to the root of wrong,

Clearing a free way for the feet of God.

And evermore he burned to do his deed

With the fine stroke and gesture of a king:

He built the rail-pile as he built the State,

Pouring his splendid strength through every blow;

The conscience of him testing every stroke,

To make his deed the measure of a man.

So came the Captain with the mighty heart;

And when the judgment thunders split the house,

Wrenching the rafters from their ancient rest,

He held the ridgepole up, and spiked again

The rafters of the Home. He held his place--

Held the long purpose like a growing tree--

Held on through blame and faltered not at praise.

And when he fell in whirlwind, he went down

As when a lordly cedar, green with boughs,

Goes down with a great shout upon the hills,

And leaves a lonesome place against the sky.

Just as Lincoln had an important mission to perform so does each of us.  It reminds me of Mordecai, Esther's uncle, who said to her, "...knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"  (Esther 4:14)
 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Whether you love history or just want to teach our Esperanza scholars more about America's history, Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday to begin with as it is deeply embedded with how our country began. Many times, if we can see where we've come from, we can better understand where we are now!

Thanksgiving Fun Facts #1 Thanksgiving was first celebrated on the Plymouth Colony by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians celebrated with a feast. The year was 1621 when the leader Governor William Bradford invited the Indians for the feast.

 Thanksgiving Fun Facts # 2 The Turkey likes to sleep in trees at night. At sunset, they rise and spread their wings and begin their day.

 Thanksgiving Fun Facts #3 Turkey are fast birds and can race as fast as 50-55 mph.

 Thanksgiving Fun Facts # 4 The Indians taught the Pilgrims how to survive off the land and brought food with them to the feast.

 Thanksgiving Fun Facts #5 George Washington wanted to establish a National Day of Thanksgiving and did so in 1789 and again in 1795.

 Thanksgiving Fun Facts #6 Congress made Thanksgiving Day a legal holiday in 1941 and is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month.

Thanksgiving Fun Facts #7 There are three cities around the country which take the name turkey: Turkey, Texas; Turkey Creek; Louisiana; and Turkey, North Carolina.

 Thanksgiving Fun Facts #8 The very first Macy's Thanksgiving Parade was held in New York City in 1924. The first Macy's Thanksgiving Parade was started by the Macy's employees and they used animals from the local zoo.

 Thanksgiving Fun Facts #9 Benjamin Franklin thought that the national bird should be the turkey. AS we now know, the national bird of the United States is the Bald Eagle.

 Thanksgiving Fun Facts #10 Wild turkeys have excellent vision. They've been known to have heart attacks. Although this isn't a proven fact, by thoughts are these "heart attacks" happen more often as Thanksgiving approaches.

Seeing More Than One Side

My husband and I watched the Republican debate last night.  In fact, we have watched every Republican debate thus far.  This is quite amazing when my husband is a die hard Democrat and I tend to lean that way. 

I became aware this morning of two studies that have been done that found that Fox News viewers are much more likely than others to believe false information about American politics. 

I'm not sharing this to influence anyone's political view. I am sharing it to demonstrate how beneficial it is to see things from another point of view. Therefore, we want our Esperanza scholars to learn how to do this.  Teaching them debate skills and even learning how to defend a side with which they don't agree are great skills to learn to become informed and involved citizens. 

Personal Factors #2

The following are some personal factors that research has shown benefit Latino students:

• Persistence--empeño
• Hard work
• Ability
• Clear goals
• Interpersonal skills
• Inner locus of control
• Self-efficacy
• Religiosity

How can we help our Esperanza scholars develop these attributes and skills?

English Only Is Ludicrous

The following information came with my "Word-for-the day"  this morning.  It definitely supports our desire to help our Esperanza scholars preserve their language. 

If you speak English, you know a little of more than a hundred languages. That's because English has borrowed words from so many languages around the world. Through trade, conquest, colonialism, etc. it came in contact with other languages.
When two languages rub against each other, as with humans, there is a certain give and take. Languages exchange words. English has many words from Latin, Greek, French, and Spanish, but it has also borrowed from languages as obscure as Basque (chaparral), Tongan (taboo), and Shelta (moniker).
When English meets with another language, the other language usually ends up badly. That's the downside to the spread of English. It enjoys a certain prestige among languages and everyone wants to learn it. It opens more opportunities. With each successive generation, interest in one's native language declines and eventually there's no one left to speak the tongue.
That makes the English-only agitation in a few states around here ludicrous. English is alive and well and thriving. Linguistic diversity is a good thing. Already a language dies every other week, and with it a whole culture. And as anthropologist and explorer Wade Davisso well describes it, "a language is not just a body of vocabulary or a set of grammatical rules, ... but an old growth forest of the mind."

Choosing Esperanza Leaders and Educators

This morning I listened to the BYU Forum Speech that Senator Joseph Lieberman gave on October 25, 2011.  I listened to him speak I was reminded how important it is for us to have Esperanza leaders and educators who are principled people—no matter what their religion.  In other words, we need to look at his/her personal qualities, leadership, experience, and qualifications. 

In 2000 Sen. Lieberman became the first Jewish American to become nominated for national office as the vice presidential running mate to Al Gore. “In that year I personally experienced the American people’s generosity of spirit, their fairness, and acceptance of religious diversity.”

 Sen. Lieberman recounted that on the day he was nominated, Reverend Jesse Jackson said, “In America, when a barrier is broken for one, the doors of opportunity open wider for every other American.”

This quote by Lieberman in his speech should be something else we want to remember as we teach our Esperanza scholars:  “Faith in God, love of country, sense of unity, confidence in the power of every individual—these are the things that are going to carry the American people through crises greater than the ones we face today, and will, I’m sure, propel us forward to a better place if only we will return to those values and recognize them as a source of national strength. And I hope in some sense, the presence of faith in the public square will let us do that. The greatest source of American strength and hope for the future is not in current devices and rigid politics of Washington, it is in the broadly shared faith and values of the American people,” he said.

"The Lion King"

Last night I watched "The Lion King" for the first time.  I put off seeing it because I didn't have any young children with whom to share it.  It is a reminder that I need to respond to the child within me more often and enjoy movies and books (and songs!) written for children. 

Also, I loved the message of the story.  Each of our Esperanza scholars is a "king" or "queen" and we need to treat them as such and help them see it in themselves. 

Involving Grandparents

On November 16, 2011 KSL posted this article about a study that supports what Hispanics have apparently instinctively known all along—that family means extended family. 

A new study praises grandparents for helping kids be kinder and, in some cases, smarter.

 "The bottom line is that grandparents have a positive influence on their grandkids that is distinct from the effect of the parent-child relationship," said lead study author Jeremy Yorgason.

 It's that experience and the investment in spending time with grandkids that researchers say has a tremendous influence on kids.

 For the study, Yorgason and a team of researchers interviewed more than 400 kids ages 10 to 14. After one year, they found the kids were kinder to others outside their immediate family and friends - and, in some cases, smarter.

 While Yorgason encourages grandparents to be more involved in their grandchildren's lives, he says that if kids don't have grandparents of their own, families should try to find a similar adult figure to spend quality time with.

We at Esperanza will want to intentionally do things that involve grandparents (and in some cases adopted grandparents) and extended family. 

Learning From Famous Stories

I recently bought a book Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin.  I have been reading one story a day which only takes a few minutes.  These stories would be great to share with students.  Not only could they be used to teach about history, geography, and famous people but they also teach great lessons. 

The Essence of Communication

This is a great reminder that we need to be sure that the messages we send are the ones that are received--the essence of communication. 

Great Opportunity to Learn About Others

Personal Factors--Message from Jaime Escalante

Jamie Escalante, the incredible math teacher who inspired the movie Stand and Deliver: "Children of the barrio have enormous obstacles to overcome to get an education...Minority students may be affected by these barriers, but they are not victims of them.  Students can learn to overcome any barrier they will every face."

Jaime Escalante's wisdom is a great introduction to the personal factors that we'll address for the next couple of weeks.

A Different Approach to Circumstances

I reread a story this morning that has had a tremendous impact on me.   It's a story Elder David Bednar relates from the journal of Daniel W. Jones titled Forty Years Among the Indians during a BYU Devotional speech he gave on October 23, 2001. 

"Game became so scarce that we could kill nothing.  We ate all the poor meat; one would get hungry eating it.  Finally it was all gone, nothing now but hides were left.  We made a trial of them.  A lot was cooked and eaten without any seasoning and it made the whole company sick.  Many were so turned against the stuff that it made them sick to think of it...
"Things looked dark, for nothing remained but the poor raw hides taken from the starved cattle.  We asked the Lord to direct us what to do.  The brethren did not murmur, but felt to trust in God.  We had cooked the hide, after soaking and scraping the hair off until it was soft and then ate it, glue and all.  This made it rather inclined to stay with us longer than we desired.  Finally I was impressed how to fix the stuff and gave the company advice, telling them how to cook it; for them to scorch and scrape the hair off; this had a tendency to kill and purify the bad taste that scalding gave it.  After scraping, boil one hour in plenty of water, throwing the water away which had extracted all the glue, then wash and scrape the hide thoroughly, washing it in cold water, then boil it to a jelly and let it get cold, and then eat with a little sugar sprinkled on it.  This was considerable trouble, but we had little else to do and it was better than starving."  (p.81)

Daniel Jones goes onto say that they asked the Lord to bless their stomachs and adapt them to this food.  In other words, he did not pray that his circumstances would be changes, but he prayed that he would be strengthened to deal with his circumstances.

There will be numerous times as we build Esperanza that we will wish that we could change certain circumstances but it might be wise for us to learn a lesson from this story of Daniel Jones---and seek to be strengthened to deal with the circumstances rather than murmur because the circumstances aren't what we would desire. 

Valuing Those Who Came Before Us

I love this picture.  It is important to help our Esperanza scholars value the contributions of those who came before them.  Therefore, we want to think of ways to connect generations. 

Christmas

Even though celebrating Christmas and saying "Merry Christmas"  at Esperanza are acceptable it still behooves us to be sensitive to the religious and cultural beliefs of others.

A Slogan Needs to Be More Than a Slogan

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/joe-paterno-fired-penn-state-football-coach-president-graham-spanier-child-sex-abuse-scandal-board-of-trustees-meeting-110911

This scandal at Penn State has taught me some lessons.  I loved the slogan they had--"Success with Honor."  Yet, what good is a slogan if it doesn't have an influence on one's behavior.  I want us at Esperanza to have short and crisp slogan at Esperanza that inspires us and that all of us strive to live up to each and every day.    No matter how much good we do it can be wiped away by one unwise decision and/or action. 

Name Calling Is Unacceptable

If you were like me your mother probably taught you the phrase, "Sticks and bones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."  Although I know my mother was well meaning this phrase is not true.  Names do hurt.  In an inviting school setting calling others names is unacceptable. 

Incidentby Countée Cullen
Once riding in old Baltimore,
Heart-filled, head-filled with glee,
I saw a Baltimorean
Keep looking straight at me.
Now I was eight and very small,
And he was no whit bigger,
And so I smiled, but he poked out
His tongue, and called me, "Nigger."
I saw the whole of Baltimore
From May until December;
Of all the things that happened there
That's all that I remember.

Be True to Oneself

I was so sad to hear of the death of Andy Rooney last Friday.  I liked him so much!  He loved his life and he lived it on his own terms--even when it made others angry. 



This above all:  To thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
(Polonius' Advice to Laertes in "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare)

Community Factors

ALL KIDS ARE OUR KIDS---For this reason we want a school-family-community partnership. 

• Increase social capital---Great book to read is Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam
• Make school the center for community activities
• The staff knows the community, networks with the community, and builds relationships
• Do asset building--"Protective Factors"--some great resources are Bonnie Bernard's book Resiliency, Stephen H. Glenn's book Raising Self-Reliant Children and the 40 Developmental Assets. 

Message from "The Lion King"

This morning I listened to the BYU Devotional Speech that Pres. Thomas S. Monson gave on November 1, 2011.  In his speech he quoted from the Disney movie "The Lion King" -- advice Mufusa gave to Simba and related it to students about reaching their potential in life.
"Look inside yourself Simba, you are more than what you have become. Remember who you are," Mufusa said.

This is something we want to remember and to say to our Esperanza educators and scholars every day not only with our words but also with our actions.

Words of Wisdom from Stephen Krashen

This article by Dr. Stephen Krashen supports why it is so important for us to have our Esperanza scholars read a lot, including doing PALA (our Spanish translation of sustained silent reading) every day. 


Sent to the Taipei Times, November 3, 2011

Lii Ding-tzann (“Reading your way to true wisdom,” Nov. 3) argues that reading in a way that connects to your own life makes a powerful contribution to our intellectual development. Research strongly supports his position: Studies show that wide, self-selected reading is related to our literacy development, our knowledge of the world, and achievement: People who read more read and write better, know more, and accomplish more in life.

Creativity researcher Dean Keith Simonton has concluded that "omnivorous reading in childhood and adolescence correlates positively with ultimate adult success.” Strong evidence comes from cases of highly successful well-read individuals with little formal education: Famous examples include Thomas Edison, who profited from reading books in his father's home library as well as the Detroit public library, and Michael Faraday, who had the good luck to work for a bookbinder, and became an enthusiastic reader.

School can either encourage or discourage the development of a reading habit. The over-emphasis on testing, a disease that seems to spreading world-wide, inhibits intellectual development by not allowing time or opportunity for students to develop their own interests by reading widely. But school could help students by exposing them to many different ideas, allowing them time to explore their interests, and by providing access to a print-rich environment.

Stephen Krashen

Professor Emeritus

University of Southern California

Trip Traditions

The great movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington made me think that it might be fun to make it an Esperanza tradition to take our 5th grade scholars to Washington, D.C.  I did this once, and it was a wonderful experience.  As soon as young people enter Esperanza in K we could let families know about this tradition and start a fund specifically for this.

We also might want to think of doing a school exchange with 6th grade students--They would go to school for a month in Mexico and students from the Mexican school would come and attend Esperanza for a month.  The exchange would be at different times and the families could in each country could host the visiting students.   We did this while I was at Realms and it was a terrific experience.  Not only is it worthwhile for the students, even Hispanic students who may never have attended school in their country of origin, but also for teachers. 

Using Classics to Teach Character

Gwendolen at the roulette table"

Last night we watched another movie based on a book by George Eliot--Daniel Deronda.  I am also reading the book.  As I watched the movie and as I am reading the book I am reminded that classics are classics for a reason.  Even though classics may not be the books that turn our Esperanza scholars onto reading--and obviously we wouldn't use this particular book for children-- it still behooves us to find ways to introduce our scholars to children classics.  They teach so much about character, values, and attributes through a story. 

A Different Perspective

Darren Beck shared this fascinating picture.  If you look at it long enough you will see a different perspective.  As we strive to make Esperanza the school we want it to be we need to be willing to see things from different perspectives.  This is a real art as each of us has a different awareness wheel because of our unique life experiences. 

Beware of Assumptions

This little exercise is a reminder that we must never make assumptions such as assuming that because we taught it, it was learned or that because we said it was heard.