False Limitations

This picture shared by Laurel Grosjean --a former student from Realms--on FB reminded me of the following story. 




There is a story about elephants and their owners in Africa. Look at an adult elephant; it can easily uproot huge trees with its trunk; it can knock down a house without much trouble.
When an elephant living in captivity is still a baby, it is tied to a tree with a strong rope or a chain every night. Because it is the nature of elephants to roam free, the baby elephant instinctively tries with all its might to break the rope. But it isn’t yet strong enough to do so. Realizing its efforts are of no use, it finally gives up and stops struggling. The baby elephant tries and fails many times, it will never try again for the rest of its life.
Later, when the elephant is fully grown, it can be tied to a small tree with a thin rope. It could then easily free itself by uprooting the tree or breaking the rope. But because its mind has been conditioned by its prior experiences, it doesn’t make the slightest attempt to break free. The powerfully gigantic elephant has limited its present abilities by the limitations of the past—-hence, the Baby Elephant Syndrome.
Human beings are exactly like the elephant except for one thing—We can CHOOSE not to accept the false boundaries and limitations created by the past…
” Don’t let your past dictate who you are, but let it be part of who you become.”

School Factors #1

How can we apply the following school factors at Esperanza that research has shown affect the academic achievement of Hispanic learners?

Factor #1: High quality early childhood programs and full day kindergarten

These two things have a greater effect on Hispanic learners and low income students. Research has also shown that as far as kindergarten it is more important what they do during the day than the length of time.

Factor #2: The school has a strong shared vision and commitment.

Factor #3: Class and School Size -- Optimal classroom size is 18 and optimal school size for elementary an elementary school is 350.

Factor #4: Retention--Retention has too many negatives to even consider it for any grade level. Instead it is better to implement effective interventions.

Factor #5: Segregation and tracking: Although both of these can be detrimental, especially to Hispanic learners, there are still some things to consider. Research has shown that Hispanic learners need close relationships with high-achieving peers AND their own ethnicity. A great read about this is the book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum. Although tracking can be detrimental, flexible groupings can be extremely beneficial.

Factor #6: Whole child and learner-centered

Factor #7: Effort and persistence are rewarded-- Both the work of Dr. Glasser and the work of Dr. Carol Dweck about mind-set support this.

Following the Example of BYU's Football Team

Yesterday I watched BYU win its first football game of the season in the last four minutes of the game---14- 13. I had early watched Utah State lose its first football game in the last 2 minutes of the game. Both of these games reminded me of some important life lessons, one being that its not over until the fat lady sings. Therefore, we must keep working and never rest on our laurels.

I was also reminded of the work of Carol Dweck about mindset. She stresses how important it is for us to have an effort mindset rather than an ability/talent mindset. Those who have an ability/talent mindset feel that if they are losing it must be because they don't have the needed ability/talent and give up trying. When BYU was behind 13 -0 until the end of the 4th quarter the players could have felt that they just didn't measure up to the other team and give up. Instead, they believed in effort and kept giving their best effort and won the game. The same happened in the Utah State game although the team I wanted to win didn't win. It was the other team that didn't give up.

We want everyone at Esperanza--educators and scholars-- to incorporate these lessons into the way they face learning and growing.