I've been thinking of the 5 year old Somali boy who told me last Thanksgiving that his family didn't celebrate it. In a defiant voice and with his arms firmly folded across his chest he admonished me for even asking by saying, "I am a Muslim boy!" Taken aback I tried to explain that Thanksgiving is not a Christian holiday but he would have none of it. It made me very aware of the portrayal of Thanksgiving with hands closed in prayer. And what a disappointment that this little boy was repeating something he had apparently heard at home - to avoid being tainted by anything American that could possibly undermine Muslim beliefs and practices.
I recall a memoir by a Somali man who wrote that when he arrived as a teenager he refused to eat in the school cafeteria because he thought all American food had alcohol in it. Another misconception about life in the United States - not the land of milk and honey!
Today, I am thinking of the 8 year old Egyptian girl I tutor at Whittier school. She arrived in MN with her family in the past year and managed to express to me that she is eager to see snow. It has been so late in arriving this Fall, but timing is everything and Thanksgiving morning was perfect for Mana and her 2 sisters to see their first snow. I'm sure they went outside to marvel at it. I wonder how long that will last.
The theme of "being grateful" was present at both Whittier and Jefferson schools. That moves this unique American holiday out of the religious realm toward a more inclusive celebration of a very human emotion of gratefulness. We all have different things to be grateful for. I'm more aware than ever of how grateful I am to be an American.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Job Title: Behavior Support
The 2015-2016 staff photo display at Whittier IB school includes people with job titles I've never heard of before. Under the caption Behavior Support, I recognized 2 staff persons I've often seen walking the halls with children. A tall middle-age woman and a young beefy man carry walkie-talkies and show up in various parts of the school. Suddenly that caption made sense to me. I'll assume that they respond to calls from teachers for assistance with students with behavior problems. What exactly they do to support behavior escapes me. It does give me pause about the state of behavior in our schools - and the need for 2 full-time adults to provide "behavior support" in an elementary school of 600+ students.
That same staff photo exhibit shows 6 Education Associates - adults I saw frequently last school year. Then they were often providing instruction by sitting with small groups of students outside of regular classrooms. This year I see them mostly sitting at desks in the school office, and seldom in direct contact with students. I'm puzzled by what an Education Associate is? Do they not have the requisite teaching credentials? Why have they been relegated to desk jobs this school year? Why the change in responsibilities? Is this a permanent or temporary change?
As I reflect Whittier's staff photos and job titles, I wonder about other staff changes that occurred over the summer. I remember a different Assistant Principal, a 3rd grade teacher, a librarian. There are more than a few new faces among the teaching staff. Why do teachers leave a school? Did they simply transfer to another school? Or did they leave the teaching profession? If one were to calculate the rate of teacher-turnover in a school, what would it be at Whittier? How does turnover compare with other schools?
Of course the biggest change at Whittier occurred 6 weeks into the school year when the Principal was suddenly put on Administrative Leave. A retired Principal was brought in to serve until the investigation is finished. In the meantime, parents and concerned community members were invited to a meeting in early November to discuss the process and progress for a Principal.
One change I was happy to see was a co-teacher added to the classroom of one of the 3rd grade teachers I volunteer with. What a difference having 2 teachers in a classroom seems to have made in student behavior and in the demeanor of the teachers. Both seem relaxed and better prepared to advance the knowledge of their charges. As a fly on the wall, that's "behavior support" for the staff that I approve of.
That same staff photo exhibit shows 6 Education Associates - adults I saw frequently last school year. Then they were often providing instruction by sitting with small groups of students outside of regular classrooms. This year I see them mostly sitting at desks in the school office, and seldom in direct contact with students. I'm puzzled by what an Education Associate is? Do they not have the requisite teaching credentials? Why have they been relegated to desk jobs this school year? Why the change in responsibilities? Is this a permanent or temporary change?
As I reflect Whittier's staff photos and job titles, I wonder about other staff changes that occurred over the summer. I remember a different Assistant Principal, a 3rd grade teacher, a librarian. There are more than a few new faces among the teaching staff. Why do teachers leave a school? Did they simply transfer to another school? Or did they leave the teaching profession? If one were to calculate the rate of teacher-turnover in a school, what would it be at Whittier? How does turnover compare with other schools?
Of course the biggest change at Whittier occurred 6 weeks into the school year when the Principal was suddenly put on Administrative Leave. A retired Principal was brought in to serve until the investigation is finished. In the meantime, parents and concerned community members were invited to a meeting in early November to discuss the process and progress for a Principal.
One change I was happy to see was a co-teacher added to the classroom of one of the 3rd grade teachers I volunteer with. What a difference having 2 teachers in a classroom seems to have made in student behavior and in the demeanor of the teachers. Both seem relaxed and better prepared to advance the knowledge of their charges. As a fly on the wall, that's "behavior support" for the staff that I approve of.
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