Appreciation for Teachers

 This is Teacher Appreciation Week, and I know that educators everywhere are being honored and thanked for all that they do for their students and school communities. This year, more than ever, teachers need to feel appreciated as they have navigated many obstacles in their never ending quest to make teaching and learning meaningful for their students. 

I read all the posts on social media with joyful photos of snacks, breakfast or lunches, signs, cards, and other treats for teachers, and I decided to read about “The History Behind Teacher Appreciation Week.” I was surprised to read that former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt took the lead in convincing Congress to designate a National Teacher Appreciation Day back in 1953.  I think back to my school years, and I don’t think we knew there was such a day. However, I remember my classmates and I proudly gifting our elementary school teachers with flowers from our yard. I don’t think there was ever a day when someone didn’t bring flowers for their teacher, and our classrooms were filled with a variety of vibrant colors and heavenly scents. 

I know that most teachers go over and above what is required for the sake of their students. I also know that they would love to be appreciated throughout the year, not just during Teacher Appreciation Week. It doesn’t have to cost anything, and it doesn’t have to take up much time. A picture or a note from a student can bring a smile and the incentive to go on when things are tough. An email or a note of thanks from a parent can be particularly meaningful at the end of a challenging day. A compliment from a colleague or administrator can give the teacher confidence that what she/he is doing is worthy and acknowledged by others.

Recently, renowned American journalist and author Dan Rather wrote a post, “Did a Teacher Change Your Life?”, and one of his paragraphs summed up the value of our teachers:

“Teachers provide so much more than a curriculum. Teachers can be a mentor, cheerleader, resource, refuge, advisor, even a literal life saver. They come in early, stay late, and prepare in all hours in between - often for not enough pay, with not enough resources, and for not enough appreciation. But teachers are an indelible part of our communities and our society. To borrow a phrase, if “children are the future” then teachers are the bridge connecting the present moment to that eventuality. Educators are a type of magic makers who turn potential into reality.”

I couldn’t agree more. In these challenging times especially after this tumultuous year for educators, many are choosing to leave the profession. Our communities and our society need dedicated teachers who care about our children. So if you remember, please thank a teacher, not just during Teacher Appreciation Week, but throughout the year. That one small act of kindness could be just what a teacher needs that day!

"The Reason I Jump"

Recently, I watched a documentary titled,  "What You Taught Me about My Son" about how a young Japanese boy with autism, Naoki Higashida, helped a British writer, David Mitchell, better understand his son who also had autism. I was so captivated by the documentary that I bought the book,  "The Reason I Jump." I wish I had viewed this film and read the book when I was still working as an educator. 

My experience with autism didn't begin until 1989 when I taught a preschool special education class. Until then, my knowledge of autism was limited and generally involved people like the Dustin Hoffman character in the movie, "Rain Man." I had a lot to learn.

One of the twelve students in that preschool class was a beautiful 3-year-old boy, J, who didn't speak. He had a diagnosis of autism. When J was upset, he screamed and ran out of the classroom, flapping his arms. We were able to eventually calm him, and we observed carefully to try and figure out what was bothering J, but most of the time, it was a guessing game. J did make progress, though, and after a few months of school, he was able to sit with the group and with assistance from an adult, he was able to follow along when we sang or played musical instruments. He was quiet and listened to stories, and he played appropriately with toys though he rarely played with other students. 

When I taught that preschool special education class, we communicated with each family via a composition book. We shared what the student did that day as well as any successes or concerns. (Remember, this was 1989 before we had email or any of the other communication apps that teachers today use to stay in touch with families.) Parents read and responded with comments like "T had a rough night; she couldn't sleep so she may be grouchy today" or "L is very sad because his Dad is out in the field and won't be home for a few days" or "S is really excited because Grandma is coming to visit this weekend!" One Monday, J's mom wrote, "J has a book in his bag. He wants to read it to you." 

So at the first opportunity, I asked J to get his bag and bring the book to me. I thought that I would be reading it to him. It was a book about a boy who was being potty-trained, something we were working on with J. Well, you could imagine my surprise when J sat with me, pointed to the words on the book cover, and read the title clearly. He proceeded to read every page, pointing out the words as he read them and even corrected himself when he made a mistake. He got to a page about the little boy saying he had to go: "He sat and he sat and he sat and he sat . . .  and he sat!" J pointed to and read each word and when he was done with that page, he looked at me, and we both laughed! I can still hear his joyful laughter and see the smile on his face! That one experience made me realize that even with a diagnosis of autism, J was able to understand much more than we had thought.  He still wouldn't answer questions like, "What is your name?" but here he was, reading a book and understanding the humor in those pages. 

I don't know what J is doing today. His family moved after that school year, but I am hopeful that he received the kind of support and services he needed to help him to overcome the challenges he faced as a person with autism. 

As an administrator, I sat in on many Individualized Education Program meetings for students with autism. I reflect on those students and know I learned so much from them. They taught me patience and to not give up on anyone, that every step forward was progress. I saw the value in working as a team to provide a safety net for those who needed the most support. These students taught me to look at their strengths and to focus on what they could do, not just what they couldn't do. As an educator, I believe in early interventions, and for these students with autism, providing additional services up-front could make a difference down the road. And I learned to trust the parents of the child with autism. If we were having challenges at school, these students were often having even more challenges at home. 

We have learned so much about autism since I first came into the profession way back in 1973 and since I had my first student with a diagnosis of autism in my class. When I read Naoki Higashida's responses to questions like, "Why don't you make eye contact when you're talking?" or "Why do you make a huge fuss over tiny mistakes?" or "What's the reason you jump?" or "Why do you like spinning?" I think of some of our students with autism; it would have helped us to understand them better. 

Every so often, a book or a film comes along that could make a huge difference in educators' attitudes and perceptions. I encourage educators to watch the documentary and if possible, to read the book. I think it can open your mind as well as your heart. 

Leveling the Playing Field

 When I was growing up, there was an expectation that my siblings and I would study hard, go to college and get a job. I followed that dream and became a teacher. My husband went to college, took a year off, and decided he needed to go back to school. After graduating from college, he went on to law school and came back to Hawaii to work. Our two older sons followed a similar pathway though their eventual professions were not in the field they majored in. Our youngest son took a different path. He went to college after high school but dropped out. Although he graduated from high school with honors, he did not adjust to the expectations of college. He took a different path and enlisted in the Air Force. After serving honorably for six years including a deployment to Afghanistan, he came home, enrolled in an on-line university, and is on-track to graduate this semester. Thankfully, he has no student loans; his GI bill paid for everything. 

Because of our youngest son’s experiences, I’ve been thinking a lot about high schools. There are high schools where students take courses at the college level and earn dual credits. Other schools have academies where students do real work in their area of interest, experiences that could give them a heads-up in the field when they graduate. 

I am surprised that more high schools don’t offer internships though, and that is why I was excited to read about an internship program between students at a charter school here in Hawaii, the State Department of Transportation, and Oceanit (Time to Flip the Internship Upside Down: Education, Imagination, and Industry) When I think of a company here in Hawaii that has been very instrumental in supporting our schools, Oceanit immediately comes to mind. They have trained hundreds (or maybe thousands) of our educators and students on Design Thinking as well as coding using Altino cars. I was able to participate in these trainings, and it made me realize what an important partner Oceanit was with our schools in Hawaii. Internships can be a great way for students to gain valuable experience and work habits that they will need when they graduate from high school.  When students can work on projects that impact our communities, they may be more invested to work collaboratively to seek meaningful solutions. 

Recently, I read a book titled Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World by Stephanie Malia Krauss. As she states, the pathway we went through that helped define success - graduate high school, go to college, get a job, get a promotion or a better job, make money and manage responsibilities, retire and live off savings or investments - will no longer be true in the future. Ms. Krause shares that very possibly, today’s kids could be living longer - maybe to 100 - and they may be working for much longer - maybe for 80 years. Therefore, they will need currencies - competencies, connections, credentials, and cash - in order to be successful in their lives. Below is an explanation of the 4 currencies students will need in the future. 

We are living in a world that is far from equitable, and students from disadvantaged families will find it more challenging to build up their currencies. High schools can level the playing field by providing opportunities for all students through academies, early college classes, apprenticeships, internships, and other types of innovative programs. Elementary and middle schools can ensure that all students have access to enrichment classes, after-school activities, tutoring, summer programs, etc. Communities or businesses can partner with schools to provide assistance, materials, mentors, or other support. We can all be part of the solution to level the playing field, to ensure that our youth are prepared to make it in tomorrow’s world. 

Times and Priorities Have Changed

 A little more than a year ago, I submitted a presentation proposal for a local Read to Me conference. I titled it, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors: Using Picture Books to Celebrate Diversity and Build Empathy in Young Children,” and I wrote a blog post titled “Mirrors and Windows” That conference was cancelled due to the pandemic, and since that time, I realize that we are now in a different world; so much has changed. My presentation would not be as relevant today as it could have been a scant year ago. We are dealing with a pandemic that has turned our comfortable world upside-down. Schools are just now getting back to having students back, but that doesn’t mean things have returned to normal with all the new rules and regulations in place for health and safety reasons. We learned a lot during this year of virtual or distance learning, and schools need to reexamine their priorities. Do schools realize the opportunities they have right now to change what they were doing pre-pandemic? How can we make school more meaningful for our students during these challenging times? Our world is changing rapidly and we cannot keep teaching students the way we were taught when we were in school. Memorization and regurgitation of information doesn’t work in this day and age when information is so readily available at the click of a button. Last summer when we were still unsure about the future, I wrote a blog post titled What Should Schools Be Teaching in these Turbulent Times? about how project-based learning can empower students to be engaged in the challenges facing their community. 

Today, I read a blog by A.J. Juliani titled, “Curriculum as Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Doors.” As he states, we need to do more than just expose and share multicultural literature with students. The whole curriculum needs to reflect the diversity, the history, the challenges, and the successes of the many different people who make up our communities, our states, our countries, our world. In his blog, Mr. Juliani shares that it starts with those in the community to create a curriculum with a purpose. “Every school should have a different curriculum because every school community is different,” he states. This process will take time; creating a curriculum is a work-in-progress with teachers making adjustments depending on their students, their understandings, their questions, and their evidences of learning. 

As I reflect on the project-based units our teachers created when I was a principal, I realize that due to the events of the past years, there needs to be a discussion with the school community about how we can ensure that the curriculum reflects the diversity of our world. Times have changed, and with them, priorities for schools have also changed. This past year has brought many issues to the forefront, issues which are threatening our hopes for a peaceful world. I am optimistic, though, that if schools can focus on “curriculum as windows, mirrors, and sliding doors,” our students may be better prepared to make a difference in their world. 

An Activity for All Ages

When I was growing up, my siblings and I often worked on jigsaw puzzles. I remember sitting on the floor and working together, sometimes challenging each other to find the piece that fit into a certain spot. It was such an exhilarating feeling to finally put in the last piece of a 1,000-piece puzzle! 

Sometime early in my career when I was teaching preschoolers, I remember reading about the value of jigsaw puzzles and how they helped students become better at math. So I made sure we had puzzles on our shelf for students to work on either individually or with their classmates. I saw that it helped my students with many skills such as spatial awareness, classifying, noticing details and observing differences in shapes or colors, working together, and persevering. There was such a sense of accomplishment when students completed a puzzle. 

When I became a mom, working together with my sons on jigsaw puzzles was one of my favorite activities. We often talked story, listened to music, or sang songs while we worked.  Sometimes it took several days to complete; this was a great way for my sons to learn about persistence and stamina. My favorite puzzle story is when Justin and Jarand were little. We gave them money to buy Christmas presents for each other, and Justin asked Jarand to get him a teddy bear. When it came time to exchange gifts, Justin was disappointed when he looked at his gift because it was clearly not a teddy bear. When he opened his present, Jarand told him, “I didn’t get you a teddy bear. I got you lots of teddy bears!” We put that teddy bear puzzle together numerous times when the boys were little. A few years ago, I shared the story with our grandsons, and we worked together to complete it while they were visiting Hawaii. 

When the pandemic closed down many activities, I was looking for things to do at home. I had books to read, a book to write (soon to be published!), and other things to do around the house, but I still had free time. We received a Beatles puzzle in December (my husband is a huge fan), and I worked on it for a few days. I realized how much I had missed working on jigsaw puzzles, although I couldn’t work for extended periods of time because my back and my legs would begin to hurt; we didn’t have a separate table that would fit the puzzle pieces, so working on the floor (which was fine when I was younger) was a challenge. 

Fortunately, I found an app for my iPad called Jigsaw Puzzles. I didn’t have to buy anything, and there are lots of different puzzles to choose from. I don’t need to store boxes of puzzles, and I don’t need extra space to work on them. It offers options - number of pieces as well as the ability to rotate the pieces - so youngsters or oldsters can choose puzzles to work on. In the past few months, I’ve completed about one puzzle per day. Some are more challenging than others, but I find myself focused and calm when I am working on one. Yes, it can get frustrating and sometimes I have to stop for a bit and do something else, but I always go back and complete the puzzle. That is one app that I am glad I found! 

I hope that everyone can see the value of jigsaw puzzles, an activity for all ages!

This was an Awesome Opportunity!

 This morning’s local newspaper had an article about a sea urchin project (“Taking back the Bay”) that is making a difference in Kaneohe Bay and Waikiki. I was excited when I read this article because back in 2012, some of our students had an opportunity to  be a part of this project (Sea Urchins Project-Based Learning) and we even made a video of the experience. (The Time We Became Citizen Scientists) 

I remember visiting the sea urchin facility at Sand Island - they were still in the infancy stages - and I am thrilled that they have been successfully producing so many urchins over the years. They have definitely made a difference in the health of the reefs by eating the invasive algae. Seeing our students’ excitement and listening to their conversations about this project was so worthwhile, but although we learned so much  from this experience, it was quite a challenge for our teachers and students. Sadly, we had to discontinue our participation after two years. We realized that sustaining an environment where the urchins could thrive was difficult in a school, especially when we were not near the ocean or the Sand Island facility. 

This kind of project might be a challenge for younger students, but what about high school students? We need to stop thinking that school is the only place for students to learn. The community can provide learning opportunities that students cannot get in a school setting such as application of skills in the real-world, time management, asking questions and researching to find answers, communicating effectively with others, and being an effective worker in a real-world environment. Many of these skills are related to our Department’s General Learner Outcomes (GLOs)

I think the six GLOs are an important part of the learning process, and they are: Self-Directed Learner (The ability to be responsible for one's own learning); Community Contributor (The understanding that it is essential for human beings to work together); Complex Thinker (The ability to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving); Quality Producer (The ability to recognize and produce quality performance and quality products); Effective Communicator (The ability to communicate effectively); and Effective and Ethical User of Technology (The ability to use a variety of technologies effectively and ethically).

The GLOs were developed through a collaborative process involving Department of Education staff as well as representatives from higher education, businesses, and the community. These are the desired outcomes we want for all students who graduate from our Hawaii schools. All students are expected to demonstrate these GLOs.. The problem is that we observe students demonstrating these outcomes only in the school setting. How can we expand their experiences so students can realize the importance of these learner outcomes in the real world?

I suggest that students should have an option to do an internship in an area they may want to pursue, post-high school. Let’s take the sea urchin project as an example. A student might be interested in environmental studies or oceanography, and working in the hatchery might be an opportunity to explore and learn more. The student, the hatchery manager or another designated person at the facility, and the teacher would determine expectations for the internship (number of hours per week, what the expectations are, what the responsibilities will be, etc.). The student and teacher/advisor will agree on requirements which would include accountability as well as demonstrating the General Learner Outcomes. One of the requirements could be a reflection of the learning process via a blog, a video portfolio, or an app such as Unrulr. This could also be a way for the student to communicate with the teacher. At the end of the internship, students would participate in a ‘showcase’ where they share with an authentic audience which would include their work mentor about their experiences and what they learned.

Today, many teens do not have work experiences because school and other activities take up much of their time. . Community internships could be a way to provide students with experiences that will help them when they are applying for a job especially if they have never held a summer or part-time job prior to graduating with their college degree.

We need to start looking at our community for opportunities to prepare our students to be successful after they graduate. Education is not confined to a school building; students need to demonstrate the General Learner Outcomes in the world outside, not just in school, All of us bear responsibility to ensure that our students are prepared when they enter the workforce. Internships can be a win-win for both our students and the community. Investing in our students can pay dividends in the long-run.

Is School Choice a Bad Thing?

 Recently, I read an article in Civil Beat about the closure of small private schools in Hawaii.  I agree with the author that for some students, these schools are right for them, and they have opportunities they might not have in larger private schools. And yes, we need students to have choices in the kind of school that best meets their needs.

I have been thinking about school choice for awhile now. I know those words bring on strong negative feelings because generally speaking, it means allowing parents of children in “failing” schools to choose another school to attend, often a private for for-profit charter school. The thinking behind school choice is that “failing” schools will have to improve or they will eventually have to close down. The reality is that the neighborhood public school is often the only option for families. There are too many barriers to transferring or registering children and taking them to another school, but there can be choice within the public school system. I don’t believe in using “school choice” as a way for money to go to private schools; it needs to stay in public schools. 

We, in Hawaii, are fortunate that we have a statewide system that does not rely on county property taxes to fund our schools. Our system is more equitable than other states in the country in that funds are distributed using a weighted student formula. So schools that service students in lower income areas or who have a higher number of English Language Learners, for example, receive more funding per pupil to address challenges. Unfortunately, though, the equity divide still exists. We only have to look at schools in higher income areas; they receive much more support from their families, and students have many more opportunities than those in low income areas. I remember the disparity between fundraisers at different schools I worked at; the difference in the amount raised was eye-opening. 

When I was a principal, there were three elementary schools in our military community. I often dreamed about how we might provide our families with choice. The focus would depend on input from the school and the community, but as an example, one school could focus on STEM, another on the arts, or dual-language instruction, or blended learning. Teachers could transfer to the school that matches their area of expertise, and families could choose which school would be the best fit for their children. Unfortunately, we never  had that discussion, we got so inundated with other tasks, and principals came and left for other schools.  

I’ve often thought about why we couldn’t fit the student to the school and not expect all students to fit in at their school. Some will need a smaller environment to gain confidence and to thrive. Is it better to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a small pond? It really depends on the student and what they need at that moment in their life. Students have many options when they choose a college or university to attend. Why don’t they have that option in elementary, middle, or high school? 

I realize that there is no easy answer to this question of school choice, but in this time of changes, maybe we need to have that discussion. Although charter schools do offer choices to parents, they do not necessarily address the needs of a school community or complex area. Let’s stop thinking of school choice in the way others have portrayed it, as a way to steer money from “failing” public schools. Let’s think about school choice as a way to address the needs of students so they can be confident contributors to our community.