The Heart of a School

On Friday, February 17, 2023, I will be sharing this blog with the educational assistants on O`ahu. This is their first DOE EA Institute since the pandemic, and I was honored to be asked to share with them. As I prepared for this opportunity, I realized that the value of this presentation is in the discussion and conversations it would hopefully elicit from the EAs.

The heart of a school is its students, and if we focus on what’s best for them, we are doing our job as educators and preparing our young people for their future. 

Just as “it takes a village to raise a child,” it takes a team to ensure that our students are  successful in school, not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well. Educational assistants are part of that team and are essential in our schools. DOE works because you do.

Educational assistants positively impact, not just students, but  teachers, parents, administrators, other staff, and the school community. There are so many things that EAs do that we sometimes take for granted. I think back on my experiences as a teacher and a principal, and EAs were important in  my own growth as an educator and a leader.  

As a brand new teacher with the Head Start program in 1973, I quickly realized that having another person in the classroom made sense. My EA and I had a relationship built on trust; we bounced ideas off of each other, shared observations about our students, reflected at the end of the day, and planned together for the following day or week. Our students’ success was a reflection of our teamwork. Those EAs I worked with were paraprofessionals; they didn’t have college degrees, but they had life experiences which I appreciated, and we learned from each other. To this day, I realize how fortunate I was to have had the opportunity to partner with these EAs.

Educational assistants are essential in their support for their school. Our EAs arrived at 7:00 and were out in the halls or the cafeteria, greeting students and making sure they could start the day on a positive note. They greeted the buses and escorted students to their waiting areas. They opened car doors in the drive-through lane; they knew which students might need a positive affirmation before sending them off to their classrooms when the bell rang. After school, our EAs escorted students to the buses, were out in the hallways to monitor students, and assisted teachers and office staff. Their assistance was indispensable.

Even the most efficient teacher can’t see everything or work with every single student who may be struggling in a classroom. An EA can be that extra pair of eyes and ears, and they can redirect a student or provide an intervention or answer a question without disrupting the lesson for the rest of the class  Teachers have so many things to do to prepare, and educational assistants can be a great help in getting materials ready for the day’s lessons or to pitch in when the teacher needs something done in a hurry or when an unexpected crisis occurs. EAs can be very useful in taking data used to create goals and objectives for students with Individualized Education Programs. That data is important in determining how a student is progressing on their IEP. 

Additionally, students or parents may feel more comfortable sharing personal information with EAs. When there is a crisis in the family, the EA may be the first one at the school to be notified especially if they live in the community where they work, and services or supports can then be provided to the student and his/her family. 

Schools and districts across the country suffered during the pandemic as educators struggled with new responsibilities to ensure that learning continued in a safe environment. I was retired by then, but I spoke with several principals including Ernest Muh, Principal at Helemano Elementary School. When he heard that I would be addressing you today, he asked me to recognize you EAs  for what you did during the pandemic, You took on many additional responsibilities at the school including passing out lunches to families, cleaning and sanitizing classroom supplies and furniture, and doing other unexpected tasks that arose, all while continuing to focus on students and their academic, social, and emotional needs.  

Your Union has provided a wonderful opportunity today for you to learn with other EAs. I thank you all for participating, and I hope you agree that this EA Institute is something that should be held yearly. As EAs, your professional learning is important because the expectations of your job will continue to change in a world that is constantly changing. I was appreciative when the EAs at our school asked if they could receive professional learning and if they could have time to discuss issues that impacted them. They chose the topics and we arranged for someone from our staff or the District to provide that learning opportunity for them. If you don’t already have similar opportunities to learn and grow at your school, perhaps you can engage your fellow EAs to request something similar from your administration.

Finally, have you thought about going to college to get a teaching degree? What’s holding you back? You already know how much you enjoy working with kids in a school. Teachers continue to leave the profession, and we need people to replace them, people who have the heart for working with kids. It won’t be easy, but if you aspire to be a teacher, then go for it! Check out the community colleges or other teacher education programs and look for financial aid or scholarships.

One thing I am very proud of is that several of the EAs I worked with at Head Start decided to enroll at Honolulu Community College. They attended classes while working as EAs, passed an exam, completed a portfolio to show their competencies in all the areas of early childhood education, and passed their verification visit. They attained a Child Development Associate credential which made them eligible to be hired as Head Start teachers. They started as parent volunteers, were hired as EAs, and then became teachers. I realize that requirements have changed since then, and  it won’t be easy. But as Roy T. Bennett said, “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” 

I started my presentation by sharing that the heart of a school is its students and that educational assistants are essential in providing the support that students need now and in the future. I’d like to end by sharing a poem with you. It was written in 1995 and was shared by the United Nations Children’s Fund. When I first heard this poem read aloud, I was very much impacted because these are the children we work with in our schools.

 “We Pray for Children” by Ina J. Hughs  

Will It Finally Happen?

 

Back on February 27, 1989, I wrote a letter to then-Lieutenant Governor Cayetano sharing my thoughts about early childhood education. At that time, the Berman Report had recommended universal preschool for all 4 and 5-year-olds in Hawaii along with other proposals to improve our public school system. (Article in EdWeek January 18, 1989) Since then, I have been waiting patiently through several Governors who have tried but failed to come up with a plan and funding.

But today, there is hope. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser published a headline story today titled, State to unveil ambitious preschool plan  Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke is quoted as saying that the proposal is for “universal access to preschool.” There are still many hurdles to overcome - funding, staffing, classroom space, etc. With the initial funding support from the Legislature for the School Facilities Authority to build more preschool classrooms and an Executive Office of Early Learning that is committed to identify areas with the greatest need, I hope that this year, we will finally make progress on our commitment to narrow the opportunity gap and to make universal access to preschool possible for those who have been left out and left behind. I am hopeful. 

I’ve written several blogs about this issue:

Universal Preschool (written January 19, 2013)

My Hopes for Education 2015 (December 26, 2014)

Everyone’s a Critic, But What’s the Real Problem? (February 15, 2015) The link to the op-ed piece “My Two Kids”

Let’s Get Moving on Universal Preschool in Hawaii (March 31, 2019)

"When You Wonder, You're Learning"

We know that young children ask lots of questions. Studies suggest that a very young child could ask up to 200 questions per day. As adults, we sometimes get impatient or annoyed and indicate our exasperation with, "Why do you ask so many questions?"  Yet, these questions can help children make sense of their world and their place in it. As they grow older and gain more knowledge and experiences and learn to find their own answers, the number of questions decreases. And when children go to school, it is often the teacher who is asking the questions, and there is often one "correct" answer. Yes, foundational knowledge is important, but at the same time, asking questions can lead to deeper learning. I think schools sometimes forget that.

I recently read "When You Wonder, You're Learning: Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids" by Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski. The more I read, the more I wanted to learn more about Fred Rogers, a compassionate, kind man who truly cared about children and let them know that their thoughts, their questions, and their feelings were valued and important. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ran for 33 years on public television; several generations of children were influenced by his lessons and the friends in his neighborhood. Fred Rogers' legacy continues to this day. 

Recently, Josh Reppun invited a few of us from the What School Could Be community to chat with co-author Ryan Rydzewski who was here in Hawai`i for an INPEACE event.  It took someone from Pittsburgh to alert us to this wonderful program. Their goals directly align with what we believe about education and the involvement of families and the community to raise kids who are curious, creative, respectful, and who show aloha towards others. It is no wonder that  Ryan was invited to be a part of their training sessions. INPEACE and Mr. Rogers share similar ideas about how we talk to, care for,  and treat our children. In fact, one of the first statements Ryan made was, "I always thought that aloha meant hello or goodbye, but now I realize that aloha is so much more." Yes, aloha is a way of life, respectful, listening to understand, caring for others and for this place we call home. After spending time with Ryan, I know that he may be from Pittsburgh, but he definitely lives and breathes aloha. 

90 minutes went much too quickly as our group chatted about many topics. We all come from different backgrounds and are of different generations, but we share a love for children, and we all strive, in our own way,  to make this world a better place for them, now and in the future. If we truly believe that our children are the future, then we must prepare them to be curious, to be able to work with others, to be the problem-finders as well as the problem-solvers, and to be the innovative, compassionate leaders we need them to be.   On page 209, the authors write: "The real gift that Fred Rogers gave us was hope - hope that with the tools for learning that he worked so hard to teach us, we would find within ourselves the strength to confront hard problems. Hope that we'd each find the courage to love thy neighbor. Hope that caring adults would protect us - and that each of us would, in turn, become caring adults ourselves. Rogers gave us hope that despite everything, the canvas was worth defending."  I have hope that by working together, we can make this world a better place, just as Fred Rogers envisioned.

Front - Danielle Mizuta, me, Mel Ching

Back - Susannah Johnson, Ryan Rydzewski, Josh Reppun 

Thanks, Josh, for the  photo!

A High School Teacher Academy

 I believe strongly in encouraging our young people to become educators. There seems to be a constant stream of news reports and social media posts about concerns for the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of teachers - especially during and after the pandemic.  Yet, those who love teaching continue to do their best for their students. Teaching is an honorable and essential profession, one that makes all other professions possible. It is challenging, but it is also rewarding. 

I was invited to speak with the Miliilani High School Teacher Academy today. This was my first time presenting to high school students, and I grappled with what and how to share with them. I decided that rather than a presentation, I would try to engage them by having them listen to a portion of a blog I wrote (“The Difference a Teacher Makes”) do a little bit of reflection, share my journey as an educator, and have the students ask me questions. They asked great questions such as:  How did you balance your school life and your home life? What was it like to transition from being a teacher to being a principal? Did you ever have to deal with “bad” kids? Why did you decide to write your books? The students’ questions impressed me; they were thoughtful and reflective, and the students were respectful. My responses allowed me to focus on the importance of building relationships with students as well as colleagues, learning through hands-on projects, working as a team to address challenges, and having balance in one’s life.

I am excited that high schools are creating academies and pathways so students can explore career options. Led by Ms. Waki and Ms. Ling, the Mililani High School Teacher Academy has a progression of classes, with students eventually observing and volunteering in preschool, elementary, and high school classrooms at schools within their area. The students have had opportunities to hear from many guest speakers who’ve shared different career options an education degree can lead to. With the high cost of college tuition, it makes sense for students to know whether teaching is a career they would like to pursue, and experiences like those in the Teacher Academy will support their decision. Thank you, Ms. Waki, Ms. Ling, and Principal Murphy, for inviting me today!

Whenever I visit classrooms, I love to see what’s on the walls. This is just a sample of the creativity of the students who shared quotes from Shakespeare. (I should have taken more photos.)

Students were asked to reflect after I read them a portion of a blog. 

With Ms. Waki ad Ms.Ling, the coordinators for the Teacher Academy

With the students

“Tusitala” - Teller of Tales

What a treat to receive these books from Matt Tom, a middle school teacher whom I met a few years ago at a Hawaii Educators W-RITE event. I connected with him on Twitter and listened to a podcast he had with Josh Reppun. I realized what an outstanding educator Matt is and how much he has invested in making his classroom a place of learning for his students. As he tells them, he doesn't want to waste their time. (Take a listen; it's well worth your time.) After listening to Matt sharing about how proud he was of a book project titled Tusitala, I asked him how I could get a copy. He sent me all three volumes, one for each year from 2018-2021 (I don't know for sure, but the 2020 volume was probably cancelled due to COVID.).

To say that I am amazed is an understatement. The books are compilations of student writings and artwork. There are poems, fictional stories, personal essays, and stories written in the students’ native language. I especially love the essays titled, "Where I'm From." They are so heartfelt, honest, and brave. The artwork is varied and includes paintings, portraits, drawings, landscapes, photography, etc. Each is  different, and I am so impressed by the various art forms and the details that made each one so unique. 

Three samples of the artwork in the books.

What I loved most is that students had a deadline to submit their writings and/or artwork. Student editors along with Mr. Tom selected what would be included, and these were then put together into books that will forever document those students’ work. I am sure this was a learning experience for everyone involved, even those whose submissions were not selected. 

Mr. Tom gave all students an opportunity to shine, to demonstrate that they are very capable of producing high quality work, and the three volumes of Tusitala  are evidence of their motivation and pride as writers and artists. 

I have shared my belief that grades and test scores do not define a student. I believe that when students have opportunities to do authentic and meaningful work like those that are included in Tusitala, they should be saving it as part of a portfolio to show their growth, their learning, and their reflections. With the availability of technology, students can create an electronic portfolio such as a blog, or a webpage, and include photos, videos, and text, or they could use a tool like unrulr to share and reflect on their work. 

Today, athletes put together a video of highlights of their career and send it out to coaches in hopes of  earning a scholarship to play in college. Likewise, students could use their electronic portfolio as part of their college or job applications to inform others about actual work the student has produced and how they have learned and grown from the process. I believe it shows what a student is capable of and can be more effective than a resume. 

As Mr. Tom seeks pieces of writing and artwork for the next publication, he reminds students to Share your story. It's one worth telling.

Note: "Tusitala" means "teller of tales" in Samoan. It is the name that Robert Louis Stevenson gave himself when he settled on one of the Samoan islands. (Click here for information about RLS in Hawaii) 

Boys, Test Scores, and Schools

As a long-time educator and the mom of three sons and two grandsons, my view of our school system is impacted by my experiences, and I have changed many of my opinions about education as a result. Recently, there was a Civil Beat article about how our boys do not perform as well as girls on statewide testing. In fact, according to a Brookings Institute study, Hawai`i has one of the highest gender gaps in the country. Is this a problem we should be examining and addressing? 

Our students’ lives were disrupted by the sudden closure of school. Many lives changed drastically as schools were forced to go to remote learning, households were suddenly thrown into turmoil, and many people lost jobs, got sick or died due to COVID. What was the long-term impact of COVID on schools? 

Today, I watched and read news about the NAEP test results for the last school year. You would think the scores were horrific judging by news reports. I heard interviews that shared the “crisis” with the falling test scores, particularly in math. Interviews with education “experts” talk about learning loss and the solutions mentioned are summer school, tutoring, or longer school days using federal funds. But as Ted Dintersmith points out in these tweets, the numbers aren’t as drastic as others make them out to be. I did the math, and Ted is right; the drop is less than 3% after more than two years of disruption in our school system.

When parents, politicians, and the public hear that falling test scores is a crisis, they believe they need to insert their power to change our schools. This is a problem. We need to trust our educational staff to do what they’ve always done and that is to be aware of the strengths and needs of their students and to address the challenges they face at school, at home, and in the community. Schools recognize the need to address the heart before they can make a connection with the mind. Educators have been focusing on social-emotional learning, mental health and wellness, and building relationships and trust since students returned to in-person learning last school year. Making sure that students felt safe and building a community of learners in their classroom was essential to ensuring that students could “catch up” on what they had lost academically.

The pandemic exposed the problems of absenteeism and disengagement for many students especially our boys. This is not a new problem. I have spoken to a number of successful men who readily share that they were not good students because they didn’t see the purpose of what they were learning. I think of a young man who said he was able to ace the high-stakes tests but he received only average grades because he often didn’t do his work. Another young man shared that he got a 4.0 grade point average during his first semester of high school just to see if he could do it. He graduated with honors but only put in the effort for classes or for teachers he liked. Other males shared that they were more likely to be at the beach during school hours. The word I hear most often from many students is “boring.” This article from 2019 predates the pandemic, but it is insightful: “The Kids are Right: School is Boring”

Schools need to change. I was very hopeful when I wrote this blog “Time to Examine Our Beliefs about Education” back in December 2020. I thought that the pandemic demonstrated the need to shake up teaching and learning  to address the new world we live in. I held out hope that the public and school systems would ask students, teachers, and parents what worked during the pandemic and what didn’t and then make changes which made sense. I was hopeful that more schools would implement strategies such as  project-based learning deeper learning, problem-based math, blended learning, and community internships so that students could see the relevance of what they were learning in class and the world outside the classroom. I was hopeful that schools would look for other ways to gauge student learning besides high-stakes testing like NAEP or Smarter Balanced Assessments. Some schools and school districts are making those changes; we need to trust them to do what’s best for kids and get out of their way. 

Education in our country is in a crisis, not because of “appalling” NAEP scores, but because we are stuck in the 20th century where we believe that test scores and report card grades define a student’s potential for success. Rather, we should be focusing on developing well-rounded, empathetic students who are able to use the skills they are learning in school to collaborate with others to address problems that will impact them now and in the future. We need to be partners with our schools as they prepare our students to be successful in the 21st century.

Fantastical Imaginarium Goodnight Moon Book Study

When Josh Reppun asked me to be a part of the “Fantastical Imaginarium” at the recent Schools of the Future Conference, I said “yes.” Of course, I had no inkling what idea Josh had come up with, but I knew it would probably be pretty amazing. 

This was what Josh came up with for my part of this amazing room full of fantastic innovative people:

So I was in a room that envisioned What School Could Be, surrounded by amazing educators like Trish Morgan,  Wesley Adkins, and students and staff from West Hawaii Explorations Academy. There were innovative displays from Design Thinking Hawaii, awesome town hall discussions about democracy, education and empathy with Ted Dintersmith and Kapono Ciotti, and numerous other opportunities to engage with outstanding educators. And I was going to discuss Goodnight Moon. It was a little intimidating to think about, but I realized it could work. 

 

Josh sent me a NY Times article about this book turning 75 years old this year. Wow, I had no idea it was as old as my husband (and older than me)! What is it about this simple 131-word book that has endured all these years? This was the starting point for our discussion at the SOTF conference. Every participant had warm memories to share about reading this book to their children or their grandchildren. The rhymes, the simple photos, the colors, the calming routine prior to bedtime - the word that brought nods of agreement was “comfort.” 

Then I reached into my bag and brought out these two books, and again, there were smiles and nods from those in our session and “Ohhh I love those books!”

We bought these books for our oldest son back in 1979 when he turned 2, and they were read countless times with all 3 of our sons, as you can probably tell. I shared one of my favorite memories of being a mom. I believe in “quiet time” where our sons needed to entertain themselves. They could play with their toys, read books, make up a game, etc.  One day during quiet time, I peeked in on Justin. He had his stuffed animals against the wall, and he was reading Where the Wild Things Are to them. He had memorized the book and was turning the pages, "reading" with expression, making the sounds we made when I read the book to him. I wish there had been phone cameras back then to capture that special moment, but that is a memory that will always bring a smile to my face. 

After that, other participants chimed in and shared memories of their favorite books like The Giving Tree, or Corduroy or The Kissing Hand. There was a warmth in these discussions and lots of smiles at these memories. Then I shared that at a recent workshop I was conducting, one of the participants said regretfully that they no longer read aloud to their students because there’s no time in the day to do so. I was so saddened by this comment and asked that teacher if her kids liked story time. It was evident from her response that they did, and she also missed it. “You need to make time,” I gently told her. In fact, one of the teachers at my Goodnight Moon book study said that she works with students who are often disengaged and miss many days of school. She noticed they were coming regularly and asked them what had changed. She had been reading a chapter book to the class, and the students didn’t want to miss out on the next chapter. What a formula for getting kids to come to school! Yes, even older children like to be read to. 

In this fast-paced world filled with innovations that are changing the way we live our lives, there is still a need for parents and teachers to read to their children even after they are able to read themselves. There is something magical about holding a book in our hands, pointing out pictures on the pages, asking questions after reading the book, and sharing laughter or tears. 

I hope that parents now and in the future will continue to read Goodnight Moon and other classic stories to their children. As this Gillian Strickland quote states: “You may have tangible wealth untold, caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you will never be - I had a mother (or father) who read to me.” 

Thank you, Josh, for taking this video of one of the conversations. As you can hear, it was quite noisy in the Fantastical Imaginarium, but the participants were engaged in the discussion.