Student Generated School Rules

“School” belongs to the students! Therefore, shouldn’t they have a lot to say about how and what they learn? If they are going to learn effectively shouldn’t they have the opportunity to establish the expectations of the environment where they feel they can be successful?

This year, we gave that opportunity to our Lower School students. A committee of two students from each 2^nd through 4^th grade class came together for three sessions in order to determine our School Wide Rules for the Lower School. These rules, or expectations, will guide our students’ interactions throughout the school, especially in our common areas like the cafeteria, playground, and the specialist area classrooms.

Mrs. Hall, the Lower School Director and I guided the students as they collaborated during each session and took full ownership of the process. At the first session students brought their classroom rules. These classroom rules were generated at the start of the year, through the hopes and dreams process of the Responsive Classroom approach. One by one, the committee, in small groups, discussed each rule. They then looked at themes to determine the different categories represented for example, responsibility, respect for people, and for materials. In the second session they took each and every classroom rule, cut them into separate strips and posted them to the correct category. (Wow, little qualitative researches!) Finally, during the last session they looked for overlap and commonalities; little by little, they funneled out repetitive information and re-worded each statement until they agreed on a set of rules they felt the whole Lower School community could commit too. Here is the final product, which the committee presented to the Lower School students at Inspiration (a community building and sharing time in the Lower School)

                       FLINT HILL LOWER SCHOOL RULES

·           Be responsible for yourself;

·           Be respectful of others;

·           Be responsible for and respectful of your own property and the property of others. 

One fourth grade student summed it up nicely, “These aren’t strict rules; these are ‘our’ rules and they will keep us and others safe.”

As educators we must look for the many opportunities for students to take charge of their learning. The rich conversations that occurred as students analyzed each rule, what they would look like if implemented, and the importance rules have in guiding the community to care for themselves, others and the community, was transformational and hard to describe in this short blog post. Give students the opportunity to lead and they will!

  
(I don't know why it is in different colors; but I will work on that later, I am still learning :)

Let Mandela’s Legacy Guide Our Journey

As we embark on Black History Month 2014 I want to take a moment to share a letter I wrote to my colleagues on the December 5^th, the day Nelson Mandela passed. Our Lead Learner, Sheena, is South African, and all of us, especially those who work very closely with her, have felt the influence of Mandela’s leadership on hers.

From a personal stand point, Nelson Mandela’s story has helped establish the moral compass that guides my leadership: a moral compass that includes compassion, courage, respect and responsibility. Leadership is an ongoing journey; my moral compass guides the way.

As we honor Black History month here in the United States we should remember Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom. Our country is still walking toward a more just and equitable existence. It is our responsibility to courageously and respectfully continue on this journey.

Dear All,

For many reasons I think it is important as a Lower School adult community, to take a moment to reflect and mourn the death of Nelson Mandela, and to appreciate the lessons, values and leadership qualities that Mandela has shared with the world.

There are absolutely no words that I can share that have not been recorded, reflected upon, or published on the impact that Nelson Mandela has had in regards to acceptance, humility, reconciliation, hope for equality and peace in the world. He has been by far the most influential world figure in the lifetime of many of us. Mandela is a global hero; however, we all know the impact he has had on his people, the people of South Africa, and we cannot diminish that direct impact, pride, and gratitude of South Africans.

Most folks will concentrate of his world legacy and his ability to transform a worldview, which of course, is what we all want and need in our interconnected global society. But many of us directly, and all of us indirectly have experienced his spirit, sense of hope, humility, and inspiration as a leader through Sheena and her model of sincere, humble, compassionate leadership. We all know that Sheena would say, this is not about me; this is about celebrating an extraordinary leader.

But Sheena, I want you to know, and it is my belief that I speak for a few others, that I have been able to more deeply appreciate, understand and connect to Nelson Mandela’s lessons, through your stories, your examples, and your modeling of his leadership traits. The most influential lessons that I have learned through your leadership, and ones that I believe are emulated directly from Nelson Mandela as a leader are: we are never to give up on “our people,” that there is good inside of every human being, and that each of our students should be cherished and supported to reach their full potential, and that we, as adults, should also never give up on our own hopes and dreams as individuals.

Sincerely,


Margo

Just Another Day of Just Another Year

JANUARY 1^ST: JUST ANOTHER DAY

The truth of the matter is, I did not want 2013 to end! Even after an early evening nap, I gave up and I went to bed at 10:30 p.m. I did not want it to end with a bang; I just wanted the year to dissolve into the stillness of the night. I gave my son a big hug (felt fortunate that he was actually home) and we both declared; “it’s just another day.” However, his last question was: Do you have any resolutions mom?

2013 A SIGNIFICANT YEAR

So now it is “just another day,” which happens to be January 1^st, 2014. 2013 was a year of fun, family and milestones. Why would I want that to end?  The Isabel-Manosalvas Holiday card summarizing this phenomenal year was never sent, never even made – for that would have signified closure – closure to a year that I never wanted to end. So, what was so significant about the year 2013?

• My 1^st post-dissertation year! Yes, the first year that I could do what I wanted each and every weekend!
• Charles and Brittany got married!, and it has been a great 7 months so far!
• Ricardo graduated from High School, and has successfully transitioned to College with a solid 1^st semester both in the classroom and on the soccer field!
• Ricardo turned 18. There are no “kids” in my family at the moment; we are all adults.
• Hmmm, this is the first in 22 years that one of my children has not been a student in the same school where I am working.

2014 JUST ANOTHER YEAR

After these important milestones and nothing predicted and planned for 2014, I can say that makes 2014, “just another year.”

Well, there is one small milestone; in a few months I will enter my 5^th decade of life, which leads me to this story and my resolution for 2014.  When Ricardo was in Kindergarten (yes, I did say he just turned 18), one of his teachers was hitting this important milestone, and in the midst of a wonderful classroom birthday celebration between 18, 5 year olds and 2 dedicated teachers, Ricardo shouts out, “Wow, that means you are half dead.” In his little Kindergarten mind, a year of counting by tens, and celebrating with 50 and 100 day school parties, meant we all live to be 100!

So raise up those glasses, here’s to my “half-dead year;” it’s “just another year.”

WORDS, REFLECTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS

The last few days have been interesting. Yesterday, the last day of 2013, I purposefully stayed away from social media; for the past week so many of the blogs and tweets in my PLN were about professional resolutions for 2014 and reflections of 2013. Among them was the #oneword2014 hashtag. Oh gosh, I kept thinking, now I have to pick one word; what the heck will it be?! The first word I thought of was “Grit,” but then I thought, how trendy is that?  It is yet another word that has been cruising around the twitter and blogosphere lately. Yes – I was brushing these “things” (reflections and resolutions) off as if they were insignificant – my way of avoiding closure of this significant year. The truth is, these words, reflections, and resolutions are important; they ground us, focus our intentions and keep us on track.

During the last month of the year, I was able to share my professional and personal dream with two of my immediate supervisors. It is a dream they have been aware of; but having that one-on-one time, getting advice and support, and most importantly openly articulating the challenges I am facing in reaching my dream, provided me with a sense of relief and re-commitment.  After reflecting that December evening, I was whole-heartedly committed to PERSISTANTLY persuing my dream.  Now, that won’t surprise many that know me. I never give up, and have always put my heart and soul into achieving my goals, and many things have not come easily.

That evening, however, I realized, something more important.  My life is not about solely pursuing that dream. My life is about being PRESENT each and every day, whatever day that is, a special day or “just another day.” That evening I recommitted myself to doing the best job that I can at work every day, and being the best Mom that I can be when at home physically or virtually (yes, I am a virtual mom – that’s what happens when your “kids” are “adults.”) In sum, no matter where I am, who I am with or what I am doing, I will be fully PRESENT.

#oneword2014 RESOLUTION

So, Yes, Ricardo, I do have a resolution:  As I enter my “half dead,” year, I will be PERSISTENT in working toward my dream, while ensuring that I am fully PRESENT each and every day, especially when it is “just another day.”

If I truly am “half dead,” I am extremely fortunate to even contemplate that I may have 50 more years of personal growth and physical and emotional presence in this world with my boys and our present and future families!

HOLIDAY COLLAGE OF 2013

And now that 2013 is officially over, making the holiday card is a whole lot easier.

Happy New Year to all, and remember to cherish each and every ordinary day!

Love, Margo

Post Script 1: I acknowledge this post could use some editing! It is long, and a bit wordy; sentences are too long; multiple topics are introduced and not filtered together like a cone; and, it’s emotional. Cheers to entering my 2^nd post-dissertation year, where my writing can just “be” ! OK – maybe I will work on writing concise blogs in 2014, I know my readership will grow if I do!

Post Script 2: If you did not notice, I just could not get it to one word! My words are: PERSISTENT and PRESENT so I will just be persistent at being present!

Inspired on "D" Days

“When is the next “D” day?” I ask myself, barely containing my excitement! At Flint Hill, we have a six-day schedule, labeled A-F, and on “D” days, we come together as a Lower School family for “Inspiration.” For 30 minutes, we all gather for this program—led by students—to learn, share, problem-solve, celebrate, and acknowledge successes and challenges that surface within our community of learners.

Each grade, from TK to 4^th, takes a turn to lead Inspiration, and, with guidance from their teachers, the students prepare for their scheduled presentation day. They first brainstorm ideas for a topic, perhaps centered on a class project they may want to share, a school event, or a holiday. From there, they create an agenda and delegate job responsibilities.

On Inspiration morning, students ensure that all technology is ready, the stage is clear and the flag is placed; they greet each class as they enter the theater, introduce speakers, read a morning message they have written for the community, facilitate an activity, and present the topic of their choice in a variety of ways—through a skit, iMovie, dialog, or poetry reading. This special period of time ends by acknowledging student and teacher birthdays and singing the school song. Adult voices are few and far between during this 30-minute gathering.

This year, so far, I have learned how to properly compost and recycle my lunch; how to be safe and respectful on Halloween eve; how other cultures celebrate unique traditions like Día de los Muertos; how to protect the Chesapeake Bay; as well as how to embrace play, and expand my own sense of humor. This is why Inspiration is my favorite part of school; for those 30 minutes I am one of 300+ learners; it is invigorating!

Inspiration has also been the perfect forum for problem solving. Is there a better way to solve some school issues than by involving students and asking for their input? Already, the students have shared a plan to improve the care and storage of our playground equipment, and generated ideas to reinforce sustainable, green practices within our school community. Presently, a group of students are working on collating and developing school-wide rules to share at an upcoming Inspiration.

What will we learn at the next Inspiration? Let the count down begin until the next D day!

Banned Books:Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

At my home a “banned book” is a book collecting dust on a shelf, usually bought for one of my (adult) sons whom unfortunately, have yet to acquire a love of reading. The book sits there, silent, and then all of a sudden it screams out – read me, read me please. Well, mom picks it up to read. There is always a catalyst. So on Thanksgiving Day I read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie…. Librarians and media specialists were the catalysts this time. I recall a conversation I had this summer with my cousin whose husband is a middle school media specialist; she said “You have got to read this book!” then just last week I was browsing through the library site of my Alma Mater and ran across a blog post about banned books week, which included a segment on Alexie’s book. I went down to my son’s room, pulled that book out, dusted it off and it became my Thanksgiving read. No regrets. Powerful! I am not going to comment on the varied reasons parents want this book off the shelf…my only hope is that by banning it, it will get more attention, and the masses will read it and thus be exposed to the difficult issues that surround all of us: educational inequality, social injustices, and cultural misunderstandings. For it is only through exposure and education that we can achieve a more harmonious being. Isn’t it ironic that adults work to shelter their children from the essential societal dialogs that could lead to more integral understandings (education) of our shortcomings?

My take-aways can be categorized under the following themes:  self-identity, crossing borders, social justice, hope/courage, and supportive relationships.

Self-identity

Junior identifies as an intelligent, proud, quirky American Indian from the Spokane Indian reservation in Washington, who comes to the realization that the context of his reservation community is incompatible with the hopes and dreams he has for himself. He realizes that in order to receive a decent education he must leave the Rez (reservation) and enter the white-mans world, which then leads to constant emotional, social, and physical challenges. Recognizing and accepting his identity is exceptionally painful for Junior who analyzes, through his adolescent brain, the circumstances that have led to poverty, alcoholism and lack of self-worth among members of the Reservation. Although only an adolescent, I believe Junior is conflicted by his inability to change the circumstances of his people, and struggles with his conclusion that his only hope is to leave those circumstances.  Thus he accepts his identity as an Indian betraying his community by entering a white world.

Crossing borders

Junior, a recognized Indian name, remains a resident of his reservation, but commutes daily, as Arnold, his given name, to the suburban white high-school of Reardan. His need to navigate multiple border-crossings is overwhelming. Poor to rich(er) and Native American to white dominate his being. Culture shock and mental and physical fatigue accompany his daily “crossing” from home to school and school to home. He navigates distinct cultural experiences that include making friends and socializing, gaining knowledge and accessing academic resources; expressing pride and negotiating acceptance.

As an educator in a middle to upper-class, majority white, suburban school, I wonder how many of our students must “cross borders” on a daily basis. What can we as educators do to ease, understand and facilitate this border crossing? Arnold was accepted into his new community, and I believe the educational community that I am part of is also welcoming and accepting; however, I feel that it is our obligation to strive to facilitate less traumatic “border crossings” and I wonder what we can do as a community to achieve that?

Illustration pg. 43 by Ellen Forney

Hope and Courage

This coming of age novel is truly one of hope and courage. Junior’s hope for a better life led him to seek out a higher quality education; and it took great courage to put aside the forces of a group-oriented culture to enter one that focuses on the individual.  Indeed, leaving a community where the expectation is to put ones group above oneself, led to rejection and hostility which made his journey all the more difficult. Courage led him to walk many miles each day; led him to accept the loss of his life-long friend; led him to ask a white girl to the homecoming dance; and to share in the joy of learning whether that be on the basketball court or in the classroom.  Learning about his world through his story gave me hope as well; as it was clear that the students of Reardan learned through his realities, were empathetic and began to understand more about a the culture of one’s neighbor which at one time seemed to be a distant land.

Social Justice

A glimpse into the world of this Indian reservation highlights a variety of social justice issues that although are perpetuated within certain Indian lands, also exist in many areas of our society. Extreme poverty due to systematic societal inequities; educational inequality or simply no access to any decent education; cultural isolation and a sense of inferiority leading to a mirage of mental illness and addiction.  Wondering how to best address these issues?

Supportive Relationships

In the end it was very humbling to view the development of relationships between Junior and others. To experience the type of support, against all odds, that he received from his mother, father, sister and grandmother was sobering. The importance he gave to developing friendships within the Rez, at his new school, with his girl friend and among his teammates was courageous and genuine. The attention he gave to the advice his Rez teacher gave him, made a world of difference to his future. It certainly sends the message that no matter what our background and culture is we thrive on relationships and need support from loved ones both during challenging times as well as times of celebration.

A wonderful Thanksgiving read, ironically leading me to ponder – with this particular population should we be offering thanks or asking for forgiveness?