Last week was the graduation of our parents at Baby Institute, and this week I was at the final Milk and Muffins program for the semester (too many endings at once for me!).
As a reminder...this program was designed to combine our UCF (college of ed.) students in their early language and literacy course with parents and children in an urban community. We met for eight Saturdays at a neighborhood center in the Parramore Community. I want to share two key moments of yesterday's Milk and Muffins session--one focuses on the undergraduate students' growth and the other is on the response from our parents.
1.) Two months ago when we began this adventure, I met our students outside in the parking lot of the neighborhood center to facilitate some of their concerns about this community. Although I did not talk about my "meet and greet," I knew that some students were a bit anxious about the environment. As an aside, in the future, I will be more direct in explaining my presence rather than taking an unspoken approach.
Yesterday, there had been a shooting/killing in the neighborhood prior to the start of the Milk and Muffins program and many roads were blocked off by the police as they investigated this incident. As the students arrived, not one of them even mentioned the shooting and simply jumped in to the preparation for the children and families to arrive! Finally, when nothing was mentioned, I thought I should say something directly (I'm learning). So I asked if anyone was running late because of the police in the neighborhood. The responses were all similar in saying, they were rerouted, but it was not a problem because they just followed other cars through the detours. I have to admit that I was quite surprised that the focus was on getting to class, and not the crime that had been committed. It was not simply because the students expected crime to occur in this community, but rather that they had a purpose for being there and nothing would deter them.
What a change from the first session when the students did not get out of their cars until they saw me waiting to this week's arrival. It reinforces the need for our future teachers to be involved in urban communities BEFORE they teach in diverse settings for the first time.
2.) The second moment I wanted to share was when we were saying good-bye to the families and letting them know that we would be back in August with our Fall Semester students. Two parents said that they could not believe we were not back again until August. Sam (from last week's blog) said, "Don't you think that's too long for us to be away? April to August is just too long to wait." Another parent informed us that she feels so much better about her daughter's readiness for Kindergarten. She stated that after we talked about the steps to learning to read, she relaxed because her daughter is following these steps and she now knows that her daughter will be just fine.
These two moments I shared are all a part of my thinking and planning for next steps...I am not there yet, but know that there need to be next steps in order to truly be an agent of change.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Entry 8-Baby Institute
As I continue my volunteer experiences on Saturdays, this week I want to talk about a conversation I had with a Baby Institute "alumni," father who graduated from the 9-week program in 2013. This is an African American father whose wife is the family's breadwinner and Dad is the primary caregiver. This father approached me on Saturday at the Baby Institute Graduation. The conversation focused on completing his college degree and pursuing his dream of becoming a strength and conditioning football coach.
When asking further questions of him so that I could (hopefully!) guide him in the right direction, this is the story he shared:
He (I will hereafter refer to this person as Sam), was awarded an athletic scholarship to a large Northeast state university, but did not have strong enough entrance scores to be accepted into the university. Instead, Sam attended a smaller university in the Midwest and was only one of six African American students in the entire university. He said there was one African American faculty member; she was a Dean of the Cultural Studies Program.
Sam went on to share that he felt as if none of his professors understood him or related to the language Sam used. Sam said he became a student ambassador for the college and recruited 30 African American students while in this role. In his third year of college, Sam dropped out without finishing his degree. As Sam shared this, I kept reflecting on the information we have explored throughout this course.
Then, one night when Sam was driving home from his job as a bouncer (2:00 a.m.), he was stopped by the police. When they found a gun in Sam's possession, he was arrested and charged with a felony for carrying an unlicensed weapon. Sam explained that all paperwork had been filed and he was just waiting for the final approval. When I asked Sam why he had been stopped, Sam asked me if I had ever heard of "B.M.W.? I had actually heard this term on numerous occasions (Black Man Walking) and told him it was familiar to me.
Although Sam was never convicted of the felony, it is still on his record, so this continues to preclude him from getting a job.
This (all too familiar) story brings home so many of the challenges people of color, especially black men, face as part of their lives. Sam is a wonderful, caring human being--a loving father and husband, and a role model to other African American boys. He will reach his dreams because of his determination and commitment to his family, but his path is more challenging than that of others, partly because he is an African American male.
When asking further questions of him so that I could (hopefully!) guide him in the right direction, this is the story he shared:
He (I will hereafter refer to this person as Sam), was awarded an athletic scholarship to a large Northeast state university, but did not have strong enough entrance scores to be accepted into the university. Instead, Sam attended a smaller university in the Midwest and was only one of six African American students in the entire university. He said there was one African American faculty member; she was a Dean of the Cultural Studies Program.
Sam went on to share that he felt as if none of his professors understood him or related to the language Sam used. Sam said he became a student ambassador for the college and recruited 30 African American students while in this role. In his third year of college, Sam dropped out without finishing his degree. As Sam shared this, I kept reflecting on the information we have explored throughout this course.
Then, one night when Sam was driving home from his job as a bouncer (2:00 a.m.), he was stopped by the police. When they found a gun in Sam's possession, he was arrested and charged with a felony for carrying an unlicensed weapon. Sam explained that all paperwork had been filed and he was just waiting for the final approval. When I asked Sam why he had been stopped, Sam asked me if I had ever heard of "B.M.W.? I had actually heard this term on numerous occasions (Black Man Walking) and told him it was familiar to me.
Although Sam was never convicted of the felony, it is still on his record, so this continues to preclude him from getting a job.
This (all too familiar) story brings home so many of the challenges people of color, especially black men, face as part of their lives. Sam is a wonderful, caring human being--a loving father and husband, and a role model to other African American boys. He will reach his dreams because of his determination and commitment to his family, but his path is more challenging than that of others, partly because he is an African American male.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Entry 7-Baby Institute and Milk and Muffins (Saturdays)
In this week's experiences with the parents at both the Parramore Kidz Zone Baby Institute and at Milk and Muffins, I sat in on the classes for the parents and was delighted to hear the parents talk about their newly-acquired knowledge from these classes!
In the parent class for parents of infants, one of the fathers (19-years old) was talking about a show about whales he had seen on the show, "Animal Planet." As the dad related some of the qualities of whales--their intelligence and traveling in groups due to their social needs, he explained that when whales are isolated from each other, they become aggressive. Next, this dad made the connection between what he learned about whales and how children react when they are given a time out! I was so excited to be able to see this father's learning and generalizing of information which came directly from the parenting class!
An anecdote I want to share occurred at Milk and Muffins. One of the participants (three-year old white girl) was engaged with a UCF student in an activity. Another UCF student (African American) sat down in anticipation of joining them in play. The three-year old immediately said that the new student could not play because she was black. When this student attempted to appease this child, the child began to kick her.
I walked up at this moment and the African American student came up to me, obviously upset and explained what had occurred. At that point, I intervened in the situation by having all "players" join me on the carpet as I modeled how to support the child's learning and to bridge her prior knowledge with the current learning opportunity. After approx. 5 minutes of modeling, I was able to fade out of the play situation and have the three (UCF students and child) continue interacting with each other.
At the end of that session, I explained to everyone the developmental appropriateness of the three-year old and the role we play in teaching diversity to our children.
It was indeed a hurtful lesson at first, but one which will resonate for a long time for both UCF students.
I continue to learn each week when I volunteer with these two programs, it is truly authentic learning for me!
In the parent class for parents of infants, one of the fathers (19-years old) was talking about a show about whales he had seen on the show, "Animal Planet." As the dad related some of the qualities of whales--their intelligence and traveling in groups due to their social needs, he explained that when whales are isolated from each other, they become aggressive. Next, this dad made the connection between what he learned about whales and how children react when they are given a time out! I was so excited to be able to see this father's learning and generalizing of information which came directly from the parenting class!
An anecdote I want to share occurred at Milk and Muffins. One of the participants (three-year old white girl) was engaged with a UCF student in an activity. Another UCF student (African American) sat down in anticipation of joining them in play. The three-year old immediately said that the new student could not play because she was black. When this student attempted to appease this child, the child began to kick her.
I walked up at this moment and the African American student came up to me, obviously upset and explained what had occurred. At that point, I intervened in the situation by having all "players" join me on the carpet as I modeled how to support the child's learning and to bridge her prior knowledge with the current learning opportunity. After approx. 5 minutes of modeling, I was able to fade out of the play situation and have the three (UCF students and child) continue interacting with each other.
At the end of that session, I explained to everyone the developmental appropriateness of the three-year old and the role we play in teaching diversity to our children.
It was indeed a hurtful lesson at first, but one which will resonate for a long time for both UCF students.
I continue to learn each week when I volunteer with these two programs, it is truly authentic learning for me!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Entry 6-Parramore Kidz Zone (Saturdays)
This past Saturday I was at the Parramore Kidz Zone Baby Institute. After 6 weeks of the 9-week session, it is evident that the parents have bonded with each other and the staff. The staff continues to greet each family warmly and throughout the five hours of the program, the staff makes every attempt to meet each parents needs--whether it is holding their babies while they eat, serving them breakfast and lunch, or listening to them about their week's experiences.
The sessions are now filled with (non-hurtful) teasing and a lot of honest reflection.
In one of the parent classes the parents talked about their frustration with their child's other parent regarding the lack of support received. The mothers in the group talked about how they felt as if their child's father was like having another child. Although this frustration is not limited to urban families, the lack of resources and support compound this issue. It also makes me wonder if one of the reasons for multiple pregnancies is linked to the mother's need to feel loved--by both the man and a new baby.
I believe that the more support-type of groups parents have as they are raising their children, the less alone the parents will feel and these connections might help to fill some of the need to be valued and to belong. As part of this program, we emphasize the importance of attending Baby Institute each week--both for their own well-being, and also as a commitment to the other parents in the group. At the beginning of each class, if someone is absent, the teacher asks if anyone has been in contact with the absent parent. If not, then we will drive to the person's house to check on the family and to invite/encourage them to come to the program.
Last Saturday there was a parent absent from class and the other group members said they had tried to reach this mother for the past few days, with no response. I drove over with another Baby Institute staff member to check on the family. Unfortunately, there was no answer at the door (and some watchful neighbors wary about our presence). Baby Institute's family worker, a social worker, will follow up on this family. While driving through this neighborhood which is walking distance to Baby Institute, it was distressing to recognize that this was clearly once a neighborhood where everyone took pride in their homes and now many of them were either abandoned or in disrepair. The juxtaposition between this neighborhood and the beautiful, cloudless, sunny day was evident.
My "wondering" questions from this past week's experiences are:
The sessions are now filled with (non-hurtful) teasing and a lot of honest reflection.
In one of the parent classes the parents talked about their frustration with their child's other parent regarding the lack of support received. The mothers in the group talked about how they felt as if their child's father was like having another child. Although this frustration is not limited to urban families, the lack of resources and support compound this issue. It also makes me wonder if one of the reasons for multiple pregnancies is linked to the mother's need to feel loved--by both the man and a new baby.
I believe that the more support-type of groups parents have as they are raising their children, the less alone the parents will feel and these connections might help to fill some of the need to be valued and to belong. As part of this program, we emphasize the importance of attending Baby Institute each week--both for their own well-being, and also as a commitment to the other parents in the group. At the beginning of each class, if someone is absent, the teacher asks if anyone has been in contact with the absent parent. If not, then we will drive to the person's house to check on the family and to invite/encourage them to come to the program.
Last Saturday there was a parent absent from class and the other group members said they had tried to reach this mother for the past few days, with no response. I drove over with another Baby Institute staff member to check on the family. Unfortunately, there was no answer at the door (and some watchful neighbors wary about our presence). Baby Institute's family worker, a social worker, will follow up on this family. While driving through this neighborhood which is walking distance to Baby Institute, it was distressing to recognize that this was clearly once a neighborhood where everyone took pride in their homes and now many of them were either abandoned or in disrepair. The juxtaposition between this neighborhood and the beautiful, cloudless, sunny day was evident.
My "wondering" questions from this past week's experiences are:
- Is there a connection between having multiple babies and the need to feel loved?
- How do we instill pride in the community where we live?
- Is money the true issue or is there a deeper reason for living in run-down homes with overgrown yards?
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Entry 5
This past week I was able to look through the lens of pre-service teachers as they visited an urban elementary school. This Title 1 school is located near downtown Orlando and, in addition to families from the neighborhood, it has many students who live in the Coalition for the Homeless Shelter. I selected this school as an observation site because it is one which has many star teachers (thank you to this week's Martin Haberman article for assigning a name to what my students observed!).
At first, some of the students were tentative in their feelings about the school. One student, after hearing the principal's description of the school's population, told me she "felt sad" for the children. However, by the end of the (3-hour) visit, the tone of the students had changed completely. Their feedback focused on the positive school climate, how the teachers maintained each child's dignity even when an incorrect answer was given, how happy all of the staff and faculty seemed at the school, and how welcome they made the children and visitors feel.
When I asked what indicators helped them in processing these observations, the overwhelming response was that ALL of the school staff/faculty seemed to care about each child--it felt like its own community.
The students were upset to find out that this school was going to be closed in a couple of years to make room for a K-8 school. They could not believe that such a successful school would be closed. A discussion ensued with talking points relating to whether a school in a "different neighborhood" would be closed when it was successful, and how the students could advocate to keep this school open.
I will continue to focus on the need for teacher education programs to move out of the traditional content course teaching and truly prepare teachers for their role as professionals, advocates, and a commitment to becoming star teachers.
At first, some of the students were tentative in their feelings about the school. One student, after hearing the principal's description of the school's population, told me she "felt sad" for the children. However, by the end of the (3-hour) visit, the tone of the students had changed completely. Their feedback focused on the positive school climate, how the teachers maintained each child's dignity even when an incorrect answer was given, how happy all of the staff and faculty seemed at the school, and how welcome they made the children and visitors feel.
When I asked what indicators helped them in processing these observations, the overwhelming response was that ALL of the school staff/faculty seemed to care about each child--it felt like its own community.
The students were upset to find out that this school was going to be closed in a couple of years to make room for a K-8 school. They could not believe that such a successful school would be closed. A discussion ensued with talking points relating to whether a school in a "different neighborhood" would be closed when it was successful, and how the students could advocate to keep this school open.
I will continue to focus on the need for teacher education programs to move out of the traditional content course teaching and truly prepare teachers for their role as professionals, advocates, and a commitment to becoming star teachers.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Entry 4
I had two amazing experiences this past week which are different, yet connect with each other and with this course.
The first experience came as an invitation from Sesame Street to be an advisor to their writers, researchers, and producers for their upcoming season. So, I flew up to New York and spent the day with the Sesame Street professionals and three other advisors to help them understand child development, cultural diversity, and to facilitate an understanding of the world of a 3-year old living in poverty as well as children from high socio-economic backgrounds. I learned so much from the (NYU Professor) who spoke of the Latino culture and how parents view education and teachers. She explained that Latino parents do NOT want to be their "child's first teacher," they want to be the parent and the teachers should be the teachers. She also talked about the amount of verbal (English) language on children's television which overwhelms children who are bi-lingual learners. Finally, she emphasized the value of family, including the extended family, within this culture. With the Latino population being the fastest growing population in the U.S., it is imperative that we start to truly look at the learning needs of this culture--not as one group, but within the Latino community (from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, etc.).
My second experience was on Saturday at the Parramore Kidz Zone Baby Institute. I have talked about my involvement with this program before, including that its primary population is African American. Yesterday we celebrated Black History Month. Its design was to increase cultural pride in the families we serve. At this event, in addition to the families who are current participants in the Baby Institute, were members of a Black Sorority who read books to the children and parents, children from a charter school in the Parramore community who were drummers, and models from the community who led programs related to African American History, going back thousands of years (beyond Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, etc.). All of the parents wore African attire and many danced traditional African dances while the drummers played. I most appreciated that their children--from birth-7 years old--watched as their parents participated, therefore reinforcing their identity.
Both of these experiences reinforced to me the importance of recognizing and respecting differences in our diverse world, as well as how crucial it is to instill pride (not shame) in our diverse cultures.
The first experience came as an invitation from Sesame Street to be an advisor to their writers, researchers, and producers for their upcoming season. So, I flew up to New York and spent the day with the Sesame Street professionals and three other advisors to help them understand child development, cultural diversity, and to facilitate an understanding of the world of a 3-year old living in poverty as well as children from high socio-economic backgrounds. I learned so much from the (NYU Professor) who spoke of the Latino culture and how parents view education and teachers. She explained that Latino parents do NOT want to be their "child's first teacher," they want to be the parent and the teachers should be the teachers. She also talked about the amount of verbal (English) language on children's television which overwhelms children who are bi-lingual learners. Finally, she emphasized the value of family, including the extended family, within this culture. With the Latino population being the fastest growing population in the U.S., it is imperative that we start to truly look at the learning needs of this culture--not as one group, but within the Latino community (from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, etc.).
My second experience was on Saturday at the Parramore Kidz Zone Baby Institute. I have talked about my involvement with this program before, including that its primary population is African American. Yesterday we celebrated Black History Month. Its design was to increase cultural pride in the families we serve. At this event, in addition to the families who are current participants in the Baby Institute, were members of a Black Sorority who read books to the children and parents, children from a charter school in the Parramore community who were drummers, and models from the community who led programs related to African American History, going back thousands of years (beyond Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, etc.). All of the parents wore African attire and many danced traditional African dances while the drummers played. I most appreciated that their children--from birth-7 years old--watched as their parents participated, therefore reinforcing their identity.
Both of these experiences reinforced to me the importance of recognizing and respecting differences in our diverse world, as well as how crucial it is to instill pride (not shame) in our diverse cultures.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Entry 3
This week was the second week of an eight-week program called "Milk and Muffins." The program was developed by UCF's Early Childhood B.S. Program and is supported by the City of Orlando's Parramore Kidz Zone, Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, Head Start of Orange County and Orange County Public Schools. Each Saturday, students enrolled in a section of a required Early Language and Literacy course have their class at the J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center in the Parrramore Community.
Beginning last week, a portion of each class session has children and parents coming to the Callahan Center for the UCF students to work with the children. While the children are engaged in language and literacy activities, the parents participate in a parent education class on how to support children's school readiness and continued success in school. WE then end each week with a large Circle Time (parents, children, and the UCF students), including songs, a read aloud, and an "I Love You Ritual."
Yesterday, I had the privilege of teaching the parents--the topic was "Reading Aloud to Your Child." We began with a discussion about how frequently each parent reads to their child and how to choose books for your child. One parent of color expressed frustration at the lack of books depicting children and families of color, unless it is about a specific topic--Rosa Parks, Black History, etc. This parent also said her five-year old does not enjoy books and she wondered--as did I--whether some of this was due to her child not being able to connect with the book's characters. The other parents echoed this frustration; and confirmed that this was true not just for African Americans, but also Latinos.
In this course we focus on preparing teachers and practicing teachers, but this discussion reminded me that the lack of attention to diversity and cultures is much greater than our schools. So, this committed group of parents has agreed to look for one-two books which represent their own families and bring the titles and/or books to class next Saturday. We will take this list and prepare it to be sent to those who have positions to impact our early childhood and elementary classroom libraries.
It's a start... and I think these parents felt both respected and empowered to stand up for their children in a way which addresses the concern and a suggests a beginning solution! At the end of the program this week, one parent said, "I did not know what to expect in 'Milk and Muffins.' I only came because my child's teacher told me it would be good for her. This was so much fun!"
This week was the second week of an eight-week program called "Milk and Muffins." The program was developed by UCF's Early Childhood B.S. Program and is supported by the City of Orlando's Parramore Kidz Zone, Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, Head Start of Orange County and Orange County Public Schools. Each Saturday, students enrolled in a section of a required Early Language and Literacy course have their class at the J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center in the Parrramore Community.
Beginning last week, a portion of each class session has children and parents coming to the Callahan Center for the UCF students to work with the children. While the children are engaged in language and literacy activities, the parents participate in a parent education class on how to support children's school readiness and continued success in school. WE then end each week with a large Circle Time (parents, children, and the UCF students), including songs, a read aloud, and an "I Love You Ritual."
Yesterday, I had the privilege of teaching the parents--the topic was "Reading Aloud to Your Child." We began with a discussion about how frequently each parent reads to their child and how to choose books for your child. One parent of color expressed frustration at the lack of books depicting children and families of color, unless it is about a specific topic--Rosa Parks, Black History, etc. This parent also said her five-year old does not enjoy books and she wondered--as did I--whether some of this was due to her child not being able to connect with the book's characters. The other parents echoed this frustration; and confirmed that this was true not just for African Americans, but also Latinos.
In this course we focus on preparing teachers and practicing teachers, but this discussion reminded me that the lack of attention to diversity and cultures is much greater than our schools. So, this committed group of parents has agreed to look for one-two books which represent their own families and bring the titles and/or books to class next Saturday. We will take this list and prepare it to be sent to those who have positions to impact our early childhood and elementary classroom libraries.
It's a start... and I think these parents felt both respected and empowered to stand up for their children in a way which addresses the concern and a suggests a beginning solution! At the end of the program this week, one parent said, "I did not know what to expect in 'Milk and Muffins.' I only came because my child's teacher told me it would be good for her. This was so much fun!"
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