Community Building: Knowing Who You Are in the Room.

cliparthut.com

Introduction:
An area of utmost importance to educators and education communities is the establishment, growth, and maturation of the partnership between parent communities and teachers/administrators. Parent/family communities are foundational to student success and achievement providing essential elements of support and enrichment for students at home. These communities are also potential sources of important resources and diverse expertise and skill sets which can supplement those of the educational staff itself. With the addition of such essential resources one would think that educators would race to establish strong ties with these communities but such is not always the case. For a variety of reasons school & community relations can present significant challenges for educators to negotiate. The scope of issues impacting this complicated area of the classroom/school environment is such that it cannot be broached in a single blog posting. With this in mind the focus of this installment relates to the paradigms and perspectives that educators must be mindful of within themselves so as to not create hurdles in these vital relationships sabotaging any hope of partnership before they can be established.

To build relationships, collaboration, and community within often diverse communities calls for the educator to mindfully employ many relational skills. One in particular relates to perspective and awareness. Many times, lack of sensitivity to the diversity and perspective of community members can sabotage the best intended and laid plans of the teacher. It is therefore incumbent on the educator to always be aware of who they are in the room.

The Issues at Hand:
There are a variety of key areas which the mindful educator must consider when looking to

school.discoveryeducation.com

connect with their parent/family community. Past experience has shown that these areas are often those where educator and community perceptions may not be in alignment. As such it is important for the educator to grasp this reality and react accordingly. First, for parents/families past educational experiences might be negative or full of frustration and failure. Without a firm foundation of educational success and personal relevance it is understandable that distrust of, or disengagement with the educational process might be deeply ingrained in the individual and familial narrative. A related consideration is the ability of parents and caregivers to support their students academically. This is especially true further in the student's educational carrier. Often students are learning skills and content which is either outside the expertise of the parent, or beyond the content knowledge that the parent has in a subject area.

Another are of consideration relates to the importance of education to life and career paths You would be hard pressed to find a parent or caregiver who doesn't agree that a good education is important for their student. For some careers in sports, a trade, the arts, etc., education, especially college, might not be seen as essential. Teachers on the other hand, can often see the value, both tangible and intangible can seem self-evident.

Finally, a series of considerations might possibly seem minor to some, can have significant impacts on parent/caregivers perceptions of education. Some parents are unsure how to help or support their students, teachers, classroom and schools. They often desire to support their students, teachers and classroom, but don't know how, where, or if to even start. Other community members struggle with effective communication pathways. Such hurdles often send the message that community involvement is neither desired or needed. It is also possible that educators don't provide information along pathways which communities are familiar with or are comfortable using. Finally, teacher affect and lack of receptiveness/friendliness can dissuade parental involvement and support. Simply put, teachers can send out the (at times) unintended message that they are the professionals, the classroom environment is theirs and theirs alone, and that outsiders are not welcome.

smallbiztrends.com

Potential solutions:
At a number of points educators have opportunities to address the task of community building in the above noted contexts. A first step is to develop awareness for the potential of such possibilities. Too often as we walk through life, we humans seem to operate under the delusion that everyone thinks like us, or that they should think like us. Grasping, understanding, and respecting that others have differing opinions, experiences, and perspectives, is a first step to establishing connections with others. Next, creating effective communication pathways, speaking to the needs, capacities, and capabilities of the community is vital. Teachers cannot afford to wait for their communities to come to them, or to always use the communication formats that they (the educators) are comfortable with. Rather, communication should be friendly, ongoing, easily accessible, delivered in formats and language that is easily accessible to non-educators. It should be to the point, transparent, honest, not burying communities in detail only of interest to education professionals. Finally, respectfully engage the community to explain the pedagogical reasoning for their professional practices. Educators should fully understand why the do what they do in the classroom. This firm foundation of pedagogical clarity should be translatable to non-professional communities. Never assume your communities understand what it is that you are trying to accomplish in your classrooms. Sharing such knowledge and insight can be foundational in the development of the understanding and rapport which will nurture vibrant communication pathways.

Conclusion:

To successfully interact with all the various parties in the room calls the educator to be aware of who they are in the room. They are the education professionals who can bring their unique perspective to the conversations and efforts. Yet, while all this may be true, they must also respect and take into consideration other community members. Parents and caregivers care deeply for their students, holding closely to the hopes and dreams that they have for them. Seldom do they not act in the best interest of their students, as they understand it. Not every relationship will go well. Even the best laid plans and efforts may not result in the healthy supportive relationship that is desired, but for educator awareness, respect and outreach to the parent/caregiver community is a professional necessity. Students are more effectively supported. Diverse resources, supports, information, and perspectives, might become available. And in the end, the fruits of such mindful, proactive professionalism often far out weight the effort and sacrifices made to bring about. In short, is teachers are aware of who they and others are in the context of their educational community environment, they have a far better chance of creating conditions optimal for their students' achievement, their professional success, and community harmony.

Is Anybody Listening! How Student Listening Deficits are Impacting Their Achievement

Introduction:

clipartpanda.com

A common misconception is that listening is a passive, innate skill that will develop naturally over time. Past experiences observing and mentoring within education communities has impressed upon me that such is not the case and that far too often listening skills are far too often not supported effectively at home or in the classroom. This reality is of course in direct contradiction to what takes place within classrooms, the workplace, and the entirety of life for that matter. Research would indicate that listening may take up 50%-70% of direct instructional time, and that without effective listening skills learning is a matter of chance rather than a certainty (Barr, Dittmar, Roberts, & Sheraden, 2002; Mangrum, 1993).

Listening in its essence is an intensely physical activity requiring the individual to purposefully and mindfully attend to the audible message using interpretive and analytical skills while doing so. In addition, listening calls for the individual to also consider nonverbal clues and engage interactively with the speaker to glean the intended message. Effective listening ultimately speaks to a wide range of influences and experiences all of which can support or impair the listener's ability to understand the intended message(s) (Barr et al., 2002; Mangrum, 1993).

Research speaks to the reality that students enter the learning environment deeply impacted by listening skills (or lack thereof) gained in their home environment. Included in home environment considerations are parental education level (speaking to the development of vocabulary and background knowledge), familial communication practices, as well as the use of technology in the home (Barr et al., 2002; Kulu & Aslanoglu, 2009).

With so much riding on student achievement, and so much of student achievement dependent upon effective communication resting on skillful listening, it is troubling that so little attention is given to the topic in our educational environment.

Learning Environment Considerations: 

How effective listening is supported or hindered in the learning environment is driven by a variety of issues. First, the audible conditions of the classroom; whether the teacher crafts an environment which is conducive to critical listening or allows extraneous noise levels which frustrate student listening efforts. Also, the number and impact of classroom interruption which can break focused attention to instruction. Third, the time of day and accompanying physical and mental state of the students. Next, whether the educator has the will, patience, and grit to insist on student attention and drive themselves to effectively communicate their lessons via instruction and development of conducive classroom environments. And finally, how effectively the instructor has developed and communicated the goals and purposes of the lesson as well as delivered effective instruction which builds concept imagery (the understanding of big picture concepts) (Barr et al., 2002).

Another area of concern relates to the failure on the part of administration and school leadership to provide effective professional development, curriculum, and classroom resources for teaching staffs. With so much time and effort devoted to topics of math and reading instruction, the foundational skill set of listening is often ignored, undermining  other instructional efforts no matter how well-crafted instruction and curriculum might be (Barr et al., 2002: Kulu & Aslanoglu, 2009).

workplacepsychology.net

The impacts of poor listening skills and environments within the classroom are devastating to student achievement. Impacts include off task student behavior and the need for repeated instruction which consumes precious instructional time. An additional problem related to the inability of impacted students to build the academic foundation needed to move on to higher level skills. And finally, an inability on the part of students to analyze and ascertain what is information critical to their needs and success and what is not (Barr et al., 2002).

Instructional Response: 

To address the issues related to student listening deficits educators should seek to build student understanding of what good listening looks like. Students must understand that listening is active, not passive. That hearing is not listening and that it is part of their contribution to the educational process.  Additionally the message should include that engaged listeners must be actively interactive with the information provided, processing and forming their own ideas from the facts and details. Good listeners should be expected to ask questions and make comments. Finally, students should expect to work by taking notes, drawings, or any other form of active engagement with will work towards their ability to gain the big picture concept imagery necessary for understanding (Barr et al., 2002). 

muscicityschoolcounselor.wordpre

To bring about such student understanding calls for effective curriculum focused on developing student mastery of the skill. Effective curriculum models can include musical education which trains students’ listening skills via instruction based on music recordings. In addition, from personal experience, lessons involving story reading which includes question and answer times, and audio story listening sessions where effective listening skills are modeled, explained, and instructed. Finally, it is vital that teachers support the development and expansion of student vocabulary and background knowledge. Without such tools  listening engagement and information processing will be frustrated and beyond the student capacity (Barr et al., 2002; Kulu & Aslanoglu, 2009).

Conclusion:

Critical, effective listening is the foundation to much of the direct instruction which takes place in classrooms. Critical listening is much more than simply sitting quietly, rather it is a multidimensional skillset dependent on a variety of factors. Unless such listening is taught, supported, and expected by educators, student achievement is at risk. Teachers must therefore present clear lesson goals, working towards development of students critical listening skills via impactful curriculum, modeling and expect engaged listening. Failure to do so has a direct and negative impact on both the classroom environment and student achievement.

References

Barr, L., Dittmar, M., Roberts, E., & Sheraden, M. (2002). Enhancing Student       Achievement Through the Improvement of Listening Skills (Doctoral dissertation, Saint Xavier University).

Kulu, O., & Aslanoglu, A. E. (2009). Factors Affecting the Listening Skill. Procedia, 1, 2013-2022.

Mangrum, C. W. (1993). The Effects of Listening Skills Instruction on Students’ Academic Performance (Doctoral dissertation, University of North Texas).

Why Shyness Can't be Ignored

workinglifeadvice.com

Introduction:

As we journey through life, most of us encounter situations where we experience shyness. In fact, it is quite common to experience transient and context specific bouts of shyness (Chan, S. M., & Wong, A. K. Y., 2013). Those who work in education must be aware of those whom they come across who struggle with issues of shyness which go far beyond what most of the population wrestles with. These individuals not only face the known challenges of shyness, they also are at risk at several levels that may not be as well identified. As such educators must mindfully attend and engage with these individuals to serve their needs.

It is important to note though that shyness should not be confused with low sociability. There are those individuals who as a part of their unique make up do not require levels of social interaction which are commonly associated with the human experience. For these individuals, there are no struggles or desires to engage which are frustrated with the myriad of associated impacts. Rather, through choice they limit social contact, comfortable in their chosen level of isolation (Eggum et.al, 2012; Kingsbury, M., Coplan, R. J., & Rose-Krasnor, L., 2013; Wadman, R., Durkin, K., & Conti-Ramsden, G., 2008).

There are a variety of potential reasons at the root of pervasive shyness. Research suggests that one potential area of genesis might relate to parenting styles which may cultivate shyness in children. Parents who are themselves prone to shyness, anxiety, or neuroticism can pass similar behaviors to their children. These children learn under life models which speak to introversion, lacking in the self-confidence to engage their environment (Kingsbury, M., Coplan, R. J., & Rose-Krasnor, L., 2013). In addition, overbearing parenting styles which see children micro managed and controlled can cause children to turn inward because of the pressures under which they live (Zarra-Nezhad, M. et al, 2014). These children are often very dependent upon parental guidance, or fail to develop the confidence which is fostered through positive, nurturing parent styles (Zarra-Nezhad, M. et al, 2014). Finally, children that struggle with language or other challenges which potentially set them apart from their peers in some way, may also withdraw under social pressures or overwhelming self-awareness (Wadman, R., Durkin, K.,& Conti-Ramsden, G., 2008).

Whatever the foundational reasons for pervasive shyness, the impacts associated with the condition potentially deeply impact individuals at a wide variety of points. In addition, without support it is very likely that the impacts will persist and in fact intensify over a lifetime. Educators must therefore work towards engagement and scaffolded supports for their student who are pervasively shy.  

Why it’s a problem:

The problems associated with pervasive shyness are debilitating when extreme and impact afflicted individuals in a variety of ways, and at a variety of points. Loneliness, depression, victimization by those within their peer groups are common (Kingsbury, M., Coplan, R. J., & Rose-Krasnor, L., 2013; Zarra-Nezhad, M. et al, 2014). Shyness often opens these individuals up to self-doubt, self-pitying, self-blaming, over analyzation, emotionality, self-defeating behavior and choices which only serve to drive the individual deeper into their isolation thus creating self-fulfilling prophecy in their lives (Eggum et.al, 2012; Kingsbury, M., Coplan, R. J., & Rose-Krasnor, L., 2013; Zarra-Nezhad, M. et al, 2014). Unless they can escape this cycle of struggles they spiral ever deeper into their often-self-made abyss, sentencing themselves to lifelong struggles which hold little, if any prospect of abatement without outside support (Kingsbury, M., Coplan, R. J., & Rose-Krasnor, L., 2013).

What it looks like:

When seeking to identify the pervasively shy several points to look for exist. First, is an internalization of problems by the individual, refusing to open themselves up, or seek help. Next, ongoing peer relations which sees them continually bullied and ostracized. Also, excessive wariness as they encounter new life experiences, or social evaluation. Also, extremes in negative world views, which drives personal perceptions of themselves and the world in which they live in. Finally, low self-esteem and/or self-contempt (Eggum et.al, 2012; Kingsbury, M., Coplan, R. J., & Rose-Krasnor, L., 2013; (Wadman, R., Durkin, K., & Conti-Ramsden, G., 2008).

storybow.com

The vicious cycle which spins out of control, not only negatively impacts peer social relationships, it often deeply impacts academic endeavors. In the same way that students internalize their personal struggles, they also struggle with reaching out for academic assistance and support. As such their academic struggles are only serve to further support their negative world and personal views, and as such diversify the impact of their shyness (Kingsbury, M., Coplan, R. J., & Rose-Krasnor, L., 2013).

What to do:

To lend support to those who struggle with these debilitating levels of shyness professionals are often well served to provide problem-solving opportunities which might help to alleviate feelings of anxiety and being out of control in their shy students. Often shy individuals, do not feel that they have the social skills in place that their peers exhibit. As such they become frustrated when they attempt to engage and interact only to fail. By coming alongside to mentor strategies and provide other emotional coping tools can the cycle of fear and failure be broken (Kingsbury, M., Coplan, R. J., & Rose-Krasnor, L., 2013). As with any number of other areas of academic and social emotional struggles, teachers are well served to draw upon the expertise of the wider education and counseling community. The depth and breadth are often speaking to a variety areas of life outside the walls of the classroom/school, and are beyond the scope, expertise, and abilities of any single individual to address.

For further information on the topic of shyness and Social Anxiety Disorder one possible sources is The Mayo Clinic: Social Anxiety Disorder website.

youtube.com

Conclusion:

In many cases shyness often relates to manageable, temporary, contextual situations which over time either disappear or moderate in impact upon the individual. But shyness, in its most pervasive form speaks to a far greater set of issues which can impact a lifetime. Teachers who stand aside rather than step in to intervene in support of these students can expect to watch as these young people face social and academic impacts which will only grow and deepen over a lifetime. Shyness in its most destructive forms often speaks to deeper social/emotional issues which can only be ignored when those who might help shirk their professional and moral responsibility to do so.

References

Chan, S. M., & Wong, A. K. Y. (2013). Shyness in late childhood: Relations with attributional styles and self-esteem. Child: Care, Health & Development, 39(2), 213-219. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2011.01351.x

Eggum, N. D., Eisenberg, N., Reiser, M., Spinrad, T. L., Valiente, C., Sallquist, J., . . . Liew, J. (2012). Relations over time among children's shyness, emotionality, and internalizing problems. Social Development, 21(1), 109-129. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9507.2011.00618.x

Kingsbury, M., Coplan, R. J., & Rose-Krasnor, L. (2013). Shy but getting by? an examination of the complex links among shyness, coping, and socioemotional functioning in childhood. Social Development, 22(1), 126-145. doi:10.1111/sode.12003

Wadman, R., Durkin, K., & Conti-Ramsden, G. (2008). Self-esteem, shyness, and sociability in adolescents with specific language impairment (SLI). Journal of Speech, Language & Hearing Research, 51(4), 938-952.

Zarra-Nezhad, M., Kiuru, N., Aunola, K., Zarra-Nezhad, M., Ahonen, T., Poikkeus,         A….Nurmi, J. (2014). Social withdrawal in children moderates the association         between parenting styles and the children's own socioemotional development.

Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 55(11), 1260-1269

Hidden Hurdles: Ignore at Your Own Peril!

getmoredone.com

Life isn’t always fair or equal in its treatment of people. We like to believe that everyone has the same shot at success. In fact our society spends a great deal of time extolling this perspective. But, in the back of our minds we understand that this just isn’t the case. We all journey through life with different challenges and hurdles to overcome, and for some those hurdles seem greater and more numerous than for others. For educators a foundational aspect of their classroom responsibilities speaks to the task of discovering and addressing these individualized challenges. At times, these learning challenges are commonly understood to impact academic achievement. In other instances students face life events and circumstances which may not be as easily identified or are not perceived as directly impacting academic capacity. In the end though these students are disadvantaged as they struggle to cope with hurdles often unseen or misunderstood. It is only with mindful attentiveness, experience, and the aid of other professionals that barriers to learning can be perceived and addressed.

Students of all ages enter their environments with different backgrounds, experiences, and resources in play. For some students these factors are a benefit and support their achievement. For others, they present yet another challenge in their quests to achieve. It is important to note that many of the issues noted below impact a wide variety of students within any given community.

For some families the issue at hand is an awareness of how the education system works and an ability to negotiate its intricacies. Knowing the in’s and outs, the rules, and other keys to success are vital. Without experience and  knowledge of our education marketplace, these families often are not aware of the rights and protections that their students are afforded. In addition, they may not be aware of resources that are available within the system to support their students needs (Brown, Cullen, Duyn, & McDowell, 2013).

aso.byu.edu

For other families, direct academic support of their students is problematic. In some cases this speaks to basic subject matter knowledge. In other cases it can mean knowing how to support study skills or provide insights from past experiences along the education journey. Without the benefit of effective mentoring, these students may have to go it alone in the competitive field of education, which can spell the difference between success and failure (Brown, Cullen, Duyn, & McDowell, 2013).

Environmental realities also deeply impact student success and failure. Issues such as travel and transportation, access to much needed technology, fast reliable internet services, high quality tutoring, outside academic supports, as well as access to a myriad of other academic resources must be considered. Students and their families who either don't have access to such resources, or who must expend significant effort and capital to obtain them are disadvantaged with hurdles often exceeding their capacity to negotiate them alone (Brown, Cullen, Duyn, & McDowell, 2013).

yeseniasalazarpsych178

A final area of consideration relates to issue of community. The family, neighborhood, and social circle which support the student. All students are deeply impacted and influenced by others in their support network. Often times supports can be positive and affirming, aiding efforts of the student. In other cases negative or mixed messages can encumber student efforts. The message may be that academic success holds little value for individuals in the community. Or it might be that academic success is interpreted as indication that the student is choosing to leave the community or thinks themselves superior to others in the group. In such instances students are confronted with unanticipated choices between those they love and value and potential future goals and achievements. To move forward can mean leaving behind friends, family, and community. To abandon academic ambitions translates into the safety, comfort, and acceptance of those important to their lives (Brown, Cullen, Duyn, & McDowell, 2013).

mysportsclipart.com

Educators choosing to ignore the potential impacts of these and other hurdles run the risk of becoming hurdles themselves in the lives of their students. If that alone is not reason enough to mindfully address student hurdles. Educators risk making their jobs far more difficult by failing to address foundational issues which ultimately sabotage even the best of instructional applications.

Educators work in a world where life is often unfair with paths that are uneven and fraught with inequities for their students and communities. As such they must not only address those hurdles which readily present themselves. They must proactively and mindfully devote themselves to searching for hidden hurdles in the lives of their students.

ReferenceBrown, A., Cullen, N., Duyn, A., McDowell, T., (2013), Social class in family therapy education: Experiences of low SES students, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, January 2013, 39, 1, pp.72-86, doi: 10.1111/j.1752-060.2011.00281.x, Retrieved 1/15/14

You want to get somewhere? Begin at the End: Backwards Design

If you want to get somewhere start at the end.

The Logic Behind Backwards Design

---

Introduction

For many completing a project can be a daunting task.  Not because we don’t have grand ideas, but because we don’t know exactly how to bring them to fruition. The question often becomes, “Where to begin?”. The trick to bringing a project to a successful conclusion might be to start at the end of the journey and work your way back through the steps to the point where you are at today. Educators have long known of this model, but it is a strategy that works for a variety of projects. Backwards design might just be the best way forward.

---

Goals & Vision

andrescernapt.bologspot.com

It is vital to have clear goals and visions in place. They need to be clearly articulated and specific. Leave nothing to chance or interpretation. Know exactly what you want from your project.

---

Keep it Simple

likesuccess.

Keep goals, visions, and plans as simple as possible. The more complicated, the more moving parts, the greater chance there is for error or mission creep. Have only have one, two, at most three clearly identified goals for a project.

---

Identify Key Elements of the Task

pepperltd.com

This is where the backwards part of the process comes into play. Consider all of the key elements that must take place to bring about the desired results. Make no assumptions; rather, consider all of the materials, personnel, skills, events, which must come together to move from one step into the next.

---

Keep Time in Mind

eromenicholas.blogspot.com

Be realistic, not optimistic. Be very conservative in your time estimations. In fact build in extra time, should steps take longer than even conservative estimates allow for. If you don’t know how long a step/process might take, research it don’t guess.

---

Establish Checkpoints

site.jcu.edu

Establish checkpoints to monitor progress, look at quality concerns, and plan alignment. The bigger the project, the easier it is to get off track, and even a slight variation can spell big trouble for the project manager.

---

Be Realistic

 likesuccess.com

Be realistic when considering elements, individuals, etc. in the process. Look at each element rationally and ascertain how the process is proceeding. At the end of the day, you will be judged by results, not how optimistic you were going into a failed project.

---

Refocus at Each Step

happinessseries.com

Revisit goals and visions during every step. Are those goals and visions still in focus? Is the project still on the right path? At times goals and visions which initially look good later prove to be unrealistic or unattainable.

---

Be Flexible

shiftonline.org

Plan on being flexible and considering what Plan B might look like. Projects seldom go as initially planned. That doesn’t mean that with a little flexibility they might not be a success anyway. At times altered plans turn out even better than the original vision.

---

Proactively anticipate problems

This isn’t to suggest that you should be a pessimist. But every project has points where problems might unexpectedly occur. In fact there might be several areas of concern. Don’t wait for those problems to arise, when with a little proactive consideration they can be foreseen and alternative plans readied, just in case they are needed.

---

Conclusion

Success and failure in project management is really no secret. It hinges on carefully considered planning; articulation and alignment of resources, realistic and level-headed thinking, and clearly articulated goals and visions. When they all come together great things can be accomplished.

---