Category: Student Confidence

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You’re Never too Young for Critical Thinking

Today my kids’ school held their annual kindergarten “Humpty-Dumpty Egg Drop”. Students were given homework to boil an egg, then create some sort of protective cradle for it. On the day of the egg drop, students bring their creation with them, ready to test out their engineering skills. The custodian takes all the creations with him to the school’s roof, then one by one, hurls them off the roof, where they then land on the blacktop. The kids all cheer and laugh as they watch as each other’s eggs are thrown off the roof. The goal is to have an unbroken egg by the end of the event. Some contraptions are wildly successful, while others are, well, not. Regardless of the outcome, they all have a great time.

One of my kids is in kindergarten this year, so I got the chance to go watch the egg drop today. Due to inclement weather, they moved it indoors, and the custodian dropped the eggs from the second level of the school down to the first— which offered the advantages of a softer landing spot as well as a shorter distance for the egg to fall. Even with these changes, the kids still cheered and laughed as they watched their eggs and their classmates’ eggs fall to the ground. After all the eggs had been dropped, the kids excitedly found theirs, and opened their creations to see whether or not their egg survived the fall. There were lots of squeals of excitement, mixed in with a handful of disappointed sighs.

While this seems like just a fun activity to do with kids, it goes beyond that. At the very least, it’s a great opportunity for students to cheer each other on and celebrate together. One of the biggest benefits of this assignment is the exposure to STEM related thinking. The students were asked to come up with their own ideas of how they wanted to protect their egg. I asked my son to think about how he wanted to do that, and gave him some time to consider some ideas. A while later, I asked if he had thought of anything. Immediately, he began to tell me his ideas, what supplies he would need, and how he wanted to execute his idea. 

It was a brilliant way to get him to figure out a solution to a problem. When it came time to build his egg cradle, he gathered supplies and asked for help gathering what he couldn’t find. We gently guided him along the way, and performed tasks that weren’t safe for a kindergartner  to do (like pushing holes through the plastic tub he wanted to use). As he worked, he made adjustments when he saw that something wasn’t going to work as well as he wanted it to. He was essentially testing out his plan and correcting mistakes as he worked. 

As a parent, I appreciated this activity for a few reasons. First, it gave my son a chance to get creative. He was able to come up with his own solution and create a model based on his ideas. Second, the ideas that he came up with were his own. Not mom and dad’s. Not his big brothers who had previously done this activity. They were his. He took great pride in his idea and worked hard to see it come to fruition. Third, he persevered as he worked. Not everything worked how he wanted it to, and he found he had to pivot along the way to make things work. Lastly, he was able to practice dealing with disappointment when he opened his egg container to find that it had not survived the fall and was cracked and smashed on one side of it. 

Any activity that gets kids to think critically is a-ok with me! I want my kids to be able to think through possible solutions and be able to be flexible when things don’t go how they want them to. I want them to be able to make adjustments to their solutions and plans as they go. These kinds of skills are not only useful in school, specifically in STEM related classes, but in life in general. 

So while the egg drop was a fun activity that got everyone involved, it was much, much more than that. Kudos to the teachers who facilitate such engaging, learning enriched activities!

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Preparing Today’s Youth for Adulthood

The other day, I was taking a much needed break, mindlessly scrolling through Facebook, and stopped when I saw a meme one of my good friends had posted. I chuckled as I read the meme: “I’m glad I learned about parallelograms in high school instead of how to do my taxes. It comes in handy during parallelogram season.” 

It’s funny because it’s true— I remember sitting in some of my high school classes thinking about how I would likely never use some of the things I was being taught. I honestly don’t remember the last time I had to use the quadratic formula or had to recall the steps/process of photosynthesis. Unless you enter a career field that will use those specific skills and bits of knowledge, you likely won’t use them much in your adult life (or at least until your kids come home from school needing help on their homework!). 

When I was in high school, the requirements to graduate didn’t include any kind of class that taught life skills type of content. You know, the stuff that you use on a fairly regular basis as an adult— budgeting, retirement/savings plans, household tasks like cooking, cleaning, and laundry, basic car maintenance, simple household fixes, basic sewing, and so on. Had my parents not done a pretty good job teaching me these skills, I would have been pretty lost when I moved out on my own. While a good majority of high school students have a parent or guardian they can turn to with life skills questions, many do not. What if, rather than expecting kids to just suddenly know how to be an adult and take care of adult responsibilities, we teach them how to do this and require them to take a class covering these skills prior to graduating?

I know there are many elective courses students can take that teach them these basic life skills. But they are just that— elective. Not every student is going to choose to take a sewing or cooking class. Not every student will want to sit through a financial literacy course. However, I am certain that if they were required to do so, they would come out on the other side more equipped to enter the adult world and carry adult-level responsibilities. 

There are many students who would greatly benefit from a course like this. It would provide an excellent opportunity for kids to get hands-on experience with the skills necessary for adult life while still under the care of an experienced adult, and would also give them the chance to make mistakes and learn from them before the cost of said mistakes is higher. 

I am sure there are already high schools out there who are integrating some kind of adult-readiness courses, and that’s amazing! It would be even more amazing if all schools nation wide would see the value of such a course and would add it to the list of required courses prior to graduation. Besides, I think it would be a fun class to take— and teach!

When we equip the next generation with the tools they will need in life, they will enter the adult world more confident, more knowledgeable, and more prepared to take on the responsibilities that come with being an adult, and that’s something that we can all benefit from. Knowledge is power, so let’s do our best to arm our students with the knowledge they need to succeed!

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Trade Schools– Anything but an Easy Out

I was talking with my friend and a teen girl in our neighborhood the other day, and the topic of jobs came up. My friend mentioned that her brother worked for our city doing various things such as snow plowing, clearing water lines, driving the city’s bigger trucks, etc. The young girl who was with us misunderstood and thought that meant he was also a garbage truck driver. Her immediate response was, “Ew! I wouldn’t want to do that!” We clarified that he didn’t drive the garbage trucks, explained again what it was that he did, then talked about how important all jobs are. Can you even imagine a world without our garbage workers, snow plow drivers, and sewer technicians? I don’t even want to think about what things would be like without hard working people who do those jobs. 

There are so many kinds of jobs out there— there is something for everyone— and not every job requires a bachelor’s degree or higher. Colleges and universities offer a wide selection of degrees and areas of study. While traditional colleges are great for some, they aren’t great for everyone. So what do you do if you want an education, but don’t really want to attend a traditional college or university? Perhaps a trade school might be a good fit!

Trade schools are so valuable! They provide education and opportunities to many people, and the jobs they train and educate people for are essential jobs in our society. Trade schools offer a wide variety of career training options— such as skilled trades, medical, business, automotive, digital arts, and more. These career fields are crucial! We need people who can properly and safely install the electrical wiring in a new building. We need nurse assistants and dental hygienists. If it weren’t for auto mechanics, a lot of us would be in heaps of trouble when our cars stopped working correctly. Imagine the chaos that could happen if your water lines burst— thank goodness for plumbers! Welders are crucial for creating the steel infrastructure of large buildings. Cosmetologists keep us looking our best. I’m especially thankful for HVAC techs who come fix my air conditioning when it breaks in the middle of a heat wave! 

Not only do trade schools provide the necessary education for these important jobs, they also provide hands on training and experience. Many offer apprenticeships, allowing students to dive right into the nitty-gritty of their chosen field. Experience is truly the best educator. I know I certainly wouldn’t be too excited about having a phlebotomist attempt to draw my blood without any prior practice, nor would I trust someone to properly install electrical wiring and components in my home who hasn’t had hands-on experience doing so. 

Other kinds of jobs have their own specific “trade” schools. Police officers, pilots, and others have specialized schools and academies that only offer instruction that is very specific to that particular career field. These schools are often separate from other programs and colleges. 

Traditional colleges and universities are valuable in their own right, and so are trade schools. They each have their value and place. It truly is an amazing thing to have so many kinds of education at our fingertips. There really is something for everyone. Trade schools are every bit as important as a four year college, master’s program, or doctorate program. They each provide specialized instruction for many career areas and allow for people of all walks of life to gain the necessary education for their interests. 

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What to do When Your Kid Won’t go to School

I have a kid who really struggles some mornings with wanting to go to school. Once he is there, he’s happy, helpful, and eager to learn. He has friends, gets along with everyone, and loves his teacher. It’s just the getting him there that is hard. I mean, I get it. Staying home and relaxing is pretty inviting— especially on these cold mornings! This particular child has struggled with this since preschool. I love that he wants to be home and wants to be around me, but I also know the importance of school. There is so much he gets from school that he wouldn’t get at home hanging out while mom works and does laundry. 

Last week I had to run something over to my preschooler at the school. I mentioned to the preschool teacher that I was frustrated with my second grader for refusing to come to school that day. She knew exactly what I was talking about— he was in her class when he was a preschooler, and she remembered many mornings when he fought going to her class. Without hesitation, she sprung into action. She asked who is current teacher is, and told me she would get in touch with her and make a plan. 

Today, I got an email describing a plan they had created that would hopefully help encourage my son to more willingly go to school. For every day that he goes to school without a fight, he gets to check off a box on a chart. Once he has filled in five boxes, he will get to spend 20 minutes in the preschool class helping the teacher and students. It’s brilliant! He is totally pumped about this plan, and is especially excited that he will get to go help in the preschool when his younger brother is there. It’s a win-win all around!

Now, I know this story is about my child, but I also know that I’m not the only parent who has a kid who struggles to want to go to school. I know my son’s teacher isn’t the only teacher who is trying to help their student feel loved and supported at school. I also know that coming up with a solution or a plan can feel overwhelming. Sometimes you don’t know where to start. 

So what do you do with a student or child who just doesn’t want to go to school? Below are a few ideas and steps to take if you find yourself in this situation!

  • First, find out why there is hesitation to go to school— are they being bullied? Are they scared or worried? Do they not understand what they’re being taught? Do they just really like to be at home? Are their favorite pants dirty and they don’t know what to wear? Did they forget to do their homework and are afraid of getting in trouble?
  • Once you identify the why, determine if the teacher needs to be involved. Obviously if there is bullying or curriculum concerns happening, contacting the teacher is crucial. 
  • Figure out what will motivate your child/student.
    • Create a sticker chart and work toward a reward.
    • Give the child a role or purpose at school that they need to be present for. 
    • Allow your child to take a “brave buddy” with them in their backpack— a small stuffy or object that will help them feel brave. 
    • Purchase or create some kind of matching bracelet or necklace— one for them to wear and one for you to wear so they can feel connected to you while they are away.
    • If you’re comfortable with it, draw a small heart or smiley face on one hand, and one on your child’s hand. Remind them that if they feel sad or miss you while they’re at school, they can look at or touch the little drawing and remember that you love them. 
  • Offer positive reinforcement and feedback! Praise your child for being brave and doing something that is hard for them. Make sure they know you are proud of them, and help them to feel proud of themselves.
  • Always listen to your intuition. Parents know their children best, and generally can tell if something is amiss. 

Having a child who fights going to school can be hard. It can be frustrating. I get it. But it is worth the fight to get them to school. Education is so important, and the earlier kids can understand that importance, the better!

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Parent Involvement and its Benefits

There are many different types of parents/guardians. They can range from the completely uninterested and uninvolved to the epitome of a helicopter parent, and everywhere in between. I don’t think there’s one “right” or “wrong” way to parent; everyone has their own style, and it often varies from kid to kid. There are obviously parents who are on the extreme ends of the spectrum, but I think that as long as you’re providing your children with the essentials— food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, and love— and not harming them, you’re doing a-okay. 

But I’m not here to tell you how to parent, or even to offer parenting tips and strategies. I’ll leave that to the parenting experts. I will, however, explore how parental involvement, or lack thereof, can impact a child. There are a lot of things that contribute to a child’s success and confidence, and parental involvement is pretty high up on that list. Before we dive into the why behind it, I want to add a disclaimer that I know not all kids have a parent present in their lives. I understand that all families are different. For the purposes of this article, I will use the term “parent” to describe any adult who is a guardian or caregiver to a child, in any capacity. 

Having the support of a parent figure can, and does, positively impact how a child performs in many areas of their life. Knowing that there is an adult who loves and supports them gives a child an increased sense of safety, belonging, confidence, and assurance. It’s similar to a tightrope walker knowing there is a safety net under them; they know if they fall, there will be something there to catch them and keep them safe. Kids who have positive adult supports know that there is someone there to catch them and help them. Being a child’s safety net is an important role. 

In my experience as a teacher, I noticed a large discrepancy between my students who had little to no parental support and those that did have parental support. I’m sure you can guess, but my students who didn’t have much support at home struggled academically. They often had lower grades, would struggle to keep up and learn the material, and often would be disorganized, unkempt, and would also frequently have behavior problems. On the other hand, students who did have parental support typically had higher grades, a more positive attitude, and less behavior problems. 

As I’ve thought about the why behind these discrepancies, I’ve realized that there’s not just one reason why parent involvement can impact a child so deeply. But what I do know is that if a child has someone at home who doesn’t show interest in what’s going on at school and isn’t aware of what’s happening in and out of school, that child is more likely to stop caring as well. If there isn’t anyone at home to answer to, many children see that as an opportunity to give minimal effort. I believe that often times, these decisions to not try or to act out in school or other areas are cries for help— a cry that they hope will gain any amount of attention from their parental figure(s). 

The reasons parents might not be involved can vary just as much as the types of parents out there. Some parents might not be involved by choice. Perhaps their parents didn’t care much about their academic success, and they choose to continue the cycle with their own kids. Involvement requires effort, and for some parents, it’s an effort that is beyond what they can or want to put forth. Other parents might find themselves in the midst of things out of their control— things like health problems or work responsibilities— and may wish that they were able to be more involved and present. Parents who have been pulled away from their children due to custody issues, incarceration, or other legal issues can find it difficult to be involved with their kids. Whatever the reason, these examples of lack of involvement can all have a negative impact on a child’s success to one degree or another. 

On the other hand, there are parents who are actively involved in their child’s life. They are at parent-teacher conferences, performances, games, concerts, appointments, and programs. They ask questions and are aware of the who, what, where, when, and whys of their child’s life. They help with homework and take interest in what they child is learning at school. They know about the report they are writing for English or the experiment they did in Biology that day. They chat with their kids while they make dinner, fold laundry, or drive to practice. The kids of these parents know that their parent(s) have their backs, and that they are willing to put forth the effort to help them succeed; those efforts are reflected in grades, confidence, and attitude. 

Now, I understand that not all parents are able to be involved in every second of their child’s life. I know that not all parents can make it to every game or performance. This doesn’t make them a bad parent. It doesn’t make them uninvolved. You can be an involved parent without being physically present at every event. Involvement looks different for every person. For some, it does mean attending everything. For others, it means asking questions and being aware. It can look like helping with homework in the evening. It can even look like a FaceTime call during an award assembly. You don’t have to be a helicopter parent to be involved. BUT— you do have to put forth some effort to be an active part of your child’s life. 

However you choose or are able to be involved in the life of your child, make it count. Make sure your child knows you support them, love them, care for them, and are there for them. Foster positive relationships, and you will create a bond that is strong between you and your child. No parent is perfect, and no parent can be to all the things all the time. But if there is a little effort involved, your child will feel it, and the positive impact will make itself known for years to come. 

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The Benefits of Peer Tutoring Programs

Luke was a student of mine many years ago. I still remember his tussled blonde hair, glasses, and sweet disposition. Third period that year was a better place because of him. Luke didn’t get to go to eight different classes like most of his peers; in fact, he only got to attend three or so. Luke was a student in our school’s moderate to severe Life Skills Special Education class. He had a disability that made it harder for him to learn and perform at the same level as his same aged peers. But did this stop Luke from trying his best? Absolutely not! Did this disability stop his peers from including him and helping him? It sure didn’t! I watched countless kids defy the “norm” of teenage behavior and go out of their way to help Luke and other kids like him. It was beautiful to watch. 

One student in particular, Lily, was assigned to be his “buddy” for his time in my class. Our school had a peer tutor program, which allowed mainstream ed students to voluntarily use one of their elective credits for a term to accompany a special needs student to a class and help them during that period. Peer tutors would sit next to these students and help them stay on task, help make sure they had the papers and supplies that they needed, and help them in any other way that was needed. 

The peer tutor program benefited everyone involved. For the special needs student, it gave them a friend to rely on during the class and gave them a sense of belonging. Putting SPED students in the least restrictive environment is essential for development and progress. Peer tutors benefited as well, as it gave them a sense of purpose and pride. They were given the opportunity to work one on one with the most special kids in the school. It also gave them a chance to serve fellow students. The Life Skills teachers were able to breathe easier knowing that their students were in good hands when they got to go to mainstream classes. The mainstream teachers got the chance to witness a special relationship form, and also got the privilege of having such special kids in the classroom. Logistically, having a peer tutor in the room allowed the teacher to be able to continue teaching without having to stop as often since the peer tutor could assist their buddy. The other students in the class also benefited from the program because they got to see the example set by their peers who had given up time to help others. 

I don’t know of a single student who has participated in a peer tutor type program who hasn’t come out a better person. It really is such a unique and beneficial opportunity. I realize it isn’t for everyone, but for those interested, it can be a great chance to help others and make a difference for students who otherwise often get overlooked. 

I know there are programs like this in secondary schools across the nation. If you aren’t familiar with your school’s program, ask a counselor or the Special Education teachers at your school; I’m sure they’d love to educate you on the ways that mainstream students can help their peers.

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Ice Skating and the Classroom: More Similar Than You Think

Last week, I accompanied a large group of teenagers on an activity to go ice skating. They ranged in age from 11 to 17 years old. As I sat on the bench watching them and other patrons go around the rink, I noticed the wide variety of skill levels present. There were people clinging to the walls, barely staying upright, while others were effortlessly executing double axels and Biellmann spins in the center of the rink. As I seem to do with many situations I find myself in, I couldn’t help but think about how these varying levels of skill compared to the kinds of students we encounter in our classrooms. 

First, we’ve got the quiet achiever. These are the kids who are in the center of the rink, performing all kinds of cool tricks and moves. But the neat thing about these kids is that they aren’t doing it for show. They aren’t trying to impress other skaters or show off and brag. They are confident in their abilities to do what they know how to do, so they carry on, performing to the best of their ability, and constantly pushing themselves to learn new things and improve on what they already do know.

Next, we have the loud and proud skaters. These kids are the life of the party. They think they know how to do really impressive tricks, and they want everyone to know it. They draw attention to themselves. They might be in the center of the rink doing tricks, but they typically aren’t very humble about it, and they most certainly are trying to impress those around them. These students can be a lot of fun in class, but also know how to sometimes push it a little too far.

There’s also the easy gliders. I think this is where the majority of students are. These are the ones who are skating along, doing what they need to do to keep upright and moving, occasionally falling, but always getting right back up and continuing on. They will sometimes do a little extra trick or try to learn something new to perform. These kids are usually pretty well mannered and responsible with their tasks. 

Then we’ve got the kids who are gliding along the rink, doing only what they need to do to remain upright. They don’t like to do extra tricks, they don’t like to go out of their way to learn new things, and they seem to perpetually just go around and around, doing the minimum effort required to keep moving forward. 

Lastly, there are the kids, who, despite trying, are literally clinging to the walls, with legs flailing and skates slipping, barely staying upright. They are desperately trying to get the hang of skating, but just can’t seem to. They listen to more experienced skaters who give them pointers and advice, but for whatever reason, they still seem to struggle getting it. These kids are doing their best to try, and will cling to any amount of success they have– as they should!

Did certain students come to mind as you read about these different kinds of ice skaters? I can’t imagine a classroom full of students who all shared the exact same personality traits and learning styles. I mean, think about it— a room full of quiet introverts would generate some very awkward silences and lonnnnggg class periods. On the other hand, a room full of extroverted class clowns would lead to little getting accomplished and lots of exhaustion for the teacher. The point is, is that we need a range of personality types and learning styles to enrich our classrooms. Without that variety, I imagine our jobs wouldn’t be nearly as fun as they are with it. How do you celebrate these differences in your classroom?