The Bailey Times
October 28, 2019
Happy Last Week of October!
Things to Remember - Please see your new Educator Edition of Friday Notes from Collierville Schools for more info!
7 Things Children Wish Their Teachers and Parents Knew.....is an article I was reading this past week. It is very good and one that can be shared with parents.
I’ve spent the past year teaching my students to initiate conversations with one another and with buddies they made across the Pacific through video chats. When I talked with them about the experience, a theme emerged: They said they wished that adults knew more about their lives and experiences. Here’s some of what I heard from them:
1. Kids want you to know how hard they're trying.
“Practice makes perfect.”
“If you put your mind to it, you can fill in the blank.” (Insert: play the piano, do well in school, understand math, speak up in class, manage your emotions, etc.)
These are some of the things children hear from adults. My students told me that they really are trying, but some things are genuinely difficult. For example, Mo has been learning to read, write, speak, and comprehend English for the past three years. He told me, “English is hard! When I speak, it’s hard.” Aicha added, “I wish my mom would understand that even though I pay attention during math, it doesn’t always mean I understand when I get home.”
Ty reminded me how easy it is to forget the challenges that come with not having mastered a skill, a topic, or a language. “They expect that I can control my anger, but sometimes I can’t,” he said. Kids are humans, and humans are works in progress. Sometimes—no, most of the time—we need to summon the benefit of the doubt and support one another’s best efforts.
2. Kids want grownups to be happy.
Children notice your mood. They pick up on facial expressions, gestures, states of mind. According to Ty, "Grownups are so grumpy all the time!” From the looks on our faces, how could he think otherwise? Ella told me, “When our parents get really stressed, I want them to know that we really love them and care about them.” They see us, they read us, and they want the best for us. You don’t always have to be happy, but you should know that you’re more of an open book to the kids in your life than you might realize.
3. Kids want to be believed.
Something spills, somebody’s crying, something breaks: A kid must have done it. Why weren’t they being more careful? Where was the oldest child? It’s easy to jump to “blame the kid,” but as Dustin said, “They think they know what happens, and we get in trouble for it.” It’s important for us to take that deep breath, ask what happened, and truly listen to children’s accounts. Zen put it poignantly: “I wish they could trust us more. If we say we didn’t do something, I wish they would trust us.”
4. Kids want grownups to be more honest.
Kids aren’t the only ones with an ardent desire to be believed, whether they’re telling the truth or not. If you’re going to be late, or you’re not going to make it at all, tell the truth. A child could spend the next hour craning her neck, looking for you, waiting to see your face through the crowd. Sometimes the honest conversation is harder and more prolonged, but children deeply appreciate it when you acknowledge the truth. They want to know what’s going on in their lives.
5. Kids want electronics just as much as grownups do.
As grownups, we just need to acknowledge that sometimes we are hypocrites. Unfortunately, our kids know this. They notice every swipe and screen binge. When adults overdose on screen time, we reckon privately with ourselves. But when we do so with kids around, we need to think about the message we’re sending. If medium doses are okay and even necessary for us grownups, then maybe we need to make similar allowances for kids. Braden pleaded, “We have to play electronics. It doesn’t have to be for a long time.”
6. Kids want a break from over-scheduling.
Self-care isn’t just for grownups. Kids get drained, too, but they’re not often in control of their own schedules. There are weekday activities. Trevor explained, “I have something else to do every day! Homework, Math Olympiad, swimming, tutoring, karate, Japanese school ... ” Then there’s the homework, every day, and sometimes even on weekends. Finally, the chores! Ramona lamented, “They think you have all this time to do all these things they want you to do, even when you don’t have time.” Grownups need downtime to recharge, “me time” when they’re the only ones calling the shots, blissfully unscheduled chunks of time to be filled with anything or nothing. Kids do, too.
7. Kids want grownups to love them just as they are.
Social media can make the most well-adjusted adult feel insecure: You need to work out more, be more beautiful, wear better clothes, eat healthier foods, take wilder vacations, buy a bigger house. Those voices aren’t just getting to us grownups—they’re also getting to the kids. And they’re coming from us.
Emma said, “Sometimes they compare me to someone else.” Nicky added: “Sometimes, adults just expect too much from us. For instance, I’m not a genius but my mom expects me to be.” We may think that we’re expressing support and encouragement, but our children are hearing disappointment and regret. Jack struggled to find the words, then blurted, “They want me to be the best me I can be, so let me be me!”
Offering children a safe space to bond with peers across the world revealed so much to me about how similar they are, whether they’re in Honolulu or San Francisco. In a classroom, students vastly outnumber grownups, which can pose management challenges for teachers. But they have so much to say, and they want us to listen. It’s worth the trouble to help kids find their voices, share their messages, and experience the joy of being heard.
* Names have been changed to protect students’ privacy.
Eileen Carr is a 4th-grade teacher in Honolulu. She’s spent 20 years teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, as well as English and French as Foreign Languages in the U.S., Lebanon, Taiwan, and Martinique.
Meeting with Sheryl Johnson for Growth and Achievement Measures - Nov. 19, 2019
Growth and Achievement Measure Selection Meeting: November 19, 2019 (8:00am)
*Please have everyone bring a fully charged laptop so they can complete an electronic form during the meeting.
During this meeting Sheryl will review the changes in achievement measure selections/growth options and walk the faculty through making their selections. In an effort to eliminate all of the hard copies collected in previous years, she will share an electronic link for educators/administrators to complete when making their 2019-2020 selections. Sheryl's goal is to roll it all out during this meeting and have everyone complete the electronic form at that time. She will then spend the rest of the day at BSE and will be available for anyone who may need further assistance with their selections and/or answer any questions from my lane (TNCompass, MLP, Evaluations, etc.).
This is a Tuesday morning so please make sure you are prepared to come!
Check out some of the articles I read this past week! Hopefully you will find something that interests you!
Professional Development/Coffee Chats Calendar
Mindfulness - Taylor 7:45 - 8:45
Nov. 4
Renee Spiker and Nakia Powell will be presenting starting at 7:45 - you can register in MLP. You should be getting an email about this one today.
Nov. 6
Let's Talk Tech - Moore (all day in her room()
Nov. 7
Responsive Classroom - Taylor, Snow and McCalla 7:45 - 8:45
Nov. 12
Digital Resources with Follett Destiny - Boren - 4:15 Library
Nov. 13
Relaxation Coffee Chat - Warren, Snow, Taylor 7:45 Library
a ** by a change as a reminder. I know that some of you do work before school and try to plan accordingly with the calendar given, but I cannot guarantee that there will not be changes so you will need to be flexible with that.
Calendar October/November 2019
Mon 10/28 - 10/30
One for Books
Mon 10/28 and Tues 10/29
5th Grade Biz Town
Tues 10/29
Tech & Treats 4:45 - 6:45 at CHS (sign up in MLP)
Thurs 10/31
Leadership Meeting at 8:00 in Library
Monday 11/4
Book Fair Set-Up
Renee Spiker and Nakia Powell will be presenting starting at 7:45 - you can register in MLP.
Wed 11/6
PLC 2nd, k, 1st
Let's Talk Tech with Carrie Moore (all day in her room)
Thurs 11/7
Responsive Classroom - Taylor, Snow and McCalla 7:45 - 8:45
Open House 6:00 - 7:00
Book Fair 5:00 - 7:30
Monday 11/11
Veterans Program 2:00 Gym
Tues 11/12
Digital Resources with Follett Destiny - Boren 4:15 library
Wed 11/13
PLC 4th, 5th, 3rd
Relaxation Coffee Chat with Warren, Snow, and Taylor
Thurs 11/14
Faculty Meeting
Sat 11/16
Race for the Ville at WCMS
Tues 11/19
PTA Board Meeting @ 9:30
Wed 11/20
Principal's Meeting
Thurs 11/21
Bingo Night 6:00 pm
Friday 11/22
Kdg Pow Wow and Feast 2:30
Nov. 25th - Nov. 29th
Thanksgiving Holiday