Here is my vlog on my thoughts about this semester and the different modules that we have learned about.
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Part 1~
Family Engagement
Ideas for getting started: Article (1)
The Beginners Guide to Connecting Home and School
As mentioned in the article it is important to have a connection between home and school as this supports success for students academically and can improve the way they think and learn. If a student is having a hard time with their home life they aren’t going to succeed as well in school. It is important to incorporate assignments and or homework that students are able to make connections with at home as well as in school. This will help students feel more motivated and that there is a purpose to completing their work and they will have a positive mindset when it comes to such projects as well as assignments. Another way to connect home and school as mentioned in the article would be creating real life connections and or lessons to help students really picture and understand why they are learning what they are being taught. Helping students create more meaningful connections after going home from school is important because as an educator you need to see what the student is capable of completing outside the classroom but it also lets the student think on a deeper level when surrounded in maybe a more comfortable environment being their home.
Teacher-Tested Strategies and tips Article (2)
3 Ways to Make Meaningful Connections with Your Students
After reading this article and hearing that this teacher likes to take the first few minutes of class to connect with their students unrelated to school and just talk to them about things they like to do or if they have anything planned for the weekend. Not only is the teacher connecting with their students but they are also able to tell which students struggle more with their home life and love to come to school as they can tell by the way they answer questions. This allows the teacher to build more meaningful relationships and let her students know that she is there for them and not just to teach constantly. This allows the student to form a connection with their teacher and make it more exciting for the student to want to go to school when maybe they didn’t before. Listening to a student’s personal lives and thoughts also as mentioned in the article lets the teacher know that they feel trust because she took the time to listen. Another idea mentioned in the article was to attend students’ extracurricular activities as it will make them feel seen as that they matter. This is also a great way to interact with students’ parents and keep them updated if any concerns come up. Being a teacher is not easy, and of course everyone has busy lives but showing up to something like that means the world to them and shows them that you’re available if they need.
Article (2) Effective communication is key
It is important to have a mutual understanding when it comes to teaching/parent relationships and of course you want the teacher and parent to be on the same page when it comes to the student and or child. With all of this new technology and new advancements to communication, it is actually making it harder for the parents as this is all new to them and they didn’t grow up in this era so it is taking some time to get used to. That is why it is important that when meeting parents at the beginning of the year it is crucial to let them know what is going on so they are not thrown off at any point or unaware of how their child is doing in the classroom. Also keeping parents in the loop to keep them comfortable with everything going on.
Board of education meeting:
Overall the meeting was very informative as there were different aspects to it as they covered different topics and had students from the elementary school present. There is a lot that goes on in a board of education meeting so it is important to go and I will be attending more to get a better idea of what topics and things they discuss to better the school and prepare students for achieving new learning skills
20 Tips for Developing Positive Relationships With Parents
It is important to maintain positive relationships with parents and some ways to show that you care as mentioned in the article are to know parents’ names and when you see them address them properly as this shows respect to the child and parents. Another way to increase positive relationships with parents is to communicate frequently and make sure if there’s a translator needed that one is provided as that will improve communication greatly as well make the parents feel more comfortable speaking about any concerns they might be having. Speaking about the way we communicate, it is important to not assume about anyone’s family situations. Making sure as an educator that you’re asking questions about the child to the parent as well also shows that you care and are there for that student.
Building teacher-parent Relationships~ ELL Parent Involvement
It is definitely important for English Language Learning parents to be involved with their child’s school work as it is learning a new language for the both of them and they want to see them succeed as it is not easy transitioning to new material in a whole different language. Students having their parents involved in their academic life can impact them tremendously and see better results in their studies overall.
Part 2
~The plan for communicating with parents:
I am hoping to teach Kindergarten, first, or second grade, and with the younger students I want to have a clear understanding of what expectations are and how communication will be throughout the school year so that if any parents have concerns they know they are able to come talk to me. As mentioned in some of the articles above, it is very important to have good relationships with students as if anything is going on at home and they happen to tell you, you are able to see if help is needed and understand if the student isn’t performing as well in the classroom as they normally would. I also agree that it is important for teachers to have good relationships with their students’ parents as well as remembering things parents have brought up about their child to the teacher and knowing what can be done if action is needed. I also think the way someone talks is important and so being mindful of how we speak to parents is also very important as well. Making sure parents are on the same page with the teacher is also important as they should know what is going on with their child.
References
Dell’Angelo, T. (2014, December 10). The Beginners Guide to Connecting Home and School. Edutopia., https://www.edutopia.org/blog/beginners-guide-connecting-home-school-tabitha-dellangelo
Provenzano, N. (2014, February 24). 3 Ways to Make Meaningful Connections with Your Students. Edutopia., https://www.edutopia.org/blog/make-meaningful-connections-with-students-nick-provenzano
Stephens, D. (2014, September 11). Back-to-school night: The ultimate conservation starter for a successful school year. Edutopia., https://www.edutopia.org/blog/back-to-school-conversation-starter-darri-stephens
Aguilar, E. (2011, September 23). 20 Tips for Developing Positive Relationships with Parents. Edutopia.,https://www.edutopia.org/blog/20-tips-developing-positive-relationships-parents-elena-aguilar
Borovoy, A. (2011, April 16). ELL Parent Involvement, Youtube., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_-aLWOk9Og&list=PLvzOwE5lWqhRPzheyprYHcA8SZl9Qvnpz&index=4
In the documentary, Plugged in: The true toxicity of social media we can see how there is a lot of talk about how phones and social media have become more addictive to young adults as well as teenagers and adults. So many of these people have mentioned in the documentary how it impacts such a big part of their life as many aspects take place when using the phone and going on social media. There are people who judge others and then it becomes a negative place where people can enter really dark places in their mind and unfortunately it becomes too late to help them. This is why there needs to be a limit on social media and how much one should be using their phone in a day. It becomes very addictive and you may pick up your phone out of habit because it is just something that everyone has become used to. This is not only horrible for our minds but affects the way we perform in all aspects of life. When it comes to school, especially for elementary school students that are old enough for phones, this can become a problem as students are still young and may not know their rights and wrongs when it comes to phone responsibilities. Too much screen time can also lead to other problems with children’s concentrations as we have read back in previous blogs that too much screen time can lead to ADHD and other mental delays that children may face in school. As students Get older it may become more of a problem when it comes to social media this is the main way that students get bullied online as it continues into school many teenagers like to compare themselves to things that they see on social media that may be fake or just unrealistic and it sets a standard that for some people may feel like it is impossible to achieve when it is totally okay to just be yourself. there is so much influence out in the world that is at the fingertips of every individual with a phone or a computer so it is important to let these people know that they can be who they want to be and to not let anything go to their head as it can lead to suicide and other negative factors that occur when technology and social media take over
Personally when it comes Technology for Elementary School students no phone should be allowed out obviously depending on the grade 5th and 6th graders might have phones as they might walk to school and walk home. the use of Technology of course will be incorporated into lessons for the students but I think bringing up to the students to seriousness of how technology and social media can affect someone is important to do I do think that it is hurting a lot of teenagers homemade being in middle and high school and it can really damage a person so it’s really important to make sure that everyone is aware of all the possibilities when it comes to this topic.
For the article The Scientific Debate Over Teens, Screens, and Mental Health, there is definitely important information in this talk that we can listen to on this website about how important it is for teenagers to be aware of how time-consuming phones are and what it can do to someone’s Mental Health over long periods of time. a lot of people always say that they’re not on their phone that much and they’re not addicted to it but whether they realize it or not they have become addicted to their phone because so many people don’t realize that they literally can’t function without it.
In the article Tips For Healthy Social Media Use: For Parents and Teens There are a bunch of tips listed for parents on what to provide for their kids on how to use social media appropriately. some of these tips include that parents understand the apps that you are letting your kids use when you give them their phone make sure that you are having conversations with your child and keeping up to date and making sure that they are okay, make sure that if your child needs to talk to you about something that you are there and ready and open to listen if you yourself as a parent have social media make sure you are modeling positive behavior so they can follow, lastly make sure that they don’t overstep and there are boundaries and they have limits and can only use social media for a certain amount of time and when they get to a certain age.
References
Willett, R. (Director). (2019). Plugged-In: The Toxicity of Social Media Revealed. [YouTube Video]. Brick in the Wall Media. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHzwMLx-rKc
Kamenetz, A. (2019, August 27). NPR’s The Scientific Debate over Teens, Screens, and Mental Health. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/2019/08/27/754362629/the-scientific-debate-over-teens-screens-and-mental-health?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20190901&utm_campaign=ed&utm_term=nprnews&utm_id=25646263(2023, January 20) Tips For Healthy Social Media Use: For Parents and Teens. University Health of Utah. https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2023/01/tips-healthy-social-media-use-parents-and-teens
The lesson that I chose was Lesson 4, Stress, Coping, and Wellness. It is very important to have good coping methods to deal with stress and mental health issues as it is very common for students to feel overwhelmed while in school. Having a lesson dedicated to coming up with different ways to cope with positive and negative stress is such an important lesson to have as some students may be struggling and not even know it. Overall this would be a great lesson for older elementary school students, maybe grade 5 and 6 as it would be a bit confusing for younger students and not enough information for older students as they are exposed to more. There were honestly a lot of great aspects about this lesson and the information it has, as well as the pre lecture and post lecture. The assignment that can be done at home is also a great opportunity for students to get a chance to practice mindfulness meditation at home, in a space they are most comfortable with and really feel it. The lesson identifies the different aspects of stress and how if not handled properly it can lead to drugs and poor decisions. The lesson also gives a scenario of 2 girls talking about their friend Sarah who is dealing with the loss of a close family member and is coping with it poorly by choosing to vape. The friend that suggests trying to talk to her again and maybe seek help from an adult is using a positive coping method by trying to help her friend express the way she is feeling. The lesson is able to explain the causes and effects of what stress can do to the body and how you can cope with it properly. One way that I might improve the lesson if it were in my classroom would be to simplify it a bit as I want to teach kindergarten through second or third grade students and this lesson might be to complex for them to understand, but I still want them to get an idea of what stress is and how they can deal with it the right way. As I said earlier the lesson is really good but I definitely think it is targeted more at older students who maybe have a little bit more background knowledge on what stress may actually feel like.
Reference:
(n.d)., Halpern-Felsher REACH Lab., Lesson 4, Stress, Coping, and Wellness https://med.stanford.edu/halpern-felsher-reach-lab/preventions-interventions/Safety-First/safety-first-lesson-4.html
flip.com/s/VejKxYWCABG-
References
Mindful Schools. (2015, September 21). Room to Breathe Film. Mindful Schools. https://www.mindfulschools.org/resources/room-to-breathe/
Schwartz, K. (2019, April 9). Nine Ways To Ensure Your Mindfulness Teaching Practice is Trauma-Informed. KQED. https;//www.kqed.org/miindshift/53228/nine-ways-to-ensure-your-mindfulness-teaching-practice-is-trauma-informed
(2010). Why Is Mindfulness Needed In Education?
Rootd App. (n.d.). Panic attack and anxiety relief right in your pocket. App Store. https://www.rootd.io
Community Comparison project
Number of students: 2,181
Financial transparency: District P-12 Enrollment: 2,185
Need resources category: Low need, District ability to raise local funds is significantly more than the average district in the state, district student needs are significantly less than the state average.
Class size: 11:1
4 year graduation rate: 96%
Standardized test scores: Grade 3 ELA: 59%, Grade 4 ELA, 57%, Grade 5 ELA: 65%, Grade 6 ELA: 65%, Grade 7 ELA: 72%, Grade 8 ELA:80%. Grade 3 Math: 70%, Grade 4 Math: 80%, Grade 5 Math: 76%, Grade 6 Math: 72%, Grade 7 Math: 71%, Grade 8 Math: 60%, Grade 8 Science: 0%. (ELA and Math include % taking the tests)
Accountability status: Accountability support models: Local support and improvement, Target district, Modified methodology.
Per pupil spending: 15,379 per student each year. Annual revenue of $53,672,000. Overall, the district spends $8,395.7 million on instruction, $5,153.5 million on support services and $750.9 million on other expenses.
Ethnicity: Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian or Native Hawiian/Other pacific Islander, White, Multicultural.
Median Household income: $149,413
Average property/ School Taxes: sales tax in Seaford is: 8.63%
Average home price: Median listing home price $699,000
https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Seaford_NY/schools/Seaford-Manor-School-0751479961
https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/new-york/seaford-manor-school-247586
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/seafordcdpnewyork
https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/delaware/districts/seaford-school-district-112451#:~:text=Finances%20at%20Seaford%20School%20District,%24750.9%20million%20on%20other%20expenses.
https://www.avalara.com/taxrates/en/state-rates/new-york/cities/seaford.html#:~:text=The%20minimum%20combined%202024%20sales,sales%20tax%20rate%20is%204.25%25.
This week we are talking about themes in homelessness and how it can seriously impact students’ lives as well as their success in school. This is definitely an important topic to be aware of as an educator as some students may not have all of the resources that are available to them as it is available to other students. Some may ask what defines a homeless student? A homeless student can be “defined as students who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, that is, students living in shared housing, hotels or motels, shelters, and unsheltered places” (Cai, 2021). Some of the themes that were brought up in the articles as well as the documentary, “The Homestretch” were exclusion from regular school activities as well as sports, or not being able to attend class regularly because of things going on personally. This also leads to some students feeling shameful and or embarrassed of their situation which they never should, but it can definitely get the best of them and take over. Many of the students from the documentary live in poverty and feel as though they don’t have all the resources they need to succeed in school. This can lead to other issues of students dropping out and having nowhere to go. Some students may feel as though there is no point in continuing their education without the proper support as well as materials needed for school. Technology is very important as having a computer or tablet can help students keep in touch with one another as well as their teachers if they are struggling with an assignment.
Ujifusa, A., (2021, September 14.) Our Student Homelessness Numbers Are Staggering. Schools Can Be A Bridge to a Solution.https://www.edweek.org/leadership/our-student-homeless-numbers-are-staggering-schools-can-be-a-bridge-to-a-solution/2021/09
The documentary and articles offer a lot of information regarding students who are in terrible situations and face homelessness and poverty alone. The books that I found connect to the themes in this week’s module and relate to students who are suffering all over the world.
The first book is called These shoes by Maribeth Boelts, it goes on to talk about being selfless and helping someone who is in need rather than being selfish and only caring about oneself. It is important to be aware of students who are facing homelessness and poverty as they may not speak up for themselves and what they need because they are coming from nothing so they don’t want to be asking for too much. There are many books on this site that fall under the homeless category and can relate to children
Homelessness is a very serious topic and with the help of the National Center for Homeless Education we will hopefully start to see some differences being made. “Another factor that impacted data on students who experienced homelessness is the effect that COVID-19 had on the enrollment of students overall. The overall number of students enrolled in school districts also decreased.” The Impact of the pandemic definitely took a toll on many people and for the homeless community it definitely worsened the condition they were already in.
References:
Bullfrog Films (2014). Login required. Logmin.molloy.idm.oclc.org. https://docuseek2-com.molloy.idm.oclc.org/cart/product/913
Cai, J. (2021, July 27). Homeless Students in Public Schools Across America: Down but Not Out. http://Www.nsba.org/Prespectives/2021/homeless-students
Ujifusa, A., (2021, September 14.) Our Student Homelessness Numbers Are Staggering. Schools Can Be A Bridge to a Solution.https://www.edweek.org/leadership/our-student-homeless-numbers-are-staggering-schools-can-be-a-bridge-to-a-solution/2021/09
Rosbach, M., (n.d) 9 Children’s Picture Books That Spark Conversations About Homelessness.https://www.readbrightly.com/picture-books-about-homelessness/
National Crisis For Homeless Education., (2022.) Student Homelessness In America
https://nche.ed.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Student-Homelessness-in-America-2022.pdf?utm_source=research-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website&utm_content=later-37044835
Mental health is something to be very aware of as an educator as having a classroom of 20-30 students can be a lot to manage and make sure that everyone is doing okay, so it is important to be aware of the signs that someone may be going through if they are struggling with their mental health. As mentioned in some of the articles it should always be the first step if you see someone struggling is to take action and do something about it as an educator, whether that means talking to the principal or talking to a parent about maybe some of the signs that have been brought to your attention in the classroom. Sometimes researching different mental health disorders can help you as an educator become more knowledgeable so that you can better adjust and fit the needs of the students. This will also make them feel more comfortable and that they matter. There are many mental health disorders that can make a student feel less than but this should be brought to their attention that it will only make them stronger as something. Maybe as an educator you help them find the tools they need to overcome it and make a difference.
References
Mental health diagnosis. (n.d.). National Alliance On Mental Illness https://naminycmetro.org/diagnoses-mental-health/bipolar-disorder/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA5-uuBhDzARIsAAa21T_PonvlMtvbsj5z6YOJ3VSkGudKNJJajqY28lS7TWWOgBeBQimasboaAmWbEALw_wcB
Anderson, M. (2020). Here’s How Schools Can Support Students’ Mental Health.https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/09/20/459843929/heres-how-schools-can-support-students-mental-health
We Are Teachers Staff. (2017). What To Do When A Student Self-Harms. https://www.weareteachers.com/student-self-harm/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1660357871
https://flip.com/s/PRWqh9y-1gMH
Erin Wilkey . (2019, March 25). Teachers’ Essential Guide to Cyberbullying Prevention. Common Sense Education; Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/teachers-essential-guide-to-cyberbullying-prevention
TELUS. (2020). TELUS | Dark Cloud: the high cost of cyberbullying. On YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrnoElVEUTA
Affairs (ASPA), A. S. for P. (2019, September 24). Tips for Teachers. StopBullying.gov. https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/tips-for-teachers
Vogels, E., (2022). Teens and Cyberbullying 2022. Pew Research Center https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/12/15/teens-and-cyberbullying-2022/
As someone who wants to be a kindergarten teacher, gun violence as well as school violence can be a tricky topic to deliver to children who are 5-6 years old and may not fully understand this concept yet. I believe that it is definitely important to educate children on this topic and ensure their safety in the classroom. When I think about school violence there are unfortunately a lot of things that fall under that category, some more than others and the first thing that I thought about was bullying. With younger kids I feel as though it is more common and some students are usually doing it because of an underlying issue, whether it be something going on at home or in school this issue is very important to talk about.
School violence contains many aspects such as bullying and cyberbullying, fighting, weapon use, gang violence, and sexual violence. It is important as an educator to be aware of all types of school violence and make sure to have good relationships with students so that if something were to happen they know they can come to you and discuss the situation further.
“All students have the right to learn in a safe school environment. The good news is that school violence can be prevented. Many factors contribute to school violence. Preventing school violence requires addressing the factors that put people at risk for or protect them from violence.”
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Preventing School Violence. Center for disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/schoolviolence/fastfact.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Fyouthviolence%2Fschoolviolence%2Findex.html
Having healthy relationships with your students is very important because you will be able to tell if something is off on the way they are acting and be able to talk to them privately to see what is going on for them and if they need someone to talk to.
“It can be helpful to ask questions and get your kids talking about their social situation. For instance, find out which friends they are getting along with and which ones they’re not.” “Establishing good communication should start well before the kids are having bullying problems,” says Dr. Pastyrnak.”
Broadwell, L., Colino, S. (2023) How To Deal With Bullying in Schools
https://www.parents.com/kids/problems/bullying/bully-proof-your-child-how-to-deal-with-bullies/
Making sure to keep an I on how children behave is also important as an educator, this will make sure that as a teacher you can see when something is off with a child and when they need some comfort.
My Good Brain (October 7th). Bullying prevention
https://www.mygoodbrain.org/blog/bullying-prevention
This infographic is a very helpful way on how to prevent bullying as well as what steps you can take to make sure that everyones mental health is okay and that if someone needs to talk you know how to be their for them.
In the documentary Bowling for Columbine, it goes over a lot of how guns are supported by many people as there are organizations to make more laws approve the use of guns. Many people feel as though they need to have one at all times for their protection rather than relying on the police. This then leads to more violence as not everyone with a gun knows when the right time to use it is. The school shooting at Columbine High school is absolutely devastating and has happened more in recent years. Gun management needs to be better as guns are being provided to the wrong people and end up devastating innocent people’s lives.
References:
WatchDocumentaries. (2002, October 11). Bowling for Columbine (2002). WatchDocumentaries.com. https://watchdocumentaries.com/bowling-for-columbine/
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Preventing School Violence. Center for disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/schoolviolence/fastfact.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Fyouthviolence%2Fschoolviolence%2Findex.html
My Good Brain (October 7th). Bullying prevention
https://www.mygoodbrain.org/blog/bullying-prevention
Broadwell, L., Colino, S. (2023) How To Deal With Bullying in Schools
https://www.parents.com/kids/problems/bullying/bully-proof-your-child-how-to-deal-with-bullies/