Area of Belonging: Culture. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

Culture is something that everyone has. Institutions, families, and groups have culture. When a child’s culture is recognized and celebrated, they will thrive in their environment. Parents need to be  the cheerleader for their child in helping them feel comfortable in the skin they are in. Children need to know they are safe, respected, and honored. If that is threatened at any moment, it could jeopardize learning.

A personal example: We live in the suburb of Salt Lake City. We made the decision to move from the diversity of North Salt Lake so that we could have a home that could accommodate our 5 children. I was a bit worried about the greater lack of diversity.  As our younger two children began preschool and first grade in their new monochromatic culture, I worried as a black mom from Greater Cleveland. I questioned, what this would do to my children’s self esteem? As the school year began, I was glad to hear that the teacher wanted each child to share their culture and family in class over the course of the week. Since my daughter’s last name began with the letter D, she presented in August. She spoke about her dad’s Wyoming farming family, her mother’s sharecropping and runaway slave family history, family celebrations, such as Kwanzaa, and lastly her hair. I empowered her to talk about who SHE was. I was glad that teacher started the year off that way. An emphasis that everybody has culture.

As we went into her second grade year, I noticed that her one teacher was a little more impatient with her wiggles, blurting out, and her occasional lack luster performance in school work. I knew this 4th child of our family did wiggle, but she was not a misbehaving child and she was very bright. She had been speaking Spanish since she was a toddler, talked extremely early, hit milestones early, etc. When the teacher said “she was being difficult” a red flag went off for me.  I had to get down to the bottom of it. As a black woman, she had an entire adult life to hear that phrase and I was not going to allow it to began at age 8. Long story short, I pointed out how my child was raised and identified a few things I felt needed to be addressed. My daughter was later tested and we discovered she was gifted. Those wiggles and non-complaint behaviors were one of a child who needed more of a challenge. I am glad that as a mother, I recognized the bias of the teacher and social worker, spoke up and defended her need for an appropriate education.

When educators recognize that no learning will occur without relationships, the journey to learn about who the students are begins. Love-Day Educational Consulting can help schools, business, and organizations chart their path to a better sense of belonging, inclusion, and equity for all.

RISE Virtual Academy

RISE virtual Academy Began in August, 2020

A Utah based-virtual place for students to learn Black History, their role in their community, their worth, beauty, and #blackgirlmagic and #blackboyjoy. Classes will be held weekly.

Please visit the website and donations can be made here

Area of Love: Discipline

Children thrive in environments where there is structure and routine. Most everyone feels comfortable when they know what to expect in the situations they are getting themselves into. Because children have very little control of their circumstances and surroundings, creating a structured environment can give them something to rely on.

Once the structure and routine are in place, expectations can be given, taught, and nurtured.

We teach reading, swimming, math, driving, and also need to teach children how to behave. We live in a society where we are quick to punish.

Instead, why not create places where children have input, creativity, control, and expectations that create the positive behavior we are looking for? This can be in the classroom and at home. In the store and at church.

“Often, we equate the term “discipline” with punishment. But the word “discipline” comes from the Latin word “disciplina,” which means “teaching, learning.” That’s the key to correcting our kids’ behaviors – giving them the tools they need to learn a better behavior.” (McCready, 2016)

I learned that the steps to discipline can be:

1. Fill your child’s bucket and mind with positive time and attention.
   1. We are busy, there is no doubt about that. But we have to make time to put the phone down, turn off the TV, and turn and look our children in the eyes. Taking your child on a walk or just playing an old fashioned board game can give you insight to who your child is becoming. Don’t forget, children feel stress and need to unwind as well.
2. Take time for training.
   1. The best way I have found to get the behavior I expect is by modeling it. With giving my child time with me, I play with them. As an adult, we have often forgotten how to play. My daughter wanted to play “animals” with me one day. I felt so stupid getting on the floor, barking like the “momma dog,” and playing. After 10 minutes, it began to become fun, and I was able to be kind to my child when she hurt her paw, teach her patience when she “growled” at her sister for interrupting, and give her love when she cuddled in my lap. As we play more and more together through tea parties, dolls, and princess games, I can teach her how to be tolerant of others and the expectations I have for her in her behavior as a person.
3. Set limits and stick with them
   1. I have often witnessed parents and teachers alike that give warning after warning with no follow through. “Sara, if you jump on the couch again, I am turning off the TV.” or “Jon, if you don’t stop getting up to sharpen your pencil, I am going to keep you in from recess for 5 minutes.” All without acting on the said threat. Children know when you are bluffing and will continue to misbehave. As the adult, you have to say what you mean. Which means,  you have to have limits, mean what you say and act on it.

Help children make the right choice. Model for them what that looks like in all aspects. Remember- they are watching you. Be a good example.

Resources:

McCready, Amy (2016). “3 tips to discipline without punishment”, Positive Parenting Solutions.

Area of Love: Integrating Literacy

You can view and follow  on Facebook and the website “Integrating Literacy.” Information is shared weekly (or as time allows).

Under the education umbrella, reading is the fundamental process that will produce growth in a child. It is something that should be used daily. Children need to be read to and they should see their parents reading. With literacy, the entire world is an open door and is the connecting piece to what is used with Love-Day Educational Consulting.

Over the years, I have shared activities that would be useful for parents and teachers.

 

 

 

The start of the journey

When I began my first Masters degree in 2001, I knew my passion was focused not only on literacy, but also the importance of parent involvement in a student’s education. My thesis title ” Parents’ perceptions on their involvement with teachers in the literacy development of children,” explored ways schools and parents could communicate.

I believe and continue to study the fact that parents play a very important part in the education of their children, the teachers and the schools extend an invitation to parents to help make them feel welcomed and needed in and out of the classroom.

This study has grown over the decades of being in education and has expanded to the reason why I left the classroom to become an administrator: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Working in classrooms, schools, and with parents, I see the necessary connection with education is crucial for the positive development for the child. in all areas.

Communication, relationships, and belonging are what is needed for schools and organizations to be successful.

Just like a sunrise and sunset, this needs to happen daily, and when there is a miscommunication, it can affect many aspects, mainly, the child.  At Love-Day Educational Consulting, we can be here to put the love daily back into the child and give the support that parents need and the tools that schools look for.