Tip 5: Involve the parents as much as possible
One of the most difficult challenges I faced while working in a low-income school was trying to get the parents involved in their student’s academic life. As I stated earlier, many of these students come from a single parent home (usually mom) and the parent often does not have the time to check on his or her child during school hours. One of the ways I was able to combat this issue was by making positive phone calls home. I realized that the only time I ever made a call home was when a student was failing or had poor classroom behavior. It never dawned on me that positive calls could have a positive impact on student improvement. Not once in my first year of teaching did I call home to tell a parent that their child did an excellent job in class and that I wanted them to acknowledge the child the first chance they had. As it turns out, parents are much more likely to have a conversation with you when their child is doing well than when their child is doing poorly. By taking small steps like making positive calls home, I was able to build a rapport with the parents. As a result, when it was time to make the “your child is struggling call” they were much more willing to listen and take action.
Tip 6: Be a Life Long Learner
I had to come to the conclusion that professional development was the missing link and the key to my success as a teacher. Once the school year ended, I read every book I could get my hands on about best practices for good teachers. The Marva Collins Way was the first book I researched. Her works highlighted the practical yet innovative strategies teachers can use to bring the best out in all students despite their academic background. When I wasn’t reading, I was watching every film out about success in the classroom. I had an unusual ability to use films (like most people used workshops or other professional development sessions) and apply them to my practice. The two films that resonated most were Lean on Me, Stand and Deliver Jamie Escalante. Both films demonstrated how educators could serve as real change agents by using aggressive, proactive and innovative strategies for school improvement. In addition to what I learned from outside research, I learned a great deal from my own students. I quickly learned that students have a wealth of knowledge about what works and what doesn’t work in the classroom. I eventually pulled a few interested students to the side and involved them in the creative process of designing the lesson plan and other related issues.
Tip 7: Give students a sense of purpose
One of the things that concerned me was the lack of interest a number of my students had in the learning process as a whole. I always believed that there was a direct connection between student performance and student interest. A number of my students who had academic challenges were more than capable of excelling. The problem was that they didn’t see the benefits of school. I made it my business to help students make the connection. I brought guest presenters from different professional backgrounds to share their story. Mason West and I also created a theatrical group called Act’in Up that traveled with me during my college tours. On the academic side, I started a reading initiative for upperclassmen called the Billion Dollar Book Club, which encouraged students and rewarded them for reading. These small initiatives ignited the school’s spirit and created a bond between the school’s staff and the students. Once students made the connection to how school could have a positive impact on their lives, their whole approach to learning changed for the better.
Summary: Effective means of working with students. Tips 1-7.
• Build a relationship.
• Remember each student is different.
• Find a balance.
• Create an energetic learning environment.
• Involve the parents as much as possible.
• Be a life long learner.
• Give students a sense of purpose.
CHAPTER
21
Homecoming
Do you think about me now and then?
Do you think about me now and then?
‘Cause I’m coming home again.
Do you think about me now and then?
Do you think about me now and then?
Oh, ‘cause I’m coming home again.
Maybe we can start again. - Kayne West
By 1998, I had everything I could ask for. My marriage was going great, my career was on the rise, I had a great position on campus, and I was back in school with my degree on the horizon. I also had my second child, my baby girl, Jayda. Life was great but school was challenging. I remember being so frustrated I would have to put my books down and do what I called the “You can do it” visualization exercise. I pretended that I was at my graduation. It was simple because I had gone to every graduation since I arrived on campus. One reason I went every year had to do with the fact that I felt as though I needed to support my friends. Another had to do with the fact that I needed it to burn. It hurt to see my peer’s siblings and younger cousins graduate before me. I enrolled at Oakwood in ‘89 and here it was ‘98. Each time I attended the ceremony it cut like a knife, but that’s exactly what I needed it to do. I learned that pain produces certain things that complacency can’t. So when I was tired of studying, I would put my books down and walk through the living room pretending I had on my cap and gown. Then I heard the announcer say, “Graduating with a bachelors of science from the College of Business. Mr. Eric Thomas.” I was so motivated after that exercise, I would run back to my study area and put another two hours into my books.
I finally completed my degree 12 years after enrolling in college. As I put on my cap and gown I looked in the mirror and began crying tears of joy. I thought about all the cold nights sleeping in abandoned buildings in Detroit. I thought about the moment I found out who my biological father was. I thought about my wife and kids and how proud I was to be a father and husband. I thought about Bob and all the other people who had poured into me when I was at my lowest point. At that moment a calm came over me. It was a feeling I had never experienced. It was a feeling of ultimate peace. I was no longer being held back by my thoughts of academic inadequacy. I was no longer mad at my mother or my biological father. I was no longer mad at myself for the foolish decisions I had made in the past. At that moment, I realized that God had a true plan for my life all along. I understood that he birthed me to be a champion for the underdog. To be that champion, he needed to put me through the fire so that when I speak to people who are at their lowest point, with seemingly no way out, I can honestly tell them that it is possible to rise up and succeed.
Months later, I began thinking about the opportunity Rodney and Murray at MSU had offered me in regards to graduate school. It was consuming my thoughts. I kept saying to myself, “…even though you never finished high school and barely managed to finish your bachelor’s degree, wouldn’t it be crazy to give graduate school a shot?” But that would mean leaving everything De and I had worked for behind for a graduate assistantship that paid little. That would mean leaving our house, De’s job, my influence in the city, and all of our family and friends behind. “Am I willing to make that kind of sacrifice?”