Author: Vanessa Howard

Posted on by Vanessa Howard

My Black History Moment – Meeting a Living Legend

Andrew Young Jr. 

 

I had the opportunity to attend a symposium taught by the living legend Andrew Jackson Young Jr.   I was in awe to be in the presence of such a Civil Rights Leader that worked directly with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  Although I was 51 years old, my admiration for this hero transformed me into a giddy 16-year-old.  I couldn’t stop smiling and I couldn’t speak at the same time. 

 

Mr. Young was teaching a symposium for the YMCA at Washington University.  I was extended the invitation by Mr. Larry Rosen the coordinator of the event. I had the opportunity to sit at the head table with him.  He was very gracious, endearing, and ever so sweet.  I had to fight the urge to cut his food on his plate and get the food off his tie as he enjoyed the scrumptious meal.  Although I was a foodie, I was so nervous, I couldn’t eat because I hung on his every word.  I apologized for staring, and he said, “You lived in St. Louis, right?”  I replied yes.  Then he began to ask me about the riots in Ferguson, Missouri.  I had to drink some water to gather my voice and speak.  I shared my perspective, then he shared history with me.  He talked about things that can cause unrest in a race of people and how everyone has a civic duty to make their communities better.  Then, he shared stories with me about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other Civil Rights Leaders who had transformed society.  He continued our discussion by sharing how he helped Atlanta gain economic empowerment during his tenure as mayor. 

 

I was so elated to share time with this living legend.  I shared our picture on social media.  One comment I received was, “Vanessa who was that old man that you took a picture with?” This comment was made by an educated African American.  My draw dropped, and I had to depart some history knowledge on my friend.  This was also disheartening to me because it means that somewhere along the line we have forgotten to pass along our history to a generation.  My mind began to reflect how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy has been reduced to the initials letters (MLK), and Black History Month is celebrated for one day or not at all.  So, to my young brothers and sisters, I want to introduce to you Mr. Andrew Young Jr. 

Andrew Young

 

Andrew Young, Jr., came into prominence as a  civil rights activist and close associate of  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the modern civil rights movement in the  United States.  Young worked with various organizations early in the movement, but his civil rights work was largely done with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) where he served as an executive director and later executive vice president.  Young served on the Board of Directors until 1972.

Young earned a B.S. degree in Pre-Med (biology) from Howard University (1951) but chose to become a minister.  He attended Hartford Theological Seminary and graduated with a degree in divinity in 1955.  Soon afterward he became a pastor at Bethany Congregational Church in Thomasville, Georgia.  In 1961 Young resigned his pastoral position and joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which had been founded in Atlanta by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. three years earlier.  Young quickly emerged as a trusted lieutenant of King and served as a principal strategist and negotiator during the Civil Rights Campaigns in Birmingham and Selma, Alabama that resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 and  Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In 1972, Andrew Young became the first African American elected to the United States Congress from Georgia since Reconstruction.  Young served as a twice-re-elected Congressional Representative from the 5th district from 1973 to 1977.  After the election of fellow Georgian Jimmy Carter as President in 1976, Young was appointed by Carter to serve as the US Ambassador to the United Nations.  There, Young was a consistent critic of white minority rule in  South Africa and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).  His support for liberation movements in both nations led him to make statements critical of  Great Britain and other American allies for their role in supporting the regimes.  Young was forced to resign, however, after meeting with leaders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1979, which was at that time designated a terrorist group by the United States government.

In 1981 Young was elected Mayor of Atlanta and served in this capacity until 1990 when he ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Georgia.  During his tenure as Mayor, he brought the 1996  Olympic Games to Atlanta.

 

Source: https://blackpast.org/aah/young-andrew-1932

Civil Rights Leader

Andrew Young

“My hope for my children must be that they respond to the still, small voice of God in their hearts.”

 

Virtual Home Visits: Ways to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom 

Posted on by Vanessa Howard

I know my students well.  academically, socially, and emotionally.  The first week of school I spend quality time getting to know my students.  The first day of school, I have my students complete an essay, “What is something you really wished your teacher knew about you?”  I give students time to complete the essay independently, then I meet with them individually to have a discussion about their essay.  You will be surprised by the information that you can glean from the essays and the conversations.  Students can be very candid in their written and oral responses.  You must use your professional discretion with the information that your students provide.   

 

Then, I have students complete an interest survey. (See Attachment)

https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/teachers/blogs/john-depasquale/2017/JD-Survey-Survey.pdf

I used homework assignments to assist me in incorporating parent’s perspectives, learning more about the community, and developing a deeper understanding of the students that I serviced.

 

Sample Homework Questions                    

Interview your parent about the following topics: “What makes my family unique?” or  “What goals should we set for school and why?”

What do you and your family do for fun?

Who are the people in your immediate family?  Explain your relationship to them.

Share any family traditions or holidays?  Explain why this is important to your family.

Who is the funniest person in your family?  Share a funny story about this person.

What is your family’s favorite thing to do together? Share why this is your favorite thing to do.

What is you or your family’s favorite TV show? Explain why you like this show

What is your or your family’s favorite song? Explain why this is your favorite song.

 What is your favorite movie? Explain why this is your favorite movie.

 What do you like to do on the weekends?

What do you like most about school?

What do you like to do on a rainy day?

Tell me about a family trip.  Where did you go and what did you do?  Would you recommend this trip to a friend?  Why or why not.

Describe your community.  Describe any community workers and their jobs that you see in your neighborhood.

What community members or community places do you visit on a regular basis?  Explain why

           

Family projects

Create a family mural to share with your peers.

Bring something from home that you can share to help your friends learn more about your family.

Create a family tree

Create a family crest.  A family crest consists of a shield with a symbol and motto to represent your family.

Create a map of your neighborhood

Create a brochure to describe your neighborhood (homes, apartments, businesses, hang-outs, community helpers)

Regardless of the questions or tool that you choose, it’s important that we just ask. Asking your students’ personal questions demonstrates that you are sincerely interested in knowing more about them as individuals.  This is a powerful way to build a positive learning community. It tells students their voices and perspectives are valued, and it creates a classroom culture that acknowledges and responds to students’ unique needs and preferences.  These activities are designed to create a virtual home visit with your students to share and celebrate their family traditions and cultures.  Although home language is encouraged, these seemingly informal assignments should be prepared formally.   Students should present their homework in a G-rated way (anyone can view or read it and free from profanity etc).   Help students to know when and why it is appropriate, while valuing their home culture and language at the same time.

The classroom is a place where you can help your students develop a connection with the curriculum by incorporating their life experiences within the classroom.  The information that you can glean from these activities should be used to design more inclusive lesson activities that are directly related to the curriculum.  Building authentic relationships with your students will motivate them to meet and exceed your high expectations. 

Dr. Vanessa Howard

Founder

 

Good Fit Book: How do you help your child select the right book to read?

Posted on by Vanessa Howard

Good Fit BOoks

How do you help your child select the right book to read?

When your child is reading materials, they should read books that are not their textbooks.  Your child should be encouraged to read books for fun.  When children read books during recreational times, this is when they can increase their reading proficiencies.  The whole goal of reading is to understand.  If your child is not reading books and understanding the author’s message, then, your child is merely calling words. Fluent readers are children that can read words in books accurately, using phrasing to make the words convey meaning, and they are able to retell/remember what they have read.   So, the book selection is very critical in motivating your child to read independently.

 

What is A Good Fit Book?

Good fit books are the best motivator for keeping your child interested in reading books independently.  Good Fit Books are books that are books that your child can read independently without having to do a lot of reading work.  When your child has to frequently stop reading to figure out unknown words, it breaks the flow of their reading and may hamper your child’s comprehension. 

 

Good Fit Book Checklist
  1. Have your child select a book that they think they would like to read.
  2. Have your child read 1 or 2 pages aloud.
  3. If your child can read the page without making 5 or more errors, this is a good fit book for them to read.
  4. If your child can read the passage smoothly and with phrasing, it is a good fit book

 

 

Preparing your child to read at home

Posted on by Vanessa Howard

Preparing your child to read at home

Reading is a skill that your child will use throughout his or her lifetime.  Your babies will reap the benefits of you reading to them daily or listening to them read.  When children are read to on a daily basis, there are many benefits and advantages that you impart to your child.  The more you read to your child (pre-readers) or listen to your child read it increases their personal vocabulary. 

 

Reading teaches students to explore language and incorporate the nuances that they hear into their daily language.  The more children read or listen to stories, it helps prepare them to be better spellers and writers.  It also helps your child understand different topics about the world and everyday life.  An informed child becomes a responsible citizen that is able to make critical life decisions.

 

I cannot overemphasize the importance of reading to young children and providing daily opportunities for your child to read. 

how does reading at home help your child?

 

  1. Reading to your child provides a wonderful opportunity for parental bonding and it sets your child on the path to reaching their greatest potential. The more literature that your child experiences will help develop a solid foundation to prepare them for school and beyond.  The greatest gift that you can give your child is a library card.  It’s free and reading expands children from their knowledge home to the world.
  2. Reading provides oral language experiences for your child that is necessary for them to understand the structure of language and using words in context. Choose books that interest your child.  The type of materials that your child read can vary from newspapers, magazines, comics, novels etc.…

 

 

Cultural Competency

Posted on by Vanessa Howard

Cultural Competency

What Cultural Competency?

 

Cultural competence is the ability to understand, communicate with and effectively interact with people
across cultures. 
It’s Easier than you think
We may have a limited influence on the home lives of our students.  Though once they enter our school, we have the opportunity to assess student needs and then work to adapt our instruction to meet their needs. 
If a child’s most basic needs are not met, their learning can be hindered. Addressing emotional needs is one way to bridge a child’s security-based physiological needs. When a child does not feel an emotional connection with their teacher, they may have difficulty reaching their greatest potential. A child will not allow you to teach them unless they feel as though you truly care about them.  Learning is directly tied to your emotions (affective domain).
Before school starts, I initiate contact with my students. During the regular school year, I spend time in the cafeteria and at recess building relationships with them and taking mental notes on personalities.    In the summer, I send postcards to my students and I make an introductory phone call to students on my roster. What I have learned by doing this is that students have an easier time transitioning into my teaching style and expectations because I had a prior relationship with them.
Culture shapes identity and identity shapes how a child sees and understands the world. It is important that teachers pay attention to the nuance of the culture of the students that they serve.   During playtime, I am listening to what the students are discussing.  It is during the informal interactions with their peers that I learn students likes and dislikes.  Students refer to this as ‘ear hustling.’ When students are playing, their defenses are down and you can learn the true nature/personalities of your students.
I keep my expectations high for all my students. I use a multi-criteria for assessing and implementing instruction. When I was a classroom teacher, my students rarely stayed at home.  My attendance rate was high because the students wanted to be at school. My students had high state test scores because they knew I believed in them and I had given them to tools necessary to be successful.  I built on my students’ strengths and not their perceived weaknesses.   They knew my classroom was a safe place to learn, change and grow.  You can have the best lesson plans prepared and if you have not built a relationship based on mutual trust and respect… the learning in your classroom may be hindered.  

ASK QUESTIONS – Now is your time!!!

Posted on by Vanessa Howard

Ask Questions

I felt like an oddball growing up because I asked a lot of questions.   There were times when adults and my friends got tired of my question.  They would get impatient and sometimes ignore me. 

I had one teacher Ms. Clay that encouraged me to ask, “Why?”  She encouraged my curiosity and explained that when I got older, I would be glad that I asked questions because… “Questions Leads To Great Wisdom.”   

 I needed to understand the purpose and the ‘why’ of activities.    Asking questions empowers you to take ownership of your learning.  It helps you develop critical thinking skills and stimulates your thinking. to expand your knowledge base beyond the status quo.    

Hint: Remember to be polite when you ask questions to adults and learn as much as you can. 

 

 

 

Now is Your Time

Window of Opportunity: From Birth to 3 years old

Posted on by Vanessa Howard

Make Every Moment Count

Did you know that by the time your baby is three years old that 80% of your child’s brain is developed?   Your child’s first three years of learning experiences are known as ‘the  window of opportunity.’  It is during this time that your child has the strongest possible foundation for success.  Experiences during these early years help determine the way the brain wires itself; therefore, they have important and long-lasting consequences.

 ‘The window of opportunity’ is a time when your child is open to amazing opportunities to learn specific information and skills easily and spontaneously. Once the window has closed, however, the same information/skills must be learned the hard way…through memorization