Growth Mindset

I was late getting started on this assignment. I searched and searched books that were about children with disabilities and listened to them being read on you tube. They weren’t doing it for me.  I looked at a couple of post from you, my class mates, and this helped me to think. “What is an issue that I feel like I am facing with my students daily?”  I decided at that point to think about growth mindset. So many of my students who have not done well in math in the past have no faith in their ability to learn math and be good at math. We discuss growth mindset regularly and I have shared a good video from Joe Boaler, about growth mindset. However, I still don’t feel like some of my students really believe it about themselves.  

I believe this issue becomes more evident as students are in school for more and more years. I feel like in younger grades students naturally want to learn and feel more comfortable trying. As students have years with little success they begin to lose hope and belief in their ability to learn. Students then develop a negative attitude toward the subject they feel overwhelmed by. Also as students grow they become more aware of the thoughts and opinions of their peers. If they are weak in a subject they put up a harder front and don’t feel comfortable making mistakes in front of the peers. Learning about a growth mindset will hopefully help them see they have the ability to do better and that their brain can learn the material. Hard work will be necessary but it is possible. There is tons of research about growth mindset yet so many of our students have not been exposed to it. It is important for our students to learn our intelligence isn’t fixed, it can change. It can get stronger or weaker depending on how hard we are willing to work.  

This book would be a good place to start helping students build a growth mindset because it teaches them the parts of the brain and what each part is responsible for. It also points out the need for hard work, practice and the value of making mistakes to learning.  

Do any of your students who haven’t been successful in math come in defeated? Do you all have any good books or strategies to build a growth mindset with your students? What do you all do to help foster a growth mindset with you students?

When researching this topic I found the mindset works website that was established by Carol Dweck and her colleagues.  Dweck says ”When students believe they can get smarter, they understand that effort makes them stronger. Therefore they put in extra time and effort and that leads to higher achievement.” She also says it’s important to not only emphasize the important of extra effort but discuss strategies and the willingness to analyze strategies and try new strategies. Just emphasizing on effort is sometimes detrimental because some students are trying very hard but are not successful because they are not equipped with the correct strategies. 

References: Mindsetworks

https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/

Addressing Bullying and Promoting Kindness

You’d have to be living under a rock to not know that bullying has become a major social issue in America.  “An epidemic that causes 160,000 children a day to stay home from school because they are afraid of being bullied, according to the U.S. Department of Education. (Bullied to Death in America’s Schools, abcnews.go.com)  I see it in my classroom among my students.  Situations that could seem so minor, could end up being catastrophic.  I am constantly trying to promote kindness within my classroom environment.  Sometimes children only have 1-2 adult figures that model kindness and acceptance.  Sometimes it only takes 1-2 positive examples in one’s life to make a difference.

“Because you’re at the cusp, kids.  You’re at the edge between childhood and everything that comes after. You’re in transition.” (Wonder, p 299)  As if middle school isn’t hard enough for a ‘normal’ kid, imagine being the new kid with a major face deformity.  August Pullman was born with a genetic disorder that caused him to have a cleft palate along with other facial deformities.  He was home-schooled throughout his early education years because of the countless surgeries and hospitalizations.  When he was 10, his parents decided it was time for him to start school at Beecher Prep.  As you can imagine this life-changing event came with many trials and tribulations. This book is beautifully written as it highlights all of the major characters’ points of view and their relationship with August over a period of his fifth grade year.

According to “Children’s Literature Promotes Understanding” by Thibault, books are often used by parents and teachers to help explain difficult situations.  I think this is a valid strategy because children easily make connections to characters and themes in books which is more effective than an adult preaching at them to teach a concept.  The book Wonder is ideal to use in the classroom in order to address bullying because it tells the same story from six different perspectives.  As an educator, I feel it is so hard to teach social skills such as empathy and acceptance.  Wonder does a great job of setting up scenarios that are easy to open discussion among students.  It not only highlights the effects of bullying, but also the effects it has on other people - not just the target of the bullying.  Overall it is a great book to teach kindness towards others despite their appearances.  Along with social teachings, upper grades teachers could use this book to address common core standards, including, but not limited to: RL 5.3, RL 5.5, RL 5.6.  Also Stop Bullying is a helpful resource to teach and inform students about bullying.

Common Core Standards

RL 5.3 Compare/Contrast two or more characters in a story (how characters interact).

RL 5.5 Explain how a series of chapters fit together to provide the overall structure of a story.

RL 5.6 Describe how a narrator’s point of view influences how events are described.

References

Dubreuil, Jim, and Eamon Mcniff. "Bullied to Death in America's Schools." ABC News. ABC News Network, 2010. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.

Palacio, R. J. Wonder. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. Print.

Thibault, By Melissa. "Children's Literature Promotes Understanding." Children's Literature Promotes Understanding. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

"Home | StopBullying.gov." Home | StopBullying.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.

My Friend With Disabilities Series

Author: Amanda Doering Tourville

         This book is only one in the series of My friend with Disabilities. The Author Amanda Doering Tourville has really done an amazing job introducing disabilities on a level that students are able to understand. 

          Autism is becoming more common in the classroom. On March 27, 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on the prevalence of autism in the United States. This surveillance study identified 1 in 68 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are many different levels on the spectrum of autism and students come in counter with it everyday. This book is a great introduction in teaching other students how to interact with students who have autism. The story is about two young boys Nick (who is telling the story) and Zach. Zach has autism and Nick is explaining all the things that they both like and have in common. He portrays acceptance and what a great friend looks like. One thing I love about this book is the "Did you know?" questions that are embedded in the book. These questions prompt great discussion to have with the class. 

          This past month of October was Disability Awareness month. A great activity that I did with my students after reading this book was charades. This book shows that children with autism express their self differently. It also shows that sometimes they don't always know how to express themselves. I put different emotions on a card and the students had to figure out ways to convey that to their partner.When student came across a hard emotion to display they became frustrated. This lead to another discussion about how sometimes people with autism don't always know how to express themselves. To be a good friend we have to have patience and realize that it is not always that easy. 

Reference/ Resources 

Age, By. "Autism Speaks." Autism Prevalence. Autism Speak Inc, 2016. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

http://www.bridges4kids.org/pdf/Growing_Up_Booklet.pdf 

Our African American Boys: The Widening Gap and Unintentional Pressures

As I sat in the School Improvement Team meeting in August and we were analyzing our data to set goals for this year, I could not look past the percentage of African American males falling further behind each year in their EOG mathematics and literacy proficiency scores. It was staggering and heartbreaking. We hear and talk about this gap all the time, but when it is right in front of you, undeniably, it takes you by the throat. The gap is widening, the system is clearly failing, and something must be done. Since then, I have been thinking very critically, and observing more than usual. I have been finding myself analyzing African American male students, whom make up over 50 percent of my class. I want nothing more for them to succeed academically and in any other goal they may set for themselves. Understanding why there is a gap is necessary in order for me to assist in their success and working towards closing the gap. 

 In his article, “The Trouble with Black Boys:The Role and Influence of Environmental and Cultural Factors on the Academic Performance of African American Males”, Noguera(2003) states that apart from the nature of the risk for these students, there are large implications from structural and cultural expectations. The structural expectations come from the risk factor in which the percentage of young African American males live in single parent households, do not have access to adequate healthcare, and the schools in the cities in which they live are underfunded. Cultural expectations stem back in the history of this country, and despite the Civil Rights movement and forward thinking of equality in this country, there is still a stigma and evidence that hard work will still not fully reap the benefits that African Americans are working to achieve. Noguera states this is why there is a pressure on African American boys to gravitate towards the other routes such as Athletics or Music. I read that that part of his article probably ten times and had an “a-ha” moment and immediately made a connection to my own students. I see stereotypes every day through social media, news stories, conversations with colleagues, and even children’s literature that African American boys and men are expected to be athletic and/or musically gifted. I believe these stereotypes are leading to pressures on these young boys to perform in these avenues, and the pressures are from all angles.

Yes, some programs within schools are having a great effect on closing the gap with these young men, but it isn’t the only way we can achieve this disparity. We as educators not only need to be more cognizant and empathetic of what our students are experiencing and why, but we must find ways to bridge that gap by exposing our students to their own abilities for success, and provide opportunities in which all students can access and have some level of accomplishment. Children’s literature is exactly where one can start, if methodical in the choosing.

When looking for books that I think can open the eyes of my students and expose them to their culture in a variety of ways, it was amazing to see how many related to sports. They are fantastic books that should still be shared, but I want to challenge myself in being more conscious of choosing books that expose many different interests, dreams, and goals but still in relatable context. In other words, I need to challenge myself in finding great literature with African American characters experiencing life in a variety of ways.

I reviewed the text, The Barber’s Cutting Edge by Gwendolyn Battle-Lavert and I think this is a fantastic book to share with any class. It incorporates the African American culture in which the students may be able to relate to visiting a barber shop and/or building relationships with community members. It is also wonderful for teaching new vocabulary, and sharing that though learning can seem challenging, there are so many people around you that are willing to help. They want to see you succeed.

                            

                Upon further research, I think reading almost any book by Ezra Keats would also lend itself to representing multi-cultural characters in a variety of circumstances. He paved the way when he first released Snowy Day in 1962 by depicting an African American character in which his race was never even referenced. Exposing students to literature in which the characters are of different ethnicity and there is no actual implication or focus on that aspect of the character itself, can also help weaken stereotypes. Keats continued to create stories in which the multi-cultural characters are simply experiencing everyday life; anywhere from having a parent that is considered “different”, to having a new sibling in the household. He is a great author to start with! I can’t wait to explore more texts that will open the eyes of my students and how they are capable of ANYTHING, not just what they believe they are expected to be capable of.

                                            

 

References: 

Kiefer, B. Z. & Tyson, C. A. (2014). Charlotte Huck’s Children’s literature: A brief guide, 2nd Edition.

 New York: McGraw-Hill.

Hoberman, J. (1997). Darwin’s athletes. New York: Houghton Mifflin

Noguera P. (2003). The Trouble with Black Boys:The Role and Influence of Environmental and Cultural Factors on the Academic Performance of African American Males Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing

Keatz E. J. (1962) The Snowy Day UK: Puffin Books

Battle-Lavert G. (1994) The Barber's Cutting Edge CA: Children's Book Press

Sharing Different Cultures in the Classroom

Exposing children to different races, cultures, and socioeconomic levels is often challenging, especially in younger grades. In fact, when the common core was adopted, there was a list of recommended books to supplement the curriculum. Of the 171 books recommended, only 18 were by authors of color and very few books reflected the lives of children of color and of the poor. (Strauss, 2014).

One reason for exposing children to different races, cultures and the idea of poverty can be found in the NCES for Social Studies. These include:  2.C.2.1 &3: exemplifying respect for diverse groups and cultures; 2.C&G 2.1-2.2: exemplifying characteristics of good citizenship through everyday citizens and why it's important for those citizens to participate in their community; and 2.E1.2: needs and wants of consumers. Additionally, if want all children to become proficient readers, we must stock classrooms with mirror books for all children. (Stauss, 2014). However, mirror books are not enough, we must also provide a window into other worlds, that expands children’s horizons. (Kiefer and Tyson, 2014)

One way to address these standards and the idea of having books that may emulate our students or show students a different point of view is with the picture book, Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena. In this story,  CJ and his grandmother who are the main characters and African American, are waiting for the bus in the rain  after church one Sunday.  While spending the afternoon with his grandmother, CJ is feeling sorry for himself because he doesn’t have the luxuries that other people have like a car and a music player. Additionally he feels disappointed that he has to go to an older, run-down part of town instead of getting to play after church. His grandma helps him see the beauty in the things he does have, like a man playing the guitar  on the bus  and a rainbow in a run down part of the city. De La Pena does a wonderful job of showing  his readers that we all have much to be thankful for, even if we don’t have a lot of worldly possessions.

An idea to integrate this book with the standards listed above is to make a chart of the things that CJ wants in the story in contrast with  things he really needs. It would also be important to illustrate and discuss  how food is an important need that some people have to obtain from the community. A teacher could also note how CJ and his grandmother served the citizens of their community and do a writing extension on how their students serve their community.

http://www.nea.org/grants/50-multicultural-books.html

Above is a link to other multi-cultural stories appropriate for the classroom.

http://mattdelapena.com/video-of-newbery-speech/

Above is a link to Matt de la Pena’s website and links to his Newbery speech. It speaks to why he writes books with characters of color and different cultures.

Resources:

De la Peña, M. (2015). Last stop on Market Street. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for

Young Readers.

Kiefer, B. Z. & Tyson, C. A. (2014). Charlotte Huck’s Children’s literature: A brief guide, 2nd Edition.

 New York: McGraw-Hill.

Strauss, Valerie. “How Common Core’s Recommended Books Fail Children of Color.” The Washington

Post,  September 2014

The Braids Girl: Addressing poverty and Friendship

By: Heidi Meyer

                One controversial issue we have in the United States in homelessness and living in poverty. The story, The Braids Girl, written by Jack Canfield and Victor Hansen, is about a little girl named Izzy, who decides to go to a soup kitchen with her grandfather to help serve the poor. She meets a little girl there who has old clothes, looks dirty and has no toys. Izzy decides to bring her things (clothes, toys, barrettes etc.) to try and cheer her up. The braids girl at the soup kitchen never seems to be satisfied with the things Izzy is bringing her, until Izzy realizes she just wanted a friend.  Izzy realizes the braids girl is just a regular kid, like her, who wanted nothing more than to have a friend.

In the article, “Children’s Literature Promotes Understanding,” Thibault states that “using children’s literature, teachers can help their class through difficult situations, enable individual students to transcend their own challenges, and teach students to consider all viewpoints, respect differences, and become more self-aware.”  This book, The Braids Girl, is a great way for students to see that we’re all the same, regardless of how many “things” or how much “stuff” we have, all we want is to be accepted for who we are.  This is a story that can open students’ eyes up to other families’ situations: unemployment, moving from house to house, living in a hotel, single parent that maybe they can relate too as well.  As a third grade teacher, this story could easily be tied into the Common Core Standards. Students would be working on describing characters (RL3.3) or distinguishing their own point of view from the characters (RL3.6) or explaining characters moods based on the illustrations (RL.3.7).

As educators I think we need to show students that they all come from different parts of life. No matter your home situation, the things you have or what others don’t have, you should treat everyone equally. Befriend someone based on how they treat you, not by the things they own or how they look. Not only does this story address homelessness/poverty but it addresses kindness and generosity.  Here is a website with a list of friendship books that might be helpful in your classroom:

http://www.k12.wa.us/safetycenter/bullyingharassment/workgroup/recommendedbooks.pdf

Also, another story I’ve read in my classroom is A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon that could be useful in the classroom. Here is a lesson to go along with the story:

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/bad-case-stripes-lesson-plan

Thibault, Melissa. “Children’s Literature Promotes Understanding.” Learn NC. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2016. http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/635.

Grace for President (Gender Issues in Government)

               2016 has become a very influential year when discussing women’s issues, particularly due to the upcoming election.  I know this is a touchy subject for this reason, so I want to first make the disclaimer that these statements are generalizations about women’s issues in general, and do not reflect my opinion about our 2016 election.

               Gender equality has been an issue for a very long time, but we are slowly making progress due to Women’s Rights organizations such as Women for Women International, as well as educational initiatives.  In particular, I believe that a very integral way to help us understand and cope with these issues is by teaching young children how these inequalities affect our everyday lives.

               A children’s book that addresses gender issues, specifically in our US government, is Grace for President by Kelly Dipucchio.  This realistic fiction story is about a girl named Grace who realizes that there have been no female presidents in the in our country so far.  She is appalled, so she requests to have a classroom election where she can show others how great a female president can be.  However, she faces some issues when a popular boy named Thomas becomes her opponent. 

               This story clearly illuminates the inequality women face in attaining positions of authority.  Thomas as publicized as “the man for the job” and doesn’t try to win votes from his peers, but rather continues his normal day-to-day life.  Conversely, Grace constantly campaigns and makes herself a positive public figure within her school.  Even then, she only wins the election by a hair.  One online article suggests, in summation, that many women don’t run for office primarily because they feel bullied and intimidated by men due to stereotyping throughout the years (Kurtzleben, 2016).  This is a very real situation Grace herself stands against.

               Students would easily be able to relate to this issue due to recent political situations.  Before reading the book, it would be very beneficial to discuss what kind of person children imagine being in government.  What would they look like?  What actions should they make or opinions should they have?  In third grade or above, I would also suggest actually having students run an election where every candidate’s voice is valued despite the gender.  Students should also be encouraged to research past and present government figures when getting ideas for their campaign.  After running this election, it would be interesting to ask the students the above questions again and to note or highlight any changes in stance.

               This electoral process and discussion of women’s issues would highlight many Common Core Standards in Social Studies.  The Culture standards in every grade highlight how our culture is influenced by generational understandings and how our beliefs affect tolerance in our communities. 

               Here is a website that lists many more children’s books about women in politics:  A Mighty Girl (2012-2016). Civics / Government. Retrieved from  http://www.amightygirl.com/books/general-interest/civics-government .

References:

Kurtzleben, D. (2016). Almost 1 in 5 Congress Members Are Women.  Here’s How Other Jobs Compare . Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/2016/06/11/481424890/even-with-a-female-presumptive-nominee-women-are-underrepresented-in-politics

Dipucchio, K. (2008). Grace for President. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Public Schools of North Carolina (2016). Standard Course of Study: Social Studies Essential Standards. Retrieved from http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/curriculum/socialstudies/scos/#unpacking

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson

This is a sweet story of two girls living in the segregated south. The girls are both given the same warnings and rules from their two mothers. They live similar lives on their own side of the fence that divides the two young children's worlds. One side is for white people and one side is for the blacks. Their curiosity and innocent lack of understanding the ignorance of their adult world, leads these two friends to each other.
Our current world is not without the racial divides, cultural misunderstandings and social injustices that Woodson addresses so peacefully in her  book. I have read this book for the past two years to my fourth grade class and I am looking forward to reading it again this year. The story is easy to follow and elicits many strong reactions from children. Some with no understanding that the country was ever as it is described by Clover. Still others immediately relate to the messages their parents have relayed to them verbally and physically. I typically use this book as an example of historical/realistic fiction and tie in the historical changes of our state and country as well as addressing CCSS RL4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g. a character's thoughts, words or actions).
I have found that The Other Side is a book that leads to conversations that are organic and allow children to go as deep as they are comfortable with the topics of racism and social injustice. I have asked my children to journal about the conversation one of the two girls would have with their parents to convince them why it should be OK for them to be friends. After reading their entries I saw that children are not ready to accept this as a reality and hopefully never will.
This is a link to a lesson for addressing racial identity:lesson plan

Divorce

Divorce is becoming more and more common as we continue to grow as a nation. According to the Public Discourse on average 40-50% of couples entering their first marriage will end up divorced. Divorce has many stages and children cope with divorce in different ways. In most classes we will have students who are at one of the points of the divorce process. Some students will be in the beginning where the parents have just separated. Others may be in the middle where they are learning how to navigate between two parents. Then the final stage where they are having to adjust between the two parents and moving on. The students will lean on us as their teachers to help them through this process.

  One book that I have found that is great for approaching this topic is Dinosaurs Divorce by Laurene Krasny Brown and Marc Brown.  Marc Brown is the author of the beloved children’s book Arthur, so students can already relate to his illustrations. This picture book has different “chapters” that will help the student relate to the story. The great thing about this book is no mater what stage of divorce students are in they can use this book to see what to do next. The different “chapters” are Why Parents Divorce, What about You?, After the Divorce, Living with One Parent, Visiting Your Parent, Having Two Homes, Celebrating Holidays and Special Occasions, Telling Your Friends, Meeting Parents’ New Friends, Living with Stepparents, Having Stepsisters and Stepbrothers. In each chapter Brown has pictures that explain what the students might be going through. You don't have to read this book straight through you can only use certain pages or chapters. This is one reason why I fount this book to be most helpful. 

It also has a spread of feelings across two pages. It shows the students how they are entitled to have feelings and encourages them to share them with their parents. This shows students that they can be sad, happy, upset, about the divorce and it is ok to share that with their parents. Children can use this book as a starting point and draw their feelings. 

Divorce is a topic that we have a lot of resources for some websites that I found helpful are listed below:

This website has 11 picture books about the modern family.  http://www.parenting.com/gallery/divorce-books-children?page=7. This website isn’t just about divorce but about many modern topics.

This website is about all different types of books that are strictly about divorce. http://www.parents.com/parenting/divorce/children/books-about-divorce/.

This website has mediation and recourse that you can find helpful. This page lists books that will help explain divorce to children of all ages. http://www.mediationmatters.com/resources/recommended-books-on-divorce/recommended-books-for-children-experiencing-divorce/.

This last website is more for parents and how to support the child. http://www.helpguide.org/articles/family-divorce/children-and-divorce.htm. 

Teachers and educators can use these books as a resource to use with select students or the entire class. Students need to feel comfortable talking about divorce. They will want to express themselves by talking, drawing, or possibly even acting out.