Organizing Neighbors to Be Teachers-1 - DePaul … Word - Organizing Neighbors to Be Teachers-1.docx...
Transcript of Organizing Neighbors to Be Teachers-1 - DePaul … Word - Organizing Neighbors to Be Teachers-1.docx...
0
LearnBIG!
Facilitating a Neighborhood Teaching and Learning Event with Elementary School Students
Julie Filapek Neighborhood Partners Program Leader
Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin 2015
Organizing Neighbors
to be Teachers
1
Neighbors in the Historic Central Neighborhood of Appleton, Wisconsin are connecting with students in their local elementary school: Columbus Elementary/Appleton Bilingual School. Following research that indicates the importance of adult role models and a stable, supportive neighborhood environment for positive youth development, neighbors are offering their interests, hobbies and knowledge to create a learning community that supports children. TheinitiativewaslaunchedinMay2015withaSaturdaymorningteaching-learningeventcalledLearnBIG!Facilitatingateachingandlearningeventrequiresfindingtopicsofinteresttoboththevolunteerteacherswhowilloffersubjectsandthelearningdesiresofstudents.Agreatthingaboutworkingwithelementaryagestudentsisthattheyaregametotryjustaboutanything!Keytotheeventwasensuringthatalltopicsofferedforlearningwerehands-on,sothatparticipatingstudentswerelearningbydoing.FindingteachersVolunteerswentdoortodoorintheblockssurroundingtheelementaryschool,askingpeopleabouttheirgiftsofthehead,handsandheart.Althoughinitiallythefocuswasnotonrecruitingneighbor/teacherstoconnectwithchildrenattheschool,“teachingfunsubjectstochildren”wasoneofseveralspecificoffersmadeduringtheseconversations.Organizersthenwentthroughthesurveystoidentifypeoplewhoexpressedaninterestinconnectingwithchildrenandwentbacktothemtosuggestparticipation.
Students are
introduced to
the art of
Jujitsu during
the first
LearnBig day.
2
Volunteer Interview Form
3
Volunteer Interview Form
4
Parentsofstudentswereapproachedinaspecialway.Eachstudentwasaskedintheirclassroomtocompleteaformindicatingsubjectstheythoughttheirparentscouldteach.Eachparentthenreceivedacopyoftheirchild’sideas,withaletterrequestingtheirparticipationintheevent.
What Can Your Parents Teach?
5
Letter to Parents
6
MatchingteacherandstudentinterestsTheinitiativestartedwiththelistofsubjectsneighborssaidtheywouldliketoteachtostudents,anddistributedthattostudentstoindicatewhichonessoundedlikefuntolearnabout.Everysubjectsuggestedreceivedenoughvotestowarrantgoingforward.Eachclasswasofferedfora30-minuteperiodinmultipleclassrooms,gymnasium,andplaygroundduringa2-1/2-hourperiod,suchthateachchildwasabletoparticipateinfourclasses,with10-minutebreaksinbetween.Studentswereofferedanopportunitytopre-registerforclassesbyfillingoutaformindicatingalloftheclassestheylikedthesoundof,andspecifyinguptofoursubjectsinwhichtheywereespeciallyinterested.Everyeffortwasmadetoensurethateachstudentwasscheduledforatleasttwooftheirmostdesiredclasses.Thosewhocameontheeventdaywithoutpre-registeringwereincludedinclasseswithremainingspaces. Learn BIG Registration Form
7
TeachingmaterialsandsupportGrantfundingsupportedthepurchaseofteachingmaterialsasneeded,andtheeventorganizerdidmuchofthelegworktoensurethatteachershadthematerialstheyfelttheyneeded.Allteacherswereprovidedwithalistofteachingtipsofferedbyalocalelementaryschoolteacher,andwereofferedanopportunitytodiscusswithhertheirideasandteachingapproach.
Tips for Neighborhood Teachers
8
EventrolesandlogisticsTheLearnBIG!launcheventinvolved35students,grades1-6,participatingin11classes,with7-10students,alongwithsomeaccompanyingparents(thatwasoptional),ineachclass.Theeventutilized,inadditiontoteachers,twoadditionalcategoriesofadultparticipants:observer/aidesandeventmanagers.Eachteacherwasassignedanobserver/aide.Observer/aideshadthreeresponsibilitiesbefore,duringandaftertheclass:
• Helpgreetstudentsandgetthemsettled.• Assiststudentsone-on-oneastheydothehands-onworkoftheclass(e.g.,making
friendshipbracelets,poundingnailsinwood,fingerknitting).• Observingandmakingnotesaboutteacher-studentinteractions.• Conductingashortevaluationquestionnairewithstudentsimmediatelyuponthe
completionoftheclass.Eventmanagersundertookthefollowingtasks:
• Registration/sign-indeskforstudents.Eachstudentreceivesa“ClassSchedule”thattellsthemwheretheyneedtogoforeachofthefoursessions.
• Helpstudentsmovefromclasstoclassbetweensessions.• Welcometeachers,givethemtheirteachingmaterials,orientthemtotheirpost-
sessionevaluationsheets,anddirectthemtotheirclassrooms.• Collectevaluationsheetsfromteachersaftertheirsessions.
EvaluationPostsessionevaluationsfromstudentsandteacherswereusedtodecidewhetherteachersaregoodcandidatestocontinueworkingwithchildreninthefuture.Aneventlikethiscanbeusedasafriendlyintroductionsothatallinvolvedcandecidewhethertheteacherswillofferfutureclasseswithelementaryschoolchildren.InAppleton,alloftheteacherswantedtocontinueteachinginthefuture.Theafter-schoolprogramlocatedattheschoolisthesiteforfutureLearnBIG!Sessions.Post-sessionevaluationsfromstudentsalsoaskedthemtothinkaboutsubjectstheycouldthemselvesteach,sothatafutureeventwillinvolvestudentsintheroleofteachersandadultsintheroleofstudents.
9
Student Post-Session Evaluation
10
Inmosteverycase,allornearlyalloftheparticipatingstudentssaidtheywouldliketolearnmoreaboutthesubjectathand,andthattheywouldwanttocometoanothereventlikethis.Weaskedaboutsubjectstheythoughttheythemselvescouldteachataneventlikethis(afutureplan).Theseweresomeoftheirsuggestions:CarsBirdsHowtocareforapetDrawingMakebraceletsMinecraft
OrigamiSingingHowtodrawpre-historicanimalsJu-jitsuCoolart
HowtodoaroundoffDifferentlanguageAnimalsHardrockMakeaninstrumentHowtoeatlotsofcandy
Students learn
and practice
French hair
braiding and
corn row
techniques.
11
Teacher Evaluation Form
12
Eachclasswasmeanttohaveamonitorinplaceto(1)helpoutasneeded,(2)takenotesonhowtheclassseemedtobegoing,and(3)conductashortinterviewwiththestudentsrightafterward.Wehadanunexpecteddearthofmonitors,butafairnumberofclassesdidhaveone.Eachteacherwasgivenawrittenevaluationformtocomplete.The30-minutetimelimitworkedwellformost,ifnotall,subjects.Thefollowingarequotesfromthequestion“Whatdoyouthinktherelationshipshouldbebetweenanelementaryschoolanditsneighborhood?”:
• Ithinktheneighbors,especiallythoseofuswithoutchildrenintheschooland/orretired,canofferalottotheschoolanditsstudents.
• Wecouldusemoreeventslikethis.• Lotsofopportunitiestovolunteerandgetconnected.Makinguseoflocallivesources
isgreat.• Ideally,neighborsshouldbeabletoshareskills,time,attentionwithlocalschool.At
veryleast,makechildrenfeelwelcomeintheneighborhoodastheywalktoandfromschool.
• I’veneverseenaschoolinvolvedlikethisinitsneighborhoodandit’sbeautiful!CoordinationElementaryschoolsarebusyplaces,andschoolstaffmembersarestretchedthin.LearnBIG!wascoordinatedbyastaffmemberfromanonprofitorganizationsupportingneighboractivitiesintheHistoricCentralNeighborhood.Thatstaffmemberkepttheballrollingonallpreliminarywork–creatingmaterials,ensuringtheirdistributionthroughclassroomteachers,managingtheteacherrecruitmentprocess--andhandledalleventlogistics.Thisrolecouldalsobemanagedbyaneighbor.Thatsaid,schoolrepresentativesdidhelpsignificantlyandtheeventcouldnothavehappenedwithouttheirinvolvement.Theparent-teacherorganizationservedalunchforallstudentsandteachersattheendofthemorningevent.Theschoolprincipalchampionedtheprogrambyadvocatingforitwithstaffandparentsthroughvariousforums(schoolevents,schoolnewsletter,videoannouncements).Theprincipalalsoattendedtheevent,helpingwithlogisticaldetailsandevenofferinganimpromptumagicshowwhenoneteacherfailedtoarrive.Asmallgroupofteachersprovideddirectionintwoplanningmeetings,recommendingthebestapproachesforparentandstudentrecruitment,appropriateclasssessionlength,andothersubstantiveissues.Theyalsoreviewedprintedmaterialsdevelopedforstudentandparentaudiencestoensuretheirsuitability.
13
FutureofLearnBIG!TheLearnBIG!SaturdaymorningeventwillberepeatedinMay2016,incorporatingopportunitiesforstudentstoteachsubjectsaswell.Intheinterim,adultswillofferafter-schoolsessionsthroughouttheschoolyear.Someofthesewillbeone-offevents.Otheradultsareplanningtoofferaseriesoflearningexperiences,throughwhichwehopethatstudentsandadultneighborswillgettoknowoneanotherinamoresustainedway.
Neighborhood
teacher
instructs a
class on how
to make a
birdhouse.