Week 21- Integrity and Music “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.” ― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Professional Development Activity (with graphic organizer and support materials)

May 27- I was able to submit all three library grant applications for the schools that morning. That afternoon I was scheduled to present at School III. Last week I had visited the Non-Government Organization (NGO) that works with the school on literacy for struggling learners. I found out that although they had been granted the task of working with 100 learners who were not performing at the school, they had very little exposure to how they might help. I was looking forward to working with the teachers, administrators, and support programs working with the school on strategies and tools they could use to help students. Last week, with the administrator and 8 teachers present, it was decided I would return to the school twice this week to give workshops from 2-4pm. Everyone agreed the time worked for them prior to me leaving the meeting last week.

I arrived and was set up in the library at 2pm. Only 4 teachers in attendance at 2:15, the head of department recommended I begin the presentation. There was not LCD projector, but I had printed out my powerpoint, so it was not a problem. I began by explaining who I was in a bit more detail than the week before and the components of a successful professional development workshop. Then, I had the teachers do a warm up activity using the “think:pair:share” technique to get them talking to each other…Unfortunately, with the small numbers (4 people), the activity was a little awkward. Also, I had a large poster paper with the words: school, students, community, and students’ homelife and asked the teachers to identify challenges for each box.  One of the teachers said she didn’t understand the activity because she didn’t have students, she had learners…I said she could edit the poster paper and to please forgive my mistake.

I briefly reviewed the information about how inclusive practices and meeting the needs of diverse learners is a “Civil Rights Thing.”  Five more teachers came in over the next 15 minutes. By this time I was explaining how we learn and retain information with the whole brain. I related it to the warm up activity issues they had mentioned. We began a discussion on how we address these issues when the students had problems beyond the school’s control. I said the only hope I have found is to do our best to use good strategies in the classroom. As I was breaking the teachers into four groups, two teachers walked out of the workshop. It was 3pm. One of the teachers who remained in the workshop explained their work day was complete at 3pm and the union has asked them not to do additional work. I said I support listening to the union, as I am a union worker, but mentioned this was a free, voluntary training and I would continue this portion if they wanted, but if they decided to leave I understood. The 7 remaining teachers agreed to finish the activity and then leave for the day. I agreed to return to the school for 2 more one-hour sessions (5/29 and 6/5 at 2-3pm). I stressed that I would begin promptly at 2pm.

Learners: One reason I keep coming back...

I had created a graphic organizer for each group to complete and present. The first section was their topic:  Reading, Writing, Math, and Attention/Behavior Management; followed by a place for them to record barriers, then strategies, and then a thought for the future. At the end of the session I agreed to type up the information each group recorded and add the best practice found in the research. One teacher said these were helpful strategies and if some of the other teachers learned them, the students may be more prepared when they got to the later grades. According to the evaluations, the teachers seemed to appreciate the information on the brain research and opportunity to discuss strategies. Time and participation were limited, only 41% staying until the end of the session, which ended 25 minutes earlier than arranged.

That night Kim, Cristines, and I went to dinner and then we dropped Kim off at the airport for her flight to Cape Town. You know you have a good friend (Cristines), when you tell her you are going to drive to the airport she said, “You have had a long day, you’re tired. Do you want me to ride with you so you are not alone?” I treasure loving people in my life!

May 28- Today, I was meeting with School II, the school for students with special needs. They have 38 teachers. When I arrived at the school the secretary told me that the principal was out sick that day and no one knew I was coming…although I know there were 5 school representatives present when I agreed to do a workshop on Tuesday from 2-4pm. I went into the teachers lounge where I would be presenting and I heard over the intercom, “All educators please report to the teachers lounge for a seminar promptly at 2pm.” At 2pm there were 2 teachers present, one of them agreed to start on the warm-up while we waited for the rest. At 2:15pm, there were about 8 teachers present. I had already started and asked the group if they would be willing to write on the poster paper at the front…they didn’t move. I asked if they didn’t understand me…no one moved. I said, “Okay, I guess I will use some of the strategies I would use in a classroom where students did not want to complete an activity.”

I took the opportunity (silence and blank stares) to explain why I chose to speak to them about learning strategies. I told them about my first teaching experience: walking into a room without desks or books knowing that 16 students with emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities (because in the US we call them disabilities) would be showing up for school the next day. I told them how I was supposed to have help, but no one showed up. I told them that over the last decade I have continued to teach, learn strategies, and share these strategies because I don’t think anyone should have to go to work without the support or knowledge on how to work with their “learners.” And then I asked them to think silently about what struggles they encountered when they were at work. I asked them to share their answer with their neighbor…they all started talking to each other…I asked them to share with me what they came up with and I would write it down (on the warm up activity poster).

Then, I told them, “I just used a few strategies with you:  1) structured a warm up activity to get them out of their classroom and into the topic we were going to discuss (it did not work, so I had to come at it from another angle), 2) explained my credentials and experience to my audience- I told a story they could relate to on a personal, emotional, and professional level (most educators experience their classroom on multiple levels), 3) when I couldn’t get participation I changed the structure- think: pair: share. This allows the students who don’t always participate due to language issues, processing, emotional distress (they didn’t know about this seminar until a few minutes ago and many came in frustrated) to have a chance to process what I was talking, and 4) recording the information for everyone to see…and I would be referring to the information throughout the lesson (anchoring the information).” 

Okay, I had their attention...I decided to jump right into the activity. I told them I was going to split them into groups and have them each tackle a subject area and how they would address issues and use strategies to increase the productivity in their classroom for ALL learners. As I handed out the materials, 5 teachers walked out…I stopped, looked at the time: 2:53pm. I asked the group, “Did I say something offensive or is it because it is almost 3pm that the teachers walked out?” They told me it was transportation issues, the union, and they didn’t know I was coming. “Can’t you come back tomorrow? We need to know this! We didn’t know you were going to teach us stuff we could use in our classroom.” I told them I would return next week, but that we had to start at 2pm and I would finish at 3pm…

May 29- Back to School III for Part II… Before I went to the school I sent a reminder text message to NGO working with the school’s director. I arrived at 1:45pm and set up for the workshop on assessment. At 2:10 only one teacher was in attendance, she said the others were at a library committee meeting and had reports they needed to submit, therefore, I should begin. Five volunteer youth were in attendance as well. I reviewed the strategies from the workshop on Monday. I related the strategies to the foundations of education and inclusive practices:  behavior management and working with students at their instructional level (rather than independent or frustration level). I then discussed the importance of having a classroom that was safe, organized, and modeled the desired behaviors (being on time, staying on task, and being respectful toward staff and peers). I then connected using standardized school-wide assessments to determine how teachers and support personnel could support struggling students.

They had brought reading, spelling, and math assessments the school personnel could administer to the learners to find out whether they needed additional support. I showed them how to administer (and take) the WRAT3, the Informal Reading Assessment, and assess their classroom for supporting students with attention issues. The Tri Maths assessment were introduced and offered to the school as helpful assessment on Maths skills and belief system around learning Maths.

At 2:30, the principal came to the room and asked where the teachers were. At 2:45 he returned with 6 teachers (one left soon after). The 6 teachers only made it for the end part of the Informal Reading Assessment review and did not hear the information connecting assessment to behavior management or working with struggling learners to meet CAPS (South African learning standards). My last activity was to help them get another grant for their library. I gave 10 pieces of paper with a task such as pricing leveled books, shelves, writing a list of reasons their students need additional books in the library. I told the group if they found out the information on the papers I would use it to write a grant with them on our last session (next Wednesday). The session finished at 3:10. The remaining participants completed the evaluations and then left.  As I left campus the teacher who attended the session walked me out and asked me not to be upset with the teachers, they just have so much reporting they have to do and that is why they weren’t there. I said I understood how big the job was, but I had spent over 35 hours working with the school and preparing for one-hour session to support the school. She asked if I was coming back. I gave a non-committal, “I said I would.”

I called my mom on the way home and told her how disappointed I was because the school was not on my list, I took them on because they seemed like they seriously wanted support, and I wasn’t sure if it was the best use of my energy. I also told her I was meeting with a colleague later and I didn’t feel very pro-South African township education system. When I got home the assistant manager (from Swaziland) noticed I seemed out of sorts, I told her about the school and her reaction was that they didn’t deserve my presence and I shouldn’t go back…

Evaluations:  The evaluations were all positive. They reported learning skills for assessing reading and supporting struggling learners (due to behavioral and academic issues).  Many asked for more training to revisit.

Dinner with a South African colleague- First, the colleague was late…not such an easy thing for me after the day I had...my response to the apology was, “Well, it is to be expected.” I thought, oh no, maybe you should cancel and go home. I didn’t and I am glad. He allowed me to talked about my week and he gave insight to the experience. He agreed making appointments was often futile…in fact he said when he had scheduled workshops, many times teachers purposely sign up and then don’t show up, so a surprise visit isn’t such a bad thing. Then he spoke about the principals were not always trained on leadership, so all the good intentions they had sometimes never made it to fruition. He said it wasn’t uncommon for principals to not even be on campus…that was one of the issues South Africa was trying to address. He also mentioned the history of township schools needs. There is never an easy answer to these issues. I said it is a difficult balance to have integrity for the work I do and making sure that my energy is being put in the best place possible. When I agreed to work with the school I already had more than enough work to fill my day, now I was behind in my reporting and writing and still giving…I was reminded of an interview I heard where a famous actress told Bikram (as in the yogi) people don’t value things they don’t pay for. Although I don’t need the money, I wondered if the teachers had to pay for me to present if they would show up. There is obviously an interest in learning, I wonder what keeps them from attending.

That Friday I went to dinner with a very special group of local ladies who have welcomed me into their circle. I told them about what was going on at the schools, I let them know some of my colleagues and friends had told me to quit serving them and not expect anything better. I also told them I planned on showing up next week, for me part of “being the change I want to see in the world” is to do my best, always. Once again they mentioned the suffering in the townships, that a brief workshop only scraped the surface of the issues they deal with every day. The report I had worked on for the school that day was harsh- I pointed out the lack of attendance, the lack of administrative support, the dichotomy of asking for information but not showing up when it is presented. At UJ, the faculty said this happens all of the time, everyone complains they are not trained, but when training happens they give excuses for not getting it. After dinner I realized I don’t need to judge the “whys,” that my intention here was to be of service…and that maybe the one teacher and volunteers were the ones who needed to hear what I had to say. Also, I had prepared a binder with resources…it is possible they could visit the binder later and use the information in supporting their learners.

June 1- I woke up exhausted from the week. I had agreed to go on a hike at Windy Brow Game Farm with Cristines, Diana, Constantine, and Diana’s Aunt (she is from San Francisco as well). Cris showed up at my guesthouse looking as spent as me…we decided to drive separately and leave the hike early if we weren’t up to it. The hike was outside Pretoria. Many of the hikes have spray painted feet to guide you on the trail…these footprints were green (we got lost for a bit- as seen by the white foot print in the picture). The hike got interesting when we saw some zebras and wildebeest on the horizon. We walked up the hill to take a closer look. On our way down we spotted giraffe on the hill opposite us. Soon after Cris and I decided to leave the group and head back to Joburg because I still had some edits to do on some writing. That night I realized what a small world it is when I met up with my friend Caz for dinner and Diana, Constantine, and Mehrnaz were there as well.

June 2- One of my favorite events I have attended happened this day- Jazz in the Cradle. It was an afternoon outdoor jazz concert outside of Jo’burg in an area called the Cradle of Humankind. The venue was a Nirox park, it reminded me of parks in France with the greenery and strange new age art pieces placed around the park. We each received a bottle of wine with our ticket and they had food catered for guests (you basically picked what you wanted, weighed it, and paid based on the weight). I uploaded a video of the music just before the sunset.