To be completely honest, I was unsure about how much I would benefit and grow through participating in an Alternative Service Break trip. The duration of the trip reinforced this uncertainty, because how much could I learn from this community in a week? Moreover, how much could I affect in such a short amount of time? Fortunately, the trip blew my expectations out of the water and the lessons I learned at Hoonah are ones that I will carry with me for a lifetime. Prior to my ASB, I had little to no experience with Native Americans and their culture. As soon as we arrived in Hoonah, the community welcomed us with open arms. On top of their never-ending generosity, Hoonah - its Tlingit community, specifically - introduced us to their culture …show more content…
Unemployment is a considerable problem in Hoonah, especially in the off-season when tourism, the primary industry, is not present. Problems like addiction began to develop, like alcoholism and drug abuse. Thus, children become victim to conditions like disabilities and fetal alcohol syndrome. Because of addiction issues, households become unstable and students/children do not have the support they need for a happy and healthy upbringing. Food insecurity is also a prevalent issue in Hoonah, as many students are under the federal free lunch program and solely receive their food for the day from the breakfast and lunch provided by the school. Additionally, many teachers pay for snacks and supplies out of pocket in order to provide more food for their growing students. I was aware of such problems, but by witnessing the effects firsthand, I began to understand how interrelated these issues were and how damaging they can be to a …show more content…
One of Hoonah City Schools’ biggest issues was the high turnover rate of staff members. The staff leaving so frequently prevented long-lasting relations between the students and staff, so students distrusted and disrespected staff members. The remoteness of the community also made ordering supplies for the school more difficult, so teachers had to buy much of their own supplies for the schools and the students. Additionally, many staff members had to fulfill obligations and responsibilities not included in their job title since the school did not have enough employees. I also heard about the the school’s funding issues, as the number of students seemed to be decreasing and the budget was at threat of being slashed. I had never experienced a school with so many fundamental issues, and it became a bit overwhelming to hear problem after problem with no clear solutions. By witnessing the effects of the above issues in Hoonah and Hoonah City Schools, I became hyper-aware of many of my privileges that I ignored in my day-to-day
... of the students. Many of the students have no sense of belonging and see no relevance of to be at a place where even there teachers have no expectations for them.
Sharon’s planned “Open House” event for students, teachers and staff was met with resistance from staff, and overshadowed by the Suburban Journal Report labeling Bayou as a failing school. Some staff strongly opposed the event and stated there was no reason to return prior to the first day of school. Someone anonymously left ...
“Fremont High School” an essay written by Jonathan Kozol presents a high school in need of transformation and support with educational advancement. Kozol writes about the limited educational opportunities available to the students that attend this lower class institution. Kozol addresses the overcrowding of this institution and lack of consistent staffing. The purpose of Kozol 's essay is to illustrate that lack of opportunity based on social class is an active crisis in the United States educational system, whereas addressing this crisis in the essay, Kozol would hope to achieve equal opportunities available to all socioeconomic class institutions.
As children, we look to our parents to teach us skills that we need in everyday life, whether it be social skills or how to. Yet for a variety of reasons, some children do not have this personal role model for them to follow and learn from. For these children, their teachers may be the first adult to give them any sort of attention or care. As a result, a teacher can play a huge impact in a young child’s life. The Allentown School District’s high schools are both considered Title I schools, meaning that over 40% of the school’s students come from families that are legally considered low-income (www2.ed.gov). In the ASD, this number is nearly doubled at 88.7% (www.allentownsd.org). Most likely, these students come from homes in which the adults they live with are working most of the day and
I interviewed Lewis Whitaker, Principal of Monticello High School (MHS). MHS has 1 assistant principal, 20 teachers, and 268 students’ grades 7-12. The school classified employees include: 5 kitchen staff, 3 custodians, 3 Special Education aides, 1 library media teacher, 2 computer/techno teachers, and 2 office assistants. Four of the twenty teachers have less than ten years’ experience.
In my quest to find a school for my kids, I was disappointed by what my options were. Being that my kids and I are a low-income family we also have limited housing options, were there are the better schools. I decided to give the local area schools the benefit of the doubt and enroll my two kids, Mikkayla and Pharoah. Over the school years I made notes on the things that I saw and learned about the schools and my neighborhood. My goals are to establish ways to improve the school system and help bring about change in the school’s neighborhood.
In previous years, the school did not have a well respected reputation before and after the moving into the new school in 2010. The experiences at the school however was one of many pillars that helped established my foundation in becoming an effective teacher thanks to the exceptional staff of Samuel Fels who not just fostered an academic environment but fostered an emotionally supportive environment. The experience from Fels made me an underdog during my collegiate career. However, there’s a grittiness that students in Fels would leave away from. Little did I know that it was that particular characteristic that allowed me to preserve during university’s most difficult times.
Living in Hawai'i, encountering cultures different than my own is not a rare occurrence. Encountering a different culture can be as simple as walking down the street to a neighbor's house, or spending time at a friend's house. This makes experiencing different cultures a lot more comfortable and natural for me. One example of a significant change in culture I have experienced in my life recently is when I go to Ohio.
High dropout rates from high school, low academic scores, school violence and dull classrooms are all contributing to an educational crisis. It is obvious that we are not creating a school climate that engages the students’ mind and prepare students to be a viable part of society.
I discovered that schools are community-based organizations. No decision should be made without the consent of the group. I believe in servant leadership, where the leader releases power to the organization’s constituents.
We move through the world focusing on ourselves, focusing on what benefits us or might set us back. We live everyday as the one before, not questioning our actions or why we do it the way we do. A constant routine and that takes a hold of our perspectives on what might be happening behind the scene. In high school, we might only see what administration lets us. For example, an innovation school is either a conversion of an existing school or a new school. It is a public school that can be established by a wide range of applicants, and have flexibility in curriculum, budget, schedule and calendar, staff, and district policies. Although in exchange for increased ownership, eligible entities will be help responsible for improving student learning
The public schools system did not promote success. Instead, it protected an academic breakdown in the academics system. This encouraged parents lean toward charter schools even more. It was shocking to know that out of 55,000 teachers only 10 teachers were fired out the entire Harlem school district. The movie didn’t elaborate much about bad teachers, but it shared stories about teachers that worked in the public school system. In one case, a teacher who had worked two years as a fifth-grade teacher noticed her students with a reading deficiency at a lower grade level. Unfortunately, she lacked the support of the administration for providing help for these students. This is evidence of teachers who care about the welfare of students’ academic success. Surprisingly, community protesters marched against charter schools and felt threatened by them. Teachers and Harlem Success Parents were spokespersons who wanted better schools for
I especially enjoyed watching people’s reactions as they were place into a “culture” in which they only had two phrases with which to communicate. I loved the way they had the village set up because you have no hint that it is behind the doors and when you step into the “village” you get an immediate cultural feel. I wish we could pull something of like that for Missions Convention, but that is a lot of preparation, work and space. My group visited the Yamaimo tribe first and I had no suspicion that the lady was not from the Yamaimo tribe. Afterwards when they told us who they were I was not to surprised, but it made me realize just how well they knew the languages of the tribes they were representing as well as the way in which the tribe acted and thought. When we visited the man from the Joti tribe I suspected a little bit that he had a wig on, but again the objects, sounds, and sights overpowered that suspicion. The darts he was sharpening fascinated me most because I was curious to know what they were, but it drove home the point how important it is to know the language because I could not just ask him what he was doing. I also found I related better in personality with the Joti because they were so reserved while the Yamaimo felt like they were much more animated than my personality was used to. I also found the experience
In order to be an effective school, all school personnel must work together in a friendly, caring, polite, and respectful manner. There are a number of positions and employees in a school. “A school is a complex social system, and all the people in it contribute to making it run smoothly” (Kauchak & Eggen, 2014, p. 182). It’s important to acknowledge the contributions of all staff and faculty members. The principal, leader of the school is the ...
We have a responsibility to cultivate a sense of community and belonging. The quote, “It takes a village to raise a child”, rings true in so many ways. Education is a collaborative effort that needs leadership and a strong vision. Co-operation among all stakeholders is essential. A community is an essential extension of a school. Relationships between a school and its’ community, whether educational, entrepreneurial, co-operative or charitable, should not just be encouraged but pursued.