Uniting In Our Diversity

The 20th of December marks International Human Solidarity Day, which highlights the importance of unity in diversity. Although not many of us will rush to add this date to our calendars, I do believe it’s important as a empathetic, human being of this race to take a moment to think about what “unity in diversity” signifies. I love this idea of finding “unity in diversity.” Some would say that this concept sounds more like an oxymoron than a idea, but it’s so much more than a thought— it’s an achievable goal that’s exceptionally important every day, but especially during the hustle and bustle of the holidays. And I think we’d all be surprised at how often an occasion like this occurs.

I actually had the opportunity this month to put “unity in diversity” into effect. Recently I became a board member at the Claymont Community Center in Claymont, Delaware and I attended their annual “Festival of the Lights.” This event highlights Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa and Diwali, and during the festival, a community representative of each religion comes forward and shares the holiday’s historical significance with the attendees. It’s a beautiful opportunity to watch holiday lights come to life, purchase a light for someone special to you, and gather together as friends and neighbors under a majestic, holiday glow. But my favorite part of this celebration was the connection made between the lights and each holiday. Christians deck the halls with holiday lights, Jews light the ancient menorah, Black Americans light the seven-branched Kinara, and Hindus light up India with endless rows of candles and firecrackers to signify peace, joy and light over darkness. 

How wonderous- sharing and celebrating that which makes us different only to find that we aren’t so different after all. It’s a true celebration of lights and the lights that connect us as humans.  This beauty cannot be lost on us.  Instead of claiming the importance of one tradition over another’s, let’s choose to unite and to learn from one another. Let’s celebrate the good over evil, the light over the darkness and the joy and peace that can only be shared with us all together.

#solidarity #blacklivesmatter #love #blm #community #solidarity #unity #art #peace #together #humanrights #equality #humanity #solidaridad #claymont #community #celebration #hanukkah #diwali #kwanzaa #christmas #holidays #lights #festivaloflights #netde #happyholidays @ClaymontCenter

The World Together, One Student at a Time

When I looked into the classroom, I witnessed our students of all different ages, different backgrounds and different walks of life laughing and playing and learning Spanish, all at the same time. That’s magical. - Holy Angels Principal, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Muir

This past summer I ran a program for Title I students at a local private school. Most were students from the school, but some were not. Most spoke English as their first language, but some did not. And most were under 5th grade, but some were not. So there it was. My program, myself, on the line - Engage, teach and play with these students for a half hour’s time, Monday through Thursday, for four weeks straight, one of which you will also train and prep your replacement teacher for the following two weeks. You are considered their “fun class” and “break” from the day. Now go!  Spanish as the “break.” What a concept! Well, the program is called, “Spanish through FUN.” And fortunately, it ended up being more than a break. As I heard time and time again, it was their “favorite part of their day.” 

Looking back, I’m somewhat surprised I wasn’t more structured with a “Plan B: If this Blows up in my Face” option, but then again, I’m not. I feel that this year has very much allowed me to test my program with various constraining factors and age ranges and the formula always seems to be the same: connecting with the kids + making kids smile = helping kids learn. The only tricky aspects to this situation was that I’ve worked with all of these ages and backgrounds, but not together and I’ve worked with Spanish natives on ESL, but not in the same class as my students who had never taken Spanish. So how did it go?

They soared. My Spanish natives became leaders for my debutants, even when some of those Spanish natives were in 1st grade, 3 ft. tall, and wearing pigtails. This is the magic of teaching students to work together, but to have fun doing it. The pressure comes off and the lessons resonate. On day one, I couldn’t have told you what would happen, but I could not have been more happy to see that by the end of the summer, this class relied on one another’s efforts to win games, play together, and use their Spanish. And just like Dr. Muir said, to see all of those faces looking toward you and laughing with you, and calling out new Spanish vocabulary together to reach new heights, “That’s magical.”

Welcome Back, Teachers!

The feeling of being back in the classroom is undeniable. I truly thought that teaching on screen was something that I had mastered and enjoyed. I saw the smiles; I felt the feels; I witnessed the dancing, and then I ate a sandwich in my own kitchen. And while I did feel moved when I witnessed my students recall vocabulary or win a game, I didn’t quite realize how numb I was becoming from the lack of in-person contact. Now that I finally get to stand in front of my students again, I know that there is nothing like connecting with them in-person.

Looking back, I believe I either forgot what it was like to feel the energy of my class, or I didn’t want to think about it since it wasn’t an option. And because of that, I couldn’t quite recall that feeling of receiving my students’ unabashed love and joy.  By our second session back, my students literally applauded my arrival and hugged me at the end, as if they were the proud parents and I the child. Their happiness continues to keep me charged and smiling all day long.

We are not teachers because we love the extra work or the pay. We are here because it makes us feel alive and fulfilled when we see our students thrive.  How many times can I put “feel” in a blog post?? This is reason number 1,400,076 of why I couldn't be more happy creating my own program versus being in the classroom full time. This sounds strange because I just wrote that I love the classroom, but I am happy to be a part time teacher and curriculum developer because as I create my curricula, I can focus on my students happiness rather conforming to district goals or red tape. 

And because I have that freedom and so many amazing teachers out there do not, I feel energized to keep working on my program in the hopes of assisting teachers out there that spend countless hours researching and lesson planning.  Teachers, I hear you and I see you and I am here for you and your classrooms wherever they may be. Let me be one of the first to wish you and your students all the happiness and… Welcome back!

Advocating for our Preschoolers: A lesson in helping them find their words and voices

“You can’t teach them Spanish,” he said with a condescending smile and a slight chuckle.
I felt my face begin to burn red and my forehead crease. I was missing something obvious.
“You know, these kids don’t even use words yet.” He sounded a bit annoyed that he had to address this. 

How embarrassing. I did my research for this school and I didn’t even realize.  It must be a school for children with specific special needs. Where did it say that? I wanted to bury myself in a hole for being so insensitive, but before I could inquire further, I just felt myself automatically apologize.

“I’m sorry. My mistake.”

That happened in our first year of business, maybe even within the first couple of months. It turns out that that man was the preschool’s family pastor and director. The director! He was the preschool’s appointed leader and problem-solver, there to help families safely navigate through their children’s earliest years and their first experiences with education. That preschool was not a preschool for children with special needs. The preschool director just didn’t know what his students were capable of learning.

How could he so blatantly disregard his students’ language milestones? I still ask myself this. Even nine-month-old babies wave to others when their parents ask. And between the ages of 2 and 3, children undergo a huge jump in language skills, going from 50 to 200 words and stringing together sentences. You’d probably understand about 75% of what this age group is saying to you, but they fully comprehend everything you say.  This is why it is such a crucial time for learning a second language and why I especially feel I must advocate for this group of little ones. Because there is nothing like watching our three through Pre K students realize on day one that we are there to have fun in order to learn. 

But I will say, our two-year-old classes are some of my favorites, because the progress is so real. Take our 2-year-old Chinese classes. These toddlers have 20-minute classes, once a week. On day one, we teach them our hello song complete with a backing track, a live guitar and tambourine. It’s like a mini concert. The children all hold shakers, but their faces are completely blank yet somehow judgmental. This is a far cry from our older preschool classes. They are more than happy to sing and dance with us the moment they walk through the door. But with the two’s, it’s different. And in that first class, to onlookers, it appears that we have bombed. It’s not until a month into class when all of a sudden our two-year-olds’ confidence soars. They join the elder classes by greeting us with “Nǐ hǎo” and they love to dance and shake their shakers. By the end of the year, that burst of language occurs and they use Chinese phrases and they sing our songs, which are all in Mandarin. Our two-year-old students that advance to older classes are more confident in their Mandarin than our students who start later in life. This might seem obvious, since our two-year-old students have had more exposure to the language, but the important takeaway is that two-year-olds are mighty capable of learning a second language. So what does that say about the rest of the preschoolers? How old do they need to be considered capable of learning a second language?

Our preschool students deserve every opportunity. And as an educator of this fantastic bunch, I have made it my mission to fight for their education and to help them find their words, in both a first and second language. Because once they find those words, they find their voices. They become open-minded, welcoming and empathetic human beings. And you might think that that’s just me being partial to my students, but studies find the exact same results. And that’s just the beginning of the benefits. The funny thing is, advocating for them has helped me find my voice as well. I made a promise to myself to be unapologetic when it comes to standing up for my students, their words and their voices.  So step aside nay-sayers, because my students are coming through and they have something to say.