Educators as First Responders for Kids Anywhere

I have truly come to love and appreciate Saturday mornings. As my kids get older, they have become mornings filled with barbershop visits, church activities, field hockey, TOT basketball, and some professional learning via Twitter (#satchat & #hackingleadership for example) and Voxer (mostly catching up on the Restorative Justice League and Edumatch groups). Saturdays allow me a chance to reflect and get recharged.

This morning was the beginning of my 5 year old son's second session of TOT basketball at our local rec. center. It is definitely an experience seeing so many 3-5 year olds running around trying to learn basketball. I watched my son and the other kids warm-up, go with their assigned coaches to their designated spots, and start working on dribbling with one hand. One group had a young coach (17 years old at most) and the little ones seemed to just be standing around not doing much, but playing among themselves. The interaction between the young coach and the kids seemed minimal. Several parents approached the head coach about their concerns with the kids in that one particular group not learning like the other groups. Even though my son was not in that group, I was curious to find out what was going on because all kids have a right to learn. This is my educator mindset kicking in now. They were short several coaches for this opening session so the young man had volunteered on the spot to help. I commend this young man for attempting this because it would probably be the case if in schools we pulled a financial analyst off of the street to teach math. He may have the knowledge, but not the skills and pedagogy to engage young people. As I was in educator and then coach mode, the words, "I will go coach those kids," came out of my mouth towards the head coach and 2 moms that were standing there. That response came from nowhere, but I guess it is ingrained in me since I am constantly responding to any situation that arises at the school I serve in.

By the time I made it to the 7 kids in the group, another mom made it over to help out as well. We quickly found out that the young man knew the game of basketball, but never had to teach it, especially to 3-5 year olds. I have always said that I couldn't not teach or lead students below the middle school level. Today proved that this has been a myth in my mind that is now gone. I gained so much joy from working with the little ones. They were eager to learn, respectful, enjoyed high fives, and did their best in every drill. Once my son's group took a water break, he was looking for me and as him and I made contact, he smiled so hard and gave me a hug when he noticed what I was doing. I was shocked that he didn't try to get into my group, but once I noticed him having a ball with new friends he made in his group, he wasn't moving over to where I was.

By responding to the challenge to help kids regardless of the fact that I was primarily there to watch and support my son, 7 young kids were not bored out of their minds, which could of lead to them giving their parents resistance next Saturday morning about coming back. Just like in our schools, we must do whatever it takes to ensure that students want to get up in the morning and come to school. If we can take this day by day to respond to any situation involving kids that leave them with a feeling of accomplishment, we can start to work on attendance and tardy issues that can plague our schools.

                                                            Jerod Phillips Jr. (PJ) - Age 5

The Cafeteria - My Personal Classroom Sometimes

What is a dollar worth? Let me rephrase that. What value can be gained from a dollar? For an educator, something small as a dollar can provide more insight than we can imagine.

Student: Mr. Phillips, here is your 50 cents.
Me: I was just kidding with you. Keep that for another snack or something.
Student: Really? Well, can I go back up to go through the line?
Me (After laughing): Just save it for tomorrow.
Student: Okay. True, true. Thanks.
Adult standing near me: Did you give him money?
Me: Yes
Adult standing near me: Did he do something good, or did you reward him for something?
Me: No. Are you telling me that you've never had a student ask you for 50 cents or a dollar while in your classroom before lunch or while you are in the cafeteria?
Adult standing near me: NO RESPONSE TO MY QUESTION
Me: I've been this way my entire career when it comes to kids and little things like this.

As an Associate Principal, I can only hope that the above interaction provided a learning experience for the student and the adult. I will start with the student. The student is one that briefly spent time with us last year, moved, and then returned to us this year after Christmas. The student never really opened up or tried to allow the adults in our school to build a relationship with him, as evidenced by the student's discipline record from last year and immediately after he returned. What the adult standing near me didn't know was that after meeting with this student's parent before he returned to our school, I gained more insight into the student. The student lives in a multi-family household with a single mother, not true male figures in his life, and he has trust issues. Ever since that meeting, I have been trying different tactics to build a relationship every time I see him at arrival time, hallway transitions, and in the cafeteria. Considering the student's living situation as explained by his mother, "extra food" at home is probably not the norm so I didn't hesitate giving the student a dollar for extra food or snacks. The fact that the student asked me and attempted to return my change as I jokingly asked him was huge for me. It showed me that I was getting somewhere with him. As educators, we have to take any and all opportunities to break down the walls that students have up. Then, and only then, can we begin to reach and teach them.

As for the adult standing near me for the second part of my exchange with the student, I hope this opened his or her eyes up to the fact that he or she must realize and truly learn the population we are serving. Any and all interactions must be meaningful in some way. Things we do for kids or don't do for kids shouldn't always hinge upon a token or reward system that centers on our thinking, ideologies, and biases. We must set those expectations and model them for the kids. I was intentional about modeling for this student the behavior, attitude, and care that needs to be exhibited to kids, and in turn, when possible, the student could in turn display those same traits in his home and school communities. I know that there are instances where we must be mindful of what kids are asking us for, but for things that deal with anything falling within that base of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, educators must do what they can to either help if possible or direct them towards help. We must not let ANY teachable moment pass us by, even in the cafeteria.