When Children Are Left Behind, We Bust A U-Turn!
As I sit here trying to get my thoughts together, one of my students is messaging me on Instagram, basically saying....
Brandon....focus.
Okay, I'm back. Close your eyes...
I remember my first day of Second grade. The bus stop was right outside my apartment, so my mom watched from the screen door as I skipped along the sidewalk up to the Main Office, where we were told to wait for the bus to arrive. It was a cool breeze out and I was stoked! Not only was I starting at a brand new school, but I had my fancy lunch box and new shoes on. This guy was ready! When I got on the bus, I sat in my seat and watched the scenery pass by as the journey began. When I finally arrived to my class, there were so many new faces, welcoming, and people I just couldn't wait to befriend. My teacher was an older woman, with White hair, and she was the best. My day was going to be perfect. I went throughout my day, learning new things, not having a care in the world. Then...recess. I was overwhelmed with joy as I explored the swing sets and searched for fossils and rocks in the gravel. The day went on and then it was time to go home. When I stepped foot off of the bus, I ran to my apartment door and told my mom all about my day. Smiling from ear to ear.
Keep in mind the following things: My bus driver, classroom teacher, lunch lady, gym teacher, Principal, and classmates all spoke in English. All books were in English.
Now, imagine if my first language was not English. Try navigating through my story not having the same experience and not receiving the same welcoming, supportive energy.
This is the experience of some of our students because schools and classrooms have shifted from focusing on "teaching to the child" to "teaching to the test", led by policies that mandate "English-only" standards. So, instead of cultivating learning environments as places that all students want to be, we create spaces that exclude the gifts of culture, language, tradition, and history. This results in an assembly-line approach of instruction. How did we get here? When I was reading the material for this week and looking at all of the historical accounts that were laid out, there was a phrase mentioned in Tongue Tied that stood out to me: "Arrogance of Empire" (Santa Ana, 2004, p. 89). For some reason, that short statement was so powerful and caused me to really look at how far we haven't progressed in the history of this nation. Initially, I examined that from the context in the book, which was more of colonialization and the power of dominance and exclusion; however, my mind started to shift and I started to think about some of my students I've worked with over the last few years. Immediately, I started to think about the impact on building relationships and ensuring safe spaces for students.
When I was the Parent Involvement Educator at a local elementary school, the 4th graders were my favorite group. I remember there were two students In particular, who were of Mexican descent, who I called my nephews. We always had lunch together and they were often sent to my classroom if they were having difficulties with their homeroom teachers. Oftentimes, I would be working on some reports and they would just be playing around. One of the best parts was to watch them truly engage with each other in Spanish, without feeling the need to "stop speaking that way". Now, let me be clear, there wasn't a group of people creeping through the halls searching for students who were speaking Spanish to "correct" them or to call them out. But, there were teachers who you knew were not fans of hearing students speak to each other in their first language. When we look at how relationships are created, we often underappreciate the gifts of discernment that kids have, being able to read people and their intentions. Students know if you are someone who is really there for them or if you are simply just "there". Allowing students to feel free in their identity and existence are vital to opening up the opportunities for trust and invitations for encouragement.
Dr. Christopher Emdin speaks about an approach to teaching called "Reality Pedagogy" and highlights the concept of cosmopolitanism. Basically, this is when educators create an environment where students feel deeply connected, infused-if you will, to their learning spaces and are appreciated for their cultural contributions.
Sigh....gasp....dramatic pause. What if....WHAT IF...our legislators and policymakers actually took this type of approach into consideration and spoke with students and their families on what they needed in order to be successful in school? How amazing would that be??
Unfortunately, they don't do that. You want an example? How about the "No Child Left Behind" Act that was created under the Bush Administration. The title of the act is saturated irony as it, indeed, left millions of children behind, academically, stripping away vital resources. Policymakers continue to create education policies that underserve our most marginalized populations and continue to restrict the access of an equitable education.
Alas...there is hope, though. Here are some links to recent movements away from English-only Instruction across various areas of the country:
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/lawmakers-arizona-immersion-ell-english-language-learners-11111977
https://hechingerreport.org/california-voters-poised-gut-english-instruction-law/
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/2017/11/bilingual_education_to_return_massacusetts.html
"English is an all-devouring language that has moved across North America like the fabulous plagues of locusts that darkened the sky and devoured even the handles of rakes and hoes..."
-Louise Erdrich
What Do You Think?
1. What kind of community organizing efforts can begin to take on legislative decisions to work towards creating more equitable policies and practices around language minority students?
2. Are you aware of any Student-centered movements here in Indianapolis that are focusing on language or cultural equity?
3. What are you doing in your classrooms, schools, or neighborhoods to build relationships with young people and make them feel valued and important?
Great Blog!
ReplyDeleteFirst, I love that you referenced Emdin. I had the pleasure of meeting him and hearing him speak at NCTE this year; it was an amazing experience and presentation. For those interested, check out his book "For White Folks who Teach in the Hood... and the Rest of Y'all Too."
Also, I wanted to talk about your 3rd question. I have found that what I do with my students outside the classroom HIGHLY impacts our relationship in the classroom. I do this in a couple of ways. Since I work at a religious school I often chaperone religious retreats for each grade level. There is a lot of down time during these days, so I get to know them in a different way and they get to know me in a different way. I also coach cheerleading and try to attend the sports games/theatre productions that my students participate in. Another way that I do this is by chaperoning a school trip to El Salvador during Spring Break . I find that doing these things makes the students feel more comfortable around me and in my classroom. It really builds a community and in the end gives the students more chances to flourish in the classroom. On the other side, I think it really helps me to get to know the students and the different aspects of their lives that might impact their education either positively or negatively.
I agree that engaging with students outside of the classroom is so important. I try to make it out to one event for each sport and the students are always excited to see me there. Unfortunately I haven't been able to attend any retreats but I am chaperoning a trip to Italy in a few weeks. I talk to students in the hallway, including those that I haven't had in class before. I am grateful to work in a small school that fosters this sort of community. As I mentioned in my other reply, building relationships with students is the best part of teaching.
DeleteOne thing that I started doing this year that has made a difference in my classroom is ask students who come from different backgrounds to share a little about their culture. It started when we had a short term German exchange student who participated in one of our classes for two weeks. I asked her to give a short presentation on what school was like in Germany and some cultural differences she noticed. My students LOVED it. They were so interested but they also gave me a hard time for not asking them to give presentations. I realized that I really had been missing out on a huge source of information. What a great way to celebrate our diversity and the richness of our backgrounds. Every couple a week student gives some information about what makes their background unique and it ends up taking up the better part of the class. It's completely volunteer but there has been a lot of enthusiasm for it. I think they get excited because they aren't "learning" in the traditional sense and so they feel like theyr'e getting away with something. :) I have only implemented this in my 8th period. I've tried to get other classes involved but they are a little more apprehensive. I think next year I will try to create an assignment based on this idea and have students present throughout the semester.
Rebeccah, I appreciate that you learned from the experience of the other students getting, somewhat, frustrated about not being able to share their experiences. I think when we are with the same students all of the time, we can go into auto-pilot mode and forget that their experiences change daily, just like ours. When I was at the elementary school I worked at, I loved having parent meetings at McDonald's and Starbucks or at their home because it was neutral turf and really allowed some of those walls to come down, allowing a quicker opportunity to build the relationship.
DeleteMaryBeth, that is awesome how involved you are in those students live! I also posted about how impactful being active in a students life outside a classroom is. You really do get to see a different side of them. Also they see a different side of you too!! It’s a great way for them to know that they are not only important inside a classroom, but out as well.
DeleteMaryBeth, I bet your students love you! As a writing instructor, I can't help but think you students are also probably comfortable enough to take risks with their writing - something I would love my students to do.
ReplyDeleteI also really appreciate the links that are in the blog. One of the articles about California's proposition to begin bilingual programs brought up a question posed by a friend: Why is it that we aren't teaching our students several languages? In professional environments, she encounters colleagues who are proficient in several languages. Cousins who live overseas are fluent in at least 2 languages and proficient in others. It is strange to my international students that often their American peers only know English. The programs featured in your links do provide hope!
Thank you for that point. It does beg the question of "why do we score or categorize importance of languages". For example, we treat Latin, German, Italian, Chinese as prioritized electives, but treat Spanish as a mere obligation, instead of treating it as a culturally-rich language. And if we have so many students who's first language is Spanish, why are we not doing all that we can to learn from the traditions and contributions made to our lives from those of Latin and Hispanic descent?
DeleteI agree, great blog!
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing the readings/video for this week I immediately called one of my friends who I know has English learners in her class to ask her thoughts on the subject. I am not a teacher yet, but I've always respected her dedication and passion for teaching and knew she could give me her personal perspective.
She said after more than 10 years teaching English learners at the Elementary level that understanding the large amount of biases that exist is number one. Not only are the classroom resources completely biased, but so are many of the staff and administrators in their opinions and expectations. She teachers at a school where 80% of the kids are from low income families, and around 50% of her classroom are bilingual or English learners yet her administrators are almost exclusively white.
To combat this she works hard at being sensitive and patient to her students cultural differences. She knows the relationship she personally builds with each individual student (English learner or not), will impact the overall learning and sense or community within the classroom. These are a few things she said have helped her.
1. Tries to teach smaller lessons with written, visuals and oral instruction together.
2. Brings different cultures into the curriculum through books, resourses she has found, daily discussions about their lives/past experiences, and volunteers from the community.
3. Encourages all languages to be used, especially when they are in groups.
4. Treats every child with the same amount of respect, while also being repectful of individual cultural traditions.
5. Respects their families. For most cultures including latino, family is at the center of everything.
After seeing Dr. Edmin's approach in your blog it made me think of my discussion because teachers out there are busting their butts everyday to create and promote equity for all students in their classroom.
Those are some amazing tips! I especially appreciate #5, respecting the families and involving them in the process. Sometimes, we don't see the great lengths that parents go to provide their children with the educational resources, and can form inaccurate assumptions. But, when we involve them in the process and collaborate with them, we can learn so much about what we are doing wrong and how to better serve our students.
DeleteAmanda,
DeleteThese resources are incredible! Thank you so much for sharing this information. These tips are going to be extremely useless once I get into the classroom! All of the tips are very helpful, but I think number one stuck out to me the most because I don't think I would have thought of that!
You started your post with a story about your first day of second grade and your story caused me to remember a substitute teacher I had in elementary school named Mrs. Schwartz. Mrs. Schwartz was an odd lady with straight gray hair who always wore troll earrings, however troll earrings were not the oddest thing about her. The oddest thing was that she spoke in different languages.. all day long. I went to a school that had all white, English speaking children, so when Mrs. Schwartz would start speaking to my third grade class in Spanish we all looked at her like she was off her rocker. I remember how quiet everyone would get when she would speak in Spanish and/or French... she knew both. No one dared to speak, looking back it was almost like there was some type of fear in the air because no one knew what was going. Eventually she would switch back to English and say something like, "Why are you all looking at me like that?" or "Do you not understand me?" Some brave soul would answer her and she would then talk in English. Sometimes she would begin speaking in different languages again and stop herself and say, "Oh, I forgot." then continue in English again.
ReplyDeleteThinking back to Mrs. Schwartz and her somewhat questionable teaching techniques, she had placed us into a type of simulation. It was like if we moved somewhere that only spoke Spanish or French, and for me personally, it was frightening. I don't know if the simulation was her goal or if she just wanted to have some fun with us, but either way she made us feel lost and quite stupid for not knowing what our teacher was saying.
Anyway, my somewhat long childhood memory was an introduction for me wanting to focus on question three. I think that in classrooms if teachers can use their students languages in anyway that they can think of it will begin to build up that strong rooted safe place in the classroom. Whether it be saying 'Hello' in their language or poster boards on the wall in their language it can ease the child and help them not feel lost. When Mrs. Schwartz began to speak in English the amount of relief I felt was unreal. I think that if a child is able to hear their home language inside their classroom in any way they will also begin to relax.
Visuals are so important! And they should be year-round. The last school I worked at would put posters up of amazing Black and Brown influential people during respective "history" months. Well, we suggested that those posters stayed up year-round. That way Black and Brown students were able to have a daily visual of representation that weren't relinquished to 30 days out the whole year.
DeleteThank you for including links to the movements away from English-only language instruction. It is hopeful to know that they exist and is helpful in my own reflection of what I can do personally to create change within my own community.
ReplyDeleteI agree that students are very intuitive and know which teachers are “really there for them”. I do think a lot of this comes from personally engaging with students. I am very critical of myself when it comes to my teaching but one thing I have always been proud of is that I “work” hard to get to know my students on an individual level. I put work in quotations because it is the easiest and most rewarding part of my job. When we switched to 1:1 (computers:students) technology this year I really struggled to engage with students personally, face to face. The first semester was extremely difficult because I felt that I was not connecting with the students and that none of us were really enjoying our time in the classroom. I made several changes for second semester and can already feel a world of difference. I quit having students complete the bell work on the computer. We complete it after we greet each other. I am back to spending the first few minutes of class interacting with them, asking questions about their lives, sharing bits of mine with them, and just joking around. Even though this doesn’t fit in with “bell-to-bell” teaching, it is critical to OUR success as a class. We build community and trust. The end result is that my students realize that I care about them and they trust me to lead them. They respect me and therefore put forth more effort, are more engaged, less disruptive, and not as afraid to fail.
As a history teacher, I REALLY enjoyed these readings. I was continually nodding my head and geeking out over the connections I was making with the text. As a society, we put so much focus on STEM that we tend to minimize the importance of history. The readings today illustrate why I chose to teach history. I believe that we must make sense of the past to better understand our present in order to create a better tomorrow.
Rebeccah, I bet your students love you! I have had a LOVE of history ever since my junior year of high school thanks to my teacher Mr. Roger's. He would come into the classroom and his love for history radiated from every part of his being. He spoke with so much passion and empathy that I always looked forward to his class and learning the history of our amazing country through the eyes of someone who cared. He was there for the right reasons just as you are and that makes all the difference. I agree that our focus is too much on STEM and not enough on history. Elementary schools teach almost no history, and middle and high schools seem to pick and choose what they personally feel is important, instead of having an unbiased approach. I know many times this is from a comfort standpoint, but history is the good, the bad and the ugly. So much of our reading this week was fascinating to me as well! Mainly because I didn't know how hard the fight has been, and that should never be forgotten.
DeleteDr. Jeffrey Duncan-Andrade wrote about Hope Theory and addressed a specific notion called "Audacious Hope". This is when educators are in it for the long haul with students, in the trenches, sharing their struggles and their successes. Using this approach, students know that teachers/educators are not simply there during work hours or when things are going well, but through all of it. Sometimes, we have to resist tradition or comfort in order to truly make an impact on the lives of our students, who in turn, make an impact on ours. We learn so much from our students and we have to elevate those experiences more often that we do.
DeleteFirst off, I would like to say, GREAT blog. I really enjoy your writing and throughtful insight to the statements you have made above. One of your remarks above stood out to me big time. “Students know if you are someone who is really there for them, or if you are simply just ‘there.’” I really like how you focused on this concern in a culturally relevant classroom community.
ReplyDeleteWith that, I would like to address your third question. I am currently in a block cohort group band we talk a lot about cultural relevance and how to make sure the students feel comfortable enough to feel “free in their identity.”
In this class that I am in, we went on an exportation of the community that our elementary school is surrounded by. We were assigned to talk and learn about an establishment in the community and ask them about their involvement with the students at the school. We were also asked to find out why the owner chose the area to begin a business or residence. This type of assignment really helped me and my classmates to see where our students were coming from. Even though the students I work with now come from a different background than I do, I am doing my best to put myself in situations to reach a somewhat common ground with them. I want to students to have that feeling that I am someone who is really there for them and not just “there.”
There is a training called "Asset-Based Community Development" that is offered through the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center. This training takes community members through a process of looking at neighborhoods and identifying their assets and gifts, rather than deficits. For example, I live on the East side, in an area that has been the focus of increased police presence. Now, I could look at the negative things in my area, or I could put that effort into finding the assets and amazing things. If I see a group of kids at the gas station, instead of looking at that as loitering, I see it as an opportunity for engagement. It's about looking through a different lens that we have been programmed to use...which is typically the lens of White privilege. The privilege will remain, but our outlook can change.
DeleteI'm curious to know if any of the posters of black and brown influential people that were put up in the school you worked at made a difference or had some kind of impact in students lives. Did any students talk about the posters? Did teachers talk about the posters? I more than agree that visuals are important but what good do they do if no one talks about them? A teacher can have the most influential poster hanging on her wall but what is the poster going to do if no one talks about it or mentions it? It will just hang there and some might not even notice it. Having visuals like we both mentioned, I believe, is very important but we also need to make sure they're being talked about or incorporated into lessons. Maybe point a poster out in class and have a few students read it or describe what they see.. create a mini-lesson out of it. Make it seen an make it important.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! The great thing was, the posters lined the stairway and every student had to pass by them, every day. There were some staff who would go out of their way to talk about one of the featured posters and talk about their impact. But you are right, attention to them has to be intentional.
DeleteGreat blog!
ReplyDeleteI loved how you started out by using a personal story, something to really engage us into the topic you were going to be talking about. When I was reading it, it made me think more about when I was helping in a classroom. It was my old first grade teacher ( but when I helped he had moved to kindergarten) and there was a boy in his class that didn't know ANY English when he came into his classroom. The teacher worked with him throughout the year teaching him English, which I thought was amazing because he did come very far. I didn't think much about it at the time. After being in my classes for four weeks this semester it has made think a lot more on that year I helped. I think it's interesting that no one wanted to learn his language. No one really talked to him in his class because no one knew what he was saying. I don't think it's all the teachers fault though. I believe that it also has to do with the school and resources available. I do however believe that teachers can push to get more help and also be able to learn from the student as well. I work at a daycare and we have kids from many different races and also countries come there. There are some that don't know english when they arrive and it scares them to death because all they do is cry. We help them by teaching them hand signs and being able to communicate in that way until they learn more english. I also like to make sure my kids feel important by talking to them. Asking about their day and or just being there so they have someone to talk to.
Brandon, thank you for the story as it really drove home your point about the upstream swimming non-native speakers go through in schools on a daily basis. I think your question about policymakers and legislators brings up an interesting issue. Perhaps, this is indicative of a much larger issue in our country. In my opinion, I think legislators become too reliant on lobbyists to really understand the daily plights of students in our schools. Typically, the legislator may be outside of their comfort zone so they rely on the lobbyist to inform them on issues or they need the donations from the lobbyist. Regardless, this philosophy is problematic due to the lack of first-hand experience of our school districts.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I find your description of the "Asset-Based Community Development" fascinating. I think this is a tremendous approach to inequity at a grassroots level. I will remember to think about this and remember that instead of loitering it is an opportunity for engagement! Thanks for sharing.
Great post! I loved how you started off with that story! At first, I wasn’t sure where you were going with it but then you beautifully connected it to the reading. Your story also painted a vivid picture in my mind about the experience that bilingual students go through in the classroom. I haven’t had any experience in the classroom but I am going to answer your last question to the best of my ability.
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom, I will make my students feel empowered and included. I want my students to become leaders and feel comfortable expressing their voices. I will do this by creating assignments, discussions, and projects that are student led. I want my students to learn from each other and I want to learn as much as I can from them as well. I hope this would make my students feel valued and important. In the community, I do a lot of volunteering. I love it so much because I think it is going to be very beneficial when I get into IPS schools because I will have some insight into their community. I believe this is important because it will give me something to talk about with my students and a way for my students to connect with me.
I would encourage you to look up the Hope Theory I mentioned above by Dr. Jeffrey Duncan-Andrade and examine words. Also, we all know that words matter, so look at the experiences of your students as "their's"...but examine that from perspective of the community that is "our's"...that way, you are sharing that space with them and acknowledging that this is collective, collaborative work.
DeleteTaylor,
DeleteI really enjoy your point on students learning from each other and us as the teacher learning from our students. I believe this is the most efficient and successful way of learning. Students will learn a lot more this way and through discussion as opposed to the teacher leading the learning. I agree that it is so important to get yourself out there in the community like doing community service in order to understand communities a lot better. I believe that is a great way to learn about the community as well as yourself and bring what you learn to implement into the classroom. Not everywhere is going to be like where you grew up so it is important to understand that and find every way possible to learn about others upbringing without those direct questions.
Hey Taylor!
DeleteI really love how you want to teach in IPS! I grew up in IPS from 1st to 12th grade and I said as soon as I got my teaching license, I want to give back to the school system that raised me. I was very excited to get the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of my former 1st grade students. When I see them now, they always remember me and say I was a great teacher.
It's great that you want to create assignments, discussions, and projects that are student led. Students definitely learn the most from each other! We're there as the facilitator to guide them. I've definitely seen a difference in my students when they can explain a concept to each other versus me standing in front of them talking. I agree with Brandon. By thinking of it from an "our" perspective, it shares that accountability that learning the responsibility of everyone. Replace "me and my" with "us, our, and we" and students will understand this isn't the teacher's classroom, it's our classroom.
I want to start off by saying this was a great blog post! I loved how you included your personal example at the beginning and recreated the situation by simply mentioning that this scenario is not the same for every student because we tend to leave our students behind in schools. It was also easy for me to connect with your story because, mine was similar and I do realize that not all students have the same experiences which is something that I hope to change as an educator for not only my students but others as well.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the fact that you mentioned Christopher Emdin in your blog post. In a previous class I was introduced to this video and I absolutely love it and the ideas that it talks about. I believe that it is so important for all of his reality pedagogy terms to be implemented into the classroom. I strongly encourage everyone to watch his video because it is very powerful and if implemented into the classroom has great potential to move students out of their comfort zones and help your classroom environment blossom.
While I do not have my own classroom yet, I would like to answer your last question. Just because I don’t have my own classroom does not mean that I haven’t been thinking of ways and ideas ensure my students feel valued, important and supported! I love the idea of implementing the 5 c’s of reality pedagogy into my classroom like Christopher Emdin discussed in his video. Another key factor in making students feel valued and important is to let the students facilitate the learning and discussion, it shouldn’t just be teacher based. If students are allowed the opportunity in the classroom to be the “expert” they will feel empowered to do anything. It is also important to value students cultural values so that you are able to not only value those with the students and bring them into the classroom but also keep the classroom culturally relevant.
Hi Brandon,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post and question 3 it made me think of a situation at a school I worked with that tried to make their LatinX students feel like a part of the school. . They had such a high LatinX percentage of students and wanted them to feel like they were apart of the school as well. They decided to come up with LatinX clubs, one being a dancing club where they would do dances from the cultures of their students. However, the students were not participating. The school didn't understand why until one day there was a presentation by the Indiana Latino Institute and they shared that there are so many layers to truly including students from different cultures and they made a mistake by generalizing. They shared with the school that the reason students were not participating was because in some of the different LatinX religions it was not appropriate to dance in public. The school learned a valuable lesson; trying to impose what they thought would work for those students in the name of inclusion. I think with education in general, especially as it relates to this course, it is really important to try to find ways that all students are valued and their culture is respected without being more harmful than helpful.
That is an excellent point! It can be easy to lump all cultures together, unintentionally. It is important to be called "out" and hold ourselves accountable and to continue educating ourselves.
DeleteAwesome example of your first day of second grade not going the same for a student that doesn't speak English. It would be a brave move for communities to bring back cultural fairs that describe and allow different cultures to express themselves as well as educate other about their cultures. I always make it a valid effort to allow all of my students to express themselves in the ways they feel most comfortable whether its through their culture or identity or both. Also, I make it a point to reach out to my students and kids in my community outside the classroom by attending functions that express who they are as people outside of the education world.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post! Your example of flashing back to when you were younger and connecting it to the “now imagine” was a creative way to get our minds thinking! Also, I liked reading about your experience with the 4th graders. I agree, seeing students engage in ways that others can not with them is the best and so interesting. And I think what is even more important is the fact that these students were so comfortable to do it around you! It really shows the relationship that you had with one another!
ReplyDeleteAs for your 2nd question, I know that IUPUI has a student organization for Latino students. I do not know much detail, but I believe it is to promote academic excellence and promote diversity in the culture and language. If I remember correctly, a student I know of that is apart of the organization made a speech about on behalf of the Latino community and the inequalities they face.
As for your last question, I know that being active in a students life outside of the learning environment is so so importnant. I worked with school age/summer camp children last year and noticed the more involved I was outside of the classroom, they wonder more about my life and wanted to do the same! It was great to know that these students knew they were important and valued and wanted to pass that along to me. The reciprocated energy was so rewarding! And I knew that the impact I was making was meaningful. I think that if every educator could see how beneficial it was to be involved outside of classrooms there would be way more positive attitudes towards school!