tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20759157094601019962024-03-04T20:48:57.682-08:00Civics Engaged - Finding our stanceWorking on behalf of students and teachers as an assistant principal is a privilege. This blog is an honest account of my learning and reflections on issues connected to my experiences, education policy and teaching. Views expressed here are my own and do not represent the school district I serve.
MY DIGITAL PORTFOLIO: ngregory48846.wixsite.com/nickgregoryNick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-10912932849842543762021-04-18T22:50:00.025-07:002021-04-19T20:46:17.490-07:00High school students deserve to know the complete story about America<h1 style="text-align: left;"></h1><h1 style="text-align: left;"></h1><h2 style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></h2><div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.011em; line-height: 56px; margin: 0.6em 0px -0.27em; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f4586864-7fff-ea27-c061-6a702d2ecb57"><span style="color: #292929; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;">The Chauvin trial and high school: What does all of this say about the future of American democracy?</span></span></span></div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZpd4dldBmmYRUEq5ZD9BuT2XegRGFijjJuQPuTnM6YZVQkEzHRBx1NoVvraChpO0wCZf_vmnVyq6mJd0YsD-hZCM2oJ8p_Q1zMQr7W0Dwasy3TlPZKuhU-tzsqAlPelmEPUqUG5AJSMK/" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZpd4dldBmmYRUEq5ZD9BuT2XegRGFijjJuQPuTnM6YZVQkEzHRBx1NoVvraChpO0wCZf_vmnVyq6mJd0YsD-hZCM2oJ8p_Q1zMQr7W0Dwasy3TlPZKuhU-tzsqAlPelmEPUqUG5AJSMK/w400-h266/49958895677_9ecc95179d_b.jpg" title="ural depicting George Floyd, Minneapolis. By chaddavis.photography (Creative Commons)" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Minneapolis Public Schools announced Friday that school would be remote this week in anticipation of the verdict</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in the Derek Chauvin trial. MPS is providing resources for teachers to help students process their feelings while the potential for civil unrest grips the nation.</span><div><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Chauvin, accused of using unreasonable force, leading to the death of </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2075915709460101996/1091293284984254376#" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #4a6ee0; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">George Floyd</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, faces up to forty years in prison if found guilty of second-degree unintentional murder. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Regardless of the demographics of your school community, high school educators across the nation should be preparing for the Chauvin verdict with student’s needs in mind. Waiting for the national reaction of the verdict </span><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">to start the conversation</em><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> in classrooms would be a missed learning opportunity. </span></span></p><h1><blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>The temptation to avoid the messy truth laid out in the trial of Derek Chauvin helps explain where we are today.</i> </span></blockquote><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teachers need support and advice</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-1cd107cc-7fff-b7b9-9c3e-c233c7f3c717"></span></span></span></p></h1><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0e101a; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The building culture, the norms and guidelines established in classrooms, and the level of support teachers have from colleagues, building administration, and district leadership should always be considered before tackling controversial issues in school. To have a learning environment rich with student voice, teachers should cultivate a safe space for students to ask questions, express fears, and learn from different perspectives.</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Teacher Considerations:</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Proactively meet with a building administrator for guidance and to potentially plan your classroom activities together. Consider inviting an administrator to be a part of the lesson. </span></span></li></ul><ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Do your research, and have a clear purpose for the lesson(s). Link the lesson to specific standards ahead of time. Explicitly state the reason for addressing the death of George Floyd and the relevance of the trial to student learning. Share the learning goals with students ahead of time.</span></span></li></ul><ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Collaborate with colleagues to talk through ideas. Whether it’s tying in art, music, literature, history, or current events - teachers are great resources for finding ways to connect contemporary issues to students’ lives. There are excellent lesson ideas and strategies out there; it doesn’t make sense to go it alone. </span></span></li></ul><ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Allow time after any discussion and class activities to debrief and plan the next steps with your students. </span></span></li></ul><ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While the political climate may be polarized, students will benefit from a professional who models a caring and empathetic approach to navigating complex topics. A series of reflection activities will encourage students to explore the subject, consider new ideas and participate. </span></span></li></ul><ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Consider assigning pre-reading that provides facts, context, and careful treatment of the issue. Allow time for students to interact with facts and to have devoted class time to write and map out their questions before sharing ideas in class. </span></span></li></ul><ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Some students have experienced trauma and racism, making it critically important that students feel safe and valued in school. Seek guidance from your SEL or trauma-informed team at your school. </span></span></li></ul><ul style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Be prepared to learn from your students as they learn from one another. Students and adults who model the ability to change their minds in light of new learning provide hope for progress. </span></span></li></ul><p></p><p></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Where this fits for today’s high school student</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #0e101a; white-space: pre-wrap;">Playing it “safe” and ignoring George Floyd’s death in American high schools is quite dangerous. The temptation to avoid the messy truth laid out in the trial of Derek Chauvin helps explain where we are today. Learning how to share space with unresolved and contentious issues provides a path forward for a healthier democracy.</span><span style="color: #0e101a;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">
</span></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Regardless of the result of this trial, the United States has a troubled history with race and the justice system. Meeting this moment with honesty is an opportunity to help students recognize the complexity of our challenges as a nation. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #0e101a; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Today’s high school seniors were in middle school when Eric Garner died at the hands of police in New York City and when Officer Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. Since that time, most high school students also saw headlines related to Freddie Gray (Baltimore, 2015), Walter Scott (North Charleston SC, 2015), Philando Castile (Falcon Heights MN, 2016), Breonna Taylor (Louisville, 2016), and more recently George Floyd (Minneapolis, 2020), Daunte Wright (Brooklyn Center MN, 2021), and Adam Toledo (Chicago, 2021). </span></span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="8a70"><span style="font-family: arial;">Students and educators are allies. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Honesty about how we got here encourages students to grasp a more complete story of America. Informed citizens who can both admire and admonish the United States strengthens our democracy. </span></p></div>Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-65093545610791068772020-04-08T11:58:00.001-07:002020-04-08T12:00:20.133-07:00Are You Hurting Your School by Helping it Survive?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "lucida grande" , "lucida sans unicode" , "lucida sans" , "geneva" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 34px; letter-spacing: -0.022em;">How focusing on the finish line creates a negative school culture</span><br />
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<a href="https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/https-medium-com-nickgregory-survival-modeandnegativeschoolculture-4c30becb10c6">LINK to Published Story on Medium</a><br />
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-88755200593287917882020-04-08T11:56:00.002-07:002020-04-08T11:56:35.107-07:00The intersection of American political culture, sexual misconduct, and schools <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://the%20intersection%20of%20american%20political%20culture%2C%20sexual%20misconduct%2C%20and%20schools/">The MEDIUM version linked here </a></div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-5120300514066231282020-04-08T11:53:00.003-07:002020-04-08T11:54:12.976-07:00Racism or coincidence?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.54); font-size: 24px;">If you think talking about racism is difficult in the age of Trump, imagine our future if today’s students can’t recognize racism</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><a href="https://medium.com/@ngregory48846/racism-or-coincidence-86aa6acd99b4">MEDIUM VERSION Linked Here </a></span></div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-1016977644143465592020-04-08T11:46:00.001-07:002020-04-08T11:50:15.998-07:00Teachers have earned the benefit of the doubt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be patient during the COVID-19 pandemic</span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">As schools throughout the nation close for the remainder of the year, take a minute to consider what this will mean for thousands of teachers who are doing their best to educate our children. School leaders and local officials are scrambling to “flatten the curve” of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is our top priority, and as we retrofit our education system on the fly to meet the needs of millions of students, we ask for your patience and understanding. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">Be kind to teachers who are on the front lines navigating school closures in an education system that is, like so many institutions, incapable of meeting the demands placed upon it by the outbreak. At best, the expectations for most teachers right now are loosely defined by school leaders. Many teachers are trying to patch together inadequate distance learning programs without guidance. This is not the time for parents to use social media platforms to compare teachers or to publicly complain about a teacher who is slow to adapt. Our nation's teachers have earned the benefit of the doubt, so please show some grace if you are irritated.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">During normal times, school districts take several months, even years, to institute changes in curriculum and instructional methods. Expecting teachers to do this at a high level, with no time to prepare, during a national emergency is ridiculous. If you feel the need to share feedback with an educator, consider what would be helpful before you hit send. Negativity toward a teacher at this time will bruise deeply and could limit the creativity of teachers trying their best to meet student needs. A measured tone is imperative if you feel discouraged as a parent and wish to share your frustration. Trust me, teachers wish they could meet the needs of every student and family they serve. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">More than the internet</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">Connecting and teaching students in a distance-learning environment is not akin to a teacher simply jumping online and presenting academic material to students. Conducting meaningful virtual instruction requires dedicated professional coaching for staff, and it also requires significant training and practice for students and families. Most teachers have never been expected to integrate remote learning into their curriculum. The instinctive knowledge teachers have spent their respective careers amassing has a vastly different application online, and most educators have never been trained to deliver robust instruction in that format. In addition, the inequity of student access to technology and broadband internet service is woven into the challenge of teaching students remotely. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">Teachers are pros at building relationships</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">Teachers are well versed in building relationships with students so be grateful for the teachers who are trying to maintain their connection to students. This connection — virtual or in-person — is critical for academic and social-emotional growth. Our best educators specialize in making those human connections and they are experts at molding positive relationships, devoting their talent to create a culture of learning, and contributing to the school culture. Those indelible skills for expressing care and demonstrating a commanding presence may translate online for some teachers, but it is unfair to expect it to happen naturally. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">Teachers are stuck waiting</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">Many of our teachers can’t share with you that they are at the whim of school leaders and state mandates that are not always communicated to them effectively. While teachers are on the front lines of most communication with parents and students, they are not always armed with the information parents seek. Your child’s teacher understands your concerns about assessments and grades, your child falling behind and your desire to have access to more resources. Teachers are trying to be flexible and they do not want to throw their school leaders under the bus by voicing their misgivings to you and fueling the anxiety parents are feeling. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">Uncertainty and sadness </span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">Educators lament the loss of the celebrations, getting that last high five, hug or final word of encouragement to students. Teachers have been working hard to get your child to the finish line, and in a career that has always included clear beginnings and ends each school year, this new reality is bewildering. Many educators are helping their own children cope with the loss of a traditional school year while they also cope with the same reality as a professional. Not being able to grieve the loss of the school year together is tough on the children and the adults who serve them. Teachers wonder if their current efforts are making much of an impact on students. In some cases, only a handful of students are still connected to school and that is disheartening. Teachers are used to receiving regular feedback from students and adjusting their teaching strategies accordingly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">Moving forward </span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black;">The best thing you can do to help teachers is to unite with them and let them know you appreciate them. If you feel the need to share your concerns about school district policies and local programs, reach out to school leaders. Our educators are committed to serving all children and we know that we’re in this together. Teachers and school leaders throughout the country care deeply about the health, safety, and engagement of their students. Right now our teachers need your support. </span></span></div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-3648436108939709002020-02-27T08:11:00.004-08:002020-02-27T08:12:34.536-08:00When Teachers Reach Their Breaking Point <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Pushing through isn’t easy, but the alternative is much worse</span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.004em;">One of the best teachers I know recently told me that she feels depleted and exhausted at school. The work is piling up, she’s tired, and she said the staff had reached their breaking point. She wondered aloud that if she was losing her way as a veteran teacher, how must new hires feel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Photo by </span><a class="bo eq ll lm ln lo" href="https://unsplash.com/@nate_nessman?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 0px calc(1em + 1px); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; http: //www.w3.org/2000/svg\"><line x1=\"0\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"1\" y2=\"1\" stroke=\"rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.84)\" /></svg>"); text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Nate Neelson</span></a><span style="background-color: white;"> on </span><a class="bo eq ll lm ln lo" href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/drown?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 0px calc(1em + 1px); background-repeat: repeat-x; background-size: 1px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; http: //www.w3.org/2000/svg\"><line x1=\"0\" y1=\"0\" x2=\"1\" y2=\"1\" stroke=\"rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.84)\" /></svg>"); text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Unsplash</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.224px;">Teaching is tricky. A bad stretch in the first semester could be fleeting, or it could spiral beyond winter break. Less experienced teachers are more likely to fall prey to a drawn-out collapse, but experienced teachers are not immune.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.004em;">I was not completely surprised by my conversation with this respected and talented teacher. In our world, the month leading to Thanksgiving represents the second leg of our marathon. With falling temperatures outside, we show up to school in the dark, leave in the dark and fall into routines. By Halloween, the anticipation and excitement of the new school year can give way to disillusionment and anxiety. Staff meetings seem longer, grading demands ramp up, and parents start checking in more.</span></div>
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<b><i>The wins, the bad days, and the average days meld together into a fragile normal.</i></b></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.004em;">For teachers who stay in the profession long enough, some school years feel heavier, more taxing than others. When teaching feels constricting and burdensome, hitting the reset button requires a personal resilience that is tough to access when doubt lingers all the time. Sometimes November feels like an uphill trek into gale-force winds, and that’s what I saw in this teacher’s face when she admitted there was nothing left in the tank.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.004em;"><span style="background-color: white;">Her desperation and sense of defeat gave me pause, and I thought more about my role in the school culture where I serve as an administrator. While it is dangerous to accept the notion that “everyone” is feeling one way or another in a school,</span></span><mark class="rz rx qj" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.004em;"> the culture is the thread that connects everyone in the school.</mark><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.004em;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.004em;">At any given time, the ebb and flow of how one feels as an educator can be vastly different from one teacher to the next or from one week to the next.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.004em;">Since that conversation, I have checked in with teachers and members of our administrative team to get a better pulse on how people are feeling where I work. My discussions, along with my experiences as a teacher, brought some big ideas into focus for me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We are allies</span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We all need to lean on our colleagues from time to time, and that vulnerability and willingness to seek help rather than to go it alone will make a rough stretch more tolerable. Sometimes as a school administrator, I feel like I am caught in the middle, trying to balance my ambition to make gains in specific areas while also understanding that some staff members lack the stamina to dive in on some challenges.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><mark class="rw rx qj" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">High-quality teaching and adapting to challenges requires a unique skill set and a team-first approach.</mark><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We have work to do, and we need one another to make it happen.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.352px;">Compliments are not scarce commodities</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">The best superintendent I worked under taught me that a perfectly timed compliment could do more to help a teacher or student than anything else during a rough patch. Giving sincere, positive recognition to others is easy, and it’s free. Sometimes, I think we hold back on compliments unnecessarily, or we assume that people know we appreciate the value they bring to the school. </span><mark class="rw rx qj" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">Let’s face it; frequently, we don’t have a sense of how we’re doing in this profession, and it can become disorienting.</mark><span style="background-color: white;"> It never hurts to remind people about the difference they make for us and others. The worse we feel, the more gratitude we ought to dole out to others. It helps. A little love at the right time can go a long way.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.352px;">Lean on your “go-to” people</span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">We all need our <em class="nk" style="box-sizing: inherit;">go-to people</em> who will straighten us out, give us the truth, and hold us to account. Tired, sad, happy, mad — our <em class="nk" style="box-sizing: inherit;">go-to people</em> keep us upright and never let us off the hook. If your <em class="nk" style="box-sizing: inherit;">go-to people</em> start to poison the well, be careful because that type of toxicity is a tough spell to break. If you don’t have positive <em class="nk" style="box-sizing: inherit;">go-to people</em>, you better find them because it’s only a matter of time before you will need their support.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.352px;">Remain student-centered. Always.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><mark class="rw rx qj" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">When all of that effort to stay afloat during challenging times comes back to one center — students — the rest will work out.</mark><span style="background-color: white;"> Sure, educators have to take care of themselves to serve students, but I am talking about the </span><em class="nk" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit;">work</em><span style="background-color: white;">. Our struggle is anchored in the people who matter most when students are the focus. We can build out from that point.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In my career, I have endured times when I felt overwhelmed, bored, underappreciated, and not supported. The only constant that saw me through all of it was my commitment to the students and families I serve. The only thing more exhausting and counterproductive than excuses in the education profession is assigning blame to every challenge. Give yourself a chance to pull through tough stretches by focusing on students rather than getting swallowed up by negativity and cynicism.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"># # # </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.084px;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">* This story is based on a composite of experiences throughout my career, and it was originally published on Medium in November 2019.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.084px;">I am a fierce advocate for education. I taught for eighteen years, and I am currently serving as a high school assistant principal. </span><mark class="rw rx qj" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.084px;">I am a fan of ideas, bold action & learning from failure.</mark><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; letter-spacing: -0.084px;"> Views expressed here are all mine. I am not repping my employer.</span></div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-22700600066412424952018-11-19T21:05:00.003-08:002018-11-26T10:00:28.403-08:00The Spark for my Civic Engagement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><b>In a world where plenty of people have something to say, my mom finds something to do</b></i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupeYHUeY-wtqYlXRn8jajMOmQs27cGEwe36D2eYCnZ_El9FXzrQ_Q-5cw5I3bFKeu_Lw0NgHNR9Pvy4y0QroUJJIC5ELEd4rtuR42dMmYoC_EDiONZXiTS738pgza9cqOT6W9kVhW4zpn/s1600/10697280_10152785100610977_7602598022863912107_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1231" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupeYHUeY-wtqYlXRn8jajMOmQs27cGEwe36D2eYCnZ_El9FXzrQ_Q-5cw5I3bFKeu_Lw0NgHNR9Pvy4y0QroUJJIC5ELEd4rtuR42dMmYoC_EDiONZXiTS738pgza9cqOT6W9kVhW4zpn/s320/10697280_10152785100610977_7602598022863912107_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">My brother (left) and I joined my mom at her most recent</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">School Board Election Night celebration. My</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"> mom has </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">earned </span>people's<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"> trust </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">because she listens and is clear </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">about </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">what she thinks. There's no mystery about where she stands. </span></div>
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I suppose some people operate unconventionally by necessity and for others, it’s just <i>who</i> they are. My mom wants you to believe that her unorthodox nature is due to necessity, but I’m not buying it. I am qualified to call her bluff and tell the world that one of my mom’s greatest gifts is that she unabashedly does things her way and the world is more colorful because of it.<br />
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On this Thanksgiving weekend, I would like to share a tribute to the most compelling person I know. My mom influences me to follow my passion and serve others.<br />
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When it came to raising us, my mom was poised to try just about anything. In elementary school, there was a phase when she dressed us for school the night before so getting out of the house in the morning would be less stressful. As a parent, she operated like a mad scientist. At one point she gave up trying to keep me and my brother from fighting and set up a ring in our living room and refereed until we tired. I remember being bent over the arm of a chair squirming for air in my brother’s headlock while he argued with my mom about the rules.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">My mom’s entire parenting experience was a case study in resourcefulness. </span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpigLSNI2MKkvhQjEFzICagNHJ2-GPX9PT5h0nU8545rIH3nTWmHirJQzaBA31WgR4vJTFyPjvbshOzr-5ls4XynePezETryh5QpIKIhPNn5u7D3Izkz51hFTyD9x9NjaXG5ih7Fp8lnOp/s1600/25594117_10215035447299567_7811553144797501670_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpigLSNI2MKkvhQjEFzICagNHJ2-GPX9PT5h0nU8545rIH3nTWmHirJQzaBA31WgR4vJTFyPjvbshOzr-5ls4XynePezETryh5QpIKIhPNn5u7D3Izkz51hFTyD9x9NjaXG5ih7Fp8lnOp/s320/25594117_10215035447299567_7811553144797501670_n.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">The grandkids are building their own collection of </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">KK </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">stories that add to the lore.</span><br />
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I think she was entertained by finding new ways to teach us life lessons. Or maybe she was just flying by the seat of her pants? When I was twelve, my mom basically made us join her in assisting elderly blind people around the Grand Rapids Art Festival. I’m pretty sure she waited until we got to the volunteer tent to check-in before she told us how we would be spending our day. Then there was the all-nighter she pulled completing my brother’s high school biology project by finding and pinning insects to a pizza box and swearing every step of the way. My mom’s entire parenting experience was a case study in resourcefulness.<br />
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Growing up under my mom’s watch meant that we spent time with people from different walks of life. Whether it was having dinner with the elderly parents of her out-of-town friend or going to a Michael Jackson concert with her black friends from Grand Rapids, I grew up noticing there wasn’t anything that made my mom uncomfortable. And the best part of all - we tagged along on a lot of her adventures.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDIh8MGF8sJ38zWofK_PjaVK2nmAwcCKfd9JDAbGRREFXd6Rti_rCGezGvOi8Oz4gxg-n5PyxZmfeiOGj7wywyuau-MwJRZbnHKZo9VWn7rQ7n7nVPs7mJOuCN50zbyah-6WXXkYolFxq/s1600/35151629_10156225157195977_4653897034321887232_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1020" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidDIh8MGF8sJ38zWofK_PjaVK2nmAwcCKfd9JDAbGRREFXd6Rti_rCGezGvOi8Oz4gxg-n5PyxZmfeiOGj7wywyuau-MwJRZbnHKZo9VWn7rQ7n7nVPs7mJOuCN50zbyah-6WXXkYolFxq/s320/35151629_10156225157195977_4653897034321887232_o.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">My mom and her trademark sun-</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666;">glasses. My mom has always had a</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: #666666;">flair for style. Uniquely KK.</span></span></div>
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I guess I have never known anyone who balances a little bit of crazy and a lot of devotion the same way as my mom. We get to joke about the crazy, but it’s the devotion that makes my mom special to so many people. Truly.<br />
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When I was a boy about Kavaun’s age my mom would shoot hoops with us and play H-O-R-S-E. She never hesitated to grab her ball glove and call balls and strikes. It’s just what she did, and most of the time it was <i>her</i> idea. My mom was the perfect match for two boys with a lot of energy.<br />
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My most colorful memories growing up with KK involved sports. I have shared the golf course with my mom and on occasion, I winced as she would <i>exchange golf tips</i> with my brother. I remember snickering at her frustration when she would play tennis with Ryan and I would marvel at how the pins would jump when she punished them with her bowling ball.<br />
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Bowling alleys. Softball and baseball fields. Golf courses. Gyms. For most of the 80’s that’s where you could find our family when we weren’t at my grandparents. Listening to my mom and grandpa carry on passionately is something I miss from my childhood. For me, it reinforced that having some fire is a good thing.<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Given my mom's fierce sense of advocacy, my most valuable lessons about civic engagement were learned watching her when I was a teenager. Intensity, determination and an unwillingness to back down - that's my mom.</span> </h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBb7N7OFEqiVMNr2-OYt4V1-Fjub2qd8Ao_LkKImbDRBdqktp8kzDmJuarYPwXRRd4XlXpHedCFFqQ3GPZnqnvYfpYm7HKwOTSfB2QtmSz0pYOPUu9AI0yRXvxULSJJBAXrn9cY-dReBEZ/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBb7N7OFEqiVMNr2-OYt4V1-Fjub2qd8Ao_LkKImbDRBdqktp8kzDmJuarYPwXRRd4XlXpHedCFFqQ3GPZnqnvYfpYm7HKwOTSfB2QtmSz0pYOPUu9AI0yRXvxULSJJBAXrn9cY-dReBEZ/s320/0.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">We all have stories about my mom that make us</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">laugh, </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">and most of them reference either her re- </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">source</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">ful </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">nature </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">or her intensity. Here, I brought </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">my mom </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">to tears by </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">reminding her about one of </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">her creative </span>parenting</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;"> methods.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">I have a ton of memories that reveal a spirit and energy that is unique to my mom. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">The best part is when my children and my nephews unwittingly reveal KK’s special brand of vitality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">With my mom, there is a push and pull dynamic at play. She is hard-wired for independence and on the other hand, she is deeply devoted to friends and family. Her friendships and love - especially for her grandchildren - are as much a part of who she is as our funny stories about the questionable babysitters she hired and her tendency to fall asleep on the couch. In the dozen or so years when my brother and I played organized sports, my mom never missed our games and I am a better parent because my mom was so dependable. I appreciate the remarkable difference my mom’s dependability has made in my life.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">This photo of my grandparents was taken ten </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">years before I was born. My grandparents taught </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666;">us about the value of giving back to others and<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">serving your community</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">I am mindful that their </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">lessons </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">can reach my children by the example we set.</span></div>
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When I suffered a serious knee injury in junior high my mom reached out to college and pro athletes so they would send me autographs and words of encouragement. She endured my mood swings and prodded me to become a better student. Because of my mom and grandparents (my entire extended family really), I always knew that whoever I was at any given time - including when I was a smartass teen - I had enough space to grow and enough eyes on me to stay grounded.</div>
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My mom ran her first school board campaign when I was sixteen and she won. She has strung together five or six election victories over three<br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">In 1992 when my mom was elected to the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">school </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">board for the first time, Bill Clinton and George </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">HW Bush were campaigning for president. </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">My introduction to politics came at an </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">exciting time.</span><br />
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decades, evidence that she is a trusted voice in her community. In a world where plenty of people have something to say, my mom always finds something to do. She is the most determined person I have ever known. Given her resolve and her fierce sense of advocacy, and my front-row seat for all of it - it makes sense that my most valuable lessons about civic engagement were learned watching her. Joining her fight for meaningful causes and witnessing how she engages in the political fray continues to make an impression on me.<br />
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On this Thanksgiving weekend, I proudly acknowledge that my mom taught me <i>why</i> it is critical to care and <i>how</i> to use my talents to help others. She showed me very early in life that my voice matters and fighting to be heard is worthy of praise, not condemnation.<br />
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Bigger than the struggles and more meaningful than any single mission, my mom has shown me that taking risks and challenging the status quo requires humility, grit and the commitment to stay true to yourself.<br />
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-57344955629015032352018-06-04T11:31:00.002-07:002018-06-05T07:48:43.172-07:00Taking Bold Action on Difficult Issues is Required to Lead<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Reflecting after a job interview: Tackling Chronic Absenteeism requires Strong Relationships and Making a Meaningful School Experience for Every Student the Top Priority</h2>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span>n a recent job interview for a role serving as an assistant principal I bungled an opportunity to highlight my expertise about a topic close to my heart.<br />
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The gist of the question concerned chronic student absenteeism and how I would aim to help the school improve in this area. The question lingered long after I hung my suit back up in the closet and it compelled me to find a better answer in preparation for a leadership role. </div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: x-large;">"How would I, as the new assistant principal in a school plagued with student attendance issues, prioritize and implement a program to improve?" </span></b></div>
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Everything connected to any answer about the topic of student attendance comes back to three key principles: </div>
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1) <b>Relationships</b> are the most important aspect of any school. Engagement in school begins with relationships.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">"</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; text-align: left;">The </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; text-align: left;">conditions </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; text-align: left;">that </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; text-align: left;">students living in poverty face </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">exacerbate poor </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">attendance. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">An</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">d slipping school attendance </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">often leads </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">a person back </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">down the poverty </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">path. The good </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">news is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">that by taking an all-in approach </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">to the problem, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">we </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">can </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">begin to close the attendance gap, bend the overall </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">attendance </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">curve, and </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">help our most vulnerable students </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">and families." </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">- </span>Ned W. Lauver </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">PHOTO: Nick Gregory</span></div>
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2) <b>Focusing on instruction and learning</b> guides staff and students in their effort to rally around meaningful goals.<br />
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3) <b>Doing nothing is not a wise option</b>, especially when we can drill down to the root of the problem and help children succeed.</div>
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Sharing my philosophy and theorizing about possible solutions in my interview was sincere, but my response never got beneath the surface. My answer lacked the type of bold ideas necessary to support lasting change. (I can only hope that a second interview will provide the opportunity to articulate my ideas better.)<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">My devotion to equity demands that I think more about student attendance as a leader and not merely as a <i>candidate</i> for the job.</span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"> </span></b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a leader, I will need to put my heart and passion into actions aimed at addressing student attendance because it is one of the foundational principles for education reform. We know that poor attendance in school leads to lower achievement and negative outcomes for children after high school. The research indicates that s<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #101010;">ocioeconomic status and</span> <span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #101010;">health problems predict poor attendance so how we approach our understanding of both of those topics in our community requires expertise and a team effort. Leading with empathy will help me understand the complexity of the challenge, and leading with courage is necessary to work toward changing outcomes for children. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">"A national rate of 10 percent chronic absenteeism seems </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">conservative and it </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">could </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">be
as high as 15 percent, </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">meaning </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">that 5 million to 7.5 million students </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">are </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">chronically absent." </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">SOURCE: </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">Balfanz, R., & Byrnes, </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">V. (2012). Chronic </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">Absenteeism: Summarizing What </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">We Know From </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">Nationally </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">Available Data. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small; text-align: center;">PHOTO: Nick Gregory</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are so many factors tied into student attendance including the sense of belonging in a school community (for students and teachers), the family backgrounds of individual students and the past school experiences for individual students. With knowledge about about different learning styles and the onset of technological and social media advances, educators are charged with evolving to meet new needs for an ever changing student population. By the time we add employee engagement and confidence in the building leadership to the mix, it is inescapable that positively impacting student attendance involves a myriad of factors. All of this needs to be acknowledged as a part of improving the building culture. Staff and community buy-in requires bold leadership that is equipped to adapt to the changing school landscape.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is not a one-size-fits-all answer so knowing what is currently being done to tackle the attendance challenge and the history of successful efforts will help me hone in on specific actions and align any new initiatives with best past practices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #101010;"></span>
Seven of my ideas to begin the brainstorming process are included below. These are the key points I should have stated in my interview. (Sources are cited at the bottom of this blog entry for your review)</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Prioritize the specific needs of the school </span></i></b></h3>
With guidance from the principal, counselors and teachers, figure out the specific problems in regard to chronic absenteeism. Agree on the problems before working on the solutions. What is the priority?<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The home of every student at-risk of missing out on graduation gets a personal contact from the school </b>before we start the school year</span></i></h3>
As the AP, most of these calls would be made by me. By finding out how many students in next years senior class are in jeopardy of missing out on graduation and tracking attendance data to find important trends among that population, we can begin to get a clearer picture of how to set realistic and ambitious goals.<br />
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The "Welcome back to School!" phone call includes an introduction, the reason for the call and the interventions in place to help the student succeed. The call will include our interest in enlisting ideas from parents and guardians. This is also a great time to make a personal invite the school open house, take note of any concerns, etc. This information comes in handy as the year progresses. This could be just the beginning of something more that includes check-ins with mentors and regular contacts to homes. These students are on my radar as a building leader and noticing positive attendance trends and improvement will become a major part of what I do each day in my leadership role. We will determine measures for positive recognition and spread the opportunities among staff to deliver the good news to our students and families.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Invest time and resources in a simple communication system</b> </span></i></h3>
A system that makes parents aware of absences in real time can help the school deliver on its mission of reducing chronic absenteeism. Communicating the importance of attendance to students and parents as part of the school culture will improve attendance, and it may take some time to see the results of these actions. Communication involves celebrating successes and building on struggles with regular feedback to staff. Educators struggle when being asked to implement strategies that are not couched in a specific vision with measurable goals. An initiative like this one will involve the entire staff working on this and a tireless effort by me to monitor and evaluate so I can lead our improvement.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Monitor new students to develop strategies and check our impact</span></i></b></h3>
By collecting data on all of the chronically absent eighth grade students from the previous year, we can identify and begin a process of tracking attendance and other measures for success in real time.<br />
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We should add a second tier of incoming ninth grade students who are close to "chronically absent status" in order to broaden our reach and invest the resources necessary to assist those students and families <i>before</i> they might fall through the cracks (school leadership can determine cut-off points).<br />
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We will begin the process of specific interventions with the incoming ninth grade class before school begins in August. Just like with incoming seniors, these students get a phone call and invite to the open house. This means my July and August just got a lot busier, but the payoff will be students and families recognizing that we care about student success and attendance. We serve our students when we show them we are invested in their success.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Many students feel that school is not relevant in their </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">lives. "</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">While having dedicated mentors to work with students </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">and
families on school connection is one strategy for improving </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">attendance, mentors are not the only adults in the building
who </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">can be a part of the solution. There is a role for classroom </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">teachers." </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">- The Hamilton Project </span></span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">PHOTO: Nick Gregory</span></div>
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We can track cohorts from previous years using the same "chronically absent" criteria and we can measure whether our interventions appear to be having an impact. Naturally, this process requires staff input and the expertise of experienced leaders in the school district. Reaching out county-wide at the ISD level and even statewide to discover best practices will become a critical part of my responsibility and it is a charge worth leading for our kids. With a seminar class and other possibilities for mentoring at the high school, we could eventually scale our communication plan to work with students and families and also include their input for strategies.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Provide mentorship to students who are chronically absent</i></b> </span></h3>
Through a seminar or student resource class in which students are assigned to a specific teacher for four years important relationships can be built in the school setting. There are models in existence to learn from and we can choose to implement plans that meet our needs and budget. Our goal is constant: <i>Increase the likelihood of student success by decreasing the level of chronically absent students</i>.<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Give the experts in the school district a voice!</b> </span></i></h3>
Reform efforts warrant the space and time to bounce ideas around, leaving out the "buts" and reasons/excuses for why success is unattainable aside. These conversations are not confined to administrators. In my experience teachers and other staff are waiting to be asked for ideas. Education will always be a team effort and those who "go it alone" rarely succeed at bringing solutions to scale.<br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #101010; font-family: "pt serif" , "times" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #101010; font-family: "pt serif" , "times" , serif;">Chronic absenteeism among students usually endures over a long period of time so the pattern is predictable for many of our students. A cursory review of best practices reveals that we have to find the root of the problem, learn from trends and create realistic goals and strategies that can be effectively measured. </span><br />
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: #fafafa;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>We cannot lose sight of the fact that we are working together to reverse a negative attendance trend that seems to have gained momentum in recent years. Improving in the area of student attendance has an impact on everything we do in our school.</i></span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #101010; font-family: "pt serif" , "times" , serif;"></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Measure the impact and share the results, even if the goals are not met</span></i></h3>
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If the initiative is done with fidelity and the support exists to succeed then the staff and community deserve to see the progress. School improvement goals should reflect the priority of reducing chronic absenteeism and the message about attendance leading to success needs to exist year round, not just when we notice dips and slides.<br />
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The cliche, "what gets measured gets done" applies to the attendance challenge. Our progress will require more than a measure to understand if we are solving this problem however. We will need to look at metrics that provide a baseline for us to make comparisons. Reviewing performance metrics and outcome metrics will be a necessary and important part of the leadership mission. Collective responsibility for progress should be noted and celebrated as we make progress.<br />
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As a leader, I will be prepared to take ownership of our shortcomings and give credit to the staff and students when we are successful. My role is to keep trying and to move the needle on progress by working with others with a focus on student learning.<br />
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<b><u style="background-color: white;">Sources that inspired my ideas are included below:</u></b><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helveticaneue" , "tex gyre heros" , "texgyreheros" , "freesans" , "nimbus sans l" , "liberation sans" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-indent: -28px;"></span>
</span><br />
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<li><span style="background-color: white;">Bauer, Lauren. “Reducing Chronic Absenteeism Under ESSA.” <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/research/reducing-chronic-absenteeism-under-the-every-student-succeeds-act/" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", HelveticaNeue, "TeX Gyre Heros", TeXGyreHeros, FreeSans, "Nimbus Sans L", "Liberation Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-indent: -28px;">www.brookings.edu/research/reducing-chronic-absenteeism-under-the-every-student-succeeds-act/</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helveticaneue" , "tex gyre heros" , "texgyreheros" , "freesans" , "nimbus sans l" , "liberation sans" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-indent: -28px;">.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="background-color: white;">Lauver , Ned W. <i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "helvetica neue", helveticaneue, "tex gyre heros", texgyreheros, freesans, "nimbus sans l", "liberation sans", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-indent: -28px;"><a href="http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may13/vol70/num08/Closing-the-Attendance-Gap.aspx">Closing the Attendance Gap - Enforcing Regular School Attendance May Be One of Schools' Most Potent Weapons in Fighting Poverty.</a></i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helveticaneue" , "tex gyre heros" , "texgyreheros" , "freesans" , "nimbus sans l" , "liberation sans" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-indent: -28px;"><a href="http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may13/vol70/num08/Closing-the-Attendance-Gap.aspx"> </a>Educational Leadership , www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may13/vol70/num08/Closing-the-Attendance-Gap.aspx. </span></span></li>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/attendancedata/chapter1a.asp">Every School Day Counts: The Forum Guide to Collecting and Using Attendance Data.</a>”<i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "helvetica neue", helveticaneue, "tex gyre heros", texgyreheros, freesans, "nimbus sans l", "liberation sans", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-indent: -28px;">Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2001-2002, E.D. Tab</i><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helveticaneue" , "tex gyre heros" , "texgyreheros" , "freesans" , "nimbus sans l" , "liberation sans" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-indent: -28px;">, National Center for Education Statistics, nces.ed.gov/pubs2009/attendancedata/chapter1a.asp.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="background-color: white;">Balfanz, and Byrnes. <a href="https://new.every1graduates.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FINALChronicAbsenteeismReport_May16.pdf">“The Importance of Being in School - A Report on Absenteeism in the Nations Schools.” </a><i style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "helvetica neue", helveticaneue, "tex gyre heros", texgyreheros, freesans, "nimbus sans l", "liberation sans", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-indent: -28px;"><a href="https://new.every1graduates.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/FINALChronicAbsenteeismReport_May16.pdf">John Hopkins University School of Education </a></i></span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zN9G8pcdDsp5wupMFF4AqkngFISq5KhOjK3ZjQ5-E6By-dnyYa_k-B2OCoepCVF3dyQdBv5PMWVjbRxMq5wuKDSc-Koi9JQ8GW-3f6kz3BwyZcX2P5ZwipyRvBBS9VUv1Gn8z2T6F6yA/s1600/03fbe6396a94e663dd41bc18e44a2181_3-tiers-of-intervention-0-400-c-100.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="566" height="449" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1zN9G8pcdDsp5wupMFF4AqkngFISq5KhOjK3ZjQ5-E6By-dnyYa_k-B2OCoepCVF3dyQdBv5PMWVjbRxMq5wuKDSc-Koi9JQ8GW-3f6kz3BwyZcX2P5ZwipyRvBBS9VUv1Gn8z2T6F6yA/s640/03fbe6396a94e663dd41bc18e44a2181_3-tiers-of-intervention-0-400-c-100.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Source: Attendance Works</td></tr>
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<b style="line-height: normal;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR of CIVICS ENGAGED:</b><span style="line-height: normal;"> Nick Gregory has been a social studies and journalism teacher in Michigan since 2000 and he has been a National Writing Project Teacher consultant and a junior varsity basketball coach since 2003. Gregory is a Michigan Education Voice Fellow and he has exhibited photography related to Detroit and social justice causes since 2011. Gregory, who has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, believes that building positive relationships helps students find their passion for learning. You can follow him on Twitter @CivicsEngaged.</span><br />
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-85161419591406676252018-05-06T21:56:00.004-07:002018-05-07T19:22:51.193-07:00Ideas to improve education <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Creative solutions to systemic challenges facing our schools</h2>
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I am offering to my audience a few stories on a bi-weekly basis that promote good ideas and demonstrate bold leadership. I have been inspired by great ideas that often make their way into my classroom or into my leadership journal. The more good ideas we share, the greater the chances for improving education policy and practices.<br />
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When I get a little down and feel like I am delivering a twentieth century education to my students, I turn to reading about innovative thinking within the profession. When I feel like the status quo is winning, I search for inspiration. Usually I quickly snap out of the funk to deliver the best I can for my students and school.<br />
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There are some pretty cool ideas out there - too many to count - but my mention here is worth the effort. These writers provide reporting that could be the creative fuel and inspiration needed to creatively solve our problems. Please read and share.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Each headline is an active link to the original story.</i></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://chalkbeat.org/posts/detroit/2018/04/26/many-detroit-educators-have-never-worked-in-a-high-performing-school-this-program-imports-coaches-who-have/">Many Detroit educators have never worked in a high-performing school. This program imports coaches who have</a></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXc5kXVsieUF2K0qtD7gKJIdhBh3LG9IRhWPrqXnaeD1W0O8UT9IftPLS62FLa82kqvcnaXGEwRDsw7hEUAgD80S-jBXhHHBzK4ergUFTr6_mjjHPMGHLMYy_X0M1md3ehy1Lcg8GhXJDh/s1600/thumb_IMG_E3729_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXc5kXVsieUF2K0qtD7gKJIdhBh3LG9IRhWPrqXnaeD1W0O8UT9IftPLS62FLa82kqvcnaXGEwRDsw7hEUAgD80S-jBXhHHBzK4ergUFTr6_mjjHPMGHLMYy_X0M1md3ehy1Lcg8GhXJDh/s320/thumb_IMG_E3729_1024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #666666;">Photo By Nick Gregory</span></td></tr>
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This article featured in Chalkbeat by Erin Einhorn lays out a super ambitious plan at work in Detroit to improve Detroit Mumford Academy. It is clear that a blend of innovation, best teaching practices and clear goals are pitted against several challenges.<br />
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It's not that the leaders in charge do not want to face the uncertainty, it's just that they are so determined to win that they do not spend time <i>wishing</i> for outcomes. Instead, they are <i>taking action</i> with a bold approach. Part of the premise is based on the fact that winning in Detroit is tougher because many of the teachers and leaders in Detroit's school system have never worked in high-performing schools. With that fact in mind and with incredible support from the <a href="https://www.chalkbeat.org/posts/detroit/2017/10/26/many-detroit-school-leaders-have-never-worked-in-a-high-performing-school-this-program-aims-to-show-them-how-its-done/">Team Fellows Program</a> funded by the <a href="http://detroitchildrensfund.org/">Detroit Children's Fund</a>, a new model for leading and teaching is emerging as you read this.<br />
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The work of the education leaders featured in the story is couched in a clearly defined mission and they are setting out to cut "shadow missions," a term for all the work that takes away from their priorities. The ideal Detroit Children's Fund Leaders Institute candidate characteristics:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>A track record of positive results for students</li>
<li>A clear vision for an engaging and rigorous culture of instruction</li>
<li>A growth mindset and the ability to translate feedback into action</li>
<li>A desire to take personal responsibility for every child’s success</li>
<li>A sense of urgency and dissatisfaction with the status quo</li>
</ul>
It is refreshing to see a new approach in an effort to move the needle on progress. Obviously there are all-star teachers and leaders on board, and their challenge is one that most suburban teachers cannot relate to due to inequity and circumstances. The lessons on innovation apply to all education systems however. You will read this story impressed by the effort, nervous about whether it can work and most of all proud to see a laser-focus approach to give every child and teacher a school where learning and preparation for the future are the priority. I badly want to be part of an initiative like this one!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/when-administrators-keep-teaching">When Administrators Keep Teaching</a> - </span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Teaching keeps school leaders connected to students and other teachers and lets the<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">m feel the effects of their own decisions</span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With subheads like, "Walking the Walk" and "Recharging the Batteries" this interesting idea written by<span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Heather Wolpert-Gawron</span> of Edutopia is worth reading for school leaders looking to step-up the learning in a stagnant school culture. Heck, it's also worth it for schools that have a proven record of taking risks in order to serve students. These risk-taking schools are most likely to seek imaginative ways to increase collaboration among staff and administration and this article will start you on that journey. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #990000; font-size: large;"><i>Why is it that so many schools fail to give teachers and leaders room to grow? Too many schools lack creativity. Imagine how much could be gained for everyone if building administrators actually taught students.</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lately I have been spouting off to my colleagues that my dream job would be to teach at least one class and assume an assistant principalship role simultaneously. Then I am usually quick to follow-up with a complaint about the archaic nature of most schools and the fact that path does not exist yet. Well, I could not have been more wrong. This is quick read at less than 800 words got me thinking about how to find a leadership position with the capacity for a hybrid role. Thank you for Ms. Wolpert-Gawron and Edutopia for giving me hope! <span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"> </span></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/50874/what-happens-to-student-behavior-when-schools-prioritize-art" style="font-family: inherit;">What Happens to Student Behavior When Schools Prioritize Art</a></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></h2>
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This article is not just for the die-hard fans of the arts. It's also for visionary leaders and anyone who appreciates a good risk.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDn27XzxchcFqxKinEcop3tnv9svvamOASElIvp1P57HZbcreR_ONpstaAXQoXStrO9aSzbQlAnVKTKXkyEdcvPKt1Q62HoUYEfIjW8TaFpoIQOpFVGElW8ahsDZ2yxKz64oMcsgH0ORKn/s1600/thumb_IMG_0030_1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDn27XzxchcFqxKinEcop3tnv9svvamOASElIvp1P57HZbcreR_ONpstaAXQoXStrO9aSzbQlAnVKTKXkyEdcvPKt1Q62HoUYEfIjW8TaFpoIQOpFVGElW8ahsDZ2yxKz64oMcsgH0ORKn/s400/thumb_IMG_0030_1024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: #666666;">By Nick Gregory</span></td></tr>
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In a tale of <i>nothing to lose</i> the featured school, Orchard Gardens Elementary in Roxbury Massachusetts may have even exceeded their own expectations by scrapping the old way for something better.<br />
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In an age of cookie-cutter attempts to improve test scores, this piece <span style="font-family: inherit;">from </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit;"><i>You, Your Child, and School: Navigate Your Way to the Best Education</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> by Sir Ken Robinson & Lou Aronica </span>sheds some light on good ideas that harken back to the good ole days. The basic gist: the arts and providing space within the school culture for students to find their voice is a win.<br />
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(Now, if we can just get schools to understand that recess and enough time to eat lunch will also help schools meet the learning needs of students)</div>
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<i><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20px;">"Innovative schools everywhere are breaking the</span><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20px;"> mold </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20px;">of</span><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20px;"> convention </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20px;">to meet the best interests of their students, families, and communities. </span><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20px;">As </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20px;">well</span><span class="s1" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20px;"> as </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 20px;">great teachers, what they have in common is visionary leadership."</span></span></i> </blockquote>
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<i><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: x-small;">- Sir Ken Robinson & Lou Aronica</span></span></i></div>
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Be inspired.<br />
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Please message me your ideas and interesting reads using the <a href="https://ngregory48846.wixsite.com/nickgregory">"Contact Me" tab on this link</a>.</div>
Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-18156093710805084512018-04-22T21:39:00.000-07:002018-04-29T13:51:28.589-07:00Coaching high school sports is an awesome opportunity to lead<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>With more than 700 games on the bench as either the head coach or an assistant, my leadership journey started with organized sports</i></span></b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I absolutely love coaching so when I began seeking K-12 leadership positions last year, it hit me that I will be stepping away from coaching high school basketball. This fact makes me sad. In addition to leaving the classroom at a time when teaching brings me incredible fulfillment, coaching has been a major part of my professional identity for more than 15 years.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Trading team huddles for something new leaves me conflicted because my involvement in high school athletics has given my life so much meaning. After all, the joys and challenges of coaching were factors that pushed me to explore my interest in advancing a career in leadership. Educational leadership is a career move that excites me and I am ready for the challenge.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRj7NoVc3mi0WA7AfbzGsMnadJ2yt74ZqiurEI4bPK_zm_SpRZ14O86Yog3ubvO-DvMUtFOljqhyphenhyphen5mxuOpyUsUrBIduVOsAfa3CSyKyHWnhp3NgfYIbKy3N8gbDBL8qfww0O2SDNAUQZm5/s1600/IMG_0317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="1024" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRj7NoVc3mi0WA7AfbzGsMnadJ2yt74ZqiurEI4bPK_zm_SpRZ14O86Yog3ubvO-DvMUtFOljqhyphenhyphen5mxuOpyUsUrBIduVOsAfa3CSyKyHWnhp3NgfYIbKy3N8gbDBL8qfww0O2SDNAUQZm5/s400/IMG_0317.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="color: #666666;">This was the scene after a last second basket to beat our top </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">rival. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">We are the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">team in </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">white. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">The basket came after </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">a timeout </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">where </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">we designed </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">a play to </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">score. As often happens, the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">players adjusted </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">when </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">our plan was not working </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">and the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">unlikely</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;"> shot won the </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">contest. The </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">picture was sent to me </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">by a parent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">My growth as a classroom teacher has gone hand in hand with my development as a coach. Many of the parallels are obvious - a shared community of like-minded people working to help others. In addition to working on the craft itself, through coaching I have learned how to gain trust, communicate more effectively and listen better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am proud of my association with hundreds of parents as well as dozens of coaches and referees throughout my career. Most of all, the student-athletes in my charge have been at the center of my pride. Since I began working toward the next chapter on my career journey, I have enjoyed coaching at a deeper level. The thrill of coaching in big games and the connections made with young people on the hardwood never gets old. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">In coaching, the drawbacks are humbling and failure is on public display. Those failures steel a coaches approach to leadership and simultaneously make us vulnerable. That realization led me to these nine takeaways from a coaching career that includes buzzer-beaters, raucous locker room dancing, season-ending injuries and even hostile parents demanding I be fired.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I often tell people that coaching is just </span><i style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">teaching </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">with a ball </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">just like classroom teaching, reflecting on the lessons learned is a valuable exercise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">1. Being right is overrated; losing is underrated</span></span></h4>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of the time it’s not worth it to be right. In fact, it usually doesn’t even matter if you're right because the failure to understand and validate people’s perspectives comes at a greater cost than being wrong. I wish I had figured this out sooner. Whether dealing with student-athletes, parents or even my athletic director, not being right has liberated me to focus my energy on building stronger relationships. The time wasted fighting to be right is better spent listening. Regrettably this lesson usually materializes in losing scenarios when it is most difficult to properly evaluate the situation. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes it takes a loss to recognize weaknesses that were present all along. A loss at the right time can lead to more success in the long run. We have a saying on my teams that when you win it doesn't mean you did everything right and when you lose it doesn’t mean you did everything wrong. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Coaching requires leaders to distinguish the process from the the results. Striving to win is great, and my teams remind me not to be fooled by scoreboards or other people's measures of our success. Losing is a necessary and healthy part of growth. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This lesson is directly linked to lesson number nine, it ain't about me. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">2. Respect is <i>given</i>, trust is <i>gained</i> and confidence is <i>earned</i></span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgpoOihnWU8FA6sLhruCjl3wqX6d8yPSVpKsGblImGX6gNjAi8XISSM9PpDFNZJq9BrCQHeCTKCVr5_IETkE4Z9BN1iM0uN5L0O-O02xOq53Skjt6Kk8hJ4gP-eKqs2oaLooy99o5FoKb/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252842%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgpoOihnWU8FA6sLhruCjl3wqX6d8yPSVpKsGblImGX6gNjAi8XISSM9PpDFNZJq9BrCQHeCTKCVr5_IETkE4Z9BN1iM0uN5L0O-O02xOq53Skjt6Kk8hJ4gP-eKqs2oaLooy99o5FoKb/s320/FullSizeRender+%252842%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">From the whiteboard in the locker room - I</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">enjoy </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">delivering pre-</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">game speeches and this </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">one was </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">especially </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">intense. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">We won a close game and </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">the </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">celebration </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">is one of my favorites. When </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">I </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">step back </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">from coaching </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">I am not sure how I will fill the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">void</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">. </span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite popular lore, the notion of people having to </span></span><i style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">earn</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> respect is outdated and backwards. My student-athletes do not need to prove to me they deserve my respect. I do not want them clamoring for <i>my</i> appreciation and approval. Each player takes a risk by trying out for the team, they sacrifice their time, meet immense physical demands, fail </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">repeatedly</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> throughout the season and bounce back over and over again. Who am I to determine whether they deserve <i>my</i> respect? Commitment to our team comes with a mutual understanding that each player is naturally respected. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">My teams have shown me that we are better off putting forth our effort to gain mutual trust rather than trying to prove we're worthy of respect from coaches and teammates. If we can build trust both collectively and individually then it becomes safer to take risks, exert maximum effort and get to the business of improving. We begin <i>earning</i> our confidence in a culture where trust is acknowledged and valued every single day. Self-confidence and confidence in teammates comes with hard work, repetition and discipline. There are no shortcuts to earning confidence - it requires effort, respect </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">trust.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">Two of my players after a game. They </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">hurried </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">out of our locker </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">room to perform </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">in a concert </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">and I got</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;"> to see part of the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">show. </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">It </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">is rewarding </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">to coach well-rounded players. I stay in touch </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">with dozens of my former players. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">3. Relationships make the experience</span></span></h4>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of my most successful seasons came later in my coaching career. While we lost 70% of our games, I learned how to adjust and focus on building stronger relationships with my players. Winning teams thrive on trust and losing teams depend on it in order to stay together. I was constantly working on forging a positive culture by starting with personal relationships with and among members of the team. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Relationships have always been critical to my fulfillment as a leader but this was different because my competitive nature could have made the process miserable. We were not a good basketball team and I had grown accustomed to coaching teams that won a vast majority of our games. My struggling team helped me learn how to adapt and coach with a winning mindset. We developed meaningful measures for our growth and we hung on to high expectations. Success and failure are never by accident and both are a function of relationships.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">4. Learn to follow</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Some problems have a lot in common and others are so unique they leave your head spinning. The common denominator that has spanned nearly every one of the headaches in my coaching career is that people have an unwavering need to belong. A condition of that fact is that players and their parents ultimately want to be heard and understood. When I have lost sight of these simple common </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">denominators</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, my ability to lead has suffered. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We should not expect people to understand what we want as leaders if we fail to listen to what they need as players and parents. From the most disgruntled to the most valuable, everyone wants to belong. In roles outside of my own leadership, I have witnessed good leaders helping others and bringing meaning to the experiences of others and it reminds me that all leaders benefit by learning how to follow. I have had to learn how to get out of my own way so I could grow into a better follower. Coaching has taught me how to adapt to the various leadership styles of authority figures in my school. Leading a team provides great opportunities to build rapport with diverse parent groups and establish that I care about the young people in our program at a crucial time in their development as adolescents. There is no better training ground for learning how to follow than coaching children. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">5. It is a marathon, not a sprint</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the mantra I repeat most often during the season. I love planning and leading our practices because I know the reward for the entire process is in the journey. The annual basketball banquet at the end of the season is a highlight of my year both personally and professionally because it marks the celebration of our team and our seniors in the basketball program. As coaches, we invest so much in our teams that it naturally becomes part of our personal life. Coaching has never been a hobby for me. It is an extension of my teaching. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">Over the years I have gained a better appreciation</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;"> for </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">all </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">the people </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">involved, even the refs! I have a lot of </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">respect </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">for referees and have gotten to know quite a few.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Devising practice plans, evaluating our team needs and helping fellow coaches gives my long winter days a little extra punch. The whole process is a series of steps and unexpected challenges that keep my team engaged. Injuries, opposing teams, road games, the referees, rigorous practices - so many unknowns to contend with every week makes the process alive.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s also something about the daily work that brings out my best energy. I love working with my players. I enjoy the details and the drills. I love building habits and teaching our system. When my players simply </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">feel prepared</span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> they are more likely to have success. Sometimes that feeling can go a long way, but actually </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">being prepared</span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is critical for teams trying to get to the next level. That is the marathon part - stringing together days and weeks of working our tails off to be better </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">today </span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and at the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">finish line</span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Whether it involves the promise of the early season or the late-season grind, my coaching experience has taught me more than any other leadership endeavor that <i>the </i></span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>p</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">rocess is the result. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Focusing on the marathon keeps my leadership in perspective. I love a strong finish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">6. Making the experience uniquely ours</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My student-athletes have spent their youth hearing and seeing all kinds of motivational quotes about how to <i>be great</i>. The slogans are plastered on t-shirts, placards in locker rooms, </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">in song lyrics </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">and all over social media. <i>Being great</i> is marketed to kids as a product they can have by simply watching motivational YouTube videos. I don't buy into the hype, but I do intentionally find moments to share motivational stories with my team. I try to create those moments in my pre-game speeches to set a tone. Those pre-game speeches and motivational lessons always have a basis in our shared experience and that's what makes them meaningful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I thoroughly enjoy when those special occasions emerge in a season and they become part of how we define our team </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">experience</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I refer to this collection of events as "honest moments" and l</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ike my best coaches, I have learned how to harness the power of those unplanned parts of a team </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">experience</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> that are consequential to our story. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.8px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Each November, our boys and girls basketball </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.8px; white-space: pre-wrap;">programs </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.8px; white-space: pre-wrap;">lay wreaths at the graves of military </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.8px; white-space: pre-wrap;">veterans as part of </span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.8px; white-space: pre-wrap;">our community service </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.8px; white-space: pre-wrap;">initiative</span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.8px; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This is part of our program culture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">My student-athletes have taught me to appreciate the authenticity in the moments we experience together as a team and build our lessons around our struggles. They have also helped me remain mindful of the togetherness outside of practices that help define us too - the times when we do community service, joke around after practices, and go through shared experiences like final exam week together - all of that is part of the team story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I learned how to shape the stories we tell and the strategies I employ for practice around the qualities that make each team unique. My players taught me how to leverage our unique story to inspire them rather than depending on general platitudes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #660000;">7. Who gets your water?</span> </span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you want to see how a high school team is really doing, look at the bench during games.</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My best teams have always included players who were willing to fill up the water cups before timeouts and deliver them to players in the huddle. These small selfless acts, often by the players who play least, contribute to a culture of lifting others up. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your team culture reveals your values. A culture includes a lot of elements and often times the guys pushing others in practice despite a lack of playing time are central to the culture of a team. Expressive cheering and shows of support are part of it too, but even those things can be fleeting. A culture is built in practices and in the habits, the body language and the approach taken by players and coaches every day. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The cool thing about a winning culture is that it remains constant in times of struggle or great success. Everyone can embrace the culture because it’s based on <i>who</i> we are and our commitment, not unpredictable conditions.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">8. Space required</span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">I am so grateful that </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">my wife and children </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">support my coaching </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">commitment</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">. The </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">experience is one that </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">we share and it means </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">the world to me. </span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">(By </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">the way, my team </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">is </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">the </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">Tigers - hence the</span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">striped costume)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Great teams dance with risk and failure and balance it with security and predictability. We need space to grow and that means we should expect and embrace some discomfort. My teams have helped me accept that uncertainty and frustration are a necessary part of our growth. My players have helped me learn how to let go of futile stubbornness and old ideas in the face of new evidence. In order to become our best as leaders and teammates, we need space to grow. This space encourages all team members to own mistakes, honor the team and remain mindful. As a coach, I learned to embrace opportunities to model this ownership and the response from young people and parents has been overwhelmingly positive.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">9. It ain't about me</span></span></h4>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It seems that at anytime in my coaching career that I began to lose focus of this lesson I was humbled and realized quickly how much I don’t know. The games, the team record, the big wins or tough losses - none of it is about me. Admittedly, it took a few seasons to realize that not only is it not about me now, but that my success leading others in anything will never be about me. The positive relationships with young men and women (I have assisted with high school girls basketball too) that I will keep forever leaves me feeling grateful that I am aware that none of this is about me. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Coaching has accelerated my professional growth and the realization that my passion revolves around improving the lives of others. My life is richer because of a career spent in education. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Coaching lineage is often referred to as a "coaching tree" and I have always been grateful that I can trace my roots back to some remarkable men. I am hopeful that as my players approach adulthood, they will feel the same way about me.</span></span><br />
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<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dedication</b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></h4>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">My junior high basketball coach Steve Walter made the 100 mile </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">trip to </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">watch me coach. We are </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">pictured</span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;"> here with my children. As </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">it turned </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">out, our team completed a come-from-behind win </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">on a </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">last-second shot after </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">trailing the entire game. I </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">was so proud my </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">coach came to support me. I </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">was </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">truly fortunate to </span><span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">have a lot of </span><br />
<span style="color: #666666; font-size: 12.8px;">special coaches in my life. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I would like to dedicate this entry to the special coaches in my life. </span></span><br />
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<li>Starting with <b style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kyle Henry</b><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> who introduced me to baseball, which I still love. Now I share that love and coach my own children. </span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Phil Agostini</b><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> who taught me how to be a part of a team and stuck with me as a kid when I had a tendency to challenge authority. </span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Steve Walter</b><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is the coach I wish my own children could have because he was such a great teacher. </span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mitch Mercer</b><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> with his incredible ability to relate to kids and see the big picture. </span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Darin Magley</b><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">, a remarkably patient and kind role-model. Great for kids. </span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jim VanSyckle & Chris Booth </b><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">- </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Both men spent a lot of time helping me learn the value of patience and hard work as I sat the bench trying to earn playing time. A lot of coaches don't talk about sitting the bench, but I share the </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">experience</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> with my teams every season. These two coaches helped me grow through the challenge and I am a better coach because of them.</span></span> </li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Scott Swinehart</b><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - the most prepared and detail-oriented coach I ever had as a kid. Our team respected him and responded to his demanding expectations. A master of consistency. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Jim Graham </b>- Skillful deployment of the pre-game speech and motivating his players to go all in. Fired up and proud.</span></li>
<li><b style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Jerry Reams </b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">- One of my all-time favorites. "Old Dawg" was the finest assistant coach a young man could want. He always encouraged us, made us laugh and kept the game of baseball a game. I appreciated him at the time because his calm approach to coaching and his kind heart kept some negative influences at bay for me. He always found the positive and we knew he respected the game. More importantly, he cared about us as players and we knew it.</span></li>
<li><b style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Joel Leipprandt</b><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was my JV basketball coach and I still call him each season before big games. I knew early on how lucky I was to have him in my life. He was a selfless leader, an authentic man with high expectations and integrity; on my coach's Dream Team. </span></li>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0Michigan, USA44.3148443 -85.60236429999997732.8194953 -106.25666129999998 55.810193299999995 -64.948067299999977tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-81563438594217931552018-03-31T10:39:00.001-07:002018-09-09T09:03:12.170-07:00Martin Luther King’s influence on me as a teacher<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-a676de7a-7d0a-06ca-8568-40fa55b3a420"><span style="background-color: white; color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Tolerance: On April 4, 2018 we will observe the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination. As we approach this milestone, we'd like to know how his life influenced you and your teaching. Tell us what Dr. King's legacy means to you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">M</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">artin Luther King Jr.’s legacy can be seen at every positive turning point in our nation over the last year. </span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> The thousands of courageous young people standing up today and demanding safer American schools reveals the brand of energy and organization Dr. King displayed during the Civil Rights Movement. By refusing to cave to the NRA and ridiculous critics, Parkland High School students have drawn awareness to our longstanding national failure on gun policy in the United States. These inspiring activists have a vision for our nation that their older counterparts gave up on after political inaction following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012. The creativity and passion modeled by these young activists is motivating people young and old to take action. It is refreshing and there’s no doubt that Dr. King would be proud. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Art work by Eric Patrick Kelly, a friend of my brother. </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">We all grew up in </span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Ionia, Michigan together. Eric created </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">this marker drawing on MLK Day. </span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">He said, "I drew his fist </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">a lot larger than the photo - for some reason I </span><span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">imagined </span><br />
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">him shaking it at the current administration.”</span></div>
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We have also witnessed Dr. King’s lessons about standing up to injustice as teachers continue calling people to action to improve education for the millions of children left behind in American schools. First in Detroit, then West Virginia and now in Oklahoma teachers continue to organize on behalf of students who face poor learning conditions and inadequate funding. Just as Dr. King spoke out against awful policies that harmed the poor, American teachers have led the fight for equity by speaking out against inept leadership and dreadful education policies plaguing our children.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></span></span><br /></span>
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And we also feel King’s legacy in the tears of parents crying out when their black and brown children are gunned down by police in American streets. When we call out injustice and seek to understand the legacy of the darkest parts of our history (slavery, lynching, Jim Crow, etc.) and how those truths connect to our problems today, we honor Dr. King and American heroes who continue to shine a light on the truth.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"></b></span></span>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From Ferguson to Charlottesville and every stop in between and after, Martin Luther King, Jr. marches with us today just as he did in Selma, Birmingham and Washington, DC. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Our March Continues at Rallies, on Twitter and in Classrooms</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We see the resemblance of Dr. King in our new leaders as they inspire us and hold us accountable for who we are and who we aspire to be as a nation. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Young activists have taken to Twitter to organize and they use Instagram to influence the hearts and minds of followers. They are using the same social media tools that have helped divide our country and flipped the script. American corporations </span><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/laura-ingraham-advertisers-drop-show-she-goes-on-vacation/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">whose advertising supported hateful commentary</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> have been called out through social media channels and have since chosen to change course. </span><a href="https://quartzy.qz.com/1241366/the-twitter-backlash-against-foxs-laura-ingram-is-rallying-young-activists/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Social media helps people mobilize to action</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as </span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/what-s-next-parkland-students-prom-graduation-then-changing-world-n860681" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">town hall meetings, walkouts and rallies are planned</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on a global scale. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I try to channel King's remarkable persistence when we tackle topics like privilege and bigotry in our classroom. Dr. King’s ability to nudge, pull and prod people away from the comfort of their own indifference remains his legacy for thousands of teachers coast to coast. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My teaching philosophy and my ability to keep my own light shining is inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. He taught a nation how to come together and take action and make the positive change we desire. I make it a priority to do my best to help students find their own meaning and appreciation for diversity and equality. We read, we watch, we listen, we discuss and we try to understand what is happening in our world by digging deeper. I try my best to emulate Dr. King’s intentional and honest approach in my own efforts to eliminate prejudice from my heart and the world.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dr. King had the capacity to convince people that indifference toward oppression was part of our American DNA and he also showed us that it doesn’t have to remain that way. He was uniquely qualified to help hundreds of thousands of people understand why we needed to change by articulating and devising strategies that revealed a real-life honest account of America’s failures that could no longer be denied. Simultaneously, King showed a nation </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">how to change</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> as he skillfully unified people from every race, creed and background in a fight for equality, love and justice. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Whether we look to the Black Lives Matter movement, the Me Too movement or the Parkland students demanding change, we see Dr. King’s blueprint that requires we use the tools at our disposal to make the truth inescapable to the masses. Sometimes that involves video and the use of social media to shine a light on realities that only some people know first-hand. King was no stranger to the fact that it is messy and difficult to open people’s eyes to ugly truths that require collective action to address. He was a master at helping people dig deeper into the weighty issues of prejudice, poverty and policy. These topics still deserve the attention and commitment of every educator, spanning every single school in America. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We want our students to feel the gravity of our greatest challenges today just as Dr. King taught us more than fifty years ago. He reminded us there is incredible value in recognizing and facing the the complexity and nuances of racism. Standing up for what is right and fighting for causes that advance progress will always be a part of who we are as Americans. That is his legacy and we should try to honor that legacy in our classrooms and beyond. Dr. King had the persistence and patience to teach us to never give up on people who seem, at the moment, unwilling to confront their own intolerance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. King taught an entire generation the value of empathy and in classrooms across the nation we continue to honor him with meaningful conversations about American history and our responsibility to keep striving to do better. We build our empathy muscles every time we try to walk in the shoes of others and there’s no better leader to guide us than Martin Luther King, Jr. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As an educator, I try to confront my own biases and lead by example for my students. Dr. King taught us that we can not afford to shut the door on important conversations and listening is one of our greatest assets when confronting bigotry. If we seek first to understand then we can slowly let go of the need to be right and turn our attention to taking action to make our communities better for everyone. Dr. King helps me and my students to work toward measured words and persistent action in hopes we can make America whole.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dr. King reminds us that when we try to feel the pain of others, we can grasp an inescapable truth: we will always have our humanity in common. He taught us to embrace an empathetic approach to understanding the world and we honor Dr. King when we choose love over hate. We can feel Dr. King's legacy in the embrace of someone whose ideology, background or views may be different than our own. King reminded all of us, "Let no man pull you low enough to hate him." </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As teachers, we need to show our children that our desire to do better and to be better requires that we maintain the courage to speak out against intolerance and demonstrate a personal ambition to understand others. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. can be seen by today’s leaders - ordinary men, women and children - who are taking action to fulfill our dream for a better America. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Note: Dr. King creatively weaved his lessons about fellowship and resistance into a sermon (1956) in which he read a letter from the</span><a href="http://okra.stanford.edu/transcription/document_images/Vol03Scans/414_4-Nov-1956_Pauls%20Letter%20to%20Amer%20Christians.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Apostle Paul to Americans</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and that sermon inspired this blog entry. His teachings are just as relevant today as as they were more than 60 years ago. I strongly encourage you to check it out </span><a href="http://okra.stanford.edu/transcription/document_images/Vol03Scans/414_4-Nov-1956_Pauls%20Letter%20to%20Amer%20Christians.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: normal;"><b style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. </span></i></span></span></span></blockquote>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-61302072731443212542018-02-05T14:14:00.002-08:002018-09-09T08:20:56.847-07:00MLK and Letterman remind us to pay attention to our drum major<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Reflections on a snow day: </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">On this, our sixth snow day of the school year, I have decided to allow myself a limited amount of time to write while my two unsupervised children make forts and destroy the house. I have a strict time limit, otherwise this entry might stretch into a week-long project. </span></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>D</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400;">r. King and David Letterman headline my learning today. The iconic late night entertainer was an unexpected answer to writer's block after many futile attempts trying to write about Martin Luther King's lessons for today's world. King and Letterman are a unique combo and their ideas laid out in this blog post are worth connecting. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Dr. King (undated) - AP, creative commons</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I spent a lot of time leading up to Martin Luther King Day pouring over his “B-side” speeches and writings looking for something new to help me make sense of the modern political landscape. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s when I discovered his </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Drum Major Instinct</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> speech from February 1968. I was familiar with the portions where he spoke eloquently about his own eulogy (<a href="http://kingencyclopedia.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/documentsentry/doc_the_drum_major_instinct/" target="_blank">Link here</a>) and famously said, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to give his life servi<span style="font-family: inherit;">ng others... I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was the other parts of his 35-minute sermon that made an impression recently though. </span></span></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In light of of President Trump’s January 2018 reference </span></span></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">in an </span></span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Oval Office meeting </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">to El </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Salvador</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, Haiti and African nations as “shit holes”</span></span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Dr. King's words from fifty years ago struck a chord. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Do you know that a lot of the race problem grows out of the drum major instinct?" </span></span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">King declared.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> "A need that some people have to feel superior. A need that some people have to feel that they are first, and to feel that their white skin ordained them to be first.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I <a href="http://kingencyclopedia.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/documentsentry/doc_the_drum_major_instinct/" target="_blank">read the speech</a> several times, listened to it and parsed the passages, playing the</span>m against the video reels in my head from <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2017/08/16/charlottesville-video-onlookers-orig-mss.cnn/video/playlists/charlottesville-white-nationalist-rally/" target="_blank">Charlottesville</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000003255335/ferguson-weeps-then-burns.html" target="_blank">Ferguson</a> and news stories about good <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2018/01/15/jorge-garcia-daca-deported-mexico-immigration/1033296001/" target="_blank">people recently deported from the United States</a></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">President Trump continues to both exploit and expose racism in the United States. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sure, Trump’s disgraceful remarks reveal his character, but they also beg the question, <i>who are we</i>? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Who we are</i> is complicated. It is hard to accept a reality where a sizable portion of our electorate either has the luxury to ignore the consequences of Trump's words and actions or worse, <i>chooses</i> to support him despite the negative consequences. Maybe worse, some people are unaware that silently looking away is accepting the Trump world view and that also has consequences that will be difficult to fix. Sadly, children can get swept up in adult complicity and that's where schools can play a vital role in calling out intolerance and bigotry. Even in the age of Trump, American values like diversity, equality and civic engagement can still be taught independent of politics or ideology. This is one of the great social studies education challenges of our time. </span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The prejudice and fear underlying the current debate about refugees, immigrants and border security (</span>AKA "the wall") are evidence that it will take more than the passage of another five decades to heal our open racism wounds in the United States. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">With each mean-spirited tweet and hateful rant by the </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">president</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">, the opening for for a worthy policy debate gets swallowed by Trump's shadow. King’s<i> </i>1968 <i>Drum Major </i>sermon was a warning to Americans about what can happen if unfit leaders obtain power. Meanwhile, in 2018 too many people have taken cover under Trump's shadow and chosen him as their <i>drum major</i>. Acknowledging the intolerance and prejudice espoused by President Trump and making honest efforts</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> to do better is as important today as eradicating racist voting laws was in the 1960's. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">About the impulse for people driven by ego and intolerance King reminds us, “...The final great tragedy of the distorted personality is the fact that when one fails to harness this instinct, he ends up trying to push others down in order to push himself up. And whenever you do that, you engage in some of the most vicious activities.” </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With conviction, King added, </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">God didn't call America to do what she's doing in the world now.” </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">King's words in 1968 were a harbinger of modern America. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Policies carrying the stench of bigotry cannot be separated from the words and deeds of the man who promotes them. It has become increasingly more difficult to separate the merits of policy disagreements from the ugly insults President Trump uses to disparage minorities, his opponents, the media and sometimes even members of his own political party. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remaining vigilant and seeking the truth may be exhausting, but not doing so could lead to a crisis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">John Lewis (far right) with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (center) leading </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">a march in Alabama to protest restrictive voting rights for </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">African Americans in 1965. (Public Domain)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">David Letterman brought this topic full circle in his conversation with President Obama that recently aired on his Netflix series, <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80209096" target="_blank">My Next Guest Needs No </a></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/80209096" target="_blank">Introduction</a></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A portion of the interview centered around the courageous work of US Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) d</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">uring the Civil Rights Movement. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lewis and King organized the March from Selm</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">a to Montgomery, later known as <a href="http://www.history.com/news/selmas-bloody-sunday-50-years-ago" target="_blank">Bloody Sunday</a> due to the violence that ensued at the hands of law </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">enforcement</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Letterman and Obama reminisced about the bravery of Americans throughout history who blazed a trail for others in their quest for a more perfect union. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the interview, President Obama marveled at the ordinary people who courageously took action and joined together to make change. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">He remarked that presidential leadership involves more than governing and he credited his wife Michelle Obama for bringing that fact into focus for him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the things that Michelle figured out, in some ways faster than I did, was part of your ability to lead the country doesn't have to do with legislation, doesn't have to do with regulations," </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Obama said.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> "It has to do with shaping attitudes, shaping culture, increasing awareness.”</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Increasing awareness of the current US challenges may be the first hurdle we need to clear in order to dig into the more complicated work of creating a better future. We need to overcome narratives by the current White House and their allies that tell us everything is just fine and that real problems related to economic inequality, racism and sexism do not belong to <i>all </i>of us to solve.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">President Obama made the point that hard work and talent are necessary to lead effectively, but that good fortune and luck also play a role. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">To that point Letterman claimed luck helped propel him to a national platform as an entertainer. He made that point by suggesting that the failure to respond with empathy to the real struggles faced by others is part of our American legacy.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">President Obama and David Letterman backstage as part <span style="text-align: right;">of the </span>hour-long </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Netflix special that aired in January 2018. Photo by Joe Pugliese / Netflix</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Mr. President, this is what I’m struggling with at this point in my life: I have been </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">nothing</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> but lucky,” Letterman solemnly stated. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“When John Lewis and his friends [marched across the bridge], in April of ’65 me and my friends were driving to Florida to get on a cruise ship to go to the Bahamas because there was no age limit to purchase alcohol, and we spent the entire week, pardon my French, </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">shit-faced</span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">,” Letterman quipped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Why wasn’t</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in Alabama? Why was I not aware? I have been </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">nothing</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> but lucky.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Letterman’s response hit home and made me realize that the American story that we talk about in schools is at worst contrived and at best incomplete. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Letterman’s conversation with President Obama has prompted me to raise my own level of awareness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">I never want my students to say in ten, twenty or even fifty years when they look back at this period in our nation’s history, “Why was I not aware?” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Intentionally tackling issues and raising awareness in schools</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The challenge to tackle these tough topics does not rest solely on the shoulders of educators, but we are a critical part of the solution. We should feel a profound sense of opportunity as educators because we can help students usher in a better way of understanding our world. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">This documentary from 2017 is on my list to watch </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">as soon as possible. It was nominated for an Oscar and </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">won the </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Audience Choice Award for the Best </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Documentary Feature</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">at the 2016 Chicago International </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Film </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Festival</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes, we can read and discuss James Madison </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> James Baldwin. Modern black authors like </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ta-Nehisi Coates and the classic standard-bearers like Toni Morrison and W.E.B. Du Bois (<a href="http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/10-black-authors-to-read/#.Wni_lFPwbrh" target="_blank">List here</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) can be intertwined with textbook accounts of American history and politics. A start here is better than the alternative of reading chapter three and regurgitating cookie-cutter answers. </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Why was I not aware?” is the same question so many people were asking leading up to and since the 2016 election of Donald Trump. The roles of gender, race and economics in the 2016 election should be examined beyond 2016 though. I cannot answer the question, 'Why was I not aware?' for all of my readers, but I am honest with myself in admitting that I have had the privilege to </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not be aware.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">That <i>unawareness</i> and how it manifests itself in specific </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">beliefs</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and social constructs has to be part of the American story we boldly navigate in American schools. This is part of my own learning and it has pushed me to wonder if maybe we failed by teaching kids to memorize state capitals at the expense of asking them to think more critically about why inequality exists. </span></span></span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">My exploration into these topics is fueled by my growing concern that young people are giving up on the institutions and the people who serve them. Civic duty and service to others are at the foundation of the American spirit. We need well-educated and optimistic young people to take the reigns soon. M</span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">y goal is to cut through the shame and blame and open myself up so that I can be more aware. Teachers need to model curisoity and discomfort with topics like race that are a critical part of the American story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In doing so, I hope I help my students do the same - whoever they are, whatever their story, </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">wherever</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> their journey originated and whatever their political and ideological leanings. </span></span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We all have a responsibility to dig a little deeper. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">For me, this aspect of my teaching </span></span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">and my being</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> is very intentional. President Obama provided some insight about digging deeper and</span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> confronting racism </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">in his recent interview with </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Letterman</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">“It turns out that we come up with all kinds of reasons to try to put ourselves over other people,” Obama said. “Racism is a profound example of that, but obviously biologically there’s no actual reality to it other than we made this thing up. We made it up.”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My goal is to spark curiosity in students. </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We begin with the messy work of diagnosing problems and for me and the 150-plus students I teach, there is not a road map. We are not afraid to create one though. </span></span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lately I have been listening to and reading speeches by prominent American leaders, investigating how their ideas might apply today. In my quest to make some sense of the vitriol and tribalism that is swirling around the Trump Administration, I have firmly landed on a few truths about my role as an educator:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Students and teachers need space to explore important topics in a safe setting where “right and wrong” takes a backseat to “learning and understanding."</span></li>
<li>It is critical that teachers at every level help young people grapple with the implications of privilege, bias and complicity. A failure to exercise our “empathy muscles” in school weakens the prospects for lasting change.</li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mutual respect, trust and solid relationships in a classroom are a minimum requirement and those aspects of a learning culture simply allows for the work to <span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">begin</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Expecting people to act boldly and truthfully requires a culture of learning that encourages people to change their minds when new information persuades us to think in more enlightened ways.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">This book really opened </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">my eyes to </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">how </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">much I </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">don't </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">know about the </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">American </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">experience</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">. I </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">agree with </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Toni </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Morrison </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">- this is </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">required </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">reading. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Read Coates work <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/07/tanehisi-coates-between-the-world-and-me/397619/" target="_blank">HERE</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">and <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/author/ta-nehisi-coates/" target="_blank">HERE </a></span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a social studies teacher I have a responsibility to my students to provide an accurate historical context and a fact-based account of the events shaping today’s news cycle. I never expected that agreeing to the same set of facts would be so difficult. The time it takes to digest basic facts should be balanced with lessons about topics like prejudice, inequality and systemic challenges facing all of us. Letterman's conversation with President Obama encouraged me to stay mindful of what is at stake for our students. </span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was reminded of President Obama's words following the murder of nine black worshippers in Charleston SC at the hands of a white supremacist when he called on Americans to make lasting change in regard to race in America. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">"N</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;">one of us can or should expect a transformation in race relations overnight," Obama said. "Every time something like this happens, somebody says, 'We have to have a conversation about race.' We talk a lot about race. There's no shortcut."</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps one of the most glaring weaknesses of our republic today is our failure to recognize that racism still infects our politics and intolerance continues to pull the levers of American democracy fifty years after King's passing.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">President Obama is right - there are no shortcuts. So, let's get to work today so that this era can mark the point in our history when we finally acknowledge our <i>unawareness</i> and actually do something about it. That is a legacy Republicans and Democrats could all be proud to claim ownership. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">NOTE: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dr. King's <i>Drum Major Instinct</i> sermon was adapted from a 1952 homily by preacher J. Wallace Hamilton. </span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR of CIVICS ENGAGED:</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span>Nick Gregory has been a social studies and journalism teacher in Michigan since 2000 and he has been a National Writing Project Teacher consultant and a junior varsity basketball coach since 2002. Gregory is a Michigan Education Voice Fellow and he has exhibited photography related to Detroit and social justice causes since 2011. Gregory, who has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, believes that building positive relationships helps students find their passion for learning. You can follow him on Twitter @CivicsEngaged.</span></div>
Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-22000136993127432472017-10-02T09:27:00.000-07:002017-10-02T18:30:31.282-07:00Taking on Something New<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Working Together to Make the Digital Portfolio a Success </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Photo from City University of Seattle, Creative Commons</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Background:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> As the co-chair of our school improvement committee I was tasked with leading our freshmen class (about 300 students) and high school teaching & administrative staff (about 60 adults) in the development of a school-wide initiative for the individual creation of a digital portfolio. Each incoming class will take part in the digital portfolio experience so that within four years, it will be a school-wide program. We hope to advance our program at the middle school as well. The connections to our high school curriculum and the post-high school planning for our students is being defined and developed by our high school building leadership team with staff input. </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">The school district I serve includes one high school (approximately 1,200 students) and one 6-8 middle school (around 800 students). There are three K-5 elementary schools and a Pre-K program as well. </span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span>efore I dive in, I want to thank my colleagues for adding ideas to our framework and challenging my thinking about the digital portfolio experience. Your questions led to the creation of this blog post. In this post, I am intentionally going straight from my heart to explain the intended “learning targets” associated with the digital portfolio experience. I decided that reviewing research and our school improvement goals for this blog post would take away from the authenticity these topics require. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I hope my explanations below will help you find meaning in the digital portfolio experience. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">Why are we doing this?</span></i></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Great question and perhaps the most important place to start. My work with our staff last week opened my eyes to how important it is to have the “why” in place before taking something like this on as an entire staff.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">Part of my story going back to Ionia, Mich. and my </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">family. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">By sharing </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="text-align: center;">our</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">stories,</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">we are more </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">likely to </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">connect. I am </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">on the far right sitting</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">in my mom's lap </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">(first row)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">TELL A STORY:</span></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A digital portfolio is intended to tell a story. The portfolio itself is the medium to tell that story. The creation of the portfolio </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">is the</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> learning experience. A digital portfolio is a learner-led experience that can be shared easily. We are all unique and those traits that make us the “characters” we have turned into over time add to the personality of our school culture. The question, “<i>Who am I?</i>” is the beginning of our story for the digital portfolio experience. All of our stories will evolve over the life of the portfolio. Sharing who we are enhances the learning environment, making our school a more welcoming place where building positive relationships is embraced by students and staff together. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">REFLECTION:</span></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Any experience that helps us reflect on our learning and our role as educators is positive.The portfolio emboldens each of us to dig in on that reflective practice on our own terms and at our own pace. We spend hours planning and teaching. We dedicate time to professional development and we can all agree that the PD we get the most out of usually involves the experiences we choose and the experiences that are closest to our hearts. A digital portfolio can be the launching point for each of us to dig in and share with an audience those learning experiences we are most passionate about and eager to explore deeper. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo By Nick Gregory</span></td></tr>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;">TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING GOALS:</span> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">The creation of a digital portfolio helps the creator develop useful technology and storytelling skills on the learner's own terms. Perhaps more importantly, the digital portfolio experience allows the creator to highlight and explore several disciplines, learning styles and methods of communication simultaneously (writing, video, audio, graphic arts, etc.). A digital portfolio is fluid in nature so investing in this medium encourages risk-taking, trying new things and manipulating technology. Twenty-first century skills benefiting everyone naturally </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">translate into a digital portfolio learning </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">experience</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The digital portfolio is a dynamic work in progress.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">CLAIM YOUR EXPERTISE</span></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">:</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> We should celebrate the fact that our students have talents and passions that span a wide spectrum. As we claim and share our interests we are empowering our students to place some trust in us to do the same. Everyone reading this is an expert in something. Beyond that, </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">TEACHERS ARE EXPERTS</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the craft of teaching. We should claim our expertise and share it with an audience. We invest ourselves in a multitude of professional endeavors related to helping youth and leading others. </span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We all know of colleagues who are doing awesome things professionally that are worthy of shining light upon. In order to build a culture that is based upon collaboration and risk-taking, claiming expertise will help our school continue to improve. If a portfolio can be one vehicle where we re-frame expertise as an asset to our learning community and dismiss the idea that it is bragging, we will exponentially add value to our school culture. Taking advantage of this opportunity to remind our students and others that our passion and drive extends beyond merely showing up is a win for education. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBSaj0NJN5xXRN_2R1tVygA5UD1g59WfpDxxrLd0ayFm8fG7vsR41lxJmWsbUEC5scU3xKsbDhVNhArqZVQVClBLD1clgypfEATJdjNZ7AIMQG6k65zXxckhQdR6YlUVdpC6cWlc4eCo3/s1600/il_570xN.746969595_krkw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="570" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBSaj0NJN5xXRN_2R1tVygA5UD1g59WfpDxxrLd0ayFm8fG7vsR41lxJmWsbUEC5scU3xKsbDhVNhArqZVQVClBLD1clgypfEATJdjNZ7AIMQG6k65zXxckhQdR6YlUVdpC6cWlc4eCo3/s400/il_570xN.746969595_krkw.jpg" width="315" /></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For our diverse student body, the digital portfolio encourages them to explore and claim their own expertise. There is tremendous educational value in explicitly identifying interests and claiming expertise.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">SHARED LEARNING EXPERIENCE:</span> </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our mission to build positive relationships with students and among our staff is enhanced when we share a learning experience. Navigating the challenges together and even calling into question the value of this experience makes our learning valuable. My favorite part of leading this endeavor has been leaning on my colleagues for advice and having my ideas challenged. For many people on our staff, the digital portfolio will offer an <i>in </i>for us to help one another. Many of our students will thrive as they see opportunities to help classmates and adults with portfolios. Start where you are on this experience. The best conditions are set for learning when we get out of our comfort zones and share in some collective vulnerability. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>My Professional Portfolio: </b> <a href="https://ngregory48846.wixsite.com/nickgregory">https://ngregory48846.wixsite.com/nickgregory</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>My next blog post</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> will include the following digital portfolio topics: </span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What is my role as a teacher? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How do I start? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Who is my audience?</span></li>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-84432418355689991122017-06-15T06:36:00.001-07:002022-05-25T19:22:40.112-07:00An Open Letter to Students Who are Tackling Racism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A letter written by me to our high school drama students in response to their incredible performance of Harper Lee’s, <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i>. I am posting it here to spread the great news about the impact engaged students have on the world. It is our responsibility to foster a culture in schools where ideas turn into action. Kudos to teacher-extraordinaire Lori Thompson for her direction of this production and her remarkable leadership helping all of us make meaning through our struggles. This letter was given to each member of the cast and production team. </span></b><br />
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The Dream is Now, Detroit. By Nick Gregory</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Y</span>ou are an all-star.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I figured since a few of you have been on the receiving end of my high-fives in the hallway or praise in my classroom, you should know why I am so fired up about your role in the FHS performance of, To Kill a Mockingbird.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am writing this letter to you because you pulled something off that some people spend a lifetime trying to do; you significantly moved the needle toward progress. I do not say that lightly.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Working for progress is tedious work and it tests our patience.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The fight for progress can make us feel isolated. Striving to get to a better place can be lonely.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A true commitment to progress makes us vulnerable as we reflect on our own imperfections and flaws.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The process of making progress can be discouraging at times.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Voice of Hope, Detroit. By Nick Gregory </td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your performance and the honesty with which you delivered it brought all of the above truths about progress to light. You revealed the complicated layers that make confronting bigotry and racism challenging. All aspects of the evening - the acting, the character development, the video montages, the set and direction, the Q & A - it came together remarkably. You reached hundreds of people directly from the theatre alone. Add to that your interactions with guests, in Flint, with your families and among your peers and the scale of your influence expands dramatically. More importantly, you will continue to fight for good ideas and so will many of the people who shared this learning experience with you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Never underestimate the power of ideas and our capacity to evolve as human beings.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your effort, focused study and the exhausting rehearsal that went into authentically delivering To Kill a Mockingbird demonstrates respect for your audience and your belief in something bigger than the “show” itself. I admire your dedication. Truths about hate and love that have existed for more than the eighty years since the story was set, came to life in the theatre Saturday night. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You did that. You helped people think and feel the tough stuff. Your work creating positive change in our world is only beginning and that excites me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A few other ideas came to mind in the days since I enjoyed your performance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Risk</span></span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdFwoX_M0O69UVEa7_mZLDQLzdvdayg7bXO6BDyFg1sPAKYDBiAzhP2WREtB85uKrXQ-zuRNpjlyl5G-8qHrn3Q8z0RqqdNZckI-ZiZ0y8sXSnL7mYhz2AEkFg5ustMIGaaB2ui5KstDl/s1600/IMG_9440-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdFwoX_M0O69UVEa7_mZLDQLzdvdayg7bXO6BDyFg1sPAKYDBiAzhP2WREtB85uKrXQ-zuRNpjlyl5G-8qHrn3Q8z0RqqdNZckI-ZiZ0y8sXSnL7mYhz2AEkFg5ustMIGaaB2ui5KstDl/s320/IMG_9440-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judge Not, Detroit. By Nick Gregory</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Putting yourself out there to be a part of a team is a risk. Collectively, you got to a deeper level of understanding by opening yourself up to learning from new experiences and difficult conversations. It is inspiring to me and makes me want to keep reaching for more.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Empathy</b></span></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We can never have too many reminders about the importance of “walking in another’s flip-flops” and opening our hearts and minds to the experiences of others. Empathy is a function of love and there’s no such thing as a surplus of love. You reminded me that empathy is greater than a set of actions or deeds. Empathy can be taught and modeled. As a teacher and a dad, that’s a reminder I appreciate. Thank you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Evolve</span></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have the power to change. Every person, regardless of age or background, is capable of change and forgiveness.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I was in college, my uncle referred to a good friend of mine as a “Sand-N-word” and it shook me up. My friend is Indian and has dark skin. My uncle was looking through some spring break photos I brought to a family gathering and he spewed his hate so casually that it caught me off-guard. He said it as though he was describing an obvious feature like his jet black hair or his goofy smile and I remember feeling helpless. My uncle’s bigoted slur hung in the air the entire day. I struggled for a long time with the fact that I never spoke up back then. I don’t remember exactly, but I am sure I was weary of creating tension with someone I loved. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At that time, I was not willing to go there.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I told myself for a long time that my uncle was just set in his ways and he was still a good guy (which is true). I questioned why he volunteered his hate so easily when it was not even solicited. It’s not like there was a heated discussion or a relevant topic that at least provided some context for his toxic attitude. Years later, the stench of his insulting remark has mostly evaporated, but traces of it still hang around in my mind. I began challenging myself to think about things like, how do we unlearn hate? I never wanted to feel helpless about speaking up again. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fast forward seven years and I had fallen in love with Beata, now my wife of eleven years. Beata is a first-generation Iranian-American whose parents immigrated to the United States in 1978. Like my college friend, my wife has dark skin, dark hair and her ethnic features are striking. By the time we got married, I decided that the discomfort my uncle might feel around my wife’s family with their accents and cultural customs was his burden, not mine.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Horrible slurs and insults like the one I heard years prior would never happen again in my presence. At first, I was not sure if my uncle changed or if he just toned down his rhetoric around me. Today, I believe that he has changed. He thinks differently than he did a decade ago. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As I have fallen more in love with my wife and her beautiful family (they’re now my family too), I appreciate how their unique life experiences as US immigrants have influenced Beata. My in-laws have opened my eyes to an American Dream that I never had to contemplate growing up. They have also opened my eyes to valuable experiences that have shaped their view of our nation’s struggles. When we gave birth to our own children, I began re-thinking my own ideas about love and hate; bigotry and inclusion. I guess you could say that like my uncle, my ideas are evolving.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What has changed most for me is that I no longer feel that the racism others have learned is their burden alone. The hate and baggage others carry is my burden too. It is also your burden.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Racism and prejudice are rooted in sins that our nation has been living with for centuries and acknowledging that truth is a critical first step. This hatred cannot be denied, nor can it be justified. As we have learned, silence in the face of hate is support. Sometimes the bigotry is softly disguised as indifference, but it is still wrong. We know that prejudice can be expressed in both subtle and overt ways. Neither are acceptable. I am learning though that there is such a thing as a “recovering racist” and that people can change. People do change. We learn how to change - some slower than others - but we learn with experiences and we learn with practice. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your performance was a testament to that practice. It takes practice. The work does not end with one act or an epiphany. Commitment to helping others doesn’t really end, it just changes as we grow. You reminded me of that truth. Thank you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You appear to have examined so much of this long before many adults do and I am grateful. It helps me remain optimistic. Hopefully your feelings about diversity and tackling our differences by listening with open hearts is reflective of your generation. We, the adults, need your help. I got to witness your leadership on stage and in the conversation that followed. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVq84XFm2SJ7A1OLJWixAowAaGStbB5SV3RJMXNGmbMQo1H5EgruPFRpiGT6ZzV9-RGWLG05XB59Z3WiulD6vVdatEvdT1tC4OQJvazf7M08rJdiSVAsuM0sh72AjryQ2GZUjA-jfVq96/s1600/1463998_10152008784390977_1468269079_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVq84XFm2SJ7A1OLJWixAowAaGStbB5SV3RJMXNGmbMQo1H5EgruPFRpiGT6ZzV9-RGWLG05XB59Z3WiulD6vVdatEvdT1tC4OQJvazf7M08rJdiSVAsuM0sh72AjryQ2GZUjA-jfVq96/s320/1463998_10152008784390977_1468269079_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">One Step at a Time - Building Bridges, Detroit. By N Gregory</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep this conversation going.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The good ideas will always be worth fighting for, even when all of the usual indicators might say those good ideas are losing. The ideas only lose when people give up. You put on display a favorite quote of mine: “It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” (Attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt and I believe the origin is from a Chinese proverb).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You reminded me Saturday night that it is important for me to keep my candle lit, especially when the nasty winds of hatred are swirling all around us. I am committed to contributing to “going there” to “get there.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am inspired that you are elevating your voices and providing the light we need so badly in our nation right now.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grateful. Proud. Fired up.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sincerely,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mr. Gregory </span></span></div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-46475484963038317642017-06-15T04:33:00.000-07:002017-06-19T07:32:37.685-07:00Michigan Students are Depending on Educators to Lead <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Teachers & Administrators need to Join Forces and Act Decisively to Tackle Systemic Challenges in our Schools</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Educators are uniquely positioned to lead. We impact more lives than anyone outside of students’ homes, and in communities all over Michigan we have immense social capital. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That capital doesn’t do much good, however, if we fail to cash it in by advocating for fundamental changes within our profession. Teachers, school leaders and boards of education throughout Michigan must turn their social capital into political capital and fundamentally change our approach to teaching and learning. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Michigan Department of Education (MDE), led by Superintendent Brian Whiston, has set out on an ambitious goal to make Michigan a Top Ten state for education within ten years. Considering that Michigan ranked 41st in fourth-grade reading in 2015 and 22% of of our students failed to graduate on time, it will take bold action to solve our challenges. In a state where more than 70% of eighth-graders aren't proficient in math, Michigan educators have an awesome opportunity to change the future of our state by demanding drastic changes to the way we approach education. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Detroit Free Press - June 22, 2106)</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For our students to realize their potential, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">educators spanning the ranks of the profession need to responsibly address the problems that have been holding us back for the past two decades. We need to devote our collective energy to improving our education system and spend less time assigning blame. The way we </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">do</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> K-12</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">education in this state needs an overhaul, and recognizing the current landscape requires honesty about our failures. We need to stop paying lip service to collaboration, long-range planning and the value of teamwork. We can start by dedicating our resources to four areas where we struggle most.</span></span><br />
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Consistent Collaboration </h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">The finest school districts in Michigan have mastered collaboration among staff, students and the community. Unfortunately, these educational hubs of innovative collaboration are the exception not the norm. In some of our poorest schools collaboration occurs out of desperation to make up for a lack of resources, but that’s not enough. Teachers want to plan and work in effective teams, and unfortunately we lack content-driven, expert-led collaboration with peers. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Education Resource Strategies, April 2017). </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is rare for school administrators to have both the resources and expertise to work alongside teachers collaboratively. Teachers would embrace collaborative planning time, peer accountability and teacher observations with constructive feedback yet we find ourselves mired in school business driven by a compliance mindset. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our energy is devoted to meeting requirements for teacher evaluations designed to score us so we can be ranked and sorted rather than helping us improve instructional delivery. There is little time to work with other professionals on the craft of teaching or to develop unit plans for learning that transcend a traditional classroom setting. In Michigan schools, there is a premium placed on things like obtaining, “State Continuing Education Clock Hours” or attending required professional development sessions that do not involve clear goals. Far too often teachers struggle to connect mandated professional development to student learning. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every profession has its share of compliance issues, but from their inception schools were not designed with change and collaboration in mind. In tight financial times, there does not seem to be much interest in investing in leadership training and collaborative strategies that will improve the culture of learning. Schools are brimming with talented professionals whose ideas live in isolation. Veteran teachers lose interest working in small confined spaces and beginning teachers struggle to get their footing when there is little in place to unify teachers. As school systems try to catch up with a changing economy, dedicated professionals are handcuffed by old thinking. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most veteran teachers will admit they feel the education policies coming down from Lansing are the result of political battles that have little to do with student outcomes. School leaders react to the legislation accordingly and priorities shift without much explanation. Teachers, administrators and school boards are on the same team, yet we struggle to pull together and advocate for sensible legislation. </span></span></div>
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<i style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Teachers, administrators and school boards are on the same team, yet we struggle to pull together and advocate for sensible legislation.</b></i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">There are more than 100 games that can be </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">you </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">want to know which game you are </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the building level, ideas that actually hold important meaning become “buzzword victims” every school year. Our acronyms have a nine-month shelf life and become fodder for staff lounge laughter. One year it was HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills), then Differentiated Learning, and finally RTI (Response to Intervention) the next year. Necessary concepts and stated goals are fleeting because we fail to examine how these concepts might fit within a bigger framework. Simply put, that </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">bigger framework</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> just does not exist in many Michigan school districts. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is difficult to find meaning in ideas that stand alone. Integrating our “buzzwords” into relevant practice is not a realistic target. We lack the ability in education to measure meaningful progress in relation to our new buzzwords and, quite frankly, I am not sure we’re all that interested. Educators lack confidence in a law-making process that usually does not include a seat at the table for teachers. A clear vision for education is hampered by all the uncertainty in Lansing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ironically, for the last couple of years </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learning Targets</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> have been a popular point of emphasis in our instructional delivery across the state - just another moving target to fit in with our other buzz words and a confusing teacher evaluation process. I am, however, encouraged by the MDE Top Ten in Ten campaign because there are clear targets. Now we must find the political will to support the MDE plan in order to achieve the ambitious goals outlined.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Educators have grown so used to survival mode that our default setting is often indifference when it comes to long-range goals. Think about it: Education is the subject of incredible public scrutiny and divisive political battles. Educators are operating in an environment where pay freezes, health care and pension uncertainty, and public criticism are the norm. Having little sense of control takes a toll. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the local level, many school buildings operate with a weekly or day-by-day survival goal. Even in high performing schools, when plans from the top roll down to teachers they often die on the vine. Great ideas can struggle to gain traction if they require long-term planning or too much risk. Teachers passively fill up their inboxes with a new “something” confident it will drift away soon enough. It pains me to admit this, but it’s the truth. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It goes something like this: An educator, sitting in a staff meeting, nods in agreement about mapping out a new mission statement for the school about </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">developing reflective, caring and principled learners for a global society</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Meanwhile the copy machines are down, two students were added to your crowded classroom and you’re wondering if the rumors about another round of layoffs are true. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, we </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">function,</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> because that is what we have learned to do best. Some school leaders are more supportive than others, but uncertainty has stunted the educational leadership capacity in Michigan. For many reasons, educators are deeply concerned about the future of our profession. Building leaders cannot adapt to new accountability measures and best teaching practices within a system burdened by decades of institutional norms. We are tired, and sometimes we’re infected with a short-term mindset presented too often as cynicism. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Educators must stamp out cynicism so we can make the kind of progress our students deserve. A short-term mindset is one of the most difficult challenges facing our profession, because it has been developed as a coping mechanism - a survival tool of sorts. The problem is that short-term thinking robs teachers and students of creativity, innovation and the ability to build trust. School leaders and teachers who fail to collaborate on long-range goals eventually suck the life out of learning for everyone involved. </span></span></div>
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<i style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>A short-term mindset is one of the most difficult challenges facing our profession, because it has been developed as a coping mechanism - a survival tool of sorts.</b></i></blockquote>
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Mentorship and Feedback </h3>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The absence of mentorship and feedback is the unfortunate result of the three previous failures. Teachers in Michigan are adapting to a teacher evaluation process that is designed to provide continuous feedback, but instead sorts and ranks teachers. In addition, many schools did away with mentorship programs after the economy tanked in the mid-2000’s. As a result of both of these developments, outdated instructional methods persist and evidence-based teaching practices lag. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">This energy conservation report is the extent of f</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">eed-</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">back a teacher might </span>receive<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> in some Michigan schools.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Feedback aimed at supporting best teaching practices has a ripple effect. As I struggled through my first year of teaching, the assistant principal took the time to mentor me and help me develop meaningful units of instruction. We had a teacher induction program to support new hires, so our successes were shared. These experiences led to meaningful conversations and contributed to better classroom instruction. Fast forward more than a decade and I have witnessed the responsibilities of the assistant principal role double and support for teachers cut in half. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some Michigan school districts invest in instructional coaching and promote feedback among staff and students. We need to step up our game in Michigan when it comes to promoting, funding and adopting best practices state-wide. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Students are left behind when we fail to realize the impact school leaders and master teachers can have as mentors. Most administrators were classroom teachers and most would prefer to devote their energy to mentorship. Teachers thrive in school cultures where collaboration, risk-taking and new ideas are celebrated. Continuous feedback is the lynchpin for improving instruction. We know leadership quality and teacher performance drive student learning, and it is our responsibility to urge our schools to do more on both fronts. </span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>We know leadership quality and teacher performance drive student learning, and it is our responsibility to urge our schools to do more on both fronts. </i></b></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">The worst part may be that no one is paying much attention to the cost of our indifference as school employees. Improving our teacher evaluation system is a great opportunity for educators to collaborate, and that opportunity demands we set aside old labor disputes and animosity. Inaction hurts morale and hinders student learning.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Teachers are rarely invited to evaluate school leaders and provide feedback regarding employee engagement. One of the best ways to ensure we are engaging students is to make sure the staff is professionally engaged and eager to learn. We should be working together, but we can’t do that if we allow frustration about outside factors to stall progress. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Cowering in fear before these obstacles is cheating our children and diminishes our profession. Michigan communities need teachers and school administrators to consolidate our political will and deliver on our commitment to Michigan students. Michigan needs bold leaders, energized teachers and a unified voice advocating for students. </span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unless that happens, the MDE Top Ten in Ten plan will serve as the evidence of our collective failure and inaction in the face of adversity.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR of CIVICS ENGAGED:</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"> Nick Gregory has been a social studies and high school journalism teacher since 2000 and he has been a National Writing Project Teacher consultant and a junior varsity basketball coach since 2003. Gregory is an America Achieves Lead Fellow and he has exhibited photography related to Detroit and social justice causes since 2011. Gregory, who has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, believes that building positive relationships helps students find their passion for learning. You can follow him on Twitter @CivicsEngaged.</span></span><br />
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-31625263017299353962017-02-20T21:54:00.001-08:002017-02-24T05:40:56.951-08:00RACISM WILL NOT SOLVE ITSELF<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span>itting at the kitchen table this morning with my laptop open, my eight-year-old son Kavaun looked up from his plate of pancakes and asked, “What are you doing?” </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">This drawing by high school student Cam Hartley depicts </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">poisoned </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">water from a hand labeled, </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">"Land of the Free."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Normally, we don’t allow screen time during meals, but today I was camped out in the kitchen before the kids rolled out of bed. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I closed my laptop and glanced over at his syrup-covered face and told him I was learning more about the water crisis in Flint. I was finishing my first read of the recently published report, </span><a href="http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdcr/MDCR_Flint_Water_Crisis_Report_552190_7.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The Flint Water Crisis: Systematic Racism Through the Lens of Flint</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by the Michigan Civil Rights Commission (Click to see the report). </span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> After about ten seconds of silence, Kavaun responded with a quizzical expression and asked, </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “Why?” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “They still don’t have water?” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My son has some understanding of the crisis because we attend church in Flint and signs remind us every Sunday not to drink the water. There was also that time about a year ago when we were stuck in traffic on MLK as people scrambled to get water from Flint Fire Station # 3. It was a snowy day and cars were stopping in the middle of the street to load their trunks with bottled water. Kavaun was puzzled by the spectacle of people lugging water up and down the street in the freezing temperatures. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Flint, Michigan. By Nick Gregory </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;"> By the time we turned around in a vacant lot that had been turned into a makeshift loading zone for vehicles, my son had a glimpse into the suffering of others that he had gone his short life never knowing existed. The suffering was not confined to only African Americans or only white people. Poor people and middle class people of every shade lined up for water. Kavaun had a lot of questions and my incomplete answers did not satisfy his curiosity. How do you explain to a child that we let this happen and there's no confidence it will be corrected anytime soon? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> I felt like we were gawking at an accident scene as we tried to get out of there. Instead of a dead body or mangled car, we were looking in on a different kind of anguish - slow and methodical, like when an ill grandparent is placed in a nursing home waiting to die. The humiliation was indescribable. The pain raw. The agony that was put on display for the world to witness through news reports was even more uncomfortable up close.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Flint distribution site by Nick Gregory </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Our experience brought the angry and tired faces from our living room TV into closer view through our car windows. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As huge snowflakes fell to the ground, children followed in tow as adults loaded </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">their</span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> sleds and </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>their</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> wagons with cases of bottled water. There were no snow ball fights or children laughing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Trying to describe the situation to my son left me angrier about a system that allows this to happen. Flint is about 60% Black and more than 40% of its residents live in poverty according tot he US Census Bureau. It would be far too simple to claim the Flint Water Crisis is <i>all</i> about race or <i>all</i> about poverty, but those statistics remain a big part of the story. I told Kavaun that this should never happen to anyone, anywhere. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;">He agreed and we drove fifteen miles home trying to make sense of what we had just witnessed.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I was relieved he interrupted me this morning because I was struggling to map out this blog entry. Trying to connect classroom conversations about privilege, the Michigan Civil Rights Commission Flint report and our recent high school production of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To Kill a Mockingbird </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">was difficult</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Trying to come up with creative ways to bring the lessons identified in the report into my classroom is challenging enough and blogging about the topic of racism is messy. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Teachers Should Influence the Conversation about Racism </span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;"> H</span>ow can anyone dismiss the role of poverty and race in a long history of environmental injustice in the United States? The </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;">Michigan Civil Rights Commission </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;">report is full of historical references that help us understand how systemic racism works. Fact-based sourcing we rarely find in textbooks and analysis that news reports do not deliver make the report a valuable tool for teaching. Among the report’s conclusions, there’s this: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">“It is not sufficient to view the pumping of contaminated water into the homes of Flint families as an engineering failure.” </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;"> That statement alone is a great start to a classroom discussion that will encourage questions about several topics we see in the news on a regular basis. Prior knowledge about lessons from history and fresh ideas about how to solve these problems will give students a voice on relevant issues. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">A water bottle floats down the Flint River. This was one of the </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">images from </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">my photo essay project about Flint titled, "</span><a href="https://www.lensculture.com/search/projects?q=flint&modal=project-342967-why-can-t-us" style="font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">Why Can't Us" that</a> <a href="https://www.lensculture.com/search/projects?q=flint&modal=project-342967-why-can-t-us" style="font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">is linked here. </a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The 130-page report is full of facts about Flint and Genesee County. It is a must-read for educators in Michigan and educators all over who care about social justice, the environment and lessons from American history. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This report has pushed me to learn about more social studies and humanities topics in Detroit (<a href="https://www.lensculture.com/projects/16181-split" target="_blank">See my photo-essay about Detroit and racism titled, Split by clicking here</a>). We could even look to the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37863955" target="_blank">Dakota Access Pipeline controversy</a> and the lessons playing out there to apply modern day events to the study of prejudice and racism. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Bigotry is as much a part of the American story as the Declaration of Independence and World War II. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We need to go </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">there</span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Most of my students have never had to live through acts of hatred like the one from the Flint Water Crisis Report described below. This will be one of the examples I will use in my classroom so we can explore racism in a more meaningful way.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Perhaps the clearest message of how Flint viewed black people’s 'position' was the one sent by the Bernston Field House public swimming pool. Six days per week the pool was for the use of whites only, while black children were relegated to sprinklers the city would set up across the street. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blacks were allowed to use the pool only on Wednesdays. Every Wednesday night the pool was completely drained and everything was cleaned, so the facility would again be ready for those who were allowed entry on Thursday morning. The 'necessity' to empty and clean a swimming pool based on the skin color of the previous users was an outright symbol of racism.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Going there to get there</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Protestors at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Mich. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">By Nick Gregory</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;">K</span>avaun’s simple questions remind me not to complicate what is plainly obvious: It is never too early or too late to go </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">there</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My son is curious about how an entire city was poisoned and he has provided several openings to talk about big topics like promoting the common good, poverty and human rights. Sure, he’s eight years old but his questions make more sense to me than the finger-pointing and excuses we've grown used to hearing through press conferences and criminal indictments of lower-level Flint city employees. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Following the discovery of lead contamination in Flint water, people have been forced to endure the blame game, disputes over federal money for relief and short-sighted solutions that ignore historical context. We are familiar with the story, but like most people who do not live in Flint, we can only imagine the challenges. I want my son to continue to imagine the challenges faced by others and put himself in their situation, at least for a few minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This morning, Kavaun left the table and played nerf basketball for a while before coming back into the kitchen to ask me, “How can they trust anymore?” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> That is a damn good question. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How can the residents of Flint trust anymore? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Fortunately, several students in my high school were asking the same question about trust, but there question was about more than Flint. With incredible precision, our talented students brought hundreds of people along with them on a journey to explore racisms grip on our nation. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How can they trust</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">?</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;">I </span>was profoundly moved by the Fenton High School performance of Harper Lee’s, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To Kill a Mockingbird </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a couple of weeks ago</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Our high school actors, under the direction of Lori Thompson, delivered a performance and talk-back session afterward that left audience members inspired. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Their mantra, “Sometimes you have to go </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">there</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to get </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">there</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">” was a shared commitment for the cast and crew as they researched, interviewed class guests and visited Flint to try and understand the deep-rooted challenges of racism. They brought their audience along on their journey through a story set more than eighty years ago in the deep South. In a unique twist, they set the stage so that we could examine racism and prejudice in the modern world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Waiting & the Flint River. The man on top is walking away, out of the frame, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">as the man </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">sitting by </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">the water waits. By Nick Gregory</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mockingbird</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was performed in a small theatre with 360-degree seating for about 200 people. The intimate setting allowed about a thousand people take in seven separate performances. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I imagine that many audience members contemplated the dual roles of trust and justice as Tom Robinson faced his accuser. Kavaun's question, "How can they trust anymore?" has a legacy stretching back centuries in the United States. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We practically joined the actors on stage, making the story one that belonged to everyone. Many questions about injustice and the racism that we’ve been witnessing in Flint and Detroit and Saginaw and Benton Harbor and Fenton and Ionia where I grew up - well, you get it - it all played out on that stage. We all know that racism is not confined by geography or a specific time period and it inspires me that young people are willing to go </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">there</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We need young people to help the adults on this one because going </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>there</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> can be more difficult as people get older. Talking about the reality of racism is the best way to start advancing progress. We have to find ways to constructively solve our problems by trying to understand others experiences. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Modern day struggles like the ones in Flint, Ferguson, Mo. , Detroit, Charleston, SC and Baltimore were included in the performance along with moving musical selections. Black Lives Matter, law enforcement, mass incarceration and modern political struggles revolving around Muslims and refugees were part of the conversation with </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mockingbird</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The nasty wounds of racism and prejudice were put on display for everyone in the theatre.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Without prompting, my son is analyzing many of the same questions in relation to the Flint Water Crisis. Questioning ow something like this could happen in Flint point out the inequity that exists in our world. These questions have gone unanswered in our nation since well before </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To Kill a Mockingbird</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> was set in the 1930’s and we have largely failed to go </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">there</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in public education. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flint in crisis, by Nick Gregory</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The questions Kavaun and my students are asking about trust need to be addressed in our classrooms. We cannot afford to have these questions looming over our children for the next eighty years because we lacked the courage to acknowledge the tough stuff. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> My high school students remind me that they have the courage to address tough topics in hopes of making progress. I am inspired by their performance, our conversations in class and their expressions through art. When we get right down to it, we are addressing the importance of empathy, justice and opportunity. Those values should have a safe place in every classroom and school.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In the recent Flint Water Crisis Report, the conclusion was drawn that </span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the people of Flint,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"... have been subjected to unprecedented harm and hardship, much of it caused by structural and systemic discrimination and racism that have corroded your city, your institutions, and your water pipes, for generations."</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I accept that finding. I am encouraged because I think young people are more likely to fight for progress than dispute facts like I have grown used to seeing on cable news networks lately. Big ideas and a willingness to listen matters more than being right.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Many of us will spend a lifetime trying to move the needle on progress in meaningful ways. While some of us will occasionally succeed, it is quite another thing to influence a thousand people over the course of five days. Our high school students did just that and it gives me some optimism. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The power of great teaching lies in building relationships based on trust - the type of trust that encourages students to address their own flaws and embrace the vulnerability that comes with taking risks. Great teachers model risk-taking with skill and they embrace vulnerability in order to advance learning. Lori Thompson and the students she leads taught their audience about the value of self-examination. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> In your own community, there are people who help us see the possibility in the world and I hope you will take a minute to reach out to them and join their efforts if you haven’t already done so. Fighting for progress is tiring. The people working hard need a hand and some encouragement. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Help racists get on the road to recovery</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span>he </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mockingbird</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> performance and the honesty with which our students delivered it revealed the complicated layers that make confronting bigotry and racism challenging. More importantly, our student actors will continue to fight for good ideas and so will many of the people who shared this learning experience with them. Their lesson:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">Never underestimate the power of ideas. Human beings have incredible capacity to grow</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">.</span> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We can never have too many reminders about the importance of “walking in another’s flip-flops” and opening our hearts to the experiences of others. Empathy is much greater than a set of actions and it can be modeled </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>and</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> learned. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We can all learn from the lesson’s our young people seem to be grasping quicker than many adults do. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: large;">The racism and hate others have learned is not their burden alone. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The hate and baggage others carry is my burden too</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. It is also your burden. It is the burden our nation has been living with for centuries and acknowledging that truth is an important first step.</span></span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwbxGbGn3_JBnkxF7YyQSQ_d3CYIbLhwRYFHGzE1rKiuWLECReKaiJ49NMC72jy9i5j2vij5rjA0AZpBHdwhkgm1YasXZj2rsqJ4wUfl2KFGl4CHujZ_qE9zLWD9RPzCITOLWbolcJSfU/s1600/IMG_9440-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwbxGbGn3_JBnkxF7YyQSQ_d3CYIbLhwRYFHGzE1rKiuWLECReKaiJ49NMC72jy9i5j2vij5rjA0AZpBHdwhkgm1YasXZj2rsqJ4wUfl2KFGl4CHujZ_qE9zLWD9RPzCITOLWbolcJSfU/s400/IMG_9440-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">A wall built in Detroit to segregate black and white neighbors. This wall was</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">featured in my photo-essay titled, <a href="https://www.lensculture.com/search/projects?fallback=not-found&q=detroit&modal=project-16181-split" target="_blank">"Split" that is linked here.</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We have to ensure our children to not get programmed to fight the reality that racism exists. The hatred cannot be denied, nor can it be justified. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students and adults who believe a colorblind society exists today need to learn from others. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Empathy can be modeled. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have learned from people in my life that that there is such a thing as a “recovering racist” and that people can change. People are willing to change and ultimately, some people really do change. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We learn how to change - some slower than others - but we learn with experiences and we learn with practice. The student performance of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mockingbird </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">was a testament to that practice. The work does not end with one act or an epiphany. Commitment to helping people through a struggle doesn’t really end, it just changes as we grow. My students and my son have reminded me of that truth. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Ugly truths </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">came to life in that theatre. The collective effort of the cast, focused study and their exhausting rehearsals demonstrated respect for their audience and belief in something bigger than the “show” itself. A bunch of talented students helped people think and feel the tough stuff and their work is only beginning in this arena of creating positive change in our world. It is inspiring to me and makes me want to keep reaching for more. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> We should be encouraged when young people are examining these topics now when they will have the energy to fight for change. I am grateful I work in a profession where I can experience this first-hand. Hopefully the feelings about diversity and honestly tackling our differences that I see from my students is reflective of a generational shift toward more open-mindedness. We, the adults, need help navigating these things as we have a long way yet to go. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Good ideas will always be worth fighting for, even when it appears that those good ideas are losing. We only lose when people give up. The cast and crew of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> put on display a quote attributed to of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia"; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eleanor Roosevelt</span><span style="font-family: "georgia"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It is important for us to keep our candles lit, especially when the nasty winds of hatred are swirling all around us. Be inspired by young people, activists and people from all walks of life who are providing the light we need so badly in our nation right now. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(More PHOTOS included below)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Water Crisis Through the Eyes of a Child - Flint street art.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">By Nick Gregory</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Detroit message. By Nick Gregory</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDaJS64lO-YcMMDOcdYP5BbGKZX82x-gE69LToN-etLRpvxpd90Q_3yEneMTcxT-gxP4gHiCYEJc1zc3dDxvrFmp9rl5nyQFvBKIyIbKvJtFzEyuQw6eXela0g5wjM-QQ6SEcdw_KIUaY/s1600/editIMG_0263-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDaJS64lO-YcMMDOcdYP5BbGKZX82x-gE69LToN-etLRpvxpd90Q_3yEneMTcxT-gxP4gHiCYEJc1zc3dDxvrFmp9rl5nyQFvBKIyIbKvJtFzEyuQw6eXela0g5wjM-QQ6SEcdw_KIUaY/s640/editIMG_0263-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">A message expressed in street art, Detroit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">By Nick Gregory </span></div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-5988465472080942672016-11-28T08:53:00.000-08:002018-09-09T08:21:12.255-07:00Pain and Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">The epilogue to a difficult election</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I used to claim that I am a resident of the nation’s high five (Michigan), but lately I feel like my state let the country down. Despite the disappointment, the painful election results have led me to fall in love with my wife and our nation all over again. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let me explain: We wept as the results came in on election night and retreated to our own ways of coping. I sulked and my wife Beata went on a shopping spree. She warned me Thursday morning that she had indulged in some “binge shopping” to deal with her frustration, which was not like her. A couple days later, I got home from my job as a high school social studies teacher to find boxes of books for our young children (8 and 4) about multiculturalism, world religions and kindness. One book was titled, “If I were President” with a young girl featured on the cover. This was the shopping binge? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">I affectionately refer to this great group of people as my</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">"Persian Family." They demonstrate the best of our </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">diverse </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">nation. We need to commit to </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">actively fighting </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">against </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">division </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">so we can change </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">a culture </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">that </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">accepts </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">hate as an </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">inconsequential cost of American politics. </span></div>
</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Over the course of the next week, more books arrived and the conversations at our dinner table turned to messages of hope and helping others. A child alone on the playground? Invite him to play in your game. A clash of ideas in school? Listen and try to understand, without fighting to be right. If someone is struggling, offer to help. </span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My wife decided in her despair that if the world needed to be made better, we should start with our own family and branch out. While I remained in a fog, Beata took action. With grace, she inspired me to step up in my classroom and to hang on to hope that with a renewed purpose, we could overcome the terrible setback of a Trump victory. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">These books and our conversations at home took a profound turn when our son asked us, “Why did people make a bully the president?” and “Can he (Trump) start now so the four years will get done faster?” When our son asked, “Will Trump’s wall keep us from meeting our cousins who live in Iran?” it hit me just how closely he had been paying attention to the hateful tone of Trump’s campaign.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You see, Beata is the daughter of Iranian immigrants. Her parents worked in the fast food industry in the 1970’s and 80’s as they climbed on to the first rung of opportunity in the United States. They alternated shifts so they could advance their education and raise their family. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To me, a white male from rural Michigan, my wife’s parents epitomize the American Dream I never had to think about while growing up. With hard work, incredible sacrifice and an unwavering commitment to each other they made a life that we are grateful for every day. They raised Beata and her sister to be strong, loving and open-minded. Beata has a successful career and my children are blessed with a wonderful mother. My wife's parents have both achieved advanced degrees and professional success. More importantly, they have done so while sharing the beauty of their culture with their family, helping others and embracing people of all backgrounds. My Persian parents are remarkably loving and kind so naturally it hit a little closer to home when Trump promoted the idea of a “watch list” for Americans from Muslim nations. When Trump spoke with brazen contempt of immigrants and fueled hateful rhetoric toward the various groups he views as a threat, the sting was felt in our home. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVITkXWueLgF_IKW8SyEqeLcvvL1z9ZSiV1wTOuB4Bs2y6QTQ2jIWP_jGg5ZYhL1XdUJeG0pk-nj0VkS8fzdfSTcqs_HIMpSvTxT8h_PYhZFedCqLGLoXKy7OoVeB4ldSu-RMAWFuGIX2D/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252831%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVITkXWueLgF_IKW8SyEqeLcvvL1z9ZSiV1wTOuB4Bs2y6QTQ2jIWP_jGg5ZYhL1XdUJeG0pk-nj0VkS8fzdfSTcqs_HIMpSvTxT8h_PYhZFedCqLGLoXKy7OoVeB4ldSu-RMAWFuGIX2D/s320/FullSizeRender+%252831%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">A couple of the books Beata ordered so we could grow love</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">in our family. I renewed my energy after Election Day by </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">looking in the mirror </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">and putting action to my aspirations. Now,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">more than ever, is the time to remain mindful and intentional.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This election has reminded me that the fight for good starts in our homes and our communities. My wife Beata moved to Southeast Michigan in 2004, a far cry from Portland, Ore. where she grew up. At that time she was a journalist in Flint and we were just beginning our life together. Beata was living a dream afforded by the First Amendment that her father never had the luxury of enjoying in Iran. Her father, once jailed for political expression in his homeland, has always been Beata’s biggest cheerleader. He has taught me first-hand about a father’s devotion to family. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have been a high school social studies teacher for sixteen years and I use my platform to help students learn American values like equality, the common good and diversity. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">My mother embraces diversity and she has shown me what it means to help others. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strong women make me a better man. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">My mom is a resilient woman and there’s no doubt that I was attracted to my wife because of the lessons from my mom. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOW_TKvmIzJcaJIjOf2XtTDHq73S-HvAq46AVfNzUBsindsjKu9qHzzkIHL2Skmpkx2zWi_jTdOp5bPqgFCTlo8E7acqeQncIIFuhGzDD5y_dbtMo9umxSbbR8SL2ijjhtl4eU_aV3ekUL/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252830%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOW_TKvmIzJcaJIjOf2XtTDHq73S-HvAq46AVfNzUBsindsjKu9qHzzkIHL2Skmpkx2zWi_jTdOp5bPqgFCTlo8E7acqeQncIIFuhGzDD5y_dbtMo9umxSbbR8SL2ijjhtl4eU_aV3ekUL/s200/FullSizeRender+%252830%2529.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating Election Day as a<br />
family. We went to dinner and<br />
talked about voting afterward.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lessons passed on can live for a long time. I remind my high school students that when hate and division are employed as a political strategy to promote “otherness” that it is not enough to simply understand that it is wrong. It is our civic duty to push back against hate. Speak out. Be heard. Hillary Clinton, Khizr Khan and Michelle Obama modeled how to stand up to hate. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That discomfort felt in the pit of your gut when you confront bigotry or sexism is a sign that plenty of challenging work needs to be done. Beata helps me resist the temptation to be dismissive or to let up on the vision of America we have for our children. Privilege may afford some people a lack of understanding and this election has brought that to light on a grand scale. We need to acknowledge truths and have those difficult conversations. No matter our political leanings, empathy is the key to making the world a better place. Well, empathy and a strong commitment to helping others. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My own family from rural Michigan has strong ties to the Democrat party and community activism. My grandfather served as a Marine and was wounded on Iwo Jima in WWII. He is my hero and he taught us about compassion and love for community. My grandfather, a patriot, fought to advance American progress so that we might live in a nation capable of appreciating the patriotism of my my Persian family, and the millions of others like them who make the United States special. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXIlWb0_zktGdUTGNB3iqH8EasvRvYNDAKQMyL5IncYYAaVsOANfEM8kdKeI7m36Nvm5Z6Czk5yv1LbIQaUlyFIc5XI6tIZY_oM2eF-uiGkhb_6UTbdJiiFRIE5eLd-fRxhBKFJzYEwO3/s1600/1900094_596296307148921_3907003767311193137_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXIlWb0_zktGdUTGNB3iqH8EasvRvYNDAKQMyL5IncYYAaVsOANfEM8kdKeI7m36Nvm5Z6Czk5yv1LbIQaUlyFIc5XI6tIZY_oM2eF-uiGkhb_6UTbdJiiFRIE5eLd-fRxhBKFJzYEwO3/s400/1900094_596296307148921_3907003767311193137_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">My lifeline of support growing up. That's me - the youngest </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">child to the right </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">in </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">my </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">mom's lap. </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">My family lives their </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">values </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">and do not preach about them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">They help </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">others, work hard </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">and </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">motivate me to strive to be a better person.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the moment, I can’t help but feel bad about reassuring my Persian family in Oregon that Michigan would deliver and Hillary would be our president. After all, Hillary stands for so many of the values and ideas ideas we embrace as part of our national fabric. I was swept up in my excitement that Michigan would join with millions of voters representing different races, ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations to shatter the glass ceiling and make her our president. I failed to realize that our brand of patriotism was not necessarily understood by others. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I was reminded by level-headed friends who voted for Trump that fear can be a strong force to overcome and love needs people willing to fight vigorously for the cause. Beata has compelled me to share the story of love, devotion and hard work that has been her family's experience in hopes others will embrace the diverse America we love so deeply. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 5pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In defeat, we have come together to celebrate the promise of uniting people. Our nation will benefit from some measure of optimism and kindness. Beata’s intentional acts to teach our children how to love inspires me to deliver on the promise of our country. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are just getting started.</span></div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-56978626663061817962016-11-06T23:30:00.002-08:002016-11-07T11:42:05.150-08:00Elevate your voice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/elevate-your-voice_us_5820cdc6e4b044f827a7913d" target="_blank">Click to access the Huffington Post published version of my open letter </a></b></i></span></div>
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<h2 style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>A nasty election is a pitiful excuse to stop caring</i></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>A letter to high school students and first-time voters that everyone should read. </i></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoQh4IcaaBPrq9Virz7PRYrqZNbONjDdG9n8NVLLsJw05D8pQii2xsWOY66AlH2hbZ_98Ih5yPTFYszv2vtLs25TCzOrqZ5vfKMTvu5AA1aKDX9IWatY07aIkl3el6YlhdZQZNymgWj7b/s1600/draft3IMG_9788-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoQh4IcaaBPrq9Virz7PRYrqZNbONjDdG9n8NVLLsJw05D8pQii2xsWOY66AlH2hbZ_98Ih5yPTFYszv2vtLs25TCzOrqZ5vfKMTvu5AA1aKDX9IWatY07aIkl3el6YlhdZQZNymgWj7b/s320/draft3IMG_9788-4.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>To my high school students,</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am deeply concerned about the consequences this election may have on your view of American democracy, and I want to offer you a new perspective. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">First of all, I will enthusiastically cast my ballot Tuesday along with millions of Americans. No matter the amount of effort involved, I always look forward to voting. Do not confuse election fatigue with the awesome responsibility to vote. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your tired expression in class when we talk about this election makes sense to me. You may think I am obligated as your teacher to be a cheerleader for democracy. That’s not the case. I hope that you will want to vote. Our nation is held together by our commitment to progress. Voting is a sacred pact we make with past and future generations. My sincerity alone isn’t enough for my message to get through to all of you so p</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">lease give this letter a read in its </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">entirety. C</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">onsider your stake in all of this. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Fixed Mindset is Dangerous</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The negativity surrounding this election has left a lot of you feeling that our problems are so enormous that failure is inevitable. You are not alone. Pessimism drives this </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fixed mindset</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">about American politics and ultimately it weakens our democracy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">People with a fixed mindset believe that the chances of success within our political system are unlikely and predetermined. Some of you have told me that you think our presidential candidates represent a system that is broken beyond repair. To your credit, there is plenty of evidence to suggest you may be right. The influence of special interests and the breakdown of compromise in the national government makes it appear unlikely that things will improve. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Subscribing to a fixed mindset, even though it may be rational, ignores the legacy of who we are as Americans. A fixed mindset is a contradiction to our achievements and it is dangerous to our American way of life. Naturally, it is difficult to advance progress while simultaneously whining about the election process. The negativity surrounding this election may give you the false impression that American democracy is stagnant, incapable of improving. Nothing could be further from the truth. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Throughout the nation, people are having civilized conversations about real concerns - healthcare, the cost of college, jobs and law enforcement relationships with citizens. Elections are fiery, but it is in the <i>day to day</i> where you find the </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">real pulse of democracy in the United States. Like you, I am concerned about the intolerance displayed in this election and I am hopeful we can find a better normal. Sell-outs and frauds mope around and incessantly complain without taking action. Traditionally, people who care take action in positive ways by joining volunteer groups, going door to door to share ideas or speaking at town halls coast to coast. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAwz2cBPKHYQf2ekpjAYjTtQv9ZH4-K0XTGaS2rQT0Wr5A-CI5Rmaghc_6PWAQnQt6yKLeFyaWYu-91WbNbhSGhoLCwk3A5u3siXwWE7l31MEihuXmJ2nLg3dsD8ZVdmhZPnkiCqokG3p/s1600/IMG_0331editbw-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcAwz2cBPKHYQf2ekpjAYjTtQv9ZH4-K0XTGaS2rQT0Wr5A-CI5Rmaghc_6PWAQnQt6yKLeFyaWYu-91WbNbhSGhoLCwk3A5u3siXwWE7l31MEihuXmJ2nLg3dsD8ZVdmhZPnkiCqokG3p/s320/IMG_0331editbw-1.jpg" width="277" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Public expression may not be your thing yet, but there is one thing we all get to do eventually - we get to vote. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We discuss current issues in class because you need to be ready to vote. Casting your vote for someone is a risk worth taking. And yes, as many of you have reminded me, sometimes casting your vote is also about protecting American values and voting </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">against</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> a candidate. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The demographic you will soon join (18-29 year olds) had less than 20% voter turnout in the 2014 national elections. I fear we may lose even more young voters to a fixed mindset after this election cycle. The negativity some students now associate with the presidency - the most esteemed office in the nation - concerns me. The new president-elect will have an awesome challenge to lead our nation and help restore faith in our political process. In order to maintain confidence in the political institutions that have served the United States for more than two centuries more people need to vote. In order to effectively change how we <i>do </i>politics in this nation, people need to take action. Be heard. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When you weigh the accomplishments of American democracy against your Twitter feed </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">here and now</span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, it makes sense that you have concerns. I share many of your concerns. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You tell me that since you can’t vote yet there’s no sense in getting involved in the process of analyzing the candidate positions or supporting ideas. You're skeptical about a process that you view as mean-spirited. You report that you are frustrated that it is difficult to understand issues when the media fails to distinguish between fact and fiction. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I get it. The massive amount of information at your disposal is more of a blessing than a curse. You have to work harder to navigate through all the bias, but this is the perfect time for you to explore different political philosophies, ask questions and develop opinions about the country you want. Take advantage of the lessons this campaign is providing and give yourself permission to change your mind as you go. The ability to change your mind in the face of new information is a sign of intellect and strength. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is an ideal time for you to share your ideas and gain inspiration by learning from great thinkers. The greats come from all walks of life (academic, philosophy, religion, art, music, acting, poetry, etc.) and their ideas stretch the vast political spectrum. Pay close attention because great thinkers may be closer to you than you realize. Learn from people who do not share your opinions and background. Find credible ways to sort through the issues because democracies are not designed to simply favor the noisiest people. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your voice can influence the political process in several ways, and your vote will be the most significant. </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Our democracy depends on votes. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Passionate Debate Strengthens the United States of America</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Passionate debate about the role government should play in people’s lives helps us forge our national identity. Elections help us chart our path with some direction. This election cycle has been unique in many regards, but the passionate fight for ideas is not new. Disputes about ideas and strong-willed opposition in the public arena is healthy and that lesson should not be lost in light of this election season. Granted, you may not be inspired by the current candidates, but leave open the possibility that hope exists. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Above the Lincoln Memorial, it reads:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">IN THIS TEMPLE </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">AS IN</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">FOR WHOM HE SAVED </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">THE UNION </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">THE MEMORY OF </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">ABRAHAM LINCOLN </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">IS ENSHRINED FOREVER. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">President Abraham Lincoln (R) only secured about 40% of the nation’s vote in 1860 and he is revered by Democrats and Republicans. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D), regarded by many historians as one of the best presidents in our nation’s history, still missed out on 40% of the country’s vote in 1932. History validates great leaders and that possibility will exist for our next president too. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Difficult circumstances often reveal the strengths of our political process. Advancing our </span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">imperfect nation</span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the wake of the War of 1812, the Civil War and slavery coincided with intense debate. Recovering from the Great Depression, two World Wars and the more recent 2008 financial crisis involved suffering from </span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Americans</span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, not just members of one political party or a specific ideology. We persevere and the clash of ideas fuels American progress. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is also true that our government has promoted the disenfranchisement of people (African Americans and Native Americans for instance) and at times, we continue to fall short on the promises of justice, equality and promoting the common good. The United States government has enacted harmful policies (racial segregation and internment camps for Japanese Americans for instance) and engaged in dishonest behaviors. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our history should serve as a painful reminder that we need </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">all </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">voices at the table so we can do better. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This includes you. Your voice is needed so we can better fulfill the promise of the United States. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our national failures and misdeeds should serve as motivation for you to amplify your voice, not sit out. </span></div>
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Democracy is Messy & Elections have Consequences</h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The American government has improved the lives of Americans. Criticism when government fails should be met with ideas for improvement. Election results express the direction voters want for our nation and the process can be invigorating, tiring and messy all at the same time. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Facts and evidence </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">should</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> outweigh political party loyalty and that alone can get confusing. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unlearning a fixed mindset about American politics requires a fresh perspective. There’s no one better equipped to bring new ideas and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">new expectations</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to the political process than young people. People who choose to remain ignorant are a cancer to a healthy democracy. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like you, I am also frustrated by politics lately. I just don’t want your dissatisfaction to serve as an excuse to give up. I agree that special interests have too great a role in our political system. I also value honesty and civility among candidates and I hear you - the Electoral College and two-party system both have glaring weaknesses. The issues you raise in class make sense, but they are not reasons to throw in the towel. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Misguided frustration leads some people to sit out. The notion that refusing to vote is a useful form of protest is purely foolish.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Popular American essayist David Foster Wallace summed it up well when he wrote, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #090909; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">...stay home if you want, but don't bulls#!it yourself that you're not voting." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He added, "In reality, there is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">no such thing as not voting:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some diehard’s vote.” <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Wallace, </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Up, Simba!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Rolling Stone, 2000)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Right now you have the luxury of rationalizing your lack of interest in this election because you are young. The time for justifying a choice to remain clueless is running out. Pretty soon you will not be answering to your government teacher. Instead, it might be a classmate serving in the military or your own children who will be living with the decision</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">s you didn't make. Whatever your level of interest today, keep in mind that a</span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pathy has never advanced American progress. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Never.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Generations of Americans struggled for the right to vote and their persistence in the face of incredible odds is the catalyst for my enthusiasm. By placing my trust in an election system that is free of violence and gives everyone an equal voice, I am elevating my voice with my vote. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am calling on you to stamp out pessimism, get informed and amplify your voice. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We get the opportunity to express our love for this country by voting in free democratic elections and <span style="font-family: inherit;">soon you will have the privilege to vote. With all my heart, I want you to be prepared and most of all, I want you to vote. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sincerely, </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mr. Gregory</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">* A pdf version of this letter (2 pages total) can be e-mailed to you upon request. Use the comment section or my email address to make your request. </span></span></div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-37602455866616234502016-10-18T18:15:00.000-07:002018-09-09T08:21:28.238-07:00Culture wars frame the election for students<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the second in a series of posts I will be writing over the next month about teaching Social Studies during Election season. These reflections are more "off-the-cuff" and some may combine into something worthy of publishing . If I re-draft any pieces here for publication, I will include a link.</span><br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-882ff9ca-da25-7145-6612-385e4f985dd6" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/58077d9de4b00483d3b5cddd?timestamp=1476924981910" target="_blank">THE PUBLISHED HUFFPOST VERSION (Click)</a></span></b><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Imagine what the final presidential debate looks like to a high school student </span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The last few days of class have opened my eyes to a campaign season that we lost control of long ago.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">From the beginning of this race, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were sharing the spotlight with videos of police officers shooting black men, a national conversation about the Confederate flag and a baker's </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">religious freedom</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to decline making a cake for a gay wedding. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">South Carolina Capitol Grounds, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo by Jason Lander, Creative Commons </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Culture wars about the bathrooms assigned to transgender folks in North Carolina got the attention of students around the same time Trump announced that Mexicans are rapists and he was running for president. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That same year in March 2015, the private computer server sitting in Clinton’s home became a news story shortly after</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> the Justice Department released a report showing that the Ferguson, Mo. Police violated the constitutional rights of the city's African-American residents. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stop and think about how different news is consumed in 2016 compared to <i style="font-style: normal;">back in the day. </i>Consider the degree of confusion and blame surrounding the conflicts that play out in the media. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, imagine your </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">16 year old self </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">participating in today's political process in today’s information environment. The Internet, Twitter, TV and the 24 hour news cycle make it difficult for young people to avoid the news. Most middle and high school students get a dose of current events nearly everyday at school so </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">young people are taking this election in whether they want to or not. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">Laws about gender identity </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">and public </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">restrooms </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: left;">confuses students. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Photo by Wayan Vota, Creative Commons</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And our children have</span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> been overrun with culture wars pitting passionate people with opposing views against each other. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">When ideas clash we’re reminded that different versions of the United States exist - </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">dependent</span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on income, race, education, religion and geography. Family and peers serve as filters for the news my students consume.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">It is rational for teens to expect drama at every turn in the race to the White House in a world where f</span></span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">acts take a backseat to theatrics and soundbites. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Most of my students are not surprised by the antics they see unfolding during the election. From the time they began paying attention, outrage continues to get more play than reason. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like their adult counterparts, today’s teens are equipped to escape the day to day drudgery of news. Their days are spent doing kid things - algebra, texting friends and going to football games. The news cycle moves at warp speed for teens, but the tone is not lost on them. Even though we move quickly from one headline to the next, students are more aware about what’s going on than their parents, teachers and grandparents were as teens. Whether they understand the implications of what they're witnessing is a separate conversation. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Relevant issues and no political resolve in Congress</span></span></h4>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For teens, the last couple years of conflict has been their introduction to American politics. The divisions have always existed, but we used to be better at coming to grips with not agreeing. Today's power struggles can't be dealt with in a single protest or piece of legislation. </span></span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Talking heads on TV have spun out of control making it difficult to discern honest analysis from propaganda. I am mindful that tension is part of our American political legacy and changing the current political culture will be a slow and messy process. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">When students witness or take part in a movement like<i> Black </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><i>Lives </i></span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"><i>Matter </i>it </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">can be a powerful teaching moment. Lessons </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">on </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">privilege, </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">values, and </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> how </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">we view news and </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">social</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">justice </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">naturally come </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">up </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">in class. Unpacking </span><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">Blue Lives </i></div>
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<i style="font-size: 12.8px;">Matter</i><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">and </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">lessons from </span><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">All </i><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lives </i><i style="font-size: 12.8px;">Matter</i><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> has impact. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">(Photo Credit: Creative Commons)</span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Do today's students have the patience to endure a long road to progress? Do the adults they look to for guidance possess the stamina? </span></span></h4>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I remind students that change requires equal parts desire, optimism and organization. When I get a tired response from my class I am empathetic. My reminder is also aimed in the mirror.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the face of real challenges, students are confused about American priorities. In class today, a student compared this campaign season to a bad reality TV show that can’t end soon enough. Another student, in light of our conversation about the election, asked if a president can be impeached right away after they take office. Some students began questioning whether the president is very important to our nation. Their reasoning: nothing gets done anyway. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sign outside Sandy Hook </span>Elementary<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> School where 20 </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">children </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">were shot and killed in 2012 along with six </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">adults. </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Photo By Justin Lane, Creative Commons</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today's high school juniors were in eighth grade when</span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sandy-hook-elementary-school-shooting-leaves-students-staff-dead/2012/12/14/24334570-461e-11e2-8e70-e1993528222d_story.html"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sandy-hook-elementary-school-shooting-leaves-students-staff-dead/2012/12/14/24334570-461e-11e2-8e70-e1993528222d_story.html" target="_blank">20 children under the age of eight were gunned down</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sandy-hook-elementary-school-shooting-leaves-students-staff-dead/2012/12/14/24334570-461e-11e2-8e70-e1993528222d_story.html" target="_blank"> </a>and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. They also know that a solution related to violence or mental health in the United States still has not happened. Debate in Congress? Nope. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This December will mark the four year anniversary of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/photos/obama-photo-sandy-hook-newtown-conn-shooting-17974409/image-18007942" target="_blank">Sandy Hook</a></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and nothing substantive has changed. High school students recognize that if the preventable death of twenty children does not usher in a spirit of urgency and bipartisanship then it seems nothing will. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In today's America, teens wonder why we struggle so mightily to tackle tough issues. Why are we so scared? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Guns, immigration, racism and wealth inequality are familiar battles in the United States. Throw in women’s health issues (see </span><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/27/483686616/supreme-court-strikes-down-abortion-restrictions-in-texas" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Texas</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/23/us/kansas-court-of-appeals-voids-restrictive-2015-abortion-law.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kansas</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/03/alabama-abortion-clinics-law/2048477/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Alabama</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> or</span><a href="http://katv.com/news/local/federal-judge-blocks-arkansas-planned-parenthood-defunding-09-30-2016" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Arkansas</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for instance), voting rights and religious freedom/discrimination laws (</span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/22/politics/georgia-religious-freedom-bill/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Georgia</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and</span><a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/25/gov-mike-pence-sign-religious-freedom-bill-thursday/70448858/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Indiana</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for instance) and the backdrop to the 2016 Presidential election has been firmly in place for a few years. Voters have taken sides and politicians have been reluctant to compromise. My students are watch without expectation.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When they see the debate highlights (or lowlights depending on your perspective), they aren't looking to be inspired. They're looking for it to end. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What should we expect when candidates are demonized not for their ideas, but for their existence. In some circles, supporters of the candidates are diminished too. Despite my best intentions, lessons about James Madison and Thomas Jefferson are falling on deaf ears. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Students report to me that they don’t believe in a system that fails to deliver. Students, like the rest of us, do not see any indication that bipartisan cooperation is even a goal among members of Congress. Adding a vilified president to the mix will just make it worse.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While some students are comfortable assigning blame, most students are trying to make sense of the issues. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Adults owe it to students to talk about facts, weigh the costs and benefits of ideas and try to understand how someone else can see the exact same choices so differently. You can't imagine the amount of on-the-spot fact checking required in a classroom. In fact, I am willing to bet that in a group setting of adults just as much fact checking would be necessary <i>if</i> facts are actually important. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That’s a problem. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unfortunately, in the world our students are growing up in, problems exist not as challenges to solve together, but as a means to divide people. They are taking their cues from all of us, including the candidates.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Somehow, legit facts become disputed and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">half-truths</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> can garner so much airtime that they become </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the truth</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. All of this contributes to a political environment that makes statesmanship elusive. Legions of hard-liners grandstand in a fight to be the loudest and sometimes I feel like I am watching just to see the blood spill. And I am the teacher, not the teenager.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It is crazy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I am not casting blame on my students, just frustration about our shared </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">experience</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. I am the one responsible to create an engaging atmosphere where students can share ideas in class, ask questions and express opinions. They do those things, but sometimes I wonder how we should make meaning of what is happening.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">PS: Classroom circumstances of concern</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Vote for the VPs instead </span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">One student quipped that people should cast a vote for the Vice President since whoever wins will likely be impeached or even worse, assassinated. Obviously, that is not a joking matter and we discussed as much in class. The student did not mean it in a mean-spirited way and his point was that with so much hate surrounding this election, it would not surprise him if an attempt was made to take the life of the president.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But the bigger question for me has to do with a willingness of other students to shrug it off which left me wondering if they have just become indifferent or if they really think the situation is so dire that neither candidate can handle the responsibility of being President of the United States.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As alluded to earlier, high school students lack the context and life experiences to grasp national tragedies and turmoil. I was in the same boat as an early 90’s high school student. Think about it - my students were toddlers when the September 11, 2001 attacks happened. They are caught between witnessing an ugly election season today and what they have learned about history from second hand sources at home, in school or with the help of the Internet. Their context right now includes confusion about Black and blue lives mattering, bullying and a litany of social issues that have divided people.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Michelle Obama Speaks to the Nation about Sexism</span></span></h4>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After watching Michelle Obama’s speech from October 13 about sexism and the challenges women face, my students wrote a reaction. I will read their written reflections later this week, but as students talked in small groups and volunteers shared out to the class it became clear to me that The First Lady’s message hit home. Today's students seem self-aware and certainly more introspective than I recall being when I was a teenager.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the other hand, I could not help but wonder how our conversation turned away from the merit of her speech and the universal truths we seemed to agree upon. Among the student-raised topics that surprised me was whether Mrs. Obama was justified to get choked up while speaking (</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How can she really be that upset? It never happened to her.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">). There was also talk about patterns of behavior and how that informs our opinions of people.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Naturally, the questions about Trump’s accusers and President Bill Clinton’s accusers took center stage. We walked that fine line with respect to due process and acknowledging the awful legacy of victim-blaming in cases of sexual harassment and misconduct. Students showed sensitivity when talking about the courage it takes for victims to speak up which made me proud. When we eventually made it back to the topics in the speech, I had a sense that it is easy for students to distrust the words of any political figure standing behind a microphone. Even with a message that is universally adaptable and above partisanship, a few students expressed indifference or dismay with some aspects of her speech. I was not prepared for that response.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: inherit;">Public Service Needs our Best Young People</span></span></h4>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Public service is getting a bad name. It concerns me that my students may view a run for elected office in a negative light. The very nature of this election reminds all of us that we need our best people wanting to serve in their communities. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have spent so much time talking about heavy topics and national politics in class that I can see now that a pivot to local issues and political figures might help students in the long run. A devotion to public service is commendable and I am not sure I have imparted that to my students yet. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you have ideas about how I can bridge this gap for students, please let me know. As the grandchild of a former mayor, nephew of a current mayor and son of a school board member I know the value of public service. Whether it is giving back as a volunteer or taking up a cause, I want to do help my students see and experience American values in the places they exist outside of national politics.</span></span></div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-86625006997836467492016-10-13T19:04:00.003-07:002018-09-09T08:22:03.682-07:00Election 2016 & Student Learning <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>This is the first in a series of posts I will be writing over the next month about teaching Social Studies during Election season. These reflections are more "off-the-cuff" and some may combine into something worthy of publishing . If I re-draft any pieces here for publication, I will include a link.</i></span><br />
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Young people <i>are</i> paying attention</h2>
The election season has dominated my life this week. At home, we talk about the election daily. Colleagues have been stopping by my classroom to discuss the news of the day and students regularly stay after class to engage in conversations about the future of our nation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62tRS9aaB_-VHnSXgLhxLqOWHX2C1CTn8PDsS8ODmNX79BkJTenhloc-3w7Io-NBWLyNb4_Z0-jmDp3ywpwVO-dyg16PJwm3jXRnMtc816b9lznY3TpsvkEB99ta1uKOkBu68doBmPa-H/s1600/IMG_0050-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62tRS9aaB_-VHnSXgLhxLqOWHX2C1CTn8PDsS8ODmNX79BkJTenhloc-3w7Io-NBWLyNb4_Z0-jmDp3ywpwVO-dyg16PJwm3jXRnMtc816b9lznY3TpsvkEB99ta1uKOkBu68doBmPa-H/s320/IMG_0050-1.jpg" width="320" /></a>My teenage students have helped me see this election from their perspective. While most of my students are still too young to vote, they have been following the twists and turns on the campaign trail. The best part is that while many divergent points of view exist in each of my classes, students consistently demonstrate a willingness to listen and keep the conversations focused on ideas. Personal attacks and disrespectful behaviors do not enter into our heated discussions. Students place more value on being heard than on being right. I try my best to apply the lessons imparted by my students when I get involved in fierce conversations. <br />
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Last April I wrote an impassioned <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nick-gregory/an-open-letter-to-donald-trump-teacher_b_9695866.html" target="_blank">Open Letter to Donald Trump featured in HuffPost </a>and in that letter I described my optimism about the future in spite of Trump's popularity. My students were opening my eyes to a perspective I was incapable of gaining on my own. At that time, my students were questioning Trump's bigotry and racist behaviors. Today, six months after I wrote that letter, Trump is on political life-support. As some people make excuses for Trump's behaviors I am mindful that that we have a lot of healing to endure in our nation. I continue to get feedback about my letter to Trump (positive and critical) and while I remain optimistic in general, I am more cautious about asserting what this election means for young people. The damage from this election season is difficult for me to predict.<br />
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Voting is <i>not</i> the answer for many students</h3>
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Just as I feel encouraged by<i> how</i> we talk about topics in class, I slump back into disappointment when many of my students report that they don't have much interest in voting. A lot of these kids don't fit the mold of "quiet and disinterested" students going through the motions at school. My brightest and most ambitious students feel so discouraged about the future of the country that they openly admit to me, their American Government teacher mind you, that voting is a waste of time.<br />
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This should concern you just as it concerns me.<br />
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I would be lying if I did not admit that I kind of understand why they feel this way, but I still hold out hope that these students might see it differently in the future. Hopefully they will feel their voice is part of a useful process. I am responsible for helping to bridge the gap between our professed ideals as a nation and the role each of my students has in this process.<br />
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What's plaguing young people is the same thing that is afflicting many adults and it's not simply a lack of interest.<br />
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My students lack confidence.<br />
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Confidence in the candidates.<br />
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Confidence in the election process.<br />
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Confidence in the electorate.<br />
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Confidence in the media.<br />
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Confidence that whoever is elected will be able to make life better for Americans.<br />
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Most students are navigating all of this for the first time and once the heat of election season dies down, we have to honestly deal with the root causes of the divisions in our country. A lot of people seem discouraged and we need to understand why so we can get to work. <br />
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Even though some election fatigue is setting in, students report that they feel most of what is happening on the campaign trail feels more like entertainment than real-life. The line has been blurred between the reality facing our nation and the <i>reality TV style</i> campaign antics and media coverage.<br />
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My students admit that they are not sure what to make of some of the destructive behaviors and shenanigans that garner news coverage. I fear that there is a major disconnect between what is happening in this election cycle and the implications for our nation. The understanding that <i>elections have consequences</i> has taken a backseat to,<i> let's just get this over with now.</i><br />
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Campaign policy stances and critical issues have been moved to the back pages and impressionable students are experiencing a massive void in regard to a national dialogue about important issues. Ideas that need to be fleshed out and vetted by the electorate can't compete in a campaign season more suited to tabloid coverage. It is refreshing to finally dig into racism and sexism as part of the national conversation, but the way we got here has been disheartening. And where we go from this point will say a lot about our next president's ability to lead.<br />
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Whether it involves recordings of Donald Trump bragging about sexual assault or hacks into DNC e-mails by Russians, the whole thing has an espionage feel to it that we normally equate to the movies.<br />
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American Values</h3>
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Guiding US Constitutional principles like the rule of law, limited government, individual rights, equality and the separation of powers have to make their way back to the election cycle <i>list of topics </i>we examine as a nation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_g8pqI2HWmDSKIaaPAmymQRyPAI1br0ZQqAcFOrX2qUFVSr2eH1-W2TVsOivqFchbR_lwsmKB2wUtK6o85iIPzdnA6WIIMhjAbRMfpL-7x4spjHuxUO5jbcgM2qRB1kYL4RkxGAR47sIM/s1600/IMG_0300-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_g8pqI2HWmDSKIaaPAmymQRyPAI1br0ZQqAcFOrX2qUFVSr2eH1-W2TVsOivqFchbR_lwsmKB2wUtK6o85iIPzdnA6WIIMhjAbRMfpL-7x4spjHuxUO5jbcgM2qRB1kYL4RkxGAR47sIM/s400/IMG_0300-1.jpg" width="400" /></a>My talented colleagues who teach social studies encourage reasonable disagreement and passionate discussion among students and I hope students will demand as much from politicians in the future. Smart people informing our ideas, no matter their political stripe, should be a part of every student's diet. During election season, it is difficult to sift through the mud in order to get to the good stuff. <br />
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As a nation, we cannot afford to ignore how we got to this place: two unfavorable candidates, the regular use of the <i>p-word</i> in news reports and wild allegations about both candidates. Today's students are well-positioned as tomorrows <i>uniters </i>so long as we help them learn from all of this political destruction.<br />
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Since they have been paying attention, my students have been exposed to the ridiculous birther movement, a vacant US Supreme Court seat and a nation with deep divisions regarding law enforcement, race and immigration.<br />
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Helping students engage in the political process and learn from people whose ideas they may vehemently oppose is an important step toward a brighter future.<br />
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We'll be okay</h3>
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In the midst of a class discussion one student confidently claimed "we'll be okay" when this is over. The basis of his response had to do with the checks and balances in our government. In other words, whatever the result in the election, he said that we will still be on solid ground because of the way the Framers designed our government. Part of me was proud since we just finished our unit on the origins of our government, but I got the sense that his point was that the government will continue to <i>function</i>. The bare minimum expectation and admittedly my confidence in that measure varies depending on who is elected. Another student claimed that it will be okay because in her view Donald Trump will not win so things can get back to normal.<br />
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We have yet to discuss what <i>normal</i> and <i>functioning</i> mean in the wake of this election season. How we define and create a <i>new normal</i> is going to be critical to our progress. Whether my student's will have faith in a government they have only two experiences with - the one they learn about from a textbook and the government they see on Twitter - may depend on the ability of our next president to lead us through rocky times.<br />
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The greatest challenge for me as an educator is to exercise patience about all of the learning we will be engaged in over the course of the semester. The depth required to analyze the role of the United States President takes time and context. Learning about each branch of government and the guiding principles of the US Constitution encourages students to contribute different ideas, but it can't be rushed. Primary documents like the Federalist Papers and the US Constitution require time to digest.<br />
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Students tell me they are overwhelmed with opinions on social issues they do not understand. Policies about immigration get muddled with so many myths that their heads are spinning. Having ideas about out how to deal with Russia or determining where weaknesses exist in Obamacare requires a PhD as far as my students are concerned. We can't afford to have a generation of students left behind by our political process.<br />
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How to best work toward progress in class <i>and as a nation</i> motivates me, and the landscape of this election season presents so many nuanced and complex lessons.<br />
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I love this challenge as a teacher.<br />
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-29131940747846011942016-09-26T05:51:00.000-07:002018-09-09T08:22:23.770-07:00Trump’s Lessons On Privilege & Risk<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="font-family: notonashkarabic, "helvetica neue", helvetica, roboto, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A black or female presidential candidate with Trump’s history would never make it into a Detroit church to campaign two months before election day.</span></b><br />
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Last month in Michigan, Donald Trump asked America’s Black voters, “What the hell do you have to lose?”</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">On Saturday he brought his message to Detroit in an effort to convince Michigan’s largest group of Black voters that he is the solution to their problems. In a scripted interview with Bishop Wayne T. Jackson (Trump received the questions ahead of time), he reached out to minority voters. This well orchestrated campaign move highlights the double standard Trump enjoys in his bid for the White House.</span></div>
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Can you imagine the national conversation if Hillary Clinton had given birth to five children by three different men? </i></span></h4>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">A Black or female presidential candidate with Trump’s history would never make it into a Detroit church to campaign two months before Election Day. A candidate with even a fraction of Trump’s divisive baggage could only exist if he were white.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Can you imagine the national conversation if Hillary Clinton had given birth to five children by three different men - including an affair leading to pregnancy and a baby born out of wedlock?</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">How would a church congregation assess Clinton’s presidential fitness if she had broken up her family by acting with callous disregard for her spouse and three young children? </span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Candidate Trump continues to take advantage of the built-in advantages that will never exist for Hillary Clinton or any candidate that resembles the Detroit congregation Mr. Trump visited.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">As Trump capitalizes on his privilege and pivots to substantive campaign topics, acknowledging the enormous cultural disparity that benefits him rests squarely on the shoulders of American voters. </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Candidate Trump is taking advantage of the built-</i></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">in advantages that do not exist for Hillary</i><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"> Clinton</i><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"> or any candidate that resembles</i><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"> the Detroit </i><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">congregation he visited.</i></span></h4>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">As a female candidate, Hillary Clinton has a challenging threshold to meet in order to convince voters she has command of the leadership skills it takes to sit in the Oval Office and still remain likable enough to get elected.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">How would voters and the media react if Hillary Clinton had handed over full custody of her young children to ex-spouses while simultaneously advancing her career ambitions? Would voters admire Clinton’s single-minded drive to achieve personal success? Would we celebrate her stamina and applaud her strength? Maybe, but her character and cracked moral compass as a mother would dominate the conversation. </span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Trump certainly faces criticism, but when it comes to political popularity the 70-year old grandfather and self-aggrandizing business tycoon has grown his base despite very serious character flaws. Missteps and baggage that would normally derail a campaign turn out to be mere blemishes for Trump. His candidacy affords him luxuries a minority candidate from either party would never enjoy.</span></div>
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Trump’s tweet, “If Hillary can’t satisfy her husband, what makes her think she can satisfy America?” put his sexism on full display. The mere question of a woman’s ability to satisfy a man is the type of twisted male chauvinism that paralyzes our advancement. Trump has ventured from tasteless to dangerous with his rhetoric. </div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Following the RNC Convention, how many news pundits touched on the fact that Donald Trump’s talented children were heart-broken as young kids when his reckless behavior destroyed his family? Do you think a female candidate for president who engaged in an extramarital affair in the public spotlight would benefit from public amnesia and be given the same treatment as Trump? What about a Black candidate for president? Would the media ignore the storyline about a Black</span><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">baby daddy</em><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"> who selfishly looked out for his own interests leaving his children without a father present in their daily lives?</span></div>
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The obsession over Clinton’s e-mails and President Obama’s religious views would never exist because a woman or Black man with two divorces and a record of infidelity would struggle getting elected to the local school board in this country.</i></span></h4>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">These questions may be difficult to ingest, but they are worth asking. The double-standards in American politics deserve a critical examination.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">If the tables were turned, the obsession over Clinton’s e-mails and President Obama’s religious views would never exist because a woman or Black man with two divorces and a record of infidelity would struggle getting elected to the local school board in this country. </span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Yet, Donald Trump is the 2016 Republican nominee for president of the United States of America.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">This weekend in Detroit, Team Trump attempted to blur the direct link from his bigoted comments to the man himself. Trumps pivot is motivated by the hope voters will be distracted enough to forget the unique brand of populist racism that propelled his rise in the Republican party.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">This is not the first time a Black church has been used as a backdrop to advance a political narrative. Remember the outrage when it was discovered Barack Obama worshipped at a Southside Chicago church led by the fiery Black pastor Jeremiah Wright? Media scrutiny and questions about then-Senator Obama’s loyalty to the nation became a topic of conversation in this country. Obama was facing criticism not for his own actions, but for an association to someone that expressed controversial opinions.</span></div>
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Can you imagine if President Obama became a Christian convert just prior to his presidential run? His campaign would have ended before the Baptismal water dried from his forehead.</i></span></h4>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Why aren’t the same critics asking about the sincerity of Trump’s recent conversion to Christianity? Can you imagine if President Obama became a Christian convert just prior to his presidential run? His campaign would have ended before the Baptismal water dried from his forehead.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">While Trump’s indiscretions have been reported, they have never really been </span><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">the</em><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">story. Trump’s preposterous comments are dismissed as, “Trump being Trump” by his loyal supporters.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">No one can reasonably deny that as a Black man Barack Obama would never have gotten away with claiming he is so popular he could shoot someone and not lose support. He would have never been a nominee for president just as Hillary Clinton would not be given the benefit of the doubt if she had two failed marriages and bankruptcy on her record. No way.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">In the United States of America only Donald Trump or someone who looks like him could pull this off.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">What do African-Americans in Detroit have to lose?</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: inherit;">The same thing all of us will lose if we elect Donald Trump president - another four years spent ignoring the insidious nature of sexism and racism in the United States of America.</span></div>
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BY NICK GREGORY</div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-48668264533585581472016-09-26T05:44:00.002-07:002018-09-09T08:22:46.202-07:00Finding your voice - Letter to students<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Completing assignments that require expression and/or analysis of Op Ed pieces can be challenging</span></h2>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nick-gregory/an-open-letter-to-donald-trump-teacher_b_9695866.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">CLICK HERE </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">to access my </span></span><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">PUBLISHED </span></span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nick-gregory/an-open-letter-to-donald-trump-teacher_b_9695866.html" target="_blank">OPEN LETTER</a> </span></span></i></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">September 2016</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Dear Social Studies and Language Arts Students,</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;">First of all, thank you for taking the time to read my open letter to Donald Trump. I am grateful that I am part of the conversation about the election for President of the United States. I realize that some of you may not agree with the stand I have taken in opposition to Mr. Trump and I respect that fact. There is enough room for all of our ideas. I believe that to my core.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;">I wrote the letter to Mr. Trump because I felt compelled to share my experience. I was challenged teaching my American Government students about the election process and American values (i.e. diversity, individual rights, equality and the common good) as we were simultaneously witnessing Mr. Trump’s questionable behavior. His actions were contradicting the lessons we were studying and I felt that unique angle would appeal to readers. Racism and bigotry are deal breakers for me and Mr. Trump’s divisiveness sinks to dangerous levels in my opinion. It goes beyond political ideology and party loyalty and my goal as a writer was to share my experience with the stakes for my students as a central theme. The main idea that engages readers is called a hook or peg. The future for my students with Mr. Trump’s candidacy for president was my hook. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Navigating a professional way to teach and talk about Mr. Trump with students is new territory. In fact, I think that is why my letter attracted readers - nearly every angle about Mr. Trump had been covered to that point. My story was coming from a new perspective and I crafted a letter that reflected both the criticisms of Mr. Trump raised in class and my optimism about the future. Finding the appropriate tone was extremely challenging. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">As a teacher, I am mindful that my professional integrity is critical in order for me to encourage students to find <i>their voice</i> in our democracy. When it comes to political ideology and politics I think students need a safe space to engage in meaningful and difficult conversations. Some of Mr. Trump’s repulsive behavior in debates or in TV interviews for instance was contradicting the expectations we have for behavior in my classroom. When students recognized this fact it moved me to start thinking about how I could share my <i>Trump teaching experiences</i> with a larger audience. By writing the letter then my disdain for Donald Trump would also become public information subject to criticism. As I said before though, racism and bigotry are deal breakers for me and from my vantage point publishing the open letter to Donald Trump was worth any risk it might entail. Every person has the right to responsibly express themselves and being criticized for that expression comes with the territory. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: medium;">My letter stands on its own and I am proud of it. Finding my voice in the process of drafting the letter was rewarding. Protecting my credibility required me to take a disciplined approach in regard to establishing the truth. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: medium;">One error and I would have been spending time explaining rather than having conversations about </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: medium;">my experiences as a teacher and </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: medium;">the point of the letter. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;">I researched extensively and the process was arduous. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: medium;">The letter you read reached its final version after more than three weeks of work.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: medium;">I spent several hours editing and drafting various versions of the letter and I was making changes constantly. Two people helped me edit and eventually I cut about 400 words from my original draft and committed to several style changes. My advice to you: get tough editors on your side. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;">I have written other published pieces, but I really struggled finding a rhythm in my letter to Mr. Trump. Eventually, I felt I nailed it. With other pieces I have written, I had to just leave them alone and call it good, but my letter to Trump was different. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: medium;">I had to love it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Words have power. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Stories matter. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Your story and the way you experience the world deserves an audience.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;">My open letter to Mr. Trump is a small part of my story and the impact of being able to share my ideas has given me confidence. My students remind me all the time that when our stories live in places where they can be shared then our voice is multiplied. Publishing that letter has been one of the most fulfilling learning experiences of my life. I am practicing what I preach to my students - “<i>Live with passion, get educated about what is important and elevate your voice!”</i></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">As it turns out, the most rewarding aspect of putting myself out there has been all of the opportunities I continue to have learning from other people. Understanding new perspectives is always useful. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am very curious so the writing process really fills my desire to keep learning. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: medium;">Finding ways to engage people takes creativity.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: medium;">Putting your ideas out there for public consumption opens you up to learning opportunities. People will tell you what they think so be ready. Whether my audience is critical or positive, if my writing engages a reader enough that they choose to voice their own ideas then it is a win. Writing has helped me grow as a teacher. My students see me taking a risk in much the same way I ask them to in class. Progress is accelerated through shared ideas.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I think adults would be well served to step back and learn the art of listening from young people. My writing has improved as I continue to evolve as a listener. My students have helped me find my voice and for that I am grateful beyond measure. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">If I can ever be helpful to you, please reach out. I would love to see your writing and with your permission, share your ideas with my students in Michigan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Sincerely,</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2f5597; font-family: "freestyle script";">M</span><span style="color: #2f5597; font-family: "blackadder itc";">r</span><span style="color: #2f5597; font-family: "calibri light" , sans-serif;">.</span><span style="color: #2f5597; font-family: "freestyle script";"> </span><span style="color: #2f5597; font-family: "blackadder itc";">G</span><span style="color: #2f5597; font-family: "blackadder itc";">r</span></span><span style="color: #2f5597; font-family: "freestyle script";"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">egory</span><i style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif;">Nick Gregory</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Social Studies Teacher</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria" , serif; font-size: large;">PS You can connect with me on Twitter (@CivicsEngaged) or Instagram (NickGregoryPhoto) – I would love to hear from you.</span></span></div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-29874346829195463742016-09-10T12:40:00.003-07:002016-09-10T13:26:08.049-07:00Media Savvy & Elevating Your Voice: Writing Op-Eds & Blog Posts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;"><b>Your story matters</b></span></h2>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Your story is compelling. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: left;">You are an expert.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; text-align: left;"><b><i style="background-color: white;">You can move the needle on how we frame the education conversation.</i></b></span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWz1Y8lehpcmysMSqrBH722P8pJztltekfFUegvQ4ba9ZB_NenCTL3_lMeIaQTvI39olm1vTqo_F6ZZd-7iz833GWiB55b4yIVT9L-3lw1PrvVlHKelLDO5stmQXS74YU8q_Ra38mWjeB/s1600/f2d224cdeaa6ad026a056270dc096e02-medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKWz1Y8lehpcmysMSqrBH722P8pJztltekfFUegvQ4ba9ZB_NenCTL3_lMeIaQTvI39olm1vTqo_F6ZZd-7iz833GWiB55b4yIVT9L-3lw1PrvVlHKelLDO5stmQXS74YU8q_Ra38mWjeB/s1600/f2d224cdeaa6ad026a056270dc096e02-medium.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Today you will:</b></h3>
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<li>Ask questions and interact with your colleagues to incubate ideas </li>
<li>Discuss strategies & best practices for opinion writing</li>
<li>Brainstorm your passion pitches</li>
<li>Write a pitch ... Find a blog space</li>
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My portfolio at a glance:</h3>
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<li><b><span style="color: blue;">Lens Culture</span></b> houses some of my Photoessay work. My Flint project is not complete yet, but there are five photo-essays included <a href="https://www.lensculture.com/search/projects?q=nicholas%2Bgregory" target="_blank">HERE</a>: https://www.lensculture.com/search/projects?q=nicholas%2Bgregory</li>
<li><b><span style="color: blue;">Huffington Post </span></b>(Open Letter to Donald Trump & Lessons about Privilege we learn from Trump) <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/ngregory48846-135" target="_blank">HERE</a>: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/ngregory48846-135</li>
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<li><b><span style="color: blue;">M-Live</span></b> - Officer Fields (South Carolina) Reminds us of our National Failures: <a href="http://www.mlive.com/opinion/flint/index.ssf/2015/11/guest_column_nick_gregory.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> http://www.mlive.com/opinion/flint/index.ssf/2015/11/guest_column_nick_gregory.html</li>
<li><span style="color: blue;"><b>M-Live</b></span> - MLK Legacy Lives in Flint & Detroit as both cities Face Injustice: <a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2016/01/mlks_legacy_lives_as_detroit_a.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2016/01/mlks_legacy_lives_as_detroit_a.html</li>
<li>This Blog has a lot of my ideas too. The most popular topics include my writing about teacher evaluations, the role of mindfulness as an educator, symbolism and the Confederate flag and Teachers who changed my life.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55nPbAIaH1GlK8kPfaTwMpVprd-XqvdI4kvoXE8cPjibxDnw0fARDZgHX-caBAPH4JNB18OMWQKt9a0ONDe0LMGyZp-YjbqRkSQuSHfr2nv9YyX6FhMsUie529RFWbC1wyuU3fCtJKQ5W/s1600/Funny-Perspective-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55nPbAIaH1GlK8kPfaTwMpVprd-XqvdI4kvoXE8cPjibxDnw0fARDZgHX-caBAPH4JNB18OMWQKt9a0ONDe0LMGyZp-YjbqRkSQuSHfr2nv9YyX6FhMsUie529RFWbC1wyuU3fCtJKQ5W/s320/Funny-Perspective-.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Resources:</div>
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<li>Mind/Shift blog</li>
<li>Edutopia</li>
<li>America Achieves</li>
<li>In Colorado? Chalkbeat, Denver Post, local media</li>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-62646102501731887332016-06-28T13:41:00.000-07:002016-07-11T17:52:44.177-07:00The last bell of the day <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Finding your voice in a stagnant culture</span></i></h2>
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The issues raised in this blog are not specifically motivated by the policies within my own school or within my district. I write about many topics that are often related to discussions with educators who do not work in my school district. This blog in no way is intended to reflect solely on any specific leaders or my place of employment. </span></i></div>
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In my new role as the administrator for summer school I asked one of my students <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">*</span>Tanner, "<i>What's your favorite part of school?</i>"<br />
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The 13-year-old boy stopped jumping over a hand railing for the three seconds it took to answer.<br />
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"<i>The last bell of the day,</i>" he responded with a dead stare.<br />
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And with that, he jetted back to class, leaping to touch every banner hanging in the hallway.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">A desk I found at summer school begs the question,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">"Why continue your search for career </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">satisfaction </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">despite your lack of influence </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">on a </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">dwindling </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">school culture?" </span></div>
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I expected this boy who failed multiple classes would say gym or lunch. I naively figured he might call out his favorite teacher or say something about the girls in art class. But Tanner had something else in mind and the way he answered my question, serious and without hesitation, made a profound impression.<br />
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His words hung in the air.<br />
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"<i>The last bell of the day</i>."<br />
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A simple response from a boy who told me middle school was a place for good students, not him. He said he was smart enough (and his test scores this summer support that finding), but he just quit caring. With a slight grin, Tanner told me that it doesn't matter because he will probably transfer to another school next year.<br />
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All of this got me thinking about how we deal with people who fall out of touch with school and may feel that they do not belong. What about when that sentiment about not wanting to be at school is shared by teachers or staff members?<br />
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<i>The school culture should support adults as well as students</i></h2>
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At times I have felt professionally isolated and believed that if I left the profession I would not be missed. From time to time I have even thought that my absence would go largely unnoticed by school leaders in my building. Sometimes my frustration had to do mostly with me, but like many teachers my sense of belonging is strongly correlated to the culture of the building where I teach. For the most part, I have felt less control and influence on our building culture in recent years and it has pushed me in new directions.<br />
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Unlike Tanner, transferring to a new building or a new position is unlikely for teachers so how can we make the most of a challenging school environment?<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Framing the culture challenge </i><i> </i></span></h2>
We should be mindful of a couple important questions as we examine school culture. Keeping these questions in mind can help frame the challenges existing in your school culture.<br />
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<li>Do school leaders in struggling environments want to know the truth about how teachers feel about the culture of the school? Is your boss challenged by the same constraints a struggling teacher may feel? </li>
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<li>What can you do as a professional when you work in a culture where there is an unwillingness to face tough questions about employee satisfaction and professional empowerment?</li>
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<li>How should you balance maintaining your sanity at work with a growing sense of wanting to change the culture for the better? </li>
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Here is my advice for educators seeking more career satisfaction despite feeling powerless to change their school culture.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Claim your expertise </i></span></h2>
You are an expert and that expertise needs to be claimed by you. Education is one of the few professions where masses of talented and accomplished people seem to think that claiming expertise translates to arrogance. Humility is an awesome quality to have when your professional life is spent serving others and claiming expertise is unrelated to humility. When I say to claim your expertise this means taking ownership of what you have to offer students and colleagues and putting yourself out there to share your ideas. Take action to amplify your voice in our profession and engage in highlighting what you know works while investigating new approaches with enthusiasm.<br />
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Being really good in a particular aspect of your job is something that should be celebrated and shared. Collaborate without an invitation from others and do not bother seeking validation from school leaders who seem too busy to realize your value. When the culture of your school doesn't encourage sharing, your success is not a threat so do the best you can without worrying about what others think. We do not need permission to be experts. Most importantly, take your ideas somewhere else to grow. Your expertise will benefit other people and ultimately your ideas will reach students which is the goal.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I earned the role of a Lead Fellow </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">with America Achieves </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">so that I can help educators </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">amplify their voices on </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">education and policy issues. I feel connected to so many</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">pros who continue to help me improve as a teacher.</span></div>
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Outside of my daily interaction with students, claiming my expertise as a teacher has brought me more satisfaction and enjoyment than any other aspect of my professional life. Accepting a fellowship with America Achieves launched me into the 2015-2016 school year with new professional relationships and a network of pros to learn from on a regular basis. If you can find an organization with professional values that match your own, go for it. Do not wait for an invitation. Find a way to be involved beyond your school. Twitter chats are another great extension to branch out professionally.<br />
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Whatever your particular strengths, keep in mind that the expertise you bring everyday adds value to your school and to the experience of hundreds of students. Your confidence will grow by leaps and bounds if you put yourself out there and choose to present at conferences or take a role as a leader within your building.<br />
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You did not get into teaching to be on the sidelines. We all bring a different personality and dynamic to this profession and when you go <i>all in</i> and claim your expertise, no one can take that from you. As an expert you continue to learn and grow professionally and even in a school that may not appreciate or recognize your talent, it is okay to seek validation elsewhere. Personally, I feel most accomplished and excited about the potential of our profession in my roles outside of my school. I used to be resentful about leaders who fail to recognize my talents, and I am now liberated because I have moved on and found my own place to shine. My school represents a part of who I am professionally, but certainly not everything. Go claim your expertise and branch out - it might be the best decision you make for your career.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Elevate your voice with ideas, not complaints</i></span></h2>
Perhaps the biggest lesson I have learned in the last few years is to bring ideas and solutions to the table in the face of adversity. Some school cultures are set up in a manner where ideas are not valued, but that does not mean that you should stop bringing those ideas. Even if your ideas do not take flight today, you can become a person on the staff who is viewed as creative rather than simply a griper. Your colleagues, the real pros, will recognize you as a leader even if the principal may not notice. Leaders who are not interested in new ideas have already lost the confidence of the staff so it is imperative that others pick up the slack. Be a "slack picker-upper" who knows the limit of his reach. One day it may be a trusted colleague who earns a leadership role and seeks your advice because of your track record of good ideas.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Twitter chats are a tremendous</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">source of professional development. </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Click </span><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/twittereducationchats/" style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">HERE </a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">to check on </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">great </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.8px;">chats coast to coast. </span></div>
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Keep in mind that principals and other leaders often move on to new roles and many will change and grow just as the best teachers do. Your ideas may take root eventually so keep generating new ones to meet the challenges of teaching. Each idea could be a springboard for something down the road so don't think of it as wasted time.<br />
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I have embraced the fact that most of my ideas will live on this blog because to this point I am in an environment that has not made room for my ideas yet. (Did you catch the <i>yet</i>?) Maybe someday. Regardless, having ideas and sharing them will provide positive energy. A great post on the #COLchat Twitter chat, "Your vibe attracts your tribe" reminds me to stay mindful of who I attract. The ideas<br />
and goals I share with others are my magnet.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Be the leader you wish you had </i></span></h2>
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Hopefully you are able to find strengths in the leaders you work alongside and it is important to recognize those strengths. I am fortunate to work with caring and compassionate leaders with a wide range of talents. When I say to <i>be the leader you wish you had</i>, it is important to note that I am not coming at this from a place of judgement. This is more of a challenge and it has helped me grow as a leader.</div>
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Rather than becoming mired in disappointment about the weaknesses in your building leaders, turn those perceived weaknesses into personal tests of your own leadership. For instance, if you think your principal does not communicate well enough how much she values teachers then choose to show your appreciation of teachers in your own way. If your leader struggles to hold people accountable, find ways to influence your sphere and create a learning environment with more personal accountability. If you are like me and get frustrated about the priorities building leaders hold then work through the proper channels to address the issues you can influence. If you make your leader's weaknesses your personal challenge, you will <i>a.) </i>likely appreciate how difficult it is to do some of the things you value and <i>b.) </i>you will be more fulfilled taking action and leading by example.</div>
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Once I decided I was done waiting for leadership in the areas I value most, my learning accelerated and new opportunities have added value to my career to make up for what's missing in the school culture. As teachers we also need to remain mindful that there are a lot of aspects of building leadership we're not aware of so being the <i>leader you wish you had </i>is a positive way to build a better culture. Teachers share in the responsibility of creating a positive building culture.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Mentorship & Collaboration = Growth</i></span></h2>
At the heart of teaching is our desire to help others. We all need help and the best way to help ourselves is to share our ideas, experiences and hardships with colleagues. If the culture around you promotes isolation then the best way to push back is to muster the energy to reach out to like-minded people and help one another. If you are feeling bold, reach out to someone you struggle to understand and see what you can pick up from that person. This school year I chose to reach out to a couple colleagues whose style and personality are very different than my own. This simple exercise made me a better teacher and gave my work more meaning. Along the way, I also began to appreciate a different way of doing things.<br />
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Expert teachers benefit from mentorship as do inexperienced teachers. I got tired of waiting around for my district to re-commit to a formal mentorship program so I began to seek mentoring from some of the pros right down the hall. Mentorship does not require official documentation and evidence of growth. It can simply mean that you are choosing to make <i>guidance</i> part of your professional diet. Somehow we got so caught up in data and evidence that doing simple things that make work fun and meaningful got lost in the shuffle.<br />
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As an aspiring administrator, I appreciate that my assistant principal has taken an interest in my<br />
career aspirations. She has my back. I have reached out to school leaders in my district to learn more about their respective jobs. No matter what the culture is in your school, you are surrounded by people who got into this profession to help others. You may need to look for those people if you are in an environment where everyone seems to be in hiding, but it is worth your time to search. Trust me.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Feed the Beast </i></span></h2>
The beast is your natural curiosity. If you are a teacher, you are hard-wired to have a love for learning. You must feed that curiosity. Whether your passions have a link to your profession or not, they deserve more of you. For me, my passions are photography and writing. For you, it may be knitting, reading or gaming. Regardless, we are happier when we find balance.<br />
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Happy people make better teachers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">On this occasion my passion for photography included </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">taking </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">pictures </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">at the GearUp2Lead Conference in </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Flint, Mich. for </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">heroic student </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">leaders in </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">mid-Michigan. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">This </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">photo was from </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Bullycide, a production of </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Trust </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Theatre</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> Ensemble, directed by Lori Thompson. </span></div>
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It is tough to be happy when all of your eggs are in one basket from August to June. At work, I do my best to remain mindful of all the aspects of this profession that are meaningful in my life so I can weather challenges better. <br />
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On a personal level, this is an area in which I have grown considerably. I still have a long way to go.<br />
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I will openly admit that my growth continues to be the result of me taking responsibility for my attitude and finding ways to make a positive difference in education. When I was feeling discouraged about my role in my school, I chose to stop waiting for things to change. I have talents and interests that continue to leave me wanting more influence so I continue to seek new outlets for my ideas. I have forged a positive professional identity in spite of sometimes feeling held back within the culture of my building. As a result, I have never felt more motivated and optimistic about my role in education.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Concluding Thoughts</i></span></h2>
When motivated educators finish the school year feeling discouraged, we have a responsibility to unpack the challenges of the school year in order to work toward improvement. Teachers and administrators have to take ownership of the culture we perpetuate in our schools. More than anything, children cannot afford to have teachers feeling diminished or professionally handicapped by fear and anxiety.<br />
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If educators cannot examine issues related to school culture honestly in the summer then I am not sure how we can truly tackle the threat a negative school culture poses for students.<br />
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When I have felt stunted in my role as a teacher, it is only when I reached out and took some risks that my situation began to improve. Writing and talking honestly about important topics in education has made a positive difference for me. Professionally I am on a trajectory that has me poised to keep learning and growing in a pursuit I love. Quite frankly, I got tired of waiting around for things to improve and I have dedicated my energy to ideas that carry my passion. I am grateful I can explore my professional interests in a public forum. I hope this advice is helpful.<br />
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* <span style="font-size: x-small;">Tanner <span style="font-size: xx-small;">is a made up name used to protect the identity of the student</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR of CIVICS ENGAGED:</span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"> </span>Nick Gregory has been a social studies and journalism teacher at Fenton High School since 2000 and he has been a National Writing Project Teacher consultant and a junior varsity basketball coach since 2002. Gregory is a Michigan Education Voice Fellow and he has exhibited photography related to Detroit and social justice causes since 2011. Gregory, who has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, believes that building positive relationships helps students find their passion for learning. You can follow him on Twitter @CivicsEngaged.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.3px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">DISCLAIMER: This blog includes ideas and topics serving as a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">composite of issues from various sources.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The issues raised in this blog </span><span style="background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are not specifically or solely motivated by the policies within my own school district. </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I have chosen to include many topics here that are also related to my discussions within my fellowship about teaching in general, not just in our school district. This blog in no way is intended to reflect solely on our school or our school district. </span></span></span><br />
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2075915709460101996.post-54787457948249359402016-04-11T08:52:00.001-07:002018-09-09T08:23:06.446-07:00An open letter to Donald Trump from a high school teacher <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nick-gregory/an-open-letter-to-donald-trump-teacher_b_9695866.html" target="_blank"><b>HuffPost published my letter to Mr. Trump. Click here to see it on HuffPost.</b></a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since you announced your candidacy for President, teaching high school social studies has become more interesting. Other than comedians, students have gained more from your White House run than anyone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a high school American government teacher, I recognize that you are in a great position to win the nomination. The U.S. Constitution and the values it embodies serve as the foundation of our curriculum, so when my students ask questions about the election, the role of the president and you, their interest brings more meaning to our discourse.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mr. Trump, taking questions about you has been a challenge. The cornerstone of your immigration policy includes building a "great wall" and having Mexico pay for it, so naturally students have questions. When you said, "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?" about opponent Carly Fiorina, students wondered about your character. As you talked about "bombing the (expletive)" out of enemies and killing their families or banning all Muslims from entering the country, we took notice in class. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mr. Trump, you have put me in a precarious position as a professional educator. My ability to remain neutral, as you brazenly assault the American values I have spent my career promoting, became more difficult every time you found a microphone. Referring to African Americans as, "the blacks" and bragging publicly about having a young "beautiful piece of (expletive)" are just a couple of the red flags my students have raised in class. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Mr. Trump, behavior like yours in a classroom would stifle learning and make parents cringe.</b> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You actually referenced your penis size in a national debate and publicly denigrated the appearance of a political rival's wife. Your preposterous comments and arrogance justify students' concerns about your temperament. For many of my students, who study history and defend the Bill of Rights, it is inconceivable for them to support you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At one time, we laughed at your antics. We had never heard a political figure say the things you were saying and in a manner that defied even modest political calculations. As you sunk to new lows, students became victims of the circus atmosphere you were creating.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Mr. Trump, not taking you seriously was a mistake I deeply regret - as a teacher and as a citizen. </b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_0RcTarvmxiPzNHVcpRVqoZeZO082sZq8RmqybvDrLkcuWUTqIm4SnelsCV24GOq9b2CA_vWcb_eRE3Hq3u7NNcSYCbFsTSe_9aS1V9YSi9n3mOcPas8yrp8KkI82MkvPMg9Yy_HzDLq/s1600/plain_white_background_211387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4_0RcTarvmxiPzNHVcpRVqoZeZO082sZq8RmqybvDrLkcuWUTqIm4SnelsCV24GOq9b2CA_vWcb_eRE3Hq3u7NNcSYCbFsTSe_9aS1V9YSi9n3mOcPas8yrp8KkI82MkvPMg9Yy_HzDLq/s1600/plain_white_background_211387.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your candidacy has ushered in a sobering realization that more Americans are impaired by prejudice and anger than my students thought was possible. Mr. Trump, you have reached millions of people with a disturbing political message and nasty tactics. Your behavior is repulsive, but professional integrity requires that I attempt to understand your appeal. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mistakenly, I expected that decency would always have a role in any legitimate campaign for president. As a veteran teacher, I failed to recognize the consequences of the depraved manner in which you peddle fear to hungry crowds. We never saw your rise coming. Once the laughter died down you were leading the Republican field by huge margins, and the teacher became the student.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your lively political rallies with threats of violence and lessons about greatness woke me up. The punchlines became storylines that paint a picture of a hopeless, deeply confused nation. You are enthusiastically leading an insurgency against goodwill that my students will spend a lifetime undoing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Yet, I remain optimistic about the future of our nation in the face of your existence.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mr. Trump, I am hopeful because my students are gaining a deeper appreciation of American values like promoting the common good and fighting for equality. Students are embracing diversity and individual rights as those values come to life on the campaign trail. Student attitudes are being shaped, in part, by opposition to your toxic rhetoric. As many students prepare to vote, they recognize the threat your presidency would pose to the world.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mr. Trump, at worst your popularity is a cruel reminder that many of our neighbors and friends have xenophobic leanings and a worldview skewed by sexism and bigotry. At best, your entertainment value has clouded the judgment of too many voters. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Regardless, for my curious students, you are their first living lesson on the perils of populist racism. Hatred and bigotry, really bad ideas before you came along, are now alive for first-hand analysis in every classroom coast to coast. You are energizing a generation of young people to fight back.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you flame out, they won't let you happen again. This is the source of my optimism.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Instead of teasing modern angles out of the lessons from Jim Crow America, we have you: a national political figure exposing the ugliness that occurs when power and bigotry mix in the absence of h<span style="font-family: inherit;">umility. In social studies classrooms, divergent points of view and civil dialogue co-exist. Your absence on the national stage will encourage informed conversation that will advance progress. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">The lessons we learn from your disgraceful campaign will live much longer than the harm you inflict today.</span><span style="color: black; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, you are trending. Tomorrow, your story will be the one about the </span>damage that is unleashed when fear controls the political narrative. The lesson about how slowly the electorate digested your hostile message about American greatness will stay with us a long time, Mr. Trump. Your candidacy will be a lesson about temptation and averting disaster.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mr. Trump, you are a reminder that progress is not dependent on a specific political party or the ambitions of one man. Advancing American democracy demands a citizenry that is vigilant and informed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You, Mr. Trump, are the pathetic reminder that we needed a pathetic reminder. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nick Gregory</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">High School Social Studies Teacher</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="line-height: normal; white-space: normal;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR of CIVICS ENGAGED:</b><span style="line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"> Nick Gregory has been a social studies and journalism teacher at Fenton High School since 2000 and he has been a National Writing Project Teacher consultant and a junior varsity basketball coach since 2003. Gregory is a Michigan Education Voice Fellow and he has exhibited photography related to Detroit and social justice causes since 2011. Gregory, who has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, believes that building positive relationships helps students find their passion for learning. You can follow him on Twitter @CivicsEngaged.</span></span></span></div>
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Nick Gregory TWITTER: @CivicsEngagedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09090554081280658365noreply@blogger.com11