An equation for change…

Yesterday, I was speaking with a young student of color at the school where I work and I was wondering why he didn’t feel very motivated to do much of the work in school. In speaking with this young man, I began to realize that he felt he was part of a system  that had very little to offer him, whether he tried or not. After all, he is a young black man in America; and to be honest, it is difficult to look around this country right now and see much hope for any, whatever tone your skin might radiate. I also realized that if it was not possible to get this young man motivated to succeed in his education, his doubts about his future are likely to become a reality.

This got me thinking. How is it possible to motivate young students in primary level education to care about their own education? This is all I could come up with…

If you want to change the system in which you play a part, you need power. If you want to have power in this world, you are going to need money (at least enough to support yourself) and influence. The amount of money and influence any person has in this world is usually directly correlated to the knowledge they possess. The best type of knowledge is wisdom; and wisdom allows us, as human beings, to wield power, money and influence in the ways possible that best benefit ourselves and humankind to the greatest extent. Wisdom, however, is wholly dependent on education. Education from school. Education from family. Education from friends and the education from the society in which we live.

Education is power. Power is change. Education is the key to any change in society.

I don’t know if I will be able to convince my young friend that education is important, but I will never stop trying, because he, and all my students, are important to me. Lastly, whatever wisdom I might possess in my lifetime, I want to use to create the change I most desire. Hope, for all.

Paraprofessional Praise!

There are people in the Minneapolis and surrounding school districts that deserve many more thank-yous than they will ever receive and deserve much more credit than will ever be allowed (and probably more money than most will ever take home), and yet, they do their job brilliantly. I am not even a REAL paraprofessional. I am just a substitute, but in touring all the different schools in which I have been lucky enough to work for a day or two, I have met some extraordinary people.This post is simply a thank you to all the people, who might not always be recognized, but who work so hard and with such dedication to make schools better.

Tomorrow, it will feel like -21 degrees outside. Part of my job as a substitute will be to stand outside in the morning and welcome the students to school, and to ensure a bit of safety. -21 degrees is no joke! That is cold!  But that is the job description. It won’t be the teachers standing outside welcoming the students, it will be the paraprofessionals. I only have to do it for one day. The REAL paraprofessionals must do it EVERYDAY of the school year, no matter the conditions. I admire these people and thank them for what they do. I am proud to be one of them, even if it is only one day at a time.

Thank you paraprofessionals, for all that you do.