Supporting the Development of Character

Character, defined broadly as a person’s integrity and intent, has a place in the after-school program. Too often we work on specific skill development in school and leave character education for someone else to do. Recently, more and more schools have realized that simply helping young people develop intellectual capacity is not enough. As we move into the 21st Century, workplace skills include (but are not limited) to the ability to communicate effectively. Effective communication is the ability to communicate with both individuals and groups in a positive manner, articulating the message in such a way that the listener can receive an accurate understanding of the content and intent of the message. Each member of the workforce will need to be able to work well on a team and be willing to collaborate and cooperate to ensure that goals are accomplished. Needless to say this means that individuals will need strong interpersonal skills to ensure that each can manage his/her own behavior, emotions, and motivations, as well as accepting personal responsibility for legal and ethical issues that the individual and team faces. Workers will be expected to demonstrate social and civic responsibility, and the ability to disseminate information accurately. The root of these skills is character as defined above.

Many schools have started to include character education as a key thread that runs through the school’s culture. There are a variety of programs that schools might access, but one of the most popular seems to be Character Counts! This program is based on six pillars of character:

“Trustworthiness

Be honest • Don’t deceive, cheat, or steal • Be reliable — do what you say you’ll do • Have the courage to do the right thing • Build a good reputation • Be loyal — stand by your family, friends, and country

Respect

Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule • Be tolerant and accepting of differences • Use good manners, not bad language • Be considerate of the feelings of others • Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone • Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements

Responsibility

Do what you are supposed to do • Plan ahead • Persevere: keep on trying! • Always do your best • Use self-control • Be self-disciplined • Think before you act — consider the consequences • Be accountable for your words, actions, and attitudes • Set a good example for others
Fairness
Play by the rules • Take turns and share • Be open-minded; listen to others • Don’t take advantage of others • Don’t blame others carelessly • Treat all people fairly

Caring

Be kind • Be compassionate and show you care • Express gratitude • Forgive others • Help people in need

Citizenship

Do your share to make your school and community better • Cooperate • Get involved in community affairs • Stay informed; vote • Be a good neighbor • Obey laws and rules • Respect authority • Protect the environment • Volunteer”
If the school you are at does not have a character education strand, check out this Character Counts program by going on line and seeing how it might fit with your program.

How to demonstrate character can be found in a variety of Online Instruction minis and modules. Understanding Accountability, the Ownership Model, Agreement Setting, and more will help others see you as a person of character. Check out our resources at www.consultfourkids.com

Scope and Sequence Alignment

School day teachers are doing good work with students. After-school has an opportunity to support that good work by understanding how to align with the “scope and sequence” of both the English/Language Arts and Math curriculums.

The scope and sequence refers to the material to be covered (scope) and the order it will be covered in (sequence). Textbooks usually prepare a scope and sequence for the classroom teacher. In many cases, this scope and sequence is adopted as is, in other cases, it is adapted by the teacher to meet the needs of students. A grade level’s scope of sequence documents typically build in times to review and re-teach skills throughout the year. This spiral continues to loop students into the learning. For example, in 4th grade it is expected that students will master Number Sense Math Standard 3.4--

Solve problems involving division of multi-digit numbers by one-digit numbers.

Throughout fourth grade students will visit and revisit this standard. The 5th grade scope and sequence builds upon the 4th grade scope and sequence, creating a continuum of learning that is progressive and focused. Standard 3.4 in 4th grade morphs in fifth grade to Number Sense Math Standard 2.2:

Demonstrate proficiency with division, including division with positive decimals and long division with multi-digit divisors.

This process of scope and sequence support student development, but when put together, the various grade level scope and sequence documents allows you to track the development of student knowledge over time, and a place to go when you are trying to offer remedial support during the after-school program.

When you use the scope and sequence documents in this way, you are doing a task analysis and determining what skills are needed at what time.

If you were to look at the 5th grade standard, students must have a variety of skills in order to complete long division problems with multi-digit divisors correctly. With a simple review of the problem it is easy to determine that the student must certainly understand the concept of division and what it means to separate a conglomerate into equal parts. The student must also know how to estimate so he/she has a place to begin the solving of the problem. The student must know his/her multiplication facts or how to access that information, how to subtract, how to follow the division internal procedure, and at the completion of the problem, the ability to look at the answer and identify whether or not that answer is plausible—all part of mathematical reasoning. By using this system of task analysis, you can observe the student as they work on a problem and determine where they are challenged. You can then select materials—games and other activities—that students can participate in to build the skills that are deficit.

While we don’t want to replicate the school day in after-school, we do want to support the student and the classroom teacher by knowing what is going on and bringing in after-school materials to reinforce the learning.

Being a good partner to the school day is a critical link for a strong after-school program. Check out our website, www.consultfourkids.com for Online Instruction videos on alignment.

Equity and Access

Equity and access—two words that are often seen together in reading about diversity, but what do these words really mean. Do they mean that everybody has to be treated exactly the same and that square pegs must be driven into round holes? Does it mean that everybody has to do everything, even if they would really prefer to remain on the sidelines? Equity and Access is discussed in the Intellectual Freedom Manual, is an office of the Texas State University, and can be found on a variety of web sites.

The notion of equity of access is evident in the U.S. Constitution. How this plays out from a governmental perspective, is that all Americans need to have access to information and have the opportunity to speak out on how the country is governed. So equity of access means that every citizen must have the opportunity to fully participate, to the range of their abilities and interest, in the American experience. It also means, that accommodations and modifications are made to ensure that everyone has this opportunity to access.

In 2000, I was participating in a doctoral program. At the end of the year, those who were completing the coursework required were recognized on stage in an auditorium that had been built long before equity of access had evolved into including the modifications and accommodations necessary to ensure that every person who deserved to be on that stage by virtue of the fact that they had completed 3 years of course work, had access. One of the people in the group was seated in a wheel chair. It became apparent that this person was not going to have access to the stage, and would, therefore, be excluded of participation in a “rite of passage” so to speak. Classmates and staff went to work to resolve this challenge and on the day of recognition, the person joined the class on stage. Then the person spoke to how it felt to have friends and colleagues not only understand on a core level about access and equity, but to take action to ensure that this is exactly what occurred.

Kids, all kids, need to have equity and access to your after-school program. The only viable exclusion is the exclusion that the child makes because he/she is unable to fully participate in the program because of the choices he/she is making regarding the agreements you have established. The exclusion for any other reason is denying youth the fundamental promise of this country—access that is equitable.

Access to a high-quality after-school program provides additional support and scaffolding to help young people close the achievement gap. Consult 4 Kids moves staff development to a new level. Check it out at www.consultfourkids.com

Fall and After-School

Fall officially begins on September 23, 2010 with the autumnal equinox. What does this mean, exactly? In simple terms, it means that the sun moves southward and crosses the “celestial equator” so that the northern hemisphere (which is where we live) will experience less daylight, colder weather, and less direct sunlight. For folks who live in Alaska, this is the time of year that daylight becomes illusive and short lived each day. At the time of the equinox, “the earth’s axis of rotation is perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of the earth and the sun.”

What does this mean for after-school?

It means that we are clearly establishing routines and schedules that will carry us throughout the year. Of course you want schedules and routines to be flexible, but if you don’t establish them to begin with, no one will know that you are flexible, it will simply be perceived that you haven’t bothered to establish the routine needed to be a high-quality program.

It means that “dark-thirty” will soon be upon us and we will again need to consider students who walk home from the program, and how we can get them home before dark. In California you need to have a policy around this very real occurrence so you are handling this situation the same way every time, and always in the “best interest” of the young people that you serve. You will want to craft this “Early Release” policy to allow youth to leave before sundown during this period of time.

It means that we can naturally encourage our youth to look at college life, especially as it is supported by home coming events, fall sports, and the eagerness of students during the first semester. With older youth have them select a college or university that they are interested in learning more about, and then have them follow the college or university online and in the newspaper. Invite students from a nearby college or university to come and talk with the students about college life. You might even want to consider a field trip and a campus tour.
Fall is a wonderful time of the year. Enjoy each and every day with the students in your program.

Fall can be back-to-school for after-school staff as well. Check out our Vocational Training and Online Instruction opportunities at www.consultfourkids.com

[1] The September Equinox Explained. http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/september-equinox.html August 23, 2010.

Work Sheets to Games

In after-school, we are always looking for ways to make learning more fun and engaging for youth. We look for the latest games and innovations to bring to the program with the hope each will “catch fire” with the students. We are committed to programs that are both relevant and rigorous, and encourage the development of relationships through team work and team play.

One of the easier ways to do this is by translating “work sheets” into games. It is really much easier that you would think. First of all, homework assignments often provide you with exactly what students are working on. In math you will know what vocabulary is being worked on and what skills are being taught when you look at the homework being assigned. The same is true for science, history/social studies, and of course, language arts. Make a copy of the work sheet or ask for a copy of the text book so you can access the abundant resource of practice problems that are available to you.

You also need an understanding of some basic “game” types.

Path Games, like Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, and race track game boards are examples of path games. Path games begin at one spot and players travel along a path to the ending spot by rolling dice, spinning a spinner, answering a question, or some other way that can be replicated by multiple players. Along the path the player will encounter obstacles that are placed in the way to impede progress along the path.

Board Games, like Monopoly and Sorry, have a fixed board that you travel around multiple times, seeking victory. The board itself is “like a player” because certain spaces on the board support or detract from the players victory. Movement around a board game is also made by rolling dice, drawing cards that define a specific action, or following the guidance on the board itself (Go to jail, Go directly to jail; or slide on the triangle to the end of run if the run is the same color as your token).

Memory Games, such as Concentration, Go Fish and other games, in which the player is rewarded if he/she remembers where particular things are located, or which player has which cards that you may need.

Group Challenge Games, such as Jeopardy, Are You As Smart as a Fifth Grader, and Family Feud, have categories of questions that are asked and individuals and/or teams of contestants work together to ensure that a correct answer is given.

In all cases, you will need both the problems and the “answer key” so you can be sure that correct answers given will result in victory. Both work sheets and text books tend to have answer keys that are easily accessible. When creating the game you will need to make the “Jeopardy” decision—do you provide the answers and have them identify the question, or do you provide the problem and have them come up with the answer. Either way the result is the same—young people practicing needed skills in engaging ways.

As a country we say that our children are our most important assets. Make that a reality by supporting the development of the adults who work with youth on a day-to-day basis. Check us out at www.consultfourkids.com

Professional Development

While professional development is more than simple training, training is an integral part of developing staff. Professionalism development refers to the steps taken by an employer to support the personal and professional development of staff, including but not limited to the skills and knowledge needed to provide exemplary performance. The training and educational opportunities of staff certainly includes job training, but it also includes participation in outside training and/or the observation of the work of a peer who is executing on the training received in an exemplary manner.

The training and staff development that is afforded to each of your staff members should be in line with the goals of your organization in general, and your program in particular. It is important that you know what your goals are so you can provide appropriate training. For example, if one of the goals is to implement an academic program that is grounded in youth development principles; you may need to develop two aspects of the staff. First you will want to be sure that your staff has an in depth understanding of how to support academic improvement and secondly that staff has a clear understanding of how to approach their work with program participants through a youth development approach and mind set.

Staff development that surrounds academics will include discussion of standards, learning modalities, how to work with youth during homework time and use an inquiry-based strategy to ensure that youth are learning from the homework practice, and how to embed standards in the application of school-day learning in the experiences and projects youth are pursuing in after-school. Staff development around a youth development approach would explore the 40 Developmental Assets, the work of H. Stephen Glenn, and strategies to build resiliency in youth.

Staff development includes theory training and the sharing of knowledge and information which is best done in a “sit-down” training environment, and then follow-up field coaching to ensure that staff can implement the strategies learned during the theory training. If you think about world-class athletes, they rely on a coach to help them tweak and adjust performance to maximize results. This is the importance of coaching in the field to after-school staff as well. Paying attention during training is not usually enough to guarantee outstanding implementation. Staff needs more than a quick check-in—they need a knowledgeable practitioner to work with them in the real-world with real-students. If you consider athletics as a model, the question becomes “what is the ratio between hours of theory training and field training”. C4K would suggest that for every hour a person is in theory training they should receive a minimum of 2-3 hours of field coaching to ensure strong program execution. Experienced staff may need less time in field support than new staff when they are executing on the routine, day-to-day program, but will need the same support as new staff when executing on a new concept or strategy.

Staff is your most important program asset. Preparing them to deliver exemplary performance is foundational to having a strong, high-quality program.

Invest in youth by supporting the development of staff that work closely with them—building relationships that are key to resiliency development. Scholarship an after-school program or individual.

Contact Us at
Consult 4 Kids Education Services for After-School
www.consultfourkids.com
Email: support@consultfourkids.com
Phone: 661-322-4347

Waiting for “Superman”

Waiting for “Superman”, a documentary by Davis Guggenheim the filmmaker best known for Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth, takes a close look at public education across the United States. The documentary tracks the desire of families for young people to get a great education and the belief that the only hope they have of this high-quality education is to be chosen in a lottery for a few spots in charter schools.

The title for this interesting documentary is, so the story goes, a result of a story told by Geoffrey Canada, an education reformer and founder and CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone. As the story goes, when he was growing up, Geoff Canada read comic books and one of his favorite heroes was Superman. He commented to his mom one day that he was waiting for Superman to come and rescue him from his current life experience. Bursting his “bubble”, Mom explained that Superman wasn’t real and that he would not be coming to their neighborhood. As an adult, Canada has grown from a boy waiting for Superman, to a man that is indeed Superman for many students that live in the HCZ.

Although your program may not be in Harlem in New York City, and your program may not be receiving the national attention that the HCZ is receiving, and you may not be recognized as an education reformer, you too have a chance to be “Superman” for the youth that you serve. Each program day you have an opportunity to listen to youth, to support them complete homework accurately, learning from the practice, to guide them as they explore interests in a wide variety of arenas, and to help them develop leadership skills and a sense of responsibility for themselves and the community.

K-12 Education is in a process of transformation everywhere around us. Increasing student learning time is one of the top strategies for this reform. In the last few years, school districts have come to think of after-school as an ideal place for learning to continue. Embrace this opportunity. Help each young person be the best that they can be.

Invest in youth by supporting the development of staff that work closely with them—building relationships that are key to resiliency development. Scholarship an after-school program or individual.

Contact Us at
Consult 4 Kids Education Services for After-School
www.consultfourkids.com
Email: support@consultfourkids.com
Phone: 661-322-4347