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My first action step is coming up with a plan to present to my principal. This week one of
the school counselors, Meg, and I met with the Hawaii Children’s Foundation’s founder,
Michelle. Michelle shared the next step is getting our principal on board. At this meeting
I learned a new piece of information that will complicate bringing “Females Empowered”
to my school. Since the organization completely funds the after school program for two
years, they expect that in return the school will integrate the program into the school day.
Michelle shared this has been challenging to do in schools across the state, because
principals do not want an elective that is limited to just females. The meeting concluded
with the agreement that Meg and I would brainstorm how to present the program in a
way that would be appealing to our principal and come up with a list of thirty topics that
we could potentially cover.
Step 2:
Once we have our topics and decide how to present it to my principal, the next step will be
meeting. This meeting is crucial to bringing the full program to the school. As an
alternative, Michelle shared that in another school, because they were unable to bring it as
an elective, the program currently runs as a lunch group. This lunch group does not have
the support of the Hawaii Children’s Foundation but they do address the same goal.
However, initially my plan is to push for the after school program with the long term plan of
developing an elective. Since I am passionate about the mission of this program and the
access opportunity it will bring to my girls I will find a way to bring it to the school.
Following “Practical Processes for Teaching Habits of Mind, “teachers need to be doing
with students rather than dealing to them (Cooper & Jenson, 2010, p. 23). While my school
is both boys and girls, this program will allow me to focus initially on the girls in order to
work with them to address their needs which will correlate to their success in school.
Step 3:
Assuming my principal agrees, the next step will be developing a curriculum for the after
school program. After talking to Michelle, I learned that of all of her after school programs,
Females Empowered, is the least developed. There is one teacher who created her own
curriculum and runs it after school. Michelle is not sure that she would “hand it over,”
meaning we would need to create our own curriculum. As a public health major, developing
a female's empowered curriculum is both exciting and incredibly daunting. Meg and I will
need to decide on which topics are most essential, what the progression of information will
look like, and which habits of minds to incorporate.
Step 4
Once a curriculum is developed, the next phase will be recruiting students to join the after school program.
This is when I will introduce my plan and goal to my students and to their parents/guardians. Getting a large
number of participants is essential to ensuring that there will be enough students who would ultimately join
the elective. To spread the word, this would entail putting announcements on the school announcement page,
sending a letter home, and through word of mouth. I foresee the biggest obstacle being parent buy-in as they
may be hesitant about their daughters’s learning about reproductive health or other sex related topics.
However, I am hopeful that parents/guardians will understand the importance and value in having a program
for girls at this age. While a main focus will be learning about topics related to girls right now, I also want the
program to focus on social injustices, and goal setting for girls. Another component to the program will entail
career exploration and potentially guest speakers and community service projects. As a developing program,
it will have the flexibility to be student centered. Baynes, author of “Habits of Mind and a Journey into Student
Initiated Learning,” talks about student-initiated learning and how students develop self-directed learning as
they are managing their own learning (196). By including students in the development process the program
can be tailored to their needs and be more meaningful. While I am hopeful students and parents will recognize
the value of this, a priority of mine will be to communicate this in order to increase initial buy-in.
Step 5:
The next step will be facilitating the program. This will be done after school initially, and not in the classroom,
until after two years. Here is where the habits and mindsets will be integrated as the foundation of the
program is rooted in “listening with understanding and empathy,” “thinking about thinking,” and “thinking
interdependently” (Costa & Kallick, 2009, p. 218). In order to be successful, the culture of the group needs to
be nurturing and safe before any learning can happen. In order to address difficult topics and to open up to
one another, trust needs to be established. According to Practical processes for teaching Habits of Mind,
comfortable familiarity “leads to confidence, which enables the emotional memory to be working in a positive
way. Thus the student and the teacher feel safe- and therefore responsible risk taking becomes an option”
(Cooper & Jenson, 2009, p. 22). In order to truly address the purpose of the program, develop self-confidence,
leadership, and activism among female participants, habits of minds needs to be integrated to give these
students access to be lifelong learners beyond the program. When addressing topics, this will be the
opportunity to integrate habits of mind. I foresee “listening with understanding and empathy” being crucial as
students may share personal information and it will be essential that it stays in the space and that girls
mindsets shift to wanting to support one another.
Resources
The resources in this module, particularly this week’s on Habits of Mind, have allowed me to understand
the value in providing a resource such as Females Empowered to my students. According to, “Failed
Policies, Broken Futures: The True Cost of Zero Tolerance in Chicago,” it is important to strengthen
social-emotional support systems in school (Voices of the Youth in Chicago Education, 2011, p. 1)
Currently, this social-emotional support is lacking in my school. While we do address character
development in our Advisory class periods, it is not enough. Students, girls in particular, at this time in
their lives needs a safe space to learn about themselves, from others, and have trusted adults that can
help guide them. The video “Providing Access to Opportunity- Habits and Mindsets for Access”
discusses that although some of the participants did not see themselves being entrepreneurs, the
program still allowed them to develop skills such as working with people and figuring out problems
(Laureate Education, 2012). The Females Empowered would have a similar impact on students because
while not all of them will aspire to be leaders in females activism, a female group will prepare them for
life as a female in other empowering ways. I found my colleagues feedback helpful, because although I
recognize this program only gives access to females they need it most at this time in their lives.
However, if this program does pick up I would like to create a mixed gender program because there are
many conversations such as healthy relationships that would be valuable for both genders to learn
together.
Evaluation of Plan
I will evaluate the success of this plan based on the number of participants and their feedback
afterwards. I will not attest the success on whether or not my principal agrees to integrate the program
into the school because I recognize that she will have to agree before she sees the program in action. I
will attest my success to what students think of the program and how they respond to it. I will also
incorporate reflection into the program as well in order to see student takeaways. In habits of mind
shares his process of student reflection and how when learners reflect on their learning and attitude
towards learning, while teachers highlight the behaviors of effective learners and the learning behaviors
expected of them, students begin to modify their own learning behaviors (Baynes, 2009, p. 203). While
these modification in learning behaviors will not occur over night, the Females Empowered program will
foster development of good habits. Over time I will be able to see changes in student behavior and in
their thought processes. It is fairly likely that the program might have to start as a lunch group, or as an
after school program without the Hawaii Children’s Foundation support initially. However, although I
want this resource to grow, initial success for my will be based on what my girls get from it as that is the
goal.
Part 4
Sustainability Plan
Schedule
The sequence of steps in order to bring the “Girls Empowered” program to my school
involve the counselor Meg and I to coming up with a list of 30 topics we would want to
cover, meeting with my principal to pitch the program, meeting with Michelle afterwards to
develop nexts steps (assuming my principal agrees), developing a curriculum, getting the
word out to students and parents, and having our first session.
Currently, Meg and I are scheduled to meet on Monday, November 13th, to compile our
ideas to make our rough list of the 30 topics we would ideally like to cover for the after
school program. Since Meg works more closely to my principal she will schedule the
meeting with her for the same week. Michelle, the founder, shared that she would like to
start the program in the second semester, so if we get approval, the goal would be to start
the program in January.
Resource 1: Hawaii Children's Foundation. (2017). In Hawaii Children's
Foundation Inc. Retrieved from http://hawaiichildrensfoundation.org/after-school-programs
This resource is the foundation for the access opportunity as the goal is to bring the
organization's Females Empowered program to my middle school. As a preexisting
program in Hawaii public schools, the Hawaii Children’s Foundation will provide the
support and guidance to get the program up and running at my school.
Resource 2: Girl Talk. (2012). Girl Talk Handbook. In Girl Talk. Retrieved
November 10, 2017, from
http://www.mygirltalk.org/Portals/0/Documents/Girl%20Talk_2012_Handbook.pdf
Girl Talk is a peer-to-peer mentoring program that involves middle school and high school
aged students. With teachers, parents, counselors, or coached as advisors, the Girl Talk
program serves to give girls a safe space to talk about issues they face daily and get
advice. The Girl Talk program offers over 100 lessons that are designed to be completed
in an hour. Topics range from; body image, dating, growing up, bullying, and purpose. The
purpose of this organization is to help young teenage girls build self-esteem, develop
leadership skills, and recognize the value of community service.
A large component in creating this access opportunity will be developing what material
will actually be taught/covered in the after school program. In order to start getting ideas
I have looked at existing programs with curriculum related to girls empowerment. As an
existing girls empowerment program Girl Talk is a great resource to start getting ideas
about potential topics to cover.
Sustaining the plan
In order to sustain the learning and access the program will continuously gather student
feedback. Since it will be designed to meet the needs of students to serve as a place
where they can receive social emotional support we will constantly be making curriculum
revisions based on what the students want (Voices of the Youth in Chicago Education,
2011). As an after school program, where participation is not required, the goal is to make
it appealing so that as many students as possible will want to take advantage of the
resource.
Take Aways
Providing students with access can take many shapes and forms. As educators we are in a position to not only
develop student’s knowledge on a given subject matter, but develop lifelong learners. Working with students who
are not naturally in positions to receive access to opportunities that will allow them to go to college, see the world,
or meet people in a variety of professions; it is my responsibility to foster this anyway I know how. The resources
for this module have shed light on the many ways one can provide access to students. Whether it is through
speakers, virtual field trips, internships, service learning projects, or developing student’s habits of mind, providing
students with these opportunities gives them access to be more college and career ready. According to “College
or Career Readiness: Same or Different, “cross-disciplinary standards, such as study skills, problem solving, critical
goal setting, are important for student success in these career-oriented courses” (Conley & McGaughy, 2012). In
order to prepare our students for the next phase in their life, whether it be college or career, there are particular
skills and mindsets students need to have in order to be successful. Knowing what we do about how to make them
ready it is never too early to start. As a middle school teacher, my students are at a pivotal time in their lives. With
increased independence and the ability to make more decisions for himself or herself, it is crucial that they have
the skills to make decisions that will allow them to be success and lifelong learners. However, this task of
providing students with access cannot be isolated to individual teachers and instead needs to be a collective
approach. As a school there is more that myself and other teachers can be doing to provide our students with
more access.
continued...
When thinking about the habits of mind, Costa and Kallick tell us, “it takes three to four years of well-defined
instruction with qualified teachers and carefully constructed curriculum materials for the habits of mind to
“succeed” (2009, p. 196). Therefore it takes more than one teacher and one school year to make a change in
students habits of mind. This has to begin in elementary school and follow students all the way through high
school. In order to prepare students for their futures we need to be doing more as educators. As someone who
was given many opportunities growing up, I recognize how those opportunities allowed me to get where I am
today. Since many of my students do not have the same access to opportunities through their parents or built in
programs to the school, I have to find ways to do this that are authentic to my students and their needs. As I see
my female students interact with one another, struggle with body image, relationships, and self-esteem, I
recognize the importance of giving them support and an outlet to work through the challenges that they are going
through. While the Females Empowered after school program is not built into the school day, at least not initially,
or focus exclusively on academics, it will give girls access in other ways. This program will help girls to realize
their potential, build their self-esteem, learn habits of mind such as “listening with understanding and empathy,”
“thinking about thinking,” and “thinking interdependently” and allow them to set goals for themselves (Costa &
Kallick, 2009, p. 218). I am also confident that this group will spark a passion for women’s rights or activism in
several students. Although access can come in many form and serve different purposes, knowing my students,
creating an outlet for girls at this time will go a long way. While I understand the importance of incorporating
access in everything I do, especially in my math curriculum, this module has led me to identify girls as a group I
want to focus on for the time being.
References
Adams, C. J. (2013). Internships help students prepare for workplace: Job shadowing also a tactic schools use for career readiness. Education Week, 32(19), 8.
Conley, D. T., & McGaughy, C. (2012). College and career readiness: Same or different? Educational Leadership, 69(7), 28–34
Cooper, A., & Jenson, G. (2009). Practical processes for teaching Habits of Mind. In A. L. Costa & B. Kallick (Eds.), Habits of Mind across the curriculum: Practical and creative
strategies for teacher (pp. 17–35). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
Costa A. & Kallick B. (2009). Sustaining a focus on the habits of mind. In Costa & B. Kallick (Eds.), Habits of mind across the curriculum: Practical and creative strategies for
teachers (pp. 213–218). Retrieved from https://smartjaguar.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/habits-of-mind-across-the-curriculum.pdf.
Farr, S. (2010). Teaching as leadership: The highly effective teacher's guide to closing the achievement gap. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Girl Talk. (2012). Girl Talk Handbook. In Girl Talk. Retrieved November 10, 2017, from http://www.mygirltalk.org/Portals/0/Documents/Girl%20Talk_2012_Handbook.pdf
Hawaii Children's Fund. (2017). In Hawaii Children's Foundation Inc. Retrieved from http://hawaiichildrensfoundation.org/after-school-programs
Hawaii State Department of Education. (2016, November 2). In Ewa Makai: School Status and Improvement Report. Retrieved from
http://arch.k12.hi.us/PDFs/ssir/2016/Leeward/296SSIR-3.pdf
James Campbell High School . (2017). In James Campbell High School: Navy Junior Reserve Officer Junior Corps . Retrieved from
https://sites.google.com/a/campbell.k12.hi.us/jchs-navy-jrotc/military-academies
Kirchen, D. J. (2011). Making and taking virtual field trips in pre-K and the primary grades. Young Children, 66(6), 22–26. Retrieved from
http://www.naeyc.org/tyc/files/tyc/file/V6N2/Kirchen_Virtual_Field_Trips_Online%201111.pdf
References Continued...
Laureate Education (Producer). (2012b). Entrepreneurship: Connecting students [Video file]. (approximate length: 14 minutes)
Sethi, K. B. (2009). Kiran Bir Sethi teaches kids to take charge [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/kiran_bir_sethi_teaches_kids_to_take_charge?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=tedspread (approximate
length: 10 minutes)
Voices of Youth in Chicago Education. (2011). Failed Policies, Broken Futures: The True Cost of Zero Tolerance in Chicago. Retrieved from
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/216318/voyce.pdf