Sixth Grader at Homeless School Catches me Off Guard

At the school for homeless children where I tutor, here is a short exchange between a 6th grade boy and me. Throughout the day, I try to smile, be supportive and helpful at all times. You never know what sensitive feelings are going on. 

6th Grader: Will you remember me tomorrow?
Me: Yes! I will. 
6th Grader: Will you remember me next week?
Me: Yes!
6th Grader: Will you remember me in one year?
Me: Yes, I will.

6th Grader: Knock Knock
Me: Who’s there?
6th Grader (smiling): I thought you said you would remember me!
Me: (laughing) You totally caught off guard. Wow. :)

Haha.  Great job.  He got me and I laughed!

Homeless Children I Have A Dream

by Apple Goodthree

Today at the school they wrote their own Martin Luther King, Jr, "I have a dream" speeches.  The first one I saw was by a ten year old girl named K.  It got me, so I asked if I could take a picture of it.  K was all for it and the teacher was too.

School for homeless children (4th graders) where I live, this is what I saw today. "My dream is that people that don't have a roof to live under, have one so they don't get dirty. Also, everyone I want to have food to eat and to clean the world so we can have a better place to live in." Thank you K. You are awesome. I am with you.

The other one was written by E.  I only took three photos.  That was enough.  What is it like for a fourth grader to grow up with these thoughts?  Does this affect learning?  How can we help?

E has a "dream that the world was good," and a dream that "there was no gun shooting at night." Read this. We can help. Be a great example. I think E says in the end, "people are as great as they can be." Start today, be great and increase greatness.

Here is the third one by D.

That one day people will be nice.

It sounds simple, but if people could be nice.  There is a lot going on with these kids.  That is, there is less stability.  So, learning is affected.  There is not an regular evening meal with mom, dad and family.  The meals come from different places if they come.  As E said, there is gun shooting at night.  This creates fear inside, which is going to take away from learning.

People learn better in conditions of safety.  Growth is affected otherwise.  As K said, a roof over their head. My sister pointed out, "did you notice how the girl, K, didn't ask for anything for herself?"

Child smiles and expressions at homeless school

by Apple Goodthree

How special it is to see a child smile.

Most of the kids in the school are homeless or have recently experienced it.  One of the most precious people on the planet is a fourth grader named Angel.

The first thing I noticed about Angel is overwhelming extreme shyness.  Or maybe it was simply quietness. She's healthy and not bashful about getting up to sharpen her pencil or get the books she needs but in conversation she is very timid.  The words barely, ever so barely, come out of her mouth.  I asked her what her name is. She had to repeat herself a few times until I understood it.

In observing the class, I noticed that she was behind on her multiplication tables.  I knew I could help.  I asked Angel, "what is two times two?"  She looks straight ahead.  I can subtly see her mind working.  She was patient thinking.  After many moments of pause, she every so quietly and gently said the answer sounding like a very young child pronouncing her r's "wrong".  She said so barely as a question, "foa".

Once when she was in line for lunch with the other kids, I saw her smile and have a moment of silliness.  This is a good thing.  When I talked to her at lunch, she was reserved with short very quiet one-word answers.  A week later, I worked again with her and another girl in the fourth grade.  We worked in the times tables again in a separate classroom.

Angel was ahead of the other girl who had missed months of school.  Still in 4th grade, each girl is well behind.  We built, we practiced and we got better at multiplication.  Still Angel was quiet.  But she was getting it.  She was building confidence.  She knew it.  I asked the girls what color the wall was.  They both answered, "Yellow!"  I said, you will be able to answer your times tables with the same quickness soon.

Yesterday I had a chance to practice with them again.  Angel really moved ahead.  Going through the 5's tables gains momentum and confidence.  She was cookin'.  The other girl has trouble adding.  So, it's all practice.  Repetition will make them stronger.

Also the connection with an adult that is supportive helps.  Gym class was later.  We were late because of our arithmetic session, so we walked out to gym.  I stuck around as gym class in this school has no real organization in P.E, though there was a theme for today and it was volleyball.  Long story short, I was volleying with another classmate.  Angel (who usually sits by herself at recess) came over.  I tossed the ball to her.

She might be the smallest girl in the class but she's tough.  She has more coordination than she may have given herself credit for and was able to volley the ball. It was a confidence building because I had not seen her interact like this.  She has a SMILE on her face for the whole gym class.  She was having so much fun with the three other girls volleying.  We spent the whole class volleying and retrieving our bad shots.  Then she brought the volleyball to the basketball hoop and shot for a few minutes.  When it was time to line up, I had a question about gathering the kids because the gym teacher was gone.  Also, the classroom teacher was not there.

I am not much of a yeller, so I asked one of the louder fourth graders if they could help me gather up the 18 other students to line up for class.  Well right on queue, Angel must have heard me make that request because she yelled and yelled loudly.  She shouted different classmates names.  MICHEALA!  I paused, amazed.  She then bellowed out, SALLY! It was amazing that this girl who had been so quiet was now expressing herself like this.  It was a help to me.  I had a good day.

How special it is to see a child smile... and express themselves!

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Elementary Education Desire for Success

by Apple Goodthree

I asked a kid the other day in the 4th grade class a question.  He was doing math problems at lunch.  It was a test and teachers are not supposed to help on a test.  Still, I helped.  I was breaking down a multiplication table.  Somehow, the question came up where I said, "what does 60 + 3 equal?"

The child looked to the right, thinking.  He continued to think for a moment and said, "uh, 50!?"

This kid is a great kid.  He is healthy.  His mind works fine.  He is cute as a button.  He is also one of the coolest kids in school.  I wish I could mention his name - he's even got a cool name.

I think when you challenge a child, they appreciate it.  When you support them, they appreciate it.  When I sat with him to support him with his math problem, it was important to him.  When he responded with his answer of, "50," he was hoping so much that he got it right.  He wanted to impress me.  He wanted the instruction to continue.

Yesterday he stayed in from recess.  He's a good little basketball player by the way so recess is a place where he feels success, confidence and joy.  With that point, let me emphasize that he's coordinated.  He's healthy.  He can learn anything.  I think learning disabilities are overrated and over publicized.

Nonetheless, inside at recess we talked.  He asked me a question about Facebook.  I told him I had a page for a book that I have written.  He said with awe, "you wrote a book?"  A girl that was sitting there said, "are you famous?"  Then the cool kid asked where I lived.  I told him Massachusetts.  Sadly, better than ninety percent of these kids don't even know they live in Arizona (geography, a future project).

Anyway, the cool kid said, "you want to be a teacher?"  I said, "yes."  He wondered why.  And he asked where I wanted to teach.  I said, if I teach it will be at this school or a school like it.  He said, "yeah, but isn't this school poor?"

I was just preparing my answer so he could understand how "rich" these kids really are.  As I said, they are healthy.  They are strong.  They don't have learning disabilities.  They have wonderful teachers and administrators that care.  These kids have raw ability that is not, usually, influenced by parents.  They are their own people.  Their "I cans" are their own.

But, the class and the teachers entered.

Still, this child now has some desire from a different angle.  With that desire, he builds confidence in different activities.  He gives himself reasons and a connection.  This prompts him to put in the effort.  He accomplishes.  He expands.

But, I have been in this class for a few weeks.  This child usually doesn't do the work.  He just sits there and day dreams, sharpens his pencil and asks to go to the bathroom a lot.  His homework is not done.  He's no bother in class, really.  He smiles.  He's happy.  Somewhere inside, he has the impression he was unable to perform certain school work.  Or, he's bored.  Or, he was not challenged.  Or, he didn't have the desire.

So, yesterday, there was an afternoon assignment to create an invitation to their parents (or guardian, grandparent, etc because these are homeless kids it's not always the same).  Fifteen or twenty times he asked me to come over and help him.  Mostly those requests were just for the connection - so I could see how he was doing.  I only gave him small guidance each time but it was structured and move him forward.

He created a rough draft invitation to his parents that had spacing, structure and excellent handwriting.  He, then, made the real copy on a stronger card stock paper.  It was awesome.  I told him how excellent it was again and again.  I said the same thing to all the kids and each hears it themselves.

I urged the boy to show his work to the teacher.   When he did, the teacher nodded and nodded again.  The teacher showed encouragement and then said, "you have great handwriting."  The student walked away from the teacher's desk filled with pride and success.  I gave him a 'thumbs up' sign.  He smiled.

These successes are how kids build.  Today, I hope to be able to work with him on his multiplication tables.  He'll be up to speed in no time.  Well, we might have to get over that addition hump of 60 + 3.  We will.

UPDATE:  Today when I went to the school, he was the first one I saw.  He excitedly and proudly told me that they are using his invitation as a model for others.  His invitation is in the principal's office.  :-)