by Marcia Davis-Dawkins | May 13, 2020 | Education, Kids, Parents, Teachers, Teens
Springtime!
By Dr. Marcia Davis-Dawkins
Hello everyone,
Message for you. Click to listen
I’m bringing you this blog in a different format primarily because of the topic for discussion. Since it is springtime, which brings about change and change is not a new topic to my blog as almost 2 years ago, I wrote on the topic “Change Our Positions!” Why the same topic you might ask? Well, change seems like it is ongoing and like the seasons – always changing. Hence, Springtime. What do you know about Springtime? Well, you are right when you say it brings rebirth, renewal, blossoms, growth, productivity, newness, cleansing, among other things. Not many people like the word “change’ because it means getting up and actually doing something instead of being stuck doing the same routine every day. I, for one, don’t really like change. In fact, I had to think long and hard about changing the way I am presenting this blog and when it was brought to me by a colleague, I thought it was different but seemed interesting, so here goes! 
I am sure you are tired of hearing and/or reading about COVID-19, and I can’t help but say that COVID-19 will help us to make changes whether we like to or not. This pandemic has forced us to change our perspective and look at many things differently. It has and will help us change the way we relate to each other. One thing that is already etched in my mind is that this year I had my first virtual birthday party, all because of COVID-19. I would never dream of this happening and guess what? It was a fun filled party with no expense, no frills or horse & pony show. It will indeed be memorable because it was different, and my friends were not in the same house, state or even country with me. The important thing is that I was present. Apart from being present, I had fun and so did my guests (friends). The COVID-19, Corona virus changed our norm, changed our standards and charged us to change our foundation and make sure it was solid. We were/are forced to change our direction, slow down and do some self-love. We didn’t embrace the changes, but we can embrace the way we do things and make the best of the situation.
As we make changes in our personal lives, educators are making changes in the way we teach, present lessons, and even we way think for that matter. The newness in education seems frightening for some and for others adventurous. Most of us are accustomed to changes in curriculums, to evaluations, students, schools, new school year, administrations, policies, laws and other things, so then why not a new way of teaching because of the threat of COVID-19? Well, might I say that it is because most of us are afraid of the unknown! Change sometimes seems slow but then can also come quickly and suddenly.
I believe it is important to approach the change and the new norm without blinders, learn from all the opportunities that will present themselves and stay focused, so we are not left behind. Covid-19 came without warning and suddenly, there is a new norm, we literally had to obey the order to “Get work for students, give work to students, stay home, and teach from home!” We are now forced to make a difference in the way we teach. As we are teaching from home, we are realizing that we have to be more patient in the way we give students directions as well as what work we are expecting them to give us. We have to refuel, when our tanks are empty, so I believe the call is for us to use the time to refuel so that the seeds we plant in our students will bloom when all is said and done. Teaching and learning are now online – Life as an educator after this dreaded COVID pandemic should be a reflection of “good” change in this unchanging world. We should seek to change our norm to a new way of teaching. The teaching profession is normally very nurturing, yet some of us are not nurturing, we could change the way we relate to our students, help them feel like they belong. Help them feel better about themselves, maybe they have another way of learning and we didn’t realize, well, it’s our job, to find the way they learn and be more accommodating. The idea is that when all of this is said and done, everyone, including educators should come out better than we did before. In this Springtime, and Covid-19, this pandemic is teaching us to let go of the old way of communicating with our students, parents and colleagues. Fresh perspectives! Embrace the new and shift to better! Like Zig Ziglar once highlighted “The 3 C’s of Life:
You must make the choice, to take a chance, if you want anything in life to change.”
Education and Success
by Marcia Davis-Dawkins | Mar 24, 2020 | Education, Kids, Parents, Teachers, Teens
Generational Impact – What is Your Legacy?
By Dr. Marcia Davis-Dawkins
February was Black History Month in some countries, including the United States of America. Throughout the month, time was set aside to highlight and celebrate some notable history makers in our lives. At times, it seems as if we only celebrate certain people while omitting others. Maybe we can’t celebrate everyone, but at least highlight a new person or two, and not continue to celebrate the same every single year. Maybe we should celebrate people who make a difference in our lives daily and not simply wait for February. This could, no doubt, help students to learn to celebrate and feel good about themselves.
It really takes a village to raise a child and even though some period don’t believe that we can and should say anything to children in the 21st century, it really makes a difference when you do have certain people in the village who are still willing. A few months ago, I lost a colleague, a friend and a mother figure to me. It was sudden and unexpected. This loss hit, dare I say, “Like a ton of bricks!” I knew she was sick, but I kept praying for the best, or plainly put, for her to come through, I believed she would recover and come back to work where we would sit and exchange wise and pleasant talks about human nature and how we could help shape some of our troubled students. The weight from the bricks sent me in a downward spiral because I soon realized that she was really gone and we weren’t able to talk again. Needless to say, I miss her warmth, her wise talks, her understanding and calm sense or twist on a bad situation? Well, even when things just seemed unbearable, this friend/colleague/mom would speak wisdom into my heart and make me realize that “we must look on the bright side of life.” In fact, I can envision her sitting up in her chair, moving her neck from side to side and then saying, “Dr. D, let’s see what this means and how we can get another perspective.” It is as if changing her stance and moving her neck were the signal that she was getting more wisdom to pass on to me.
This person I cannot claim for myself, because she represented the same “idol” to so many other persons. Truth be told, she was like that to so many other people and, in particularly, to the students at the school where we worked. Students would get in trouble and be sent to the principal’s office and she would be a ray of sunshine to the students. As a matter of fact, it seems as if some students wanted to get in trouble and be sent to the office so they could get some of the “good wisdom talk.” The fact that she was able to mold and mentor them simply made my heart melt, and it didn’t matter who the student was, she saw potential, possibility, and promise in that student. Her calm spirit, her presence, her elegance, her aura, her demeanor were evident when she was around.
At school, she was honored during Black History Month, and while this effort was laudable, I would propose a somewhat different approach. She was an ardent proponent of the Amistad initiative and pressured the school board to make it a reality. If we truly want to honor her legacy and continue her work, we must TEACH WHAT SHE PREACHED. In place of a memorial that will come and go, ensure that black history is an integral part of the curriculum, all year long, not limited to a shallow exercise during February and then abandoned. Reject merely teaching about historical “ firsts,” such MLK, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, etc. While every student should, of course, recognize these people, limiting lessons to this leads students to believe that Black History consists of a few heroic characters. Focus on and highlight the often-unacknowledged contributions that so called “ordinary” people of color make EVERY day. In doing so, her passion lives on, long after the plaudits and commendations of a memorial fade.
It is my aim that I am able to leave a legacy that would make this person proud and that people will remember me for my sense of peace and kindness. That somehow, I am known for the fruit that I grew based on the seeds that were planted or sowed. Did I spread good news or spread love and peace just like my former colleague? Did I spread the good news to my students or people that I meet, to imply that they were special in their own special way/s?
I, without a doubt, want to hear the words as quoted below:
“If it falls to our luck to be street-sweepers, sweep the streets like Raphael painted pictures, like Michaelangelo carved marble, like Shakespeare wrote poetry, and like Beethoven composed music. Sweep the streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth would have to pause and say, “Here lived a great street sweeper.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressing the Jamaican crowd in the National Stadium in 1965.
(Source: Dr. Rebecca Tortello, Pieces of the Past ~ The Gleaner)
I want to be the sowers of great seeds so others reap beautiful and tasty fruits.
Family is Everything
by Marcia Davis-Dawkins | Jan 6, 2020 | Education, Parents, Teachers, Teens
Perspective
By Dr. Marcia Davis-Dawkins
“The difference between a flower and a weed is a judgment.” I wish I could take the credit for those words but I can’t. The credits go to the late Wayne Dyer, an American author and motivational speaker. Then Ralph Waldo Emerson puts a further twist to it by expanding that a weed is a plant whose virtues have never 
been discovered. There are so many people who have varying points of view and ways of seeing things; yet, some are not willing to have an open mind or even opening the lenses. As I get older, I have learned not to cast judgments because I don’t know the situations that people are in and I don’t even know how I would feel if I were in the same circumstances – as a result I don’t judge. Instead, I think or wonder what could cause the person to act or respond a particular manner. It is often easy to assume, or even do the stereotypical norm, rather than to ask people if they are okay or just simply to respond with a smile.
As we enter this New Year and decade, one of my mantra is that I should encourage others to not be judgmental. Also, where possible, perish the thought of having had similar experiences and therefore believe it is shameful to be emotional or wear emotions on the sleeves. Technically, I am a stranger who does not have a full grasp of the person’s issues nor I am capable of looking at it from their perspective. So often, we are quick to make judgments without knowing the person reasoning behind the actions. I recently saw a cartoon, which I considered funny. A man and woman are sitting at a table in a restaurant, dining, the woman had a huge plate of food in front of her and she said that it was the man who was supposed to pay because of the word, ‘MEN-U’. The man on the other hand, (who had only a glass with water), said it was both since the word said, ‘ME-N-U’, clearly this was a matter of whose perspective – the man’s or the woman’s!
Then we can look at it from the classroom, one teacher might grade a paper based on his or her way of interpreting while another give another grade, who is to say that either teacher is wrong? I suppose that is why there is a rubric used to grade papers so that each person involved will know the established standards.
Then there is cultural perspective which, simply put, refers to the manner in which individuals are shaped based on their environment. Just thinking about “culture” and the way various people view things and situations can be interesting. A cultural perspective is also the point of view from which each individual person sees the same situation – when culture is mixed with point of view it or perspective it means that one person is seeing a situation based upon their beliefs, values, experiences that are commonly found in their own culture. I suppose that’s one of the reasons if people marry outside of their culture there can be chaos or misunderstanding. Even words can be misinterpreted in one culture versus another. I once experience this where my sister was braiding someone’s hair and based on the braiding process, she was hurting the person’s scalp. My sister’s word was “hush”, which meant that she was saying, “never mind, the braiding process will be over soon.” On the other hand, the young lady whose hair was being braided did not take kindly to that word. She thought that my sister was say that she should be quiet! I realized the misunderstanding and immediately had to explain the confusion. I suppose it would be remiss of me to talk about 
perspective without giving a few more examples of how perspective affect family. One person might think that family is important and another think it is not. Yet whatever the person is doing does not adequately demonstrate the importance of family. One person might be saying it is important but does not want to spend time with the family during special ‘family’ holidays. Similarly, another might believe that bigger is always better or that entertainment is more important that the value placed on education. Are we able to separate our perceptions from our decision making? In all honesty, we sometimes allow our perception to get in the way of a new learning experience or simply getting to know someone. Are we willing to run that risk by simply casting judgments? This decade, we should seek to understand and be ready with a possible alternative suggestion rather than cast judgment. Who says that one person’s weed isn’t another’s flower? Similar to one person’s trash being another’s treasure!
Misunderstood
HOME
by Marcia Davis-Dawkins | Oct 21, 2019 | Education, Kids, Parents, Teachers, Teens
Life is Not About Getting What You Want!
By Dr. Marcia Davis-Dawkins
We often strive for the best and nothing is wrong with that. In fact, I say keep reaching for the stars, since only the best is good enough! However, there is always the “What Ifs?” What if the best I am reaching for is not enough? What if it’s not time yet? Time to get that big promotion, dream job, or even dream house? The question that always haunts us seems to be, “Should I give up trying or find new ways to make it work?”
I have come to realize that I should not give up on whatever dreams I have, rather, I should keep striving. The consolation is that life is not about getting what we want immediately, but about working with what we have at the moment until things work out. Will things be ever perfect? Of course not! Perfection for my neighbor might be the ability to find the next meal, while perfection for another might be having a roof over their head and avoiding a life on the streets.
Seeking perfection may even manifest in the classroom or in studies. One teacher might wish to have the perfect class in terms of behavior, while another teacher might see perfection as being able to communicate effectively with one student. This particular teacher is looking at winning one student at a time instead of the whole group at once. No matter what your goal may be, it is important to remember one solid philosophy that has always worked for me. The good Father won’t give us more than we can bear. He usually takes care of us and give us the “tools” to deal with whatever may come. He will give us strategies to deal with those seemingly unpleasant situations we face.
Life is about working with what we have at the moment. Then again, do we confuse my wants with my needs? There may be times when getting what we want is highly impossible because of our economical situation. I find that sometimes when I want to treat myself, I remind myself that I’ve worked hard for this and I deserve a gift from self. In the classroom, this kind of gift could come in the form of a simple break for students who have worked hard and have gone above and beyond to get work done correctly. The teacher might then give a well deserve and unexpected gift. This gift is seen as encouragement for the students to always work hard on a project/assignment. This might also challenge the student to work harder on another project so there could be more treats. Nothing is more rewarding to me than an educator that has seen a light switched on a student’s face when he or she has gotten a concept. I then know how well it’s worth my time and patience to reteach and retell. Brian Tracey reminded me in his quote, “I’ve found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.” What say you, do you always get what you want or do you leave everything to luck? Don’t even try to answer immediately simply,
| “Become the impossible, do the unreal, be yourself
and be it all the way.”
– Hindi Krinsky |
Determination and Perseverance
by Marcia Davis-Dawkins | May 30, 2019 | Education, Kids, Parents, Teachers, Teens
Pledging
By Dr. Marcia Davis-Dawkins
So many times we have taken pledges, recited pledges, listened to pledges and so on. Do we really know what we are saying? What is a pledge? What is the purpose of a pledge? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a pledge is a solemn promise or undertaking. So for instance, if we were to make a pledge to give money to an organization in need, we have to follow up on the pledge or promise. It sends a message that we are committed to a cause.
Most countries have a National Pledge, which is an oath taken by the country that is recited at a public event. For example, Jamaica has a national pledge which is a promise by the people to serve the country according to their skills and talents of the people. When the pledge is recited it sends a message that the people are taking a stance of oneness and togetherness because the nationals are committed to a cause.
Since the National Pledges are so important and speak of sacrificial love and commitment to nations, I wanted to show the Pledges of Jamaica and the United States of America.
Jamaica National Pledge/Allegiance
Before God and All mankind.
I pledge the love and loyalty of my heart
The wisdom and courage of my mind,
The strength and vigour of my body
in the service of my fellow citizens.
I promise to stand up for justice,
Brotherhood and Peace, to work diligently and creatively,
To think generously and honestly, so that,
Jamaica may, under God, increase in beauty, fellowship and prosperity,
and play her part in advancing the welfare of the whole human race.
American Pledge of Allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and
to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty
and Justice for all.
Just quickly analyzing the pledges, we can see that they both pledge under oath – as if swearing in court to promise to serve country as well as people of the country. Another word that is included in both of the pledges is, “Justice” for everyone. These pledges encourage oneness and freedom. How is this emphasized oneness and freedom taught in the classroom? Some days I wonder if the students are aware of what unity means and yet each morning the students have to repeat the pledge. In recent years students have seemed so unkind to each other and at times alarmingly so even amongst kindergarteners. “Brotherhood and peace.” – just listening to the students talking to each other, I often question if they understand what those words mean. If they did, they should be able to agree to disagree. There is hardly love for each other – let alone working with each other. While conquering the dilemma on a national level is far too complex to be achieved in the classroom, steps to treat each other respectfully and with dignity are reasonable goals and can be modeled there. The results of failing to do so are too great. The nonfulfillment of school staff and students to behave with dignity, courtesy and respect towards others can harm individuals and impair the functioning of all. In particular, harassment, bullying and victimization can cause fear, stress and anxiety, and impose strains on work, personal and family life. They can lead to illness, accidents, absenteeism, poor performance, an apparent lack of commitment, staff resignation or student withdrawal.
There are ways to remedy the situation and foster acceptance of all. These include, but are not limited to:
- Classroom walls-Many teachers groan when it comes time to decorate the classroom because it seems like such a low return on the time and effort invested. But putting up positive messages in your classroom can do so much more than improve the color scheme. You can include messages encouraging diversity, tolerance, acceptance and making your classroom a safe space. Making your classroom comfortable and accepting as a physical space can help students who are struggling in their personal lives, especially students who have become victimized
- Acknowledge Student and Teacher Emotions- When major events fill people with emotions, as, for example, the result of a presidential election can, it can make the classroom a very emotionally-charged place. One of the best things you can do after a major event is to create a space where everyone can acknowledge those emotions and ask questions freely while moderating the discussion. You can also connect the events to literature and other texts to help students build emotional intelligence.
- Explain Terms and Concepts Related to Current Events- It’s easy for parents and students to get up in arms over politically-charged events and debates, and while you may not be able to talk frankly about your own political leanings, you can at least clarify the meanings of certain words or concepts that are prevalent in the national discussion. For example, some students today may have trouble understanding what it means when a city is a “Sanctuary City”, and helping explain what those are can help the student make an independent decision and keep discussions civil.
- Foster a Sense of Empathy in your Classroom- Some students will probably speak out of turn or act rudely even when you’re trying to create a safe space in class, but by engaging with the student directly in a mindful, non-judgmental way, you can bring more empathy into your classroom. Many teachers consider empathy as the antidote to bullying, and there’s data to back that up. You can bring more empathy into your teaching by encouraging critical thinking and self-reflection.
- Lead by Example- This is much easier said than done, but students are always watching your example, and for every one student that asks a question that might frustrate you, there are four who wished they had spoken up to ask that question too. Remembering to practice empathy and patience isn’t easy, but putting in the effort will pay off by helping your students understand tolerance and making your classroom a safe space. We may not like it, but teachers are leaders to millions of students every day, and we can create a higher standard of behavior by showing students how to treat others with respect and sympathy.
In short, treat each other with dignity and respect, listen to each others’ points of view, recognizing that there may be disagreement, keep discussion and comments on the topic, and off the people and do not use inflammatory or offensive language, sarcasm, or raised voices.
There is a word that I often hear used in many organizations and at functions that I have attended. It is the word, “Harambe” which literally means, “all pull together” in Swahili and is also the official motto of Kenya and appears on its coat of arms. I say we should help to honor our class, and ultimately, our nation, by taking care of each other through human and civil rights.. We shouldn’t simply say it, but make every effort to teach, encourage and implement every part of the pledge according to our country’s pledge or affirmation. After all it begins what step at a time. It was Dorothy Heights who said that, “We had people of all backgrounds coming together – all races, all creeds, all colors, all status in life. And coming together there was a kind of quiet dignity and a kind of sense of caring and a feeling of joint responsibility.”
The Teacher, the Leader
by Marcia Davis-Dawkins | Apr 29, 2019 | Education, Kids, Parents, Teachers, Teens
Chasing Windmills
By Dr. Marcia Davis-Dawkins
I have often reminded myself that nothing happens in life without a reason and even when it seems odd at the time, later on in life as you are given a chance to think of the lesson/s learned from an encounter, the significance hits you when you have more wisdom and experience. Recently I decided to take a nature walk 
and take care of my body on Earth Day. Whether you might see this has a mere coincidence or not, things just seemed to roll into place and as I walked and talked with a friend, and I realized that again, “nothing happens without a reason.” This time the friend encouraged me to watch a movie, which I promised to watch and I was true to my word. The movie entitled the The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is based on the novel of that title, in which the protagonist and narrator, William Kamkwamba, are one and the same. In his memoir, a young Malawian man grows up in the rural village of Wimbe during the 2000 famines in Malawi. William has an incredible aptitude for science and engineering, though he is unable to stay in school due to a lack of funds. Self-motivated and resourceful, he finds books in his local library that allow him to learn about physics, electricity, and laborsaving inventions on his own. With the help of his friends, Gilbert and Geoffrey, William then builds a windmill so that his family can have free electricity that is not controlled by government blackouts. The windmill earns William the support of a Malawian professor, who helps William gain scholarships to school and a fellowship with TED Global that puts William in contact with other innovators and entrepreneurs across not the African continent, but the world. William embodies the values of hard-work, education, and helping others, maintaining an optimistic outlook on everything, despite the many troubles described in the book.
After I watched the movie I thought about how inspirational it was and especially because it was educational based, I couldn’t help but wonder how much influence we are as educators to help students live out their dreams. In the story, William’s father didn’t think he was capable of making the windmill even though he had made a “mock model” of it. His father thought it was simply a toy and when William asked for the use of his father’s bike to help to make the windmill, William was told to go help him in the field and to stop chasing a dream that would essentially take him nowhere. In essence, he sent him on his way and said he was wasting his time.
The school system also didn’t believe in William and had suspended him from school because his family was unable to pay his school fee. One of the things that resonated with me after watching the movie was how much some of our students take going to school for granted. Some of the students aren’t even aware of the fact that in some parts of the United States, or other parts of the world, because of poverty or other socioeconomic issues students/children aren’t able to attend school. Yet, they have the opportunities and are often wasting their time and energy. Then again, are they aware of how others in history fought to get them the opportunity to attend school? It also begs the question, are we teaching students their history? It is easy to say that it is not the educators’ job to teach the students their history, but to place it in the hands of their parents, but are the parents aware or are they qualified to do so? Yes, I know we have to wear many hats, but as we try to educate the whole student, I firmly believe that this is part of our charge. I also say that if we don’t know enough about the topic for instance, then we could read more about it so we can share. Essentially, since we are supposed to be life- long learners, then we can learn as we teach – which in turn, can make our teaching fresh.
In the book, William said and I quote, “I’m ashamed to see this school broken in such fashion. We should tear the whole place down and start from scratch, build it again strong and proud! Teachers’ houses also need to be shipshape, and students need new desks and books!”
The aforementioned book reminded me of another somewhat similar story, Don Quixote written in the late 16th century. In that selection, the character of Quixote is a 50ish rather myopic man, seemingly deranged and obsessed with tales of knighthood, fantasy and chivalry. He battles illusory monsters, which are actually windmills. The stories are comparable in that perception is everything. The way we see the world is how it shall be. Both main characters accomplished what they set out to do because they believed that they could! If we choose to see good, there will be good. Great changes in life don’t happen by settling for what is in front of us. They happen by looking at the world in unique ways.
It sent home another message that I had read from Hebrews 13:16, (NIV) “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” This further encouraged me to put into action my dream of helping students from my homeland Jamaica, who are less fortunate and very talented, and would also appreciate the extra assistance to push them further so they can run with their dreams, go on and, who knows, maybe build windmills like William. Give the students an opportunity to, as they say, “Chase windmills,” the glorious journey of chasing ideas bigger than themselves and remaining optimistic in the face of cynicism!
Work Cited
Mueller, B. (2019). “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Plot Summary.” Lit Charts.LitCharts LLC, June 2017. Web. 21 Apr 2019.
I Can Do All Things
