Real Voices, Real talk

(Promising Practices)

   

I attended Promising Practices last year and really enjoyed it, and this year the result was just the same. The panel discussion was great and to hear from so many varying and unique speakers was an experience worthwhile within itself. This year I attended a session called Real voices Real talk, and within it we heard from a Principal, Student, Director, and Mayor of North Providence and the program that they were running. This program in its particular location is offered to any youth within a particular age frame, and community. They spend the school year and the summer coming up with plans and ideas for their community and they execute their plans after bringing it by the adults involved with this program. What I liked most about this was that the adults in this program never expected too little of these students, they backed them up 100% regardless of how bizarre and outrageous the students felt that their ideas were. This reminded me of one of the Five ways that Teachers can help us do our best, where one of students loved that their teacher did not doubt them but encouraged them and also their fifth way was to “Encourage them to spread their wings”. As adults, we have to learn to give youth range over their mind and we just help them to guide the plane when taking off. This session just further proved that if we give youth the right tools and help them along the way that they can push limits that we may have never imagined, we have to work as a whole to provide a great future for them and those after. Promising Practice is a definite must for anyone who is planning on working with youth. It is an eye opener and full of different opportunities to explore different realms of teaching and educating youth.

Student Voices from Middle Grades: Five ways teachers can help us do our best by__ Cervone, Cushman and Rogers

(Middleweb.com)

Student Voices from Middle Grades: Five ways teachers can help us do our best

By: Barbara Cervone, Kathleen Cushman and Laura Rogers

Going through k-12 I found that my most critical and  need to be recognized part of my life was during middle school. I struggled dealing with being in the same school as my older cousin so I was often held to either divert from or follow that path that she was creating, also moving to a new state and making new friends. These students voiced their opinions about ways that teachers can help them reach their full potential and strive through these critical years

1.      Help us grow into confident learners

a.       Be active listeners and engagers

b.      Give constructive criticism and praise

                                                              i.      DO NOT just point out the wrong/bad

c.       Be approachable and reachable

d.      Be a motivator

2.      Give us space to figure out who we are

a.       Give an environment to explore who they are instead of forcing a “perfect image”

b.      Integrate and DO NOT separate students by “intellect”

                                                              i.      “gifted” v “non-gifted”

c.       AVOID stereotypes and prejudice

d.      DO NOT overlook students

e.       Be encouraging to dreams and individuality

3.      Understand the ways grades affect us

a.       DO NOT encourage bad grades by saying “you tried so that is good”

                                                              i.      Offer help and suggestions

1.      Tutoring

2.      Studying tactics

b.      Critique students in private

c.       Realize that every student has different living situations therefore certain grades have different and sometimes extreme consequences.

4.      Involve us in conversations about what’s fair

a.       DO NOT partially engage students               

                                                              i.      Open discussions

                                                            ii.      Allow time for multiple constructive opinions

b.      AVOID favorites/favortism

                                                              i.      Students DO care

c.       DO NOT punish the entire body for a groups behavior

d.      Allow a two-way conversation and decision on rules

5.      Encourage us to spread our wings

a.       DO NOT stop students when they have merely started, but allow them to take their ideas all the way, and be supportive.

When reading this article on-line I found it very interesting and it was something that was very close to home being that many of the points that the youth made were the very same things I looked for from my teachers. I feel like this should be utilized within schools across the country and world. These tools are great to use and often times help. 

Resume

Hi Guys this is my resume. Corinne asked me to post it, hopefully it gives you guys some ideas on how to create and organize yours if you have not already done so.

Good luck on internships everyone !!!!!!! :-) 

Tiarra Townsend

629 Douglas Ave. Apt. 1, Providence RI, 02908 | C: 4013452408 | ttownsend_9481@ric.edu  | deshaw.t.93@gmail.com

SUMMARY                                                                                                                                      

Full time student at Rhode Island College enrolled in the Youth Development BA program and twenty hours of volunteering working with youth. 3rd key manager with four years of experience in retailing, merchandising and customer service. One year’s training in handling cash deposits and auditing weekly and daily goals.

HIGHLIGHT                                                                                                                        

·          Reliable and dependable

·          MS Office proficient

·          Dedicated team player

·          Excellent time management

·          Team leadership

·          Cheerful and energetic

·          Flexible

·          Resolution-oriented

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE                                                                        

Church on the Rock Summer Camp---- Summer 2006

·         Helped organize events and activities for the children throughout the week (ages 2 and up)

Young Leaders of Medicine---- Sept. 2009- Oct. 2010

·         Shadowed a variety of doctors at Hasbro Hospital for a day

·         Attended a day seminar at Brown University of the Human body

Inspiring Minds---- Spring 2013

·         Volunteered 20 hours throughout the Semester at Sackett St. Elementary school in Providence.

·         Helped Kindergarten students with prepping for standardized testing (reading and math)Preparing them for 1st grade

MANAGERIAL EXPERIENCE                                                                                                     

3^rd Key Manager----12/2009 - current

EbLens --- North Providence, RI

Opened and closed the store, including counting cash, opening and closing cash registers and creating staff assignments. Verified that all merchandising standards were maintained on a daily basis. Maintained friendly and professional customer interactions.

EDUCATION                                                                                                                                   

Bachelor of Arts: Youth development----2015

Rhode Island College---- Providence, RI, US

Concentration in a combination of Special Education, Communications, and Juvenile Delinquency

Courses in Social Work, Youth development, and Non-Profit Management.