Receiving on Martin Luther King day

By Debbie Boen | January 15, 2007 |

My husband and I and Bill Larson attended an Educational Workshop run by the NAACP before going to the Dr. Luther King Parade today. Here is my summary and highlights of the workshop….

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3391900074648858116


Michael Harris, School Superintendent, encourages parents to get involved, show up at school events. He seriously wants to get more African American teachers in our system.

Dr. Jean Scott Murphy, a former educator, said that parents need to be active in their children’s lives. Many times parents are too tired or too busy to talk to the teachers and their children. Somebody: A parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, has to be there for the child. A child should not feel isolated in the school environment. At open houses, the children keep looking at the door. They are looking for us, the parents. Children do well in school to please us, nobody else. Our home should include a safe space for children to work, think and be. We have to give that to them. We have to care enough to establish limits and guidelines for our children.

As parents or caregivers, it is up to us to see the light in our children. We are in the position to bring out that light. We do that with encouragement and talking about what is positive. If we only talk about what’s negative, that’s what grows. We can cherish every accomplishment. Children don’t always do what it is that we wish they would do. We should celebrate their accomplishments. Their work can go up on our refrigerators. We can focus on their strengths. NEVER PUT THE LIGHT OUT IN A CHILD. We can make college a possibility by stressing that it is not just for people with money, but people who work hard. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Arts and Leisure, Issues, Politics | 3 Comments