We Interupt our Cool Guitar Purse - un Blog Series to Bring to you...Education Matters
Yes, Education Matters or Cool Guitar Purse - un or People No. 21
This evening, I volunteered with Kiwanis - the generous club that donated $1,000 for our Violettes Youth Music Competition. With a Guitar Purse strapped on my back, I did the measly job of helping to guard food for the 1500 teachers attending the 10th Annual "Reach them to Teach Them" event. The faith based event, masterminded by middle school teacher Amy Crawford, is to encourage and inspire public school teachers. It is to remind teachers just how important both they and their jobs are. The program was not only inspiring, but it had me laughing and crying throughout. -- All to encourage education matters.Being with the food, I missed the beginning with teachers awards and introduction to Hallerin Hill's presentation. This program was so inspiring, it made me feel like signing up to be a teacher. The line up of speakers was incredible.
- Amy Crawford talking about how teachers are like ancient Greek Carpenters building
ornate Orthodox Churches for which they may never see the final construction in their lifetimes. But the carpenters knew that it was worth their time, effort and skill. In the same way, teachers may not see the results of their influences on the children that they work with. She urged teachers to not only teach to the head, but to the heart. She gave them cute momento tape measures as a reminder that there are only 18 inches from the student's head to their heart.
- Hallerin Hill performed a short one man 3 Act play/poem that he wrote giving the message for a student that the only one standing in your way is yourself. And a reminder for teachers not to pat them on the head and tell them everything's ok in protection, but to encourage them to dive in and take the challenge. If a video of this becomes available soon, I will post it here. It was extremely outstanding! (Education Matters! - Some need a push to take the leap.)
- Principal Salome Thomas-El from Pennsylvania talked to us about growing up in the projects. He told us how he managed to rise above the statistics to go on to college and beyond. He has hysterical anecdotes throughout his story about the roles of his mother, teachers, himself as a teacher and principal.... He says this "no child left behind" was "no child left with a behind" when he was growing up. A major message through his talk was again that the child must have his own self esteem and reason to give it their all. He taught children to play chess. So these little elementary school kids were toting around chess boards, and everyone thought they must be smart, and the chess kids began to think they must be smart. Then he had them challenge other schools to play chess, so these kids had a reason to work at it. When they were winning and thought they didn't need to practice, he had them play older students. Then they had to practice if they were going to win... What stunned me listening to his talk was that even though all the speakers were talking about underprivileged populations, it is the same story for the top kids as it is for the bottom kids. Challenge them so that they are inspired!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- And, if that's not enough, Jimmy Wayne told and sang his story. I have to say he is one cool Guitar Purse - un! He is a former foster kid turned country music singer-songwriter. His mission has been to raise awareness of kids that are kicked out of the foster system to be on their own at age 16. Most of the girls become pregnant in the first year, and the majority of the boys end up in jail. He had a teacher very briefly who made him concentrate on his writing. This made a difference in his life. I will have to read his book, "A Walk to Beautiful". Mr. Wayne had an opportunity to go to school on a regular basis for 3 years in high school. He didn't miss one day. He really appreciated the opportunity because he knew by this age that education matters.
