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LearnBIG!

Facilitating a Neighborhood Teaching and Learning Event with Elementary School Students

Julie Filapek Neighborhood Partners Program Leader

Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin 2015

Organizing Neighbors

to be Teachers

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Neighbors in the Historic Central Neighborhood of Appleton, Wisconsin are connecting with students in their local elementary school: Columbus Elementary/Appleton Bilingual School. Following research that indicates the importance of adult role models and a stable, supportive neighborhood environment for positive youth development, neighbors are offering their interests, hobbies and knowledge to create a learning community that supports children. TheinitiativewaslaunchedinMay2015withaSaturdaymorningteaching-learningeventcalledLearnBIG!Facilitatingateachingandlearningeventrequiresfindingtopicsofinteresttoboththevolunteerteacherswhowilloffersubjectsandthelearningdesiresofstudents.Agreatthingaboutworkingwithelementaryagestudentsisthattheyaregametotryjustaboutanything!Keytotheeventwasensuringthatalltopicsofferedforlearningwerehands-on,sothatparticipatingstudentswerelearningbydoing.FindingteachersVolunteerswentdoortodoorintheblockssurroundingtheelementaryschool,askingpeopleabouttheirgiftsofthehead,handsandheart.Althoughinitiallythefocuswasnotonrecruitingneighbor/teacherstoconnectwithchildrenattheschool,“teachingfunsubjectstochildren”wasoneofseveralspecificoffersmadeduringtheseconversations.Organizersthenwentthroughthesurveystoidentifypeoplewhoexpressedaninterestinconnectingwithchildrenandwentbacktothemtosuggestparticipation.

Students are

introduced to

the art of

Jujitsu during

the first

LearnBig day.

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Volunteer Interview Form

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Volunteer Interview Form

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Parentsofstudentswereapproachedinaspecialway.Eachstudentwasaskedintheirclassroomtocompleteaformindicatingsubjectstheythoughttheirparentscouldteach.Eachparentthenreceivedacopyoftheirchild’sideas,withaletterrequestingtheirparticipationintheevent.

What Can Your Parents Teach?

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Letter to Parents

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MatchingteacherandstudentinterestsTheinitiativestartedwiththelistofsubjectsneighborssaidtheywouldliketoteachtostudents,anddistributedthattostudentstoindicatewhichonessoundedlikefuntolearnabout.Everysubjectsuggestedreceivedenoughvotestowarrantgoingforward.Eachclasswasofferedfora30-minuteperiodinmultipleclassrooms,gymnasium,andplaygroundduringa2-1/2-hourperiod,suchthateachchildwasabletoparticipateinfourclasses,with10-minutebreaksinbetween.Studentswereofferedanopportunitytopre-registerforclassesbyfillingoutaformindicatingalloftheclassestheylikedthesoundof,andspecifyinguptofoursubjectsinwhichtheywereespeciallyinterested.Everyeffortwasmadetoensurethateachstudentwasscheduledforatleasttwooftheirmostdesiredclasses.Thosewhocameontheeventdaywithoutpre-registeringwereincludedinclasseswithremainingspaces. Learn BIG Registration Form

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TeachingmaterialsandsupportGrantfundingsupportedthepurchaseofteachingmaterialsasneeded,andtheeventorganizerdidmuchofthelegworktoensurethatteachershadthematerialstheyfelttheyneeded.Allteacherswereprovidedwithalistofteachingtipsofferedbyalocalelementaryschoolteacher,andwereofferedanopportunitytodiscusswithhertheirideasandteachingapproach.

Tips for Neighborhood Teachers

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EventrolesandlogisticsTheLearnBIG!launcheventinvolved35students,grades1-6,participatingin11classes,with7-10students,alongwithsomeaccompanyingparents(thatwasoptional),ineachclass.Theeventutilized,inadditiontoteachers,twoadditionalcategoriesofadultparticipants:observer/aidesandeventmanagers.Eachteacherwasassignedanobserver/aide.Observer/aideshadthreeresponsibilitiesbefore,duringandaftertheclass:

• Helpgreetstudentsandgetthemsettled.• Assiststudentsone-on-oneastheydothehands-onworkoftheclass(e.g.,making

friendshipbracelets,poundingnailsinwood,fingerknitting).• Observingandmakingnotesaboutteacher-studentinteractions.• Conductingashortevaluationquestionnairewithstudentsimmediatelyuponthe

completionoftheclass.Eventmanagersundertookthefollowingtasks:

• Registration/sign-indeskforstudents.Eachstudentreceivesa“ClassSchedule”thattellsthemwheretheyneedtogoforeachofthefoursessions.

• Helpstudentsmovefromclasstoclassbetweensessions.• Welcometeachers,givethemtheirteachingmaterials,orientthemtotheirpost-

sessionevaluationsheets,anddirectthemtotheirclassrooms.• Collectevaluationsheetsfromteachersaftertheirsessions.

EvaluationPostsessionevaluationsfromstudentsandteacherswereusedtodecidewhetherteachersaregoodcandidatestocontinueworkingwithchildreninthefuture.Aneventlikethiscanbeusedasafriendlyintroductionsothatallinvolvedcandecidewhethertheteacherswillofferfutureclasseswithelementaryschoolchildren.InAppleton,alloftheteacherswantedtocontinueteachinginthefuture.Theafter-schoolprogramlocatedattheschoolisthesiteforfutureLearnBIG!Sessions.Post-sessionevaluationsfromstudentsalsoaskedthemtothinkaboutsubjectstheycouldthemselvesteach,sothatafutureeventwillinvolvestudentsintheroleofteachersandadultsintheroleofstudents.

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Student Post-Session Evaluation

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Inmosteverycase,allornearlyalloftheparticipatingstudentssaidtheywouldliketolearnmoreaboutthesubjectathand,andthattheywouldwanttocometoanothereventlikethis.Weaskedaboutsubjectstheythoughttheythemselvescouldteachataneventlikethis(afutureplan).Theseweresomeoftheirsuggestions:CarsBirdsHowtocareforapetDrawingMakebraceletsMinecraft

OrigamiSingingHowtodrawpre-historicanimalsJu-jitsuCoolart

HowtodoaroundoffDifferentlanguageAnimalsHardrockMakeaninstrumentHowtoeatlotsofcandy

Students learn

and practice

French hair

braiding and

corn row

techniques.

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Teacher Evaluation Form

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Eachclasswasmeanttohaveamonitorinplaceto(1)helpoutasneeded,(2)takenotesonhowtheclassseemedtobegoing,and(3)conductashortinterviewwiththestudentsrightafterward.Wehadanunexpecteddearthofmonitors,butafairnumberofclassesdidhaveone.Eachteacherwasgivenawrittenevaluationformtocomplete.The30-minutetimelimitworkedwellformost,ifnotall,subjects.Thefollowingarequotesfromthequestion“Whatdoyouthinktherelationshipshouldbebetweenanelementaryschoolanditsneighborhood?”:

• Ithinktheneighbors,especiallythoseofuswithoutchildrenintheschooland/orretired,canofferalottotheschoolanditsstudents.

• Wecouldusemoreeventslikethis.• Lotsofopportunitiestovolunteerandgetconnected.Makinguseoflocallivesources

isgreat.• Ideally,neighborsshouldbeabletoshareskills,time,attentionwithlocalschool.At

veryleast,makechildrenfeelwelcomeintheneighborhoodastheywalktoandfromschool.

• I’veneverseenaschoolinvolvedlikethisinitsneighborhoodandit’sbeautiful!CoordinationElementaryschoolsarebusyplaces,andschoolstaffmembersarestretchedthin.LearnBIG!wascoordinatedbyastaffmemberfromanonprofitorganizationsupportingneighboractivitiesintheHistoricCentralNeighborhood.Thatstaffmemberkepttheballrollingonallpreliminarywork–creatingmaterials,ensuringtheirdistributionthroughclassroomteachers,managingtheteacherrecruitmentprocess--andhandledalleventlogistics.Thisrolecouldalsobemanagedbyaneighbor.Thatsaid,schoolrepresentativesdidhelpsignificantlyandtheeventcouldnothavehappenedwithouttheirinvolvement.Theparent-teacherorganizationservedalunchforallstudentsandteachersattheendofthemorningevent.Theschoolprincipalchampionedtheprogrambyadvocatingforitwithstaffandparentsthroughvariousforums(schoolevents,schoolnewsletter,videoannouncements).Theprincipalalsoattendedtheevent,helpingwithlogisticaldetailsandevenofferinganimpromptumagicshowwhenoneteacherfailedtoarrive.Asmallgroupofteachersprovideddirectionintwoplanningmeetings,recommendingthebestapproachesforparentandstudentrecruitment,appropriateclasssessionlength,andothersubstantiveissues.Theyalsoreviewedprintedmaterialsdevelopedforstudentandparentaudiencestoensuretheirsuitability.

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FutureofLearnBIG!TheLearnBIG!SaturdaymorningeventwillberepeatedinMay2016,incorporatingopportunitiesforstudentstoteachsubjectsaswell.Intheinterim,adultswillofferafter-schoolsessionsthroughouttheschoolyear.Someofthesewillbeone-offevents.Otheradultsareplanningtoofferaseriesoflearningexperiences,throughwhichwehopethatstudentsandadultneighborswillgettoknowoneanotherinamoresustainedway.

Neighborhood

teacher

instructs a

class on how

to make a

birdhouse.