The Long and Winding Road to Success for the Under-Resourced Learner Presented by Jim Littlejohn jimlittlejohn81@gmail.com aha! Process, Inc., Highlands, Texas 1-(800) 424-9484 www.ahaprocess.com

Under-resourced student GOAL Under-resourced student School More resourced TO DO THAT REQUIRES: Relationship of mutual respect (support, insistence, high expectations) Resource analysis Relational learning

How do you define respect? Respect can mean respecting a person. Respect can mean respecting a position. Mutual respect comes about through: High expectations - you can do this. Insistence – you will do this. Support – this is how you do this. If there is mutual respect between a student and a teacher, these three things are present: 1) Insistence. Insistence can only happen through relationship. 2) High expectations. 3) Support. Support is the "how-to-get-it-done" piece. Students will know you respect them when those pieces are there.

Types of Capital Intellectual capital is the development of minds that can operate/manipulate/use abstract representational language, symbols, and systems of knowledge. Thomas Stewart gives a simpler definition: “Intellectual capital is packaged, useful knowledge.” Bonding Capital - "Based on exclusive ties of solidarity between 'people like us', exemplified by families, and is restricted to enabling people to 'get by'.“ (Edwards) "Bonding social capital refers to the links between like-minded people, or the reinforcement of homogeneity. It builds strong ties, but can also result in higher walls excluding those who do not qualify. (Schuller, Baron, & Field, 2000) Bridging Capital - "Refers to cooperative connections with people from different walks of life, more valuable than 'bonding social capital'.“ (Edwards) "Bridging social capital … refers to the building of connections between heterogeneous groups; these are likely to be more fragile, but more likely also to foster social inclusion.“ (Schuller, Baron, & Field, 2000) Who bonds for your student? Who bridges for your student? How do they bond? How do they bridge ?

Assess the 9 resources to determine interventions that will help students.

9 RESOURCES FINANCIAL Having the money to purchase goods and services. LANGUAGE Being able to speak and use formal register in writing and in speech. EMOTIONAL Being able to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations, without engaging in self-destructive behavior. This is an internal resource and shows itself through stamina, perseverance, and choices. MENTAL Having the mental abilities and acquired skills (reading, writing, and computing) necessary to deal with daily life. SPIRITUAL Believing in divine purpose and guidance. PHYSICAL Having physical health and mobility. SUPPORT SYSTEMS Having friends, family, and backup resources available to access in times of need. These are external resources. RELATIONSHIPS/ROLE MODELS Having frequent access to adult(s) who are appropriate, who are nurturing to the child, and who do not engage in self-destructive behavior. KNOWLEDGE OF HIDDEN RULES Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS FINANCIAL RESOURCES Has the necessary school supplies Yes No Has food every evening and twice a day on weekends/holidays Wears different clothing at least five days a week Has a stable place to live (not a car, not a shelter, does not move every three months, is not moved from relative to relative) Has a place to study at home (includes good lighting and a table/desk)

REGISTERS OF LANGUAGE Registers of Language REGISTER EXPLANATION FROZEN Language that is always the same. For example: Lord’s Prayer, wedding vows, etc. FORMAL The standard sentence syntax and word choice of work and school. Has complete sentences and specific word choice. CONSULTATIVE Formal register when used in conversation. Discourse pattern not quite as direct as formal register. CASUAL Language between friends, characterized by a 400- to 800-word vocabulary. Word choice general and not specific. Conversation dependent upon nonverbal assists. Sentence syntax often incomplete. INTIMATE Language between lovers or twins. Language of sexual harassment. In 1967 Martin Joos, a Dutch linguist, found that every language in the world has five registers. The first register is frozen: words that are always the same, like the Lord's Prayer, U.S. Pledge of Allegiance, and wedding vows. Literally, the words don't change. They're frozen. Formal: What most of us use at school and work. It has about a 1,200- to 1,600-word working vocabulary. Often formal register is in writing. Consultative tends to be more spoken, and it's a mix of casual and formal. Casual register is language between friends. It comes out of the oral-language tradition of any group of people. It has about a 400- to 800-word working vocabulary. Intimate register is what is used between lovers and twins: highly private language about private activities. But intimate register is also the language of sexual harassment. You can go up or down one register in a conversation and it's socially acceptable. But if you go up or down two registers or more, people are often offended. Maria Montaño-Harmon, a linguist in California, found that in generational poverty virtually all that the adults and students know is casual register. Use the registers of language as a teaching tool. Many times when students say, "I don't know what that means," they cannot say it in your words. How much time do we give them to translate something from casual register to formal register? Try translating the Pledge of Allegiance from frozen to formal. See how difficult that is? Students get referred for discipline because of language issues when they're in the wrong register. A sixth-grade boy was sent to the office because he told the teacher that something "sucked." Well, part of his discipline was to find two ways to say "sucked" in formal register. His first translation was, "I don't like this work." His second translation was, "There's no longer any joy in this activity.” When students speak in casual register, have them come up with two other ways to say it in formal register. Give information to parents and students in story form. Adapted from Martin Joos

Can use formal register in the language of the dominant culture QUESTIONS TO ASSESS LANGUAGE RESOURCES Can use formal register in the language of the dominant culture Yes No Can resolve a conflict using formal register Can write using formal organizational patterns for writing Can use specific vocabulary in speech and writing

Sees the relationship between choice and consequence QUESTIONS TO ASSESS EMOTIONAL RESOURCES Controls anger Yes No Sees the relationship between choice and consequence Can resolve a problem with words (does not hit or become verbally abusive) Can separate the behavior (criticism) from the person (contempt) Has the words to name feelings

Can read the material required for that grade level or task QUESTIONS TO ASSESS MENTAL RESOURCES Can read the material required for that grade level or task Yes No Can write for the task as required by school or work Can do the math as required by the grade level/course Is test-savvy—knows how to take a test

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS SPIRITUAL (OPTIMISM AND HOPE) RESOURCES Has hope for the future (i.e., believes that the future will work out in a positive way) Yes No Believes that there is extra support to help one with life (e.g. divine guidance, a set of beliefs, prayer, meditation, etc.) Has a strong personal belief system about his/her own positive value as a human being

Is healthy (usually free of illness) QUESTIONS TO ASSESS PHYSICAL RESOURCES Has protein in his/her nutrition on a daily basis (helps with memory and physical strength) Yes No Is healthy (usually free of illness) Gets sufficient sleep (6–8 hours of sleep per night) Can see and hear well

Has parents who have at least five of the nine resources QUESTIONS TO ASSESS SUPPORT SYSTEMS Has parents who have at least five of the nine resources Yes No Has parents who are supportive of school Has at least two adults who care about and nurture him/her Has at least two friends (peers) who are nurturing and not destructive Is involved in one or more school activities (sports, music, clubs)

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS RELATIONSHIPS/ROLE MODELS Has at least one adult on the staff who knows the student Yes No Has at least one person he/she admires who is not a sports figure or entertainment celebrity Can identify the traits he/she admires in a role model Can identify the kind of person he/she does not want to be

QUESTIONS TO ASSESS KNOWLEDGE OF HIDDEN RULES Can identify and avoid the “pet peeves” of the person in charge, i.e., boss, teacher, et al. Yes No Can work/learn from someone even if he/she does not like that person Can assess a situation and determine which behaviors can be used and which ones cannot in order to be successful in that situation or with that person Knows the hidden rules of the school environment Knows the hidden rules of the work environment Can assess the unspoken cueing mechanisms in a given situation or with a given person and use that information to his/her advantage

Relational learning has seven characteristics: Relationships of mutual respect with teachers and administrators. A peer group to belong to that is positive and not destructive. A coach or advocate who helps the student. If not a member of the dominant culture, the student has access to individuals (or histories of individuals) who have attained success and retained connections to their roots. Bridging social capital* (e-mail buddies, mentors, et al.) to the larger society. At the secondary level, a very specific and clear plan for addressing his/her own learning performance. A safe environment (emotionally, verbally, and physically). *Social capital is terminology used by Robert Putnam in his book Bowling Alone. It basically means who you know. He identifies two kinds—bonding and bridging. Bonding social capital involves people who are like you; bridging social capital involves people different from you.