Teach Out Reflection

      In the Teach Out project I chose to focus on the reading, Shifting the Paradigm from Deficit Oriented Schools to Asset Based Models: Why Leaders Need to Promote an Asset Orientation in our Schools written by Katherine Bertolini and Shannon Renkly along with The Broken Model from Khan. Throughout the readings this semester these were the two which stood out most to me and my work. As an employee of a community based organization which helps low income high school students students both academically and personally, this indepth guide made me feel positive in the work that I do and a confirmation that what we do works, despite the government trying to condemn my program, Upward Bound, as well as other government funded organizations. 

 I am a creative person and wanted to make sure I had something visual and tangible. Initially, I planned for a small poster of a brain which showed the academic stress of a teenager on one side and the dying lack of creativity and indepth thoughts on the other. This was going to represent the reading

The Broken Model. I decided I wanted to focus more on the Shifting the Paradigm reading and wanted the readers to be able to hold a pamphlet and read it themselves. I decided on a pamphlet as the informational read and included the definitions of Asset and Deficit models, why they are important and what they do, along with photos of Upward Bound students to showcase scholars who are involved in a youth program and focusing on strengths of students as a whole. I used a PDF for the scholars to look over and see if they felt they had a connection to any or many of the listed assets from The Search Institute. 

    From the start I wanted to Teach Out to my students. The whole semester was conversing with adults about student issues and wanted to hear from the current students themselves on how they are experiencing school. My method was to have interview questions but also a conversation to see if the scholars had any connection, comments, or concerns on their school or communities they are a part of and if they were positive or negative. I initially wanted to interview two students from each of my schools I work at but was advised to cut down to two. The idea was to have a wide range of answers and to see if they all had a common theme despite coming from three very different school cultures. I ended up choosing a male student from East Providence High School and a female student from Shea High School. I will address them as the Townie (EPHS mascot) and the Raider (Shea mascot).

    The information which I wanted to teach out to my scholars from Shifting the Paradigm was to inform them of the importance in finding community, having mentors, and to see if they believe their schools are in an asset based model or a deficit one. I also wanted to include the fact that by the end of middle school they could lose half their assets. They have strong feelings about how their schools operated but I wanted to be able to give them the actual words they are looking for. As for The Broken Model, I know students are experiencing all different standardized testing, focusing on getting the best grades, studying, and leaving no time for creative outlets, burning them out. I wanted to give information to students about why the education system exists the way it does today and ask them their view on testing and how their right brain needs are met.

The questions were: 

Shifting the Paradigm

1. What kind of student were you before joining a youth program?

2. What kind of student are you now after finding a community?

3. Do you feel safe in your schools’ environment and is it considered an asset or deficit learning model in your school?

4. Do you feel safe and welcomed in your community organization(s) environments?

5. Do you have adults in your life that help you stay on track?

6. What assets do you see in yourself now that you’re a Senior and have experience in different community organizations?

7. Do you think those who aren’t in a youth program are missing out on development?

The Broken Model

1. Do you think testing/standardized testing is a good measure of knowledge?

2. Does your school have enough creative opportunities for students?

3. If you could change anything about your schools’ education system, what would it be?

Neither of the students were familiar with what I was teaching out to them as concepts with titles and meanings but lived experiences. The first question, both students had similar answers. They both were not motivated or proactive students. They did t
he work, were quiet, got the grades they needed to and made it through the day to just go home. 

For question two the Townie emphasized that when joining one youth program, he wanted to be involved in more communities and found leadership roles in some of them. He was homeschooled in 9th before entering public school in 10th. He is more social in making friends, being a role model for his siblings, and happy with his progression. The Raider found a sense of pride in her community after years of hating Pawtucket once she was involved in more youth programs and being involved. She mentioned “I’m frustrated with the school’s deficits and I want us to flourish and have a better community”. Both students mentioned they’re now active learners and strive to be their best academic self.

In question three the Raider and I talked about how unsafe her school was. Although she wouldn’t be a target, the environment has rough days. It’s a big distraction to the learning setting and she said Shea is heavily in a deficit model. Many students cause risky behaviors, causing disruptions nonstop throughout the day. The Townie recognizes EPHS sways more in an asset model. Mainly due to the fact that there is a wide range of electives, CTC classes including automotive, construction, fashion, dental, forensics, etc. for many different learners to break up their modeled day. 

In question four, both students felt completely welcomed in their communities outside their homes. The Raider mentioned how Upward Bound is a very asset based community and she stays on track. “The Advisors recognize strengths and use that to uplift students”. The Townie appreciates how students from different backgrounds share the goal of making it to college in Upward Bound while the Boys and Girls club fills his sport role in swimming.

For question five both students have strong adults in their life who mentor them. The Townie is currently homeless after a dispute with his mother. He feels that although is going through this there are many people keeping him afloat. “I have my swim coach, the coordinators at the B&G Club, you and the whole UB staff are so helpful. I’m surrounded by support in all my
communities”.  The Raider felt similarly noting me as her UB Advisor, her engineering teacher, and Shea’s College Access Counselor.

In question six, both students spent a good amount of time reading both internal and external assets, nodding and pointing out which ones they felt most connected to. For the Raider she felt most connected to external assets including Integrity, Achievement Motivation, Interpersonal Competence, Resistance Skills, Peaceful Conflict Resolution and Positive view of personal future. The Townie chose more of a mix including Caring School Climate, Youth Programs, Peaceful Conflict Resolution, and Sense of Purpose. I enjoyed this part because they were able to positively identify a few of many assets they have kept throughout the year. When finishing each conversation/interview both students felt enlightened with one getting the PDF to send to her friend group. 

When discussing question seven both students believed that those who aren’t a part of a youth program are missing out. The Townie has a sister one year younger that is almost opposite from him. She is not involved in any youth programming and not involved in school and when reading the pamphlet he mentioned she gets involved with a lot of risky behavior as mentioned in the reading. The Raider is constantly distracted in school by students running and yelling in the halls, the shelter in places, and the many assemblies regarding the school’s behavior.

In the Broken Model questions they both agreed that they were sick of standardized testing. The Raider, who is currently second in her graduating class, “It’s a good measure of memorization. I have passed all traditional math tests but to apply them I could not do it. After a month I lose all memory.”  The Townie felt similar in acknowledging that while he is academically inclined, he still has bad days of tests and know that test taking isn’t a strength for everyone and not having enough time to digest content.

The two did have differing answers about their schools providing creative avenues. The Townie emphasized that there are a variety of elective classes, pathways, clubs, and the Career and Technology Center. There’s a range from automotive, to construction, dental assisting, forensics, computer science…something for almost everyone. The Raider believes Shea tries but not hard enough and students do not take advantage of the few opportunities there. “There was a pathway for Education but the students see and hear they’re not making money and the pathway died out. We are only really strong with Culinary but that’s just because they want to eat the food.”

The advice the Raider wants to give their education system is to have their graduation requirements to math college entry requirements. She felt as though she is already behind as a future Brown University student despite being salutatorian at her school. “Shea isn’t pushing those with plenty of capability, students who shouldn’t be passing are passed along, it isn’t fair.” She wants reallocated funding to the schools pathways and hiring more teachers. Also, her robotics team was supposed to be going to Canada and did not have the funding and their trip was canceled. The Townie wants the system to focus on individuals with their strengths instead of squeezing them into boxes of the schools preferred strengths just to graduate. “Basic knowledge skills are important but a student’s whole existence means more than grades”
.

I’m happy with my Teach Out project and conversing with two of my seniors. One is off to Middlebury through Quest Bridge and the other is attending Brown University. I am so happy I was able to be a positive and caring adult in their lives so they have these opportunities that wouldn’t have happened if they weren’t interested in joining a youth program. In Upward Bound we are unique because although we are in some ways a 6th day of school for them and school in the summer they are so attached to the community. We do have grades and tests but we also celebrate Hype Up Fridays. We do raffles where teachers, TCs, staff, etc. can n
ominate students for good conduct, being involved in any way, whatever they deemed worthy and we do weekly prizes! It's a highlight for our students.
Teenagers see the broken model and adults need to fix it in order to reach wider audiences. They both are young but have a clear motive on wanting a better change for their peers and the next generation to succeed academically and personally. 

Neurodiversity Info Sesh

 Title: What is Neurodiversity?

Author: Caroline Miller

Argument: The author explains that there's a neurodiversity movement in which light is shed on the capabilities of those who are neurodivergent while aiding to those who feel they are neurodivergent but are not diagnosed.

Talking Points

(1) Judy Singer saw neurodiversity as a social justice movement, to promote equality of what she called “neurological minorities” — people whose brains work in atypical ways  The photo to the right shows some instances where those who are diagnosed may also be neurodiverse within the umbrella. There's plenty more but I was personally surprised at how wide of a range people affected by different inner workings. 

(2)  Stephanie Lee, PsyD, a clinical psychologist: “Instead of thinking of people with autism or ADHD as needing to be ‘fixed,’ we put a spotlight on things that they’re good at and help with things that they’re working on.” I appreciated this view on the situation and reminded me of Shifting the Paradigm reading where the argument is that schools should focus on student strengths rather than their deficit short comings wherever that could be. In this black and white photo you can see some different diagnoses where there is a strength or multiple that someone can possess despite not being "atypical". Society is always looking for a negative when all we need is a new direction to be successful.

(3) The ending informs the reader on what to do and except when a child thinks something could be "wrong with them". Getting a result from the evaluation where they may not be diagnosed could mean they fall somewhere else. I like that its stated, "Dr. Martin adds. 'That doesn’t minimize your experience, so let’s talk about what we can do to support you, or find other answers if necessary.’  The end result should be a plan that both parents and child can have confidence in." Although the Doctor could dismiss the family the route is to provide support in another way, whatever the child is going through. It still shows compassion despite the child looking to figure out why they aren't thinking like the majority of their peers.

Connections: With the neurodivergent movement uprising it can bring less of a stigma and allow those who are not neurotypical to freely be who they are and reduce the stress it takes for them to adapt to an environment. Masking happens where those who are neurodivergent are assimilating to school, work, and life to fit in. This could include being observant to others actions and mimicking them, processing information that is being told vaguely by agreeing, or not speaking at all in fear they aren't saying the right thing. This causes exhaustion and anxiety and requires time to recover. More information can be found in this link. In that they suggest to not mask who you are, "Unmasking is not failing at or giving up professionalism—it’s reclaiming your energy, creativity, and well-being." this can be refreshing for those who need the push to be themselves. For example, if you can imagine working retail as a cashier and have a line for hours where you are constantly smiling, gesturing, and completing transactions, the exhaustion takes a while to recuperate. You're not being your true self because its "not professional" but that is the life for neurodivergent individuals in almost every setting for hours a day.

Reflections: Although being coined in the 90's I feel I have never heard of the term until COVID. There has been an uptick on social media, for me, I've seen on TikTok where dozens of videos now include "neurodivergent" actions or feelings. I feel this can speak to a lot of people both children through adults who may not realize that they could fall in the category or that their processing isn't considered by society as a norm. 

ICE Out + an Interview with Mariame

Title: Kicking ICE Out of Our Schools and Communities

Author: Rethinking Schools

Argument: The authors argue that educators are the backbone of defending the youth against ICE and need to continue to come as a community of learners to be able to dismantle the injustices of other human beings. 

Talking Points:

1. In this journal what stuck out to me was, “One Big Beautiful Bill,” passed in July, funds the largest increase in immigration enforcement spending in U.S. history by slashing funds for Medicaid and food assistance that millions of Americans rely on. $28.7 billion, which would make it one of the top 20 largest military budgets in the world. I attached a quick google search to see how an ICE agent gets paid in comparison to a police officer and a teacher. 

           

I find it fascinating that for the "best country in the world" the government decided that barring millions of people ranging through infants to elderly from basic necessities. Reading that I wanted to see what the averages are for an Ice agent, police officer, and teacher. Unfortunately I know that there is such a wide range of pay due to the area of where someone is teaching or policing and that the salaries are probably underpaid but instead of keeping the city generally safe, and educating our millions of students from k-12 we are pretending that there is a larger issue. That wrangling undocumented people who may not even have a real criminal record is more important that medically aiding, feeding, educating and servicing the rest of the country. But I don't expect too much from the president who is a certified felon but claiming anyone with a tan is illegal while his hue his orange. Teachers wear so many hats and deserve to be the more important and paid positions in the country. They are the foundations for students but cannot help build their student futures when there's already a targeted wrecking ball coming in.

2. A quote that stuck out was "An essential part of keeping our schools safe is asking ourselves who are our potential allies in protecting students" Luckily at the schools I work in where ICE has been seen around there is a good amount of teachers and administration that can keep these kids safe. They are very prideful of students backgrounds and cultures, whether its the same as the educators or different and know that at least the students in these schools have faith in many of their teachers. Although I'm not assigned in a school and come from a community based organization, our scholars know that although they must be documented we try everything in our power to provide a safe environment for them and their families throughout our program. We have ways about navigating FAFSA and other college processes to work within the limits of what we can and can't assist with.

3. Later in the article it states, "According to UTLA leaders, enrollment across Los Angeles Unified has dropped by roughly 20,000 students this school year in conjunction with the increased ice presence in our city..." and continues, "Hoffman worried that the escalation of ICE raids would once again force students — particularly those who are or who have family members who are undocumented — to stay home as a way of avoiding ICE." I wrote about an ICE experience in the comments of one of Darryl’s posts. There was a day in Providence where I was attending one of my schools to meet with my scholars. They were contacting me asking if I saw ICE outside because there was a raid nearby. I drove around the areas that were reported and let them know they were gone. They were scared for their friends and already were starting to organize community efforts to keep each other safe. I also wrote that in the beginning of the school year we have meetings with all school guidance teams. One of our schools head of guidance said they leave a whole MLL class empty and wait for it to fill up once the school year starts. This year that didn’t happen. There are a mass of children who are unable to commit to academics and learning due to the fear that ICE will get involved. This country which claims to pride itself in education is depriving students from it due to their status.

  

Connections: For a connection there was a mention of RAZA, "Guadalupe Carrasco Cardona, ethnic studies teacher and chair of the LA chapter of the Association of Raza Educators (ARE) told us that ARE “decided that during the summer of 2025, we would raise funds and deliver groceries to families as a mutual aid campaign" It was a relief to know that RAZA is still in tact despite the Precious Knowledge documentary showing that their classes were taken away. It shows the lack of character politicians have when they tear down something that can be amazing and rewarding because they feel a certain way. In our program we just had a student run his own personal drive to collect hygiene products for people. He received many donations. We have some students in extenuating circumstances and we personally put in money for food, donate clothing, attend protests and try to help and impact families to show they have community.

In It for the Long Haul: Increasing the Possibility of Freedom and Liberation for All: An Interview with Mariame Kaba

Mariame responded in an amazing way from an interview she did with Rethinking Schools. She mentions "As an educator, you’re always making things. You are constantly iterating ideas and generating questions. You’re also doing that as a learner." which was named earlier in the ICE out article "Educators need to be learners" Teachers need to take a seat and take part in conversations, asking questions they may not know and make sure they understand why and how their job is being effected and effecting their pupils. She is focused on creating liberation for all and need educators to be on board. She lists a few ways in which educators can bring these "radical" ideas into the classroom. "Create a social dreaming lab for students and find out what your students long for, what their deepest desires are, and their biggest dreams for themselves, for their families, and for the world." I looked into similar things that I could use for our high school aged students since her Queenie attachment was geered towards younger students. She says children are the best to have the "harder" conversations with because their questions force you to think differently in finding the right thing to say. This ties in with the educators needing to be learners and find the different answers students are looking for. Furthermore Mariame says "I see action as the basis and the foundation for any practice of hope...We have to choose to take action and we have to choose to remember that it’s for the long haul." I thought this was a powerful way to end the interview to remind everyone that its not easy. You have to really show support, more than words, action is needed for a change to occur.

Reflections: In my program, we are government funded and are only able to accept students with documentation. In prior years we could accept students in the early process of becoming naturalized but this year it was very strict. We had to cut out many applicants due to their different statuses and its unfortunate that they are seeking out opportunities to better themselves and those who are born here skating through life couldn’t care less. Opportunities are wasted due to a social construct where a piece of paper allows someone to be “legal” on "claimed" land. When there was a spike of ICE agents coming into our students neighborhoods I had seen a tik tok post with red cards. I was visiting a school the next day for interviews and on my way back to the car I saw one on the ground. I picked it up and went online to print my own to hand to my students for their peers and family members who may not be documented. There are different versions but this one included Spanish and English.

Affirmative Action in Admissions

Title: “Isn’t that what the case is about, the discrimination against Asian Americans?” Conservatives Use Racial Wedge to Attack Affirmative Action

Author: Wayne Au

Argument: The Author argues that Affirmative Action is not a cure to end institutionalized racism in education but needs to be defended as a gain in the struggle for racial equity in education when white supremacy attacks.

Talking Points

1. The author begins with speaking on Edward Blum who was setting up multiple court cases of white students being rejected from institutions, assisting in their court cases. Affirmative Action was enforced in 1961 and took less than two decades before white conservatives attacked it in the college setting. He began Students for Fair Admissions to push the execution of Affirmative Action. By the 2010’s he decided to really push Asian Americans as leverage in his goal. Asian Americans were used as a wedge because of the model minority myth. This myth stems from the stereotype that all Asians are geniuses. This stereotype came from after the war when they were trying to rebuild their lives after being sentenced to camps because “they were Japanese spies”. 

2. The author later said, “For conservative white and conservative Asian Americans alike, the solution to the “problem” of affirmative action is clear: high-stakes, standardized tests as a true objective measure for university admissions.” The holistic admissions approach brings compassion and understanding to those who were not set up for success from 2-3 family generations ago. Being able to see the applicant for their past, their essays, their involvement and struggles, ALONG with their testing and grades allow colleges and institutions to produce well rounded graduates and not people who just happen to test well. Those who are in support of Affirmative Action along with DEI programs all believe that they were created to take away jobs from “qualified” people for a minority. They are ignorant in not understanding that the person receiving the job is both qualified AND happens to not be white. It’s peaked since the 2nd Trump Administration made it seem as though unqualified people were getting jobs they didn’t deserve. The reason Affirmative Action exists is to ensure that employers aren’t racial profiling and just giving away jobs to white people since they “feel” they’re more competent. I’ve seen dozens of videos where people of color mention their parents giving them “white” names to ensure they won’t get turned away immediately by hiring companies when they do come across a non “white” name. The dozens of videos where people of color mention that white people were shocked when meeting a new hire because they “sounded” white. 

3. Lastly, “If college admissions were based purple on test scores…Asian Americans accepted into elite universities would only rise by 2% points…This would result in 1 in 5 Asian American students not being admitted for meeting the threshold and perhaps ironically, denying admittance to those students who may have benefited from affirmative action programs.” This statistic made me laugh out loud. Many Asian Americans, specifically East Asians fall into believing they are liked by the conservative white man and are with them, not the other minorities. The groups that follow the ideals end up suffering from it and get hoodwinked despite being chanted that they’re being used for political gain. 

Connections: My partner is a first generation East Asian American from SoCal. He knew his family wouldn’t be able to assist in funding his college expenses and applied to the Coast Guard Academy where it was free to attend with 5 required years of service. He went from a filled Asian high school into a white, mainly conservative demographic. Sure, he may have been chosen to hit a diverse quota by admissions but he entered an environment where a part of the time he felt out of place. There was a specific welcome day for students of color called Genesis (Trump Administration cut that this year) where they invited students to make them feel like they wouldn’t be alone. He was a part of different clubs on campus for Asian students (which got cut from the Administration this year) (and his lovely conservative parents who are safely in their Asian dominant community said it was a good thing so students weren’t “divided”). He graduated and became an Officer for the Coast Guard. He was in charge of many white men who didn’t believe he should be in charge of them. He left the boat and came to CGA Admissions. Although this is slightly different from other institutions where physical fitness is considered (PFE, can’t accommodate to disability and colorblind students) there was still a decent holistic approach. In a giant sea of white applicants there would be few of color. All the students were considered based on merit as well but the military does need more people in color in charge. I'd like to also point out that despite Trump attempting to crack down on "Affirmative Action" hires complaining that they're not qualified, he had appointed Pam Bondi, Linda McMahon, Kristi Noem, and many more I could probably find who were not qualified for the job but white woman who knew him and magically received a job and have been fired since receiving it.

This article from The Post describes an East Asian American student who is suing because he was rejected from many colleges. He is seeing through a lens that he should be rewarded nonstop for his merit and not anything else. There is a sense of entitlement that comes with those who can score high and he fits right in. His dad says, “I did hear that Asians seem to be facing a higher bar when it comes to college admissions, but I thought maybe it’s an urban legend.” This goes to the third talking point where merit alone does more harm to Asian applicants since they, at volume, are applying to more of the same institutions.  

The Office star Kelly, who is Mindy Kaling, unfortunately had a brother who decided to apply as a black man when applying to med school instead of himself. Although the initial article focuses on more East Asian Americans and their experience, his version of the story is that affirmative action allowed him to be selected and applying as an Indian man he would’ve got rejected. The issue was he never applied initially as himself. “There’s little evidence to suggest his posturing as a “black” applicant helped him get into these schools. First, there is no point of comparison: Chokal-Ingam never applied to medical schools as an Indian-American.” It continues, “he told CNN he applied at 22 medical schools and interviewed at 11. He was wait-listed at four schools and got into only one.” His whole ploy backfired so bad he was racially profiled in every other environment. 

Reflections: I chose this article specifically because I work with students who could benefit from Affirmative Action. Not in the sense that they needed help because their merit or scores weren’t top tier, because they are (I’m so proud of some of them) but because the real issue is white supremacy closing the door on students who don’t fit the white conservative ideals. Many of my students come from non white schools and have to prepare themselves to enter a college environment where they are not the majority and now must prove themselves to white students coming from white schools where their only competition was other white people. I also chose this because in the beginning of the year the Trump Administration cut DEI and Affirmative Action programs. Without opportunities in diversity, more corrupt white conservatives are able to hold more prejudice in hiring and choosing people. As long as Asian Americans try to appease the white man with expectations that they are "not like the others" they will continue to harm themselves along with many groups.

In a positive light I go on the bike path to pick up trash every few weeks and came across the most insanely sticky stress ball cow. Enjoy the asynchronous day!