Page 50 - 2021-Mag-88-2

DKG Practice/Program

students would soon fill the hallways. That first for many things around the house, and they were
week of school is always stressful but also very being taken as a resource.
exciting. Students were happy to be back in school
and among their friends in a safe and social place Problem Solving Begins
rather than caring for their siblings. I took these challenges in stride and got
The district did not require students to bring to work. I watched, I learned, and I tried to
any supplies to school with them. We did not have figure out how I could help. Our middle school
a supply list for our classrooms, and very few students faced barriers that we, as teachers, didn’t
students came with paper and pencils. Teachers understand. I worked alongside a team of 100
brought paper and pencils from home and dug into staff who shared my enthusiasm and passion for
their own pockets to help equip their students with helping. We cheered each other on and celebrated
folders and materials. students’ wins. We dug deep, and we tried all
I live in an affluent suburb, so I put out a call kinds of engagement techniques. We cried tears
for supplies from my neighbors. Fortunately, they of shared frustration for the students we weren’t
responded, and I was able to take in boxes of reaching. We fumed when we were told our testing
materials for my math teaching team. The donated scores were not good enough and we needed to
pencils, protractors, and paper were lifesavers. push our kids further.
In addition to having no school supplies, we Of our 100 staff, only 10 resided in the district
were not provided math books. Students came in which we taught. That meant that 90% of us did
to class every day empty handed, and we were not fully grasp the challenges of the community.
to have materials prepped and printed for them. We saw the behaviors, and we saw the test scores,
Several weeks into the school year, we got a but we were only guessing at the barriers.
message that we were making too many copies and Our staff was motivated and working hard, but
each teacher would be allowed one ream of paper we were missing the mark. Our students were not
per month. Teachers had to go to the office on the performing at a record pace, but our office referrals
first Monday of each month to get their single were setting records. I saw the same students in
pack of paper. Keep in mind, in math we had no the hallways every day, the same kids sitting in
textbooks, so 100% of our materials had to be administrators’ offices week after week, the same
printed. We were told to make a copy that could be names on the in-school suspension list. I saw kids
shared among the classes we taught every day and refusing even to enter a classroom because they
that our classes of 30+ students should share these knew it was only a matter of minutes before they
printouts across all three sections. We were told to would be sent to the office.
be more creative, to dig deeper, and to understand I am not a licensed teacher. My training is in
our school did not have the funding to provide us psychology and criminal justice. My psychology
with more paper. training helped me to get my students excited and
How were we to increase students’ math skills engaged in math tutoring. This was great for kids
with no supplies and without the ability to send who lacked enthusiasm about math. It was less
them home with practice materials? The response than effective for students who had many more
was that each teacher was provided a small budget barriers than enthusiasm.
(less than $200) per classroom. Every math teacher I have been a foster parent for years, and I have
I talked to used that classroom budget for more had the good fortune to attend many sessions about
paper and provided his or her own calculators, young people from hard places. I have been fortunate
batteries, and classroom pencils. When I helped enough to attend Trust Based Relational Intervention
put away supplies, I noticed that the students (TBRI) trainings developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis. I
were taking the batteries from the calculators. The also have the good fortune to be an active member of
teachers told me this was because they could use Delta Kappa Gamma. I began to pull my resources
the batteries at home. AAA batteries were needed together and talk with my fellow DKG members.

48 · Volume 88-2