School’s Out for Summer 2.0: Week 6

 The holiday festivities have fizzled and and things are beginning to ramp up for back to school. This week let’s do a temperature check! Since school has been out we are at least halfway through summer vacation. School will be starting back soon for many of us. So how has your summer vacation been so far? What have you done with your child? What have you learned about yourself and your child during conversations? What successes have you achieved in your relationship with your child? Let us know because we want to celebrate your successes!

The teacher tips over the last five weeks have focused on how to reduce summer learning loss, actively engage with your child, and foster healthy relationships. Many of the tips shared were simple enough to implement immediately and could produce results pretty quickly. Board games, online games/websites, reading to your child, questioning, etc. Set the expectation for what work should be done and when. Follow-up to hold them accountable for doing the work as instructed to maintain structure and continue the learning process while school is out. When you think about your children, your interactions, and relationship goals being intentional is the best way to get the results you desire. Taking intentional steps daily when interacting with your children will help. What do you desire to see in your relationship? What steps should you take to get there?

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Dr. Shameika Moment, Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

I am an educator and leader with a variety of experiences in elementary, secondary, and higher education. Community college retention specialist, adjunct faculty, K-8 teacher, parent consultant, tutor, business owner, and author describe positions I hold and aspirations I’m pursuing. I have a passion for helping parents connect with, learn from, and support their children’s academic success and learning. This blog is one of many ventures to provide support for parents as they navigate the course of raising children as a daily responsibility.

School’s Out for Summer 2.0: Week 4

 It’s officially summer now, although since school has been out for weeks or maybe even a month you may have been feeling like summer is well underway. The season of summer is here and the time is now for summer fun in the sun! As you’re enjoying sun, fun, and family be sure to take advantage of teaching and learning activities with your children.

We’re still engaged in the conversation with expert teachers sharing tips to keep your children engaged this summer! The guiding question is: What would you like parents to know and do with their children over the summer to reduce summer learning loss, actively engage their children, and foster healthy relationships? What are some things you do as a parent and a teacher that you think other parents should know and do? Energetic, innovative, and excellent educator Ms. Ashanti Givens shares her tips! Here’s what she said:

Summer reading! We often hear of summer reading that involves narrative text or novels. Your child get familiar with answering the basic comprehension questions: the who, what, when, where, why of a text. However, we would like to see students think critically by determining author’s purpose and utilizing reading skills to compare various text and exposure to new vocabulary.

Additionally, many of our students struggle with reading informational or expository text. A simple activity that helps with this is reading menus, recipes, maps, etc. When reading menus or recipes get them in the kitchen cooking with you. What a great way to foster relationships. Parents can even allow children to do math by figuring out how to double a recipe. 

Children may enjoy reading manuals to video games to help them go to the next level on a game. Reading biographies or short news articles about current events is a great way to have students read about current issues happening in the world and parents can turn that into conversations with their children. Another thing is have your child justify their answers using evidence from the text. For example, using sentence frames such as .. In the text it says “blank” so that could mean “blank.” Or I know this is the answer because “blank.” This helps students use text dependent questions as well as speak using complete sentences. 

Activities that keep children thinking and reading will eliminate the loss of knowledge over summer breaks. Don’t wait to implement these practical tips for academic success and relationship building with your children!

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Dr. Shameika Moment, Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

I am an educator and leader with a variety of experiences in elementary, secondary, and higher education. Community college retention specialist, adjunct faculty, K-8 teacher, parent consultant, tutor, business owner, and author describe positions I hold and aspirations I’m pursuing. I have a passion for helping parents connect with, learn from, and support their children’s academic success and learning. This blog is one of many ventures to provide support for parents as they navigate the course of raising children as a daily responsibility.

School’s Out for Summer 2.0: Week 3

 School’s out and things are heating up everywhere regarding the weather, etc. The conversation continues with expert teacher advice to keep your children engaged this summer! The guiding question is: What would you like parents to know and do with their children over the summer to reduce summer learning loss, actively engage their children, and foster healthy relationships? What are some things you do as a parent and a teacher that you think other parents should know and do?

Creative and enthusiastic teacher Ms. Melanie Chapman shares her tips! Here’s what she said: Read a lot! A lot of students don’t understand the importance and power of reading and how it fosters into multiple areas of learning. Libraries have summer reading programs that challenge children and parents to get involved in reading together. Math games and board games are always a fun way to maintain math learning. Younger kids will just think they are having fun with family all while building math skills and strategies. As a teacher, I always look for hands on and engaging activities for my students. Parents there are internet based fun and free options available. It’s helpful to know what type of learner your child is to gear the activities towards what works best for them. Some children like to move, others like to listen it really just depends on learning styles. Math facts practice and disconnect with some non-electronics time.

Remember that you reproduce who you are not just what you say. The example you live before your children is pretty much what they become. Take some time to examine your life and the things you say. Is your life aligned with your words? Do you like what you see in your own life and that of your children? If you you answered no to either question, please know that it’s not too late to make the necessary changes. You can do this and know that you are not alone. It’s not about perfection, but rather being the best you that you can be through daily progress.

I’m finalizing the learning style assessment I developed. In the meantime, here’s some links that can help determine your child’s learning style:  http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles.shtml
http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-learning-styles-quiz
http://www.howtolearn.com/learning-styles-quiz/ (you have to give them your e-mail)

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Dr. Shameika Moment, Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

I am an educator and leader with a variety of experiences in elementary, secondary, and higher education. Community college retention specialist, adjunct faculty, K-8 teacher, parent consultant, tutor, business owner, and author describe positions I hold and aspirations I’m pursuing. I have a passion for helping parents connect with, learn from, and support their children’s academic success and learning. This blog is one of many ventures to provide support for parents as they navigate the course of raising children as a daily responsibility.

Spring Edition: Week 5

 Spring is always marked by the observance and celebration of Good Friday & Easter Sunday, among other observances. Considering newness, I’m curious to your progress with spring cleaning. What have you accomplished? What still has to be done? There is light at the end of the tunnel for clearing out the old, making room for the new, and organizing it all. What’s your plan to conquer it all?

I have done many things these last few weeks, including spring cleaning, changing, and rearranging. During this time, I have reflected on new opportunities and those that have passed as well. Today, I thought about ants and their work ethic. They do so much, in spite of their size. Ants don’t allow shadows and the fear of being crushed or overlooked get in the way of what they have to accomplish. They don’t do it alone either, think about their colony and how they work together. How much can we learn from ants in relation to the endless possibilities and all that has been set before us daily? How much do we complain about our task list? How much do we rehearse the problems in our lives? How solution focused are we? Who do we have supporting our efforts? Who are we in turn providing support for?

Think about the things you would like to see changed in your life and those of your children and families. What can you to do begin the process of change and transformation today? What calculated, intentional moves can you make daily to get closer to the realization of what you’re believing to change? Think about the time we spend rehearsing the problem and then think how much closer you could be to a solution if you spent that same time putting something into action. If the ideas and plans are there in your mind, you can make them a reality by adding corresponding action to bring them to pass. It will be a journey, but there’s a path of discovery in the process. Embrace and enjoy the journey!

CHALLENGE: The newness of life and endless opportunity is what Good Friday & Easter Sunday are all about for me! What do they mean to you? Educate yourself and pass on the knowledge to your children. Tell them the reason why they get this Friday out of school. Share your status updates, the Easter conversation, and any tips with all of us here!

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Dr. Shameika Moment, Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

I am an educator with a variety of experiences in elementary, secondary, and higher education. Community college retention specialist, adjunct faculty, K-8 teacher, parent consultant, tutor, business owner, and aspiring author. I have a passion for helping parents connect with, learn from, and support their children’s academic success and learning. This blog is one of many ventures to provide support for parents as they navigate the course of raising children as a daily responsibility.

Spring Edition: Week 4

 Spring is in full effect! Now that you’ve done your spring cleaning at the house, we have to do some spring cleaning in ourselves and our relationships with our children. What conclusions have you come to about what type of adult you want your child to be? Did you know those conclusions guide your actions to develop them now into the type of person they’re going to be later in adulthood?

Parents with low expectations, making excuses for their child’s performance in academics, relationships, sports, hobbies, extracurricular activities, life…This attitude contributes to a lifestyle of mediocrity and an entitlement mentality. Children today, adults tomorrow, looking for people to make excuses for them, accept their excuses, and lower standards to meet them where they are, rather than rising to the occasion. Provoke your children to come up higher, to be the standard. Raise the standard by changing your conclusions about your children and your desires for them. Remind yourself that their greatest competition is themselves and daily we should strive to become better versions of ourselves with each step we take.

So, what’s next? Engage in conversation with your child about habits, goals, and things that you’ve observed. What’s their character like? Better yet, take a look in the mirror and take an inventory of your character, habits, goals, and ask your child their observations about you. This can be an eye opening experience, don’t allow fear to keep you from digging deep to confront those things that may have been hindering you. Confront yourself and deal with those blemishes that surface. Your ability to overcome your personal challenges and be vulnerable with your children is a demonstration of your character. Be the example and identify some conclusions that may need to be changed, so that your outcomes can be different.

As always, your feedback is welcomed and appreciated! Let me know how the conversation is going within yourself and with your children. What did you learn? What can you share to help someone else out? I look forward to hearing from you!

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Dr. Shameika Moment, Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

I am an educator-adjunct faculty & K-8 teacher, parent advisor, tutor, business owner, and aspiring author. I have taught students in K-12, inside the classroom and in the community from general education to social skills development. I have a passion for helping parents connect with, learn from, and support their children’s academic success and learning. This blog is one of many ventures to provide support for parents as they navigate the course of raising children as a daily responsibility.

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New Year! New You?: Week 2

 The new year is really in full effect now! What have you done to plan and prepare for all that lies ahead in 2015? What is your vision for 2015 and how do you plan to get there? What goals have you set for you and your family? I know, I know, so many questions!

Thinking about the new year gives us the opportunity for a new start. Sometimes we use the new year as an opportunity for a clean slate, so to speak. Which means that we may tend to scrap all those good things that were working on last year. Please don’t forget about those things. You can incorporate those things into your 2015 plan. So pump your brakes and don’t throw it all away because a new year has started. Think about some of the things that you want to see different in your life. Were some of those things a work in progress last year as well? If so, keep doing those things in 2015!

Health is normally a big ticket focus for the creation of “resolutions.” Have your resolutions been the same in years past? If so, it may be time to take a different approach. Get others involved who have the same or similar goals. When thinking about healthy lifestyle changes and choices it may be a good idea to make it a family affair. If you want to eat healthier, involve your family in meal planning, grocery shopping, and meal preparation. This is a great opportunity for family bonding! Commitment and accountability are core elements to achieving your goals and fulfilling your “resolutions.” Let’s make the commitment to becoming a better version of ourselves this year! Let this be the best year yet for you and your family!

CHALLENGE: As a family share your vision and goals with one another. These can be done over dinner or at a “family meeting.” Brainstorm and discuss strategies for supporting one another in achieving those goals. Share one of the strategies you developed.

Resources: The new year sometimes brings with it a desire to know why you’re here on earth and what you’re called to do. A great resource to help you discover your purpose is Rick Warren’s book, Purpose Driven Life. This 40 day journey can be done with a spouse, friend, your teenager, or your entire family. Make this life changing journey a family affair!  http://purposedriven.com/books/pdlbook/#purpose

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Dr. Shameika Moment, Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

I am an educator, parent advisor, tutor, business owner, and aspiring author. I have taught students in K-12, inside the classroom and in the community from general education to social skills development. I have a passion for helping parents connect with, learn from, and support their children’s academic success and learning. This blog is one of many ventures to provide support for parents as they navigate the course of raising children as a daily responsibility.

Christmas Edition: Week 1

 Holiday cheer is all around! No matter where you are, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Shopping, decorations, cookie & ornament exchanges, holiday parties, family, travel arrangements, presents, Christmas trees, and the list goes on and on. I almost overwhelmed myself just writing that sentence and that list is not all inclusive by any means! So, I can only imagine how some of you must feel juggling it all. I want to encourage you to continue the implementation of the 3 C’s of Parenting: Communication, Cooperation, & Care. Your consciousness concerning them will be helpful during this time to help ease the stress and frustration that the holidays sometimes bring.

Communicate your needs and listen to those of your child to diffuse and reduce tension. This goes beyond your parent-child relationship and applies to all of your relationships. The holidays can be a joyous time by choosing to celebrate the loved ones you have, both far and near. If you’ve lost a loved one, I encourage you to communicate and share the memories and find peace. Communication will serve you well during this holiday season.

Cooperation can be exercised through working together on decorating, shopping, preparing for guests, and any other activities that you can do with your children. Making decisions together can promote harmony and unity amongst the family. This will help contribute to an increasingly joyous holiday season. Especially considering all of the out of school time they’ll have.

Care can be demonstrated by ensuring you are protecting your child from hurt, harm, and danger. Sometimes during the holidays we are less involved, especially since schools out. Or our children are exposed to concepts, ideas, or people (some are family members) whom are much different than the values, beliefs, and what we teach. We have to be careful that we are monitoring our child’s activities on the internet, social media, and television programs. These outlets can influence your child greatly and change their behaviors in a short period of time. I encourage you be mindful of these influences and be present to exercise a level of care to ensure you remain your child’s greatest influence. You have enough to deal with considering all of the outside forces that try to infiltrate and negatively influence your child. Exercise care when exposing your children to things that you cannot control and be prepared to have a discussion about them so your child understands and can discern the difference between right and wrong as they grow and develop.

Capitalize on the out of school time this holiday season by being with your child, taking advantage of the teaching moments, demonstrating what you expect from them, and being mutually accountable. While I’m sure you’d love to take a parenting break, that’s never really an option. Enjoy your time while remembering your parenting responsibility to love, teach, develop, encourage, discipline, etc., etc., etc.

CHALLENGE: Parents I encourage you to talk to your child about the holidays and upcoming festivities that you all will be participating in. Having this discussion can help you ease any concerns they may have about any of the aforementioned topics. I look forward to your feedback!

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Dr. Shameika Moment                                                                                                                          Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

I am an educator, parent advisor, tutor, business owner, and aspiring author. I have taught students in K-12, inside the classroom and in the community from general education to social skills development. I have a passion for helping parents connect with, learn from, and support their children’s academic success and learning. This blog is one of many ventures to provide support for parents as they navigate the course of raising children as a daily responsibility.