By Tansy Ackermann
I met Emily “Blank” Merton in person the night of Friday, March 11th. (She doesn’t have a middle name: I love to give her a hard time about that.) She arrived on a big yellow school bus, straight from DFW, in the Waco High School parking lot along with 20 other exhausted German teenagers. We took her home, let her get settled in, and we’ve been exploring Waco ever since.
Emily is my GAPP (German American Partnership Program) exchange partner. The foreign exchange program with our counterparts in Kerpen, Germany, began at Richfield High in the 1985 – 1986 school year. When Richfield, Jefferson-Moore and Waco High Schools combined to become what is now known as Waco High, the exchange program kept going at the newly combined high school. Every other year, the German students visit Waco for several weeks, living in the homes of Waco High students while becoming immersed in the Texas culture and attending classes at Waco High. In the summer, the Waco High students reciprocate the visit by traveling to Kerpen to experience life in Germany.
It has been a blast these last few weeks showing Emily around the Heart of Texas, and my home, Waco. We’ve climbed Jacob’s Ladder, walked the river walk and Suspension Bridge, shopped in the Spice Village, laid in the bluebonnets, taken pictures in front of the murals downtown, shopped until we’ve dropped at Central Texas Marketplace and the Richland Mall, but most importantly we’ve eaten some good ole’ Texas home cooking. We’ve done so many fun things together, and I’ve made memories with her that I will cherish for years to come, but my all-time favorite so far was spending Easter with Emily.
Easter is a time to rejoice in the Lord and His grace, fellowship with friends, and eat a whole bunch of candy with your family. This year my Easter was all that and more because I got to experience it with Emily. We started that Sunday morning with my grandmother’s homemade biscuits and gravy with eggs and bacon. Her biscuits are hard to beat, and before I met Emily I thought it was impossible; but seeing someone take their first bite of their first biscuit ever is a delicacy within itself. Then we went to church, and hearing God’s word is magnificent, especially when worshiping with a friend. After church we visited my friend Lexie Field out at her grandparents’ ranch so that Emily and Lexie’s German exchange partner, Lissi, could ride horses, and celebrate Easter at a classic hamburger/hotdog cookout.
We ate too much and laughed too hard when we were supposed to be quiet while hiding Easter eggs for the little kids to hunt all over the property. We watched the little ones stumble trying to carry baskets full of plastic eggs encasing candy that were almost as big as they were. The grand finale to the perfect Easter day was chasing each other with confetti-filled eggs and cracking them on each other’s heads under the Texas sunset. It took us hours to shake the confetti out of our hair and Sunday dresses, but no love was lost because we had good food, good friends and a good God.
The thing that has touched my heart the most during the time I am spending with Emily is the way she talks about the people of Waco. I loved this city before she came to visit, but now that she’s here I have a different kind of appreciation for my home. When Emily meets someone new, the first thing she says to me after meeting them is, “They were so nice.” And they are. People here don’t talk to you because it’s a “common courtesy”, or the “polite” thing to do. People here will talk to you because they have something to say, and they want you to feel welcome. We’re half a world away from Emily’s home in Sindorf, Germany, but Waco has made her feel at home, and that cannot be said for every town in the country, or even Texas. I can’t wait to visit her in Germany this summer, but I know that nowhere else in the world has a heart the size of Waco’s (though the chocolate in Germany might just make up for it).
Tansy Ackermann is a sophomore at Waco High School, the top of her class and has been on the varsity Mock Trial team for 2 years. She is also an active participant in UIL Cross Examination Debate, and extemporaneous speaking. She enjoys reading and the outdoors, and hopes to attend the University of Texas at Austin and graduate to become a prosecuting attorney.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Victoria La Barre
I am a 2015 Waco High School graduate and Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy (GWAMA) alumna. GWAMA is a regional magnet program that provides classes in Welding, Robotics, and Precision Metal Manufacturing. Eleven surrounding school districts participate in the program. From my personal experience, GWAMA provides an amazing opportunity that opens many doors. As a member of the Robotics Academy, I worked through a rigorous curriculum that included electronics and robotics, multiple robotics competitions, and learning 3D printing software. I currently volunteer in the program as a mentor, tutor and instructional assistant.
GWAMA provides instruction that is geared toward hands-on learning styles which are more project-based rather than the regular old pencil, paper, and textbook approach. My senior project was the design and production of a 9-foot animatronic crocodile for Waco High’s production of Tarzan: The Disney Musical, which could snap its jaws and drive through the crowd during intermission.
After graduation, because of the hands on training and experience I received at GWAMA, I was immediately offered jobs at TSquared, Capstone Mechanical, Trane, Sonoco and VanTran. While most people my age were flipping burgers, I spent my summer working in the technical field participating in the manufacturing of high-powered transformers. This allowed me to see firsthand how members of a company team up to take an engineer’s blueprint and turn it into an actual working product. This summer job was a truly electrifying experience.
In my case, the open doors, didn’t stop there! Because of my experience working in 3D printing software, my first semester as a student at McLennan Community College, I was able to design and print a prosthetic leg for Bruno, a dog at the Humane Society. This project, and my previous experience with robotics at GWAMA, also positioned me for acceptance into the Mars Society as a member of crew 167B. This April, the Mars Society will take me and my Mars rover research project through an intensive Mars simulation in the desolate deserts of Utah. I have also been accepted as a NASA Community College Aerospace Scholar, and if my application is accepted, I plan to intern at SpaceX this summer.
GWAMA isn’t only a fantastic program that helps jumpstart its students’ futures, but this program also has recently begun expanding its reach into the community. This past December, the Welding Academy created Star Wars inspired metal sculptures that were on public display at the Hippodrome while Star Wars: The Force Awakens showed at the theatre. GWAMA’s welders and members of the Precision Metal Manufacturing Academy also worked their magic to create the carriage for the musical production of Cinderella at University High School, and developed moveable props for the UHS Mighty Trojan Marching Band’s UIL show.
On the other side of the building, the Robotics Academy has introduced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) to the next generation by mentoring a Lego-League robotics class in Indian Spring Middle School’s after school program. For older students interested in technology, high school girls are always welcome to join the Metallic Clouds, a Girl Scouts sponsored FIRST Robotics Competition team housed at GWAMA. (Contact Joe Rizo, Lead Robotics Mentor, at 512-787-3935 or at [email protected] for more information).
Perhaps the best part of GWAMA’s curriculum is its strong support of its students’ learning. No matter what kind of technology any student is interested in, be it welding, robotics, precision metal, or rocketry, GWAMA offers all its students after-school tutoring – even on Saturdays! GWAMA also highly encourages their students to participate in highly regarded competitions, such as BEST, VEX, FRC, FTC and SkillsUSA in order to buff up students’ resumes. Speaking of resumes, students receive one-on-one interview help and resume editing assistance in preparation for the annual career fair, where students have the opportunity to meet local employers in their respective fields.
All in all, GWAMA has provided a great opportunity for me and several other students from the local region to develop a skill set that prepares us for success in the workplace, and I’m sure the program will continue to inspire its students in the future. I encourage any high schooler to seriously consider joining this program, where the sky is not the limit – it’s the goal!
Victoria La Barre loves robotics and has been on many teams. (BEST, VEX, FRC, FTC and Skills USA) She now mentors a Lego-League robotics team at Indian Springs middle school during their after-school program. She currently pursuing an electrical engineering associates degree at McLennan Community College and plans on either transferring to Texas A&M or Texas Tech University to continue a Masters degree. For more information about GWAMA, including information about how to apply, please visit the website: http://gwama.wacoisd.org/home/
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these Aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Kaleigh Huser
As a junior in high school, I am sorting through those “next step” questions about what type of career I will pursue and where I will attend college. When I was younger, I wanted to be a teacher; I also considered marine biology. As of today, I have abandoned the idea of becoming a professional violinist, but you never know. I very much enjoy theatre and music, and while I can’t say for sure where my interests will lead, I know that I am going to college. I have always known that even if it means drowning in student loans… college is my future. Thanks to Waco voters, I don’t have to worry as much about the student loans. With the approval of the Tax Ratification Election (TRE) I can enroll in classes that will allow me to earn college credit while in high school at no cost to me or my mother.
Prior to this year, high school juniors and seniors were limited to two dual credit classes per semester. The Texas Legislature passed new laws that lifted the limits on the number of dual credit classes a high school student can take and opened up dual credit for underclassmen. This means that incoming freshmen can even get an associate’s degree while in high school should they chose to do so.
I like the structure of the dual credit classes. Expectations are clear, and we are getting experience with college systems. I use Blackboard for notes, grades, handouts, projects, and pretty much everything. I don’t use my planner anymore, because it is all on my phone. When I am talking to my friends who go to school at University of Texas, it feels good to know that I am doing a lot of the same things that they are. When I get there, I will be better prepared thanks to the dual credit experience.
While some high school students qualified for a tuition waiver, my family and many others paid the full MCC tuition. Financial aid is not available for high school students, so taking a full slate of courses can become very expensive over the four years of high school. Next year, I plan to take three to four dual credit classes each semester, which will equal almost three thousand dollars over the school year. With the tuition waiver for all Waco ISD students, I can take the classes without worrying about the financial pressure, and I will enter college with 24 to 30 hours already paid for. If I go to UT, a year of tuition is $9, 346. We are so blessed to have this opportunity! I have friends who do not attend school in Waco ISD, and they are attending the same dual credit classes that I am. They are responsible for tuition, which sometimes limits their options.
If you voted to have your taxes raised or worked to get the TRE passed, thank you for your generosity. I am not just speaking for myself when I say we are honored that you recognized our potential and voted to invest in our future.
Kaleigh Huser is a junior at Waco High School. She is an active member of the Theatre Company, Show Choir, A Capella choir, National Honor Society, and Advanced Academics Student Advisory Board and she plays the violin. Kaleigh is ranked among the top five students in her class, and she spends every waking hour at Waco High or working on projects for classes at Waco High.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
by Marlayna Botello
As a new young professional in the Waco community, I believe it is my responsibility to make sure that students not only receive the opportunity to achieve their dreams, but also that students know they have a mentor there to support and guide them through any adversity that they may face. My professional role as a Project Link Liaison at University high school is to guide students via one on one advising sessions that target academic success and college readiness and via group sessions. I also conduct activities specific to each student’s grade level to properly prepare them for a successful college experience and career choice.
Project Link
Every student deserves an equal chance of succeeding after high school. Project Link is a new grant-funded collaborative effort under the leadership of Tom Stanton, Executive Director of The Rapoport Foundation and Matthew Polk Executive Director of Prosper Waco. This grant is intended to increase college enrollment and success among Waco-area students. Project Link provides an opportunity for students to receive individual guidance beginning in the 9th grade and continuing to the student’s second year of college.
Project Link’s Mission is to create a college going culture by linking Waco-area students to postsecondary education and workforce opportunities. We are devoted to challenging and supporting students to reach their full potential by advocating success through personal discovery, academic growth, and community involvement. To achieve this, Project Link has provided staff at two local high schools, Waco ISD’s University High School (including myself) and LaVega ISD’s LaVega High School as well as staff at MCC and TSTC to ensure that students have a coach and cheerleader from ninth grade through college.
My role is to work with the students at University High school, and it has been such a blessing. These students are beyond determined to make a name for themselves after high school…we just need to give them a chance. Project Link will give our students the push and motivation to complete the college readiness process. We, as Project Link Liaisons, are excited to see where our students end up in life.
Growing Up in Waco
My passion for the Waco Community grows stronger every year that I live and serve in this city. No city will ever match the wonderful people, the unique beauty, and the family feel of Waco, Texas.
I have lived in Waco all of my life, have developed a pride for my city and want to give back in the biggest way possible. I graduated from Waco high school in 2011 and went on to get my bachelor’s from Baylor University December 2014. I am proud of growing up and continuing my journey in Waco.
Growing Up In Waco ISD
I attended all Waco ISD schools from Pre-k to my senior year of high school. I walked the beautiful halls of Dean Highland Elementary School, Lake Air Middle School, and Waco High School. While attending these schools, I discovered that my life in the Waco Independent School District allowed me to explore diverse educational, cultural, and extracurricular opportunities. My eyes were opened to a world of inspiring classmates and educators. At this time in my life I have discovered that I would have never become the individual that I am today without growing up in Waco ISD.
Waco ISD has a very special place in my heart. I believe that the time I spent in Waco ISD revealed the abundance of potential that the young people of this district possess. This experience has inspired me to help our students believe that their life goals and dreams are obtainable and can in fact become a reality.
How Can You Help? Invest In Our Youth Today
If we as a community want change our city, we need to invest our lives in inspiring change in the societal barriers that exist in our education system. I admit, like many others, that at times I find myself getting so caught up in the selfishness of my life that I don’t realize that there are thousands of students that are going to bed hungry, or are working two jobs to support their families in my own city. This is the same city that I take so much pride in. How can we say we are proud when we let things like this happen in our community everyday? Many of us need to think about how we can be a helping hand to the community today. How can we change lives for the better? It starts with our youth. It should be everyone’s priority to invest in our youth to ensure that our city continues to excel.
How can you help today? Step inside the walls of our public schools right now and volunteer. And when you volunteer, don’t only observe our students, but interact with them. Ask them how they are doing. Ask them how classes are going. Ask them about their struggles. I have learned that all our students look for in an adult is someone that cares. Caring creates trust, which will make a big impact in our student’s lives. Why? Because, they aren’t used to that kind of treatment from society. They are not used to being treated like they belong.
Finally, I would ask you consider the misrepresentation of these students, whose daily struggles surpass anything you could ever imagine a 4-18 year old would experience. There is so much work to be done in our community before we can change the world, but it will take the entire community to make these changes.
I am very thankful to be a part of the Project Link Program. The amount of support that we are receiving from other organizations and institutions is just astounding. We are ready to get our students started on the right path to success! You can help make that goal a reality!
Be proud of where you came from and strive to make your home a better place.
Marlayna Botello is a Project Link Liaison at University High School. Born and raised in Waco, Marlayna is a proud graduate of Waco ISD schools and Baylor University. She just purchased her first home and plans to continue to support her Baylor Bears for many years to come! Sic ’em!
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information
By Kelsey Scherer, Child Hunger Outreach Specialist
Since we know that Waco children and families struggle with hunger throughout the school year, we also know that hunger – like any other complex issue inextricably linked to poverty – doesn’t take a summer vacation. That’s why programs like the Summer Food Service Program, which we know locally as free Summer Meals for Kids, are critically important in our community. Waco ISD’s Child Nutrition Services has served free Summer Meals for over twenty years in partnership with school campuses, local churches, and nonprofit organizations, but this year, they’re doing things a little bit differently.
For the first time ever, Waco ISD’s Child Nutrition Services will be launching a new mobile meal program called “Meals on the Bus!” The program will address the longstanding barrier of inadequate access to transportation that has, for many years, been cited as a top reason that children are unable to visit summer meals sites and receive a nutritious meal. By bringing the meals directly to groups of kids at select locations, parents and advocates won’t have to worry about children crossing busy streets or traveling far from home in order to have access to a free lunch.
Two Waco ISD buses have been retrofitted with the collaboration of Waco ISD and STS, and will be fully equipped to serve hot meals to up to 40 children at a time. Children will line up and receive their meals inside the bus, where they will be able to sit in the bus seats and enjoy their meal safely and in the comfort of an air-conditioned space. Targeted stops will include apartment complexes and areas with high densities of children who could benefit from the meal. The site list will be announced soon, but several great partners, including the Waco Public Library System, are on board. Like any traditional Summer Meals site, this program provides limitless potential for partnership with churches, community organizations, state agencies, and others, who have the desire and flexibility to provide summer programming and enrichment to children on-site. Waco ISD will also operate many traditional, non-mobile sites throughout the summer, as always.
This summer, you will also see Waco’s newest child nutrition program sponsor, CitySquare, launching their mobile Food on the Move program in Waco and beyond! The fact that this summer, Waco will be graced with the presence of not one, but two, food sponsors trying out new meal service models speaks to the willingness of groups to collaborate and coordinate services on behalf of Waco children and families. It also reflects the strength of growing efforts to innovate and come up with creative, strategic solutions to challenges within this space. CitySquare has done an excellent job of coordinating dinner meal service to over 900 children daily at participating afterschool programs in Waco since January 2014.
Both of these programs have been in the planning stages for several years, but additional energy, fresh resolve, and technical assistance were brought to the table when the CHAMPS grant, sponsored by National League of Cities (NLC) and Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and funded by the Walmart Foundation, was awarded to the City of Waco’s Parks and Recreation Department. The specific goal of this grant is to increase the number of children who participate in the federally-funded Summer and Afterschool Meals programs, and we have already seen those numbers increase through afterschool meals as a result of the work of this team (of which I am, of course, a totally unbiased member). I am thrilled that our city is being proactive in launching a new model for meal service that has potential to positively impact the wellbeing of children, teens, and families. I am encouraged that we have already seen similar programs be enormously effective in other Texas communities, and I look forward to helping these leaders try out this model in our own community, tailoring it to the specific needs and desires of our neighbors. I can’t wait to see all that will come of these unique partnerships, and see new partnerships and collaborations formed around these great programs.
Keep your eyes peeled for Waco ISD’s “Meals on the Bus!” and CitySquare’s “Food on the Move” serving free Summer Meals to kids and teens ages 18 and under in early June, and an advertising campaign beginning soon. If you want to get involved by supporting a Waco ISD or CitySquare site through volunteers and activities for kids, or helping spread the word, please contact Kelsey Scherer at [email protected] or 254-300-7801.
Kelsey Scherer blogs for Act Locally Waco about Food Security and related issues. She is a Child Hunger Outreach Specialist at Texas Hunger Initiative’s Waco Regional Office. Kelsey is also a team member for the CHAMPS grant. The CHAMPS project aims to equip city leaders, anti-hunger groups, and the broader community to more effectively combat child hunger with the help of summer and afterschool meal programs.
The flyer said: “Back-2-School Jam! – School uniforms, backpacks, and supplies for kids who need them! Entertainment and free food provided! Pre-registration costs $3.” When I arrived at 8:00 a.m. — an hour early — to set up the Act Locally Waco tent, there were already plenty of families waiting. At 9:00 a.m. Pastor Gaylon Foreman from Carver Park Baptist Church blessed us with a word of prayer, and a long line of parents and kids began to wind its way past tables stacked with donated pencils, and glue sticks, and backpacks, and all the other supplies a kid needs to start the school year. 
I’m not good at estimating crowds, but it seemed like we saw about a thousand kids by lunch time. I am talking about every possible variety of kid – girl, boy, Black, White, Brown, tall, short, fat, thin, shy, sassy, happy, grouchy, dirty, clean…each one beautiful. (We took lots of pictures so you can see for yourself if you visit the album on our Facebook page!)
These are not the richest kids. If they were, I imagine they would have been at Target or watching cartoons instead of standing in line in a parking lot on a blessedly “not-as-hot-as-it-could-have-been-in-August” Saturday morning receiving school supplies from nice ladies in bright orange t-shirts. They are not rich financially…but watching them in all their fidget-y, wiggly, sometimes giggly, sometimes whiney, sometimes sleepy, altogether normal “kid-ness”… it nearly made me cry to think how rich they are in potential.
It seemed so simple this morning in the parking lot: We all win if these kids win. We all lose if these kids lose.
Yet somehow it gets much more complicated when we actually have to decide how much of our state’s money we want to spend on education, and which districts are going to get more of that money, and which are going to get less. I’m not so naïve as to think that every problem in our current school system can be solved with more money. Still, the schools with more tend to do better than the schools with less. I think our schools — especially our Waco schools — are “doing a lot with what they’ve got,” and I think more money would help them. 
This morning, as I watched a steady stream of kids walk, or skip, or slouch, or run by …I couldn’t help but think we will all be better off in the long run if these kids live up to their potential. Really good schools make that more likely. I wish that we, as a state, would focus less on the cost of education and more on the return on the investment.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the recently completed session of the 83rd Texas Legislature restored $4 billion of the $5.4 billion it cut from K-12 education in 2011. That’s a start. I hope next time we will replace all the money that has been cut and add more. That’s my hope — and this is, after all, the season of hope — I mean, is there anything in this world more hopeful and full of promise than the beginning of a new school year?
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Many thanks and blessings to Mia Thomas and the folks at Road to Damascus Resource Center and Transition Home for organizing today’s terrific “Back-2-School Bash.”
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This week’s Act Locally Waco blog post is by Ashley Bean Thornton. If you are interested in writing a post for the Act Locally Waco blog, please email [email protected].
By Jodi Terwilliger-Stacey
Waco is the research and technology corridor between Dallas and Austin. It boasts top quality education in science, technology, and engineering at its local colleges and universities – Texas State Technical College (TSTC) (offering students approximately 100 certificate and degree areas), McLennan Community College (MCC) (offering students cutting-edge technology and opportunities for field research), and Baylor University. It’s the home of the Central Texas Research and Technology Park with its most recent project – the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC)! It’s the birthplace of the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy, offering academic programs and workforce readiness in a variety of fields to high school students from local ISDs. Waco’s Drop Back In to School Initiative connects those seeking higher education and better jobs to representatives of these local colleges and universities, as well as representatives of local job readiness programs!
Check out MCC’s LEAP classes (Learning Environment Adaptability Project), serving to develop full-time, first year students’ skills that enable them to adapt to college life and to be successful in their courses of study. LEAP classes teach learning strategies, as well as emotional intelligence skills, such as self-management skills (being motivated and managing one’s time), intrapersonal skills (self-esteem and stress management), leadership skills (problem solving and conflict resolution), and interpersonal skills (managing anxiety and anger and being assertive). LEAP is innovative and broad-spectrum, making MCC a leader in the development of strategies to increase student retention and success in higher education.
Watch for more information about the BRIC’s 45,000 square feet workforce development and training center to be used by TSTC – a BRIC partner. BRIC scientists, engineers, and technicians will be developing technology for BRIC business clients. TSTC Waco faculty will be on site working with those developing the technology and consulting with BRIC clients to design workforce training as products are being developed. Now that’s innovative!
Would you like to join the workforce with a career upon graduating from high school? The Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy will be offering academic programs to high school students from local ISDs in the fields of welding (fall 2013), precision metal manufacturing (fall 2013), brick laying and construction (fall 2014), HVAC (fall 2014), and pipe-fitting (fall 2015)!
Waco is paving the way for its citizens to come back to education, to achieve their higher education goals (certifications, 2-year degrees, and 4-year degrees), and to begin careers in a variety of science and technology fields where workforce needs are greater. Waco is connecting the dots among industry leaders, the STEM community (science, technology, engineering, and math), college and university faculty, and other leaders in workforce training. By doing so, there’s only one direction for Waco – FORWARD.
This week’s post was written by Jodi Terwilliger-Stacey. Jodi founded the Low Income Families In Transition (L.I.F.T) workshops at First Baptist Church in Waco and worked at the Greater Waco Community Education Alliance as a community resources specialist. She and her family now live in Colorado, but she still has a warm spot in her heart for Waco. If you are interested in writing occasionally for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ashley Thornton at [email protected] .
By Ashley Bean Thornton
I was lucky enough to get a tour of the BRIC (the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative) a few weeks ago. It is inspiring! As an old English major I love the symbolism of the BRIC, representing our hopes for a prosperous future, rising from the ruins of the Old General Tire building, an artifact from our economic past. As an old English major I also feel compelled to say one more thing: I have seen the future, and the future is – math.
With the WISD Advanced Manufacturing Academy, TSTC and the BRIC we have a nice little conveyor belt developing for moving our young people into good paying high tech jobs. The ticket to get on that conveyor belt is a decent ability to do math.
Waco needs to be a math town. I need to be a math cheerleader! This is a new role for me. (Did I mention I was an English major?) I may not be able to do much to help make Waco the math capital of the Southwest, but I can change the way I talk about math to the kids I know.
From now on when I hear a kid say, “I hate math.” Instead of saying, “I know, I hate math too.” I’m going to say, “Math was hard for me too, but it feels good when you finally figure it out; it gets kind of fun if you stick with it.”
When I hear a kid saying, “I’m dumb in math.” Instead of saying, “I know! Math stinks! Let’s eat ice cream.” I’m going to say, “It’s probably not that you are dumb in math; you probably need more practice. Nobody is that good at it at first. You’ll get better the more you practice.”
Yes, I know a kid’s success in math depends more on her teachers and her parents and probably a jillion other things than on my little pep talks. But, it is something I can do, and I’m going to do it. Join me? We’ll think of something more significant to do later, but we can at least do this. As an old English major I believe the words we speak into our young people make a difference. Go math!
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