It Takes a Village

            I’ve always questioned the phrase “it takes a village” when referring to raising a child until now. I thought it was melodramatic to infer that a child required so many different people to raise them but looking back on my own experiences I realize how wrong I was. Two parents are not enough to raise a healthy child and one teacher is not enough to educate a child either. Education requires a community effort from teachers to coaches, counselors, friends, and parents. Everyone that is in the child’s life has an effect on not only their wellbeing but their education as well. By forming a supportive environment for each and every child, we can reduce all sorts of conditions such as behavioral problems, anxiety, and depression. These conditions distract students from the material we are trying to teach and become the central focus of the their young lives. With a community of support, each student will have somewhere to go to get answers or someone to talk to about their problems so when it comes time to learn something in the classroom, they are ready and willing. It also adds to the point that many of the UTEC students referred to: it will show them we care. By providing support for our students, we can show them that we care about their wellbeing and what is going on in their lives.

            Support is sometimes a tricky thing to provide. The simplest way to provide support for someone is listening. All it takes sometimes are open ears to help someone. It can also mean being available after school, playing games with students at lunch, attending games, or participating in community events such as bake sales. It may also mean bringing in breakfast to a morning class or setting aside time each week to discuss real world issues. For example, the Trayvon Martin case has been all over the news lately and has caused quite a stir across the country in regards to race and the justice system. Teenagers, the same age as Martin, may not know how to feel about these events and require a safe environment to discuss them. Opening up a weekly class discussion about big and small events in the students live will not only help them form their own support system but it will encourage them to speak up.

            I was lucky growing up. I had a wonderful support system in place long before I entered school. I had an educated and caring mother along with a few great friends and a big family. My mother was involved with town politics when I was twelve. Due to her public status, I was always asked about school or horseback riding or just my day. Police officers and firefighters would frequently wave to me or buy me a coffee in the morning. Since my mother became engaged in the town and even the school, I also became involved in the town. My town also published the honor roll in the paper each term. Every time my name appeared in the paper, I would hear congratulations for a week. Everyone was involved in not only my schooling but my wellbeing as well. It was definitely a very positive environment to grow and learn in.