Social Capital: Essentials of Cool

Social capital is the reservoir from which we derive confidence and dignity in social situations. Consider a typical social situation in your life and the accompanying comfort or discomfort, and then consider what you do to use or relieve the feeling of the moment: that is the upkeep or mathematics of social capital. Like currency we use certain rhetoric, body language, and eye contact to communicate a certain status and proportional comfort level. These interactions are done so quickly but the aftermath finds people behaving in a manner consistent with the status they expressed or in a manner betraying a dissatisfaction with the status arrived at.

In order to restrict demonstrations of domination we must recognize and celebrate the inalienable dignity of all people. Without such recognition those people in the 'out-group' will find themselves demonstrated against. And in order to teach lessons of dignified life we must discredit the supremacy of competition (the fundamental rationale for dominating others). Social interfaces are typically played out through competition or cooperation. Competition ought to equal a subtraction sign whereas cooperation ought to equal an addition sign in the mathematics of social science.

Second Thoughts about CcTC Classroom Management

In order to create and maintain a positive learning culture in any school environment, teachers must condition their students to certain educational potentials, including but not limited to: critical thinking, cooperation, and empowerment (student production of solution to their own problems). In order to accomplish such a magnificent feat a criteria of objectives must be established so as to check progress against a certain rubric. Since starting at CcTC I have seen only partial preparation of classroom management, therefore, there are questions which remain to be answered that can help to bridge the lapse in principle and practice seen in the classrooms and begin to arrange the criteria for success. The following questions permit clarity of purpose, potential dialogue, and cohesion amongst the team of teachers working to maintain that positive learning culture as goals are clearly known and understood as the questions begin to be answered and more generally explored. Such consistent optimization by teachers would also help to prepare students for future educational ventures and might even double as a management technique. In other words, the positive learning culture would create an environment in which students would be occupied, entertained, and engaged, thereby reducing the strain of managing them for the teacher. In such a way, the role of the teacher would cease to be disciplinarian and become facilitator. This transformation is easier said than done.

This rubric then must begin with fundamental questions and answers. The answers then will function as guides for practitioners to create those positive learning cultures for each student. So, what do young students need besides discipline, and how do we embrace these essential lessons in the classroom? In my estimation, besides discipline CCTC students need collaborative work in order to teach the value of working with others, and to condition their ability to look beyond their own analysis and ask for help from peers. Second, they must learn self-regulation in order to manage their disruptive behaviors. And they need to learn how to express their emotions without a tantrum, this can easily be seen as both a practical social skill and a personal therapeutic skill.

I would also have hopes for making a slight curriculum change, if the students were well enough disciplined, to incorporate critical thinking skills appropriate for pre-kindergarten students. Perhaps limiting the expectations of the students to just being capable of recognizing differences between images represented pictorially.

What will become impossible to ignore, though, are the students who so demonstratively resist such an educational protocol. What strategy can be employed to teach disruptive students the value of education and a motive to cooperate with the teacher.

The reality is impossible to ignore that many students benefit from additional instruction in these critical areas of education: cooperation, self-regulation, and critical thinking. In order to accomplish this task of optimizing classroom culture, strategies must be designed and practiced. Redesigning, dialoging, and altering plans is a necessity. Teachers should expect resistance from students.

Abandoned?

A shine of light reaches my back corner
and in a flash meaning reaches my mind.
Testament to loves infinite isolation
and hates awful contamination.

I will myself up in this glorious light
patient, thinking of the time I spent last night
It is difficult to teach: the strength and wisdom of trees
standing alone in the winter with absolutely no leaves.

My search takes me deep into mental starvation
where power is held rather than given
but once I reach the nexus, the center of my dreams,
I now hope to know exactly what they mean.
They mean the same as the light and the dark.
They mean my hopes lie in the action of love not hate.

Do not act out of petty contempt
Instead reach deep and see the strength, by which you were sent.
And see your future like waves unshaken
In deeds you are the one who makes it.

Michelle

A simple woman
Tears fall, smiles beam, words are spoken hot
men are bent, women know you
Family embraces with toothless grins, loud shouts heard
Don't buy the lovely death
It's not your dress, it fits perfect
Tears fall, laughter resounds
Bodies pull apart, eyes touch, chests warm
talks of God, talks of watercolor
Be careful
A simple woman

A Wish to the Female God Within

Time to pay close attention
to the past.
Freedom is a distant father.
Many live between me and he.
Standing above us with fear they
look at the women demanding
space to freedom.
Demand it lover!

Hold your voice because others
will ask to sell your muscle.
Love this time of silence
because, believe me, it doesn't
last.

She Shines like Rivers of Souls

Good bodies move like authentic radicals.
Radicals do not acquire radicalism through stones pulled wide.
Radicals grow through sunny bloody.
Love moves through blood woven past corners of heat and fire.
Branded and forged by men strong like the steely fingers of bridges
bridging oceans of black love.

Sun pushes through red clouds loaded with life giving tears.
Questions face that same man.
Pull close because answers aren't just needed they are demanded.
They are the steely fingers holding that man of flesh and blood together.
Babylon is nothing compared to him.

Mournful Meals Together: Come Together

Today at work I sat forward
Looking ahead I played and worked
to the Jazz playing and working
In my mind.
That was around the time I took note
of my young charge charging.
An interruption pulling at
my eyes,
side to side --over and over--
my eyes follow his moves to the silver spoon in his
tattered hands.

I'm just trying to get payed
HA!!!!
But this man-child
so packed with frustration lost his eyebrows down low
and uses his voice to tear down
all connecting lines.
He has no regard for no-nobody.

The heat rises from the terrible floor
his bottom heats up
He fires ahead.
No help!
His hand pushes through sleepy
terrors
Push! Push!
Fed up are we
Fed up are we