FERPA: the challenges of living where you work

We are to be reflecting on the 10 themes of SS, what they mean for K-8 learners in terms of promoting higher-order thinking, and what we have learned thus far. I am going to be quick on that and then talk about something that happened recently. 

 

What I have learned is that we may be failing our students when it comes to SS. As many of you have pointed out, SS and Science often share weekly times slots with those intervals being split by rotating days (and not each day but perhaps only a few days) each week. What does this mean for achieving our standards and encouraging higher-order thinking? It means we must be creative in making connections for students; we must incorporate SS curriculum into other content areas. 

While not promoting higher-order thinking, one of the ways I expanded our time with the topic of community was by incorporating the theme in our math and literacy centers each day. This was done through the use of manipulatives at different stations which had images of various helpers (e.g., letter recognition involved visuals of fire station tools, rhyming had visual of sanitation tools and garbage trucks, rulers with the image of stacked stamps to measure various envelope and box pictures were utilized in a math station, etc.). I did additional front loading by dedicating the read-alouds the week before to books on different community helpers.

 

This topic, coupled with the age of my students, made bringing it into additional content areas relatively easy. It would certainly require more time and effort at the higher grades but it can be done through incorporating books such as A Long Walk to Water for ELA while the SS block discusses People and Places, Conflict and Cooperation, Science/Technology/Society, or one of the other themes (maybe STEAM or Science work on learning about and developing tools to access or to produce clean water). Our learners need to leave school as adept problem-solvers; SS is an excellent content area to aid this goal. Coordinating with colleagues in other content areas would ensure SS benchmarks are being met while giving students multiple opportunities to explore questions such as, how do we balance the world's resources with wants and needs or why are there conflicts in the world and what is our role in it? But this requires that building planning time lend itself to these collaborative conversations. And that seems like a different hurdle for a different blog.

 

On to the other topic….

 

Last weekend I went to my neighbors’ final football game of the season with my crew. My own kids are all close in age and just happen to be one right behind the other in their grades: two kids in 4^th, one in 3^rd, and the youngest in 2^nd. Having a social connection to most of the parents in our school is not a stretch because of this. Living on a small lane with a combined twelve kids ages 3-10 among us, I couldn’t escape social connections even if I was so inclined.

 

While at the game a parent approached me and asked how the year was going. To which I replied with the expected good-natured response. They then proceeded to offer how a close friend of theirs (the kind they enjoy weekly playdates and family weekends away with) was so thrilled I was working with their child this year, elaborating how hard it has all been to watch. Compliments or appreciations are always nice to hear, right? And I understand that this friend sees and knows this child, in ways I may never. But here is where it gets a little tricky. I am stuck. I cannot really comment, can I? Regardless of what may have been shared between these friends, the moment I share anything, I am violating FERPA (this goes for any student, of course, those with and those without IEPs). 

 

So, what do you do? You can try to navigate away from the comment OR the conversation just ends. Given my partiality to avoid small talk, conversations frequently just end. So, with an awkward smile and bizarre ummm, die it did. 

 

Parents of students without additional needs may not have the same understanding of and appreciation for FERPA. So, while I may come across as awkward or unfriendly even, it is just something you accept as part of your role as an educator. 

 

Here’s to protecting the dignity of all students even when you might be perceived as socially inept.