In this captivating episode, we were joined by the insightful Teri Wilson, who shared valuable strategies for boosting student engagement through innovative programming and the use of cultural capital. The discussion centered around practical advice for site directors and educators looking to integrate youth voices in their planning process, ensuring that activities are both educational and enjoyable.
Key Takeaways:
- Maintain Educational Goals: Always keep the core message or educational objective intact while making activities fun and engaging.
- Use Trends and Social Media: Leveraging current trends and social media content can make learning more relatable and appealing to students.
- Student Engagement: Encouraging student involvement in planning ensures activities are relevant and interesting to them.
- Role of Innovation: Innovation should wrap around core educational goals, making them stand out and capture students' attention.
- Practical Tips: Utilize resources like Pinterest, engage directly with students for feedback, and don't be afraid to test new ideas.
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:04 <v Teri>We are doing an injustice by not preparing them for real world experiences.
00:00:04 --> 00:00:08 <v Teri>So we're either doing things for them or shielding them from things.
00:00:08 --> 00:00:29 <v Teri>And I'm not saying expose them to all kinds of crazy things Lord knows they're exposed to enough but really having those conversations, having that exposure, teaching them of how to deal with stuff, because right now they're going to TikTok and Instagram on how to deal with conflict or they're watching their shows and loving hip hop and how to deal with conflict and that's not the proper way of going about it.
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 <v Teri>That's not real life.
00:00:35 --> 00:00:37 <v J. Lee>Hello, hello everyone.
00:00:37 --> 00:00:42 <v J. Lee>Welcome to School After Hours podcast, where we talk about all things related to out-of-school time programming and education.
00:00:42 --> 00:00:46 <v J. Lee>I am your host, jaylee, and we have the wonderful Terri Wilson here with us.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:47 <v J. Lee>She is an out-of-school time programming and education.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:48 <v J. Lee>I am your host, jaylee, and we have the wonderful Terri Wilson here with us.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:49 <v J. Lee>She is an out-of-school time program professional.
00:00:49 --> 00:01:00 <v J. Lee>She has done a lot of things, from assisting in programs to helping build curriculum for programs, so she has a lot of knowledge and she's also on the administrative side of out-of-school time programming.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:04 <v J. Lee>But I'll go ahead and give her a chance to give you all that information in a moment.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:10 <v J. Lee>So, as we go ahead and get started, let's go ahead and welcome our guest, ms Terry Wilson.
00:01:10 --> 00:01:12 <v J. Lee>Hi, terry, how are you?
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 <v Teri>Hello, I am great.
00:01:14 --> 00:01:14 <v Teri>How are you?
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 <v J. Lee>I'm doing well, so I get a little bit about.
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 <v J. Lee>You, know what you do and I shared it with the people.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:20 <v J. Lee>But go ahead and spill this tea.
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 <v J. Lee>Go ahead and tell the folks who you are and what you do.
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 <v Teri>Sure, so my name is Terry Wilson.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:48 <v Teri>My official role is Program Manager Youth Development at United Way of Greater Houston, slash Out to Learn, which is one of the out-of-school time intermediaries in Houston, and so, aside from that, I also have my own consulting business called Teak Consulting, where I offer professional development and training, creating solutions for problem solving.
00:01:48 --> 00:02:01 <v Teri>We do curriculum writing, any type of guest speaking, events, nonprofit management, program management, grant management, all the things that kind of help you run a well-rounded program.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:11 <v Teri>About my background I'm almost 15 years in the game, which sounds crazy to say, but I've done a variety, from, you know, being a frontline staff to running my own program.
00:02:11 --> 00:02:23 <v Teri>Now I'm on the administrative side and I've done it in a variety of settings, from rural to suburban and urban, and middle school, high school, elementary, all of the things.
00:02:23 --> 00:02:25 <v Teri>All of the things I like to say I know a little something.
00:02:27 --> 00:02:28 <v J. Lee>A little.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:29 <v J. Lee>You know a lot of something.
00:02:29 --> 00:02:31 <v Teri>A little bit of something.
00:02:33 --> 00:02:37 <v J. Lee>So, terry, I know we talked about this a little bit in Tell Us your Story.
00:02:37 --> 00:02:47 <v J. Lee>For those of you that do not catch our Tell Us Our Story, those are posted on our newsletter, when we send them out monthly, about our guests that we're going to be having on the show.
00:02:47 --> 00:02:52 <v J. Lee>So if you have not signed up for our newsletter, go ahead, go to the show notes or go to the description below.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:56 <v J. Lee>Sign up for our newsletter so you know a little bit more about our guests and what they do.
00:02:56 --> 00:03:04 <v J. Lee>But, um, in the, in that sense of starting off in youth development, what was your pull to youth development and what did you want to do?
00:03:13 --> 00:03:13 <v Teri>My pull.
00:03:13 --> 00:03:14 <v Teri>I think it's really just the impact.
00:03:14 --> 00:03:15 <v Teri>I live by a model of be the person that you needed growing up.
00:03:15 --> 00:03:20 <v Teri>I really try to make sure that I embody that in everything I do, and I remember just me.
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 <v Teri>I was pretty smart growing up.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:27 <v Teri>I was in the AP classes, but they didn't really let me be in the creative classes.
00:03:27 --> 00:03:28 <v Teri>I'm also very creative.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:33 <v Teri>I'm probably more known for my creativity now than my book sense in a way.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:39 <v Teri>So I didn't get to experience a lot of the creativeness of being in an after school program.
00:03:39 --> 00:03:52 <v Teri>I was always on the math teams, the reading teams, all of that, and so what really just kind of pulled me into it is just creating a space where you could be but and so you can do more than one thing.
00:03:52 --> 00:04:12 <v Teri>You can be smart, you can get your academics, your studying, your tutoring, but also be exposed to other creative things, because we're all multifaceted, we all have other layers to us, and so that's really kind of my focus is to help others kind of pull that in and create experiences for kids where it supports them academically, because that is the basis of it.
00:04:12 --> 00:04:17 <v Teri>Everybody wants to make sure the kids are getting the grades and the scores, but we want them to have fun.
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 <v Teri>We want them to be exposed to other stuff too.
00:04:19 --> 00:04:20 <v Teri>Who knows?
00:04:20 --> 00:04:26 <v Teri>We might be teaching them how to play guitar and they become the top guitarists around the world.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:40 <v Teri>You never know what what that could expose them to or what that could lead them to, and so I think it's really important to create an outlet for them to be able to explore all the factors of them, and so that's really what got me into.
00:04:40 --> 00:04:53 <v Teri>It is because I feel like I always had to choose between being smart and being creative, and there wasn't a space for me to flourish both until I became an adult, and so I really use that as my be the person that I needed.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:59 <v Teri>So I think it's important for people to see people that look like them, a person that looks like them.
00:04:59 --> 00:05:15 <v Teri>I usually have the long, crazy nails too, and so you can do all of that and and be in multiple settings, and so that's really just my drive for doing it and being pulled into youth development is they need to see people with them right, exactly, exactly.
00:05:15 --> 00:05:20 <v J. Lee>representation is important everywhere, um, especially within the education field.
00:05:20 --> 00:05:36 <v J. Lee>So the thing that I have a question about as far as engagement go because, like you said, you're known for your creativity you started some things where you are in Texas, which is great and got great notoriety from the people that use them, so you have a very good focus in student engagement.
00:05:36 --> 00:05:45 <v J. Lee>So my question is like, over time, what have you seen programs do to reengage their students, to keep them involved in programming?
00:05:47 --> 00:05:50 <v Teri>The biggest thing I would say is student voice.
00:05:50 --> 00:06:04 <v Teri>Like right now you have to compete with TikTok and band and dance practice and this and that, or I just want to go home and now kids are wanting to work, I just want to go, get a job and all these things.
00:06:04 --> 00:06:08 <v Teri>So student voice, them having a choice in what they do.
00:06:08 --> 00:06:14 <v Teri>I spoke a lot about me growing up how I didn't get to choose the activities that I participated in.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:16 <v Teri>They were kind of chosen for me.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:24 <v Teri>So the biggest thing that I see, the biggest suggestion I make and I see the greatest engagement or impact, is those that really incorporate student voice.
00:06:24 --> 00:06:33 <v Teri>And I'm not talking about letting them pick which paper they write on or if they get to choose between using markers and crayons or what part of the room they sit in.
00:06:33 --> 00:06:39 <v Teri>I mean actually being able to sit and build the curriculum, plan it out, recruit other staff.
00:06:39 --> 00:06:40 <v Teri>Like this is what we want to do.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:43 <v Teri>Okay, let's think about realistically is this something we can do?
00:06:43 --> 00:06:46 <v Teri>And if it doesn't happen, what are we going to do?
00:06:47 --> 00:06:49 <v Teri>and then it also holds an accountability piece.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:56 <v Teri>So when it gets to the not so fun parts or it doesn't give the results that they thought, then it's like, well, let's talk about it.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 <v Teri>Nope, we can't quit now, like this is what you guys said you wanted.
00:06:59 --> 00:07:06 <v Teri>So let's figure out why this isn't working and how we can make it work, and then I think that just gives real world experiences.
00:07:06 --> 00:07:09 <v Teri>Youth these days want to feel like they are having an impact.
00:07:09 --> 00:07:12 <v Teri>They want to feel like somebody is listening to them.
00:07:12 --> 00:07:17 <v Teri>We are doing an injustice by not preparing them for real world experiences.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:21 <v Teri>So we're either doing things for them or shielding them from things.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:42 <v Teri>And I'm not saying expose them to all kinds of crazy things Lord knows, they're exposed to enough but really having those conversations, having that exposure, teaching them of how to deal with stuff because right now they're going to TikTok and Instagram on how to deal with conflict or they're watching their shows and loving hip hop and how to deal with conflict, and that's not the proper way of going about it.
00:07:42 --> 00:07:44 <v Teri>That's not real life.
00:07:44 --> 00:07:54 <v Teri>And if it is real life, it's going to lead to a result that we may not want or that they may not want, and so we've got to be able to relinquish a little bit of control.
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 <v Teri>And control within means that we're comfortable with giving right.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:04 <v Teri>So if you're not comfortable with them making that decision or doing that, then don't give them that control.
00:08:04 --> 00:08:10 <v Teri>But we've got to be able to meet them where they are and to give them experiences that are impactful.
00:08:10 --> 00:08:17 <v Teri>I learned of a term recently, and I want to shout out my friend and colleague, brenny Nichols, about cultural capital.
00:08:17 --> 00:08:20 <v Teri>We've got to be able to give kids cultural capital.
00:08:21 --> 00:08:42 <v Teri>They may not always have the money or the funds to travel across the world or go here or go there, but they have lived experiences that give them something to bring to the table, whether it's they know how to code, switch, they know how to create these videos because me trying to edit some TikTok videos, sometimes I'm like, oh my God, when did it become that hard?
00:08:42 --> 00:08:47 <v Teri>But I could see my cousins who could do it in five, 10 seconds and I'm like, show me how you did that.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:48 <v Teri>But that's cultural capital.
00:08:48 --> 00:08:53 <v Teri>We need to show them that what they do know how to do does have value and it could bring them to the table.
00:08:53 --> 00:09:08 <v Teri>So maybe they didn't study abroad in France and they don't go to their parents' beach house in the summer, but they have the ability to be able to multitask or to rally all of their siblings and cousins and get them in one space.
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 <v Teri>That is a talent and that's cultural capital.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:27 <v Teri>So that is the true gem or magic trick to getting them re-engaged is putting some value in them, helping them see their self-worth and saying that they contribute, they matter, they have a voice and once they're invested, they're going to do the recruitment for you.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:31 <v Teri>They're going to be coming and let you cancel or not do something on there.
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 <v Teri>I'm like why are we not meeting today?
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 <v Teri>When is this session coming back?
00:09:35 --> 00:09:52 <v Teri>So once you really invest and show that you are there for them and want to hear about them, listen to what they say you might be cringing inside about some of the stuff that they tell you, but you just got to be that safe space for them to be able to feel like they can voice and they feel heard and valued.
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 <v Teri>And because they are our future, they are citizens.
00:09:54 --> 00:09:58 <v Teri>You know they may not be able to vote, but they do contribute a lot to the community.
00:09:58 --> 00:10:03 <v Teri>So I give them some value and some say so and how they show up as well.
00:10:03 --> 00:10:04 <v J. Lee>Exactly, exactly.
00:10:04 --> 00:10:06 <v J. Lee>That is a good point.
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 <v J. Lee>So you all give us a moment.
00:10:07 --> 00:10:09 <v J. Lee>We're going to take a quick break.
00:10:09 --> 00:10:12 <v J. Lee>This is a good spot to pause, so I'm very glad that we got into this conversation.
00:10:12 --> 00:10:13 <v J. Lee>We're going to pick it up when we come back.
00:10:13 --> 00:10:20 <v J. Lee>This is your moment to go ahead and get something to drink, grab your chips, go ahead and do your stretch, do whatever it is that you got to do, but don't go.
00:10:20 --> 00:10:27 <v J. Lee>Are you a program director or thinking of starting a program?
00:10:27 --> 00:10:33 <v J. Lee>Maybe you need new curriculum that focuses on character development or technical skills.
00:10:33 --> 00:10:42 <v J. Lee>Maybe you need help establishing effective program logistics to have an impactful program culture or, overall, you just need a program evaluation.
00:10:42 --> 00:10:46 <v J. Lee>Well, school After Hours Consulting is here to help.
00:10:46 --> 00:10:53 <v J. Lee>Contact us at schoolafterhourscom and our contact information is in the show notes.
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 <v J. Lee>Hope to hear from you soon.
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 <v J. Lee>Welcome back to the show.
00:10:56 --> 00:11:07 <v J. Lee>We have the wonderful Ms Terry Wilson on the show sharing with us some tips and tricks about student engagement, how to get these babies involved, but also getting these babies to use their cultural capital and programming.
00:11:07 --> 00:11:12 <v J. Lee>So that leads me to a question that came to mind as you were talking about cultural capital.
00:11:12 --> 00:11:16 <v J. Lee>So, as we're doing all the planning as site directors do.
00:11:16 --> 00:11:22 <v J. Lee>What are some of the things we should consider when we're planning these activities to kind of incorporate that youth voice?
00:11:25 --> 00:11:27 <v Teri>First is the message, the takeaway.
00:11:27 --> 00:11:29 <v Teri>Like what is it that you want them to learn or get?
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 <v Teri>That should be kind of the center.
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 <v Teri>Don't take away from that.
00:11:32 --> 00:11:37 <v Teri>If the goal is help them to increase in math, we want that to still be the goal, right.
00:11:37 --> 00:11:42 <v Teri>So, of course, keep the message or the takeaway there, but also have it fun.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:45 <v Teri>Think about is this something that you want to do or participate in?
00:11:46 --> 00:12:03 <v Teri>I love using this as an example when we have conferences or trainings and they're all day and we have the adults there and you know they're all pumped and engaged in the morning and then they have lunch and then 2, 30 comes and 3, 30 and 4 and the energy goes down.
00:12:03 --> 00:12:08 <v Teri>And then I always like to be like see how you're feeling right now and imagine what your students feel like.
00:12:08 --> 00:12:09 <v Teri>So you've got to make and imagine what your students feel like.
00:12:09 --> 00:12:10 <v Teri>So you've got to make it fun.
00:12:10 --> 00:12:18 <v Teri>And I always love and always try to pick the workshops afterwards that really are high energy or that you know will get the spirits up.
00:12:18 --> 00:12:24 <v Teri>So think about that like would you be bored after being in class, being in meetings all day, having people talk at you?
00:12:24 --> 00:12:30 <v Teri>You just took a long test, and now you got to come and do some more reading, writing, math, like you want to make it fun.
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 <v Teri>So just think about is this something you would want to participate in?
00:12:33 --> 00:12:36 <v Teri>And then engagement we've been talking about that a lot.
00:12:36 --> 00:12:38 <v Teri>That is really important.
00:12:38 --> 00:12:41 <v Teri>Make it fun, do trends, search hashtags.
00:12:41 --> 00:12:50 <v Teri>I always say that's what I used to do when I would make curriculum and search different hashtags and trends and create activities that way.
00:12:50 --> 00:12:55 <v Teri>So make it fun, see what's trending right now, if it's a particular dance.
00:12:55 --> 00:13:02 <v Teri>I just saw a TikTok video focused around a popular rap song right now and they turned it into a morning mantra.
00:13:02 --> 00:13:07 <v Teri>Even things like that of just catching their attention and being innovative and engaging.
00:13:07 --> 00:13:11 <v Teri>I always use an example of an activity I created around the time.
00:13:11 --> 00:13:13 <v Teri>That might be telling my age a little bit.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:18 <v Teri>The kids were like constantly flipping the milk cartons, flipping the water bottles.
00:13:18 --> 00:13:21 <v Teri>It was driving me crazy and I couldn't make them stop.
00:13:21 --> 00:13:26 <v Teri>And so I was like you know what, since they want to do that so much, we're going to turn it into a math and science thing.
00:13:26 --> 00:13:28 <v Teri>So we started learning.
00:13:28 --> 00:13:32 <v Teri>Are there different shapes of the bottle that contribute to you being able to flip it and land it successfully.
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 <v Teri>Is it different types of liquids?
00:13:34 --> 00:13:35 <v Teri>How far of the distance?
00:13:35 --> 00:13:38 <v Teri>And we at that point I eventually they stopped.
00:13:38 --> 00:13:42 <v Teri>Every time they flipped I'm like, did you measure the distance and then they would test it?
00:13:42 --> 00:13:54 <v Teri>So it didn't necessarily solve the problem of them stopping doing it, but it turned into something educational because they would walk around and track it and come back and be like, oh, you got to put this much water and a little bit of soap or a little bit of this.
00:13:54 --> 00:14:03 <v Teri>So before you knew it, everybody was like they're still flipping the bottles, but they got this concept in math or science better than before.
00:14:03 --> 00:14:05 <v Teri>So you really just got to make it fun.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 <v Teri>Make learning fun.
00:14:06 --> 00:14:09 <v Teri>See what's trending If you can turn into a dance or something.
00:14:09 --> 00:14:17 <v Teri>I saw a teacher, a TikTok video of a teacher turning the wilding out in the classroom trend to doing math facts.
00:14:17 --> 00:14:26 <v Teri>So he went around the classroom doing math facts and he was like nine times one is, and if the student got it wrong, they did the same thing, like from wilding out.
00:14:26 --> 00:14:29 <v Teri>And I was like, oh, that's so cool because it wasn't shameful.
00:14:29 --> 00:14:32 <v Teri>Everybody gets out at some point, but then it also motivates them.
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 <v Teri>I'm gonna know that from now on.
00:14:34 --> 00:14:38 <v Teri>I'm gonna learn what nine times one is, because I don't want to get put out the game again.
00:14:38 --> 00:14:41 <v Teri>And the last thing is the thing I've been saying too is youth voice.
00:14:41 --> 00:14:44 <v Teri>If you want the kids to come, they vote with their feet.
00:14:44 --> 00:14:54 <v Teri>Elementary maybe not so much, they don't have as much of a choice, because their parents dropped them off, picked them up usually, but middle school and high school, if they don't like it, they're not coming.
00:14:54 --> 00:15:03 <v Teri>So you gotta get them involved and let them tell you what they want to do and be honest, be like look, we gotta do something based around reading and writing.
00:15:03 --> 00:15:07 <v Teri>I know that's not y'all's favorite, but how can we make it fun?
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 <v Teri>Like we got to read Shakespeare.
00:15:08 --> 00:15:11 <v Teri>I don't know if they still read Shakespeare, but we got to read Shakespeare.
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 <v Teri>How can we make it fun?
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 <v Teri>Let's turn it into a rap song, let's find a beat.
00:15:14 --> 00:15:16 <v Teri>How can we make it involved?
00:15:16 --> 00:15:22 <v Teri>So, being honest, because that's also real life Like sometimes you, these are the things you got to do, but how can we make it work?
00:15:22 --> 00:15:30 <v Teri>And so, when planning those activities, take all of that into consideration and I think it'll really help you come up with some really cool activities.
00:15:31 --> 00:15:37 <v J. Lee>Right, and I know you mentioned using social media as a tool when you're looking at these activities.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:45 <v J. Lee>So do you feel like social media can be a resource in something like this, or can it be a hindrance in something like this?
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 <v J. Lee>When you're doing your planning, you're doing the activity.
00:15:48 --> 00:15:50 <v Teri>I think it depends on how you look at it.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:59 <v Teri>It definitely can be a hindrance I mean, there's not all great things on TikTok and social media in general but it can definitely be a resource.
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 <v Teri>I mean it's what the kids are engaged in.
00:16:01 --> 00:16:07 <v Teri>So if you want to know kind of the source of the problem or what information they're taking in, you need to be kind of keeping up.
00:16:07 --> 00:16:17 <v Teri>I remember I first got a TikTok account because there was some drama happening in the school with the kids and they wanted a couple teachers to kind of be on there to see what was happening.
00:16:17 --> 00:16:19 <v Teri>And that's how my TikTok got created.
00:16:19 --> 00:16:36 <v Teri>I never planned to have one, but from there I started seeing trends and they were constantly doing dances and doing this and coming up with these phrases, and so I use that to help create ideas and activities for what I needed them to do, so that you get what you can use from it and make the most of it.
00:16:36 --> 00:16:39 <v Teri>But it also helps you be aware.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:50 <v Teri>So we also got to be able to make parents aware of like hey, this trend is going around and it's not the safest, so be aware of it, because not all parents are aware of what their kids are doing, especially with.
00:16:50 --> 00:17:07 <v Teri>I worked with a lot of Spanish-speaking families, and so the kids are learning content or looking at things in one language, but the parents may not speak that language, and so being able to kind of be again going back to that community and parent engagement and being able to be like, hey, if you see this image it's not good.
00:17:09 --> 00:17:13 <v Teri>So make sure the kid is not watching that, no matter if it's in what language, because they could be telling the parent something different.
00:17:13 --> 00:17:17 <v Teri>But having that communication and being involved in knowing what's happening helps in the long run.
00:17:18 --> 00:17:20 <v J. Lee>Right, exactly, exactly.
00:17:20 --> 00:17:31 <v J. Lee>So when it comes to innovation and doing things a little bit differently, because social media is one of those things that's popular how can innovation play a role in student engagement and community engagement?
00:17:33 --> 00:17:33 <v Teri>Innovation.
00:17:33 --> 00:17:45 <v Teri>I think I look at it as, like, your purpose and your goal is your core, your nucleus, right Like we talked about that, your message, your takeaway, and then that core, that goal, that nucleus, should be wrapped in innovation.
00:17:45 --> 00:17:55 <v Teri>So look at it like a pig in a blanket, right, like you've got your meat of the activity, and then it should be wrapped around in the fun and the appealing things, because that's what they're going to see first.
00:17:55 --> 00:18:06 <v Teri>Right, if you see a pig in a blanket, usually, or a kolache, you usually see the outside first before you see the inside, and so the outside has to be appealing to you to make you want to buy that or make you want to try that.
00:18:06 --> 00:18:11 <v Teri>And so I've been talking about social media a lot, so I'll use that as an example.
00:18:11 --> 00:18:14 <v Teri>Think of when something goes viral or trending.
00:18:14 --> 00:18:28 <v Teri>Right, whether it's on TikTok or Instagram or now even Facebook, it's everybody doing that same dance or that same trend, but it's something about that one person, that one video that was a little different than made them go viral.
00:18:28 --> 00:18:32 <v Teri>That's your innovation, that's your creativity, that's how you stand out.
00:18:32 --> 00:18:36 <v Teri>So think about how you can catch the attention of others.
00:18:36 --> 00:18:40 <v Teri>Right, you're still pulling in some of those same pieces, those same educational components.
00:18:40 --> 00:18:45 <v Teri>They're still got to learn math, they still got to count, they still got to learn to divide, they still got to learn exponents.
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 <v Teri>But what can you do?
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 <v Teri>That's a little bit creative.
00:18:47 --> 00:18:50 <v Teri>That's going to make it stand out compared to everybody else.
00:18:50 --> 00:18:54 <v Teri>So that's how I look at innovation and the role that it plays.
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 <v J. Lee>Awesome.
00:18:57 --> 00:19:03 <v J. Lee>So for those that want to be innovative and incorporate those things in their lesson, what tips would you give them?
00:19:04 --> 00:19:07 <v Teri>I would say one don't recreate the wheel.
00:19:07 --> 00:19:09 <v Teri>Pinterest is your friend.
00:19:09 --> 00:19:17 <v Teri>I still have millions of Pinterest boards that I see something and I I go and add it be inspired by what's around you.
00:19:17 --> 00:19:26 <v Teri>I'm not directly running programs anymore, but I used to go hang out with kids all the time, like my cousins, other students, like hey, what's going on, what y'all watching?
00:19:26 --> 00:19:28 <v Teri>What's what's new now?
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 <v Teri>And I mean I still do it with my sister.
00:19:29 --> 00:19:32 <v Teri>She's an adult but she's younger and I'm like what?
00:19:32 --> 00:19:32 <v Teri>So?
00:19:32 --> 00:19:32 <v Teri>What's?
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 <v Teri>What does this mean?
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 <v Teri>What are the acronyms mean?
00:19:34 --> 00:19:36 <v Teri>Like, just immerse yourself in it.
00:19:36 --> 00:19:38 <v Teri>One that builds the rapport and the trust.
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 <v Teri>They start to tell you stuff.
00:19:39 --> 00:19:42 <v Teri>But then you can kind of pick up what's going on as well.
00:19:42 --> 00:19:54 <v Teri>And so I talked about hashtags, finding those hashtags, following them and'll start to bring, create an algorithm and bringing things up on your timeline and just create Pinterest boards or just things that kind of motivate.
00:19:54 --> 00:20:02 <v Teri>As you see something, sometimes I might capture a picture of it or do a voice recording if I get a thought and then I'll go back and add it later.
00:20:02 --> 00:20:07 <v Teri>So I just have in my phone a notepad of just different ideas and things of like I need.
00:20:07 --> 00:20:16 <v Teri>I need to turn this into a training or oh, this would be a great idea for a curriculum activity and just really pull it in and then test it out.
00:20:16 --> 00:20:20 <v Teri>The kids be like hey, can you test this out for me real quick, like during your lunch break.
00:20:20 --> 00:20:25 <v Teri>Come test this activity real quick, grab a couple of your friends and boom, you got them.
00:20:25 --> 00:20:27 <v Teri>And then they're going to be like.
00:20:27 --> 00:20:33 <v Teri>They like it, they're going to want to be part of it, and now you've already got a small group and they're going to bring in more people.
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 <v Teri>So it all works.
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 <v Teri>It all works.
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 <v J. Lee>I know that's right.
00:20:36 --> 00:20:43 <v J. Lee>Well, thank you so much for sharing that information with us, Terry, but before we leave, we're going to go ahead and jump into our Professionals Lounge.
00:20:43 --> 00:20:58 <v J. Lee>Professionals Lounge is a segment of the show that allows guests to share advice with other practitioners in the OST and youth development field about how they can begin growing their gifts and talents but also develop themselves as professionals in the field.
00:20:58 --> 00:21:00 <v J. Lee>Here's our Professionals Lounge conversation.
00:21:00 --> 00:21:18 <v J. Lee>All right, everybody, we made it to the Professionals Lounge section of the show, and my question for you is what advice would you give to new program directors planning their program for the first time and trying to get not just their students involved, but also they want to get families involved as well?
00:21:18 --> 00:21:21 <v Teri>The biggest advice I would say is do a needs assessment.
00:21:21 --> 00:21:26 <v Teri>Talk to the teachers, talk to the administrative staff, the parents, the students.
00:21:26 --> 00:21:29 <v Teri>What works, what didn't work, why?
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 <v Teri>What do they want?
00:21:30 --> 00:21:33 <v Teri>Most schools have like a campus improvement plan or something like that.
00:21:33 --> 00:21:35 <v Teri>Utilize that.
00:21:35 --> 00:21:38 <v Teri>See what goals the campus has, what goals they haven't been able to hit.
00:21:38 --> 00:21:40 <v Teri>Utilize that.
00:21:40 --> 00:21:42 <v Teri>See what goals the campus has, what goals they haven't been able to hit.
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 <v Teri>How can you help contribute to that?
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 <v Teri>That was how I always created.
00:21:44 --> 00:21:50 <v Teri>My value and need for my program on campus was because I went to that campus improvement plan.
00:21:50 --> 00:21:59 <v Teri>So when I wanted to implement something, I'd be like hey, so I see you've been trying for two years to raise your reading scores from 80% to 90%.
00:21:59 --> 00:22:04 <v Teri>Well, I have an idea for this program and this is how it would help, and you've already done the work.
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 <v Teri>You've shown how it's of value to them.
00:22:05 --> 00:22:07 <v Teri>They'll be like okay, what do you need?
00:22:07 --> 00:22:12 <v Teri>I just need a space and this many kids, or I just need access to a classroom.
00:22:12 --> 00:22:15 <v Teri>So really, do your needs assessment One.
00:22:15 --> 00:22:24 <v Teri>It helps you get to know the people and the stakeholders in the community, who you can count on, who you can depend on, who has buy-in and maybe who doesn't?
00:22:24 --> 00:22:33 <v Teri>But that'll help you kind of start building those that you want to kind of be part of your program or support your program, also paying attention to details.
00:22:33 --> 00:22:41 <v Teri>I used to color code stuff and I remember my assistant was like, why are you taking time to put the different papers on colors?
00:22:41 --> 00:22:44 <v Teri>Because I would have those accepted into the program.
00:22:44 --> 00:22:49 <v Teri>One color, those that were waitlisted, one color those that were denied one color.
00:22:49 --> 00:22:55 <v Teri>And at the beginning everybody be like, well, my child was enrolled and I'm like, well, what color paper did you get?
00:22:55 --> 00:22:57 <v Teri>They was like, oh, it was orange.
00:22:57 --> 00:23:01 <v Teri>I'm like, oh, the orange is the wait list, but we'll get you in as soon as we could.
00:23:01 --> 00:23:06 <v Teri>And my sister was like I get it now and I'm like the little details, it makes your life easier.
00:23:06 --> 00:23:09 <v Teri>So find methods that work with you.
00:23:09 --> 00:23:11 <v Teri>Plan in advance.
00:23:11 --> 00:23:13 <v Teri>So don't wait until the last minute.
00:23:13 --> 00:23:16 <v Teri>Start trying to think about your semester in advance.
00:23:16 --> 00:23:18 <v Teri>You should be planning for your summer in the spring.
00:23:18 --> 00:23:20 <v Teri>You should be planning for your spring in the fall.
00:23:20 --> 00:23:23 <v Teri>You should be planning for your fall in the summer, if not earlier.
00:23:25 --> 00:23:31 <v Teri>And then I mentioned this earlier but think about what stood out to you as a youth, what piqued your interest.
00:23:31 --> 00:23:37 <v Teri>What made it memorable, if you think about any extracurricular or out-of-school time programs that you stood out.
00:23:37 --> 00:23:39 <v Teri>What was memorable about that?
00:23:39 --> 00:23:47 <v Teri>A lot of times it was the staff or the environment or the activities or all three, and so you want to incorporate that into your program as well.
00:23:48 --> 00:23:52 <v Teri>It's also important to have the right staff, and I know staffing is that sore word.
00:23:52 --> 00:23:58 <v Teri>It's hard to get staff and a lot of times we just take whomever we can get, and I understand it, I get it.
00:23:58 --> 00:24:11 <v Teri>But having the wrong staff can affect your program as well, because if the kids don't trust that person, if they don't have a rapport with that person, you may not want maybe have them as a sub.
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 <v Teri>Maybe you don't want to have them in your program.
00:24:12 --> 00:24:21 <v Teri>If none of the students like this teacher during the day, it may not be a great idea to have them in your program over a class that you need everybody in.
00:24:21 --> 00:24:25 <v Teri>Maybe give them a class that is okay to have three or four kids in.
00:24:26 --> 00:24:31 <v Teri>But, really just building that rapport and don't be afraid to get your hands dirty.
00:24:31 --> 00:24:34 <v Teri>So I talked about building rapport, having that relationship.
00:24:34 --> 00:24:38 <v Teri>I used to sit down during homework time and do stuff with my kids.
00:24:38 --> 00:24:45 <v Teri>I used to have a binder of like worksheets, those kind of like solving in color activities, and I would make it fun.
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 <v Teri>I hate it going outside.
00:24:46 --> 00:24:49 <v Teri>I am not an outside person and they would always want to go outside.
00:24:49 --> 00:25:05 <v Teri>I'm like you know what, if y'all beat me and I'll let it be 10 of y'all against me, whoever fills out the whole sheet and gets it correct and fills it in, if y'all do it before the time is up, then we can go outside for the remainder of the time, and if I beat you, then the next day.
00:25:05 --> 00:25:07 <v Teri>So one and build report.
00:25:07 --> 00:25:09 <v Teri>I'm sitting down next to them.
00:25:09 --> 00:25:16 <v Teri>They're talking, they're laughing, they're trying to distract me, to make me finish last, but I also got that academic piece in there.
00:25:16 --> 00:25:19 <v Teri>So they're still doing math, they're still doing reading or whatever.
00:25:19 --> 00:25:22 <v Teri>But then they saw me there during playground time.
00:25:22 --> 00:25:26 <v Teri>Even as an administrator, I was outside too, engaging with the kids.
00:25:26 --> 00:25:31 <v Teri>I was running and playing, doing this show me how to do this or I'm sitting and talking with the kids.
00:25:31 --> 00:25:37 <v Teri>So really building that rapport and getting your hands dirty is helpful for the kids, but also as a leader.
00:25:37 --> 00:25:42 <v Teri>So you don't want to be that person that tries to tell other people to do stuff but you don't do it yourself.
00:25:42 --> 00:25:46 <v Teri>So you know, being involved and immersed in your program really helps you as well.
00:25:47 --> 00:25:50 <v Teri>And, as I've stated before, don't reinvent the wheel.
00:25:50 --> 00:25:52 <v Teri>There's tons of ideas out there.
00:25:52 --> 00:25:56 <v Teri>Teachers pay teachers, pinterest, tiktok, instagram.
00:25:56 --> 00:25:59 <v Teri>I mean, y'all are fortunate to have TikTok and Instagram.
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 <v Teri>We didn't have that one.
00:26:00 --> 00:26:03 <v Teri>We had to do the old school like make copies out the workbook.
00:26:08 --> 00:26:09 <v Teri>So don't reinvent the wheel.
00:26:09 --> 00:26:12 <v Teri>Utilize the resources and the tools that are there.
00:26:12 --> 00:26:16 <v Teri>There's all types of social media groups, facebook groups, all types of things and most people are willing to share.
00:26:16 --> 00:26:23 <v Teri>They may not give you all of their resources or all access to all of their activities, but they'll at least give you enough to get you started.
00:26:23 --> 00:26:34 <v Teri>I have yet to meet somebody that I saw an idea and I randomly reached out and was like hey, I'm trying to build this program and I saw that you did it like could you share how you did it or an example.
00:26:34 --> 00:26:37 <v Teri>And I have yet to meet somebody that was like.
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 <v Teri>No, even if they were like.
00:26:38 --> 00:26:53 <v Teri>I can't give you all of it, but this is my table of contents, or this is my outline, and so don't be afraid to ask for help reinvent the wheel, but also share the resources too, for those coming up as well, because we, we got to stick together because it's getting hard out here.
00:26:54 --> 00:26:57 <v Teri>That part that part right there.
00:26:59 --> 00:27:02 <v J. Lee>Well, thank you, terri, so much for your time and being with us and sharing all this wonderful information.
00:27:02 --> 00:27:13 <v J. Lee>So for anybody that wants to get in touch with you and you know uh contact you for your services, for planning, curriculum and all the program development stuff how can they get in touch with you?
00:27:13 --> 00:27:16 <v Teri>you can reach out to me on social media.
00:27:16 --> 00:27:19 <v Teri>So it's Terry Wilson, t-e-r-i.
00:27:19 --> 00:27:19 <v Teri>Wilson.
00:27:19 --> 00:27:21 <v Teri>On Facebook is my Facebook page.
00:27:21 --> 00:27:25 <v Teri>My Instagram is Terry Wilson O-S-T.
00:27:25 --> 00:27:28 <v Teri>Again, that's T-E-R-I-W-I-L-S-O-N.
00:27:28 --> 00:27:32 <v Teri>Or you can send me an email at Terry Wilson O-S-T.
00:27:32 --> 00:27:34 <v Teri>At Gmail, and I'll be sure to get back to you.
00:27:35 --> 00:27:38 <v J. Lee>Well, everyone, that brings us to the end of our show.
00:27:38 --> 00:27:46 <v J. Lee>If you like what you heard and you enjoyed our conversation, make sure that you're following us on YouTube, but also hit that like button so we know what you are enjoying.
00:27:46 --> 00:27:54 <v J. Lee>You can also find us on other podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, spotify and Google Podcasts.
00:27:54 --> 00:28:06 <v J. Lee>If you want to listen to our audio version as well, to get more behind the scenes stuff, make sure that you're following us on our social media accounts Instagram and Facebook, at School After Hours.
00:28:06 --> 00:28:09 <v J. Lee>Well, that's all I have for today.
00:28:09 --> 00:28:14 <v J. Lee>In the words of Mr Arthur Ashe, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.
00:28:14 --> 00:28:17 <v J. Lee>Until next time, y'all, bye-bye.
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