Understanding the stories of our own communities can help us understand our current state by really allowing us to understand what makes us what we currently are. What types of people currently make up our demographics? Why did they come here? What is their goal in living in this area? Better education? Jobs? Escaping other parts of the world due to war or myriad reasons? I think that reading and learning about these stories can give us a better lens to look at the current status of the community that we work in and that some of us live in as well.
These same stories can inform us of what possibilities exist in our future as well. Learning about the migratory patterns that have gone on in our area and what the push/pull factors are that made those happen can help us forecast what we may see moving forward. UB is a major driver of the population in Amherst and therefore Sweet Home. Knowing that many families are leaving neighborhoods and school districts that they believe failed their families to try and find a better situation in our school can help us know what areas of training we as staff may need to better serve these students and families. The demographic shift that our district has undertaken over the past decade should very much inform our practice moving forward as educators. Seeing more training that targets learning about or ELL population or that focus on topics such as diversity and understanding of others shows me that we do value the history that we have lived through and are learning from it.
These same stories can inform us of what possibilities exist in our future as well. Learning about the migratory patterns that have gone on in our area and what the push/pull factors are that made those happen can help us forecast what we may see moving forward. UB is a major driver of the population in Amherst and therefore Sweet Home. Knowing that many families are leaving neighborhoods and school districts that they believe failed their families to try and find a better situation in our school can help us know what areas of training we as staff may need to better serve these students and families. The demographic shift that our district has undertaken over the past decade should very much inform our practice moving forward as educators. Seeing more training that targets learning about or ELL population or that focus on topics such as diversity and understanding of others shows me that we do value the history that we have lived through and are learning from it.