Merced Sun-Star Column by MCSD Public Information Officer Sara Sandrik:
A powerful partnership between Rivera Elementary and Rivera Middle schools is helping students at both campuses improve their reading and writing skills, while building invaluable relationships along the way. It’s exactly the type of collaboration Merced City School District leaders envisioned when the preschool through sixth-grade campus was built right next to the middle school using voter-approved Measure S and Measure M funds.
The program began last year when seventh-grade teacher Lynn Parker reached out to her friend, Sally Rawlings, who was still setting up her first grade class at the new elementary school. Parker and Rawlings are both UC Merced Writing Project teacher consultants, which means they have worked together to improve their own writing and teaching skills through a professional development program hosted by the university. Parker has also served as associate director of the project under the direction of Dr. Pauline Sahakian since its inception. She suggested using the same collaborative model to support students at Rivera.
“She’s one of my mentor teachers. So this was big,” Rawlings said. “I didn’t even have to think about it. I was very excited to do this.”
Since that time, Parker has been working with her Language Arts Enrichment students not only to improve their own reading and writing skills, but also to help them learn techniques to teach the younger students. The seventh-graders meet with their partners every other week, alternating between their own classroom and the elementary classroom. They ask thoughtful questions and give constructive feedback to help the first graders add compelling details to their work, which strengthens their own skills as well.
“It’s a great feeling for me, but I think even more importantly, it’s a great feeling for them,” Parker said. “They get to be role models, and they get to be in a leadership position that they might not be able to in other areas of their school day.”
I recently had a chance to visit the students as they worked in pairs on a Wednesday morning. It was incredible to see how easily they conversed and the connected while making revisions together. Seventh-grader Emanuel Angel told me, “I really enjoy having to work with someone else, and it makes me feel in a better way that I’m teaching someone how to write, and their education is growing as well as mine being here teaching them because it makes me feel better about myself because I’m helping someone that can use it a lot in their life and future.” His partner, first-grader Teagan Helling acknowledged, “It actually has been a big help.”
Rawlings said her students soak up all of the knowledge their middle school mentors share, and the program is making a noticeable impact. She tells me, “It’s been super powerful. I’ve seen leaps and bounds in the growth of their writing, just from every other week meeting with these seventh graders, so it’s been fantastic.”
The principals at both campuses have also been impressed by the program and its results. Rivera Elementary Principal Catherine Puckett says, “Students teaching students is a ‘win-win’ partnership! The self-esteem, academic support and social emotional effects are extremely positive. Ms. Parker’s seventh-graders get to hone their writing and mentoring skills while giving their first grade mentees from Mrs. Rawlings’ class a boost in self-confidence and writing proficiency. Any time you can use what you have learned in your classroom for a real world application is the affirmation we all need to grow exponentially.”
Rivera Middle School Principal, Sergio Mendez agrees. “The collaborative efforts by these two teachers offer students the opportunity to build necessary skills, enjoy valuable interactions through mentorships, and above all else, build the confidence needed to succeed. Both Ms. Parker and Mrs. Rawlings are to be commended for their efforts.”
The teachers say the greatest reward is seeing their students excel, and they look forward to writing the many more chapters of this success story … together.
Link to Merced Sun-Star story: http://www.mercedsunstar.com/news/local/education/article143408874.html
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