Deborah Martel Rogers' Blog

August 31st, 2020 "In Loco Parentis" II, by Deborah Martel Rogers, Harris' TOSA Bakersfield City School District         Before the pandemic, I wrote that I was more and more aware that -as an educational leader- I had to make a conscientious decision every day to align the heart, head and soul of our collective mission, in order to ensure that ALL of our children are served with excellence.    Then, the unthinkable happened. Not that it was the first time it had, but this time our common humanity decided that it was time to empower our disempowered brothers and sisters.    Yes, I am referring to empathy and compassion, social justice and a conscientious removal of systemic racism.    I am also making reference to pondering the subtle ways in which we can alienate or inspire our students and their parents, based on our words and actions. Beauty, like blue, black and brown, begin with the same letter as Best.   ...

Be prepared, not scared                                            Photography by Deborah Martel Rogers, Bakersfield, CA, 2020      We are living in very unique times. This has always been the case, but we all  probably got caught in our unique lives, and forgot about looking at each other in the eye, until one day we were reminded that the power of we is more empowering than the power of I.      We then began to see how, although some people continued to focus on themselves, so many others who chose to, like Mr. Rogers, look at the helpers in the back, the good people who continue  to believe in the human race, in the power of the human spirit.      If you are like me, you  are going to faith it, dance it, cry through it, laugh at it on its very face, and show, one more time, that we will kneel down to pray, ...

I Choose to SELebrate -by Deborah Martel Rogers, Harris' TOSA Bakersfield City School District     How often have you wondered what would have happened if you had taken a different path? When we were children, we all had friends who regretted not having shared their dream of becoming a teacher, pilot, astronaut, surgeon, or professional dancer with their teachers. They thought they were not good enough or that they would not be able to pull it off. Whichever the reason, they already had the No! Before they even dared to ask.      On the other hand, we also knew those lucky people who dared to follow their dreams and accomplish unimaginable goals that the rest of us might have thought about here and there without really having stopped to ponder the real work it would take. Probably because, precisely, it would have taken a lot of effort.      What about if we reveal these secrets to our students and their parents? Are they secrets, or ar...

My Weekly Reflection              "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships."                                          – Michael Jordan       As we are heading towards our eighth week of school, our collective efficacy continues to strengthen and bloom, inevitable reaching reaps of success in our students' academic and social performance. 

My Monthly Reflection, by Deborah Martel Rogers, Harris TOSA, BCSD  Excellence is not an accident waiting to happen, but a carefully designed and planned journey. Some might see it as a destination, but it is really a process taking place on a daily basis. I personally prefer excellence in the face of adversity than perfection which is lacking in its humanity.  

(Deborah's professional reflections) My vision: I want to help create a better world, a world in which our students' heads, hearts, and souls flourish in unison, both academically and socio-emotionally; a world in which there is success for every single student;  in which our students know that they are the reason  for our very existence and that we are here to make sure that every one of them is successful because failure is not an option. Start by communicating my vision in a very positive environment, in order to announce that we are going to create an inviting acronym together which represents our mission. Example: SPLASH (Students' Positive Learning And Scholarly Habits) Once we come to a consensus,  display our vision everywhere: weekly agenda, monthly newsletter (e-mailed to parents) and posters.  Constantly talk about it and, most importantly, lead by example with a very clear goal in mind:  Excellence in Academics. Use technology ...

Teaching Kindness and Empathy to Students: The Use of Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) to Increase Student Kind, Respectful and Safe Behavior at School  (extract from the original)    by Deborah Martel Rogers California State University, Bakersfield (Research Design and Analysis, Summer 2017)      Students' lack of social-emotional skills has an impact on their behavior at school. (...)      Social-Emotional skills are overlooked in today's educational system as a major factor impacting students' behavior at school. Ethnic minorities have added stressors such as low familial and social support, acculturation, and low socioeconomic status. It is in these settings that students feel they lack a connection to school and their peers. Rather than further labeling these students as problem-makers, it is a good opportunity to teach them how to become members of the school community. The Positive Behavior Intervention Support ...