Connection is Key to Student Engagement!
In this collaborative blog series, TEAMBOOST asked leaders in the youth development field how they build student connection in their program environments. Healthy and authentic relationships are important to positive youth outcomes, and TEAMBOOST is proud to spotlight the expertise of our BOOST Leadership Team Members, BOOST Ambassadors, and BOOST Partners in the Student Connection blog series!
Welcome, Susie Estrada (She/Her/Hers), to center stage! Thank you, Susie, for sharing your experience with current and future generations of youth development professionals. We appreciate you!
A Conversation about Student Connection and Cultivating Strong Relationships with our BOOST Partner and Ambassador, Susie Estrada (She/Her/Hers)
Susie is the School Improvement Programs and Special Education Parent Engagement Specialist for the Utah State Board of Education in Salt Lake City, UT, and is a proud BOOST Ambassador with BOOST Collaborative.
How do you ensure all staff/students are valued and represented in your programs?
The biggest component of my job, and also the most valuable, is keeping a pulse on what the community is expressing as a need and concern. When I say community, I am talking about our broad school community which includes all students, families, PK-12 professionals, and community partners including out-of-school time providers. We are all in this together! My role is to ensure that what they are sharing is supported through resources and programs or by informing our leaders and decision-makers of what their voices are saying, what the data is showing, and what is an evidence-based practice. Essentially, I amplify their voices, identify potential solutions, and center these things when decisions are made or when requesting support from leadership.
What’s the most memorable or funny moment you’ve had while working with students?
Lately, I have vividly remembered and laughed about a time when a preschool student asked me where babies come from. I asked them where they thought they came from and they gave me a full scenario of going to, what can best be described as, a build-a-bear factory. You pick all the things you want for your baby and ta-da! I could only say, WOW! And that we should definitely ask their parent when they come to pick them up.
What’s your go-to activity or game when you want to engage students and get them excited?
I haven’t been in the classroom in so long, but with my preschoolers, music time was always a win! It was a tie between “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” or “Dancing Like a Chicken”. For some of my older kids, this probably worked just as well for them, too.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received from a student?
It was not explicit advice, it was more of their way of being. When I worked with gang prevention and intervention programs all or most of my kids had something traumatic in their background, and I am talking big trauma like direct or indirect exposure to violence. They still showed up every day and found a moment to laugh and let go. It was something that just reflected back that regardless of what is going on, we can find moments to let go and be free even when it feels like we have no choice.
How did you involve your students in the planning process?
While I am not in the classroom anymore, I often used students’ recommendations or would ask them what they wanted to do instead of the “boring” item. When possible, I invited them to take over a part of the instruction.
How did you show gratitude and love to your students?
I very clearly said thank you and I love you to my students. I know, it seems a bit weird, but for some of my students they had never heard those words. I still think about a student I had who had never had a birthday cake until I brought one for them during program. This student was turning 18.
I think something else that is really important is apologizing to students if we have been wrong or too harsh in a situation. We are role models, and ego or ageism can come into play in these interactions.
What impact do you hope to leave on the students you work with?
I hope that they are able to see that they have more options for themselves and that sometimes, what they can and will achieve is bigger than anything they could have dreamt.
What learning opportunities do you personally participate in in order to remain relevant and up-to-date on issues impacting your students?
I am in trainings all the time and constantly reading. Sometimes it is difficult to find time but opportunities are everywhere these days, even in short video clips.
If you don’t work directly with students, what do you do to ensure that decisions made by your organization or by you personally will positively impact them?
I think this goes back to my first response. Always making sure it is the community’s voice and backed by evidence. It is not the Susie show.
Any advice for those who presently work with students in the field?
I know that you probably didn’t sign up to work in a political atmosphere. I challenge you to think about this as a natural sequence. Educators are shaping the future and dare I say, saving lives. Politics is policy but you are policy in action. Use your voice and stay focused on the mission, and the mission is the well-being of ALL our kids.
Today for breakfast I had…
Lucky Charms!
From all of us here at TEAMBOOST, thank you, Susie, for your leadership. We are grateful for your positive impact on youth, communities, and the field!