Salty, Sticky and Strawberry Jam - The innovative way to reach underserved and disadvantaged students.
I love living in Texas. I’m from outside of Austin now but grew up in East Texas. I was a first generation student who came from very humble beginnings. You can learn more about that story here and here.
As a latch key kid, I walked home to an empty apartment on many days. One day I was walking home and saw a strange site that hasn’t left my mind. In the crack of an old dusty sidewalk, something caught my eye. In the middle of nowhere, one small strawberry peeked its shiny head out as if to say hello to me. It was a reminder that beautiful things can be found anywhere, even in the midst of chaos, fear, and uncertainty. I was thinking about it, this seed couldn’t have landed in a more dangerous place. Hundreds of tiny elementary feet traveled this sidewalk daily. Its chance of survival was slim to say the least.
It made me wonder, why this place? How would its roots take hold under the sidewalk? Did it have water for growth? Did it think of all the difficulties of trying to grow in this location? This strawberry had all the odds stacked against it, yet it grew. It decided it would not only survive, but it would thrive against all odds in seemingly impossible circumstances.
Some of our students are like this. They are currently in or have recently been in seemingly impossible situations. I know, I was that kid. Today, I have the chance to work with students of disadvantaged backgrounds and those who haven’t had the opportunity of others. These students are my passion and my focus. I help them through college, career, financial and life readiness skills. While I love my work, I wanted to make sure that I was engaging students in a way that mattered to them. I wanted my words to “stick” with them and my efforts to make a difference rather than just offering them another resource that they didn’t utilize.
I asked myself some questions and came up with a new theory on how to best reach these students. It’s what I call, Salty, Sticky and Strawberry Jam. If you work with students, maybe you will find this method helpful as well. It has been beneficial to me as I’ve seen my students reacting, responding and engaging like never before. I’m now empowering them to success because I made a few simple changes in the way I interact with them.
I call it the Jam Plan.
Step # 1 of the jam plan-
Be Salty - People say, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”
Yes, yes you can.
Give him salt.
The goal here is to make our students thirsty for more. Sodium is an essential nutrient necessary for life. It makes us thirsty. One of the first goals of those who work with these amazing students is to make sure that their basic needs are met so that they can have the energy and drive they need to learn. While you can’t solve all of these issues, you can have resources readily available. Give them the needed resources to become a trusted, safe space where they can come for any needs or resources.
Creating a resource sheet that addresses the following things can be life changing for these students:
Access to health and wellness resources. A sheet with options that are available to them through school and community can be life saving. While it may seem insignificant to you, it’s very valuable to them. Please do more than send an email with a list of resources. Take the extra time to call and ask the students how you can support them and ask what their needs are. It's important for us to hear directly from students what they need, rather than assuming we already know.
Provide students with additional technological resources. For students who do not own laptops, tablets, or other necessary class equipment, give them the option to borrow these tools on a semester-by-semester basis. Imagine Scholarships is a wonderful resource that addresses financial issues that students have each semester as well as gives them a way to organize critical information for college, career and finances.
For students who do not have reliable access to the internet, download resources on a thumb drive and mail it to students. You can print out required materials and mail the hard copies to students. This way, all students can complete their assignments on time.
Offer emergency funds to students who can't afford basic necessities, such as food, housing, and healthcare. If you can’t offer these funds, please give them local resources that they can check into.
Step #2 of the jam plan-
Be Sticky - I always want my words and conversations to be “sticky.” I want students to not only hear what I say but actually absorb and take to heart the things I’m trying to teach them. It can be critical to their success going forward. Sharing stories and analogies makes our words “sticky.” People remember them.
I encourage you to speak to your students in stories that are memorable and help them understand that you speak their language, literally and figuratively. Use analogies and examples of other students and how they navigated and successfully conquered similar situations, this gives them something very important; hope. Give them visuals that “stick” with them. Paint a picture of their future and the possibilities open to them. Be Sticky.
Your Body language speaks volumes. Be aware. Does your facial expression communicate how happy you are to see the student? Does your voice use inflections and tones that are inviting and welcoming? Remember, these students are ultra sensitive to rejection and can smell it a mile away. If they feel they are a burden to you, they will close the door of communication.
Talk, listen and be prepared to be amazed. Here are a few valuable tips for communicating with students.
Don’t multitask - Your phone shouldn’t be in sight. Your line of sight should be the student, not your computer.
Use open ended questions - this allows you to get to know where the student is coming from
Go with the flow - allow the conversation to go wherever the student wants, rather than your agenda.
If you don’t know, say so - It’s ok to be human. In fact, it makes our students more comfortable with us.
Listen - Listen to hear, not to formulate an answer.
Be interested - These students know. They know if you are there just to do your job or if you are there for them. Make sure it’s the latter.
Step #3 of the jam plan-
Strawberry Jam - This is where it all comes together. The sour parts of the students' circumstances, mixed with the opportunities you can provide to them. It’s a beautiful, complicated, exhilarating and life changing mess.
Question: What did one strawberry say to the other?
Answer:"Look at the jam you've gotten us into!
It might not look pretty at first, changing the habits and self survival skills of students is no easy task. Helping them identify goals and dreams is a critical part of the process. The strawberry jam metaphor suggests that with enough consistency, effort and perseverance, things will eventually come together and be sweet, just like the jam. This is our goal. Though we can’t undo the obstacles they have, we can help build a beautiful future for these students. Consistency is key as we work with these students.
The best strawberry jam is a mixture of sweet and sour at the same time. It’s a beautiful combination. One without the other isn’t as good. The background of these students brings a flavor and depth that they wouldn’t have otherwise. In the end, these students become individuals that change the world. The intersection of the disadvantage and potential can create an even more decadent result than those who didn’t have the disadvantage. I know. I was that student. Success is where opportunity meets preparation. Our job is the preparation and equipping and empowering them with needed tools and skills. Their part is the opportunity. It will come and it will be sweet.
Here is what the Jam philosophy has taught me.
*Patience bears sweet fruit. Working with students from disadvantaged backgrounds is among the greatest of callings. It takes time to build trust, to watch these students grow into the potential that they have had all along. They just need the resources to help them get where they need to be to thrive.
*Embrace all the flavors. Life isn’t always sweet. Sometimes it’s tart. This combination is what makes life and the jam delicious. Embrace the blend of experiences. In my own circumstance, the hardships of being a first generation college student now far outweigh the easy days. It was the hard days where my character and grit where built and now I get to encourage others in their endeavors with a beautiful reality of all that can be in front of them.
*Savor every moment that you have the opportunity to mentor these students. It is an honor, a privilege and I believe, a calling. The work you do with these students will change the trajectory of their lives, their children’s lives and their children’s lives. You are doing amazing things.
Next time you taste strawberry jam, I hope it reminds you of the wisdom packed into each bite. It might seem like ordinary jam but now you know the richness in each bite and the extraordinary lessons learned.
You are the critical piece to this puzzle and you have the power to change the trajectory of someone's life and the life of future generations. It’s Jam making time, let’s go!