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    Lauren Milner, VFW Teacher of the Year. Century News Photo by John Pacheco

VFW Teacher of the Year speaks at North Hays Republican Group

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Mobile phones are an example of something that can make us smarter, or serve as  distraction. I tell them you’re going to have this little box for the rest of your life. Your challenge is that you’re going to have to learn how to modulate with this device that wants to steal your attention 24/7.

Lauren Milner, VFW Teacher of the Year, spoke about “Education in a Changing World,” at the Sept. 8 meeting of the North Hays Republican Group. 

“We have previously hosted DSISD Superintendent Dr. Bruce Gearing and DSISD board members, and we thought it would be good to hear a teacher’s perspective on education,” NHRG President Suzanne Pacheco said. “Many of our members have grandchildren, and children in DSISD.”

Milner began her speech by promoting two organizations she held dear, Tiger Totes and the Dripping Springs High School ROTC Club. “Please consider supporting Tiger Totes,” Milner said. “It’s a wonderful non-profit that helps provide food and basic necessities for local students who qualify for free or reduced lunches. You can find out more about them at dstigertotes.org. Please consider donating to the good work they do.”

“I also want you know that we’re seeking to begin an official Department of Defense Junior ROTC program at Dripping Springs High School,” Milner said. “Two years ago I was approached by students asking if I would be their sponsor for a school JROTC Club. They told me they wanted to help veterans in the community and disabled vets. I thought it was an amazing request, and agreed to be their sponsor. We began with just two students and grew it to twenty-plus kids todays, ranging in grades nine to twelfth. We have musicians, athletes, nerds, and kids who don’t do anything else. We’ve entered our third year and the club has become a family—as members consider a military career. We’ve already had our first member join the Marine Corps. We also teach drill and ceremony and now raise the flag at the football games, and have also raised the flag at other ceremonies outside the school.”

On education, Milner outlined “Five things you should know about education today,” and gave “two take-aways you can leave with tonight.”

Milner’s five points on education were:

Learning as opposed to education- “The idea is that learning should be thought of a as a life-long process, and not just about passing a test or getting a diploma. Learning the process of learning, which can then be re-applied into other areas of your life,” Milner said.

The rise of career/technical education- “It’s no longer the old model of learning to change the oil in cars or woodshop. Today’s students leave with a work ready certification in areas such as pharmacy technicians, lab technicians, and we have programs in areas ranging from business, to engineering, to agricultural, to floral design. These are jobs that pay above minimum wage.” Milner said. Addressing some of the office holders in the audience Milner said, “If you’re ever in a position to affect the funding of career/technical education, I urge you to consider the success of it.”

Milner also spoke about a school program in which students dress in scrubs and “shadow” a medical professional through their workday to get a better idea of what that job is like. “It so exciting when you see the light bulb go on in the students head, knowing that they get it” Milner said.

Technology is a double edge sword- “Mobile phones are an example of something that can make us smarter, or serve as  distraction. I tell them you’re going to have this little box for the rest of your life. Your challenge is that you’re going to have to learn how to modulate with this device that wants to steal your attention 24/7.”

Development of the whole person- “We want to educate the whole person, not just the test taker. We’re not just prepping kids for the STAR tests.”

Fostering the growth mind set, willingness to risk failure, and emotional intelligence- “We know stress effects kids. We have to help kids learn about emotions, leadership skills, enter that ‘growth mindset,’ it’s not just a buzz word. Perseverance is also important, learning to fail forward, failing knowing you’ll get a second chance. We now know the qualities of perseverance and emotional intelligence are more important to success than I.Q. for success,” Milner said.

On her take-aways, Milner said, “When congratulating a child on a success like a good grade, don’t just say ‘good job.’ Talk about the process of how they got that A-- What did you learn that you can learn in another class? Did you study more? Praise the action steps, praise the work ethic, that’s the biggest way you can help them develop awesome habits they can use through their life.”

For her second take-away, Milner said, “Talk to your kids about lifelong learning. Learning is something we will continue to do, God willing, until we die. It never stops. Remember that we’re not going to solve the problems of today, with the education models of yesterday. In closing, education is changing and it’s important to embrace new things.”

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