Mastery For All with Mr. James O'Neal
Mastery for all, empowered by equity for all, through the belief of expectations for all. This is the charge that James has in making sure that everyone involved in the schooling; students, teachers, parents, administration, will reach their level of mastery. James shares his expertise as a keynote speaker, national board certified math teacher, and a 14 year veteran in the space of education. James will have you crying, laughing, thinking, and most of all engaging those in your circle to reach mastery. His heart for all stakeholders in charge of empowering all youth is evident in his commitment and language. James knows the struggle that millions of students face as they strive for greatness in the education system. He has found success in loving students and pulling out the brilliance they already possess. To see videos and request booking please visit www.mrjamesoneal.com or email us at info@mrjamesoneal.com. FB/IG: @mr.jamesonealLI/TW: @mrjamesoneal
Mastery For All with Mr. James O'Neal
The Truth About Honors Classes - S2 Ep5
I did not know anything about honors classes until my 8th-grade year when I was invited to take Algebra 1 as an accelerated class by Mrs. Simmons. I knew the gifted kids always left our classes and did other things; I just never knew why I was never invited.
After teaching for the last 15 years, I have realized several truths about students who end up in honors classes.
- They have a larger amount of parental involvement compared to students who are not in these classes.
- Economically, they are more established.
- Many of them have had private tutoring and still receive tutoring.
- They grasp foundational understanding of mathematics much better.
- Their parents are HIGHLY involved in their schooling.
I repeated the last one on purpose because what I have found is that parental involvement is not just a matter of "care"; it's a socio-economic issue. Parents who have done well in school usually fare better than those who have not and are less intimidated by the system. Therefore, they are more likely to be involved and have higher-paying jobs, which affords them the opportunity to, once again, be involved. I have had the opportunity to interact with families on both sides of the aisle, and I know for a fact that money is a significant indicator of whether a student will be in my advanced classes or not. In this podcast, I share what teaching advanced courses has really taught me about access. #MasteryForAll
I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to reach out info@mrjamesoneal.com