Pear Tree Community School

A new world requires a new way of learning!

Join us at Pear Tree’s Open House on Saturday, February 7, 9:30–11:30 AM. Learn how our MIRR²OR Framework and Montessori practice support deep academic learning through science, math, and the arts.

Our young scholars, artists, scientists, and mathematicians- have been extracting DNA, making 3D models of tenochitlan, creating original film shorts, making prosthetic limbs, playing jazz on the piano and clarinet, and writing research papers- and that’s just today!

Hear from our founder, meet our teachers, hear from parents, and experience hands-on classrooms with your child.
RSVP: [email protected]

Read the Latest Article HERE

https://medium.com//mirrors-myths-and-the-sacred-ordinary-5f744b506064

Read Article Here: https://medium.com//mirrors-malevolence-and-the-liberatory-gaze-fd36f2d824ae

Read Article HERE: https://medium.com//mirrors-meltdowns-and-meaning-understanding-the-emotional-power-of-bedtime-79bf00560f8b

Read the Article HERE: https://medium.com//abstract-312dc55bb5aa

https://medium.com//mirrors-machines-and-makers-how-the-mirror-framework-prepares-children-to-lead-and-create-in-an-387efcb76d02

Mirrors, Machines, and Makers: How the Mirror Framework Prepares Children to Lead and Create in an… Artificial intelligence is here, reshaping how we work, communicate, and learn. It’s an extraordinary tool, and at Seeds to Roots Oakland…

Introducing the MIRROR Framework: Transforming Education by Centering BIPOC Students

The MIRROR framework, created by Pear Tree’s Head of School and Founder, Michele Hamilton, at Pear Tree Community School—the demonstration site for Seeds to Roots Oakland—offers a practical solution to supporting the success of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) students. By centering BIPOC students in every aspect of learning, MIRROR ensures their identities are affirmed across the curriculum. Results speak for themselves: while only 22% of Black and Latino students nationally reach proficiency in literacy, 90% of Pear Tree students exceed benchmarks.

Why MIRROR?
The MIRROR framework bridges established theory—such as culturally responsive practices and brain research—with practical strategies for implementation, empowering schools to address longstanding inequities. MIRROR is designed for scalability, enabling schools and districts to adopt it nationwide.

What Does MIRROR Include?
Mirroring: Ensures BIPOC students see themselves reflected in all aspects of their surroundings, on the walls, in the texts, library, curriculum and school culture, fostering cognitive growth and emotional well-being.

Identification: Connects students to their heritage, showing their ancestors as the innovators they were, giving them a personal stake in their education.

Reclamation: Recovers and shares narratives often distorted or erased, empowering students with an accurate sense of identity and history, and healing fractured or distorted self image.

Relationships: Builds culturally responsive connections, creating a supportive environment that encourages student engagement and success. Includes peer and adult relationships.

Orientation: Aligns school systems, policies and practices with the mission of centering BIPOC students.

Reflection: Encourages ongoing self-assessment, research-driven development (R&D), and piloting of new practices. Through reflection, we create an equitable and liberating environment that centers BIPOC students while ensuring continuous improvement.

Proven Success, Available Now
At Seeds to Roots Oakland and Pear Tree Community School, we provide Implementation Guides, Curriculum Binders with Training, and Training on the MIRROR framework to educators. Our approach transforms outcomes for all students, especially BIPOC youth, while enhancing the learning environment for everyone.

Interested in transforming your school? Visit peartreecs.com and www.seedstorootsoakland.com to learn more about how we can help your district or school embrace MIRROR and create lasting educational change.

Read More About the MIRROR Framework HERE: Mirrors, Monsters, & Magic https://medium.com//abstract-312dc55bb5aa

medium.com

Lift Indigenous voices!

We are raising awareness for this worthwhile cause, Building KCLC’s Future: Investing in the next generation of Keres speakers. Will you make a donation and share this Snowball page? Learn more: https://snwbl.it/sB2Gg4 You can be a hero and help Keres Children’s Learning Center reach their goal: Just send this message to your contacts. Thank you!

SOGOREA TE’ LAND TRUST
Donate to Sogorea Te’ Land Trust
They cultivate rematriation Sogorea Te’ calls on us all to heal and transform the legacies of colonization, genocide, and patriarchy and to do the work our ancestors and future generations are calling us to do.
https://sogoreate-landtrust.org

“Mirrors, Magic, and Monsters -Sense of Self Matters: A Seeds to Roots Oakland Framework of Learning at Pear Tree Community School”

At Pear Tree Community School, we emphasize the critical impact of brain science, societal elements, and epigenetics on student development. Our framework nurtures cognitive, emotional, and social growth, priming students for future success.

The Framework: Brain Science and Development
We nurture the natural genius in children by fostering curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. During early childhood, synaptic pruning is crucial for cognitive, emotional, and social skills. Societal stressors like erasure, silencing, stereotypical images, and microaggressions can harm brain development and self-confidence, creating a distorted view of self. All children need a mirror thst afffirms their sense of self and that is rooted in their cultural identities. Understanding the epigenetics of historical trauma and the ways stress impacts brain development can help us think intentionally about creating environments that promote a positive sense of self.

Modern Stressors
Confronting distorted or stereotypical images negatively impacts a child's sense of self and brain function. Biases from adults and peers can undermine confidence and cognitive growth. Stress affects brain areas responsible for learning and memory, while a strong sense of self enhances resilience and cognitive abilities. Accurate and positive mirroring of students' identities supports healthy brain development.

The Role of Dopamine
Dopamine, linked to the brain's reward system, plays a crucial role in brain development and learning. Positive self-perception enhances dopamine production, supporting synaptic connections and facilitating learning.

At Pear Tree, our practices support brain healing and development at key stages, ensuring every child is seen, valued, and prepared for success.

Read Full Article Here:
https://medium.com//mirrors-monsters-and-magic-4ed3e5993ab5

Reflecting on the findings from Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, I can personally attest to the profound impact of the hidden “mental tax” faced by “diverse” leaders. As a BIPOC woman leading Pear Tree Community School and the training arm, Seeds to Roots Oakland, the challenges highlighted in this study resonate deeply with my experiences. Our work is pioneering liberatory educational practices, which challenge and move beyond traditional models that have consistently failed BIPOC children.

This groundbreaking approach, while often misunderstood and questioned, is critical for achieving transformative change in education. The dual burden of proving our professional worth while simultaneously dismantling entrenched racial and gender biases cannot be overstated. This is exacerbated as we also strive to overhaul outdated and entrenched models that are harming our children. Our commitment at Pear Tree Community School is to foster environments where transformative perspectives are not merely included but lifted and utilized to create a path forward. This commitment drives us to champion counter-narratives, and imagine new ways of being that center BIPOC youth - in spite of the consistent “tax” our leaders, and teacher- leaders face in moving the work forward!

Neuroscience explains how diverse leaders pay an invisible 'mental tax' Diverse leaders are navigating not only the demands of their work and leadership but also feel pressure to mitigate the stereotypes.