Workshops

 
I do workshops under several different titles, but they all have the same purpose, to improve the academic achievement of students. Schools have four essential components: students, teachers, administrators, and parents. When all of these groups do their jobs well, you almost always have excellent schools. Schools that fall from excellence, do so because one or more of these groups is not doing what it needs to do to maintain excellent schools.

My workshops are designed to address the deficiencies in schools and show educators and parents how they can remedy those deficiencies. Addressing those deficiencies almost always begins with addressing the attitudes, values, behaviors, and work habits that led to them. The workshop and approach that are best for any particular school hinges on which group is most in need of attitude adjustments and work ethic changes. The workshops are designed around the needs of the school as expressed by the host. The workshop that is most in demand now is the one on “Narrowing the Gap Without Lowering the Bar: Addressing No Child Left Behind.” In this workshop I address the attitudes and values of black children, their parents, and the black community, and show educators and parents how these attitudes have contributed to the problems we are now facing trying to educate black children. In fact, without being aware of it, black people have contributed to many of the problems in black children that they are asking educators to correct. And just as innocently and unknowingly, educators have embraced some attitudes about black children that have led to their lowering their expectation and requirements, and have thus contributed to the gap between black children and white children in today’s schools. In my workshops I address these attitudes and show educators how they can change their own attitudes (if they need to ) and develop strategies to change the attitudes of their students. In my workshops I explain rather than blame, and approach every audience of educators with the attitude that they are in education because they want to help all children, regardless of their color. And I might add, I believe (and the research confirms) that white teachers can teach black children just as effectively as they teach white children if they have the confidence, courage, commitment, and caring to do so, and the children have permission and desire to let them do so.

The workshop, narrowing the Gap… can be done in one day, but ideally it is a two-day workshop. In the two-day workshops I like to talk with parents and community people on the afternoon or evening of the first day. I will talk to parents in the evening of a one-day workshop if I don’t have an engagement scheduled for the next day in another city.

In addition to the Narrowing the Gap Workshop, I do a workshop on “Guarding the Gates of Excellence, which shows good schools how to maintain their excellence even through changing of population and faculty.

Preparing a predominantly White Faculty to Work effectively with black Students is the title of another workshop. In this workshop I share with teachers information and strategies that will give them a sense of empowerment and confidence when working with black children. Many white teachers have heard black people say that white teachers should not be teaching black children. Their reasoning is that white teachers cannot teach black children effectively. Such talk is unfounded and irresponsible. Good teachers are good teachers and can be effective with any students, regardless of their color. White teaches do, however, need permission and empowering to be as effective with black children as they are with white children, with whom they have that permission and empowering. This workshop helps in that process.

Achieving Excellence Through Standards, Structure, and Strategies…this is a workshop wherein educators are shown how they can set high standards, establish a structure that will support those standards, and develop strategies that will get students and their parents to comply with and reach those standards. All of the workshops will at some point, address standards, structure, and strategies.

In addition to the workshops for teachers, I also do presentations to students and parents, especially high school students. I have publications for both groups. I have a book for parents “Parenting Toward School Success” and one for students called “Success In School.” My latest book The Good Book: Character is the Thing (refer to character link) introduces students to twenty-five of the cherished values of the American People and shows them how they can build their character around those values. There is also a teacher’s manual for that program. The program was developed to teach values without using religion. All of my writings and lectures are basically about developing the kind of citizens and communities that this country needs to continue to be the best place on earth to live on.

My workshops fees are very reasonable. Schools can pair with other schools or districts to share the expense. The presentations do not all have to be done at the same location. The inviting school or district can structure the day whichever way it needs to in order to make the most out of my visit. Most people who invite me to their schools order copies of the book Understanding and Educating African American Children for their teachers before my presentation. However, it is not mandatory that the participants have the book, but it has been my experience that the workshops cover much more material and the participants get much more benefit from them if they have read the book. In addition, the book contains so much valuable information that cannot be covered in the workshops that it is a great resource for educators even without the workshops. The book sells for $20.00 A COPY, $15.00 A COPY WHEN ORDERING FIVE OR MORE COPIES. The book can be ordered by phone, FAX, from this website, e-mail, wisdom@mvp.net, or through regular mail. Any further questions you have about my workshops or any of my material, or just to discuss a future workshop, call me at (314) 652-7933, day, evening, or even weekends.
 

 
These are some of the speaking engagements that Mr. Jenkins has done in the past. 

                                                Past Lectures

William Jenkins has been lecturing at colleges and universities since he was in his mid twenties. The following are some of the colleges and universities, and cities in which he has lectured since 1970. 

Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 
Bryant Business School, Providence, Rhode Island 
Federal City College, Washington, D.C. 
Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio 
Harris Stowe State College, St. Louis, Missouri 
Maryville University, St. Louis, Missouri 
Mississippi State University, Starksville, Mississippi 
Mount Holyoke College, Amherst, Massachusetts 
Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi 
Smith College, Amherst, Massachusetts 
Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia 
Tougaloo College, Jackson, Mississippi 
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 
University of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 
University of Massachusetts 
University of Missouri at St. Louis 
Washington University, Washington, D. C. 
Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 
Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri
Southeast MO State (4) 
University of Illinois-Edwardsville                                      

Cities and School Districts

Mr. Jenkins is invited back to practically every place he appears. The number in parenthesis indicates the number of times Mr. Jenkins has spoken in that city.  An indication of his effectiveness is how many times Jenkins has been invited to do follow up presentations for the same school district or university. 

Brandywine, Delaware (4)
Buffalo, New York 
Charlotte, North Carolina (2)
Chattanooga, Tennessee (UTC) (2) 
Chester, Virginia (2) 
Cincinnati (Cincinnati Public schools)
Columbia, South Carolina (4) 
Detroit, Michigan (3)
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Greenwood, South Carolina (3) 
Houston, Texas 
Jackson, Mississippi (6) 
Joliet, Illinois (2) 
Kansas City, Missouri (3)
Lexington, Kentucky 
Mariana, Arkansas
Midland, Texas (3) 
Montgomery, Alabama (Montgomery Public Schools) (6) 
Montgomery, Alabama (Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church)
New Orleans, Louisiana (3)
Odessa, Texas (3) 
Omaha, Nebraska (2) 
Racine, Wisconsin (2) 
Richmond, Virginia (2) 
Seaford, Delaware (Seaford Middle School) (2) 
St. Charles, Louisiana (2) 
St. Louis, Missouri (6) 
Springfield, Missouri (2)
Fulton, Missouri (Public School) 
Malden, Missouri (Public Schools) 
Eufaula, Alabama (Public Schools) 
Cahokia, Illinois (Cahokia School District) 
St. Clair, Illinois (County School District) 
Vicksburg, Mississippi (Public Schools) 
New Haven, Conneticut (Amastad Academy) 
Washington D.C.(Public Schools) 
Huntsville, Alabama (Public Schools) 
Decatur, Alabama (Public School) 
Indianapolis (Public Schools) (3) 
Paris, Tennessee (Public Schools) 
Columbia, Missouri (Columbia-Public Schools) (3) 
Evansville, Indiana (3) 
Louisville, Kentucky