European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 07, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday october 7, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 9 education consultant helps pupils boost self esteem by Jimi Jones education writer Frankfurt Germany Little hands raised across the room As fourth and fifth graders anxiously awaited their turn to explain their knowledge of cultures and How they perceive each other. The session was one of several motivational talks conducted by Dorothy Nelms an attorney who advises government and private organizations on equal employment Opportunity issues. She also specializes in Domestic and family matters. Nelms a private consultant and a gs-15 defense department Retiree spent the past two weeks conducting equal employment Opportunity workshops and inspirational talks in the Frankfurt military Community. She spent the last week in sessions with Community Young people and teachers. Until pupils take control of their own thoughts and create their own perceptions the educational process will be hindered and personal Bias will continue among them Nelms said. Many of the problems Are Universal but Lack of self esteem and identity Are More revelant for americans Young Blacks Nelms said in an interview. A a lot of teen agers Are having problems with identity problems with self esteem problems with just who they Are in this great big world a she said but a a it seven More exacerbated for minority  for one reason she said they a stand  a they Are very visible. No matter where they go they re visible. Downtown Frankfurt in Paris England Italy. Nowhere can they go and just blend  848 pm do swim Dorothy Nelms talks with fourth and fifth graders at Frankot Irtz a Atterberry elementary school. Her message for fourth and fifth graders she said is to feel Good about themselves and see the similarities in people. Young children must Start to understand and judge for themselves the things around them that indicate negative aspects about certain groups of people she said. She used the Media As an example. A they see things in movies that they know Are not right a she said. To discount such things at an Early age children must Start a thinking for themselves How to make their decisions and perceptions of other people. So they Start not making differences among each other but rather a Deal with the positive people that they know every  for ninth graders Nelms focused on peer pressure positive self image and decision making. Thinking for themselves at this level she said Means being Able to not engage in things that they know Arentt Correct or appropriate. A if they value themselves and they think Good of themselves then they can make better decisions a not feeling pressured to a fit in for approval. They can say no because they have this Trust in who they Are and in their own level of individuality and  the objective with seniors she said is to acquaint them with problems of the real world including a discrimination because they Are Young and inexperienced. I talk to them about motivating themselves and functioning in a society that Isnit always positive toward everybody and How to Deal with those  she added a even though they will have College degrees at some Point they need to prepare themselves to be Able to demonstrate their potential. To do that again they must have self esteem Sel Confidence and they must get As much practical experience As they can As part of College  she encourages seniors not to allow real world problems such As discrimination to hinder their Progress. A it might slow you Down make you think make you plan but it does no to make you  she talked to teachers about motivating youngsters by allowing them to be individuals. A Call it stereotyping looking through filters Bias prejudice but what it says is we tend to look at people in groups and we attach characteristics to those groups a Nelms said. A teachers do it like everybody else. We tend to Lump kids in groups and make presumptions about them. And by god they respond. They become what you expect them to  one formula does no to work for a group she stressed. For example in answer to a question on Young Black males she responded a i May be Able to look at one Young Black Man and come up with some solutions for him. But i done to have a Blanket theme for All Young Black men because they Are going to come from different backgrounds different frames of reference different motivations different anxieties different stresses. A a in a have to look at him and find an individual formula and that a what we need to do As teachers. We need to Start looking at people As individuals and not Little clumps of  she called her visits to the schools a insightful. There is a lot of Hope for these kids but they need a lot of  obviously they Felt they had received a Good dose from Nelms. After her session the fourth and fifth graders left the room chanting a think for yourself use your  site named after Young victim Frankfurt Germany a the Atterberry elementary school Media Center was dedicated recently to an 8-year-old boy killed Over the summer in an Accident. The John Erik Anderson Media Center was named sept. 30 in memory of the third grader who was killed july 3 when he was struck by a truck while Riding his bicycle in the Atterberry housing area in Frankfurt. The ceremony was performed by his schoolmates including Erin Rapske Telia Mcnatt Nick grab Casey Holland Stefanie Larson and Alexander Bennett. The youngest of seven children John was born to Wayne and Beth Anderson in Wichita Falls Texas on sept. 15,1982. He lived in Germany from age 18 months until his  was described As a boy who loved to be outside often needing to be reminded to Wear a coat. He was a cub scout loved to ride his Bike and loved school but did no to like Homework. The Library was one of his favorite places. His paper route took him there daily where he would spend time looking at books or displays. He was fond of computers and especially liked the listening Center. John is buried in Lehi Utah. Dodds teachers in Germany get lesson on bending education Mold by Peggy Davidson Kaiserslautern Bureau Ramstein a Germany a teachers with the department of defense dependents schools spent saturday learning ways to restructure the educational Mold that shapes today a graduates. More than 250 educators from american schools throughout Germany attended the 10th annual association for supervision and curriculum development conference at Ramstein elementary school. Before individual sessions began the educators heard association president Corrine Hill speak on the conferences theme a breaking the  Hill said that it May be impossible for teachers to break the current educational pattern but it May be possible to reshape it. Rather than relying on standardized tests that done to necessarily measure what individual students have Learned Hill suggested that educators use a combination of testing and observation. She opposes nationwide standards. A the poverty level in Mississippi is different from the level in l.a.,�?� she said suggesting that it May be better to a set standards by clusters of states with the same poverty Levels the same  Hill cited statistics on children raised in poverty children born with drug addictions those with Low birth weight and neglected and abused children As problems that teachers cannot fix. A a a done to think we re failing our Chil a list of youngsters at risk Corrine Hill president of the association for supervision and curriculum development a private organization of educators said that there Are hundreds of thousands of a children at risk a in the United states including a 350,000 who Are born addicted to cocaine. A 40,000 who Are born with alcohol related birth defects. A 260,000, or 6.7 percent of All newborns with be Low average birth weight. A 20 percent of All children who Are not vaccinated against polio. A a Quarter of All preschool children living in poverty. Dren a she said. A a we re expected to cure All ills when we get the children. We  the Daylong conference offered teachers principals Counselor and other school administrators 90 sessions that covered a variety of topics where teachers can affect students. Education topics included a science and math. A computers. A Art and music. A Reading and language. A intercultural and social studies. A creative writing. Non curriculum sessions included a classroom discipline. A student sponsorship. A after school activities. A global education. A Early childhood education. A parental involvement. A i always enjoy it the conference a said Judith Balogh assistant principal at Argonne elementary school in Hanau. A we go Back excited because we Learned  Balogh and argon Era a principal Chris Holston were especially interested in sessions that highlighted ideas for teaching math after the schools test scores a showed that was an area we needed to work on a Holston said. The sessions were conducted by educators at Dodds schools in Germany As Well As approximately 10 presenters from the United states. Between sessions educators could browse through rows of textbooks and educational literature provided by More than 40 companies and Book publishers. A Small group of students also set up a Booth to persuade teachers to begin a chapter of future educators of America. The students from Fulda High school handed out information packets a to explain How a cooperative program works a said William Rodgers a senior at Fulda. A we want to get other chapters going. We re the Only chapter in