"It's hard to do it because you have got to look people in the eye and tell them they're irresponsible and lazy. And who's going to want to do that? Because that's what poverty is, ladies and gentlemen. In this country (USA), you can succeed if you get educated and work hard. Period."
- Bill O'Reilly
Yeah, I used a Bill O'Reilly quote. Sue me.
On some level, I've definitely become more conservative politically after this past this year. I once thought that all of the society's problems--especially those heaped on poor or working class Blacks--could be traced to White racism. Blame White folks. It's their fault South Trenton is how it is, Mattapan is how it is, and the Delta is how it is. Nowadays I have some slightly different views and I do recognize the issue of individual choice that every person must make in their own lives to either use $20 to buy an ACT prep book or to use it to get drunk one weekend with friends. Making "the right" choice is tough and I can still understand why so many people don't make that choice, but still, "don't blame other people for your own actions." I tell me students this all the time.
Anyway, one of my greatest success stories this past year has been with a student whose initials are QF. QF was in my fifth period World History class this past year and failed pretty abysmally the first semester (I believe he had a 13 the first nine weeks). Attempts to contact his grandmother proved unsuccessful and I expected the 2nd semester to be much more of the same from him since he seemed to form a tandem with his best friend who he sat next to. Both were 18 in a 10th grade class (for 15 year-olds). However, when we came back to school in January I moved his seat away from this best friend of his who was biggest clown in the class. This--and the real prospect of being a 19 year-old sophomore--proved to be all the difference for him. He went from being one of the worst students in the class to one of hte best academically. He answered questions actively, turned in work on time and correctly done, and demonstrated content knowledge beyond the majority of the class. At one point, I believe he even had the highest grade in the class--higher than honor students who had passed all along.
What amazed me even more than his dramatic academic turnaround was the way in which he drew to me personally. Fifth period is lunch period in Humphreys County and so QF's class was chaperoned to and from lunch by me daily. This chaperoning meant that I had ample time to talk to my students informally as we walked to lunch, as we ate, and as we walked back. I noticed that QF started hanging back sometimes to talk with me in line or when we got to the cafeteria he would come and sit wherever I was and strike up conversation about anything (usually poking fun at another student or teacher and how or what they ate, wore, etc.). It was a small gesture but it was evident of the fact that he felt some sort of bond with me where he wanted to be around me and talk with me. He knew that I listened and that I would engage him, unlike other teachers who may be more stand-offish or dismissive of him. One day he opened up to me about his future aspirations scholastically and vocationally. He talked to me about how he wanted to correspond next year and then join the military. I talked to him about these choices and convinced him that he was not only a good student but that he could use that academic ability (when he focused) to do anything he wanted. He was not limited by the military option that he saw so many of those around him pursue.
I think I truly "reached" QF and I hope that I see him again next year AT SCHOOL. Sadly, his average for the second semester was not enough to pull up his average from the first semester and he failed my class. Nevertheless, I am more than sure that he has more confidence in himself academically than he ever did before and that he knows he has a teacher that cares about him beyond the books and assignments and special projects and exams and office referrals. Absolutley invaluable.
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work."
- Thomas Edison
Well, this has not happened yet but I'm working on it. My failures this year often seemed monumental and definitely were less frequent than I would have liked. Still, a number of scenarios stand out in my mind that I would love to write about. This past year I would count as my greatest failure the relationship I developed with one particular student in particular, SR, and the relationship that I had with my entire homeroom/first period class more generally.
SR was in my homeroom and first period U.S. history class. He was 15 in 8th grade--not terrible by our school's standards but definitely not ideal since he's already two years behind. For a good part of the year he was a jokester in class and did very little work. This usually occurred when I moved him to the front of the class in the desk closest to mine. He sat in front of my most problematic student, WB, and the two of them often proved a volatile combination. I enjoyed the days that one or the other was either suspended, absent, or sent out of my class. These days, while frequent enough, did not make up for some day when they were absolutely off the hook. Sending them to the office did nothing. Calling parents and older sibs did nothing. Almost weekly "come to Jesus" talks did nothing. Paddling from WB's football coach did nothing. Sad though all-too-common situation.
During the state test in language arts this past spring both of these students acted out so much the first day of testing that I told my junior high principal that they needed to be moved to another room for their test the second and third day. I could not deal with them and, more importantly, did not want to try. It was too late in the school year. The students were already going to *fail* my course and, at best, be 16 year-old 8th graders next year or, at worst, drop out. My principal said he'd look into it and, the next morning when they both strolled into my class I immediately sent them back out. My principal came down and told me that they have to stay in the classroom. Great. That day went like the previous one and tomfoolery ensued. After the test was over I wanted to give my students an easy homework assignment so that they could pull up their meager averages. As I do sometimes, I waited for the class to completely quiet down before I talked. As happens very often, they did not quiet down. Either SR or WB would usually be the one who commented first. After a few minutes of this I had a collective "come to Jesus" talk with the class.
"How many of you think you're gonna pass my class?," I asked. Only two or three out of 20 students raised their hand. "How many of you think WB is gonna pass my class?," I asked. No student raised their hand.
"Aww, now why you gotta go and do that, Mr.Amutah?," WB stated. I ignored him.
"How many of you think SR is gonna pass my class?," SR shyly and laughingly raised his hand.
"So why do you let these students that you KNOW are not gonna pass allow you all to lose focus? Everytime you laugh at what they do you give them feul. What they're doing is not funny. It's sad. Because they know they've failed my class and will be here next year and they're trying to bring you with them. Don't let them do it to you."
WB was pissed about being called out in front of the class like that. He was the reigning class clown and cool kid. Can't do that to him--SR was just his understudy. He mumbled something or other about me being crazy and telling a story on him and walked out of my class. I could care less. The end-of-the-day bell rang. I told my class to go home and turned to my computer to check my email. As I was doing so I saw that SR had not moved from him desk. After all the others students filed out of the room he came over to my desk and asked if I really thought he wasn't going to pass my class. I gave him the "are you CRAZY?!?" look and said that he himself knew better than anyone else whether he was going to pass or fail my class and the credit would go solely to him. He remarked that he was remorseful and that he couldn't be in 8th grade again. He's supposed to be heading into 11th! I had more or less run out of pity and I dismissed him from my room. Time to download that application for the Oxford School District.
Do you live in or around Cincinnati, Ohio? If so, you're in luck because Scott and the Queen City Voxers Group have organized a Vox user meetup!
WHERE: Ault Park Playground. 3600 Observatory Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45208. "We'll look for each other at the playground marked by the red X below. If it's raining, head for the shelter to the north of the [red] X."
To RSVP (which is not essential, but is appreciated), reply to Scott's announcement or send him a private message. All Voxers, as well as their friends and family, are welcome to attend.
If you do attend the meetup, have a great time and please take lots of pictures and send them to me so I can post them in Team Vox for everyone to see!
Thank you so much to Scott for organizing this meetup. Wish I could be there!
I stumbled upon this clip on youtube and found it kind of interesting. It doesn't quite relate directly to the students we'll be teaching, but it is a reflection of the system most of us are products of. Kind of a "The World as a Village" of college students.
This post is going to seem so funny to those people who have either been teaching for at least a year or more or who have a summer school class full of angels. And as a disclaimer, my new summer school class is only mildly uncooperative. I need to vent, so laugh away.
I. Mr. Barnes
One of the most prominent themes of Reggie Barnes’ talk was “don’t assume anything.” I think that this is a sound and valuable piece of advice for anyone working with kids. Too often, we become so consumed by test scores, by the grind of a routine, by our own pasts, and by frustration that we forget that each student is truly an individual with his or her own story. Working with people, especially youth, requires a more individually tailored approach than a totalitarian can give. While this does not discount the importance of discipline in the classroom, it means that a teacher must be a leader, not just a blind adherent to a set of prescribed classroom rules.
Teachers must resist the urge to be a “knight in shining honor,” as Mr. Barnes put it. This seems to be a recurring theme, along with the insistence that teachers become a part of the community. A teacher needs to attempt to integrate into the fabric of the town, to strive to understand it on its terms. I think that the “knight in shining honor” insults his or her community in a way, despite the noblest of intentions, by swooping in with a “holier-than-thou” attitude and the idea that he or she will “save” the community. Although I think this is a natural impulse, teachers must guard against it if they wish to help enact any real change.
II. Ashley Johnson
Spending six weeks (has it already been six weeks?) in Mississippi has been a process of coming to know what I didn’t know. The reality that still today a railroad track or a river oftentimes separates the “white” from the “black” part of town shocked me when I first learned about it a month and a half ago. The idea that schools are still segregated, that segregation still exists at all, was something that seemed so foreign to me. This isn’t my America, I thought. But in reality this is America (I’m beginning to see that the United States encompasses a wider range of experiences than my six states of New England can show me). My conception of this country was one where there were still horrible injustices, but they were something that didn’t consume me. Down here, it seems that racism and the repercussions of slavery stare me in the face every single day (that’s not to say that the Northeast isn’t racist, but that it’s something that seems easier to ignore). I guess this all relates to Ashley Johnson’s talk, albeit tangentially, because my response to it was fundamentally different than it would have been six weeks ago. Although I still feel frustrated and enraged when confronted with the harsh realities with which children must find a way to cope in the Delta, I didn’t feel like I was hearing about some faraway or nightmarish fantasy. I’ve come to realize that just because I live in the North doesn’t mean these aren’t my problems and struggles too; they are, or at least they ought to be, on the minds of all Americans.
I never idealized America, far from it, but I never understood it either. And now I think I’m beginning to finally do so, after having lived here for nineteen years.
MATTHEWS: So you're going to argue this case?
WOLFSON: We're going to argue that the popular vote total actually has a bearing, yes.
MATTHEWS: So all the Florida votes cast, when the other candidates, no one campaigned down there. All the Michigan votes even though your candidate was the only name on the ballot. And all the Puerto Rican votes even though they can't vote in the presidential election. All that adds up to a popular--you guys have pretty good metrics there!
WOLFSON: I don't think we should be discriminating against certain voters
-is now going to work for Faux News as a special contributor. Of course this is the same Faux News that has been doing this to Obama (and remember that all 250 of Rupert Murdoch's media outlets supported the invasion and occupation of Iraq):
Thank the gods the Clintons and their DLC hacks are now dead and buried. None of them had a center.
reggie barnes: I think it's safe to say that Mr. Barnes is a people person. I doubt that one person walked out of his talk bored, or uninterested. He has a dynamic personality and a lot to share. Plus he's honest: "I'm making you laugh now, so you won't cry later," he boldly stated to cease the laughter after a funny comment about student/teacher relations. He poked fun of the "bad feeling" he got about Basile when he strutted in and Jason's deep voice. He forced me, who he referred to as Miramichi (a 14-year old student of his), to go to the board to make a "ruler" (I had no idea what he was asking) in front of everyone. But yet, each and every one of us laughed; no one was offended. We couldn't help it--we just had to like him. Something about Mr. Barnes grabbed out attention, and our approval. To describe that "something" simply, I would just say:
I've found this idea to be extremely pertinent to summer school. Just last week Joe consulted us about two situations. The first was a student who had "3 absences" (he actually only had 2, but the number was miscalculated). The student said that his previous absence was due to the fact that the school had sent home a letter for pending payment which stated that if the student had not paid, s/he should not attend school. This was true (and a foolish letter not written by anyone here). The student had not paid, and so followed instruction. He explained that he had paid the day of his absence and thus attended summer school the next day. We debated whether or not to expel this student (who we thought had 3 absences). Someone said we should stick to the rules, since other students had been expelled already under the policy. However, this situation was different. He was simply doing what he was told by the letter. I suggested that we first check to see if the student did actually pay--he had. I then suggested that we consult the teachers on the situation. Luckily, before this point, we realized the student only had 2 absences, so it became a non-issue.
The second situation arose with a young female student who had received her second detention for not sitting down during bus club when asked. Now, staying in the seat had never been a rule before. We had never told the students they needed to keep put, and so, as one might assume, they never really did. However, she was asked to do so, and didn't. This second detention would usually lead to a suspension, but yet again, this situation was different. We first looked at the student's previous detention and found that it was only for two tardies. It seemed a little silly to suspend a student for two tardies and breaking a rule that never existed, so we let her off. I feel good about this decision, even though, by policy, she should have received the suspension.
Maybe my approach to things would get me walked all over if I ever become a teacher, but I strongly believe in this method. I think dealing with every situation in a similar manner is the easy way out, and that's just not fair to the students. It's impossible to think up every single situation that might occur and encompass them all into a set of rules that is fair for every person, every time. Therefore, when something comes up that is different, even if only slightly different, take it as it comes--You'll probably feel a lot better about your decision if you do.
On the bus today Jen was reading The Cost of Discipleship, a book by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
