Last year I taught in an American public school for the first time. I began my second year as a sixth grade teacher in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Through a program called Teach For America I was given a classroom and duped into believing I could change the world. Somehow I would be able to ‘reach’ sixty children, teach them all they had missed in seven years of substandard schooling, feel good about myself while doing it, then quit it all after two years and move on to my real professional career doing whatever the hell I truly want to do for the rest of my life. It was a decision to procrastinate in a meaningful way - to postpone the real decision making, and to save the world by doing it. Fuck that. I entered a difficult career that people spend their whole lives developing while being treated like morons. Teachers (in my school at least) often get treatment that a rat doesn’t deserve. Their opinions - not valued, their expertise - questioned, and their successes - swept under the rug or claimed by superiors. School becomes a political place where employees vie for status and students are left to be herded from one side of the building to the other and berated by various overworked and over stressed employees. On the fifth day of my second year as a teacher I don’t know what to do. Everyone in my world is excited, inspired, and fresh after two months away from the place they are excited and inspired about. I keep getting flashbacks to reality.
More inspiring thoughts to come…
Thursday, June 08, 2006
A Tuesday in Mid January, 2006
Today was one of those days when I drove home saying, "Shit, and I’m a teacher?!?" Actually, everyday is like that in a way. I mean, there has not been a day in the past 2,180 days that I have not 1) known exactly what day it is and 2) not said to myself "Shit, and I’m a teacher?!?"
One more pile o’ anecdotes from my teaching life: Today I found out many interesting things. First, we finished the last day of three days of testing which in very serious ways create our status of a ‘good school’ or not. Well, the school is actually quite a bad school in many ways- but absolutely and definitely not in all. Today I found out a student in my class with whom I have a horrible relationship has been psychologically and academically tested. Legally, he should be in a class with no more than eleven other children. The psychologist at the elementary school he attended last year labeled Student both learning disabled and mentally retarded. Student can’t read and that’s obvious. He actually got moved into my class during the time in the beginning of the year when kids go back and forth between classes until the groups kind of work. He has been in my regular education class for exactly 240 days. I ask myself: "How the fuck did that happen," to which my pen responds "Shit, and I’m a teacher?!?" Then, at the end of the day an emergency ‘rapid dismissal’ was called - and we all found out that our school has been labeled ‘SURR,’ or School Under Registration Review. This means that the State of New York will be taking over the school and giving it money to do things that "good" schools do. This also means 1) the school will be crawling with these middle-aged female state education people (who are always quite nice by the way) and 2) those three days of intense testing about whether this is a ‘good school’ or not didn’t mean a thing. It said what we all knew: that this school is not - the decision to go SURR had been made last Wednesday night.
Today was one of those days when I drove home saying, "Shit, and I’m a teacher?!?" Actually, everyday is like that in a way. I mean, there has not been a day in the past 2,180 days that I have not 1) known exactly what day it is and 2) not said to myself "Shit, and I’m a teacher?!?"
One more pile o’ anecdotes from my teaching life: Today I found out many interesting things. First, we finished the last day of three days of testing which in very serious ways create our status of a ‘good school’ or not. Well, the school is actually quite a bad school in many ways- but absolutely and definitely not in all. Today I found out a student in my class with whom I have a horrible relationship has been psychologically and academically tested. Legally, he should be in a class with no more than eleven other children. The psychologist at the elementary school he attended last year labeled Student both learning disabled and mentally retarded. Student can’t read and that’s obvious. He actually got moved into my class during the time in the beginning of the year when kids go back and forth between classes until the groups kind of work. He has been in my regular education class for exactly 240 days. I ask myself: "How the fuck did that happen," to which my pen responds "Shit, and I’m a teacher?!?" Then, at the end of the day an emergency ‘rapid dismissal’ was called - and we all found out that our school has been labeled ‘SURR,’ or School Under Registration Review. This means that the State of New York will be taking over the school and giving it money to do things that "good" schools do. This also means 1) the school will be crawling with these middle-aged female state education people (who are always quite nice by the way) and 2) those three days of intense testing about whether this is a ‘good school’ or not didn’t mean a thing. It said what we all knew: that this school is not - the decision to go SURR had been made last Wednesday night.
January, 2006
This is the time of year when stress starts to roll in. Teachers are starting to finish their second full unit, there’s pressure for some kind of holiday performance or celebration while well-groomed classroom management gets tossed out the window by the kids. The children begin to bare the brunt of every teacher’s frustration. We are tired, we feel we are being treated unfairly, and we’ve had this low-grade cold that’s annoying but not quite debilitating for weeks now. So we snap - some more than others. Welcome to a failing American public school. The kids run the school, really. If they decided to riot for some reason, they could take over command and control in the main office and thrash their opponent. But instead, they start to slowly chip away at their teacher’s sanity until the ELA test is over and we can teach what we want. Don’t worry, just wait it out until the spring- everything will be better then. Don’t worry, just wait until next year when we will have planned better and are going strong with a new core group of young teachers. Actually, the kids don’t want to riot and they don’t want to take over the school. They desperately want intense structure and to feel success. They just have no idea how to get those things by themselves. They need help, they’re kids! This is why we have school. It is there so that kids can have a place to screw up then learn how not to screw up the next time. I guess nobody thought that school would have to be and teach all the support systems put in place to help raise our children.
This is the time of year when stress starts to roll in. Teachers are starting to finish their second full unit, there’s pressure for some kind of holiday performance or celebration while well-groomed classroom management gets tossed out the window by the kids. The children begin to bare the brunt of every teacher’s frustration. We are tired, we feel we are being treated unfairly, and we’ve had this low-grade cold that’s annoying but not quite debilitating for weeks now. So we snap - some more than others. Welcome to a failing American public school. The kids run the school, really. If they decided to riot for some reason, they could take over command and control in the main office and thrash their opponent. But instead, they start to slowly chip away at their teacher’s sanity until the ELA test is over and we can teach what we want. Don’t worry, just wait it out until the spring- everything will be better then. Don’t worry, just wait until next year when we will have planned better and are going strong with a new core group of young teachers. Actually, the kids don’t want to riot and they don’t want to take over the school. They desperately want intense structure and to feel success. They just have no idea how to get those things by themselves. They need help, they’re kids! This is why we have school. It is there so that kids can have a place to screw up then learn how not to screw up the next time. I guess nobody thought that school would have to be and teach all the support systems put in place to help raise our children.
September 22nd 2004, 08:43 PM
Public Schools No Place For Teachers' Kids
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040922-122847-5968r.htm
By George Archibald
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
More than 25 percent of public school teachers in Washington and Baltimore send their children to private schools, a new study reports. Nationwide, public school teachers are almost twice as likely as other parents to choose private schools for their own children, the study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found. More than 1 in 5 public school teachers said their children attend private schools. In Washington (28 percent), Baltimore (35 percent) and 16 other major cities, the figure is more than 1 in 4. In some cities, nearly half of the children of public school teachers have abandoned public schools. In Philadelphia, 44 percent of the teachers put their children in private schools; in Cincinnati, 41 percent; Chicago, 39 percent; Rochester, N.Y., 38 percent. The same trends showed up in the San Francisco-Oakland area, where 34 percent of public school teachers chose private schools for their children; 33 percent in New York City and New Jersey suburbs; and 29 percent in Milwaukee and New Orleans. Michael Pons, spokesman for the National Education Association, the 2.7-million-member public school union, declined a request for comment on the study's findings. The American Federation of Teachers also declined to comment. Public school teachers told the Fordham Institute's surveyors that private and religious schools impose greater discipline, achieve higher academic achievement and offer overall a better atmosphere. "Across the states, 12.2 percent of all families - urban, rural and suburban - send their children to private schools," says the report, based on 2000 census data. "Public education in many of our large cities is broken," the surveyors conclude. "The fix? Choice, in part, to be sure." Public school teachers in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Chicago, Rochester, N.Y., and Baltimore registered the most dissatisfaction with the schools in which they teach. "These results do not surprise most practicing teachers to whom we speak," say report authors Denis P. Doyle, founder of a school improvement company, SchoolNet Inc.; Brian Diepold, an economics graduate student at American University; and David A. DeSchryver, editor of the Doyle Report, an online education policy and technology journal. "Teachers, it is reasonable to assume, care about education, are reasonably expert about it and possess quite a lot of information about the schools in which they teach. We can assume that no one knows the condition and quality of public schools better than teachers who work in them every day." "They know from personal experience that many of their colleagues make such a choice [for private vs. public schools], and do so for good and sufficient reasons." The report says the school choice movement has begun competitively forcing public school improvement, particularly in cities like Milwaukee, called "a hotbed of school reform," where 29.4 percent of public school teachers sent their children to private schools, the study finds. "Narrow the search to teachers making less than $42,000 and the percentage enrolling their children in private schools drops to 10 percent. Because Milwaukee is a hotbed of school reform, it's possible that teachers making less than $42,000 are beginning to favor the public school system." "If so, it might be evidence that choice is having the intended effect of spurring improvements in public education there. Or perhaps the emergence of [public school] charters has provided another free option to lower-income teachers who might otherwise choose private schooling."
Public Schools No Place For Teachers' Kids
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040922-122847-5968r.htm
By George Archibald
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
More than 25 percent of public school teachers in Washington and Baltimore send their children to private schools, a new study reports. Nationwide, public school teachers are almost twice as likely as other parents to choose private schools for their own children, the study by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found. More than 1 in 5 public school teachers said their children attend private schools. In Washington (28 percent), Baltimore (35 percent) and 16 other major cities, the figure is more than 1 in 4. In some cities, nearly half of the children of public school teachers have abandoned public schools. In Philadelphia, 44 percent of the teachers put their children in private schools; in Cincinnati, 41 percent; Chicago, 39 percent; Rochester, N.Y., 38 percent. The same trends showed up in the San Francisco-Oakland area, where 34 percent of public school teachers chose private schools for their children; 33 percent in New York City and New Jersey suburbs; and 29 percent in Milwaukee and New Orleans. Michael Pons, spokesman for the National Education Association, the 2.7-million-member public school union, declined a request for comment on the study's findings. The American Federation of Teachers also declined to comment. Public school teachers told the Fordham Institute's surveyors that private and religious schools impose greater discipline, achieve higher academic achievement and offer overall a better atmosphere. "Across the states, 12.2 percent of all families - urban, rural and suburban - send their children to private schools," says the report, based on 2000 census data. "Public education in many of our large cities is broken," the surveyors conclude. "The fix? Choice, in part, to be sure." Public school teachers in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Chicago, Rochester, N.Y., and Baltimore registered the most dissatisfaction with the schools in which they teach. "These results do not surprise most practicing teachers to whom we speak," say report authors Denis P. Doyle, founder of a school improvement company, SchoolNet Inc.; Brian Diepold, an economics graduate student at American University; and David A. DeSchryver, editor of the Doyle Report, an online education policy and technology journal. "Teachers, it is reasonable to assume, care about education, are reasonably expert about it and possess quite a lot of information about the schools in which they teach. We can assume that no one knows the condition and quality of public schools better than teachers who work in them every day." "They know from personal experience that many of their colleagues make such a choice [for private vs. public schools], and do so for good and sufficient reasons." The report says the school choice movement has begun competitively forcing public school improvement, particularly in cities like Milwaukee, called "a hotbed of school reform," where 29.4 percent of public school teachers sent their children to private schools, the study finds. "Narrow the search to teachers making less than $42,000 and the percentage enrolling their children in private schools drops to 10 percent. Because Milwaukee is a hotbed of school reform, it's possible that teachers making less than $42,000 are beginning to favor the public school system." "If so, it might be evidence that choice is having the intended effect of spurring improvements in public education there. Or perhaps the emergence of [public school] charters has provided another free option to lower-income teachers who might otherwise choose private schooling."
While listening to 1010 WINS the other day I found out about the principal of PS 21 in Bed-Stuy who refuses to let his elementary school students outside for recess. He says that stray bullets are too much of a problem and it is unsafe to let the kids out no matter the weather. Mayor Bloomberg responded that the neighborhood has actually gotten safer recently, that the police are working with the principal on the issue, and there’s no reason to keep the children indoors.
Flash back to about a month ago. I get a report that my homeroom students are acting up in the art room, and my disciplinary assistance is needed. Knowing that its eighth period (the last, about 2PM) and that the art room and my students in it can get crazy sometimes, I stroll purposefully down the long hallway to look into the situation. I arrive, and the art teacher is screaming at the children. My class is crowded along the windows in the corner classroom and loudly commenting on what’s going on in the park behind our school. There are 4-5 people sprinting through the park and the sounds of gunshots are in the air. I start screaming to get away from the windows, for God’s sake, and what the hell are you thinking there are bullets flying, and what the hell is going on, anyway? Art teacher responds- ‘they’re shooting in the back’ to which I respond ‘no shit’ in my head. After a minute or two, everything was calmed down, and we talked at length about why its important to stay away from the window if there are random people shooting just outside that window. The one child who moved toward the door had some thoughts about that one…
I’d taught at the school for a year at that point and had not heard about shootings around the park, but Art Teacher told me enough. "There’ve been a couple times this year, I don’t know when it was- but I’ve got it written down here somewhere…" It was all I really wanted to know. It wasn’t really a surprise. But it was unnerving. I know there are guns around the school and I’ve seen and heard too many gunshots around me already, but what the fuck? Two PM? Within fifty yards of a classroom window? Most of the students in the classroom run toward the window? Its just unfair. To everyone. We know that Americans love their guns, apparently Brazilians do too. Its crazy - that’s all.
Flash back to about a month ago. I get a report that my homeroom students are acting up in the art room, and my disciplinary assistance is needed. Knowing that its eighth period (the last, about 2PM) and that the art room and my students in it can get crazy sometimes, I stroll purposefully down the long hallway to look into the situation. I arrive, and the art teacher is screaming at the children. My class is crowded along the windows in the corner classroom and loudly commenting on what’s going on in the park behind our school. There are 4-5 people sprinting through the park and the sounds of gunshots are in the air. I start screaming to get away from the windows, for God’s sake, and what the hell are you thinking there are bullets flying, and what the hell is going on, anyway? Art teacher responds- ‘they’re shooting in the back’ to which I respond ‘no shit’ in my head. After a minute or two, everything was calmed down, and we talked at length about why its important to stay away from the window if there are random people shooting just outside that window. The one child who moved toward the door had some thoughts about that one…
I’d taught at the school for a year at that point and had not heard about shootings around the park, but Art Teacher told me enough. "There’ve been a couple times this year, I don’t know when it was- but I’ve got it written down here somewhere…" It was all I really wanted to know. It wasn’t really a surprise. But it was unnerving. I know there are guns around the school and I’ve seen and heard too many gunshots around me already, but what the fuck? Two PM? Within fifty yards of a classroom window? Most of the students in the classroom run toward the window? Its just unfair. To everyone. We know that Americans love their guns, apparently Brazilians do too. Its crazy - that’s all.
Pedro, from "La Capital" of some Dominican state to his mother who he hasn’t seen in 4+ years:
"las reglas, cuales son, las reglas?" ("what are rules" was definitely what he meant)
"tu sabes, siente en tu asiento, haga la tarea..."
Thinking back, this exchange is one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard. It makes me realize just how much a sixth grade country boy from the Dominican republic is a fish out of water in a public school In Bed-Stuy. He honestly doesn’t know what I’m talking about when I mention "the rules." Once, during a conversation about Pedro, his town in the DR came up, our ESL teacher said: "He was probably dancing naked with the cows or something." Without getting into what dancing naked with cows could actually mean, we can assume that this town was mad country. Plus, he is quite hard of hearing, always mentions difficulty in breathing, and has done some things that would be considered strange even in the countriest of country. But, after meeting with his mom this morning, he asked me how he had done at the door this afternoon. I said, "better- but we have some work to do" and he ran onto the sidewalk.
"las reglas, cuales son, las reglas?" ("what are rules" was definitely what he meant)
"tu sabes, siente en tu asiento, haga la tarea..."
Thinking back, this exchange is one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard. It makes me realize just how much a sixth grade country boy from the Dominican republic is a fish out of water in a public school In Bed-Stuy. He honestly doesn’t know what I’m talking about when I mention "the rules." Once, during a conversation about Pedro, his town in the DR came up, our ESL teacher said: "He was probably dancing naked with the cows or something." Without getting into what dancing naked with cows could actually mean, we can assume that this town was mad country. Plus, he is quite hard of hearing, always mentions difficulty in breathing, and has done some things that would be considered strange even in the countriest of country. But, after meeting with his mom this morning, he asked me how he had done at the door this afternoon. I said, "better- but we have some work to do" and he ran onto the sidewalk.
I’ve now been a UFT member for about a year. This is my first experience as a member of a union (other than my brief stint as a "deli-boy" at my hometown SuperFresh). As one of the more powerful unions in NYC, the United Federation of Teachers recently wrangled an agreement from Mayor Bloomberg and the city. The teachers have been without contract for a full two years, which in my pre-teacher mind would have been unthinkable. Then I became familiar with the way the Department of Education, the city, and actually, the union, tend to work (but I’ll get into the union a little later). So, to repeat, the teachers have been without a contract with the city for over two years. This means that teacher salaries along with all kinds of other agreements regarding the way New York Public schools are meant to run were two years old. And this is the way things usually go. I asked my aunt, a 35-year veteran teacher in the NYC school system about the state of the contract this summer. She replied in a calm tone that the situation was pretty normal. She assured me that we’d have a contract by the election, and indeed we do- wait, we almost have a contract. As of right now, we have a memorandum of agreement (http://www.uft.org/member/rights/contracts/tentative/agreement/) that is awaiting ratification by union members.
Teachers vote a simple "yes" or "no" on this agreement. After finding out two weeks ago that the city accepted the recommendations of an independent fact finding panel for modifications to the expired contract, effectively ending a long fight between the two sides, I figured most teachers would definitely vote "yes." A month ago, the teacher’s lounge was full of talk about a possible strike, and all the troubles associated with one. Teachers would be docked for pay and all were unsure about what the final outcome of such an action would be. Now an agreement has been reached. It’s far from perfect, but it includes a 15% pay increase and a number of other improvements. This way, the union stays intact and lives to fight another day. If the members vote "no," the only foreseeable option for the union would be an all-out strike - the result of which is unknown and pretty scary when looking at it as a teacher. This is why I was surprised with the events of our UFT chapter meeting in school this past Wednesday. I left amid a shouting match between one school’s chapter leader and the UFT regional representative. The chapter leader is passionately opposed to the agreement, while the regional representative was pushing the union’s position. The union hopes members will vote "yes." They believe this is the only way the union can survive. During the chapter leader’s tirade about the unfair treatment teachers are receiving with this contract, I couldn’t help thinking about the lack of power teachers have in this discussion. We have to be smart, precisely because we have little power in these conservative and reckless times. The union is the power we have, and we must keep it strong through smart, creative negotiations. In a lot of ways, we’ve won with this agreement and I want to help the union stick around so that it can negotiate for me and the rest of the city’s schoolteachers for the two years after the this contract expires. I thought about this, started to get a headache from all the screaming, then walked out the door…
Teachers vote a simple "yes" or "no" on this agreement. After finding out two weeks ago that the city accepted the recommendations of an independent fact finding panel for modifications to the expired contract, effectively ending a long fight between the two sides, I figured most teachers would definitely vote "yes." A month ago, the teacher’s lounge was full of talk about a possible strike, and all the troubles associated with one. Teachers would be docked for pay and all were unsure about what the final outcome of such an action would be. Now an agreement has been reached. It’s far from perfect, but it includes a 15% pay increase and a number of other improvements. This way, the union stays intact and lives to fight another day. If the members vote "no," the only foreseeable option for the union would be an all-out strike - the result of which is unknown and pretty scary when looking at it as a teacher. This is why I was surprised with the events of our UFT chapter meeting in school this past Wednesday. I left amid a shouting match between one school’s chapter leader and the UFT regional representative. The chapter leader is passionately opposed to the agreement, while the regional representative was pushing the union’s position. The union hopes members will vote "yes." They believe this is the only way the union can survive. During the chapter leader’s tirade about the unfair treatment teachers are receiving with this contract, I couldn’t help thinking about the lack of power teachers have in this discussion. We have to be smart, precisely because we have little power in these conservative and reckless times. The union is the power we have, and we must keep it strong through smart, creative negotiations. In a lot of ways, we’ve won with this agreement and I want to help the union stick around so that it can negotiate for me and the rest of the city’s schoolteachers for the two years after the this contract expires. I thought about this, started to get a headache from all the screaming, then walked out the door…
I believe in my ability to google myself. Why doesn't everyone? We should be able to spend
incredible amounts on flowers, for example, but not on clothes. I believe in my ablility to buy
groceries, clothes, dinner, my laundry, and most other things online. I believe in my ability to
work from home. I ride a bike and eat tofu because its healthy. I believe that everything and everyone can and will work together and effectively. I am the next generation of our nation. I am part of a national corps of teachers who truly believe that good teaching can conquer all. Good teaching means being an excellent psychologist, mediator, and janitor for all the shit each child goes through each day. I believe that it is a fact that children are capable of at least three times what you expect. I believe that they should be challenged...
incredible amounts on flowers, for example, but not on clothes. I believe in my ablility to buy
groceries, clothes, dinner, my laundry, and most other things online. I believe in my ability to
work from home. I ride a bike and eat tofu because its healthy. I believe that everything and everyone can and will work together and effectively. I am the next generation of our nation. I am part of a national corps of teachers who truly believe that good teaching can conquer all. Good teaching means being an excellent psychologist, mediator, and janitor for all the shit each child goes through each day. I believe that it is a fact that children are capable of at least three times what you expect. I believe that they should be challenged...
…and they sat outside on the bench counting how many cars might pass in front of them in an hour. Between the two trees on the other side of Eastern Parkway, including the ones parked on the service road, for the amount of seconds it takes for the light to turn green twice. Every hour, they figured, 4,440 cars passed his window. He lived in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Every time he walked out his front door, he was about three blocks from the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the super-famous Prospect Park.
Paul was the kind of kid who just wanted people to notice him, or like him. Actually, the ultimate for Paul was for people to notice that they like him. It was one day about a year ago when Paul all of a sudden grew up. They always talk about growing up as a process, as something that takes a whole lot of time to happen. No- with Paul it all happened in one day. April 7, 2004 was the day when Paul realized where he was, who he was, and what he wanted to do about it. From that day on Paul always had a perspective - his perspective - on what happened in his life and changed accordingly. He was never again to make the wrong decision.
Courtney was the kind of kid who always got noticed because people didn’t like her. Or at least that’s how she felt. The ultimate for her was to be a fly on the wall, to not get noticed by anyone for anything. Her feet were too small, nose too long, and had eyes of the wrong color.
Courtney was the kind of kid who just wanted people to notice her, or like her. Actually, the ultimate for Courtney was for people to notice that they like her. It was one day about a year ago when Courtney all of a sudden grew up. They always talk about growing up as a process, as something that takes a whole lot of time to happen. No- with Courtney it all happened in one day. April 7, 2004 was the day when Courtney realized where she was, who she was, and what she wanted to do about it. From that day on Courtney always had a perspective - her perspective - on what happened in her life and changed accordingly. She was never again to make the wrong decision.
Paul was the kind of kid who always got noticed because people didn’t like him. Or at least that’s how he felt. The ultimate for him was to be a fly on the wall, to not get noticed by anyone for anything. His feet were too small, nose too long, and had eyes of the wrong color.
What happens when Paul and Courtney meet for the first time outside of school??
Paul was the kind of kid who just wanted people to notice him, or like him. Actually, the ultimate for Paul was for people to notice that they like him. It was one day about a year ago when Paul all of a sudden grew up. They always talk about growing up as a process, as something that takes a whole lot of time to happen. No- with Paul it all happened in one day. April 7, 2004 was the day when Paul realized where he was, who he was, and what he wanted to do about it. From that day on Paul always had a perspective - his perspective - on what happened in his life and changed accordingly. He was never again to make the wrong decision.
Courtney was the kind of kid who always got noticed because people didn’t like her. Or at least that’s how she felt. The ultimate for her was to be a fly on the wall, to not get noticed by anyone for anything. Her feet were too small, nose too long, and had eyes of the wrong color.
Courtney was the kind of kid who just wanted people to notice her, or like her. Actually, the ultimate for Courtney was for people to notice that they like her. It was one day about a year ago when Courtney all of a sudden grew up. They always talk about growing up as a process, as something that takes a whole lot of time to happen. No- with Courtney it all happened in one day. April 7, 2004 was the day when Courtney realized where she was, who she was, and what she wanted to do about it. From that day on Courtney always had a perspective - her perspective - on what happened in her life and changed accordingly. She was never again to make the wrong decision.
Paul was the kind of kid who always got noticed because people didn’t like him. Or at least that’s how he felt. The ultimate for him was to be a fly on the wall, to not get noticed by anyone for anything. His feet were too small, nose too long, and had eyes of the wrong color.
What happens when Paul and Courtney meet for the first time outside of school??
I figure the way to make a group work together effectively towards a goal is to make them want to achieve that goal. Different people are motivated by different things- some need to be physically, emotionally, or intellectually stimulated and most of us need some combination of all three. -brainwashing is the answer. Is it not?
It is Mr. V's second year teaching 6th grade at MS 035. Last year, he often felt incapable of managing many of his students' needs, he did not begin the year with a full knowledge of the sixth grade curriculum, and whenever he tried to be creative with his class, he felt blocked by the administration. He struggled through his first year teaching, but by the end of the year felt as though he had gained the respect of his colleagues and began to take control of the learning in his own classroom. He began spending time outside of class with almost all of his students and had refocused his attention on establishing a positive and productive relationship with his students.
Beginning in September this year, Mr. V began where he left off the year before. He walked into the classroom with a daily plan for his first unit and a yearly plan for his new Humanities (Social Studies and ELA) classroom. Things seemed to be moving along in the classroom. He felt more comfortable everyday, and his assessments showed evidence of greater student achievement as compared to last year.
Despite the relative success in Mr. V's room, MS 035 seemed to be crumbling around him. SURR status was imminent because both Math and ELA test scores had not improved last year, and the 2004-2005 school year was its last in SINI status (the precursor to School Under Registration Review- SURR status). Even with the heightened level of State scrutiny, the administration seemed to make more and more nonsensical decisions that represented ineffective policies.
One of these decisions was to move a number of students between classes during the month of February. Many students had complained that they were unhappy in their current section, and some teachers had expressed an interest in 'trading' students. As a result, with about half of the year completed, the makeup of students in all classes seemed to change completely. All teachers were forced to adjust, and Mr. V did the same. He got to know his new students, and began re-teaching many of the policies and procedures of his classroom that other students already knew.
For many of the students, this period of adjustment came and went without too much trouble. They became used to the new environment and adapted. One student, however, seemed very unhappy with the change. Mr. V couldn't get used to him and he couldn't get used to Mr. V. Tristan constantly tested Mr. V's authority, refused to hand in class work, or homework, and was generally disruptive whenever he was in the classroom. Tristan seemed capable of the work he was given, but something else was wrong.
Mr. V resolved to get to know Tristan better, and to try to understand why it was that he didn't seem to respond in Mr. V's classroom. It turned out that just at the time when Tristan switched classes, troubles at home had begun to intensify. Tristan's mother had become increasingly punitive with him, and then had begun exhibiting a pattern of neglect. He felt like his mother didn't care, and he was consciously acting out in school as a way to 'get back' at his mother. After a long talk with Tristan, Mr. V referred him to the school counselor, and set up a personal system of rewards and consequences to which Tristan happily agreed.
Two weeks later, Tristan was taken from his mother's house by children's services, and moved to live with his grandmother temporarily. After the move, Tristan's behavior spiraled downward. He was clearly acting out, only this time whenever Mr. V and Tristan discussed the behavior, Tristan told him that he was trying as hard as he could. He had begun a habit of challenging almost everything anyone around him would say. For example, someone might say: "Its raining outside" and Tristan would scream "No its not, n___" in response. When asking Tristan to complete an assignment, he might reply by simply saying 'no.' The total number of outbursts went down over time according to Mr. V's anecdotal records, but not nearly enough to create a calm and safe classroom environment. He would seem interested in different class topics from time to time, however the interest never lasted longer than a few minutes. He almost never fully completed assignments. It seemed that all attempts to implement systems of rewards and consequences failed over the next month and a half.
It is now almost May, and Mr. V is unsure of how to best meet the needs of Tristan and the rest of the class for the next two months. He is constantly disruptive - to the point that his classmates have really had enough. Because of the deteriorating situation of the school overall, Tristan gets little support and meets with the counselor at best once a week (out of three scheduled sessions). Mr V. often ends the day de-escalating altercations between Tristan and other students, and the school psychologist assures him that Tristan will not be tested or placed in a different setting for the future because of his high academic scores.
Beginning in September this year, Mr. V began where he left off the year before. He walked into the classroom with a daily plan for his first unit and a yearly plan for his new Humanities (Social Studies and ELA) classroom. Things seemed to be moving along in the classroom. He felt more comfortable everyday, and his assessments showed evidence of greater student achievement as compared to last year.
Despite the relative success in Mr. V's room, MS 035 seemed to be crumbling around him. SURR status was imminent because both Math and ELA test scores had not improved last year, and the 2004-2005 school year was its last in SINI status (the precursor to School Under Registration Review- SURR status). Even with the heightened level of State scrutiny, the administration seemed to make more and more nonsensical decisions that represented ineffective policies.
One of these decisions was to move a number of students between classes during the month of February. Many students had complained that they were unhappy in their current section, and some teachers had expressed an interest in 'trading' students. As a result, with about half of the year completed, the makeup of students in all classes seemed to change completely. All teachers were forced to adjust, and Mr. V did the same. He got to know his new students, and began re-teaching many of the policies and procedures of his classroom that other students already knew.
For many of the students, this period of adjustment came and went without too much trouble. They became used to the new environment and adapted. One student, however, seemed very unhappy with the change. Mr. V couldn't get used to him and he couldn't get used to Mr. V. Tristan constantly tested Mr. V's authority, refused to hand in class work, or homework, and was generally disruptive whenever he was in the classroom. Tristan seemed capable of the work he was given, but something else was wrong.
Mr. V resolved to get to know Tristan better, and to try to understand why it was that he didn't seem to respond in Mr. V's classroom. It turned out that just at the time when Tristan switched classes, troubles at home had begun to intensify. Tristan's mother had become increasingly punitive with him, and then had begun exhibiting a pattern of neglect. He felt like his mother didn't care, and he was consciously acting out in school as a way to 'get back' at his mother. After a long talk with Tristan, Mr. V referred him to the school counselor, and set up a personal system of rewards and consequences to which Tristan happily agreed.
Two weeks later, Tristan was taken from his mother's house by children's services, and moved to live with his grandmother temporarily. After the move, Tristan's behavior spiraled downward. He was clearly acting out, only this time whenever Mr. V and Tristan discussed the behavior, Tristan told him that he was trying as hard as he could. He had begun a habit of challenging almost everything anyone around him would say. For example, someone might say: "Its raining outside" and Tristan would scream "No its not, n___" in response. When asking Tristan to complete an assignment, he might reply by simply saying 'no.' The total number of outbursts went down over time according to Mr. V's anecdotal records, but not nearly enough to create a calm and safe classroom environment. He would seem interested in different class topics from time to time, however the interest never lasted longer than a few minutes. He almost never fully completed assignments. It seemed that all attempts to implement systems of rewards and consequences failed over the next month and a half.
It is now almost May, and Mr. V is unsure of how to best meet the needs of Tristan and the rest of the class for the next two months. He is constantly disruptive - to the point that his classmates have really had enough. Because of the deteriorating situation of the school overall, Tristan gets little support and meets with the counselor at best once a week (out of three scheduled sessions). Mr V. often ends the day de-escalating altercations between Tristan and other students, and the school psychologist assures him that Tristan will not be tested or placed in a different setting for the future because of his high academic scores.
During this time of year I just delete a lot of emails instead of reading them. "Another Volunteer Opportunity" - deleted. "2004 Corps Celebration" - deleted. "Do you want to help with induction planning?" - hell no and deleted. I can't stand Teach For America at this point in my life not because I dislike the organization, what it does, or what it has given me, but just because I kind of don't give a fuck. I mean I care, but there are less than 3 weeks left in the last school year I will ever be teaching 6th grade Humanities at MS 068. I want to make sure that I help the students to get their portfolios done, want to make sure to have some fun in the classroom between now and June 28th, and spend time with my second family at school. MS 068 has an incredible staff for the most part, and that staff has been screwed over and over across the board. The job and the building grate on people, embitter them, then push them out the door. Shit on by the kids, blocked by an ineffective administration, the teachers of 68 deserve all of our respect. These people jump into the pit with smiles on their faces. They are hard working, smart, and will do whatever it takes to teach a child.
I'm not guilty anymore, and its a great thing. On some days, teaching made me feel horrible about life. I felt like I was hurting the students who left my classroom everyday, somehow robbing them of their opportunity to learn for the year because I simply could not control them. I was screaming at the top of my lungs all the time, and I'm not a screamer. Sometimes I was just talking over them because they wouldn't shut the fuck up, sometimes I was screaming at them because one or a group of them was simply acting like an asshole. At one point this year - I'm not exactly sure when - I finally lost that guilt. Ms. Joesson told me many times during my first year, "You didn't do it to them. Its not your fault," but I didn't realize for myself that its not until January or February of this year. My entire strategy for classroom management at this point consists of a) speaking in a clear, slightly loud, and concise voice b) diverting as much attention as possible to me or a task by being 'crazy Mr. V,' and c) not entertaining bullshit. C is the biggest accomplishment of all because there is a lot of bullshit. Notice as well that this does not necessarily include correcting negative behavior. Fuck it, I'm done!
--- Don't worry, caring reader. I love the kids I've taught and would do it all over again, I just need a break for now...
I'm not guilty anymore, and its a great thing. On some days, teaching made me feel horrible about life. I felt like I was hurting the students who left my classroom everyday, somehow robbing them of their opportunity to learn for the year because I simply could not control them. I was screaming at the top of my lungs all the time, and I'm not a screamer. Sometimes I was just talking over them because they wouldn't shut the fuck up, sometimes I was screaming at them because one or a group of them was simply acting like an asshole. At one point this year - I'm not exactly sure when - I finally lost that guilt. Ms. Joesson told me many times during my first year, "You didn't do it to them. Its not your fault," but I didn't realize for myself that its not until January or February of this year. My entire strategy for classroom management at this point consists of a) speaking in a clear, slightly loud, and concise voice b) diverting as much attention as possible to me or a task by being 'crazy Mr. V,' and c) not entertaining bullshit. C is the biggest accomplishment of all because there is a lot of bullshit. Notice as well that this does not necessarily include correcting negative behavior. Fuck it, I'm done!
--- Don't worry, caring reader. I love the kids I've taught and would do it all over again, I just need a break for now...
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