wow, i hadn't realized that it's been 3 months since i've updated. that is a testament to being incredibly busy. a veteran teacher and good friend said to me last year, "don't get involved in too much" and i said "uh huh", and then started the Live Poets Society, became an assistant coach on the softball team, and started working with United Playaz. any one of these extra-curricular activities can be a full-time job on its own. i love each of them and find specific qualities in all of these students and co-workers that bring me back to vitality.
we are preparing for a very important event around the school and trying to put our best foot forward. we want to show off what we do well and be honest about the areas in which we need to improve. i know that i am reflective and able to talk very passionately about what i do, but i am worried about my own areas of weakness. my organization, my filing, my grading procedures all need revision. my classroom is lively and full of love, but it is not the well-oiled machine i wish it was. i am always working on it, but wish me luck this week.
more soon.
xo
lo
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
2nd semester - marking a moment.
i am beginning to understand why many teachers stay in this district for 2 or 3 years and are out. never one to abandon a challenge (and usually the one to run toward it), i knew this when i signed up. what i didn't know was how large my responsibilities would be outside of my classroom, and how much that would affect my focus and my day. here's what i've learned: it takes an incredible amount of work to keep a school functioning, and in a small school, it takes every single member of the team working to the point of exhaustion.
another unfortunate thing that i've learned is that what our school does best (loves, nutures, encourages, becomes family to many students) is not assessible and thus not important to the construct that we work within. we are graded (quite literally, thanks bloomberg and klein) on our test scores and graduation rates, not on how effectively we provide an environment that students want to come to, stay way after school and come in on weekends... not on how effectively we can reach kids who are on the verge of or a part of the criminal justice system... not on how we work our asses off to find ways for the kids to engage, connect and actually learn the material in a relevant way (by talking about the bronx river and how we impact that ecosystem in science, by talking about math and problem practice as building neural pathways in the brain, by talking about how what we learn from cultures and civilizations of the past can impact decisions we make today, by talking about art, film and music as ways to deal with some of the stress of your life).
we have been working ridiculously hard in the ELA dept to make our work meaningful to the students and ALSO build in the skills that they need to pass our state exams. to help them question and analyze, read books, videos and other media with a critical eye. but we struggle with absenteeism, low monthly attendance, overage students, and those to whom the street's call is far louder in their ears. our small victories with individual kids are often not quantized in the ways that matter, on our school report card and in the quality review we undergo each year.
but it does not mean that the work is not worth it, or that i'm packing up and leaving. it is just marking a moment about how hard the work is, but how important it is to keep getting up the morning and trying my best.
xo
lo
another unfortunate thing that i've learned is that what our school does best (loves, nutures, encourages, becomes family to many students) is not assessible and thus not important to the construct that we work within. we are graded (quite literally, thanks bloomberg and klein) on our test scores and graduation rates, not on how effectively we provide an environment that students want to come to, stay way after school and come in on weekends... not on how effectively we can reach kids who are on the verge of or a part of the criminal justice system... not on how we work our asses off to find ways for the kids to engage, connect and actually learn the material in a relevant way (by talking about the bronx river and how we impact that ecosystem in science, by talking about math and problem practice as building neural pathways in the brain, by talking about how what we learn from cultures and civilizations of the past can impact decisions we make today, by talking about art, film and music as ways to deal with some of the stress of your life).
we have been working ridiculously hard in the ELA dept to make our work meaningful to the students and ALSO build in the skills that they need to pass our state exams. to help them question and analyze, read books, videos and other media with a critical eye. but we struggle with absenteeism, low monthly attendance, overage students, and those to whom the street's call is far louder in their ears. our small victories with individual kids are often not quantized in the ways that matter, on our school report card and in the quality review we undergo each year.
but it does not mean that the work is not worth it, or that i'm packing up and leaving. it is just marking a moment about how hard the work is, but how important it is to keep getting up the morning and trying my best.
xo
lo
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made...
aww, there's nothing like kids singing alicia keys to brighten my saturday morning and remind me of the importance of arts and music education in public schools. look at how much these kids love to sing. yeah, ps 22 in staten island and their teacher, Mr. B!
i found this video through donorschoose.org, which has been a really great resource for me this year. i've actually obtained a video camera for my classroom through this website and am in the process of putting together some really great work of my students, though it will take many consent forms until i'm able to share it this way.
my art teacher and good friend turned me onto this site and i'm hoping to also use it to get more independent reading books this spring. i'm also changing the way that we interact with books 2nd semester, by trying to have the kids use their independent reading books to write literary letters and let other readers know about their books. i'd also like to have them identifying literary elements in the writing of their books and deepening their reading experience. we're putting on a poetry reading in my room on Monday, so i'll be sure to send updates about their success! and you better believe we'll be rolling the video camera.
happy grading to everyone. we have our Regents exams next week, so it's a bit of a stressful time around the halls. i needed to remind myself this week that i must take care of myself first. get your rest, relaxation and take a break, my fellow teachers.
xo
L
i found this video through donorschoose.org, which has been a really great resource for me this year. i've actually obtained a video camera for my classroom through this website and am in the process of putting together some really great work of my students, though it will take many consent forms until i'm able to share it this way.
my art teacher and good friend turned me onto this site and i'm hoping to also use it to get more independent reading books this spring. i'm also changing the way that we interact with books 2nd semester, by trying to have the kids use their independent reading books to write literary letters and let other readers know about their books. i'd also like to have them identifying literary elements in the writing of their books and deepening their reading experience. we're putting on a poetry reading in my room on Monday, so i'll be sure to send updates about their success! and you better believe we'll be rolling the video camera.
happy grading to everyone. we have our Regents exams next week, so it's a bit of a stressful time around the halls. i needed to remind myself this week that i must take care of myself first. get your rest, relaxation and take a break, my fellow teachers.
xo
L
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
long time no blog!
hey there, folks of the interwebs!
it has been a minute since i've written, personally or professionally. aside from lesson plans and worksheets, of course, as those are the daily weapons i wield to ward off evil. lol. let's see... we've published a newspaper and started our stereotypes/American Born Chinese graphic novel unit, which is fabulous so far. i gave my 2nd periodic assessment today... (sigh of relief). oh! and thanks to my amazing 13 year old cousin, i have about 20 new independent reading books in my library, donated by her and her friends in Ann Arbor to my students in the Bronx. contact me if you have young adult books that you no longer need! we had our first amazing, totally-silent-with-every-kid-engrossed-in-reading day on Monday! small successes mean so much.
in extra-curricular news, we're working on making the LPS site into a lit mag, as well as running newspaper as an after-school club (1st meeting tomorrow), and hosting a poetry reading in February. fundraising for Detroit has hit a stand-still, as there's been so much else on my plate that i can't help the students plan effectively for a large fundraiser. we'll see what happens... it's a work in progress and hopefully the election of officers will help the LPS crew to step up to the plate.
i've also been working with this awesome organization at our school, United Playaz. i am learning a lot from the two leaders and the students about how to run a student-centered organization and how to make the students feel invested and accountable toward the community they build together. we're taking students to a youth conference on Saturday -- so excited for that! we're also going to run a clothing/supplies drive for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. prayers and love go out to everyone there.
much love and updates at 11!
xo
lo
it has been a minute since i've written, personally or professionally. aside from lesson plans and worksheets, of course, as those are the daily weapons i wield to ward off evil. lol. let's see... we've published a newspaper and started our stereotypes/American Born Chinese graphic novel unit, which is fabulous so far. i gave my 2nd periodic assessment today... (sigh of relief). oh! and thanks to my amazing 13 year old cousin, i have about 20 new independent reading books in my library, donated by her and her friends in Ann Arbor to my students in the Bronx. contact me if you have young adult books that you no longer need! we had our first amazing, totally-silent-with-every-kid-engrossed-in-reading day on Monday! small successes mean so much.
in extra-curricular news, we're working on making the LPS site into a lit mag, as well as running newspaper as an after-school club (1st meeting tomorrow), and hosting a poetry reading in February. fundraising for Detroit has hit a stand-still, as there's been so much else on my plate that i can't help the students plan effectively for a large fundraiser. we'll see what happens... it's a work in progress and hopefully the election of officers will help the LPS crew to step up to the plate.
i've also been working with this awesome organization at our school, United Playaz. i am learning a lot from the two leaders and the students about how to run a student-centered organization and how to make the students feel invested and accountable toward the community they build together. we're taking students to a youth conference on Saturday -- so excited for that! we're also going to run a clothing/supplies drive for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. prayers and love go out to everyone there.
much love and updates at 11!
xo
lo
Sunday, November 15, 2009
2nd draft - freedom poem
We, who have never been.
“miss, that’s racist!”
they say, without knowing
how deep the puncture
wound really goes.
our lungs are collapsing
as we search for breath
but pull in water and wool,
our eyes swollen from salt
that has never flavored
our own distaste
for another race.
they call us free
but my heartbeat
contradicts the simile:
freedom is like an eagle
soaring upon the
crisp, November wind.
this has never been.
we live in meter and time,
spill out our own
rhythm and rhyme, and
off---beat
sta –
ca-
to –
or a sick syncopation
or simpatico
is always suspect.
tell me
about freedom
again.
i want to hear the fiction
we paint on the backdrop
of our lives to cover up
the true story.
these lies we hold to be
self-evident, i am pleading
for evidence of our guilt
to be brought before
the court, for the broken
backs to be bandaged
in retrospect.
but we turn the cheek
to what we see
and retell the story
that we’ve been trained with.
let freedom ring, as if its ever
filled our avenues with its
beautiful song, of sorrow
we know, of free we can
only hold onto the bars
and hope.
everyday a siren sounds
to pull you over, you;
the usual suspect.
everyday a block traversed,
a stop and search,
tear you down on
every corner uptown because
you are young, black and
obviously dangerous.
what did you know and
when did you know it?
tell me about the first time
the dream had a crack in it,
had a rip and tear so small
that you just swear
you could overlook it.
this dream deterred
has never been built
on a belief of equality,
just a borrowed billboard
slogan to help us buy
into our own brand
of bigotry.
(still sounds awkward to end it this way... i'll be posting it to my students this week on IPG to elicit their help!)
xo
Lauren
“miss, that’s racist!”
they say, without knowing
how deep the puncture
wound really goes.
our lungs are collapsing
as we search for breath
but pull in water and wool,
our eyes swollen from salt
that has never flavored
our own distaste
for another race.
they call us free
but my heartbeat
contradicts the simile:
freedom is like an eagle
soaring upon the
crisp, November wind.
this has never been.
we live in meter and time,
spill out our own
rhythm and rhyme, and
off---beat
sta –
ca-
to –
or a sick syncopation
or simpatico
is always suspect.
tell me
about freedom
again.
i want to hear the fiction
we paint on the backdrop
of our lives to cover up
the true story.
these lies we hold to be
self-evident, i am pleading
for evidence of our guilt
to be brought before
the court, for the broken
backs to be bandaged
in retrospect.
but we turn the cheek
to what we see
and retell the story
that we’ve been trained with.
let freedom ring, as if its ever
filled our avenues with its
beautiful song, of sorrow
we know, of free we can
only hold onto the bars
and hope.
everyday a siren sounds
to pull you over, you;
the usual suspect.
everyday a block traversed,
a stop and search,
tear you down on
every corner uptown because
you are young, black and
obviously dangerous.
what did you know and
when did you know it?
tell me about the first time
the dream had a crack in it,
had a rip and tear so small
that you just swear
you could overlook it.
this dream deterred
has never been built
on a belief of equality,
just a borrowed billboard
slogan to help us buy
into our own brand
of bigotry.
(still sounds awkward to end it this way... i'll be posting it to my students this week on IPG to elicit their help!)
xo
Lauren
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Poetry Takes Us By Storm!!!
Wow. We have had massssssive issues surrounding technology this fall, which I don't wish to get into. Suffice to say, there has been a long delay and relatively small amount of students getting into the IPG site this fall, but I must remind myself that it's often about quality and not quantity -- because they are posting some work that is deep, honest, and risky. I am so proud of them, and it's been inspiring me to write, too.
Thank goodness, because I have a reading coming up downtown on Nov 21st, so I have to read something, and something new! So, here's something new. I am horrible at writing political poems, but have a lot to say to the concept of freedom right now. I was inspired by Brian, one of my students, and a poem he posted on IPG -- "Some Kind of Monster". I'm thinking of reading his poem with mine (or having someone else read it for him, or have video of him reading it himself to play there?), because they are so closely related. I read this poem of his last spring and it wasn't even on my mind when I began writing my own. I can't post his piece due to student privacy issues, but contact me via email and I can share part of it!
Oh, and I'm posting this because I want your feedback -- so give it to me! Tear it up, it's a first draft!
xo
Lo
We, who have never been.
they call us free
but my heartbeat
contradicts the simile:
freedom is like an eagle
soaring upon the
crisp, November wind.
this has never been.
we live in meter and time,
rhythm and rhyme, and
off---beat sta – ca—to –
or a syncopation or simpatico
is always suspect.
tell me
about freedom
again.
i want to hear the fiction
we paint on the backdrop
of our lives to cover up
the true background.
1865 to 2009 –
are we off that?
so we turn the cheek
to what we see
and retell the story
we’ve been trained with.
yet everyday a siren blares
pulling someone over;
the usual suspects.
everyday a block walked,
a stop and search,
tear you down because
you are young, black and
obviously dangerous.
what did you know and
when did you know it?
tell me about the first time
the dream had a crack in it,
had a rip and tear
that you just swear
you could overlook.
this dream deterred
has never been built
on a belief of equality,
just a borrowed billboard
slogan to help us buy
into our bigotry.
“miss, that’s racist!”
they say, without knowing
how deep the puncture
wound really goes.
our lungs are collapsing
as we search for breath
but pull in water and wool,
our eyes swollen from salt
that has never flavored
our own distaste
for another race.
Thank goodness, because I have a reading coming up downtown on Nov 21st, so I have to read something, and something new! So, here's something new. I am horrible at writing political poems, but have a lot to say to the concept of freedom right now. I was inspired by Brian, one of my students, and a poem he posted on IPG -- "Some Kind of Monster". I'm thinking of reading his poem with mine (or having someone else read it for him, or have video of him reading it himself to play there?), because they are so closely related. I read this poem of his last spring and it wasn't even on my mind when I began writing my own. I can't post his piece due to student privacy issues, but contact me via email and I can share part of it!
Oh, and I'm posting this because I want your feedback -- so give it to me! Tear it up, it's a first draft!
xo
Lo
We, who have never been.
they call us free
but my heartbeat
contradicts the simile:
freedom is like an eagle
soaring upon the
crisp, November wind.
this has never been.
we live in meter and time,
rhythm and rhyme, and
off---beat sta – ca—to –
or a syncopation or simpatico
is always suspect.
tell me
about freedom
again.
i want to hear the fiction
we paint on the backdrop
of our lives to cover up
the true background.
1865 to 2009 –
are we off that?
so we turn the cheek
to what we see
and retell the story
we’ve been trained with.
yet everyday a siren blares
pulling someone over;
the usual suspects.
everyday a block walked,
a stop and search,
tear you down because
you are young, black and
obviously dangerous.
what did you know and
when did you know it?
tell me about the first time
the dream had a crack in it,
had a rip and tear
that you just swear
you could overlook.
this dream deterred
has never been built
on a belief of equality,
just a borrowed billboard
slogan to help us buy
into our bigotry.
“miss, that’s racist!”
they say, without knowing
how deep the puncture
wound really goes.
our lungs are collapsing
as we search for breath
but pull in water and wool,
our eyes swollen from salt
that has never flavored
our own distaste
for another race.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
fake bakesales
Trying to push your students to get to the next level is often really difficult. Especially when they're your babies and they're now in 10th grade and no longer in your class, so you don't have the daily influence like you used to. For my Live Poets, it became incredibly clear to me that they need a push when we were planning our first fundraiser of the year. They were like: "We're doing a bake sale, next Wednesday, we'll all bring stuff -- break!" and they ran out of the huddle like Tate Forcier - a little too quickly. I decided to deliberately sit back, watch and see what happened. Ooooh, it was painful for me, a self-confessed control freak, to not remind them and call home to tell their parents about it and bake 5 batches of brownies to help the bake sale happen. I made a conscious decision this year that THEY are going to step up the responsibility level. Sometimes they need to watch it fail in order to realize how to make it succeed.
So, the day came and no one remembered to bring in their baked goods. Masters of the last-minute switch-up, they were prepared to run to the grocery store, buy myriad Entemann's cakes and call it a bake sale. I pulled them all together and met with them instead. I pretended to be very upset, but I think they saw my smile, and they knew it was an opportunity for me to get up on my soapbox. But I surprised them again. They're used to being yelled at outside of school when they make a mistake and all of the calm that I bring does not undo the rest of their lives.
(stepping up onto the imaginary soapbox)
"Guys, what happened?"
"We forgot. We're so sorry, Lauren."
"Don't apologize to me. Talk to me about what you'll do next time so this doesn't happen again."
"Well, we need to each know what everybody is bringing in, and we need to remind each other."
"Okay... so..."
Thing 1: "I'm making brownies."
Jazzy: "I can't bake, so I'll help with advertisements."
Lechuga: "Me too!"
Eazy E: "I'll make the signs... it should have the new logo on it."
Yung LA: "Yo, cake. White cake, chocolate frosting. Tell my dad, will you? He won't believe that I have to bake a cake for school."
Jay-Arr: "Cookies... chocolate chip. They're my mom's favorite."
Jazzy: "Can you make that red velvet cake?"
Me: "Sure. I'll also get change for the customers... what else?"
Princess P: "Mami and I will buy some of those Entemann's cakes, everyone loved those last time and they're a good profit."
lols
O.J.: "What can I do? Can we do a push-up contest to attract attention?!? I got this!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Jazzy: "Spread the word. Maybe we can all put it on our away msgs a few days before, to let everyone know, plus posters and signs."
Yung LA: "I'll tell the Prez and P will tell Mami about it. "
Princess P: "What about drinks? Oh and plates and stuff?"
Me: "I have plates, napkins, silverware... maybe the Prez can bring drinks?"
O.J.: "I'll ask him on aim tonight."
Me: "Okay, so we got this. Next Thursday. Oh, who's gonna fill out the fundraising request?"
Jay-Arr: "I gotchu, Lauren."
(fin)
It was only after this conversation took place and the REAL bake sale got planned that I gave them their University of Michigan Education hats. They were wilin, and every single one of them wore them to school the next day. When asked if they wanted to go back to Detroit the next year, or go somewhere else, because the AMC has been moved, they didn't even flinch. "Um, we have to see grandma! And we never saw Ann Arbor, and where you live, so we gotta go back."
"So, let's do this."
Break huddle. Spread offense. We got this.
xo
Lo
So, the day came and no one remembered to bring in their baked goods. Masters of the last-minute switch-up, they were prepared to run to the grocery store, buy myriad Entemann's cakes and call it a bake sale. I pulled them all together and met with them instead. I pretended to be very upset, but I think they saw my smile, and they knew it was an opportunity for me to get up on my soapbox. But I surprised them again. They're used to being yelled at outside of school when they make a mistake and all of the calm that I bring does not undo the rest of their lives.
(stepping up onto the imaginary soapbox)
"Guys, what happened?"
"We forgot. We're so sorry, Lauren."
"Don't apologize to me. Talk to me about what you'll do next time so this doesn't happen again."
"Well, we need to each know what everybody is bringing in, and we need to remind each other."
"Okay... so..."
Thing 1: "I'm making brownies."
Jazzy: "I can't bake, so I'll help with advertisements."
Lechuga: "Me too!"
Eazy E: "I'll make the signs... it should have the new logo on it."
Yung LA: "Yo, cake. White cake, chocolate frosting. Tell my dad, will you? He won't believe that I have to bake a cake for school."
Jay-Arr: "Cookies... chocolate chip. They're my mom's favorite."
Jazzy: "Can you make that red velvet cake?"
Me: "Sure. I'll also get change for the customers... what else?"
Princess P: "Mami and I will buy some of those Entemann's cakes, everyone loved those last time and they're a good profit."
lols
O.J.: "What can I do? Can we do a push-up contest to attract attention?!? I got this!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Jazzy: "Spread the word. Maybe we can all put it on our away msgs a few days before, to let everyone know, plus posters and signs."
Yung LA: "I'll tell the Prez and P will tell Mami about it. "
Princess P: "What about drinks? Oh and plates and stuff?"
Me: "I have plates, napkins, silverware... maybe the Prez can bring drinks?"
O.J.: "I'll ask him on aim tonight."
Me: "Okay, so we got this. Next Thursday. Oh, who's gonna fill out the fundraising request?"
Jay-Arr: "I gotchu, Lauren."
(fin)
It was only after this conversation took place and the REAL bake sale got planned that I gave them their University of Michigan Education hats. They were wilin, and every single one of them wore them to school the next day. When asked if they wanted to go back to Detroit the next year, or go somewhere else, because the AMC has been moved, they didn't even flinch. "Um, we have to see grandma! And we never saw Ann Arbor, and where you live, so we gotta go back."
"So, let's do this."
Break huddle. Spread offense. We got this.
xo
Lo
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