And that has made all the difference."- Robert Frost
There's definitely two sides to education and the classrooms that exist in our communities. When I was asked where I would like to do my field work I jumped at the opportunity and chose an urban school. After all I graduated from Central Falls High School, a low performing, urban and certainly controversial school. My experience as a student there and an observer taught me that I have so much to give,,,,so much to give to communities like the one I come from. Students are taken for granted, most times they are not given the opportunity, instead they are judged and looked at badly. Issues ranging from bad classroom management, to not speaking English and most of all the belief that a lot of them can't learn, that they are not meant to be part of the education world. Not caring about all of this and using my own experience I made the choice to learn from the students at Central High.
Ms. Friendson said "this is my worst class right now, but by the end of the year it is probably the one I will love the most." This to me was a shocker, the class that gave her so much trouble and tested her patience minute after minute would be the one to fulfill her most at the end of the school year....but then I realized, she is the optimistic teacher, the model that brought me here in the first place. Those teachers who don't care if they are in an urban or suburban school they are there to believe in their students. In her case a teacher who I have only worked with over the past week but who has already given me enough reasons to believe that thanks to teachers like her students like the ones at Central have a beautiful opportunity to learn and feel equal. Walking into this classroom was a shocker, twenty five sets of eyes all fixed upon me and my partner...all scrutinizing us and probably looking for weak spots to test us on. An hour and a half later sitting in his car and reminiscing on how the class went we felt scared but at the same time excited and looking forward to being there again. Yes call us crazy but this is the classroom we will be teaching at the end of the month and as optimistic as it sounds one that we hope to learn much from.
I guess one bad class is balanced with another that is probably the complete opposite. Yes students at urban schools can behave, can listen and don't need classroom management skills all year long. The second class we entered was the complete opposite, one that contained twenty five students also, who were more friendly than the past class, quieted down quicker, did their work without having to be told to and yet we quickly found ourselves somewhat bored. Not that we didn't like this classroom and maybe it is the fact that my partner and I are just twenty two and twenty three, it was not too long ago that we ourselves made part of classroom such as the one we were in and the one from the previous period. Ms. Friendson had to leave to a meeting and soon we found ourselves overshadowing the substitute teacher to start grasping any opportunity we had with them. Not a lesson plan in hand, only a few verbal directions from the Ms. Friendson, some observing of what had gone down in the past period and soon we found ourselves leading them into reading the Oedipus and helping with homework afterward. They trusted us!!! maybe it was that we are young, different people in the class or how I told them that we had chosen to be there, that we were excited to work and learn with them that touched their hearts but we had a blast. We learned on the spot planning, classroom management and successful attempts at helping them with their homework. I haven't been there a whole year but I can see why Ms. Friendson is a veteran teacher that could probably be hired in another school of her choice, especially those who won't give her a lot of trouble in the classroom but chooses to stay here. All these kids need is an opportunity and teachers who feel as lucky and grateful to teach them as teaching the daughters of the president.
Going up and down the aisles and meeting the characters in both of these classes I can only hope to spend more time here, to learn and teach from these students. It will probably be a challenge but education has been the biggest challenge ever since I signed up for the program at Rhode Island College. The classes are not easy, the program is hard and frustrating...but my joy lies in these classrooms. Working with the people that surrounded me in the community where I graduated from and wanting to give back to them. We go back tomorrow and I cannot wait to experience the adventures that await us, good or bad I am optimistic, I am open minded and most of all I am ready.
“Identity was partly heritage, partly upbringing, but mostly the choices you make in life." -Briggs. | |
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