The Danger of the Single Story

After viewing the video of Chimamanda Adichie, I can only agree with her story.  As an American you start to listen to many stories that you come to believe are true but I also recognize that as an immigrant and minority you understand that many of those "single stories," are not necessarily true.  My first semester at Rhode Island College sitting in my first education class the professor asked a question about Central Falls; a female student raised her hand and started to talk about all the wrong things she had heard were wrong with Central Falls from the news.  Having graduated from that school, I knew that almost all she had heard was not true.  After all, I had graduated from there, I was sitting in the same room as her, wanting to become an educator and knew that I wasn't a criminal.  Just because we were considered poor, didn't not mean that we couldn't aspire to bigger things.  I was so infuriated but also determined to change that misinterpretation.  Now as I stand in front of my classroom and other minority classrooms in Central Falls and in Providence, I realize that this is real.  The students in those classroom only hear of a single story....one of shame, guilt and failure.  Test scores ultimately say the kind of people they are...a low performing community.  It is like a grim-reaper hanging over their heads and pushing the to failure.  It is one of the reasons why I feel so passionate to be there, why I feel that I am at the right place when I stand in front of a minority classroom.  I am there to break the cycle, to prove history wrong and to tell another story.  I was once an ELL student just like them and I was in a "poor school."  However I was determined to not let the "single story" define me.  This is what I tell my students; of all the things I can teach them, it is the best lesson they can sit in my classroom to hear.  For I believe it can empower them to move forward and to eventually stop listening to the same "single story." 

Kindergarten Milestone With Unforgettable Memories

I remember the first day like it was yesterday....I dropped my daughter at school, she was wearing a pink and blue blouse with jeans and silver shoes.  On her back she was carrying her Disney's Brave backpack and it was the first day of Kindergarten.  Sure enough being the mother that I am, I cried on the way home and even cried during my seminar class.  I couldn't wait for the afternoon to come so I could go pick her up and tell her how much I missed her and loved her.  Tomorrow however she will be graduating Kindergarten. A whole year has gone by, where my "baby," has learned much about what school is and also much more about academics. Mya is so excited about graduating Kindergarten; she wants me to bring her a balloon and for her dad, her and I to go eat at Friendly's.  She obviously has big plans for when school is done including, going to six flags, the beach, reading and sleeping until late when she is on vacation.  We have made her teacher a card and brought her a little flower arrangement.  After making the card, Mya cried.  She said she was crying because she was going to miss her teacher who was a really nice teacher because she made lots of fun projects with her and ran around the classroom with her students running behind her.  I was also heartbroken for her and also because this was the same teacher that helped my daughter feel welcomed and at home the first few weeks of school.  To the best of my mother abilities, I assured her that in the future she would get a new teacher who would probably be as fun and caring as the one she has now.

As a mother I feel so thankful for the first teacher my daughter had.  Her tears of heartbreak make me realize that she is greatly appreciated by my daughter and it is due to the impact she has made in Mya's life.  I imagine many other kids will feel like my daughter tomorrow because they will also miss their kindergarten teacher.  I was so anxious the first week of school, not knowing what to expect or how my daughter would feel out in the real world.  Now ten months later I feel so relieved that she has been able to collect so many positive memories.  I can only hope that in the future her teachers will make this much of an impact on her life  because as a future teacher and having been in classrooms, I understand and embrace that teachers are not only teachers but caregivers; our work isn't just made up of correcting work and implementing lessons but also acknowledging that we care on a daily basis for multiple human beings.  We make an impact on their lives because they spend a big chunk of their day with us.  I always try to keep in my hearth the thought that school is a second home and therefore I want to be a positive force within that home.

In a few hours my daughter will put on her dress and look like a princess.  She will get her Kindergarten diploma and snap pictures with my husband, her teacher and myself.  Most important, one day far, far, far away, I will tell her about her kindergarten teacher and all the great things she said about her when one day she sees her picture.

 

A Human Made List of Inspirations and Gratitude

Last week of student teaching has arrived...I don't know how I feel about this but I know it's a mix of emotions.  This blog post however will be about remembering what brought me here and the people who have paved the way. 

I remember being in the nursing program and making the decision to drop it one class before entering clinicals.  It was tought, I felt defeated, I cried but nevertheless I did it.  I sat in my the classroom of my high school English teacher and told her about my decision.  Mrs. Grant, I knew she would make me feel great about my decision and she did.  I remember her telling me, "I told you years ago you had a calling for teaching English."  Those words marked the start of my English education career.  They were words of encouragement from a person who believed in me and who has helped me immensely during the way. 

Then I remember Mr. Occhi, who had also been a teacher of mines in Central Falls.  He was killed in a tragic accident which marked the lives of many of his past students.  I know that if he was alive, he would have been the next person who I would have gone to when I decided to become an English teacher.  From my years of high school he told me to "treasure my writing," and gave me a journal as a special place to put it in.  He attended my wedding and I know that if he would have been alive he would have attended my upcoming graduation.  My first semester of Secondary English Education began with me visiting his tombstone to read him a poem I had written for him.  Over my semesters at RIC, I have continued to visit him and bring him little stories that I read to him.  I know that wherever he is, he will be glad when I cross that stage and receive my diploma for some of his teacher spirit lives in me. 

I can't even write about each and every one of the professor that i've had at RIC who have taught me what it means to be a teacher but most importantly what it means to be a human being.  Professors like Feldsteing have taught me to "rent and don't buy," and Dr. Brell who taught me that personal stories belong in the classroom.  Last semester Dr. Johnson allowed me to see the value of my writing when she cried while I read one of my stories...it was such a moving moment.  But also i've had Duneer and Jalalzai who pushed me to be a better writer. 

My first semester at RIC I entered a classroom filled of about thirty people into Adolescent Literature class and in that class I learned so much about myself as a student.  Dr. Cook was the professor who taught that class and I never imagined that she would be the professor to teach me on my two semesters as an undergrad.  I am thankful for her because she has taught me the power of writing and also has helped me to see why I belong in a classroom.  Through her assignments and her comments I have grown greatly.  I know that a part of her will live with me throughout my career.  The spirit of a true teacher lives within her and I take with me the many valuable memories that I cherish about how to treat students as human beings but also teach them something valuable. 

Last but not least is the person whom I sat down with this morning to have breakfast, Ms. Friendson.  On behalf of it being teacher appreciation week, I brought her breakfast this morning and once again we ate together.  I will be hearthbroken when I leave on Friday because many of our rituals will be broken.  Every morning we have breakfast together and chat, some Fridays my husband has brought us lunch and we have had enjoyed Spanish cooking.  We have had numerous conversations about all types of subject were I have learned much about what it means to be a teacher.  Still I will cherish so many memories that go beyond the classroom.  I have truly been gifted with the best Cooperating Teacher I could have asked for.  I have enjoyed my student teaching and I know that I will probably cry once Friday comes. 

There are so many people who have made a difference in my life, this list only makes up a few of those who have helped me and insipire me along the way.  I am so happy to have such inspiring people and role models to learn from. 

Bringing Media to the Classroom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaupfP6C9Ug&safe=active

After teaching The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini we moved on to teaching Human Rights.  We have spent three weeks learning about Human Right's issues around the world.  The whole idea behind this part of the unit was to become aware of issues that we didn't know about before or that we wanted to learn more about.  For the final form of presenting students had a choice of either doing spoken word, a video or doing a photo story.  The students loved that it was a project they owned and they were able to make the decisions about the message they wanted to send.  I also decided to make my own video raising awareness about an issue that has to do with the rights of students.  After all I am an educator and what I most want is for students to be aware of the discrepancies in education that are not always addressed by the people in power.  For my blog post this week I decided to share my video with you guys and I have also shared it on youtube.  The link to my video is the one above if you want to see it for yourself.   

Spring Offers New Beginnings

After meeting with my classmates on Thrusday, I leaned things I had not seen about Robert from his work.  After seeing two of his classworks one of the most valuable things that I learned is that he was eager for spring to finally be here.  He had used the same quote from the book which was about the main character wanting the season of spring badly.  This made me be excited for spring this week, I was awaiting a change in him and it did come.  He has changed completely; he now looks me in the eye, is interested in his work and even compliments me on my wardrobe.  Every week I get to pick a quote of the week to put all week on the board and this week the quote that I picked was the very same one he had used on both of his classwork assignments...the one about the coming of spring.  I am happy that I got to learn more abou this student and that my classmates offered a different view on him.  I am excited that spring is here and that a season of changes has begun.

Student Made Test: What a Learning Experience!!!

After reading all of The Kite Runner, I was faced with the decision that students had to take a final test.  While talking to my teacher we developed a lesson idea called "A Silent Discussion;" in this lesson students were given a blank sheet of paper and had to ask two questions about the text.  Next students will sent their paper with the two questions to the person on their left (we will be sitting in circle fashion).  Students had have fifteen minutes to answer on of the two questions, they choose which one they wish to answer.  After the ten minutes students pass the paper once again but this time they can either answer the other question or ask a new question (they will have fifteen minutes to do this).  Once all students are done we went into discussion mode. 

Once in discussion mode we discuss the questions as a class.  Whichever student feels they have a question worthy of asking for everyone to discuss is welcomed to raise their hands and leave it for the group/class to discuss.  Students were told from the start that the questions they were developing were going to serve a purpose; these questions were going to be part of their test.

After trying out this lesson with my periods three and four we noticed that these questions were valuable and that our idea worked out.  We chose ten questions from period two and ten from period three and these questions developed by them and even some of them discussed in class were the questions that appeared on their book test.  Because they were told this from the start,they were willing to care about what they were doing and they took time, effort and thinking into what questions they were writing, answering and asking. 

Sitting down this week and correcting the number of book test I noticed that this was a fair way to beat the testing system and that it gave students a fair chance at having some power over their education.  I also asked them what they had thought about the test being made in this form after they finished taking it and they responded that it was the first time they did this and also that they really liked the way it was set up.  Many of them felt it was challenging but they also said that if you had read the book it was information you should have known.  I am glad that instead of making a test for them, I decided to have them develop their own test.

This experience is something I will take with me beyond student teaching and I feel that it has also been one of the experiences that has taught me a lot about education and the power of testing.

Hidden Within

When I first came to Central, I had this student who we will call Robert.  Robert was this student who used to wear different types of clothing everyday but usually khaki pants.  Every time he strolled into class it was usually with his sport gear.  He is about 5"7 and from a Spanish background.  Also he loved to give hugs.

In class he always participated and worked well with others; Robert was a social butterfly.  When asked to do something, Robert never complained and mostly he kept a smile on his face.

Two weeks ago that smile started fading and instead became a cold distant stare.  Whenever I try to make eye contact with him, he just stares off into space or pretends I'm not there.  If I ask him for homework that's due or try and talk to him about class work that we are doing he just ignores the fact that I'm there.

As the teacher I was first to notice his drastic changes in personality and as a student.  Lately I am not the only one noticing the changes because his peers have started to notice also.  If he has to work in groups, Robert will refuse to talk or work with anyone. His classmates complain that he is rude, especially after he has carried out some mean acts to students and myself.  Robert's aggressiveness and isolation is noticeable all around.

I tried talking to him in private and he walked away.  I resorted to asking the few students who he will kinda still talk to what was going on in his life.  One of the students told me that she heard his mother is depressed and Robert feels that depression is a sickness that you catch because someone has it and he believes that he currently is suffering from the same.  I guess Robert's depression or his idea of what depression does is what is not allowing him to be himself.

This week has been a bit different because we handed mid-quarter grades yesterday.  Since Robert has not been doing his work, he is currently not passing English.  He at least cared about the fact that he is not passing.  For the first time in about two weeks he finally looked directly at me and held a conversation with me.  It was sad that the "ice breaker" had to be a failing grade but at least I am not being ignored anymore.

I know Robert is a really smart person; I saw it before.  His work shows me that he is smart even though he isolates himself to do it.  I am hoping this is a temporary stage and that he goes back to the person I met before.  I know it is still hiding there within him; the Robert who could warm up the room with his smile and hugs.

Intrinsic Motivation and Payoffs

The past week showed me that thinking about ways to motivate students when it comes to learning can be crucial for some schools.  I mean after all isn't education competitive?  We live in a society that is competitive and sometimes education falls under that category. 

After correcting multiple quizzes and seeing all the low grades I started wondering how can I make them want to study?  What can I do to get them to want 100s? But then it hit me.  Monday I stood in front of the classroom and announced what was going to be the quiz incentive.  Every week when we have a quiz if you get 100, your name will be entered into a drawing.  At the end of the unit we will pull a winning name from each class and the prize will be movie tickets or a food card.  I was glad to see that students were excited!!!  It was the reaction I wanted.  As a college student,  I believe that my wanting to do good in school in my classes comes from intrinsic motivation, but I think high schools students haven't exactly developed that. That's where my idea of extrinsic motivation came from.   It is also a strategy to help them start thinking about college where good grades are rewarded in the form of scholarships.  This talk is coming because I can attest to that. 

To end my reflection on a high note, I discovered this week that planning a lesson is hard and difficult but also rewarding.  When students tell you they want to do the lesson again, it makes you be happy about all the effort and time you put into it.  This is an incredible feeling of success!!!  It makes the whole planning while thinking about your audience be that real.  This week ends The Kite Runner book but starts a new chapter...human rights.

Fun on Hold

As I got ready to start the teaching week that I had planned...the wonderful week that was going to start The Kite Runner, life had another plan.  It's been three days since I got sick andfound out that I have strep throat.  Heart broken I had to miss out all the fun of starting my new unit because I was contagious...woudn't want my students to get sick, so I had to stay put until the antibiotics kicked in.  Tomorrow I won't be contagious anymore but as i'm writing this my babygirl lays sick on my lap.  Tonight I face the challenges of teaching; this whole week I have missed my students. my CT (who's been checking on me all week), and teaching.  But as much as i've missed teaching I have a duty as a mother...to take care of my little one.  The mother wishes it would all go away, while I know the best thing I can do is sit by her side and give her all my love and care.  I can't wait to go back to the classroom but my hands are tied.  I guess i'll take this time to plan more lessons.

Putting on Multiple Teaching Hats

My short week at Central already opened up a new chapter to the story.  I met other teachers, new students, student teachers from other universities and we even went to a going away party for the principal.  I am faced with new challenges as I started reading Kite Runner, the book I will be teaching; however numerous projects are already spinning in my head.  I went and bought a pack of dry eraser markers and my new favorite items clips and paper clips...they have become my new best friends when it comes to organizing papers.  Early Friday morning came with it's own schock.  My CT asked me if I could call a parent because one of our students has been giving us a hard time with her cell phone use.  Susan wanted me to call so I could speak to him in spanish and as I dialed the number I felt a bit scared but it went away as I realized that we were caring for our student.  The call went great and I was happy I could communicate in such a friendly manner with the parent.  I can now take one more thing off the "student teacher bucket list." 

It is already past week one of student teaching and well the challenges are already mounting.  Being the only mother to a soon to be six year old has me questioning much and making decisions that are in ways twisting a bit of my heart.  After being part of m fourth period class this whole week made me realize that it is one of the periods I really wish to teach along with period three.. only problem is my daughter gets dropped off at the bus stop every day at the sam class this particular class ends.  So I had to make the hard decision of finding a relative to pick her up and having to tell her the news over the weekend was heartbreaking.  I am facing two sides...on one of them I am happy to tell Ms. Friendson that I will teach the class I want and on the other is a sad mother with a bitter heart and empty handed since I will not be receiving the lovely hugs of my daughter when she comes of the bus:'(