Black Lives Matter

For a blogger, I am terrible at expressing myself. These last two months of “Stay-At-Home” orders has been hard for me to process. Now to see another innocent black man killed by the police and the rhetoric it has ensued has left me heartbroken. Being the only adult in my house with a two year old who has no idea what is occurring around him in the world is extremely difficult. Even though I know I can always talk to my coworkers and family through video chat, I fear that I may bother them or they may be busy. I am no good over a video chat as well, I much prefer face to face conversations as I’ve said in a previous post. So if this post seems like a stream of consciousness, it is, because I am still processing this world around me with no sounding board other than the voice inside my head.

I fear for the lives of my students the most. I know being in alternative education, the possibility of losing a student is much higher than in standard schools. That doesn’t make me any more prepared or any easier. It’s a constant running thought in the back of my head. Being apart from them these last two months has been the worst. Although we are doing online learning, I have not heard from some of them since schools were closed and have no idea on how they are doing. And now more than ever I want to be there for my students and I feel as though I cannot find a way how.

In some ways, I feel it is not my place to speak on the behalf of others on social media because I am a white Latina. Black Lives Matter means that their voices need to be heard right now, not mine. I am still an ally though and I try to be there for my students and anyone else as much as I can given the nature of our world and my current situation. I know I cannot go and protest on the front lines because I would not take my son with me. The same thing with wanting to help with food distribution because CPS halted their services today or helping clean up post looting. I almost feel useless because I do want to do these things, but with COVID-19, I don’t feel comfortable leaving my son somewhere else.

So that leaves sharing on Social Media, which I hardly do in the first place and never really have done outside of these posts. I am a listener at heart, rather than a talker, but I am adjusting to knowing when I do need to speak up. Below was a great post for me to start with:

This spoke to the teacher in me. When I read this post, it made me understand more the setting cop cars on fire. I have always been ready to forgive a student who has ever acted out in my class because I know it is not out of malice towards me, but out of frustration and dealing with the trauma in their lives. It helped me put into perspective on how I will approach any future conversations, or if anyone decides to comment negatively toward my sharing of this point of view. In terms of looting, I do not believe in it, but again it is not my place. I do want to make sure that stores who are family owned, especially those of POC, and are already struggling during the pandemic are protected in some way though. Target Corporation said it best that they have enough money and insurance that they will be fine if they are looted, small stores more than likely will not be.

Now to address the biggest issue I have with the conversation surrounding the protest. It’s the fact that people are condemning Black Lives Matter, our president is calling them THUGS, and saying “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” But only a few weeks ago there were hordes of white Americans protesting about wearing a mask during the pandemic with WEAPONS and he GLORIFIED THEM! This is the issue that has my blood boiling and unable to comprehend the leadership in this country and how much this man has seemed to have gotten away with and that there are people who still support him. This is also what terrifies me the most. I wish my students didn’t have to learn how to survive in this type of world, and I certainly do not want my son raised in this environment. But, this is the hand we were given, and I will do anything and everything that I can to try and make it a little better for my students and my son, because they deserve better than this.

Drowning during COVID-19

It has been 2 weeks since I truly taught. 2 weeks without my students. 2 weeks without running out of the house at 7 am. 2 weeks without afters school debriefs (vent sessions) with my favorite coworkers. 2 weeks, too long. And it will be another 4 at the moment before I get to have any of that back; if I get to have them back this school year.

Usually I would have jumped at the chance to blog about my experience with being home all the time now. I have done everything I can though to avoid thinking about the inevitable. Instead I just do what I can to ease my anxieties; so I plan. I’ve gotten praise from my fellow staff members for all the behind the scenes work in figuring out how to work Google Meet and planning a teacher office hours schedule and being on top of student/staff emails and finding resources to help with this transition and just like this sentence, I just keep running on. (Yes, English Teacher humor, who knew?) And I feel like I still have to run full speed ahead because I’m terrified of what will happen if I slow down and stop planning.

Actually, I do know. I become paralyzed, immobile. I sit in front of my TV and watch show after show because I cannot bear to move myself when I’m not working. I watched all six seasons of Gossip Girl in the last two weeks. What? How is that my new reality? I do what I can to get through the day for me and my son. The only ones in our home during the stay-at-home order. Of course that means that no one sees anything wrong with me because no one sees me. I’m ‘rocking’ at my job and being a ‘superhero’, when in reality, I’m just trying to stop myself from drowning.

I’ve never been good about talking about what’s wrong with me over the phone or through text messages. I’m much better in person and one-on-one. Which is why when my best friend and I get together, everyone else might as well not exist because it is days of us just letting out every feeling we haven’t been able to express since we’re apart. I was really looking forward to seeing her this week (Spring Break) so that I can have that opportunity, but obviously the universe has it’s own plan. So, I’m just going to have to let some of it out here.

Personally, I’ve already had a tough year emotionally. My husband is deployed almost to the opposite side of the world so even just messaging is hard to do. Video chatting was saved for weekends when I was home, and that’s if the signal was good. Even now that I am home and can chat anytime during the day, the signal, like everything, else got worse and basically shut down. Then, I have a one year old who is heading toward those terrible twos. Its a frustrating time for him because he is still learning to communicate to me what he wants and gets upset when either don’t do it right away or I just don’t understand him. He is also in this new world where its just me and him, and that is so hard for both of us. I am very close with my family, and my son’s babysitter is his Abuela on my husband’s side. My son has never not been around family, so he misses them.

So how am I battling my anxiety and loneliness? A plan. Always a plan. I have my day scheduled out for my son and I. When I work, when we play and learn, when I cook, when we go outside (good weather pending). Staying on the schedule is hard, but again it’s only been two weeks. Anybody who has ever tried anything new knows it takes at least three weeks before it’s a habit. I chat with my mom and sister daily, I blow up my husband’s phone with messages, and I talk to my coworkers on Google Meet and Group Me almost everyday. Mostly work, but a lot of great jokes and humor to go all around. My assistant principal has actually planned a night in for us on Thursday just to hang out. During the day she is going to deliver a punch for all of us to share in that night. Even though we are pretty spaced out, she is taking the time to do this for us. Everyone who knows me knows I love my job and she is one of the reasons I do. Plus, basically the entire staff. They are my second family and I don’t know what I would do without them.

Now does this blog post have a deeper meaning behind it? No. Is it coherent and well thought out? Not really. But it shows my reality and my head space during these troubling times. Hoping to share more over the next month (or more) of how COVID-19 has changed my world and the teaching world as a whole.

Our New School Core Values

Through the assistance of Teachers Supporting Teachers, this school year we decided that our core values needed to be shaken up a bit in order to reflect the values of the current staff and student body. The previous core values were Accountability, Grit, and Community. A lot of students didn’t know what these values meant and a lot of staff had a hard time connecting to them as well. As a staff we came up with a list of new core values that we wanted to see represent the school. Then students took a vote on what the final three should be. Below are the results and how I believe they will be exemplified in our school.

We also decided to change the names of our Core Value Cards. In the past we had mistakenly began to call them Community Cards, which lead to one core value receiving more attention. One of the many reasons why students didn’t actually know what the core values were. Since our mascot is a Wolf, we decided to name our new cards Wolf Bucks, so there is common understanding of how these cards can be used; to buy snacks or swag in our shops.

New Core Values

Community

Many students decided to keep community because it represents how we should be treating one another. Not only student to student, but staff to student. We are all working towards the same goals, helping students to graduate and take charge of their own lives. Sometimes they need us to steer, sometimes they need to figure it out for themselves. But, we are working together to make the ‘ship’ move forward.

A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm.

HENRIK IBSEN, An Enemy of the People

Growth

There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.

Benjamin Franklin

Growth Mindset is a huge deal lately in schools. I myself have a class set of Harry Potter mini posters that show what growth mindset means. Not only does it mean that students grades are improving, but that they are growing as a person. Some growth can be smaller or greater, but it is important for us as educators to recognize growth when we see it and make sure to praise students through our wolf bucks and words of affirmation.

Courage

I always praise my students when they show courage, just by volunteering to read aloud. It does take a lot to stand up in front of someone and speak your mind. Our students in particular have a hard time deciphering when it is time to speak up and when it is time to listen. I hope by encouraging students and teaching them redirection, they will learn this skill and be able to take it outside of the classroom. This can help them be productive citizens of the world and be a force of change when needed.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

Winston Churchill

Translating Core Values to Classroom Learning Environment

My goal is to celebrate our new core values, especially in my classroom. I can match each of our new core values with a corresponding Hogwarts house. Courage with Gryffindor, Growth with Ravenclaw, and Community with Hufflepuff. Obviously that leaves out Slytherin so I’m not exactly sure how I would want that presented in my classroom in particular. I’m thinking either Resourceful or Leadership.

I will also slowly be incorporating the core values into my actual classwork. Recently, I began asking students how characters in the novel show courage, or how characters have changed for the better (growth). This allows them to put into practice what it means not only for them or the school, but how to apply it to literature. Thus reaffirming the importance of the core values and how we should be exemplifying them everyday in class.

Soon there will be a mural from one of our after school clubs that will display what our new core values are. This will be a visual representation and reminder of what our school strives for each day. It is also student made which makes it even more enticing for others to follow.

A Dedicated Teacher Earning a Master’s of Social Work

In January of this year, one of our counselors brought forth an opportunity through the Alternative Schools Network for a severely discounted tuition rate to earn a Masters of Social Work (MSW). I immediately perked up and asked for more information. I was considering going back to school to get my Masters of Arts in English, but obviously would either have to take out more loans or pay out of pocket, both not financially feasible. Even though I am a true at heart English teacher, I have worked under a social service agency for the last six years and am always amazed at the services we offer and how we use those to benefit the community. I believe going into this field as a teacher can have benefits both personally and professionally, and of course some very big concerns.

Benefits and Concerns

Benefits

• Being a better resource for my students and a better first line of defense
• Working with a colleague and in a cohort of alternative school staff members so essentially more support and working with people I already know
• Can take elective courses over the summer when I am not teaching class in order to lower the work load over the school year.
• Classes will be tailored toward alternative school environment
• Fieldwork can possibly done in the building I teach since it is a social service agency with many different programs
• Fieldwork does not begin until year two of the program

Concerns

• 3 year commitment
• Only in person classes (no online) that are not close to home, (20-30 min from work to school, over an hour to get back home).
• 270-300 hours of social service fieldwork per semester outside of class and regular work time.
• Needing to cut back on some of the teaching commitments I have made of the last few years (clubs I sponsor, TST, possibly early bird)
• Would my teaching work suffer if I am going to school?

Overall Sentiment and Support

Many of my family members and colleagues have been completely supportive of my plan to pursue this program. Even with my concerns, many have agreed to help pitch in when and where necessary, especially when it comes to the care of my child. I have also the support to begin moving my class to a more digital learning environment. Not changing the course work necessarily or my classes day to day routine, but changing my method on how work is done. I would like to move my class work to almost 100% digital so that I can take my grading home without having to lug around folders of work. Students turn in the work on Google Classroom and I can grade work anywhere with WiFi. This helps students learn to be more responsible and adapt to actually working in a digital world, rather than just using it for social media.

Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future.

Brain Tracy

Letters of Recommendation

For the program, we were supposed to request three letters of recommendation from previous professors, supervisors, and/or colleagues. I decided to choose my principal and vice principal since they have seen my work in the classroom and one on one with students. I thought they could shed light on to my personal connection and style. I also chose another colleague from a completely different department who not only knew my work with students, but also had seen me work outside of the classroom, doing volunteer work in the agency and could speak to my work ethic.

When inputting my colleagues information for the recommendation, NEIU requests that we waive our right to see what our colleagues had written for us. Two of my colleagues decided that I deserved the right to see what they had written and even forwarded me a copy of my recommendation. Although I know they would not have written bad things about me, it was nice to see their perspective on my work and how they would present me in the best light. It also gives me a point of reference in reflecting on my own skills and strengths. Even though those things should easily be identifiable by ourselves, seeing someone else point them out validates them, or even shares some that we may not have thought of. Humility may not have been a word I would have chosen for myself, but one colleague did and now I reflect on how I exemplify that in my work.

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I’m excited to start this new chapter in my journey and hope to share more as time unfolds. As of today, March 3rd, my application is complete and turned in, now just waiting to hear back that I was accepted into the program!

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

The theme for February 2020 was classic love stories for our beloved family book club. All of us had never read the book, and had also never seen the 1961 classic starring Audrey Hepburn. I personally was always interested in seeing the film, but as most cases, I need to read the novel first. The film was never readily available to me growing up, which meant I would have to buy the movie in order to see it. It’s hard for me to justify paying for a movie I’ve never seen, and not sure whether or not I will truly like it to re-watch. I now know it’s available on Hulu so I’m hoping to see it with my family after we discuss it.

Summary

Set in New York City, during World War II, a couple of adults finding their way in the world. One a writer, the other, Holly Golightly, an up and coming socialite of sorts who earns her money visiting a mobster in jail and then reporting the weather to his lawyer, or so it seems. These two begin an unlikely and unusual friendship. Holly is closeted and does not share many personal details, with good reason it seems as the novel unfolds and we discover more of what lies beneath the ‘Golightly’ personality she portrays to the world.

First Thoughts

Holly Golightly is by far one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever read. I feel that most novels I’ve read of this time period, women are treated as if they were more reserved and didn’t sleep around openly, but that is not the case with Holly. She is comfortable with the person she is it seems. Although she obviously also has some connection issues with people, but at least she feels that she is in control of it rather than the isolation controlling her like when she was little.

Another interesting thought I had is that in current day, many people look back at the 1950s as a time of prosperity and dreams for Americans. I can see how that is portrayed through this novel. It seems that our characters are reaching their dreams somehow, even if it is not how they planned. There is a feeling of no consequences to their lifestyle and how they choose to achieve their dreams, especially for Holly who’s naivete works in her advantage. I don’t think that could happen today, but it is nice to dream that it could.

Discussion

Our meeting took place on Saturday, February 29. My sister’s first reaction, “Holly Golightly is a slut”, and both mom and I disagreed. We both felt that Holly was a woman well beyond her years in understanding how as a woman to make the world work for her. Afterwards our discussion turned into more of a ‘wait, what book are you talking about?’. Everyone all of a sudden remembered details of the novel differently. And for such a small book it was amazing how much we either forgot or were trying to convince others of what actually happened. I told everyone the narrator doesn’t have a name, and everyone spend 10 minutes skimming through the book to try and prove me wrong. I then forgot who bailed Holly out of jail and had to be corrected myself.

We then turned to our Table Topics Book Club Questions to change up the conversation. The first question we discussed was, “If the book were made into a movie who would you cast as the main character” Since “Breakfast at Tiffany’s was already a movie, we talked about what if it was remade for today’s day and age. Automatically my aunt said she would cast Dolly Parton as Holly Golightly. Now in retrospect if this was oh so many years ago I would have agreed with her. But we are talking about the year 2020. Some of the actresses my sister and I named (since we happen to know younger actresses currently) were Elle Fanning, Dakota Fanning, and Brie Larson. We obviously went for the young blondes, even though Audrey Hepburn, the original Holly, was brunette. I think if we were to also change Holly’s, that could change the whole story line and make it so much more interesting. Now when it came to the Narrator, we discussed young, somewhat dorky actors. I chose the latest two Spidermen; Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland. My sister suggested Michael Cera, who in my opinion is actually too dorky and wouldn’t do the role justice. We shall see. As Hollywood is remaking so many classics lately, it is only a matter of time before this is remade.

We wanted to discuss more, but unfortunately we were interrupted by unexpected guests and all of us had a long list of things to do. But overall interesting discussion and I hope one day we get to see the movie together.

Next Book

Our Mystery/Thriller month, so we will be reading The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. Stay Tuned! April 4th is our discussion so post to come April 5th.

Value of Student Interns

For the last three years, I have always had a student intern assigned to me. Internships are granted to students who have completed many of the core credits, have shown a productive and positive attitude toward school, and are genuinely helpful towards teachers, staff, and students.

A Giver or a Taker?

As one teacher pointed out earlier this year, interns can be givers or takers. Meaning there are interns who do all their tasks unassisted, are independent, and don’t necessarily need the teacher for guidance. These are the givers. The takers are the interns who need that one on one attention from a teacher. They may need a mentor to help them sort out some issues. Maybe they need a study hall period and they use the extra class time for assignments from their general classes. When I choose students as interns, I look for a balance or at least one of each for my two prep periods. The statement of givers and takers doesn’t necessarily mean one is better than the other. It just means we as teachers need to be prepared on what kind of class our internship period is going to be.

Teacher Benefits and Concerns of having Student Interns

Benefits

• Making copies, scanning paperwork
• Help running errands with in the building
• Grading basic assignments (multiple choice mostly) or stamping warm-ups
• Cleaning up after classes and sanitizing tables
• Sorting through paperwork and organizing shelves, etc

Concerns

• Sometimes need to be left unattended or in the care of another teacher, so they need to have that level of responsibility
• If students miss a day of school with no warning, the tasks they help with now fall on you.
• If the teacher misses a day of school, that student now needs to be assigned to some other staff member.

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Just a few of the interns I’ve had over the last 3 years, or that have been assigned to be in my classroom.

How do I choose my interns?

When choosing interns, I first look at the students I already have established a connection with. I never choose students who have just started classes because I do not know them just yet. There is a lot of trust and responsibility that comes with being an intern. I then evaluate students on their attendance. Interns must have at minimum over a 70% attendance rate across the board in their classes, but the higher the rate the better. Then I look at student performance in classes. Students must be passing all their classes with a ‘C’ minimum. I then ask their teachers and dean of students how students perform in and out of classes behavior wise. I have had students that I wanted as interns because they always performed so well for me in my own class, but turns out they happen to not be doing so well in other classes. The students I choose for interns not only have to be trusted by me, but the staff as well. Interns will representing not only myself, but the school at times so they must be able to work with all teachers and staff members.

Since I prefer consistency, I now choose students at the beginning of the year that will be with me until the end of the year. During the fourth quarter, I will double up on students so that outgoing interns will train the new interns for the following year. I am currently putting out feelers to some students who have asked to be my intern. This is to encourage those that truly interested, to step up their game this quarter.

My past and current interns

Over the years, I have had six student interns. Each student has brought a unique personality to my prep periods. Some of my interns have been successful and have moved on to bigger and better things. M.V. is now one of my coworkers; they are a receptionist within the agency and I always hear good reviews about their work ethic. Y.C. participated in the BankWork$ program where they learned banking skills in order to achieve a teller or higher position within a bank. One of my current interns is participating in a dual enrollment program where they go to college classes during the second half of the day.

Now, not every intern has been a successful intern for me. My very first intern was chosen due to my personal connection with them as a mom. I was pregnant and knew I would need a little extra help during the second half of the year since that was majority my third trimester. They had very strong attendance first and second quarter. But, when it came to third quarter unfortunately, their attendance began to slip and they ended up losing their internship. They still graduated at the end of the school year, which is a great worry for many students.

The Takeaway

I hope my student interns find what they are looking for when they are with me. Whether it is a mentor to guide them through the trials of being a teenager in Chicago, or job skills that they can place on a resume in order to advance their careers, I hope to provide them with what they need so they can be successful.

Collaborative Painting Project

The Unit Plan

We began this quarter reading a play called Red by John Logan. The play centers around the relationship between Mark Rothko, a 1950s abstract expressionist painter, and his assistant, Ken. The play spans two years of them working together and redefining what is art and how it should be expressed. We also evaluate the actual relationship and the power dynamic between the artist and assistant change throughout the play.

At one point in the play, Ken takes Rothko’s advice on learning about the world around him and culture by reading The Birth of Tragedy by Friedrich Nietzsche. Ken then compares Rothko to the god Apollo, who likes order, while Jackson Pollock is like the goddess Dionysus, who prefers chaos. Each is represented in their art.

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  Mark Rothko “Orange, Red, Yellow”

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  Jackson Pollock “Number 5”

In their final, students will have an opportunity to choose one of these styles of abstract expressionism to define themselves. They will choose colors they believe represent them and choose the style that best fits their personality.

Lesson Plan

I planned for one Friday, since we have half days on Fridays, that we would do a Collaborative Jackson Pollock style painting. I teach three periods of my Contemporary Literature class, so roughly around 50 students would be participating. This activity would count as a five point participation grade for those in class that day. If students were not there, this grade would be exempt and not held against them.

I purchased a five by five large canvas for us to work on. I already had a paint tarp from home and brushes. The school supply closet had some paint that we could use. I also supplied plastic bags for students shoes and aprons to protect clothes. I did warn students for two weeks that this activity was happening and to come prepared. At the beginning of each period, I would reiterate the difference between Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock and perform an example of what I was looking for that day. I had student interns who were taking art classes for dual enrollment assist me that day in helping students and keeping supplies organized. I also played instrumental rock noise in the background to provide a chaotic ambiance that I thought would suit the activity well.

Results

Vicens Contemporary Literature Collaborative Pollock Style Painting, February 14, 2020

Majority of students actually participated in the activity. Many of them were still very uncomfortable and couldn’t really let loose like I expected they would. With only 27 minute classes it was easy to keep the energy going. The end of class reflection focused on how did it feel to work on the painting, how did it feel working with others and building off each other, and would this be something they would want to do again on their own. Most student responses were positive. Some expressed that if we had done it outside, maybe everyone would have loosened up more because there would be more room to make a mess. I told them I would take that into consideration when it gets warmer outside to see if we can do a similar activity to help everyone get creative as well. Overall, I think I would do this activity again, but maybe when it is warmer and when students have gotten to know each other a bit more since a lot of my classes were new students who just joined us at the beginning of the quarter.

TST Edworking: Walking the Talk

Overview

January 25, 2020 I attended another TST Edworking event. Despite oncoming mini snowstorm and a head cold, I traveled to Willis Tower to continue learning more about the education field and how to improve it.

One of the TST Administrators opened with a quote from the Matrix “This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember: all I’m offering is the truth. Nothing more.” The blue pill in education meaning just accepting the status quo and remaining ignorant to the fact that change needs to happen, not only in our minds, but in our hearts. “Take the red pill today” was the theme and follow the most difficult of paths to educational reform.

Panel Discussion: Dr. Maurice Swinney & Dr. LeVar Ammons

Instead of the usual keynote speaker format, today we had a panel discussion with two prominent members leading the charger towards equity reform in education. Some of the key take away ideas I got from the discussion was ‘equity is not diversity inclusion’ (M.S.) and learning to think about equity in the school system is a big ask because it requires a change of how we think, which many people are resistant to. Many people talk about equity, but it never moves past conversation, when it needs to be implemented not only into policy as a thought, but as a practice.

According to Dr. Ammons, some people believe in Storefront Liberalism, which is when everyone can agree that everyone should share resources and every child should be treated equally, until it comes to their own child. Which I completely have seen during my lifetime in the different schools that I have attended and taught at. A lot of people also assume that just because students of color are in the room, that either the rigor decreases for other students because students of color need to catch up to the dominant culture or when students of color are targeted, that the other students get left behind. If we are intentional with our teaching decisions though, everyone benefits from a diverse classroom.

Along with that comes with how teachers are also represented in the classrooms and schools. In Chicago 84% of our students are Black or Latinx, but only 40% of our teachers are Black or Latinx. Obviously teachers should be hired for merit and not to fill a quote, but it makes you wonder why that gap is so far. And with our teachers who are white, making sure that they are increasing their racial consciousness, even if that means having to call them out and facing uncomfortable conversations. Students of color face 291 microaggressions in a 90 day period, and may not feel comfortable addressing their teachers, so we as their colleagues need to be able to combat these microaggressions with racial awareness. Even if those conversations are uncomfortable at first, they get easier over time, and over time students and colleagues will appreciated the time and effort put in to making schools equitable.

Some resources that were shared was the CPS Equity Framework, check out the “America to Me” Docuseries, and PERTS or wayfinder in order to evaluate student concerns and the equity level in your classrooms.

Breakout Sessions:

This events breakout sessions revolved around equity; Equitable Student Behavior Policies, Equitable Staffing, and Equitable Grading Practices. All three sessions were segmented into 15 minute sessions, which in my opinion was not enough time to actually sit and talk with one another about the practices and what are our options. Thankfully each session gave us paperwork to take back, which I’m hoping to take back to my colleagues. Especially for the student behavior policies because I do believe that is one section we are failing at. We are trying to make headway in grading practices, but the system to plug in grades is confusing for us and no one is able to explain it, but some progress is being made.

Under Equitable Staffing provided interesting insight. It was recorded that in Chicago there is one social worker for every fifty students, but in reality it is 1:825. This fact was probably the most interesting for myself, because there is an opportunity that has been offered to earn a Masters in Social Work. Although I do not plan on going into Social Work currently, as an alternative education teacher, I believe that some knowledge in the field can greatly impact my school and classroom. We currently only have a social worker who comes in once a week to meet with students. In the environment I serve, that is not nearly enough. It is constantly said that we have 120 students, so we need 120 counselors. Each of our students have their own traumas and dilemmas, and splitting students just among 20 staff members who all have their own work and sometimes personal trauma to deal with.

Closing

We were left with these final thoughts “Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction”. Start making a difference today so that change can come faster for our students.

2019-2020: Third Quarter

Beginning of third quarter is always like the beginning of first quarter. We usually have an influx of new students who don’t know the school culture. I spend a lot of time reiterating school rules. But, luckily enough I have been really good at organizing my school work and planning out so that each week doesn’t feel like a rushed job. I’m excited to share some of my favorite novels with students this quarter and to begin opening them up to harder topics about themselves and the society around them.

Contemporary Literature

This quarter we will be reading Red by John Logan and For Colored Girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake Shange. Each of these is a performance text, play and choreopoem. Color is a big role in both texts, whether it be actual paint color or race. How things are perceived and processed by others. Their final for this quarter will be a Tic-Tac-Toe project. Essentially they will receive nine options in the form of a three by three box and they have to choose three options in a row (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally). Some choices are harder or more time consuming than others so I had to strategically place options in the board so everyone has to do at least one difficult portion of the project.

Red by John Logan

This will be a three week unit. Every week we will read one to two scenes of the play, have reading guides, and discuss what was read. The play is a bit dense considering the topic of 1950s artists and what they believe art is. Using the reading guides to help students make sense of what is being discussed and the importance of students and teachers learning from one another, just like it is represented in the play. We also do a mini dive into the different artists of the time, such as Mark Rothko (who the play is centered around) and Jackson Pollock. Each has a different style of abstract expressionism. Students will have the opportunity to work as a whole class to try out Jackson Pollock’s style of painting and create one giant canvas.

For Colored Girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf by Ntozake Shange

The concept of a choreopoem will be very new to all my students because the form itself is relatively new, even though it was written in 1974. I’ve seen many teachers shy away from this book just due to the topics involved, (Suicide, Rape, Abortion, etc.). I plan to give my students an evaluation form ahead of time to see what topics they are comfortable with talking about aloud in class in order to be sensitive to those who may not want to talk about their opinions with the whole class just yet. We will also be doing a compare and contrast with the 2010 film adaptation. I may or may not do an activity day involving the five love languages, but I do see the value of it when reading a novel such as this when discussing boundaries and miscommunications that can happen just due to misunderstandings.

English Techniques

This quarter for English Techniques, I am slowly moving towards more writing activities rather than reading. Although this class is meant to be centered around developing reading skills, with myself being the only current English teacher, there is a lack of writing being done in the school overall. One of the main things all students need to leave with when they graduate is a personal statement, which is why we are concentrating on Non-fiction writing (Prose, biographies, and autobiographies) first. Then we are moving on to The Walking Dead. Weird transition I know. I am still working out the kinks in how I want this class to flow, but I feel as though, The Walking Dead is a good reading resource that can lead to interesting writing projects.

Non-Fiction Writing

Students will have a worksheet every week that centers around three topics; Non-Fiction Prose, Biographies, and Autobiographies. Each worksheet is then accompanied by a mini project assignment. Non-fiction prose has them writing a half page to page writing of an experience they’ve had in a style of their choice (diary, letter, memoir, or essay). For biographies, I plan on giving them a fill in the blank slides presentation. They will have to find certain information on somebody famous of their choosing based on what is required of a biography. Finally they will write a two page, typed, personal statement about themselves. This will allow them an opportunity to showcase themselves and possibly use it for a job or college essay later on.

The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

We will be reading book one and two in the series. Each book should only take a week to a week and a half to read. Students will be using these at starting guides to writing their own survival guides for the zombie apocalypse. We will also be discussing and debating what are the most practical approaches to survival. One of those ways will be through a group activity. Each student will get a list of resources they have available to them and rank them according to importance towards survival. This allows for critical thinking skills and problem solving. This will the culminate in an essay on survival; what are the resources they would need and a plan that can be easily executed.

Year of Yes

Our first book club novel of 2020 is Year of Yes by the fabulous Shonda Rhimes. An idol to those of us who adore TGIT on ABC. I was very excited to read her book because for the past 10 years my TV experience has been circled around her shows. From “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice”, to “Scandal” and “How to Get Away With Murder”, and finally to “Station 19” that focuses on a strong Latina firefighter. Her drama shows have me hooked and I cannot wait to read about the Gladiator behind them.

Summary

“You never say yes to anything”. A quote said to Shonda Rhimes by her oldest sister. The mantra repeated throughout the novel. Shonda Rhimes likes to live in the worlds she creates, but has a hard time dealing with the reality that is her life. Not of any hardships and such, but just having to deal with other people and the judgement that can be passed around. Shonda knows she an amazing life, career, and daughters, but there was the learning how to accept that you have this amazing life, without feeling judgement or self-conscious.

First Thoughts

Being an introvert myself, I can see the struggle of being comfortable with my current situation and not wanting to mess with the status quo. I also know that I live in a contradiction. They say that teachers should be extroverts in order to be able to stand in front of a class of students that are probably constantly judging you. A lot of teachers are actually introverts but can put on the extrovert mode just for teaching because that is our world and where we have domain. Just like Shonda, she is an extrovert when it comes to being in the writers room or in charge of her shows, but an introvert in her true personality.

Another statement Shonda makes that I truly resonate with is that women who say they can do it all, are lying. When I am at work, I am taking time away from being with my son and having someone else raise him. But if I am home, I have dropped the ball at being a good teacher. As I was reading, that actually happened to me. My son developed croup and I had to take a couple days off of work, which meant finding emergency lesson plans and having other teachers cover for me. Students were texting me to make sure my son was OK and to tell me that they missed me. We as women try our best to be there and present for every aspect in our lives, but sometimes balls need to be dropped and asking for help is not a weakness, but an understanding that it takes a village to run a productive life.

Discussion

As we sat at my mom’s dining room table with enough Chinese food to feed an army, we began our discussion. From previous experience, I noticed sometimes we have a little bit of a lull in our conversations, so I purchased a Table Topics Book Club Edition of questions. These questions helped jump start our conversation. Unfortunately, as I write this two weeks after our conversation, I do not remember many specifics of what we discussed.

One debate that we did have was based on one question; “What surprised you from the novel?” and we all had some slightly different responses. My mother was surprised that Shonda Rhimes ended her relationship when she decided that marriage wasn’t for her, deciding that Shonda didn’t love the man she was with enough. My aunt and I disagreed. I don’t think there is such a thing as loving someone ‘enough’ that can make you change the way you are. Shonda was not built for marriage and she owned that notion of herself. She didn’t want to compromise who she was in order to satisfy the needs of another person. Now I know a lot of us make sacrifices in our relationship and compromise, but once we begin to lose ourselves due to these things, they are no longer just sacrifices, but a slow death to self-destruction.

https://www.amazon.com/TableTopics-Book-Club/dp/B01M4NYEG9

Next Novel

Every month we have a new theme to focus on. January was “New Year, New Me” and February is classic romance. The original plan was to do “Gone With the Wind” but we decided that maybe too much for one month. We changed it to “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” which I’m pretty excited about. Never seen the movie, never read anything else by Truman Capote, so this will be a change for me.