Browsing on the web yesterday, I found an interesting article on MiamiHerald.com; "Web charities help teachers equip classrooms" written by Hannah Sampson. I'm so excited, finally a bit of good news for Urban Schools. The story tells about a teacher in an urban school that is able to get the school supplies she needs through an online charity organization called DonorsChoose.org. The teacher defines what she needs and the donors can choose to donate all or part of the supply list. Think what could happen if the students received extra sets of textbooks, literature, science equipment. The possibilities are limitless.
Of course at the the same time I read an article about a Kentucky teacher that has apparently been caught on tape berating a 5-yr old boy at school, Wake Forest University drops the SAT and ACT requirement for college admission, and several universities are having issues with the chosen speaker at commencement ceremonies. All in the news for education.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Backpack Drives for Urban Schools
Over the last several years, my husband and I have purchased school supplies for "Backpack Drives" at his office. I would take the list and proceeded to pick up items as I shopped for my own kids' supplies. I didn't really put much thought into the whole process.
After our discussion about the state of affairs in urban schools, I now wonder if I really put the right items into those backpacks. Here is a revised list of what I think should be put in there....
- enough pens, pencils, markers, crayons to last the entire year (several boxes of each)
- enough notebooks to cover more than one class
- a few treasured books to read
- a ream or two of paper for the teacher (instead of the traditional apple)
- a case or two of snack bars, fruit cups to help make it through the day
- a roll of toilet paper
I think I might need to purchase a larger backpack.
After our discussion about the state of affairs in urban schools, I now wonder if I really put the right items into those backpacks. Here is a revised list of what I think should be put in there....
- enough pens, pencils, markers, crayons to last the entire year (several boxes of each)
- enough notebooks to cover more than one class
- a few treasured books to read
- a ream or two of paper for the teacher (instead of the traditional apple)
- a case or two of snack bars, fruit cups to help make it through the day
- a roll of toilet paper
I think I might need to purchase a larger backpack.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Interrogation of my Beliefs about Urban Schools
I certainly have been exposed to some incorrect views on life in the urban centers however I have also been fortunate enough to have an open mind. Over time, as I have added new life experiences to my repertoire my views have molded and changed. I understand that my views may be incorrect and that both I and the students will grow as a result of this teaching experience. I have always had a strong desire to help and a love of learning which will both come in handy for my career as a teacher.
My Urban Beliefs and How They Came To Be
I believe that many urban centers have interesting things to do and see, however they often appear engulfed in filth (try going down 8th Avenue to get to Midtown NYC – yikes). I believe that many urban schools are fighting to provide a good education with minimal resources but that there are a few diamonds in the rough. Communities that have worked together to change the culture and environment so that their children get the education they deserve. Without a doubt, I feel that urban teachers are courageous. Given such difficult circumstances many are trying to provide an a great education and many are just hoping their time to retire will be soon. The teachers in my neighborhood have no contract because they are trying to work out a better deal with health insurance and yet urban school teachers try their best with a shortage of resources and cash. I don't get it.
I believe that urban students try to do their best in school just like suburban students and that their are some that don’t make the effort just like suburban students. However, the difference lies in the stressful lives that they have to deal with that suburban students will probably never know.
I grew up in a primarily white Catholic suburban neighbor and I was taught to believe that there were certain parts of the city that you just stayed from. On the occasions that I went into downtown Milwaukee or Chicago, I thought the city and the schools looked scary and I didn’t bother to find out more than I needed to know. They did not look clean or have nice buildings like my own neighborhood.
I recall hearing statements like “look at that zebra couple” when a black person was dating a white person. I didn’t get it, why did it matter. I recall hearing concerns about black people moving into my neighborhood but again I didn’t really get it, why did it matter. I was not exposed to any type of diversity until I went to college (and even then it was minor). Finally diversity came when I moved to NYC. My second job on Wall Street put me in contact with more races, religions and cultures than I could have imagined. I spoke with people from countries all over the world and I was excited to learn their language when we had time to chat.
During this time, I also came to learn through my friends’ families that some urban schools were known to be very competitive and the students and teachers were top notch. This I learned from my middle-class friends that lived in Gramercy Park and the Upper West/East Side. All were in neighborhoods with predominantly more income. During this same time, I also had some experiences helping out at a soup kitchen in Newark and in Montclair. I began a personal endeavor of working with Church World Services on the CROP Walk to help raise money to feed the hungry. I really feel that many beliefs in my childhood were turned topsy-turvy when I moved to NYC.
How Will My Urban Beliefs Affect My Work?
I would imagine that these beliefs will make my interactions with teachers and students successful. I understand the misconceptions that so many of us grew up with and proceeded to propagate with our own misstatements. I’m certain that I don’t really know the half of what it is like to live in an Urban Center or go to school in the schools of the Urban Centers but I have an open mind and an open heart to experience what their school systems have to offer.
My life experiences have shown me that you can not believe everything that you’ve been told – we should make every effort to experience some of this for ourselves or go to more reliable sources. I can not believe everything I see in print, TV or movies. I have to question, who is the audience and how have they modified the story so that it ‘satisfies’ the audience. This was seen in the article “Teachers in the ‘Hood: Hollywood’s Middle-Class Fantasy” by Robert C. Bulman (2002, The Urban Review). The message of the movie is most often based in the view of the writer not in reality. A fair share of the high school genre films are created by middle-class writers with a view that students in urban centers can not succeed without a middle-class hero to show them the way. As Americans, we certainly enjoy our heroes and our happy endings but that doesn't make it reality.
I believe that all students have the capacity to learn. I would like to use that as my foundation and then use my understanding of urban misconceptions to have patience and respect for the students that walk through the door. The students have enough issues to face just to make it to the classroom, once inside they should feel that it’s a place where someone believes in them. I remember my son’s kindergarten teacher said something along the line of “You can make a million mistakes and I’ll still love you”. Well, that’s a bit corny for a middle school or high school mathematics teacher but the intent is the same. How about the catch phrase from the teacher of the show “The Magic School Bus” – “let’s make mistakes and get messy”? That’s the type of environment I would like to create; no penalty for trying or failing. As mentioned in the article “The Promise of Urban Schools” prepared by the Senior Fellows in Urban Education at the Annenberg Institute of Reform we are to become change agents, making adaptations to the curriculum and become guides on expeditions of learning. The classroom should be a place where students can ask questions, make assumptions, test them out, share their experiences and experiment with knowledge.
My Urban Beliefs & The Teacher I Hope To Become
I have always been the type of person that likes to learn knew things – its all about the knowledge. That’s why I’m in graduate school. As I go through this course and modify my assumptions about urban centers, schools, students and teachers it will forever affect me. I have already changed my views on race versus national origin as a result of the article "Demographics: Teachers Should Know" by Harold Hodgkinson (2001, Educational Leadership). Understanding that a race (ie. Hispanic) can represent many countries, languages and cultures is important to set up a useful connection to your students. Understanding cultural differences as the affect a students relationship to time, extended families or hierarchy can affect how they will interact with the teacher. I will clarify these and many others assumptions as I experience other realities over time. It would be no different than changing someone’s belief that 2+2=5. If the belief is incorrect and we have an open mind, than the belief can be changed.
In conclusion, I didn’t grow up in an urban environment but I’m capable of experiencing this part of my life and career with an open mind. My life experiences are the baggage and assets that I take with me as I teach. Good and bad, they all affect the way that I interact with students, teachers and parents.
My Urban Beliefs and How They Came To Be
I believe that many urban centers have interesting things to do and see, however they often appear engulfed in filth (try going down 8th Avenue to get to Midtown NYC – yikes). I believe that many urban schools are fighting to provide a good education with minimal resources but that there are a few diamonds in the rough. Communities that have worked together to change the culture and environment so that their children get the education they deserve. Without a doubt, I feel that urban teachers are courageous. Given such difficult circumstances many are trying to provide an a great education and many are just hoping their time to retire will be soon. The teachers in my neighborhood have no contract because they are trying to work out a better deal with health insurance and yet urban school teachers try their best with a shortage of resources and cash. I don't get it.
I believe that urban students try to do their best in school just like suburban students and that their are some that don’t make the effort just like suburban students. However, the difference lies in the stressful lives that they have to deal with that suburban students will probably never know.
I grew up in a primarily white Catholic suburban neighbor and I was taught to believe that there were certain parts of the city that you just stayed from. On the occasions that I went into downtown Milwaukee or Chicago, I thought the city and the schools looked scary and I didn’t bother to find out more than I needed to know. They did not look clean or have nice buildings like my own neighborhood.
I recall hearing statements like “look at that zebra couple” when a black person was dating a white person. I didn’t get it, why did it matter. I recall hearing concerns about black people moving into my neighborhood but again I didn’t really get it, why did it matter. I was not exposed to any type of diversity until I went to college (and even then it was minor). Finally diversity came when I moved to NYC. My second job on Wall Street put me in contact with more races, religions and cultures than I could have imagined. I spoke with people from countries all over the world and I was excited to learn their language when we had time to chat.
During this time, I also came to learn through my friends’ families that some urban schools were known to be very competitive and the students and teachers were top notch. This I learned from my middle-class friends that lived in Gramercy Park and the Upper West/East Side. All were in neighborhoods with predominantly more income. During this same time, I also had some experiences helping out at a soup kitchen in Newark and in Montclair. I began a personal endeavor of working with Church World Services on the CROP Walk to help raise money to feed the hungry. I really feel that many beliefs in my childhood were turned topsy-turvy when I moved to NYC.
How Will My Urban Beliefs Affect My Work?
I would imagine that these beliefs will make my interactions with teachers and students successful. I understand the misconceptions that so many of us grew up with and proceeded to propagate with our own misstatements. I’m certain that I don’t really know the half of what it is like to live in an Urban Center or go to school in the schools of the Urban Centers but I have an open mind and an open heart to experience what their school systems have to offer.
My life experiences have shown me that you can not believe everything that you’ve been told – we should make every effort to experience some of this for ourselves or go to more reliable sources. I can not believe everything I see in print, TV or movies. I have to question, who is the audience and how have they modified the story so that it ‘satisfies’ the audience. This was seen in the article “Teachers in the ‘Hood: Hollywood’s Middle-Class Fantasy” by Robert C. Bulman (2002, The Urban Review). The message of the movie is most often based in the view of the writer not in reality. A fair share of the high school genre films are created by middle-class writers with a view that students in urban centers can not succeed without a middle-class hero to show them the way. As Americans, we certainly enjoy our heroes and our happy endings but that doesn't make it reality.
I believe that all students have the capacity to learn. I would like to use that as my foundation and then use my understanding of urban misconceptions to have patience and respect for the students that walk through the door. The students have enough issues to face just to make it to the classroom, once inside they should feel that it’s a place where someone believes in them. I remember my son’s kindergarten teacher said something along the line of “You can make a million mistakes and I’ll still love you”. Well, that’s a bit corny for a middle school or high school mathematics teacher but the intent is the same. How about the catch phrase from the teacher of the show “The Magic School Bus” – “let’s make mistakes and get messy”? That’s the type of environment I would like to create; no penalty for trying or failing. As mentioned in the article “The Promise of Urban Schools” prepared by the Senior Fellows in Urban Education at the Annenberg Institute of Reform we are to become change agents, making adaptations to the curriculum and become guides on expeditions of learning. The classroom should be a place where students can ask questions, make assumptions, test them out, share their experiences and experiment with knowledge.
My Urban Beliefs & The Teacher I Hope To Become
I have always been the type of person that likes to learn knew things – its all about the knowledge. That’s why I’m in graduate school. As I go through this course and modify my assumptions about urban centers, schools, students and teachers it will forever affect me. I have already changed my views on race versus national origin as a result of the article "Demographics: Teachers Should Know" by Harold Hodgkinson (2001, Educational Leadership). Understanding that a race (ie. Hispanic) can represent many countries, languages and cultures is important to set up a useful connection to your students. Understanding cultural differences as the affect a students relationship to time, extended families or hierarchy can affect how they will interact with the teacher. I will clarify these and many others assumptions as I experience other realities over time. It would be no different than changing someone’s belief that 2+2=5. If the belief is incorrect and we have an open mind, than the belief can be changed.
In conclusion, I didn’t grow up in an urban environment but I’m capable of experiencing this part of my life and career with an open mind. My life experiences are the baggage and assets that I take with me as I teach. Good and bad, they all affect the way that I interact with students, teachers and parents.
What does Memorial Day have to do with Urban Education?
Memorial Day was once a day of remembrance and respect for any war veteran. Now, its often nothing more than a short vacation break before the end of the school year. I'll admit that I'm going away for the weekend! Hopefully I'll remember to put my flag outside when I return and than bring it back in before night fall. Most importantly, I hope that I remember to take a moment to remind myself and my children about why we celebrate Memorial Day and to be thankful and prayerful for those that are still fighting.
So what does this have to do with Urban Education? Should we not be mindful that students may have family members that have lost their lives or are still at war trying to defend our country? Memorial Day is a day for all people to respectfully remember those that have gone to war for us, died at war for us or are still at war for us. This day is a part of our American History and the meaning behind the day should be shared with all.
So what does this have to do with Urban Education? Should we not be mindful that students may have family members that have lost their lives or are still at war trying to defend our country? Memorial Day is a day for all people to respectfully remember those that have gone to war for us, died at war for us or are still at war for us. This day is a part of our American History and the meaning behind the day should be shared with all.
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