...and it has nothing to do with the tests.
Yesterday, we finished a read-aloud of The Circuit, the autobiography of migrant-child-now-noted-SCU-professor, Francisco Jimenez. My kids loved it. Following the cliffhanger ending, they unanimously voted to read the sequel Breaking Through.
This morning, I couldn't find my keys and had to take a $30 cab ride to work. I was grumpy and self-loathing and was worried about being a bad teacher because of my mood. The universe intervened.
Ten minutes after I arrived, two students, neither of which are the most involved in the class, came up to me bearing the book. Last night, apparently, they went to the public library and checked it out. They wanted to start reading it TODAY. And so we will.
I guarantee you I'm the happiest teacher in the state right now.
Anti-Edu Songs
31 minutes ago
12 comments:
Cool! It is great to hear about those great moments in classes. Have you tried any of the books by Victor Villasenor ?
Or, maybe get them to compose some corridos about the recent immigration marches?
Yes! Yes! I am one story away from finishing The Circuit with my class! They claim they don't like it, but this rowdy 8th grade class gets so quiet you could hear a pin drop when we start reading. I am convinced that they will like Breaking Through, especially since they are about to go on to high school themselves. Such great stories! So relevant!
awesome.
Hey - I'm preparing to join TFA in New York. I keep hearing all of these horror stories about institute - any advice on how to stay sane?
i'd love to hear your thoughts when you get a chance - jag2435@gmail.com
Hi, I have read through your whole blog and I love it! I found it through a link from a Newsweek article about TFA. I'm in an MAT program to become an elementary school teacher, and I find your stories and opinions very interesting. Looks like you haven't written in about a month--I hope we'll see more from you!
Great story! Talk about keeping the sights on the real goal - enjoyment of reading (especially with a relevant subject).
I'm just starting TFA (I leave for Induction on Thursday), so great note of encouragement!
Mr. AB,
I don't know how to email you directly, so I'm stuck leaving this email in a comment post.
I'm a 2006 CM. I've been "working relentlessly" this summer to create a blogging community for TFA teachers. Maybe you would be interested in transferring your blog to the site (there are migration tools), or in the least, linking to it. Everything just launched this past weekend. It is fully hosted and free, just like blogger, only it's going to be all TFA blogs.
Check it out... http://TeachFor.Us. And your slug "the trenches" is still available. :)
--Adam
Liz from I Speak of Dreams.
A fellow teacher (a former I Need Help for My Middle School Students
Three years ago today, I was named National Teacher of the Year. As I reflect on that day and what it meant for me to represent the teachers of America for a year, it all seems like a fantastic dream. The sense of pride I felt for the teaching profession was overwhelming.
[snip]
Brighton kids care about each other and what a wonderful example they are to us as adults. I just wish the adults making decisions about their futures cared as much.
In previous blogs, I have been very outspoken about the needs of our middle school students. This past week in reviewing mid-nine weeks progress reports, it was discovered that 30 out of the 42 students in eight grade are failing English for this last nine weeks of school. My heart breaks for our students, as I know we have failed them. I look in the faces of our kindergarten students who have made so much progress this year and know we have very little to offer them for the future. Unless things change, one day they will be eighth graders in a school that is not equipped to prepare them for high school.
I've mentioned in past blogs that because of our campus set-up and our district staffing and resourcing rules, being a K-8 school puts us at a serious disadvantage as we try to improve. This past week it was announced to my principal that our school would remain K-8, even if we are given a new building in the future. When she first told me this news I wanted to wave a white flag and say, "I am defeated, I am done, I have lost all hope." However, I cannot look in the faces of the Brighton children and give up. In the next breath, I asked my principal if I could move to our middle school building next year.
Middle school is not my area of experience or expertise, so I need responses from any of you who are middle school experts. Where do you start to create a school for 122 students in grades 6-8, many of whom have poor reading skills and weak foundations in math?
This is what we have to offer:
• Student teacher ratio of 1-10,
• Good reading resources,
• A computer lab
• Outstanding art and music programs
• Girls and boys basketball
This is what we do not have:
• Honors classes
• School clubs
• Extracurricular activities
• Sufficient staffing
My question is, how do you get them ready for high school?
I would so appreciate any and all responses to help these students. I know there are some in my district who wish I would quit talking about this situation at Brighton. After all, in the second largest school system in the state, 122 kids in one small school do not deserve this much attention, so I am told.
However, I cannot remain silent on this issue. The only hope for these students lies in the time they spend at school. They deserve our best effort. We cannot continue to fail them.
Please go help her out.
Hi,
Just discovered your blog, and would like to subscribe via RSS, but I can't find a link. Do you have an RSS feed?
Thanks,
Eric
http://www.EricMacKnight.com/
http://www.GoodHabitsGoodStudents.com/blog
Hey, I followed a link from the article "Learning Curve" to your page and have read a few of your posts. I just wanted to let you know that what you're doing is awesome and despite the fact that my opinion matters very litte, I really appreciate and respect all your efforts to make a difference. Keep up the passion for education, someone has to!
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