Week 20: Building

ABC news coverage of MLK Day... my friends speaking!  We were also covered by Fox, NBC, Univision, and the RedEye Watch the Clip

Before - one of the 3 elementary schools in Englewood on the south side we renovated

Leading the construction volunteers

City Year recruited 8,000 volunteers across the 20 U.S. cities we serve

Canvases made for a local arts center

Bench-making

After!

Feelin' the love at the talent show on retreat

This week has been full of:  Building nicer schools on Monday for MLK day, then building a stronger  corps through our mid-year training the rest of the week.  We led 800 volunteers in painting and renovating 3 schools on the south side on Monday, followed by behavior training on Tuesday, a sick day for me on Wednesday, then our retreat on Thursday and Friday.  I think we all left feeling re-bonded and revived.  :-)

Quotes of the Week: 
"There are different attitudes in different cultural groups about which characteristics make for a good teacher.  Thus, it is impossible to create a model for the good teacher without taking issues of cultural and community context into account." - Lisa Delpit, in an article I re-read for training... this is a concept I've known for a while but want to put into practice on a more habitual basis.

"You just have to say what you want." - Behavior Management trainers 

"How do I reach Destination X?"  "Just make every step you take go in that direction."  - From a proverb Jewan, our Program Director, shared with us 

"You need to look at what your kids can be, not what they are now or where they've been." - Jewan, during a group lunch with him

"We play like we practice, and we teach like we plan."  - A behavior management trainer

"Be an explorer, don't be a vacationer or a prisoner.... Be the thing you want to be." - Jewan

"Everyone has their own approach to relate to the students... it's just all about being real with them."  - Some of my teammates after our Diversity Training 

"Who are you going to be in June?"  - Andy, a director, during our "finish strong" pep talk 

"I got a feelin'... that this year's gonna be the best year...."  - Everyone :-)

Joys:  Seeing how talented and genuine my co-workers are in their own element during the Talent Show, mingling with CY Alum who came to volunteer for MLK day, seeing the happiness of the assistant principal of the school we painted, all the new insights gained during Diversity Training, finding out that I'll be the Recruitment Director for our spring break camps, and a very musical breakfast at Camp Duncan.

Week 19: Conversing

Oh just working at the office at 10pm, after a regular 10-hour work day.

Prepping schools on the south side for 800 awesome volunteers next week

 This week was full of:  Meetings with important people and deep conversations with students.  I met with a representative of The Bulls to share what we do and how I've impacted my students, I was interviewed by a researcher who is investigating the effectiveness of City Year, and I had a phone interview for a position on the planning committee for Camp City Year.  Also, spending a day prepping for our MLK Day of Service, leaving notes for some students to get on a day we're not there, and putting in in my second 60-hour week in a row. 


Quotes of the Week: 
"Hope you're having a nice start to 2011, Ms. Lewis!" - One of my fourth-graders from last year, via email :-) 

Me: Why are you having such a good day, M?
M: I'm starting to learn math!!

"When you find what you love to do, take that opportunity and don't let it go." - The Community Relations Manager for The Bulls 

"I hate black people.  All they do is kill and rape and go to jail...  I'm black and I dislike black people."  - A Junior, on an essay (Later, conversations with a school counselor and my roommate informed me that this isn't uncommon in the black community.  This junior also has the lowest confidence of any student I've ever met.  I can't imagine having to untangle my opinions about my very own race while constructing my self-concept... I guess not having to form an opinion of, or even be ashamed of, my race is something I've taken for granted.)

"Kids love the attention that you (City Year) are able to give them... and for some of them, that's the only attention they get." - Our Principal

"It's imperative we build a system that demonstrates it can effectively and consistently prepare students for graduation and beyond, and in order to do so we need real change." - Reverend Bachus, in a Letter to the Editor in the local newspaper of my school's community

"Ms. Lewis, will you stay in this class and help me?" - A Junior, while I stopped by his class to print something (I stayed :-)

Joys:  Having one student who is hard to reach and rarely comes to school actually stick around to chat with me and show me a photo of his friend who was shot and killed; seeing kids at the school on the south side we prepped to paint (I forgot I missed little kids!); meeting one of my favorite student's little brother who has autism; helping a student on an assignment for another class during lunch; and really deep, genuine conversations with V about his fears and dreams for the future, D about his anger and lack of effort, and J about drugs and his family.

Week 18: Returning

Cheering on the girls basketball team :-)

I was so excited to find an example of incorrect grammar on the train to show my kids!

This week was full of:  Whew! Getting back into the swing of things... I found this week particularly heart-breaking when hearing about some students' experiences over break.  The cousin of one of my favorite students was shot and sent to the hospital, and another student had two cousins shot and killed (one was a kid).  One student casually showed me his scar from being grazed by a bullet at a party (to which his friends responded "well everyone has bullet scars"), and when I asked one of my juniors about his break he told me "not that good... I got locked up for a bit."  I know the student of one of my City Year colleagues at another school was shot and killed.  Things like this make me feel helpless...

Quotes of the week/break: 
(I move near a group of freshmen boys who are chatting during a lesson)
K: Man, Ms. Lewis, you're always a party pooper.
Me: Because I stop you from talking so you do your work?  Then I'm glad to be a party pooper.
E: Naw, Ms. Lewis, you're a failure pooper!  You stop us from failing.

"We have so much time left in this year... we can still move these kids."        - Jade, my Team Leader

"Thanks for the Christmas card, Ms. Lewis... you should have given it to me a day earlier so I would have had time to write one for you." - A favorite sophomore

"I highly encourage anyone to teach abroad.  I grew and stretched in so many ways... it's humbling and rewarding." - Krystal, an excellent educator I met for "coffee" during break 

Responses on a feedback survey I gave to my freshmen: "Your kindness makes me want to continue towards success." "You challenge us and make our brains work." "You remind me mostly every day that you believe in me and that I could do better." "Stay strong." "(My advice is to) always have your happy spirit." 

Excerpts from All About You - a survey I gave my old and new juniors: 

"What is something you've done that you're proud of?"

• I've kept my focus on being a good person and doing what I have to do to have a successful future. 
• Stayed alive this long. 
• Went on a field trip to help pack food for the poor.  
• Being able to stay focused in school without any children.
• I didn't go to jail, I stayed in school. 

"Describe yourself in five words."

• Giving up, nice, funny, fun, likable.
• Struggling right now, need motivation. 
• Smart, intelligent, brave, kind person, mean attitude. 
• I am very hard working.
• Funny, cool, button-pusher, goofy.

"What can I do to best motivate you to do well in school?"

• I don't know. 
• Nothing. 
• Encourage me. 
• Get me going when you catch me off track. 
• Keep me inspired to go to school. 
• Teach me as much as you can and don't think everything I do is supposed to be perfect. 
• Tell me I'm doing good and always be honest. 
• Help me and don't give up on me when I don't get it so fast.

Joys:  Meeting my new group of juniors!  I wrote them all letters and some students said they will write back... I also enjoy that many of my "old juniors" (from the last session of classes) still find me in the halls and cafeteria to chat.  Also, cheering on the girls basketball team at a game, starting to lead the Do Nows, helping at Saturday Academy (an optional ACT workshop for juniors), and seeing one of my most motivated junior's faces light up when she introduced me to her one-year-old son.