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.