maineiac in kc

So here it is, the middle of the week, and I find myself thinking about why I joined TFA, and how far I’ve come.  I suppose its on my mind because of recent events.  As you probably know, my year of TFA in Kansas City was our first here in the city.  I believe that we had a ton of amazing success, and we really showed that we can make a difference.

Now, we’re halfway through inducting the 2009 Corps members here for KC.  So far, I’m only spoke in detail to a few of the 75 new people joining our movement for educational equality, but what I have seen in the character and dedication of these new people is inspiring. 

I have thus far been involved in some small way with the Induction, getting to speak with new members, find out what they’re interested in, and many other issues.  I felt the most connected when we discussed the achievement gap.  It is always a bittersweet moment to see all of the data about the gap.  It is so terrible to realize that the gap exists, but I do take heart from the fact that I am out there, trying to make a difference.  For me, the gap is personal.  Now, its not just numbers on a slideshow, or plans on how to fix it, its me looking at my class photo and thinking about the progress all of my students made.  It means examining the gaps that still exist, and how I can get better.  Most of all it means that I have to keep working until the happy day when we won’t need to induct anyone else to this movement, because the need will no longer exist, and all students will achieve an excellent education.

Until that day comes, however, it is so amazing to know that we have this new group which I’ve met.  To know that they are chomping at the bit to get in there and make a difference makes me even more excited to get back in the classroom and get back to work!  So to all the ‘09 Corps members, welcome!

 -Tom

“I’ve got a bitter pot of je ne sais quoi” 

So starts the song Genius by Warren Zevon.  Since I kind of became a huge Zevon fan over the course of this year, I figured I’d start my final post of the 2008-2009 TFA school year with that quote.  With a little French, we know that Je ne sais quoi means “I know not what,” and the end of the year is a bit bitter because a good thing is coming to an end, at least for the moment. 

That being said, I am ready for a little bit of time to destress, regroup, replan, and hit the year even harder next year.  I had some massive gains by my students this year.  In my seventh grade class, the average on the final exam for social studies was a 95%!  After seeing the geography skills that were displayed earlier this year by the majority of those students, I consider this proof positive of the idea of malleable intelligence.  This year, a theme for my room was Malleable Intelligence, which means, in my simple terms, that “you are as smart as you want to be” aka there is no limit to your potential.  Our other theme came from my experiences in college, specifically the Jesuit word “Magis.”  Magis comes from the Latin phrase translating to “For the greater glory of God” and the idea of serving others.  It generally means “What have I done for God? What am I doing for God? and What MORE can I do for God?”  I removed the religious aspect and stuck with what touched me at college, specifically the quest for “The More” which basically means that no matter what you do, you can always do more.  If my students get an A, I want to see another one, if they do their homework for two nights in a row, I want to see two weeks in a row, etc.  

 Having worked to instill these ideals in my students, its very rewarding to see them coming to the end of their year.  I can see the progress that certain students made in their work in ancient cultures, or economics, geography, or writing.  It’s been a long, crazy, intense, rewarding trip, and I’m excited for the final day tomorrow, and what comes next!

Another song title as my title here…

We just completed the MAP on thursday, and I have to say that overall, I am pretty excited with how my students did.  The vast majority seemed excited to see what they could do, worked hard, checked their answers, and overall did their best.  I had maybe two students who may have been rushing, and one who was just being himself (out of control).

Of course, now that the testing is done, we need to keep the learning up.  I’ve been told that students expect to be able to relax when they finish the test, but that will not occur in my room.  However, I was given my first evidence of said issue literally two hours after the map ended.  One of my tougher students, who is generally very nice, has something of a short fuse, and did not take kindly to being teased by a new student in the other sixth grade class.  This new student arrived about a half an hour after the MAP had ended, and a few minutes into art (his first full class), he ended up in what was described to me as “the most merciless beating I have ever witnessed.”  I just wish I had been in the room, because with this particular student, I think I could have prevented it, as his mom and I have had several good talks, and he knows that she gave me permission to request she prevent him from ANY and ALL afterschool activities, and he knows she’ll follow through on it, and that is enough to get him to take a deep breath.

To counteract the fighting instinct, which by now has been improved to a fine edge, I am starting a charity fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House.  Maybe by getting students to care about someone else, I can stop some of these other behaviors.

So, today was the second day of MAP (Missouri Assessment Program) testing for my students.  Thus far, they’ve behaved quite well (for the most part), and the vast majority seem to be taking it very seriously.  Students are checking their work, and really their best (or so I hope).  I just hope all those hours of MAP prep work and everything else we’ve done this year shines through!

Best of Luck to all teaching the MAP

Sorry for the title, just felt like being poetic.  I guess I am just frustrated with a few select students.  I had three fantastic lessons today, I’d say 85% of my class did outstanding, but its that insane 15% that is making life hard.

I have a couple of girls that just love to slap boys.  I have sent people to the office, but thus far there has been little change in behavor over the long term (although in the short term there was).  Today, they slapped a boy so hard his glasses fell to the floor, then in his anger and trying to get away from them, he punched through a window in the door to my classroom.

 I guess its just hard having to beg the same four or five kids ever single day to do their work and knock off the inapproperiate behavior…  I need to take strength from the high points, like the student who arrived thirty minutes late, but managed to complete her assignment on time, getting better answers than anyone else.  She has improved so much!

So I am writing this merry posting on St. Patrick’s Day, and I hope everyone has tipped a pint of something today just because.  Its the middle of out Spring break here in Kansas City, and I must say that having time to get some time and distance here has been refreshing.

 I love teaching.  I didn’t know coming into the corps if I was like it as much as I do, but I do have to say that the feeling you get when you get a student to care about a topic is pretty special.  Knowing that I can make a difference is really why I get up before the sun each day, but I’m not going to lie, I was nearing a burnout before this break.  Between some students acting out of control, some badly approached issues (on both sides) with the administration, and just the long stretch between time off, I was getting a little frustrated.  Now, only after a few days off, I can sort of see the reasons again.

 I guess, just having time to relax with friends, share stories (good and bad), and get some much needed rest allows me to recharge the batteries and get ready for the MAP test which is rapidly approaching…

Finally, to any prospective or future members of the KC corps for next year, get ready and congrats!

So, yesterday, a student went into my desk and stole my phone.  Now, granted, this wasn’t the greatest phone, but it was mine, and it was my one and only source for phone numbers.  I literally now have no one’s numbers.  I think I maybe know two or three numbers off the top of my head, and thats it.

 By the time I managed to cancel the phone that evening, there had already been three calls, two to Detroit, one to Atlanta.  Right after I got home with a new phone, I got a call from Detroit where someone, upon hearing my voice, told me he thought he had a wrong number.  I told him that I thought he didn’t and who was he looking for.  Of course, he hung up.  I did the whole reverse lookup thing, and saw that they were calling named Carter in Inkster, Michigan, but other than that, no success.

 Today, me confronting students with this resulted in an almost brawl, and a possible one later that day.  Sigh, the fun seemes to keep coming.

 In other news, and postive at that matter, there has been massive improvement for many students in prep for the MAP test.  Its a huge deal in this state, and we’ve see a lot of gains among both my students and Mr. Bauer’s in sixth grade, especially as compared to last time we tested them.  I am actually starting to feel like there could be some massive gains, instead of worrying that I’m not succeeding!

Like the classic Beatles song, it seems like I have a revolving door in my classroom.  The minute that I get one student back from suspension or illness, another one or two go.

 Yesterday, I had a new low-light.  I already had two students gone for fighting (for the second time), and K decided to threaten a fellow teacher.  It was in SFA class, and he apparently decided to tell his teacher that he knew where she lived and threatened to shoot her.  I was not there for this incident, but I am not at all surprised.  K has threatened me, telling me that he planned to get his cousin to come beat me up for a low grade.  Anyway, I guess he got a ten day suspension, which is a curse but a blessing.  I find it hard to find the balance, because K is so disruptive, but now he’ll miss the rest of our prep for the MAP test, so basically he’ll return and have to take this massive test.  I’ll be sending homework home with his brother, but he hasn’t done any of my homework this year, so I hope there is a change…

So today, a little hectic, yet inspiring in a crazy sort of way.  Sometimes, just walking into the school in the morning, you can feel the energy of the students.  When I get here in the morning, sometimes there are only one or two students here for extended day, but usually I just get a feeling of the way students will behave.

Coming in today, I was very excited for the events of the day, but still, it was pretty crazy in the school.  Teachers, administrators, we were all hoping to watch it.  We got a message right before students got in that we could turn on tvs in our rooms to the speech if we so desired.  Most every classroom in the school have televisions hung from the wall.  This school, back in the day, was called “Troost Communication Academy.”  Because of that, we have special telecommunication gear, but a lot of it isn’t used, or the teachers who understand it have long since moved on.  In any event, the tvs we have don’t have cable, so we had to rig them up to get tv over the airwaves.

 Therefore, come inauguration time, the students in my room skipped music (well, we had not music teacher anyway today), and watched the inauguration.  Students were excited to see someone who looked similar take the oath, but at the same time were many who were not at all interested.  I had three students who decided that this was, “gay.”  They found a nap a better use of their time.  I did manage to get them all to watch the oath, but for the actual speech, I had about 50% watching intently, 25% doodling and also listening, and the rest comatose in the land of slumber.

That being said, I personally was very excited to see the speech, and am excited to see what is to come, and judging by the number of people who crowded into the Washington Mall, I’m not the only one…

Ok, not going to be a long post, but today was a very frustrating day.  I had one of my students bring in his Sony PSP, which he knows he isn’t allowed to bring.  This has occured several times, and I have heard him stating that he might sell it to a seventh grader.  In any event, someone managed to steal it from his backpack, and it was not recovered.  He flipped out when it went missing, and went back and forth from tears to yelling to angry pacing.  We ended up in the office, and I spent the majority of my planning period searching desks, meeting with the principal and security officer, and searching the school.  We eventually found another PSP, but not the missing one, although finding that involved searching backpacks, having students turn out pockets, and other fun things. 

 If that wasn’t enough, right after lunch, there was an epic fight.  Alligations where tossed about that one student narced on another about the thefts, and before I knew it, there were 30+ kids surrounding three fighters.  This was a crazy scene, since I was alone in terms of staff.  Three other soon joined me, but lets just say we literally had to pull these kids apart, and I may have taken a few blows to the arms getting between them.  I know we’re supposed to just say “please stop,” but one student’s head was being slammed against the tiles, and I was afraid for his safety.  We got them apart, and there were some brief suspensions, but they all ended up back in my room for the last hour of the day.

Finally, I had two other girls on inschool suspension (cursing and screaming in the room at 8:10 am), as well as a student tell me he wanted to hit me in “the testicles” and that he’d “crack” me “in the face.”  It was a looong day…