And the new things keep rolling in...
So my last post occurred when I was first starting my fall in our fair nation's capitol, Washington, DC as a White House Intern. Pretty snazzy, no? Yeah, no.
It was interesting, and certainly a once in a lifetime experience, but I was amazed to find the culture shock I went through moving from Detroit (with a brief summerish long stop in Albany, NY) to DC. Mostly just price wise, in DC one months rent was equivalent to about three month's rent in Detroit - and I got a downright cheap apartment by DC standards (with parking and utilities included, if you're wondering how I found such a great place check Craigslist). I was living in Glover Park, which is on the NW side of DC pretty much smack in between Georgetown and American University. Lovely neighborhood with an unofficial requirement of a baby or a dog to move in, but Glover Park taught me some DC lessons the hard way, aka my bike got stolen. Luckily I had some amazing, wonderful, and fantabulous friends who I had met over the summer in Vermont who took me in, fed me, let me hang out in their basement, and lent me a bike so I could continue biking to and from my internship.
All in all, it was a good experience. Granted, as soon as they told us that we weren't allowed to blog while we were a part of the internship I'd never wanted to get this blog going again so badly, but ce la vie. I've also never lived in DC before, and I'm glad I got it out of my system now, than a couple of years ago when I desperately wanted to go to school there. Who knows though, I may be back, but for now I've moved north and I'm thrilled!
I'm currently living in the northeastern section of central Connecticut (should that make any sense to you) in a lovely house on a horrible hill. Seriously, you take two steps onto this hill and you're suddenly your legs and lungs are burning. I feel like I should walk this hill several times a day, if only out of sympathy for my car. If you think I'm exaggerating, please come visit (I recommend not winter, you may get trapped by snows). I have a fantastic Connecticut family here, and we spoil each other with cookies, laughter, bread, good music, good company, and dreams of gardens to come.
Speaking of dreams to come, there will have to be another post soon about my newest crazy activities - aerials, circus (my roommate has promised to teach me how to walk on stilts), my new job, going back to ballroom at UConn, and whatever other trouble I can get myself into between now and the next post.
Love and hugs!
-d
Friday, January 6, 2012
Monday, September 5, 2011
Moving (again)
So I've moved to D.C. and this will be my first and last blog post for a while. Not that thats any different from normal, eh? Since when have I ever had a consistent updating schedule? Actually, now that I mention it, I seem to update pretty consistently for the first few weeks/months that I move to a new place, but this time will be different.
No updating. At all. None. Until DECEMBER! I don't think I've ever been so excited for winter to come!
Basically I've started a new internship in the nation's capitol. If I say anything more about it before it's over, I'll have to kill you, but anyways, heres the skinny on what I'll be up to for the next few months:
Living in Glovers Park
Dancing
Biking
Trapeze
Aerials
Stretching
Running
Insanity
Working (a lot)
Hopefully finding a second (aka paying) job
Sleeping (occasionally - ha, I anticipate that will be happening around the same time that my blog begins again)
And generally learning about a new city - moving from one of the nation's most downtrodden and vibrant community oriented cities to a place that is so expensive, lush, and superficial is quite the culture shock. It never ceases to amaze me how diverse this country is. It makes me wonder if international relations is all I really think it's cracked up to be, or if I should just focus my energies instead on local issues "on the mainland" as my sister would say.
Or maybe I'll just go join the circus...
Peace, love, etc.
-d
ps: any advice, comments, and confessions are welcome
No updating. At all. None. Until DECEMBER! I don't think I've ever been so excited for winter to come!
Basically I've started a new internship in the nation's capitol. If I say anything more about it before it's over, I'll have to kill you, but anyways, heres the skinny on what I'll be up to for the next few months:
Living in Glovers Park
Dancing
Biking
Trapeze
Aerials
Stretching
Running
Insanity
Working (a lot)
Hopefully finding a second (aka paying) job
Sleeping (occasionally - ha, I anticipate that will be happening around the same time that my blog begins again)
And generally learning about a new city - moving from one of the nation's most downtrodden and vibrant community oriented cities to a place that is so expensive, lush, and superficial is quite the culture shock. It never ceases to amaze me how diverse this country is. It makes me wonder if international relations is all I really think it's cracked up to be, or if I should just focus my energies instead on local issues "on the mainland" as my sister would say.
Or maybe I'll just go join the circus...
Peace, love, etc.
-d
ps: any advice, comments, and confessions are welcome
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Huzzah!
things I love about this week:
CARE PACKAGES EVERYWHERE <3
Getting on the treadmill at the YMCA and discovering that Bones was on (I can't remember the last time I watched TV, probably when I was in CT over winter break). Going to have to do that more often, except not for an hour on the treadmill. Ow.
My kids watching me touch type. Seeing the looks on their faces while I watch them and they watch my fingers. Pretty hilarious. We also offer a typing class on Tuesdays after school so I don't feel that badly about teasing them. Besides, they dish it out, why can't I?
Also, even though we only had two days of classes this week (if I have to spend more time in that cramped little office I swear...) the kids were doing really well on their math worksheets! There were a couple of them who, once we went through the first problem, I was able to turn them loose and only go back for the occasional consultation. I love those looks of epiphany! Those few moments and a good sense of humor is why I stick around.
That being said, it's about that time of year to get my butt in gear and look for things to do upon my City Year completion. As much as I enjoy leaving my future open to fate and whichever way the wind blows, it's probably time for me to start taking charge of myself.
I love it that when I find applications with interview essay questions my first two thoughts are, "drat I have to go back to writing in coherent sentences that people outside my job will understand." And, "crap, under 500 words!" If I asked my kids to write a 500 word essay they would just look at me in disbelief. I suppose I did the same think when I was their age...and now I feel old. Great.
Anyways, the weekend approachith. Time for sleep and debauchery. Not necessarily in that order.
Love, and goodnight!
-deb
PS: Since I've been stuck at the office this week I've found an excellent music blog through hype machine called My Old Kentucky Blog. The link was a day of music I particularly appreciated.
PS#2: Now that I'm in a music mood I may have to buy more concert tickets! DEMF is coming up (May is soon, right?), and Iron and Wine will be around as well! Oh crap, now that I went to the Royal Oak Music Theatre's website to get ya'll that link I see so many more good shows coming up! Doom.
CARE PACKAGES EVERYWHERE <3
Getting on the treadmill at the YMCA and discovering that Bones was on (I can't remember the last time I watched TV, probably when I was in CT over winter break). Going to have to do that more often, except not for an hour on the treadmill. Ow.
My kids watching me touch type. Seeing the looks on their faces while I watch them and they watch my fingers. Pretty hilarious. We also offer a typing class on Tuesdays after school so I don't feel that badly about teasing them. Besides, they dish it out, why can't I?
Also, even though we only had two days of classes this week (if I have to spend more time in that cramped little office I swear...) the kids were doing really well on their math worksheets! There were a couple of them who, once we went through the first problem, I was able to turn them loose and only go back for the occasional consultation. I love those looks of epiphany! Those few moments and a good sense of humor is why I stick around.
That being said, it's about that time of year to get my butt in gear and look for things to do upon my City Year completion. As much as I enjoy leaving my future open to fate and whichever way the wind blows, it's probably time for me to start taking charge of myself.
I love it that when I find applications with interview essay questions my first two thoughts are, "drat I have to go back to writing in coherent sentences that people outside my job will understand." And, "crap, under 500 words!" If I asked my kids to write a 500 word essay they would just look at me in disbelief. I suppose I did the same think when I was their age...and now I feel old. Great.
Anyways, the weekend approachith. Time for sleep and debauchery. Not necessarily in that order.
Love, and goodnight!
-deb
PS: Since I've been stuck at the office this week I've found an excellent music blog through hype machine called My Old Kentucky Blog. The link was a day of music I particularly appreciated.
PS#2: Now that I'm in a music mood I may have to buy more concert tickets! DEMF is coming up (May is soon, right?), and Iron and Wine will be around as well! Oh crap, now that I went to the Royal Oak Music Theatre's website to get ya'll that link I see so many more good shows coming up! Doom.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Thaw
Not to state the obvious but...it's February.
Being the horribly inconsistent blogger that I am, it appears that I haven't touched this blog since November, roughly when I went into hardcore hibernation.
Temperatures went up to mid 40 and low 50 this weekend, and blue skies have been playing peek-a-boo with the ominous grey since last week. What I've decided that I miss most about New York and New England, aside from varying elevations, is the winter blues - that clear and cold blue sky, usually right after a storm. It may make the temperatures plummet, but a chance for sunlight is more than worth it.
Needless to say, we've had nothing but grey since the end of November, to early February. And thus, my prolonged stint into absolutely nothing. I haven't even been able to summon up the energy to go dance! Pub trivia and friends have kept me going. I've even gotten into roller-skating on the west side at Northland, and broomball on the canal on the east.
Here is a picture of the canal on which we play broomball (except the canal is thankfully frozen when we play)! This photo was taken in 1987, but I think it's pretty close to the house that we play out of. By the way, this house is amazing! It's reminiscent of a fishing shack, except beautifully filled with hardwood (the walls are made out of gym floors of Detroit Public Schools!) and has a fantastic industrial kitchen. I will have to find/take pictures of the inside of the house someday.
Northland is an interesting place. When asking my fellow Detroiter corps members about Northland skating rink they told me to, under no circumstances, go there. However, when I told them that I wanted to take an adult roller skating class there they told me it would be fine. Apparently Northland is known for its fights in the parking lot. The adults are far more civil (and fun!) and Al is an amazing teacher. Stop by Fridays from 5:45-6:45!
Pub trivia at the Woodbridge every Wednesday night (and $3 drafts)! A $50 gift certificate goes to the winner - my team has a lot of fun, but we are by far the youngest and average about a 50/100.
Heres a picture of my favorite piece of sky in the world! The picture is a portion of the ceiling from The Palace Theater in Albany, NY. Sketchy backstage - very Phantom of the Opera - but a beautiful place none the less. The ceiling (see photo below) is what I've been thinking of all day, very similar to Detroit's sky current skyline. I love it.
The other wonderful part about February is that it's a rather short month, and that means it's almost March, and March is awfully close to April (roughly a month away), and while April is a tease, it means spring! And spring means summer, which means it is time for me to get out of my perpetual winter sleep, get my rear in gear and move for gods sake!
I've joined the Boll YMCA in downtown Detroit. It's a simply beautiful facility filled with friendly Midwesterners. After sitting down on an erg to workout on my first day there, within ten minutes I was asked to join the Detroit Rowing Club! Glad to know I've still got it - the jury is still out on if I'll actually join.
On top of releasing my pent up winter energy, I feel a great need to reject (most of) my wardrobe and start afresh. At the moment this isn't really a problem since I wear pretty much the same uniform every day for City Year, but it's Fashion Week in NYC and I've been keeping track. Here are a few of my favorites so far:
I love those dresses, but I really need to start buying clothes that are some color other than black (guess I am my mother's daughter). Good thing the red dress is definitely my favorite! And these are only a few of the designers whose slide shows I've looked through so far. I'm using my expensive taste and my distaste of debt (post college that debt thing seems to sneak up on you) to help motivate me to get a real (aka paying) job after City Year.
Time to start making lists and figuring out summer and next fall!
Love you all!
-deb
PS: I'm trying to learn/teach myself how to knit, and Zoe is learning that yarn is fun. Needless to say I have to start over on that pot holder I was making...
Sorry it's a little blurry, but being a cat she likes to move. A lot. And destroy things that move. Like my feet.
PPS: Next week the kids are off of school, so we City Yearers have an internship week. Most people are going to go do good deeds working with kids. I deal with enough kids. I'm going to learn how to fix my bike. Check out where I'll be interning at The Hub.
PPSS: More updates about City Year, school, kids, and their (and my) crazy antics some other time. In other words, blog to be continued...hopefully in a less sporadic manner.
Being the horribly inconsistent blogger that I am, it appears that I haven't touched this blog since November, roughly when I went into hardcore hibernation.
Temperatures went up to mid 40 and low 50 this weekend, and blue skies have been playing peek-a-boo with the ominous grey since last week. What I've decided that I miss most about New York and New England, aside from varying elevations, is the winter blues - that clear and cold blue sky, usually right after a storm. It may make the temperatures plummet, but a chance for sunlight is more than worth it.
Needless to say, we've had nothing but grey since the end of November, to early February. And thus, my prolonged stint into absolutely nothing. I haven't even been able to summon up the energy to go dance! Pub trivia and friends have kept me going. I've even gotten into roller-skating on the west side at Northland, and broomball on the canal on the east.
Here is a picture of the canal on which we play broomball (except the canal is thankfully frozen when we play)! This photo was taken in 1987, but I think it's pretty close to the house that we play out of. By the way, this house is amazing! It's reminiscent of a fishing shack, except beautifully filled with hardwood (the walls are made out of gym floors of Detroit Public Schools!) and has a fantastic industrial kitchen. I will have to find/take pictures of the inside of the house someday.
Northland is an interesting place. When asking my fellow Detroiter corps members about Northland skating rink they told me to, under no circumstances, go there. However, when I told them that I wanted to take an adult roller skating class there they told me it would be fine. Apparently Northland is known for its fights in the parking lot. The adults are far more civil (and fun!) and Al is an amazing teacher. Stop by Fridays from 5:45-6:45!
Pub trivia at the Woodbridge every Wednesday night (and $3 drafts)! A $50 gift certificate goes to the winner - my team has a lot of fun, but we are by far the youngest and average about a 50/100.
Heres a picture of my favorite piece of sky in the world! The picture is a portion of the ceiling from The Palace Theater in Albany, NY. Sketchy backstage - very Phantom of the Opera - but a beautiful place none the less. The ceiling (see photo below) is what I've been thinking of all day, very similar to Detroit's sky current skyline. I love it.
The other wonderful part about February is that it's a rather short month, and that means it's almost March, and March is awfully close to April (roughly a month away), and while April is a tease, it means spring! And spring means summer, which means it is time for me to get out of my perpetual winter sleep, get my rear in gear and move for gods sake!
I've joined the Boll YMCA in downtown Detroit. It's a simply beautiful facility filled with friendly Midwesterners. After sitting down on an erg to workout on my first day there, within ten minutes I was asked to join the Detroit Rowing Club! Glad to know I've still got it - the jury is still out on if I'll actually join.
On top of releasing my pent up winter energy, I feel a great need to reject (most of) my wardrobe and start afresh. At the moment this isn't really a problem since I wear pretty much the same uniform every day for City Year, but it's Fashion Week in NYC and I've been keeping track. Here are a few of my favorites so far:
I love those dresses, but I really need to start buying clothes that are some color other than black (guess I am my mother's daughter). Good thing the red dress is definitely my favorite! And these are only a few of the designers whose slide shows I've looked through so far. I'm using my expensive taste and my distaste of debt (post college that debt thing seems to sneak up on you) to help motivate me to get a real (aka paying) job after City Year.
Time to start making lists and figuring out summer and next fall!
Love you all!
-deb
PS: I'm trying to learn/teach myself how to knit, and Zoe is learning that yarn is fun. Needless to say I have to start over on that pot holder I was making...
Sorry it's a little blurry, but being a cat she likes to move. A lot. And destroy things that move. Like my feet.
PPS: Next week the kids are off of school, so we City Yearers have an internship week. Most people are going to go do good deeds working with kids. I deal with enough kids. I'm going to learn how to fix my bike. Check out where I'll be interning at The Hub.
PPSS: More updates about City Year, school, kids, and their (and my) crazy antics some other time. In other words, blog to be continued...hopefully in a less sporadic manner.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
November
So much has happened this month, and yet this feels like the shortest month I've spend in Michigan yet!
Calendar rundown:
First week: on the 5th after work I left for Las Vegas! I slept the entire plane ride there, it was wonderful! There was a ballroom comp there on the 6th, but more importantly I got to spend time with family that I haven't seen since the last time I went there for my cousin Jeff's wedding back when I still wore glasses in high school! Came back on the morning of the 8th, was left at the airport, but by the grace of good karma got a ride back home. Had the day off.
Week number 2: my only full November week in school! Sadly there was testing for most of it. These kids take more tests, and more standardized tests especially, than I remember ever having to take. And the worst part of it all is that as half the class falls asleep bored while the other half stresses it proves what the kids don't know (if the tests are graded and if the results make it back to us, which they usually don't - while cleaning out a classroom closet at OPrep I found boxes upon boxes of old standardized tests, taken but never graded) and takes time away that the kids could use to learn.
Week number 3: Americorps celebration on Thursday in Lansing, MI. It was the second time I've been to the capitol, and the second time in November that I was able to use my newly found skill of sleeping anywhere at anytime. It was a really relaxing day of going to mediocre workshops. The last one I went to was an improv workshop, which was nice, I haven't done anything acting oriented in a while and I think I'd like to start again.
Week number 4: Thanksgiving! I celebrated Thanksgiving this year with a half day on Wednesday: laundry, a trip to the pub, and ballroom practice. Thursday: cooking until 4am, waking up at 8 to go to the Detroit Thanksgiving parade with the girls I was having dinner with, hung out there until noonish, baked/prepared dinner and pies until we ate at 4, hung out there talking, drinking wine, and watching Freedom Writers until it was time to go, made it home and was in bed by 1. Whew. I decided that that was more than enough to do for the week so I've stayed inside and enjoyed the quiet (my roommates just got home from their breaks about an hour ago) and caught up on sleep so I don't get sick.
Only 2 more days until December! I have my flight booked to come home (or well NYC) on the 21st! I should be back up in Albany by the 24th, and then down to CT ASAP! Back to Michigan on Jan 2nd
Calendar rundown:
First week: on the 5th after work I left for Las Vegas! I slept the entire plane ride there, it was wonderful! There was a ballroom comp there on the 6th, but more importantly I got to spend time with family that I haven't seen since the last time I went there for my cousin Jeff's wedding back when I still wore glasses in high school! Came back on the morning of the 8th, was left at the airport, but by the grace of good karma got a ride back home. Had the day off.
Week number 2: my only full November week in school! Sadly there was testing for most of it. These kids take more tests, and more standardized tests especially, than I remember ever having to take. And the worst part of it all is that as half the class falls asleep bored while the other half stresses it proves what the kids don't know (if the tests are graded and if the results make it back to us, which they usually don't - while cleaning out a classroom closet at OPrep I found boxes upon boxes of old standardized tests, taken but never graded) and takes time away that the kids could use to learn.
Week number 3: Americorps celebration on Thursday in Lansing, MI. It was the second time I've been to the capitol, and the second time in November that I was able to use my newly found skill of sleeping anywhere at anytime. It was a really relaxing day of going to mediocre workshops. The last one I went to was an improv workshop, which was nice, I haven't done anything acting oriented in a while and I think I'd like to start again.
Week number 4: Thanksgiving! I celebrated Thanksgiving this year with a half day on Wednesday: laundry, a trip to the pub, and ballroom practice. Thursday: cooking until 4am, waking up at 8 to go to the Detroit Thanksgiving parade with the girls I was having dinner with, hung out there until noonish, baked/prepared dinner and pies until we ate at 4, hung out there talking, drinking wine, and watching Freedom Writers until it was time to go, made it home and was in bed by 1. Whew. I decided that that was more than enough to do for the week so I've stayed inside and enjoyed the quiet (my roommates just got home from their breaks about an hour ago) and caught up on sleep so I don't get sick.
Only 2 more days until December! I have my flight booked to come home (or well NYC) on the 21st! I should be back up in Albany by the 24th, and then down to CT ASAP! Back to Michigan on Jan 2nd
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Waiting...
Waiting to wake up:
At this moment I'm trying to think of how best to wake myself up safely from a nap. My team got out of work early today because of the impending apocalyptic storm that was suppose to beat the crap out of Detroit. One of my favorite things about Michigan is that it has the most amazing skies. Surrounded by lakes, and mostly flat you can see the weather for miles...if only the weather was ever consistent. Rumor had it that winds reached 80 mph in Ann Arbor today, and since weather tends to travel from Ann Arbor to Detroit (and occasionally vise versa) there was definitely a tornado warning in some places, and heavy wind/severe storm warning where I work and live. So we left early and I was able to go to the bank for the first time in a month and a half. Tis an exciting life I lead.
After my banking adventures I went home, lay on my bed with a good book, and after setting my alarm for around 7pm, passed out. I woke up at 6 - dusk. Now I know that when I wake up at or before 6 every morning, the sky is dark. For some reason, every time I've recently woken up from a nap it's around that dusk-ish time of afternoon/night and my mind freaks out that I'm about to be late for work. Usually the roommates are home and I can hear them playing video games, or making dinner - something that they wouldn't be doing before work, but today was different. I had actually almost completely dressed for work when I realized that my timing was way off. At least I know that my body can do things well, quickly, and automatically even if my mind shuts down or panics. I just need a way to stop the panic in the first place. More sleep maybe?
Waiting for the revolution:
Some of the thoughts I've been toying with is how different the kids I work with are from my generation (not even a ten year difference) and why. I know from history and international relations classes, talking with friends, parents, and grandparents that my generation has it easy. Sure my graduating high school year was the first year that colleges realized they didn’t have nearly enough spaces for the offspring of the baby boomers, and that my college class graduated into a world struggling with financial and social issues, but it's all in how you decide to compare generational struggles.
When it comes to my students, the biggest complaint I hear of them, and the thing that we as corps members talk about most often is a lack of respect. Not all of them, but most of the kids have literally no respect for their teachers, for each other, us, friends, etc. Often times I think that it's a product of the environment they grew up in: gang violence, single parent households, some have uninvolved parents, drug abuse and peer influences, and possibly most important a general cultural view of how kids in the US view teachers (especially compared to the respect that teachers receive in other nations). But topping all of those issues, is how respect has become a twisted priority. I've been told by friends who have grown up in these environments that it's often more important to a parent to give their kids the latest outfit, new kicks, and a bangin' cell phone, than it is to pay rent, heat or make a car payment.
For a kid, it's about automatically having physical property (clothes, shoes, etc) and having people respect you for the material wealth that it brings rather than for your academic aspirations, how you do in school, and where you want to go next. For most of my kids, they say that they want to go to college, but they don't know how or where. They expect to be given a scholarship automatically, but most of them are failing their core subjects. I can't tell if they want to get out of the place they've been brought up to believe is awful, when they've been told that theres someplace better out there, or if they've accepted where they're from and are too scared to try to get out because they don't know anyone who has successfully. As a result they respect one another based on shallow visuals and material wealth. Thus in class, they're too distracted by these things to care about paying attention and getting out of school instead of being held back and less likely to graduate. My hope is that with City Year providing strong peoples as role models, that these kids will look up to us and realize that there is somewhere else they can go.
Or maybe these kids have figured out something that my generation missed. That if they stop paying attention completely to older authority figures and forge on ahead, they can control the world. They seem to have figured out the power of a mob, and because of that the only control that we have is through grades and bribery because chivalry and respect are dead. The biggest issue with that is mob mentality is dangerous, scary, and misinformed. Combine that with a lack of focus and education and you have quite the storm building up for a frightening future of apathetic leaders and a US thats falling father behind than ever. Pessimistic, maybe, but it's just a theory.
Waiting for Superman:
Still wondering why I get up before 6am every day, and work 10 hours plus every day?
Why should I bother being at a job that if I was to be paid by the hour instead of a stipend gives me half (or less in some states) of minimum wage?
And what difference can I, one small and insignificant person, make on a failing educational system?
Go see this movie. It inspired me to keep going, and hopefully will give you some insight into why I bothered to travel to another state where I have no connections to work for a year. It really is an incredible movie! If you're a crier (like me) bring tissues. Waiting for Superman discusses everything from charter schools, to teachers unions, and a comparison of the US to other nation's educational systems. Take it in completely, and then review, think about it afterwards with a grain of salt. But mostly, the stories are incredible. Be prepared to think about these kids long after the movie is over.
Just waiting...
City Year works in schools from Monday-Thursday (on Fridays we have training or service projects). As a result, I couldn't be in class last Friday during the math quiz, so when they were returned to the students in class on Monday, I got to ask how they think it went and how they did. On the Thursday before the quiz I had one student come to me during our after-school tutoring hours. He told me point blank that he understood nothing about geometry and was going to fail the quiz. We worked together explaining definitions, going over what terms he would need to understand to pass the quiz, and practicing on the homework. As long as he studied, he would be in pretty good shape for the next days quiz. This kid is an amazing student! Hes in 10th grade, and is studying calculus after school is over with a college tutor. He tells me that he hates math and is no good at it. I tell him the same thing about me, and we both have a laugh.
On Monday, sitting next to another student I ask him how he did on the quiz. He shoots me an award-winning smile and holds up his paper: 8/8
The student I was sitting next to at the time looks at his paper and her jaw drops. "Miss Deb," she says, "I'm jealous! I know he ain't that smart." I laugh and told her that he came to me for help with math and that working through it together he understood it, studied it, and got a good grade. "What, really?" she says. "Give me a permission slip, I need to do that!" We have permission slips for all of our students so that they can come to our after-school program. I love it that she was jealous of his good grades and feels a need to beat him by coming to our program to study. It gives me hope, and moments like this are all I need to keep going and make a difference this year.
PS: If you haven't seen it yet, heres a picture of my team on Opening Day. Random facts about us: we have the most diverse team in the core, the kids think that Anna and I are the same person, our team mascot is the ninja. We had just gotten our jackets earlier that day and look pretty freaking spiffy!
(top, left to right - Heather, Malaika, Josh, Julia, Kiana, Brian
bottom, left to right - Anna, me, Shantel, Sara)
At this moment I'm trying to think of how best to wake myself up safely from a nap. My team got out of work early today because of the impending apocalyptic storm that was suppose to beat the crap out of Detroit. One of my favorite things about Michigan is that it has the most amazing skies. Surrounded by lakes, and mostly flat you can see the weather for miles...if only the weather was ever consistent. Rumor had it that winds reached 80 mph in Ann Arbor today, and since weather tends to travel from Ann Arbor to Detroit (and occasionally vise versa) there was definitely a tornado warning in some places, and heavy wind/severe storm warning where I work and live. So we left early and I was able to go to the bank for the first time in a month and a half. Tis an exciting life I lead.
After my banking adventures I went home, lay on my bed with a good book, and after setting my alarm for around 7pm, passed out. I woke up at 6 - dusk. Now I know that when I wake up at or before 6 every morning, the sky is dark. For some reason, every time I've recently woken up from a nap it's around that dusk-ish time of afternoon/night and my mind freaks out that I'm about to be late for work. Usually the roommates are home and I can hear them playing video games, or making dinner - something that they wouldn't be doing before work, but today was different. I had actually almost completely dressed for work when I realized that my timing was way off. At least I know that my body can do things well, quickly, and automatically even if my mind shuts down or panics. I just need a way to stop the panic in the first place. More sleep maybe?
Waiting for the revolution:
Some of the thoughts I've been toying with is how different the kids I work with are from my generation (not even a ten year difference) and why. I know from history and international relations classes, talking with friends, parents, and grandparents that my generation has it easy. Sure my graduating high school year was the first year that colleges realized they didn’t have nearly enough spaces for the offspring of the baby boomers, and that my college class graduated into a world struggling with financial and social issues, but it's all in how you decide to compare generational struggles.
When it comes to my students, the biggest complaint I hear of them, and the thing that we as corps members talk about most often is a lack of respect. Not all of them, but most of the kids have literally no respect for their teachers, for each other, us, friends, etc. Often times I think that it's a product of the environment they grew up in: gang violence, single parent households, some have uninvolved parents, drug abuse and peer influences, and possibly most important a general cultural view of how kids in the US view teachers (especially compared to the respect that teachers receive in other nations). But topping all of those issues, is how respect has become a twisted priority. I've been told by friends who have grown up in these environments that it's often more important to a parent to give their kids the latest outfit, new kicks, and a bangin' cell phone, than it is to pay rent, heat or make a car payment.
For a kid, it's about automatically having physical property (clothes, shoes, etc) and having people respect you for the material wealth that it brings rather than for your academic aspirations, how you do in school, and where you want to go next. For most of my kids, they say that they want to go to college, but they don't know how or where. They expect to be given a scholarship automatically, but most of them are failing their core subjects. I can't tell if they want to get out of the place they've been brought up to believe is awful, when they've been told that theres someplace better out there, or if they've accepted where they're from and are too scared to try to get out because they don't know anyone who has successfully. As a result they respect one another based on shallow visuals and material wealth. Thus in class, they're too distracted by these things to care about paying attention and getting out of school instead of being held back and less likely to graduate. My hope is that with City Year providing strong peoples as role models, that these kids will look up to us and realize that there is somewhere else they can go.
Or maybe these kids have figured out something that my generation missed. That if they stop paying attention completely to older authority figures and forge on ahead, they can control the world. They seem to have figured out the power of a mob, and because of that the only control that we have is through grades and bribery because chivalry and respect are dead. The biggest issue with that is mob mentality is dangerous, scary, and misinformed. Combine that with a lack of focus and education and you have quite the storm building up for a frightening future of apathetic leaders and a US thats falling father behind than ever. Pessimistic, maybe, but it's just a theory.
Waiting for Superman:
Still wondering why I get up before 6am every day, and work 10 hours plus every day?
Why should I bother being at a job that if I was to be paid by the hour instead of a stipend gives me half (or less in some states) of minimum wage?
And what difference can I, one small and insignificant person, make on a failing educational system?
Go see this movie. It inspired me to keep going, and hopefully will give you some insight into why I bothered to travel to another state where I have no connections to work for a year. It really is an incredible movie! If you're a crier (like me) bring tissues. Waiting for Superman discusses everything from charter schools, to teachers unions, and a comparison of the US to other nation's educational systems. Take it in completely, and then review, think about it afterwards with a grain of salt. But mostly, the stories are incredible. Be prepared to think about these kids long after the movie is over.
Just waiting...
City Year works in schools from Monday-Thursday (on Fridays we have training or service projects). As a result, I couldn't be in class last Friday during the math quiz, so when they were returned to the students in class on Monday, I got to ask how they think it went and how they did. On the Thursday before the quiz I had one student come to me during our after-school tutoring hours. He told me point blank that he understood nothing about geometry and was going to fail the quiz. We worked together explaining definitions, going over what terms he would need to understand to pass the quiz, and practicing on the homework. As long as he studied, he would be in pretty good shape for the next days quiz. This kid is an amazing student! Hes in 10th grade, and is studying calculus after school is over with a college tutor. He tells me that he hates math and is no good at it. I tell him the same thing about me, and we both have a laugh.
On Monday, sitting next to another student I ask him how he did on the quiz. He shoots me an award-winning smile and holds up his paper: 8/8
The student I was sitting next to at the time looks at his paper and her jaw drops. "Miss Deb," she says, "I'm jealous! I know he ain't that smart." I laugh and told her that he came to me for help with math and that working through it together he understood it, studied it, and got a good grade. "What, really?" she says. "Give me a permission slip, I need to do that!" We have permission slips for all of our students so that they can come to our after-school program. I love it that she was jealous of his good grades and feels a need to beat him by coming to our program to study. It gives me hope, and moments like this are all I need to keep going and make a difference this year.
PS: If you haven't seen it yet, heres a picture of my team on Opening Day. Random facts about us: we have the most diverse team in the core, the kids think that Anna and I are the same person, our team mascot is the ninja. We had just gotten our jackets earlier that day and look pretty freaking spiffy!
(top, left to right - Heather, Malaika, Josh, Julia, Kiana, Brian
bottom, left to right - Anna, me, Shantel, Sara)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Good News - mostly
We finally have a 10th grade math teacher! It only took until October 14th, a month and a half of school gone, and CYD physically in school for about a month. I can't count the number of times that people have told me, "well thats DPS (Detroit Public Schools)" and meant it as an explanation, not merely as an excuse. Well I'm sick of it being an excuse and a reason. I want DPS to stand for an absolutely amazing district of schools full of college bound kids.
Right now we have rumors that to stop the flushing of funds DPS is going to close even more schools. OPrep (my school) runs on a "small school" system. My classes are full with anywhere from 25-35 students per class, depending on who shows up on any given day, hardly small by my standards. One of the most recent rumors that I've heard says that while DPS will try to institute the two teacher system, with one for special needs and the other who specializes in the course subject there will be an average of 60 students per class. At the same time as this is going on theres been a huge shortage of teachers. At the end of each school year it's been DPS's policy to pink slip all teachers and then re-hire at the beginning of the next school year. As a result many teachers have retired or left, rather than be left wondering. On top of that, the hiring doesn't even come from within a particular school - schools have to put in teacher requests at DPS headquarters, some that apparently take months to complete. Our new math teacher was actually the 10th grade Chem teacher. It was more efficient to switch him to math and hire another Chem teacher than it was to wait for a certified math teacher to magically appear.
Meanwhile, I've learned more about teaching math than I ever wanted to. My kids tell me daily that they hate math, and my answer is always the same, "me too," while they look at me with shock. I've been told that maybe it's because math isn't my favorite subject, or that I used to have to struggle to catch on to complex topics before they compounded, that makes me a good math tutor. I understand what it means to be completely lost in math class, but for many of these kids thats acceptable. One of my roommate's middle school students test in at a 5th grade average for math. I'm lucky if most of mine know multiplication, but that seems like a paltry complaint next to other problems. My other roommate is lucky if the same students show up from day to day. Thirty of them recently were charged with manslaughter when last week they curb stomped a kid who died in the hospital the next day. What a mess.
After that, I just feel thankful that my kids have a safe place to stay after school. Last week we started our after school programs (ASP), with art and dance on Tuesdays, poetry/rap/spoken word on Wednesdays, and cooking on Thursdays. We also have tutoring for the first 40 minutes (which they are required to show up to if they want to come to the other half of the program), and one on one guitar lessons Tues-Thurs. I'm in charge of the dance ASP with another team member whose an awesome follower, leader, music partner, and general good sport ("this is how not to lead your partner" "this is what the sketchy-guy hand hold looks like, now DON'T DO IT"). She will also be teaching the hustle class, and I can't wait! Last week when we first began we had four girls in the ballroom class doing American Tango. Yesterday I announced that we would be leaving to go dance and walked out the door expecting about the same number to follow me. I turned around and saw that I was leading 30+ kids down the hall. They're pretty awesome, and great sports, but mostly it's really funny to watch them attempt to salsa down the halls when they think no one is watching. Even today was a great day for the ASPs.
Today I walked in the classroom that we were using towards the end of the rap/poetry/spoken word ASP that my teammates were running. The students were presenting original pieces. Almost as soon as I walked in one the girls from my math class ran over. She asked if I could read her piece and of course I said said sure. After I finished, I turned to her and said that I enjoyed it, and she goes, "yes, but can you READ it? Out loud?" For being so talkative in class, she has some hardcore stage fright, but it was really cool that she likes and trusts me enough to do justice to her piece. She was so nervous for it's reception from her peers, that she put her head down on the desk and covered her eyes while I got up and read it. They loved it, I can't wait until later in the semester when she has enough courage to do it by herself!
My last joy of the day was that one of my students left her purse in her friend's bag, and in her purse her bus card, so she wasn't going to be able to stay after, she had to find some money or get a ride home. As shes telling me this another student walks up to come into our ASP. He and our team leader have just talked to his father whose given him the OK to stay for our ASP (we have to have a signed permission slip from a parent, but verbal consent works just as well for one day), and who will be picking him up afterwards at 4:30 when the program is over. Apparently they live around the corner from each other and hes willing to giver her a lift home, and to carpool in the morning! Before they left though I pulled her aside to make sure she was comfortable with the situation. She confessed that she was a little nervous because they're not very good friends, among other reasons. As insurance I gave her my CY phone number and told her to call me if anything went wrong, or if she was uncomfortable for any reason. About an hour later I get a call from her on my phone.
"Miss Deb," she says. "I just wanted to call you to tell you that my sister and I got home safely."
It was so adorable! "See you tomorrow in class!" I replied.
They really are becoming "my kids" - I feel like such a mom!
Right now we have rumors that to stop the flushing of funds DPS is going to close even more schools. OPrep (my school) runs on a "small school" system. My classes are full with anywhere from 25-35 students per class, depending on who shows up on any given day, hardly small by my standards. One of the most recent rumors that I've heard says that while DPS will try to institute the two teacher system, with one for special needs and the other who specializes in the course subject there will be an average of 60 students per class. At the same time as this is going on theres been a huge shortage of teachers. At the end of each school year it's been DPS's policy to pink slip all teachers and then re-hire at the beginning of the next school year. As a result many teachers have retired or left, rather than be left wondering. On top of that, the hiring doesn't even come from within a particular school - schools have to put in teacher requests at DPS headquarters, some that apparently take months to complete. Our new math teacher was actually the 10th grade Chem teacher. It was more efficient to switch him to math and hire another Chem teacher than it was to wait for a certified math teacher to magically appear.
Meanwhile, I've learned more about teaching math than I ever wanted to. My kids tell me daily that they hate math, and my answer is always the same, "me too," while they look at me with shock. I've been told that maybe it's because math isn't my favorite subject, or that I used to have to struggle to catch on to complex topics before they compounded, that makes me a good math tutor. I understand what it means to be completely lost in math class, but for many of these kids thats acceptable. One of my roommate's middle school students test in at a 5th grade average for math. I'm lucky if most of mine know multiplication, but that seems like a paltry complaint next to other problems. My other roommate is lucky if the same students show up from day to day. Thirty of them recently were charged with manslaughter when last week they curb stomped a kid who died in the hospital the next day. What a mess.
After that, I just feel thankful that my kids have a safe place to stay after school. Last week we started our after school programs (ASP), with art and dance on Tuesdays, poetry/rap/spoken word on Wednesdays, and cooking on Thursdays. We also have tutoring for the first 40 minutes (which they are required to show up to if they want to come to the other half of the program), and one on one guitar lessons Tues-Thurs. I'm in charge of the dance ASP with another team member whose an awesome follower, leader, music partner, and general good sport ("this is how not to lead your partner" "this is what the sketchy-guy hand hold looks like, now DON'T DO IT"). She will also be teaching the hustle class, and I can't wait! Last week when we first began we had four girls in the ballroom class doing American Tango. Yesterday I announced that we would be leaving to go dance and walked out the door expecting about the same number to follow me. I turned around and saw that I was leading 30+ kids down the hall. They're pretty awesome, and great sports, but mostly it's really funny to watch them attempt to salsa down the halls when they think no one is watching. Even today was a great day for the ASPs.
Today I walked in the classroom that we were using towards the end of the rap/poetry/spoken word ASP that my teammates were running. The students were presenting original pieces. Almost as soon as I walked in one the girls from my math class ran over. She asked if I could read her piece and of course I said said sure. After I finished, I turned to her and said that I enjoyed it, and she goes, "yes, but can you READ it? Out loud?" For being so talkative in class, she has some hardcore stage fright, but it was really cool that she likes and trusts me enough to do justice to her piece. She was so nervous for it's reception from her peers, that she put her head down on the desk and covered her eyes while I got up and read it. They loved it, I can't wait until later in the semester when she has enough courage to do it by herself!
My last joy of the day was that one of my students left her purse in her friend's bag, and in her purse her bus card, so she wasn't going to be able to stay after, she had to find some money or get a ride home. As shes telling me this another student walks up to come into our ASP. He and our team leader have just talked to his father whose given him the OK to stay for our ASP (we have to have a signed permission slip from a parent, but verbal consent works just as well for one day), and who will be picking him up afterwards at 4:30 when the program is over. Apparently they live around the corner from each other and hes willing to giver her a lift home, and to carpool in the morning! Before they left though I pulled her aside to make sure she was comfortable with the situation. She confessed that she was a little nervous because they're not very good friends, among other reasons. As insurance I gave her my CY phone number and told her to call me if anything went wrong, or if she was uncomfortable for any reason. About an hour later I get a call from her on my phone.
"Miss Deb," she says. "I just wanted to call you to tell you that my sister and I got home safely."
It was so adorable! "See you tomorrow in class!" I replied.
They really are becoming "my kids" - I feel like such a mom!
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