Daily thoughts

I had lunch to day with a good friend and colleague of mine. It is always lovely to have someone to talk to about my research. I know that a lot of people are interested in my topic but it is hard to read peoples real interest. My brother is patient and listens. My son like the stories that I tell after I come home from a day of observations. But I only truly have 3 friends that I talk to in depth about the research. You know who you are and thank you for taking the time to listen to me babble on about my little buddies at SW.
I didn't go in last week, the school had make up testing for the state exit exams, and most of my students have not completed the grad standard. This in of itself is rather telling, but there are more and more things that have popped up that sadly mimic what you read in books about the modern education system. One thing that I struggle with is the notion of silence. The high school is quiet except during passing time and at lunch. In the classroom there are constant reminders to be quiet and listen. For me that seems so oppressive, I know I am old and used to much louder and busier environments. (I got in trouble while teaching at the college level for having a loud classroom). Where did knowledge production and learning become synonymous with silence and stillness. I don't think that rooms should be loud or too chaotic, but these are still children, they are on the cusp of adulthood, these are the last moments they will ever have to be children in their lives, at least until they are old. Soon responsibility will knock at their door, and for some students it already has. A few times in the office students have come into register address changes because they are living on their own. I am so amazed these kids are still going to school, what a hard and strong thing to do. (I am not surprised that these children exist, I have housed a few in the same situation.) There are homeless (highly mobile) students, who have a support system in the school.
I am hearing a lot of different things from the teachers I am meeting as I follow students through their school day. First, thing I have to say is the day is physically and mentally exhausting. When I get out at 3.30 I just want to take a nap or watch tv for hours and turn off. I know I am focusing pretty hard, but the kids do this everyday. Six hours of sitting still in a room listening to others, focus on learning. No wonder it is hard for them to be good but 5th hour (after lunch) let alone during the last period of the day. Then they are expected to go home and spend more hours working, and if they are involved in after school activities if they get home before 5 it is amazing. Some kids get up at 6 am to take 2 or more buses to get to the school.
Yesterday an English teacher told me that there was a significant difference between the academics in the AP/IB (Advanced Placement/International Bac) programs and the "regular" classes. She felt that the classes were not "regular" at all but mostly remedial. Often students can't borrow the required books from the library, because they haven't returned other ones, or have a big fine. Many of them can't take the books home, if they do they don't do the reading for class. She mentioned that the last book they had read Sherman Alexie's "Confessions of a part time Indian," a large portion of the book had been read out loud in class because of the students who didn't have the book or didn't read it. Yesterday they walked down to the 'Media Center' the modern word for library, to pick up Othello. The teacher then had them work on skits based on the 4 primary themes of the play without any discussion of the play itself. I liked the focus of active learning with the students. She went over a list of vocabulary words. Only one student consistently shouted out answers, most of the students didn't bother to pay much attention. This room was not nearly as quiet as other rooms I have been in, but there was work going on, while they were chattering and laughing. The teacher circulated to make sure people were staying on task.
Most of the rooms are over crowded with desks, not leaving much space for reconfiguration and movement in the room. In some classes I know that is good, but there is even space in math to change the seat configuration. Most math rooms have paired desks, or orderly rows. So far all of the math teacher have been guys. Both of the history teachers were male as well, the language teachers are women, the English is a mixed bag. The math teacher I observed yesterday was actually quiet good with the students exploring their thinking on the math and going over the solutions carefully, discussing different ways of solving a problems, showing the students the theoretical basis for why there were different ways to solve the problems. Delving into the more depth are of math. The teacher I have been in contact with regarding WKT, has been really negative about him without my having even met him. The geometry teacher last week, who works with KW and TF told me that KT was not working at all, had given up. In the English class yesterday he acted the same way, like none of this mattered. The geometry teacher also said that TF had no ability to remember problem solving from one moment to the next and seemed to have relied too much on tutors who did the work for her. The dance teacher talked about the way there was a divide between the black students and the mixed race students. That during a review of a performance the black students had dismissed the mixed students as not counting as black students while dealing with the topic of AfAm ballet dancers. I noticed at lunch that TF was sitting with a group of darker skinned girls, while IP floats around to various people, she is a touchy feely girl, hugs and pets everyone even me. Her friends tend to be more white, but not always. The sports guys hang with the guys from the team, it reads a lot like a play book.