A Beautiful Day in Englewood

Posted on by mrdwyer32

BeautifyToday is my second day of my new job as a Literacy Coach in Englewood, Chicago. I have been in my office all day evaluating literacy data and decided to stretch my legs. I walk outside, and I am met with a beautiful sunny day, 80 degrees with bright blue skies. Outside of my new campus, there is a large open blacktop space where students run around freely playing with their friends and burning energy. I decided to walk a few laps and clear my head. I enjoy quiet moments because it affords me the opportunity to think through whatever thoughts are popping up in my head. After a lap or two, I unknowingly became distracted by the normalcy of the neighborhood; not necessarily what I expected. A light breeze moves across the neighborhood, tickling the bright green leaves emerging after a late winter. The fragrance of flowers permeated the air. The bright colors of the garden next to the black top beams brightly with pride. The space is quiet. A car or two drive by accompanied by gentle chirping of birds as they soak in the sun, and the sound of children laughing with their friends. The grandeur of the school building, standing tall in the sun, holding students within its body with care and wonder. You would think that this school was in the perfect location. Nestled among traditional homes, cars on the street parked guarding their homes as mindful golden retrievers would their owners. A few manicured lawns and broken windows, but nothing out of the ordinary in regards to your traditional neighborhood schools. But, in reality, this quaint little section of Englewood sits in the midst of a urban spread of Chicago that struggles with growth, crime, poverty, and lack of understanding.

Later on in the day, the school went into a “soft” lock down. As kindergartens were enjoying their recess, gun shots broke the peacefulness of the day. Kindergarten students were brought in with a few of them crying; fearful of the unknown a few streets down. My office- on the ground floor- was temporary not safe due to three windows and the view of the street; and, to be safe, my coworkers and I were forced to find a different spot to work away; window blinds drawn, we continued working with students.

It was in the tears of these little ones, that I realized the reality that my students face everyday. Their lives are filled with moments of tear, fear, and bewilderment. Their homes, their lives, their families are intertwined into the fabric of Englewood. Their past, present and future are very much remembered, cultivated, and developed in the everyday events of others. My campus, even though it seemingly nestled in a harbor of safety, is still part of the matrix of Englewood. And, as an educator in this school, I must remember that each student faces more in a day than I can every imagine. They come to school with the goodness and badness of this neighborhood; and there is a unique beauty in this reality. They are the future of this neighborhood and deserve a chance to move it forward, to make it better, to be part of this narrative and story.

As educators, we must remember that every student, no matter where they come from, is full of promise and potential. It is our job to provide safety for all students. We must allow them to drop their guard for a moment, so that they can dance with the music, they can be overcome by the wonder of great literature, they can seek to learn, and become all they want and hope to be.

I am going to be honest. Walking around the blacktop, I watched closely to the cars that drove by, the sounds of the neighborhood, and to people walking. I have been told to be careful by others knowing the reputation of the neighborhood; and, I guess their fears have been unwillingly adopted by consciousness. I know that there is a reality that I must be cautious and respectful of, but I want to make sure that this does not control my narrative. However, it does bring into perspective the lives of my students. This is where they come from– this is their home. They do not get to leave like I do. Their constant awareness is as normal as their breathing. It is important for me to respect and understand this reality because it makes me become better for them. There is beauty here. There is strength and wonder in these students; and with that knowledge, I will be part of this neighborhood’s narrative. I want to be more than just a visitor, I will become part of its present and build a school in which the future shines and students can become more than what people believe they can be in this world.

 

 

 

Enough is Enough

Posted on by mrdwyer32

Why do we EVER do it? Why are schools continuously taking the same approach in educating students and still failing? How does school leadership truly solve the problem of failing students and schools. In his TED Talk, Geoffrey Canada reviews some of the fallacies occurring in today’s education system and their ramifications on student learning and growth.

“I do it because you do it for your kids.” ~ Geoffrey Canada. “Why shouldn’t poor kids have the same opportunity?”

Geoffrey Canada an American educator, social activist and author. Since 1990, Canada has been president of the Harlem Children’s Zone in Harlem, New York, an organization that states its goal is to increase high school and college graduation rates among students in Harlem, New York

 

What Exactly is Urban Education??

Posted on by mrdwyer32

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“All men are born free: just not for long” ~ John le Carre

I once read a mind-blogging statistic: “8 million students attend urban education setting with only 50% graduating!” This fact floored me!. How was it possible that over 4 million students in urban schools were failing to graduate in the greatest country in the world? Students of the 21st century have the world at their fingertip, but we failing to reach ALL students; especially in an urban context. Future generations stunted before they even get the chance to grow, or to become productive members for their community and society. Our education system, meant to free and advance every person, is now trapping students in a destructive cycle they can’t find their way out of; impacting every aspect of their future. With this massive failure, how will our society be impacted? How will family units be impacted? How does the failure impact economics, generations, the individual student, politics, morality, or the music and the arts; really anything. When we fail to educated and promote all students, in all educational settings, what will be the price.

But, before we can answer any of those questions, we have to understand what exactly is an “Urban” Educational setting and the varying descriptors. I have my own definition of an Urban School based on my experience in two urban school districts, but, I bet for the most part, the general definition of an urban school district, school or classroom probably has varying connotations. The general perception (based on personal survey) of an urban educational setting is as following:

  1. Based in an urban metropolis (Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, New York City, Chicago, etc)
  2. Varying student demographics (Immigrants, low-income, low socio-economic status, etc)
  3. Generally poor student behavior and involvement; high pregnancy, drop out and crime rates
  4. Limited academic success and background of students
  5. Limited involvement of parents
  6. High teacher turn-over rate; unable to handle urban school setting
  7. Run-down campus, limited budgets, and large class sizes
  8. “No one cares”mentality
  9. School located in poverty-stricken neighborhood, high crime rates, influence of gangs, etc.
  10. Generally associated with specific demographics: Hispanic and African-American

“Many Americans believe that urban schools are failing to educate the students they serve. Even among people who think that schools are doing a good job overall are those who believe that in certain schools, conditions are abysmal. Their perception, fed by numerous reports and observations, is that urban students achieve less in school, attain less education, and encounter less success in the labor market later in life” (Lipman, Burns, and McArthur, 1996).

 

National Center for Education Statistics -“Urban Schools: The Challenge of Location and Poverty.”

After evaluating many of the different descriptors, I compared them to my personal understanding, knowledge, and experience of an urban educational setting.

Personal Definition: A school setting in where a majority of students, faculty, and community face varying challenges (social-economic, educational, motivation, opportunity, advancement, quality instruction, technology, etc).

Overall, the assumptions and generalizations can be proven correctly, some are steep in biases, some are conveyed through media, and some are flat out wrong. With these descriptors, my mind begins to pull and bend to try and understand the overall complexity of the concept at hand. Is there a simple definition? Probably not, but I know that I can find a baseline definition; a guide that will help me in my search for understanding.

Baseline Definition: Urban education refers to schools in metropolitan communities that typically are diverse, characterized by large enrollments and complexity, many struggling with growth.

So, with a baseline knowledge of an urban educational setting, where do I go next? It is time to observe, time to understand, and time to engage. What are the specific complexity that impact an urban educational school? What does an urban school look like? How are challenges in urban school settings solved? What is the overall impact of a failing urban school on the student, the community, and society as a whole. There are many questions, and, throughout the year, I will share with you my journey and understanding of an Urban Educational Setting!

Is this Good Enough?

Posted on by mrdwyer32

The pursuit of perfection, that dauntless task that overwhelms and challenges a person. And, as a teacher, one of the biggest frustrations to deal with in the classroom. Student rush through their work hoping that the first attempt is correct and that they no longer have to pay attention to the assignment. Their focus is not on the content and understanding of the assignment, but the completion and finality of the assignment. This relentless challenge is my biggest and the most frustrating aspect of my job.At an early age, I was never taught that perfect grades, or perfect assignments were the goals of my academia.

The life lessons taught to me by my parents, teachers, and coaches were the pursuit of excellence, the willingness to improve and to be better each time. The idea of perfection is unattainable, so why pursue the unattainable. Why not pursue the idea that with every attempt, I get better. My understanding get betters. Furthermore, by changing my mindset of from ‘perfection’ to ‘excellence’, I began to unburdened myself with a very fruitless journey that is usually bathed in guilt and shame.

As a teacher, I try to continue this learning expectation and philosophy in my classroom; however, I find it increasing hard for students to process. So, I wonder if this is the teacher’s fault or students? Why do students rush through their work with the expectation that one go around is enough? This is a problem in ALL classrooms, not just urban classrooms; but, I do find some interesting variable that are in occur.

First, students rush through their work because they are uninterested. In an urban education content, it is important to find material, concepts, ideas, and activities that are highly relatable to the student. This means, that the teacher has to step outside of the norms and find stories and discussions that might challenge their own comfort. You will have to talk about drugs, prison, immigration, broken families, dating, abuse, etc. It is about understanding your audience and tapping into experience that will both heighten and develop a students understanding and involvement in the classroom.

Second, students rush through their because they aren’t provide the proper instructional time to learn the correct process. Teachers fail to spend adequate time developing a strong academic foundation for urban students. There are many variable that impact the instructional time of a classroom (behavior, absence, learning abilities) and, as students progress in school, they are going from one grade-level with deficiencies. They are not aware of these deficiencies, so they assume that their work as at level. In relation to Language Arts, students are writing essays without punctuation, or structure/organization, or focus, but they believe by writing words and ideas on the composition paper, they are done. Urban students tend to receive inadequate instruction and no one is willing to challenge this teaching behavior and output.

Third, teachers give up to quickly on challenge students to improve and develop their work. Some believe that there are unique challenges when working with Urban students, but there isn’t; the unique challenges depends on the teacher. Is a teacher willing to challenge, to spend time processing with the student, to review and analyze, to require greatness not excuses, and to see the potential of a student’s effort. It truly requires effort; to go through every line of a student’s work, to find where they are struggle and provide a solution, to challenge ideas and push students to think! So many times, in my opinion, teachers give up on Urban students. They expect and accept the bare minimum; they believe that they can’t go further, they think the effort is too much. This, to me, is the greatest travesty in Urban Education… we don’t push or expect urban students to be great, just like their counterparts.

The task of the excellent teacher is to stimulate “apparently ordinary” people to unusual effort.  The tough problem is not in identifying winners:  it is in making winners out of ordinary people.  ~K. Patricia Cross

Expectations are key. No matter where a student is in their learning, they should be given particular expectations that challenge them. Students need to learn that learning is progressive and life-long. That learning, as well as life, is not based on “Is this Enough?” but, “what can I improve on”. Sadly, as students move throughout the grade-levels, they develop core value that completing an assignment is ENOUGH! So, they bellyache and argue and get annoyed, but these reactions will only be temporary and should be challenged at every point.

One of the greatest tools I learned from my mentor is to adapt your grading system. The philosophy is that a final grade takes time, that revision is the overall goal and focus. This grading system takes time, lots of effort, organization, patients, and buy-in from students, but it work if given the proper attention. In my class, students get the following grades:

  • E= Exceptional (Student work shows mastery of content and expectations)
  • P= Progressing (Student show some mastery and will be given additional chances to improve upon work)
  • U= Unsatisfactory (Student did not complete assignment, students needs to spend additional time understanding material and concept)

Students are given as many times as possible to achieve an, “E” on their assignment. This will annoy students, but, by the end of the class, they will walk out with a passing grade, learning endurance, and the appreciation that effort is continuous. And, even better, students will begin to see themselves a little different. They will see the potential in their work, the potential in their effort, the potential in their minds. The guilt and shame of not understanding will be swept away by second and third chances. That the fear of failure will be adapted into the excitement of what failure can do… make you better! And, possible, redefine what failure means!

There are many examples of icons who’s life represent the pursuit of excellence rather than the pursuit of end goals. The transformation of expectations in the classroom will begin to develop future icons who will change the world, or their community, and even their families. However, to do this, one must begin to apply a different approaches in the classroom and realize that the effort and mentality we have as teachers directly impacts the future of so many great students. This different approach is necessary and needed in the Urban Education school and classroom, even if it is daunting. It is no long about ENOUGH but EXCELLENCE.