The BCPSS teacher contract, one year later

I was just interviewed by the Baltimore Sun for an article about the implementation of the new teacher contract. My take on it: one year into a three-year deal, the fact that there is no AU system in place yet for anything beyond credits (which already were rewarded on the old contract) makes it a big disappointment. Many aspects of it are a good idea, but it's been terribly implemented (or, just, not implemented). It would not pass today.

Baltimore teachers were promised a system that would reward hard work. I thought I would be given credit for going to conferences like the NCTE or for running my athlete study hall. None of this has occurred, making the contract a failure at this point, more than a year later.

It's a bummer, because I like the idea on paper, still. Should have been more cynical, I suppose.

I might change my mind a bit once I hear how many of my colleagues are rewarded as Model Teachers. I'm going for it as soon as I hear when the next cohort is.

Fertile Concrete

Back in the day when I was a good blogger, I wrote about a young man named "Bobby," my most memorable student ever. I taught this enigmatic young man as a 9th grader way back in 2003, then as a 11th grader in 2005. I also went on several Outward Bound trips with him, and we became close. I became familiar with his tragic story -- no father, a mother dead to drug addiction, an older brother shot on the streets in a drug-related murder, the responsibility of keeping the lights on at his house through his own burgeoning drug trade -- all the while trying to be a student and athlete in high school. I became so close with Robert that when he was struggling his senior year with homelessness, he stayed in my house in his waning high school days as he awaiting his matriculation into the University of Maryland (on an academic scholarship).

Robert, now 23 years old and a father, has written a moving and raw memoir (Fertile Concrete) about his experiences growing up in Baltimore and dealing with the issues described above. The book is a great read, not only to read about the experiences of this tough young man who has been through more than most people three time his age, but also as a window into the world of poverty and drugs that so many of our students have to live in. Ultimately, though, it's a story of redemption and hope, which makes me all the more happy.

(I also have a real nice section in the Acknowledgements.)

Buy the book here: http://www.thefcmovement.com/

You can hear Rob talk about his book on the 11/11 & 11/12 show of "The Signal" on WYPR here: http://www.wypr.org/stationprogram/signal

(I'm so proud.)

Obliblog II

I'm trying to be a good blogger, but I haven't even had a Facebook Status update since Friday, and that one was just asking if we had the "Works" sessions on that Saturday. I'm a big FB updater, so this is weird for me.

I have a lot going on in my head right now. It's the kind of stuff that I should be writing about, but not in a public space. It's good stuff and it's bad stuff, back and forth, up and down.

My classes are going well. I wish we had Wednesday off, or at least a half day, but that's not new. Maybe someday.

Lame blog entry, I know. This month of blogging (which I've been pretty good about) is mostly reminding me that blogging, at least the way I like to blog, isn't very useful for me or fun to read in a non-anonymous setting. Blah.

AUs = Leprechaun Gold

Today, I attended the 3rd of 10 AP English "Works" sessions conducted by the BCPSS. I like it -- it's a group of teachers sitting around talking about how to teach rigorous skills and texts to urban kids, sharing materials and discussing strategies -- and probably would have done it even without the carrot of an "AU." But an AU is what I'll be getting.

If you remember from around this time last year, Baltimore teachers ratified a new 3-year contract that placed teachers on different pathways instead of steps. We're moved up by receiving 12 AUs, and 12 AUs are received via a proficient evaluation. In addition, we were told that AUs would be available for any college credit courses, as well as for anything above-and-beyond that connected with student growth or learning - for example, attending a conference or running an academic student group.

The NCTE conference is occurring this week in Chicago, and, upon hearing about AUs, I thought it would be worth it, financially, to pay out of pocket to attend. The cost of this would be well over a thousand bucks, but if I could more quickly get a raise, it seemed like it'd be worth it. However, there is not yet anything in place yet for AUs except for credits.

Yes, we're over a year into the contract and the system hasn't figured out how to reward teachers with AUs, even though that was a major selling point of the contract.

Therefore, the AU has turned into this sort of nebulous unit that teachers have begun to feel like we're being bribed with, but not many are actually trusting they mean anything. "What am I going to do with all this leprechaun gold," one of my colleagues asked today, "after the contract runs out next year?" AUs are kind of like unicorns -- no one really believes that they exist.

Dumb It Down

I think, if I get between units and the time to do it, I'd like to give my 9th graders -- particularly the ones in the afternoon, the ones really rough around the edges -- the chance to dig into a hip-hop song like this. I bet this one could really catalyze a great Socratic Seminar. Very literary (plus this interesting thing he does with a stereotypically white voice interjecting itself between the verses) and the ideas are profound -- plus relatable for the kids. I think there are versions I could find without so many n-words.




[Verse 1:]
I'm fearless
Now hear this
I'm earless
And I'm peerless
That means I'm eyeless
Which means I'm tearless
Which means my iris resides where my ears is
Which means I'm blinded
But I'm gonna find it I can feel it's nearness
But I'm gonna veer so I don't come near
Like a chicken or a deer
But I remember I'm not a listener or a seer so my windshield smear
Here, you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this, clearly cause my blindness
The windshield is minstrel, the whole grill is roadkill, so trill and so sincere. Yeah, I'm
Both them there
Took both pills, when a bloke in a trench coat and the locs in the chair had approached him
Here
And he clear as a ghost, so a biter of the throats in the mirror
The writer of the quotes for the ghosts who supplier of the notes to the living
Riveting is rosy, pockets full of posies, given to the mother of the deceased. Awaken at war,
'til I'm restin' in peace

[Chorus 1:]
You goin' over niggas' heads Lu (Dumb it down)
They tellin' me that they don't feel you (Dumb it down)
We ain't graduate from school nigga (Dumb it down)
Them big words ain't cool nigga (Dumb it down)
Yeah I heard Mean And Vicious nigga (Dumb it down)
Make a song for the bitches nigga (Dumb it down)
We don't care about the weather nigga (Dumb it down)
You'll sell more records if you (Dumb it down)

[Verse 2:]
And I'm mouthless
Which means I'm soundless
Now as far as the hearing, I've found it
It was as far as the distance from the earring to the ground is
But the doorknockers on the ear of a stewardess in a Lear
She fine and she flying, I feel I'm flying by'em 'cause my mind's on cloud nine and I'm a mime
At the same time
Pimps C the wings on the underground king
Who's also Klingon
To infinity and beyond
Something really stinks, but I Sphinx like Leon
Or lying in the desert
I'm flying on Pegasus you're flying on the pheasant
Rider of the white powder, picker of the fire flowers, spit hot fire like Dylon on Chappelle's
Skit
Yeah, smell it on my unicorn, snort the white horse, but toot my own horn (sleep)

[Chorus 2:]
You've been shedding too much light Lu (Dumb it down)
You make'em wanna do right Lu (Dumb it down)
They're getting self-esteem Lu (Dumb it down)
These girls are trying to be queens Lu (Dumb it down)
They're trying to graduate from school Lu (Dumb it down)
They're starting to think that smart is cool Lu (Dumb it down)
They're trying to get up out the hood Lu (Dumb it down)
I'll tell you what you should do (Dumb it down)

[Verse 3:]
And I'm brainless
Which means I'm headless
Like Ichabod Crane is
Or foreplay-less sex is
Which makes me stainless
With no neck left to hang the chain with
Which makes me necklace-less
Like a necklace theft
And I ain't used my headrest yet
They said they need proof like a vestless chest 'bout the best, fair F-F-jet in the nest
Who exudes confidence and excess depth
Even Scuba Steve would find it hard to breathe
Around these leagues
My snorkle is a tuba, Lu the ruler around these seas
Westside Poseidon, Westside beside'em, chest high and rising
Almost touching the knees of stewardess and the pilot
Lucky they make it flowered
Personal floating devices, tricks falling out of my sleeves
David Blaine
Make it rain
Make a boat
I make a plane
Then, I pull the plug and I make it drain
Until I feel like flowing and filling it up again..(Westside)

[Chorus 3:]
You putting me to sleep nigga (Dumb it down)
That's why you ain't popping in the streets nigga (Dumb it down)
You ain't winning no awards nigga (Dumb it down)
Robots and skateboards nigga? (Dumb it down)
GQ Man Of The Year G? (Dumb it down)
Shit ain't rocking over here B (Dumb it down)
Won't you talk about your cars nigga? (Dumb it down)
What the fuck is goyard nigga (Dumb it down)
Make it rain for the chicks (Dumb it down)
Pour champagne on a bitch (Dumb it down)
What the fuck is wrong with you? (Dumb it down)
How can I get on a song with you? (Dumb it down)

[Gemini: talking]
Look B, here's my man, my two way, (hey) uh, what should I - ah here take this (hey) that
Right there, fuck what my boys talking about nigga, (hey) nigga you hot to me, I like you (Dumb
It down)

[Lupe:]
Bishop G, they told me I should come down cousin, but I flatly refuse I ain't dumb down nothing

Obligablog

I don't know much about Daylight Savings but I know that I leave when it's dark and I get home when it's dark this time of year.

It's been an exhausting week, but mostly pretty good I guess. I came up with an interesting idea to practice commentaries with my seniors and I'm excited about replicating it. A "Network" person from North Avenue came in to watch one of my classes and was very complimentary. Took my 9th graders to an assembly; they were pretty good, especially considering how hard it is to hear in there.

Not bad. I don't have much in me to blog tonight.

Made It through Hump Day

A few randoms:

1. Tomorrow, my students will be debating the merits of Muslim women wearing the veil. Strange lesson for English class, maybe, but fits right into Persepolis.

2. Today was a better day with the 9th graders. It's really up and down. They want to do well.

3. I've been exhausted lately. It's probably waking up at 4:30. I'm good about going to bed at 10, though.

4. My seniors are having more problems with James Baldwin than I remember previous classes having.

5. Five more school days until Thanksgiving. I really wish I worked in a district that gave Wednesday off, or at least a half day.

It's only Tuesday

I have some of the roughest 9th graders I've ever taught this year. And, by "rough", I don't mean they're mean, or bad, or not smart -- they're just rough around the edges. Really unprepared for high school. Really loud. I have good days and bad days with them, but the bad days are making me think that I need to not teach 9th grade for a little while.

Today was one of those days. Nothing in particular happened, but yesterday was just about the best day of the year with them, and, then, today, which featured kids giving only about 10 minutes of total engagement and then slow devolution into almost no engagement by the time the bell rang at the end. And I had a great lesson for them. On days like these, I just think to myself, "When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear. When the pupil is ready, the teacher will appear.When the..." I repeat this old Chinese Proverb to myself like a mantra. Because, today, I didn't appear. 

So, yes, it wasn't a great day. I left after Coach Class to work my frustrations out at the gym, and stopped at 7-11 for some coffee. A middle school aged kid was in front of me in line, so I set my coffee and my car keys down on the counter while I fished for my $1.33 in my pocket for the coffee refill. The kid ordered some pizza, right in front of where my coffee and keys were, so he sort of shoved himself in the space between me and my keys, not even taking notice of his total violation of my space. Then, he got his pizza, and left, and I left right behind him. Then, right on 33rd street, he took his piece of pizza out of the square cardboard pizza box and tossed the box on the street, and ran across to the Waverly Library. He didn't appear to have a care in the world. Absolutely no shame in throwing a big piece of trash on the street in the middle of rush hour.

It was the punctuation mark on a bad day, one full of disappointment. And it's only Tuesday.


***

I'm also supporting the other Baltimore Education bloggers who are also blogging every day this month. Check out their blogs!:

http://survivingthesystem.blogspot.com/

http://bmoreschools.org/

http://www.thesmallesttwine.blogspot.com/

http://nyates314.wordpress.com/

A Socratic Seminar during a 45-minute period

I'm struggling with the 45-minutes class period, which is new this year.

I thought 50 minutes was short, and struggled with it. But 45 minutes? Crazy short.

A typical class with my seniors is this: I will give them a passage from what we are reading. They will have 20 minutes to mark it up according to the passage's purpose and the author's techniques. (This replicates the 20 minutes of preparation they will get for the IB Oral Commentary). Then, they will have 15 minutes to discuss the passage in a graded Socratic Seminar. Then, there will be 10 minutes of feedback from the outer circle.

However, the discussion doesn't usually get good until about Minute #12, so I usually cut it off when it's going well. And it the timing is as good as I can make it, but doesn't account for moving seats, explaining any new instructions, assigning roles in the outer circle, etc. Today, we got 4 minutes of feedback and I totally didn't feel like we got into the meat of the discussion. I could get this discussion done last year. If I had 90 minutes, I'd really be able to dig deep.

I'm thinking of having the students prepare their passage at home the night before, but that takes away some of the pressure. We'll see how I can improve. 

Persepolis and Its Connection to Fahrenheit 451

Persepolis remains one of my favorite books to teach. The kids -- the same kids who struggled through Fahrenheit 451 -- can take a whole page and make inferences like crazy about author's purpose and how her techniques create meaning. At the same time, I love how its ideas match so well with F451... we had the kids mark for three motifs in F451: ignorance vs. knowledge, rebellion vs. conformity, and the influence of technology and, even though we didn't ask for it, they're naturally using those three motifs as springboards for their analysis of Persepolis. "Oh", they might say, "That's another example of conformity, isn't it?" and me, taken aback because it wasn't what I had asked them to do but, somehow, they're synthesizing the themes in Bradbury's dystopian futuristic novel with Satrapi's non-fiction memoir. It's actually quite wonderful.

I've finally written the rest of my unit plan, which sees us completing more analytic assignments this week and, next week, watching the excellent film adaptation. We're going to use a film review at the end -- perhaps Roger Ebert's, perhaps Slant Magazine's-- to work in another informational text into the unit.

Feeling good about it all...