The End of Year One

It has been quite some time since I last posted on this thing. My apologies that I haven't been updating on a regular basis. I was pretty good at first, but once things got busy it kind of faded away. This has been a great way not only to share my experiences, but also to reflect myself on what has been happening throughout my first year of teaching. Where to begin...

The DCCAS (D.C's standardized test) came and went in April and my students did well. I put such an emphasis on "going blue," or "advanced," in mathematics that my students began to really step up their games. Classes were almost like a competition--they didn't want to let themselves, or me, down in April. I have mixed feelings about it all. I believe more and more that students should not live and die by a test in April. I noticed that the instruction prior to the test was truly cut and dry. While I attempted and succeeded at times in making it engaging, relevant, and fun, the learning for the most part was straightforward--drill, drill, drill formulas, equations, etc. In the context of the DCCAS, it was the only way to go. My students simply had to be able to perform in the format that the test was given--a sad truth. I'm rambling in this paragraph because standardized testing brings up so many questions. It is important to learn the processes and facts, but equally important to explore, fail, and question--something tests don't allow you to do.

With all of this said, post-DCCAS has a been a blast. I have created and incorporated an economics unit to hit the skills we have already learned so my students can become masters of 10th grade math and see the relevance of the mathematics. We have covered supply, demand, opportunity cost, consumer surplus, market equilibrium, and the stock market (terms I didn't know until sophomore year of college!). Amazing stuff for 10th graders. My students are asking extremely higher order thinking questions. They are also asking about etrade and ameritrade stock accounts--they all want to buy stock in Chipotle. Overall I am quite pleased with their progress and the level of rigor they are undertaking.

Outside of the classroom has been maybe even more valuable than the experiences inside the classroom. It is very easy to get caught up in the roller coaster struggles and frustrations of classroom failures, but it is all erased when you engage with the students outside of the classroom--they are normal teenagers just like we were at a moment in time. I have been extremely busy with a multitude of outside activities. I'll highlight some of the most memorable.

Saturday Academy: I gave up five Saturday mornings to play math and reading games with my students in efforts to prepare for the DCCAS. We played basketball, scrabble, taboo, soccer, and football--all with math and reading components. Seeing students on the weekend was actually pretty fun. They appreciated me being there and got to see me in shorts and t shirt.

7 on 7 Football: The head football coach needed some help for Spring football (a 7 on 7 passing league), so I offered to help out with the little knowledge I have about the X's and O's of football (the only stuff I know is from video games). It was a success. The Bell Griffins went 5-1 and reached the semifinals of the tournament. This will be the school's first year at the varsity level in the DC city league.

Prom: I have chaperoned every dance so far this year and they have been quite the experience. It is hard to believe just five years ago I was in their shoes. The event was held at a Hilton hotel right by the Capitol. It was a gorgeous night. I got there early and was ready to assist in any way possible. Instead of limos and cars, the students were walking from the subway and stepping out of cabs. They were all dressed up. They all asked me why I wasn't dressed up and I told them it was their night to shine and I got denied by my date (cough, Kaitlin, cough). The food was great and the DJ played good music. It took a while for the students to start dancing, but they did. I participated in the electric slide and some other dancing with fellow teachers. It was a great way to send off the seniors. At the end of the night all the students rushed to get cabs. I ended up taking the last one--way passed my bedtime at 1 am.

Senior Trip: I also had the amazing opportunity to go to Ocean City Beach, Maryland with the seniors. This was after seniors graduated, so they were "free." We boarded up on two charter bus at 8 am on a Monday and stopped at a McDonalds with 100 students--just imagine. Then we made it to the beach and said, "don't drink, don't smoke, don't get arrested, and don't act stupid." Then we had a fun day on the beach. I walked the boardwalk, crashed bumper cars, and ate pizza. It was a fun day with students.

Graduation: This was the culmination of the entire year and most definitely the most emotional moment. I had to dress up in academic regalia and march into the gym before the 200 seniors. Our principals said some opening words and then the seniors marched into the gym with blue and gold caps and gowns. I had about twenty seniors this year, so it was amazing to see them walk and collect their diplomas. Many of them have moved mountains to get where they are at. They put in extra time, finally became invested in their work, and realized the value of succeeding in anything they did. It was equally amazing to see the families shed tears in delight. For many of these families, their child walking on stage was the first to even graduate from high school, as many are immigrant families. It was the most exciting time of the entire family's LIFE. It was great to be part of that. I made sure to give my kids an extra shout out when they got their diplomas.

Overall the year has been an amazing experience. I came in not knowing what to expect, nor really wanting to know. I was blessed with the students I had and the attitude I was able to carry most of the year. It is easy to get frustrated with the difficulties my students face--lack of home support, lack of basic skills, lack of food, lack of role models, lack of investment, and lack of persistence with education. But, with a little support, a little word of encouragement, a little attention, and a little "love," they are capable of succeeding in every sense of the word. My students have miles to go in order to compete for jobs and seats in major universities, but they have started on the right path. Most have one or two more years here at Bell, so there is still time to get to the level they need to be. I can't wait to lead them again next year.