Change CAN and DOES happen

3 weeks in.  I LOVE being a teacher!  It's the most difficult challenge in my professional life yet, but it is already the most rewarding.  I also know it's about THESE kids.  They are special and need more than most kids in surrounding suburbs.  I knew this coming in and am prepared for the challenge.  That means having to do it again and do it again and do it again until its right, so that process and procedures are set for a productive setting for teaching and learning.  Also, mental health issue are real.  I have never felt more compelled to write a politician than I do right now.  Our babies need help.  Medication, social workers and school psychologists are not an optional support nor should they be an itinerant position.  Our students need and deserve help so they can function in a general education school setting.

Anyway.... I have 25 babies in my homeroom.  My grade level partner Erica has 26. We are still figuring out seating charts and who can't sit next to whom, but other than that, no pure insanity has ensued in our rooms.  Transitions are a bit rough, but we are getting there.  I am so lucky to have a smart, experienced in life, loving, funny grade level partner!  She give and receives feedback and is collaborative.  I don't know what I would do if she left now!  Also, I am lucky enough to have several residents and friends at my school from last year.  Our music teacher, Kendra is across the hall from me.  The kids love her!  Also, Laquita has been a godsent!  She did more for me in one pre school meeting yesterday morning than any other coach has yet this year.  Thank you girl!  Last, it's nice to see Patrigna in the halls with her Kinder kids!  She actually brought one up and set him in my room for an hour for a consequence when he misbehaved.  I have shared with my misbehaving boys they may spend some time in her room if they continue to act like they belong there!  Last, the entire school community, all the new teachers,security and admin are amazing.  Everyone really seems to be there for the same reason  - the kids!  This shows itself in being supportive and kind to colleagues and parents.  I know Erica and I are not the only ones who have reached out to every parent by now.

I know this will be an important year for many of my students.  I have 7 in my class alone repeating 6th grade.  One boy that will be going straight to high school from me.  Yesterday, when he was saying goodbye (I have ALL my homeroom students greet me and say goodbye) he said, "you were serious when you said you were going to be on me!  Noone (has) done that before."  That made me feel good, but so sad for him.  He's not a behavior problem, just a little spacy and while a BIG kid, soft spoken.  Why did teachers give up on him along the way?  He has made improvement in THREE damn weeks, what could have happen in 3 years?  Furthermore, while doing our friday afternoon peace circle, one of the students shared, " we are so lucky to have Principal Whinney (it's Whitney) and her crew.  Ya'll don't play but we need it"  He was right.  We play, but not with students lives.  That's why students don't run the halls, classrooms or school anymore.  Adults do.  You deserve that as a CHILD to have adults in place to teach you right from wrong.  To model good behavior and hold you accountable.  That is why I don't let you sleep or put your head down in class.  That is why you may not say "Finna" in school.  That is why you must look and talk college-ready at Dvorak School of Excellence (DSOE).  Because we are here to make sure you become the best you can be.  I love you too much to ignore your behavior and not make you do it correctly.  That is my job. That is my calling.

But the media won't cover all the amazing things happening at DSOE.  After making sure the argument was made  publicly that ADULTS were being treated unfairly by a school turnaround, you won't cover the amazing changes effecting Kids.  Because that would be too crazy, right?  To show that something GOOD is happening and Change is Possible?

Here's to an amazing start to an amazing year!

We are Ready!

T-11 hours until I meet my babies.  Room 305, 6th Grade at Dvorak School of Excellence.  I'm ready.

Rewind a couple months....

I was hired at Dvorak School of Excellence.  A first year turn around school.  Entirely new staff, including the Principal, Assistant Principal, Security, Teachers...  Am I up for the challenge?  Hell yes.  This is what I trained for.  This is why I left corporate and applied for AUSL's program.  Why I gave up a year of my life, income and pretty much social contact.  All the Residency year tears, screaming matches with my Mentor (who ROCKS!!!XOXO), lack of sleep, and discovery of my self as a teacher...all prepared me for this!

So now we get ready!  We are told we will not have any money for supplies, for ourselves or our kids.  No problem.  $2000 out of pocket, Donors Choose.  Adopt-a-Classroom.  Done.  Can't get into our classroom until a week before and no one to help? Ok... Rent a U-haul with Brittany and her amazing brother shows up.  Classroom has to be ready to go by Friday for an admin walk -through.  Oh, and the classroom environment checklist is about 75 items deep, including: a plant, curtains, a lamp, college gear, fabric bulletin boards, read aloud shown, marker board configuration, quotes....  Is it alot?  Yes.  Do I mind?  No.  Our students spend more time during the school year with us than anywhere else.  If I can help make an environment warm and inviting so they feel happy and safe in school then it is worth it!  (thank you Alex and Shelly for your help and plant!!!)

So now it's Sunday, two days before we open.  Almost every teacher in in the school by 9am, voluntarily.  Most have family and friends in helping, getting it done.  Most of us leave at 7pm that night.  We still don't have garbage cans in our classrooms, or anywhere in the school for that matter.  The bathrooms have no toilet paper or soap, the stairs were not waxed even though they were supposed to be.   My principal's parents have been at school for over a week helping out.  They are there today as well.  My principal looks tired, as we all know she has been working 18+ hour days.  Some of us offer to come in on Monday (labor day) She absolutely will not allow us to.  She pushes us to take a day to get prepared and tells us we are the ones who have the most important work on Tuesday.   We know she will have everything we need for our first day complete.  She has under promised and over delivered since day 1.  She is a great leader.

Today.  I go through lesson plans.  First day plans.  20 pages.  I rewrite them into a power point for myself so I have a go to.  Review all the documents and reading for the week.   I hydrate.  You laugh, but tomorrow, I will be with my kids from 8:15 until 3:30 quite possibly no break.  I am ready.

I have gradually started to relax and stop defending my profession.  A comment here or there, but I generally leave it alone.  I am amazed by the ignorance, yet slowly starting to not care.  Working in a school, and a turnaround school even more, is not for the weak.  When most people don't know much about a topic, or know they could never work in a certain space, they put it down, or make light of it. I was one of those people so I get it.  I do.  The only difference is, I have done your job, working in corporate America.   So I laugh, because I know "you" could never do this:

Show up and leave everything personal at the door,
Take on the problems and challenges of 60-100 kids and empathize, not sympathize,
Not check your phone all day for personal calls or texts,
Bring food and personal products for students and give continually and unconditionally, 
Pee once, if you are lucky, between the hours of 8:15 and 3:30.
Stay after the kids leave, until everything is ready for the next day and finally eat that lunch you brought,
Lean on your fellow teachers, and truly be strong enough for them to lean of you as well,
Be a true team player for the good of a school culture that DEPENDS on your positive vibes and ability to give beyond 100% all the time,
Get paid less than $20 and hour when you average the time,
exist in a society that not only does not value your work,
but truly believes you, "babysit" for a living.....


As we left the school yesterday, several kids came running across the street, "Are you our new teachers?"  We just smile and said, "yes we are."  I almost cried.  I have never been prouder of anything in my life.  I am a teacher!

Best of luck to all my teacher friends, my AMAZING Dvorak fellow teachers and staff, and especially Cohort 43 and my touchstone Keviyona Ray.  (Every day the first week... Once a week after that!!)  Let's change lives!!!!

Pics of my classroom!