Our Profound Students in Action, Please Watch!

Over the past two weeks our 9th grade Algebra classes and our 10th grade Geometry classes have been studying the incarceration rates in Louisiana and how they compare to the rest of the nation/world. They were especially focusing on the injustice of our prison system's bias towards minorities. For the conclusion of the lesson, a few students from Mr. Gulati's Advisory class created this video to raise awareness about this bias, and it's impact on society. Please watch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcGLashj59A

Check out the NY times article about Louisiana's prison system:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/26/opinion/blow-plantations-prisons-and-profits.html

Almost a Graduate by Lauren

On Monday I hand in the final component to my teaching certification, a 40 page portfolio that is finally complete. I have been through observations, student surveys, principle surveys, and 81 hours of seminar sessions, four Praxiss tests, and the final step is to turn in my portfolio and receive a passing grade. I won't find out if I passed until July, but if I do I will receive a level one teacher's certification in Special Education and English (the same certification a graduate of a four year undergrad program receives). 

Here are some highlights from my second year teaching:

Prom chaperones 2012

 Advisory community service project: gardening at S.J. Green's Edible School Yard

Student letter I received yesterday: made my day!

Yoga Teacher Interview for Yoga Lagniappe: It's Me!

I was recently interviewed by Brooke Bailey for her online magazine: Yoga Lagniappe (yogalagniappe.com)
The interview focuses on teaching yoga in New Orleans schools.

photo by Jessica Cunningham 

Check out the interview here:
http://yogalagniappe.com/yoga-local-2/teacher-interviews/

Please Vote for N.O. Outreach!

Outreach is an amazing program at our school that provides after school enrichment for students. Because of federal budget cuts, the program is in grave danger. Please take a minute to vote for N.O. Outreach!

Serving New Orleans public schools  and their students since 1993

Outreach a Finalist for New Orleans Hornets Community Assist Grant!  We Need Your Vote TODAY!  Vote now for New Orleans Outreach!

Urgent!

March 23, 2012

New Orleans Outreach was notified that it is one of twenty finalists for a New Orleans Hornets' Community Assist Grant!    Our application highlights the New Orleans Outreach Healthy Habits 2012 program for grades K-12. The program is designed around infusing our Academic and Cultural Enrichment programs and services with messages and activities that encourage and teach Healthy Eating and Nutrition, Healthy Lifestyles and Physical Activity, and Healthy Decision Making.    Three grants will be awarded. The first-place grant is $20,000, the second place grantee receives $10,000 and the third place grant is worth $5,000. The Hornets, in addition to seeking input from experts in the community, are asking for the public's input through an online vote.  Please take a moment to click on the link below and vote for New Orleans Outreach!   Your Vote Counts!    Please Forward To Your Friends! Thank you for your continued support!

Vote Now For New Orleans Outreach! Click on the link above and vote. The mission of New Orleans Outreach is to improve the quality of education at our partner schools.  We do this by linking volunteers and community resources through programs that respond to the particular needs of each school.   To learn more, or to donate, please visit our website: http://www.neworleansoutreach.org  Like us on Facebook!

"he would have been part of the solution for our city, not part of the problem"

On Friday night one of my female students lost her little brother with one fatal shot to the back; he was 16. This is the hardest part of my job. And not because of the general sadness that surrounds the death of a student, but because my ability to relate is so narrow. For so many of my students this is their constant reality and this is a city where kids are often the victims of adult disputes. Every time I have witnessed one of my students dealing with the death of a loved one at the hands of violence, I am in awe of their stamina.  Read the article below and keep the students of New Orleans in your constant thoughts and prayers.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/03/slain_teenager_looked_forward.html

Community Yoga Class

It feels like Spring outside and...

I rode my bike to work this morning, and the weather is AMAZING! This is the winter that never was and on the last day of February the azaleas are in full bloom. It smells amazing even when you're just walking by. There are even strawberries already at the farmer's market and Abita's Strawberry brew came out three weeks early. I love it. It makes everything seem lighter and happier and reminds me that summer (and two months off work) are right around the corner.

Some other things on my mind:

1. I'm thinking about getting a second job. Like waitressing or bartending or something. Christian is always working late on Friday nights and throughout the rest of the week, and I kind of miss the drama. But it has to be somewhere that's non-smoking, will give me the exact schedule I want, and doesn't mind that I will be taking off whenever I need to. So we'll see...
2. I had a house guest for the past two nights. She's a teachNola candidate and is interviewing for the same program I am in right now. I really liked her and am hoping she gets it so she will move here and be my new friend.
3. I have only 4 classes left for my English certification and only 2 classes left for my Special Ed certification! I can't believe it! I will finally be certified! Oh, and I also only owe them three more payments which will also be huge. It's been such a relief to pay that each month and not have to have more student loans
4. I passed my recent Praxis tests with flying colors: I did really really well. And I was really nervous about the results because I knew I had screwed up on the constructed response. One test left between me and my certification. I'm taking it March 10th

Christian comes back to NOLA tonight, I can't wait! He'll be here through the weekend shooting on Paper Cranes and  I am excited to make us dinner tonight. I'm thinking chicken tacos. 

This week has really flown by! And carnival is in full swing! Beginning next Wednesday the city will be all but shut down to driving after 5; it's an amazing sight to see!

Some highlights from the week:

1. I woke up to a dead mouse (my cat is a true hunter) in by bathroom (possibly TMI) but I am really proud of myself because Christian is out of town and for the first 15 minutes of my morning routine I had all but resigned myself to leaving it for one of my male friends to sweep up later in the day. But, "no!" I said to myself. And I swept it into a dust pan and tossed it in the garbage, still twitching, all by myself. Go me!
2. I had a very sobering conversation with one of my students while we worked on test prep. He told me sometimes he cries at home because school is so hard for him and he knows he'll never catch up. I was stunned by his honesty, and asked him if he had always felt this way about school, or if this was a new thing this year. He said it was new this year, because being a junior is harder than he thought and he worries he will not pass to the next grade. The hardest part of my job is difficult conversation with students, because he will most definitely be with us for at least two more years, and I just don't know how to have this conversation in a constructive way. 
3. My star student I spoke about last week cursed out one of his teachers and we had a really long conversation during his hour detention about respecting women and things a person should never say. One step forward, two steps back. 
4. It's almost Spring and time for teachers to decide whether they will return or not. Teacher retention is an issue for every Charter in Nola, and has a huge impact on the students. It's always a high anxiety time: finding out who will be asked back, who will leave on their own, and who will stay in the trenches for at least another year.

Christian is coming home from Baton Rouge today, and I can't wait. It's been a long week apart. Tonight is the Apocalypse Ball and tomorrow is the official opening of 1239 Congress; they will be a part of the Second Saturday St. Claude gallery walks from now on. Christian's showing his "Looking down series" and all the prints are literally taped to the ground. There's some symbolism here about the viewer interacting with the art, and I love it.  I'll take lots of pictures.

An interesting article from the New York Times about how the Achievement Gap now has more to do with income inequality than racial inequality:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/education/education-gap-grows-between-rich-and-poor-studies-show.html?_r=2&hp 

Being a teacher is cool when...

you feel like you can make a difference.

I want to tell you about a student of mine who I have had some success with this year. He was struggling a lot last semester, and failed all seven of his classes. He was highly unmotivated, sad all the time, and all he could say was, "school is boring". The only time he seemed happy at all was when we were working together one on one, or in a small group (because where I lack in classroom management skills, I excel in interpersonal skills and I make my students feel heard: which rarely happens anywhere else). So the first thing I did for him was try talking about the other people in his life that he doesn't feel so sad around and he mentioned his school councilor at his middle school. I asked him if he would like me to call her and set up a meeting for the three of us, so that I could get a better understanding of the help she gave him. I wish you could have seen his smile: the biggest ever. She came in a week later and that smile was there again. Leaving the meeting, my intention was for them to keep in touch, but that is not what's happened. Although she was happy to see him, she hasn't been consistent with meeting him again. However, what slowly began to change over time was his attitude at school.

Now here we are, 4 week into a new semester, and he is passing all his classes but two, he is taking notes, and staying awake in class, and his teachers have nothing but good things to say. I hope he can keep this momentum going through the rest of the semester, for now I can say I am really proud. I see that smile all the time now.