September 2007

The G_d around me and not the G_d I am
tapped twice on my shoulder before the storm hit
In rumbles calling for home sanctuary
You must rest, that G_d said
I laughed, for the tempest brewed up
Free merriment
Mid-Manhattan debauchery with workers of the same
Taxing
Grey
And promising
Edifice of scholarly promise for young bilingual students
But the G_d around me called harder
Shook my stomach
Twisted my intestines
Yet I mistook it for a bad sandwich in my system
The storm approached quietly
But so fast I ran from it
When I finally stopped in the crowd
The rain came in the form of
Heart-wretched misunderstandings
Siblings deeper in lechery than literature
And somewhere on an American peninsula
A father lays helpless
An artificial lung attached to his natural one
Even his begotten son visits him
And reports it to the G_d within
But alas, on the third day after the G_d around called
I was left with water up to my ankles
Ducts dug deep into my facial crevices
And a fire and a blanket to send out this flash flood warning …

© Jose Vilson 2007

jose, who still has no idea how to start his award-winning book (HA!)

p.s. - The invitation is still open …

Tagged as: life, poetry

{ 2 comments }

Did you ever get someone or a group of people just stare at you for no good reason? I don’t mean kids, because that’s their natural tendency. I mean adults. I’d understand if I was breathtakingly handsome, but I consider myself cool, at most photogenic. Of course, people offer different opinions on that matter. Personally, I think their assertions are outrageous, but what can I do?

For example,

I’ve never been the head of a multi-million dollar rap label, nor have I ever sold millions of albums based on my street rhymes, though I’ve thrown up that ubiquitous diamond sign whenever a few of this guys’ songs comes up.

I’ve never stood next to the Notorious B.I.G., money has always been a problem for me, and I’ve never endorsed any acne prevention medicine on T.V.. I only make 1/2-assed attempts at preserving my sexy.

Yes, I am somewhere between 5′8″ - 6′2″, wear a hoodie often, Black / Latino male, Black hair, jeans, and sneakers, but no I did not rob or assault the liquor store, grocery store, Macy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, convenience store, 99c store, little old lady, the church, or any of that ish, and I definitely did not shoot the sheriff or the deputy.

I don’t have an album coming out on September 11th, I’ve never been on the cover of Rolling Stone with a ring of thorns around my head, but I don’t wear a backpack or Louis Vuitton anything, but I’m pretty sure George W. Bush does not like Black people.

I’ve never had a CD containing my train of thought, though I do believe there is a beautiful struggle, and I do consider myself a Black Star (/sarcasm).

But, if you do mistake me for “that one teacher’s boyfriend,” “that guy’s brother,” “that dude I saw on stage for my welcoming event,” “my older brother’s / sister’s / cousin’s former math teacher,” or even “the guy who used to write for this blog,” then I’m totally for that.

jose, who’s thoroughly excited about the following information

For anyone in the NYC area, I have an event coming up on the 15th of September. Check it:

Tavern of Creativity

feat. Rob Bless,Cathy Delaleu, Melissa Falcon, Celeste Doaks, Aminah Love, Nnmandi, Sam Adewumi, Stephen E. Jordan, a.ka. Bougie, and Jose Vilson

Stain Bar
www.stainbar.com
(718) 387-7840
766 Grand Street
4th Stop in Brooklyn, off the L Train
September 15, 2007 – 6:00 -11:00 PM

Art & Poetry books will be sold.  (but not mine because I don’t have a book … yet ;-)) …

Tagged as: diddy, jay-z, kanye west, mistaken identity, short notes, stain bar, talib kweli, tavern of creativity

{ 5 comments }

When it comes to my principles, I didn’t tell them who I quoted from, but I had a discussion around them. What’s great about these principles is that I get to discuss them while secretly learning more about who they are as people and as students. I tested their ability to follow procedures and respect others’ opinions.

Of the few passages I’ve taken with me from the 6 years of Catholic school and the extra 4 dedicated to Communion and Confirmation, it’s the miracle of Jesus walking on water. For those who aren’t Christian, the story goes that, after Jesus died and resurrected on the 3rd day, he started appearing to the disciples randomly wherever they went. One of those appearances was Jesus, walking to them on water, as the disciples were on a boat. Jesus calls out to Peter, the head disciple, and says, “Walk with me.” He starts walking to Jesus a little bit, looks down, and realizes how deep it is, and so begins to drown.

The story in itself is nuts, and I love it. Even in allegorical form, it transcends its religious tone into something that I feel everyone can learn from. It was even more ludicrous when Jay-Z, who often describes himself as Jay-Hova, said in one of his lyrics,

“How could you falter when you’re the Rock of Gibraltar?
I had to get off the boat so I could walk on water.”

I’ve never heard anything like that; not only did he just compare himself to Peter the Apostle, but describe his situation in the controversial breakup of Roc-A-Fella Records, a record label that at the time was dominating rap music, but he had to leave to get greater opportunities. In other words, he put one of Jesus’ miracles in terms that, while blasphemous in some circles, let people who don’t even follow Christianity could understand.

I interpret walking on water as not just taking a risk, but taking such a huge risk that it takes a lot of faith as much as it takes planning. While it’s not prudent to just jump at everything that comes your way, sometimes when the timing’s right, that leap of faith can earn big returns.

Personally, I use it with the kids because it’s too often that kids are afraid to take a risk. I took a risk with the kids I have, as many teachers this week told me how intrigued and confused they were by my selection as a 6th grade teacher, preferring that I stayed in the 8th grade with the “tough” kids. I countered that maybe I didn’t choose the kids, but certainly these kids were chosen for me.

I’ve never taught the grade, and now we’re both going through this journey together. While hopefully raising them up a couple of grade levels, I also hope to inspire them to become better people. That’s something I lost last year in some ways. My first year I did a much better job of inspiring young children to become better students, and even if I just planted the seed, that seed blossomed well into their 8th grade year. Oftentimes, I’d look down at my feet, and sink gradually, wondering if those piranhas were going to nip at my toes in the process.

With this new year, I’ve got the fantastic opportunity to get my kids into the right mentality for the rest of their lives. With an optimistic and positive attitude mixed with a little focus and management, I continually increase the odds of that.

“Well think about this, has anyone ever been on a boat?”

[some hands rise]

“What do you feel when you’re on a boat? How do you feel?”

“Scared,” “sick,” “nice,” “safe …”

“SAFE! When we’re in a boat or a plane, sometimes, it’s really easy to just stay on it, and maybe even go back home. But if you never step off into that new land, you’ll never try something new. Some of you have never left this street, or even Washington Heights. Now is that time. Don’t be afraid to try something new. When my parents came here, they took a risk and never looked back. When it comes to this math class, I want you to take a risk and go into it headfirst. Try your best. I want everyone to get 100% on their grades, but if you don’t, all I’m asking you is to try your hardest. Walk on water.”

mr. v, who feels comfortable going into any desk formation with his kids now that he has his procedures and rituals down

Tagged as: catholicism, education, inspiration, jay-z, jesus, life

{ 14 comments }

My second day started off with a huge group hug from some of my former 8th graders, and a lot of screaming up and down the block. I was stunned; I assumed these kids had to be at their schools by that time, but they had definitely waited in front of the building for me. They told me how much they missed me and how they came to visit me the afternoon before at 4pm but I wasn’t there. Their talk made me dizzy, but I tried to hurry them on to school, partly because I wanted to maintain my persona as bad-a$$ teacher. I can’t let my 6th graders know I’m really a nice guy. That’ll destroy me for the year.

My days have been alright. As of today, I’m officially a veteran, and not because of anything I’ve said or done, but because now I’ve officially taught one of my former students’ brothers or sisters. As a matter of fact, I believe a good 6 of my students have brothers or sisters who I have taught in my previous years. That lets me know a lot. Yet, I’m also establishing a different relationship with these kids; I’m a year older, smarter, faster, and stronger in the school. I hope to be a much more effective teacher, but I’ll still carry the same enthusiasm and compassion I did with those graduates of my program.

Today, I came up with the great idea of reteaching the procedures. For the class that actually got through my principles (“Be the change you want to see in the world, freedom is not free, and walk on water.”), they got a mock quiz on the 3 principles and what it meant to them. Unfortunately, it was the only class I could give that type of mock quiz to. The other classes didn’t have as fruitful a discussion on it, but it’s OK because I’m giving them another day.

All the classes still had to go over the original procedures. They lined up outside before they got into my classroom. Then, they quietly sat down, got out their notebooks, copied the “objective” and “do now,” and listened attentively for the directions. Remember that.

Then through inquiry, I got them to make up a list of the 7-step method for my classroom. We practiced it by me simply calling out the number that corresponded to what they were supposed to be doing. For instance, I said 6 and 7, and they tucked in their chairs, got their belongings, and lined up outside quietly. Then I said, 1, 2, and 3, and they walked inside, said good morning before they entered into the classroom, got into their chairs, took out their materials, and started writing the do now and objective.

Of course, I had a little fun. They couldn’t do #4 without me, so for that, I asked, “How was your summer?” Only some people raised their hands (that’s #4). I told everyone to put their hands down and we tried again. “How was your summer?” And everyone raised their hand. Now to do #5, I had to lead a discussion about their summers, and asked everyone else questions about what the other person said about their summer. When I asked them, “which procedure is that?” they pointed to #4 and 5, which are “Raise your hand,” and “Respect and listen when another person is speaking.” These are procedures I definitely wanted to focus on.

As we completed all three, I realized just how wonderful I’m doing at this juncture. As far as classroom procedures, I’m doing much better than my previous years.Because of what I’ve heard about the incoming 6th graders, I was happy to offer some semblance of structure. I also called up 9 random parents, just so I could build a reputation with the kids that they just won’t miss …

mr. v, who’s listening to Chuck Mangione’s “Give It All You Got,” off the album Fun and Games ..

p.s. - Not that I need to say this, but let’s go Yankees.

Tagged as: chuck mangione, classroom procedures, education, yankees

{ 3 comments }

Before I begin, let me just say that when people make absurd comments, it doesn’t bother me much. It’s a gut-check and it keeps me humble, but I reserve the comment to come back with the flame and the fire. Free speech allows for someone to make an absurd comment to me, but it also allows me to slap ‘em right back.

Psh …

Anyways, I almost literally did my first day in my sleep. I was every bit as enthusiastic as Ron Clark mentions in the Excellent 11, which I’m reading now and will review once I finish it. Last night, after writing my blog about the Fellows program, I decided it was time to recalibrate my sleeping clock and try to get some shut-eye at 10pm. Indeed I was in bed by then, but I really went to sleep at 2am, and for the 4 hours or so of mindless tossing and turning, I went through a process of oscillating positive and negative thoughts.

Even right now, I don’t necessarily know how apt I am for teaching 6th graders. They’re munchkins and still 1/2-people. Yet it’s a lot of pressure since the 6th grade is their last hurrah of childhood. Today, though, I doubt anyone could tell the difference. I dressed professionally: white-collared shirt, blue tie, black pants, and brown shoes. Needless to say, I was probably the sharpest looking in the building, and most teachers preferred the open collared look.

More importantly though, my demeanor was exactly what I wanted to project. I had a sense of humor, but there was no time for games. Everything I spoke about was very necessary to hear, and thus, I needed everyone’s undivided attention … and for the first time in my teaching career, I got a good 95% of it.

My first day script included some of the following:

- I started off the party with a short introduction of myself. Very short. And that’s all I needed.
- I proceeded to discuss my 3 principles: 1) Be the change you want to see in the world, 2) Freedom is not free. 3) Walk on water.

I thought of the first two for a while, but the third came to me on the A-train this morning, and it was so true to me. Even with the diverse inspirations that I got the principles from (Gandhi for the first and Jay-Z for the third), the kids definitely understood it and took to it. I’m having them memorize and learn the principles for tomorrow. That might be against Bloom’s Taxonomy, but f*** it. Charge it to the game.

- Asked them “What does math mean to you?” I found it interesting because I actually had the kids read aloud their answers, and then ask others about what the person just said. It was thoroughly successful and a change from my first two years of teaching, when I didn’t necessarily have a great beginning activity for them to start out with. I asked other members of the class to elaborate on what the reader of the moment was saying.

- Plus, even on the first day, my classroom is looking much better than it did last year at this time. I still have a ways to go, but that’s got a lot to do with the unavailability for printers and such.

Of course there were a couple of snags here and there, but for the most part, it was much more successful and organized. Tomorrow, I call parents. Tonight, though, I sleep.

Good night. I’ll be around the blogosphere to see what’s up with you all soon …

jose

Tagged as: education, first day, ron clark

{ 9 comments }

Less than a month ago, The Village Voice published an article about the NYC Teaching Fellows entitled “Your Own Personal Blackboard Jungle” by Stacy Cowley and Neil deMause. Basically, it discusses the hardships that so many fellows go through in the NYC Public School system, and lay much of the fault on the rather accelerated training of the NYCTF.

It’s caused quite the stir in the blogosphere, and in particular with the newer fellows and teachers out there. I’m happy that the article was written: it prompts some honest discussion about a program I was fortunate enough to have been a part of. While I believe that Cowley and deMause had good intentions for writing this article, I also disagree with them on a lot of major points.

Working for the public school system is difficult, regardless of whether or not you get into it through regular certification or alternative certification. Any “rookie” in a high-stress environment will be tested thoroughly on their skills, and won’t be as efficient with their methods as someone who’s been in the school system for 4-5 years. It happens with doctors, entertainers, stock brokers …

The only difference is that we have the charge of taking children under our wings. Student teaching for a year is a great idea, but what happens next? Frankly, some people are great teachers on paper, but can’t cut it in a classroom for various reasons. When they finish their apprenticeship, they’ll be in the same situation as they would be now: all alone with 30 kids who might not necessarily have the same background they do.

Whether it’s 4 hour visits to an NYC public school and summer school teaching, or a whole year in a classroom, some people might not make it. For some people, there is no amount of training that can adequately prepare them for that first day, and the subsequent and harder days that follow. Being overwhelmed and underprepared is part of the program; it’s how you learn to manage that that defines the teacher you are.

Unfortunately, within the program, there’s a set of people who are in it to “save the children.” It’s one thing to have an understanding of the children and have a sense of idealism in one’s discourse, and another to not even attempt to understand the children and overcompensate by looking at them with pity. The ones that have the latter mentality get crushed when they got in the classroom, and those that had the former do relatively well.

Reading the article reminds me of why I didn’t tell the veteran teachers I was a Teaching Fellow until I built a good rapport with them: the program is often associated with negative connotations of a degree-focused, bi-annual turnover, whiny, lazy, mainly White, callous, privileged, and condescending individuals. These opinions come from so many of the veterans I’ve spoken to informally, and that’s created many divisions within the teacher corps of so many schools. When I finally felt comfortable with establishing my association to the program to the rest of the teachers, many of my colleagues’ jaws dropped.

But what can we do to rectify the situation and set a better example for future teachers in the program? Well, the problem is not just how the program is set up or the lackluster reputation of the CUNY classes all of us had to take (because I’ve taken issue with some of the madness), but it’s really the system the program works within. Changes need to come from the top down. Consider this:

How can we as teachers be expected to raise the achievement of students when administrators often treat their teachers like children? How can administrators be expected to develop their teachers when they’ve never been taught how to do so and the policies of their higher-ups stand in contrast to actual success in the classroom? The system is in a constant state of flux, so even teachers into their second decade of teaching often feel burdened. I like the idea of accountability and responsibility, but often it’s teachers who take the blame for the failures of the school system, but get none of the praise for the successes. No program that works within this system can expect to see some of these changes.

With that said, new teachers should be made to feel like the administrators will support their growth. No one’s first year was absolutely perfect, but the most successful teachers always find a way to find a point where both they and their students are learning. Looking around the blogosphere often reminds me that many of the veterans, when prompted, will really act like they want their students to act. They’re the most inquisitive, the most attentive, and the most active within their specific domains.

Personally, I’m happy with my Fellows experience. I read the ad with the simple “Tackle inequalities. Teach Math.” and will display it prominently in my classroom. Although some of the CUNY classes weren’t good, they made me an even better teacher. If the classes were good, I’d take the newfound information and use it with my own kids. If the classes weren’t, I just learned how to not teach in my own class. I had a couple of good administrators I could depend on, a core of teachers within the school that were readily accessible, and 2 excellent mentors (every new Fellow gets 2 mentors) so in that respect, I was lucky.

But my school was far from perfect my first year. What really helped me get through the hard times was my resilience, my maturity, my humility, my connection to my students, and a stalwart mentality that no one could take this profession away from me. I treated them like my own children and not just some charity case. Many of the characteristics that make a great public school teacher transcend but take into account a person’s background, race, class, and gender.

If we can foster school environments where the pressure is on students’ personal growth and not just their academics, raise salaries that compare fairly to suburban counties, lower class sizes, and have helpful professional development, then people will want to come into the school system and make a difference. If teachers’ schedules didn’t get the rug pulled from under them in an instant, or if they weren’t made to feel afraid to seek counseling or to feel like taking a personal day off will affect how their kids will perform on “the big test,” teachers would stay longer. I’m not asking for a cushy job, but basic respectable conditions often promote good culture.

jose, who’s got first day jitters and doesn’t fear retribution for his opinions

I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready …

Tagged as: education, nyctf, village voice

{ 7 comments }

Ever since I started typing opinionated blogs in my last venue, I’ve always had interesting search strings attached to my blogs, including “Toastee from Flavor of Love,” “F)(% Bush,” and “hot sexy black @$$.” (Yes, I’m censoring myself a bit.) Since then I’ve tried my best to keep my references to pop culture and sex specific and concise, but even still Google did me no justice.

That is, until this blog.

Now, I’m associated with exactly what I like to be. Let’s check some of these, won’t we?

1. NYCTF -

Totally makes sense. I’m one of the more prominent fellows that blogs regularly about his experience. Unlike others in the Village Voice, I’ve had a more positive experience, but I’ll get into that this week tomorrow.

2. Hot Ghetto Mess -

Not that I’m a Hot Ghetto Mess, but many of you took a liking to my commentary about HGM, and that’s great. Even with the name change, it doesn’t matter. BET is a HGM, so it’s ironically fitting that it’d be on that station.

3. Alex Rodriguez -

I don’t have a problem being associated with A-Rod at all. I find it rather hilarious really. He’s AL MVP as far as I’m concerned, and I called it since the beginning of the year. If / when he signs with the New York Yankees for the remainder of his career, I have a feeling you’ll see even more of his name around these parts. I just hope people aren’t looking for naked pictures of any strippers he’s been associated with.

4. Vilson -

Do I need to explain this? Though I find it funny that despite being the only Vilson in my family that can’t speak a lick of Haitian Creole, I’m the one that stands out in the Internet’s peripheral.

5. Up, down, up, down, left, right, left, right, A, B, select, and start -

This one’s my favorite because I’m now associated with only the greatest cheat code on Earth. For those not in the know, that was from the acclaimed video game Contra.

1) Once you’ve been tagged, link your most recent bookmarked pages back to your blog
2) Name the tag that you have used so others can access the links easily in a blog post
3) At the end of your post, tag 6 people and list their names, linking to them.
4) Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged. (I might not be able to do this today)Here are six of the most recent bookmarks in my bookmarks folder:

1. Soulja Pooh Boy - a video interpretation of a popular Southern rap song, sponsored by Winnie the Pooh (funny ish)
2. Jack Wiler - His poetry is just hilarious yet sincere to me.
3. “Sin City” effect on Photoshop - This is where I got the inspiration to do that Sin City look my parent website has.
4. Pandagon’s “The Telltale WMD’s” - It’s not that bloggers want to take away people’s jobs; it’s that most political bloggers want them to do it fully and correctly.
5. The Manager’s Cheat Sheet: 101 Common Sense Rules for Leaders - A list of some of the things “leaders” often forget. Good for teachers, too.
6. Sad Kermit’s “Creep” - OMG, it’s so depressing but hilarious. Please, if you don’t do anything else, just click on this link. Oh fuck it. Here it is.

I’m supposed to tag other people here, but feel free to tag yourself.

jose, who’s got a thing for educational books, and lots of them

Tagged as: Alex Rodriguez, B.E.T., bookmarks, google, short notes, yankees

{ 0 comments }