life

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

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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

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Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to be part of my friend AnnMary’s baby shower. I wish I took pictures, but I swear to you, there are enough picture takers at that party that those pictures will suffice. Now I would love to tell you all the details, but really it was just a time for me to reflect on the experience.

There I was, sitting next to someone I’ve grown so close to as a friend over the last 3 years, and now I was witness to her present and future stage of her life. I was so in awe; I don’t know how anyone can fake that type of thing. She seemed so nervous, but secure in her motherhood, as if she hadn’t toiled and stressed over these weeks and months, working while taking care of classes and her home. Not that I haven’t told her this, but ever since she was a kindergarten teacher (and here’s hoping she returns to that occupation), I knew she’d be a great mother.

This one’s for her.

“Peanuts Have To Shower, Too” by Jose Vilson 2007 ©

She is a waddling big belly penguin
Hair flowing straight to the wells
Of her expected child’s food resources
She is now more width than height
Her worries circle the world entire
Yet her confidence creates a spiritual
Womb around her son’s shelter
He wakes her to remind her of his coming
The baby’s father looks on curiously
Just like I do
She’s a woman now
So secure in her womanhood
G_d won’t wrestle that away from her
Strangers, friends, and family alike shower
The queen with gifts from the designer to the handwoven
We are equal parts jesters and audience to her reign
We rain the baby with love
Our hands spread around and about her
Blessing her and the person she lives with
And the person she lives with, too
The water not fully broken
Rich with the material provided
And the life we injected for just one day
I ask her to remind me a week before it’s supposed to happen
She laughs
As if she knows only one person has control over that meter …

jose

p.s. - I watched The Godfather for the first time yesterday, and I get all the references now. Wow.

p.p.s. - Don Vilson? I think I like the sound of that …

Tagged as: annmary, baby shower, godfather, life, poetry

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As if you didn’t know, I am fully in support of Talib’s latest effort, Eardrum. For the most part, it’s hot as hell. Don’t believe me, though; read the article I wrote for Blogcritics.org. Right now, my favorite tracks are it might be much easier to list the tracks I’m not a fan of.

1. “The Nature” with Justin Timberlake (it’s not memorable and a wack ending to an awesome album)
2. “Country Cousins” (just for the chorus)
3. “Give ‘Em Hell” (same thing. Chorus was boring.)

Otherwise, I like all of it. I was pleasantly surprised by will.i.am.’s production on “Say Something,” but not surprised at Jean Grae’s animalistic rhyme ability. But again, I mentioned all of this in the Blogcritics article.

The first song, “Everything Man,” applies to me in so many ways. I was so bored for a good week and change, but now everything’s coming back into the fold. I’m having masters’ diploma clearance issues, which will be resolved really soon and that I recently found out about. I have to help take my brother back up to Syracuse U. tomorrow and be back on the same day in time to either 1) go to sleep or 2) go and party with my friends, who I won’t see for a few months.

Then I’m going with my lady to a baby shower for my friend AnnMary. That should be great, because I anticipated this event for so long. I got the pair multiple gifts; people know I’m bad with remembering dates, but try to make an awesome impression at the event.

On Tuesday, I have a “photoshoot” of course with cool peoples, and of course, the countdown to the classroom begins. I’m so nervous that I won’t be ready for them to come in, but I’m also excited about the possibilities.

It’s also time to start shopping and turn from jose to Mr. V. Any time I haven’t spent with the aforementioned events will most likely be used for this metamorphosis. That’s the best part. The transformation’s already taking place, but I have to remember my scripts and such. Once I finish Fast Food Nation, a book worth reading even if you just get through the first few chapters, I’m going to read The Reluctant Disciplinarian by Gary Rubenstein, just so I can start out the year right.

And this is just within the next week. I hate to sound cliche, but I need to make taking over the world look easy.

jose, who you’ll only see on weekends after september 5th

Tagged as: baby shower, blogcritic, life, syracuse, talib kweli

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Before I even continue, I’d like to show my support for Talib’s upcoming effort, Eardrum. I recently wrote about Talib’s artistry in this blog as well as fellow rapper Common’s ascendancy on BlogCritics. I swear he’s come out with 3-4 videos for this album, but I honestly believe his latest video for “Hot Thing” is the hottest. See for yourself. Again, Talib Kweli in stores this Tuesday, August 21st.

In other news, one of my friends told me gave me the state of Black, Latino, and Asian organizations on campus (Look in the sidebar if you don’t know where I mean). Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed. One of the points I addressed thoroughly was the unification of “B-L-A” organizations, especially the main ones. Unfortunately, I could never fully address those because of the separatist ideas of a few individuals. It’s one thing to have pride in one’s culture and traditions, and quite another to exclude groups similar to yours so you can get some sort of props.Secondly, I took issue with a mention that the same separatist said, verbatim, “I don’t think you [my friend] are Black enough to be commenting on these issues.”

EXCUSE ME?

Yes, my friend has “lighter” skin, yes my friend’s Dominican, and yes my he almost looks Middle Eastern, but the dude’s done a lot of work as part of the African diaspora, and stood up for B-L-A’s even when he was the sole person in there that could. Things like that annoy me, earnestly.

The list of books about teaching I’ve compiled is sick. It includes, but is not limited to:

What Your Sixth Grader Needs To Know by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.
Great Estimations by Bruce Goldstone
If You Made a Million and How Much Is a Million by David M. Schwartz
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry
Math for All Seasons by Greg Tang
Actual Size by Steve Jenkins

A few weeks ago, I accepted that I’d be teaching 6th graders rather than the 7th and 8th graders I had over my teaching career. I’m thinking about doing read-alouds every so often, something I didn’t do in the 7th and 8th grade because I was preparing them for a high school mentality. 6th graders are still little kids, and they’re going through the last vestiges of childhood. A couple of these books actually make me wonder if they’re really on grade level, but at the same time, but it’s fine because we’ll be doing a lot of estimation and number sense.

I’m excited about the extremely positive feedback I got about my website. It’s nice to know all that work paid off. I wouldn’t do it if it was in the middle of school. Anyways, mi gente, I’m done.

jose, who laughs at kids trying to bring back the rap 80’s

Tagged as: life, short notes

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They say men actually have a 6 in 10 chance of having a “successful” conversation with a woman. As a mathematician, I looked at that stat and said, “Well that means, because there’s tons of men and tons of women, that there’s a HUGE group of people that are pushing down the average of all men.” In other words, there are men who have little to no chance of having “successful” conversation with a potential mate, and that’s saying something. That’s right around dudes start looking for a solution. They pick up books like Dating for Dummies, get dating coaches like in that movie Hitch, or just give up altogether and enter into a state of almost absolute asexualism. Yes I made that word up.

For people like me, though, I needed something a little more foolproof. That’s where The Game came in.

The first time I heard of the book, I was reading AM New York on the F train, and caught the interview with Neil Strauss. The whole premise of his interview was about giving a taste of his life as a pickup artist. I was subconsciously drawn, because at the time, I wasn’t having as much luck with the “ladies.” Unemployment does a number on one’s self-confidence, and things just weren’t going right for me. I had a few dates, but … something just wasn’t right. Even my older brother gave me (very unrequested) advice about how to talk to women.

I went into Barnes and Nobles; the salesperson told me it was under Self-Improvement. I laughed heartily.

It looked like a King James Bible except for that little red lace coming out of the packaging. Leather-type cover with gold lining throughout the pages, and the title itself embossed in golden film:The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pick-Up Artists. I hate to admit this, as the males in my father’s side of the family are notoriously adept at picking up women, but the book changed my life. After a year, I had to recommend it to other friends who were in my former position. I never even used the actual tricks in the book; it was more to help me refocus how I talked to women, and that was helpful. (Now that I have a girlfriend, I have no need for it, but some of the tips given in the book apply to every first-encounter situation I’ve been in.)

Fast-forward to today, and this secret society is no longer secret. And one of the protagonists in The Game, a cat named “Mystery” has his own reality TV show aptly entitled The Pickup Artist. At first, I thought this would be foolish; how can one translate the intricacies of these processes without seeming too fake? Then I watched, and I was flabbergasted.

Mystery and his wingmen took the AFCs (Average Frustrated Chumps) to a bar in DC to talk to some women. It was their first time and they didn’t have any tools of the trade. When I tell you that these guys were just horrible, that wasn’t the 1/2. I found myself changing the channel for a brief second … because I found a lot of those mistakes in my former self.

One dude walks into the bar and he looks pumped and ready to go. He comes in there with a mission, stylish, and looks like he belongs. Then he talks to his first girl. CRASH. It lasted all of 40 seconds.

The next dude walks into the bar and comes in slowly. He circles the bar once and then focuses on two women. He starts talking to one, and ignores the other. However, he fails because the other girl starts talking to the girl he wants, and they close him off easily. Next thing you know, he’s saying good night and thanks …

“WHY ARE YOU SAYING THANK YOU? FOR WHAT?” - I screamed at the screen.

The next dude walks in there and he has a conversation, too … that lasted like 5 lines. It was a complete and utter rejection.

Another dude is given 2 chances with a nice girl and fails, another dude talks to dudes in the bar in the hopes that they’ll somehow introduce him to a girl, another dude gets the “We gotta go to the bathroom” line, and another dude just stands to the side altogether and doesn’t even attempt to fail.

And it really made me feel for those guys, because I’ve been there before. The common thread with all of them? They lacked self-confidence. Not to say that any of these dating techniques and self-improvement books will guarantee results within a matter of a couple of days (not everyone can be me … jokes, jokes …), but they’re all round about ways of getting the confidence to talk to a potential mate. The Game is a cheat code that’s rather unfair, but it’s the only way some dudes can level the playing field.

jose, who has no remorse

Tagged as: dating, game, inspiration, life, neil strauss

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I made this little picture (which is click-able for full view) after I swear I saw the devil right in front of me. One of the scariest moments we’ll ever encounter as teachers is when we see the devil in the eyes of the people who are supposed to help our children. We can tell when we see them when they’re doing things to our kids that are not only irrational but immoral, when they walk the tightrope on the rules so it works to their favor, and when they smile, proud of the job they’ve done with themselves.

The first time I saw a bit of the devil was in middle school, when I had a disagreement with my language arts teacher. At first, it was no big deal; we were arguing over what constituted a predicate, something that confused me a little bit at my young age. That wasn’t too bad. Then he started getting on me for the use of the phrase “What happened?” my response to something I didn’t quite hear. He wanted me to say, “Excuse me?” After using the former a good 10 times in his class, he made me write that phrase over 1000 times during the course of the school year. It was so absurd that I continued to use it, and the fact that he wouldn’t call my mom to rectify the situation made me believe he was the devil; his ears might have burned in my Catholic household. (Jokes, jokes …)

The second time I saw the devil was in my junior year of high school; the man’s prestigious record included decades of service to my school. A father of the cloth, how could someone with such a rapport be anything but G_dly? One fateful morning, we had a read-aloud in preparation for the SATs. He called on me to answer, and I did … only he didn’t hear me. I said it loudly enough that a teacher across the way closed his door. Yet the teacher continued to pretend to not hear me. He called on the boy next to me and the boy gave him the same answer. The teacher said, “That’s correct.” Shaking my head in disgust and waving off the cackles from the student population / peanut gallery, I thought I’d never see the devil within the confines of that edifice.

The third time … well I can’t talk about the third time. All I know is that the devil has no color. The spirit wears many cloths and sometimes all at once. It wasn’t a race issue because I’ve found the devil amongst my own “people.” It’s not a monetary issue because it can be people who don’t live for money. It’s amorphous.

In the teaching profession though, evil usually rears its ugly head in the spaces where the heartless once held their arteries. People often think of negative things happening in a far-off land in some book designed for the Read-180 program or in one of the 25 books these kids need to read to get a “grand prize.” No. It’s ever present, and when teachers and administrators don’t genuinely care about the children they have powers over, the faint scent of sulfur and charcoal don’t follow too far behind. There’s a difference between a teacher who doesn’t care about the profession, just collecting paychecks, and a teacher who makes it his / her personal business to mistreat his students. The first is more readily professionally developed; the second is often a dark minion to a more evil cause.

I’ll file this under creative writing, but be warned. Maybe using Santeria to cast good spirits in your school isn’t a bad idea. I’ve looked into the eyes of the devil, and the devil still treads his feet in our system.

jose

p.s. - Thanks to Education Matters US for including me in the latest edition of the Carnival of Education.

Tagged as: education, life, writing

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The latest weather in NYC makes me pose one question:

“What the f*** is this?!”

On one end of the week, I was in New Orleans, where it was hot for the most part, but soon turned to blistering when the humidity almost made my traveling partner and I collapse in our margaritas. On the other, NYC has these cold thunderstorms that make me wonder if we’re really in August or October. I never thought I’d see people wearing jackets in August on this steam pot of an island, but there it was.

Before you ask, no I’m not going to the Dominican Parade (NYC). Why would I?

The Bourne Ultimatum was hot. That’s fine if you have a different opinion, but I’m not hearing it out. Matt Damon had about 20 lines throughout the movie, and that’s all he needed. Action-packed and had the paranoia I just love, too. Plus, the ending literally made my jaw drop. Good show, good show.

For any new NYCDOE teachers (or anyone that knows new NYC teachers), I’ll definitely be attending the New Teachers reception at the Bodies exhibit sponsored by the UFT. For those that don’t know about it, it’s on August 21st @ 6 pm, South Street Seaport. Check out the flyer here and register here. I’m not anti-union; I just have a few issues with how things are being handled. No, this wasn’t sponsored by the UFT.
Speaking of which, I’m not as enthused about going back to school as I thought I was. Right now, I’m coming to the realization that I need to go back to being “Mr. V” so I’m preparing myself mentally for that re-transition. My focus over the last couple of days is team building, and learning how to make my homeroom into a more cohesive family. Unfortunately, last year, we had a few viruses in the class, and it spread like a cancer.

Songs I’m Listening To: (My older subscribers remember this section from my former blog.)

“Hot Summer in the City” by The Lovin’ Spoonfuls
“Black Magic Woman” by Santana
“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles
“Fu-Gee-La” by The Fugees
“The Way I Are” by Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson and D.O.E.
“Break My Heart” by Common
“Leave Out All The Rest” by Linkin Park
“El Cantante” by Hector Lavoe

jose, who’ll do a rebellion post very soon …

Tagged as: bourne ultimatum, education, life, short notes, uft

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Much of my effort for the last 3 weeks or so has been geared towards my blogging, an extension of my article writing / column writing ambitions. That’s also means my poetry, my one true love, has been neglected for some time. I wrote a couple of pieces here and there on this blog, but otherwise, most of my poetry has just appeared to me in the form of scrolling thoughts and not much more.

I wouldn’t call it writer’s block; more like writer’s diversion.

However, I am working on things here and there. I’ve submitted my older poetry to a couple of literary magazines and competitions, so I’m crossing my fingers here and there. What’s hardest about the “getting published” business is seeking the right opportunity. The problem with self-publishing or other ventures is that the right opportunities don’t often come through.

For instance, a lot of people opt to go through vanity publishing (you pay the publisher to put our your stuff). That’s fine for them, but why would I do that if I can find a better deal where I don’t have to pay a dime and I get a better percentage off sales?

So it’s weird, but I’m being aggressively patient. I’ve been a featured poet in an online mag thus far, and someone asked me to perform at a bar here in NYC in September, so things are definitely picking up. Soon, I’ll be working on my manuscript, but I won’t go too deep into it. Sharing too much of one’s life online leads to some people trying too hard to mimic it, as I’ve witnessed first-hand. Until everything comes to fruition, then, I’ll hold off on the rest of my big ideas.

In the meantime, feel free to scroll through my last blog about New Orleans, or even further about my Blacktino background. Have a good weekend, my people …

jose

Tagged as: life, poetry, writing

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