What a Difference a Year Makes

A new school year started this week.  I entered this school year feeling completely prepared - but prepared for the worst.  This time last year, I was having anxiety attacks every night, trying to figure out the mass mayhem that was my classroom.  I would psyche myself up in the car going to work everyday, only to feel a sense of overwhelming dread when a select-few students entered the room.  My classroom was loud, chaotic, and (at times) violent.  About three weeks into the school year, my principal sat me down and frankly told me that there was no way my students could learn in that environment.

I've just completed my third day of the 2011 school year and, to give you a glimpse of what my classroom is like now, I have not had to call for outside assistance once.  So far (knock on wood), I've had to deal with tears - but no temper tantrums.  My biggest acts of defiance have been swiftly solved with a chair, a timer, and a five minute time-out.  Today, my students sat in a circle and we were able to hold a discussion about hurtful words that are said to each and what it means to be kind.  We were also able to do a Math activity that involved using manipulatives with partners on the rug.  Truthfully, my only issue with my classroom right now is that they're all chatterboxes!  To have this be my biggest issue three days into school is a miracle!  Last year, I was not able to do any of what I mentioned above until mid-October!

And it's not just my classroom that's made a noticeable difference.  The entire school atmosphere has drastically shifted.  At the beginning of last year, we were new teachers, and a new school system, turning around a failing school.  If you walked the hallways, you'd hear drill sergeants in each classroom, trying to prove who was the boss.  It took a long time to build relationships with the students and the families.  When it came to our high expectations, it took an even longer time to get the students and parents on board with our program.  But by the end of the school year, I felt we had made huge accomplishments.

Every single student I saw on the first day of school seemed excited to be back and ready to learn.  Returning students walked down the hallways and followed classroom procedures as if it was any other school day, and they hadn't been away for two months.  The energy in the school feels different; it feels like a community.

This is why I teach.  It's one thing to describe such an amazing transformation - but to actually see it, feel it, and be a part of it is something that can never be properly put into words.  It lifts my soul.

While I can easily admit that I am on Cloud 9 from the amazing first week I've had, I am still completley realistic.  I understand that tomorrow I may walk into the classroom and receive the biggest temper-tantrum from hell.  But it's okay.  I can handle it.  Just as I've watched my kids grow and learn, I can look back and see how much I've grown as a teacher.

To use a chant that my Kindergarteners do...I think it's only fitting that I also give myself a "pat, pat, pat on the back, back, back for a job well done - uh huh!"


To close-out this entry, I'd like to give you a peek into my classroom....

The Word Wall

Those "presents" are actually hiding the computers.  When the kids are ready to use them, they'll get to unwrap them.

Notice the make-shift window above my desk, since I no longer have any windows.

Our Reading Tracker

Our Math Trackers - the goals are on the apples and they'll earn an apple in their basket when they accomplish that goal.

Our Writing Tracker

Lastly, if any of you have been following along with my Facebook updates throughout the year, you know that this blog entry would not be complete without a quote from my student.

Quote of the Day:
Me: Can you tell me what sound H makes?
Student: It makes some sort of African sound.

"Education is the Civil Rights Issue of Our Time."

Last August, I started a journey like no other.  After teaching as a Preschool teacher at a Head Start in Los Angeles, I decided to uproot myself across the country and join a charter school that was turning around one of the most violent and under-performing elementary schools in the city.  After completing my two-year commitment with Teach For America, I thought the task-at-hand would be a piece of cake.

Four hours into the first day of school, as I locked myself in the classroom closet and wept, I realized just how big of an undertaking this would be.  My students knew less than the preschoolers I had taught previously.  They had practically no social skills.  And some were extremely violent - not only to other children, but to adults as well.  Did I mention I was teaching Kindergarten?

Throughout the year, my Facebook statuses became littered with the countless quotes my students would provide me each day.  Some were horrifying (ie: One of my five-year-olds holding a Bible in his left hand, while giving the middle finger with his right hand, and telling another student, "I'm gonna kill you, n*gger!").  But the majority of them were amusing, as I was given a glimpse into a five-year-old's logic on diversity, racism, and poverty.

I received countless comments on my posts, telling me I should start a blog about my classroom.  However, I didn't actually consider it until the end of my first year teaching; at the end of such a difficult year, when I could stand back and see such amazing accomplishments my students had made.  My 24 students, who came into the school year not knowing any letters or sounds, had finished Kindergarten on grade level.  (In fact, two-thirds of my class actually finished at a mid-year 1st grade level.)  To say that I was proud would be an understatement.  However, looking back at the entire process, I thought, "How the hell did I do that?"  "What happened again in October to make me finally love my classroom?" "What worked in the classroom?  What didn't?"

A wise and veteran teacher told me that she kept a journal each year she taught to help her reflect on the success and failures in her classroom.  So without further ado, I bring you the journal of my Kindergarten classroom.  While I enter this school year much more prepared and confident than last year, I am sure there will be many mistakes, heartbreaks, and laughter along the way.  My hope is that you can live vicariously with me through my journey.


One final, but important thought before I close out my first entry...

I am a teacher at a public charter school that has been highly publicized for its success in academic gains and closing the achievement gap.  I am damn proud of my school and the work I do each and every day. 

However, with all of that being said...I am not saying that charter schools are the answer.  I am, in no way, saying that my teaching or my school is "better."  But what absolutely infuriates me, are the countless comments I hear downplaying the achievements we've made, simply because we're a charter school.

So let's get the facts straight:

• Last year, our school had a lower withdrawal rate than the previous years.  We absolutely do not kick out students for behavior issues.  All means all.
• Statistically, we have more students with IEP's and special needs than the average public school.  And yes, all of those students are accounted for when it's time for standardized tests.
• Yes, I am a part of a school that pays-per-performance.  And I couldn't be happier.  After receiving numerous observations, coaching feedback, and constant instructional support to help make me a better teacher, there are no surprises when it comes to my end-of-year performance summary.  I know exactly where I stand and the specific goals in place to help constantly improve my teaching.

The entire education system is in a state of disarray. It is absolutely unacceptable that only 10 percent of kids who enter Kindergarten in my city will eventually graduate high school and go on to college. 10% is failing. And it's the comments I see on various education sites that boil my blood:  

"It can't be done in public schools because they kick out all their bad kids and send them back to us." 
"Those charter schools are run like a business, they know nothing about education."

Well, obviously we know enough to see that if something is broken, you need to fix it.  The house is burning; either get out or save it!!!  Again, I'm not saying there's a cookie-cutter answer for how to bridge the achievement gap.  However, something desperately needs to be changed because the longer we wait, the longer we continue to fail our nation's future.  It's time to stop pointing the finger, placing the blame, and making excuses!

For all intents and purposes, I don't plan on this blog to be politically-focused.   Although, I do give fair-warning now, I am so completely passionate about this issue that sometimes I will get on my soap-box.

It is merely my hope that the day-to-day occurrences in my classroom can give you insight into the needs of my students in a low-income area.  I also hope that it will inspire you to see that no matter the difficulties my students face, high achievement can not only be accomplished - it's expected.