A great book experience!!

It is not often that you come across a book that educates, entertains, and pulls or shall I say yanks your heart strings. This book "What is the What" by Dave Eggers, accomplished all of this, at least for me.

The book follows Valentino Achak Deng, who was a young Sudanese refugee throughout the 80's and 90's. It would do no justice to try to explain all that he witnessed and lived through, but I can say that it will have you close your eyes and put perspective into your life.

I knew very little about what happened in Sudan. I learned through this book about the two civil wars in the country and then a little more about what is happening in Darfur. The author magically moves you through past and present and takes what could be a morbid and depressing tale and delivers it with such beauty and grace.

There is an underlying curiosity and search that Valentino is for which is based on a story his dad told in his village before the raids and bombings. Here is the excerpt:

"After God created men and women, according to local legend, he gave them cattle, the source of “milk and meat and prosperity of every kind.” But God offered mankind a choice: “You can either have these cattle, as my gift to you, or you can have the What. The pacific Dinka wisely chose the cow. But others picked, and continue to seek, the mysterious, unnameable, destructive and possibly unattainable What. Soon the consequences of that mythic decision come crashing down on the unfortunate Dinka. Rebel soldiers arrive at the village and, while stealing sugar from the shop, severely beat our young hero’s father. Marial Bal becomes a battleground, fought over by government and rebel armies; the village is strafed by army helicopters, invaded, burned, occupied.

Deng refers to this search for "what is the What?" The book concludes beautifully. Deng at the end of his story with all the dramatic and heart breaking content but pours forth this vision for his future:

"Whatever I do,” Valentino assures us, “however I find a way to live, I will tell these stories. ... I speak to you because I cannot help it. It gives me strength, almost unbelievable strength, to know that you are there. ... I am alive and you are alive so we must fill the air with our words. I will fill today, tomorrow, every day until I am taken back to God. I will tell stories to people who will listen and to people who don’t want to listen, to people who seek me out and to those who run. All the while I will know that you are there. How can I pretend that you do not exist? It would be almost as impossible as you pretending that I do not exist.”

If the what even resembles the conclusion of Deng's story, then I hope he finds it. I just wanted to share something with you. My adventure this summer has obviously been in literature.

A shall I say...Walky Blog!!

The weather was perfect yesterday in NYC. We just had 8-9 days of stifling heat. I am still really adjusting to the 93 degree heat with 80% humidity, but I digress. On Wednesday night, it just poured. The lighting and thunder are pretty wicked here, and when it rains, it RAINS!

This all lead to perfect 70 degree weather yesterday with a cool breeze. My new favorite thing...a cool breeze. We decided to walk up to Central Park, and I decided to share one of my favorite NY walks with you ;)

We entered through the Time Warner gate on 6th Ave. This is were 6th Ave. begins, and when you look down the canyon of skyscrapers you can see the gigantic cranes working at Ground Zero. It made me think of how cool it would have been to look down and see the two NY symbols, and it made me sad. Living here only magnifies my disappointment that I never got to see the twin towers in person. But on we went, down the path to "The Pond" on the southern tip of the park.

The pond is vast and had many ducks quacking away. The path meanders around the pond. There are hills and benches creating many different places to sit and relax. It is surreal to walk off the hustle and bustle of one of the busiest cities in the world and find someplace so peaceful only yards away. This is why I love Central Park. After a rest, we continued our walk.

We walked past Sheep Meadow to the promenade. This is famous and has been in many movies, most notable Cramer Vs. Cramer. This is were Dustin Hoffman taught his little boy to ride his bike. It leads right to my favorite spot, the Bethesda Fountain. The most spectacular walk I had hear was in the Spring. It was in the late evening and we were walking. It was very foggy so the promenade's rows of lights were masked by the fog creating a very cool and spooky setting. I will always remember that.

Bethesda is my favorite spot. It becomes very tourist-y in the summer and I look past that and seize the opportunity to people watch. In the summer, the fountain is running and is spotted with water lily's in the pool below. A lake is right behind the fountain where you can row boats around under bridges and through parts of the park. I have not done so yet, but this summer will not pass without we rowing. There is a lot going on around her during the summer but Bethesda's beauty is never compromised.

Up some paths, past the Boat House Restaurant we embark on an uphill trek to the famous Belvedere Castle. There has been a lot of work to restore the castle. It looks great. The castle provided great views of the Great Lawn and surrounding sights.

When we left the castle, we ended up on the Great Lawn. This is the sight of many historic concerts in the park such as- Diana Ross, Simon and Garfunkel, Paul Simon, and Garth Brooks. It has gorgeous views of the surrounding skyline and really brings home the fact that you are in an urban park. It has great grass too, nice and soft!! :)

We walk out of the park down 71st street and then to the Downtown 6 train home. Stopping at 23rd street and enjoying the perfect weather for as long as we can!!

Hope you enjoy. NY is so wonderful and I feel like every day is an adventure. I was a little sad that I wasn't going to have some big abroad trip this summer, but NY has filled the void. There are worse things then being stuck in NY for the summer! :) More to come!!

Quote...

An Anonymous Poem:

"The jump is so frightening between where I am and where I want to be. . . . because of all I may become I will close my eyes and leap."

Mom sent me this poem a while back
It speaks!!

So much change
things can get blurry
fear can overcome
but as long as "self" rings true
no jump could end in tragedy
the jump will lead to the person I have always been.

Thanks and have a great weekend!!!

(Photos: From a trip to West Hampton Beach, Long Island this week)

Another reason to love NYC....

THEY HAVE SHOWS FOR FREE IN ALL THE PARKS!!! We have been going to this the past couple weeks. Broadway in Bryant Park is very cool. It is on Thursday's from 12:30-1:30. They bill about 4 musicals each time, and each musical performs 3 songs. It is so cool. Almost every musical currently on Broadway will perform before the summer is over. This past week they featured-Avenue Q, Phantom of the Opera, In the Heights, Mama Mia, and some new musical called Pure Country. I have seen Avenue Q and Phantom. In the Heights and Mama Mia are on the top of my list. It is alot of fun. It is just another reason that NYC is pretty groovy.

Keeping Tabs...

Well I have had quite a bit of time on my hands, so I decided to make a list of what I am reading and listening to. You can check in with me, and then share what you are listening to and reading. It could be very cool. My lists are found in the column on the right of this blog. I love finding new music and books, so come on over and share share share!!

Something Cool....

Public Art....

This is a tower, a replica of 30 Rock, made completely out of erector sets. Pretty Cool huh? The view is even better when you can see this tower lined up with the actual building. I couldn't really get a good shot though.

Just wanted to share something cool...

A New York Walk...

I have really gotten use to living in this great city. My surroundings are more and more normal now. I am starting this blog ,and more here after, so I can share and also continue my appreciation for the exhilarating experience of becoming a transplant New Yorker. I hope you enjoy.

This particular walk is one I make all the time. It is from our apartment on the outskirts of the Gramercy region of NYC down to the very happening and well-known Union Square. Here are some glimpses of one of my daily, yet favorite walks.

This is the highlight. The only private part in all of NYC, Gramercy Park. It is a beautiful and spectacular park, although I have only seen it from behind the iron fence. Even behind the barrier, the park is a worth a stare.

The only people permitted in this park are the residents of the luxurious homes that surround it, leaving the every day person mystified by what goes on inside. The most notable celebrities in the area are Ann Curry and Uma Thurman. I have seen John Legizamo a handful of times. He has a giant black poodle.

Past the park, I like to walk down my favorite street on the east side, Irving Place. It has many great restaurants and the ivy covered buildings and great landscaping make it quite a pleasure to trot down. In this picture if you look in this distance, you will see Pete's Taverns. This is were Miranda proposed to Steve over 8 dollar beers on "Sex and the City". I love that scene!!!

This stoic building is a classic New York school building. Why is this one special? Because the ultimate Diva, Bette Midler, attended high school right here at Washington Irving High right at the end of Irving Place before 14th St. Being a diva in training myself, I pay homage frequently. :)


I did not get a great picture of Union Square. It is pretty big and the only good picture would be from above. I will add a picture the next time I eat at the Whole Foods on the square, which gives a great view. The square is full of young artists, protests, demonstrations, and all kinds of nifty riff raff. It has a Trader Joe's, the above mentioned Whole Foods and all kinds of shopping. It also has the famous Union Square Green Market. I have blogged about this before. My gym "Crunch" is right off the square which might explain why I walk this way daily.

Home now!! Back up Irving Place, you get a great view of the beautiful Chrysler building. it is one of my favorites. Funny now, it is owned by the nation of Abu Dabi. What a hoot!! One of America's most recognizable buildings isn't even owned by Americans.

Well instead of walking by Gramercy Park and drooling like a dork, I like to turn down 17th and head toward a park that everyone can enjoy, Stuyvesant Square. It is split by second avenue, and mom and dad will be happy that a historical Episcopal church takes up most of the west side. It has many benches and lots of different people hanging out. It makes for great people watching. Well thats it, up second avenue and home, until I make the walk again.

Thanks for reading. You know, this blog is filled with many things. I am trying new things you can say. My family has some many new things to blog about. My brothers have gorgeous children and all the stories that go with that wonderful experience, and well, I guess I have NY. So I will share. I will share stories from the big apple. Keep blogging everyone, it is very connecting.

We went to Canada, Eh!!

Canada was great. We left last Thursday for Montreal. The drive is about 6 or 7 hours. We drove from the very bottom tip of NY State and drove North across the complete length of the state. It was quite the drive. I am amazed at how beautiful Upstate New York is. We drove past the Catskills and through the Adirondacks. The scenery really made the drive length seem short.

We arrived into Montreal in the late evening. We traveled with Gil's friend Ben. He made all the arrangements, and as we drove up we were interested in the hotel we were staying at. The impression was that we would be staying at a quaint bed and breakfast. Well.....

It was indeed a bed and breakfast run by two gay gentlemen who did not seem to own a shirt. The technical term was "guest house". That translates into many gay men staying in a huge house with shared bathrooms. To top off our surprise we were given a tour highlighting a "clothing optional" hot tub and roof deck. Now dont get me wrong, I am very liberal and believe in people being free to express themselves however. But when you are expecting a B&B, meaning bed and breakfast, and you get B&B, meaning, Bare-As* & Boozed up shirtless gay men, you are sorta kinda thrown for a loop. We made the best of it, meaning we were able to weasel our way of out 3 nights to 2 nights.

Montreal was groovy. Canada is all about their outdoor seating. Every meal we ate was outside, and the weather was perfect. We climbed Mount Royal and got a great view of the skyline, and we really enjoyed Old Montreal, which looked just like old Europe.

We then drove to Ottawa, which is Canada's Washington D.C. The town was energetic, gorgeous and amazing. Not to mention we stayed at a Holiday Inn, yah!!! They have great government buildings modeled after English architecture.

Next, we drove through Toronto and had dinner on our way to Niagara Falls. Toronto is groovy and I can't wait to spend more time there. The CN Tower was cool.

We ended our trip in Niagara Falls. The falls are breathtaking. The town surrounding it is breathtakingly TACKY!! There is like a town of everything cheesy...wax museums, Hard Rock Cafe's and all those other chains, loud music, and streets and streets of food chains. There are sky scraper hotels and 40 story casinos lit like Las Vegas. Not to mention a gigantic ferris wheel. A tourist circus indeed...

The Falls made it worth it. There was a great walking path giving such great views. There is a great mist all around. It was very cool.

We are now back in the City. Canada was a great road trip. I will be back and suggest it for others as well.

Here are some pics...

Canada

Taking a breath...

Whewwwwww....

Thursday was my official last day in my first year in the Bronx. 180 days of learning a growing and understanding something completely different is done for now.

I could write a book on everything I learned this year but now I am going to enjoy my summer break. In the past week, I have read three of the books on my summer reading list. The one I just finished was amazing. Right up there with the "Life of Pi" as my favorite piece of fiction to date. It is called "Song yet Sung" by James McBride. A truly great read. I have brought in the summer by listening to my latest music fave. Check out Justin Nozuka. Very talented musician for a teenager.

This summer is about returning to some priorities. I got my profession going now I need to concentrate on getting Jakey healthy. Can't wait. Expect more blogging this summer. Now that I have 2 months to chill. Got to love teaching!! (Photo is of my and some students on Crazy Hat Day, we are cats meowwww)

Republicans are ridiculous!!

For anyone else out there who is supporting the no flag pin wearing, refusing to put hand over his heart during the pledge, believes everything and anything his former pastor said with no educated opinion of his own, has a wife or shall we say "baby mama", and Muslim radical Barack (who's sane) Obama, here is a website that will help.

The Republican National Convention already said, out right truthfully, that they will begin very soon a complete smear campaign against Barack. They are going to make the junior senator look sketchy by associating with anything and everything left left left liberal liberal liberal radical radical radical.

Barack Obama has now created this website: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/fightthesmearshome/

It will tell you the truth about anything ridiculous thing you have heard such as:

Michelle Obama using the word "whitey" in a speech (come on, now that is funny)
Barack being a muslim
Obama refusing to say the pledge
and him refusing to release his birth certificate.

If you are tired of this type of politics then stay informed. John McCain is running a dimwitted campaign and his days of being a "maverick" are long gone.

I swear if our country falls for this again I am moving to Norway (where I can legally get married by the way). We were in a war in 2004 with an administration that has no respect for the law or constitution and everyone voted for Bushwacked because somehow gays wanting basic legal rights was somehow worse.

STAY INFORMED!!!!!!!

Your feeling political this Friday,
Jake

The Final Countdown!!!!

Thats right people, as of this Friday we have 9 days left. It is almost over!! Wooooohoooooo!!!!

Love my students, but the time has come. I am just beat. It has been quite busy with all kinds of end of the year data and cleaning up. Jakey needs a break. I taught all last year (yes most jobs work all year but not with 18 children), then we moved(kicked my a**), and then I have had my Boogie Down Bronx experience. I feel accomplished and proud with how the year ended. Next year, a new group of children.

In my spare time, I have been hanging out indoors. Our recent NYC heatwave was unreal!! Over a 100 degree heat with humidity. In the words of Paris Hilton "Thats hot". It finally cooled off with a wicked lightning and thunder storm last night. Today is much better.

While hanging indoors, I have been researching and writing poetry. I find it very relaxing. I have started with sonnets and cinquains. I will end this blog with a couple. I also have been listening to music. If you get a chance check out the British artist, Duffy, I have really enjoyed her. She is a way better version of Amy Winehouse, minus all the drama and crack.

That is all I have for now, Peace!!

Poem #1: Inspired by class 1-100. It has been an up and down year but these kids will always hold a special place in my heart.

Wating

They sing,
Just waiting, WAITING, waiting for our world to change
Walk to school amongst the wolves
Poverty playing out in front of them
waiting, WAITING, unaware.

Trash blows, music blares, horns blow
voices carry, cars speed, their world.

A school with no walls
filled with frustrated hollers
creating a choir deafened to them by now
mouths move, eyes narrow
they drift to that place where no noise is necessary
waiting WAITING, unaware

The battle to change their setting
A visionary, a prophet needed
it must walk amongst them
coming from within
going to the core then explode

A script etched across their faces
their needs "tagged" for all to see
always a missed priority
and them...
waiting, WAITING, unaware

They sing,
waiting, WAITING on their world to change
Walk to school amongst the wolves.

Poems 2 and 3: A couple attempts at Cinquain.

HOPE
constant necessary
uplifting comforting unyielding
between my thoughts and logic
belief

CHANGE
rocky uneven
winding freeing releasing
to follow ones heart to awareness
peace

Thanks, me

Hi!!

I’m Back…

It has been quite a while since I have sat down at the blog. No worries though, it is just “that” time of the year in the teaching world. As of next Tuesday, we will have 23 days (I think) left with the children. It has been quite busy trying to wrap up, and pretty draining.

I always heard that at the end of the year, most of the kids just click. Finally all that knowledge you have crammed in their minds just makes sense to them. I wasn’t quite sure what to look for, but sure enough it arrived. I sat down to start assessing my kiddos, and boy did they impress me. Within the matter of a month March to April, a lot of them went through the roof. I loved every minute of it. They were reading and discussing their books, they are blowing through the math standards. Their writing is developing. I was so flipping proud of them.

This is supposed to be the time where classes are getting sick of each other. I am suppose to play the role of tapping my foot watching the calendar, and the kids are suppose to morph into little second grade monsters. I was sitting back hanging out this afternoon, and the complete opposite is happening. Our class feels closer than ever. They are energized and witty. They are determined and focused. Maybe we were a perfect fit. A class of late bloomers, me in my teaching and they in their learning.

I have almost made it through a full year in the Bronx. Wow!! I can’t even believe it. I will take this experience with me forever. Teaching first grade in the Bronx…

I have had quite the interesting life path. Maybe I am like a first grader?? Maybe all the knowledge I need is up there, and I am about to just click. Maybe, just maybe, I am learning from them. They are modeling to me how to stay determined and take off. What a thought! Open my eyes and see what surrounds you. The path is there amongst the crayons, books, backpacks, and dirty hands.

Peace!!

Horton...

We had soooo much fun with this....

We went to the movies after reading the book for a week.

Cutest thing was when we were leaving the movie (for those who have seen the movie or remember the book) it was very windy so inside the theater there was dusting floating everywhere. As we were walking out, the kids went nuts yelling "A SPECK!!!!" and chasing them around trying to catch them. Loved it!!

A new clasroom indeed...

Well chummy chums,

the days of smooth sailing, sipping mojitos in the sun type days in class 205-D are over.

Lets me just say my last post, turned out to be one of 4 new kids I got in 7 days. YIKES!!

Case #2 - My next amazingly new child is a boy that needed to be moved from his last class because parents were complaining about him. He is a wild card. Dont really know where I stand with him. So far he listens to me. He of course chose to throw his first official fit 15 minutes before the weekend on Friday. He wouldnt stop calling the kids at his table stupid and telling them to "shut up" but then he refused to write his homework. FOOT DOWN!! Although my first reaction was to go go Diva on him and say "OH no you didn't", but I put him in a "quote on quote- thinking spot" aka time out. Change the name and its no longer corporal punishment. Huh, you see, starting to use the old noggin now. When I went to speak to him later, I had a tough love heart to heart. Down on his level we talked about what made him act that way and after a little coaxing he explained that he "was just angry" in the softest voice. Taking into account what he had been through this week, we talked about his friends from his old class and made a plan to visit them next week. Next thing you know, he is back on trek. He is still a mystery and mentally exhausting because you have to keep him in line without being too stern because he will lose it and throw pencils. A fine line indeed...

Case #2

A girl with spunk!! She began on crazy hat day. She is very animated but also goes into her on little world. She joins our class because she just got put into foster care in the area. She is the oldest of 4, two being babies, and they all got broken up. No one really knows what schools she came from or much information yet, but I have all the info I need on her. I can tell she was the care taker of the kids. She loves to help, and has a mature side that most 7 year olds should not have. She is still such a child though, and has alot to learn about being in school. She is very animated and has already made friends. She will be just fine. I am happy this class can become somewhere safe for her.

Case #3

Oh boyyyy! Where to start! This young girl began school a couple weeks ago, but they were so concerned with her behavior that she started in the suspension room so her group setting would be small. Like most crazy acting kids she became famous, and she landed on my roster. She has sever emotional needs, and when you hear her story it breaks your heart. Not going to go into too much detail here, but her father and brother made her life hell in a way that no 7 year old should ever experience. When you look into her eyes, she is lost. Not present in her petite little body. Academically, she is in the top of my class. A great reader and writer. She began this week because they found her a one-on-one para. She really changed the dynamic. She crawls over the floor and under tables. When she doesn't get her way she goes under my teachers shelves and will not come out. She hasnt shown her violent streak yet, but it is there lurking. The original kids in my class have big hearts so they have been looking out for her so far. She responded well to structure. When I knew she would be joining our class instantly began practicing and reviewing class routines and when she began she fell right in.

For instance, we have a really structured way we do reader's workshop in our class. the kids get their "just right" books and go to their spots with their reading buddies. During independent reading they read back to back with their buddies silently. After that they turn and read sided by side taking turn reading and listening to their buddies. Then they go to work time. Meanwhile I am meeting with guided reading groups. Friday, the kids showed the new kids how to do it. We methodically went through the process, and as the kids followed the process, I took the newbies on a little tour pointing out all the wonderful behavior I saw (the originals were so proud of themselves). I made a really big deal out of it and then asked the previous mentioned two girls to try the process by themselves. Like butter...
I was very proud of them. I hope this girl makes some break throughs in our class. If I could look back on her time in class 100 and see that she showed sign of returning again. And her eyes would sparkle a little bit, I would feel accomplished.

You would think that this craziness would really turn me off to the whole scene at 163. But it really has made me connect to the kids in the my class at a much deeper level. My job is to educate, to give them an advantage in life by starting them off in school with the right "smarts". But now I see that even above that, 100 must be a safe place from them. A place they can count on and trust. Mr. Robbins will be there everyday, expecting the very best from them behaviorally and academically. They will come to a class with a familiar structure. A structure they rely on when they come off the crazy streets of the Bronx.

Some people ask if it is worth giving up certain professional musts to teach in this environment. "There are so much better schools out there" I hear all the time. "No one can really change the world" or "everyone thinks they can change the world" gets thrown at me as if I need some out. I will know when the time has come. But right now, this job gives me meaning. And it reminds me of why I started this in the first place. If you made it this far in this long post, thanks for listening...

Not a Mister Rogers Post..

Anyway,

I work on Jupiter.

No really, I have moments like, "WTF is going on here at 163"

EXAMPLE:

I just got a new student last Wed.

Seemed O.K., but one word...NUTS!!

Today, I tried to redirect her during writing. She had to move down to the bottom of our behavior board for talking to her new friend clear across the carpet during instruction, so she was ticked. When I asked her to write, she CHUNKED the paper at my face.

I asked her to come speak to me at the back of the room. I was proud of myself, I kept my cool, I mean she is 6. Then she got even more mad, went out in the hall and began to tear down my student work. I called security to come get her, YES I SAID SECURITY, and then she lost it. She threw freaking crayons at me, and kicked a bucket at me. I was like "Damn Girl, you got issues". I wanted to be like "Oh no you didn't just throw crayons at me. I mean girl you live in the Bronx, crayons, seriously." I better be careful she might make a shank out of her pencil (really happened in a second grade classroom) and come at me.

Needless to say, I am not having a Mr. Rogers kind of week. I mean hell, if I tried to switch my shoes in front of them, they would steal them and hock them on the street for 5 bucks, and then go buy a damn snack at the bodega and eat it my class. Oh my friend, it is quite the vicious cycle.

Meanwhile, i have made friends with the roosters in my parking lot across from school. Maybe they will have advice, but I think they are just playing me so they can jump in my car for their getaway someday. But they will have to face it, someday they might end up at the store across the street that butcher live chickens in front of you (NOT KIDDING)!!

Again, I say JUPITER!!

Peace and Love

Happy 35th!!!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!! 35 Years!!

I love you guys!!

KELLY in the City Wrap-up!!

Today is the day before I return to 163. That is the worst thing about being on vacation...you have to go back to work eventually. Thinking back on this week off, the highlight of course is mom's visit. We had so much fun. She was such a trooper. She ate at new funky restaurants. She walked all over the dang place, with very little wining. She saw lots of sights. I loved riding the Staten Island Ferry with her. The Statue of Liberty was quite the sight. She even had perfect timing. The weather was pretty good while she was here, including a 55 degree day. As soon as she left, we got blasted with snow and rain. Such a relief that didn't happen during her visit. The highlight I think for both of us, was on the final night we went to see "Wicked". One word.......Fantastic!!! We both were in la la land after.

Although her visit did make a bit homesick, it was well worth it. I cant wait to have more visitors. Everyone is welcome. Jakey and the big apple will be waiting...

KELLY in the City Day 1!!

Well it was a busy day. I think we almost killed mom, but she was such a trooper. She came home a fell asleep at 9:00 o'clock :).

We did and saw alot. We got a great deal on the double decker tour bus. It was so cool. You can hop on and hop off all over the city, so it is much like educational transportation. Mom saw alot of uptown Manhattan yesterday. We did a big loop around Central Park, and we saw famous peoples buildings, great architecture with historical stories too boot, Harlem, and much more. We finally hopped off at The Met. We spent a couple hours there and mom saw the highlights...Van Gogh, Matisse, Georgia O'Keefe, Rembrant, and all the cool displays. We took a taxi to the theater district, had lunch, then watched "A chorus line", moms first on-broadway show. From there, we walked through Times Square on the way home, and where down for the night. It is really great to see mom in the big apple. :)

KELLY in the City

Ms. Kelly Robbins arrived in the big apple at 9:00 p.m. last night!! Safe and Sound. She is looking like a kid in the candy store. Stay tuned!!

A quick lesson with bigger outcomes

This afternoon, like most teachers, I was running off my pacing. It didn't really matter beacuse only twelve children graced my presence. Attendance has been awful in my class after Christmas break. I tell you I thought working at an inner city school meant basically 100% attendance. Well, that is something I got completely wrong. I tell you, if there is a hint of bad weather those parents refuse to walk the long trek (no more than 4 blocks for most). I have really had to let that go. Yet another shock treatment for the adorably naive.

Just a side note, I actually had a parent whose kids had been out for 2 days tell me that she sent the kid to school just to get him out of the house. Picture a woman with big gold hoop earing and her hair up in humongous rollers complete with a net protective cap. (no judgments just observations) He didn't come back for the next 2 days after that hmmmm. By the way, same parent that had her kids miss 2 days in January and when we asked where they had been, he said with a straight face "Oh yeah, my mom said we had to go stay with grandma to get out of her hair. I wanted to respond, "no joke kid, with those rollers, I get it buddy" but I restrained. Just kidding.

Believe me, you have to become immune to alot out there in the boogie down Bronx. Keep up with the blog because now that I am in a comfortable place in my teaching, I just have to share some stories. Now to what I really wanted to blog about...

This afternoon, I taught my lesson on studying characters in books to hold comprehension. Since February is Black History Month, I started by reading the wonderful book "Martins big Words". The kids had such a great conversation, and I had never seen them so into a read aloud. Something about his whole story fascinated them. After a great discussion, they had to go back and fill out a character report on Martin. I added some pictures of the little men in my class. I couldn't resist, it completely made my day. Below will be a cheat sheet because if you are not a young person teacher you might not be able to read their developing writing.
The writing at the very top left. The students wrote on the top that "he (Martin Luther King) helped the garbage men" and that if he ever met him they would "talk about love."

The writing across on the left says "they didnt ride buses (Montgomery bus boycott) and then he wrote about him at the bottom "I will keep him in my best heart".

The next one on the left says "Martin Luther King Jr, Courage, He uses big words BRAVE." And on the bottom he wrote "when I grow up I am going to be him".

The final piece says much of the same as the one above "He uses big words". And he said that he would tell him "I want to grow up just like you."

Three of the four where young black americans and I hope they take Doctor King away from this into their lives and picture him as goal and not fifty cent and bling bling. This brought me back to my teaching soul. I couldn't stop smiling. I too have a dream...

Alive...

Up on the rooftop of 30 Rock,
I felt alive for the first time.

The kids were so innocent, so vibrant.
It was like giving them a gift.
The field trip had no educational value,
but the kids got way more out of it then any standard guided trip.
The got a chance to escape.
They got to run, envision, and laugh.

Blink,
That sums up what time has felt like since I moved here.
It is going by so fast, and now I want to slow it down.
Life’s too short.

There comes a time when you have to face up.
Blame and shame are no longer there.
Just me, looking in a mirror,
Facing the one thing, the final thing,
that lies between me and happiness.
No one else, nothing else, just my reflection.

It is safe to say that the real work has now begun,
The world spins forward.

Now I believe.

A field trip realization...

As I woke up this morning I missed the blog, so I decided to not neglect it any further.
The weather in the city has been amazing the past couple days. It indeed feels like spring in January. The city feels so much different. I woke up to pouring rain on Friday, and when we walked around that evening the city had a certain freshness. The rain had come and washed away all the harshness from the bitter weather just a week ago.

The past week was busy. We took the kids to the Museum of Natural History. The museum is all it is billed to be. I struggled to keep an eye on the kids because I too was enamored with all the sights. The observer in me loved most when we entered the room with the T-rex and the Brontosaurus. The Brontosaurus extended all the way to the ceiling of the great hall, and as the kids looked up and followed the neck all the way to the top, they almost fell backwards due the height. I have to admit, I wasn’t quite ready for this trip. The week at school was unorganized and chaotic. The upper grade students were taking “the test” and since we are an “open corridor” school the lower grade classes were up rooted and moved all over like educational nomads. By Thursday, my patience was rattled and on edge. The moments we got on the bus and started to drive, the kids innocence and pure excitement chipped away at that. They were obsessed with the Hudson River. As we drove down the Henry Hudson Parkway, they screamed and yelled at every boat. Their imaginations flourished. Some had ice skated across it when they were younger, some saw sharks, some saw a rocket ship take off from right in the middle of the water. Every park we saw, they had been there, and as we drove cross down on the upper west side, they all had lived in the gorgeous brown stones and luxurious buildings with doormen. By the end of the whole trip, I was indeed exhausted. But, the kids had shown me what I loved most about them. No matter, what the circumstance or what the background, children can instantaneously leave their reality. They can send themselves off to these exciting and imaginative places without any effort. I am realizing that the ability to do so, is what keeps me coming back. It is something that I am learning from them. Life always seems so complicated. Life at times seems to have nothing but dead ends. But these 6 year olds from the Bronx, have taught we that no matter how bad you think it is, you can take yourself somewhere within that blocks out everything else around you. They really are amazing…

Im Back!!

Well, this will be a quickie,

I decided I would not write until I found my New Year's resolution,
so here I am!

It is quick and easy....

FIND THE JOY IN LIFE!!

Pretty easy huh?
I have a quarter life behind me,
and I want the next quarter to be filled with tons of fun memories.

No more holding back,
I am laying it all out there,
and approaching life with open eyes and enthusiasm.

So there it is folks!
I even bought my soundtrack today...

30 greatest hits of ARETHA FRANKLIN!

How can me even pay attention to any female artists these days
when there existed a time of Aretha's prime.
No one compares...