More Murder, More Death

The memorial below is down the street from me by a corner store. It has a picture of a young woman. I do not know how she died. I would guess violence, because the street is two small to have a massive car accident,  but it could be from an accident. I can not find any information in any paper about her. For the last 4 years in a row, there has been a young person killed in this neighborhood. In 2006, there was a man shot and killed in the alley where I park my car. At end of that same year, there was a man killed at the post office across the street. In 2oo8, earlier in the year there was a man killed in the alley across the street (I wrote about him here), and now there is this young woman. When I say in my neighborhood, I am talking about the blocks right by my spot, not even the next major intersection. If this is happening at every major intersection (which we don't know because The Homicide Report was shut down) then we have the situation we are in right now. More people have been murdered in Los Angeles in the last 8 years then have died in the Israeli-Palestine Conflict. That is crazy. 

What's up at Century and Van Ness

Not too much...It has been very quiet for the last month, no new graffiti or shootings or much else. That is definitely a good thing. On the job, I am still struggling. Behavior is getting worse among a subset of students who are faced with the reality that the school is going to be highly structured and they can't really get out of it. There are a lot of stories I want to try to post up here, and although I have said it before, I really want to post more up. This job has been all consuming and has put me in a place where I am struggling to do as well as I want to. It just isn't quite clicking like I want. If it isn't behavior that is driving me crazy, it is my inability to come up with an engaging lesson! There are some bring spots, but overall, I am struggling with motivation because I am not doing well. It is just like students that are not motivated because they find that they are not successful. The amount of energy and effort being put in to work is not paying back right now. It does not lead me to giving up at all. But there is just heavy weight on my shoulders. I always strive to be the very best. 

I am finding myself valuing what little time I have more myself more than ever. I need to find more time for myself, so I can do better when I do work. I'll keep y'all updated on how it turns out. 

Barack Obama

Month 1

I have completed one month at my new school teaching a new class that integrates technology, leadership, and ethnic studies into one curriculum. I have been working hard as I can. Literally, crawling out of bed and straight over to my computer to work on the next lesson or whatever else is on my list, coming home, showing/eating, and doing more work...
There have already been several ups and downs. From a very good lessons, to complete technological failures. Add to that a discipline challenge that I have never experienced. It is strange because at my old school, I know this year would have been very smooth. I already knew the kids, already had a rep, and already had my lessons. New school = no lessons, no rep. But I am finally able to teach what I want, what I feel is important. And I'm able to do it on computers. The whole thing is surreal, as I try to gage weather I am doing well or not in the midst of trying to figure out how to teach in a totally different dynamic.
It is hard to even reflect on. I am struggling with many parts, but I am working hard and getting some results. I did not realize what a difference one grade makes! Moving from 10th graders to 9th graders....9th graders can be a mess! I am still trying to gain a balance in the class in terms of technology and ethnic studies and still trying to figure out how to teach technology. As of now, each student has a blog, email, and some idea of how to use Google Maps. So we are moving in the right direction.
As for the neighborhood, it is has been quiet...then again, I'm getting home late and leaving early, so who knows what's really happening.

Made In America - Review

Last week I went to see Made In America. It is a documentary about the formation and existence of the Bloods and Crips. This is a subject that I feel well-educated on, so I was very skeptical going in to the movie. Here's my review. 

Positives: The first thing I noticed about the movie was the amazing visuals. The movie has incredible overhead clips of South LA and great shots on location as well. The visual production of the movie is very good. It starts off talking about the migration of Blacks to LA and then into the Watts Riots. The historical parts were very good and the interviews that accompanied them fit nicely. Every point that I hoped to hear was there. As the movie continued, hearing from the former gang bangers was very good as well. 

Negatives: The movie centered about the projects and Compton. Doing this makes it feel very sensational. That combined with the non-historical segments which were just interviews with young men basically saying they are going to do what they do gave a very one-dimensional view of the whole thing. The movie did touch on things like self-hatred and lack of male role-models, but all of it was not very well organized. It jumped around a lot. There was a focus on reformation toward the end, but I think the portrayal could have been solved by interviewing young people that had now made the choice not to bang, or never did bang and tell that story as well. 

Overall: Overall, I would not recommend that people go out and view this as soon as possible and I would not recommend that people not see it. I don't feel that it brings anything new to the story. In fact, I was surprised that it did not touch on the changes occurring today. Over the last 20 years, the population of South LA has shifted toward a majority Latino population. Although it is often overstated, and seems to have leveled off, South LA is definitely 60-70% Latino (although you wouldn't know from watching the news). This has changed the operation and dominance of Bloods and Crips. For example, some Blood and Crip gangs have put aside past beefs as numbers dip due to people moving out. Also, many gangs have just straight up died off because there are no new members due to the changes in population. I think there has been more pressure for some youth to join gangs in areas where the shifts have occurred for the mere fact that the number of youth is less then in previous generations. None of this was addressed in the film - meaning that the film brings nothing new to the understanding of how and why the gangs exist. 

Did I Make the Right Choice?

Events from last week had me briefly debating if I made the right choice to leave my last school and help start a new school. Last week, I received my test scores for world history 10. The history test is a difficult test because it is much more analytical than the other tests and requires a high reading level. 75% of my students scored basic or above! I'm not saying that is the greatest ever at all, and is still 10% lower than my suburban counterparts, but it was an improvement and it was one of the higher within my district. 

Then, I received the teacher surveys. At the end of each year, admin conducts a computer-based survey that has the students rate the teachers in areas such as use of homework, knowledge of subject, engagement, discipline, ect. I was the highest rated teacher at my school and well above the average of my district. I am definitely not one to brag, but since it is done and over, that did bring me great joy! 

The scores and the ratings were the result of 3 years of hard work. I don't know if I can repeat this, at least not right away. I am about to teach a class I have never taught. On top of that, I need to adjust to new students. That is why I briefly wondered if I made the right choice. But deep down, I know I have. I needed to get out of teaching that class. This next year will be difficult, but not impossible. I'll just keep working hard and hoping to make it!  

Another Story of Violence

This one starts on my block, seven year ago...a child found her mother killed and then was raped by the killer and left for dead. She is now testifying against the killer. 

Click here for the full story. 

4 Dead in 24 Hours in Athens

These killings occurred on Sunday/Monday. The triple homicide took place about 5 minutes from my house, across the street from where I used to work. Then, a 17 year old football player was killed while riding his bike. Since the city, state, and federal government are clearly not concerned with this, it is up to us in the community to fix it. Of course, I would say the best solution is education. A proper education that teaches content, values, community, and self-empowerment could lead to a huge reduction in homicides. Check the full story at this link, or click on the picture. 

Success!

The last couple of days at Summer Bridge were a challenge. It was difficult to get everyone on point and focused. On our last day though, we came very close! We brought the students to USC for a scavenger hunt. The students were split into small groups and assigned a chaperone. This worked out very well. Even with extreme heat, there were almost no complaints as the groups competed to be the first ones done. After an extra long two weeks, it was great to see the students get involved, and have a good time. It was not perfect, but it was the best day of the two weeks. We came back, had lunch together, and we were done! Notably, the mood of the students improved significantly with a few of the most negative students absent....hmm something to think about! 

Only in the Hood...

So it is 11:30 at night and I am on the grind doing my work. Then, that hunger hits me! I need a snack. The only thing left open is the liquor store across the street. I put on my shoes and take the short walk. As soon as I get in, a middle-aged woman is cursing out the store owner. From what I could gather, it seemed that she felt that they had implied through a comment that she was some type of prostitute. She did not dress or appear to be a prostitute, but she felt they had implied in during a conversation that took place before I entered. So as she is cussing them out and explaining how insulted she is, she is also paying for liquor. She insults them by saying that they might do that for money, but not her…and then hands them the money for the liquor. I’m pretty sure they sell liquor for money! What confused me the most is this: if she felt truly insulted, why still buy the liquor at that store?

Expectations - Reflections

The transformation of Locke High School to a charter school is a huge effort. It is so different that what the students are used to. Many students are coming from school environments that did not hold them accountable for anything. So we want to hold them accountable for everything. Although cognizant of where they are coming from, I am also adjusting to the age. I’m used to 15 and 16 year olds. With these 13 and 14 year olds, it is different to say the least. One advantage I have is that I know what they need for 10th grade and can hold them to that standard. So the California Conference for Justice and Equality (CCEJ) has come to our school to teach the students about everything from different forms of oppression to bullying and school action plans. Although a beautiful idea and presentation, it is difficult for our young student to sit still for a while and absorb some information (as would be expected). So we are seeing the worst of their behavior due to dis-engagement. Last year, I only had students leave class three times, all three were incidents involved them cursing or attempting to fight another student. I considered that terrible, and always look at what could I have done to have prevented that from ever coming up. I keep stuff pretty active, so there is not a lot of time for the extras. The year before last, I did not kick out any students the entire year. I hate to do it. Today, I had to ask two to leave to the dean, and wrote up seven. And all the poor facilitator (who is not a trained teacher) could say was “We all have to be here so we might as well participate…whatever.” Yea, that will get them engaged! Although I always look to what I can do, I also know that at least I am holding them accountable. I asked them to leave because their behavior was so outrageous that the example set for the other students was unacceptable. One student could not let go of the attitude! Another was cursing at a student. I never take it personal, and I know that the students have to adjust to expectations that they have never seen. We are asking them to work harder at school than they ever have in their lives. I know in due time, they will adjust and rise to the expectations and come to appreciate the structure. In the meantime, I’m just gonna keep the expectations and accountability high. And make sure I get a good night’s rest!

Values - Reflection

I am still mad about the Inglewood police and the never ending violence, but I want to start to use this blog as a record of reflection as well. 

I am currently work on Summer Bridge. I am the leadership teacher. Summer Bridge is a program for in-coming 9th graders to prepare them for the regular year. It is a two week program to get them on point. The first two week session went well, but I wanted to change a few of the lessons to be more meaningful. I tried to do a lesson on values today. I wanted to communicate to the students that we as a staff want to instill in them a value for personal responsibility at school. 

I started the lesson by telling them a little about the new Locke High School. It has changed significantly. We looked at a map of the school and I showed them where our classrooms would be and how "big" our part of the campus was. Further, I showed them the schedule for the year, which includes 100 minute classes. The students were not thrilled about this information. Then, we looked to brainstorm what were some of their values and morals. We started as a class, and then the students had to pick their top 5 and explain why they are important. This went ok. One thing that disappointed me was that not all the students finished their work, even when prompted and checked. But I could have done a better job of making sure they were on point. Then, we broke up into groups and the students had to determine how to approach several different situations responsibly, such as being absent. Not all of the students understood that they were to solve the problem with a responsible solution. Also, some groups had a hard time starting or did not do very much of the work. Even though this was only a small part of the class, it was still a disappointment. To top it all off, we were interrupted by a minor earthquake in 3rd period. So I just don't feel that that class was on point. We had a lot of new students today and that probably contributed. 

Bottom line, I want to do well and I want to connect with the students. I want to connect with them on the level that they connect because they enjoy the class and see the structure of the class. I left today disappointed because I want to do better. This year, I will be creating a curriculum around leadership and technology. I don't even know what this will look like. It is starting to make me nervous because I want to do well! I want to be the best of the best. I have been given a lot of credit over the last year. I definitely had the best 10th grade class at my school last year. Now that it is over there, I can say that (although I would never have said that during the year). I need to repeat that. 

Another Man Shot in Inglewood by the Same Officer Who Shot the Teenager Earlier This Year

This is just plain out ridiculous. The uncle of one of my students was this man's best friend. The man has two daughters and works at the post office. The police went to the wrong house. Check out more at this link. This is highly upsetting. I will post more tomorrow when I have more time. 

Crazy As Usual

With starting up a new school, I am busy as ever. I can't even find time to sit down and relax (notice I am writing this at midnight!). I have had a chance to travel a little bit. I went to see some family in the Bay and then some peoples in New Orleans. All while my girlfriend is in Cuba for two weeks! Anyway, here is a quick breakdown of the highlights. 

• Went to the Bay and celebrate my 4 year anniversary with my girlfriend (soon to be wifey!) 
• Went to New Orleans - the people have severe post-traumatic stress syndrome - They are struggling, but have a beautiful and proud culture
• Came back to helicopters and arrests across the street. They are doing major sweeps across the area - These sweeps do absolutely nothing. 
• Another young Black man was shot by the cops in Inglewood and then another in Compton while I was gone. 
• On the positive, our school is coming together. I will post up our logo later. 
• At Locke, I was banged on by some South Los bangers. South Los is a Latino gang in the area - I am racially mixed and will often be perceived as many different ethnicities - including Latino. 
• I have so much work to do it is not even funny. I guess I should get to it. 

So here's what happened...

I have not updated this web site for a variety of reasons. I have been putting it up because I wanted to start writing essays on the site. However, I have had little to no time to actually write an essay. The topics were going to be problems of the Black Youth, causes of increase in homicides this year, and the elements of a good teacher. However, I have found myself unable to find the time to do this. I want to start using this site as a daily reflection of my teaching, supplemented with the neighborhood news (which I have not been keeping up with) and the essays. So, all said in done, expect more updates in the future! 

First NY, Now Inglewood

The cops have shot an innocent Black man in Inglewood. The man was with his friends trying to get away from gun shots, and the police start busting on him. He was unarmed, no criminal record, nothing. His crime was being a young Black man. 

Here is what the LA Times reported. 

I want to do something about this, but I don't know what. This is about 2-3 minutes from my house. 

Site Updates

I have added two things to my main blog page. The first is Google Street View. It is a view of my apartments. You can click on it and take a tour around my neighborhood. The second is a link to my ideology. It will gives you a breakdown of my values and how they relate to my actions. Check it out if you are interested! 

South LA to UC Santa Barbara

We had a great time at UC Santa Barbara! We checked out some classes, had a tour of the school with several current students, ate lunch, went to the admissions office for a presentation, went to the beach, and then all got jamba juice! All in all itwas a great trip! Thanks to everyone that participated!

It's Official

At the end of this year, I will stop teaching world history at my current school. This is only my third year of teaching, and it is very difficult to switch schools. I will be a founding teacher at one of the new Animo Locke schools. Locke High School is located about 5 mins further away from my house than my current school, thereby increasing my daily commute from 3 minutes to 8 minutes. On the real though, this was a very difficult decision. Two factors drove my decision: inadequate leadership at my current school, and the opportunity to teach a technology class with no standards. None at all! 

The new class will be a mix of technology, leadership, and ethnic studies. I will create the curriculum for it over the summer. This is where my real passion lies, and where I hope to have a greater impact on the youth than through world history. 

Greendot Schools (who I will heavily criticize later) took over Locke High School and will be converting it into six separate schools. Greendot definitely has flaws, but the quality of education will be better than it is right now, without a doubt. That is why I stay with them. 

The hardest part is facing the reality that I will be leaving my students. It has made this a very difficult decision. 

Hard Time In Peace

I got back from an HBCU Tour with my school about a week ago. We went
to Atlanta and DC. The trip was notbad, but while away, a guy about my
age was killed across the street. From the paint on the wall, it looks
like he was a banger. HT is for Hard Time Hustlers. I can't help but
feel that they make it hard on themselves.

The Good and The Bad

The Good: Almost 40 of my students came out this Saturday for a CAHSEE review session in preparation for the exit test taking place this week. Although I philosophically view the exit test as a ridiculous penalty for students who are a result of inadequate school systems, I still want all my students to graduate.  It was great to see them come out and put in some time on the weekend. 

The Bad: The body of a man who is part of the Blocc Crips (who hang out across the street from the school) was found in the alley across the street from the school. I don't have many details on it yet, but regardless of his life choices, it still sucks. 

Other News: I may have a chance to teach a technology class, still in South LA, but no longer down the street from my house. It is a very hard choice, because I want to teach the class, but I don't want to leave my school. 

The Homicide Report

There was an interesting article in the LA Times about the Homicide Report. The Homicide Report is a very sad collection of the endless homicides in LA. Living in the hood, I try to keep my ear to the street. But there are a lot of rumors and exaggerations. Also, the police will block off 3 or 4 blocks and not give you any heads up on what's going on. This blog has helped me keep better track of what's going on. 

Speaking of what's going on, I have been incredibly busy. A lot of the teachers have been looking a little tired lately. I'm doing ok. Some days are rough, but I have been getting a lot of positive feedback from students lately. That always helps to brighten my days. I have a lot of life choices to make right now. I lay them on soon, but right now, I'm going to keep them in my head! 

Crazy Days

Yesterday was a terrible day. I had seen a tag in the bathroom that I had seen on the streets on the East Side. It was BDSK crew written by Smoke. I was on the look out for who did it. Why? Because I believed that if we as a school got to him before the police, we could have a positive impact. I saw a kid in the bathroom and suspected it might be him because I see him in the bathroom a lot. I told him that he looked familiar and wondered where he stayed. Coincidentally, right around the corner from where I saw the tag. I let the principal know. Unfortunately, this kid had a blunt, some weed, and a razor on him. What started as a mission to help redirect a lost youth ends with the principal having to call the police, and another young male entering the system. 

Today, things were no better. After school, a young banger from the gang across the street from the school was getting arrested. In front of the school, another kid from another gang was banging on one of our students and hit him in the face. Then they saw some Hoovas and tried to bang on them. On top of that, two of our students started fighting also. Outside, while working with security, I couldn't tell who was who because our new dress code allows almost any colored sweatshirt, so students can blend in. This new leadership at the school is weak. The dress code should be stricter and the security of the school more regulated. This is always what happens with people from outside the hood making decisions. It is extremely frustrating. 

It is hard to see, but in the background, you can see a cop car where the kid was arrested this afternoon. 

Shouldn't I Be Asleep!

While I should be asleep, I thought I would sneak in a quick post. Last Friday was a very special event at the school. The seniors had put together a teacher appreciation night. I taught the seniors on my first year of teaching, and needless to say, it was a bit rough around the edges. Each former teacher of of their class had a speech about them and their class. I was very nervous as to what was going to be said. One of my current TAs made the speech. She spoke on how I dress (dickies and a polo, every color available) to my balance to work and activities to how we would discuss CNN News. Overall, I was glad that she and others saw above some of the surface level stuff and got what I wanted to teach. It was a good night and I'm glad I went. The weekend was quiet, and I ready for the next week. At least I think so...

MLK Day and Finals

I went to check out the MLK Parade on Monday. I have gone the last few years because I usually know someone in the parade and will usually see a couple of my students. The MLK parade in LA is right in the hood and is known for violence, sadly enough. There was a bit of a low turnout because of the weather. There were a ton of police. Some of them really looked like they were just waiting to beat someone down. I saw a couple people being arrested as I walked through the crowd. The was a mix of the smell of rain and weed in the air. There were probably more gang bangers out together this year than I have seen in a while. I'm not exaggerating or putting it on either. Dudes had the tats and the rags to prove it. It made me wonder what attracts them to the parade. Is it just because it is the neighborhood? Is it because of the large crowd, and the chance to holla at the females? Or is it because there is something about Dr. King that attracts them to the parade. Some sense of pride or recognition? Although some would disagree, I think that because it is MLK, that does relate to the turnout. This is probably one of the few events that even bangers are openly invited too, despite the high police presence, and the lack of creative floats and performances! It's a catch-22...these young guys need to be invited into the community, but at the same time, they come to the parade and tear it up. The next day as a few students asked if I went a few others said they didn't because they didn't want to "get shot." It is sad when people don't want to come out for a community event because of the real fear of violence. 

The first day back was also the day before the finals. One student came in distraught because his friend was killed at a party over the weekend. Another student lost a cousin outside of the U.S. This is a lot to work with right before the test. Some other students were unfocused for a variety of other reasons. As part of their study guide I had given them 60 multiple choice questions from previous tests, and told them that 30 of those questions would be on the test. Then I made 30 new questions based on our last unit, which we have not tested on. In addition, they were given the answers to 60 questions. I felt like I really set them up to be successful, but also required that they study. Some real took advantage, and some did not. More finals' updates coming soon. 

First Week Back To School

The first week back to school went ok. My lessons were decent, though I am still trying to improve student performance and behavior. Students came back with a gang of problems, and I am lucky to be able to respond the various levels of "stuff" that comes up. I'm still trying to push the 10th graders to excel beyond average. Some are taking heed, others are not. Either way, we have one more week of school, then finals week and then a new semester. 

Around the neighborhood it has been ok. A few gunshots went off yesterday, but it seemed like they were just shooting off into the air. Only problem is those bullets gotta come down. Good reason to stay inside for the night! There has been an increase in graffiti lately, but things are a bit calm. I'm also real busy, so I am probably missing some of what is going on. That's it. 

First Week Back In LA

After the first week back, things around my hood are pretty slow. A
lot of the younger people are out during break. It doesn't slow down
too much through. There was a helicopter out for a little over an hour
the other day. Then there was a fire in the intersection area where
there are some shrubs. And to top it off the lights were off for an
hour on the first of the month! Great way to bring in the new year!