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!

Just back from a road trip to the Bay

I got a lot of pictures from a trip to visit family in the Bay. This
is one of my favorite pictures. While it was a relaxing trip, the hood
never rest. At Jesse Owens, right up the street, two college students
were killed yesterday. According to the police, they were killed for
no apparent reason. Life in the hood never makes sense. Hopefully the
young student is in a place like the beautiful pictures below.