This past Sunday i went to Joshua Harvest Church in Wilmington. There, Pastor D, spoke about education and its role both in and out of religion. Education, he said, is one of the tools that everyone can use to make themselves better and I obviously subscribe to this theory as well. All told, both of these Pastors had interesting things to say, and both made me very optimistic about my future in education.

What I thought was the coolest part fo the video was the student who rearranged words in his lyrics with the same letters to change the meaning of it. It showed that even if you cant hear the changes, when you read them you understand his meanings. To me, this shows a new kind of mastery of language that students may not be able to show or demonstrate in a more traditional style.

I also thought it was cool that students grades improved drastically on high stakes tests when they used hip hop as a way to help them improve their use and knowledge of language and syntax.

While it is not a criticism, American education seems to have a disconnect between students and teachers. While can still obviously care about their students, the relationship isn’t as personal. Teachers are seen more as authoritative figures than anything else. In order for Latino students to succeed in the United States, they must make a relationship between themselves and their teachers. Teachers that mimic this relationship can be more helpful and successful in helping these students integrate into American culture and lifestyle.

Another interesting point is that second generation Latino students do better than second generation. This occurs for a variety of reasons. The first is that students who are new to American education systems may be more motivated. They want to assimilate into American culture and society, and they work harder. Often, they may be the first fmaily members to receive a formal education in English, and serve as a interpreter for their parents. Students who have been in this country for a while may not be as motivated, and may also seem resentful of the changes they have become accustomed to. As a future educator, this lack of motivation is something I know I will encounter, and something I will have to try and overcome.

The past week in class we’ve been talking about the Freedom Writers. The Freedom writers was a group of students in a poor, minority area high school in LA during the mid 90′s. With the guidance of their teacher Ms. Gruwell, they were able to achieve beyond their wildest dreams. Ms Gruwell guided the students through literature and showed them that even though few people had many expectations for them, they were acutally able to control their own destiny through education.

The coolest thing I thought Ms. G did was use literature to relate to them. For example, she used the works of Tupac and his poetry to show students that you can use writing and language to express yourself. She also used stories such as “Durango Street” to help her students understand that even if they have had trouble or problems in the past, they can still make positive changes in their life.

Her students called themselves the Freedom Writers because they brought literature to life to make a change. They went from a 9th grade class dismissed by almost everybody as a group of failures, to graduating seniors who had the world open to them. I want to be as influential as Ms. G because she showed her students that they have no limits. I think this is very hard and brave for a new teacher because teachers are so prepped and trained for certain situations, that it is hard for them to be as spontaneous and innovative as she was. Still, i think with the right amount of work and effort this can be achieved.

Wednesdays class focused on the video from last week. We discussed the ideology and methods that Rafe employed in his classroom. I think the obvious yet important message Rafe was trying to explain to his students is that the content is not what is important, it is the skills and tools you learn and use while studying that are important. Basically, Shakespeare was only the subject covered, it could have been any other play and/or author. The fact that the students worked together, put in a lot of work, and did something that most people would consider to be impossible or extremely challenging, is what made their class so inspirational.

Lastly, Friday we went to the library and learned a little about video and video editing that we will use for the Achievers Academy. I’m excited to help out with the video production. While I will not be able to get to Concord High School because of my busy schedule, I am looking forward to helping work on the final project.

Wednesday we watched a video on the coolest elementary school class ever. Rafe Esquith is an elementary school teacher in urban LA who teaches his 5th grade classroom Shakespeare. The point of doing this is to spark a love of learning in these kids. In the part of LA where these students are from, violence, drugs, and gangs run the streets. Rafe’s mission is to show his students that they have an alternate to the norm. They do not need to follow in the footsteps of those who have turned to drugs or gangs.

Rafe is inspirational because of how his styles have worked. He mentions how his class is funed by former students who have become sucessful laywers, doctors, etc. They have set up a non-profit organization to gather money for Rafe’s trips. He has taken his students all over the country and shown them what it is to be an American, and why they should value there education. I was shocked that he was able to get Ian McKellen to come in and read Shakespeare for his class, but this only speaks to how important and noble his cause is.

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Saturday I went to see Voices, a presentation that my friend Heather put on that Professor Meacham also aksed us to attend. Heather’s presentation was about the importance of literacy, and why we should teach literacy. She invoked the idea of teaching literacy to prevent crime and also had monologues by inmmate who had turned to reading and education as a way to learn from their mistakes. As part of the show, Professor Meacham performed his I Am Poem, which was quite moving to see him so proud while reciting it. I enjoyed the I Am Poems in class, but seeing his in the context of education and literacy as a way to improve ourselves as people made my future as an educator instantly seem more important.

One of the many suggestions that were put forward, including one I like was the idea of the idea of a class discussion. The discussion can be of anything, from reading, social events, politics and religion. The importance of the discussion is to allow students to interact with their peers. Once they see how their peers stand on issues, when asked to work in groups they already have been predisposed to traits. From my time in high school I remember how important class discussions can be. I loved interacting with my peers, challenging their ideas and thoughts, and also getting to know them during the exercise.

Anyway, I decided that being an achiever does not mean you have to have overcome some great goal or obstacle. Any challenge, no matter how big or small that you have achieved or succeeded in makes you an achiever. I think this is a point that we have to drive home for students. While there is no limit to how far you can set your personal expectations, you also do not have to limit yourself to some sort of glory. If you work hard at something and you succeed at it, then you’re an achiever; its as simple as that

The second issue that came across in class that puzzled me was the times when I’ve had to overcome something. During our free write we had to think of times when we’ve had to overcome some obstacle. I had a hard time thinking of that. To be frank and politically incorrect, I come from a white upper middle class family in suburban Long Island. The challenges and difficulties that some students have to face on a daily basis are almost non-existent When I thought back on what I’ve overcome I felt naive and young. I’m 21 but I’ve had no real challenges. I’m about to graduate and enter the job market. I’m on the verge of becoming an adult and I feel so childish. This was another breakthrough for me because I realized that you do not need to have some great victory. Personal victories and gains are equally as important for students. For both obstacles that you must overcome, or situations in which you achieve, there is no scale to which we should judge ourselves. The only judgment should be based on the development of your character. If you’ve helped find your true self and build your own character, then you’re a true achiever.