Why KIPP Works

Today at our grade level meeting, I witnessed and took part in one of the many traditions at KIPP: the Pinning Ceremony. The Pinning Ceremony takes place when the freshmen are nearly done with their first semester of high school as a symbol of their recommitment to college. The seniors apply a pin to their dress uniform and tell them that they commit to being role models. The freshmen commit to working their hardest to get to and through college; teachers commit to helping all of them do this. As much as I say that the kids at KIPP are brainwashed (and many are), it is amazing the impact these types of rituals have. When they happen often enough, it reminds students of why they are here: to get to and through college.

After the pinning ceremony, I witnessed another tradition: the esse quam vederi award. This award can be given to any student or faculty member, and is awarded by the last recipient. The newest recipient is a senior student who I do not teach, but who always greets me with a "Hey Ms. Redman. How you doin?" (Not in a Joey from Friends way, but in the most sincere way possible.) It turns out this student has wanted to be an astronaut since he was a little boy, and all of the faculty and his classmates believe he will someday get there due to his relentless pursuit of excellence. He is always studying and emailing teachers and trying his best. The teacher who nominated him started to choke up just talking about him, saying she believes someone will someday make a movie based on his inspirational life.  Even I began to get teary-eyed!

This kid, to the chants from his classmates, made a short speech and thanked everyone at KIPP for believing in him and pushing him constantly. He said he did not know where he would be without KIPP and is so thankful for the opportunities he has been given.

And that's what KIPP does. It gives students opportunities and support that they might not receive elsewhere.  And that's why I love it here. Despite the fact that my workdays are often 12 hours long, these kids need me to put in the hours, and they need me to care, and they need me to push them. It will all pay off in four years when I see the class of 2013 walk across the stage and receive their diploma.

Music

I often play music for my students if they are working on a group or individual project and are working quietly. I've played LFO, Pink Martini, Billy Joel (Pronounced Billy Joe-Elle when requested by one of my students), Elton John, John Mayer, Bob Marley... A mix of music. Today, as I was choosing the music for my students, my Beatles-obsessed student pulled out a book of CDs. I told students earlier that I am always looking to expand my music selection ever since I lost my hard drive at the beginning of the school year (and have since learned what Time Machine is for, and why my dad bought me my external years ago...). A.R. jumped all over this and brought a few discs in. I flipped through them and pulled out his John Lennon CD, and the CD we didn't recognize: Bobby Darin. Lennon is wonderful, and Darin is the guy who recorded "Splish Splash". Surprise!

I was hoping for more Beatles, but I'm sure I'll stumble across that at some point. Now that 3rd period knows that I'm serious about this quest for new music, I'm sure I'll get some more! I really can't wait!

And looking at the music I've played, it looks like I need to integrate more female artists. Whoops.

NOT teaching my class

There is another teacher in my classroom right now, teaching my kids. It is such an odd feeling, sitting back and letting someone else do the work.

I am pretty proud, though. My kids are answering questions and showing that I've taught them something in the past few weeks!!

On a completely different note, it's snowing right now. Umm.... I moved away from Portland to what I thought was a warmer climate. The temperature should be dropping today, and the snow should pick up around noon, and then freeze overnight. It's going to be on hell of a drive home.

Time home = time to reflect

It is really amazing what a couple of days and nights spent at home can do for the body and mind. I feel reconnected, rejuvenated, and reinvigorated. Maybe it was the fresh air, the fresh faces, or the fresh conversation, but I'm ready to head back to Houston with a new mind set. I have a job to do, and I don't think I've been doing it very well. If what I am doing is so important, and unique and impressive, why don't I feel that way every day?  Each lesson I plan should be important, unique and impressive. Each student should feel important, unique and impressive. Every MINUTE should be important, unique and impressive. OK, I know every minute is pushing it, but it's the goal and I don't feel like I've been meeting that goal.


Back to Houston, and back to the grindstone.

I'll miss you, Portland.

What's For Lunch

On Fridays, I assume the role of Teacher on Lunch Duty. This entails me walking around our very crowded cafeterium (cafeteria + gymnasium), making sure a food fight doesn't erupt. Friday is by far the best day for lunch duty because the principal puts his iPod on shuffle and connects it to the speakers. He has great taste in music, and the kids seem more mellow. Some dance a little, which makes us laugh, and time flies by when you are singing along. 

As I was walking around and monitoring my students' eating habits, I started to make notes of what they were eating. Here is a short list, with items that are served at school in blue, and items brought from home in green:

• Some sort of fish patty 
• croutons, cheese and ranch dressing all mixed together 
• a big bowl of chicken salad and white bread and doritios 
• flaming hot cheetos and a yummy looking browny
• breakfast burrito 
• unidentifiable meat on a bun 
• soup
• madagascar cupcakes
• disney princess cupcakes
• a jar of peanut butter
• more flaming cheetos
• sandwich

Yummy, no?

P.S. The Mountain of Grading keeps growing.

Make like a tree...

Bio-Diversity


I miss the season of autumn. Houston doesn't have a real autumn, but this false, pseudo, not-real autumn that consists of sunny days with highs in the low 70s, and no beautiful fall colors.

I remember walking across campus with one of the Hawaiian students at UP freshman year (Robbie), and seeing him see the colors for the first time. It was really magical to see his eyes light up and just stare at the colors. I miss the cherry trees and the color of red that they became.

Thanks, NYT, for bringing me some autumn, and some fun.

AIDS and Blood Diamonds

I'm trying to piece together some interesting outside resources for my students for when we study Africa. I want to them to write a paper either about Blood Diamonds, or the AIDS epidemic. If you know of any great books, movies, articles, or anything else, please let me know.

Cheers,
Ms. Redman