My Future Classroom! Scary thought!

Working at the PLC and learning through the book discussions has given me many ideas about how I would like to run my own classroom one day. I learned what to do and what not to do. I want to be able to give fair opportunities without regard to economic situations at home and I want to be able to really pull in students to the beauty of reading. I want to show students "the light" so to speak that reading and literacy can provide if given the opportunity. I will do this through relating material to the students and bringing in the media, technology, and pop culture. With technology such a big influence already in schools, I can only imagine the growth it will see between now and when I am actually the head of a classroom. It saddens me to see that students are reading less and less when I find such joy and contentment in books. If in any way I can improve literacy levels and help students read more, I will do all that is in my power to do so. I think that the PLC and the book clubs have taught me the importance of reading as well as the importance of doing all within your power to help your students succeed. The book clubs related numerous cases of unfit teachers and failing students that I hope to be able to eliminate. They were very helpful at alerting me to current issues within the school system and problems that I may face alone one day. With the knowledge from my time at the PLC and from the discussions, I feel much more ready to step in front of others and teach. The variety of topics in the discussions helped me feel more at ease that whatever problem that arises, no matter its nature, I can handle and overcome.

Conclusion!

With work at the PLC done and the semester coming to a close, I reflect back on all the PLC experience has allowed me. First of all, it showed me a completely new approach to teaching. It blew my mind the first day to see the entire course on a website and the teacher minimally interacting with her students. It granted me experience working with a new technology that may one day find its way to my own personal classroom. The website course taught me various tutoring techniques as I worked with different students and explored different techniques to the learning. I tweaked and adjusted my methods to fit the individuals and the material and soon it became easier to work through their work with them. I also learned what it was like to work with students of completely different backgrounds from myself. The students I worked with live an entirely different life compared to mine and it was at first, hard to relate to them on a personal level. After a while however, I was welcomed into their world and accepted as an aid. Working with the different backgrounds I learned how to relate the work to their lives, how to make it relevant and important, and how to motivate each student separately. There is no one winning strategy to helping the students at the PLC because no two are alike. I learned to adapt and accommodate to certain needs and characteristics. The PLC also taught me the importance of literacy. It showed me that I was lucky to be given such an opening to the literary world and made me want to open the students to it also. Personally, I love to read and wanted the students to gain the same adoration in literacy instead of simply view it as a hassle or meaningless assignment. The PLC made me want to show others what reading can actually do for you and what its benefits are beyond the gradebook and diploma.

Relevance to Book 3

Our third book discussion was based on a book called, "Teaching with Poverty in Mind" by Eric Jensen. It described the adverse effects poverty has on the education of students and how schools can lessen the negative outcomes it creates. Jensen talked about the numerous ways that poverty effects the minds of young students and how they have the potential to succeed with or without poverty. Students can have a variety of results from their economic hardships and teachers need to addresses how they can be approached and helped. Poverty in students comes in 6 different forms and needs to be handled accordingly. There are 4 risk factors to take into consideration and various models to use to overcome the difficulties. The main conflict deals with how a teacher can help a impoverished student succeed without favoring or privileging that student as opposed to other students who do not necessarily need to the same help. Jensen asks the question: What can you do to decrease the negative effects poverty creates in your students in your classroom? He does not provide a final solution because each model varies in effectiveness and appropriateness depending on the situations present. He draws attention to the fact that it is unfair that students suffer because of their economic conditions at home and that as teachers, we need to do all that is in our power to help our students succeed.

At the PLC, poverty is a part of numerous students' lives. It is evident through not only their physical appearance but also in their approach to schooling. Many students go without notebooks and other materials simply because they cannot afford them. Many of the students I personally worked with would speak of paying bills for their parents, working double shifts, and dealing with very adult financial matters to better their own lives. Some of my students would have forced absences because of conflicting work schedules and lack of transportation to the school. The first girl I worked with mentioned how difficult it is to attend school simply because of the bus system, bus stamps, and the lack of bus stops near her house. She realized the necessity of money over English because her water was turned off and her cell phone bill was not paid. Each hardship with money seemed unfair to me coming from a very supportive family both financially and otherwise. I can't imagine what it must be like to have to pay bills FOR my mom instead of the other way around as I am accustomed to. The students at the PLC are doing the best they can with what they are given. They acknowledge both the importance of school and obtaining a high school diploma but also realize that realistically at school they are not making any money or bettering their own financial situation that surrounds them outside of the PLC walls. At very young ages, too young of ages, the students are forced to be adults and decide if school is a priority after all. If they cannot afford notebooks, what is a diploma going to do for them? If they are not able to get to the school that day, what good is going the next day? Being in poverty effects them both mentally and physically. I admire the students at the PLC experiencing economic hardships and still attending class. I desperately hope that in the end, each and every students I worked with will succeed and live the life they deserve.

Relevance to Book 2

Our second book discussion was on a book called, "Bring it to Class, Unpacking Pop Culture in Literacy Learning" by Margaret Hagood. This book dealt with the usage of pop culture in classrooms and the amount of usage students give technology and the media. The main claim was that students are increasingly using and relating to pop culture and technology, including their cell phones, computers, Ipods, and TV. A great deal of their day is spent on these items and less is spent on actual books. If teachers can harness the power of these items into their lessons, students are more apt to complete their work and actually take interest in the assignments. A variety of techniques can bring pop culture and electronics into the classroom benefitting the students including, movies, music, lyrics, internet assignments, and cyber working. By bringing in outside influences, the students will be drawn into the work more and more likely to complete the task. Lyrics and musical influences will allow students to not only see things in a written, literacy sense but allow them to bring their own personalities and likes into the picture. By allowing music and movies that relate to literary pieces, the students can get a break from the mundane reading and essays. The pop culture can serve as enforcers of lessons or as rewards as appropriate.

The use of pop culture and technology at the PLC is clearly evident. Not only is the entire course electronic but they are allowed to listen to music throughout the period. E2020 is the website that holds all of the lessons, assignments, quizzes, and literary pieces. The teacher is more of a backup than a necessity because even the lectures are on the computer screen. The student can plug into the website at the beginning of the class time and never leave the screen while completing a variety of courses and projects. The majority of students also listen to music while they work. They are allowed their own headphones or some may be given to them if they find music helps them focus or work better. I think in this aspect the music takes away from the learning going on because of the fact that the entire course is computerized. The fact that it IS all computerized I also think is less than beneficial because the students are tech savvy and find ways around assignments and grades. They can easily look up summaries to literary pieces instead of reading the actual piece and they can google definitions of words instead of figuring them out for themselves. I think the teachers should be more involved instead of the computer program. I do think some students come to the PLC simply for the ability to work solely on the internet. Due to the fact that it is an alternative school, the freedom on the web is appropriate but I think only to an extent. I think the use of pop culture in other high schools could be more beneficial because the students are more willing to branch out and try new things. The students at the PLC are looking to complete their work and move on as opposed to exploring creative outreaches and testing new ways of learning.

Relevance to Book 1

Our first book discussion was based on "Reading Don't Fix No Chevy's: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men" by Michael Smith. It dealt with the unfortunate fact that boys fail to read as much as girls both in and out of school. The prevalence of boys in upper-level English classes compared to girls is drastically different as well as their overall negative connotation towards reading. Girls tend to not only like to read more but acknowledge its overall importance in their lives. Boys view literacy as an unwelcome aspect of school and life in general because as they see it, there is no purpose behind most literary works. Boys favor the instruction manuel and how-to side of reading due to the actual tangible outcome such pieces provide whereas girls will read "for fun" disregarding a need for achievement afterwards.

This is undoubtedly seen at the PLC. My first time stepping into the classroom, I noticed the lack of gender differences in the English class I was placed in. I could count on one hand the number of boys in the room whereas the girls occupied most of the seats. I noticed this around the school itself also, waiting outside, wandering the halls, girls greatly outnumbered the boys. The girls in the class were easily motivated and willing to work whereas I could overhear other tutors and the teachers struggle to complete work with the boys. Although girls I worked with acknowledged the lack of purpose of the poetry or short story, they attempted it without hassle or fuss. The girls I worked with knew that by completing the seemingly unimportant tasks they would be one step closer to their overall goal of finishing the course and therefore graduating and finishing school. I worked with a boy named "Jesse" one day who would not read any of the pieces and would simply skip to the questions. He would answer wrong because he lacked the information from the piece and his grade showed this lack of understanding accordingly. As the semester continued, the number of boys dropped even lower while the girls continued to attend. At the end, only one boy remained in the class full of girls. The PLC students correctly showed Michael Smith's point regarding both boys approach to reading and learning and their drive to complete seemingly useless tasks. The boys who dropped out or simply stopped working did not see the underlying purpose to learning poetry or reading Romeo and Juliet and it was therefore more difficult for them to stay on task and struggle through the assignments.

4/18 Brings me back

Another sunny day but I was hopeful! I went on Monday this time instead of my usual Wednesday routine so I was actually kind of nervous that things would run as smoothly and I would be as accepted by the students. To my relief, a student I had previously tutored called my name the instant I walked in the room. I then noticed however, that there was a substitute teacher behind the desk for the first time this semester. I sat down next to the one of three students present today ready to begin working. However, "Kayla" asked if I would like to see her prom pictures first, which I agreed to without hesitation. I began thinking how great the PLC actually is.. they had Relay for Life, prom, talent shows.. they really did all they could to make it as much like a normal high school as possible. It was then she mentioned it was actually Cedar Shoals prom, however the school does offer many other opportunities for involvement. It was then I caught sight of the substitute. She looked beyond frantic, worried, clueless. She asked if this was how things are supposed to be run, what the kids are supposed to do, what does she do? I explained this is basically how it works here, they work if they want to and if they choose not to they don't. Music was playing, the kids were gossiping I can see why it would appear to be very out of control to an outsider. For once I felt at home at the PLC. I knew this is how they work, how the day is run. I am the one in control now. I am the one allowed to give directions and corrections. I can be the one they turn to.  I reassured the substitute everything in the room was fine and acceptable and returned to Kayla and her stories of boy troubles. She genuinely seems like a very intelligent girl and every time I have worked with her we have accomplished a great deal. She seems very knowledgable and able to figure most things out for herself. However, her progress in the course leaves much to be desired. I can't figure out how after so much time and so much working I have seen her do first hand without my persuasion she isn't on track yet. Today was an exception because of the circumstances without a teacher but normally she is very proactive and wanting to do as much as possible. Her grades are average but her progress is astonishingly low compared to what I have seen her complete in just one time period. Also, being there on a Monday for the first time I got to see her true dedication to school. She doesn't only come Wednesdays but most days of the week. In fact, on her report she showed me she had zero unexcused absences. I know without a doubt this is an uncommon reward for students at the PLC just from experiencing the one class period once a week. I was very happy to see that she is in fact very dedicated to her school work.
Being there on a Monday gave me a different outlook of the school as a whole. Coming to the same period week after week on the same day made it seem like that is also the only time the students experience what I do. However, being there today and sort of in charge of things made me realize the redundancy of the program. Kayla sits down day after day to the same screen, to the same exercises, the same order of things. It is no wonder that attendance has significantly dropped as the semester grew on. I don't even think I would be able to stand the fact that nothing ever changes. Each day, each week is the same routine, the same structure with only the people slightly varying as some pop in and out deciding if they really want to be in school.
Kayla is by far my favorite student I have worked with at the PLC. She is outgoing, fun, and doesn't seem bothered by any aspect of her life. She doesn't complain about money, her family, the work, she is very optimistic and light hearted. Some of the children are understandably more darkened by their situations in life but Kayla is enjoying her life to the fullest and I greatly admire that quality.

Also being on Monday, I got to see how one of the other tutors interacts with his student. I was alarmed and slightly offended that he sat behind her, a great distance, and was doodling or taking notes in his own notebook the entire time. He helped a few times only if she summoned him or directly asked for help but other than that he was very uninterested and preoccupied. He even talked about being at the PLC as a chore. He mentioned how he needs to stay for his "hours." I personally do not think the students want to be thought of that way. They don't need to think my time with them is forced, is required. I am there for them and that is the only way it should be. I was embarrassed FOR him. I think it was very rude to mention the school as sort of a punishment or forced environment. I want the students to be helped and know that I am there for them. They feel unappreciated enough of their life outside of the school walls and do not deserve it in here. I tried to play off his comment and urge the girls to keep working and not notice the underlying message behind what he said. I would love to keep going to the PLC regardless of whether it is required or not. I think giving back to the students in need is rewarding enough in itself. I don't need a grade or a certain number of hours to prove what I am doing is worthwhile.

4/6/11

I had the best day at the PLC yet! I was back with another student I had previously worked with. She was excited to see that she would be the one selected for my help today. We almost doubled her progress just in one period. She was able to skip most of the lectures and activities by passing the pre-tests before each section. Only certain teachers allow this feature to be used and I am still undecided on how I feel about it. It allows the student to skip vocabulary, lectures, and lessons if they answer the 10 questions on a passing level. I think they really miss out on some of the information but some of the activities do become redundant and unnecessary so it seems like a fair trade. My student today was very independent, optimistic, and cheerful. She has the most life and energy out of everyone I have worked with and it was very refreshing. I did not have to get her back on task or push her through the work; she wanted to complete it herself. We did suffer some technological problems with the internet and she lost one of her quizzes. The teacher was able to allow a retake with some confusion as to how to go about setting it up. Overall though, it was a minor detour. I learned that she has had a UGA tutor for every year of her school since middle school and she remembered most of them by name. We talked about dorm life and UGA events. She seemed genuinely interested in my life and what it was like. It also again surprised me how much the English teacher knows. This may sound harsh at first coming from me but simply seeing her sitting at her desk all day while the students teach themselves did not provide me with much of an insight on her abilities. Today, however since there were again few students present she worked one on one with many. Her knowledge was abundant and she indeed did know all there is to know about literature and English. She is very familiar with each of the pieces assigned in the lectures without having to look back and reference any. One thing that bothered me today was listening to the conversations in the room. The grammar and way of speaking disheartened me. The students are so knowledgeable about English and literature but when it comes to everyday language, their diction leaves much to be desired. They use slang to the utmost extent and do not realize how wrong their way of speaking actually is. I think at this age, it is almost impossible to fix because they have become accustomed to speaking in such a way. They have a hard time translating what they read and learn to their colloquial life. Even when reading out loud passages, the words are unconsciously switched to how they would use them in conversations. Words are skipped over and moved to accommodate how they talk to one another. I also noticed that the students seem to all know each other and befriend each other. There is no hostility, no judgement, no sense of competition. All of the students I have witnessed and automatically friends with one another. I admire that quality in them all. It shows they are not superficial or fall into cliche, typical high school fallacies. They treat each other as equals, even not knowing each other's stories as to their placement at the PLC. My tutee's energy today was infective and enlightening. She made me feel very appreciated and important. She even referred to me as her "life line". I hope that feeling will only continue to grow and occur when I myself am the one behind the desk. Her completion of quizzes made me feel proud and effective. It reminded me why I wanted to be a teacher in the first place. I want to help others, watch them grow, help them succeed. As cliche as it sounds, it warmed my heart to see her happiness at her success and progress. The feeling made me eager to begin my own teaching career.

3/30/11 Back to Normal

Back to the PLC normal life! All doors were unlocked and everything was good to go! I was surprised when I entered class to find an abundance of students, almost every chair was filled. The girl I had the previous week, however, was nowhere to be found. I returned to one of my numerous previous students much to her excitement. I think the students have learned that with tutors, you progress much faster and they therefore are more welcome and open to the idea of working one on one with someone. We began exactly where we had left off over 3 weeks ago. It was saddening to see that she had not worked anymore on her English since I had last seen her. Attendance has suffered greatly recently and I'm glad more have returned to continue on. We began working again on the Iliad and the Odyssey although many of her answers were wrong due to the length of time it had been since she had read the assignment. She skipped many of the assignments and still was given a completion grade. I have noticed a change in the teacher interaction. She now will check all the answers if a student asks, before they submit the test in for a grade. She will now let you know which questions to "look at" and allow you a second chance at the right answer. I felt this was very unfair because not all of the students bug the teacher to check their individual work. It is not as if she is helping them work through them, they simply are allowed to choose a different answer even without thinking in hopes that it will now be right. They are now given more of an opportunity to get the right answer but I think it makes them take the work more lightly. They know they will be able to go back and fix answers without being penalized. She skipped the lectures, as most students do and was barely focused on what we were working on. She did bring up her progress a significant amount by the end of class although it was a struggle and I had to continually bring her back to the task at hand. I wonder how many of the students will end up graduating this year. I also heard through one of my other friends tutoring at the PLC that my original student was moved to another class because she needed more hands on instruction. I think this is the biggest downfall of the class I have been placed in. I hear from others about actual lessons and discussions but in mine I simply sit beside a child and watch the computer screen. For most though, this is the only way they will focus. From an educator's point of view though it seems very ineffective especially knowing most of the children cheat their way through the lessons using the internet and other available sources. The actual lessons are not grasped. As we read through the Odyssey, it did please me personally still being able to recall some of the details from when I read the novel in high school. This experience is teaching me a lot about techniques though. I have tried out different ways of helping without giving the answer and learned how to phrase things to ease the student into discovering the answer.

wait what? March 23rd

back to the PLC after spring break! I arrived hoping the students would also be returning. The attendance the weeks before break left something to be desired to say the least. The front doors are both locked. This is weird, I guess someone just hit the switch or something. Luckily, someone was standing inside the door to let me in. I signed in as usual and then couldn't open the door to the hallway. Again, someone had to let me inside. Twice in one day got me wondering, why the locks today? I entered the classroom and to my dismay found two students, once again. The teacher addressed my questioning gaze by saying it still is the end of class change and hopefully more students will arrive. When they didn't she explained it must be because of the fact that the school is on lock down. Lock down, well now everything makes sense. A student arrived I had never before seen and I sat down with her approval to help her for the day. She seems very uninterested in any of the material and ignores the lectures. She writes down her vocabulary words but that is the extent of her involvement with her work. Also on this day, the AC is broken and it is unbearably hot. I do not blame her one bit for complaining, as excessive as it was considering everyone in the building is in the same situation. She goes on and on about the heat until I turn her attention to the lock down. Boy, what a mistake. She explained the school is on lock down because of the police officer shooting by Jamie Hood. Understandable, I thought, but it did not end there. She elaborated to much extent about Jamie. His background, his reasoning for the shooting, his plan, the fact that she knows where he is, she hid in the bush during the news filming because she didn't want to be on TV "for THAT kinda thing." Turns out, the police have raider HER house multiple times and has been questioned on multiple occasions because she "knows where he is but they can't make her tell." The entire time she is detailing this gruesome shooting, I am sitting in silence, in shock, disbelieving. She is genuinely worried about how hungry he is, how cold he is, and I am thinking how many lives he has destroyed.  I continuously tried to draw her back to the lessons but she simply muted the lectures and continued her story. I am appaled. I am scared. This information is crucial. Nobody else can hear our conversation. WHAT DO I DO? Do I tell the teacher? Do I tell the police? Tell anyone? She finally glances at the clock and realizes she is late for work at Subway and she must be on time because her mom is making her pay the electric bill this month because she is the only one with an income. At this, I was brought back to the reality of the students here. She is no different than the others, simply mixed up in the wrong crowd at the wrong time. I instantly dropped all ideas I had formed about her. We did not get a single lesson accomplished but from her status report, I could tell this was a usual event. I bid her goodbye and exited as usual, my mind still spinning with the information about the murderer. In the end, my parents and I decided it was best I did not become involved with the investigation because in the end, I did not have any new information, she was already under suspect. My labeling her would only cause her more problems and I would have to face her again the next week, if she showed to class. I never imagined entering the PLC that day what I would be leaving with. No knowledge about English, or teaching, or poverty but about a criminal investigation. I still cannot fathom the turn of events.

3/8/11

Rain, rain go away! I guess contrary to students not coming in sunny, warm weather is the lack of students on rainy days. Again, only THREE students attended English class today. I worked with the same girl as last week upon her eager request. She changed from never accepting any help to straight forwardly asking for it. She and I sat together at the end of the rows and began her myth/epic session in literature. Today her big challenge was the Odyssey. I can personally remember having to read the Odyssey in high school and loving it. However, my tutee did not share the same passion. I have noticed that when she reads aloud she is carelessly misspeaking. She will change simply everyday words to completely different words. When completing quizzes, this became a problem because she would misread the directions and be looking for a negative instead of a positive for example. She would also offer a very little attempt at phonics for words she did not understand. Instead of struggling through them, she would give an off the wall guess and move on without hesitation. This worried me because of the potential problems it will cause throughout her entire schooling. It disrupts her understanding and comprehension of what she is reading and I wonder if it is only when she is reading aloud or if it happens all the time. Instead of actually reading the Odyssey, she looked up answers and summaries of the story online. I have noticed this for a while now in each student. With available internet access, they can easily avoid actually having to do most of the work to get by. The teacher does not seem to mind either, which I found strange. She did not actually read any of the passages but found all the necessary information on Google. This seems like she is missing the entire point of the course. Also, I have found the questions to be way too repetitive on E2020. It gives the same question word for word on the pre-test, quiz, and topic test. My student ended up just memorizing the answer choices she had previously chosen without taking into regard what she was answering or why.
I learned today personal information about, "Sarah". Although she is literature grade 9, she has a son over at the day care center offered by the PLC. I was astonished. She did not strike me as someone with such a major responsibility at hand. She focused on her school work without seeming to worry about her child or problems at home. It left me wondering her situation and her reasoning behind placement at the PLC. There is such a variety of students at the school that stereotyping and guessing about personal facts is useless. Each story is drastically different, as I have seen being able to work with numerous different English students. There is no set criteria for acceptance in the PLC, which I admire.
When leaving for the day, Sarah called to her friends in the hallway in fluent Spanish. This also just me as being very curious. Does she speak Spanish at home? Is this part of the reason why her English is far behind? Does she read Spanish? Does this also attribute to the fact that her pronunciation is extremely faulty at times? I wonder if bringing more English language into the home would help her in school, not only in English but in all classrooms. It might even help her interact with others better and prepare her for the outside world. Hopefully after Spring Break, the class will be back to its original size and numbers!

3/2/11

Only TWO students in the entire English class today. I guess with warm weather comes less attendance to the PLC. I worked with a completely new student today of Hawaiian decent. She is studying 9th grade literature. She previously has turned down any help from tutors or the teacher so I felt very grateful that she allowed me to work with her. Working with me, she had increased confidence in her answers and flew through assignments. She moved up from the "red" to the "blue" indicating she is now on track to finish the course. We were able to work together and eliminate many of the lectures and activities by successfully passing the pre-tests before the topics. Her work focused on myths and epics and various details of both. She was very grateful at the end of the session for my help and made sure I would indeed be back the following Wednesday to help her because of the immense progress she had made in only one day. I noticed a sign on the wall today regarding listening to music. It talks about the numerous reasons the music helps students work better and why it is effective. However, beside the sign was a chart indicating which students were and were not allowed the privilege. Personally, I find music distracting when I am working so it struck me as very interesting that it is given as a reward to students who work hard. I also noticed signs for a talent show and relay for life team. I especially liked seeing both of these around the school because it made it seem like more of a real school, rather than just an alternative for students. It allows them opportunities to experience what life would be like in a regular high school without giving up on the freedom the PLC offers. The sense of belonging and helping the school surely helps in attendance and attitudes of the students.

2/16/11

Warm weather takes its toll on PLC attendance! I walk into the classroom feeling at home for the first time, ready for the day's activities, and am shocked to find 3 students. Yes, THREE from a class of about 14. Lucky for me Elyse was one of the ones in attendance. She was excited to see me there again and we eagerly sat down to begin working. However, the teacher had other plans. Today would be devoted to "small group." We gathered around the center table, all 5 of us including the teacher and then realized today would be an ineffective day for the grouping because of the lack of students. We returned to E2020 to continue online progress. Elyse confessed right away her dislike for the program as it slowly opened and froze on the screen. She said a lot of it is redundant and a hassle. It takes half the time to just load the pages once you can navigate through to where you left off the day before. We ended up printing off her stories because the site was taking too long. She offered to read the lengthy passages out loud to me to my surprise, this was not a short story. Instead we ended up compromising and rotating the aloud reading. She was an excellent reader. My reading out loud is not as strong as hers was actually. I naturally stumble across words or misspeak but she was very impressive aloud. After reading we worked through a few assignments but the majority of the day was spent reading passages. I was surprised and discouraged at how long some of the readings were. I think that is another flaw of the E2020 system. The readings just seemed too unnecessarily long. The program should take into account the students they are attempting to help and realize most already lack motivation and drive, giving extremely long works to read is not helping the problem. Even Elyse, who I before mentioned was very driven had a hard time completing all the readings and was tempted to skip ahead or skip the readings all together and simply spark note the section. Many of the following questions gave the section to which it was referring to in the question or asked about definitions and tone. Elyse printed off the last, long, story and brought it home to read for homework. I was also surprised by this, never before had any homework been mentioned or suggested. She took it upon herself to read it to get even farther ahead.
She seems to have a great relationship with her teacher. They converse on the same level. I think it a school like this it would be easy to belittle or talk down to unconsciously to the students. Her tone was friendly and they talked without pressure. The teacher also didn't try to be their friend at the same time, or be like them. After a while, how Elyse spoke (ebonics) caught on to me without me even knowing it. However, the teacher remained poised and in control of everything in each conversation. She did not change to get on their level, so to speak.
Leaving the PLC I encountered rude comments and stares from the construction workers beside the building and it really bothered me. Not because of the comments that I can ignore, but because this is what the students have to deal with too. They are not being given a good example or friendly environment to make them WANT to come. The workers were roudy and could not care less about their actions but to the students, their actions may make a different in their attitude and even attendance. If they are surrounded by these obnoxious construction workers everyday, I think it could possibly deter motivation for graduating. I also understand not much can be done in this area though and it must simply be tolerated.

2/9/10

Back at the PLC! Today I was informed Emily had broken her leg and without health insurance her family had no way to cover the necessary medical procedures and she was forced to drop out. My heart instantly sank. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in that position. I was placed with a different student named Elyse. She was surprisingly self-motivated and very driven to accomplish a lot in one day. We wrote an essay together for our first activity. Her thoughts were on the right path but she had trouble getting them into words, and words that made sense. Her cohesion with her sentences was rough but I could tell she was really trying and giving it all she could. Often I caught her writing as she would say something using incorrect word choices and grammar. She was very care free and light hearted though and continued on throughout the entire period. We also worked on skills practices and through difficult reading passages, quizzes, and activities. She never once stopped for a break or complained about the amount of work. At the end of the period, she had doubled her progress from the beginning of the day and was genuinely proud of herself. At the end she asked if I would be returning and when because she found my help very useful. She said that I drove her on when she would have stopped. I felt honored to say that the least to hear first hand the difference I am making.
Unfortunately with all of the working, I learned nothing about her personal situation or reasoning behind her placement at the PLC. From what I could tell, she was a very driven intelligent girl. Yes, she seemed far behind from where she should be at her age but I think she would be just as successful in a public high school. A very productive day in the English room!

And it begins!

2/2/11
I returned to the PLC again with a slight bit of ease knowing where I was going, who I would be with, and an idea of what to expect. I entered and signed in as instructed and went down the hall to the room Emily was assigned to. I was greeted with disappointment as I was informed Emily has been sick the past couple days and has not been in school. I thought, oh no not another lost day of tutoring. Luckily though, I was able to be placed with another student in need of help in literature. Her name for this study will be Marygrace. I nervously sat beside her as she continued the lesson she was working on. After a few awkward minutes of no interaction, she turned to me and asked for help on a question. Phew! The hard part was over and I had been acknowledged. As we worked through her questions, I did the best I could to offer my help. She answered the questions so quickly sometimes I didn't even have the chance to read them, let alone check to see if her answer was right. She would occasionally ask for my help... or resort to a Google search. I wasn't sure of the rules but I could guess that wasn't supposed to be helping her cheat. I tried to coax her into figuring out the problem herself or letting me guide her to what is best fit. After a couple questions of my help she finally decided to bail on Google and just listen to me. She told me she only needed 70% to pass and she was worried she wouldn't make the cutoff. We checked and double checked her answers and sure enough, she passed..barely. She couldn't care less. We then began her next lesson, sort of. Her attention was shot and she had no desire to continue on for the remaining 45 minutes of the period. This is when it got interesting

Marygrace was not a shy girl. She upright asked me many questions about my personal life, who I was, why I was there, etc. She told me she was 19, her birthday a month after mine. She simply said she was at the PLC because she wanted to attend Clarke Central but her mom made her go to Cedar Shoals. So instead of complying, she simply stopped going altogether because she hated it so much. She mentioned both her mom and dad in conversation and described her love for music. We had that in common, thank goodness. I never thought Lil Wayne would save me, but he did. She began letting me listen to her favorite songs and describe their lives. Her grammar was poor and I could tell she didn't know she was wrong in how she spoke.. or she didn't care and didn't want to change. She asked about my relationships and very, well racial questions. "Would I date a black man?" "Have I dated a black man?" "Would I have Lil Wayne's baby?" "Do men always pay child support?" She was on a roll. I dodged many questions but she seemed like a nice girl so I felt it only fair if I let her into my life as she had let me. The questions continued as I tried, and failed, to entice her back into her school work. She has until March to finish so why keep working now? The comment that struck me most about her involved her relationships. She said she is dating two men. One black. One white. She likes the black one best, they attended the same high school for 2 years but he is older and has moved on with life. They communicate via facebook and she thinks he is a great man. However, she NEEDS to have a baby with a white man so that she can have mixed children. I tried to remain cool. I was shocked at how blunt she had been. Choosing a man because he is white to make mixed babies? That really is her criteria? My heart dropped. I couldn't bring myself to ask WHY she must have mixed babies, afraid of what she might say. I felt instantly uncomfortable. Luckily, she kept talking without noticing. She explained that he isn't as good as a man as her black boyfriend but his skin color makes up for it. Shocked again. After she finished her conversation about men, she glanced at the clock and even though the bell hadn't rang, it was time for her to leave. They can come and go as they please, she said. I took her word for it and she hurried to catch the Transit back home.

As I climbed into my car, my mind raced. The day would have been as expected, lectures on a computer screen, minority students, exactly Mimi said it would be... until that conversation. I could NOT believe she had said what she said about white versus black boyfriends. At the age of 19, my age, she was planning her relationships according to who she wants to make babies with. It blew my mind. Academically, she wasn't as much as a struggle as I had predicted but her life stories are what caught me off guard. If her interrogation hadn't surprised me with her bluntness and racial stereotypes, she certainty got me at the end. From that moment, I realized I wouldn't be learning to teach here. Well, mainly. I would be learning how to adapt to, accept, and help others as different from myself as humanly possible. Surprisingly though, I was anxious to go back again. I wanted to see Marygrace again. See Emily. Help them in any way I possibly could. Help them succeed to their fullest. They deserve it. They deserve it more than some at UGA. They know what it means to be on their own, support themselves, prove everyone wrong, set their own goals. THEY are the ones who have life lessons to teach US. I am no better than anyone there simply because I go to UGA. Who knows, if they were me, maybe they would be to. Unfortunately, life is harder for them. They don't have things handed to them. They work for everything. And I admire that. I look forward to my next visit to the PLC and the difference I can make in someone's life. Maybe it means nothing to them now, but I hope I can help them in even the most miniscule way.

What on EARTH is a PLC?!

1/26/11
After maneuvering through the chaos of construction and different buildings to the tiny parking lot in front of the brick PLC building, it would be an understatement to say I was hesitant to enter with such an unknown behind the double doors. After summoning the courage and watching time tick away, I finally mustered the courage to enter. I first entered among many older African American males who glared as I walked past them into the office. Thankfully, Mimi was right inside to greet and save me from my uncertainty. She gave me a brief tour while explaining the concept behind the school.

The PLC is an alternative school for students who still need to graduate high school but are either too far behind in credits to continue in mainstream schools or who are returning to school for a diploma after leaving. The reasons for entering this school range far and wide. From pregnancies to abuse to anxiety and personal reasons, student come from all over Athens to try their hand once again at a high school diploma. The PLC caters to each and every students specific needs. They run a child care facility right beside the school offering free daycare for moms and dads and have very flexible scheduling. They do everything in their power to get the students to school and get them graduated so they can enter the real world. That being said, each student also has drastically different plans after graduation. Some enter the work force, others Athens Tech, and others remain undecided until Mimi consults with them. Transportation is offered to and from school on the bus however most students take the Athens Transit which comes to a stop just beside AutoZone on Broad Street. Mimi explained that yes, they do have security, but it has never been necessary. The main problem the PLC faces is attendance on a regular basis. Also, the graduation test at the end of the year is a major source of stress to most and a cause of many drop outs. Age ranges vary just as much as the students' reasons for attending the PLC. Some have recently switched high schools and some have returned to the world of schooling after many years absent. The school just recently switched to a new computer program that makes EVERYTHING online for the students. From lectures to quizzes, it enables multiple students to be taught different lessons simultaneously because each is on a very different level of English. The teacher in the room tracks the student's daily progress and ensures they remain on task.

My first day turned out to just be a visit and a tour. Mimi introduced me to my future tutee informing her of what was to take place in the future. We can call her Emily for name's sake. Mimi informed me she has terrible anxiety and dropped from Cedar Shoals High because of her weight. She is very self-concious which causes her to second guess and contradict herself. Her main problem, she said, is not the actual reading but comprehension of what is being read. I greeted her and let her know I would be returning next Wednesday and completed my first brief day at the PLC, anxious to actually begin tutoring.