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.
Friday, February 18, 2011
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!
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!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
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.
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.
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.
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