Since my last Barack video. So here ya go!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Arkansas!
I am sure you have figured this out, but I really love my home state of Arkansas. No matter how long I live in Chicago -- and I think it will probably be a long time -- Arkansas will always be home for me. I just feel most at ease there.
We went to Arkansas for the weekend. My friends Martha and Justin got married (I'll have to get Todd's pictures uploaded). Their wedding was beautiful and sweet and I know they will be so happy. Martha has had some bad luck with the fellas, and I think she was about to give up on the idea of marriage and whatnot. So thank God she met Justin and it all just fell into place. It's funny how things work out the way they should.
And my dear sister Heather was supposed to give birth last week, before we got there. That was my plan, anyway! She wasn't actually due until May 18, but today is the 20th (and her birthday -- Happy Birthday!) and she is still carrying that baby! She is ready to give birth, but she was in pretty good spirits all weekend. She had both her boys nine days early, so she kept complaining that this was the most pregnant she's ever been!
We ate some fantastic food, of course. We went to the Catfish Hole Friday night -- which is de riguer for any trip to Northwest Arkansas. I ate about a million hushpuppies, and lots of fried catfish fillets, too. Then for dessert -- even though I was pretty stuffed -- chocolate fried pie! Fried pie is one of the best things in the universe. It's basically a turnover that is deep fried. Then it is served with ice cream. Heavenly. Last time I was in AR, I forgot to order the fried pie, so Todd knew to remind me this time. It was his first fried pie -- he's so lucky to have me to expose these amazing things to him!
Saturday we ran some errands and met my sister and her brood for lunch at Jose's, which is a Tex Mex place that has awesome cheese dip. They also have awesome swirl margaritas, but I was good and didn't succumb.
Saturday night was the wedding -- it was small and the reception was over by 8. We looked up (we were sitting with Alannah and her boyfriend) and they were clearing the tables and putting up the decorations. So the four of us went to a fancy restaurant down the street for some cocktails. It was nice having grandparents to leave Emiko with. But at 9:30 I was worn out and ready to go back to my dad's house. It seemed much later than 9:30!
Sunday my brother and his family came out to Dad's house, as did Heather and her group. It was really nice seeing them all together -- I hadn't seen my brother in awhile.
We had a really, really great weekend. I wasn't ready to come home yet, but was glad once we got back. My sister is coming here to visit in June (yay!!!), and then we'll go back to AR in July so I can finally meet my new niece or nephew (she/he has to come out of there eventually!).
We went to Arkansas for the weekend. My friends Martha and Justin got married (I'll have to get Todd's pictures uploaded). Their wedding was beautiful and sweet and I know they will be so happy. Martha has had some bad luck with the fellas, and I think she was about to give up on the idea of marriage and whatnot. So thank God she met Justin and it all just fell into place. It's funny how things work out the way they should.
And my dear sister Heather was supposed to give birth last week, before we got there. That was my plan, anyway! She wasn't actually due until May 18, but today is the 20th (and her birthday -- Happy Birthday!) and she is still carrying that baby! She is ready to give birth, but she was in pretty good spirits all weekend. She had both her boys nine days early, so she kept complaining that this was the most pregnant she's ever been!
We ate some fantastic food, of course. We went to the Catfish Hole Friday night -- which is de riguer for any trip to Northwest Arkansas. I ate about a million hushpuppies, and lots of fried catfish fillets, too. Then for dessert -- even though I was pretty stuffed -- chocolate fried pie! Fried pie is one of the best things in the universe. It's basically a turnover that is deep fried. Then it is served with ice cream. Heavenly. Last time I was in AR, I forgot to order the fried pie, so Todd knew to remind me this time. It was his first fried pie -- he's so lucky to have me to expose these amazing things to him!
Saturday we ran some errands and met my sister and her brood for lunch at Jose's, which is a Tex Mex place that has awesome cheese dip. They also have awesome swirl margaritas, but I was good and didn't succumb.
Saturday night was the wedding -- it was small and the reception was over by 8. We looked up (we were sitting with Alannah and her boyfriend) and they were clearing the tables and putting up the decorations. So the four of us went to a fancy restaurant down the street for some cocktails. It was nice having grandparents to leave Emiko with. But at 9:30 I was worn out and ready to go back to my dad's house. It seemed much later than 9:30!
Sunday my brother and his family came out to Dad's house, as did Heather and her group. It was really nice seeing them all together -- I hadn't seen my brother in awhile.
We had a really, really great weekend. I wasn't ready to come home yet, but was glad once we got back. My sister is coming here to visit in June (yay!!!), and then we'll go back to AR in July so I can finally meet my new niece or nephew (she/he has to come out of there eventually!).
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Poverty Sucks
I have been thinking about poverty a lot this school year -- even more than I usually do. Things have been so crazy at school, and we've had all these shootings in Chicago, and the mayor and the media harp on guns as the cause. Which completely misses the point. If people weren't poor and hopeless, they probably wouldn't rely on guns so much to get their point across.
No one really talks about poverty -- we want to ignore poor people. Unless you are directly impacted by it (indirect impact via taxes and health costs don't seem to make a difference to people), you tend to not give it much thought. I never thought about poor people until I started working in CPS.
And poor people seem not to think they are poor. It's really interesting. Most Americans believe they are middle class.
My sophomores are in a unit right now entitled "Welcome to America. Is It Worth the Trip?" We read some of The Jungle, which did not go over very well. But the point of the unit is about what America is supposed to represent versus what actually happens to people once they get here. I'm trying to explain things like social justice, exploitation of the least educated, et cetera.
One of my coworkers recommended an article that is in our anthology that discusses the role of social class in determining one's chances of success. The data is pretty straightforward -- the more money you have, the better your chance of economic and educational opportunity.
So I had the kids go around the room and tell me what social class they belonged to. Almost every kid (except maybe 3) said they were middle class. Then I said that at this school, 90% of our students receive free or reduced lunch, so how could it be that so many of you are middle class? The kids wanted to know what middle class meant. I explained that basically if you could make it through the month, pay all your bills, and did not have to rely on any form of public assistance, then you could probably assume you are middle class.
Then my kids started trying to justify that they were middle class. And many of them seem like they are. Some of the kids talked about the money their parents made in the underground economy (selling drugs), but a lot of the students said their parents had regular jobs.
I wondered why so many of them are on free lunch or have Link cards, then. My kids said that why should they pay for that food? They want to keep their cash -- so they'll use their cash for shoes and whatnot, but they want to keep their Link cards for food and necessities. One kid told me that no matter how much money he might make in his future, he still always wanted a Link card and a Section 8 housing voucher.
Then another student told me that her mom purposely only works 10 hours a week so that she can spend more time with her children. She's lucky that she gets her Section 8 voucher and Link card so she can do that.
I said that that was stealing. Why should her mom get to make that choice? I get to see my child for maybe 3 hours per day. She said there is no way her mom would accept that. I said -- it's not a choice. I knew that when I chose to have a baby, that I would have to work. That's the decision I made. Why should your mom get to make a different choice? That's completely unfair.
Then she and some other students said that I should cheat the government. They argued about how expensive the war in Iraq was, and how much money the government wastes. Which is all well and good, but it's not the government that is being cheated -- it's people like me. I try to explain to my kids that it's middle class taxpayers who pay for the brunt of those social programs.
And one of the major reasons why so many of those assistance programs have been gutted is because many people think they people take advantage. My students seemed to be confirming what lots of people believe.
I said that there are people who legitimately need help, and when you scam the system, you are taking that assistance away from people who really need it.
They didn't seem bothered by this at all.
This is what concerns me about poverty -- it's not just a matter of giving people better access to educational opportunity, better housing, job training. It's also a matter of changing this mindset. So many of my students believe that they are owed something. And they are, to an extent. It's not their fault that they were born to poor parents. No one should have to live in a public housing apartment in Chicago. And they are sent to substandard schools, and that sucks. But at some point some personal responsibility has to set in, and I don't know how to influence that.
The student whose mom cheats to stay home with her kids was trying to explain it to me more. She said -- It's hard to pay rent and buy groceries and pay for gas -- gas is so high. You have to have some help! I replied -- Yeah, it's hard. I do it everyday. But I guess I don't understand why your mom gets to decide she's not going to follow these rules, while I can't imagine doing anything else.
I was starting to get mad, which is not the appropriate response. The bell was about to ring anyway, so I tried to wrap up the discussion. It's hard not to take these things personally.
I want my students to have better opportunities. I want them to have better lives than their parents or grandparents. But I want them to understand that to have these opportunities, they are going to have to work really, really hard to try to catch up with middle class students.
Then I look around, and every one of my students has an iPod. Everyone is wearing Air Force Ones or Jordans (shoes that cost more than $100 per pair). Most wear expensive clothes. They make fun of my shoes. As mentioned in the article, America has the best dressed poor people in the world. My girls get their hair done a couple times per month. They get their nails done each week. It just seems like their priorities are out of whack.
When asked, they just say that just because they are poor, doesn't mean they don't deserve nice things. I said that I didn't disagree, but when I want nice things, I save my money for them. And I wouldn't take free lunch and then go buy fancy shoes -- that just doesn't make sense to me. I'd rather do without fancy shoes and save enough money to be able to buy my own lunch.
I know this is a long post -- it's just been really bothering me. I applaud Elizabeth and John Edwards and their goal of reducing poverty. I actually emailed Elizabeth Edwards with my concerns about poverty. I have not heard back from her.
Anyway, it's not going away, and I don't think I can make myself feel better about it. If anyone has any suggestions for ways to tackle this topic, please let me know.
I just needed to vent about it a little.
No one really talks about poverty -- we want to ignore poor people. Unless you are directly impacted by it (indirect impact via taxes and health costs don't seem to make a difference to people), you tend to not give it much thought. I never thought about poor people until I started working in CPS.
And poor people seem not to think they are poor. It's really interesting. Most Americans believe they are middle class.
My sophomores are in a unit right now entitled "Welcome to America. Is It Worth the Trip?" We read some of The Jungle, which did not go over very well. But the point of the unit is about what America is supposed to represent versus what actually happens to people once they get here. I'm trying to explain things like social justice, exploitation of the least educated, et cetera.
One of my coworkers recommended an article that is in our anthology that discusses the role of social class in determining one's chances of success. The data is pretty straightforward -- the more money you have, the better your chance of economic and educational opportunity.
So I had the kids go around the room and tell me what social class they belonged to. Almost every kid (except maybe 3) said they were middle class. Then I said that at this school, 90% of our students receive free or reduced lunch, so how could it be that so many of you are middle class? The kids wanted to know what middle class meant. I explained that basically if you could make it through the month, pay all your bills, and did not have to rely on any form of public assistance, then you could probably assume you are middle class.
Then my kids started trying to justify that they were middle class. And many of them seem like they are. Some of the kids talked about the money their parents made in the underground economy (selling drugs), but a lot of the students said their parents had regular jobs.
I wondered why so many of them are on free lunch or have Link cards, then. My kids said that why should they pay for that food? They want to keep their cash -- so they'll use their cash for shoes and whatnot, but they want to keep their Link cards for food and necessities. One kid told me that no matter how much money he might make in his future, he still always wanted a Link card and a Section 8 housing voucher.
Then another student told me that her mom purposely only works 10 hours a week so that she can spend more time with her children. She's lucky that she gets her Section 8 voucher and Link card so she can do that.
I said that that was stealing. Why should her mom get to make that choice? I get to see my child for maybe 3 hours per day. She said there is no way her mom would accept that. I said -- it's not a choice. I knew that when I chose to have a baby, that I would have to work. That's the decision I made. Why should your mom get to make a different choice? That's completely unfair.
Then she and some other students said that I should cheat the government. They argued about how expensive the war in Iraq was, and how much money the government wastes. Which is all well and good, but it's not the government that is being cheated -- it's people like me. I try to explain to my kids that it's middle class taxpayers who pay for the brunt of those social programs.
And one of the major reasons why so many of those assistance programs have been gutted is because many people think they people take advantage. My students seemed to be confirming what lots of people believe.
I said that there are people who legitimately need help, and when you scam the system, you are taking that assistance away from people who really need it.
They didn't seem bothered by this at all.
This is what concerns me about poverty -- it's not just a matter of giving people better access to educational opportunity, better housing, job training. It's also a matter of changing this mindset. So many of my students believe that they are owed something. And they are, to an extent. It's not their fault that they were born to poor parents. No one should have to live in a public housing apartment in Chicago. And they are sent to substandard schools, and that sucks. But at some point some personal responsibility has to set in, and I don't know how to influence that.
The student whose mom cheats to stay home with her kids was trying to explain it to me more. She said -- It's hard to pay rent and buy groceries and pay for gas -- gas is so high. You have to have some help! I replied -- Yeah, it's hard. I do it everyday. But I guess I don't understand why your mom gets to decide she's not going to follow these rules, while I can't imagine doing anything else.
I was starting to get mad, which is not the appropriate response. The bell was about to ring anyway, so I tried to wrap up the discussion. It's hard not to take these things personally.
I want my students to have better opportunities. I want them to have better lives than their parents or grandparents. But I want them to understand that to have these opportunities, they are going to have to work really, really hard to try to catch up with middle class students.
Then I look around, and every one of my students has an iPod. Everyone is wearing Air Force Ones or Jordans (shoes that cost more than $100 per pair). Most wear expensive clothes. They make fun of my shoes. As mentioned in the article, America has the best dressed poor people in the world. My girls get their hair done a couple times per month. They get their nails done each week. It just seems like their priorities are out of whack.
When asked, they just say that just because they are poor, doesn't mean they don't deserve nice things. I said that I didn't disagree, but when I want nice things, I save my money for them. And I wouldn't take free lunch and then go buy fancy shoes -- that just doesn't make sense to me. I'd rather do without fancy shoes and save enough money to be able to buy my own lunch.
I know this is a long post -- it's just been really bothering me. I applaud Elizabeth and John Edwards and their goal of reducing poverty. I actually emailed Elizabeth Edwards with my concerns about poverty. I have not heard back from her.
Anyway, it's not going away, and I don't think I can make myself feel better about it. If anyone has any suggestions for ways to tackle this topic, please let me know.
I just needed to vent about it a little.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
A Good Day!
Yesterday was a great day at school. I was in a good mood all day. I had seen Dolly Parton at the Chicago Theatre Thursday night, and she was superfantastic, as usual. She is so amazing! I got a new t-shirt, which I wore to work yesterday, because I knew it would impress my students.
One girl asked me who was on my shirt, and then said that I was prettier than Dolly. Which though sweet to say, is just crazy and not true. Prettier than Dolly? Please!
Actually, many kids asked who was on my shirt, and no one knew who Dolly was. Even when I mentioned "I Will Always Love You," and said that that was Dolly's song and not Whitney's, no one knew what I was talking about. Whitney's name just brought us several comments concerning crack use.
Fridays we have long division, which means I have to sit with my division (homeroom) kids for 45 excrutiating minutes, and they are so incredibly loud. And since it's not a real class, I can't threaten their grades or anything. But yesterday we had an assembly in the auditorium. Which usually means that we get lectured by various administrators and it's really boring. But not this time.
We walk into the auditorium and there's a zydeco band on stage performing! The band is called Mojo and the Bayou Gypsies, and they were awesome. It was so much fun. Of course, here I am rocking my Dolly tee -- how perfect is that??? I was dancing in the aisles and my kids were just staring at me like I'm crazy (which happens all the time, so I barely notice). A couple of other teachers knew I was in hog heaven and were goading me to go on stage. Then I looked behind me, and there were a few teachers dancing at the back on the room. So I boogied over there and got them to go on stage with me. It was so fun.
A few students got on stage, too, and this kid was dancing behind me. All of a sudden lots of kids were cheering and laughing, which made me realize the kid was trying to "freak" on me, so I had to shimmy away from him. Some teachers yelled, "Stop freaking on Mrs. Fuji!" He yelled back that I wanted it, which is completely inaccurate. I saw him later in the hall and told him to never do that to me again.
Anyway, the performance was so much fun. The band was really good. They explained about New Orleans music, and that lots of hip hop has roots in zydeco. The kids just sat there and wouldn't act like they were having fun, but I could tell some of them were. Then at the end of the concert, I got a couple more kids to go on stage with me, and then more kids joined us. It was just fun and carefree and no one was being a jerk.
At the end I told the band how great they were and how much I appreciated their being there. Turns out they are local -- they are based in the Chicago suburbs.
Here's a video, for your entertainment!
One girl asked me who was on my shirt, and then said that I was prettier than Dolly. Which though sweet to say, is just crazy and not true. Prettier than Dolly? Please!
Actually, many kids asked who was on my shirt, and no one knew who Dolly was. Even when I mentioned "I Will Always Love You," and said that that was Dolly's song and not Whitney's, no one knew what I was talking about. Whitney's name just brought us several comments concerning crack use.
Fridays we have long division, which means I have to sit with my division (homeroom) kids for 45 excrutiating minutes, and they are so incredibly loud. And since it's not a real class, I can't threaten their grades or anything. But yesterday we had an assembly in the auditorium. Which usually means that we get lectured by various administrators and it's really boring. But not this time.
We walk into the auditorium and there's a zydeco band on stage performing! The band is called Mojo and the Bayou Gypsies, and they were awesome. It was so much fun. Of course, here I am rocking my Dolly tee -- how perfect is that??? I was dancing in the aisles and my kids were just staring at me like I'm crazy (which happens all the time, so I barely notice). A couple of other teachers knew I was in hog heaven and were goading me to go on stage. Then I looked behind me, and there were a few teachers dancing at the back on the room. So I boogied over there and got them to go on stage with me. It was so fun.
A few students got on stage, too, and this kid was dancing behind me. All of a sudden lots of kids were cheering and laughing, which made me realize the kid was trying to "freak" on me, so I had to shimmy away from him. Some teachers yelled, "Stop freaking on Mrs. Fuji!" He yelled back that I wanted it, which is completely inaccurate. I saw him later in the hall and told him to never do that to me again.
Anyway, the performance was so much fun. The band was really good. They explained about New Orleans music, and that lots of hip hop has roots in zydeco. The kids just sat there and wouldn't act like they were having fun, but I could tell some of them were. Then at the end of the concert, I got a couple more kids to go on stage with me, and then more kids joined us. It was just fun and carefree and no one was being a jerk.
At the end I told the band how great they were and how much I appreciated their being there. Turns out they are local -- they are based in the Chicago suburbs.
Here's a video, for your entertainment!
Monday, May 05, 2008
Books books books
If you have not read Freakonomics, then I really can't keep talking to you. It is so interesting and many of the tidbits in the book have stuck with me. I keep trying to get one of my students (any student) to read it -- I've offered a ton of extra credit. But no dice. No one has taken me up on this offer. Hell, I'd even pass a kid if he/she read the book and could discuss it with me. I'll keep trying.
In Freakonomics, there is a vignette about a grad student who is essentially kidnapped by the Black Kings in a dirty stairwell in the Robert Taylor Homes. The story is amazing, and that grad student -- who is now a professor at Columbia University, has written a book about his experiences researching the Black Kings.
The book is Gang Leader for a Day, by Sudhir Venkatesh. I just finished reading it, and it was super fantastic. Being a teacher in the ghetto, I really enjoy reading about urban poverty, since I see the effects of such poverty every day at work. Being white and Southern and relatively clueless, any insight I can gain to help me understand where my kids are coming from is valuable.
This book provides a lot of insight. It helps illustrate how the gangs work, the roles the gangs play within the society (specifically in the projects), and the level of complicity of the cops in perpetuating these roles.
Fascinating. And depressing, because it seems pretty clear that we are nowhere near a solution. Not that there are any politicians who seem to be looking for a solution to poverty.
I am realizing, the more time I spend teaching in the ghetto, that I should truly be amazed that any students bother coming to school. Unfortunately, our schools are doing nothing to give my kids a viable alternative to hustling. And the corruption is so endemic -- why should they know any better?
I sort of digressed from the book review. I don't want to give too much away. You really should read it. I think it would be eye-opening and amazing even if you aren't a school teacher in the ghetto. Arkansas friends, you would enjoy it, too!
The last book I want to mention is called The Echo from Dealey Plaza, by Abraham Bolden. It's about the first African American to serve on the White House Secret Service detail. Bolden was appointed by John F. Kennedy, who worked hard to staff his White House with women and minorities.
I found out about this book via Abraham Bolden, Jr, who is the technology coordinator at my school. He just happened to mention that his father had written this book. While I would not have heard about it otherwise, I'm really glad he told me about it -- it's so good. I'm only six chapters in, and I haven't really wanted to put it down.
The level of racism Bolden was subjected to is shocking. And after JFK's assassination, things went downhill. I won't tell you more than that -- you should get this book. It reveals a chapter in history that deserves to be remembered, and Mr. Bolden deserves a presidential pardon.
I am going to try to get my kids to read at least some excerpts. They have no idea how much worse things were in the 1960s. I realize we still have a long way to go, but things are definitely better.
OK, those are my recommendations. If you want me to continue to respect your opinions and ideas and value your intellect, you are going to have to read these books and then discuss them with me!!! (You don't have to read them, but it's for your own good. Why would you deny yourself these opportunities??)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)