When hunting for wild hogs (the kind with tusks):’s Neighborhood

The Tunica River Park affords a host of opportunities for people who are seeking to understand the historical importance of the Mississippi River's usage from its beginnings with the Native Americans and conquistadors up through it's present-day significance as a major channel for transporting goods and individuals through the American midwest. In an ideal world my students would be able to visit the park and take advantage of the plethora of exhibits and time periods featured at the museum. However, structuring this time to maximize my students' learning must be undertaken carefully so that my students get the full effect of the academic experience of the Tunica River Park and do not simply view the excursion as pointless field trip.

Some of the before school activities that I could have my students complete are:
            1) Completing a KWL chart to document students' knowledge prior to visiting the Tunic River Park
            2) Researching the history of the Mississippi River and how it has been used in the past by disparate groups
            3) Visiting a local river (i.e. the Yazoo River) and having students read about its historic regional significance

Some of the activities I could have my students complete while they are at the Tunic River Park are:
             1) Creating a timeline to document the settling of the area around the Mississippi River
             2) Describing the work of major figures who settles or worked along the Mississippi River
             3) Formulating a schedule for other groups of students to complete a walking tour of the park on their own visit

Some of the activities I could have my students complete after their visit to the Tunica River Park include:
             1) Finishing their KWL chart by filling in five things they learned from their visit to the Tunica River Park
             2) Developing a community service project to spread the word throughout the Delta about the river's import
             3) Writing a persuasive letter to a member of Congress urging them to allot money for sharing the river's history

When teaching in the districts that MTC places us in, tangible success is often hard to come by. Failure seems to be what is constantly in our face as we think of all the things that our students are doing besides learning, all the places that our students will likely end up besides college, and all the classroom management issues we face that make us want to roll over and call out sick. Every. Single. Day. Still, it's in the little things that teachers anywhere but especially in "critical needs" districts must focus on to maintain drive and focus and continue doing what too many others have deemed highly improbable or flatly impossible for centuries: educating poor Blacks.

In many of these districts MTC teachers teach in standardized tests are seen as foreboding signs of eminent doom and embarrassment. In these places, teaching "to the test" is often resorted to as the means through which educational salvation is reached. Teaching to the test is one thing but when you're in a school environment where, from day one, what's communicated to teachers is that teaching to the test is the ONLY thing, well then you're at KIPP. On some level this is understandable as testing determines so much at charter schools like KIPP from our enrollment to our ability to woo private funders to the very renewal of our charter with the state of Arkansas. However, I cannot help but shake my philosophical belief that I have more important life skills to teach my students than finding equivalent fractions and answering multiple choice items using process of elimination.

In any event, our big state test in Arkansas is called the ACTAAP or the Benchmark Exam. KIPP Delta in Helena has some of the highest test scores in the state at the middle school and high school levels. Last year, 94% of our 7th graders at KIPP Delta scored proficient or advanced on the mathematics Benchmark Exam compared to 66% of 7th graders statewide and only 33% of students in Helena-West Helena's regular public school system. What makes this even more remarkable to many is that our school is 99% Black, 99% free/reduced lunch, and in the heart of dilapidated downtown Helena close by local housing projects, gang territory, drugs, and prostitution. Last year's 7th grade math teacher who got these results was so successful that she has been given the green light to found her own school which will be opening in Blytheville, Arkansas in the fall of 2010 as a new KIPP middle school. She's only a year older than me. The venerable 7th grade math slot was thus available when I applied to KIPP this past spring and who teaches this course with the districtwide spotlight on it now?: me. The Black, hood guy from Harvard with two years of (social studies) teaching experience who's a few credits away from a master's degree in education.

Anyway, to my success story. In preparation for the end-of-the-year Benchmark Exam we take practice Benchmark Exams every month. We chart the progress of our students and use the practice Benchmark Exams to target particular students and skills for remediation and re-teaching. Results are scrutinized for hours on end at the individual, school, and district levels. It is highly nerve-wrecking to see where your students are at month-by-month and to know that the results will be known almost immediately by your peers and superiors and reflect your quality as a teacher. Lovely. In any event, the first practice Benchmark Exam we took was in late September. We took a second one two weeks ago in late October and although the success or failure of my students on the September exam could largely be attributed to what my students came into 7th grade knowing, my school director was clear in communicating that the October exam's results would be all my own.

Much to my surprise and the surprise of many a colleague, I'm sure, not only did my students' scores increase from the first to the second practice Benchmark Exam but these were the only scores that increased in any grade level, in any subject area at the entire school. Fifth, sixth, and eighth grade math scores went down. Fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade literacy scores went down. Fifth, sixth, seventh, and eight grade reading scores went down. Fifth and seventh grade science scores went down (we don't do sixth and eighth grade science testing). ONLY 7TH GRADE MATH SCORES WENT UP!!! I was elated when I saw the numbers displayed on the dry erase board at our faculty meeting the night we stayed at school until 10 p.m. grading exams and inputting results on our district network for more scrutiny. When looking at the individual students and their performances from the first to the second practice Benchmark Exam, I also noticed that most of the students whose scores increased were taught by me and not by the more experienced and better respected 8th grade math teacher who takes 15 of my 7th graders into his algebra class each day.

That's wassup. Right? 

the conversation with rita bender was pretty...sweet, to say the least.  i talk A LOT, most of the time unnecessarily, during our meetings and classes.  but with this, i really didn't want to.  i wanted to sit back and take it in.

Finding information about the city of Jackson that is accurate can be difficult.  Depending on the topic, the city might hide the information pretty deep in the Jackson website, or it is buried somewhere inside a 50-something page PDF document.  Other statistics seem to disagree with each other, depending on the source.  There are numerous individuals who would love to provide their own statistics or opinions on specific situations - politics, education, crime rate.  Sorting through information to be able to find the most accurate and up-to-date information can be difficult, but there are interesting and useful things gleaned in the process.  The following information is an attempt to examine and assess the community of Jackson, Mississippi in the fall of 2009.

1.  Defining the Community

The city of Jackson is in an extremely effective location for trade and economic growth.  As the capital of Jackson, there are many goods produced and services offered.  City-data.com notes that the "diversity of businesses and industry and its position as the state capital help insulate the metropolitan area from the economic downturns experienced by other cities."  There are sixteen banks in the city, four of which have their headquarters in Jackson (Consumer National Bank, Trustmark National Bank, First American Bank and First Commercial Bank).  In the tri-county area of Hinds, Madison, and Rankin counties (Jackson has land in all three counties), agriculture is a $180 million business.  Cattle is the main good, although cotton, grains, poultry, and timber are also vital to the agricultural portion of the city's economy.  There are 500 manufacturers present throughout the city.  The automobile industry is a promising new sector for growth, as the Nissan Motor Company opened its major plant in neighboring Canton, Mississippi and created over 3,300 new jobs.  The community also produces fabricated metals, electrical and electronic equipment, food products, apparel, wood products, furniture, transportation products, portable electric tools, and aircraft parts.  

2.  Geography

The city of Jackson encompasses approximately 109 square miles, about 2 square miles of those being water and the rest being land.  The city of Jackson is located about 294 feet above sea level.  It is equidistant (for the most part) from New Orleans (to the south), Memphis (to the north), Atlanta (to the east), and Dallas (to the west).  This distance to nearby major cities for trade is aided immensely by the transportation systems available to Jackson.  There are two airports, Jackson-Evers International Airport and Hawkins Field.  Though closed to passenger traffic, Hawkins Field still handles an impressive amount of air traffic.  Two major train lines, Canadian National and Kansas City Southern, run through the city.  The railroad system runs through the city and is fully functional and highly used.  The closest port is the Port of Vicksburg, located on the Mississippi River on the border between Louisiana and Mississippi, 45 miles west of Jackson.  The city is located on the Pearl River and also has access to the Ross Barnett Reservoir.  The city itself sits on top of a volcano, the peak of which is located 2,900 feet below the feet of the Mississippi Coliseum.

3.  Basic Demographics

Though there are different numbers provided by different sources, a 2006 count puts Jackson at a population of 177,977.  Throughout the 1990's, the city experienced a 5% decline in population.  In the years of 2000-2005, the city has been believed to have declined in population by 3%.  The racial breakdown of the city remains about the same, regardless of any increase or decrease in population.  A little over two-thirds of the city is African-American, making up about 71% of the population, and the white population representing with 28%, and the last 1% being the percent of Asian individuals.  This is, I believe, always the makeup for the city limits of Jackson, Mississippi.  The surrounding "suburbs" - Brandon, Byram, Clinton, Flowood, Ridgeland, Madison, Richland - would not follow this same racial breakdown.  According to the 2000 census, there were 67,841 households in Jackson.  39% of those households had at least one child under the age of 18 years.  Only 35% of the households represented married couples, whereas over 25% of the households were single-parent households, held together by a female.  The city has a median income of a little over $30,000, which is less than half the national average.  The city also boasts a fairly high crime rate, with 979 violent crimes per people.

4.  Economic Elements

Simply driving through downtown Jackson can give you a picture of the economic situation of the city, but after some research, I'm not so sure if it is an accurate picture.  Though the unemployment rate of the city (10.4%) is higher than the national average (6.9%), there are a lot of other factors that lead me to believe the overall picture is not as bad as it might seem.  According to job tracking trends in the city, "the number of Jackson, Mississippi jobs has increased by 63% since January 2008 (simplyhired.com)."  There are pieces of data that can raise an eyebrow of concern - over 60% of the households in the city earn less than $50,000 a year, though the national average income for a household is $60,000.  One should remember, however, that real estate and cost of living in Jackson is among the lowest in the nation.  A lowered household income in Jackson compared with the rest of the nation would not necessarily mean a lowered quality of life.  

Also, 67% of the population has less than an associate's degree to claim as their highest level of education.  Again, though this statistic could seem troubling, it is important to remember the type of job opportunities that Jackson has to offer.  The top employers are the State of Mississippi (32,000), The United States Government (5,500), Jackson Public Schools District (4,500), Nissan Motor Company (4,000), and Baptist Health Systems (2,700).  Many of these jobs offer opportunities to people of all different educational levels.  Also, the average commute is 19 minutes, and, as the city of Jackson is not extremely large and is easily traveled, it stands to speculate that those individuals who occupy jobs that require higher levels of education could (and very likely do) live outside the city limits and reside in the suburbs.  There are several publicly-traded companies that are headquartered in Jackson, being: Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.; EastGroup Properties, Inc.; Parkway Properties, Inc., and Trustmark Corporation.  

There are also new incentives being offered to attract new companies, and to encourage existing companies to step up and reinvent their organization.  For new businesses, the city offers lowered taxes, high quality labor, training programs, and tax credits for companies who create new jobs and provide basic skills for training and/or childcare.  For existing companies, The City of Jackson Storefront Improvement Program offers grants for exterior structural improvements in designated areas of the city.  There is encouragement for new businesses to locate in designated areas of the city, and there is a push for revitalizing the entire "downtown" section of the city.

5.  Physical Infrastructure

The city of Jackson is serviced by two airports - The Jackson-Evers International Airport deals with both commercial and industrial air traffic, whereas Hawkins Field only deals with industrial air traffic.  Three major interstates run through the city - 55, 20, and 220.  The major U.S. Highways of 49, 51, and 80 also run through Jackson and help to make the city easily traveled.  The State Highways of 18 and 25 (Lakeland Drive) make travel to the suburbs quick and easy.  Other major veins through the city - State, Capitol, Northside, and Fortification Streets, Terry Road, and Woodrow Wilson/Clinton Boulevard - make travel easy.  JATRAN is the form of public transportation, but its usefulness could be questioned.  It only runs Monday-Saturday on 13 routes from 5:00am-7:00pm.  There is no evening travel for safety reasons, and no travel on Sunday for...well, religious reasons.  The fare is $2.00 each way.  Being from a major city, I just want to quickly state something.  13 routes in a city the size of Jackson is not enough to be useful.  Also, perhaps because it is not used much, the rate is incredibly high for a city the size of Jackson.  As much as I've noticed, the public transportation system is not used much.  There are taxis, but they are all companies or privately owned, as there is no city taxi system.  Jackson is a hub for both Greyhound and Amtrak services.  Jackson also has a railroad system for trade which is highly trafficked, mainly by Canadian National and Kansas City Southern Railways.

6.  Cultural and Recreational Resources

Though Jackson is a comparatively small city, there are many cultural and recreational opportunities and resources.  Ballet Mississippi performs throughout the world, and every Christmas performs The Nutcracker at Thalia Mara Hall.  They host the Ballet Competition every fourth year, rotating with Moscow, Helsinki, and various towns in Bulgaria.  There is the Celtic Heritage Society of Mississippi, which hosts the Celtic Festival late every summer (early September this year).  The campus of Jackson State University has a botanical garden, which is used for academic and recreational purposes.  The Jackson Zoo can be considered small when compared with other major zoos, but it is a major hotspot for fundraisers, school functions, and community programs.  The Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum is the home for many local proms, business meetings, and tours.  There is a recreation of an old village in the Delta, and the amount of history contained in the museum and on the lands is a great source of information for the culture of Mississippi.  The Mississippi Museum of Art has a great standard collection of photographs telling the story of Mississippi, including award-winning photographs from Eudora Welty.  The MMA also is home to different traveling installations, including a recent collection of work from world-renowned artist Raoul Duffy.  The MMA is free of charge and is a center of culture of students, citizens, and visitors alike.  The Mynelle Gardens, located in south Jackson are a center for weddings, anniversary parties, and church functions.  New Stage Theatre is home to productions - both independent and "traditional" - and is well-visited throughout the year.  The Russell C. Davis Planetarium is a staple of school students and is becoming a popular location for the young adult population of the city.  There are numerous community organizations, functions, and fundraisers throughout the city which keep citizens involved.  

7.  The Power Structure

Jackson uses the Mayor-Council government style with the Mayor being elected at large and then seven Council members being elected from the seven Wards of Jackson.  The city is headed by the mayor, currently Harvey Johnson, Jr.  There is also a Central Administrative Officer, who serves as a link between the Mayor's office and all other offices and departments; a City Attorney, who is in charge of city litigations; a City Clerk; a seven-member Council; Civil Service Commission; Historic Preservation Commission; Jackson Housing Authority, and dozens of other organizations, commissions, and committees.  In regards to who holds real power and who makes things happen, I think it depends on where you are.  For the area of my school, it's all in the hands of Councilman Stokes and the Police Department.  Also, the School Board controls most of what concerns me, as my daily life pretty much is confined to the school building.  Each members seem to focus on a specific issue - whether it's the Library System Administration Board scraping funds together for 13 months to renovate the Eudora Welty Library after a damaging fire, the Jackson Zoological Park petitioning for money for another outdoor habitat for the orangoutangs, or the Jackson Redevelopment Authority Board of Commissioners listening to bids for the Hotel King Edward, each committee has power in its own right.  Behind this report, there is a nifty flowchart, provided by the Mayor's Office for the City of Jackson, to help better understand the roles of individuals in the city.

8.  Role of Governmental Agencies

As mentioned above, each governmental agency is given a lot of autonomy for their specific area.  The School Board handles most of the issues regarding JPS, the Police and Fire Departments handle their issues, the Housing Authority and Redevelopment Committee deal with specific issues.  All of these committees and agencies report, at the end of the day, and through a round-about pattern, back to the Mayor's Office.  Funds that are needed, events that will be held, permits that need approval all must go through the Mayor's Office.  This is also where the CAO comes in hand.  A lot of the work that needs to go to the Mayor is handled and organized by the CAO, making the job of the Mayor a task that one can handle.  In the city, I really do feel that citizens are encouraged to show up, speak out, and act on issues that concern them.  I think a lot of issues might not be solved overnight in this manner, but they're definitely dealt with and not just pushed under a rug.

9.  History

Jackson has a history that is similar to that of most Southern cities, moments of glory and moments of...well, shame.  To be as brief as possible, the city was originally part of the Choctaw Nation and in 1830, the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek removed the Native Americans from most of the land, and the city became the permanent seat of government for the state of Mississippi.  The city was first referred to as LeFleur's Bluff because it had been founded by Louis LeFleur, and it was founded along Natchez Trace.  In a report to the Mississippi General Assembly in 1821, surveyors had reported that Jackson had "beautiful and healthy surroundings, good water, abundant timber, navigable waters, and proximity to the trading route Natchez Trace."  Rail systems developed the city after the Civil War.  During World War II, Hawkins Airfield was used as a training base for all the Dutch military crews (after 1941).  

When the Civil Rights Movement began to gather steam, Jackson saw a lot of action.  On June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers was murdered by Byron de la Beckwith, which increased the already intense activity in the city.  Massive, public movements for Civil Rights and voter registration followed the murder and became extremely effective in putting Jackson on the map of Civi Rights.  Civil Rights issues ensued until June of 1966 when James Meredith organized a march from Memphis to Jackson and (after being hit by a sniper's bullet during the march) delivered a speech to a crowd of 15,000 regarding the implementation of Civil Rights legislation.  May 15, 1970, police killed two and wounded twelve during a protest regarding the Vietnam War.  The incident made national news.  

In 1997, Harvey Johnson, Jr. became the city's first African-American mayor.  He was followed in 2005 by Frank Melton.  The somewhat comical years of Melton's reign witnessed martial law, wearing arms on school and church property, a marked increase in both unemployment and violent crime, questionable antics, and (my personal favorite), stopping a school bus to give children hugs.  In 2009, Melton passed away after election results, and Harvey Johnson, Jr. was re-elected to the position of mayor.

10.  Community Barriers

In summary of most of the information gathered so far, the serious problems that face the community are poverty, unemployment, crime, and level of education of the population.  Many of the individuals in the community do not finish high school, do not finish on time, and if they do finish, they do not go on to college.  In my specific school, the graduating class last year started out their freshman year with a little over 250 students.  They graduated only around 150, and those were pretty good odds, considering the area and the odds they are facing.  A 10.4% unemployment rate that seems to be increasing, a population that is continuously decreasing, and a median income that is half of  the national average are not good things to have on your side.  The crime rate will likely take a nosedive with the new administration, but even then, it is nowhere close to the national average, and would still be considered a dangerous city.

11.  Values

Values of Jackson would include Christianity, education, and progression.  Everywhere you go, there are churches, church groups, church festivals, church reunions, and preachers.  Christianity, regardless of the depth of belief or practice, seems to be a binding force and a bonding place for most citizens in Jackson.  Jackson Public Schools and Jackson State University create a foothold for education to take a prominent place in everyone's life.  Someone has a friend, neighbor, neice, nephew, grandchild, or child in JPS, and most individuals become involved in the JPS family.  A lot of JSU alumni tend to stay in the area and stay involved in the educational field, giving weight to the education in Jackson.  A new value that seems to have taken hold is that of progression.  Whether it's rejuvenating downtown or renovating an old museum, there seems to be an air of recognition that Jackson has fallen behind the times and must catch up.  There is a willingness to go forward, as long as there is still an appreciation for the way things were, since people tend to view the way "things were" as the way they "should be."

12.  Uniqueness

There are many unique things about the city of Jackson, but there is one thing that always catches my attention: the crime rate.  As of 2007, Jackson had more than double the national average for the United States.  After looking at car theft, arson, rape, robbery, and other violent crimes, Jackson's crime rate was calculated at 703.5, whereas the national average is 320.9.  In 2007, Jackson was ranked as the 23rd most dangerous city, but in the closing months of Frank Melton's tenure, the city saw a spike in crime, and (unofficially) rose to the 14th most dangerous city in the United States.  Malcolm McMillian was, at one time, holding the offices as both the Sheriff and the Police Chief of Jackson.  However, in summer 2009, Tyrone Lewis stepped in as Chief of Police for JPD and McMillian retained his position.  There has been a concerted effort on all parts to reduce crime in Jackson, so one could that effort to show in new statistics.

Also, two other interesting facts about Jackson: the city is ranked 10th in the nation in concentration of African-American same-sex couples, and it is located on top of a volcano, making it the only capital or major city in the United States to boast that physical feature.

13.  Schools, Colleges, and/or Universities

If not saturated with anything else, Jackson is definitely soaked to the brim with education.  Given the largest public education system in the state, an equally impressive selection of private school opportunities, and an awesome array of higher-education choices, Jackson can hold its own in the education realm.  Jackson Public Schools is comprised of 38 elementary schools, 10 middle, and 8 high schools.  There are also alternative schools, career placement and development programs and schools, adult education, and environmental education locations.

In regards to private school opportunities, Jackson 32 different schools, ranging from Pre-K to 12th grade, affiliated with religions ranging from Roman Catholic to Church of God in Christ, co-ed and single-sex school.  There are many different private schools in the city, and they offer a quality alternative to the public school system.  The Mississippi School for the Blind and The Mississippi School for the Deaf are also located in Jackson.

Comparing the two school systems is very interesting.  According to the Mississippi Department of Education for the 2006-2007 school year, the public school system is made up of the following racial groups: African-American (94.8%), White (4.4%), and Asian (0.2%).  Interestingly enough, private schools are made up of basically the same racial groups, just in a completely different ratio.  African-American students make up only 25.5% of the private school population, Whites bring in a whopping 73.2% of the population, American Indians 0.6% of the private school population, Asian 0.4% of the private school population, and Hispanic students make up 0.3% of the private school population.  

Also interesting is the number of children in Pre-K programs in public and private schools.  In Jackson Public Schools, there are about 520 children in Pre-K, but around 2,750 children in the kindergarten classrooms.  Private schools in Jackson, however, see around 950 children in the Pre-K programs, and then about 700 children in the kindergartens.  Finally, perhaps most interesting (or most upsetting), are the comparison of high school students.  Public schools had (according to the 2006-2007 Mississippi Department of Education information) 2,900 students in grade 9, but only about 1,500 (half) of the students travel through to the 12th grade.  In the private schools, however, there are about 360 that enter the 9th grade, and almost all of those (and some additional ones, as well, as the number was somewhere around 380) will graduate the 12th grade.

Once a student makes it through the gauntlet of a Jackson education, they have plenty of opportunities presented to them to stay in Jackson for their higher education.  Jackson State University was founded in 1877 and is a public, Historically Black College or University (HBCU).  Most graduates are focused in education or business studies.  Reformed Theological Seminary was founded in 1963 and has different campuses throughout the South, with the Jackson campus being smaller (about 450 students) and focused more on Master's programs.  Millsaps College was founded in 1892, is a private and religiously-affiliated institution (Methodist).  Belhaven College was founded in 1883, and is a Presbyterian-affiliated college, preparing students for different leadership roles in their adult lives.  The University of Mississippi Medical Center was founded in 1955, and is the stepping ground for medical students.

hazing has always been an issue in my life.  in high school, every athletic team that i can think of got in trouble at least once during my four years for hazing issues.  the marching band got in trouble for hazing.  the dance team got in trouble for hazing.  different school organizations were faced with disciplinary actions when it was discovered that they were engaging in "questionable" activities aimed at new members.

though i initially agreed with this blog (http://garyrubinstein.teachfor.us/2009/08/30/high-expectations-not-so-fast/), when i linked to the post he referenced, i rethought my stance.

To be honest, after a second perusal of Ruby Payne's A Framework for Understanding Poverty I'm not sure how I feel about it. Two years ago when I first blogged about the book I had this to say. Oh, the days when I was a fiery leftist blogger.... I still feel Payne overly generalizes a very large, exploited population whose absent voice in a book such as this speaks volumes. I still feel it is inherently absurd to think you can understand poverty, the lifestyles of many people in poverty, or other such deeply complex and malleable concepts by reading a book. I still feel that the myriad holes in Payne's argument makes it as useful as a two-dollar bill in the vending machines on the first floor of Guyton. However, I do hear more of what Payne was trying to get across after having taught for two years in one of the poorest places in the nation.

The research article that I read was "The 'Building Tasks' of Critical History: Structuring Social Studies for Social Justice" by Wayne Au. It was published in Social Studies Research and Practice in July of this year. In the article, Au looks at two case study lesson plans by social studies teachers who actively seek to raise the consciousness of their students around social justice issues. The author utilizes discourse analysis where people "use language to operationalize certain 'building tasks' in order to express meaning, ideology, values, and other aspects of our identities in a given situation." Au concluded that these lesson plans were quality classroom pedagogical devices due to their service as vehicles for students to critically question social relations historically and in the present-day context. In doing so, he dismissed the claims of some that lesson plans stifle the true learning process by assuming that the planning and executing instruction occurs in some sort of linear fashion to a "predetermined endpoint."

*Required

So I am loving my second year.  It is SOOOO much easier than the beginning of last year.  This blog is essentially a heads-up for people who teach ninth graders.

The hardest part of this year has been STARTING OVER.

If you teach (or have taught) ninth graders, there is a drastic improvement between the beginning of the year and the end.  Besides developing some sense basic maturity and confidence, by the end of the year students are able to do things on their own.  They understand your routines, grading system, etc. and have learned how to live in your classroom.  It's great at the end of the first year.

Then reality sets in the next August.  A whole new group of knuckleheads.  Ninth graders are clueless (I'm sure you've discovered this).  The hardest part, then, is going through it all again.  Teaching them how to act towards each other.  Teaching them how to look up page numbers.  Teaching them that fighting is dumb.  Teaching them that what they found in the book really is the correct answer and they don't need to call on my to check it every three seconds.

It's exhausting, but I know that they will get better.  The satisfaction of seeing them grow up is what makes it worth it.  The difference between the beginning and end of ninth grade is greater than any other high school year.  It's nice being a part of that.

Go Irish!

*Required

I can’t say that I’m the most organized person.  I try to be.  Believe it or not, I’m actually a neat freak who just can’t keep up.  Here are my tips and tricks:

• Buy a plastic organizer with one section for each class so that you can keep your papers organized until they are handed back

• Keep binders.  Just as you may make your students keep binders with worksheets and notes, do the same with your worksheets/notes/answer keys/tests/lesson plans.  Keeping this stuff organized will make your next semesters much easier (especially if you teach a one semester class).

• Eliminate the clutter.  Have students clean up in your last period.  Have certain students clean up paper and others put books, etc. away.  Straighten desks when you leave for the day so that it doesn’t look disorganized when you come in the next day.  It’s a small thing, but it’ll make you look forward to the day rather than dread it.

And finally…

• THROW STUFF AWAY!  If you haven’t gotten around to grading something from the second week by now, the students will have forgotten.  Just toss it.  I can promise you they won’t know the difference.  It’ll make you feel better too.

That’s it.