The following is an email I sent in response to a statement made about a {former} student of mine. Only small portions of the email were redacted, although the information redacted is public information. The redactions do not change the essential message. No person is publicly identified in the email since the purpose was to generate reflective thinking about the students we teach and with whom we work on a daily basis and not to humiliate. This email is several months old, but it's perfect timing as we head back to school. Please forgive any typos/grammatical errors. My thoughts were racing a mile a minute months ago when I sent it. Read. Reflect.
Hello All,
You've seen the emails/texts. Lots
going on this week.
Colleague to colleague, I love it when
teachers/staff move to make changes within the school! I really do!! Adding a
parent piece would be great and I'm sure it'll come in time. I'm hopeful!!
As we are coming together to address
the myriad issues around the health/safety/cleanliness of the building, I'd
also like for us to look introspectively at how we perceive our students and
the great potential that is in each and every one of them, even the ones that
tap dance on our nerves!
It matters not that this may not be
received well, but from where I stand, not as one who is perfect, but as one
who keeps trying and trying to be better than I was yesterday, I feel as though
the elephant in the room needs to be identified.
I was recently told that one of my
students will "always be behind". I'm trying
to leave room for the possibility that such a statement was a slip of the
tongue and doesn't represent actual beliefs of any colleague with whom I work.
For if the collectively "we", believe that students will "always
be behind", then what are we doing? Do we not belief that with extra
effort and hard work that they'll eventually catch up? Do we not believe that
they are capable of doing "it", whatever "it" may be?
No need for an undergrad reminder on
Lev Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, but I'd urge all of us to rethink
how we teach and what we believe about the students in our charge. They cannot
rise to low standards. Whether we get support from the office or not, it
doesn't matter! Let's do our part to hold our students to high standards of
excellence, academics, and behavior.
Providing them with the right level of
support, showing genuine interest in them as individuals, complimenting them
even when it's hard, you'll be surprised how they'll rise to the occasion! Yes,
they'll work a nerve. What relationship are you in where everything is peaches
and cream?! Do a PD and I'm there!! These are the dynamics of working with
people and not robots! They still deserve a chance, however!
Let's watch what we say and reexamine
our beliefs. My Pastor used to say, "the mouth is the meter of the
heart." What you believe will come out of your mouth or by your actions.
While it may not be "fair" to
bring up issues of race, I'll do it anyway. The make-up of our student body is
as follows:
88.2% Black
.9% While
.1% Asian
1.3% Latino
9% Other
https://webapps.philasd.org/school_profile/view/6470
100% of our student
body is considered "Economically Disadvantaged"
https://webapps.philasd.org/school_profile/view/6470
If any of
us believes that certain students will "always be behind", one could perceive that
to be an unfair declaratory statement with racial, classist, and elitist
undertones. That perception may be incorrect, true. However, perception,
incorrect though it may be, is reality to someone.
Our kids CAN do it!
They CAN rise to the occasion! They CAN succeed! They CAN behave! They CAN
learn! They CAN do anything they set their minds to do and need a few adults
who will not coddle them but will challenge them, providing them with adult
guidance, love, and direction all along the way! I don't attribute some of the
kids' success to medication, but to the structure, love and support that
majority of us provide for them every single day!!
So as we address
certain building issues, let's reexamine what we may not know even existed in
our minds about what the young scholars of John B. Kelly Elementary School are
able to do!
Success is my only
option!
Failure is not an
option!
In order to be
successful, I must work hard!
No excuses!
I see quite a few
former students on a daily basis and they still quote this "Flem"
mantra. One even said, "Yo Flem, I LIVE by that jawn!!" and proceeded
to give me an example of when he wanted to give up on a particular goal. He
didn't. He was accepted to collegeS with money to pay for it!!
Don't tell me
what's not possible!!
Flem
P.S. If you are
offended, please see me and let's chat.
No comments:
Post a Comment