The People's Court

It's Tuesday, Decemeber 26, 2017. I'm sitting on my couch having just finished my lunch. (Just in case you are wondering, it was a chicken salad and spinach mini-hoagie on a wheat roll, a bag of spicy nacho Doritos, a cookie, and raspberry ice tea.)

I'm watching The People's Court with Judge Milian. The plaintiff in one case, Jason Smith, was suing a man who reneged on a payment for boat and car detailing services that the plaintiff provided. Mr. Smith, a 30-something year old Black man was a bit animated and "antsy" while presenting his case. Judge Milian commented on his restlessness twice before telling him to have a seat because he was irritating her (her words).

I can understand how his animation and his being ansty might be a little unnerving. That's life. Sometimes people's voices, mannersims, habits, personalities, etc. annoy us. Her annoyance with Mr. Smith becomes a little precarious, however, because of her position of power being the judge. For all intents and purposes, he kind of has to do what she says. He did sit down as ordered.

You already know where I'm going. Black male students experience disproportionate representation in school discipline (suspension and expulsion) and in special education, particularly in high incidence categories like emotional behavioral disorders and learning disabilities.

I wonder if many of our colleagues, to whom the balance of power tilts in the student/teacher relationship, are just annoyed with our young African American male students. 🤔

I wonder if instead of finding ways to teach how he best learns, some of us de facto embrace exclusionary pedagogical stances or default to special education referral processes.🤔

"Well, we can't just think about our African American male students! What about our female students or boys and girls of other ethnic groups?"

The overrepresentstion of our Black male students in suspension and expulsion tracts and in high incidence special education tracts tells me we haven't been thinking about our African American male students too much at all.

Jason Smith won his case. Many of our young Black men are also winning in the classroom, in boardrooms, in business, in college, and in life. As with many brothers with whom I speak, *our* winning isn't enough, though. We want all of our young brothers to experience success as well. The classroom, from preschool onward, is one of many places to scrutinize and mobilize.

Uncle Kevin

Ayo, peep this: two brothaz hittin each other up, back n forth, plottin for the culture!
Aaaaaannnd, now that I have your attention, let me be serious, lol

Imagine this, two African American men putting their heads together to plan a series of informal conversations for the benefit of younger ladies and gentlemen who look like us. Such was the case with me and my Uncle Kevin, my mother's brother. Uncle and nephew, two brothas planning ways to add layers of emphasis on the importance of education to PreK-8 foundations with varying degrees of stability.

For the past three Wednesdays, Uncle Kevin has  come to Martin Luther King High School to sit and chat with each of my 5 classes about life. During these #UncKevSeries (I just made that up) the conversation topics ranged from the importance of being literate, having and holding on to dreams and visions, and making the teacher's job a wee bit easier (On everything, I didn't ask him to say that...). He also spoke of his being raised in Germantown, his hope of one day becoming a trash man, later a teacher, and ultimately the reality of his becoming a registered nurse with a well known hospital in Philly.

The conversations were authentic.
Many of their questions, real.
The lasting impact, as with any youth engagement initiative, yet to be determined.
Some feigned disinterest, but when they repeatedly ask on a Thursday or Monday (knowing he'd only be coming on Wednesdays), "Ayo Flem, where ya uncle at?", that's when you know it's real!

Let me add one very important piece. My Uncle Kevin is an alumnus of a local community college, the Community College of Philadelphia. Those who follow my thoughts on paper know that I recently wrote about not sleeping on community colleges. Here's yet another example of how community colleges may be the direction that some may want or need to take as an initial step into their future!

What are you passionate about?

It's Friday.
It's a half day.
I wanted to wrap up the week on a slightly different note, taking a detour from our regular grind. Since we have an adjusted schedule anyway, I figure it'd be perfect.

Mini-passages and short open-ended questions on Barbara Jordan and Crispus Attucks awaited the students as "Do Now"s on their desks as they entered. The goal: complete this short assignment, move on to discuss the causes for which they have a passion, followed by a discussion on the 1967 Philly student demonstrations, and end with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air episode "Those Were the Days". Here's YouTube's description of it:

When radical activist Marge Smallwood visits old friends Philip and Vivian Banks, her stories about the civil rights movement inspire Will to lead a student protest of his own at school.

We only watched 1 minute of the episode. The discussion about their passions was extended and well-informed. Here's a list of some of their passions:

1. De-emphasis on grades by parents and schools

2. Colorism (a student actually used the term...#winning)

3. A true desire to learn (they named the classes where some form of it actually exists)

4. Teachers and their management

5. There was also a discussion on feeling entitled

The conversations were real and were mostly concentrated on teaching and learning. Let me say that I did NOT provoke, evoke, or whatever other 'voke' we can use here, I had nothing to do with it. {snickers} To know me is to know that it sounds like something I would do. THEY pushed the conversation in this direction. The students were very critical of teachers, teaching/learning, the school system, and our school itself. They expressed a burning desire to learn and to grow beyond whatever growth they may be experiencing (or not) at the moment.

Every point was valid and well-taken. Their words were a reflection of their experiences as freshmen to this point. From the proverbial balcony, from a slightly different perspective, I did seize the opportunity to be critical. I do teach that it's OK to be critical, to question, to prod a little and even to disagree. Me to them, "Is this a two-way street? Do we ALL not have a part in this teaching and learning thing? Do students bear any responsibility at all for their learning? What can YOU do?"

Everyone's voice was heard. Everyone's voice was respected. Everyone's voice could have gone on for another hour or two. Easily.

It's a Rap

I couldn't think of a better way to end an 8-week accelerated semester than the way it ended tonight.

Several weeks ago I wrote about one of my college students who asked if he could write a rap for The Soloist by Steve Lopez, our course text for the English part of the Reading course. Tonight, after a few more Article Articulation assignments, also discussed in that previous post, I informed the class that after he raps, it's a rap.

He set up his background music and with such finesse he
spit them barz and lyricals
quick as carz, satirical...

In church, we give the benediction.
His rap was something like that. And it wasn't a corny jawn either. He did the thing. There was nothing left to say.

So let the class say, "AMEN!" (Except for the part that I still have to report to work next week, but it's cool though)

Don't Sleep on Community Colleges

I'm not sure just how widespread the idea reached, but at one point in the "hood" (and perhaps beyond), many thought of community college as "13th grade", just an extension of high school. Where the idea came from, I have no clue. This post centers on a complete reconsideration of those past thoughts that many of us in the hood had. Forget whatever biases we/you may have had about community colleges as a teenager or even as an adult! They definitely have a place in the lives of young and older adults alike!

Recent events in the lives of two 20-something year old Black men in Philadelphia have put both their accomplishments and at least one common experience they both shared in the limelight. They both attended the Community College of Philadelphia. Those two young men are Mr. Quamiir Trice and Mr. Hazim Hardeman. Both in their early 20s, their experiences with some of life's toughest enigmas aren't unlike those of many other young people of color in the 'hood' and elsewhere. Also like many other young people of color, young brothers and sisters, they're winning!

The success stories of Quamiir and Hazim are circulating local and social media, print and digital media, the Associated Press, everywhere! They're taking the narrative by storm; that of the success of young Black men! Quamiir, in a reply to a tweet I mentioned him in, wrote,

Much love bro. I’m just glad we took control of our stories and shared them to shed light on our communities. Keep winning y’all✊🏾

— Quamiir Trice (@QuamiirTrice) November 23, 2017

If you're unaware of their stories, check out their twitter feeds. Nothing that I can write here will do it justice. Hear them in their own words.

Follow @QuamiirTrice

Follow @hazimhardeman

One of many salient points included in their narratives is the time they spent as students at Community College of Philadelphia, anything but 13th grade.

On Hazim's experience, Susan Snyder writes on philly.com, "...he went to community college, and his life as a scholar took off. He got into the honors program, for which he had high praise, and served as vice president of the student body." In an interview posted by Temple University on YouTube, Hazim speaks about how attending CCP allowed him the "opportunity to reorient myself and really focus myself..." He speaks of his learning how to be a scholar and how to interact with his teachers and professors. Hazim also makes it a point to note how the opportunity to attend CCP, knowing he could transfer to a place like Temple, was "something significant not only to me but to people in my community" This was, in his words, "an opportunity that not a lot of people in my neighborhood have."

He's Temple's first Rhodes Scholar and is headed to Oxford University.

Quamiir's road to and experiences at CCP also debunk previously held 13th grade mentalities!

In a Philadelphia Tribune report, Quamiir speaks of his experience in a program at the Center for Male Engagement at Community, “For the first time, I was watching four Black educators making a difference in my life and other students lives,” Trice said. “It was an eye opener for me. I was inspired by what they were doing, how they were carrying themselves, and how they were dressing." Kristen Graham notes on philly.com how Quamiir excelled at CCP, graduated and headed on to Howard University to complete his studies in education. Personally encouraged by former mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter, Philly schools superintendent, Dr. Hite and a man you may have heard of, Barrack Obama, "Mr. Trice" is now an educator here in Philly, a Black male educator with great promise.

More and more, students and families are finding community colleges to be viable, affordable, and meaningful postsecondary experiences in preparation for even more exhaustive postsecondary learning. 

In a cursory search for research on the topic, a few articles at the top of the search engines and databases yielded research on how several who start at places like CCP don't do well in 4-year universities, if they finish at all. I was a little disheartened, until...duhhhh...I'm writing a blog post about two brothers whose stories are counter narratives!! HA! How 'bout them apples!?!

During a recent trip with my students to CCP, one of the faculty members and I were chatting during lunch. He spoke of his long career there and I spoke of my coming up on my one year anniversary with Delaware County Community College as an adjunct reading professor teaching at night. He spoke of the whole 13th grade mentality. I asked this older brother very frankly if from his experience, people still think that way. He said "no". I echoed my agreement with that sentiment based on my experiences as an adjunct and based on conversations with youth and adults alike!

In a separate, unprovoked conversation with a fellow church member, who had no idea what my thoughts were, she commented on the quality of education she is receiving at a local community college. She already has at least a Bachelors, but decided to take (or took) a course in business. She commented how she likes it and how courses, overall, are being taught by experts in their fields and PhDs. (Note the *and*, because a PhD does not necessarily make you an expert)

In another unprovoked conversation, this time with a local school superintendent, we spoke of our support for the education that community colleges have to offer. She spoke of the dual enrollment program her district offers and the increasing success of such. I spoke up Quamiir and Hazim.

The mentality towards community colleges is changing. From my view, many no longer consider it "13th" grade but the next logical step to their long term goals in life. At the end of the day, whatever post-secondary goals our students have, whether community college, 4-year universities, trade school or otherwise, let's encourage them in their pursuits! Let's help them see the forest for the trees, the certificates, and the degrees!

All I gotta do is...

A catered lunch for a field trip.

Chicken salad and turkey sandwiches on kaiser along with Herr's chips, a cookie, and water.

Excellent reviews from the kids who had the same options during our last trip. They looked forward to it, again.

Kid wanted turkey, so he threw the whole chicken salad sandwich box and contents away.

We were outside having lunch in the Spring Garden section of the city. So, quasi-public trashcan.

I couldn't keep it together.

Obviously annoyed with my beffudlement and rambling, the reply to me, "All you gotta do is take it out the trashcan!"

Mr. Flemming, back away slowly. Get your lessons and videos together. You're a teacher. Keep calm and lesson plan. ALL I gotta do is...???

*feverishly plans a series of lessons that goes along with those little teaching standards*

What They Whisper, Matters

Updated December 3, 2021

Updated October 21, 2022

I firmly believe that what students say when the teacher is not around or when they perceive that the teacher is inattentive, may be their most honest sayings. This doesn't suggest that students aren't keepin it a "hunnit" when we are actively engaged in conversation. Yet and still...

I pay attention to what the kids say underneath their breath or to a classmate. I recently blogged about purposeful ear-hustling.

While, there's the occasional, "I hate this class" or "He do the most," I try to read between the lines and where I can tweak a lesson or pedagogical approach, I do. Not always, but when I can.

Every now and then, I also hear feedback that lets me know I've broken through the multilayered Teflon that some of them have built up over the years.  I'd hear something that lets me know that I'm on the right track.

In one instance, a student was starting to cut up in class. Another classmate quickly checked him, "Yo, this not the type of class we can wild out in!"

Bet!

Then there was a group of girls who were discussing our latest "Do Now" series.

Student 1: "Yo these Do Nows be fun as &%*# -  I be writing a whole page and &%*#!!"
Student 2: "Real &%*#!! Me too. [So-n-so] be asking why I'm writing all these sentences!"

Listen to students!

Earhustle, even!😉

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of K-12 Reading Instruction

As I mentioned in my last post I have a part-time "gig" as an adjunct reading guy at a local community college. I recently asked my college-aged students to tell me what they loved and/or hated about their reading/English class experiences K-12.

Here's some of what they enjoyed throughout the K-12 pipeline:
1.  When the teacher read aloud (even in high school - a lesson I learned very quickly, btw)
2.  When the teacher would stop, pause, and discuss what was being read, "that way we can keep up with what's going on."
3.  Explanations of the text
4.  When "we were asked to keep notes"
5.  When teachers "actually taught" and not just assign work and leave "us" to do it

Here's some of what they did not appreciate throughout the K-12 pipeline:
1.  When teachers showed favoritism and only worked with those who seemed like good students
2.  When teachers made students read aloud (the person mentioned this in the context of herself...when the teacher called on her to read aloud)
3.   When high school teachers didn't explain things

Aside from the simple things of what they liked or didn't like, my college students also mentioned "affactors" I definitely did just make up that term (I think). But it makes sense for the point I--ahem--they wanted to convey.

affactors (n.) the lexical coalescence of affect & factors to mean the emotional components of
(me trying to be "deep", but I digress...)

Without knowing my thoughts, opinions, and approaches to the classroom and teaching and learning, in addition to all of the reading "stuff" they liked/hated, THEY mentioned how they learned more when the teacher CARED, an affactor.

THEY mentioned how they learned more when the teacher CONNECTED with the students, an affactor.

And one had the unmitigated gall (*wink*) to mention her positive experiences with a "guy teacher who was like you, he made it interesting!" Piquing interest? An affactor.

Ayyee!! #dontjudgeme lol

"You think I can rap...?"

http://5starempire.com/category/hip-hop-international/

I'm a public high school English teacher by day and an adjunct reading professor at a local community college by night. As my accelerated reading course began recently, I assigned an article for my students to read that we'd later discuss. I was demonstrating an article discussion assignment that would be required of them soon when one of my students whispered a question to me. "You think I can rap about what we're talking about one day?" I can't begin to express my excitement! This young man didn't realize that the instructor before him TOTALLY believes in multi-modal teaching and learning experiences! Needless to say, my answer was a resounding YES! We then discussed how his rapping could be incorporated into some of the lessons and his class presentations. I think this young brotha is hooked!

Bumping into my formers...

Saturday morning brought a potpourri of emotions. Working hard all week, I was exhausted physically, emotionally, and mentally. Add to that a 10am funeral for a church member who lived to be 98 years old, a sweet lovely Mother. That was a little emotional. When I returned back to the funeral from a quick trip to the car, I hear, "Mr. Flemming!" It wasn't someone trying to verify whether it was me. It wasn't someone yelling trying to get my attention. It was very matter of fact, almost military. One of the morticians removed his Secret Service-style sunglasses. Julius. A former student of mine from 10 years ago! For the next few moments we'd get all caught up. Him, a mortician and working in discipline at one of our Philly high schools. His old 6th grade English and Social Studies teacher now a high school English teacher at Martin Luther King.

I commented on his still being able to keep a sharp hair cut and kempt appearance, much like he did in 6th grade. He commented on how he heard of my involvement in the "Kelly mold advocacy" situation and his not at all being surprised about whatever role I played. Him, "I said, yup, he'd do something like that! Not surprised."

This latest run in with a former student is the latest in a string of run-ins with former students. Being a teacher at the neighborhood high school into where many Germantown elementary and middle schools feed, including the school where I taught for 10 school years, has reunited me with several former students. Yesterday a young man in a hoodie walked up to me and just stared. I was covering a Biology class and he just approached me. Stopped. Stared. Awkward. Very awkward. But I'm chillin. Not intimated. Not threatened.

"Mr. Flemming?"

"Uh-oh! That means I'm supposed to know you from John B. Kelly [or a summer school site]. Did I have you?"

"Yes."

"Ok, hold on. Gimme a second."

He proceeded to remove his hood. I spit out his first and last name immediately! As with Julius, we spent the next few moments catching up. Me asking about his family, him not believing I'm at King.

A similar situation happened later that very day with a student I didn't have the privilege of teaching while at Kelly, but whose three siblings I taught. The most memorable line of that "getting caught up" conversation? "They said there was another 'Mr. Flemming' who was teachin' here, but I didn't think it was YOU!"

Relationships matter. I strongly believe in establishing and maintaining them. I believe the teacher/student/family/community relationships we build are the bedrock for success in the classroom and beyond. As with any relationship, they won't always be smooth, easy, or the best. That's a fact. But as school personnel, no matter what our title or position in the building, the bond between us and the students and families we serve, matters. Make no mistake about that.

I chose to teach at Martin Luther King High School for a reason. I believe King has something to teach me. I'm learning. How will I apply what I'm learning and when?

Good question.
To be determined...

Spinning my wheels?

Transparency moment:
There are many times when I feel like I'm spinning my wheels, unsure of my effectiveness as a teacher. As I'm writing this post, I'm wondering if those times come when I measure myself against the checklists. You know, the ones used to measure educator effectiveness. Or something like that.🤔

But then a student or colleague, unaware of this internal conflict, will say something out of the blue that lets me know that this isn't in vain. Whether it's my approach to the classroom, the kids, or all the other "stuff", it isn't in vain.

I posted a journal prompt yesterday in class. "The best lesson somebody ever taught me was ______. (Explain)" The lesson could be an academic or life lesson, in or out of school. One kid started speaking about how he was taught to have high expectations as a Black man and not to walk in others' perceptions of him. I cosigned. I asked him, just as I asked the others, who taught him that. His response, "You!"

A little note on reading instruction

"Oh my goodness, we gotta read a paragraph??"

"Yooooo, I DONT FEEL LIKE READING THIS PARAGRAPH!!! You drawlin!!"

"ugghhhh!!!"

"You do the most!"

"I ain't readin' this *&@^#!!!"

These were some of the responses I received this past week for what really was one paragraph my students had to read along with the 5 questions they had to answer. The paragraph was taken from a chapter in a book, that we're reading and that most of us are enjoying.  We had already read this particular chapter, by the time of the quiz, so it wasn't new. But even if it was...

This book has already generated a great deal of in-depth conversations about self-esteem, acceptance, and colorism. The book is The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake. After completing a multiple choice section about some of the vocabulary, the students had to read a single paragraph and respond to 5 multiple choice questions. But what the students saw was that they had to *read* and they were having none of it!

BUT, before you judge them too harshly, I firmly believe that the test-prep, data-laden (or did I mean 'driven'?), mundane approach we take to reading instruction from kindergarten on up has created an aversion to any type of reading outside of Instagram posts and 140 (or is it 280?) characters. I believe that creating an overall culture where reading is a subject 'done' in school and a task that we have to do and for which they receive a grade instead of it being a relaxing, engaging, or informational activity 'done' at home, on the bus, on in the park, churns the disdain for it. Many kids hate the very idea of it.

That's. Not. Good.

We've test-prepped them straight into a hatred for the idea of picking up a book or magazine and reading . We've assessed them right into running in the opposite direction when faced with a single paragraph. That we read already. In a single chapter. In a book we're reading together. And enjoying.

Normally, I wouldn't be giving them something like that before creating a culture in our classroom where WE enjoy reading. I believe in starting off my reading/English classes with 15 minutes or so of students reading whatever they want. I believe in a well-stocked, robust, diverse, and welcoming classroom library and that a classroom library isn't for decoration or checklist purposes. I believe in school libraries and school librarians/teacher-librarians. I believe in carpeted areas, pillows, book shelves, plants, pet fish (or Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches...don't ask). I believe in us discussing what they read; in them drawing about what they read in an illustrative summary; in them writing about what they read; in them speaking to each other about what they read; in building up that "reading trust", so that when I must go into the stuff that I'm supposed to do, we can do so with a little less contempt. This approach works, even by the inappropriate measure of standardized testing scores. This approach has worked. That's not to say I haven't had to tweak the process depending on the class, but overall, it has worked.

However...

I was told one year that these first 15-25 minutes were "a waste of instructional time." Another year I was told that I needed to "assess" them on what they're reading during this time. Another time I was told that I needed to use only the books that the school district purchased. For a long time I pushed back because of the results that I've seen. I've seen students go from hating the idea of picking up books and reading to them LOVING it! I've seen those beloved test scores (*cough*) go up year over year as a group. I've heard the comments they'd make when they thought I wasn't paying attention; the smirk at something they just read; the intensity with which they are turning the pages; the "Mr. Flemming, 5 more minutes!". I've seen them RUN into the classroom to grab a book before someone else did. 6th graders!! I've seen them HIDE books so that they knew where it was for the next time. A colleague noticed that students were sneaking to read in her math class. We speak of it to this day. Years after I had one student, he approached me on the street and said, "You still the best English teacher I ever had."

But after being observed incessantly, both formally and informally; after three visits from a higher power above my administrator at the time; after all of the comments on the observations; after all of the heated conversations behind closed doors about my teaching philosophy being antithetical to the compliance cultures that are created in our schools, I threw up the white flag. Not because I wanted to, but because I'm working on other goals and need my mind free (Carter G. Woodson would say 'enslaved'). I need my mind enslaved. My sister says that I'm just "taking a nap"; chillin' in the cut; recalibrating to fight differently. 

So, I resolved to enter this school year being a compliant teacher. This time, however, it's a "do over" at a different school. Sometimes there aren't enough hours in the day, but I try to do everything that I'm asked to do. I apologize. (To whom do you think I'm apologizing?) One year I asked an administrator if they wanted me to teach or do what I'm told because they aren't necessarily synonymous activities. And speaking of that Carter G. Woodson, he would call me a "miseducated negro" (his words) this school year and the majority of this previous school year. Might he have a point? Judge ye. As quoted in Brown (2009) Woodson writes, "Taught from books of the same bias, trained by Caucasians of the same prejudices or by Negroes of enslaved minds, one generation of Negro teachers after another have served for no higher purpose than to do what they are told to do" (p. 420).

So, how is my resolution working out for the kids?
Well...

"Oh my goodness, we gotta read a paragraph??"

"Yooooo, I DONT FEEL LIKE READING THIS PARAGRAPH!!! You drawlin!!"

"ugghhhh!!!"

"You do the most!"

"I ain't readin' this *&@^#!!!"



Reference
Brown, A. L. (2009). “Brothers gonna work it out:” Understanding the pedagogic performance of African American male teachers working with African American male students. Urban Review, 41(5), 416-435. doi:10.1007/s11256-008-0116-8

The student who took over the class

As a teacher, I believe in rituals and routines. I also believe rituals and routines ought to give way to teachable moments or some better "other" if the moment is perfect for such.

After lunch today, a student took over the first 15 minutes of the class. And I let him. He had their attention and he was ready. It started out as a joke, naturally. "Ayo, I'm the teacher today yo! Open y'all books to chapter 2. That's where we at, sir, right?"

But when I just stood out of the way and let him, he ran with it.

Me, "Yes, sir."
Student 1, "You seriously gone let him teach?"
Me, "Yes. And Mr. , I hope you consider a career in teaching. We need more Black men in the field."
Him, "Iont know yet. Ard. Who wanna read first?"

The classroom takeover continued for about 15 minutes as students raised their hand to volunteer to read paragraphs at a time from Sharon Flake's "The Skin I'm In". He even called on ME and my hand wasn't even up. Do you know what I did? I read, just like he asked me to.

I want to divulge more about why this kid taking over the class was so significant, but doing so would reveal more than needs to be known. Just know and believe me when I say, this was big!!

A little note on "research-based"

So, "research-based" huh?
Stick with a particular curriculum because it's that.
Stick with particular processes because they are that.
Stick with a particular teaching model because it's that.
We do it this way with this curriculum using this method because it's that.
Research-based.

While I can and do appreciate the work of researchers, the truth is we can find research for anything we want in order to support our position. I read and respect the work of those who take the time to study the myriad phenomena interwoven in this work and in turn seek to develop materials to aid teachers in our engagement in this work. But even researchers would agree that we must view research critically.

Who funded the research?
What populations of students were selected? Where? Why? How? When?
Who benefits/profits?
Are students exploited, especially students of color?
Were Hassan B. Robinson* or Maria P. Nunez*, students in my classroom, a part of that study?
Etc.
Etc.

Here's my on-the-ground, in-the-classroom perspective; my view from 105:
Whatever helps the students sitting in front of me and on a more personal level, the student with whom I'm working at the moment, that in-the-moment research, that action research, those methods are what this student needs at this moment. It may be the curriculum. Great! But, we cannot be so rigid in our approach that we are afraid to make adjustments so that our students experience success and growth. I say growth because experiencing success isn't enough. Some will lower the standard to make success possible. Pseudo-success and faux-progress aren't what our students deserve. No, no, no! Negative.

Remember, "research" once said the world was flat, that Africans were less intelligent than whites, and that Blacks have a "violence gene". We must be critical thinkers and educators.

*Fictitious names

When Mother Stood Up

I couldn't have scripted a better ending to one of my classes if I tried.

Today, after a review of "rhetoric" and making attempts at identifying examples of rhetorical devices in 2 presidential speeches (Obama's '09 Back to School speech & Abe Lincoln's Gettysburg Address) we discussed an article we read and summarized for a "Do Now" (I hate that term, btw) the previous class session. During the previous class session we read an article by Franklin McCain on his and his comrades' experiences during their lunch counter sit-ins in Greensboro.

The discussion was lively. The students were really taking a critical look at the circumstances that surrounded these and other acts of civil disobedience.

But then a colleague in the room stood up. I'll call her, "Mother". Mother stood, gave some insight into some of her personal experiences as a woman from the continent of Africa and a citizen of the United States. She detailed some of the prejudice she and her family encountered and what she did to fight it. Mother also took the time to remind our dear young people how they come from the lineage of African royalty! That they should speak and behave as such; that they should carry themselves as such; that getting an education was beyond important, especially for Black and Brown children in the United States!

Listen here! Mother's sassines didn't upset me one bit! Didn't seem to bother the kids none either, for they gave her a raucous round of applause when she got through! If Mother had a mic, it'd be broke.

With that, class was dismissed.

Why was I surprised?

If you follow my career, tweets, and/or blog posts, you may know that I am continuing my teaching career as an English teacher at Martin Luther King High School here in Philly. I spent the first 10 years of my public school teaching career as an elementary school teacher, spending most of that time as a 6th grade teacher. I have a personal conviction about my teaching at the elementary level in public schools. I set aside my convictions to experience high school.

As the teens and I were making our acquaintances this week, I was curious to know whether or not I was their first Black male teacher. More hands went up in each class than I thought. I don't know why I was surprised. 2% of public school teachers nationwide are Black men. In Philly, it's around 4%. Well, now they have two of us in 9th grade. While we're not a panacea, we bring a different perspective and experience set.

Here's to an adventurous school year! Every teaching and learning experience should be an adventure!

From Kelly to King

After spending ten years as a teacher at John B. Kelly Elementary School, I made the very difficult decision to leave. The decision to site-select out was just as hard for me to do as it was for me to articulate and for many of the Kelly community (and family and friends who know me best) to accept. I am looking forward to reuniting with some of my former students and to the new experiences that teaching at Martin Luther King High School will bring.

Words cannot express my gratitude to my first principal, Dr. Hackman, for taking a chance on a brother. I remember sitting before a panel of educators, who would later become my colleagues, and in front of Dr. Hackman while fielding questions about curriculum and discipline. I remember saying, "Listen, I don't know the curriculum, but I do know discipline. You teach me the curriculum because I have the discipline!" (I think I lived up to that, lol) I remember driving back to work in West Philly from that interview in Germantown and receiving a call that John B. Kelly wanted me, the next day. Ha! Nice! I remember being excited while also informing the administrator on the other end that I was honored, but felt it necessary to give my current job two weeks. She understood. That didn't stop me from going back to Kelly the next day to retrieve curriculum materials and previewing them during those next two weeks. While there, I took a little tour, and peeked my head into the classroom of the teacher who would be my partner teacher for nearly the next decade (with whom I worked until the end) and into room 105. 105, where there sat about 30 or so 6th graders; a group that would be my new homeroom. I remember a young lady asking, "Is he our new teacher?" "Yes," was the response from the Administrative Liaison. "Yes, and we're going to have a great year, aren't we," was the response from the new teacher. We did.

One of the students with whom I worked that school year, would keep in contact with me over the years. He'd come to visit us at Kelly. We'd see each other in the neighborhood every now and then. That same young man who was a student my first year at Kelly would be a colleague during my last year at Kelly. Mr. Maurice! What are the odds? Times sure changed from year 1 to year 10. {insert heavy sigh *here*}. Maybe I'll share those changing times in another post.

To the district principal who recommended me to Dr. Hackman back then, thank you! You also took a chance on me, knowing that your reputation was on the line, but fully confident that this match would work. You know who you are :-)

I've formed many bonds and relationships that I will not soon forget! The rapport that I have with the kids, my old kids, their families, my colleagues, and the community are priceless! These bonds were the constant in times of uncertainty. These and the 'feel-good' moments that I haven't tweeted, the tears shed for the kids that I've not shared with the world, the prayers I've prayed, the heart-felt words over the years from parents, former students, my colleagues, and from people I didn't even know were watching, they all are a part of the fabric of the me that King is getting. At King, I'm looking forward to learning and to growing as an educator! I'm looking forward to making a positive impact wherever I can! I'm looking forward to...wait...that's it! I'm looking forward.

Here's to the next decade in education; rooted in Kelly, continuing at King, and forward.

Dinner chat with my aunt and retired teacher

Tonight members of our family got together to send off my cousin who will be moving down South. My cousin has been such an ardent force in the elevation of the conversation and perception of our young brothers of color, our Young Kings. A mother of two sons and an aunt, cousin, and mother-figure to many, her love, generosity and advocacy for young Black men and boys is unmatched! So tonight, it was her night! I'll miss her in this area, dearly, but I'm confident she'll make great strides and have a positive impact on our young kings wherever she goes!

Her mother, my aunt, is a retired Philadelphia public school teacher. To say she's "retired" is certainly a misnomer, as she finds areas, children, organizations, and just people in general, with whom she'll work; all in the name of teaching, learning, and advocacy! I've heard it said that when teachers get together it really is quite the experience. Where's the lie?

Anyone who knows me personally, knows that I love to sit and learn under more experienced (and caring, loving, and beautiful) 'others'. My aunt is certainly one. As we sat and talked over her house salad and sweet potato and my parmesan herb crusted chicken and mashed potatoes, one line of the conversation resonated with me.

"They've got to love our children! If they don't, it won't work!"

This came up as our conversation oscillated between newer, younger teachers entering the profession, principals who are about the same age, the relationships we form with our respective students, and the importance of family and community engagement.

We salute the new teachers entering the classroom. We urge all principals to be teachers. Let that be the very essence of who you are. In September, we'll welcome our students back to school! And we look forward to working with the parents, families, and communities of which we're a part!

Academic excellence at church

I often express the pride that I have for students I taught in the public school system, here in Philly. Let me take the time to express my great pride in students I have not taught, but who I've watched grow into phenomenal young men and women, the youth of the Christ Haven Church here in Philly!

Tonight, our scholarship committee celebrated the academic achievements of our youth both verbally and tangibly, $$. Love is an action word and that love was on full display earlier this evening! Let me get preachy for a sec. I believe that we can talk about our great God, but that we should also demonstrate such in our work! The kids' GPAs, their scholastic recognitions, their attendance records, man, I couldn't be prouder! Saturday, there was a trunk party for one young lady headed off to school while simultaneously, at another location, a surprise cook-out for another young lady who graduated with her Masters in Art Ed with a focus on special populations. Listen!! This is what excellence looks like!

I celebrate these kids and young men and women! My heart has been overjoyed all evening! Whatever we do, let's do it with a spirit of excellence!

This concept transcends any religious belief or none at all! If you're going to do something, do it and do it well! My world view is that of a Christian. So, whatever I do, I want it to be pleasing in His sight! The many youth recognized tonight did well! All the best to those headed to college, high school, middle school, or moving up! God bless you! Hit me up whenever you need to! My love for you is strong, you already know! ✊🏾🖤💯

~Unk

Charter school talk on a Sunday morning

It's Sunday morning. All I wanted to do was head to Wawa and the MAC machine, go back home and get ready for church. I didn't necessarily mean to eavesdrop on a conversation about a Chester (PA) charter school. *wink*

I started ear-hustlin when I heard the words, "Chester charter..."

"Is your child in the enrichment program?"

"No"

"Because if they're in the enrichment program, the school is good. If not..."

" "

"Yeah, if they're in the enrichment program, they cater to them. They cater to the smart kids because that's their money, you know, when they take those tests. But if they're not in the enrichment program...."

And with that, I'm going to drive out of this Wawa parking lot and head to the ATM...

Conscientious Ear-hustlers

According to the U.S. Department of Education (2014), Black boys are suspended and expelled from school at higher rates than boys of other ethnicities. The scholarship is also rife with the fact that Black boys are also overrepresented in special education (Bryan & Ford, 2014 and many others). Speaking of special education, one research study suggests that some teachers make judgement calls about special education for Black boys based on how they walk (Neal, McCray, Webb-Johnson, & Bridgest, 2003). Yes, you read that correctly. Walk.

As we embark upon a new school year, let's rethink what we know about teaching and learning as it relates to our young Black male students. While it would be nice to see an increase in the number of Black male educators in our public schools (a notion I embrace, advocate for, and work behind the scenes with brothers on), this as the sole solution to the problem oversimplifies the complex and systemic nature of the problem that exists, that being the other 'r' in our school systems, racism. Sometimes it's subtle and at other times it's right there in our not-so-subtle policies and practices (ahem, Zero Tolerance) in schools. While I am a huge proponent of a diversified workforce, especially when it comes to Black men who will be effective in the profession, we cannot sit and wait. We cannot wait because some of our well-meaning colleagues may feel absolved of their responsibility to even try to work with our young Black brothers if we do so. No ma'am, no sir, no absolution here.

Want to know how Black boys learn best?

Ask. Do not believe for one second that they do not have opinions about how they like to learn. Ask them. Working together? Listening to music in the background? Alone?

Observe. Be conscientious in your ear-hustlin' (eavesdropping) and in your overall observations. You can learn a lot by sitting in the cut, shutting up, and watching. 

Make meaning of what you see and hear. When making that meaning, however, you must converse with your students, with their parents, with other adults who know them and are familiar with the culture and customs of the students with whom you work. Making meaning in a bubble may only solidify incorrect interpretations of what you're observing.

In short, be a student of your students!

Even for me, being a "brotha" and fully invested in this calling, I found myself asking my summer high school students questions about language, music, and ways of thinking. In a subsequent conversation with my sister, who also teaches, we spoke about how I made attempts to incorporate my new found knowledge into the classroom. Because of the nature of the summer work, the conversation with those young men was the way that I incorporated it into the classroom. I was their student for 10 minutes.

We've been rehashing the same trite pedagogy long enough. We've been narrow-minded in our chase of test scores and those ever elusive and mutable levels of proficiency long enough. Let's stop the insanity and learn how our young Black boys learn best and adjust accordingly. Yes, there may be pushback. But if a little pushback is the worst that can happen and we teach using a paradigm and pedagogy that is liberating and relevant for them, let them push! 

References

United States Department of Education. (2014, March). Civil rights data collection: Data snapshot: School discipline (Issue Brief No. 1). Washington, D.C.: Office for Civil Rights.

Bryan, N. & Ford, D. (2014). Recruiting and retaining black male teachers in gifted education. Gifted Child Today 37(3), 156-161. doi:10.1177/107621751453011

Neal, L., McCray, A., Webb-Johnson, G., and Bridgest, S. (2003). The effects of African American movement styles on teachers’ perceptions and reactions. Journal of Special Education, 37(3), 49-57

Random Musings of a Black male teacher

Just some random thoughts on a Wednesday afternoon...

I’ve long held the belief that as a Black male teacher in Philadelphia’s public schools, my presence represents quite a bit.

To some of my students I represent the father, big brother, uncle, step-father, older cousin they never had but wished they had.

I also was the teacher they never had.

“Mr. Flemming, can you be my dad?”

“No baby girl, but I promise to be the best teacher I can possibly be!”
"Ok!" {Smiles and heads home}

To some, I’m hated and the very bane of their existence, drawlin’. To them I represent everything wrong with teachers these days (I've heard it said, lol). I’m the one they take all of their frustrations out on.

I also was the teacher they never had.

“Mr. Flemming can be so retarted sometimes.”

“Mr. Flemmings is crazy!! His mean and…”

“I f****n hate Mr. Flemming”

To some of my students, they don’t know how to read me, take me, accept me, or reject me. What to do? Who is this guy? Why are you here? Are you going to be like all the rest? By my behavior, I’m going to see how much you can take! I don’t like you and I’m too young to really know how to articulate why, I just don’t. And what’s your name again? Flemming? Like Flamingo? Like Flemit? Flemmings with an ‘s’? Flemy?
I also was the teacher they never had.

"You mean, but you nice too. I don't know how to put it!"

“If I were you, I’d quit!”

“Oh is that what you’re used to?!? You’re used to people just quitting on you when things get hard? No sir! No me! I’m here and I’m here to stay!”

{Years later, during a chance encounter in the neighborhood} “You still the best English teacher I ever had!”

To some, I’m the cool teacher; the first male teacher, the first…how did she write it…”boy teacher”…and in many cases, the first Black "boy teacher." And he’s from Philly? And he went to public schools in Philly? And he went to college in Philly? And he’s teaching in Philly? And I’d see him on SEPTA in Philly? Hopping on the XH or the H back to Broad and Erie. Popeye's where the McDonald's used to be? Nah, he don’t do Popeye’s. He jumpin’ on the sub, getting off at City Hall to get on the 13 headed to 60^th and Kingsessing. Yooo! He said he originally from West and parts of Southwest, too. Is he a thug? But he talk so proper and whatnot but then the next minute, he talk in a way like he really from the hood. He wear a shirt and tie, but then he standing on top the desk wit a snapback, swag on a bean, corny rappin, but it's funny. He talkin' bout some "the main idea is...".  Who is this teacher and where he come from? This teacher I never had...

Snap by student HC, c/o 2017
I was tagged on social media

“Happy Birthday to the best reading teacher ever. And ur the smartest thug. Just know that I love you”

“I aint never had no teacher like you, Mr. Flemming”

“Ayo, this teacher thurl”
"I used to act up because I knew she'd send me to your class. I wanted to be in your class."

To some kids, I'm the school parent who reinforces what the birth parents at home represent. They know they can't get away with "it" here, either!

"My mom be saying the same thing!"

"He act just like my uncle!"

"You sound like my grandpop!"

"Mr. Flemming, you old school just like my {insert a relative}"

To others, I’ve been the one who kept it real and told it like it needed to be told; the one who would shut the door when the conversation really needed to get deep.

Whether it was about life…

“You are NOT stupid! You are NOT failures! You WILL succeed and you WILL work hard to get there! And I'm here to help! Point blank, period!!”

Whether it was a chat man-to-younger-man…

“Listen, when I come in here sagging, you can sag! If you see ya teacher wit his pants saggin’ low, you got my permission to do the same. But, until then…And if you wanna sag and show ya drawz, do it the minute you step out this school. But while you here, pull ‘em up!”

Or whether it was about fighting,

“My rule for fighting is this, you gotta fight and whoop me first! You whoop me, then y’all can have at it! I’m six-foot, 220, by the way”

Still yet for others, I represent the last bit of hope. If this don’t work out, the future is uncertain. Life has not thrown lemons, but the moldy rinds!

Crying agonizingly, “Please don’t tell my uncle!! He gonna send me away!”

“Mr. Flemming, you the last one I got left to look up to!”

Me, “You can join your class, I’ll come get y’all in a second.” Dismissed him. Went to a corner of my classroom and bawled like a baby after listening to a 2-minute read of an apology letter he chose to write for something he had done the day before; a letter that detailed the enigma for him called “life”.

To some parents and others I represent, "Finally!" or "I was sure hoping she'd have you!" or "I'm so grateful, Mr. Flemming!" or what was I called, a "miserable, evil teacher" who had "one lonely depressed child[hood] growing up." #Memories lol

There are many other examples, countless other anecdotes, and myriad other experiences on which I could dwell and enumerate, but for now, I will not. There are so many feel good moments, moments of triumph over adversity, moments of joy and pure ecstasy, moments of “We got this” moments where real, authentic, and meaningful teaching and learning experiences were occurring! Man oh man! Too many to mention! Moments when they had their teacher’s back in the midst of adversity that was not so well hidden! There are also moments of profound sorrow and disappointment. The loss of life. The incarceration of kids who look like me! Yet there remains an unexplainable hope, a sense of what can be, and the possibility of a rose growing out of concrete (Shakur, 1999). As I transition from the public neighborhood elementary school I've called home for a decade to the public neighborhood high school, I have a feeling there’s more to come.

I’m not perfect, I just keep trying.

[The quotes are actual quotes from me or students over the years, preserved in notes, my memory, social media posts, my notebooks, etc.]

Final Day at Maplewood

Sadly, today was our final day reading with the residents at Maplewood Manor Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center. As I mentioned in previous posts about our visits there, we establish an intergenerational bond with the residents while there and while reading with them.

Last time the kids and I will be reading with the residents here. The kids added a singing component. More later in a blog post #classongeek

— Stephen R. Flemming (@kellygrade6) June 5, 2017

With every visit, we add a little something, planned or unplanned, to the experience. The last time we visited, we sought to gather the stories of a few of the residents, write them up in a mini-biographical sketch and read them back to them. Well, if it can go wrong, it will. We started the process, but for a wide variety of reasons, we were unable to completely finish this mini-project. Undeterred, we pressed on.

As the kids were finishing the short stories and poems we brought along with us, one had the idea to sing to the residents. I can't lie, I was hesitant. I, however, was not going to be the one to stifle their excitement. So #onward...sing children! At first, a smaller group of them sang to the residents at one table. The song of choice, The Star Spangled Banner, which we're learning for our 5th grade Move-Up Day next Friday. Cute. lol That went well! I thought they'd be nervous, but nah! That must've been me.

Then another one of them got the idea to sing to all of those who were in the dining area. Ok. Now I'm even more hesitant. Were they going to stop us? Would the residents respond? What about those working in their offices? I'm not a worrier, so it bewildered me why I was worrying now. Still, I set aside my feelings and let them have at it. To overcome my apprehension, I gave them a quick public speaking, 10-second mini-lesson.

Introduce yourselves, especially for those with whom you didn't read.
Tell them where you're from. John B. Kelly Elementary School.
Tell them what you want to do. Sing.
Tell them what you're singing. The Star Spangled Banner and the Black national anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing.

As the children sang, those who hadn't read with us, moved their wheelchairs, got up from where they were seated, or looked up, and were quite the captive audience. My "allergies" started to act up when a grandfather and his two guests, moved to where I was seated and were moved by these young voices. One of his guests, "Ms. Alice", wanted to know more about who we were, where we were from, and why we were there. She stated that Mr. Resident (for privacy sake), really enjoyed what he heard and loves this sort of thing.

Another resident, with whom we hadn't worked before, really expressed his joy at having the opportunity to sit with one of students as they read and learned from each other. I overheard much of their conversation and I wanted to just sit in rapture.

I cannot quite put into words the connections WE made and how we felt. To know me is to know that I have a special place in my heart for those who are older and have had some experiences. It was good for the kids and me, all of us, to be a part of this intergenerational experience!