I’ve been in Jordan now for two weeks and two days and so far, so good. I have learned so much just in my daily interactions with people and in making my way around the city. I have been incredibly “blessed” in knowing and spending time with my friend’s family who lives here in Amman. I don’t have anything astute to share just yet, but in case you’re curious about my day-to-day, here’s an overview of my life so far in this small yet vast and simple yet complex country.
(I have to first give the disclaimer that these views are not the official views of the Fulbright organization and are in no way linked to the United States Government. I have no affiliation with the US Embassy and any views expressed are solely based on my own personal experiences.)
When I first arrived, I stayed for a few days at my friend’s parent’s beautiful home on the northeast side of Amman. It was more than wonderful to be able to be picked up from the airport by a local family and have a comfortable and welcoming place to stay while becoming acclimated with the city. They served me delicious Arabic food and all in all, made me feel at home. My friend himself took me out to several sights around the city and out to Wadi Mujib.
Wadi Mujib a nature reserve which is basically a tall, narrow canyon with a river running through it. An hour or so drive out of Amman, you need private transportation to get there. Entry price is a little steep at 16 JD (~$22.50). At the visitor’s center, my friend, his brother and I donned a life jacket and walked down to the river where our excursion began. At first, you can shy away from the water and walk along the banks, but at a certain point not too far from the entrance, you have to literally get your feet wet. For about 45 minutes, we trudged up the stream towards the waterfall at the end of the gorge or, at the beginning of the river. My friend helped me face my fears along the way, encouraging me to climb up slippery wet boulders and walk around, behind and through the waterfall. At first I envisioned myself cracking my head open or drowning in the 2-3 feet of standing water, but alas, neither took place. Alhamdulillah.
We began the Fulbright orientation a few days later and for about three days, sat in a room and listened to various people drone on about the sundry dangers of living in Jordan. Diseases you can catch. People who might harm you. Clothes you shouldn’t wear. Places you shouldn’t venture. The chain of events that would take place in case of evacuation. (This was particularly interesting, as they gave the example of Israel sending a nuclear missile to Iran, consequently jeopardizing Jordanian air space. Given that Syria’s in disarray, Lebanon’s a little shaky, and Saudi is not place for us to venture into, over land travel to Baghdad where we could be airlifted would be our best bet. And anytime your best bet is drive into Iraq and be airlifted from Baghdad, you know things aren’t looking too hot for you. But in all honestly the likelihood of this is very small.)
So after receiving word the cultural and political do and do-not’s (which I did appreciate, but which do not overly concern me), we went on a mad dash apartment hunt around the city. This was especially stressful because they told us “Look around for who you might want to live with. First come, first served after we see the apartments. We’re looking today and tomorrow.” I went into the day not knowing who I would live with or where I would live or even really having thought about any of this, and came away knowing who I would live with, where I would live and having already made the agreement with the landlady.
While I struggled to make this decision so quickly and felt extremely anxious about whether or not this was the “right decision,” in the end I am satisfied with the choice. What concerned me so much was all of the things that we had to do in order to make our place liveable. Not livable in the sense that there was a lot of fixing up to do. On the contrary, this place was fully furnished, with appliances, silverware, furniture, closets, hangers, beds, brand new sheets, balcony furniture, cooking ware, etc. However it had no internet, no “solar” (diesel oil stored in a large cubed tank outside and used to heat water for the shower and heat the radiators in the winter), and no drinking water. Some apartments for rent come with all of these amenities already set up, but this particular apartment did not. I was overwhelmed thinking that I would have to navigate the streets of Amman to find these things. But at the end of the day, I still signed the lease and forged ahead.
The apartment ended up being in a great location for me in that my school is a 30 minute walk or a 1 JD cab ride away. That works out quite well because there is little public transportation apart from some busses which go from city to city and others which run down Amman’s main roads only. They do not penetrate most of the neighborhood and side roads which are the ones I would need to talk to get to work. It’s also a great location in terms of proximity to grocery stores. This was another concern I had about choosing my apartment’s location: feeding myself. It turned out that my apartment has a corner store just across the street (a one minute walk from my door to the door of Laymouna Market), a bigger corner store complete with fruits and veggies one block away (a 4 minute walk) and a ginormous Safeway (related to the American Safeway chain, I’m guessing).
In terms of obtaining all the amenities that we take for granted in the United States, that wasn’t too difficult either. We walked into the cell phone and internet provider store, Zain, and walked out with a wireless router that we just had to plug in and turn on. The only caveat about internet here is that the data usage is limited. That is, we purchased the 20 GBs for 27 JD package. And fifteen days later, lo and behold, we have reached our limit. Once you reach your limit, you technically still have internet access, just at a slower-than-tortoise rate. For example, I had a notification on my phone that a friend tagged me in several pictures on Facebook. It took about one minute for my Facebook homepage to load, then a few more minutes before the first photo loaded. And forget about watching anything on youtube or listening to streams of anything. In fact, my roommates and I guessed that our we reached our limit so quickly because of streaming youtube videos. We decided that we’ll cut out all youtube use and limit skype video to once a week. Apparently Skype voice and Viber doesn’t take too much data.
As for the diesel, we had to speak with our building’s haaris, or go-to man. Most apartment buildings have a haaris to watch over the building and manage the various maintenance tasks. Our haaris, previously Tharwat, currently and temporarily his cousin Ahmad, lives in a room in the basement of the apartment building and is available for your any need. He collects rings your doorbell once a day to collect garbage. He will pick up a grocery at the nearby market if you need it. He washes tenants cars and cleans the premise of the building. He also arranges for the diesel truck to pass by and fill the tank in the basement/ garage. Thanks to my Arabic-speaking roommate, we were able to arrange a time and I volunteered to be home at the time when the diesel truck would arrive. Each individual tenant has a key to the padlock which guards this black liquid gold in its tank. (In fact, solar is so expensive, but so necessary, that apartments’ diesel tanks are often broken into and their contents siphoned off and taken away.) I brought down my key to the tank and watched the man pump 500 liters of diesel (also called solarium, or solar) into the tank. This cost us 265 JDs and will hopefully last us until January or February. However, there’s really no telling because it depends completely on our ability effectively plan our hot water usage.
Up until about 30 minutes ago, we also had an electric speed heater to immediately heat water in a shower in one of our bathrooms. This is probably the most effective means of heating water, because it is localized to the shower that we are using (while turning on the solar heats the water for the entire apartment.) However, a fellow Fulbrighter who ran out of water at her apartment and was using the shower at our apartment in the meantime used it incorrectly (turned on the heater without turning on the water) and therefore, literally burned out the shower head. Because there was not a steady stream of water through the speed heater, the water already in the pipe became super heated and melted the plastic shower head and preventing the flow of water through it. We called our landlady and are looking into getting this fixed, but its Friday and wallah, nobody is working today.
We are lucky in that we have not had problems with water for everyday use (toilets, shower, sinks, washing machine), but we are lazy in that we have not yet called to set up a drinking water delivery service. The tap water here is non potable unless boiled. That means that we can use it for tea, coffee or cooking purposes. However for an ice cold glass of water, we have to buy bottled water from the store. This hasn’t been a problem at all because 5 gallon jugs are sold at the corner store just across from our house and while heavy, are no problem to carry to 50 feet from the store to our kitchen. However we’ll soon have to give the water delivery company a call and set up the service. We have the number hanging on our refrigerator; it’s just a question of who is willing to trudge through a Arabic phone conversation, invariably giving the person on the other end of the line a good laugh and embarrassing herself in the process.
The next amenity that I am looking to obtain is a gym membership. Though this is technically more a luxury than necessity, I see it as completely necessary in maintaining my mental, emotional and physical wellness over the next year. Whereas in the US its easy to don a pair of tennis shoes and run around any neighborhood, that is nearly impossible here for both geographic reasons. Simply put, Amman is built on a series of hills which in any sense would make it quite difficult to go on a 30 minute jog. For those of you who read that and say “Well, great! Who wouldn’t want a hilly, challenging daily run?” I challenge you to come here and try it out. In addition to the complete lack of flat surfaces, the sidewalks here are made for everything but walking. The elevation changes every 20 feet or so, making way for a driveway, or giving way to a set of stairs to help you scale the steep incline. Additionally, it seems someone thought it might be cute to plant trees and shrubs along the sidewalk, as we have in the US. While this idea is nice in theory, this person did not think ahead to when the tree would grow to a size where it takes up, in fact, the entire sidewalk, completely defeating the purpose of the path on which it was placed in the first place. The thrill runners still might say, “Oh, well then just run in the street!” Again, I invite any of these people to Amman to attempt running in the one-to-two foot margin between the parked cars and the cars which speed, zoom and weave down the already narrow streets. Additionally, the multitude of construction sites along the streets will provide you an extra obstacle with their metal poles, wood beams and loose tools lying on the side of the road. If you REALLY value your health, you would see that simply not running at all is the best way to maintain a healthy life.
To avoid these problems, I have chosen to join a luxury gym which is a 10 minute walk from my house and is on the way to my school. When I checked it out last week, I was amazed. It’s two stories containing several different work out areas: a spinning studio, two studios for aerobic classes (salsa, zumba, belly dancing, yoga, pilates and the list goes on), a lounge area with wifi and complimentary refreshments, DVDs for check out, and a women’s-only zone.
It is common for gyms here to have either a women’s-only area or have women’s hours. Because many women dress conservatively for personal and religious purposes, they feel most comfortable in short work-out shirts and a tank top only in the company of other women. Alternatively, people like me who have no problem bearing it all, simply feel more comfortable in an all-women’s area because there are no men to gawk and stare. Because Jordan is a society where the women’s place is still more in the home, it is rare to see a lot of women out and about in the streets. It is even more rare to see women bearing skin out in the streets. So it makes sense that if a woman is wearing shorts and a T-shirt at the gym, simply because this is what is comfortable for exercising and not because she is looking to show off, a man would gawk and stare because it is so uncommon to see women bearing this much skin. (And because men are overly sexual creatures in the first place, a fact that I have gathered from my own personal life experience, not only in interactions with Jordanian men.)
Additionally, I chose this “luxury” gym because of its clientele. With its steep monthly rate (around 60 JDs), it’s a given that only wealthy Jordanians are able to afford a membership. So I chose Fitness First because I want to get in with the rich and handsome Arab men, right?
Wrong.
It can be assumed that wealthy people here in Jordan either a) were educated and/ or made their money outside of Jordan or b) have family money/ made their money here and have had opportunities to travel outside of Jordan. This tells me that they have spent time in countries where women are successful entrepreneurs, students, mothers, athletes, executives, etc. It tells me that they have seen women walking around in shorts, tank tops, mini-skirts, or bikinis just going about their business. This tells me that they are likely to have female friends who they value as intelligent human beings and not just sexual objects. Maybe they have even seen these good female friend wearing booty shorts and still, at the end of the day, valued this friend for her intellect over her ass. (Then again, that’s a lot to ask of any guy, and to be honest, I wouldn’t mind being valued for both).
So back to my point: I like this gym because it’s #1) baller and #2) a place where I am likely to feel comfortable working out. I have officially joined yet because we are in price negotiations with the membership salesman, Mahmood. As was recommended by our program director, we rolled up to the gym with a group of five girls and demanded a group rate over the exorbitant individual rate he was asking of us. He is currently in negotiations with the group sales director in Dubai and will get back to us within a few days, insha’allah.
Well, after a few hours sitting in my apartment, I feel that I should be getting out to enjoy Amman on this beautiful Friday afternoon. There is still much to tell, but I shall save this for the proverbial rainy day, as it seems there are only a few rainy days each year in this country.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
a troubling occurance
today, a student accused me of being "average." when i quickly retorted that i find myself to be above average, thank you very much, she asked "well why are you teaching here then?" ... aquí hay problema... if students themselves believe that they don't deserve the best, how will they push themselves to achieve it? OR if they think that teachers are supposed to be just "average" people then why should they believe what we say to be true or helpful?
Monday, April 9, 2012
Fulbright Statement of Grant Purpose
I'm going to Jordan y'all. Here's why:
STATEMENT OF GRANT PURPOSE
Maria Ramirez, Jordan, English Teaching Assistantship
Beginning my second year as a middle school Spanish teacher, I have found that teaching this language is really only a small portion of my job. Of course, in planning my lessons on Sunday evening, I make sure to align my overarching objective to the state-mandated Spanish curriculum. But once thirty little bodies walk through my classroom door, I remember that there is more than just vocabulary and verbs that I would like them to take away from class.
I am applying for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship for just this reason. Since receiving my undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and beginning my Masters of Arts in Teaching at American University, I have fallen in love with the teaching profession. The time in the classroom that I spend interacting with students keeps me coming back for more. After exploring other professions and different graduate school programs, I could not conceive of another job equally as meaningful and frankly as enjoyable as a foreign language teacher.
Working as an English language teacher in Jordan, I would employ my knowledge of linguistics and trends in teaching foreign language to create an interactive and cooperative classroom in which all students would be actively engaged in experiencing the English language and American culture. In returning to the United States, I would be able to use my experience with Jordanian students and the Jordanian education system as a foundation from which to continue to build an internationally connected classroom for my future American students. And as the United States continues to be politically involved in the Arab world without an adequate number of American Arabic speakers, teaching the Arabic language to and cultivating an interest in Arab culture in our nations’ youth greatly appeals to me as well.
Working with students who have rarely left their community, it is my vision to transform my students from citizens strictly of Maryland into citizens of the world. It is my belief that until students are exposed to the rich cultural background of the target language, they cannot truly become fluent. I realized this myself when I was thrown into Egyptian culture and society in 2006 as a recipient of the AFS Intercultural Programs and National Strategic Language Initiative- Youth language study program. Though I initially applied to study in Cairo because I wanted to be able to understand the lyrics to Amr Diab’s greatest hits, I left with a newly awakened passion for the Arabic language and a fiery interest in Middle Eastern culture and politics.
I would like to teach English in Jordan specifically because of my combined interest in education and the Arabic culture and language. I am excited for the possibility to teach in a country which pushes bilingualism at an early age and whose leaders value the institution of public education. Additionally, I am eager to continue my Arabic studies by interacting with people in and out of the classroom, focusing my studies especially on the Levantine dialect. And after countless conversations over bowls of the green and gooey molokhiyya and the latest Nancy Ajram hit humming in the background, my Jordanian friends have proven their homeland as the best place for this type of experience. Their stories about laying under the stars in Wadi Rum or sharing endless cups of cardamom-flavored coffee in a friend’s dining room have allowed me to see the Middle East outside of the limited view I gained in Cairo. And knowing that I will have adoptive friends and family upon arrival draws me in even more.
Time and time again, Jordan presents itself as a center for rich ancient culture, vast national diversity and warm, welcoming people. The more I learn about my peers’ experiences in Jordan, the more I cannot wait to hop onto a crowded bus on my way to work, greeting my new neighbors with a friendly “al-salaamu alaikum.”
STATEMENT OF GRANT PURPOSE
Maria Ramirez, Jordan, English Teaching Assistantship
Beginning my second year as a middle school Spanish teacher, I have found that teaching this language is really only a small portion of my job. Of course, in planning my lessons on Sunday evening, I make sure to align my overarching objective to the state-mandated Spanish curriculum. But once thirty little bodies walk through my classroom door, I remember that there is more than just vocabulary and verbs that I would like them to take away from class.
I am applying for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship for just this reason. Since receiving my undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and beginning my Masters of Arts in Teaching at American University, I have fallen in love with the teaching profession. The time in the classroom that I spend interacting with students keeps me coming back for more. After exploring other professions and different graduate school programs, I could not conceive of another job equally as meaningful and frankly as enjoyable as a foreign language teacher.
Working as an English language teacher in Jordan, I would employ my knowledge of linguistics and trends in teaching foreign language to create an interactive and cooperative classroom in which all students would be actively engaged in experiencing the English language and American culture. In returning to the United States, I would be able to use my experience with Jordanian students and the Jordanian education system as a foundation from which to continue to build an internationally connected classroom for my future American students. And as the United States continues to be politically involved in the Arab world without an adequate number of American Arabic speakers, teaching the Arabic language to and cultivating an interest in Arab culture in our nations’ youth greatly appeals to me as well.
Working with students who have rarely left their community, it is my vision to transform my students from citizens strictly of Maryland into citizens of the world. It is my belief that until students are exposed to the rich cultural background of the target language, they cannot truly become fluent. I realized this myself when I was thrown into Egyptian culture and society in 2006 as a recipient of the AFS Intercultural Programs and National Strategic Language Initiative- Youth language study program. Though I initially applied to study in Cairo because I wanted to be able to understand the lyrics to Amr Diab’s greatest hits, I left with a newly awakened passion for the Arabic language and a fiery interest in Middle Eastern culture and politics.
I would like to teach English in Jordan specifically because of my combined interest in education and the Arabic culture and language. I am excited for the possibility to teach in a country which pushes bilingualism at an early age and whose leaders value the institution of public education. Additionally, I am eager to continue my Arabic studies by interacting with people in and out of the classroom, focusing my studies especially on the Levantine dialect. And after countless conversations over bowls of the green and gooey molokhiyya and the latest Nancy Ajram hit humming in the background, my Jordanian friends have proven their homeland as the best place for this type of experience. Their stories about laying under the stars in Wadi Rum or sharing endless cups of cardamom-flavored coffee in a friend’s dining room have allowed me to see the Middle East outside of the limited view I gained in Cairo. And knowing that I will have adoptive friends and family upon arrival draws me in even more.
Time and time again, Jordan presents itself as a center for rich ancient culture, vast national diversity and warm, welcoming people. The more I learn about my peers’ experiences in Jordan, the more I cannot wait to hop onto a crowded bus on my way to work, greeting my new neighbors with a friendly “al-salaamu alaikum.”
Fulbright Personal Statement
I since I know this essay is a winner, I figure I may as well put it up.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Maria Ramirez, Jordan, English Teaching Assistantship
“Ms. Ramirez, I don’t mean to be all up in your business, but is you and your family… illegal?” I decided to take a break from –AR verb conjugations to watch and discuss a documentary about young Central American immigrants making their way north to the United States. And instead of being highly offended at this no-so-politically correct question, I thanked Alexander for speaking up and used it to turn the discussion towards every teacher’s dream: the “teachable moment.”
Whereas five years ago I may have turned up my nose at such a question and deemed someone ignorant for asking it, I find my reaction to be quite different these days. As a second-year middle school Spanish teacher and the only Hispanic adult in the school building, I have grown accustomed to misunderstandings about my birthplace in America’s Dairyland and inquiries about how I speak English so well.
Growing up in a small and rather conservative city, I was a very confused teenager. Should I be annoyed with the people who seem to only focus on my “exotic look” or should I enjoy getting a leg up in acceptance on committees because it looked good to have a Ramirez on the roster? It was not until I had the chance to leave my hometown and explore other parts of the world that I decided I did not have to choose one or the other; instead I greatly benefitted from my identity in that it actually allowed me to become a cultural chameleon, adapting to any culture, context or community in which I would find myself.
Spending six weeks with a conservative Muslim host family in a suburb of Cairo put this notion to the test. As an 18-year-old Wisconsinite who had never before experienced any big city, Cairo was the ultimate first introduction to traffic, overcrowding and culture shock. Sharing a three-bedroom apartment with an Egyptian family of six, I certainly had to adapt. No longer was I an independent American high school graduate with a part-time job, car and her parents’ complete trust. Instead, I was an illiterate, unmarried Muslim daughter, totally dependent on her parents and family for food, transportation and lessons in cultural competency.
For this reason, my visit to the Middle East was not your typical see-the-pyramids, ride-a-camel vacation. But for the same reason, I credit this sole experience for preparing me mentally and emotionally for everything that came after. Being engrained into a culture and society so different from my own, I realized that that I did not have to be limited by the stereotypes that other people cast upon me and no two labels were mutually exclusive. Instead, I could be “mi hija” to my Mexican-American grandmother, “ya habibti” to my Egyptian mother and father and “Maria” to my American family and friends.
My identity has continued to shift and transform especially after becoming a teacher as part of Teach for America’s national education movement. Over the past year, I have found myself in countless new roles, some of which- mentor, educator, behavior monitor- I expected, and others- lunchroom supervisor, Spanish interpreter, public education advocate- which I did not. Yet, all of which I embrace as part of my ever-evolving identity.
I know that I am potentially throwing myself into a quite uncertain scenario where I could be living in either a big city or small village, teaching perhaps small children or adults. But knowing that my life experiences have led me to be able to find my way around a 19-million person urban jungle and manage a classroom of 37 thirteen-year-olds makes me confident that no matter the responsibilities placed upon me, I will manage. I will struggle until I find what is right and what is appropriate for where I am and for the task at hand. And through it all, I will share with my students a part of each of my past experiences while asking for their help in shaping my current experience and future identity.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Maria Ramirez, Jordan, English Teaching Assistantship
“Ms. Ramirez, I don’t mean to be all up in your business, but is you and your family… illegal?” I decided to take a break from –AR verb conjugations to watch and discuss a documentary about young Central American immigrants making their way north to the United States. And instead of being highly offended at this no-so-politically correct question, I thanked Alexander for speaking up and used it to turn the discussion towards every teacher’s dream: the “teachable moment.”
Whereas five years ago I may have turned up my nose at such a question and deemed someone ignorant for asking it, I find my reaction to be quite different these days. As a second-year middle school Spanish teacher and the only Hispanic adult in the school building, I have grown accustomed to misunderstandings about my birthplace in America’s Dairyland and inquiries about how I speak English so well.
Growing up in a small and rather conservative city, I was a very confused teenager. Should I be annoyed with the people who seem to only focus on my “exotic look” or should I enjoy getting a leg up in acceptance on committees because it looked good to have a Ramirez on the roster? It was not until I had the chance to leave my hometown and explore other parts of the world that I decided I did not have to choose one or the other; instead I greatly benefitted from my identity in that it actually allowed me to become a cultural chameleon, adapting to any culture, context or community in which I would find myself.
Spending six weeks with a conservative Muslim host family in a suburb of Cairo put this notion to the test. As an 18-year-old Wisconsinite who had never before experienced any big city, Cairo was the ultimate first introduction to traffic, overcrowding and culture shock. Sharing a three-bedroom apartment with an Egyptian family of six, I certainly had to adapt. No longer was I an independent American high school graduate with a part-time job, car and her parents’ complete trust. Instead, I was an illiterate, unmarried Muslim daughter, totally dependent on her parents and family for food, transportation and lessons in cultural competency.
For this reason, my visit to the Middle East was not your typical see-the-pyramids, ride-a-camel vacation. But for the same reason, I credit this sole experience for preparing me mentally and emotionally for everything that came after. Being engrained into a culture and society so different from my own, I realized that that I did not have to be limited by the stereotypes that other people cast upon me and no two labels were mutually exclusive. Instead, I could be “mi hija” to my Mexican-American grandmother, “ya habibti” to my Egyptian mother and father and “Maria” to my American family and friends.
My identity has continued to shift and transform especially after becoming a teacher as part of Teach for America’s national education movement. Over the past year, I have found myself in countless new roles, some of which- mentor, educator, behavior monitor- I expected, and others- lunchroom supervisor, Spanish interpreter, public education advocate- which I did not. Yet, all of which I embrace as part of my ever-evolving identity.
I know that I am potentially throwing myself into a quite uncertain scenario where I could be living in either a big city or small village, teaching perhaps small children or adults. But knowing that my life experiences have led me to be able to find my way around a 19-million person urban jungle and manage a classroom of 37 thirteen-year-olds makes me confident that no matter the responsibilities placed upon me, I will manage. I will struggle until I find what is right and what is appropriate for where I am and for the task at hand. And through it all, I will share with my students a part of each of my past experiences while asking for their help in shaping my current experience and future identity.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
State Assessment !
At lunch today, all of a sudden, students were told to "FACE THE STAGE! EVERYONE TURN AROUND AND FACE THE STAGE! MOUTHS CLOSED!" After a few minutes all students had acquiesced though I still did not know what was going on as a lunchroom chaperone. An administrator got on the microphone to announce "TOMORROW IS THE MSA. MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR REST. DON'T FORGET TO USE THE STRATEGIES THAT YOU LEARNED IN YOUR RELA (reading language arts) CLASS. READ THE QU.... EXCUSE ME WHEN IM TALKING YOUR MOUTHS ARE CLOSED... QUESTION FIRST. L'IL BOY... SHUT YOUR MOUTH. TURN AROUND. YOU KNOW WHAT... GO SIT ON THE STAGE." There is something every day that happens at my school that literally brings a tear to my eye. Today, this was it. I remember taking standardized tests in elementary and middle school and I remember my parents and teachers saying "do your best," but no need to stress too much because it doesn't affect your grade. I remember these tests because a few weeks later I would get a personalized letter in the mail with my scores which I didn't understand but, which I thought was cool because when else did a 4th grader get any mail. But my students will most likely remember the state assessment for another reason. Maybe it will be for the two homework free weeks that they get cushioning either side of the MSA. Clearly, we don't want to stress out the children for fear that they may not be well rested! Perhaps it will be memorable for the "spirit week" leading up to the exam. Or will they remember it for the pep rally for which they got to skip out of their "creative art" (read: Spanish) class on the Friday before. Whatever it may be, when I read the following quote, I immediately thought of my school and my students. Please read. Please ponder.
“ NCLB adds yet another factor of division between children of minorities and those in the mainstream of society. In good suburban classrooms, children master the essential skills not from terror but from exhilaration, inspired in them by their teachers, in the act of learning in itself… They learn to ask the questions that will shape the nation's future, while inner-city kids are being trained to give prescripted answers and to acquiesce in their subordinate position in society” (Kozol, 2007).
“ NCLB adds yet another factor of division between children of minorities and those in the mainstream of society. In good suburban classrooms, children master the essential skills not from terror but from exhilaration, inspired in them by their teachers, in the act of learning in itself… They learn to ask the questions that will shape the nation's future, while inner-city kids are being trained to give prescripted answers and to acquiesce in their subordinate position in society” (Kozol, 2007).
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Ethnographic Sketch
Searching for current information about Academic Yearly Progress (AYP) for my school online, I came across a parent review of the school, dated June 25, 2011:
“The school is horrible. While I was walking in one day the kids were running around (uncontrolled). Kids were hanging out the window. I would recommend your child not attending here. I am currently taking my child out.”
It is unfortunate to see that after all of the effort that my colleagues and I put in on a daily basis, this is how our school is viewed from the outside. Nevertheless, I cannot blame this parent for commenting in this way. It is completely true. The transition times before and after lunch are comparable to a stampede on the Serengeti, as students rush from class to the cafeteria, jumping, screaming, hitting one another and running back and forth in the hallway. There have been instances of students throwing teacher’s belongings out the window and instances of students throwing textbooks out of windows and breaking windows of cars in the parking lot below. In my own classroom, a student decided that she was done with Spanish class for the day and because I was standing guard at the door, ran to the open first story window, jumped out and walked home.
It is easy to blame the individual students and say that they should know better. But in reality, one must look at the multitude of factors which influence each and every student’s life outside of the school walls, and then consider how this translates to a student’s behavior and attitude within the school. Additionally, it is important to look at the changes that have taken place and policies in place at our school to contemplate their impact on the school environment and students’ mindsets upon entering it.
Benjamin Stoddert Middle School (BSMS) is a 6-8th grade school located in Temple Hills, Maryland. It is about one mile outside of Washington, D.C. Many students who attend BSMS were born in D.C., but because of the gentrification process which has begun in many of the traditionally Black neighborhoods, Black populations have been pushed out of D.C. and now reside inside outside of the District of Columbia, yet inside of the Capitol Beltway, a more affordable living area over which Prince George’s County Schools such as BSMS have jurisdiction. For this reason, Benjamin Stoddert’s ethnic population has changed over the years. According to the building engineer who has been working at the school for a decade and living in the area his whole life (48 years), a once all White school in the early 1980s, Benjamin Stoddert is now a majority Black school with 95.3% Black students. Beyond that, the student population’s ethnic background is as follows: Multi-Racial (2.64%), American Indian (1.02%), Asian (.44%), and White (.44%). 68% of these students receive Free and Reduced Meals and 12% receive special education services.
In terms of the staff, there have been many changes in the last two years. in the 2010-2011 academic year the Turnaround Model as defined by the Maryland Department of Education was implemented at Benjamin Stoddert. That is, because our school had been failing state standards for several years, it was decided that our school needed to be “turned around.” To do this, all administrators were fired and all but five teaching staff members were fired and new and administrative teaching staff was brought on for the 2010-2011 school year. In the 2010 school year, that meant that 36% of the teaching staff was part of a resident teacher program, most likely meaning it was the first year of teaching for this group. Furthermore, 24.4% of the teachers possessed a standard professional certificate and 27% possessed an advanced professional certificate, as defined by the Maryland State Department of Education.
An average day at Benjamin Stoddert begins at 8:30 AM and ends at 3:10 PM. Students cycle through five mods which last 68 minutes each with a 30 minute lunch period in the middle of the day. In each classroom, challenges present themselves throughout the day. Students come without appropriate school supplies, without having complete homework and without a positive attitude towards learning. These challenges create even further problems when teachers punish students for not having these necessary learning tools. Giving a verbal warning or a 10 minute detention can often escalate to a student display of disrespect and attempt to have the last word over the teacher. Additionally, it could lead to the teacher shouting back at the student in attempt to win control of the situation and classroom. Ultimately, these interruptions are a disruption of learning time for all students and many times it takes several minutes for students to get back on track. This may take place several times in one class period.
Walking down the hallways of Benjamin Stoddert, students are frequently seen standing outside classrooms, waiting to be taken to In-School Suspension (ISS) or “Alternative Instructional Area” (AIA) or to be welcomed back in the classroom after a causing a disruption in the classroom. It is common to see administrators yelling at children, and children yelling back at administrators. Every once and again, a parent will come to the school to reprimand his or her child for showing disrespect to a teacher or for the child getting into some sort of trouble, as defined by a teacher or administrator. At times, this admonishment will be verbal and other times it will be physical.
Speaking with individual students about their family and home situations, there seems to be much instability. It is rare that a child has both a birth mother and father at home, as has been the case in about four or five households of my 300 students over the last two years (as far as I know). It more common that children live in single parent households with several siblings, some half- and some full-blood related. The parent at home is the mother and many times she is alone in raising the child because the father is incarcerated. From conversations with 11-14 year old students, their lives already include many more negative experiences than their higher income peers. Students have told me about having experienced situations of physical, verbal and sexual abuse, rape, moving across state and national borders, loss of shelter, loss of family members, violence, fights, knife and firearm use, drugs, early sexual encounters, suicidal thoughts, hunger, lack of appropriate clothing, and the like.
This multitude of attitudes, mindsets and experiences all impact different students and staff in different ways. Though on the whole, what students and teachers lack and experience at the most basic and individual level at some point will filter into other aspects of their lives and impact the relationships that they have in other, non-domestic environments, like school. When a student cannot access his ADHD medication because his mother does not have adequate funds, his lack of focus and incendiary attitude impacts the learning and mood of students, teachers and administrators who must interact with him. When a young man has no successful and articulate male role model in his life and believes that the only career path for him relates to a the hip hop industry or NBA, it is difficult to convince him to take his head off his desk during a grammar lesson. When students have more acquaintances incarcerated than in college, it is difficult to assure them of the benefits of working hard in school.
Learning is all about questioning, problem solving, demonstrating creativity and discussing issues of science and morality. These abilities, as postulated by Maslow, are considered tasks of “self-actualization.” As laid out by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, these items can only be carried out when all other, more basic human needs such as safety, love, self-esteem and physiological needs are satisfied. It of course is possible for children, and people in general, to overcome “deficiency needs” such as of hunger, love and family and health to be able to realize higher level capacities such as creativity and problem solving, but in my personal opinion this is rare. From my observations at Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, students first need to be loved, fed, accepted and respected before any meaningful learning can take place. Yet when there are so many children who have these basic needs and so few adults and other positive to provide love, respect, acceptance, attention, etc. to them, everyone begins to feel down downtrodden. This is not to mention that the adults in the building are also humans and have these very same needs. When students show a general lack of respect and esteem towards the adults and when fights are breaking out left and right, causing a questionable state of security in the building, it is difficult for the adults to focus on teaching.
Though the parent’s comment on the school review website did not go into great detail about why “this school is horrible,” and was probably forming an opinion based on one short trip to the school, her statement describes an environment which overall, is quite true about the current state of Benjamin Stoddert Middle School. Taking the time to put on paper the observations that I have gathered over the last year and a half has, sadly, allowed me to see this. Individually, my colleagues and students are thoughtful, intelligent, kind, and caring people, but given the lack of human and capital resources in so many senses and on so many levels, the negatives rather than the positives compound into an environment where unfortunately, no one really wants or likes to be. Words cannot express my grief in admitting this, yet as a second year teacher and as a single human being, there is little I can do with the talent and time I have to turn this around. Only sweeping changes in societal mindsets and economic opportunities over years and years will begin to address the challenges that Benjamin Stoddert Middle School experiences.
References:
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/certification/certification_branch/certification_inf/types/overview
http://msp.msde.state.md.us/AypIntro.aspx?AypPV=14%7C0%7C16%7C0615%7C3%7C000000
http://schools.pgcps.org/index.asp?code=6515&Submit=GO
http://www.education.com/schoolfinder/us/maryland/temple-hills/benjamin-stoddert-middle/#students-and-teachers
“The school is horrible. While I was walking in one day the kids were running around (uncontrolled). Kids were hanging out the window. I would recommend your child not attending here. I am currently taking my child out.”
It is unfortunate to see that after all of the effort that my colleagues and I put in on a daily basis, this is how our school is viewed from the outside. Nevertheless, I cannot blame this parent for commenting in this way. It is completely true. The transition times before and after lunch are comparable to a stampede on the Serengeti, as students rush from class to the cafeteria, jumping, screaming, hitting one another and running back and forth in the hallway. There have been instances of students throwing teacher’s belongings out the window and instances of students throwing textbooks out of windows and breaking windows of cars in the parking lot below. In my own classroom, a student decided that she was done with Spanish class for the day and because I was standing guard at the door, ran to the open first story window, jumped out and walked home.
It is easy to blame the individual students and say that they should know better. But in reality, one must look at the multitude of factors which influence each and every student’s life outside of the school walls, and then consider how this translates to a student’s behavior and attitude within the school. Additionally, it is important to look at the changes that have taken place and policies in place at our school to contemplate their impact on the school environment and students’ mindsets upon entering it.
Benjamin Stoddert Middle School (BSMS) is a 6-8th grade school located in Temple Hills, Maryland. It is about one mile outside of Washington, D.C. Many students who attend BSMS were born in D.C., but because of the gentrification process which has begun in many of the traditionally Black neighborhoods, Black populations have been pushed out of D.C. and now reside inside outside of the District of Columbia, yet inside of the Capitol Beltway, a more affordable living area over which Prince George’s County Schools such as BSMS have jurisdiction. For this reason, Benjamin Stoddert’s ethnic population has changed over the years. According to the building engineer who has been working at the school for a decade and living in the area his whole life (48 years), a once all White school in the early 1980s, Benjamin Stoddert is now a majority Black school with 95.3% Black students. Beyond that, the student population’s ethnic background is as follows: Multi-Racial (2.64%), American Indian (1.02%), Asian (.44%), and White (.44%). 68% of these students receive Free and Reduced Meals and 12% receive special education services.
In terms of the staff, there have been many changes in the last two years. in the 2010-2011 academic year the Turnaround Model as defined by the Maryland Department of Education was implemented at Benjamin Stoddert. That is, because our school had been failing state standards for several years, it was decided that our school needed to be “turned around.” To do this, all administrators were fired and all but five teaching staff members were fired and new and administrative teaching staff was brought on for the 2010-2011 school year. In the 2010 school year, that meant that 36% of the teaching staff was part of a resident teacher program, most likely meaning it was the first year of teaching for this group. Furthermore, 24.4% of the teachers possessed a standard professional certificate and 27% possessed an advanced professional certificate, as defined by the Maryland State Department of Education.
An average day at Benjamin Stoddert begins at 8:30 AM and ends at 3:10 PM. Students cycle through five mods which last 68 minutes each with a 30 minute lunch period in the middle of the day. In each classroom, challenges present themselves throughout the day. Students come without appropriate school supplies, without having complete homework and without a positive attitude towards learning. These challenges create even further problems when teachers punish students for not having these necessary learning tools. Giving a verbal warning or a 10 minute detention can often escalate to a student display of disrespect and attempt to have the last word over the teacher. Additionally, it could lead to the teacher shouting back at the student in attempt to win control of the situation and classroom. Ultimately, these interruptions are a disruption of learning time for all students and many times it takes several minutes for students to get back on track. This may take place several times in one class period.
Walking down the hallways of Benjamin Stoddert, students are frequently seen standing outside classrooms, waiting to be taken to In-School Suspension (ISS) or “Alternative Instructional Area” (AIA) or to be welcomed back in the classroom after a causing a disruption in the classroom. It is common to see administrators yelling at children, and children yelling back at administrators. Every once and again, a parent will come to the school to reprimand his or her child for showing disrespect to a teacher or for the child getting into some sort of trouble, as defined by a teacher or administrator. At times, this admonishment will be verbal and other times it will be physical.
Speaking with individual students about their family and home situations, there seems to be much instability. It is rare that a child has both a birth mother and father at home, as has been the case in about four or five households of my 300 students over the last two years (as far as I know). It more common that children live in single parent households with several siblings, some half- and some full-blood related. The parent at home is the mother and many times she is alone in raising the child because the father is incarcerated. From conversations with 11-14 year old students, their lives already include many more negative experiences than their higher income peers. Students have told me about having experienced situations of physical, verbal and sexual abuse, rape, moving across state and national borders, loss of shelter, loss of family members, violence, fights, knife and firearm use, drugs, early sexual encounters, suicidal thoughts, hunger, lack of appropriate clothing, and the like.
This multitude of attitudes, mindsets and experiences all impact different students and staff in different ways. Though on the whole, what students and teachers lack and experience at the most basic and individual level at some point will filter into other aspects of their lives and impact the relationships that they have in other, non-domestic environments, like school. When a student cannot access his ADHD medication because his mother does not have adequate funds, his lack of focus and incendiary attitude impacts the learning and mood of students, teachers and administrators who must interact with him. When a young man has no successful and articulate male role model in his life and believes that the only career path for him relates to a the hip hop industry or NBA, it is difficult to convince him to take his head off his desk during a grammar lesson. When students have more acquaintances incarcerated than in college, it is difficult to assure them of the benefits of working hard in school.
Learning is all about questioning, problem solving, demonstrating creativity and discussing issues of science and morality. These abilities, as postulated by Maslow, are considered tasks of “self-actualization.” As laid out by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, these items can only be carried out when all other, more basic human needs such as safety, love, self-esteem and physiological needs are satisfied. It of course is possible for children, and people in general, to overcome “deficiency needs” such as of hunger, love and family and health to be able to realize higher level capacities such as creativity and problem solving, but in my personal opinion this is rare. From my observations at Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, students first need to be loved, fed, accepted and respected before any meaningful learning can take place. Yet when there are so many children who have these basic needs and so few adults and other positive to provide love, respect, acceptance, attention, etc. to them, everyone begins to feel down downtrodden. This is not to mention that the adults in the building are also humans and have these very same needs. When students show a general lack of respect and esteem towards the adults and when fights are breaking out left and right, causing a questionable state of security in the building, it is difficult for the adults to focus on teaching.
Though the parent’s comment on the school review website did not go into great detail about why “this school is horrible,” and was probably forming an opinion based on one short trip to the school, her statement describes an environment which overall, is quite true about the current state of Benjamin Stoddert Middle School. Taking the time to put on paper the observations that I have gathered over the last year and a half has, sadly, allowed me to see this. Individually, my colleagues and students are thoughtful, intelligent, kind, and caring people, but given the lack of human and capital resources in so many senses and on so many levels, the negatives rather than the positives compound into an environment where unfortunately, no one really wants or likes to be. Words cannot express my grief in admitting this, yet as a second year teacher and as a single human being, there is little I can do with the talent and time I have to turn this around. Only sweeping changes in societal mindsets and economic opportunities over years and years will begin to address the challenges that Benjamin Stoddert Middle School experiences.
References:
http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/certification/certification_branch/certification_inf/types/overview
http://msp.msde.state.md.us/AypIntro.aspx?AypPV=14%7C0%7C16%7C0615%7C3%7C000000
http://schools.pgcps.org/index.asp?code=6515&Submit=GO
http://www.education.com/schoolfinder/us/maryland/temple-hills/benjamin-stoddert-middle/#students-and-teachers
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