Well, I've been a 6th grade math teacher at Michigan Technical Academy in Detroit for a week now, and it's going great. I got really sick on Friday, though, and hopefully I'll get over it by tomorrow.
Anyhow, there's a lot of stuff that I've learned in my 5 short days as a real grown up teacher, and college didn't prepare me for any of it.
1. African American children have naturally loud voices. If you want to be heard you have to get their attention first, and get them to stop talking. Which is not easy.
2. Learning names is not as difficult as I thought it would be.
3. Sometimes parents just don't care.
4. Putting an apostrophe at any random place in a name is completely acceptable--if not extremely common.
5. My students have no idea what Alternative music is.
6. I know NOTHING about Black American history.
7. Hands off the 'fro.
8. Hip Hop Artists convey a message in their music, while Rappers focus on negative things. (I didn't know this at all)
9. Gas is cheaper on 8-Mile.
10. Nigeria has a track team.*
*I had my students doing a scavenger hunt through expository text to develop content reading strategies, and they each had a different book. B'onca had a book on Nigeria and she called me over and said "I really like this book! I didn't know any of this stuff!" And she turned the page, and there was a picture of some athletes running on a track and she looks at me in awe and says, "They have their own a track team!? [pause and think] I wonder if they have a cheerleading squad!?" It was really funny.
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3 comments:
I'm really glad you like your job! And i hope you feel better!
love always,
Mal
P.S. If I lived in nigeria i would be on the track and cheerleading team!
It's good to know that my post inspired you! It's even more fun to hear you talk about your kids and all the things they are teaching you...when in all actuality you are there to teach them! Your kids sound great...and I hope you continue to enjoy each and every day of your job! Sounds like they are opening up to you and enjoying having you as a teacher!
YOU ARE WONDERFUL! I can't wait to see you!
Stephen, I'm not trying to be controversial. When I said I didn't know the difference between a rapper and a hip-hop artist, I was informed. If your rappers would argue it, than perhaps they are not rappers, but hip-hop artists.
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