Oakland Teachers 1 day strike

Well, I participated in my first strike. It was pretty uneventful despite providing bonding opportunities for our teaching staff and one of my students. I was at my school from 5:30 am-10 am picketing and we got quite the support from parents, students and passing cars.
Then, at 10 am we moved to downtown Oakland to meet as a union and about 2,000 teachers showed up. We marched, we spoke, we fought and I had the opportunity to do it with one of my students (see left).
He was 1 of about 5 kids who showed up to school and he really wanted to participate with us. So, we spent the day together. Not only was it an opportunity to educate him about teachers, educational issues and striking but I was able to show him different parts of Oakland. At the end of the day, he told me that it was a day he would never forget. He had never had the opportunity to spend the day with one of his teachers and it was the absolute best experience and best day of his life. It made me remember yet again, not only why I teach but why I take the extra time to with my students. It was a moment he will remember for the rest of his life, but also I will remember it forever....

For the record books...

Just because I am not sure if I will ever be part of a strike again, I want to document the history that is about to take place tomorrow.

OAKLAND TEACHERS ARE STRIKING FOR 1 DAY!

Why?

• Smaller class sizes (aka less than 30 in K-3 classes)
• Adult Education (the district wants to eliminate & we serve 25,000)
• Compensation (we are the lowest paid in the County

So, I will picket from 5:30 tomorrow morning til 10 am in support of teachers in Oakland. Here are some preliminary articles-I will post pictures later.

http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/oakland-teachers-to-strike-thursday/

Here we go to picketing!

Havin' fun.....

Helping me clean the classroom=love!

Playing Monopoly at lunch together!

Serenading during math class...singin' Alicia Keys!

Couch jumpin' at lunchtime!

Never thought the countdown would come...

38 more school days....wow!

I vowed not to make a countdown but I decided to make a ring of chains in my classroom and post a goal on each chain (which represents 1 day) so that the students continue to be motivated to learn and also know that we still have time to impact their achievement.

Personally, 38 days is do-able. For my lovable, well behaved students I have 38 days to continue being positive, pushing them academically and loving them before they leave for summer. For my less than stellar students, I have only 38 days that they are in my classroom. I have 38 days to continue to impact their philosophy on education and their outlook on school before they will roam the streets and lead the "street life".

I was told by my assistant principal that if I can teach in the part of Oakland that we are in, than I can teach anywhere. If I survived my 1st year with this population that I can survive anywhere. No one may not it until they shadow for the day just how hard the job is, but the people who matter know just how difficult this job is. And I think that although I down play it, it has been the hardest thing I have ever done.

I have been reflecting a lot and taking notes on a lot of things to change and/or implement next year. And until then, I have 38 days....can't believe it!

Last observation for the year

Today marked a major milestone in my first year of teaching-the last observation! It was actually SO good to hear some of the feedback and made me reflect on how far I have come as a teacher with my students. She (a lady from the district who is my mentor teacher) has observed different classes (History, Science, Math and Reading) and been in the class about 5-6 times. Today, she observed my reading class where we played a CST review game, the students silent read and then we played a main idea board game. After, her and I had a conversation about today's class as well as the progress I have been able to make since September. Some of the comments were:

-"Your students asked you for help today. A student admitted he didn't know some of the words and asked you to read them for him. That is MAJOR progress and a true sign that they trust you."

-"They respect you. They yearn for your positive reinforcement and enthusiasm towards their learning. It is evident by how they treat you and how they act."

-"From September until now, there is a HUGE change in classroom culture and the overall feeling in here. You have done some incredible work with these students and with your teaching. Just watching the students interact with each other and with you is the #1 indicator you have done something special in here."

And after she left, I just sat in the room and reflected. She is right! The fact that my students admit they need help is a HUGE indicator that they trust me and the classroom environment. They follow directions, and in this class they are reading! Each of them will have completed 3 novels by the end of the school year....and I have been able to work individually with each of them on individual reading skills.

Although there are 8 weeks left in the school year, today, I am extremely proud of myself and what I have done since August 31st. I still have 8 weeks to continue to impact student achievement, but the trust and the respect that I have for my students and they have for me is nothing short of extraordinary....

On to Tuesday....

Such a transitional place

Today was the 1st day back from spring break and although I was a bit anxious and a bit sad that vacation was over, it was REALLY refreshing to see my students this morning. Students who are never on time showed up before the bell rang and it was evident to see that they were excited to be back at school. During journal writing, I saw paragraphs being written about their spring break and they were excited for me to read them. REFRESHING for a change! I had much more patience and enthusiasm in my teaching and energetic about the next 9 weeks....9 weeks to continue pushing, continue changing, and continue educating my students.

A favorite student of mine (one who has come A LONG way from the fall, but still has work to do) had told me 2 weeks ago he might be transferring schools and today his grandma told me she would be moving him to a military charter school in Oakland. I expressed my sadness at this news because he has been able to make a lot of progress since September and the boy has moved schools every single year. I am sad that we worked hard to make progress in the last 9 months, he has found a home in my classroom and has no desire to move schools, but his grandma thinks he needs a man and "more structure". I understand it is her right to move her grandson, but I wish sometimes that we could think about the implications of switching schools every single year. The progress that this student and I have made in his academics and his behavior are INCREDIBLE, but if he moves schools he will have to re-start that progress and that trust that he has been able to build. And, it makes me sad, angry, frustrated for him and his future.

But, alas it is outside my control. I will work with him until June 17th just like every other student in my class. June 17th will be here before I know it and I will have officially completed my 1st year of teaching. What a wild ride it has been with moments of triumph and moments of tragedy. I am sure that will be many more in the next 9 weeks.

In another note, thank you for the outpouring of support, encouragement and love that all my family and friends show me every single day. The gentleman who works with me in the class asked me today what everyone thought of what I was doing in Oakland. I just responded by saying that the number of phone calls, e-mails, cards that I get are WAY MORE than anyone deserves, but that there are times I am not sure I could do without them. This experience has changed my mind and my heart about the inequalities in America especially in education. But, I have vowed to myself to take this experience and these feelings with me every single day in my journey. I will never forget this experience and I cannot wait to add to it!

Staying...

For everyday that my students have tried and tested me, there has been a moment this year that has touched my heart and inspired hope in my soul. This time of year is when people are receiving pink slips, moving, transferring schools and/or giving up teaching as a profession. The students have been constantly asking if I will be back next year, even those who I never thought cared.

A colleague of mine told me something that sums it up:

The students will love you for it even though they have seemingly done everything in their power to drive you out. If you stay, the love they will show will forever leave an imprint in your heart. The students need you to commit to them, to offer them unconditional love and to see through to their success.

And this is why I will choose to stay and teach in Oakland.