Quick Review and Chivalry is Finished!

Today I began two new things with our students in CLASS. First, we are beginning each class with some breathing exercises. If you ever walk into our class and we are all looking down and not saying a word, it's because we are practicing our breathing. You will never hear the sophs this quiet!

Both classes did a great job at their breathing practice. We first had to talk about "how" to breathe -- by filling the belly and then the chest with air. Most of us never think about how we breathe. But those few minutes of forgetting about everything except your breath, can really change a person's energy. It feels totally different in the classroom after we finish our breathing practice. Ryan noticed how "chill" our freshmen were.

The other new thing that we began today is requiring the students to take notes in 3 classes per day. This will be part of their binder check next week, so it will become part of their grade. If they are unable to take notes in 3 classes, then they must do a learning log where they talk about what they learned in a specific class.

I spent some time with the freshmen reviewing past lessons on GPA, test taking and goal setting. They said they do think about their GPA and understand it's importance. I also told them that colleges want to see an upward trend of the GPA. They said they used the test taking tips I gave them and both Kiah and Angelina saw improvement in their test scores! Yay! Shanice hasn't had a test since I taught these skills. Angelina wrote some new goals for herself and all three have their goals taped inside their binders. Kiah also has hers taped to her wall under her Twilight poster of Taylor (the werewolf)!

The sophomores finished their discussion about chivalry. This led to talking about meeting our date's parents and whether or not to put the toilet seat down. Just FYI, it the ladies unanimously felt that the toilet seat should be put down. arrghh.
Cedric wants to talk about how girls treat boys and I think that's a perfect idea, although I had emphasized the idea of mutual respect.

Next I gave an assignment to help the sophs come up with their own code of ethics. This is due on Wednesday. Here is the assignment with my example code below:

PERSONAL CODE OF ETHICS
WORKSHEET

Please answer the following questions on your own sheet of paper.

1. How do you want to treat or take care of yourself?
2. How do you want to treat your family members?
3. How do you want to treat your friends?
4. How do you want to treat your boyfriend/girlfriend? (Answer this even if you are single.)
5. How do you want to handle conflicts with people you love?
6. How do you want to handle conflicts with people you know but don’t necessarily love?
7. How do you want to handle conflicts with strangers?
8. How do you want to treat the environment around you, including your home, school, church, Peace, etc.
9. How do you want to live your life?
10. How do you show that you value your education?




Example Code of Ethics:

I want to take good care of my body so it will last a long time. I want to get enough sleep, exercise and eat nutritious food.

I want each member of my family to know I love them because I talk to them often and ask how they are doing. I send cards for birthdays and I tell them that I love them.

I want my friends to feel special. I want them to feel loved, supported, and uplifted by me. I want to be there for them when they need me.

I want my boyfriend to never worry about my love and care for him. I want to always be honest and authentic in loving relationships

I want to handle conflicts with others in a respectful way and look for a win/win situation or at the very least agree to disagree. I want to not let other’s problems become my problems.

I want to take good care of my home and my stuff. I want to leave places as I found them and make them better if possible, certainly not make them worse.

I want to live in the moment and with intention. I want to control my life and not let life control me.

I show my value for education by learning new things every day and by teaching my students (and others) what I have learned and what I know is true and helpful to them.

Conclave and College Apps

The Juniors had Conclave today. There was a lot to talk about including Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which we think one of our kids might have. Also, finding a date for winter formal, and finally, finding motivation to do homework. We decided that sometimes you simply have to force yourself to "just do the damn work!"

Yvonne was absent today so I only had Phu Tai and Lisa as my seniors. We sat in the computer room together and Phu Tai worked on his Eastern application and Lisa looked into what it would take to apply to FIDM. She will have to draw 10 designs!

I'm signing off the blog until Monday. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

"There is a difference between being poor and being a bum."

In both the freshman and sophomore classes we discussed some changes that will be starting next week. At the beginning of each class we will spend 5 minutes practicing relaxation breathing techniques. Also, students will be required to take notes in 3 classes a day and will be graded on that beginning on December 7.

We had Conclave today, which gave the students a chance to share their highs and lows.

With the sophomores, we also discussed whether or not an apology implies that you will change your behavior. They agreed that if some one says "sorry" then does the very same thing to you again, then their word is meaningless. This led to a discussion about integrity which lead to Montel telling us about a family in the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" which would not take anything for free. They would trade for something they needed but not take anything for free. I said there was integrity in this example, but it was actually a better example of dignity. That's when Vince said, "there is a difference between being poor and being a bum."

During Conclave, I'm sorry to say I lost my patience with the sophomores. They were being too talkative and actually mean to each other. I tried to get them to stop but they wouldn't, so I just dismissed the class. We will definitely return to this topic when they return on Monday. Hopefully they will do better in their seating chart and after 15 minutes of relaxation breathing.

Freshies and Sophs Have a Writing Assignment too!

The Freshmen and Sophomores were given the following assignment today. We went over the questions so they should have a clear understanding of what I'm asking for. It is due next Monday and will be considered an assessment (test).

Little Rock Nine Writing Assignment

Think about a person in the Little Rock 9 story whom you would most like or least like to be. Why would you like/not like to be this person?

What do you think were the most important influences on this person?

What do you think were the greatest challenges this person faced?

Describe situations of inequality you have witnessed at school. These can be based on race, gender, income level, or perceived intellectual level.

What is your definition of courage?

How did the Little Rock Nine show courage?

Write about a time when you have shown courage.

Write about a family member, relative, or some one you know who has shown courage and describe their courageous act.

Juniors and Seniors write about Courage

The Juniors and Seniors were given the following assignment today. We went over the questions so they should have a clear understanding of what I'm asking for. It is due on Thursday and will be considered an assessment (test).

Little Rock Nine Writing Assignment

Think about a person in the Little Rock 9 story whom you would most like or least like to be. Why would you like/not like to be this person?

What do you think were the most important influences on this person?

What do you think were the greatest challenges this person faced?

Describe situations of inequality you have witnessed at school. These can be based on race, gender, income level, or perceived intellectual level.

What is your definition of courage?

How did the Little Rock Nine show courage?

Write about a time when you have shown courage.

Write about a family member, relative, or some one you know who has shown courage and describe their courageous act.

November 11 Field Trip and Activities

On Veterans Day the CLASS students took a field trip to the Museum District in downtown Tacoma. We visited the Icons of Washington exhibit at the Washington History Museum and learned about the wagons pioneers used to cross the Oregon Trail, a huge portrait of Mt RAnier that used to hang in the Rainier Brewery, and Galloping Gertie the bridge that fell into Puget Sound into 1940s.

We then went to the Museum of Glass where we saw work by Preston Singletary and we also got to actually see Mr. Singletary making glass in the Hot Shop. Also the students loved the "Kids Design Glass" exhibit. For this exhibit, kids drew a picture and wrote a story about the picture. The picture was then turned into a glass piece which is now on display in the museum. They have 52 of them now and they are so colorful and whimsical and hysterical. Our students smiled and laughed all the way through this exhibit.

The students spent a little time in the studio making some art of their own, Native American masks which they busily colored.

Next we had a lovely lunch at Spaghetti Factory. We chowed down on bread, salad, pasta, and spumoni ice cream.

Back at Peace the students learned some salsa steps from AmeriCorps tutor, Josh. They also learned to make spring rolls from another AmeriCorps tutor, Cam Tu.

We watched a movied called "The Ernest Green Story" about the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, AR, in 1957.

Discussing the Little Rock 9

Over the past few days I have led a discussion with all of my CLASS students about the Little Rock 9 and the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Last Wednesday I showed them the movie "The Ernest Green Story" which dramatizes this event from the point of view of Ernest Green a high school senior and one of the Little Rock 9.

We discussed why the white people were so afraid and angry about integrating the schools. The students agreed that this is the way the white kids were raised and I added that it wasn't just their family that influenced their opinions, but also the segregated society in which they lived.

My students admired the courage of the Little Rock 9 and many didn't think they would have been able to do it. One said she feels badly that they went through all they did and today's students don't have to go through that.

I asked them if they have ever seen students treated unequally in their school setting. All of them said yes. We will be writing about this during our next class period.

Personal Statement and College Apps

The Juniors requested Conclave today so we talked about our highs and lows. A couple kids' highs were good grades! Yay!

We continued to work on our personal statements after that.

The seniors worked on college applications.
Yvonne: UW
Phu Tai: Gonzaga
Lisa: TCC

Test Taking Skills and Chivalry, part 2

Test Taking Skills was the topic for the freshmen today. I taught them how to go through a test and answer all the questions you can, put a check by the ones that will take you a while to figure out and an x by the ones that you have no clue for. Also, never change your first guess unless you are certain you know the answer.
True/False questions: if the words always or never are in the question it is almost always false. Try to prove a statement false, if you can't then it's true!
Multiple choice questions: choose the BEST answer. Sometimes there is more than one correct answer. Use what you know to narrow down the choices. Try to prove the statements false.
Essay questions: show off what you know. Organize it like a 5 paragraph essay with thesis, supporting points and conclusion.
Short answer: use flash cards to prepare for these.
Then we took a little practice test that was actually taken from a US Citizenship test. They practiced the technique of using the check and X and also using what they know to narrow down the choices.

The sophomores continued their loud discussion about chivalry. We had a long talk about holding the door open for a woman and about complimenting her. The door-holding seems to be something all of the kids do to be polite, especially to their elders or people whose hands are full or people who are coming through the door directly behind them.

The young ladies in the room made it clear they don't like being called "baby" and don't especially like being complimented because it's awkward and sometimes they think the guy isn't serious. It's especially demeaning if it comes from a stranger driving by in a car or on the street. It's hard to say thank you. I told them "thank you" is always the appropriate answer to a compliment.

We also talked about who should pay for a date. The guys seemed very reluctant to let a young lady pay for the date. Some of the girls felt it was not right for the guy to always pay for the date. They felt it was kind of disrespectful of their independence and their ability to make and spend their own money.

This is all about how to we treat each other politely and with respect without offending each other! We don't want to be sexist or make people feel badly, but we do want to be respectful to each other.

Obstacles in Life and College Apps

The Juniors worked on creating essays on this question: Describe any personal hardships or unusual circumstances you have had to overcome. How have these experiences shaped you as a person and how can they help you in the future?

This question led to a remarkably interesting conversation about Alex's early childhood. Nicole had a very good self-reflective insight about herself as a friend. Our conversations felt very confidential so I don't feel good about outlining the details here. Just know these kids are doing some great critical thinking.

The seniors began working on their college applications. Yvonne is currently applying to Seattle University, Phu Tai to Gonzaga and Lisa looked at the Seattle Art Institute website. There was a lot of cranky grumbling about how college apps are stupid. OMG. . .

The Voice Finder and a Discussion about Chivalry

Wow, what fun and interesting classes we had today! The freshmen completed and discussed an activity called The Voice Finder. You can look at it online here: http://www.seancovey.com/pdf/teens/VoiceFinder.pdf . Their sharing about their answers was fascinating. For example, question 7: If money were no obstacle what would I spend my time doing? Most of us were interested in traveling. And question 16: What single thing could be my downfall if I'm not careful? The kids answers included: "my mouth," "temptations for things," "my kind heart," "my enemies," "failing high school." We talked about standing up to people, even when it's hard to do and about not letting manipulative people take advantage of us.

The sophomores had a lesson on Chivalry. First we had to learn what chivalry is! Vince helped us with that. Then we read an article called "Chivalry: Dead or Alive?" You can read it here: http://answer.rutgers.edu/file/chivalry_article_v6.pdf I am moving into the Sexuality unit with the sophs, so I wanted to start with how we treat each other and really delve into the issue of respect. We are not quite finished with the lesson, but it was interesting to hear the kids talk about this issue. Maranda pointed out that chivalry, in its purest form, is actually sexist. And Jewan said sometimes women get mad at him if he holds the door open for them. So how do we learn to be respectful to EACH OTHER and treat EACH OTHER kindly? That is where we are going. More on this next Monday!

Messing up life plans and thinking 'bout college!

In both classes we drew names and problems and messed up a few kids' life plans. It was fun and torture all at the same time! The first kid's name I drew is Nicole. And then I drew her problem: disorganization. How ironic is that? There she was, having lost her binder, trying to organize a brand new binder for binder check. So we talked about how hard it is to be disorganized and we also talked about disorganization's best friend: procrastination. This was also funny because when Nicole get's overwhelmed by her disorganization, she gives up and watches NCIS! Way to procrastinate, Nicole! Seriously, Josh Cushman helped me explain how to get through procrastination and disorganization by using baby steps.

The juniors wanted to do one more of these, so I drew Loren's name and her problem: addiction. The kids decided that she became addicted to alcohol after trying her first drink at age 21, a Cosmo (this is actually on Loren's life plan). Nicole said Loren's addiction ate up all her money so all she could afford was a mixture of "Red Bull and Budweiser." (How are our kids so clever?) At any rate, this gave us the serious opportunity to talk about how easy it is to fall in with the wrong crowd and drink to excess to the point where it hurts your life. Nicole made the point that sometimes we think we are "untouchable" and "that won't happpen to me" and then we find ourselves in compromising situations thinking "how did I get here?"

With the Seniors, I drew Yvonne's name and her problem, bad accident. We decided she fell off a ladder and messed up her back and neck. Yvonne said she would not drop out of school but would set up a network of classmates to share their notes with her and she would keep up with her reading and assignments. Wow. If anyone could do it, it's Yvonne.

The beauty of having only 3 seniors is that I'm able to work with them individually on their post-high school plans. Yvonne looked up the due dates for the colleges she wants to apply to. Phu Tai worked on his application for TCC. Lisa and I discussed potential plans she has including looking into Seattle Art Institute. I can really see her there!

Yikes! I messed up my life plan! Grades 9 and 10

NOTE: both classes were challenged to take daily notes in the 2 or 3 classes they are doing the worst in. Please encourage this!

With both classes I put all of their names in a bag and pulled out one and then pulled a problem out of another bag and applied it to the student's life plan.

For the freshmen the story ended up being that Ramon had a life tragedy at the age of 19 while he was in college. The rest of the class decided that his tragedy was that he got kicked out of school for doing drugs and he lost his scholarship. They decided he should deal with his drug problem first, then get a job and find a way to get back into school. Ramon certainly didn't like being even the hypothetical main character and said he will never end up in that situation. We talked about addictive behaviors and how they can be inherited.

With the sophomores, the unlucky one was Devin who during his junior year bowed to peer pressure. Again, the kids decided that Devin was caught smoking weed and he got into lots of trouble with his school who demanded that he go to rehab. Devin said if that happened he would feel bad and would want to apologize. Again, we talked about how getting caught up in this kind of behavior really can affect your education and scholarships. We talked about surrounding yourself with positive people.

The freshmen finished working on an activity called "Finding Your Voice."

The sophs discussed the personal statement question #4: Describe a time when you felt at a disadvantage because of your or your family’s educational level, cultural background and/or financial status. Explain in detail how you worked through the situation. How have these types of experiences influenced your day-to-day actions and/or your goals for the future?

We spent quite a bit of time discussing this question and our answers to it. In the sophomore class we have students who have grown up in varying states of poverty and some who fall between poverty and middle class so they don't qualify for opportunities that the lower income kids do. We also have some middle class kids in there. So it was an interesting discussion around how they are disadvantaged because of their income level. We also had a raucous discussion about reparations for African-Americans.