Uncle Coy and Ole Miss

2009-05-20T19:23:00.001-05:00

Life After Teacher Corp

I moved clear across the state of Mississippi to teach. I went from the western most part of Highway 82 to the eastern most part of Highway 82. According to the rumors, the place that I was going to teach at this year was horrible. Fights, Pregnancies, Overage kids, STDs, and an out of control district, I thought, I taught in Hollandale, nothing could be worse. After a year in my new district I can confidently state, “If I had kids, they would go to this school.” Four years ago my new district got a new superintendent, who in turned fired all of the principals and assistant principals. He hired assistant principals from across the state who were at level 5 schools. These assistant principals are now the principals and assistant principals in the district.

My school is awesome. My principal is awesome. We have 85% free and reduced lunch, 20% of the district is white, the majority of my students parents work, and dad is a real person. Now, I do have kids whose parents are in jail, parents who work nights and leave the kids to raise themselves, or the always present older siblings who do nothing put hang out on the corner. Things are not perfect by any means, but there are many great things going on. My school is run the way my middle school was run. It is great, no longer do I have to worry about being backed up on discipline, when the bell is going to ring, having to hear coworkers completely humiliate and degrade a child, being thought of as an outsider because I believe lying, cheating, and stealing is wrong. Did I also mention that not one of the 270 students in seventh grade was a parent? Amazing, I taught 3 parents last year. Furthermore, I do not have to worry about overage kids because they are in their own little world, transitions, trying to make it to high school.

I can’t wait for the day when the Delta stops feeling sorry for it self and says, “Enough is enough, we are not going to let the bottom of the barrel run our schools.” Did I mention that my principal is black, along with 60% of my coworkers, and I have not been made to feel guilty just because I am white. Life is great outside of the Delta.

2009-05-20T18:59:00.001-05:00

The Greatest Compliment To Date

Yesterday, the day before the last day of school, I was entertaining ridiculous questions from a harmless drama queen. I know I am not supposed to say this but I get a laugh out of egging her on. During the course of our conversation the student sitting next to her chimed in, out of nowhere and said, “Mr. Z., you are the only teacher all year who has not hollered at us.” This was a surprise because the harmless drama queen was complaining about her exam and I was giving my usual responses of “Do your best” or “Figure it out.” The student, who interrupted us, is one who constantly disrupts class by making noises and singing. It gets even better, when I confront him he says, “It wasn’t me!!!” He inevitably receives at least one writing assignment a week from me. I am still in awe of the kid because I never backed down from him and he always received a writing assignment for his disruptive behavior. My response to his original statement was “What’s the point?” referring to hollering. He thought I meant, “Why are you telling me this.” He responded, “Really, you are the only teacher, all year, who has not hollered at us.” I replied, “What’s the point of hollering?” The harmless queen chimes in, “He doesn’t need to, he does what he says he going to do.”

2008-09-08T20:32:00.000-05:00

Life outside of the Delta

During the month of June I worked on a plantation in the heart of the Delta. For 110 years the plantation planted cotton exclusively. Due to recent economic conditions the plantation has planted corn and beans for the past two years. My job on the plantation was to lay poly pipe (irrigation), chainsaw, help in the birthing process of calves, and whatever else my hands hands were called to do. It is an experience that I will never forget.

On July 4th the wife and I moved to Columbus, MS. Home of the first memorial day to celebrate the fallen heroes of the confederacy. The move was bitter sweet. We loved our church and town. Our church family was such a blessing, the men taught me how to hunt and gave me a godly example of what it means to be a husband. They were our family. It has been two months and four days since the move and we are never going back.

Lauren accepted a position at the Mississippi School of Mathematics and Science, the best teaching job in the state, and I teach in West Point, MS. Lauren spends her school nights planning for her Algebra II, Trigonometry, and Pre Calculus classes, while I reignite my passion for weight lifting and video games. I teach six periods of seventh grade Information and Communication Technology I. ICT I is glorified typing. Yes, I spent four years at Rhodes to teach typing.

Our jobs are awesome. Lauren teaches the best kids in the state and I teach kids who have two parents at home who work. Lauren has no discipline issues at her school and my discipline issues are handled swiftly and firmly.

We loved our time in the Delta but realize that our quality of life has improved dramatically by moving further away from the Arkansas border.

2008-04-16T21:18:00.001-05:00

My MTC experience is not typical of other MTC alumni. I came into the program as an established member of the Delta community. I was going to enter my classroom not having to worry about housing, roommates, the culture of the Delta, or who my new coworkers were going to be because my wife had already been at the school for three years. The biggest challenge that I faced in my first year of teaching was judgments made about me by my principal before I ever stepped into the classroom. I had an interview at my wife’s school when I learned that I was accepted into Teacher Corp. During my interview lesson I made a reference to the game “Monkey in the Middle.” At the time I thought nothing of it. It was not until the end of the first nine weeks at school during my first year that the principal asked if I was racist. She asked if I ever called the kids monkeys or used the term Monkey in the Middle around the kids. I was in shock, at the time I had no idea what she was talking about. She informed me that I had complaints against me for being a racist and that the term “Monkey” is a derogatory term against African Americans. I then told her it was a game that I learned in elementary school, a school that was over 95% African American. There was nothing that I could say that day to make the situation any better. My Principal had already written me off for the year even before I stepped onto the campus. The first year was rough, not management wise, but in every other aspect. The kids felt as if I hated them, the principal thought I was racist, I knew my subject matter but I really didn’t know it, my lessons were terrible, and I did not feel as if I belonged in the school. Did I mention that I also paddled two kids that year? That was a surreal experience.

The second summer of Mississippi Teacher Corp was ten times better than the first summer. Not only was it a month shorter but the fellowship among the Corp was a welcome change to the disjointedness of my school. My school has only ten teachers. We are so close to becoming an ideal school yet so far from it because of lack of cohesiveness and differing standards when it comes to learning and the kids. The Holly Springs experience showed what a functioning school could be.

By far the most rewarding experiences of my Teacher Corp career have come in the second year. The Ole Miss Coursework became more manageable because I finally learned how to use my time more effectively. I coached football for the first time and the experience was eye opening. It was amazing to see kids actively disobey, get kicked off the team, then have their moms or grandmas plead to the Athletic director and or principal to get the kid back on the team when they did not want to be on the team to begin with. Furthermore the boys believed if they showed up to a game they would win. They honestly believe that wins will be handed to you. It is amazing to see how handouts kill the idea of a strong work ethic. Coaching also turned me into a man who was seen as a racist to someone who is an accepted member of the school. Just as the football season ended hunting season began. Last year I never went hunting after school. I cannot remember why not. This year, if the weather was cooperating, I was in the woods everyday after school. It was great. Each day I had a new hunting story to share in class; many students could not wait to hear the successes and failures of my adventures. I was able to share a piece of myself with them.

This spring semester brought on the challenge of working with the Technology Student Association. My role was to work with a few boys to help them build balsa wood gliders and dragsters. At times it was tedious but overall I was able to bond with some boys who I would otherwise not have the chance to interact with on a one on one basis.

Without going through Mississippi Teacher Corp I would not be able to truly understand what generational poverty is. Last year when a kid would clown in class I had no sympathy. Now that I know my kids a hundred times better, when they do clown I can actually find out what is going on inside of them. Most times the problems stem from something that is associated with poverty. Problems ranging from being grown, shame of dirty clothes and or body, shame of family reputation, sexual exploration and or promiscuity, and to something as simple as constant paranoia of being picked on. Poverty is a depilating illness with no easy solution.

2008-04-01T16:38:00.000-05:00

Tough Times

About a month ago the students seemed to be off. It was not until third period that I found out from a co worker that a young person(20 years old) committed suicide the night before on his girlfriends porch. He shot himself. The girlfriends two younger brothers attend my school. The average response time for a ambulance is around 15 to 20 minutes and they live on a cul-de-sac with many school age children. We can only imagine how many students saw the aftermath.

Yesterday, a parent died for a set of twins at our school. The twins are some of the best students to have in your class. I felt so sad.

This morning a coworker informed me that a young person(20 years old) died last night when he lost control of his car and went into Deer Creek. The young person has a little sister who attends my school.

It is hard to describe the confusion and grieve in the student's eyes.

2008-03-07T17:25:00.000-06:00

"Spring time in the Delta"

Before you leave the Delta for good there are a few things that you must do.

1. Attend the Crawfish festival in Leland. Admission is two canned goods. The beer is cold and the crawfish is awesome. Plus the music is great.
2. Attend the Catfish festival in Belzoni. I plan on going for the first time this year. I hear it is the same as the Crawfish festival but with Catfish.
3. The Blues Jam at the Holly Ridge Store. The jam happens the day after the Leland Blues Festival. It is free and the crowd is interesting. Last year I saw my first Black Biker Gang.
4. Turkey Hunt if at possible or go skeet shooting.
5. Go to Great River Road State Park in Rosedale to play frisbee golf. Their course is awesome.
6. Tour Antebellum homes in Vicksburg. I plan on going for the year for the first time.

2008-03-03T15:45:00.000-06:00

When did it turn sour?

About four weeks ago a couple of boys were rough housing in the bathroom. A coworker demanded that I write a referral, so I did. The four boys were suspended for three days. The four boys have me at the same time for history and computers. When they came back their attitudes were awful, before the referral they were my favorite class. Then one of the four received 5 days suspension the week he came back from the 3 day suspension. He was running around campus like a mad man, I had no choice but to write a referral. The entire attitude of the class worsens. Then two weeks ago the leader of the class, who is one of the original four, received a three day suspension because of a culmination of minor behavioral infractions(demerits), to be honest it was because of the demerits that I turned in on him daily because of his sagging pants. When he came back his sour attitude spread like wildfire and now the class periods that I have with him and his classmates are so sad, because a month ago I looked forward to them coming to my room.

2008-03-01T22:05:00.000-06:00

Opening line from channel 6's 10 o'clock broadcast on March 1, 2008.

"Four people are in critical positions after a gun man opens fires on a crowds of people."

Possible the funniest thing that I have ever heard.

2008-02-11T20:08:00.000-06:00

My children have posed many interesting questions to me over the past year and a half as an educator. I will list a few.

1. Is this stuff for real? (referring to the pyramids in Egypt)
2. Is that the Mississippi River? (pointing to a small pond, in the childs defense we were 2 miles away from the actual river)
3. Why didn't they build a bridge from England to the colonies? (referring to the thirteen colonies)
4. We made it to the moon?
5. We made it back from the moon?
6. People can know more than one language?
7. What does castration mean?
8. What are genitals? (a folllow up question to the answer I gave for #7)

When the opportunity arose for me to ask my kids an interesting question, I took it. One day a kid was teasing another kid by saying that he had "Ashy Ankles." I know what the term "Ashy" means so I played dumb and had the kid write me a paragraph what "Ashy Ankles" are as a consequence for teasing another student. His paragraph is below as he wrote it.

What are Ashy Ankles'

Ashy Ankles' are when your ankle is white from lack of lotion or grease. People get Ashy ankles when they get out of the tube and do not put on lotion or they just don't have lotion. If you know that your ankle is this way I suggest that you where long pants. Any person can get ashy ankle's if they don't use the wright procedure's at home. This is what Ashy Ankle's are.

2008-01-24T21:48:00.000-06:00

"They made it back from the moon"

In computer class we watched a segment from the television show WIRED science. The segment was about the reverse engineering of Apollo rockets that were used to take astronauts to the moon and back. When the video was done a kid asked, "We have been to the moon?" I answered "Yes." He replied "And they made it back?" Again I answered "Yes." Another student ask right away "How did they breath in space?" We then proceeded to spend the next thirty minutes talking about space, the atmosphere, the planets, early space travel, modern space travel, when of the kids interrupted me asking, "So how does the sun move around the earth?" One of the other kids responded "We move around the sun." I was glad there was some basic science knowledge in the room. Come to think of it, I believe I thought them that when we were studying the Aztec, Inca, and Maya and their knowledge of the Lunar calendar in history class.

2008-01-11T08:14:00.001-06:00

The Greatest Phone Call of All Time

My Principal called last night, Thursday, at 9:15. When I saw her name on the caller ID I thought this is odd, am I in trouble, am I fired, all of these thoughts raced threw my mind as a picked up the phone and placed it on my ear. My Principal informed me that our town was under a boil water notice and that school would be closed tommorrow. She said something else but I was not really paying attention, I was so happy that I think I let out a tear or two. A three day weekend. With MLK day the following week, two three day weekends in a row. As my kids say, "Yessssssss"

2007-12-19T18:09:00.000-06:00

Favorite Student

How can I choose, I love them all. Last year I came into the job with a false impression of what teaching in a small town is all about. I thought by being firm, fair, and honest the kids would respond positively to me and respect me. I was wrong, extremely wrong. The kids did not respond to me at all, they hated me. By the end of the year I was able to loosen up some and realized that the kids only respect you if you show them that you care about them. This year I took the time out of my schedule to coach the middle school football team, I was myself from day one instead of this impersonal jerk, and I took the time to show that I actually cared by asking the kids how are you doing.

Last night our school had our Christmas party at the Bourbon Mall and it worked out that I sat across from my principal. We had a blast, I think I scared the other people in the restaurant because my laugh echoed throughout the entire building. My Principal remarked that she was surprised by how much my students knew after observing my class. My Principal was especially impressed by a particular few who are considered extremely incorrigible. The class is made up of nine boys who are all considered incorrigible. Over the course of the year I feel like I have been able to treat them with respect and model for them the behavior of a man. They have responded to me in such a great way. When my Principal made her remark I said without thinking, "I love those guys" and its true.

2007-12-19T17:50:00.000-06:00

Why I a plan to stay in the Delta forever

Over the summer I meet a guy who was going to teach in the same school district as I do. We made small talk and eventually began to talk about hunting. He immediately told me that his uncle was apart of a camp in the Delta and would see if I could go hunting there. Over time we became friends. That is weird to say, I am now your friend, not just someone you are nice to because you have things in common. About three weeks ago my new friend called and said his uncle was ready for us to come down. The trip was awesome, I did not shoot a big deer, in fact I missed a little one. The generosity shown to me by my friend's uncle was amazing, a trait that is commonly found in many Mississippians. He gave us each a warm bed, hot meals, new one liners to use and amazingly funny stories.

The beauty of the Mississippi outdoors is unmatched.

I know many people who have never hunted believe it is a bunch of red necks in the woods killing Bambi, for me and the majority of hunters it is more than that. It is the chance to go out and see something beautiful. The low lying swamps and hardwood forest of the Delta are a sight to be seen.

2007-11-14T16:30:00.001-06:00

The Perfect Applicant

When a person graduates from college there is no way to tell if they are going to be a teacher for life, a Mississippian for life, in two years I am entering law school type, or a person who will quit whatever they do after their first year in the real world. With this said the perfect applicant would be one who loves children, has the ability to adapt quickly to new situations, thinks outside of the box, sees the glass half full, must have a positive demeanor, and most importantly know how to laugh. I believe that an applicant to MTC should come from a prestigious college that has a tradition of academic excellence, a diverse background, a history of service work, and experience in extracurricular activities such as sports, choir, boy scouts, girl scouts, etc…Furthermore the perfect applicant must be one who realizes that they will never save the south or all the children that they teach.

2007-11-01T21:08:00.000-05:00

A good cry never hurts anybody

About three weeks ago a student told me off so bad that it has now become legendary. All the teachers know about it, the administrators and about 70% of the school know about it. The student who told me off is female and for the sake of anonymity we are going to call her Shannon. It all started when flirting went horribly wrong. Somehow Shannon has mistaken innocent flirting for all out beatings and verbal tirades to the male students in the class. When this was going on I told her to be quiet. She ignored me and continued to flirt in the most backwards way that I have ever seen. This coming from a man that used to tie girls hair into knots to flirt when he was in middle school. I had to ask her three or four more times to be quiet until she paid me any attention. She finally started with a tirade directed towards me. She told me that she was going to tell her mom on me and that I need to watch out. She also told me she was going to leave the school, that I am the worst teacher of all time, she hates me and my class, and did I mention she was going to tell her mom on me. When I was finally allowed to get a word in I told her to go to the office. At this point her demeanor changed to nice and sweet and she said “I will sit down now and be quiet.” I told her “No Shannon, go to the office.” At this time she got her stuff mumbled under her breath how much she hated me and began to walk out of the class. As she was walking out I was informing her that I was going to write a referral, at least I attempted to tell her. Each time I began to speak she gave me the “hand” and said “beep.” I again attempted to speak and I received the “hand” and the “beep.” Shannon then stormed out of the room. The students look at me in disbelieve, I wanted to laugh so bad. First the most disturbing flirting of all time, then the most unbelievable tirade of all time, then I received the “hand” and a “beep.” Then a student busted out laughing and I gave out a little chuckle not wanting to reveal how I really felt. I wrote the referral and brought it up to the office and laughed so hard with the principal that it hurt. Fast forward to today. I corrected a girl on her typing form and she turned and said in a playful manner, “Mr. Z I would feel sorry for your kids.” Referring to my overall strictness. Shannon then butted in, “I bet they would run away.” That’s when I told her she has gone too far and that she needed to be quiet and get to work. I walked around the room checking on the students, when I made it to the other side of the room one of Shannon’s disturbing flirting partners whispered to me, “Mr. Z you should have told Shannon if she was your kid you would make her run away.” That is when Shannon yelled “Why are you talking about me?” We went back and forth and few times then she said, “You better be glad my daddy is dead because if he wasn’t he would tell you off just like he did Ms. Jacobs(the elementary school assistant principal).” At that, I told Shannon to go to the office. She got up from her seat mumbling under her breath how much she hated me. She grabbed her book bag and on the way out of class flipped over a desk having it land two inches from another student causing her to fall out of her seat onto the floor. The student on the floor looked like a deer caught in the headlights, it was so funny, but I dared not laugh. I did not want a desk thrown my way. The class was silent for they did not want a desk thrown their way either, they too wanted to laugh. Shannon then calmly picked up the desk, straightened up the row, and even went so far as to fix everyone’s stuff that she moved while flipping over the desk. The room was completely silent, the kind of silent that you find in a movie theater during a horror movie when something bad is about to happen. Shannon then walked out of class to the office. The students looked at me and I could not hold it in. We laughed so hard that it hurt. I even called a student in from the hallway to tell him the story. It was hilarious. I am not going to write a referral because she has given me a treasure of a story that I could not have made up.

2007-10-13T08:13:00.000-05:00

The Sweet Smell of Success or is that Cotton

This past Monday my middle school football team won its first football game of the season. We beat Riverside 22-18. We are now 1-4. We lost the first four games because of attitude. The boys finally realized in this win that if you want to win, you have to go and fight for it. I think this is a lesson that they can take outside of football. If you want something bad enough, you will sacrifice and do whatever it takes, legally of course, to accomplish your goal. The excitement in the boys face was priceless after the game. I received the Super Bowlesque cooler dumping. Luckily we cannot afford Gatorade, so I received a dumping of ice because they drank all of the water. One cube made it inside my shirt all the way down to my, well lets just say I was touching myself in inappropriate places in public to get it out. The boys then went and got the other cooler. I saw them approaching from the corner of my eye and noticed that cooler had ice and water, I quickly let them know that if they dumped that on Coach or I, that I was going to , just use your imagination on what I said to them. They put the cooler down. It was so great to see 28 kids excited and happy, what a great feeling.

Another great feeling is to ride by a cotton field with your windows down that is ready for the picking. Take a deep breath and bask in the sweet smell of cotton. The cotton lets of this sweet smell, reminiscent of Irish spring. How great it is to be in the Delta.

2007-10-13T07:54:00.000-05:00

If I was the MTC program director for a day

Having first hand knowledge of what the corp was like five years ago I know what I will change. I will change the fact that last year I only received one and a half in classroom observations. The observations were helpful but they were not from one of my professors. The observations provided good feedback but there was not an opportunity to sit and discuss things that could have been done a different way, or new ideas, etc... This problem can be fixed any number of ways.

1. Have the Ole Miss professors perform at least two on site observations per semester for the first years and one on site observation per semester for the second years.

2. Contact MTC alumni who are still in the area and pay them a minimal fee (to buy refreshments) to form a support group that is content specific for 1st and 2nd year teachers to discuss teaching strategies, methods, assessments, provide guidance, etc... I believe this would foster a sense of community among MTC.

3. More time should be spent with the methods professors during that first summer so we could develop an idea of how we should be teaching instead of following whatever the second years tell you to do.

4. Find an Ole Miss alumni to buy everyone a yearlong subscription to Ed Week and their respected National journal for their subject matter. This way first years can gain new ideas and stay abreast about issues in education.

5. The Delta is full of Ole Miss alumni. Most of the lawyers and accountants graduated from Ole Miss. Get into contact with these people and have them hold a social for MTC, especially during the dreaded month of October, the longest month ever.

6. Recruit people who are not jerks.

7. Recruit people who realize that they are not the savior of the south.

I realize I got of topic but their is a lot that I would change in one day.

2007-10-03T20:53:00.000-05:00

Magnum P.I. and the Three Stooges

This morning, before school, I heard some familiar voices on my hallway. I was expecting the voices to join me in my room so they could catch up on their typing lessons. Instead the voices walked by room and headed down the hallway to the Stooges Lair, otherwise known as the boys bathroom. This aroused a sense of suspension in me, me being Magnum P.I.. So I walked to my doorway and my suspicions were confirmed, the Three Stooges were up to no good. I walked down the hall as quiet as any professional P.I.. I stood in the doorway of the Stooges Lair and I heard the noise of no good, whispers and giggling. I walked in the bathroom and turned the corner slightly and saw the Three Stooges huddled in the middle of the floor, pointing at something, giggling and whispering. Ideas were soaring on what it could be, funny pictorial of a teacher, ugly elementary class day photo, or worst, a dirty magazine. I turned the corner, not making a noise, Curly saw me and backed away. Moe and Larry did not know I was there yet. I walked behind Moe and he felt my presence, turning around. I said, "What are you doing?" Then I saw it, the item that caused me to turn into Magnum P.I.. The boys found the school's yearbook from 1997 in the hallway, some boxes are being moved around, and decided to look through it to see how dumb people from the neighborhood looked when they were in middle school. I was so relieved it wasn't anything else. Then I was overcome with joy that my kids would sneak off to look at an old yearbook. I think I teach the best kids in the Delta.

2007-09-16T20:53:00.001-05:00

Verbally offensive to Verbally entertaining in the course of a year

For one reason or another I always seem to offend a vast majority of people that I meet on initial contact. Maybe it is because I am not the most politically correct and my humor is a bit off color. To top it off, I am at times extremely sarcastic and people take me extremely serious. It doesn't help that I am huge, loud and laugh like a snorting, roaring lion.

At the beginning of last year I thought things were going great, then one day during a meeting the feelings from the staff about me hit the fan and it was not pretty. I was viewed as a not nice man. I will not go into details but some things that I meant in humor was not seen as humor.

This year things have changed dramatically. I guess everyone knows I an alright guy, so when I say something meant in humor people actually laugh. The kids laugh now too, come to think of it. It is refreshing to finally be understood.

2007-09-16T20:42:00.001-05:00

"Chillin in the Big L"(The L stands for Leland)

Relaxation is my middle name. Here are a few activities that can help.

1. Smoke a pork shoulder all day
2. Shoot skeet off of a country bridge
3. Go Dove hunting
4. Go Hog hunting
5. Go Deer hunting
6. Go Squirrel hunting
7. Go Duck hunting
8. Go Turkey hunting
9. Go out to eat, not Mexican, find an authentic one of a kind place. Like the Holly Ridge store
that is located off of Hwy 82 between Leland and Indianola. Wednesday night is Steak Dinner
Night.
10. Spend time with the wife
11. Clean your guns
12. Wash you car
13. Mow the lawn
14. Place ant killer on fire ant mounds
15. Fold your clean clothes
16. Go to church
17. Go to Flavors in Leland on Sunday for lunch, $10
18. Play frisbee golf at Great River Road state park in Rosedale
19. Watch the NFL
20. Watch tennis
21. Watch golf
22. Scout for hunting spots in the woods
23. Practice your hunting calls
24. Do no school work
25. Go for a long slow walk around your neighborhood

2007-08-18T20:22:00.000-05:00

What is a T.V.?

Last year I would watch my shows nightly. My night revolved around what was on. I have not had the T.V. on once this past week. It is amazing how much more fulfilled I feel that I am producing good lessons. The kids are doing more of the work in the room and my lessons no longer revolve around the textbook. I am giving notes using PowerPoint, I highly recommend it, the kids are working in groups, and I am giving activities that matter. I am going to sleep later than I did last year and waking up earlier, yet I do not feel tired. I am exercising more and eating better, not to mention looking better too. To be a good teacher it takes a lot of hard work. I do not feel that I am anywhere near the status of a good teacher but I now know that I am no longer a “sorry” teacher.

2007-08-18T20:21:00.000-05:00

It is always better the second time around.

I am going to go out on a limb when I say this but I believe I will not have to write any discipline referrals this year. I am teaching 55 kids a day, 45 of whom I taught last year. I am not fighting the battle of the kids not knowing who I am, the kids acting as obnoxious as possible to see if I care about them; furthermore, the kids already know I have an open line of communications with all of their parents.

My relationship with the principal is great. My relationship with my coworkers is great. I am the football coach at a small rural school, which is awesome. I never knew I could have the potential to have such a great impact on so many young lives.

If a person decides to leave teaching I will never hold a grudge against them. I will feel sorry for them because they have no idea on what they are missing out on.

2007-08-04T17:11:00.000-05:00

2 observations

1. This coming Tuesday elections will be held across the state for county positions and the gubernatorial primary. Listed below are some quotes I have either heard on the radio or received on a flyer.

"I got my trophy wife the first time." Haley Barbour referring to John Arthur Eaves, the Democratic front runner for Governor, at a county fair. Eaves divorced his first wife and upgraded to a younger pretty wife.

"Vote (I will not name who) Justice Court Debuty Clerk" What is a Debuty?

"...old law for criminal, civil and traffice case for the state of Mississippi." What is traffice? Same flyer from the Debuty.

"I received good audit report." Obtained from an ad in the paper for a person running for tax collector.

"Do not use these till A.C. man looks at these doors." sign posted on three freezers at Wal Mart today. It has nothing to do with politics but I thought it belonged.

As the ad says, "I'm stickin with Haley." I refuse to vote for someone who cannot proofread a political ad. It is a bad sign when people are running for a county position and cannot proofread.

2. Reflecting on my experience last summer and this past summer I believe their is some room for improvement in MTC. Primarily is the lack of exposure to the area until you actually arrive in your classroom. Reggie Barnes gives a great talk but he is only one man. We need speakers who grew up here, both black and white. We need people to come in who grew up in generational poverty, who had huge silver spoons, who were middle class. I feel like MTC can do more to expose us to the community.

2007-06-22T13:54:00.000-05:00

Blog #2

When referring to the success of my students, I am going to refer to my World History course. At the beginning of the year, I did not know what I was doing. I have heard many veteran teachers say that the first year of teaching is the best on the job training that you can receive. They are so right. My most successful lessons came when we studied ancient Egypt and the Slave Trade. What made it so successful was the use of engaging sets and giving the students a way to effectively take notes. The times not spent on Egypt and the Slave Trade is just one big blur. For some reason I continued to do the same tired, non-effective activities over and over again, writing definitions, reading and answering questions, doing worksheets. I am almost ashamed at my performance to be honest. When I did not engage them or give them information in an easy to organize manner I lost the kids. It was not until I attended a technology training at the end of the year that I realized how I should teach. Develop your objectives around what the student should be able to do at the end of the period. Make a set that involves the learning and leads into the objectives. Describe or demonstrate what the skill is for the day, give notes using a graphic organizer, let the students practice independently, check for understanding, close the class. What a simple process! For some reason this did not soak in as I sat in Guyton. I received this nugget of knowledge too late into the year to apply it in my room. August cannot come soon enough.

I know what differentiated instruction is but I do not know what it is. I think you know what I mean.

Now that I know the material that I am teaching I am going to be more effective.

I now understand that for students to effectively obtain an idea you need to give them the information in a way that they could put it into order: a graphic organizer.

The most important instructional strategy that I have learned is that I need to learn how to laugh at some behavior instead of giving a warning.

2007-06-15T14:30:00.001-05:00

Parental Involvement

If you do not call every parent within the first three weeks you will have no parental involvement. You need to call and introduce yourself and let the parents know that you are excited about teaching their child. If your first contact with a parent is 6 weeks into the year and it is to tell them that their child is acting up, you will get no support. Plus many of the parents will tell you on the initial phone call what to do with the child if he/she does act up, you want to make a note of that and do not be afraid to call if the child acts up. If you are trying to put together something after school or you want to form a club, take a special field trip, you will most likely have to contact the parents. If you have already made contact it is a lot easier to interact with the parents to inform them what is going on or to ask the parent(s) to act as a chaperone or to donate something for the room.
Let me say this again, call every parent within the first three weeks or you will have no parental involvement.

2007-06-15T14:29:00.000-05:00

Has this experience change your life?

You can never really appreciate something until you actually experience. I have found that there are two main camps among educational professionals. There are the ones who come into work excited, or excited most of the time, love the kids, and want to see them exceed, even the ones who are, well lets just say energetic. Then there is the camp that believes the parents are to blame for everything and that the kids want to be ignorant. This past year depending on the circumstances, I fell into both camps. Next year I plan to restrict myself to the camp of excitement. I love my job, at times it is difficult due to misunderstandings with the students and other adults at school, but you have those kinds of misunderstandings at all jobs. I love to see the excitement in a student when they finally get it, the look of satisfaction a child has on there face because they know my room is a safe, routine environment. I love the fact that my students respect me because they know I am fair and honest not because I yell, threaten or degrade them. This experience has changed me because I can now appreciate kids who are referred to as a statistic on paper as what they really are, children, no different than anyone else America.

2007-06-14T08:58:00.000-05:00

Blog #1

The other day I was observed by Dr. G.M. It did not go as well as I would have liked but I had no grounds to complain because the good doctor was right. One of his recommendations was that I have to have objectives not procedures listed for my objectives. All of last year and last summer when people discussed objectives all I heard was bloom. Increase the bloom knowledge. Make sure you use a bloom verb. The doc said, “What is it that the student should be able to do at the end of the period? That is your objective.” That simple statement has changed my outlook on effectively teaching. The lessons I have planned this summer are aimed at accomplishing the big goal, building on one another as the period’s progress. We have only one kid. The first day was spent figuring out how he learned best. Yesterday I developed objectives that I felt could meet him where he is. I created objectives that asked for him to identify, explain, and compare and contrast. The objectives built on each other over the course of the day. The student was really into it and was at times craving for more. By spending Tuesday feeling him out, understanding where he is and how well he could think. It allowed for me to really engage him yesterday with some good lessons that met him where he was at. My instructional strategy for the past two days, eight lessons, was to give direct instruction leading the student through the material, directing him were to find the material, and then I used the concept attainment inductive strategy model. It worked wonderfully. The student was able to create Venn Diagrams and place the information on a timeline based on its classification. The student was then able to explain to me the concept that I was trying to teach, in other words, the big picture.

2007-06-03T18:05:00.000-05:00

Globe (Delta) Trekker

Last week my wife and I decided to take a day trip. We were throwing around ideas and finally decided upon Vicksburg. A place we both have driven through on I20 but never actually visited. Our day started at Connie’s Kitchen in Leland for a Cinnamon pecan roll, a Raspberry cream cheese roll and coffee. Breakfast was great, as it always is from Connie's. We made it to Vicksburg in an hour and half traveling down highway 61. We took old 61 into Vicksburg instead of I20 and it led us directly into downtown. It was great; it looked just like parts of downtown Memphis that have been revitalized. We walked around for a while in awe of the historic buildings and the cleanliness of the streets. We took a tour of the old courthouse and it was terrific, it is a self guided tour filled with the history of Vicksburg but mainly the civil war. The old judge’s chamber is dedicated to "President" Jefferson Davis. The courtroom is on the second floor and the windows overlook an amazing view of the Mississippi River. I can imagine the judge day dreaming while gazing out the window at the Mississippi River during some long winded court proceedings. After that we went two or three blocks to Walnut Hills restaurant. It was recommended to us by some friends, it was fabulous. We had the meat and three with dessert. Our total bill including tip was $20. The best part of the meal was not eating in a house that is over one hundred years old, nor was it the amazing service, or the one of a kind charm found in the atmosphere, no, it was the bourbon chocolate pudding. Yes that is correct, bourbon chocolate pudding. Next we traveled to the National Military Park. I did not know much about the park but I heard it was worth seeing because of all of the civil war stuff. The park is run by the national parks service and it is $8 per car to get in. The park has a small museum at the entrance with a theater that shows a short movie on the Battle of Vicksburg during the civil war. The park is shaped like an L covering sixteen miles. You drive following the battle lines of the Yankees and the Rebels. I am not a huge civil war buff but as a history teacher this put the idea of war into a fresh new reality. You were able to see the actual trenches and battle lines. In most cases they were as close as 15 yards. It was a terrific park. Plenty of places to get out of the car and walk around and get a real sense of how the war was fought. We spent almost four hours at the park. Before leaving Vicksburg we went back downtown to the Highway 61 coffee shop for an ice cold coffee concoction. Unknowingly the coffee shop had an art gallery on its 2nd and 3rd floors. It was such a nice treat. If I had some money to spend it would be all gone after stopping in there. They had some great Delta folk art paintings and scenes from farms and swamps. We then came home, rented a movie and ordered a buffalo chicken pizza from the gas station. What a wonderful day for $70.

2007-05-28T16:19:00.000-05:00

Future Summer Career

Before moving to the great state of Mississippi I lived in Memphis. I had a wise roommate who mentored me in the fine art of smoking meat. I took his tutalage and turned it into an art. I promise that I can turn a 5-7 pound pork shoulder into the best meat that you have ever eaten. It is so good that vegatarians will take seconds. I have a plan that I hope to put into action in a few summers (after I have thrown the idea around enough that my wife lets me go through with it). The plan revolves around a small piece of land on the side of Highway 82 in Leland and a workshop, the kind you can buy in a kit at Home Depot or Lowes for around a $1,000. I will smoke my meat at home, arrive at my stand around 11 a.m. and leave when all the meat is sold. I will definately not become rich from this scheme, I will most likely break even or lose a few dollars, but either way it will be a fun summer.

2007-05-28T16:07:00.000-05:00

One Down, Thirty Four to go

The students last day was this past Thursday. I am not elated that the year is over and yet I am not sad either. I do not know how I feel about it to be honest. Most people who have I have had a passing conversation with since Thursday ask if I am so happy that it is over. Am I supposed to be glad? Is teaching all that terrible? I do not think so. More than anything I leave this year feeling disappointed in myself. Due to some unforeseen events with my administrative staff, sickness and death in the family, and an overwhelming feeling of defeat at one point in the year, I ended up sucking by the end of the year. Two weeks ago I went to the home of the Bulldogs (Mississippi State) for a computer teacher workshop (I am a licensed computer teacher) and it was awesome. Those 16 hours finally put all the pieces together for me and I know see the big picture on how to teach in my subject areas. I really have not done much since school let out except for playing mindless video games and watch movies. This has given me a lot of time to think. I already feel excited about the beginning of next year and can not wait to do a better job.

2007-04-24T22:09:00.001-05:00

"Mr. Z, What is Poverty?"

This is a question that I have been asked a handful of times over the past two weeks. Last week I went to a staff development meeting at the high school. As I walked down the hall I was admiring the class pictures. One class picture grabbed my attention. It was from the mid 1960s and along the bottom it has a quote, “Ignorance is Conducive to Slavery, Education Emancipates the Mind.” I was blown away, what a powerful statement. I used the statement the next day in class as my warm up. I asked the students what it meant and where they think I found the quote. The overwhelming majority thought that it meant not to act foolish and that I found it on the internet. I explained to them how not knowing in life can make you a slave to things such as bad choices, drugs, alcohol, a lifestyle that will lead you to prison, and poverty. I then explained how by becoming educated you are not able to become enslaved by the ills of this world. You have a choice. My explanation of the quote was more long winded than what I have above but I believe you get the point. In each class a student raised their hand and asked, “What is poverty?” I did not know how to answer so I said, “When you do not have a lot of money.” How do you explain to a 7th or 8th grader what is poverty? Does your household income decide it, your parents education, number of people you know who are in the “system”. As a child I grew up in very humble beginnings. It was not uncommon to see drug deals on a regular basis in my neighborhood. I did not know I did not have until I left my environment for an extended period of time. It seems like every person who graduates from college knows how to fix poverty in America, if you asked a republican they would say, “Go find a job”, if you ask a democrat, “More government services.” I do not know if I have a point, but I want to know “what is poverty?”

2007-04-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

Career Day

Today we had Rev. Johnson from Belzoni come and give the best inspirational speech that I have ever heard. I was so inspired I knew I could be someone one day. He may have known only a handful of kids by name but you could tell he loved every child at the school. The students then went to their assigned areas and heard from at least ten different speakers. Professionals ranging from an owner of a Subway franchise to a Drug Court Counselor. None of the speakers were told what to speak about, but from the seven speakers I heard they all came back with the reoccurring theme, "Respect authority, Trust in God and Abstain from sex." What a powerful message. It is hard to tell how much the kids retained or took away from the day, they are kids.

A small handful of kids "showed out" in front of the presenters. It was a sad sight. A colleague informed me that we have 29 days left with the kids. That means we have been at school for 156 days. I felt clueless as how a small handful of kids still do not know how to control themselves or follow directions when we have been at school for 156 days. All the teachers teach, no teachers classroom is out of control, and the students know exactly what is expected and what to do.

I have no way of coming close to understanding what it is like to fail a grade multiple times, come from a less than perfect home, and be labeled as trouble.

I witnessed a kid doing something completely rude and disrespectful to another student today; I called him over and was going to say something along the lines of, "What you just did was hurtful to that person, etc, etc..." Instead, all I could say was "I have nothing to say to you, go sit down and be quiet." What was the point? We have been at school for 156 days and you still can't act right. Maybe after a few years of experience I will be able to find the words for that situation.

2007-03-24T15:29:00.000-05:00

Film as an educational tool

Recently I have been using www.unitedstreaming.com as a resource to show my kids videos of the places in which we are studying. It has had mixed reviews and results. My main purpose for showing the kids the videos is to expose them to the peoples, cultures and places in which we are studying. The main drawback to the film is that they are only partially captivating. The quality of picture is not the best and the videos are along the lines of travel videos. It would be really cool if I had access to the History channel videos or Discovery channel videos and even the programs shown on PBS, that is some good stuff. As a kid I naturally gravitated to that kind of stuff, I guess that is why I like teaching social studies. I have good resources but a wider array of good educational videos would be great.

A video that is definitely not appropriate for school is the movie 300. I saw it last night with fellow MTC mate, Mr. Ebert. It depicts Sparta going to war against the Persians. I will not be able to show clips in class, but if a kid ask me about the film, I will explain that it is rated R and they need to see it with an adult or someone who is over the age of seventeen. Then I will tell the student that the film is a must see.

2007-03-24T15:26:00.000-05:00

Ten things to know about MTC

1. Teaching is the greatest job that you will ever have. You get to work with kids on a daily basis
and teach them something they do not know.

2. Eventually your principal and superintendent will become fans of your blog.

3. Kids are so funny that it is indescribable.

4. When the kids finally trust you and let their guard down, going to work is so much more
enjoyable.

5. Your worst student is most likely everyone else worst student. Do not feel bad, you are not a
bad teacher.

6. Try to stay positive. Kids can almost immediately pick up on when you do not want to be
there or harbor ill feelings about the school.

7. You are not from the Delta, you know nothing about what people went through here. You can
read all you want about it, keep your opinion to yourself. People are still extremely sensitive
and rightfully so about the past of this area.

8. Do not be cynical about the experience over the summer or the courses you take.

9. Complete all work for Ole Miss, it is not that hard to begin with, time consuming yes, but
definitely not that hard.

10. If you teach in the Delta, you will live in the Delta. The Delta is one big small town, do not do
or say anything that is inappropriate. You will most likely see the same people over and over
again.

2007-03-24T15:05:00.000-05:00

"Chasing rabbits will make you fast"

A speed training tip from Howard Sanders as he was giving remarks about the guest speaker we had for the day, Ulis Williams. Ulis was born outside of Hollandale and lived there until he was fifteen, moving to the Los Angeles area to be with his father. He went on to set records in high school for the 400m and later set the world record for the 400m. He was apart of the 4x4oo relay team that won the gold medal in the 1964 Olympics. Ulis was not your typical speaker, after his track career he became an educator and for almost ten years was the president of Compton Community College. His trip to Hollandale would have never happened if it weren't for a chance encounter in D.C. with a Hollandale native at a peace rally. He was asked at the rally if he believed in free speech, he said yes and the girl told him he would not mind speaking in Hollandale for free then. Ulis does not have that room grabbing charisma or catchy one liner's. What he did have was as humble of a heart as any man and a genuine appreciation for the welcome that he received from the community. He was almost moved to tears. Ulis told of being born by lantern in his home, his family was sharecroppers. He told of the three places in which he lived, none were described by a street name or part of town, rather he described were he lived by the name of the people who the plantation his family lived on. Ulis never thought of himself as anything special in track because growing up in Hollandale there were always boys faster than him, it was not until he reached California that he became fast. Ulis said something that not many speakers will tell children; he said "Success is when preparation meets opportunity." Usually a speaker will come in and say you can be anything you want if you work hard. Ulis put it into perspective, you can work hard all you want but without the right opportunity you still cant succeed. It is hard to put into words what he got across without giving a transcript of his entire speech. Needless to say, it was great.

I just wish more people like him who left and became successful would come back and help revitalize the town.

2007-02-28T16:21:00.000-06:00

Black History Program

Today was our annual Black History Program, it was amazing. The students performed on stage and in the choir. Some of the teachers did a dramatization of picking cotton and spoke of knowing the past to do well in the future. It was amazing to see some students who say nothing in class and act completely disinterested to get up and dance and sing with a smile on their face. I wish we had more resources. The students would benefit from a music class or a dance class or an art class, something that allows for self expression in a positive manner. I understand that I teach in a low tax base but it is extremely unfair to the children to deprive them of opportunities just because they live in a low tax base. I believe the arts should be for everyone, not just those in a high tax base.

2007-02-25T19:02:00.000-06:00

"Pop, Lock, and Drop it, Education Blockers Get Out of the Way"

This past week I had to travel to South Florida to attend the funeral of my Grandfather. I was in South Florida the entire week visiting with family. I never cried and laughed so much my entire life. I found out so many things that I never knew about my Grandfather and extended family. My Grandfather was uneducated(did not graduate high school), served two terms in the Navy, not because he loved it but because he had no where else to go, and that he retired after thirty years of service to the City of Fort Lauderdale as one of the most respected Supervisors ever. He was a man that believed in hard work and taking care of his family. How does my Grandfather relate to education? Let me tell you, not everyone in life will attend Harvard, not everyone in life will be a doctor, cop, CSI detective, whatever. What all people will do one day is hold a job and hopefully raise a family. The public education system in America is designed to produce citizens who will effectively participate in our Democratic Government and protect our rights as American citizens. As educators we are to do our best to produce the best citizens possible. For teachers in poverty stricken areas or of high violence this task is extremely difficult. Without the support of the parents our job of producing effective citizens is almost impossible. My Grandfather and Grandmother went out of their way to make my mom and uncle feel special and loved as children. My Grandparents sacrificed much so they never went without. My parents did the same for my brother and I. Growing up we did not have much but we had love. It sounds cheesy but it is true. I felt loved and special from an early age. I felt bad when I lied or did bad on a test because I knew I would let down my parents. I did the right thing because my parents cared for me and loved me and I knew it. I was not a straight A student, in all honesty I barely graduated from high school and college. I was not born to be a rocket scientist or a doctor, I was born as who I am, me. My parents accepted that and loved me for who I am. My point is that without a child knowing that he or she is loved how can they succeed in school and life. If a child is never made to feel special by a parent, grandparent or guardian, why would they care about others? A fellow teacher at my school makes the kids feel so good about themselves when they are around her that they want to work hard for her. I do not have that gift just yet. But is that enough for a teacher to make a child feel special. Some children face unimaginable circumstances at home and still make it to school and do well. Some kids come from great homes and act like terds. There is no simple answer to the education problem in America. One thing is for sure, children need to know that they are loved for who they are. Children need to be accepted by their parents and be made to feel special. Without those two things I believe it will be that much harder for them to succeed in school and in life.

2007-02-13T21:15:00.000-06:00

Post Super Bowl Fever

Its official, the favorite son of Drew, Ms won it all plus a shiny new red Cadillac. Its amazing to think that the MVP of the Super Bowl, the most profitable and expensive sporting event in the world only receives a Cadillac for being the MVP. Lets put this into perspective. A television advertisement cost approx. 2.3 to 2.5 million dollars for thirty seconds. A ticket cost a couple of thousand dollars, hotel, car rentals, and private parties, add up to thousands of dollars. I think it is wonderful that people in our country can work hard, save and spend their money as they please, what I do have a problem with is a player who has a contract worth more than $100 million dollars, including endorsements, only receives a Cadillac. I believe the NFL needs to rethink this, Super Bowl I, give a Cadillac, Super Bowl II, give a Cadillac, men in those days could only dream of a Caddy. Now any moron with good credit can get a Caddy. The NFL should have given Payton a small island in the Caribbean or in the South Pacific or even better they should have given him a trip to fly into space. Even better they should have given him the opportunity to be President of the United States for a day.

I am going to regret the day when the only reason players play in the NFL is for the glory of the Super Bowl hype and pregame and post game festivities and not the actually game. Would the players play as hard if the game was held at a local high school stadium with only a handful of fans? Would they lay it all on the line? I hope the answer is yes. I am afraid that one day the answer will be no.

2007-01-28T13:20:00.000-06:00

Super Bowl Mania

As the favorite son of the Mississippi Delta prepares to battle the boy from the Swamp it is interesting to think how America has changed since the first Super Bowl. More specifically the importance of consumerism in America. According to Dave Ramsey it was normal in the 1950s and 60s for American families to live in a home that was less than 900 square feet and to drive one car. Wives did not work and if they did it was part time. The Super Bowl began almost the same way. Tickets were a bit more than regular season tickets and it did not garner much national attention. Today the Super Bowl represents everything in America that is consumerism. Supermarkets will have special displays for chips, beer, and charcoal grills. Television advertisers will pay millions of dollars for thirty second ads. The halftime show will feature the extravagant and always entertaining Prince. The million dollar heroes will battle for sixty minutes on the million dollar turf grown specifically for this game. The thousands of fans at Dolphin Stadium paid their thousands for a single ticket or even a hotel. Thousands more will flock to South Beach and the hot spots of Miami to participate in the fever of a South Florida party. It will be a weekend of money spent and if we are lucky a good game. When I tell people I do not have cable they are shocked, this past weekend I had cable and I was glued to the TV. Constantly changing the channel to see what was on the next station. The more and more I watched the more and more I saw and the more I wanted. There is something to be said about living the simple live. Desiring to have that small house with one car. At some point, acceptable American culture changed from one that was lived within ones means to know where the average American household credit card debt is $13,000. The Super Bowl is not a celebration of the best from the NFC and the AFC, rather, it is a yearly celebration of all that is consumed.

As I have heard on the radio and TV, the only real way to watch the game is on a plasma.

2007-01-24T10:00:00.000-06:00

State of the union address

Last night was the first night that I was able to make it through an entire "State of the Union Address." Maybe it is because I am becoming more mature in my position as an adult American or because I essentially work for the government. In the speech last night President Bush said that English and Math scores have gone up significantly and the achievement gap between minorities and whites has gone down significantly. He said much more work is to be done in the areas of Science to prepare our students for the ever changing workforce. He wants congress to pass an extension to NCLB. I think this is great, NCLB needs a few changes but overall it is a good plan to provide accountability to schools and hold a standard that is the same for everyone. What I disapprove of is that there was no mention of Social Studies or History. Where does a person learn what the State of the Union is? Where does a person learn why it is important that we keep a close eye on Iran? Where does a person learn that it is honorable to help others and lead a life of service? There are many more where ifs that can be asked. The answer always points to Social Studies and History. By not testing in the areas of Social Studies and History NCLB has told low performing districts not to worry about that subject to focus primarily on reading, writing, science and math. In most cases I would argue that many students do not leave elementary school knowing the difference between a town, city, state, and country. That they cannot place the state in which they live in, on a map or they cannot even name the states that surround their state. Middle school is the time to learn of people from around the world, to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to live on a diverse planet. High school should take the knowledge of geography and basic civics from elementary school combine it with the knowledge of civilizations from around the world and the beginnings of America learned in middle school to give a student the opportunity to discover how politics, religion, economics, and diversity affect the decisions that world leaders make and that they make on a day to day basis. If I could afford the lobbyist to get this included in NCLB and create a curriculum that would satisfy all of what I said I would be a rich man and way smarter than I am. Instead I hope and pray that one day the people in D.C. will decide that what they learned in their social studies classes as children is what taught them how our government works.