All sorts of news

Goodness grief, there's a bit going on in Memphis and thereabouts. In the words of Indigo Montoya from the Princess Bride, "There is too much, so let me sum up."

The major thing on my mind- TWO WEEKS LEFT OF SCHOOL!!! It has been a tumultuous year, to say the least and I greatly look forward to starting fresh with new kiddos, new classroom culture and only teaching science! (This year was science and social studies for 6th grade, next year with be 5th and 6th science only). For a moment my energetic and slightly impulsive principal decided to terminate my contract for next year and just before I went to a promising interview for a high school ESL position he just as suddenly decided that my contract would indeed be renewed. Ah life.

Our 8th graders have been making news with the rap they wrote called "Teenage Life" and the resulting video they filmed from the song. I'd highly recommend watching the video- it's great to see kids that struggle in school and life doing something so positive! Our performance arts teacher, Ms. Parker, plays "mom" in the video and has done a phenomenal job with the project (and has saved my neck a time or seven- she's an angel !). Click here to see the article and video- Memphis Commerical Appeal article and video

The first week of May found the 4 6th grade teachers, one mom, our PE teacher and 28 of our best behaved and most accomplished 6th graders packing up on a charter bus to head across some of the southern states on our end of year trip. Students work all year to earn a completely free week-long field trip at the end of the year- 5th grade heads to Washington DC, 7th to New York, 8th to Atlanta and we hit Savannah, GA; Charleston, SC and Greensboro, NC on a civil-rights based trip.

Our trip was awesome- if your're ever looking for a history-based, interactive tour company I'd highly recommend Pennyman Tours (http://www.pennymantours.com). Our tourguides basically conducted social studies classes on the bus and at each site, so the kids continued to impress everyone we met with their knowledge of the sites we visited. We also visited 4 colleges, 3 of which were Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) where our kiddos got a better picture of what college life and applicaiton is all about.

Brief highlights- in Savannah we stopped on the river before taking a riverboat cruise where there is a monument to those who died in the slave trade. Our guide Bethany gave an amazing talk about the conditions that existed for slaves and how our students should take that as something not to be ashamed or angry about, but to realize that for them to be here today, their ancestors were strong enough to fight and outlast the horrible conditions of slavery. It was incredibly moving, and several passersby stopped to listen. After the talk, Bethany pulled me aside, amused that someone had commented to her what a great talk she had given but how they felt sorry for the one little white girl with the group! I was wearing our school polo that day and I guess I blended in with the kids- Bethany told me I should cherish being thought of as 14. Ah well.=) --Photo: Bethany speaking with KIPPsters at the Savannah Slave Trade Monument.

In Charleston we had an opera-singing, gullah-speaking tour guide who kept us all amused and educated. (Gullah is a combination of English and African dialect brogue that I can only compare to Gaelic that I heard in Scotland- it almost seems to make sense.=) The kids visited an old slave market where families were split up and sold, the site where the Stono Slave Uprising happened, and the Avery Research Center for African American history that was one of the first schools for black students in the city. Much of the city is ornamented with fences, lighting fixtures, benches and other iron workings of Phillip Simmons, a 93 year old man who has seen much of the civil rights history of the city and has become not a little famous for his occupational contributions (I bought a book about his life and artwork in Greensboro!). We visited Mr. Simmons' home and shop, and he spoke with the kids at length- I even chatted with him for a moment and got a picture.=) We also went to the aquarium (amazing!) where many of our kiddos loved the "touch tank" where they were able to hold sea urchins and other creatures and get a better picture of the ocean's inhabitants. --Photos: Phillip Simmons talking with KIPPsters and moi!



The last stop of the trip was in Greensboro where Amelia Parker (executive director of the National Civil Rights Museum project and previous leader of the National Black Congressional Caucus) gave our kids an exclusive tour through the construction and rubble to see the original lunch counter of the Woolworth's that 4 college freshman from North Carolina A & T began the sit-in movement at in 1960. The kids saw a video of the museum plans and were able to go up to the seats where the students began this nationwide movement to integrate discriminitory businesses. It was amazing to see how they truly understood what a historic spot they were standing in- all the video clips we'd shown and the discussions we'd had came alive as they saw the actual spot. --Photo: Ms. Parker and KIPPsters in front of the lunch counter of Woolworth's.

Beyond the amazing trip that KIPP financed, there's been more good news for all of my kiddos. Not only are our kids measured on the Tennessee state test (which requires less than 50% correct answers to pass), but KIPP students additionally take the Stanford 10 national exam, on which our school has scored 10-20% compared to the TN tests' 50-70%. This year the 6th graders I taught moved from 10-20% to scores in the 30s in Social Studies (not bad), although I was expecting much less due to issues with classroom management. What blew me away however, was that my kids scored in the 40th percentile range on Science, meaning we made 100% improvement in this one year!!! With such a huge national emphasis on testing, its such a joy to have seen the difference I've made in my kids even as I've tried time and again to make things work when they fall apart and I can't wait to see what kind of gains we'll affect next year!!

I'm verging on Crime and Punshiment length of entry, so suffice it to say I'm thrilled to have the end of the year in sight. This summer I'm unspeakably excited to travel to Spain with a friend for a short while and be able to catch up with family there before coming back for in-services, training, KIPP summer conference and summer school. Then the awesome Alaskan cruise and back to it! One more year of Teach For America, then I'll see what the future holds in store next! Much love and hope you are all well!

-Shannon