Bodega Dreams for Brooklyn Students

Ahhhh....teaching in the NYC DOE is always an adventure.

As much as you might plan curriculum, give your administrators the lists of the books you need months in advance, etc., there is always an excuse as to why those books can't be ordered: budget cuts, waiting for another teacher/subject to get their lists in b/c they're a higher priority than you, oh--yes, we said we had $8K and wanted to buy books, but then the history teachers needed textbooks and they're $90 a pop,` sorry....

So, I am left to my own devices.

Besides my students begging me to buy the Twilight series as well as The Coldest Winter Ever for my classroom library (my husband refuses to let me spend our budgeted money on my classroom), I am in need of a class set of Bodega Dreams for my 11th grade curriculum.

I have posted a grant proposal on Donors Choose in an attempt to get these books myself. If you can even buy ONE book, that'd be super helpful. Or, if you need a tax deduction , shoot, buy me all 30 of 'em!

And, if you're a fan of The Great Gatsby and like an urban setting, you should read Bodega Dreams. It's a fantastic book to teach.

You'll get a handwritten thank you from one of my lovely kids. Promise.

Gracias!

(Self portrait of me and my 8th grade ESL kids on my first field trip ever as a teacher, spring 2001. I took them to Central Park and we had a picnic. They had never been, and their highlights of the day were making fun of the joggers, picking up men twice their age, and riding the carousel...Good times.)

Wassup

i am so obsessed with this election.
this made me happy today. minus the white power asshole on youtube who commented on it calling for obama's assination. W!T!F?!

Race and the Race

Listening to NPR last night (no surprise there), I was saddened by some comments made by Virginians regarding Obama--as a Black man--running for president. The moderator was asking a small focus group of individuals what they thought might happen if Obama were to be elected. One woman, a teacher, talked about the profound affect it would have on youth of all races to see a Black man as president and how that visual representation might spark hope, or ideological shifts regarding race, from a young age onwards. Then the moderator asked her sister what she thought.

This woman stated that although she "was not racist," she felt if Obama were to be elected that Black people all over America would seek revenge for past wrongs. She gave the example of how Black people used to have to get out of the way of a White person if they were walking down the street and expressed fears on how--if Obama were elected--the situation would be reversed. How "those people" would want pay back. How Obama would listen to "his people" only. It went on...

When I hear statements like this, I am not surprised. I'm from the South (VA & NC), and believe me, I know how certain groups of people think down there, but it makes me sad nonetheless. For your typical White girl, I feel I know a large amount of Black people of all ethnicities--African American, Caribbean, African--it comes with working in a public school in New York. And let me honestly say that not ONE person of any age or political persuasion, even the most radical and disgruntled and "White people suck!" student or co-worker that I know, has EVER mentioned that Obama = payback time. That is simply ludicrous.

The vilification of Black people of all backgrounds in this country is surprisingly alive and well. Though not a religious person, I fervently pray that Obama will get into office so that perhaps some folks might see that regardless of our skin color and our political parties there is quite simply more to us as people that we can unite beneath.

Clip from "Bowling for Columbine" that parodies the White man's fear of Black people in a historical context.

Updos for Obama

I have never before donated money to a political campaign nor have I ever attended a political fundraiser, so Saturday night's festivities were a first for me. My fabulous hairdresser suggested the Updos idea back in September, after the RNC, when Sarah Palin seemed to be lighting the GOP on fuego and we were all terrified. Thankfully (and hopefully), it seems like things have taken a turn for the better, but we gathered regardless in our attempt to be ever vigilant.

The premise was to come and pay $75, get your hair done in one of three Palin-inspired updos (the maverick, the reformer, or the huntress), drink wine, eat cookies made from scratch, hear some good music and writing---all the money goes to the Obama campaign. The best Sarah Palin won a basket of goodies (hair products, gift certificates from local venues, and a free haircut!), and I WON!

Now, let me be the first to admit that I was not the best Palin look alike. Yvonne, my runner up, had her cheekbones and jaw line and physically looked more like Palin. So much that some teens who obviously didn't understand irony came in, handed her a plastic moose,and thought she was the REAL Sarah Palin. But ladies and gents, this is story about props.

My costume = business attire, Republican pearls, a baby bjorn with Trig (baby doll) in it, a recorder (flute unavailable), my Bible (with passages conveniently marked about women being silent and the apocalypse from my undergrad papers), God stickers for my fans, binoculars and a map of Russia. It was a lot of work carrying all this crap around--especially while drinking vino. But in the end, it came down to a rough and tough game of paper:scissors:rock which sealed my victory.

Overall, what a hilarious night. Almost $2000 raised for the campaign. Woot!

The Crucible Essay Concluding Paragraph

This just gave me a giggle:

In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the story of the Salem Witch Trials was told. The author uses setting and tone, theme, and conflict to tell this complicated tale. Abigail was a real hoe, and she caused many people to die, including the one she loved dearly.

Fear of a Barack Planet

Since school reopened, my students and I have had many conversations about Obama. These conversations range greatly, but one thing the majority of my students agree upon is that if Obama were to become our next president, that he will be assassinated.

At the beginning of the school year when they spat out this idea, I poo-poo-ed it. What, are you crazy? Nobody is going to assassinate Obama! I wrote it off as a fear that was partially substantiated from being part of one or many disinfranchised groups in America (all my students are Black, Hispanic, or Arab and 80% of our student body lives below the poverty level). Their skepticism and fear seemed fueled by their complete distrust in government, period, and I didn't take their statements seriously. (Nor, did I take their "We're going to die by 2012" kick seriously, either.)

But now, six weeks later, with Palin urging folks to believe that Obama is a terrorist and McCain rallies chanting, "Kill him! Kill him!" I am beginning to feel my students' fear. What is happening? WHEN has this EVER happened before in an election--when has one party's people rallied the crowd to chant for the MURDER of the opposing party's candidate? Why aren't more people outraged by this? As much as McCain seems to be trying to set the record straight by claiming Obama is a "decent man" and "not an Arab," isn't the damage already done? There are groups of individuals out there who actually believe a presidential candidate is DANGEROUS and a TERRORIST, and while some of these people may have believed this before the Mrs. McCain and Sarah Palin smear campaign went into motion, I feel a great number of these haters (or their intensity of hate) are recent recruits.

How can everyone not see that this is totally absurd?!?!

And, again, I can't help but pull the race card again here. If Barack Obama were some White dude, would he be receiving this fear and hatred? Would people be so quick to believe that a Senator could be a terrorist? That a presidential candidate could be dangerous? Or does this just go back to White America's fear of Black men?

Where are people's critical thinking skills?!

Dreaming of the Dead

Last night I had my first dream about Eric in our new--their old--apartment. For those of you who don't know the entire story, about a month ago we moved into the garden apartment of our brownstone which was inhabited by our dear friend Kat, who moved out to Long Island to be across the street from her sister. Kat and Eric used to live downstairs from us; they were our close friends and closer neighbors. At the end of May, 2007, Eric died unexpectedly of a heart attack. Kat had a baby 9 months later. It's a story that makes me shiver each time I retell it, and I'm still in shock that it even happened.

I have sensed Eric's presence in this apartment, but Kat assures me that he came to Long Island with them. I know he did, but I think he still comes back to visit. Regardless, last night I dreamed that I found him in a secret room in the basement of our apartment. It surprisingly wasn't creepy or scary at all. I dreamed that I found this room, and it was full of all of Eric's toys from his childhood that Kat had forgotten to move. I was looking at the toys, and when I turned around and Eric was standing there. Afraid that he'd disappear before I could do anything, I ran over and hugged him with as much force and love and emotion as possible. Then he disappeared.

I repeatedly have a similar dream about a childhood friend, Heidi, who died in a car accident my junior year in high school. This dream, in various forms, comes about 2-3 times per year and always leaves me unsettled. In the dream Heidi shows up somewhere, and I ask, "Wait, I thought you were dead...where have you been?!" And it turns out she didn't die, but we just hadn't seen her since 11th grade. I always hug her continuously, cry, and try to catch her up on our lives since November 1990, but when I awake a sadness always lingers.

I guess that's just what some of us want when we lose someone so quickly--one last connection to make sure they know how much we loved them during their lives.

a safe-haven of friends

For those who know me, you know that i come from a familial stronghold of religous ferver. When growing up, I had to answer the phone, "Praise the Lord, Lori speaking." I went to many Aglow meetings with my mom in which the entire room of women would break into speaking in tongues. I had to read the Bible before school and at dinner each night, attend a multitude of Bible schools and classes, and all this was on top of every Catholic girl's upbringing of CCD and Religious Education.

I think I clocked enough religion in my first 18 years to last a lifetime. No exaggeration.

With this in mind, my wildly liberal ideologies do not sit well with my family. My mom calls me about once a year, honestly crying b/c she has had some dream that I am burning in hell. Many a phone conversation disintegrates into her asking about my salvation. On my latest visits home, she gave me the garage door code so that after they are raptured, I can get down to NC and salvage their valuables to barter with Satan during the seven years of trial and tribulation. Again, I am not exaggerating.

During such political times, it is difficult to talk to my mom. I love her, I really do, but politics is the white elephant looming in our conversations now. I can't even ask her about Palin, the election, etc, b/c we differ so greatly that I get angry and she gets frustrated. We have an unspoken agreement that we just don't talk about these things. But, being the child and her being the mom, I always start to feel bad about this, even though there really is no compromise available here.

Which is why I love my friends. I know surrounding yourself by like-minded people doesn't challenge you in some ways, but it is incredibly reassuring in others. And, I take great solace in knowing that if by some wild stretch of the imagination my mom is right, that I'll be facing the apocalypse and/or going to hell with my favorite people.

Some political fun from some great folks.

GREAT POLITICAL BLOG by an old coworker...

funny video post snagged from my super-smart hairdresser:

I like violence, sex, and drugs...

Every Monday, in my 90-minute 11th grade English classes, we have independent reading. I have been pleasantly surprised at how much the students actually enjoy this time to read to themselves in a quiet (somewhat) environment. The only rule is that you have to read a book (no daily newspapers or magazines allowed), but any type of book is okay: manga, graphic novels, urban fiction, Moby Dick...it's all valid for independent reading.

After six weeks of independent reading, I had the students write a summary of what they have read as well as a note to me about what they'd like to see in my measly classroom library which is mostly composed of books people in my neighborhood put on their stoops. All the good books I find (books in urban settings, with characters that are teens of color, that might have some mild drug dealing, etc. within their pages) are snatched up and passed around immediately, leaving the less desirable books on my shelf. I'd like to supplement my library, but I want to make sure I buy things the kids will read.

Some responses from Monday's assignment =

"I like books about violence, drugs, and sex. Action books really."
"I like to read about kids being abused, killing, things related to teens, and action."
"The book I'm reading is Tasting Cindy. I'ts about a married housewife that has sex with other men when her husband is away. She was blackmailed by her husband's brother. He forced her to have sex with him and his mistress. She does it because she don't want her husband or her mother to know about her secret sex life."

WOW.

I am still constantly surprised by my students desire to read such pornographic books. I read some of this smut over their shoulders and I blush. It poses a hard question as to what we can allow in school. We certainly would not show a pornographic film in class (even if it could potentially supplement a lesson!), so should we allow such books in school? How can we police this work? What actually constitutes the crap from the plain, old urban fiction that might have some cursing and drugs but is still far from a porno?

Above is my fave student book from a few years back: Homo Thug. A man gets sent to prison and has to find love in the arms of another man.

The people who write this "shit lit" are rich, fo' sure.

Informality from Hell

I am sure most of you reading this watched the vice-presidential debate last week between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. If you didn't, you should. Even though Palin disappointed by not being quite as inarticulate as she was with Katie Couric, she still provided enough fodder for another good Saturday Night Live skit (Tina Fey is a genius, btw...).

As much as I pretty much disagree with Palin's orthodoxy--both political and religious--what I mainly took issue with was her colloquial language last Thursday. Let me preface this:

As an English teacher, I spend an amazing amount of time tying to explain the need to be able to code-switch between colloquial slanguage and academic, standard English. This is a difficult subject to bridge as a White girl working in an urban setting. I am cautious not to make my students' language seem "incorrect" and my English seem "proper." I ardently praise the effectiveness and artistry of slanguage when doing creative writing, when writing dialogue, or when talking to friends; it has an important place in society--no doubt. BUT (and this BUT cannot be emphasized enough), a research paper, the SAT essay, a job interview, and the vice presidential debate are NOT such places.

Additionally, I feel she played the gender card with this "down-home" hodge-podge of language. The winking, the body language, the colloquialisms of being "blessed" and "having a special place in heaven" are not expressions that a male candidate could toss out with the same reaction. It reminds me of the time my advisor at Teachers College, LB, took a group of us women doctoral students aside and gave us a pep talk on the dangers of informal speech when trying to be considered an academic. The warnings I remember were: No intonation at the end of the sentence unless it is a bonifide question. No "like" at all, anywhere. No cliches. No being cute, be formal--this might be a school of education, but they will still rip you to shreds if they feel you are not a valid researcher.

This is what Palin deserves. Send those pitbulls that she mentions--lipsticked and all--after her for grammatical negligence. She might think she has a place in heaven, but her language use is certainly going to burn in hell.

No Bail-Out on 8th Street

This week's discussion of the bail-out has provoked many a discussion at work, home, with friends...it seems we're all confused, intrigued, and concerned about what is happening with our economy. And then, of course, there's the debate between who is the bail-out really looking out for--Main Street or Wall Street--as if the two were not intimately interconnected.

But one thing that has gotten my goat is the need to bail out the many Americans who have taken out mortgages that they could not afford, in good or bad financial times. Adam and I have typed our annual joint income into Chase's mortgage calculator many times in the past few years, and we have realized repeatedly that even if some miracle occurred and we were able to get a significant amount of money down, that we could not afford a mortgage with our other expenses of college loans and daycare. Impossible. We have resolved that we will rent until the loans are paid the the babe(s) are in public school. That'll be at least 6-7 more years! Then we'll see...

Why is that a difficult concept to grasp?

I understand the desire to own. Renting sucks. Especially when you're our age and you really want your home to reflect your life and your want to put down stable roots for your kids. Damn it, I'm a cancer--I nest with vigor 24/7. Renting irks me. But what choice to we have?

Slight Coffee Addiction?

This morning started like every other. Alexandra woke at 3am, which facilitated a mid-night bottle feed b/c she was coughing and wheezing like an 80-year old with emphysema. Due to this, we all got started a bit late. I rushed out the door, backpack, lunch, and extra bag of papers graded in tow, only to land at the doorstep of my coffee place to find it was....closed!

At this point my knees got weak, I almost withered into myself, and I stood there reading the signs and peering into the windows in total denial--hoping for some sign of life. Once I accepted that it was indeed closed, my brain went into race mode, scouting all the coffee spots I knew between my house and the doors to my school. Which could I get to the quickest (I was running a little late) who had the best coffee? Should I take the subway or bus to land myself at this new destination? My blood pressure was rising. I was getting frantic. Could I call the school and tell them I'd be late? (Yes, all for coffee).

You see, I teach 1st, 2nd, and 3rd period in a row, so if I don't get coffee before school I can't get it until 11am, which is WAY too late for this gal.

As you might guess, since I live in Park Slope and teach in Cobble Hill, there were a million and one places for an over-caffeinated white person like myself (that's my favorite line from the movie "Crash") to get her fix. It all ended up okay, but man, for a second there I thought I was going to have to go back home, crawl into bed, and wait for the apocalypse.

Caffeine anyone?

Sarah Palin Bingo

Something to spice up your debate watching tonight = Sarah Palin bingo!
(who has the time to sit down and make these things?!)

Go to www.palinbingo.com for fun.

Can't wait to see what Tina Fey comes up with after tonight. Her parodies are just making me even more excited for the season premiere of 30 Rock...