ED

I am attending an in service at the Detroit Zoo today on Fossils and Plate Tectonics and thinking about the trajectory of my teaching career. In another state or economy, my diverse resume would allow me options outside of my dying district. After my three year stint developing curriculum for and teaching the district's pilot Global Connections course and 12 total years in the district, I was laid off at the end of last year. I was called back in the summer to a sixth grade classroom. I teach five sections of Science a day. I have my homeroom and four other groups. Being back in a general education classroom is wonderful. Three quick classroom stories.

1. T is a bright girl, great student, always well behaved, lovely. About a month ago her dad was released from jail. He walked her in one morning. The too long handshake and the uncomfortable staring told me that he was a creepy one. Soon after his release, her attendance became inconsistent. She was chronically absent or tardy. Her grades started slipping, and she began to get into trouble in other classes. I was looking forward to meeting him at conferences. First conference, he does not show up. I rescheduled him three time to no avail. I called and sent notes, nothing. After a week, T comes up to me and pulls this glossy card out of the pocket of her parka. It looked like the advertisements you'd see in the vestibule of a Detroit restaurant. It was an invite to some fashion ball.She said, "My dad asked me to give this to you. He said you should come." I couldn't help myself. I asked, "Is this where dad wants to meet for the conference."

2. Although I have mixed feeling about the efficacy of lunch detention, I am on a team with veteran sixth grade teachers who use it. I had an extremely disrespectful boy who I gave detention to. Little did I know (but was not surprised to find out) I was the second teacher who had given him detention that day. This means he'd have to serve two days in a row. I arrived back in my classroom with all me detainees (they all look so pathetic with their little tray of hot lunch) but no sign of him. One of the children told me he was bragging to everyone that he was not serving anything. I called his mother at the end of the day, reached her voicemail and left a lengthy message. I spoke with the mother the next day about what happened. She said she questioned him, he told her he honestly forgot receiving a detention from two teachers. She actually believed him until she saw texts on his phone bragging to people that he wasn't serving anything. She was so angry that she took away all of his designer clothes for a week. She said she wanted to let his teachers know that he wasn't being neglected and to expect him in clean, but humble clothes. Made my day. A parent like that is so rare in our demographic.

3. I brought Isaac and Isabel's old 3' tree into my classroom, but it needed a tree skirt. I asked the kids if anyone had an extra. About three kids raised their hands. Two offered to bring one the next day. The third wanted clarification on what a tree skirt was. I told her, "You know it is that decorative, circular piece of cloth that goes over the stand to cover it up."  Another raised her hand for further clarification. "Mrs. Kado, you mean that thing is supposed to over the stand? My momma put it under the stand." Says a whole lot right there. How in the Hell am I supposed to get these children to be proficient in culturally biased, standardized state testing.

3D

Julia has embraced Kindergarten with an enthusiasm that exceeds my expectation. She is eager to go each day. If only we could build up her immunity and get her to keep her hands out of her eyes, nose and mouth in tandem it'd be a monumental achievement.

The minute she walks in the door each day she must immediately unload her backpack and download her day. She tells me the highlights and walks me through each piece of work in her bag. Bobby's mom tells me he was the same way. Yesterday she tells me, "Look at this cool 3D picture I made." It was the technique of drawing two identical figures right next to each other. I asked if she made it in Art class the day before and was just now bringing it home. No she said. She made it that day during indoor recess. I asked if her fifth grade helper showed her how to do it. Nope. I asked if Mr. Heenan, the art teacher, showed her. Nope. She said she just had the idea to do it when she was looking at some scribble art with which she had adorned her father's closet door. The picture itself is simplistic (not at all representative of her ability) and has some conceptual flaws (e.g. there are only two eyes instead of two sets), but I just think it's just so clever.