Friday, August 28, 2015
Nepal dinner
Tonight I had a really nice dinner with dad's friend Kumud, and his daughter, Maya. They are both from Nepal. Maya is starting at AU on Monday, so Kumud was in town dropping her off. He was a great resource for a career in water, as well as a source to find other Nepalis. We went to a nice Turkish restaurant at Dupont Circle. Both were very nice and Kumud was chatty. They were actually in Nepal this past summer, which is interesting because it's post-earthquake. It sounds like things are slowly going back to normal, but it's still a mess.
First week of School
This first week of school, we observed different teachers every day. I got lucky and had a great week. I was paired with 9th algebra, 10th geometry, and 10th chemistry teachers. A few of my peers were paired with 9th grade science, history and english. Unfortunately these teachers were not the greatest match for many of my teammates - some of whom it sounded like they shouldn't even be teaching.
The teachers I shadowed were all well-established and commanded respect from the students. Though most of them were very young, they were strict and direct. The main issue I noticed is that students were extremely talkative and just couldn't stop talking when instructions were given out. They enjoyed listening to music, eating in class, and messing around on their phones. Some students were really loud and rude, while others buckled down and took their work seriously. Sometimes, the louder students would engage the serious ones and get everyone off track. Depending on the personality and control of the teacher, this could get out of hand or be subdued.
When I observed, I usually spent 1st period absorbing the lesson and getting used to the teacher. Then the rest of the day I wandered around and helped out with questions and a little behavior. Behavior was hard because each teacher's rules were different for food/phones/cursing. It was hard to know when I should ignore the phones or tell them to put them away.
I was lucky because my teachers were receptive to City Year and allowing me to assist in the classroom. I usually had a chance to introduce myself (whereas some of my teammates were completely ignored or humiliated in other classrooms). Almost all of the people I shadowed received a CY in their classroom.
Picture break:
I was paired with Ms. Turner (9th grade algebra). She reminds me of my 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Todd. She was one of the older teachers, but she was very invested in her students. Ms. Turner has a science background and worked on the vaccine for anthrax. She decided to get into teaching because she noticed a lack of diversity in the spheres she was in. I'm excited because she was very inclusive and I think she'll be a great mentor. I also really like the 9th graders - they're not as rowdy as the 10th graders (at least this week).
The students have a dress code: freshmen wear navy blue pants and baby blue collared shirts, sophomores wear khakis and blue shirts, juniors are khakis and red, and seniors are khakis and white. This makes it easy to pick out students.
After school: City Year has been recruited to help out the football and cheer teams after school. We go to the cafeteria for 30-45min to help them with their homework. They haven't had too much work this week so it has been a little weird. Yesterday, the cheerleaders did a few of their routines for us- which were really good! I'm excited to go to our first home game. Still not sure if there's a marching band though...
Last week, I applied to work on the Service Reserves. This one of a few of City Year's extracurricular activities. The group organizes service events and leads small groups of volunteers (both corps members and external volunteers) in community service projects. It's a good chance to network outside of CY, as well as socialize with corps members that aren't on my school team (which is about 160 people). Anyways, I learned today I got in! So that's exciting.
Today we also learned what our coordinator positions are. Within each school team, there are various coordinator roles that implement programs. I will be the service coordinator and the 9th grade attendance coordinator. Other coordinator roles include Literacy Coordinator, Math Coordinator, Behavior coordinator, School Positivity Coordinator, and a few others I forgot. Under each of those roles is a 9th and 10th outreach. I got 9th attendance because I'll be working with the 9th graders and I requested attendance. These coordinator positions are another opportunity to exercise and practice our leadership skills.
The teachers I shadowed were all well-established and commanded respect from the students. Though most of them were very young, they were strict and direct. The main issue I noticed is that students were extremely talkative and just couldn't stop talking when instructions were given out. They enjoyed listening to music, eating in class, and messing around on their phones. Some students were really loud and rude, while others buckled down and took their work seriously. Sometimes, the louder students would engage the serious ones and get everyone off track. Depending on the personality and control of the teacher, this could get out of hand or be subdued.
When I observed, I usually spent 1st period absorbing the lesson and getting used to the teacher. Then the rest of the day I wandered around and helped out with questions and a little behavior. Behavior was hard because each teacher's rules were different for food/phones/cursing. It was hard to know when I should ignore the phones or tell them to put them away.
I was lucky because my teachers were receptive to City Year and allowing me to assist in the classroom. I usually had a chance to introduce myself (whereas some of my teammates were completely ignored or humiliated in other classrooms). Almost all of the people I shadowed received a CY in their classroom.
Picture break:
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| Squad's weekly photo |
I was paired with Ms. Turner (9th grade algebra). She reminds me of my 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Todd. She was one of the older teachers, but she was very invested in her students. Ms. Turner has a science background and worked on the vaccine for anthrax. She decided to get into teaching because she noticed a lack of diversity in the spheres she was in. I'm excited because she was very inclusive and I think she'll be a great mentor. I also really like the 9th graders - they're not as rowdy as the 10th graders (at least this week).
The students have a dress code: freshmen wear navy blue pants and baby blue collared shirts, sophomores wear khakis and blue shirts, juniors are khakis and red, and seniors are khakis and white. This makes it easy to pick out students.
After school: City Year has been recruited to help out the football and cheer teams after school. We go to the cafeteria for 30-45min to help them with their homework. They haven't had too much work this week so it has been a little weird. Yesterday, the cheerleaders did a few of their routines for us- which were really good! I'm excited to go to our first home game. Still not sure if there's a marching band though...
Last week, I applied to work on the Service Reserves. This one of a few of City Year's extracurricular activities. The group organizes service events and leads small groups of volunteers (both corps members and external volunteers) in community service projects. It's a good chance to network outside of CY, as well as socialize with corps members that aren't on my school team (which is about 160 people). Anyways, I learned today I got in! So that's exciting.
Today we also learned what our coordinator positions are. Within each school team, there are various coordinator roles that implement programs. I will be the service coordinator and the 9th grade attendance coordinator. Other coordinator roles include Literacy Coordinator, Math Coordinator, Behavior coordinator, School Positivity Coordinator, and a few others I forgot. Under each of those roles is a 9th and 10th outreach. I got 9th attendance because I'll be working with the 9th graders and I requested attendance. These coordinator positions are another opportunity to exercise and practice our leadership skills.
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| squad at red jacket ceremony at the capitol |
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Photos
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| Red Jacket Dedication Ceremony at the Capitol. The entire corps gathered in a meeting space at the Capitol to give a brief dedication. Each corps member, staff, and team leader gave a 10second schpeel about who/what they dedicated their jacket to. |
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| To beautify our CY room at school, we've been making wall hangings like this. |
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| Homemade CityYear Logo |
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| This is our Team Leader's favorite mural. Part of the team went there to take a picture for her birthday. |
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| Jeff Franco (Far right) is our executive director. On the 1st day of school, he traveled to all 16 schools CY serves. |
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| There was a back to school service day at Patterson ES. The three of us painted this Arthur mural. I think it says "welcome" in gaelic. |
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| One of many other murals found around the school that volunteers painted. |
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Uniforms
We earned our Uniforms today! This entailed some immense preparation this week, including memorizing the City Year pledge, the City Year Mission, the City Year Vision, and the Americorps pledge. In addition to reciting these as a team, we also had to perform 3 PT moves: Chain breakers, CY Stretch, and Foot Fires (easy, medium, hard). Our IMPACT manager took a video, so when she sends it out, I'll post it.
Tomorrow we dedicate our red jackets at the Red Jacket Ceremony at the Capitol.
In other news we all got nice, new backpacks, donated by Timbuk2. They are part of the uniform and have a CY logo patch sewed on.
Today was our team leader's (TL) birthday. We brought in candy, homemade cupcakes, homemade oreo balls, streamers, and energy. It was fun.
We also did the Meyers-Briggs Personality test. Fun fact - the psychologists who developed it were a mother/daughter team. Anyways, I'm an INFJ, which is supposedly rare. But there were 3 other people in the group who had the same type. Our TL said CY attracts certain personalities.
If you want to take the test, it's only about 12 min and there's some interesting things to learn about your personality type. You have to be honest when answering the questions though.
http://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
Speaking of quizzes, here is a thorough quiz you can take to see which presidential candidate best aligns with your values: https://www.isidewith.com/political-quiz
When I took it awhile ago, I aligned with Bernie more than Hillary, which got me to start looking at his campaign more closely.
Tomorrow we dedicate our red jackets at the Red Jacket Ceremony at the Capitol.
In other news we all got nice, new backpacks, donated by Timbuk2. They are part of the uniform and have a CY logo patch sewed on.
Today was our team leader's (TL) birthday. We brought in candy, homemade cupcakes, homemade oreo balls, streamers, and energy. It was fun.
We also did the Meyers-Briggs Personality test. Fun fact - the psychologists who developed it were a mother/daughter team. Anyways, I'm an INFJ, which is supposedly rare. But there were 3 other people in the group who had the same type. Our TL said CY attracts certain personalities.
If you want to take the test, it's only about 12 min and there's some interesting things to learn about your personality type. You have to be honest when answering the questions though.
http://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
Speaking of quizzes, here is a thorough quiz you can take to see which presidential candidate best aligns with your values: https://www.isidewith.com/political-quiz
When I took it awhile ago, I aligned with Bernie more than Hillary, which got me to start looking at his campaign more closely.
Anacostia!
This week we finally went to our school!! It's about a 45minute bus ride from home (but it's only $1.75!!). The principal is fairly new but he is awesome. He has goals, deadlines, and knows the best people to get the job done. He talked about his story of being a teen father and his success of rising to principal. I think his eagerness and drive is the reason that City Year was pulled into Anacostia for the first time. He showed us some bleak stats from a couple years ago with percentages in competency ELA, math, and attendance in the teens. Then he showed us last years' data, and those areas jumped to about 30-40%. The numbers are still bleak, but the improvement is awesome.
The other teachers are all really young. There are more white teachers than I expected. Many of the teachers have heard of or worked with City Year in the past.
Ripples: Ripples are effects seen in the community due to City Year or some good action. I have seen a ton of ripples recently - Probably because I've been in public a lot in uniform. Many people have questions about what I do and I've quickly polished up an elevator speech.
1) After dinner with our sponsors, someone came up to us and said he'd been waiting for us to finish dinner before approaching. He works in the SE schools with a teen pregnancy program. He'd heard of City Year and looked forward to working with us at Anacostia. We were excited to meet him and he took a selfie with us. Our sponsors also chatted with him. One of the waitresses also said thanks for serving.
2) I was standing at the bus stop with a bunch of other CY people (when the whole corps heads to one location, you're guaranteed to run into other redshirts and take over a bus). One man came up to us and said he was a City Year alum and told us good luck with next year.
3) I was walking to school and I was waiting for a red light. In uniform, we're not allowed to jaywalk because our behavior is closely scrutinized by kids - even kids we don't directly interact with. All kids with CY in their schools recognize the uniform and instantly look up to us, so we have to perpetually set a good example. Anyways I was waiting and a school bus driver pulled up, rolled down his window and eagerly waved before moving on.
4). Standing at the bus stop today after work and one young man walked past and said "hey City year! Glad to see you back in this area! Hope you're at my school this year." We asked him, "what school?!" and he replied with, "Anacostia." So we were excited and he came back and chatted and told us he was starting 9th grade there this year. This made me really excited to get going and meet more students.
These Ripples make me proud to be a part of City Year. The program is well-established and respected in the community. I am standing on the shoulders of giants. The people before me have done so much for me to immediately earn the respect of so many people. I'm excited to get going!
The other teachers are all really young. There are more white teachers than I expected. Many of the teachers have heard of or worked with City Year in the past.
Ripples: Ripples are effects seen in the community due to City Year or some good action. I have seen a ton of ripples recently - Probably because I've been in public a lot in uniform. Many people have questions about what I do and I've quickly polished up an elevator speech.
1) After dinner with our sponsors, someone came up to us and said he'd been waiting for us to finish dinner before approaching. He works in the SE schools with a teen pregnancy program. He'd heard of City Year and looked forward to working with us at Anacostia. We were excited to meet him and he took a selfie with us. Our sponsors also chatted with him. One of the waitresses also said thanks for serving.
2) I was standing at the bus stop with a bunch of other CY people (when the whole corps heads to one location, you're guaranteed to run into other redshirts and take over a bus). One man came up to us and said he was a City Year alum and told us good luck with next year.
3) I was walking to school and I was waiting for a red light. In uniform, we're not allowed to jaywalk because our behavior is closely scrutinized by kids - even kids we don't directly interact with. All kids with CY in their schools recognize the uniform and instantly look up to us, so we have to perpetually set a good example. Anyways I was waiting and a school bus driver pulled up, rolled down his window and eagerly waved before moving on.
4). Standing at the bus stop today after work and one young man walked past and said "hey City year! Glad to see you back in this area! Hope you're at my school this year." We asked him, "what school?!" and he replied with, "Anacostia." So we were excited and he came back and chatted and told us he was starting 9th grade there this year. This made me really excited to get going and meet more students.
These Ripples make me proud to be a part of City Year. The program is well-established and respected in the community. I am standing on the shoulders of giants. The people before me have done so much for me to immediately earn the respect of so many people. I'm excited to get going!
Sponsors
Each City Year school team gets a sponsor. One team is sponsored by Microsoft, another by Capital One, etc. Our team is sponsored by the Horning Family Fund. Our team is lucky because our sponsor is not a detached corporation. They like to be involved in our work and see what we're up to.
On Monday, they took us out to dinner at Bus Boys and Poets - a nice restaurant. It kind of reminded me of the Flying Star from back home, but slightly fancier. We met with the founders' daughters - Missy, her husband Mike, and another staff member, Dara. Mike and I discovered we both graduated from Carleton (a few decades apart). He majored in Urban Development and his adviser was Paul Wellston. Small world. I really enjoyed getting to meet them and they were just as enthusiastic. We have already started planning events for them to attend and other ways to reach out to them.
The team made a scrapbook about ourselves to give to them. It was interesting to see how each of my peers answered the list of questions. Here is what I included:
Libby McKenna, 22, Albuquerque, NM. Carleton College, Chemistry
I AM... a curious person that enjoys trying new things. In the past I have expressed this by learning the organ and trombone, studying French and Nepali, playing rugby and ice hockey, and expanding my vocabulary in social justice and science. As an adoptee from Nepal, I have been fascinated by this country's culture, people, and well-being from a young age. I plan on dedicating any future professional training to supporting the responsible development of Nepal.
I chose City Year to participate in a domestic cultural exchange. I look forward to bonding with my students, peers, and mentors, as well as exchanging experiences, opinions, and wisdom. I chose DC because it seemed like a young, diverse city that I could thrive in.
My favorite things: Dentist visits, henna tattoos, cinnamon-roll hugs, dancing, Picard and Janeway, buff momos, and scrums.
Favorite Founding Story (city year has 25 inspirational founding stories): Cathedral Building: There was once a traveler who journeyed all over the globe in search of wisdom and enlightenment. In the midst of one village, he came upon a great deal of noise, dust and commotion. He approached the nearest laborer and asked, "Excuse me, I'm not from this village. May I ask what's going on here?" The laborer replied curtly, "Can't you see? I'm busting rocks." The traveler approached a second laborer doing the same thing and asked the same question. The second laborer replied, "Can't you see? I'm earning a living to support my family." The traveler then approached a third laborer and posed the question a third time. With a broad smile and a gleam in his eye, the third laborer replied with great pride, "Can't you see? We're building a cathedral."
I love that the last builder knows that he is contributing to greatness through tiny steps, even though he might not see the finished product 100's of years later. It's a reminder that every contribution is important and to keep the finish line in sight.
Favorite PITW (Putting Idealism to Work): #66 - Do three "squishy" things a day. You know when you are truly leading when you do at least 3 things a day that make you a little bit uncomfortable.
I like to hang out in my comfort zone, so I have to consciously branch out and make myself uncomfortable. I like the growth that ensues.
Favorite CY Value: Ubuntu- I am a person through other people. My humanity is tied to yours. Reminding myself that "my humanity is tied to yours" really resonates with me. We are all so similar, but we struggle to see these similarities when we are blinded by disagreements.
Quote: "I think they should have a Barbie with a buzz cut" -Ellen Degeneres [[my teammates had much deeper, interesting quotes. I'm just not a quote person.]]
LACY (Life after City Year): There are many options available. I have thought about going to grad school for either public health, civil engineering, or science education. I might also join the Peace Corps or continue to work for City Year.
Asset to the team: Creativity
Why I serve: To contribute to building a cathedral. I'm not making a HUGE difference, but I want to contribute to the changes that need to happen.
On Monday, they took us out to dinner at Bus Boys and Poets - a nice restaurant. It kind of reminded me of the Flying Star from back home, but slightly fancier. We met with the founders' daughters - Missy, her husband Mike, and another staff member, Dara. Mike and I discovered we both graduated from Carleton (a few decades apart). He majored in Urban Development and his adviser was Paul Wellston. Small world. I really enjoyed getting to meet them and they were just as enthusiastic. We have already started planning events for them to attend and other ways to reach out to them.
The team made a scrapbook about ourselves to give to them. It was interesting to see how each of my peers answered the list of questions. Here is what I included:
Libby McKenna, 22, Albuquerque, NM. Carleton College, Chemistry
I AM... a curious person that enjoys trying new things. In the past I have expressed this by learning the organ and trombone, studying French and Nepali, playing rugby and ice hockey, and expanding my vocabulary in social justice and science. As an adoptee from Nepal, I have been fascinated by this country's culture, people, and well-being from a young age. I plan on dedicating any future professional training to supporting the responsible development of Nepal.
I chose City Year to participate in a domestic cultural exchange. I look forward to bonding with my students, peers, and mentors, as well as exchanging experiences, opinions, and wisdom. I chose DC because it seemed like a young, diverse city that I could thrive in.
My favorite things: Dentist visits, henna tattoos, cinnamon-roll hugs, dancing, Picard and Janeway, buff momos, and scrums.
Favorite Founding Story (city year has 25 inspirational founding stories): Cathedral Building: There was once a traveler who journeyed all over the globe in search of wisdom and enlightenment. In the midst of one village, he came upon a great deal of noise, dust and commotion. He approached the nearest laborer and asked, "Excuse me, I'm not from this village. May I ask what's going on here?" The laborer replied curtly, "Can't you see? I'm busting rocks." The traveler approached a second laborer doing the same thing and asked the same question. The second laborer replied, "Can't you see? I'm earning a living to support my family." The traveler then approached a third laborer and posed the question a third time. With a broad smile and a gleam in his eye, the third laborer replied with great pride, "Can't you see? We're building a cathedral."
I love that the last builder knows that he is contributing to greatness through tiny steps, even though he might not see the finished product 100's of years later. It's a reminder that every contribution is important and to keep the finish line in sight.
Favorite PITW (Putting Idealism to Work): #66 - Do three "squishy" things a day. You know when you are truly leading when you do at least 3 things a day that make you a little bit uncomfortable.
I like to hang out in my comfort zone, so I have to consciously branch out and make myself uncomfortable. I like the growth that ensues.
Favorite CY Value: Ubuntu- I am a person through other people. My humanity is tied to yours. Reminding myself that "my humanity is tied to yours" really resonates with me. We are all so similar, but we struggle to see these similarities when we are blinded by disagreements.
Quote: "I think they should have a Barbie with a buzz cut" -Ellen Degeneres [[my teammates had much deeper, interesting quotes. I'm just not a quote person.]]
LACY (Life after City Year): There are many options available. I have thought about going to grad school for either public health, civil engineering, or science education. I might also join the Peace Corps or continue to work for City Year.
Asset to the team: Creativity
Why I serve: To contribute to building a cathedral. I'm not making a HUGE difference, but I want to contribute to the changes that need to happen.
Monday, August 10, 2015
Week 3 Training + Sources
This week we are in Summer Leadership Academy. It's a summer school run by City Year for kids from Kindergarten to 9th grade. We are one of 2 sites that does this summer camp to train corps members. We got our first uniform piece - red shirts!
Today was a lot of games and pushing the students to think about what they are good at, what makes them special, and what they enjoy doing. Our "teacher" was one of the team leaders and my entire team was in the classroom with about ten 5th-9th graders. Mostly 5th/6th grade. There weren't many of them so there was a lot of 1-on-1 time. The teacher would do a game or two, teach about an activity, then we'd sit with the kids and encourage them to do the activity. We broke out into small groups twice. In the afternoon, it was my turn to lead my small group. I think it went pretty well. It was like riding a bike - except remembering how to tutor and present a small activity. We made flags that represented our personalities.
So far the camp hasn't been super well-organized which has been slightly annoying. Once the day got going though, it was fine. I think I was just anxious about how the kids would act and how the dynamic of so many leaders in one room would be coordinated. Otherwise, it has been fun. The kids were quiet at first but then they really started enjoying themselves. There were a few times when they said some weird stuff but none of us really knew what to say or how to approach the situation. But that's the point of this week - to not shy away from the hard conversations and figure out how to instigate them. We all struggled with that but I think now that we finally have kids to apply our training to, it will go better.
We were cooling down after an activity and the teacher said, "Now we're going to do a debate. does anyone know what a 'debate' is?" One student raised his his hand and said, "yeah! that's the fish!"
We had to clarify it was a "DEbate" not "da bait."
Here are some helpful sources if you want to read up on the education situation.
Today was a lot of games and pushing the students to think about what they are good at, what makes them special, and what they enjoy doing. Our "teacher" was one of the team leaders and my entire team was in the classroom with about ten 5th-9th graders. Mostly 5th/6th grade. There weren't many of them so there was a lot of 1-on-1 time. The teacher would do a game or two, teach about an activity, then we'd sit with the kids and encourage them to do the activity. We broke out into small groups twice. In the afternoon, it was my turn to lead my small group. I think it went pretty well. It was like riding a bike - except remembering how to tutor and present a small activity. We made flags that represented our personalities.
So far the camp hasn't been super well-organized which has been slightly annoying. Once the day got going though, it was fine. I think I was just anxious about how the kids would act and how the dynamic of so many leaders in one room would be coordinated. Otherwise, it has been fun. The kids were quiet at first but then they really started enjoying themselves. There were a few times when they said some weird stuff but none of us really knew what to say or how to approach the situation. But that's the point of this week - to not shy away from the hard conversations and figure out how to instigate them. We all struggled with that but I think now that we finally have kids to apply our training to, it will go better.
We were cooling down after an activity and the teacher said, "Now we're going to do a debate. does anyone know what a 'debate' is?" One student raised his his hand and said, "yeah! that's the fish!"
We had to clarify it was a "DEbate" not "da bait."
Here are some helpful sources if you want to read up on the education situation.
- Radio: This American Life. About 1 hr long.
- Washington Post Article about perceived economic status (We had an interactive training game about this and it was really eye-opening and relevant)
- Article about managing behavior
- City Year Website
Week 2 Training + City Year
Ok so what exactly is City Year? I thought I vaguely knew going into it, but now I REALLY KNOW. They really give us the vocabulary to build an elevator speech so that we're representing City Year properly.
Basically, we serve as mentors and tutors in high poverty communities. Schools in these areas don't have the resources to keep all their kids on track to graduate. Our job at City Year is to help bridge the opportunity gap. While there are great teachers at the schools we serve, it is hard for them to keep every single student in a class of 30 up to standards. If 2 kids are absent one day, then a different 5 are absent a different day, it's hard to keep everyone at the same level. I will be pulling kids out in small groups for extra tutoring in math and reading. As a "near peer," I will be able to connect with my students and give them more personal attention than their teacher can provide.
Some interesting facts:
My team is really fun. There are 9 of us - 3 guys and 6 people of color. Our team leaders are awesome and really know how to lead and guide us.
This week we learned about education. We learned about Tier 1 (classroom) support vs Tier 2 (small group) support. We learned how to write lesson plans, how to cater to different learning types, behavior management, understanding the behavior of our appropriate age groups, social media policy, and basics of teaching math and reading.
Basically, we serve as mentors and tutors in high poverty communities. Schools in these areas don't have the resources to keep all their kids on track to graduate. Our job at City Year is to help bridge the opportunity gap. While there are great teachers at the schools we serve, it is hard for them to keep every single student in a class of 30 up to standards. If 2 kids are absent one day, then a different 5 are absent a different day, it's hard to keep everyone at the same level. I will be pulling kids out in small groups for extra tutoring in math and reading. As a "near peer," I will be able to connect with my students and give them more personal attention than their teacher can provide.
Week 2 (8/3-8/7)
So Week 2 was exciting because we FINALLY found out what school we'd be working at. I was placed at Anacostia High School, in Ward 8 of DC. I am both extremely excited and nervous. I put middle school as my first choice, but it was a toss up between that and high school. I'm looking forward to the flexibility we'll have in high school, and being able to connect with the kids better (closer in age). I'm nervous because these kids are much older and more likely to be set in a "school's not cool" attitude. This is the first year City Year has partnered with this high school - so my team gets to set the standards. Luckily, the school seems very interested in getting CY involved.Some interesting facts:
- There are 667 students - 100% of whom are black
- 99% are on free and reduced lunch
- As of the 2012-13 school year, 82% of the students performed at basic or below basic math levels (according to a standardized test - DCCAS)
- As of the 2012-13 school year, the 4 yr graduation rate was 43% (the 5 year rate was 50%)
- As of the 2012-13 school year, the percentage of the students regarded as truant was 49%
- As of the 2012-13 school year, retention of effective and highly effective teachers was 89% (higher than the district average)
My team is really fun. There are 9 of us - 3 guys and 6 people of color. Our team leaders are awesome and really know how to lead and guide us.
This week we learned about education. We learned about Tier 1 (classroom) support vs Tier 2 (small group) support. We learned how to write lesson plans, how to cater to different learning types, behavior management, understanding the behavior of our appropriate age groups, social media policy, and basics of teaching math and reading.
Week 1 Training + Culture
These past few weeks I have been polished into a City Year Americorps member. I have learned a lot from lectures, discussions with peers, and activities. I will do my best to keep up this blog as a reflection for myself and for others who are interested in the mission/product of City Year.
This coming year, City Year has Leadership Development sessions twice a month. In these sessions, we will reconvene with the corps as a whole and break off into our founding teams. When we are back in these groups, we'll discuss situations that arise in our daily work and pick apart different philosophies of City Year called "Putting Idealism to Work" or PITWs. There are over 100 of these PITWs.
City Year has a lot of culture that I was not expecting. As mentioned above, the PITWs outline City Year's goals, ideals, and wisdom. It's interesting that City Year really works on incorporating these in our everyday work day. I feel like most companies have standards, but no one ever refers back to them. I think constantly studying these ideals (almost like a Bible study...) keeps corps members and City Year focused on the mission to empower DC youth.
More culture:
Unity Rallies: We go out to the Mall as a corps (about 160 of us), line up in neat rows and columns, and start doing cheers, stretches, and exercises. The point is to bring attention to City Year. Here is City Year in Orlando doing a unity Rally (it's a little long). I'd skip to 30seconds. My favorite stretche is at 3:53 (power lunges). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCd-OYtjY0Y
We have to memorize the pledge, and do all the goofy dances.
Circles: Before AND after everyday of training or a work day, we get in a circle with our team. We talk about the ideal (or quote) of the day, goals, announcements, and joys/appreciations. It's an opportunity to reflect with the team.
Silent Applause: Rather than snapping or nodding heads in agreement, corps members wiggle their hands (like jazz hands) when they agree with a statement or question. This has become a weird habit. I went out with some friends and we were wiggling our hands in public when we agreed with what someone was saying.
Stand and Declare: When you want to ask or answer a question, you have to pop out of your seat and say your name + "proudly serving at __school name__." This also signals your school team to shout a previously arranged cheer back at you. My team just yells "squaaaad." So far we easily have the most spirit and instant team bond. It's comforting.
Week 1 (5/27-5/31)
During this week, we were divided up into "founding teams." The names for these teams were chosen based on many of City Year's founding stories. Mine was called "Ubuntu," which is a South African proverb that means "I am because you are - my humanity is tied to yours." My group of 7 is entirely black except for me and our white group leader. We talked through issues of race, what to expect in the coming year, goals, and socioeconomic status. Everyone was really well spoken and highly educated in social justice - an area that I am less experienced in. We had some great conversations and I learned a ton.This coming year, City Year has Leadership Development sessions twice a month. In these sessions, we will reconvene with the corps as a whole and break off into our founding teams. When we are back in these groups, we'll discuss situations that arise in our daily work and pick apart different philosophies of City Year called "Putting Idealism to Work" or PITWs. There are over 100 of these PITWs.
City Year has a lot of culture that I was not expecting. As mentioned above, the PITWs outline City Year's goals, ideals, and wisdom. It's interesting that City Year really works on incorporating these in our everyday work day. I feel like most companies have standards, but no one ever refers back to them. I think constantly studying these ideals (almost like a Bible study...) keeps corps members and City Year focused on the mission to empower DC youth.
More culture:
Unity Rallies: We go out to the Mall as a corps (about 160 of us), line up in neat rows and columns, and start doing cheers, stretches, and exercises. The point is to bring attention to City Year. Here is City Year in Orlando doing a unity Rally (it's a little long). I'd skip to 30seconds. My favorite stretche is at 3:53 (power lunges). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCd-OYtjY0Y
We have to memorize the pledge, and do all the goofy dances.
Circles: Before AND after everyday of training or a work day, we get in a circle with our team. We talk about the ideal (or quote) of the day, goals, announcements, and joys/appreciations. It's an opportunity to reflect with the team.
Silent Applause: Rather than snapping or nodding heads in agreement, corps members wiggle their hands (like jazz hands) when they agree with a statement or question. This has become a weird habit. I went out with some friends and we were wiggling our hands in public when we agreed with what someone was saying.
Stand and Declare: When you want to ask or answer a question, you have to pop out of your seat and say your name + "proudly serving at __school name__." This also signals your school team to shout a previously arranged cheer back at you. My team just yells "squaaaad." So far we easily have the most spirit and instant team bond. It's comforting.
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