Transition to secondary education
This self-reflection came naturally as I approached 30, but it was also a result of my father's stroke and subsequent paralysis five years ago. This event was life-changing for our whole family, and it caused my sister and me to reevaluate our priorities in order to deepen our support of our parents without sacrificing our individual goals. Over the years, I watched my sister build a life for herself that is integrally connected with the life of the city. As I thought about my own life, I saw a discrepancy between my goals and my daily life. I wanted to work towards a career that was more connected to the life of my students and my community, and I saw more opportunities for this as a high school teacher than a vagabond academic.
There are many challenges faced by students and teachers in Philly public schools today, and I didn't embark on this career path lightly. I have seen the vast discrepancies in preparation students bring to college from different kinds of schools. Before entering my student teaching placement, I gauged my comfort in a public school setting by volunteering with a literacy-focused organization in West Philadelphia. We started a school newspaper with a group of 5th-8th grade students at a local elementary school, which turned out to be an eye-opening initiation in urban education. We were not teachers and couldn't discipline the students, which created a challenging environment—there was a bloody fight within the first week. The aftermath of this fight gave me a window into the complicated emotional math teachers engage in as they try to ensure the wellbeing of all of their students, both "victims" and "perpetrators," a complex negotiation I experienced firsthand in my own in service placement.
There are many challenges faced by students and teachers in Philly public schools today, and I didn't embark on this career path lightly. I have seen the vast discrepancies in preparation students bring to college from different kinds of schools. Before entering my student teaching placement, I gauged my comfort in a public school setting by volunteering with a literacy-focused organization in West Philadelphia. We started a school newspaper with a group of 5th-8th grade students at a local elementary school, which turned out to be an eye-opening initiation in urban education. We were not teachers and couldn't discipline the students, which created a challenging environment—there was a bloody fight within the first week. The aftermath of this fight gave me a window into the complicated emotional math teachers engage in as they try to ensure the wellbeing of all of their students, both "victims" and "perpetrators," a complex negotiation I experienced firsthand in my own in service placement.
Most of our club members had trouble writing and reading, let alone mastering the finer points of journalism. The school was barren, the janitor overworked, and the teachers tired. Yet their sincere commitment to the students was obvious, and vice versa, and this was made even clearer when the school's closing was announced in the middle of the year. I was humbled by the teacher's efforts to fight for the school on top of their other responsibilities. Our second issue of the paper was an investigation into the school closures as well as a celebration of the school's history; it was a testament to both the school community and the student's progress over the course of the club.
My experience at at this school was simultaneously heartbreaking and galvanizing, ultimately strengthening my decision to pursue teaching English at the high school level. This commitment has only been strengthened after a tumultuous year of student teaching. Reading and writing have opened my mind and enabled me to articulate my ideas and engage with the world. A desire to help my students see writing as a valuable, authentic, and enjoyable process inspired this inquiry project and drives it forward. I hope that through a close examination of my practice and the experiences and work of my students, I will better understand how to serve them in the future. |
Student drawing in protest of the school's closing, published in the student newspaper's farewell issue
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