The Learning Curve
“Look at Egypt…”
This instigated the 55 minute self-facilitated debate that got my 122 eighth graders so impassioned that they turned an organized 22 foot-wide circle into a 5 foot-wide huddle in under an hour. The huddled group of students were throwing out examples to support their positions that included Egypt's organization through the net, pornography, cyber bullying, digital justice, trust in one's government, internet addiction, wikileaks, freedom of speech, net neutrality, the origin of the net, necessary factors for a healthy democracy, fictional literary examples, historical examples, etc.
For 55 minutes, I sat in the back of the classroom and transcribed student speech (which was projected in real...
The film delved into the world of competitive, even exclusive schooling and the need to always be better, do more, and be perfect. Students in the film spoke about health issues, self-esteem issues, suicides in their communities and their feeling of overwhelming gloom. What was it all for?
However, my close friends and I found ourselves perplexed by the film. It seemed, number one, that the film really focused on a small elite minority of communities where access to exclusive everything is the norm....
I always like to read 2-3 books at a time because I easily become worked up when I read great books so I need to temper my cathartic outbursts by switching reads. I've recently had the above experience reading The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner and simultaneously reading Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It was a mistake to read these two books at the same time; there was no escaping maniacal readings.
In the non-fiction corner, Wagner's book is a look into how even the best schools in the U.S. are failing to prepare...
Yes, this has become my classroom philosophy since I discovered my students' absolute fear of failure/fear of not getting the "right" answer--a condition some French researchers are calling "intellectual timorousness" (read this article for more information on the French's "Festival of Failures").
Out of 130 students, 127 of them have "F's" in my class three weeks into the school year. As my last entry explained, the default grade in my ELA class is a "C"; however, after my first pre-assessment, it was discovered that the majority of students have skills below grade level or worse, are limited to basic memorizing and regurgitation. In other words, they lack...
Things quickly got heavy with my new eighth graders as soon as I passed out the class syllabus which contains the following paragraphs (selected because they caused the loudest sighs of exasperation and/or shouts of defiance from my students):
and...
...
It was never my intent to move around in education as much as I have, but life is funny that way. I officially decided to resign from the public school system that I've waited six years to get into simply because I discovered a school that rocked my world.
The school is part of a national network of charter schools that not only talk about getting kids out and learning in the "real world" but actually build their schools inside public spaces (like museums and art colleges). My school is built into the first 3 floors of an art college where students in grades sixth through twelfth interact with faculty and college students in this prestigious art school in Detroit.
So what hooked me? Aside from living the public schools in public places philosophy, the...
For our workshop, I've invited several students to help facilitate the break-out session of our presentation. I selected students who over the years have demonstrated the product of true liberating education. And what's the litmus test? I am getting wind that these students are getting in trouble in other classes for speaking up for themselves.
This is music to my ears because as our theory of action outlines:
"To combat the rigidity of dysfunctional school environments and didactic...
This woman's emphatic declaration reminded me of a situation in my classroom this semester.
I have my students write reflection journals for the first ten minutes of class. On the first day, I discuss with my students the possibility of their opinions not being their own.
"Nobody tells me what to think or do."
"Yeah right--I don't follow anyone. They follow me."
"What? How's that even possible?"
"This is dumb."
Such is the start of this conversation with my students. I ask them to tell me what the first word that comes to mind when they think of the word "terrorist." They all scream, "ARAB!"
I then ask them to tell me who the best singer is...
What moved me about this student-led protest is that at such a young age, these students recognize how to magnify their power through unity against a single injustice: school cuts that compromise their education. From one Facebook invitation to protest these cuts that pulled their injustice triggers, 18,000 students were moved to the streets with signs and their voices.
Now, this injustice trigger--a trigger that instantly moves us to action--is something...
What does this have to do with democratic education? It's a clear sign that the type of education they were getting was anything but. I remember reading Ain't No Makin' It by Jay MacLeod and it was in this book that I first learned about how acts of disobedience can sometimes be a way for someone to regain or attain power he/she has lost. This made me look at gum chewing, skipping, cursing, graffiti, and now sink-pulling in a whole different light.
When students respect what the institution they are in stands for,...
Posted on Feb 13, 2011 - 01:29 AM by Ammerah Saidi
The statement on the board read, "The government should censor what is on the internet."This instigated the 55 minute self-facilitated debate that got my 122 eighth graders so impassioned that they turned an organized 22 foot-wide circle into a 5 foot-wide huddle in under an hour. The huddled group of students were throwing out examples to support their positions that included Egypt's organization through the net, pornography, cyber bullying, digital justice, trust in one's government, internet addiction, wikileaks, freedom of speech, net neutrality, the origin of the net, necessary factors for a healthy democracy, fictional literary examples, historical examples, etc.
For 55 minutes, I sat in the back of the classroom and transcribed student speech (which was projected in real...
Read More... 3 Comments
Purpose of Life and SchoolingPosted on Jan 11, 2011 - 09:25 PM by Ammerah Saidi
Purpose. It's a word that has been thrown around in conversations I've been in or observed for weeks now. It became most pronounced lately after viewing the movie, Race to Nowhere ; a film directed by Vicki H. Abeles, a mother concerned with the pace of her children's schooling.The film delved into the world of competitive, even exclusive schooling and the need to always be better, do more, and be perfect. Students in the film spoke about health issues, self-esteem issues, suicides in their communities and their feeling of overwhelming gloom. What was it all for?
However, my close friends and I found ourselves perplexed by the film. It seemed, number one, that the film really focused on a small elite minority of communities where access to exclusive everything is the norm....
Read More... 0 Comments
A Tree Grows in the GapPosted on Dec 31, 2010 - 03:25 PM by Ammerah Saidi
Have you ever read something alone in a room and found yourself verbally shouting out "YES!" and "SO TRUE!" and gesticulating your passion for the truth before you like a maniac (because, after all, you are shouting and throwing up your arms alone in a room)?I always like to read 2-3 books at a time because I easily become worked up when I read great books so I need to temper my cathartic outbursts by switching reads. I've recently had the above experience reading The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner and simultaneously reading Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It was a mistake to read these two books at the same time; there was no escaping maniacal readings.
In the non-fiction corner, Wagner's book is a look into how even the best schools in the U.S. are failing to prepare...
Read More... 1 Comments
“F” is Like a Bad Boyfriend…Posted on Oct 04, 2010 - 08:40 PM by Ammerah Saidi
"What do you mean my child needs to love the 'F' she has in your class?" asked a very concerned parent of mine last week.Yes, this has become my classroom philosophy since I discovered my students' absolute fear of failure/fear of not getting the "right" answer--a condition some French researchers are calling "intellectual timorousness" (read this article for more information on the French's "Festival of Failures").
Out of 130 students, 127 of them have "F's" in my class three weeks into the school year. As my last entry explained, the default grade in my ELA class is a "C"; however, after my first pre-assessment, it was discovered that the majority of students have skills below grade level or worse, are limited to basic memorizing and regurgitation. In other words, they lack...
Read More... 1 Comments
“Man, this class is pugnacious!”Posted on Sep 11, 2010 - 04:33 PM by Ammerah Saidi
I saw my students for the first-time this past week. I've been preparing for their arrival, metaphysically, since man was first created; philosophically, since I was born; and officially since teacher training started on August 16th Things quickly got heavy with my new eighth graders as soon as I passed out the class syllabus which contains the following paragraphs (selected because they caused the loudest sighs of exasperation and/or shouts of defiance from my students):
*CRITICAL INFORMATION* “C” is the default grade for any assignment, NOT an “A” since an “A” means going over and beyond what is requested of the skill and requires further independent research from the student. See attached article for further explanation and reasoning for this grading practice.
and...
...
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Home at WorkPosted on Aug 28, 2010 - 12:25 AM by Ammerah Saidi
A new year--a new school.It was never my intent to move around in education as much as I have, but life is funny that way. I officially decided to resign from the public school system that I've waited six years to get into simply because I discovered a school that rocked my world.
The school is part of a national network of charter schools that not only talk about getting kids out and learning in the "real world" but actually build their schools inside public spaces (like museums and art colleges). My school is built into the first 3 floors of an art college where students in grades sixth through twelfth interact with faculty and college students in this prestigious art school in Detroit.
So what hooked me? Aside from living the public schools in public places philosophy, the...
Read More... 3 Comments
Because I’m a part of itPosted on Jun 15, 2010 - 10:25 PM by Ammerah Saidi
School has been out for a weekend now and as soon as the last bell of the school year rang, a couple of my friends and some of my students got right to work on our presentation for the U.S. Social Forum. Our presentation is called "Urban School Awakening: Critical Elements of Urban School Reform."For our workshop, I've invited several students to help facilitate the break-out session of our presentation. I selected students who over the years have demonstrated the product of true liberating education. And what's the litmus test? I am getting wind that these students are getting in trouble in other classes for speaking up for themselves.
This is music to my ears because as our theory of action outlines:
"To combat the rigidity of dysfunctional school environments and didactic...
Read More... 0 Comments
Inquiring Minds Want to KnowPosted on May 08, 2010 - 10:59 PM by Ammerah Saidi
"I have NEVER met a student who didn't want to learn--not one!" voiced a brilliant woman today at our Detroit IDEA launch party.This woman's emphatic declaration reminded me of a situation in my classroom this semester.
I have my students write reflection journals for the first ten minutes of class. On the first day, I discuss with my students the possibility of their opinions not being their own.
"Nobody tells me what to think or do."
"Yeah right--I don't follow anyone. They follow me."
"What? How's that even possible?"
"This is dumb."
Such is the start of this conversation with my students. I ask them to tell me what the first word that comes to mind when they think of the word "terrorist." They all scream, "ARAB!"
I then ask them to tell me who the best singer is...
Read More... 0 Comments
Pulling That Injustice TriggerPosted on Apr 29, 2010 - 08:45 PM by Ammerah Saidi
Now, I'm not one for protests, especially not protests that end after a one hour march around some political building with people going back to their homes feeling they've done their best. However, I was moved to read about the protests of thousands of students in New Jersey this week (read all about it in the NYTimes here).What moved me about this student-led protest is that at such a young age, these students recognize how to magnify their power through unity against a single injustice: school cuts that compromise their education. From one Facebook invitation to protest these cuts that pulled their injustice triggers, 18,000 students were moved to the streets with signs and their voices.
Now, this injustice trigger--a trigger that instantly moves us to action--is something...
Read More... 3 Comments
They Literally Threw in the SinkPosted on Apr 18, 2010 - 10:35 PM by Ammerah Saidi
You know that line we say when someone goes overboard: "He threw in everything but the kitchen sink." Well, some boys at my school wanted to make sure to include the sink into whatever they were mixing because they ripped it out of the wall in one of their bathrooms.What does this have to do with democratic education? It's a clear sign that the type of education they were getting was anything but. I remember reading Ain't No Makin' It by Jay MacLeod and it was in this book that I first learned about how acts of disobedience can sometimes be a way for someone to regain or attain power he/she has lost. This made me look at gum chewing, skipping, cursing, graffiti, and now sink-pulling in a whole different light.
When students respect what the institution they are in stands for,...
Read More... 3 Comments