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One Journey through the Deep South
The softness of the twilight on that particular summer’s evening, my first in the Delta, still brings a chill. I am reminded of what I brought – the optimism and naïveté packed neatly in the trunk, the resilience riding shotgun, and the humor asleep in the backseat. I brought all I had, and my intent was to leave as much of it here as possible, to give it away.
I was twenty-two, and I had never felt a greater sense of assuming one’s proper time and place.
That night, a conversation with a good friend wandered to the subject of our futures, as we had no past to speak of in this Delta. We sought direction for our new lives.
“Either two years or ten,” I said.
“I’m not so sure,” he said, hemming.
The remainder escapes me, but it illustrates the tension well – the tension between doing what is expected and…
While I continue to gather my thoughts on this year, I thought it would be best to post a reflection I had the privilege of sharing at this year’s Sponsor A Teacher event. For those who might not know, Sponsor A Teacher is a program that allows regional supporters of Teach For America to contribute…
read more »If you had been inside the mind of one of my students this week, you might have heard one of the following thoughts: Lorenzo Why is Mr. Starkey replacing the first letter of everybody’s names with the letter B? Her name is Maniyah, not Baniyah? What?! My name is not Borenzo! What is wrong with…
read more »The end of the year is breathing down my neck here in Clarksdale, and with it comes the expectation that I’ve actually prepared my students for third grade. This is for the most part true, with the exception of a few items we need to review and the dreaded three-digit subtraction with and without regrouping.…
read more »From this afternoon. Zhartez approaches my desk with a question on Place Value. After helping him, I decide to ask a big question. “Zhartez, do you remember how you used to tell me all the time that you weren’t smart?” “Yes, sir.” “That doesn’t happen anymore, does it?” He looked down and smiled. “No, sir.”…
read more »Yesterday, Shonda brought a lunch to school. Not only is this a first for her, I’ve NEVER had a student bring in a lunch. What’s more, I’ve never seen ANY CHILD bring a lunch to our school, as our school has a high percentage of students who receive free and reduced price lunch, and any…
read more »With more time on my hands over Spring Break, there are three topics in particular I want to discuss – the difficulty I’m currently experiencing in relating to the teacher I was last year, what it means to do meaningful work and how that could/will influence my job decisions in the next few years, and…
read more »I wasn’t sure it was possible to get so close to both high- and low-water marks with eight-year olds on the same day, but that’s exactly what happened today. In the morning, an announcement notified us that the fifth graders were taking the state science test and consequently we would need to be extra quiet.…
read more »Apparently, my classroom is doubling as a talent incubator for a militant wing of Greenpeace. At least that’s what I’m inclined to think after Aubreanna wrote our mayor the following blunt, impromptu letter regarding the need for a Clarksdale recycling program. IF YOU DON’T GIVE US RECYCLE! I AM GOING TO CAME AND GET YOU!…
read more »The sun is getting low outside my classroom. The hallways, no longer abuzz with the sounds of questions and answers, echo at the sound of any voice, large or small. Day 113 at Myrtle Hall IV Elementary in Clarksdale, MS is in the grade books. My short drive home provides a brief moment to reflect.…
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