It's a Reunion!

I'm sure that it is clear to anyone who reads this blog that I miss aspects of working at The Storefront immensely.  This Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend the annual Student Art Exhibit and Cocktail Reception (which began as the Men's and Women's Art Show, under the leadership of former artist-in-residence Matthias Leutrum). 

It was wonderful to reunite with my former 6th and 7th graders, watch them articulately explain their artwork, and brag about their recent high-school acceptances.  The most fulfilling moment of the night for me was when Djemo (a sophomore at Berkshire School) told me that she and Johnese (a sophomore at Calhoun) quote Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man to each other as they excel at their respective schools.  "Play the game, but don't believe in it."

To donate to Storefront Academy click here.

(And by the way, Christopher Williams needs to remember that I am THE PRINCIPAL OF HIS LIFE, and always have my champagne on deck!)

What About Justice?

Here is what I was thinking about as I was in the shower this morning, "should I continue with my lesson on the geography of Ancient Greece or should I talk about Eric Garner?"  Since I am not planning on taking Chloe to any of the demonstrations happening around the city, I figured that this was my way of contributing to the struggle.  Below are brief descriptions of the two activities that I did with my students today.

What's Going on in this Photo?

Photos: Reuters

In the 6th grade we have been studying the concept of irony; irony can be difficult to identify and define for adults so I try to point out examples from real life as often as I can.  This lesson required students to do a close reading of a photograph in the same way they would do a close reading of a paragraph.  Students were instructed to do the following:

• Copy the definition of irony from the board.  List two examples of irony from short stories that we have read.
• Look at the following photograph, and describe what they think is going on.  Write down specific details that answer the following question words:

Who 

What 

When 

Where

Why

How

(Student responses to this were interesting; some students thought that the picture described a "riot," "mass suicide," or "meditation."  A small minority knew what was actually happening).

Next, students listened as I explained the death of Eric Garner and the Grand Jury's decision not to indict.  In my first class, many students were horrified, but were hesitant to say that race played a part in the killing or the decision not to indict. 

When I questioned them further and mentioned the recent Ferguson decision one person described it as a "coincidence," and referred to "black self-pity," while another began to talk about "black on black" crime.  When I invited them to think about why there were no black students in their class, one student indignantly asked "what about Justice?" referring to the single black student in the 6th grade (who is not even in our class.)  

I had to channel my inner Claire Huxtable this morning.  Photo: Tumblr

In my second class, students were outraged and  talked about hearing the protesters outside of their apartment buildings.  Finally, we tackled the issue of irony.   Students pointed out the the American Flag, black police officer, and the white protesters.

A Tale of Two Speeches

Photo: The New York Post

This lesson was an effective way to have students identify main idea, summarize, and analyze tone and body language in public speeches.  Students were instructed to:

• Watch Mayor de Blasio's speech reacting to the decision not to indict Eric Garner.
• Write four bullet points summarizing the main points of the speech.
• Watch President Obama's speech reacting to the decision not to indict Eric Garner.
• Write four bullet points summarizing the main ideas of the speech.
• Write a persuasive paragraph explaining why one speech was more effective than the other, taking both content and delivery into account.  

According to the 6th grade, there was not a clear winner, but both men were critiqued for not offering any concrete solutions.   Personally, I thought that de Blasio gave the better speech.  Quite ironic; don't you think?

Scholars and Chefs

Although we fancy ourselves food critics, Carol and I are both Middle School English teachers. I have worked at The Children's Storefront School in Harlem for the past ten years. Located in three brownstones on 129th Street, The Storefront is unique because it is the only tuition free independent school in the city. 

Dress-Up Day at The Storefront began three years ago when a fellow teacher, Juliana Garofalo, and I decided that we needed to inject some positive energy into the week before Winter Break. Anyone who works in a school knows that the days before a long break can be marked by exhaustion and anxiety.  Somehow our small idea turned into a feast that continues to remind us of the creativity and dedication of our students, parents, and faculty. 

Students in grades five through eight were given two expectations. The first was that they dress up (because school is always a special occasion), and the second was that they recruit their peers to bring enough food so that the fabulous women in our cafeteria could have a well deserved break. 

This year our students, lead by the 8th grade, truly outdid themselves. They planned, executed, and printed menus. They set up family style tables, and some even stayed up late cooking and baking for their classmates. 

Although, The Storefront is over 85 percent black, the variety of food represented the diversity of cultures in our community.  Students shared dishes such as vegetarian empanadas, yellow rice, hoppin' john, curry chicken, pasta salad, fresh fruit, and of course, cornbread. 

This year, Dress Up Day provided students the opportunity to bond with their teachers in a unique way. One teacher told me about waking up on the couch at midnight and running to the store to purchase ingredients for the macaroni and cheese he promised to provide for the banquet. Another teacher, who is known to be a stern disciplinarian, delighted the students with his pineapple pudding. (See the recipe below).

Today was a great day; watching our students develop the confidence that comes from envisioning a project and carrying it through to fruition was priceless. But now I am ready for vacation . . .

To learn more about The Children's Storefront please visit:  http://www.thechildrensstorefront.org/

Pineapple Pudding (The Official Dessert of the Math Department)

2 Cans Crushed Pineapple

12 Slices White Bread  (crust removed and cubed)

1 ¾ Cup Sugar

2 Sticks Melted Butter

8     Eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix butter and sugar.

3. Add eggs one at a time.

4. Add pineapple and juice.

5. Mix in bread.

6. Put cinnamon on top.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until knife comes out dry.