Warned it would be a crazy lastweek. many of the kids dinna like their home lives, so - bizzarely, y'know - they hate when school ends. Even when we load the kids on the bus to go home, many act out just cause they want to stay. True. However, I have had some of the best experiences this week - I deemphesized the scholarly aspect and heightened other aspects. F.ex., the book most classes are reading is Monster by Walter Dean Myers. It involves a trial of a 16yr old boy possibly involved in a murder/stickup in a NYC bodega. More than just a trial transcript - scenes of beatings and rape in prison as the kid is held there. So, I started the talk about "eating dinner @ frenz house ..... saw a movie .... involved a war between Irekand and England .... so guys, these were soldiers, and determined to prosecute the war inside the prison .... they got letters and messages out ..... how did they do it?" ..... "So, the English eventually found out what they were doing.... how did they stop it?" "Good. Good. Good." "O.K., these is one thing the guards did...... this is another the guards did....they had the prisoners 'run the guantlet', which reminds me of when I played @ St. Rita football (careful no mention that the 'St. Rita' team is not in fact the high school team - a high profile thing in Chicago - and not the grammer school team I actually played for - a high profile thing only in the Old Neighbourhood)" and us running backs (careful to mention that I was a running back and not on the line -I touched the ball and not just blocked - any boy recognizes the higher profile of that) had to run between a gang of players each trying to strip us of the ball - it helped us not to fumble and so help our whole team - this is what happened also to the soldiers in prison - they'd beat the hell out of these guys and then ..... "
Eventually it leads back to the book.
"So, these guys in prison - these are the conditions dese guys live under. So, in the book, there's the second witness Zinzi ..... why is this guy testifying when he has nothing to do w. the crime? Ok, so he wants to avoind being raped. If you were under these conditions, would y testify to get in better conditions? Yeah? But - and here's the whole deal of it - can y believe Zinzi? Would you? And, that's kinda the point of this book - y are to act as the jury, and........"
A deep learning process for me. Real deep. Helps that Gallo helps as well, Hunger and that. Bless you, sir. Sorta like he sent the puck cross ice rite to me in front of the net to Secord it in. Goal, his ___ of the year, scored by #51, Virgil Hilts. Assist by #___ , Vincent Gallo. @ 18.15 of the First Period. The "Vee Line" scores again.
Thursday and Friday were basically given over to the grand attempt to calm the kids down and prevent fites and 'running the halls.' Yup, this is the kinda school I'm @. And, I love it. On friday, my whole body was almost totally destroyed by the strain and the wane of energy. Terrible toll this place exacts. In truth, it's a school un;ike any other in cps. School has a long history - the principle, deep love of this place as this is her last year here after decades - the Peace Corps for her next year - likes the repeat the mantra that "This school was special before the was special ed." Luckily Friday was ok - it took about 5-6- 7 -8 minutes of concentrated action to corral the kids into their classrooms - the second floor, man, just loves to play that shit, and this day was additionally not 'corral friendly' but after that it was kool. Pizza parties, school musical show to take us thru' the AM, then chill went the afternoon.
I was totally beat. The whole year so far has been so fucking unlike my experince. Ive been full time @ horribly challenged schools - but each kid here is a shockinhg world to themselves. Iw as warned, but always pointed to my Second Lieutenantt bars on my collar : "I have been in battle and led charges across machinegun swept fields". But this schools a trip. And I recognize how lucky I am. Again, for the millionth time, there is the opportunity here to call out to my men, in the words of Winters: "Follow Me!"
Eventually it leads back to the book.
"So, these guys in prison - these are the conditions dese guys live under. So, in the book, there's the second witness Zinzi ..... why is this guy testifying when he has nothing to do w. the crime? Ok, so he wants to avoind being raped. If you were under these conditions, would y testify to get in better conditions? Yeah? But - and here's the whole deal of it - can y believe Zinzi? Would you? And, that's kinda the point of this book - y are to act as the jury, and........"
A deep learning process for me. Real deep. Helps that Gallo helps as well, Hunger and that. Bless you, sir. Sorta like he sent the puck cross ice rite to me in front of the net to Secord it in. Goal, his ___ of the year, scored by #51, Virgil Hilts. Assist by #___ , Vincent Gallo. @ 18.15 of the First Period. The "Vee Line" scores again.
Thursday and Friday were basically given over to the grand attempt to calm the kids down and prevent fites and 'running the halls.' Yup, this is the kinda school I'm @. And, I love it. On friday, my whole body was almost totally destroyed by the strain and the wane of energy. Terrible toll this place exacts. In truth, it's a school un;ike any other in cps. School has a long history - the principle, deep love of this place as this is her last year here after decades - the Peace Corps for her next year - likes the repeat the mantra that "This school was special before the was special ed." Luckily Friday was ok - it took about 5-6- 7 -8 minutes of concentrated action to corral the kids into their classrooms - the second floor, man, just loves to play that shit, and this day was additionally not 'corral friendly' but after that it was kool. Pizza parties, school musical show to take us thru' the AM, then chill went the afternoon.
I was totally beat. The whole year so far has been so fucking unlike my experince. Ive been full time @ horribly challenged schools - but each kid here is a shockinhg world to themselves. Iw as warned, but always pointed to my Second Lieutenantt bars on my collar : "I have been in battle and led charges across machinegun swept fields". But this schools a trip. And I recognize how lucky I am. Again, for the millionth time, there is the opportunity here to call out to my men, in the words of Winters: "Follow Me!"
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