Since my first 102 Faculty meeting, I have not deviated in my words or actions in communicating what I consider as 102’s chief objective: to be a factory that mass produces kind, compassionate human beings that by 8th grade have already internalized the power and joy of caring for others, and can’t be anything but. The recognizance that they may be outliers among peers should we succeed is unfortunate, but even today in world where self-indulgence is the name of the game, we already need to have a bit of a rebellious streak just to be kind.
And I always thought it was Think for Yourself so you can care for others.
An incident Friday left me seething over the weekend. A female student alleged that a male peer inappropriately touched her as they were walking as a class, and she said it wasn’t the first time. But that’s not the most infuriating: it’s thinking about the inadequate reactions from bystanders that keep me up at night. In this case, the alleged victim said a group of by-standing boys joked and laughed as the event unfolded, and no one interceded.
Whether intentional or not, this is emotional/mental abuse at its purest form: force a victim into a position they never wanted, shame them for it to chip away their self-worth, and repeat the cycle so much that the victim no longer see themselves as worthy of better circumstances.
The rapidity in which the hopelessness and the poor self-image/self-worth bind to the individual is terrifying. It is paramount that should we witness the deliberate demeaning of any individual we must respond fast and respond decisively. Our students look to us as moral authorities and both our actions and in-action have lasting consequences. Love and kindness is not something you can teach via an online course or by using a textbook; love spreads only through experiences, not flash cards and Khan Academy and multiple choice tests.
Our students depend on us to provide them these experiences because the world they inhabit afterschool–the online one–is hardly a bastion of compassion and moral righteousness.
We can’t control what happens in the greater world, on and offline. In 102, however, we will do whatever it takes to nurture kindness by eliminating anything opposite. And that’s an unchanging and unyielding expectation.
HIGHLIGHTS
Sheerin: This week, as class 3-227 deliberated the day’s TG, Ms. Wright reminded students to use language appropriate for class discussions. They used statements such as “This statement is true/false because…;” “I agree/disagree with…because…;” and “I see it differently. The way I approached it was…” While the TG elicited students’ content knowledge, Ms. Wright’s expectations for discussion pushed them to explain their ideas clearly and succinctly, as well as ensuring they listened to one another and built on each other’s ideas.
Weinstein: The 8th Grade team of Ms. Arlequin. Ms. Eliades, Ms. Gaffan, Ms. Green and Ms. Zecca pulled off another fantastic spirit week. Students and teachers came together to celebrate all week with events that culminated in our Friday afternoon Pep Rally. Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to the 8th grade students and thank you to all of the staff who also participated. It’s what 102 is all about!
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Drills: Mr. Borelli sent out a reminder of drills and the description and purpose of each. Post this adjacent or directly on your classroom door by Friday COB. Students are reporting that teachers are confused what to do in each instance, please help us ensure this never happens again.
Absences: Thank you for requesting personal days in advance, and I’ve respected these requests accordingly as promised. In case of a need for an emergency sick day, I do request that you show our team the same respect in shooting me cc’ing your AP a one-sentence email letting us know. Many have been doing so and we deeply appreciate it.
2:50PM: We are anticipating great things tomorrow, and we want to make sure we get some photo ops at the end of the end as a group. I am asking all staff to release at 2:50PM tomorrow, and the 20 minutes you stay tomorrow can be taken off Wednesday, meaning we dismiss staff at 3:05PM November 1st. Please let me know should you need clarification or accommodations.
Observations: TGs manifest itself in planning 1E, questioning 3B, intellectual engagement 3C, and assessment 3D, and is now an embedded element in all observation feedback. We will start TG workshops in November, and our expectations is that the TG are thoughtfully designed to push students to think about specific, focused thinking points to connect pieces of prior knowledge, leading to the desired learning. Post-ob feedback meetings have led to real and and productive growth opportunity, and you should always check-in with APs and myself should you see something we may have missed in the report
Costumes Contest: Can’t wait. Be amazing.
mrkobot.com 