It's a pleasure to be back in this "space" exchanging thoughts on teaching and learning with another group of Smithies. In the wilderness of my days, where it's demanded that we be alert, resourceful, and not stray too far from the compass, this is a sort of meditation. So thank you for a second year.
My name is Marina Galazidis and while I'm a NYC native, I had scant exposure to public schools while growing up. After getting my BA (English) from Bowdoin I was looking towards an MFA, or magazine writing at the very least, but was instead enlisted to work as a 3rd grade teacher at my alma mater, Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn. My first day of teaching was September 11, 2001. Sometime shortly after that I realized that I had arrived, in a sense. I spent 3 happy years at St. Ann's but really chaffed under some characteristics of both lower school and private school. I was also living just over an income level which would have made me eligible for food stamps. Oh the uncomfortable irony.
I can't even think about Smith without a hundred effusive adjetives, so let's fast forward to the High School of Arts and Technology @ Martin Luther King Jr. where I have been a 10th, 11th, and 12th grade English teacher (etc!) and Adviser for 3 years. As the large, underperforming schools were dissolved largely via a Klein initiative -- and MLK had an awful reputation made worse by a murder -- small, specialized schools like Arts and Tech opened on these "campuses" Because we have remained comparatively small and because I am now, remarkably, senior faculty, my responsiblities extend into quasi-administrative areas such as programing, policy building, and, most significantly, curriculum development. My pet project this year was to start a chapter of the National Honors Society and design an Honors English class. These students are like the fantasy draft picks of the school, balanced by my other senior class aptly called "Recovery" that's populated by all of the special education and ELL students as well as students who either need to make up English credit or did not pass the English Regents. My genuine affection extends to both of these classes and comparison is unreasonable, but for the purposes of this project I think this aspect of my schedule epitomizes the distance that urban teachers must span and I hope there's more opportunity to talk about this type of disparity in skill, motivation, parental involvement, etc. But I won't get ahead of myself.
Talk to you all soon!
To the NYC Chalkboard
8 comments:
Dear Marina--
This is a wonderful post. So thoughtful and beautifully written. In terms of the course, it will take a few days for me to get the technology operative with the our students, so you may not see comments until next Tuesday. You-- as always-- have given us lots to think and talk about.
Two pieces we'll be taking on this semester that come up in the post:
a. the attrition rate and high turnover of teachers-- you address this when you note that you 'senior faculty'
b. the impetus and design of the small school movement...
as always-- extraordinarily grateful to you for your commitment to the us and your work...
with respect,
sam intrator
Dear Marina,
Your dedication to education is palpable and inspiring. I really look forward to reading your posts and keeping in contact with you throughout the semester. I hope the start of the year has gone well for you and the members of your school community!
Katie Donovan
I enjoyed reading your post. It's great to communicate with Smithies who are actually out in the world doing what we are preparing to do. I look forward to meeting with you, and hearing more details about what makes up a typical "day in the life".
"Senior faculty" indeed - very cool, Marina. As Sam said, it does bring up the salient topic of turnover rates. Great to read your first post. It seems like you have quite a year in front of you, full of new responsibilities. I am especially interested to learn more about what you have encountered with the votech schools around you that you mentioned briefly - what you think of their goals, how they differ from "small schools," etc. Looking forward to hearing more from you, thanks for the great entry.
Best,
Eliza Bryant
Dear Marina,
Thank you for such an indepth look at your whirlwind teaching career. It always amazes me that educators can wear so many hats.
It is apparent that your devotion and dedication to the equal opportunity for education for all children act as a personal and commendable 'steering' committee that so many children will benefit from.
Thank you so much for taking the time and energy to enrich our educational experience this semester.
Best,
Eileen Woodward- Ada '08
Hi Marina,
I am happy to be corresponding with you this semester! I am very excited that you will be creating an Honors English class at your school. I remember how beneficial the Honors Program was for me in High School- it made such a difference for me and I can anticipate positive outcomes for your students too, I hope to see the program grow and I am sure you will be very successful in allowing that to happen. You certainly have your plate full, but everything you are doing is appreciated. I am excited to see how things go for you this semester! Good luck!!
An interesting topic that you bring up, Marina is the idea of compromising experiences and attitudes in a teaching career. How can teachers integrate their experiences (however different, i.e. Smith or working at a private school in New York) with their practice as is (at the school and with the students you are with now). How much of teaching is personal, and how much of it is private? The struggle to compromise and understand the personal and private world is one that I am incredibly interested and very frightened of.
Thank you so much for your post, I hope to hear more in the future.
-Abbi
As sam and ebryant mention is amazing to think of the hig turn over rate in urban schools making you senior faculty after 3 years.
It must have been challenging to start teaching on September 11th. It makes you jump right in.
You bring up so many interesting and crucial things to think about with urban education.
I can't wait to hear more about all the great work you are doing.
Post a Comment