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ELLEN
BERG
Diary #31
Americorps Made the Difference for Us!
Teachers,
we cannot work in isolation. We need administrators, other teachers, and
partnerships with other agencies to be successful with all of our kids.
We cannot do it alone, and we do not have all the answers. In order to
reach and teach all of our kids, we need the assistance of parents, community
groups, and other agencies, as we planned and staged our schoolwide poetry
slam. I needed Americorps!
Dear Joe
Donlin, Meg Hoester,
and
the rest of Americorps,
As you know,
today we held our first annual (!) Turner Middle School poetry slam. It
was a lot of hard work, but in the end it was worth it.
Joe knows I
am always looking for the lesson in everything. What went well, what could
be improved, what should change the next time. I wanted to share with you
a few of my reflections and my most sincere gratitude for your hard work
and dedication.
Teachers cannot
do this work alone. We are indebted to your selfless dedication, drive,
patience, and creativity. Yes, we work hard in our classrooms; yes, we get
results, but the results are not as far-reaching as they are with your assistance.
With only the
promise of tuition assistance and a meager wage, you enter our building
every day asking only, "How can I serve?" You work with the unlovable, the
challenging, the most at-risk students at our school. You work with the
kids teachers give up on or don't have time for—and you get results.
I have had the
privilege of watching the Americorps machine at work. I brought you an idea—a
school-wide poetry slam—and you ran with it. You contacted local slam
poets and a DJ, and you set up meaningful workshops for our kids. You called
in Americorps members from other schools, and I watched in awe as everyone
banded together to take up some part of the task during the event. You encouraged
the shy, critiqued when necessary, and generally lifted up the kids in your
charge. From a nervous group you formed a proud, confident cadre of poets.
For me, the
idea of the poetry slam centered on the idea that our kids can do more than
their test scores and grades reflect. They are articulate, intelligent,
competent young people who—until this point—have not had the opportunity
to be recognized for their talents. We have to provide recognition for the
things we really value, and we did it today.
I salute your
work, your dedication, and your passion. Over the past year you have taught
me lessons I could not have learned elsewhere. You have impacted our students'
lives in ways we could never hope to all alone.
I think of Lesaundra,
who is on the verge of becoming a selective mute, who has twice joined the
stage to share her talents.
There's Dominick,
who wanted to quit yesterday trying to hide his nervousness, who won first
place in the slam and absolutely beamed. You wouldn't allow him the option
of quitting.
I remember Jasmine,
who has a real gift for words but a shyness about her. Today she got on
stage and was recognized for her talent.
And then there's
Latrice and Shylia, sixth graders who respectively won second and third
place. These are girls who previously found strength in socialization and
boys, but today were recognized for their strength of mind, their strength
of language.
Finally, I think
of Jhmari. Jhmari who has done little or nothing this year. Jhmari who is
going to repeat the sixth grade. Jhmari who wrote, revised, and performed—expertly—his
own poem in front of the entire school.
There are many
more kids I could mention whose lives you have touched. I love these kids,
I get frustrated with these kids, and sometimes I want to give up on these
kids, and that's where you pick up.
It is not possible
for teachers to do this all alone. As long as I have wanted to see this
poetry slam happen, it was not possible until Americorps joined our staff
and picked up the slack. I simply do not have enough left in me at the end
of a day of classroom management, instruction, and endless paperwork to
be able to pull off an event like this alone. You orchestrated this masterfully,
and I learned from you.
We need you,
and if no one else has told you, we appreciate you. I appreciate you.
Sincerely,
Ellen J. Berg
Communication Arts Department Chair
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