Schuyler’s blog

Teaching is really different.  i heard once mentioned before, "...you're so used to being good at everything..."  Teaching is hard.  The semester began way back on August 6; it is now November 17.  My thoughts about teaching have certainly changed.  As i was told, the teacher is never a finished product, i sometimes wonder have i even begun to take shape yet.  One day you are up, very high up, seconds later, you feel like you beneath it all in the center of the Earth somewhere.  Being a good teacher is hard to do.  At the same time, i would like to think i am the best high school science teacher in the world.
In my classes, the students know, already, we are going to do work.  They also know Coach Huff is going to give them some really good information that they have not been exposed to before.  As the days go by, some students may think things have become monotonous.  i then swiftly step in to save the day and their educational experience and have lab.  The lab is the best thing that could ever happen in Coach Huff's class.  Many of my students had not been in a science lab before being taken to the lab by me.  During lab, their faces are overwhelmed with joy and excitement.  The feeling even rubbed off on me...i felt as though i really had done something right and changed at least one students' view on science.  Every since the first lab experience the students have been begging for yet another laboratory expedition.
Having class in Oxford was not as bad as one might think.  Of course the tests we have in science are rigorous, but the rest is really the most helpful.  In the morning we had time to vent and speak of successes in our classes and then we gradually moved on to other activity.  The weekend of the group discussions was amazing, if only i could trust first semester freshmen to get so much out of well guided group discussion...we will see what second semester hold for them and their chances.  Another intriguing class activity we had was of Ben's short film or documentary.  Ben did a very nice job of presenting the facts.  After seeing his documentary i was astonished at how the University  and fraternity could allow such an injustice to happen.  Still at this day and age, there are people who work, work, work and receive minimal compensation, whereas their work is virtually essential to the University or a specific group (fraternity) of students.  If they were not so important, why not have the dorm mother do all the cooking at the same pay rate, minus the gas mileage she is paid and without the health insurance?
Class is fun.  We exchange great ideas for class in our Advance Methods in Science Teaching and enjoy timeless stories in the a.m. with Dr. Monroe.  This first semester has been a whirlwind...teaching, coaching and being a student myself is not easy...but hey, i once heard someone say, "anything worth having...you have got to work for it"  Nothing is easy, and no one is going to give me anything.  One day all of the hard work, late nights and graded papers as well as blogs will finally pay off.

i am thankful.

At a time such as this, with mention of more than 1400 schools of education, most are said to be operating at a mediocre level.  Mediocrity in education is not acceptable, much less in teaching.  A very, very long time ago i was taught that mediocrity is NOT acceptable.  In this day and age, education is not what it was 20 years ago, 10 years ago or even 4 years ago.  Now education is shaped by this new technological era and technical ways of doing things.  The education that i received back in secondary school is not as comparable to the education of those now in secondary school.  At the same time, it does not mean that the education i received is meaningless, it only means that things change and advancements have been made.
President Barack Obama said it well, "education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity and success—it's a prerequisite to success."  Without an education, what can you do?  Sure there are some companies that will hire a person with little or minimal education but where would that lead you?  By getting the wonderful education i received at Millsaps College i am now where i am today. 
Every student is entitled to "free and appropriate" education but a lot of things must be done to ensure equality in public education.  i did receive a public education until i was enlightened to the wonderful world of private education.
Something that should receive a lot more attention is the retention of the students.  Many, much too many students leave high school before attaining the high school diploma.  If they do not have their diploma, then what do they have and what can be done?  Unless that students has some life changing invention for the world, it is going to be hard for him or her to survive in the world making a salary comparable with a person who does not finish high school.
Just as the retention of the student is important, retention of the teacher is also important.  Striking to me was the percentage of black males teaching in the public school system, at 2 percent.  Being able to relate to your teacher is important, too.  Not to say there were 48 percent more black male teachers and they all left abruptly but something ought to be done to aim more towards the minority teacher.  After getting the minority teacher, something should also be done to keep the minority teacher, too.
Some say compensation is not where it should be...the times have changed.  Inflation rates have soared whereas the salary of the professional teacher has been in hibernation seemingly.  Benefits are good but a much more competitive salary could attract and retain well qualified teachers.
It does not take a mission to Mars and a circumnavigation of the Earth to decipher what it take to produce an effective teacher.  Remember, a teacher is never a finished product, but the teacher can be adequately prepared to be in the classroom and effectively convey the material to students.  Along with an up to date teacher preparation program, a support mechanism for the new teacher is essential.  Teaching on any level is not something you do without thought or any planning.

Pete Nelson's class speech was quite interesting.  After meeting Mr. Nelson, i had a sense of what kind of person her was and he was interesting.  Back to the speech, he was hilarious.  If a person were to sit down to listen to his speech feeling down, Mr. Nelson would surely bring them UP!
Mr. Nelson made a lot of good points in his speech.  Speaking of the Mississippi Teacher Corps, he viewed some things in retrospect.  He spoke of Austin, who is a guru in Latin.  i cannot speak a word of Latin but listening to Mr. Nelson i began to want to learn Latin. it cannot be said enough that participation in the Mississippi Teacher Corps shapes a person.  He mentioned the struggles.  Being so used to be good at everything...working hard at school and getting an "A."  He even went as far as saying working so hard as a teaching could actually blow up in your face.  Teaching is hard.  Something that brought me back down to Earth was his mentioning of the death of one of his students due to a car crash.  Something that struck me, him being asked to speak at the funeral. The student and even the family thought well enough of him to have him speak at the funeral.  If such a thing were to happen to me, i would not know where to start.
Another thing mentioned was time.  Is this teaching thing really worth our time?  You can never get time back after it is gone.  We often spend so much of our time, doing for our students, planning and going that extra mile.  Mr. Nelson asked, is it worth it?
In addition to meeting his roommate, speaking Latin with him and the worth of our time, Mr. Nelson did, too mention that we, as teachers make a difference.  Day in and day out we teach.  Teach, teach teach and then sometimes no one gives teacher much credit but we are doing things that do actually make a difference in the lives of others.
Something i took  and began to realize after his mentioning is we are actually doing something rather than talking about it.  Many times people talk.  People say they are going to do this or want to do that but in the end all they are doing is talking.  As teachers, we wake up early, off to school prepared to shape the minds of the young people of Mississippi.  That in itself is a lot. 
Summing things up with William Winter was great.  Our worth as teachers, lets me know that even if we are not told each day, each month or each year that we are worth...the measure of the worth of our accomplishments is found in us bettering the lives of our students. 

It is my understanding that homework has been a staple in education dating back as far back as education can go.  After reading the articles on homework, my views have not changed.  Homework should be given in careful moderation.  Depending on the grade there should and should not be a certain amount of homework.  In primary school, homework should not consist of taking anywhere close to being an hour for even the slowest students.  When it comes to secondary school, the amount of home should increase.  In secondary school, students should work to prepare themselves for post secondary school.  In post secondary school, doing homework is imperative for success and should therefore be learned in secondary school.
i myself seldom give any homework that is to be turned in to me for a grade.  When homework is given it is to bring something for a class activity or to be studying for an upcoming test.  Study habits ought to be what homework is about in secondary school, too.  i quickly found out once i got into post secondary school, that i had absolutely no study habits.  Through careful perseverance i did finally learn how to study before it had become too late and i successfully completed my studies and attained my degree.
The idea of eliminating homework unless the student did not finish classwork is an excellent  idea.  i feel as though that was a very effective way of helping the students.  i especially agree that the body is important and good physical health correlates with good mental well being.  i would like to see the primary school my sister attends to adopt a similar policy before she leaves because the amount of homework per night is sheer punishment.  As if going through the school day is not enough, the students have to go home and do two more hours of school work.  As my mom one time said, "let children be children."  Children are going to want to play.  They do have tons of energy waiting to be released.
Yet and still, homework is important.  The level of education does matter.  If the students is in primary school only a minimal amount of homework should be found each day or only two or three days out of five, not four nights a week.  Before starting to teach, i thought i would be the teacher giving out homework each night.  Giving out work does also require that work to be graded, too.  The less work for me the better.  Maybe someday more schools than the one mentioned in Wyoming will abolish that primary school homework requirement.

I do not believe Mississippi is a third world country.  Mississippi is the place where i was born and raised.  That being said, i do believe Mississippi does have some tendencies.  There are a lot of really great things to be said and experience in this state.  People here are making strides in many areas of higher learning.  At the same time, there are some pockets of the state that are light years behind in terms of the Human Development Index.  Factors included in the HDI are social indicators, life expectancy, education, literacy and per capita GDP.  All those measures directly correlate with some of the issues that have plagued the Mississippi Delta for ages.
Growing up in this great state i have experienced many things.  For instance, some of those factors listed above may mean the the world to me but to others, it may not even be a word; it could be a conglomerate of letters.  i grew up in south Mississippi.  Deep south, there are not many cotton or soy bean fields down there but there is lots of pine trees.  Down south it is different.  i say so because i spent time in the delta.  During the summer as i grew up, i would stay with grandma.  During my many summers and extended winter holidays i learned a lot.  Seeing the way things worked up there was very different.  i could go as far as saying, seeing what was seen deep in the delta is somewhat responsible for what i am yet doing now.  Pursuing this education can help me to get a better job and be an effective provider to my family.
Mississippi is not a third world country even though the HDI is .799 with many states falling in the .900s.  Just because everyone in the state does not think as those in New York or Rhode Island does not mean this is a third world country.  Besides, everyone in the world does not go to college and become billionaires.  Some people have to do other things such as become nurses, plow the field to bring in our crops, police our streets and even stock the shelves at the local Piggly Wiggly.  Everyone has a place in society.  Everyone should also dream, and dream big, too.  Being from Mississippi should not put a ceiling over anyone's head.  People from Mississippi can do the same thing if not more than people from other areas of the United States. 
Besides what other third world country is known as the birthplace of the blues?

Byhalia is a very small community.  At first glance, it seems smaller than it actually is and quite frankly it is smaller.  There is exactly one stop light.  Though only one stop light, there is a few gas stations.  Speaking of the gas stations, it appears that one in particular is the hangout after the football games have ended.  That in itself should tell you, Byhalia is SMALL. 
i am a football coach so i meet a few people from time to time.  Each time i meet someone, it seems that they are kin folk or know the kin folk of everyone on the team.  After that comes the relation of me to them of the next person.  Living in Holly Springs is not too different.  One evening on my way into my apartment, i met a lady.  She was talking and talking and by the end of the conversation she said, "i can tell you're not from around here...you talk different."  Before that moment i did not notice.
In all honesty, i felt no different from from the people i see and come in contact with daily.  i take that back.  in all honesty, i felt as though we grew up in a similar situation.  Sure i did go to a private college but before i graduated high school i was working, playing football and scuffling to make it.  No two situations are the same but i am unsure about how different some situations may be...
One of the students i coach, after practice one day i saw tears in his eyes as he waited for a ride that seemed to never come.  Expressed was how much pressure was felt...i could understand.  At the same time, i said just worry about you, yourself.  What other people think and say is them and their opinion.  You do what you can do and do your best.  What others want you to do is not of relevance.
What i came to realize is that the students i teach and coach live a life like many others in different areas of Mississippi.  Working and attending school, living pay check to pay check.  The small community of Byhalia has already opened my eyes that much more...especially when students do not come to school because of teasing.  They wear uniforms but the shoes of this student were clearly worn past wear.  Other students have one pair of khakis and one navy polo which is worn each day.  i can tell.
Not that it took coming to Byhalia High School for me to be able to tell, but i am and have been blessed.

Byhalia High School is different.  My first two weeks of school have went well.  A teacher or two have told me, in the beginning, when students did not know me and needed to find my room, she would say, "look for the man in the bow tie." i found that to be quite interesting.  The man in the bow tie.  Additionally, i have become known to give out writing assignments quite freely.
Before i knew much about writing assignments, i thought i would be against them totally.  After our first two days of school, i gave out more writing assignments than i could count.  Word made it back to me that i was giving out too many and students began to attempt to get out of my class.  i was surprised.  i knew i would be hard on my students but i had no idea they would realize it so quickly.  Naturally i expect the best out of my students so i do hold them to the highest standards possible.
Waking up at 5:50am each morning has gotten old but by the time fourth period rolls around, i am good and i am on a roll. My first two weeks made me realize that maybe i am doing some things right...one day one of my students wore a tie.  The tie was not tied properly so as the rest of the students were working on their do now assignment, that student was instructed to come to the podium.  i taught him how to tie a tie right then and there in the classroom.  Little things matter.  As i began to think, he may have a job interview one day and need to know how to properly tie his tie to look that much more presentable.
One thing i must do better job of is getting my homeroom class managed properly.  i have a homeroom full of freshmen.  Things went well very early on and i was anticipating getting our student handbooks, but now there is no excuse for the absence of real work for them to do each day.  Here lately i have allowed them to do homework from other classes but that will happen no more.  Technically it is supposed to be a "reading period" so from this day forward it will be a reading period in my classroom.

Summer training has been well different.  i had no idea about what to expect when i got to Oxford to dive into the Mississippi Teacher Corps.  Now that i have completed summer training i am convinced that i should not be able to effective go into my classroom on August 6th and effective convey any lesson and manage my classroom to the fullest.  Day one was something, day two was something more and day three i was in the groove of things.  With the many advices i received from Dr. Mullins, Ben Guest, Mr. Barnes and Dr. Monroe, i have all the tools i need.  In addition, we were given two books to read, actually three.  Those books are great references.
Experience gained while doing summer training was priceless.  Even though i had but only one student, i gained a lot of knowledge.  i will not dare say or imply that i know it all but i know some...The role plays were amazing.  i could never think of some of the scenarios we were exposed to each afternoon.  They were great.  i had control of the entire class of first year teachers and i saw what it would be like to have a classroom full of students.  It was crazy...surely every class will not be as unruly but as i have been told, it only takes one student to disrupt a class and totally change the environment of the class.
i will not forget my summer training of my first summer with the Mississippi Teacher Corps.  The days began with meeting scores and scores of new people from all over and ended with us scavenging for supplies on the last day of summer school.  Sometimes i wonder, is this really how things will be this fall.  Will things be much easier?  Will things be much more challenging?  i did enjoy the summer training a lot although, i did get tired of waking up at 5:35am to eat my pancakes with my roomy Justin Sealand, who taught me quite much, too.  Now after my summer training, i am prepared to walk into the doors of my new school and effectively shape the minds of the young people of Marshall County at Byhalia High School.

Everything about the interns presentations impressed me.  There were four presentations.  One was a video by Tahina and the other three were orally presented by Asia, Kelly and Shanika.  In order, they were titled Muted, Mississippi Prioner's Rights, When Abstinence Fails and Freedom Schools Then and Now. 
I really enjoyed the video put together by Tahina.  It gave a view from a perspective that we, as teachers, may not get to experience each day.  She interview a teacher and students as well.  Very interesting i found it to give the views and goals of some of the students.  Teaching over such a short period of time without much out of class time kept us from really connecting with the students.  Asia, who researched prisoner's rights in Mississippi, showed me another side of the issue.  Initially, i mentioned the prison should be explicitly self sufficient.  After the presentation, i say even more so..from the amount of money those prisoners generate from the various jobs they work, we as tax payers should not have to pay for their necessities.  Back to the issue, they are people and they ought to be treated more like people and human beings and have everything they need to live.  Then again, that does not mean give them every ammenity available on the outside, but do give them their case files readily, a speedy trial and medical care...Life threatening or not, they should be treated like WE would want to be treated.  Being from the Mississippii knew about the two cases of "murder" happening down in Harrison County and that is purely senseless to treat people that way.  No one would want their son or daughter treated in such a way.  Kelly open a few eyes with her presentation of fallen abstinence.  In additon, she gave some very interesting statistics to go along with her graphs and other information of the failure of abstinence.  I can only shake my head when i see the average lowest income for white people in Mississippi earn about $21,000 annually whereas the highest average black person in Mississippi earn about $25,000 annually.  Another striking find for me to learn about was the disparity between the whites and blacks human development level score...it really blowed my mind.  i can surely say, the state of Mississippi is not where it ought to be, especially with the pregnancy rate almost double that of the national average.  The Freedom School findings brought to the table by Shanika was really good, as well.  i had known about some of the early Freedom School developments and organizations.  To hear again, presented in a different and related to modern day Freedom Schools was amazing.  The relation between us and the old Freedom summer was nice...i never thought of us, first year teachers, and the Mississippi Teacher Corps as modern day Freedom Riders.
Everything was impressing to me.  i had not thought back to any of those issues any time recently.  To revisit some of them was good and it made me think...i will not say next year i will begin to advocate for prisoners rights in Mississippi, but it really gave me something to think about.  Questions i still have are:
What happen to the two people who wrote letters from the prison?
What happened in the end in both cases back in Harrison County?  i know one family, for the younger victim, was compensated well but i do not know the details
What will be done by the Mississippi Department of Health about the preganancy rate of teens?