First day of a new journey...

        I was scared, excited, overwhelmed, and anxiously awaiting my first day as a teacher at Gompers Middle School.  When my students entered the classroom, I was relieved and immediately conveyed to them my enthusiasm and expectations for the year.  Of course I was asked several times by my students why I had started teaching at Gompers.  I was ready for that question, but had not really prepared a response.  I initially thought about sugar coating my answer and saying some overly trite expression like “I love teaching and seeing students learn,” but then I realized that that’s not the main reason I am doing this.  Instead, I informed my students of the harsh reality that they, for the most part, are not aware of: educational inequity.  I compared other middle schools in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and suburban regions to Gompers Middle School and showed explicitly how such a disparity is a grave injustice.  After asking “How many of you want to go to college?” I witnessed every student raise his or her hand.  I proceeded to inform them of another harsh reality:  if the trend continues, only a fraction of them will achieve that goal.
        You see, I treat my student like adults.  Besides the fact that I’m literally only 7 to 8 years older than they are, I want them to be aware of the situation they are in.  I’m not going to lie, this truly did anger my students, and honestly, I’m glad it did.  It should anger anyone who believes in quality education for every child in this nation and for anyone who genuinely feels that an excellent education is a human right, not a privilege. 
          The reactions I saw that day were breathtaking.  I had each and every student’s attention in the class.  This class, that was supposedly full of students who chronically misbehaved, did not say a word and listened to what I said in the most engaged manner one could imagine.  I told my students that they have 5 more years (8th grade and 4 years of high school) to change that horrible statistic.  “I will be here for you this year, and I won’t accept anything less than your best,” I told them.  “My goal for you at the end of this year is for you to enter high school with enough self-confidence to actually say ‘I WILL go to college’ instead of ‘I WANT to go to college.’”  I’m not participating in Teach For America to have a fun time for two years and enjoy a few years off before medical school.  I’m here because I, before embarking on the next stage of my life, will plant seeds of motivation into as many middle schoolers as possible.  I’m here because I will demonstrate to my students the value of work ethic and the end result of years of hard work.  I’m here because I, unlike many, KNOW that my students have the potential to be future doctors, lawyers, teachers, businessmen and women, and politicians.  I’m here because when I’m faced with a grim statistic like the fact that my students have a significantly less chance of graduating from high school simply because of socioeconomic status and school location, I don’t accept it as a permanent flaw in society. 

You see, I treat my student like adults.  Besides the fact that I’m literally only 7 to 8 years older than they are, I want them to be aware of the situation they are in.  I’m not going to lie, this truly did anger my students, and honestly, I’m glad it did.  It should anger anyone who believes in quality education for every child in this nation and for anyone who genuinely feels that an excellent education is a human right, not a privilege. 

The reactions I saw that day were breathtaking.  I had each and every student’s attention in the class.  This class, that was supposedly full of students who chronically misbehaved, did not say a word and listened to what I said in the most engaged manner one could imagine.  I told my students that they have five more years (8th grade and 4 years of high school) to change that horrible statistic.  “I will be here for you this year, and I won’t accept anything less than your best,” I told them.  “My goal for you at the end of this year is for you to enter high school with enough self-confidence to actually say ‘I WILL go to college’ instead of ‘I WANT to go to college.’”  I’m not participating in Teach For America to have a fun time for two years and enjoy two years before medical school.  I’m here because I, before embarking on the next stage of my life, will plant seeds of motivation into as many middle schoolers as possible.  I’m here because I will demonstrate to my students the value of work ethic and the end result of years of hard work.  I’m here because I, unlike many, KNOW that my students have the potential to be future doctors, lawyers, teachers, businessmen and women, and politicians.  I’m here because when I’m faced with a grim statistic like the fact that my students have a significantly less chance of graduating from high school simply because of socioeconomic status and school location, I don’t accept it as a permanent flaw in society. 

--Lance Chapman

Comments

[David Coffin]

New education blog at Los Angeles Times

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thehomeroom/

Only three entries as of last night but it seems to have a wider focus than on LAUSD alone.

D. Coffin
www.westchesterparents.org

[Chunkdog32]

While I admire Mr. Chapman's desire to help his students and the normal idealism that comes from a first-year teacher, it is troublesome that he is teaching for a few years before moving on to his real avocation, medicine.

I suppose that even a couple of years of an enthusiastic, young teacher is better than none at all, but it is a shame that teaching is thought as a stop along the way, as opposed to a lifetime profession.

[Carol]

Chunkdog - I agree; it seems as though teaching is temporary employment for many. I've read in some grad school guides that prospective applicants should teach for a few years before applying to grad school; apparently it helps boost their resume because it looks like you care.

Chapman's enthusiasm will either wane in six months or he'll be pumped that he's getting out of there in two years. If you talk to any teacher, they'll tell you it takes at least two years to get a good handle on things. Right when Chapman is making the breakthroughs necessary for good, effective teaching, he'll be off to school. Good for him for wanting to go to med school, but just go already.

[Sheryl]

Oh, Lance. You are breaking my heart.

You're right--all the things you say are true, those kids are MORE than capable, and all they need is someone who's willing to be straight with them and require that they do their best.

But Lance--that person isn't going to be you.

You aren't going to be ALLOWED to require they do their best. Instead, you're going to be told by those evaluating YOUR performance that you're being too harsh, that you're expecting too much, and that you're being unreasonable to expect "children" of this age to be responsible for their own education. You're going to be given poor review scores that will jeopardize your teaching experience unless you 'moderate' your expections to something 'achievable.'

Please, please, please, Lance--keep in mind that while YOU may have the best intentions in the world, you are only ONE person in a system that is designed to warehouse your kids--not teach them. Your goals are admirable, but keep in mind that if you fail to reach that goal, YOU aren't the one who's going to end up out in the cold. THEY are.

I'm all for treating kids like adults, it's what I did when I was a teacher--but understand that YOU are the only one in their lives who's going to be doing it! And it's not going to take long for someone to get pissed about it. See, if you treat them like adults, pretty soon they'll start acting like adults--and that means they will be questioning why OTHER people aren't treating them like adults, or why stupid rules are still rules. And that's going to cause you nothing but grief with most of the parents, most of your fellow teachers, all of your administrators, and everyobody involved in the teachers' union.

Lance, you are headed for such a beating.

[evelyn]

Hi Lance,

Maybe you will like your stint at Gompers so much you may want to stay..who knows...good luck to you...Even if you are there two years, maybe you can inspire a child, but to be effective usually takes a few years of experience. But I applaud what you are doing.

Part of the reason the schools are unequal is lack of parent involvement. There is most likely no PTA at Gompers just like at my school. Schools with high levels of parent involvement tend to be more effective. The reality is, the students at Gompers with clued in parents will go to college. I see it myself at the high school level. Parents who are not middle class but who have internalized middle class values instill a work ethic in their children and they thrive whether in Beverly Hills or Los Angeles.
How many of the parents are allowing their children to watch hours of television and play video games and not do their homework? Also if they fail to learn English due to work schedules and time constraints, their child is much more able to fool them about homework and other issues. I see it all the time. In addition, often students will get to the mailbox first and get their failing grades out and mom and dad have no idea the kid is failing until close to their junior year. Because most just drop the child off at school and that is the last time they think about school. If they took a little effort to find out when grades were coming,etc it would be much different. The schools could also go a ways to solicit parent involvement.
When I see a PTA form at these schools then I will listen to cries of injustice and inequality. When I see parents effectively discipline their children and schools throw out gangsters and taggers then I will listen, but not until.
Much of the injustice stems from lack of middle class jobs. Why? Because we all want things so cheaply we have run our good paying jobs out of the country. If you want to see better schools, bring middle class jobs to the area, bring back job training and demand parent involvement.

[Jen]

I wonder where our educational system would be if, as teachers, we expected more from our students, and we set our expectations higher. I'm a veteran teacher of over 30 years, and I applaud Lance for speaking out on these controversial issues. I am standing up and shouting "Hip Hip Hooray" that he expects so much from his students. Any of us who have been in education for any amount of time know the roadblocks and "walls" Lance will face. Let's support these younger teachers with their "idealistic" viewpoints and simply say "try it". I'm wondering what harm will come from all of this--after all we were in their same shoes when we began this career.

[David Holland]

Enjoy the honeymoon, and get ready once the students settle into a routine. Best wishes, but you are in for a rough ride if you think the students are going to be the same way throughout the school year that they are on the first day of school.

[Sean Leys]

Man, you are really putting yourself out there by writing this blog. Stay strong, be honest, and know you just signed up to publicize what will probably be the most difficult year of your life so far. I suspect you are going to look back on this entry around Christmas break and be amazed you were ever that sure of yourself. Something else, people are going to be VERY harsh on you for riding into Watts (my neighborhood) during daylight, splitting when the sun goes down and thinking you can do more for these kids than their families, neighbors, and big homies. Don't let the haters get you down, but reailize this: they're right. The first question someone in your position has to ask is "how am I following this community's leadership?" You can tell yourself that you're treating these kids like adults, but they're not. They're like 13 years old. You need adults who live in the community to guide you. Not the kids, not whatever presumptions you bring with you from Indiana, not your fellow teachers (including your admittedly excellent science coach) and DEFINTELY not TFA people. Their are several nonprofits in the neighborhood and activists in the local projects who can steer you right. Make them part of your story. The Times is using you as a camera into the ghetto, it would be terrible example of race chauvinism if all the pictures came back of a white knight surrounded by the adoring faces of the poor little Black kids he's saved. Like they used to say, "do the right thing."

Keep up the good work.

[Karoline]

Sounds like the writers before me have experienced "the system" just as I have and come out bitter too.

But maybe you'll be the kind of teacher who has not only intelligence, optimism, and drive, but the will and cleverness to cope with the politics of teaching as well. I fault all the teacher credential programs I considered before I finally chose one. Not one of those programs offered courses in Parent Relations, Administration Relations, or the Educational Code of the State of California.

These are the tools all teachers really need to be successful in the Southern California area where millions of dollars worth of funding are based on test scores alone.

[Carol Two]

As a career teacher (18 years) I take great offense at Teach for America and always have. The idea that teaching is a stopgap on the way to Real Life is an insult to every teacher who has made the conscious decision to stay in the classroom for the long haul.

Teaching is not an entry on one's resume. It is a professional career for which we train, gain experience, learn from mistakes, and put up with a lot of youknowwhat from administrators, politicians and the general public. Without professional teachers, where will the doctors of the future come from? Not original, but true.

[Evelyn]

Lance, I know you have gotten some harsh advice (from me to!) and I do agree with two other posters about setting standards high and the teacher credential programs.

You can make a difference by using creative authentic lessons mixed with standard fare. There are many great places to take your students hiking in the Arroyo area. Just plan months in advance and get all the paperwork started now to plan for a spring hike. There is also an Animal Farm rescue near Los Angeles as well. Taking the time as maddening as it is to go through the beauracracy of getting all the paperwork done is well worth it. Your science coach should help you with some of this. Your coach can also help you apply for a science grant now for your next year.

The reason for all these views is not that we don't love teaching- we do. We have found ways to thrive despite high dropout rates and other issues. We are reaching some students, but not enough. It is just that you have to decide for yourself if the frustrations are outweighed by the love you have for your students. For me, the students outweigh the frustrations but I don't judge teachers in certain impossible situations who feel they have to leave. The poster who talked about seeking community involvement is also dead on.

I think there is far too much emphasis placed on race. You had no control with what color skin you were born with and I just think people need to get over that.

[Geo]

The archievement gap between schools such as Gompers Middle School and schoosl in say Beverly Hills is not entirely due to the quality of the school or teacher. In fact, student performance probably correlate better with the dedication and involvement of the parents.
My friend was a waitress making $5 an hour 8 years ago. Our kids went to elementary school together in Aleta/Pocoima. She would choose to spend every penny she could spare to send her sons to the tutors (she can barely speak English and never attended any college.) I moved my family to ""Beverly Hills"" 6 years ago to a better school, while she was stuck in the school in Aleta. Yet today, both kids are freshmen at UCB studying to be an engineer and a doctor. By the way, we are not under-represented minorities either.

[Jean]

A bit too much Stand and Deliver grandstanding for my tastes.

The public school system has failed. You can come in with your big hopes and somewhat self-centered dreams of making a difference (and maybe, just maybe you will--for one or two kids, which would be great) but overall the system sucks the majority down, down, down...

Still, I wish you luck. You'll need as much as you can get! And then, when you have your own kids someday, you'll survey all the schools and...probably end up homeschooling.

[Patricia D.]

Here we go with all the negative comments!!! Lance just told a positive story that we all can be inspired by and what are we doing complaining!!! Instead let’s all get inspired and try to help out the school system. That means parent involvement, teacher to assist, and school officials help. We can all to this together as a team.