Chicago TFA: 5

This final day of school was only a half-day. The majority of the students at the school were taking a practice ACT test. The class I was working with had 9^th graders, who did not take the test, so it mostly consists on a few last poems and a college panel. Ms. Chen gave the students the opportunity to ask us any questions about college, high school, and what we did in order to get into college. The students had the most random questions I have ever heard mostly because they are freshman and didn’t have really any foundation knowledge about college. The most random question Alex and I got was if we played for the University of Kansas athletic teams. I started laughing because yes we both looked as if we were in healthy shape but by no means sent out athletically inclined vibes. The other questions made sense and were mostly about class size, class attendance, paper length, and tests. They also were very interested in our high school GPA and test scores because they wanted to see what numbers we had in order to get in to the school. Alex and I had different high school experiences and test scores so hopefully it didn’t either reduce the amount of hope but also didn’t inspire them to work hard. Overall the students were excited about college because they would have some flexibility in schedule and the topics of class; furthermore, they were excited about having fluctuation on disciplinary consequences if they miss an assignment or miss class. I repeatedly reminded each class section that even though they hated how strict Muchin College Prep was, they were building important habits and skills that would make them very successful in school. They didn’t understand that and maybe it was because it was only the students first year at Muchin and because they were still very young. I think at my school in Dallas, we also didn’t understand the reasoning behind how strict our school was. This whole week I sat in on Ms. Chen’s advisory class. This was a group of 10^th grade girls that she was responsible for since they stepped into Muchin in 9^th grade. She played many roles in these student’s lives such as mother, friend, disciplinarian, college counselor, grade regulator, ally, and biggest supporter. She was in charge of helping each student set goals on how to improve, track the student’s academic scores and detentions, and overall set goals for the entire class for improvement. Because the students took a practice ACT that day, we didn’t meet with them individually in the classroom. Instead, the 10^th grade teachers, advisers, and administrators held a pep rally to congratulate and celebrate the completion of the test and the improvement of the scores. They rewrote the words of “The Motto” by Drake and rapped it. It was very motivational and the students loved it. They also had a video of each teacher showing what they liked most about the students and also of the teachers favorite dance move. The students were so happy I couldn’t even believe it. Everyone was having fun, and the students were being rewarded for working towards a reasonable goal score on the ACT. The goal was still lower than what most schools in my Dallas suburb expected but they saw growth, which should always be highlighted and rewarded. It isn’t about being the best always; it is about the constant effort of being better and the best you can possibly be. Overall this week was eye opening but I am unsure if I really made a difference or was even fully educated on how the educational system works in Chicago. Hopefully I can find a way to educate myself more on poverty and education but also bring my experiences back to KU.

Beth Boomstein

Chicago TFA: 4

Today was the day when finally the students were able to perform the poems they wrote and rehearsed. I was nervous for several reasons: what if they students didn’t do well and did not practice at home and what if I wouldn’t be able to emotionally handle the performance. The poems started and I felt as if I were an audience member of a movie, which included 100 percent observation, and the feeling of empathy. The students showed mixed emotions, some were goofing off and others showed obvious signs of nerves and angst. Ms. Chen made a few announcements on showing respect to fellow classmates and also how to grade each student’s performance. Each student is graded by peers and then voted on to see who had the best performance. The winner for each class would get to eat lunch or dinner with Ms. Chen brought in by a restaurant with other winners. The students wanted to win because they loved Ms. Chen and they also loved the idea of great food. The poems went by really quickly and some of them were very emotional. A poem that stuck out the most was about a student hating life so much and wanting to get away and was contemplating suicide. A good percentage of the poems were very deep and was helped to understand the point by in some cases depressing music. The students that were performing were obviously holding back emotionally. They wanted to appear strong and not vulnerable in front of the classmates. One positive thing about this assignment besides hearing about emotional times in student’s lives was that the student’s advisors were also invited to hear the poems. The advisors were cheering loudly for there specific students and the students were so happy because great support was shown. The amount of support in this school was unbelievably but it wasn’t an accurate depiction of Chicago Public Schools because that isn’t how it is everywhere, it is quite rare in fact. I thought it was weird that the majority of Teach For America core members were placed in charter schools and not regular public schools. These teachers would only be able to help out a select few because a lottery system only accepts the students at charter schools. What about the other students, where do they get the support they need and deserve?

Beth Boomstein

Chicago TFA: 3

This next day was similar to the previous day because the students at Muchin College Prep were on a block schedule. The only difference was that we had a physical education class and met Ms. Chen’s advisory students. We again helped the students write and rehearse the “choreo-poems”. We also gave advice on how to do lighting and what music to pair with the poem. The poems had equal emotions to the poems from the previous day and also had very similar themes and trends. They included danger, violence, death, graduation and again roller coasters. I never put importance into my 8^th grade graduation because I knew I would become successful but for these students this was a big accomplishment. It was a time for them that was positive and supportive rather than dangerous and destructive. This is similar to the roller coaster experience because they were able to feel free, alive, and have some fun for once when danger wasn’t around the corner. I guess all of these situations of danger and violence did happen in Dallas but I was so removed because I lived in a pleasant suburb. Learning about other groups of people and how they live actually was a reason for me picking this trip. I always knew that suburb life didn’t accurately portray the rest of the United States and I was slowly having my assumption proved. In the P.E. class, we walked to Lake Michigan and back. It was a safe way for them to get exercise in the city especially since they did not have a playground. Alex and I connected with a few students and discussed what they liked about the city the most. The student I spoke to was very fortunate because he was being recruited by top schools like Northwestern for baseball which he saw as his way out of the environment. At the end of the day, I spoke to other volunteers about the schools. Two girls volunteered at Albany Child Care which kept the students until 7pm and had meals included and hygiene needs met like brushing of the teeth. Students at Muchin College Prep also stayed late and for both schools it was because the student’s home lives were not as safe and ready for the students to return home so early. I was always able to safely return home at a decent time and I never had to worry about a meal or being able to brush my teeth. I still couldn’t relate but I want to so understand so desperately.

Beth Boomstein

Chicago TFA: 2

I woke up really early for my first day mostly because of my anxiety. I didn’t want to be late, I wasn’t sure on how I should look, I still wasn’t exactly sure on the location, and most importantly I did not know what to expect. Alex and I were fortunate enough to be in a charter school that was not only to where we were staying but also in a very high-end part of town. Safety was never an issue honestly throughout the week. We arrived to school early and were helped to find the school by a homeless man who told us about how he had been sober for 14 months. It was both helpful and an awkward encounter. Our teacher greeted us with a big smile, which was reassuring. The school was actually one floor in an office building so it had a weird set-up. She warned us about the different types of people we would be meeting which varied based on what part of Chicago they were from and ethnicity. Our students had all ethnicities unlike some of the other schools, which were mostly African American or Latino. Most of our students though were from the south side of Chicago or the west side of Chicago both equally not the greatest parts of town. In our first class, Ms. Chen (the teacher) pulled us aside to warn us about one student. There were multiple shootings that weekend around the city from a gang and a baby was accidentally shot. The student’s family members were arrested for shooting the child and we were also informed that the adults were shooting at other adults but missed. Pretty much that was a situation where I could not relate in any way possible. In class the students started to work on “choreo-poems” which are choreographed poems presented by the students. Each poem was about an emotional point in a student’s life and was paired with music and changing in how bright the lights were. Alex and I listened in on poems and topics. The vast majority of these poems highlighted situations that I never really took as a highlight or an event that I have never experienced. The topics ranged from the first time being on a roller coaster, 8^th grade graduation, deaths, attacks, and other terrifying experiences. It shocked me to be honest because they were so young to experience such great events.

Beth Boomstein

Chicago TFA: 1

None of us really slept on the bus the first night. It was about a ten-hour bus ride and I was awake for probably 8 of those hours due to excitement. When we arrived to the church we became aware that we weren’t necessarily allowed to be rest in the church all day, which led us to the great opportunity to explore. We walked around a good portion of the city but spent most of the day near Wrigley Field. A lot of baseball memories were made there which was cool. We also went to Memorial Park that had a fountain with green water and other awesome sculptures. We took the stereotypical picture in front of the bean. We ended the day by watching the KU game in one of the KU bar and grills in Chicago which was created by KU alumni. The walls were filled with memorabilia and hosted some very lively fans. It was a perfect night because we won and we were also surrounded by such a great KU alumni network. We met great people that night and also really built a good foundation for a trip. We were all very nervous for this trip for multiple reasons. Some of us have never experienced a big city this size, I was personally nervous about getting around on the L system, and jointly nervous about what to expect at the schools. We did only see the wealthiest parts of the city so it wasn’t an accurate depiction of what we were going to experience that week. Because we had a long day to ourselves, we did figure out where our schools are so we wouldn’t be totally lost and late on the first day. My school was actually in the downtown area near mostly high end shopping and businesses meaning that my experience would differ from people volunteering in an area with more poverty.

Beth Boomstein

Day 7 Joplin 211

Wahhh.... NOT wanting to leave at all and go back to reality. We woke up this morning at 8:30 to finish packing and get everything in the car. I do not know how but for some reason it felt like we were headed back to Lawrence with so much more stuff then we came with. We are all looking like Zombies due to the fact that we all stayed up till 2:00 in the morning just talking by our campfire about anything and everything. This has honestly been one of the best weeks of my life and I am so happy I got to experience the Alternative Break I did. I feel so very close to  my group, and I think it's because I have never been 100% honest with people that I meet at first. However, the friends I have made on this trip I find the best qualities in... honesty. One thing I hope for the most is that people don't forget about Joplin. They have already seen a decrease in volunteers, but they need those volunteers to keep moving on and get back to a normal lifestyle. One man said even in 5 years he thinks it still won't be completely normal. It's been approximately 10 months and 75% of the city has been rebuilt, they need the support of everyone to help with the remaining 25%.

Day 6 Joplin 211

Ah it's still raining! The whole entire time we have been here it's been raining! This is crazy!! Anyways.... today they called our group and asked for two of us to go back to the fire station, they mentioned that they loved the hard work we did and needed more helpers. The rest of us went back to the Salvation Army Distribution Center to finish sorting some more clothes. I remembered from the last time we were there we left the place with eight shirts or so in a stack, and if the tables had to many stacks on them, we placed them in boxes and packed them up in their respective sizes. However when we arrived today, there was a group of middle school aged volunteers there, and they had honestly created complete havoc in the warehouse. The children were not even folding the clothes, just tossing them on the tables with the right sizes, and some were not even caring to look at the sizes at all! All of us felt very mad as we realized that we cared enough about the work we were doing for the people of Joplin who had gone through so much, and that volunteers who don't care about their work are inadvertently hurting the people of Joplin. 

After the group had taken a break for lunch, their group leader approached me and asked for my honest opinion about the work they were doing. I am not a confrontational person at all and hate it when I am confronted so I was very nervous at first, but I was not going to let this slide. I told him very nicely that I understand the kids probably wanted to be outside and clean up sticks but due to the rain that wasn't allowed and told him that the kids being at a state of unrest were hurting a lot of the progress that had been done. We worked together to explain to the kids how to fold, and to not toss the clothing, and they finished within an hour. After they left, we went hard to work on trying to get the situation back to normal. We stayed till 5:30 folding, boxing, and sorting and finished a lot. I was very proud at how our group handled the situation and worked so hard to turn it back around. 

After a long nap and relaxing showers for everyone, we played some more "O Hell" with Frank and John, then left for a local Sports Bar and Grill called Pitchers. Pitchers was full of KU fans which made our win against NC State a great atmosphere to be in! ROCK CHALK!!! I can't believe it is already our last day of work, this week has gone by way to fast!

TFA Chicago Day 6 (last day)

On the last day of school (Friday), when I arrived at the school, I was already feeling pretty sad because I had just started to really know the students. They would confide in my with their opinions on the teachers and look forward to working with me. They seemingly had an unlimited amount of questions about not only college life but also my home life since I didn't live in Chicago. Apparently, they didn't really even know many people outside of their neighborhood and teachers. When I told them about Kansas, they immediately thought of the Wizard of Oz and basketball. As a farewell gift, I personally handed every one of them a Jayhawk sticker. I honestly thought 12 year olds were too old to even want stickers but they were so excited to have them! Some of them immediately put them on their binders and backpacks so hopefully we were able to create some future Jayhawks!
We played the jeopardy game I had personally designed and made. It was really funny seeing how competitive the students were, because they really liked playing games rather than just studying straight out of the book. They cheered and gave each other high fives when their team won. On the other hand, they also showed lots of sportsmanship as they clapped whenever another team got the right answer.
When I was working with students on memorizing the constitution, the main technique I was focusing on was breaking down the complicated wording into much easier phrases. When they were studying on their own, they were easily bogged down by the unique and old style of writing used back then. I helped them use smaller words to paraphrase the amendments into simple phrases.
At the end of the day, the teachers could not stop thanking us on how much work we had done. They were really appreciative of the time we were able to spend with smaller groups. By simply being there and interacting with the students had the strongest impact on me. I learned so much about their lives and how drastically different their childhoods were from anything I had grown up with made me become more aware of my very fortunate circumstances. Even though ultimately we as a group did not make a huge impact on the schools in Chicago, I think that if we just convinced even one student to go to college, I consider that a victory.

Day 5 Joplin 211

Today we woke up even before the sun was up! We all woke up at 6 to make sure we were on the road at 6:45! We found out we were going to help out at the 3 fire stations in Joplin today. Today all the fire stations were passing out free weather alert radios to the citizens who resided within the city limits. We split up into three groups and headed to the different stations. Erin, Shannon, and I were based at station 1 which is the main  fire station in Joplin. When we arrived at the station for a very quick briefing of how to handle the paperwork, there was already a line. By the time the doors had opened, one of the fire fighters said the line went from the fire station (which was at the end of 2nd street) to the end of third street. We passed out radios, kept track of serial numbers, and checking off each citizen as they came through.  Getting to be in contact with so many citizens was such an eye opener. Getting something as simple as a weather alert radio was such a gift to many, and said it was well worth the two and a half hour wait. Even though it has been almost a year since the disaster, a state of paranoia was very apparent. One lady told me that this week has been incredibly hard on her because it has been raining all week, and that if it gets to windy she starts to cry and have panic attacks.

One other thing that was a reoccurring theme among all the residents was a change of address. One question we had to ask everyone as they handed us their drivers license was "is this your current address?" Many of the answers were no, due to the fact that there are no longer a house at the address they were at. This made me put myself in their shoes, how it would be like if all the sudden my house was uprooted and gone, my parents lost their jobs, or even someone I loved had died due to a disaster. The fire fighters also shared with us their experience. They were all up for 96 hours strait without any sleep. Many other volunteer fire fighters came in from surrounding areas, some even bought their own plane tickets from Alaska and Los Angeles to come and help out in Joplin. I asked one of the fire fighters what was one of the worst things they saw, and they answered that there was a 7 foot boa constrictor that he had accidentally touched trying to save someone from debris, the snake had been someone's pet and luckily was dead but still scared him!

Many people were so grateful that we were there helping, but the fire fighters were especially happy to have us. They were all very fun to be around and they all had a great sense of humor which kept us preoccupied! We also got to look at the fire truck and the fire dumbies!

Chicago TFA Day 5

On the fifth day in Chicago (4^th day of school, Thursday), I came in and mainly helped the students out with filling out some constitution and vocabulary worksheets. There were several students who had missed class and some had just not done their homework. As a result, while the teacher was working with the rest of the class, I spent the time working with the students behind on the material.
As the students became more accustomed to my presence, they became more comfortable with talking and asking questions about college life. This was definitely a nice contrast from the beginning of the week when most of the students just kinda stared at me and did not really like talking to me when I was helping them. They were naturally pretty shy but now, they were really interested about what I was doing in Chicago. It was shocking that they weren't really used to any outsiders coming in to their classrooms so they seemed to be fascinated by my being there. I was told by the teachers that the students don't even really meet that many non whites at all since the neighborhoods are predominately Hispanic. The teachers also explained that a few of the trouble makers come from rough neighborhoods and environments.
While I was working with a small group one instance, a couple of the students were talking in Spanish and I told them in Spanish to stop talking and start paying attention. They were immediately shocked and asked me how I knew Spanish. Once I told them I took several years of it in high school, they started to tell the other classmates that I actually knew their language so that they should be more careful when speaking Spanish if I was around. I thought that was really funny because they started to have more respect for me which implies that the teachers had a very limited knowledge of Spanish.

Chicago TFA Days 3-4

On our third day in Chicago , there were elections going on so there was no class that day. Some students showed up to set up the mock elections. Meanwhile, lianna and I were there to level books for one of the other teach for America teachers. There was definitely no lack of work for us because it appeared as though most of the teachers there had work for us to do. His library was more organized than our original teacher since he had all the books labeled already on the spine with lexile numbers. We helped him organize them even further by adding guided reading letters on the spine as well.
I also helped one of the other teach for America teachers make a jeopardy game for the students on the constitution. We made sure the students received the proper amount of stickers for improving their scores on the standarized tests they take every quarter. The average improvement consisted of about 8% but one student had an astounding 50% jump in only a matter of months so that was incredible!

On our fourth day in Chicago, the students came back and I helped the English and social studies teacher. She assigned me to work with a group that tended to need more attention and help so that she could help the rest of the class. The class was given a reading assignment and I helped the group read outloud and made sure to pepper them with questions to ensure that they were truly understanding what they were reading rather than just skimming through and not comprehending what was going on.
The class was then assigned to read a poem that was written in the perspective of the shooters of the Virginia tech and northern Illinois university massacres. The writer of the poem wasn't trying to endorse or say that the shooting was good. The writer was mainly trying to empathize with the shooter and understand why he did the shootings.
The teacher stressed the same points and had a worksheet for the students to do that allowed them to start on a poem. She gave them the opportunity to write about anyone they wanted. This included relatives, friends, and celebrities. I went around helping students who were struggling with coming up with any people or having trouble starting the poems. Most of the students chose people who had bad histories or events happen to them like child abusers, racists, and criminals. I thought this was interesting, because they probably chose those people for their presence in their own home lives.