"How can you care for someone that you don't know?"

"You don't have to know someone to care about them, DA. I know I don't know you, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you and what you do... I want to get to know you better so that  I can help. I see how teachers treat you, how this school treats you, like you're a bad kid. But I know you're not a bad kid, and I want to help you change that image so that people can see who you are and who you can be."

You hear in training that for some of these kids, you're going to be the first person to ever tell them that they can do more with their life, they can be better. I had my meeting with Big M today, AP wasn't in school today so it ended up being just me and M. As I walked into the lunch room to look for him, he gets up and starts play fighting with his friend. Things escalated and it appeared like they were about to start actually fighting but with the help of my teammates, we separated them and I told him to wait out in the hallway for me. That set up our conversation about violence and his life. His older brother, 17, is locked up for 5 years for selling drugs. He hasn't seen his dad in 2 years and he was never around when M was growing up, he thinks he's somewhere in Arizona now. His mom picks him up from school but doesn't like seeing her because they don't get along. He lives with his grandma, who doesn't know he's in a gang. He doesn't sell drugs but he fights adults. "You have to fight in order to get respect." The last fight he was in was 2 weeks ago. This year he has already been in over 20 fights. M is only 14 years old. He doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up, all he knows is that he likes guns, and he's a perfect shot. "Maybe a sharp shooter for the government..."

 "I've never thought about it... I know I can do better...but I don't want to...it's never occurred to me." 

"I fight because it's exciting." "There are a lot more things to life that are exciting, M." "I know I can do 

"I'm here, and we're going to work on finding things that are better for you, M. Life can mean more than just violence. We're going to find something for you. I want this for you, but you need to want it to, so we're going to work on that this year because I know you can do better."

Stars in the night sky...

"You guys are like stars in the night sky...when its dark outside, I just look up and see the Serranos and the Lewis' and the Washingtons...and when you guys come together, you're like the sun."

-E 

Turning over a new leaf...

DA was absolutely amazing today! He was a great student. He didn't talk, he paid attention, and even though he struggled with the work, he still tried, didn't get frustrated, and got all of it done.

"I'm really proud of you, DA. You did great today." "Thank you."

He even called me over by my name, and said "excuse me" when he bumped into me on accident. I got to meet his sister last night at report card pick up and it was a great opportunity to tell her that I'm really excited to work with DA and tell her about the work wer're doing in class and outside of class. I made sure to say all the positive things about DA and mention things he could work on but has a lot of potential with. It was really great being able to meet her, and I saw the impacts of helping DA today in class. :)

I'm not used to this...

"Can I ask something?"

"Yeah!"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"All this...(points to the water and string cheese I got him because he wasn't feeling well), with all my struggles?"

"Oh, 'cause you're not feeling well and I want to help."

"You'll have to excuse me, I'm just not used to that. It's hard to explain, but I'm just not used to people treating me like this. Thank you again."

"You're welcome E..."

Overheard at Collins'...

"My kid is getting better grades because of all these red jackets!"

- Parent at report card pickup day 

Happy notes...

My girls in the 50 Acts of Leadership Program (behavior program) have been doing good lately, especially one of them, so I made them notes to express how proud I am of them :)

JOY:

R: "You have a way of persuading people when you talk to them."

Andrea: "Oh yeah?! Did I persuade you to do your homework?"

R: "Yeah! I'm serious,  I'd never done my work like this before until you talked to me and were on me to do my work all the time. I take my work more seriously now because you talked to me."

An Apology...

R recently got suspended because of the way he treated me during class on Tuesday. He wasn't at school yesterday and today is report card pick up so student's don't have to come to school. In the morning we were in the City Year room working when I hear my teammates say "Hey!! Good morning!" I turn around and see R coming up to me. "Good morning, Ms. Serrano, I was wondering if we could talk?" "Hey! Yeah, of course, let's go outside." He sincerely apologized to me this time about his actions, admitting that he was disrespectful and took out his anger on me. "That's not who I am and for that I apologize, you don't deserve that." I greatly appreciated him going out of his way to come find me and apologize in person. he said he's writing apology letters to his teacher, me, and the principal for his actions, but when he heard I was at school that day, he wanted to talk to me in person. I could tell he was genuinely sorry for hurting my feelings and promised to do better. We went back into the City Year room because he also wanted to talk to my team leader and apologize for his actions and for any advice about his situation - because of his suspension, he won't be able to be on the basketball team. We told him that there is only so much we can do, but we would try to talk to whoever we need to talk to in order to help him out. He understood that we couldn't promise anything but he still appreciated that we were willing to try.

R is probably one of the students that I have the best connection with here at Collins and I'm so glad that he trusts me enough to come talk to me and set a plan with me on how we can improve together. I hope I can help him follow through and and inspire him to  do his best and succeed in everything he does...

I'll beat you up!

I talked to DP today after school. During lunch my teacher said we should watch out for him because she thinks he may have joined a gang recently. I saw him after his wrestling practice and we talked a little bit about school and life. Before he walked away I asked if things were okay, if he was getting into any sort of trouble... "no I'm not" "look me in the eye and tell me.." "I promise Ms. Serrano, I'm not getting into any trouble." "You better be telling me the truth otherwise I'm going to beat you up! You're one of my favorite students here so I'm going to be watching you very closely!" The smile that came on his face made my day so much brighter, it was nice seeing that he knows I care about him :)

Back at school!

MB came back to school today after a ten day suspension and it was great seeing him again! He noticed how frustrated I was in class trying to handle DA and D but he came down to the City Year room after school. We worked on the homework and caught up with each other before he had to head out to work. It was a really nice conversation that made me feel better about the day. Simple joys in talking with one of my favorite students!

JOY:

I was walking up the stairs and usually a whole bunch of students pass me by without saying anything to me and I'm the one that says hi to people. Today has been an extra long day and didn't have as much energy to say hi to people up the stairs but I was surprised when Big M tapped me on the shoulder and said "Hey Ms. Serrano!" when he saw me :)

Starfish: I made a difference to that one...

"Good idea opening the gym in the mornings to play basketball, before that I wouldn’t make it to first period on time but now I do…”

- freshman during our after school homework help 

There are about 100 students that come to school late every day. With morning activities like basketball, we are making a difference one by one...

Session Two...

Today I had my second official lunch with DA, I was a little scared that it wasn't going to be as good as our last one and especially because we weren't going to play basketball, I was going to try to do the planned lesson with him. I asked if he wanted to go outside with me but he refused because it was cold. Instead he wanted to go to the City Year room..."only if you promise me that you won't get distracted by the other people..." We sat down at a table and before I started talking, I could tell by his body language that he was going to be difficult. He kept playing with the staples and pins on the bulletin board and responding only with "nuttin'", "i dunno kno," "this is boring," and "I want to switch groups, this is boring, they're having more fun."

"Okay, well what can we do to change it then? To have more fun. I am more than willing to change things to make them more fun..."

He kept insisting on talking to my team leader, Jade, about switching groups because my group was boring. So we went over to her and they talked about the situation. At one point it seemed like he was about to cry and I thought maybe he was really listening and going to seriously consider changing his attitude. And apparently, he was great in 4th period after their talk. He worked hard and was respectful. So I had high hopes for seeing him in 7th period. But unfortunately, he was extremely difficult and disrespectful towards me. He kept getting frustrated at me, himself, the teacher, the school, everything.

It's upsetting knowing that he acts this way towards him when I want so badly to help him. One day he'll have enough trust in me...

Switch

The good ones turn bad and the bad ones turn good.

Q didn't freak out when I told him what he needed to be doing but E kept talking during the whole period and didn't make any effort to listen to me.

Joy and Thorn.

Let's see what 7th period will be like. Maybe they'll switch from bad to good.

Grant me...

the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; 
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

A surprise at Lake...

Today we had a training day downtown. On our way home at the subway station a student from my 7th period class came up to me with a huge smile and gave me a hug. "HEY! What are you doing here?!" We laughed a little bit and I introduced him to the other City Year people I was with. Turns out he was headed North because he was going to stay with his cousin for the weekend. On our ride up north we talked about school and how he can get his grades up and what he wants to do with his life. His family is full of rappers so he wants to become a famous rapper one day too. His uncle is apparently about to make it big in a year so when that happens he thinks he's going to finish high school through being home schooled and he'll try to begin his career as a rapper. Overall it was a great and happy experience getting to talk to him outside of school and get to know him better. I asked him what he thought about City Year and how we're doing... "You guys are doing good...but you guys can be annoying! Every time I turn around I see the red jacket standing behind me! You guys are everywhere!" "That's because we care about you! And probably because you aren't doing what you're supposed to be doing!" We laughed some more and we continued to enjoy our conversation. "You better have all your homework done on Monday, DC!" "Naw, I'm not gonna do any of it..." "WHAT!? But you have like 4 days to do it! You can do it, you have plenty of time!!! And its gonna affect your grade! Every single assignment counts!" "I'm just kidding, I'm gonna do it!" "You almost gave me a heart attack!" Soon after I got off at my stop, "see you at school on Monday, DC!" "See you, Ms. Serrano."

Breakthrough...

I walked into the lunch room, a little scared and dreading how exhausting it was going to be having to follow DA around trying to get him to come to have lunch with me. But as soon as I made eye contact with him and waved him over, he stood up without any hesitation and walked over to me. “Hey, did you bring a basketball to school today?” “Yeah.” “Where is it?” “In my locker.” “Let’s go get it.” We headed down the stairs and into the gym. “Alright, so we’re gonna play a shooting game. For every shot you make, you get to ask me a question. And the same for me.” “What kind of questions?” “Any questions, as long as they are appropriate.” I was surprised how well he was responding to me. No resistance, no hesitation, no attitude. Is this the same Dimetrise?! We get into the gym and start shooting. He makes the first shot… “Okay shoot, what’s your question?” “Why are you here?” “Why am I here? With City Year?” “Yeah” “Well, I’m here because of how I feel about education. I was born in Mexico and the school that I went to had to was really poor, like dirt floors and no air conditioning. Then when I was 6, I came to the United States, I crossed illegally, and left my hometown really quickly, I didn’t have time to say bye to my family and friends and I didn’t get to see my family for a year because we started our paperwork to become a citizen. Having the opportunity to get my education here in the states and going to a college like Notre Dame, I was able to really appreciate education and how important it is. But I know that not everyone feels the same way, they struggle to see the importance. So that’s why I’m here. To help people see the importance and to try to help.” I noticed that he was really listening. He stopped dribbling the ball so that he could hear what I was saying, and for the first time, I was able to talk to him and know that he was taking it in. He didn’t say anything but just looked and me and gave me a nod then passed me the ball to shoot. We kept going back and forth shooting and asking questions.

“Why did you come with me so easily today?” “McKenzie told me I had to come.” To “So what do you think of me now?” smiling he responds with “..it’s….decent.” …

“Why do you give me such a hard time when I try to meet with you?” “’Cause I like being with my friends at lunch” As he was saying I think he realized that that excuse wasn’t good enough, I just gave him a nod to show him that I understood, but we also both knew that it was only once a week and he would be able to be with his friends the rest of the week.

“What do you want to do after high school?” “I want to go to college and play baseball.” “Yeah?! Where at?” “I’m looking at Oregon, Ohio State, and Oklahoma.” “I have a friend that played baseball at Notre Dame. Why baseball out of all the sports you play?” “I’ve just been playing baseball the longest and I can play anything in it.”

“Have you ever made a half court shot?” “Yeah.” And of course he had to show off and made 3 half court shots!

 “Is your family in Chicago?” “No, my mom’s side is still in Mexico, and my dad’s side is in California.”

“What are you going to do this weekend since you have 4 days?” “I’m gonna play with my nephew.” “how old is he?” “10.”

“What sports did you play in high school?” “I played soccer, softball, basketball, and I ran cross country and track.” “I play football, baseball, basketball, and track.” “We have a lot in common, huh?” “Yeah.”

Finally, a conversation when we were able to talk and listen to each other! As we walked out of the gym to go back upstairs, … “Thank you, DA, I really appreciate it.” “You're welcome.” "See you in class." "See you Ms. Serrano."

Taking a look back to Building Tomorrow

BT ‘Walks the Talk,’ Opens Sixth Academy in Uganda

NOVEMBER 2, 2010

More than 200 community members, future students and local dignitaries officially opened the Building Tomorrow Academy of Sentigi, supported by the University of Notre Dame in the rural village deep inside the Wakiso District of Uganda. Classes will begin at the new Academy in January 2011, in conjunction with the start of the academic year.

Plans to begin construction at Sentigi commenced in the winter of 2009 when local leader Gerald Kasibante offered nearly three acres of his own, private land to construct the BT Academy. Parents, guardians and local leaders provided more than 20,000 hours in unskilled labor to clear, build and beautify the site.

“You people are saying you build tomorrow,” said Prince Herbert Wasajja representing Wakiso District. “…We thank you very much for walking the talk.”

The BT Academy of Sentigi features seven classrooms, an office, library and teacher staff room, as well as a 10-stance pit latrine.Working in conjunction with the Vice President of Uganda, Professor GilbertBukenya, teacher housing has also been constructed on site to provide a safe environment for the seven teachers and headmaster who will work at the Academy.

Nearly ten local officials spoke throughout the four-hour ceremony as future students filled the air with song and dance in celebration of the area’s first permanent school structure.

“This was an incredible opening ceremony, indicative of the resolve this community has demonstrated throughout the entire construction process,” said George Srour, Director of Building Tomorrow, Inc. “When it rained, we moved inside, and when the sun came out again, we moved back outside. Nothing could stifle this celebration.”

During the 2007-08 academic year, students at the University of Notre Dame, working through the student organization ND-8, raised over $45,000 to fund the eventual construction of the BT Academy of Sentigi. TheSentigi site is the first of two Academies funded by student-led efforts at the University of Notre Dame. Work on the future BT Academy of Kyeitabya began in May 2010 with a scheduled opening in mid-2011.

Collins Academy City Year Service Briefing for November

New start...

Today I begin working with one more teacher and an administrator. I'll be helping Mr. A with Attendance Initiatives at Collins and Ms. B with her Junior reading seminar class. Hopefully the juniors will be more mature than the freshman...updates will follow at the end of the day...

Do It Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
People may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
...Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
You will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
People may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
Someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
They may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
People will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
And it may never be enough;
Give the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis
It is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.


-Mother Teresa

Catch up stories...

11/01/10
-Q started out talking to me during after school homework help. But I lost him very quickly after I was asking him to clarify the worksheet because apparently he felt that I was trying to show that he didn't know what he was talking about (which turns out he didn't...so, maybe there was a reason behind me madness?!) He ended up going to Mari's table and asking her questions but would get upset when she then would ask me to clarify things. After all, I am the CY person in his class and could very well help him with his homework and was more than willing to...but apparently I'm "always trying to start something, maaan!" So it seems we're back to square one with Q, or at least square 1.5 because he said his to me this morning (11/02/10) at morning greeting...ha! I'm not going anywhere Q, so start getting used to the fact that I'm gonna talk to you!

11/01-11/02
-I've had several encounters with A in class and he is still extrememely disrespectful. Staring at me and making faces, making comments as I pass by, and refusing to move back to his seat after I told him to move away from his friend... "You're not a teacher, you can't tell me what to do!" That day he got sent to the Dean and I had the pleasure of walking him to his office. The entire walk he was silent - a rare thing for him. He knew he was in for a scolding, I don't know he was told or what actions were taken, but it didn't seem to help because the next day he continued to act a fool, and got kicked out of the class again. Both him and D. My teacher got so upset and shaken up by it that it took a toll on her. She was emotionally and physically drained because of it today and the students noticed. D and DA got told during after school help by another student -"she's crying because of you guys and how you act in class!" DA and D decided to go apologize to my teacher... "We're sorry for how we acted in class Mrs. H. and we want to get extra work so that we can raise our grades up." "I appreciate yo uapologizing, but what gives you the right to think that you can act like asses in class everyday and then come apologize to me after school and ask for more work to raise your grade? You should be doing your homework and turning it in so that you can have a decent grade, not coming to me asking for more work."

Joy:

This morning, I walk into school and C pulls me off to the side...

"Why were you crying last week?"

"Oh, I was upset with some students and how they were behaving...I felt ganged up on and it really got to me..."

We continue to talk about the situation and it really touched me when he said:

"I don't like it when my teachers cry. You don't deserve to be treated that way..."

Thank you C for looking out for me, its nice to know I have some student support even through the rough times.

And of course, in true Collins nature, our conversation ended with:

"If they get physical, let me know..."

 That statement kind of caught me off guard but it was also touching knowing that he wants to protect me and cares enough to do so.

"Okay, C. Thanks but I don't think it'll get to that point."

 It was still a nice way to start off the day, knowing that there are students that want us there and care about us.

What do you do...

when one student takes up all of your attention for most of the period?

Today in class the lesson was on how to write a paper. Just the introduction and topic sentences for the body paragraphs mind you. But most of our kids do not know how to write and they need so much help O_O. There are 30 kids in 5th period, and only two of us. But today, it was probably more like one because I spent a lot of time focusing on R. He didn't finish his homework and that set him up for some major struggles with the work we were doing in class today so I was helping him throughout the class so that he wouldn't get more behind. But that meant so many other students suffered because I wasn't able to help them with their papers. On top of that, we had two visitors observing my teacher, again. This is the 6th visitor this week. We're not really sure why there have been so many visitors. All we know is that our kids don't know how to behave, In front of Collins Administration they do, but when they don't know who the adults are, its as if they are invisible. Even the good kids were misbehaving today...talking waaaay too much.

Sigh

And now its time to refocus for the most exciting period of my day...7th period. Here we go.

A New Approach

My focus students are still having trouble understanding what leadership is and acts of leadership, so I've decided to take a new approach. Here's something I came up with for them...I also want to incorporate lyrics, quotes, and music to try to get them more involved and connected to what we talk about.

Enjoy!

Lately I've been...

..."as busy like a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest."


Hours Worked at Collins Academy
Week One: 40
Week Two: 42.5
Week Three: 56
Week Four: 52
Week Five: 58.5