Farewell but not far

Farewell but Not Far

(This is the last post on this blog, to follow my new adventures go to everbrushstrokes.blogspot.com)

This my third, and what turned out to be final, year at VJ started with great promise. I had hoped to engage my students with students all across the county in the Mississippi Investigates Caterpillars project. I had hoped to develop the 1.5 km nature trail around the school. I had hoped to get further in physics than I had ever gotten before. I guess one out of three is not bad.

I have already written about the fits and starts of the MIC project and the absence of writing about the nature trails shows how that dream fell far short as well.

The one really bright spot was my physics class though it too had its travails. With some major and some minor drama four students dropped my class, and I ended up with seven pretty strong students.

A slide from Jessica's final project

One of the seven surprised and delighted me one day when she asked to talk to me and then informed me that she had selected me as her STAR teacher (In Mississippi the student with the top ACT score is selected as STAR student and they are asked to pick the teacher who has had the most influence on their life). Another student was ready to drop but his mother refused to give up and he was assigned to me for tutoring every other day during my planning period. To my surprise and delight it actually helped. It helped a lot and he ended up with a strong B from a low D. This is the first time in my career that I experienced a student I frankly had given up on come through. He helped teach me a valuable lesson but finding a way with every student no matter what his or her ability – I just thought I had learned this.

One of my most talented artists, Michelle, did this for her final physics project and it will go with me.

As I now prepare to teach at the largest school in the district and the state, I bid farewell to VJ but I am still their strongest spokesperson and advocate. By the end of April I had given up all hope of going anywhere else in the last years of my career. I had not been given an interview for the new high school three minutes from my house or for the ninth grade school ten minutes away. I had not gotten the physics job at Clinton high school. All of which were huge disappointments to say the least. However, something kept pointing me back to closing out my career at VJ. I thought I had VJ forever branded on my brow and had learned to accept this as a calling.

Then I met the new principal in the hallway one day. He was introduced by the now past principal. The first words out of his mouth were – Ms. Mitchell wants to talk to you. I had no idea who that was and kept wondering until he finally said she is the principal at Madison Central High School. By then I was pretty burned on any new possibilities yet he persisted. What I really wanted to do was talk to him about possibilities for next year, but I said I would talk to her if she called.

The next day she called during my physics class, and I interviewed that afternoon and got a call for the position before I got home good. It took a few days for my head to stop spinning since things happened so fast. Just when you think there is not hope and you just turn things over a miracle happens.

As I began to leave and word got out, I was again impressed by the unbelievable willingness of VJ students to help. Students I did not even teach came by to pack up my room. It was no small undertaking – it took four or was it six complete trunk loads to move my stuff. Here is a shot of some of the VJ saints who helped me pack. And for my last and fullest load, my teaching buddy, the best math teacher in the state, loaded up my trunk for me – I was at the point of exhaustion and Mr. Hamblin stepped in. Thanks.

As I have now got everything in my new room and school, I have been overwhelmingly received with great kindnesses and helpfulness. Truthfully, I have to pinch myself to see if I am really awake and all these good things are really happening. But as good as it gets, I will always be an advocate for my students and colleagues at VJ.

For the last eight years I have been in the minority fighting for resources and opportunities for the minority in our culture. Many times I have done it with little help from others. I now move to a school where I will be in the majority, and it is my hope that I will always find ways for all to have what they need to learn and to grow and be all they can be.

VJ, farewell but I will not be far from you in distance or dreams.

And one memory that will stay fondly with me along with the kind packers is the hard core, at risk introduction to biology kids coming by my room one by one (I usually started the year with about 40 and ended with about 25 due to drop outs and assignment to alternative school). They all had one mission - they wanted to take their flower home. They had planted it in the greenhouse (funded very begrudgingly by the front office during my tenure) weeks before, plotted its growth on graph paper and nurtured it during my class. Go figure. May your flowers and dreams continue to grow.

Who is Darlene?

Velma Jackson MIC Project Students at Mississippi Museum of Natural Science

I finally was beginning to come out of the eclipse this year – the sun and light and hope have been largely hidden from view, and then . . .

There have been bright spots for sure along the way but I have been so busy trying to change a dismal school situation that I may have missed some. Finally I came to terms with it and realized if I could not change the culture and climate of the school put under shadow by changes in “leadership” at the school, I could change myself and my attitude and perspective.

And then after a couple of weeks of extreme fatigue and chest pain and pushing myself to go to school each day, I reluctantly went to the doctor and he thinks I have pneumonia! I had already scheduled a field trip for my caterpillar project, which has had fits and stops along the way (more on that later) for Tuesday so I soldiered on to school.

I was very glad I did. The bus (which was yet another struggle to get arranged) showed up on time and got us back on time. We had to detour along the way to pick up one of the vo-tech students, navigate a busy McDonald’s for a quick lunch in route since no food or drinks could be brought into the museum, and scurry in with just a few minutes to spare. It was all worth it.

The mentor of the project and noonday speaker, Dr. Richard Brown, recognized us before the group, one of my students asked a very thoughtful question during the question and answer period about how butterflies got their color (and another in private which I wished he did not think was stupid – the only stupid question is one not asked, I told him – but his question got to the heart of the lecture and I was glad he was listening and understood). By the way except for blue which is a virtual color due to diffraction of light on the scale pattern (like the “rainbows” you see on DVDs when you tilt them in the light) colors are seen due to packets of pigment in the scales of wings which have “viewing” holes in them which can be seen with an electron microscope.

Anyway the director of the museum was so excited about us being there and about our project. She even suggested we might present some of our results sometime. That may not happen now since I was looking for her after we left the lecture quickly to go release butterflies in the butterfly garden – it was so cool. They had been shipped in little envelopes and chilled. As they thawed out and careful, inquisitive students (and teachers)gently opened the envelopes, the butterflies were launched.

I checked in the library where they were having lunch and asked if Darlene was in there. They all looked at me quizzically. Darlene? I do not know where I got that name from – I do not even know any Darlene’s. Her name is Libby Hartfield. Oh well. While there making a fool of myself, I did manage to give one of our caterpillar samples (extracted from an acorn in my laboratory classroom) preserved in alcohol to Dr. Brown

for him to identify back in the lab.

Later I did find Libby and apologize in advance before she saw the other group who would surely tell her some absent-minded teacher was looking for Darlene.

There two good signs here. We made it on time and learned a lot in spite of all obstacles and, two, I could laugh at myself instead of ruing the darkness. I think I see the light breaking around the bend. More catch up blogging to come.

Felt Right at Home

It was an eight year drought after making the Mississippi State Physics Competition for ten straight years at Cleveland High School. (In that time, we had one first, one third place and many honorable mentions).

The third year was the charm at Velma Jackson where I finally began to hit my stride and to figure how to motivate these kids. After starting with eleven students and after one shocker day where two of the girls (in physics of all things) got into an all out brawl before class even began, I now have seven very dedicated students who have persevered.

I took them to the contest (one was not able to attend) and felt right at home and was reminded again how much I enjoy challenging kids and giving them an opportunity to do their best among the best.

SN: While there I got to collect acorns with my collaborator caterpillar expert, Richard Brown. When we got back my zoology students were excited to find over 26 caterpillars in the acorns!

Farewell, Benita

A Second Chance for MIC

With help from two of the assistant superintendents, Dr. Polia Griffin and Ms. Charlotte Seals, transportation was arranged, and the second time around had a lot more schools and teams.

The caterpillars were hiding for the most part, but we did find a few.

Pictures of the day.

In spite of all odds, the MIC Project begins

Debriana and Wendy after we collected caterpillars in the heat

As I have told my colleague many times, teaching should not be this hard. Getting a project going should not be this hard.
I am not referring to the effort at making plans to teach and delivering the many forms and vicissitudes of instruction. That kind of hard work is expected and often exhilarating and what keeps me at it each day.

I am referring to the unnecessary hard work of getting the resources needed and personnel engaged to teach and, in this case, to carry out the MIC project. I tried to get audience with the principals of the Madison County School District to present my project so that I could get the twenty four teams of three students and one adult sponsor from the Madison County School District schools. The superintendent suggested a mass email to the principals since they had a packed agenda. The is what I did. Then some genius in Nigeria or somewhere managed to hack my email and it got shut down for the two weeks prior to the project. In spite of my filling out work orders and sending emails to important people from my other email account and going to my principal, my school email and main means of communication for the project was still not working on the day the project began. To complicate things further two schools that I tried to contact did not work out. Further there were no more POs allowed after noon on Monday before my project so I had to improvise for some supplies which involved returning some items and doing other creative exchanges and purchases.

So Saturday arrived, three plots were marked in the woods for collection caterpillars, the food for lunch was purchased, a student was asked to run the equipment for the presentations and, most importantly, our indomitable janitor was hired to open everything up and to cook the hot dogs for lunch.

As I drove up an hour before starting time the mentor for the project, Dr. Richard Brown, turned in the school drive from the other direction at the same time. Off to a good start. Mr. Day, the janitor showed up and then a student from the middle school and before it was over four of my teacher colleagues all showed up on time and ready. Nine of the eighteen students from Velma arrived at various times, another student from the middle school and three from the elementary and the projectionist.

Dr. Brown brought some awesome samples of butterflies and caterpillars to put on the lobby table and hooked people's interest right away.





His presentation was excellent and when he gets permisssions I will post it on the wikipage. After we got the paperwork straight and instructions given, we went into the woods to collect caterpillars. Here are the teams:
Ms. Curette, Ms. Towner, Ariel, Fred, Wendy, Kenya
Michelle, Ms. Dickerson, Afrika, Kierra(second row), Jamaica, Jaylen, Brittany
Mr. Hamblin, Michael, Anthony, Ms. Taylor, Debrianna, Lonnie


Two Velma Jackson supporters let us use their land right across the street for the MIC Project. They were not home but let us come anyway. We walked past a pond, through a golf course that he is developing, through a cow pasture and through an open field to the three plots marked for the project. Here are some of the teams at work:





The best news is we were successful and several commented on how much fun science is and how this is what science should be - hands on, minds on.

Here are some of the caterpillars:





We got back to regroup and someone had locked up the hot dog buns for lunch so we were delayed but one of the teachers, MS. Dickerson, who just one a NIssan Grant for her local culture clas, printed out butterflies on her commuter and had the kids coloring as we waited and others got to discuss the project.

All in all it was a very successful day with a lot of learning taking place - great quality though far short of the 96 person quantity planned for.

Good things come to those who wait

Even in 100 plus degree heat, the oasis delivered these.



Easy rider on the hydragea



Day One



Second Row: Jessica, Brittany, Jaylan, Kenya holding RJ, Ms. Towner
Front Row: Justin and Wendy

After not a lot of sleep, I rushed out to Velma Jackson to meet some folks rounded up by our spirited PTA President to help clean up my room that I left pretty much in a disaster. At least that is what I thought. I got there just before the scheduled 10:00 am appointment for disaster relief and no one was there. When I asked one of the front office people if they had seen anyone, she said, “She will not come.”

Oh yea, of little faith, about 11:05 in walks the president and her crew, her daughter, Kenya, her daughter’s friend, Jessica, (both will be in my physics class and they scored some serious brownie points) and her two younger children and their friends. They all needed volunteer hours for 4H and I needed some serious help - great combination.

They all jumped right in and we cleaned hamster and gerbil cages, moved Eduardo, the guinea pigs pen and cleaned up some not so pleasant waste material that he left behind and threw away clutter, moved out all the desks and cleaned them and mopped the floor and sorted clutter and generally gave zoo 122 a make-over. All I had to do was work along side them and encourage and cook hot dogs on my George Foreman grill.
Thank you.

As if that three-hour stint was not enough. They agreed to come back on Monday to take on the greenhouse.

Day Two Crew
Jaylan, Ms. Towner, Jessica, Kenya, Chris
Wendy, Brittany
Justin

This time I got there early and there was knock at my door and it was the new principal and his assistant. They introduced themselves and were dressed very professionally with pastel shirts and striped ties and I was standing there in my shorts, T-shirt and clogs. I said I did not get the memo about dressing. The principal was very supportive and the assistant nodded smiled and nodded a lot, and they willingly took the tour of my room and the greenhouse. Then the principal asked who was in charge of the school fountain – it had become a tremendous eyesore over the summer without any maintenance and the once beautiful flowers were smothered by three foot high Bermuda grass. I said the last administrator and I never really came to a good understanding. The kids really need a lot of support to keep it going and some money for supplies occasionally. He asked if I wanted that in my program. I said yes and he said I had his support.

I told him it would probably be Monday or Tuesday before I could get people to do it. He thought that would be great. And then my help showed up again in force and besides Kenya and Jessica who worked tirelessly, creatively and without complaint on Wednesday another student who will also be a senior, Chris, showed up and joined forces.

I got the fourth grader, Justin, started on the fountain area and he immediately had a good understanding about getting the roots up and not having to do it again. I interrupted the principal from a meeting to tell him a young man was out there working in the heat and could really use a pop at some point and to test his support. He passed later with a pop and two bananas.



I also enlisted Chris on the fountain and put in some serious time myself to which Chris said to Justin, “I cannot keep up with Mr. Banks, this heat does not seem to bother him.”


He did alright.


I ride without AC and the windows down to condition and to simulate motorcycle riding.

At any rate we got it finished and when I told and showed the principal who graciously gave me his cold water, he said UPS couldn’t deliver like you. I said just call me UPS and we are off to a good start. Mr. John Sullivan will be fine as our new principal - he recognizes persistent passion that you do not have to wait overnight for.

I hope for a good year. After serving hot dogs to all I went from there to surprise our former assistant principal who is now the head principal of East Flora Elementary with a farewell gift. She told her secretary to be careful about whom she let in, but was really glad to see me even though I thought the picture on the wall was a tomato and it was an apple. She was very encouraging of my career and told some good lies about my ability and intellect to her secretary. Fare very well, Dr. Robinson.

I snapped this clandestinely.

She showed me the morning glory.

I was having my coffee


on the patio


and deep in thought and enjoying the cool morning. Then Heckle, one of my hummingbird buddies, started her dance from flower to flower and to my great surprise stopped at a morning glory leaf. My biology sense knew better so I looked closer and to my surprise after a month of waiting there was my first morning glory bloom.

Can you find Jeckle at the feeder?


And here are the two in tandem fight flight

I will AP, but next year.

Looking into crystal ball for answer.


After all the drama, it came down to my choice. The powers that be discussed and rescussed and as I suspected if I wanted to teach it I would have to give up the block I was given to carry out the MIC Project. I considered the offer for about fifteen seconds and decided to turn them down. As I had told the super and assistant super I am passionate about teaching but not crazy.

I will live to try again. This time we will start the planning early, and being the wide-eyed visionary that I am cursed sometings with being, the Velma Jackson ambassador core may actually become a reality where a very sharp core group of ninth graders can be the face of Velma Jackson in the advanced courses, in the academic competitions across the state and in hosting visitors to the school.

I will keep all two or three of you that read this posted.

AP or not to AP?

I was really doing a lab - really.

I am in my second week of recovery from AP Biology training and the ups and downs of my school and now district’s decision to offer or not offer it in the fall.

The week was quite intense and presented by a very capable, energetic and a good geeky youngster such as I – more on that in a moment. It got off to a rough start. I had not heard anything from my school or AP about the training, but I knew it was from Monday to Friday from 8-5 or at least I thought I knew that. When I showed up at Millsaps at 8:01 the room was full and they were in full tilt. Jane, the presenter, said you must be John. Now how did she know that?

I was the only person on the list that had missed the introductory session on Sunday night. Then the AP police chief met me at the door. I am not sure of her name but she is the Millsaps person in charge of the AP institute for all the subject areas and somehow she just sniffed me out. She told me emphatically that I would not get continuing education credits since I missed the one-hour introductory session that cannot be made up. Wow and good morning to you. I told her I had not gotten any communication –well, we sent it to the address on the application. (Later I realized it went to my other address that I had not checked). I explained that I had no need of continuing education credits since I had my national board certification.


My lab group who welcomed me and made the week very enjoyable. Liz, a Harvard graduate and Teach for America teacher at Humphreys County High School, Mark, a steadfast, star teacher and coach of the year at McComb for 33 years, and Antoine, a Jackson State graduate and creative, dedicated International Baccalaureate Teacher at Jim HIll High School.

The participation certificate so I could get my license upgraded was all I was interested in. She said I probably could get that. Probably? If not I will just leave; I have other things to do. I hung around for several days before they finally said I would definitely get my certification. Life is good. On the last afternoon session, Thursday, before we were to be dismissed early on Friday, I found out some startling news. One, I emailed my assistant principal who was standing in for our principal who euphemistically left for a better opportunity in another state. I inquired about books and who would sign the required AP audit form. She emailed me to say we would not be offering AP Biology in the fall. Not offering? You mean I rushed back to town to be able to attend this weeklong workshop for no pay and battled credit and now I will not be able to give our students this awesome opportunity.


The second best lab group who sat in front of us and worked with us on some labs and were a lot of fun.

As soon as I left on Friday morning – don’t tell the AP police chief but it was 10:15 not the scheduled noon, I headed straight for Velma Jackson (Our fearless leader had us going for days without the fifteen minute morning and afternoon breaks and by my count that was two hours so I took most of them and took an early exit – with my certificate, I might add). I came in with both guns a blazing for the assistant principal, whom I really like and respect, and the counselor, ditto. However, I gave them the full bluster – this is my last year. As soon as I find another job, even if it is in December, I am gone.

Now stop your threats, Mr. Banks, she said in her calm professional way. (I hate that she is leaving us for a principal job in an elementary school – but happy for her). And as for the counselor, I continued I will say happy whatever day it is as I always do and be cordial but professionally I will be very, very cold. (I was kidding but not happy that she had more or less promised I would be teaching AP Biology). Any way it was a great interchange and after the dust had settled. The Assistant Principal said she had ceded to the counselor’s insistence on an extra conference period to administer the grant. You have to give him something since he will not have AP. She agreed but warned her to just tell me no for if you say maybe Mr. Banks will work away at you until he gets what he wants. I confessed that was true but I had to for the kids.

Back to the other surprising news on Thursday afternoon. Since I missed the introductions I asked the presenter where she taught. Jackson, Tennessee at University School she replied. Oh really, I am not familiar with that I graduated from Lambuth College. Really. I did too. What year did you graduate? 76. Then it was clear to her why she had asked if I had been to one of the workshops before earlier in the week. I did too and gave her maiden name and remember I had long red hair. And, of course, she was biology major also – I barely remembered her but that is not unusual I do not remember most people from the distant past except abusers and superstars. Go figure. In the next class she told everyone this. I said I was hot (ha-ha) and she said yeah I was one of those guys who she hoped would speak to her (yeah right). Then I said I did not run with her because she was Greek –she thought I said freak. And everyone got a chuckle out of that.
Here she is the Vanna of Biology presenting our data from a five-day transpiration experiment.



And I thought it this AP thing was all over until I was meeting with the superintendent. His secretary had emailed me to say he wanted to meet with me about my grant and the possibility of presenting at the principal’s meeting. Wow – a meeting with the big cheese about the grant – this is finally getting somewhere. Then as I just got my throat cleared and we started talking strategy in walked the curriculum director and she asked me about AP Biology. He gave the green light to talk about it and I gave her the full picture and how I thought it was the one AP course that our kids had a chance of making a 3 or 4 on and a whole lot of other pedagogical and personnel ideas that I will leave for another time and place to share. In short the superintendent and her and my counselor will have a brief summit today to decide AP or not to AP. Isn’t life interesting?


This was outside our classroom and I am already working on a grant to have this in my classroom wall to be maintained on the classroom side and enjoyed by passersby on the hallway side.

Days Nineteen and Twenty - R and R and Home, Did I say Home!

In my sister's pool before the last leg of the journey.

I am home to my Chick-fil-A morning office (where they have free wireless), and it is good to have a long, fulfilling trip complete. Now I have many projects to do but I will take a day or two for rest and recovery. Thanks to all who made this possible.

I got to pass through Alabama again and see that awesome Saturn rocket at the rest stop and talk to my first African American in person since Darla on the elevator (Day 12)– I just shook Cassandra’s hand in gratitude for being home. And here at my office, I saw Mr. Towner, a Velma Jackson friend, and parent of one my students. Welcome home, Mr. B.

3300 miles, two long bike trips, several long runs, a lot of good food and other and, most importantly, many new friends for life and many gifts of new understandings and insights to walk the way of wonder the rest of my days. Life is good.

Days Seventeen and Eighteen - 25 hours on the road in two days

Martinsburg, WV A team

Saturday. I pushed on from Amherst to finally collapse in Woodstock, VA for the night - I left at 10:30 from Amherst after spending about three hours on my blog and bidding a proper farewell and putting my pastoral blessing on everyone in the group, I think. I had a wonderful lunch in an off the road town of Mt. something, NY and took a couple shots.


And supper at Mickey Dees somewhere along the way and my last stop before a 11:45 arrival was Martinsburg, WV whose name had to be repeated twice (I was in a coffee coma) by two very energetic teenage servers at yet another Macs. At another in the day the wireless did not work and they got a frigging F. What do we get they querried enthusiastically, An A. They started telling everyone, “We got an A!”

I could do brain surgery to pay for my trip since I stayed in an overpriced Holiday Inn Express with the worst coffee and breakfast on the planet.

Sunday. After getting up and just pushing myself I had a serendipity by finding Joe, my great longtime friend since seminary days, was still in Abingdon and offered a wonderful lunch of quiche and salad at 1:30 where Betty said we waited on you like one dog waits on another. Bless you. I also got to meet Luke after hearing about him for nine years and see his bride, Rachel, Joe and Betty's number one, who has a really cool blog, Yestertime. And see Noah their son again who got to play with Benita for a bit.

I stopped about an hour after that exhausted and wondering if I could make it to Franklin. I had two cups of coffee and again no Mac wireless and got so juiced I drove for almost five hours straight to make it to Franklin at 8:30 EST (after leaving at 8:50 am). My young friend who likes to text (aggrevated me with culinary cruelty as she texted details of their family cajun potluck fourth party) and a very timely cello piece (a precocious 12 year old on "Over the Top" on NPR)texturing the smokies musically as I passed by lifted me onward to Franklin where my dear sister had ribs which I ordered by text (along with accurate directions) ready and then fireworks and yes bed. As my friend said when I texted, “here!” - wonderful, you need to park your rides (truck and bike) for a very long time. Indeed.