To Kill a Mockingbird – Mrs. Kelly Love

This week I am on a rare trip: my in-laws took me and my husband to Hawaii. My husband and I went on our honeymoon 26+ years ago to Maui, and haven’t had a trip since. We’ve been to visit relatives in California and Texas, but for big, magical trips, this is it. I have more to say about this trip, and I know I wrote a poem in my sleep about monk seals, and hope I can capture it from the ethereal realms.

I am worried about my students this week. My husband told me not to, but I am. Friday we had a emotional day. It wasn’t planned. It just was. Perhaps I was feeling the pressure of my current principal and her observations. I haven’t been brave enough to check the PIVOT system to read her evaluation notes from Thursday. We’re working on communication.

So between Thursday and Friday, spring break came in hot and with tears. We all needed a break.

Thursday I planned skits for both TKAM and THUG. First period scholars did a breathtaking job: I put them in groups of 3-4, random count—off and then quick readjustments. They were flexible and marvelous, and except for one girl, didn’t complain about the group they ended up in; and, even the one girl did one of the best performances as the “Tree With A Knothole” and used her hoodie pockets for gum and toys. They rocked it. Not only did they do an amazing job with the TKAM skit strips, they came ALIVE with THUG—we developed a quick list of scenes from the book/movie and the performances were epic. Angie Thomas: thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Fast forward to 5/6th period. My principal came in during 5th and we were trying something new, for them, the Interview a Photograph writing from my NWP/PSWP days (Kim Norton/Holly Stein). The second period scholars (who are the same as first period) did great. Fifth period, not so much. And this is the first time in six…seven years (?) that students didn’t thrive during this writing. I don’t know why, but I was frustrated. The kids in that room struggle getting out of their own way. And being observed two days before break made me a little nervous, too, I think, because the inner voice of teacher doubt crept in to an activity I know is tried and true. Would my principal see it? The other day she hadn’t heard of CERs and said no one else had heard of them either, so it’s hard to have conversations and share when there isn’t a common academic language.

We moved toward sixth, and I asked her to stay so she could see the kids perform the skits. Again, 1/2 periods share common students, and so do 5/6, with the exception of a few kids. Sixth tried, and what was interesting is for the loudest, brashest, and quite frankly bluntest group, when it came to performances sudden and accute stage fright.

Interesting.

At least my principal stayed, and I hope that she saw what I did: that students were trying. They were engaged. And that I care for them deeply.

When we moved to Friday, I shared some simple writing prompts I saw on @jarredamato’s twitter feed:

The truth is…

Due to a funky Friday schedule, I saw my sixth period students first thing in the morning. And I shared a few thoughts. A few angry thoughts, and frustrated thoughts, and worried thoughts. I told them to be aware of their surroundings, to notice when a principal is in the room, and I know how much pressure they’re under. One of my most interesting students spontaneously shared a soliloquy that my only regret is that I didn’t capture it on film. He spoke truth, big truth.

And first period students wrote. I told them they didn’t have to share. I respected their privacy as writers.

And in the next moment, five to six students ripped out their pages and handed them to me to read out loud.

I can’t share what they wrote. We were all in tears. Pages of pain, grief, loss, fear, inadequacy, and shame. Our children are in pain.

Final wish: the truth is, principals are feeling the pressure of districts, districts are terrified of Devos, and teachers are terrified of principals and all that fear points at children.

Enough.

We are going to have to be stronger than ever, louder than before, and keep fighting for what is right for our children. How? Speak the truth. It’s all we’ve got.

A student made this for me today. How did she know this is exactly what I needed? ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/fbuqkRy8oc
— Tricia Ebarvia (@triciaebarvia) January 3, 2019

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Is anyone going to understand, aside from other teachers, how amazing what happened is? For all the ills of social media, there is so much good. Note to new and veteran teachers: find your PLN (professional learning network) via social media, and expand your thinking and horizons.

Here is what happened: my district uses packaged novel units based on another district’s work, or now a business, called EL or Expeditionary Learning. The program has many benefits, one of which each student (or scholar as they are known in the district) receives a copy of the central text. There are four modules, each with more lessons than is possible, and the intent is to provide some flexibility and professional judgment in the how to teach, but not the what, and the assessments are ironclad. We first taught Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, and I followed the pacing guide and time frame and came out of it three weeks ahead of my PLC colleagues. No matter–I forged ahead with more essay and creative writing until winter break began on December 21.

Well, break is over on Monday, January 7th, and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is our next Module of Study, titled “Taking a Stand.” Being a Grants/Wiggins fangirl, I am all about the concepts of Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions. But–

…but–To Kill A Mockingbird?

My relationship with the novel is probably typical of a little white southern girl with liberal, progressive parents–I loved it. I loved Scout. I loved the bravery, and the characters, the mystery, the strength, and the suspense. I can’t remember when I first read it if it was a choice or assigned, but I see a wavering fog of memory of some teacher and I connecting over my lightbulb moment of why Mrs. DuBose chose to go off her morphine toward the end of her life. The novel taught me so many things, and I am grateful to Harper Lee for this novel. And to this day, it holds a special place in my heart. However, we paradoxical humans can and should hold two or more truths at once, and over the past year or so (long before I knew I would switch districts and be mandated to teach the novel), many respected educators questioned and criticized this novel. I learned and listened to new perspectives and considerations, many of which hold important truths. Truths about race, racism, misogyny, and injustice masquerading as justice.

#edchat #ncte #disrupttexts Looking for help in pulling all the pieces together:— Kelly (@mrskellylove) January 2, 2019

One of the focuses will be https://t.co/OvUczzQe6W— Kelly (@mrskellylove) January 2, 2019

I had this amazing professor in college. He was Sri Lankan, teaching the required Brit Lit class from the POV of colonized people. He gave us “Heart of Darkness” and said:— Tom Rademacher (@MrTomRad) January 2, 2019

“This book is a racist piece of crap. I want you to read it because I want you to know what a racist piece of crap it is.” We read the book and had amazing discussions, using it as a central text to talk about white gaze and other things. So, teach, but teach context.— Tom Rademacher (@MrTomRad) January 2, 2019

I’m just listening in but I do think if you have to teach a problematic text, then you teach it as a vehicle to learn a critical reading process that allows kids to identify other problematic texts out in the world. Because they WILL encounter them.— Jess (@Jess5th) January 2, 2019
When Jess@Jess5th tweeted this –I knew I found the center focus.

The responses received fill my heart. With the deepest of gratitude, I must acknowledge @MrTomRad, @Jess5th, @debreese, @Ebonyteach, @CrazyQuilts, @Caitteach, @ShanaVWhite, @JenniferBinis, @spencerideas, @TheJLV, @ValerieBrownEDU, @triciaebarvia and if I missed anyone, my apologies. You all came to the conversation, and this-this is what I’ll share with my scholars first — we are all learning together, and trying to do better, and ask the big, tough questions.

The plan, such as it is, when we come back on Monday, January 7, in the midst of adolescents who’ve been homebound for two weeks (most of them) caring for younger siblings and doing whatever it is kids do over rainy breaks when resources are limited, and the building expectations PowerPoints that must be shown, is to let them first take and get reoriented, but also–share what happened. How other teachers discussed their ideas, openly and freely. I intend to pair this text with my #projectlit collection, of course, and allow students to find their own relationship with To Kill A Mockingbird along with other paired texts and discussions. I want so much for them.

If you would like the resources and ideas shared, please go to Twitter and follow me, and click on the discussion thread: @mrskellylove