Winter has been somewhat mild. I may come to regret saying this, but the croci are sticking their little shoots up through the soil. Every year I look for some new growth to appear in my students. A teacher learns to always push, prod, provoke, motivate and challenge students-every single one. This year I have found some amazing students in the most hidden of places-chaos and conversation in the classroom. I made a strategic decision to allow one crowded class to be rambunctious with the Yale democracy curriculum I developed last summer. My view is that there is good energy and bad energy in a classroom. Hustle, bustle and excitement turned out to be good and not just a frenzy or imperfection. What happened was remarkable because in fostering the students’ interaction in groups and their “rising to the occasion,” a few students raised the bar very high, and the majority followed along. Sure, some kids will for one reason or another just hide out and ditch class. However, the dynamics of the class are not always easy to read. Usually, interruptions can be very distracting 
and frustrating. Yet on some, a teacher must seize the moment. I can remember when one remarkable boy who is listed as gifted and talented challenged my assumptions about the 1% of richest Americans who control wealth. He wanted to know what we would be without Microsoft and Bill Gates. I said that technology and innovation are great, but sometimes wealth comes at a price, the total neglect—if not denial about the impoverished. No sooner had I conveyed that message than the Stock Market took a terrific dive and we are in an economic mess. Maybe I am eternal optimist, I can’t help that. Looking at NM Senator Bingaman’s slide about job losses, does not prevent me from looking for students to go to college and eventually all find jobs.
My classroom soared to new heights and excitement around the election. We had a wall of information on topics such as: McCain/Palin; Obama/Biden, the Primaries, Polling, the Electoral College, the Bush Legacy and the Economic Bailout. Students registered to vote, some campaigned on the street and others were very excited to watch the Debates and the Inauguration. The campaign of Barack Obama inspired me to write a curriculum on Civil Rights for this summer at Yale. Student questions range from “I would like to learn about why Hispanics do not seem to have the same momentum as African-Americans,” to “learn about the Civil Rights Act of 1965 and Martin Luther King’s great speech,” and “know which states allow gay marriage and why?” Students are fascinated with the Obama Presidency and how an African-American has achieved such a distinction. We will decode his major life events, learn about his parents and grandparents; his cultural background, education and values. An analysis will be done on the “road to the White House” including
restructuring economic and foreign policy, his primary victories and winning a cross-section of Americans. Recently students participated in Senator Jeff Bingaman’s Student Leadership Initiative. on health, housing, the economy and education. I felt that I was teaching the right content but not always having the impact I desire, so it is back to the drawing board for this summer. The Stimulus package seems a long way off from the election, but I sense there is movement toward new growth.
and frustrating. Yet on some, a teacher must seize the moment. I can remember when one remarkable boy who is listed as gifted and talented challenged my assumptions about the 1% of richest Americans who control wealth. He wanted to know what we would be without Microsoft and Bill Gates. I said that technology and innovation are great, but sometimes wealth comes at a price, the total neglect—if not denial about the impoverished. No sooner had I conveyed that message than the Stock Market took a terrific dive and we are in an economic mess. Maybe I am eternal optimist, I can’t help that. Looking at NM Senator Bingaman’s slide about job losses, does not prevent me from looking for students to go to college and eventually all find jobs.My classroom soared to new heights and excitement around the election. We had a wall of information on topics such as: McCain/Palin; Obama/Biden, the Primaries, Polling, the Electoral College, the Bush Legacy and the Economic Bailout. Students registered to vote, some campaigned on the street and others were very excited to watch the Debates and the Inauguration. The campaign of Barack Obama inspired me to write a curriculum on Civil Rights for this summer at Yale. Student questions range from “I would like to learn about why Hispanics do not seem to have the same momentum as African-Americans,” to “learn about the Civil Rights Act of 1965 and Martin Luther King’s great speech,” and “know which states allow gay marriage and why?” Students are fascinated with the Obama Presidency and how an African-American has achieved such a distinction. We will decode his major life events, learn about his parents and grandparents; his cultural background, education and values. An analysis will be done on the “road to the White House” including
restructuring economic and foreign policy, his primary victories and winning a cross-section of Americans. Recently students participated in Senator Jeff Bingaman’s Student Leadership Initiative. on health, housing, the economy and education. I felt that I was teaching the right content but not always having the impact I desire, so it is back to the drawing board for this summer. The Stimulus package seems a long way off from the election, but I sense there is movement toward new growth.