I wasn't going to post in here, mainly because ...why waste your time with asinine stories when the rest of the world posts interesting tidbits. I live a generally hum-drum life, and now that I'm removed from people my age and ...well, everything, I'm extra hum-drum.
Today, my dad and I went to Greenfield (the 'big town' 20 minutes away, where my cellphone works! Of course, I forgot to bring it today...) to do some errands, which is clearly the start to all great stories.
Anyway, as we were walking back to the car, we passed by a very white kid, shirtless, riding his bike down the street. He looked about my age, give or take 3 years in either direction. At YOUNGEST, graduating HS in 2 days. We're talking PASTY here, people. The word 'wigga' comes to mind.
Written on his arm, the phrase, 'THUG LIFE'.
I started laughing right there on the street, with him in earshot..
I couldn't tell if that was an actual tat, or if, as I suspect, he had taken a sharpie (or perhaps, crayola) and written it...or one better, had a friend do it for him.
I worked with FOURTH GRADERS this past year who deserved that title more than he did.
Hey, So you down with Tupac. T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E. = The Hate U Gave Little Infants Fucks Everyone. See my boy Jeff Andrade-Duncan. He's coming out with Thuglife pedagogy this year. Are you a Rida! Cause I ride til I die for the kids of the world who will one day ride for me!
http://sanfranciscoschtuff.com/2007/10/19/teachers-4-social-justice/
You are quite the resource, Antonio. Too bad you're not going to the conference in Chicago on Friday.
Hey, I'd like to meet the NYcore people. Could I give a presentation to NYcore on my work with the pedagogy of humanity and do an open forum discussion of educational topics you guys are concerned with? I could also bring a friend/revolutionary with me who has worked on the El Puente project in indianapolis and is committed to urban education and gang education. Let me know ASAP so I could make arrangements. I'm always willing and excited to meet others in the struggle for justicia. email me
agarciaj@indiana.edu. also let me know the conference again so I can see dates and times.
The conference is this weekend - I'm going to be in Chi-town June 6 - 8th, but I think the actual show is just the 7th and 8th.
I will give your contact info to my NYCoRE connection, Bree. She doesn't REALLY run NYCoRE, it's kind ofa whole group/there are other higher ups, but you ALWAYS here that Bree did something, or Bree wrote an article, or some newspaper guy is threatening her life, or she's at some protest .... she's amaaaazing. She's the reason we're going to the conference. She started this first year teacher's group I'm in so we would plan meaningful curricula, and then she was like 'hey guys, let's try to pitch our group to this conference in Chicago' and we worked hard on a draft, and now, the trip is tomorrow and it's all thanks to her. She busts her ASS for us, soliciting all kinds of money to pay for hotels/confernce fees, and getting us places and answering questions and looking out for us. She's one of my heroes.
cool, I'm excited to see such conciousness in education with critcal transformative activism. I look forward to talking with her. Have fun at the conference. A friend of mine Saun Johnson is presenting i think on tuesday about the "lack of male teachers"(on sunday break outzx) so if you go let him know you know me. He's a colleague friend but hes not a soldier if you know what I mean.
cool, I'm excited to see such conciousness in education with critcal transformative activism. I look forward to talking with her. Have fun at the conference. A friend of mine Saun Johnson is presenting i think on tuesday about the "lack of male teachers"(on sunday break out) so if you go let him know you know me. He's a colleague friend but hes not a soldier if you know what I mean.
cool, I'm excited to see such conciousness in education with critcal transformative activism. I look forward to talking with her. Have fun at the conference. A friend of mine Saun Johnson is presenting i think on tuesday about the "lack of male teachers"(on sunday break out) so if you go let him know you know me. He's a colleague friend but hes not a soldier if you know what I mean.
yeah sunday is what I meant I don't why I put tuesday. when are you guys leaving for chicago?
We're all arriving tomorrow night, and flying back to our homes Sunday. Unfortunately, I think my plane leaves Sunday morning at 10:30/11, so I don't think I'll be going to the conference on Sunday ... I tried to change my flights because I didn't realize that the conference was BOTH days, but the change fee was like, $100, and then all the flights that left later in the day had stop-overs in Detroit or South Carolina and while I DO sort of want to see those places (if only their airport terminals), I didn't see the benefit when I could fly direct Chicago to Hartford. ALSO, Hartford's airport is about an hour and a half from my house, so my parents have to drive there, get me, and drive back, so getting in at 10pm when my mom gets up at 4:30 each day... kinda rude to them. So, unfortunately, I think I have to miss your friends presentation, but I'll recommend my group or some of my group go. At least my friend Dan, the only guy of the bunch
Well Saun's work with men in education isn't the most well recieved thing especially from women. There are at times some sexist and man-centric sentiments that come out in his thougths and feelings on the subject.
On another note, a few of my revolutionary pedagogy colleagues are working with students in indianaplis this summer to put together a curriculum based on critical and revloutionary pedagogy. contirbutors to this that I knwo of are Tim Wise, Jess Andrade Duncan, and I think Pedro Noguera as well as others. I'm trying to get on with the project but my summer is packed with teaching and writing to catch up on things. If NYcore is ever interested we, the revolutinary and critical pedagogy collective, would be interested in doing workshops or presentations at minimal costs. I don't roll like Ruby Payne (or other educational exploiters) talking about poveryt while fucking th epoor schools a 10,000 a workshop session. We roll for the cause p'que somo' de la gente pa'la gente. Let me know how the conference goes. I may put it on my calendar to do next year. I'll be at AERA in San Diego next june will you be there? You'd be able to meet Jeff Andrade Duncan, Me, and the others working for revolutionary action in education. Have fun and take care.
Antonio
the conference was pretty enlightening. It was really cool to hear what other people are doing, and really see that there are a lot of people who care about teaching more than just 2 + 2, which I admit is important, but not life-changing.
NYCoRE did an amazing presentation about their book 'Camouflaged', which is all about war - I haven't gotten to read it yet (I forgot to bring cash to the presentation, so it was hard to buy the book, but it's on nycore's website), and it seems pretty amazing. I recommend it to you.
My group was well-received; it was really cool to present to these people. We got to do some networking and got to know some people more and exchanged some info with them.
I dont know if I'll be at AERA - depends on teaching/funds. if I can, I'll be there.
So what's wrong with this post? It tells a story from YOUR life, an experience YOU had no one else did. And entries don't always have to be verbose or superprosey (is that a word?). You just say what you want. I've added you as a friend.......
w00t.
I dunno. I KNOW that the stories are worthwhile in their own way, because so many too random things happen to me (drunk guys sitting on me at concerts, an entire train full of santa clauses, getting knocked down by the jerk from Sex and the City....) and then I tell my friends and they get a good laugh out of it.... but still, I feel like I'm 12.
Well we all need good laughs (and cries) so go ahead and tell the stories in your own way. Others may benefit from the laughter or the tears, still others may feel a connection because they also experience such random things as well.....So let it out girl!
Dear eje224,
I hope you recieve this in the spirit in which it is offered....
You missed a terrific opportunity to show what love looks like. The mere act of acknowledging his presence in the world by extending the kindness of your smile (when he was obviously crying out for acceptance) would have added a healing dimension to his life. As long as you were close enough to be within earshot, if you had just caught his eye, nodded your head and said (or mouthed) the words, "what's up", you would have definitly, in that moment, made a posotive difference for the betterment of humanity.
As the educated ( and hopefully, enlightened) we have a responsibilty (as citizens of the planet) to always be coming from love...You're just starting out in life but I suspect this is the kind of world you 'd prefer to live in or you wouldn't have prepared yourself to make such a vital contribution.
Remember, love is an action word.
lovespirit
you know what? I thank you for your perspective and the chance to grow a bit as a person.
you are absolutely correct.
dumb
