I find that this takes the majority of my work time- email correspondence, faxes, phone calls, mailings, school visits, planning, reporting in ACT for notes. In general, the CILR teachers have been much better about maintaining active correspondence. The NPDEP teachers and TLT teachers are also good. It takes more effort to maintain regular feedback with R&M, HHB, HL participants and those that attend workshops.
PD Facilitation
CILR: While recruitment for these 2 seminars and the orientation was grueling, I can honestly say that the most productive relationships I have with teachers are the ones that I met during these seminars. The October Choices Orientation workshop was a great success in that the participants were authentically engaged and excited about the upcoming CILR seminars (Dec & Jan). Chuck & I worked really well together in creating a nurturing and productive workshop environment. I observed the December seminar and met with my teachers at the close of the seminar, but I feel that my facilitation in January 2009 helped me to gain a greater appreciation of the choices materials and of the various different facilitation styles (Phredd, Denise, Dunreith, Steve). I think the participants were engaged and excited. The schools that went to see Terrence Roberts and/or that hosted TJR at their schools, I believe, are more motivated to become more invested in Facing History.
HHB 3-day: There was some recruitment required for this seminar, but it wasn’t as difficult as the CLR or the level of recruitment needed for the summer seminars. The thing I found most rewarding about this experience was listening to Professor Rebecca Whitman (Ontario) and Ava Schieber. It was valuable for me to hear a scholar and a survivor offer a different, fresh perspective on the history that I’d been doing so much intensive reading about. I have to say, too, though that I was not comfortable with my Sunflower session, but I think that my Jesus Colon and Holocaust Propaganda sessions went well.
HL 3-day: Ava Schieber was again the highlight of this seminar, but Jeff Kelly Lowenstein’s presentation on Hilberg’s stages and his own family Holocaust research was fascinating. I can’t help but wonder though if participants were overwhelmed at certain points by the amount of content we were providing them – since many of them were lit or English teachers with limited historical knowledge of the Holocaust. Here, too, I think my memory & legacy session and my use of “paper clips” was tedious, but my Bear and Friedrich sessions were good. Another plus was that no recruitment was required for this seminar.
Immigration Workshop: I think the participants appreciated the various perspectives we offered on the immigration issue. I focused on the resource, Becoming American and on the work FH did with the online student museum projects. There were sessions on asylum, what it means to be an American, and migrant workers, as well. This was a popular topic and therefore, little to no recruiting was necessary. Following this seminar, SLT members were treated to a workshop with Rick Nahmias on his migrant project.
HHB 5-day & R&M (5day & hybrid): These seminars are upcoming (June & July, respectively), but our focus now is on massive recruitment and on planning sessions.
One Book, One Chicago – House on Mango Street: This after-school workshop was extremely popular and required no recruiting because of the popularity of the book and due to the fact that this was a partnership with the Chicago Public Library. Chuck and I facilitated 2 sessions using various selections from the book and comparing/contrasting views of Chicago with those provided in Our America: Life & Death on the South Side of Chicago. The opening Big Paper featuring various Chicago pictures and quotes (1800-present) was also a big hit with participants.
The Polk Dialogue
This initiative brought together two July 2008 Race & Membership participants around the study of Chicago neighborhood history, the Great Migration and using multimedia resources to tell community stories. Students at both schools read 2 texts – The Promised Land and Color Me Dark. They heard a lecture/presentation by Dr. Dominic Pacyga at Manley HS (available on youtube) and posted comments about the books, Dr. Pacyga and their communities on the Polk Dialogue Discussion Forum (facing.org/polk2009). Leading up to culminating projects, students received training in collecting community stories from volunteers at vocalo.org (an extension of Chicago Public Radio, WBEZ). They learned how to conduct interviews, how to use audio equipment and how to upload to vocalo’s site. Some of their stories will be used as part of Vocalo’s radio programming in the fall. Although the culminating event and Chicago tour had to be cancelled, I feel that this was a success because it brought together youth from different communities that within Chicago would be considered rival gang areas.
Teacher Leadership Team 2008-2009
It was initially kind of awkward to go from being a member of the TLT to being the facilitator of the team, but I think having been a member gave me insight into ways to make the team more productive. This led to the formation of the Middle School Focus Group and the HS Focus Group. These were a great success as our meeting times were much more productive. Also important was that we received work samples and feedback from teachers that supports the work we are already doing. These groups also provided leadership opportunities within the team. We had 2 teachers lead the Armenian Genocide workshop and several volunteered to help with choices teachers.
Assisting with SLT & May Benefit Dinner
Since Judd’s resignation, Denise has done an outstanding job facilitating the SLT, coordinating the Program staff to help out and with keeping the kids motivated to host our first SLT Symposium (next week, May 12). She has encouraged Jonathan L. (a Cleveland FH alumni & current Univ of Chicago freshman) to come in and help out as well. I have stepped up to assist Denise with special events, like the Rick Nahmias workshop in March and the Symposium. I’ve also been observing/working with Judy to get 2 of the SLT students ready to speak at our benefit.
Program Tech Team
I was very excited to be asked to join this team because of my love of technology and the fact that my last graduate degree was in using instructional technology. I was fearful of getting rusty on my tech skills, but Deb, John, KC and others have offered a variety of ideas and resources to keep me fresh. It has been a challenge, however, in trying to keep up with PTT readings in lieu of all the other work I have to do.
Overall Reflection of the Year
Moving from the classroom to an office has been a difficult transition for me in that I was very used to constant day-to-day interaction with not only youth, but all members of a school community. There is a definite disconnect or fear of disconnect that comes with working in an office space or moving into what is seen by teachers as a more administrative role. They aren’t always as comfortable sharing with you until they know you were a teacher, as well. Working with teachers, principals and administrators doesn’t offer the same level of instant gratification that comes in classroom instruction.
This is one reason why facilitation of PD and meeting with the TLT & SLT are the most rewarding parts of the job. I am definitely more comfortable and more confident in my ability to do a good job here, but there is a small part of myself that is looking for that thing that will become my passion. Working in an international organization is also a challenge because it's difficult to feel part of a large team when you don't see or know the people you are supposed to be connected to. A lot of the opportunities to grow and connect were lost this year due to the economic crunch.
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