Hopefully coming soon...

I want to write a blog post in my (hopeful) free time later today after I finish most of the work I'm doing now.

In my DC History class, the students are team-reading The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Some of the students have already read it in other classes (English or other history classes; there are also those who have failed DC history and are re-taking) and are growing tired of it quickly. Others just aren't that interested because they've heard all this stuff a hundred times and Douglass is the hometown hero. Keep in mind that this is a school with a 100% African American student body - if there is one thing they've heard plenty of in the summation of their 10-12 years they've spent in school so far, it is slavery and Frederick Douglass.

I spend most of my time in these class periods just cruising the classroom, sitting with some of the groups, occasionally reading out loud, but mostly trying to ensure everyone stays on task and isn't confused by the 150ish year old writing .

In my last period of DC history before break on Thursday afternoon, one of the groups I sat down with was being kind of quiet. As soon as I asked how they were doing, one of the girls just looked at me and, in a tone that told me she honestly had NO idea what my answer would be like, asked, "Mr. O, what do you think about slavery?"

I probably shouldn't have felt this way, but I think this was the most "on-the-spot" I've felt in a really, really long time. I guess it is because I instantly realized pretty much everything I've invested into building a positive teacher-student relationship was also at stake...