Thursday, November 5, 2009
Hobart Shakespeareans
Rafe Esquith's work with inner city Los Angeles kids at Hobart Elementary School has received multiple awards and accolades. His mantra of "There Are No Shortcuts" is modeled with his work ethic--students voluntarily arriving at school at 6:30 and staying until as late as 6 p.m. each day. His students typically are identified as living below the poverty level and from families whose first language is not English, yet student scores are in the top 5-10 percent on standardized testing. While , admittedly, this model is not for everyone let alone the faint of heart, what can we learn from his story even for classes in middle and high school, a decidedly different audience than Rafe's.
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I was really struck by the really high challenges that these students are presented with—elementary kids reading Huck Finn, Lord of the Flies, Shakespeare, etc. Reading it, and understanding it! To think that many of these students are speaking English as a second language, come from difficult home situations, and have been labeled by previous teachers as being below average or difficult, is truly amazing.
After I got home, I got to thinking about how interesting it might be to speak with Rafe. So, I looked up his school contact information and sent an email, unsure if I would ever get a response. About 20 minutes after I sent the email, I got a phone call ... from Rafe. It was amazing.
He said the most important thing that he could tell new teachers was that "You're going to have bad days. Days where YOU did everything right, but still, everything went wrong. And that's ok." You have to focus on your kids. Yes, you have to get them through the tests, but don't let that be the focus of your teaching. Above all things, be YOU. Bring whatever you love to your classroom and find ways to infuse your lessons with those things. Be hard—stretch your students, challenge them; but be fair. Be an active listener. Have a sense of humor; smile! Think about what you want your kids to get from your class and teach that (periodically ask kids why you’re having them do a particular lesson—if they or you answer “because we’re getting graded” you haven’t hit the nail on the head yet). Model who you want your kids to be. Have fun! And the last tidbit of advice he gave me was "don't hang out with the wrong group of teachers. There are teachers who hate what they do. They don't like teaching, they don't like making lessons, they don't like their students, and they hate grading. They always want to suck new teachers into their little fray. STAY AWAY FROM THEM. Seek out those teachers who are quietly inspiring kids. Ask these teachers questions. Share your bad days with these teachers."
I was really impressed that he called, and more impressed that he offered his contact information should I have any other questions. (BTW, he gave me the go ahead to pass on his contact info to my colleagues if anyone wants to talk to him). He also mentioned that he thinks of all his books, the latest one "Lighting their Fires" is the most important one.
Well right on, Alysa! Calling you . . .is that creepy or dedicated?
It was definitely dedicated ... he said he gets soooooo many emails that it was just more efficient to call.
In The Hobart Shakespeareans, Rafe Esquith is a dedicated professional, going in early and staying late, just like many other teachers. His success can be attributed to the way he connects with students on many different levels, primarily through building mutual respect. He talks to students and affirms their self worth and ability, which is key to helping kids learn.
Having taught elementary school, I recognize the trust that younger students bring to the classroom. At the age of ten, they are open and honest, willing to try new things, including difficult literature. I’m impressed by the degree to which students understand Huck Finn, especially given the demanding dialect. It takes a great deal of patience and time to bring students to a true understanding of that work, but Esquith’s students are not hindered by fear, they rise to the challenges he presents before them, because they trust that he will help them find their way through to the end.
It is also important that Esquith is up front with his class about the hard work that understanding and performing Shakespeare requires. He takes the time to create a culture in his classroom that celebrates and rewards honest effort and the struggle that success demands. Beyond the curriculum he teaches students important lessons in how to be part of society and how to reach their dreams, moving beyond their current neighborhood, if that is what they desire. His two goals, “be nice” and “work hard” seem simplistic, but reach beyond the fifth grade classroom; Esquith demonstrates how these two concepts translate into our greater society. When combined with the hard work they have learned to do, they have strong tools that will help them as they continue in with their education.
Wow--this blows me away that 1)you received a phone call and 2)it was almost immediate. However, this only substantiates the characteristics that he exhibits in the documentary. Great job of jumping outside the boundaries. I applaud your initiative. Be sure to mention this in class. This is definitely worth sharing. Remind me to mention the Lazlo letters.
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