Enrichment defined is the action of improving or enhancing the quality of something (or someone). In this case, summer enrichment courses are designed to help students build upon the skills they’ve learned during their normal school year and introduce skills that they will need in order to more smoothly navigate and transition into the new school year. The following are two courses that I plan to teach in the coming weeks:
Leadership and Public Speaking:
This course will focus on developing students’ skills in public speaking and leadership through a collaborative environment. Students will engage in authentic activities that mirror school and career experiences to strengthen their presentation skills and self-confidence. Through this lens, students will work on developing the qualities and skills needed for leadership roles as they carve out their unique style and build on their strengths.
Writer’s Workshop:
This course will focus on fostering cross-curricular writing skills in middle school students. Students will be exposed to various forms of writing and learn to differentiate their writing for various audiences. This course will explore elements of both academic and creative writing. Students will use topics of their interest to develop strong writing structures and conventions to support school-based writing and personal expressions.
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I look forward to sharing summaries of the learning process, which I will also be sharing with my students’ parents. Have you taken enrichment courses? What are your thoughts (and/or experiences) regarding enrichment courses for middle and high school students?
While my students continue to struggle and persevere in various ways with our new educational approaches (i.e. online learning, schedule changes, day and boarding student separation and pacing guides), my goal is to help them relate to the world by first understanding who they are as authentic beings preparing to launch beyond the (perceived and very real) obstacles at hand. This is my core reasoning and rationale for continuing to work alongside them. As I struggle, persevere, evolve and inevitably allow myself to shift as a result and in spite of year ‘2020, I produce creative works and projects as a means and portal of continual discovery. I am grateful to have spectacular students who enjoy the learning process.
In this spirit, while focusing on a rhetorical device unit and how speakers, authors, filmmakers and overall artists use rhetorical strategies in order to reach their audiences, I asked my students to create their own creative project incorporating at least two to three of the plethora of devices we’ve studied. Students were provided with an array of creative options to choose from. And of course, they also had the option of proposing their own creative idea. I had fun sharing the creative options because I have many creative souls in my courses, from photographers to singers, from poets to documentarians.
The following is my rhetorical creative project model for my charges. I chose to construct lyrics–incorporating several rhetorical devices–and sing a song about George Floyd whose life ended while in police custody. My written analysis, following the video performance is an example of the compositional/analysis component of the performance.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In9mTMn0nms
Mr. George Floyd
“Mr. George Floyd” centers on memoriam of an individual whose life was taken violently and cruelly while in police custody. Mr. Floyd’s murder was filmed by a bystander who was unaware, at the time, that this footage would spark protest and demand for reform of methods used by law enforcement when apprehending individuals suspected of a violation of law. I intentionally included three rhetorical devices—epistrophe, loaded words (in analysis) and hyperbole–for a more structured composition; however, most importantly, I aimed to pay tribute to Mr. Floyd by methodically and melodically–through song– appealing to human emotion in order to raise awareness regarding injustices still prevalent in our world, today.
Rhetorical devices incorporated:
Epistrophe– “Mr. George Floyd”-Shared at the end of successive phrases for effect and as a reminder of the individual the piece is centered on; say his name…
Loaded words-Violently/cruelly/murder-included to speak truth to what I witnessed. Ironically, law enforcement is responsible for keeping order and “peace;” In reality, law enforcement’s conduct was a demonstration of the exact opposite.
Hyperbole and colloquial language—“this life just ain’t gon’ be the same”—life is not going to be the same following our witnessing of this murder. And it hasn’t been. I understand that Mr. Floyd’s murder in itself will not transform all that is necessary for justice to prevail. Nevertheless, for those who needed a wake-up call and heeded to it following Mr. Floyd’s death, life is not going to be the same. I must emphasize that I share this phrase in the most positively connotative manner. Use of colloquial language was inspired by listening to the mother of Mr. Floyd’s daughter. In a saddened state of pathos, the language of her testimony will continue to resonate……
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Share your thoughts regarding rhetoric or creating with students. As always, I’m looking forward to reading your perspective…
During this sudden change in classroom environment–in person to virtual–my students and I continue to grapple with the idea of God, truth and human nature in accordance with our current events and author, Flannery O’Connor. As a Christian/southern/gothic writer, O’Connor wrote about the complexities of human nature through her characters. Mostly, characters are in a world of duality consisting of individuals who have “faith” in God juxtaposed with those who choose to follow self (or according to O’Connor, the devil).
This is the case for O’Connor’s character “the grandmother” in “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” While some may argue that O’Connor displays “the grandmother” as vain and self-centered, others argue that she is a God-fearing individual who desires the best for her family. Whether one sides with the former or the latter argument, O’Connor provides no background information to suggest how this character evolves into what is encapsulated in this short story; or does she?
O’Connor’ s “Tennessee Waltz” allusion is perhaps the only information provided to suggest why “the grandmother” is characterized as the only “true” believer in God and at the same time, one whose interest in self leads to her family’s demise. The following are some questions to consider while exploring Flannery O’Connor’s choice of allusion in connection with her protagonist:
What could O’Connor possibly be communicating about “the grandmother” in connection with the “Tennessee Waltz” lyrics?
Refer to the “Tennessee Waltz” lyrics, “…my little darling…” What is O’Connor suggesting about the grandmother’s former relationship(s)?
Could the “Tennessee Waltz” possibly explain the relationship between “the grandmother” and her son, Bailey?
Is there important information we should know about the origin of the song in connection with Flannery O’Connor and her characterization of Grandmother?
This week, I’m sharing my talent to raise awareness for A Woman’s Place, dedicated to envisioning “…a society where all individuals are safe in their relationships and can flourish.” Learn more at A Woman’s Place here. Be well as we work together to flatten the COVID-19 curve.
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The 2019/2020 school year is here! I feel the energy shift from the slower-paced summer days to the more structured rigor of the academic year. This is especially the case for me because I teach and reside in the same community. Considering this, I’ve taken some time to reflect on what makes my teaching community rather special. What truly makes my teaching community special is the dedication, purpose, intellect and minding-the-light-within individuality embodied in all who I live and work with.
The Collins Connection
Learning about the great Marva Collins inspired me to reflect on why I appreciate my colleagues and my role as educator. Marva Collins was dissatisfied with the school system in Chicago due to the less than acceptable education children in the system received, including her own. She was compelled to make a difference and invested $5,000 out of her pension to start Westside Preparatory School, located on the second floor of her own home. Collins accepted children who were considered learning disabled and problematic according to the school system at that time. After working closely with Collins, the same children excelled above and beyond the labels once placed on them.
Collins enabled her students through the Socratic method. Through use of this method, centered on questioning, reasoning and logic, Collins inspired them to:
Gather Information
Set a purpose for reading
Reflect
Predict
Reason
Collins applied the aforementioned points in developing the meta-cognitive skills of her charges. When naysayers questioned her students’ intellectual abilities and future potential, Collins proved them wrong with open invitations to her classroom and methods. What an awe-inspiring individual! She was so riveting and educationally transformative, President Ronald Reagan nominated Collins to the position of Secretary of Education.
Dedication:
In true Jazzandblackboards fashion, I dedicate Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes’ “Wake Up” to Marva Collins:
I am most proud to be part of a tribe of individuals, like Marva Collins, who are dedicated to empowering minds. Share your reflections in respect to educators like Marva Collins. In what ways have you been influenced and/or inspired by their service?
