Take a look at this clip of the beginning of the episode we just watched.
"Maybe the state should [take over the school]."
"You don't teach math, you teach the test. North Avenue's all about the Leave No Child Behind being spoon food."
"And what do they learn?"
"The first year isn't about the kids. It's about your surviving."
So we're really now into school. I have a couple questions about what we saw today in the classrooms. Tomorrow I'm planning for the discussion to last the whole period--this is that big. But we'll see.
1. What is making Prez's job so difficult? Is it the kids? Is it the administration? Is it the educational "philosophy" he's operating under? A combination of the three?
Now look at the classroom with the corner kids.
2. Agree or disagree with this statement: this class is working better than Prez's class. If you agree, why? If you disagree, why not?
And finally:
Namond says, "We do the same things as you all. Except when we do it, it's like, oh my God, these kids are animals. Like it's it's the end of the world coming. It's bullshit...[It's] hypocritical." To which Zenobia says. "Yeah, we got our thing, but it's just part of the big thing."
3. So what are Namond and Zenobia pointing out to the adults here? What does Zenobia mean by what they're doing is "just part of the big thing?" Is she right? Is Namond right? What is a possible point the show is making through this moment?
Don't just answer these three questions quickly, especially the third one. Write a couple hundred words on the third one in particular.
1. I think the thing that is making Prez’s job so difficult is the educational agenda he has to stick to. Prez has to teach to the test, which makes it harder for him to make the material relatable and relevant to the kids. When we see them learning about fractions and probability when they were playing with the dice, they were more cooperative. But, when it comes to the test, the kids don’t understand the way the problems are presented. Along with the educational philosophy he is operating under, I don’t think the kids have fully bought in to the system. Prez is definitely making some progress though.
ReplyDelete2. This class is working better than Prez’s class. They are genuinely excited about what they are talking about and they all have something to say. In another clip, Namond tells his friends how great the new class is. He tells them they are talking about business and how to act on the streets. Namond’s class has made the material they are talking about relatable. It is useful information for the kids that they can apply to their lives right now. However, one way that this class isn’t working better than Prez’s is that it isn’t covering the material it has to as decided by the state. Prez has to stick to certain material while the new class can talk about anything. So therefore, both classes aren’t working perfectly, but the new classroom is more dynamic and it has the students interested in school.
3. Namond and Zenobia are pointing out that the adults as well as the kids are part of a broken system; everybody is in the same boat. However, the adults are the ones deciding who shouldn’t be doing certain things and which things aren’t acceptable. Namond points out the hypocrisy that it is ok for people to drink and smoke cigarettes (which both kill a lot of people), but it is not ok for kids like them to sell drugs. I think if I was in Namond and Zenobia’s position, I would be really frustrated. In addition, the “big thing” Zenobia talks about could apply to the class difference as well. Over and over we see the wealthier citizens of Baltimore getting away with things that the poor people cannot. For example, Clay Davis bribes and takes money from Carcetti and he takes advantage of Royce. Royce is corrupt in practically every way; however, he was the most powerful man in the city. On the other side of the spectrum, the guy that was biking to work but stops to get drugs for the undercover policeman didn’t do anything very wrong, but his bike was stolen and he was taken to jail. Bubbles, a man working hard and trying to make a living for himself, is robbed and beat up by addicts in his community as well as a cop. The poor people and the young students both are at a disadvantage compared to the adults and the rich. Namond and Zenobia point this out and further expose the corruption of the system—the “bigger thing”.
1) The school's have given up on the kids from the beginning. So although these kids complain when they are given anything they haven't seen before, this is exactly what they are taught to do. These kids don't learn to think for themselves, they are "spoon fed" everything, simple rope memorization. These kids are MADE to look like the reason for failure, but really it is the system. The system has said we don't care for you we simply care for government funding. The kids know this, they aren't stupid, so they do the bare minimum, if that. Prez realizes this from the conversation with the teachers. Even in a profession supposedly dedicated to teaching others, it's all about oneself.
ReplyDelete2) I think they are making progress we these kids, but that progress has no final goal. In this episode Bunny, the academic, and the teacher couldn't find a goal for what to do now except simply cruise. Prez is making headway with these kids, he is teaching them by making them think they aren't learning. This is a similar approach to what the "special" class is doing, but they are making more progress with it.
3)They are pointing out the world is unfair. Everything the government does doesn't always make sense, but some things that make common sense are not even legal. Zenobia is saying that what they do is only a small part of a giant scandal, what they do illegally the government does the same by simply saying it is allowed. I think they are somewhat correct, but they still have to realize that what they do is illegal! No matter how you look at it, selling drugs is not moral or a good way to go. These kids are brought up in a screwy system that tells them quick money in drugs is the best way to go. There is no emphasis on education, it is all in the money.
Evan Gold
ReplyDeleteI think that it is the combination of the three. First off I think that the kids are not on the eighth grade level. Prez is trying to teach the children things that are way too advanced for them and he knows it. For example he is trying to teach them fractions when they barely have a grasp on whole numbers. I also think that it is the administration also is partly to blame. When Prez tries to ask them if he can stray from the curriculum to try to help the kids understand the material better. They say “Teach the test.” I think this is horrible because in the end the kids are barely learning anything.
I do think that this class is working better for its intended purpose. The purpose of Prez’s class is to teach the kids basic school material that will help them later in life. As we know Prez is having a hard time doing this. I think that the purpose of the corner kid’s class is for the professors to study how they act and try to learn a way to teach them. I think they are succeeding very well with that.
I think that Namond and Zenobia are saying that their culture and their life will always be somewhere. They are almost saying that drug dealing is just another business just like when people sell liquor or cigarettes. I think they are right. I think that they are also saying that people (like cops) get jobs because of people who deal drugs and that everything is almost a cycle. Namond is trying to say that drug dealing is not anywhere near to as close to as bad as everyone cracks it up to be.
1. I think the fact that Prez's job is so difficult stems from a variety of sources. Obviously some of the issue is caused by his students being unwilling to learn, but a good portion of the issue is caused by the educational norms that have rooted themselves in Baltimore. His students rarely if ever allow Prez to do his job, and put no faith in the system. None of his students believe that a good education will help them in the long run, and as a result they put no effort in to the classroom experience. I would say that the administration isn't so much the issue as the overall ideals of education in west baltimore. The lone motive behind educating these kids is to get them through mandatory school as smoothly as possible and to keep the schools open. As soon as they take the test at the end of the year they are no longer the schools problem. The clearest example of this is when Cutty is asked to pick up kids who are skipping school off of the street, but they only need to be brought in one day a month.
ReplyDelete2. I find it hard to agree or disagree with such a statement because while the new class may be communicating more efficiently, neither class is learning the material they are meant to learn. So yes, in effect the new class that consists of only corner kids is quite ironically communicating better than Prez's class. This is partially as a result of the stance the new class has taken on punishment. There's no way for the corner kids to escape, and as a result they decide to give up on cussing out teachers and acting out violently.
3. Namond seems to be making the point that while what the corner kids are doing is in no way more threatening to Baltimore than anything that the adults are doing. The only difference is that the corner kids are kids, and the people deciding what is right for them are the adults. All of their lives they watch adults out in the street selling drugs, they see corrupt politicians vying for power, they see corrupt cops stealing from the people, and nothing is done about it. When Zenobia says that they are just a part of the bigger system she is saying that the corner kids are just playing into the system that already exists. The issue is that the corner kids are about the most vulnerable of anyone in the city. While Bodie, and Marlo, and Royce, and Clay Davis etc. get off free for nearly anything they do, all the corner kids are now trapped in a secluded classroom with no escape. The rich and powerful seem to be able to get away with anything, while those that learn from their behavior are punished for it. The system seems to be broken in every way. While I don't necessarily think that what the corner kids are doing is morally correct, I can't say that they don't have a point in this scene. They aren't doing anything different or worse than any of the adults we see in the show.
The reason that Prez is struggling is a combination of the first two factors, which are the administration and the kids. The administration system doesn’t really give him time to work with the kids. As we saw earlier, they only knew how to do one kind of fraction. He didn’t test the students on the specific example he used, which teachers usually don’t do. But at the same time, he has to test them on his example because that’s the only way most kids will pass. Secondly: the kids. Even though all the corner kids are gone, Prez still has a bit of a hard time controlling the class. He can’t keep them quiet. That adds to the stress of his job.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. The students have given in to talking back, because they can’t get suspended. There are three teachers to ten students, a ratio that ensures focused attention on each student. Bunny actually has the kids contributing to the discussion, and at the end, working together. The show makes it seem like some of the corner kids are actually smarter than some of the stoop kids.
The two students are saying, we sell drugs and hustle, but at the same time, older, more privileged adults have big problems too. Namond, to be specific, said things like smoking cigarettes and liquor. Zenobia is saying, yeah, we’re doing our own bad thing, but that’s just a small part of the bad things that happen everywhere. And like Namond said. The microscope is on the students. Everybody flips a shit when the students get caught for doing something wrong, but the adults get away with a lot. Zenobia and Namond both have a point, and I think to some degree they are both right. There are a lot of bad things that happen in this world, but that doesn’t make the bad actions that the kids do any less offensive/heinous/evil. And while kids get more attention when they get caught, like Namond said, the attention is on them because they “can still be saved.” The show it doing what the show always does, which is taking what you assume and what you stereotype and completely turning it around. They are trying to get across the fact that these corner kids aren’t bad. The point that Namond and Zenobia make actually make you stop and think for a second.
1. The problem is that the institutions in place are not there for the kids’ benefit. Even institutions, like the school system, which are intended to help the kids, lose their purpose. Instead, the people who run them are concerned only with their own well-being. However, the work at the school is almost impossible because of the environment these kids are growing up in, and the fact that they have much bigger problems than how to divide apples up equally between friends. The pressure put on the teachers to save their jobs by somehow “spoon feeding” the test material means the teachers have to choose between actually teaching and losing their jobs. This situation is reminiscent of the situation in the police force, and other parts of Baltimore, where you have to choose between personal gain and being a good person.
ReplyDelete2. This class is working better than Prez’s class when he is trying to teach for the standardized test. The kids are engaged, and that precedes any possible learning. The students are also thinking about their decisions and their situations, instead of just following the path they feel obliged to follow. They justify their “corner boy” way of life very convincingly. They are also working together, which they have probably never done before.
3. Namond and Zenobia point out that drug dealers are working for their own personal gain, just like everyone else. The people who are supposed to look out for these kids as they grow up, like police officers, parents, and teachers, are instead focusing on surviving, often at the expence of the kids. How can the adults then condemn the children for trying to look out for themselves? The “bigger thing” is the citywide corruption. The fact that drugs are illegal is almost irrelevant to these kids. This nonchalance is also portrayed when Carcetti asks his advisor, as an afterthought, “That wasn’t legal, was it?” after he pays off Clay Davis. The people fighting a war against drugs aren’t any better than the drug addicts; they’re just better off.
I think Prez is definitely struggling with the three problems of the philosophy about teaching he was taught in school, the education level the kids are at and the administration especially state tests. I think he would be able to rectify the situation faster if he did not have to worry about the state tests that will define whether the school remains independent or is run by the state then he could focus on helping the kids who have fallen behind year after year. Clearly whatever he learned in college will not help him at this school because the kids do not believe in what he is trying to teach them, so I think he has nothing to fall back on. I think if the challenges were ranked for him the least one would be the kids which is astounding because clearly they will require a lot of attention and creative ideas to reach, but I truly think his hardest challenge is the administration because he has to follow guidelines that were written by people who have no idea what sort of issues the kids at this school are dealing with.
ReplyDeleteI disagree that the special class is doing better than Prez’s class. I think both of the classes are functioning on the same level in that in the previous episode Prez was able to interest the kids with probabilities because he found something that appealed to them. In this episode the special class teachers figure out how to interest the kids as well. Both classrooms are faced with the challenge of interesting their students and showing the benefits of the educational system and I think both classes have accomplished the same thing, which is they have discovered a small level of functionality but have not fully made it to the point where everyday the kids arrive and are willing to be taught.
I think Namond and Zenobia are showing that the kids are actually living in the adult world and acting like adults in that they make decisions that benefit themselves monetarily but necessarily ethically. I think this relates to the earlier discussion about innocence and the conclusion the class made that these kids have lost their innocence (the only kid who seems to have retained it is Bug). When Namond speaks to the hypocrisy I think he is referring to the fact that the adults recognize that the kids have lost their innocence but do not like seeing the way all of them are motivated like adults and thus the adults punish the kids to try to stop them even though the adults are doing the same thing. I think the show is trying to make this point that the “big thing” these kids are a part of is the whole corrupt adult world and unfortunately these kids enter it before one would expect them to and adults have often overlooked this awful truth-as shown by the professor who believes that eighteen to twenty one year-olds are the target crisis group. I think the show presents stories to prove Namond and Zenobia are correct because it parallels the storyline about the school with the cops and mayoral story line.
1. The administration of the school, their fear of the state taking over, and the academic philosophy that they have been forced to operate under (No Child Left Behind) are what is making Prez’s job so difficult. The school is fighting for its own survival and independence, which harms the education of the kids. This is evidenced both in their truancy policy (it’s okay as long as they show up for two days), and in their need for all teachers to blindly follow curriculum. Even if only half the school’s enrolled students show up for most of the school days, many of them cannot learn due to their teacher’s strict adherence to a curriculum that doesn’t suit many of them. In Prez’s class specifically, he is told to follow the math curriculum despite the fact that most of his students have no idea how to deal with fractions. Additionally, his fellow teachers tell him that he has to teach the standardized tests, not the actual concepts. While this makes the school look good, it is completely destructive and immoral in regards to the students. By ignoring the actual educational needs of the children, they are sending them into the world without knowing many of the basic skills needed to advance not only into higher levels of education but also to certain jobs. This will lead to many of the children becoming easily susceptible to the drug culture that surrounds their neighborhood. I don’t think the kids can be blamed for Prez’s job being difficult, I think if Prez was allowed to teach them in a way that meets their needs, they would pay more attention. As it is now, many of them are completely confused by their work.
ReplyDelete2. I agree that Colvin’s class is functioning much better than Prez’s. In the corner-kid class, Bunny and the other instructors are able to engage their students in whatever way is best and focus on what they feel will be helpful to their students. Prez is not allowed to teach his students exactly as he feels they need and as a result, he has kids confused (and maybe feeling poorly) because they do not understand the material he is teaching. The only time that his students seemed really, truly interested in the material was when Prez went outside of the box and used dice to teach probability. In all other instances, most of his students seem very unengaged. In contrast, Colvin’s class is moving along very well now that Colvin has figured out how to work with his students (using the corner-culture in order to have them engage in dialogue and work together). In the end, Colvin is teaching more helpful skills and information than Prez ever will if he sticks with the school’s curriculum.
3. Everyone makes decisions/work in institutions that are destructive to others. The only reason that people are so shocked or outraged by the children’s actions is because they are young. Sure, Namond sells drugs in order to provide for his family and yes, those drugs do harm communities. However, such acts are pervasive throughout the city. The drug gangs are not the only problem in Baltimore, nor do they display symptoms isolated from other institutions. Namond’s teacher smokes cigarettes (legal but harmful), these various psychoanalysts make a profit off of studying the effects of the corner-culture on these kids (profiting from the children’s damage), Clay Davis takes bribes, Royce is unfaithful, Walker steals from children, Crutchfield is content to have a man punished for a crime he did not commit, etc. Unlawful, destructive and immoral behavior exists in every nook and cranny of Baltimore, but it is only the working/lower class that gets targeted for it. What the kids are doing on the corner is not right by some definitions, but it’s just part of a larger broken, corrupt system.
I think the educational philosophy is Prez's main problem. He wants to come up with creative solutions to engage the kids, but at every turn he is told that he must do things by the book. Clearly this strict curriculum (in which many students learn nothing) is flawed, and Prez has a solution that he can only implement when no one of higher rank is watching. I think the administration participates in this too, making things harder for him. We see the new textbooks and computers lying unused in a closet, and each truant needs only one school day a month. It seems like the local school is in a difficult place because it relies so heavily on funds that are allocated in specific ways, but they can't seem to give Prez any room to try something different. Many of the kids are difficult, but it seems like Prez is getting through to more of them when he is not blocked by his superiors.
ReplyDeleteI think the corner class is working better than Prez's class, because the alternate class has established an authentic dialogue. At this point, the kids can only talk about the drug world they know, but many kids in Prez's class can't talk about anything at all. The corner students are finally showing interest, which is the first difficulty in helping them learn. While the kids aren't interested in class work just yet, they are showing enthusiasm and engagement, which is a positive sign.
I think Namond is saying that the adults break rules that they set forth as absolute, then get upset when the kids do the same thing. It's okay for adults to buy cigarettes and smoke, but not okay for the kids to deal or take drugs. It's okay for adults to sell and consume alcohol, often irresponsibly, but it's not okay for the kids to do anything like that. The adult world determines (in what the kids consider an arbitrary manner) what is right and wrong, and then the kids are held to a standard the adults themselves aren't held to. As Namond says, you aren't supposed to lie, cheat, or steal, according to the adults, but the government, which is supposed to make and enforce those rules, lies, cheats, and steals all the time at the detriment of the kids. They can't obey these rules in the adult world, but the kids do seem to uphold this standard in the drug world. Zenobia is saying that they are simply filling a niche. Someone has to fill the role that they choose within their community. If it wasn't them, it would be the next kid. They are part of a larger culture that lies, cheats, and steals, but they have been identified as the ones who must be fixed. I would argue that the kids are a symptom and not the underlying cause of the failing city. I think that the kids do bring up a very good point. While I certainly can't advocate choosing the drug world, I can easily understand why these kids choose that world. It works better than the confusing and hypocritical legal world. The kids in this moment very clearly articulate what is wrong with the disconnect between the two worlds. The politicians are in many cases as immoral as the drug dealers, but they can get away with it while the kids are seen as a problem that someone else should solve.
1. His job is so hard because the school’s goal is to get the funding they need. The way they can do that is by getting these kids in school for one day a month or by passing the standardized tests. This restricts Prez. He’s figuring out what works with these kids, but he’s unable to teach it because the school is forcing him to stick with his curriculum. These kids are the way they are by not really much fault of their own, but no matter who’s fault it is, they still are loud and most are unable to focus. School needs to be approached at a different level and until it is, Prez will continue to teach the kids nothing.
ReplyDelete2. I would yes that yes the class is working better. We haven’t seen them learn anything like fractions or language like the other classes are supposedly “learning” but they are learning things that will be more important to them in their lives; things like teamwork, listening skills, cooperation, and respect. These are skills that will serve them much longer and much more then fractions will. A lot of the kids in the regular classes aren’t learning anything, they don’t care and they’ve made the decision to check out. Until they learn the things that the corner kid class is learning then they’ll get nothing from school.
3. They kids are making the strong argument that they’re just a small piece of a broken mirror. They are saying that everything is corrupt. Royce is corrupt. Clay David is corrupt. These are people who are considered “good.” They aren’t treated like the corner kids are in society, yet one could argue they’re just as bad, if not worse. I think it was Anna who said today in class, “People are conflicted between their own self interest and doing what they know is right.” What is comes down to is that people want to make money. I think it was Namond who brought up the point of cigarettes. The companies that make cigarettes I’m sure are fully aware of the dangers their product has, but they are also aware that there is a huge demand for the product and with demand comes supply. These kids are simply supplying what is in demand. The kids don’t like the idea that they are getting judged for something that is everywhere in not just the city of Baltimore, and not just the United States, but also the entire world. Greed is an emotion that causes lots of harm and poverty in this world, but at the same time it’s what drives us as human beings, we are always striving to get better to be better, to improve in one way or another.
I was out sick today so I'm not sure what I missed during the class discussion, but I did watch the episode, and here is my take on it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the educational philosophy is the largest problem Prez faces. One could say that the school system - which is one part of the entire system we are learning about - is inherently flawed. The strict curriculum seems to hold Prez back from expressing himself as a teacher and catering to the specific needs of his students. Personally, I have been at Paideia for the past fifteen years of my life so I have experienced a very creative educational philosophy but I've also had my experiences with very strict curriculums. For example, I have noticed that AP classes seem to hold my teachers back, and they seem dispassionate about what they are teaching since we go through the material so abruptly in order to stick to the schedule. Whereas when my teachers get to teach what they really care about and be creative in their teaching style, I seem to benefit more and they seem to truly enjoy themselves. In the case of The Wire, teachers are trying to turn out numbers, rather than well educated individual students. They want their kids to score well so they can maintain funding, not actually teach them thoroughly. Education has to be a personalized process, it cannot be based off of a standard set of rules for every child. Prez's class is no different, they need to learn as individuals.
I believe that the "corner kid" class is working better than the standard class because the kids are truly engaged and passionate. The "corner kid" class is catered towards the students, not the system's rules for educating and testing. They are allowed to speak about something they know, the world of drugs, and hopefully they will be able to carry that over into the classroom when speaking about other topics.
Namond makes in interesting point. It reminded me of the time that Prez set new classroom rules and immediately puts Namond on the list for detention, then Namond spoke up and called out Prez for being unjust. Similarly, Namond calls out the adults for being unfair, and he makes a good argument. The corner kids are right, they are making the best of the world they live in and getting the worst response from the adults. They are just part of the entire system, making the most of the piece of it they've been offered. In the drug world, they make their own rules. And while selling drugs can never be justified as right, it's not entirely wrong either. The kids are not the only problem, they are a product of a flawed system and the corner kids are bright to recognize it.
Prez's job is so difficult because the kids he is teaching don't know how to learn, especially the way the system is set up. The system is designed just to get over basically. These kids need a different way of being taught and Prez was starting to figure that out, but because the system is so jacked up it's going to be hard for him to do it his way because he has to follow the curriculum. So having said that it is not the kids fault that his job is so difficult its the system that is jacked up.
ReplyDeleteI think it's to early to tell wether or not that class is working better than Prez's class. I think Prez is just now starting to figure out how to teach this kids, and at the same time the "bad" kids are opening up to the cop about why they do what they do. I think both of the classes are starting to take of in the right direction so it is hard for me to tell, which class is doing better than the other.
Zenobia and Namond are explaining to the adults that they are just doing what they know to do, and they learn what to do from what they see. They don't see to many people doing well in middle school then high school and then go off to college. All they see is successful drug dealers, crackheads and killers. So since that's what they see that is all they think they can become so whats the point of behaving in school and doing your work if it don't mean nothing. Zenobia is saying that they might have a corner and do they own thing but it is just part of a big cycle that never ends. They where plenty of drug dealers, killers and crackheads before them and there will be plenty to come after them. In a way she is right because her life so far has proven that to be true, so it's liked there trapped and there is no way out. I think the show is showing us how bleak this world, and that the kids know that there aren't many opportunities to make it out.
1. I think that the reason Prez has such a hard job is because of two main reasons: First, he has to use the state's curriculum, which teaches them nothing, and second, the outside influence on the children.
ReplyDeleteThe state curriculum just has the kids pass one test and Prez is supposed to just spoon-feed the answers to the kids. This teaches them nothing because the kids don't buy into it, but gets the school something. The education system is broken. There needs to be a new way of setting a standard that makes their teacher actually teach them. The kids are influenced by outside things all the time: drugs, alcohol, murders, family issues etc. All these influences make it hard for the kids to focus or be in a learning mood/atmosphere.
2. The corner kid class is doing better than Prez's class. The reason for this, i believe, is because Prez is forced to use a broken system or the school will suffer consequences or he will get fired. The corner kid class is attentive and intrigued with what they are talking about. The first step is to get them to think and want to learn. Motivation is key in a school. If the reward is having fun while learning, it works. They can lead this to talk about real things and help them to understand what they do and why and to help them understand how education can relate to real life situations. The teachers also may learn something, which is what i will be talking about next. All in all i agree.
3. Namond is "schooling" these teachers just as he says to his friends. He helps them realize that people who are on the "bottom" selling drugs are much like the people on the "top" being politicians. People do the same things to achieve their goals: "lie, bump, cheat, steal." Namond is making a good point and the teachers are learning/realizing they're not so different. Namond points out no one is innocent by asking about her addiction to nicotine. How people act the same way as teachers or as drug dealers: only difference is drug dealers are treated like animals and teachers are treated like people. Zenobia connects it for the teachers to further clarify Namond's explanation. They are just a small part of something. Something larger than them. This ties in with teachers a lot, teachers are part of a school, which follows orders of the state who make the curriculum. I agree with both Namond and Zenobia.
1. I believe that Prez’s job is difficult, because of all the kids and the administration. The kids are difficult, because they do not really care about things that are not applicable to their life, and the administration is only watching out for their backs instead of the children’s best interest. So, Prez is put in a difficult situation, because he basically has to re-teach these kids things, because of how the administration has decided to teach these kids. The very apparent lack of caring for the actual education of these children given by the administration is really discouraging and disappointing. Prez has no incentive or support by the kids or administration to put effort in his work, and actually attempt to teach these kids, thus the reason why his job is more difficult.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that the corner kid class is working better than Prez’s class, because they are discussing and engaging in topics and activities that relate to their lives, and that they know about. Unlike in Prez’s class, these corner kids are allowed to talk about what they know, and feel as though they are educating the adults/teachers so they feel encouraged and compelled to work. Finally these corner kids do not have to sit in a boring class that they feel like what they are learning/discussing will not help them at all out in the streets, and they can work together on something that they all are a part of and know about. This group of corner kids creating “Laws” somewhat reminds me of Stringer, and creating his group of drug dealers to meet up and communicate with each other to be stronger. In this class, the kids are finally learning that working together and getting educated could help their situation more than being against each other and fighting.
3. Both Namond and Zenobia are pointing out the fact that adults, administrators, police, government officials, everyone is out there doing some type of wrong, but it is the kid drug dealers they want to point out. Like Namond said it is hypocritical, because arguably the people judging and trying to stop the corner kids are doing nothing better in their respective realm. Zenobia is stating the fact that they are just part of the whole corruption of the system. Arguably, she is right because looking at it from that perspective they are just another part of the messed up people in society. Unlike today in class a possible point being made in this moment is that not everyone cares, and not everyone is nice, and that at the end of the day the big picture is that everything is going to be corrupt, and people do wrongful things.
I definitely think Prez's job is made even harder due to administration and the lesson plan he's being told to teach. Teaching failures should never be blamed on the kids, because as a teacher, finding out how the kids learn, no matter how difficult it may be, is your job. If you can't handle kids, you shouldn't be a teacher. The administration seems as if they aren't interested in the kids. It's like they've given up all hope, which is not what a school is supposed to do. I understand the many outside factors that influence a West Baltimore student, but that doesn't give the administration the right to make sure a kid shows up for only 1 day just to get the government funds. That in itself shows a lack of care for these students. Prez is doing the best he can with very little wiggle room, and he's doing quite well at "surviving". Sadly, yes, the corner kids' class is working better than Prez's. Every kid in that room participates in the discussion about how to properly run a corner. They all share something in common that they all have knowledge of, and they talk and discuss like it's a regular class. The so called "regular" classes can't even get the "regular" kids to participate in a discussion like that! The corner kids may be acting out in class, but they are smart; which apparently the administration fails to see. As for Namond and Zenobia, they are absolutely right. Adults and big companies market cigarettes like there's no tomorrow, but when a starving kid who doesn't have a decent meal to eat decides to sell drugs to stay alive, they go to jail for it. Cigarettes do as much harm, if not more, to the user than anything a drug dealer can offer. You still get addicted, Nicotine gets into your lungs, and you die. But oh no, cigarettes are legal.
ReplyDelete1. I think what makes Prez’s job so difficult is a combination of the three because they all play a role in making teaching for Prezbo so hard. The kids probably plays the biggest role in it. These kids in this school are definitly hard to teach and don’t really know how to learn. I feel that these Baltimore kids would rather be doing anything else but be in school. They have no ambition to learn and seems like they are at school only because they have to be. However there are a small percentage of kids who want to learn. I also blame administration because they say that prez has to teach certain things which makes it hard for Prez because instead of learning how the kids learn and what they like to learn, he has to teach the test.
ReplyDelete2. I would agree that that class is working better than Prezbo’s class because these troubled kids were disrupting class and starting problems that didn’t need to be started. Those kids were all takin out and put into a situation were they have no way out. It is a smart idea because they figured out something the kids would be interested in talking about and Prez doesn’t have to worry about the trouble makers in his class.
3. Namond and Zenobia I think are pointing out that the kids and the adults live in the same world, which is corrupt but the kids being on the corner is just a smaller corruption then the adult world. Think Zenobia means that what they do is just part of a bigger situation. Being on the corner is illigal but what the government does is not but is basically all the same. I do believe that they are both right. The show is showing that the system is corrupt and that there is clearly a problem in Baltimore.