Exit Slip- Term One

Exit Slip:  I am going to give you three minutes to answer the following questions on the board.  You must complete these at a level zero while staying seated.  This may only be completed in pencil and I will know that you are done when I see pencils down and eyes on me.  Listen for the song that will be playing, when it ends, that will signal that your time is up.  You may begin...

On the board Question:  How has your fieldwork contributed to your knowledge of your school?  What kind of things have you learned from the fieldwork project?

The fieldwork project that we did for Prof. Cunningham was helpful but also a little bit daunting.  I enjoy doing community walks and projects such as this, like the one we did for Baird, but it was TOO MUCH to do while starting school and ending the term.  I felt like I was in school all day learning and hearing about the community and the kids that we serve and that I should have been able to use that as research time but instead I spent an extra 15 hours in two weeks researching the community I was immersed in and serving all day every day.  Not to mention it is the end of the term and we are wrapping up Everything!

A few things I learned about South Shore and the areas surrounding my school that I found to be really interesting were the history and change in community.  In 1906 the South Shore Country Club was established which was a posh, lakeside landmark which excluded blacks and jews.  Leading up to the 1920's, it was primarily middle to upper middle class that lived in the area and there was almost no one of color.  After the 1920's it became more diverse through religion and European immigrants and it wasn't until the 1950's that racial diversity occurred.  Now in 2013, the demographics of South Shore have changed dramatically.  The population has dropped from what was once 80,000 people to 48,000 registered in 2012.  The racial breakdown of South Shore is 97% African American and the Country Club which was once a swanky, posh place seems somewhat out of place.  South Shore is also known these days as "Terror Town"and the crime rate is escalating out of control.  The area surrounding Bradwell School of Excellence is dangerous and struggling.

Outside of the basic demographics, I learned that there is not much offered within the surroundings of the school.  There are no parks, park district locations, or children friendly places.  There are no real grocery stores other than Walgreens and corner stores as well as having very few actual restaurants other than fast food joints.  One could even say that South Shore fits the stereotypical mold for a low-income housing project with many buildings boarded up or abandon.  With all this to say...  South Shore has some of the best kids ever!

As I said before, this is the last week of term one for our Master's Program; three terms to go!  This is also the end of the second week for us as teachers within our schools.  By this time, I know a handful of their names and I have taught two days in a row.  My 7th grade students are the bomb!  Some have attitudes that they need to check and some are a little crazy even for me, but they are so great too.  We played Math Baseball this week and it was a small glimpse of what is to come!  We had so much fun and I am really enjoying myself so far!  Anyways...  the song has been over and the three minutes it up.  Time to turn it in!