Let me preface this post by saying that I had a terrible attitude going into this trip to TCEC. After the last trip I didn't feel like I got much value out of it and I left the school very conflicted. Going into today I expected more of the same. I know that this is a horrible attitude to have going into something like this but the fact that I could have had a whole day of production as an alternative made me feel that way. The first few hours affirmed my attitude which made it worse. We talked at our table about how we didn't feel like the unit planning was very useful without the before and after context that would be required in a real school setting.
My negative attitude lasted until Precious joined our table. Not only was she a good resource to use in terms of helping us design lessons and build our teaching practices, but she was also eager and willing to share her knowledge of the city of Detroit. She provided us with a perspective that we didn't receive the first time we went to Tri-County. It wasn't filled with political opinions and BS. Her knowledge was centered around her actual experience and knowledge of the city and it felt like a breath of fresh air. I gained more knowledge from her in 30 minutes than I did the rest of the time I have been at TCEC.
Our table talked about the fact that Belle Isle has recently been leased from the city by the state of Michigan. Precious openly admitted that she was skeptical at first about the fact that people are being charged to access Belle Isle, she was also willing to admit the fact that she has seen the positive impact that the lease has had on the area. We also talked about her job with Michigan Round Table and the role they play in educating folks on social justice issues in the city. She was open minded about our views and was willing to listen as well as speak. It was great to pick her brain about the city and what we can do to help fix some of the issues that exist there.
There was one particular question that Stephen and I were asked by one of the students that was the most powerful part of the day. One of the tri-county students asked us if we had always known that we wanted to be teachers. It was clear to both of us that she was concerned about her future because she told us that she had no idea what she wanted to do going into her final year of high school. We explained to her that neither of us had any idea what we wanted to do until after college. She listened intently and I hope that our stories helped her understand that she doesn't need to know right now. The feeling of knowing that what I said might have truly helped someone made the entire day worth it. This is why I put up with trips that I don't want to go on. If I was able to help that one person today with less than five minutes of conversation, then the entire day was more than worth it.
Derek, I'm glad you brought these thoughts up. I think we have a duty as teachers to provide helpful and thoughtful guidance to students. Life is a journey, and it's okay to not know what to do with your life. I know for me it has been a struggle to find my purpose. I hope that we at least made Jasmine feel comfort in not knowing about her future. She will get there though; it'll just take time. I believe in being open and honest with students. Even in a short amount of time, we can potentially make a difference in the lives of students.
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