Jazzy Jazz Does More

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

My Teaching Fellows Final Essay

Jasmine Azimi
26 April 2010
Teaching Fellows London Abroad Seminar
Teaching and Learning in a London School

Introduction
One plus one. The most basic mathematic problem. A problem that is synonymous with obviousness. When you put a cube of clay and add another to the tray, there are two cubes. When you smash a cube of clay into another, rolling and squeezing out the evidence of it ever being two cubes, you get one. One, big piece.
The ability to see things differently is welcomed and encouraged at Wilberforce Primary School. As a community school, it has a growing number of students falling into the reception to year six categories. The “Welcome” sign before buzzing into the main office can be read in three languages. English, Bengali and Arabic. In conjunction to their obvious scale of diversity, the teachers have tailored their teaching approaches to include all barriers.
The students of Wilberforce Primary, some traveling by tube and others by foot, live neighborhoods and neighborhoods away from each other. The commonality between these students, therefore, is their school. Their school offers a friendly welcome. Teachers and faculty introduce themselves by their first name. First name basis even holds true in the classroom. A “Mr.” and “Mrs.” free zone. As uncommon as fish and chips on an American restaurant menu, using only first names is not exercised in the United States. An obvious degree of authority is lost without the “Mr.” or “Mrs.” On the other hand, it certainly qualify as a method of instilling camaraderie within the teacher to pupil relationship.
Standing as the common ground for students of unique backgrounds, Wilberforce Primary of Queens Park, London successfully approaches diversity and companionship, the major aspects of teaching and learning. The school acknowledges students who see the big piece of clay along with those who appreciate personal relationships in the classroom.

Body
A lesson is never given without a backup plan. If a student, even the most academically talented one, does not understand a teacher’s lesson, time has been instantly wasted. Chapter 13 of Science for All Americans claims that “concepts- the essential unit of thought- that do not have multiple links with how a student thinks about the world are not likely to be remembered or useful” (Americans, 1990). These links that affect the student can be lost between the diversity barriers in schools. The teachers that are walking up to the classroom and passing different colors and shapes to their student’s faces, must come up with a bulletproof plan to their lessons. Their lessons are the ones that must offer multiple links to these unique students. Links do not necessarily have to be made organically, though. Wilberforce came up with a way for its year five students to retain information by giving them lessons through a variety of contexts.
The nine and 10 year olds of all the year five classes had similar lessons of geography. Pointing to a map of where the different continents were located hardly counted as a successful lesson. There wasn’t enough effort in that lesson for a student to remember the information. The only link made may have been when a teacher pointed at a country where one of the students was from. Having every year five class represent one of those continents for a “World Hug” day soon became enough effort, though. The teachers intentionally gave their students more opportunities to become embedded with the taught information (Americans, 1990). Students dressed and assembled food typical to their assigned continent at the end of this two-week geography lesson. Permanent memories were made possible by the important variety of teaching and learning through this lesson- proving that learning geography is far more interesting with a side of baklava.
English class was even detailed with novel teaching and learning approaches. As any American high school graduate would argue, William Shakespeare wrote complicating language and sad stories. To great surprise, Andy’s year five students were learning Romeo and Juliet. Out of its original, complicating context, Andy read aloud with his adorable students a two-page synopsis of the play. Assigned to further summarize the play, the students worked on understanding Shakespeare’s brutal love story for weeks. Within the learning came art and numeracy lessons that worked around this romantic theme. In weeks to come, there was new decoration around the classroom. William Shakespeare in blues and greens and purples were drawn and hung up. The most exciting aspect of this subject was the end. Andy’s class was going to hold a production of Romeo and Juliet for all the school and neighbors to watch. The event was even photographed and written about in the school-wide newspaper.
Teaching and learning are two principles that are dependent on one another. In the “World Hug” example, it was clear that learning was affecting teaching. Students who would not normally grasp the idea of different cultures spread throughout the world and their location were given tools to realize them. The teachers creatively provided these tools. Just as teaching is dependent on learning, nonetheless, learning is dependent on teaching.
Though they are walking into the same building, the students in the Wilberforce Primary School database are appropriately separated. By floors, years and academic levels, these students find themselves receiving specified lessons plans for their assumed abilities. The students who are at lower levels of their year are given one worksheet while the higher-level students are given another. The differences in worksheets accounts for every, mattered child. Specific teachers do not always successfully cater to the students of Wilberforce in the way worksheets could.
Spanish is pushed at Wilberforce. A close relationship to a school in Madrid may have something to do with it. Another language piled on top of English may be the greatest or worst idea Wilberforce came up with. Teaching units of time seemed hard to a substitute teacher at the primary school. Having to force the terms “seconds,” “minutes,” and, “hours” out of students proved there was indeed a language barrier. Spanish terms were soon to be added to the list of almost memorized flashcards of vocabulary words in student’s backpacks. On one hand, learning Spanish allows the students to put themselves in another culture through small, progressive steps. They are also all starting at the same level of academics. They are able, therefore, to successfully collaborate with one another on a shared subject. On the other hand, however, the students can become too overwhelmed. They’ll potentially be subject to the bitter stage of learning (Bransford, 2000). This stage triggers behavioral and emotional rejection towards scholarship due to an intimating work subject or load. When the Spanish teacher barely knows English, though, the subject is doubly overwhelming.
The ability for the students to adapt to teachers is unparalleled. There is one, shared Spanish teacher for Wilberforce and he is highly respected. He is able to use his upbringing to teach willing students his language. The students have a hard job on their ends, though. They not only have to translate Gustavo’s broken English, they have to then translate those scraps of English into Spanish. In an interview with nine-year-old and year five student, Ahoub, understanding the length of which learning depends on teaching was made more obvious. Ahoub mentioned Gustavo’s attempt at English was a humorous characteristic of the Spanish teacher more than anything. Gustavo’s strong, Chilean accent was nothing short of charming. The way Ahoub mentioned that the language barrier between him and Gustavo must have only been because of the subject (Spanish), it was shown that Ahoub was not picking up on the other traits that made Gustavo a distraction in class.
It wasn’t hard to understand his accent. This statement is, of course, coming from a twenty-year- old half Salvadorian. It was the sloppy job at attempting to relate to his students that made an off-putting sensation apparent throughout the classroom. Ahoub didn’t realize it, but it was rather obvious that Ahoub was doing the majority of the work to make Gustavo’s lessons work. The students had to focus and train themselves to make up for Gustavo’s failed and old lectures and, so, made the learning dependent on the teaching (Azimi, 2010).
Though flamboyantly distracting, not even Van Gogh could match the luminosity of his loud personality, Gustavo did exemplify some of the good details that made Wilberforce so distinctively fun. A pair of denim jeans was no stranger to the 8: 30 AM staff meetings every morning. The level of comfort was surprisingly brilliant.
It was school of 401 students and at every assembly, head teacher Angela Piddock could name almost all of them by first name. Just as she could call them out for talking out of turn or congratulating them on having a successful term, students were able to call out their teachers. The first name rule went for everyone. From Wilber the stuffed teddy bear to Mario the security officer, students developed a special relationship with the adults around them.
Watching a student address his teacher by the first name was startling to watch in the beginning. It stands for a rather taboo argument of teacher to pupil relationships and showing them as being considerably equal. An upbringing of rude authority from teachers is not new to an American student. The policy at Wilberforce, their most attractive quality, was just this. In Andy’s year five class, it was like watching art take form. Things were being placed as they always should have been.
Especially in younger years, it seems consequential to acquaint young students to adults with a sense of respect dividing the two groups. When these same adults were the onse shown on a more relaxed, lower status of authority, it changed the student’s idea of them. It was then that the students were comfortable asking questions while expectations were still involved.
This liberal concept found in Queens Park, London got it right. With the distraction of rude authority rightfully vanished, students were given the opportunity many other primary schools were never given. They were able to feel genuinely welcomed to ask for help. It even allowed student learn their point of view on positions. Argument and debate were no random acts. Strategically placing personal stories within the context of lessons, teachers at Wilberforce had less of a boundary between their personal lives and their work lives. Stories about weekend activities and personal positions on political or social issues were readily told, though there was definitely a widespread sigh of sadness when it was published that David Beckham tore his muscle and could no longer play in the World Cup.
The welcoming vibe that Wilberforce Primary School gave off was even obvious to the neighborhood. Instead of bare walls of synchronized geometric shapes, this primary school was covered in student’s artwork and achievements. This school can be, therefore, seen as a display for its students.
The school also offered university students from the United States to take up their space and uneaten bagels from breakfast club to better their personal understanding about learning and teaching. A chance that could only be seen through a London eye. This once in a lifetime chance is no doubt be one William Wilberforce would be proud of.

Conclusion
The story of Wilberforce Primary school should be told. On the corner of Beethoven Street of Queens Park, there is a school that understands the major aspects of learning and teaching as being diversity and companionship. The relationships that young students develop from their first years and school are vital. There will be a greater outcome if a student grows up in the primary school and realizes his teacher should be used as more of a helpful tool than a rule enforcer. Faculty can be seen wearing many different hats in primary school, being that tool and rule enforcer, but it is important to know when a hat is or is not appropriate.
Teachers can be quick to take on the authoritative role in a rude way. As seen at Wilberforce, sweet, green students make up for those teachers in the end, which proves its greater brilliance.

London has proven its originality. Stories are told of classes full of students in uniforms with specified agendas that condition them into living an ordered life. Any Harry Potter fan would know that English schooling had a lot to do with using uniform outfits. It became a problem only when these uniform outfits were a reflection of the uniform lesson methods used in school. These stories make Wilberforce Primary School shine that much great under its blue, urban sky because of what it encourages. It is a school that encourages students to represent South America and put on a production of Romeo and Juliet. It is a school where students are not distracted by the intimidation of authority. Though the gate around the school is a bit intimidating, its gawking metal bars were never welcoming; it does stand for a lot of modern approaches to learning and teaching.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Enlightened

I am so happy.
Things are going amazingly well... SURPRISINGLY well! ... and its not just the London 70 degree weather. That's right, I said 70!
(OK, fine, 69 technically. Haha 69)

Disclaimer: You deserve a huge, Bill Clinton size apology for not getting proper updates from me via this BLOG. I'd like to think I've been really busy, but come on, I've just been lazy.

What I've been doing in London has been so fun! Taking a boat tour of the city is the first thing that popped in my mind just now. Starting from Westminster (YES! Parliament, Big Ben, London Eye, etc), the student- discounted (holla) tour ending 40 minutes later at the Tower Bridge and Tower of London tube stop. The Tower of London is a billion million years old. It's where enemies were beheaded. Gross.

We've been to load of plays too. Let's see... I've seen Habit of Art, The God's Weep, Ruined, Posh...
My favorite was Ruined. It was a play about women in Congo. I'd suggest either trying to see it or looking up more information about the play because I would never be able to explain its great message. It's honestly something you need to experience. Humor, reality and shock are probably the best ways to describe it. Tonight, we're going to see William Shakespeare's Macbeth at the Globe Theatre by Westminster- ish. How many people can say that? Its historical, its beautiful, ITS THE GLOBE THEATRE. Only... you have to stand the entire time to watch the play. Great.

This past weekend was huge for me! ... and Morgan and Leah and Jackie and Mandy and Liz and Vanessa! We all went to Amsterdam for a few days. It had a lot of humor, reality and shock value to it too now that I think of it. At 2PM, it wouldn't be surprising to see half naked (really, though- one girl was only wearing a bra) prostitutes in windows or people smoking blunts outside. It was beautiful too. Known for their tulips and windmills, Holland had some pretty cool attractions. They're also so, so sweet. I have a Dutch aunt and every time I heard someone speak in English with her same Dutch accent, I was reminded of the olden days. Also, attached to this weekend came the emotional draining that was the one year anniversary of the death of awesome, awesome Ryan. GOD HE WAS AWESOME. My mom told me she went to his memorial in Fairfax and put tulips and a note from the Azimi family. She put tulips because I was in Amsterdam that Monday. This act of her's is probably one I'll remember the rest of my life. An act that made me tear up when she skyped it to me and an act that made me tear up just now. Thank you Mami <3 I couldn't have asked for a more appropriate weekend, though. The sheer freedom that came with simply leaving London or my flat was amazing. To spend the weekend at such a distracting, busy city? That made it a vacation. This weekend has also made me appreciate so many of those little things we're always told mattered most. My friends, first. They're the strongest, funniest, most genuine and caring people I've ever met. Making that effort to tell each other we're thinking about each other especially during the past week is adorable and something I cherished.

I went to another art gallery just now. Today, it was in Sloane Square. Nothing really popped out at me to remember it by, but I appreciated it!

I don't know what it is. Maybe its the weather, or the people here as well as in the States. It could be the songs I've downloaded or my laundry being all done. It might also be me realizing that I'm growing up, but I just can't seem to get this smile off my face.

So much love.

PS SWAT TEAM AT JMU FOR SPRINGFEST? haha. what a month.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Facebook Is Boring

Its still spring break!

Check out all the fantastic things I've done during this break in London...

1. Sleep forever

2. Watch movies with Easy Breezy, Megatron and Morgy including:

_Shutter Island

_Drive Me Crazy (because Entourage apparently doesn't give enough screen time for Adrian Grenier... in my opinion, of course. Marry me, Adrian?)

_Alice In Wonderland

_Up

_Coyote Ugly

_Step Brothers (barf)

... enough movies?

3. Sleep

4. Go to Tesco

5. Go on a Jack the Ripper tour

6. Cook

7. Go to Sports Cafe

((I want to make this a list of 10... hmm, what should I put for the last 3?))

8-10. Sleep

We accidently slept through the Changing of the Guards this morning. I really can't wait to see it though. I wonder if any one has ever made those guards laugh or move at all.

I'm about to cook dinner, but shout out to Johnsito for getting into "U-to the-V-to the-A" this week!! You go John Coco.

Praying for a good month,

Jas

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

FAIL

I'm officially failing at... (hold your breath Mami & Papi)... at blogging.

No posts since Dublin? How lame.

What has happened?

As if we couldn't be any more of Beatle feigns, we went to Liverpool. It was the home/ birthplace of that crazy foursome: Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr. Sitting on John Lennon and Paul McCartney's beds was a highlight- especially when told the last person to sit on those beds was Bob Dylan. Yes, BD: the man who got the Beatles high for the first time. I'll forever credit BD for singles like "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Yellow Submarine."

Morgan and I just got back from PORTUGAL, our stellar Spring Break 2K10 location. It was... how should I say this... the great-est, best-est, awesome-est, superb-est, fun-est, owifjalskn -est trip of my entire life. Though the hotel was 80-90% full of people who were 80-90 years old, the young crowd flocked together, so Morgan and I really were able to have fun with these people we identified with. Some were even from north England! They flew out from our favorite English spot: Liverpool. John Lennon Airport perhaps? Making friends, we explored and explored. Soon it was 3 days later and Helon and Addie joined the fun when they arrived to the hotel on Sunday. Even sooner, it was Tuesday and we had to come (figuratively) back "home" to London. I'm loading pictures of Facebook in 1.4 seconds, don't worry. I just have to charge the camera battery.

Oh, and Mami & Papi... you think it would be OK if we all go back to Portugal in May? Just, soak that idea in.

Hopefully with this post, my failure to blog won't be so lame.

"Cheers!"

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Everyone is Irish on March 17

It blows my mind I can casually travel throughout Europe for the next three months. France. Ireland. Spain. Wherever. (Don’t worry, Mami & Papi, I won’t go crazy). Last weekend, 16ish of us went to Dublin from Thursday to Sunday. I’ve been anticipating if for so long, last weekend felt like it would never come. When it finally did- I was excited! I can honestly say none of my ancestors were Irish, I mean… look at me, but Dublin was really full of hundreds of cultures. Only about 10% of true Irish live in the city, but that doesn’t stop signs to be translated to Gaelic.

Our journey to and from Dublin was no easy one. Our flight was at 6:30PM from the London Airport to Dublin. Morgan and I split a large suitcase we checked, so we wanted to be a bit early to have time for everything. Leaving the flat around 1:45/ 2PM, we grabbed our large-large-large suitcase and carry-on bags and dipped. A 2- minute tube ride, an hour-long bus trip to the airport and a 2 second shuttle bus to our desired gate was our journey. Finally, we boarded and RYANAIR took us to Ireland. Morgan and I ended up sitting next to a primary teacher who was visiting her parents for the weekend… what are the odds! We then take a bus to our hostel. When I heard the hostel was called The Shining, I thought nothing of it (despite the jokes everyone told us). The Shining… how should I explain it. Well, this is the view from my bed:

It definitely taught me one, ok, TWO things. One: if you’re going to stay in a hostel, don’t stay for more than 3 nights (because its gross). Two: don’t stay in a hostel (because its gross). We got in rather early, so it was dinnertime when we landed in Dublin. After checking in and sorting out the beds, Morgan and I go a very beautiful, very Irish restaurant called… McDonalds! YUM. We’re pretty tired so we go to bed early. The next day was Friday. We went on a “Hop-On, Hop-Off” bus tour around Dublin. Thank goodness for it because it got all the tourist-y/ dorky things out of the way. The bus tour was conducting so that if you wanted to get off at a stop, you could and every ten minutes another bus would come and get you to take you to the next stop. The stops we got off of were Trinity College:

St. Stephen’s Green (beautiful, beautiful, beautiful), Dublin Castel, and the Guinness Storehouse. Throughout the tour, we still saw Abbey Street corner, the National Gallery, Leinster House, Temple Bar, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Old Jameson Distillery, and so many more (23 stops total!) St. Stephen’s Green & the Guinness Storehouse were my favorite- for two very different reasons! The Green: BEAUTIFUL.

Guinness Storehouse: AWESOME.

Really, it was nothing short but amazing. It made me appreciated something I knew nothing about. I recommend it! At the end of the self guided tour (the levels and levels of the self guided tour), the top level of the storehouse was the “sky bar” that overlooked the entire city:

Later, we went shopping at Pennies aka Dublin’s PRIMARK. We all (all meaning Morgan, Addie, Russell, Helon, Mandy and Kristen) got “ready” and went to this old pub and had scrumptious food! It was called… hmm… Malagins? Magalans? Something like that. It was then we realized how “wickedly nice” the Irish are. Maggie (Lindsey’s big) studied abroad in Dublin last fall so she gave us some pretty sweet tips and being from the big Mass… her use of “wicked” was appreciated! (and definitely accurate). We went back to our hostel room, crammed in and “pregamed.” We went to two bars after that. Porterhouse and Fitzsimmons. Fitzsimmons was where the million of us (yes, all 16ish of us piled into the bar. Um, you’re welcome Fitzsimmons!) spent the majority of the time. There was a “wicked” cool live band who, in reality, were “no bodies,” but by the tone, volume, energy we gave them, you’d think Jay Z was performing. The next day, Morgan and I made sure to sleep in ( meaning 11AM) because we knew we’d get no sleep with our flight back to London being at 7 30AM on Sunday. Sleeping in, we were able to have the whole hostel to ourselves. We packed up so that we could make sure we wouldn’t leave anything behind and set off. We had lunch at this adorable café called “Scrumptious:”

We really just walked around after that. Meeting up with more people (not everyone), we went to a really beautiful Irish pub to watch the anticipated Ireland versus England rugby game. Really, all I could tell you about the game and the only thing that mattered, really, was that Ireland won! I think I saw a grown man cry out of happiness.

Celebration mode kicked in. We went to McDonalds!

and then back to The Shining for some pregaming action. Wow, the stories that were told. We then went back to Temple Bar (a tourist-y area full of bars, etc) and went to Fitzsimmons. It was such an amazing, amazing day. Because we started off so early in the day (the rugby game being at 4PM), everyone was tired so the night ended rather early. Well, 1 30AM, but still: early. Morgan and I know we have to stay up because of our early flight so we go to McDonalds! (wow…) and talk for 2-3 hours STRAIGHT. We go back to The Shining, get our packed bags and head to the airport. Blah, blah, blah… airport buses, shuttles, and the tube: we get back to London aka “home sweet bed” and sleep forever. Only bad thing: my sleeping schedule is off.

I’m so into Dublin and London though (even though they don’t exactly get alon with each other). At Fitzsimmons the last night, Morgan and I met these hysterically funny and nice Irish men who were fascinating by Morgan’s Dolly Parton accent and the United States. We got them to hate South Carolina and love North Carolina and hate Southern Virginia and love Northern Virginia (no offense to any one from SC or SoVa… but, I mean, come on).

This life rocks!

Other picture of Dub: