My Students

When my school first opened in 2005, it faced student riots which were televised on local news channels. Because the school brings together students from different neighborhoods,the student body had a rough time coming together as a new community.

However, the administrators and teachers have worked hard to create a sense of safety and a culture of learning at the school, and I wish to continue making positive changes by empowering my students through literacy.

I teach 9th grade Reading Intervention, and all of my students are Below Basic or Far Below Basic learners. Most are reading at a 4th grade level, with some at or below 3rd grade. At our school, only 13% of students tested proficient for English Language Arts, and we have a drop-out rate of 41%. In this kind of academic environment, students sometimes become demoralized and set low expectations for themselves. Because my students are new to the school, I have a chance to set them up to succeed from the outset. If my freshmen do not raise their reading levels now, they will suffer in their academic classes, where they must read to learn new information. They will be at high risk of being part of the 40% who drop out.

My Project

I wish to inspire students to rise above the challenges they face every day -- the gang violence, the discouraging drop-out rate -- by giving them their own copy of Sherman Alexie's-The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The novel tells the story of an unlikely hero, an undersized Native American boy named Junior, who decides to leave his culturally rich but socially afflicted reservation in order to attend an all white high school. Despite being called a traitor and a "white-lover" by his community, and despite being surrounded by alcoholism and poverty in his home, Junior persists in educating himself in the culture of power so that he can someday empower his own community. Students will identify with Junior's struggle to rise above the negative influences in his life. The novel's whimsical comic illustrations will engage my reluctant readers, who already love manga and comics.

Not only will the story inspire students, but having their own copy gives them the rare opportunity to practice active reading by highlighting and annotating, skills that are second nature to proficient readers.

By having them "own" their books through annotation, I will turn my reluctant readers into enthusiastic critical thinkers who can "talk back" to the text. My students always have to share class sets, and having their own books to mark up will help ensure they are college-ready.