John reports. Those on the PLC who go back a number of years will note a stark contrast between this report and those of five or six years ago:
Hey Ben,
In general news, I’m helping to jumpstart the long dormant bay area CI support group that collapsed when Diane Grieman and Jody Noble left the area.
Unfortunately, the sheer amount of privilege here militates against inclusive mehods in schools, but all the more reason to fight. Change can happen—it did for me. Here’s my update below, in case you missed it on FB
Approaching the end of week 2, here are a few highlights.
* Latin club is larger than ever, and at the first meeting, the leadership emphasized that the club’s priorities should be a) promoting the program at our school as one in which all are welcome and can be successful, and b) setting an example as a diverse and inclusive junior classical league chapter at state events.
* a Latin 2 student who struggles with adhd and other difficulties said to me during class: “Mr. Piazza, at the end of last year, i thought we were going kind of slow and i wasnt sure if I was learning anything, but now that I’m reading over this story from last year, i am realizing how much I learned, and how your way of teaching is really working for me. “
* Latin 1 students are coming up to me at random, asking to a) check out textbooks to go at their own pace, b) proposing collaborative art projects for independent points and to submit at jcl events, c) asking if they can write research papers on ancient topics, d) asking if it is ok to make roman food and share it with the class;
* Students are encouraging their friends to transfer to Latin.
* Phones have ceased to be a problem, since I started giving a point per day for putting them in the “phone bowl” by the door. It’s just what we do in Latin class.
*wW are planning a field trip to Stanford Classics, which will certainly let the skeptics know that we mean business when it comes to serious academic connections and access.
I am not sharing this in order to toot my own horn. Rather, I want to share the fruits of 4 years of really really hard work of (re)creating a new program culture, one that is based entirely on the inclusive principles of CI, that is, the notion that anyone can (and deserves to) acquire a second or third language, even if it happens to be a language of privilege
Keep doing this work, in whatever way you can. Know that you are changing hearts and minds. Start with those kids who see you every day. Teenagers are amazing BS detectors. They know where your heart is.
John Piazza, M.A.
Latin Teacher, Berkeley High School
Berkeley, CA