tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63612062009-03-01T03:01:44.994-06:00"Education is not a product: mark, diploma, job, money; It is a process, a never-ending one." -bel kaufmannicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1124207437105909832005-08-16T10:26:00.000-05:002005-08-16T10:51:39.893-05:00

i found my way back into teaching again. this summer i was offered a position as an instructor for a web design apprenticeship program. i had my choice of five high school locations, but at the last minute one more opened up: Dr. Pedro Albizu-Campos Puerto Rican Alternative High School (quite a name)(aka PACHS). i've been aware of this school for a while, first through Jose Lopez, director of the

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1102885452072607262004-12-07T15:02:00.000-06:002004-12-12T15:11:45.340-06:00

i left school for the last time today. i'm done... for now. it feels nice to do nothing for a change. i'm glad to take this rest and start something new. we'll see what happens. i'll be back in chicago again. i know i will be missing the classroom and the students and the friends i have made. i will see you soon.

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1100824927035740672004-11-18T18:23:00.000-06:002004-11-18T18:51:43.446-06:00

i stood by the door, anxious and nervous for michael's arrival. i spent seventh period setting up the digital projector and trying to spread the word. "you staying after school, right?" i'd ask an unsuspecting student. "michael genovese is gonna be here. he's a chicago artist." "oh really?" they'd reply, either somewhat interested or just totally not paying attention to what i had said. mike

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1100570207182275182004-11-15T19:40:00.000-06:002004-11-15T20:05:34.240-06:00

with all this free time, i should be writing more, yes? well, not exactly. i usually neglect my creative impluses when i gain more leasure time. i usually go off living and wandering. but i should record some moments here, especially since there is some unexpected news... on wednesday, i attended my final day of classes. i was not so much the teacher to my students on this day, but more of a

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1099540010979499872004-11-03T21:43:00.000-06:002004-11-03T21:48:20.380-06:00

after hearing the news of my hiatus from teaching, my friend and mentor, mark, told me tonight: "my favorite memory of our trip to mexico was you and i sitting by ourselves one night at the table in jose's aunt and uncle's house -- and you said (something like), 'you know, mark, i think i'll stay here and not return to chicago.' you said it with such calm and serenity that i believed you and i

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1099423821194330702004-11-02T13:29:00.000-06:002004-11-02T13:35:41.726-06:00

This letter serves a few purposes, all related to my experience and perspective on teaching. Let me get the biggest news out of the way: i am leaving Antonia Pantoja High School at the end of the quarter. This was one of the most difficult decisions i have had to make, one that i have been struggling with for many months. I will take with me not only the best experience working and learning,

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1098765512530487602004-10-25T23:33:00.000-05:002004-10-25T23:38:32.530-05:00

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1097042541591463482004-10-06T01:00:00.000-05:002004-10-06T01:02:21.590-05:00

"Students and Faculty of Senn HS, along with community members, shut down the propaganda 'information session' and drive the spokespersons of the proposed naval academy out of the building." http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/47165

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1096942964706485702004-10-04T20:47:00.001-05:002004-10-04T21:26:07.570-05:00

it is really easy to be a excited teacher with a lot of great ideas, but the challenge lies in actually bringing those ideas into fruition. i could fill a book with my ideas, but to actually accomplish them is another thing... i imagine building a fair and just classroom, one with a foundation of unity. i think of some of my college professors who did this successfully. i wonder if i can

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1096258679481474862004-09-26T22:27:00.000-05:002004-09-26T23:41:04.136-05:00

i began this afternoon in a spiraling depression, my head on my desk and my motivation plummeting as i thought about the many, many things i have to do for school just to catch up. i decided to call emily, my best friend who was traveling to minneapolis to find a new place to live. her cell phone was dead (not surprising) and i began an email message to her immediately: sunday 4:13pmemily: i

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1095994014077994662004-09-23T21:45:00.000-05:002004-09-23T21:46:54.076-05:00

my 7th period class (photography & visual art) and i had a great big heart-to-heart session today. i spoke on the topic of unity and how this class needs to work together. most of the kids are loud and rambunctious, while some are quiet and seem to lack focus because of the rowdy ones. also, they seem overly bored. so, after a few minutes of trying to get them to be quiet and listen, we went

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1095906414167884022004-09-22T19:02:00.000-05:002004-09-23T02:26:57.676-05:00

who would have guessed? but anyone who knows my 8 month history at APHS won't find this as a shock. since beginning here, i have taught english, environmental science, journalism, photography, and art. i even substituted in Spanish class once. last friday, when the principal told me that she needed to open up a new section of math and that she wanted me to teach the class, i told her i would look

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1095370477470909062004-09-16T16:32:00.000-05:002004-09-16T16:38:17.220-05:00

every one of you has the ability, the CAPACITY to accomplish whatever you dream to do. only the lazy ones with excuses will convince themselves that something is impossible.

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1095286955286618642004-09-15T16:58:00.000-05:002004-09-15T17:23:44.486-05:00

i am tired. i am back to my routine of taking long naps after school, not to mention sleeping seven hours a night. today i broke up a fight in third period. well, an argument. pre-fight. almost there. two females who each had to have the last word. it ended with me standing between them, not even trying to raise my voice. i didn't want to add to the commotion. so i stood calmly hoping one might

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1094772108721621572004-09-09T17:32:00.000-05:002004-09-09T23:40:00.026-05:00

the first day: tuesday. i am not required to be at school until 11:30am. this school year, i have moved into part-time status at my own request in order to have more time for college and other community projects. tuesday i decide to show up early and help out the staff with the first day of school. it is 7:25am, i am buttoning my shirt in my bedroom and the phone rings. it is Jose, a colleague at

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1094527062054575922004-09-06T22:06:00.000-05:002004-09-06T22:25:39.113-05:00

anxiety. tonight i am uncomfortable with the unknown. i am out of my routine--i have been since july--and now i sit here with an unsettling feeling the night before my first day of teaching since summer began two months ago. i revisited my journal from january of this year, my first month of official teaching at APHS. i wanted to taste what i was experiencing back then, partly to reminisce and

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1094237201569971412004-09-03T13:46:00.000-05:002004-09-03T14:47:45.346-05:00

i have been sitting in front of this computer and in front of administrators for the past three weeks. we, the teachers of Antonia Pantoja high school, are preparing our lessons and ourselves for the school year. this is an arduous task, a long and grueling process of filling in the blanks of quarterly planners, unit maps, syllabi, and lesson plans. and the school is changing, too. the general

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1090095132607497562004-07-17T15:09:00.000-05:002004-07-17T15:15:39.026-05:00

http://okcancel.org/bicycle i've left chicago for a little while. i'll be back soon.

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1088453011529908232004-06-28T14:50:00.000-05:002004-06-29T00:07:59.936-05:00

exam day. i'm procrastinating on getting my grading done. keep getting distracted. one of my students' essay is about the day he started bombing (doing graffiti) in chicago. and i think about when i first began teaching here, he never used to write. since then, i let him graf on my board with my multi-colored dry erase markers, and he's head of the graffiti section for the school magazine. i

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1087961570152925482004-06-22T22:31:00.000-05:002004-06-22T22:32:50.153-05:00

To Whom It May Concern: I intend to continue as an English instructor at Antonia Pantoja High School for the following reasons: I hope to create a comfortable educational environment for the students, in addition to offering the knowledge and skills needed to enter into higher education, the workforce, and adult life our society. Alternative education by nature is not standard schooling, so I

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1086728000123229202004-06-08T15:20:00.000-05:002004-06-08T15:58:04.716-05:00

so to start of on a good note, here's some history on chicago's logan square artists back in the day: http://www.artisticbombingcrew.com a few of my classes are doing oral history projects on chicago during the 50's, 60's, and 70's. to give them an example, i'm showing them the book Yes Yes Y'all: an Oral History of Hip-Hop's First Decade. unfortunately, most of my seventh period class hasn't

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1084833426592809502004-05-17T17:26:00.000-05:002004-05-19T23:10:47.490-05:00

my bicycle ride home from school no longer requires four layers and a hat. you have to admit: riding in a t-shirt is heavenly. my moments in the classroom are still both uplifting and devastating. it just depends on the day. the difficult days, however, are becoming fewer and fewer. perhaps it has to do with my relaxed attitude (am i letting them get away with too much?), or maybe it could be

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1084222247701805422004-05-10T15:29:00.000-05:002004-05-10T15:52:56.720-05:00

our attendence was so low today (perhaps having something to do with the weather--79 degrees outside) that the principal burst into each classroom to tranfer all students into the lunchroom for a STD & abstinence presentation (originally it was only to be 7th period for juniors and seniors). "always engage each one of your students," she reminds us during faculty meetings. when the attendence is

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1082858027221070112004-04-24T20:52:00.000-05:002004-04-24T20:57:57.560-05:00

i don't like how this online journal has primarily turned into a space for me to vent about my frustrations and doubts as a teacher. i wish this journal had more stories and less introspective thoughts. not that the thoughts aren't important, i just worry that i'm complaining too much. tonight, i was just about to quit trying to plan for next week, frustrated at my low attention span and lack of

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6361206.post-1082075181300095022004-04-15T18:46:00.000-05:002004-04-15T19:42:40.496-05:00

mid-terms week has been the usual rollercoaster ride. two of my classes share the same curriculum, mostly a writing course, and so i had two independent groups on which to experiment an exam assignment. the essay topic was a result of one of the reflections in this journal: teach me something. i explained to my class that everyday they come to school with the idea that they are the student and i

nicola piccolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14708006816474703538noreply@blogger.com0