Tag Archives: English High School

The “English” Translation: Your Guide to Student Vernacular

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Written by Kevin R. Fish, City Year AmeriCorps member serving on the Bain and Company Team at English High School.

Throughout my lifetime, I have learned that miscommunication is often the root of discrepancies and conflict. I have found that at City Year, and more specifically, English High School, having a firm understanding of student language is essential in being successful in our mission. This lead me to the development of the “The English Translation,” a pseudo-personal dictionary that I created in order to assist myself with the vernacular that my students used daily. Over the past 8 months I have encountered 5 words and phrases that have stood out to me the most:

5)    Ya Forcin’ It (v.) Your actions are quite exuberant for what you are actually trying to achieve

4)    Good Looks (interj.) I appreciate the fact that you took the time to do a favor for me with or without me asking.

3)    I’m hip (adj.) I am quite knowledgeable about the current subject of conversation

2)    Aggy (adj.) of or pertaining to intolerable/undesirable actions or speech

1)    Schemin’(v.) To be involved in clandestine activities which are only carried out to improve one’s own self-interest

[Interview: Kevin, City Year and his student Darwell]

Now, these 5 words and phrases represent an entire vernacular that is used commonly throughout our schools. I know that I often use them without even thinking about it and have tried to incorporate them into grammar lessons with students. Simply asking students to think about what part of speech these words represent is an easy way to combine critical thinking and every day vocabulary. Not only can it work into grammar lessons but it is helpful to teach the idea of “time and place.” Getting students to consider alternative words that are more appropriate for school and other professional setting is always a helpful lesson.

Interview: Sometimes, If You Want to Know, Just Ask Your Students

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Written by Kevin R. Fish, City Year AmeriCorps member serving on the Bain and Company Team at English High School.

I was curious to know what sort of impact I was having with one of my students, Darwell*. I figured that the best way to find out why he was making more progress than some of my other students was to interview him. I chose Darwell because this is the first year that he has had City Year in his classroom and he has showed significant progress. Right before I approached Darwell with my questions, I decided that it would be more authentic if I let him come up with the questions himself. This would prevent any bias that I would have subconsciously installed into my own questions. I was very impressed with the wisdom that he showed in the development of his questions and answers. I also thought an interview would be more interesting for him if he was the one making the answers and questions, since he loves to talk.

Darwell asks himself, “What did I first think of City Year?”
He states that, “At the beginning, I just thought City Year was ‘regular,’ like extra help in the classroom. I enjoyed having them for extra help, but didn’t really ask for it.”

I then ask Darwell what he means by ‘regular’ and his explanation turns into an interesting analogy. He tells me that his relationship with City Year is similar to when you like a girl and then she decides she likes you too, and then she becomes part of your everyday life.

My response: “So City Year is like your girlfriend?”
Darwell, after rolling his eyes, “Not exactly Mr. Fish”

“What are my thoughts of City Year now?”
“I think that City Year is okay, but sometimes aggravating. I know all of the CY people now, so I’m comfortable going up to anyone.”

“Do I think that CY has helped me?”
His response: “Definitely, they have helped me with my work and gave me wake-up calls and get me to class. I have a C+ in English now and was failing term 1 and 2.”

“What would I do without City Year?”
“I would fail. I would also be bored because I’d have no one to bother.”

I am so proud of the progress that Darwell has made in his school work and equally as proud of the progress that he has made establishing relationships with myself and other CY teammates. I caught him scribbling on his desk and instinctively told him to stop, until I realized he was writing “City Year.” I looked puzzled and he answered my confused look with confidence and stated, “City Year is going to save me.”

*names changed for privacy.

Top Five Fridays: Inspirational Moments in Mentoring

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By Erin O’Donnell, City Year AmeriCorps member serving on the Comcast team at the Jeremiah E Burke High School.

1)      Running the Maine half-marathon in October with five members of my team in the pouring rain. Feeling the sea air against my face and looking across the muddy, sulfur-smelling bay, was a reminder that our work is hard, but the view at the end is beautiful. I felt so supported in that moment, and knew the year ahead was going to be challenging, and life-changing, but together as a team, we would persevere and cross the finish for our students.

2)      The day Jason* gave me three of his notebooks filled with his poetry to read. He shared with me one poem in particular, about hardships in his past, that has the power to make him and listeners cry.

[Rewind: Erin Interviews Mr. Coleman, Superhero Teacher]

3)      The day Manuel*, who spends more time in the hallway than in class and is often absent, found me after school and demanded why Health Club (an after-school enrichment I run on a weekly basis), hadn’t yet started. As I rushed to add a couple extra slides to my PowerPoint presentation, he was eager to get the show on the road. When I arrived at the room, he had already gotten the janitor to unlock the door; he had set up the tables, had put out the snacks, and was smiling.

4)      The day Tyriq*, after vowing to improve his grade this term, practically taught history class during a Socratic seminar. He used precise evidence from the documents we had read during the week, and patiently engaged all of his peers, refocusing those who were going off on tangents. I was so proud of him.

5)       James* sat and did nothing during his test, staring into space.  I took him for a walk down the hall for a pep talk. When he got back, he filled in a couple of questions, but soon got distracted by other students and started talking. I got him to separate himself by moving to the back of the classroom. He moved, but instead hid under his coat like it was a tent. A strange thought occurred to me. I found a mini flashlight in my bag which was there quite by coincidence, and gave it to him. He thought it was hilarious and shined it inside his little den. He finished his test.

Students Inspire Me to Write: An Original Poem

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Written by Kevin R. Fish, City Year AmeriCorps member serving on the Bain and Company Team at English High School.

Some of my most interesting conversations with my students at the English High School happen in the most casual of settings. Many of these discussion inspire my writing. I thought it would be appropriate to share an original poem I have written from my students’ perspective. It largely centers around the outcomes I hope to achieve with my students this year.

Waiting

High School,
The beginning of Our freedom,
Freedom to choose,
Freedom to be who we want to be,
Yet we find ourselves,
Waiting.

Waiting to be granted the choice-
No, the opportunity to choose.
We are waiting for the moment,
When we are treated
Like the adults we are waiting
To become Continue reading →

A Ripple of a Joy: “Patience is Bitter, But Its Fruit is Sweet”

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Quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Written by Kevin Fish, City Year AmeriCorps member serving on the Bain and Company Team at English High School.

Two of my favorite aspects of City Year culture are “Ripples” and “Joys.” A “Ripple,” like a ripple in water, is when an aspect of City Year is passed on to someone who is not affiliated with the organization. A “Joy” is a story or experience that brightened one’s day.

One of the most difficult aspects of my service year so far is not knowing whether or not my students appreciate my presence. I signed up for City Year being well aware that instant gratification would be something that I may have to sacrifice, but I have learned that receiving even a minor appreciation is sometimes the difference between a negative and positive day for me.

[More: Read Kevin's List of 'Tips for the Ultimate Mentor']

The Hallways at English High School

I serve in a cohort of all male 9th grade boys, making it even more difficult to receive the feedback I yearn. The classes at English High School are separated by gender and the boys aren’t exactly willing to express their gratitude or feelings on Continue reading →

Five Tips Friday: The Ultimate Advice in Mentoring Students

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I’ve completed one term of my AmeriCorps service year with the Bain and Co. Team at English High School and it seems as though I am finally making some progress with the students that I mentor.  I realize that we are all having unique experiences with our own students, but I would like to share some mentoring tips that I have found quite useful up to this point.

1) Leave any preconceived notions at the door.  Months of training cannot possibly prepare anyone for each scenario that they may face. The best we can do is be open-minded and eliminate our misconceptions on where our students are coming from.  I have found that my most meaningful conversations with students have been the result of candid conversations where I engaged in active listening.

2) Remain positive.  There will inevitably be days when it seems as though negative events outweigh the positive ones.  Remember that there may be other people on your team, as well as your students, that could be depending on that positive energy you provide.  If you need to take a break and sit down for a minute, go for it.  Just do what you need to do to remain fresh and positive.

3) Appreciate small strides.  If one of your students comes to you excited about passing a test, take into consideration that that student felt it necessary to show YOU that they did well.  You may very well want to further improve that grade and thought that they could have done better, but appreciate the fact that they are excited about the grade and wanted to share it with you.

4) Don’t be afraid to diverge.  We sometimes find ourselves feeling guilty partaking in conversations with our students that take them away from coursework, but sometimes, it is necessary. That 3-minute conversation about their weekend may open a whole new realm of possibilities for you to engage with your mentee in the future.

5) Show your students that you are HUMAN.  My most influential breakthroughs have occurred when I show my own humility and admit mistakes.  I have found that when my students recognize my own imperfections they can relate to me better.  This final thought demonstrates one of City Year’s founding stories- UBUNTU- I am because you are.  I consider myself a teammate in my students’ success.

These are only five of my tips for mentoring, and although I have found them to be quite successful for me and my students so far, that does not mean they are universal. By no means do I consider this an exhaustive list and I look forward to further contributing to it as I continue my journey.

Why I Serve: My Top 5 Moments of Service

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By Kevin Fish, corps member serving on the Bain & Company Team at the English High School

One of the most amazing aspects of City Year is that everyone involved will give you a different reason for why they serve. It has taken a few months into my year of service to really highlight why I serve, but it seems so simple when I actually take the time to think about it: I serve because I want to leave this world better than how I found it.

As I pondered the reasons why I’m here, I thought it would be helpful to research why my colleagues serve, and I came across City Year Boston Admission Coordinator Ben Marshall’s thoughts on working at City Year: “I told myself at a young age that I would spend my professional life working for companies that are trying to create a better society… I feel that I have stayed true to that goal.” It is great to see people from a myriad of backgrounds coming together to accomplish similar goals.

Now that you have a better sense of why Ben and I chose to work and serve at City Year Boston, I thought I would share my TOP 5 moments of service that I’ve able to capture on camera so far! These moments are important because they’re what keeps me serving.

Beating my students in a staff vs. student flag football game 1) Beating my students in a staff vs. student flag football game

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2) Greeting English High School students every day with a powerful morning greeting

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3) Watching my teammates be cheerleaders for a day

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4) Collecting leaves to make Teacher Appreciation Dinner centerpieces

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5) Wearing my PJs to school during spirit week

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Although these are my TOP 5 moments of the past 2.5 months of service, they only represent a small portion of the reasons why I continue to serve. Nothing can beat watching my students grasp a Physics concept that I helped explain to them, looking on as they volunteer to answer a question in Algebra, or seeing them show up early to homeroom to make sure that their class wins the City Year attendance competition. I serve to remedy a problem – a problem that is all too real for the students we serve throughout this country and the world. I serve to improve access to quality education to the students at English High School. I serve so that all of my students can achieve and exceed the potential in them that is just waiting to be unleashed.

Ubuntu: An Opening Day of Service

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By Nicole Chandler, corps member serving on the MFS Investment Management Team at the Dever-McCormack Lower School

On October 15, 2011 City Year Boston held its Opening Day at the English High School in Jamaica Plain. This annual City Year tradition brought together City Year Boston corps members, senior corps members, and staff with community leaders, families, and friends. With everyone’s help, the English High School was transformed throughout the course of a powerful day of service.

Corps members arrive at the English High School for Opening Day.

Charlie Rose, Senior Vice President & Dean of City Year, leaves his mark.

The MFS Investment Management Team serving at the Dever-McCormack Lower School gets ready for a day of service!

Corps member Emmanuel St. Vil works hard on the first floor.

Corps members paint the exterior of the school.

I Wish I Could Go Back to High School

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Written by Kevin Fish, corps member serving on the Bain & Company Team at English High School

There were numerous times after completing high school that I would hear the Avenue Q song I Wish I Could Go Back to High School and find myself knee-deep in nostalgia, remembering the early mornings, lunch with friends, student government and homecoming dances. If you asked me in college whether I would walk the halls of high school again, I would have chuckled and simply said, “No.” But I was wrong.

Now, for all of you Adam Sandler fans, I am not referring to some Billy Madison-esque second chance at completing my secondary education, but the opportunity to serve through City Year in Boston as part of their second high school partnership.

Green Street T Stop

I start my mornings heading out the door towards the Green Street stop on the Orange Line near English High School. There, I am greeted by my team, sponsored by Bain & Company, of 10 City Year corps members, my team leader, and my program manager for our first team circle, a team meeting to discuss what the day has in store.  Following our team circle, we head to the front of the building to begin our morning greeting.  Here, along with my team, we cheer on our students as they enter the building.  Some of the students that I work with specifically have actually started to  join in on the cheers and the greetings, really making me feel like the school is embracing City Year.  Some of English High‘s administrators and staff also join in and clap along as they enter the building.  One of my favorite chants is, “Smile to Pass,” where we encourage students to smile before they enter the building.

English High School

After the homeroom bell rings, my day really begins.  At English High, corps members serving in the 9th and 10th grades travel with a cohort of students.  I serve alongside my fellow corps member and partner, Terry, and we spend the day going to five different classes with 25 freshmen boys.  We start off in English class, where we discuss Of Mice and Men, or whatever our current piece of literature is, and then move on to some one-on-one tutoring in Algebra, where our students have been learning how to solve equations.  Lunch time is one of my favorite parts of the day – not because I get to replenish my depleted energy supply while sporting the coolest lunch box I could find – but because I have the opportunity to eat lunch with my students and get to know them on a much more personal level.  The conversations at lunch tend to be much more candid than those that take place in the classroom, and I really feel like I connect with students during this time.  After lunch, I attend an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) class, which prepares a select group of students for college through the use of a more interactive classroom structure.  I really enjoy the discussions and debates that arise in this class because I get to see my students’ academic personalities.  Terry and I finish the school day with Physics and then U.S. History.

The final segment of my day is a homework-drop in space for students after school.  Here, I get to help different students with their homework, organize binders and provide them with any sort of help they may need.  It is always a fun and high-energy space, where productivity is our number one goal.

Now that the Bain & Company Team has been at the English High School for two months, I really feel that City Year is becoming a norm for students and the administration.  I can already see our team becoming a part of the English family, and look forward to all that my service year has to offer.

Reflections on Service, City Year, and Transformation

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This week, corps members reflect on their induction into City Year.  As a site, City Year Boston celebrated Opening Day on October 15.  For senior corps members, this day held a unique significance as their second formal start to a year of full-time service.  Below, Abe Fox, Team Leader serving on the CSX Team at the Elihu Greenwood Leadership Academy, shares his thoughts on this day.

After participating in my second Opening Day with City Year Boston, I have had the chance to reflect on the past year and my choice to serve at City Year. Only a few times throughout the year does the entire corps come together for one service project, but during those times, the power of our numbers and ability to make substantial, tangible change is astounding.

Corps members gather volunteers around their project site at Opening Day.

Corps members gather volunteers around their project site at Opening Day.

The English High School, located in Jamaica Plain, is bordered by athletic fields and courts. A towering five-story stairwell defines the entrance and looms above the lobby. With such a large school, the amount of work that could be done seemed endless. The John W. Henry Family Foundation/ Foundation to Be Named LaterBoston Civic Engagement Team identified 23 separate service projects for Opening Day for not only the 177 corps members to participate in, but hundreds more of their family and friends who would serve alongside them that day.

Opening Day is an event where the power of service is on full display. The sheer number of volunteers involved was amazing, but perhaps even more striking was the transformation that they brought about at the English. The day’s different projects included painting quotes on the tennis court’s wall, constructing benches, painting mural panels for the cafeteria, reviving a long jump sand pit, painting bleachers, and also giving the five-story stairwell a fresh new coat of paint. All of these projects were done in one day with the support of the corps members and their family and friends; City Year champions and staff; students, teachers, and staff from the English; as well as the larger Jamaica Plain community.

Corps members and volunteers painting a mural at the English High School.

Corps members and volunteers paint a mural at the English High School.

Opening Day served as more than a day of ceremony to kick-off the start of our 2012 year of service. It was also a chance to reinvigorate my pride in the organization.  It reinvigorated my passion for service and reminded me that, although City Year’s goals are ambitious, we have the power to transform our communities and our country for the better, and it all began this year at the English High School.

When Service Started to Matter to Me

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People join City Year for many different reasons, but just about everyone leaves more confident in the importance of national service. It can be hard for corps members to pinpoint the exact moment When “Service” Started to Matter to Me, but for Jack Korpob, team leader serving at English High School, it occurred during his four years at the University of California San Diego.

City Year has many founding stories, but one of my favorites is the following:
“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.” –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When I was accepted into the University of California San Diego, I was also accepted into a program called Summer Bridge, which brought together incoming freshmen to begin learning a month earlier than the start of the academic year. In the program, I learned a lot about diversity, social justice issues, equity, and higher education in America. Through this, I became very passionate about social justice and wanted to find an outlet for this newfound passion, and I discovered a program on campus that provided just that.

Alternative Breaks @ UCSD is a student run organization at my university that sends student and staff groups of approximately 12 participants to embark a service and cultural learning experiences both domestically and abroad. Alternative Break trips have taken me to Russia, Belize, Indiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and North Carolina, and each trip focused on different social justice issues and service projects. My experiences on these trips have taught me many things:

      1. Service enriches your life and teaches you a lot about the world.
      2. Service is not just a one-day thing. Learning about why you are doing service, about the impact that it has, and about the people and communities you are serving is just as important as the actual service itself.
      3. Service work can look and feel very different depending on where it takes place. Sometimes there are tangible results, and sometimes the impact is less concrete and it will be difficult to see the result of your work.
      4. Service is for everyone. The reason I say this is because there are different ways in which people can connect to service, whether it be serving students, assisting the elderly, working on environmental projects, or supporting events.
      5. Service helps expose you to situations you never thought possible. There is an endless amount of learning you can do, from developing new skills and meeting new people to exploring the issues that affect different communities.

However, the most impactful of all my trips was my service trip to Biloxi, Mississippi. It was there that service really became an important aspect of my life. In Biloxi, I had the opportunity to work with my team to deconstruct a home that required extensive cleanup in order to undergo the process of ridding it of dangerous mold. I was hit by the fact that this home had been left untouched for three years after Hurricane Katrina, and that it was us, college volunteers, who were the first people to work on it. It was then that I realized the power of young people like myself to do something about the problems we see in our nation and the world.

Jack serving a week in Biloxi, Missippi

Jack serving a week with Alternative Breaks in Mississippi

Every day that I serve at City Year Boston, the founding story of Dr. King rings true for me because of the experiences I have had and the passion that I have for service.

Learning To Lead From Exceptional Leaders

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Over the next couple of months, City Year Boston senior corps members will be contributing their own insights to the City Year Boston blog. This week’s theme is “Learning to Lead.” Senior corps members share their experiences on what it takes to be a leader, from how far they have come, to where they want their journeys to take them. Jack Korpob shares of how his last team’s leadership helped him grow to become a Team Leader at the English High School.

By Jack Korpob, Team Leader, serving at the English High School.

My experience as a Corps Member last year has definitely prepared me to be a Team Leader serving at the English High School in Jamaica Plain this upcoming year. Through countless trainings, workshops, and learning through my everyday service at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School last year, I have gained leadership experience that is invaluable and will help me lead a team of corps members this next academic year.

Navigating through my first City Year was a challenge, but I had incredible mentors and true leaders to follow. When I came into City Year last year, I knew that I would be doing full-time service, but a big part of City Year is the leadership development portion. My Program Manager, Julia Leb, and my two Team Leaders, Kayla Faust and Renaldo Mili, challenged me to step up and be a leader amongst a team of leaders. They constantly encouraged me to do more for my team and to always strive to make our team stronger.

My Program Manager always checked in with me and coached me constantly. She had high expectations for me, which led me to have high expectations for myself in service.

Julia Leb and I after City Year Boston's Graduation (photo credit: Jack Korpob)

My Team Leaders really pushed me last year to not fall into a comfortable place and to always stay in my challenge zone. Therefore, I was encouraged to seek leadership opportunities both on the team and through the larger Boston site.

I found myself as a part of the City Year Boston Corps Council as my team’s representative, on the Recruitment Department’s Ambassador Team (or A-Team) where I helped run open house events, and a part of different speaking opportunities that helped represent and speak about the service we do in schools and in our communities. Now, I find myself as a senior corps member as a Team Leader and I was recently asked to be one of two City Year Boston Dean’s Council Members, which means I will help represent the site across the network this upcoming year.

I credit my leadership experiences last year to my leadership team because they helped me navigate my City Year experience and helped me find my niche. They always built me up and prepared me for success in all the work that I did.

Renaldo Mili and Kayla Faust stop to take a picture before graduation as Senior Corps Members from City Year Boston (photo credit: Jack Korpob)

It’s not a surprise to me at all that both my Team Leaders are now Program Managers (Kayla is continuing at Boston and Renaldo has moved over to New York) alongside my former Program Manager Julia, who helped lead such a successful team last year. Even better, my former Team Leader, Kayla, is now my Program Manager of the English High School Team.

I believe that leadership is best attained and learned through the experience and leadership of others. I thank Julia, Kayla, and Renaldo for allowing me to learn so much from them.