Tag Archives: PTC

Algebra Transformations

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Written by Aaron Staudinger, with Sarah Binning
Aaron Staudinger is a 2012-2013 corps member serving on the PTC team at The English High School. Sarah Binning is a Communications Coordinator at City Year Boston.  

mathclass_HSWhen the school year began, the Algebra class that I serve was a combination of a lack of focus and a dearth of confidence; this manifested itself in a competition for who could distract the class the most. This behavior was most prevalent in one student, Justin*. Justin did not believe he had the ability to learn a single math problem and refused help from both his teacher and me.

This was frustrating for me because I know that—despite what our students may think—math really is applicable to the “real world.” John Stuart, Senior Vice President of Global Education at PTC (our team’s sponsor), agrees. “The way you’re going to separate yourself now and in the future is through innovation. There’s a lot of competition in the world out there for innovation,” Stuart said. “One way to be able to innovate is to have solid math skills and solid science skills.”

Despite meetings and interventions with his teacher, and even the school’s Dean, Justin fell further behind in his work. His acting out continued, but on the rare occasions that he would permit me to speak to him he often spoke of his inability to do the work and doubted he would never be able to catch up.

After a particularly difficult week, during which not a single student completed an assigned task, the teacher struck a deal with her students: if they could pass the next quiz she would excuse their missed assignments from the week.  If not, they would have to complete their missing work after school with either her or me.  The students—Justin especially—jumped at the deal, hoping to earn that “get out of jail free card” for all their incomplete homework.

When Justin failed the quiz, he begrudgingly signed a contract stipulating that he would meet with me twice a week after school to work on math homework.

The first week was spent hunting Justin down. By week three, however, I started to see a change. Justin completed six homework assignments and finally passed a quiz—his first of the year. He started to stay after school one extra day a week and joined a tutoring program at another local organization.

“City Year compels them to become better students and to have higher achievement. That’s good for us, because even if they don’t go to work for PTC, they could still go to work for our customers, or go work in the industry and have a higher level of skills.” Stuart said.

Whether Justin will go into a STEM profession, it’s difficult to say. One thing I do know is he’s gaining skills that are valuable to his future, regardless of his profession. After a full month of afterschool support, Justin not only reached an overall passing grade for the class, he consistently completed his homework, passed three tests in a row and continued to honor the contract, despite no longer being required to.  His confidence increased leaps and bounds and his classroom behavior has done a complete 180.

Most surprisingly, however, he no longer wanted my help.  He wanted to complete the math by himself and only seeks me out in extreme cases, typically after having tried a problem five or six time. I have never been happier to have a student refuse to work with me.

On Saturday, PTC employees will join City Year Boston in painting murals and landscaping at The English High School. Check back next week to see photos of their service projects. 

* name changed to protect student privacy.

History Basketball League

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By Mackenson Charles
Mackenson Charles is a 2012-2013 corps member serving on the PTC team at The English High School in Jamaica Plain.

photo by Jillian Martin

photo by Jillian Martin

When I was in high school, history was my favorite subject. I was overjoyed when I was assigned to serve in Mr. Swabodda’s History II class. Not all of the students are as enthusiastic about history as I am. Stu*, Wes*, Gerald*, and Trent* are seated at the same table in class. They exemplify their lack of interest through constantly having side conversation, not completing their assignments, or using the class period to catch up on sleep.

Mid-way through the second term, I got to know the boys on a personal level and realized their common interest in basketball. I pondered ways to correlate their interest of basketball with history class.

I invented a game called History Basketball League. Here’s how the game works: I tally the boy’s individual performance in class using a basketball forum. Their actions and in-class participation is weighted, with positive behavior earning the players more points, and disruptive or off-task behavior costing them points:

3-point field goal:

  • Provides an answer to a question in class discussion (evidence and analysis).

2-point field goal:

  • Answers or asks a question in class discussion.
  • Notes completed.
  • On-task during class.

1-point (assist):

  • Gives a partial answer in class discussion
  • Helps a teammate stay on-task

-1 point (turnover):

  • Off-task or disruptive.
  • Uses inappropriate or disrespectful language.

The purpose of the game is to accumulate as many points during class as possible. Once class concludes, I reveal the results to the players.

The students instantly fell in love with the History Basketball League and their performance in class improved dramatically. Each player boosted his grade at least a half-letter grade. One student even raised his grade from an “F” to a “C.”

Stu, Wes, Gerald, and Trent are now having fun and learning simultaneously. They challenge each other to see who can earn the most points. I keep track of their stats from day to day and calculate their averages on a weekly basis. To add a level of math into the game, I’ve asked the players to help calculate their weekly total points and averages.

The History Basketball League doesn’t unlock special powers within students to get them to perform better. The League provides instant gratification and encourages studious behavior. It makes history class more fun, competitive, and interesting.

Carving Motivation from Trust

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By Christina Jaramillo
Christina Jaramillo is a 2012-2013 corps member serving on the PTC team serving at The English High School in Jamaica Plain.

A student and crops member working one-on-one.

A student and crops member working one-on-one.

I still remember that September morning walking into my new first period U.S. History II class. After a three-week observation period, my final classroom placement was assigned and I was excited to realize that these classes would be my classes for the next 10 months. While I started getting to know some students at The English, I was eager to finally be a consistent presence in their day-to-day lives and form the types of relationships that would really challenge their perspectives on education and their own self-worth.

Sebastian* was one of the first students I encountered. He was standing in front of the class as the teacher took roll, rapping his heart out with a matching dance. When I asked his name, he stared at me blankly, shook his head and walked past me as if I didn’t exist. Suddenly, my excitement shifted to concern as I realized that forming these bonds was going to be much harder than I expected.

Three weeks later after much perseverance and much rejection I finally got a, “What’s your name again, miss?” from Sebastian. I took that as my in.

While I knew Sebastian and I needed to work on improving his attendance and course work, I needed to first address his behavior. The performance I witnessed my first day turned out to be very common; Sebastian was constantly out of his seat, rapping profane lyrics, dancing, tapping, and indulging in arguments with his peers and teachers that often left him storming (or being escorted) out of the classroom. On worse days, he would get so stuck in his own disappointment in himself that he would become completely unresponsive, shutting down even to me. When Sebastian was focused, I realized he was a very strong writer who wrote with clarity, insight, and creativity. His algebra was flawless and his vocabulary was college-level.

When I started addressing him about his outbursts and anger, he asked why the school kept sending letters home implying that he was “special ed” because he felt like he was smart…and he is, he just didn’t understand that those fancy codes just meant he had trouble focusing. As he began to trust me, we were able to brainstorm ways to set him up for success during class. I recommended doodling in the margins of his papers rather than singing when he needed to do something with himself. He recommended taking a two-minute walk in the hall when he felt his anger escalating. As he gained more and more control during class, his work completion, grades, and most importantly confidence soon followed.

I was so proud when he passed not one, but all his classes in order to earn credit recovery and get back on track to graduate in four years. But, I think I am even more proud of his growth as an individual. “Miss, I could get B’s if I tried a little harder.”

Sure, we still have random rap battles and dance parties in class sometimes. We still go on walks to help him calm down and I have at least five of his elaborate doodles on my desk right now—but he wouldn’t be Sebastian without those things.

Sebastian has shown me that success lies in the power of perseverance, love, and undoubtedly—trust.  I am proud of everything he has accomplished and so grateful for everything he has taught me about flourishing while still staying true to yourself.

Wordless Wednesday: A “Day On”

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By Mackenson Charles
Makenson Charles is a 2012-2013 corps member serving on the PTC team at The English High School in Jamaica Plain.

On the third Monday of January, volunteers from across the country dedicate their time to serve their communities in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While some individuals may view MLK Day as a day off from work or school, City Year views MLK Day as a “day on” where we care able to engage and serve the communities we love. This year the City Year Boston corps, staff and volunteers visited the Washington Irvin K-8 school.

A group of corps member’s custom design carrying bags for the students at the Irving.
Student gift bags and blankets galore!
Making sure directions are seen proud and clear.

Five Art Institutions in Boston to Visit on a Budget

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By Diana Mai, AmeriCorps member serving on the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care/PTC Team at Holland Elementary.

Not only is Boston known as a college town, but it is a city where you can visit some of the most amazing museums and cultural institutions. After finishing your year of service, and before you leave Boston, make sure to discover all the city has to offer. Especially this coming holiday weekend. For us AmeriCorps members on a stipend, here are five museums worth checking out on a tight budget:

1) Institute of Contemporary Art
http://www.icaboston.org/
The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), located in Boston’s up-and-coming Seaport neighborhood, has free admission every Thursday night from 5-9pm where you can view the permanent collection and ever-rotating exhibitions.  Come for the art, stay for the gorgeous view on the waterfront. 

The Museum of Bad Art, photo courtesy of Chris Devers

2) Museum of Bad Art
http://www.museumofbadart.org/
Located in Somerville, admission to the Museum of Bad Art is free with the purchase of a movie or concert ticket.  Perhaps the world’s only museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition, and celebration of bad art in all its forms, it is also “located in a theatre basement, convenient to the rest rooms.”  In tune with the museum’s wry sense of humor, its membership page points out that one of the benefits of a free membership at the MOBA is that you “get into our free exhibitions for free.” Now who could turn down a deal like that?

[Diana's Interview with her student: Peter Explains Earning and Spending CY Bux]

3) Museum of African American History
http://www.afroammuseum.org/index.htm
The Museum of African American History (formerly the Museum of Afro-American History) is New England’s largest African American history museum. Admission to the museum is always free (though there is a suggested donation of $5). This museum is housed in a historic meeting house where people of color gathered for Continue reading →

Interview: High Fives, Homework Help and Spending ‘CY Bux’

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By Diana Mai, City Year AmeriCorps Member serving at the Holland Elementary on the Harvard Pilgrim/PTC Team.

After almost eight months of service, most of us know all of our “Starfish” after-school students pretty well. However, there is one student in my homework room who I felt I could stand to know a little more about. During my conversation with Peter*, not only did I hear him gush about Minecraft, but I watched as he fell off his chair in total excitement! Read the interview below.

What’s your name and who’s your City Year corps member?

My name’s Peter and Mr. McCabe is my City Year corps member in class.

Peter, what’s one of your favorite things right now? (a book, video game, movie, etc.)

Minecraft! It’s a game where everything in the world is made of blocks and you use the blocks to build sandboxes or anything else you want! Monsters come out at night so you have to build something to protect yourself before that happens.

So what do you like about City Year?

That you guys help us in class every day, and that you give us high-fives every morning before school starts!

[Rewind: Diana Shares a Personal Connection with her Students]

What’s one thing City Year has helped you to accomplish?

I get all my homework done in after-school so I don’t have to worry about it when I get home.

That’s great! What’s your favorite part of the Starfish after-school program? And what makes it special to you? Continue reading →

Empowerment Through Education: A Personal Connection to My Student

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By Diana Mai, City Year AmeriCorps Member serving at the Holland Elementary on the Harvard Pilgrim/PTC Team.

I serve as a corps member in a 4th grade SEI (Secondary English Immersion) classroom at the Holland Elementary. It has only been six months, but I already feel at home and integrated in the sense of pride and community instilled in the small classroom of the twelve students I work with.

[Rewind: Watch Diana's Video Recap of City Year Boston Serving at Project 351]

One of the students I work with closely, Cameron*, immigrated with her family to the United States from Haiti less than a year ago. Early on, she lived in and out of shelters with her mother. After going through many hurdles and social obstacles growing up, she now has some semblance of stability in her life. Reserved and quiet, she reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age.

Similar to Cameron, I was born and raised in an urban environment (New York City’s Lower East Side) to a working-class immigrant family. Early on, I watched my parents confront the problems of classism and xenophobia. As a young teen, I struggled to deal with my own insecurities, having less than most kids my age. My mother worked full-time as a waitress in a restaurant to make ends meet. Usually this meant standing on her feet all day. When she became sick and subsequently disabled by severe rheumatoid arthritis, my father was left to struggle as the sole income-provider while raising my older brother and I. I look back and I realize that many factors, on top of race, class, and gender, have influenced me to be the individual I am today.

ImageCameron and Miguel*, two students I work with

I immerse myself in my work every day because I want to highlight and give voice to marginalized and historically disenfranchised groups of people as a way to empower, and to make those who are invisible, visible. The fusing of lived experience mediated with my perspectives of society is crucial to my standpoint in life and how I negotiate my decision to participate in my community, and one of the reasons why I believe in Continue reading →

Wordless Wednesday: No Ordinary Uniform

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By Diana Mai, AmeriCorps member serving on the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care/PTC Team at Holland Elementary.

Whenever I wake up in the morning, the first thing I see is my City Year uniform. Keeping all the parts laid out on my bed – dress shirt, khakis, belt, and bright red jacket – save me a lot of time in getting dressed. But besides being generally awesome, the uniform also symbolizes what City Year stands for. Even though it’s a uniform that we’re all required to wear, it’s also representative of the unity we all feel. And despite the fact that we each come from different backgrounds and serve at different schools, we are all committed to City Year for the same reason – to serve full-time for a school year in communities that need it the most and to make a difference in the lives of others.

Wordless Wednesday: Thanksgiving Service Brings Pies, Scarves to Boston Organizations

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Written by Diana Mai, AmeriCorps member serving on the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care/PTC Team at Holland Elementary

Last Friday, City Year Boston held its annual Thanksgiving Physical Service Day at City Year Headquarters, as well as other project sites around the area.  Over 140 corps members and staff carried out a day of service alongside countless volunteers.  Pies were prepped, scarves were made, and leaves were raked, among other physical service projects.  Local organizations and groups such as The Women’s Lunch Place, Community Servings, The Eliot School, The Haiti Project and Mattahunt all benefitted from the generous contributions made by everyone during this day of service.

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Fractions Are Never Easy

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A critical piece of City Year corps members’ service in schools is the one-on-one and small group tutoring that they provide for students.  They go through intensive training in order to be the most effective tutors possible so that they can help their students move the needle on their course performance.  Below, Sam Freund, team leader serving on the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care/PTC team at the Holland Elementary School, shares a story of academic achievement from his service last year at the Haley Pilot Elementary School.

 

Corps members serve as tutors, mentors, and role models for students in Boston Public Schools.

Corps members serve as tutors, mentors, and role models for students in Boston Public Schools.

Fractions are almost never easy. Even as a college graduate, I feel as though I have struggled with them, and it was no different for one of the 5th grade students I worked with in my extended day program. We had built a very strong relationship; she was on my English and Language Arts focus list, so we got to spend all day during class and every day after school together. She usually did very well in math, but fractions were doing nothing but causing her frustration. We worked together almost every day after school trying to get her up to speed, but nothing seemed to be working. One day while we were working together, an old trick I had learned when I was her age popped into my head and I showed it to her. After three examples, a light bulb went off. Not only did she now understand the concept of simplifying improper fractions into mixed numbers, but she became the go-to student in her class when her peers needed help converting improper fractions. Whenever she heard someone ask me for help with those types of problems, she would leap out of her seat and offer her assistance. At times, she was so quick and eager to help that I would have to remind her that she still had her own work to do. I even remember returning from recess one day to see her standing at the white board with another student, marker in hand, walking her through the process the exact same way that I had taught it to her. I guess sometimes all it takes is having someone explain a concept to you in a way that you can grasp and understand, and suddenly fractions can be that easy.

How to Grow Your Brain

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Nick and Yanna, still optimistic after a hard day of brain-growing.

by Nick Karoutsos, National Grid/PTC Team serving at Blackstone Elementary School

“Mr. K, I don’t get it! It’s too hard!”

These are words I’ve heard far too frequently from Yanna, one of my fourth-grade students.  The feeling these phrases evokes is similar to that of skipping through a flowery meadow and slamming smack-dab into a brick wall; we are on the road to progress, the student gets stuck, they shut down, and we can’t move forward. Frustration ensues and I may too quickly hand out compliments of encouragement such as, “Don’t worry you can do it,” or “I bet if you try your hardest you’ll figure it out,” and my personal worst; “you’re smart, you’ll get it”. But what happens if the day ends and Yanna, in fact, still doesn’t “get it”? I had never before realized the implications of my “positive” praise.

About a month ago, during a planning period with teachers, the topic of praising students arose. Evidently, one research group has conducted specialized surveys on how praise affects students. A very simplified analysis of what they had found is that when you tell a student “you’re smart, you’ll get this” and they do not in fact comprehend it, the student feels betrayed, lied to, and dumb. This discussion pushed me in a completely new direction with my praise.

The following afternoon Yanna had asked to go to recess and lunch with me, as she does from time to time. “Let’s play UNO,” she chimed. “Yanna,” I replied sternly, “I really feel like we should go over your math homework.” We eventually agreed to split the period half and half.

Following an eventful game of UNO, Yanna and I began to go over math word problems. I soon received the “It’s too hard!” retort and instead of reverting to the generic “you’re smart, you can do it” I decided to pause and have a conversation with her. “Yanna, I bet you didn’t know this, but every time you try something difficult or challenging, you’re brain is actually growing, like a muscle!” The rest of the conversation followed along that general theme. It was a meaningful discussion, and although we didn’t complete all of the math work, Yanna walked away feeling better.

Afterward, I thought very little of our conversation but, nonetheless, began anew; praising students specifically for their processes and not for their solutions or intelligence. As time passed, my students began to work harder and seemed less frustrated when confronted with a difficult problem.

About a month had passed, and I had yet to see dramatic results from my new approach to praise. But suddenly, this past week during the independent work portion of our math lesson I spotted Yanna stuck, yet again. Feeling sympathetic, I approached her, “Are you having a hard time on that problem?” I asked. Without looking up at me, and with an unfamiliar air of confidence, she replied, “Yeah Mr. K, but it’s okay. My brain is growing.” And with that said, I knew: sometimes it’s the simplest conversations and correctly placed praise that can change a student’s perspective on life.

*students names have been changed to protect their privacy.

National Grid and PTC at the Haley

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by Ashley Hackett, corps member serving on the Foundation to be Named Later/John W. Henry Family Foundation Boston Civic Engagement Team


What do you get when you combine three fantastic City Year teams, wonderful and hardworking sponsors/volunteers, and a school in need of a calming space for its children to work? Well, a successful service day, of course! On Saturday, March 12, the MFS Investment Management Team played host to the National Grid/PTC Blackstone Elementary School Team as well as the Foundation to be Named Later/John W. Henry Family Foundation Civic Engagement team at their very own Haley Elementary School service day. With the help of 30 volunteers from National Grid and PTC, this service day went off without hitch, leaving behind an inspirational and soothing space for the children to learn.

The day’s projects included patching a once empty wall then painting it with new, peaceful colors, painting a mural of a map of the city of Boston and another mural of motivational and uplifting words as well as making birdhouses – many built and painted by the youngest volunteers – to be hung throughout the schoolyard. The day was also made very special by PTC’s  contribution of a delicious pizza lunch to help keep hungry volunteers going until the very end.

All and all, the day was immeasurably successful and was greatly appreciated by the Haley team, faculty, and students. A special thanks to guest speakers, Bill Berutti and Ms. Gaskin, for their inspiring and encouraging words on behalf of PTC and the Haley Elementary School.

Click Here for the full Flickr Photo Album!

What is the Boston Civic Engagement Team? In addition to helping schools and students reach new heights in academic performance, one team of City Year corps members recruits and mobilizes volunteers to transform school communities through physical service projects, such as building outdoor classroom spaces, landscaping and revitalizing sports and recreation spaces, painting murals, planting gardens, construction and creating playspaces. By engaging community members, corporate partners and civic leaders in this work, corps members help share the power of service to make positive, holistic change.

Blackstone’s Renaissance Man: Ernesto Quinonez

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It is a beautiful spring morning. Flowers are blooming and birds are chirping, the sun is shining brilliantly over the Charles River as several sailing enthusiasts enjoy the weather. A school bus, filled with excited young scholars, passes by on it’s way to a new a day of learning.


Believe it or not, this scene is actually taking place indoors. In fact, anyone can witness a breath-taking vista of the Boston skyline at any time: within the Blackstone Elementary School.

The city of Boston encouraged Ernesto Quinonez, corps member serving on the National Grid/PTC team, to design and create this beautiful mural. He describes his inspiration; “When you take the red line and cross the Charles, this is the sight you see. I really love this city, and this is one of my favorite views of Boston.” Ernesto was also inspired by the experience he has each morning when he and his teammates greet Blackstone’s 600 students to a productive day of enrichment and learning.

Ernesto’s artistic talents began to bloom in the second grade, when his teachers encouraged him to practice his passion. He stresses the fact that they not only noticed him for being talented, more importantly, they drove him to become a better artist. Today, Ernesto is extremely passionate about art. He loves to express himself creatively through drawings, paintings and even music. His inspiration lies in classical art and song. In fact, music spurs his creativity and helps to keep him invigorated as he paints.

Real Ernesto, hanging out with cartoon Ernesto

Ernesto already has plans in place to move forward with two more large-scale art projects, both beginning in March. The first will be in front of the nurse’s office and will demonstrate healthy-eating choices. His more challenging mural will be an extensive, dynamic solar system spanning four walls.

Besides creating beautiful works of art, Ernesto spends his days in a third grade classroom at the Blackstone Elementary. He is in charge of homework administration and fluency interventions. He is particularly invaluable to his teacher when it comes to math instruction, which is his strength. Ernesto has had a positive impact in his classroom by targeting off-track students with specialized mini lessons and math interventions.

Before joining City Year Boston, Ernesto lived in Los Angeles, California where he spent time tutoring elementary students in Math and English. He studied Math and Politics at Pasadina City College, and he even spent time working with various political human rights organizations in Mexico and California. When asked what brought him to City Year, Ernesto contends,

“I believe that the best way to positively impact the future is by investing in those who are our future – the young people of today. So, by educating them, I feel that I am making a difference in our future.”

As to moving across the country, Ernesto admits that he has a passion for exploration. He loves to travel and experience new places. Prior to living in Boston, he had never been to the East Coast and was propelled by curiosity.

After he concludes his year of service, Ernesto plans to complete his undergraduate studies in Boston and, perhaps, remain at the Blackstone as a math specialist.

Ernesto and I with some of our Project 351 volunteers while the mural is being completed