Week 6 -- 02/11/2018 -- 02/15/2018

Good Afternoon West Community,

I am more than comfortable writing this post now then I was 1 week ago, for a variety of reasons. Last week was certainly one of the more confusing and uncomfortable scenarios that this community, this school district, and this city have seen in over 20-years. I am talking about the DCTA/DPS negotiations that endured for 3-days, which became the main talking point for many around the city. I was not above talking about it, as I fielded many questions from students, colleagues and family members. It is only human nature to want to know what is happening, and what will become of a dispute. I am very glad to report that both parties were able to come to an agreement, and they certainly got everyone's attention.

What I believe is the most fascinating topic to come out of the negotiations is the students themselves. All around the city, we saw students who expressed themselves in a variety of ways. From students throwing hallway parties due to lack of supervision, to students simply staying home as they didn't see the value in coming to school. From students simply being in school but not participating in anything that was provided to them, to students who participated in the strike itself by joining their teachers outside in the cold weather, the city's inhabitants were made aware that the issue of teacher's pay and respect is one that should be taken lightly. Their voices were heard. Does that mean that's it and everything is fine and dandy? No, it does not. It only means that they're are more issues that we as educators need to tackle, and the staff here at WLA is more than prepared to address all of the issues that our student's are facing.

I am incredibly blessed to work in a community that values its teachers, and work in a building where our administration, our staff, and our students all care for one another, and work with one another. We are united, plain and simple.

Classroom Instruction:

My classes on Friday were able to finally finish up their anti-bullying posters for the school and this week we will be finishing up the lesson on Abuse and starting the lesson on Accountability.

Happy reading, y'all.

Cowboys, out.

Comments

January, 2020 -- A Fresh Start

Welcome back to the Westside! Thank you for visiting this blog and checking out what our organization did here at West leadership Academy in the month of December. Before I get into the month's activities, I just want to give a shout out to those of you who keep supporting and sending us positive vibes to this classroom from wherever you are. It is truly appreciated and it is something we do not take for granted. That being said let’s get to work. In today’s blog, you are going to be reading about the lesson we did before break, our Christmas dinner party at La Alma rec center, and last but not least the preparation and overall process For the final our Mentor Leadership Team and I conducted with our students. #1 -- The Brain: The unit revolves around healthy relationships specifically how to build one, how to maintain one, and to identify what we as individuals can do to make sure we are in healthy relationships with anyone we encounter. In December, we to...

December, 2019 -- Always Finish Strong

Welcome back to the Westside. Thank you for coming back and reading this month's blog. I think I speak on behalf of all my students when I say we are doing a lot of great things in the classroom, mainly because we have great students here who are willing to come in and put in the work. As always, all of your words of encouragement and positive vibes from wherever you’re reading this from are always needed, wanted and appreciated. TOPICS: The month of November was extremely exciting here at West Leadership Academy. This months blog will be covering: 1. The lessons of Unit II, Healthy Relationships. 2. Our first Harvest Festival. 3. Our student's accomplishments inside the school. First up, the lessons we covered in class this month were on the unit of healthy relationships. The first lesson we covered was on your sphere of influence. In other words, the people who are surrounding you at all times. Some of the big ideas of the lesson ...

Week 16 -- 04/22/2019 -- 04/26/2019

Good Morning West Community, It was yet another wonderful week here at West Leadership Academy. I am happy to report that our students have finished their state-wide testing sessions, and for the most part, I can report that although students get testing anxiety, the adults in the building also felt some sort of anxiety for a variety of reasons. I think for the most part, we can all agree that we are happy and satisfied that our students pushed through the testing and finished strong. As reported last week, the classroom here at WLA started a new unit, the war on drugs. For context purposes, let me explain how my 5 sections work with each other. 2 out of my 5 sections are simply upperclassmen, meaning they are high schoolers. However, my other 3 are a combination of middle schoolers and high schoolers. In other words, my classes have a very unique way of being introduced the material. My teaching for every class adapts to either providing less structure and more independent work...

YESS at West Leadership Academy

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