It's a record..

We set a record at school this week, and not in a good way. I think all can agree that this past week was officially the worst week ever. Let me just name 5 incidents that happened out in New Orleans East this week...
1. I got punched in the face.
(You may think that is enough to make it the worst, but there is so much more)
2. A student was talking about this teacher's mama so in turn the teacher yelled some comments about the sexual favors that she has been performing on another student in the class.
3. A student started a garbage can on fire.
4. A teacher had a minor heart attack.
5. A paraprofessional was arrested for fraud, drugs, and a couple other things...

In the midst of all of the chaos I tried hard to focus on all the little successes and funny things that happened each day. This conversation really made me laugh at the end of a long day:

Student: Oh, White Jesus!
Teacher: What?!?! What and why are you saying that?
Student: Oh, Miss Sullivan you never seen First Sunday?
Teacher: Nope
Student: Oh, White Jesus! They say that in that movie, its so funny.
Teacher: {insert confused look}
Student: Have you seen Lil' Man?
Teacher: No
Student: Miss Sullivan you been in Oregon too long.
Student 2: Oregon don't got nothin' on us.

P.S. We went to the first Mardi Gras parade of the season last night and I got some beads as big Christmas ornaments:)

Every once and awhile...

Every once and awhile something happens that reminds me that I am doing something in my classroom. I gave my students an assignment to write a letter to someone who is a role model to them. They had to thank that person and let them know why they admire them. Here are a couple letters that some of my little girls wrote to me:

Dear Miss Sullivan,
I really want to thank-you for makeing me a better read and learner. You are my role model. Miss Sullivan. I admire you because you are a great teacher. I want to be a teacher now. I admire how you help everyone and you try to be good and you try to get everyone to work. Yes again thank-you and that is why you are my role model. That is why I admire you!! Good-bye.

Dear Miss Sullivan,
Thank you for being my teacher. You give me homework. You give me a lot of homework. I admire you how you teach me. Thank you for helping me.

Dear Miss Sullivan,
Thank you Miss Sullivan for teaching me. Miss Sullivan you are a really good at teaching me. Miss Sullivan you are a nice woman and a gentle woman. Again, thank-you so much Miss Sullivan for teaching me. I love you Miss Sullivan.

My Life Lately

A quick list of the best things that have happened in my life in the past couple of months...

Barack Obama is officially the 44th president

Kelsey, Tom, and Zach all came to visit me in New Orleans

Aubrie and Carl came to ring in the New Year

I spent Christmas in the "40 year storm" in the Northwest

I turned in my applications to grad school in Athletic Leadership to UT Austin, UW, Northwestern, and Temple

I had an amazing trip to Fort Collins to spend Thanksgiving with KJ

This list could go on....

Life is good, I am loving New Orleans and my friends here. My job is just as stressful as ever, but I am doing a better job of separating it from my life. On top of all of the amazing visitors and trips I have already had, I still have so much to look forward to. I am happy:)

Dear Mr. President

These are the letters my students wrote to Barack Obama to encourage him, make a request of him, and even give him some advice:

Dear Barack Obama,
When you become president I hope that you work hard. When you change the world I hope that you change Iraq so that no one will get hurt. I think you are a good parent and that you will be a helpful president.
From,
K.H


Dear President Obama,
My advice to you is to do good and stop the war. When you are the president could you please take care of my city, New Orleans? You are good and I am so happy that you are the president.
Sincerely,
R.W.


Dear Barack Obama,
You are lucky to be our president and we are lucky you are our president. Please, please remember to help poor people. I want to encourage you by saying you are really great and a good leader.
Respectfully,
F.B.

Dear Mr. President,
My advice to you is you should give the poor people food. I hope you will be good to people. I am happy that you are the first black president!
From,
A.A.

Dear Barack,
My advice to you is to let the toys be cheap. When you are the president could you please not mess this up? I want to encourage you by being a good boy. I am so glad that you are our president.
Sincerely,
T.R.

Dear Barack Obama,
When you become president you should wish that the 3rd grade will pass the iLEAP. Wish us good luck, please. And please can you help me get all the people that smoke to quit? You make me want to be a president when I grow up!
Sincerely,
J.W.

Dear President Obama,
First of all I want to start with a congratulations for being the president of the United States. When you become president will you please take good care of the white house and take care of your wife and kids. Listen Mr. Obama, I want you to take care of the country as a good president. Barack Obama, please break up all the wars and bring them together as a big family. One more thing, I think you will make a perfect president for the country.
Sincerely,
G.P.

Dear Obama,
My advice to you is to put computers for all the student in each classroom. When you are the president could you please give poor people stuff on the holidays? I think that you are a role model to people. I know you are a role model to me!
Your Friend,
M.G.

Dear Barack Obama,
When you become president I wish you will do the right thing. When you are president could you remember my name, please? My name is M.B. I am proud that you are the first black president.
Love,
M.B


Dear Mr. President,
My advice to you is to please take care of the poor. Maybe you can invite me to the white house and we can go feed the poor and we can also give the children toys. When you are the president could you please come to my house. I really want to meet you and your family. I think you are the man. I read your book and it was great. I love seeing your face. Your face has hopes and dreams. Make those dreams come true.
Best Wishes,
J.C

Dear President,
Hello, my advice to you is to be safe and watch out for cars. Please remember to take care of your family. I think you are a great father.
Love,
L.F.

Dear Barack,
My advice to you is to help the poor people. Barack you are a man who has a lot of money. Please remember to bring some money for the poor people. I am happy because we got a black president.
Love,
P.J.

Dear Pres,
How are you doing in the White House? I am glad that you are the president. I hope you are not like the old president. I hope you are ten times better than him.
Respectfully,
T.C.

Dear Mr. President,
When you become president can you make Louisiana a good place to live in, please? Please remember the homeless people. I think you are going to be a good president. I am so proud that you are going to be the next president.
Love,
J.J.

Dear Mr. President,
Words cannot express the feelings of pride and optimism that are exploding inside of me. This is a new day and our country is ready for change. You symbolize the possibility for change for me and so many Americans.
I am so excited that my students have you as an incredible role model. You have worked through adversity to ensure that the right thing is done. You are proof to us that nothing can stop us from having big dreams.
I urge you to stay strong, continue to root yourself in morality and work hard to accomplish the things you have promised to us. We are counting on the change you speak as we strive to encourage, support and cheer for you along the way.

God bless you Barack Obama.

With Great Respect,
Miss Sullivan

NOPD

When I first moved to New Orleans I heard from so many people that the cops in New Orleans were generally not the best. I have tried and continue to try to be open-minded. I know that there are many great cops working for justice in this city, but I have just continue to be let down by them. They live here…they should know how to communicate with people, maybe they have lost hope for this lost city. Here are a few examples of my disappointment…

Last year our house was broken into. My roommates lost their computers, a DVD player, and a digital camera. I was lucky – they didn’t even go into my room, but it still felt terrible. We called the police, Court and I decided to stay outside in our cars because didn’t feel comfortable going inside of our house in the dark. We waited, and waited, and waited. Eventually we couldn’t wait any longer – our friends came over and checked the house out for us. After securing all the doors and windows we went inside. We waited for three more hours. The police came, didn’t seem to have any interest in our problems, left and we never heard anything again.

One of my sweetest and quietest students told me in the middle of our grammar lesson that her mama was taken to jail. When the other students at her group looked up in surprise of her blunt comment she said in an embarrassed tone that they weren’t supposed to hear her. That she only wanted to tell me. After we agreed that we were all great at keeping secrets she seemed alright. I talked to her more in the afternoon. She told me that they busted in the door because her mom didn’t want to let them in. They shined lights in her face and put her handcuffs. “They talked to her mean, they wouldn’t let her put pants on, they took her in her nightgown.” One of her sisters tried to stop the cops and they threw her down too. All while their father jumped out the back window. She told me they were after her dad because he sells drugs. The kids somehow finished getting ready for school and made it on time for breakfast – she if she didn’t say anything, I don’t think I would have ever found out. When I hear these things (much to often) my heart breaks. Especially when it’s the sweet little kids, you just want to take them home with you. My reaction was at first anger towards her parents. How could that father leave his wife and children to deal with the cops? It is so frustrating that the dad is selling drugs…but what are the alternatives? A $6.15 minimum wage job in this broken economy? He isn’t on drugs himself, he is trying to provide for his family, he is not abusive, he is actually there – that is probably the most impressive part. I don’t know the answer, but I do know that there is absolutely no reason for the cops to put this mother and her young children through such a dramatic scene. This isn’t NYPD Blue, these are real kids who are going to have this image of their mom on the ground in her nightgown, handcuffed for the rest of their life.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning and I decide to go on a short run around the neighborhood. I went a different way than normal to check out another part of our neighborhood. I knew that it was not as nice of an area, but it was 11am, daylight, and kids and families were out enjoying the sunshine. I was running in the middle of the street, aware of my surroundings as I have learned to be in all areas of this city or any city for that matter. A cop pulled up next to me and I said Good Morning. He replied, “Do you know where you are?” I had no good response at the moment, so I just said “Yes, thank-you, I am being safe.” Both cops looked at my like I was crazy and continued on their way. I was confused. Thankful, I guess, that they were looking out for me, mad that they weren’t actually doing anything productive. My thoughts were interrupted by a few kids voices, “What did they ask you?” “Oh, they just said Good Morning.” What was I supposed to say? They were worried about my safety outside of your house. They think this is an unsafe neighborhood. They didn’t ask the kids if they knew where they were. They didn’t seem worried about their safety. I ended up running around the block about three times with the group of kids. We passed the football, they showed me how to use their long board, I let them listen to my iPod. I wished I would have had a smarter comment for the cops. Yes, I do know exactly where I am. This is my neighborhood, these are my kids.

Walking up to the office on Friday evening I saw a cop car pulled up I the parking lot. I guessed that some students were not picked up and the police were called to locate the parents. As I walked in I saw my principal, vice-principal, and secretary. Standing up by the counter were two cops with their shiny badges and chests puffed up. In the corner sat two little boys(8 and 6 years old) heads hanging down, ashamed. The adults were talking as if the students were not in the room – as if they didn’t already feel unwanted. I walked in during the middle of the conversation and tried to mind my own business – signing out and picking up papers from my box. This is what I heard.
“Do you have the paperwork to file a case?”
“Ma’am, we are cops – we file criminal cases.”
“Their mom came at 3pm and decided to leave without them.”
“Like I said, we file criminal cases.”
“And where are the kids supposed to go?”
“You will have to wait for someone to pick them up.”
“Sir, we HAVE been waiting.”
“Its not that long to wait.”
‘It is 5pm and we get off work at 3:15.”
“Well we can’t do anything with them its not like we are babysitters.”
“And neither are we, this is a school not a daycare.”
“Well you are closer than we are.”

“BUHHH” That was my reaction from the corner. I couldn’t contain it and I don’t have any idea how the leadership staff at my school kept their cool. What do these guys do? They are pretty into themselves, I could tell that just from their body language. If they only work with “criminal offenses” they better start working a little harder because this city needs some help. And do they have any idea that this is when it starts. Give these kids some hope, give them some love so that in ten years you aren’t hauling them off to jail. Stop it where you can. Care about your job, care about your city’s future, treat people with respect. Saying ma’am certainly doesn’t cover up anything. And since when is it not a crime to come to school to pick up your kids and decide you don’t want to take them home?

Something needs to change...

Barack Obama is the President of the United States of America. It is finally really sinking in. After a day of screaming GEAUXBAMA and BARACK THE VOTE, my friends and I sat down to watch the election. When the results were called I was silent. I had nothing to say. There was hooting and hollering on the porch, phone calls, and I just sat there. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Barack Obama. The first black president of the United States of America. It was a victory for our country, for civil rights, for my students, for my community. How blessed I am to witness such an event.

I believe in him and I believe that he will bring the change that he promises. Everyone has a right to believe what they want. I just hope that now that the election is come to a close, that everyone can support him and the decision that our country has made. I pray that the divisions created by the drama of this election can fall and that we can come together with great pride for our country and for our future. Our country needs change, no one can argue with that. I am excited to see how we will move forward, conquering adversity along the way.

I was brought to tears again when our school received a letter from the president elect. It arrived on November 5th to a teacher whose students had written him letters a few months ago. It was a beautiful letter. Words of encouragement of belief and of high expectations - the things I try to share with my students everyday – but this time from Barack Obama. I am going to get a copy of it and read it to my students every week – it’s a good reminder of why I am here.

“If you are walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you will make progress.” – Barack Obama

Much better than a devil...

My students have been writing Halloween stories, this was one of my favorites;)

I was trick-or-treating when suddenly my teacher came out like an angel. She was pretty and the boys came on her.
I said, “Miss Sullivan, why are you dressed up like an Angel?”
“Because the class said I should be an angel.”
“That’s cute.”
Then my sister came to me and said, “Let’s go, we have to go home.”
My teacher told us it was funny.
She came at my door and said, “Trick-or Treat, I’m Jalen’s teacher.”
Then my mom said, “Come in and play Wii with us.”
She said, “Wow, you have Wii?”
“Yes we do!”
We had fun, then everybody went home.
THE END