"Wake Up Everybody!"

This weekend I had the opportunity to go see the long awaited documentary, Waiting for Superman, and WOW! It was mind-blowing, mind- boggling, disheartening, depressing, anger-causing, but also passion re-igniting, possibility-believing and determination-increasing. Well, really to be honest, I was left speechless and that is the best combination of words I could get to describe the amount of issues, horrors and possibilities seen in the film.

The above music was included which you might recognize from Akeelah and the Bee. Ultimately, I found that everyday, regardless of the excuses, we must all believe in the cases of Akeelah, Anthony in the movie, and the possibility that lies in each student in our schools. It seemed that the consensus was great teachers, but also community involvement, belief and high expectations must be carried out to all students in all schools. Even further, though, it was not only the failing schools in the urban and rural areas but even in suburban areas, the U.S.'s inability to compete with other countries was made clear. And then in instances of Cannada's Harlem Success Academy, many students outperformed everyone even though they are the students most often dismissed by low expectations.

I think the words of Nelson Mandela in Invictus go right along with what the film insists from all of us, "We all must exceed the expectations we have for ourselves for the sake of our country."

Check out waitingforsuperman.com for ways to take action, starting with Texting POSSIBLE to 77177!!!

I Slam, Therefore I am Workshop

A few Saturday's ago, the Very Infinite Possibilities (VIP) attended the Birmingham Library's 'I Slam Therefore I am' workshop along with the Desert Island Supply Company. We have films of all participants in the workshop, even Ms. Yeilding's first attempt, 'In The Wind' : )

Freedom Writer's: Freshman Year Response (Example)

In the Junior classes, we have begun reading one of my favorite books, the Freedom Writer's Diary. Many students have already seen the movie, but reading the book is completely different. The student's words resonate with issues that many of students all over the country face. So far journal entries have included: segregation, racism, bullying, student action, the undeclared war, revenge, peer pressure, learning disabilities, love, world peace and violence.

Memorable quotes:

"I've lost many friends, friends who have died in an undeclared war. A war that has been here for years, but has never been recognized, A war between color and race. A war that will never end. A war that has left family and friends crying for loved ones who have perished" (16).

"World peace is only a dream because people won't allow themselves and others around them to simply be peanuts. We won't allow the color of a man's heart to be the color of his skin, the premise of his beliefs, and his self-worth. We won't allow him to be a peanut, therefore we won't allow ourselves to come to live in harmony" (39).

Question of the day: "Ms. Yeilding, do you ever just sit in one place and breath?"

Students wrote essays for their nine weeks exams on what is freedom and how does one truly attain it. We also learned about recent nobel prize winning, Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa who said, "If there is no freedom in a society and you are a writer, you cannot say, that's not your problem, if there is no freedom, you write." Listen to the interview at:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1133828&ps=rs

Also, Cartoon Network has just launched a campaign against bullying as October is National Bullying Awareness month, check this out at

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/promos/stopbullying/index.html



Keep writing guys, you amaze me (when you do)!!! :)