{"id":518,"date":"2016-03-27T21:19:59","date_gmt":"2016-03-28T04:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/?p=518"},"modified":"2016-04-23T09:01:50","modified_gmt":"2016-04-23T16:01:50","slug":"notes-from-the-sixth-grade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/notes-from-the-sixth-grade\/","title":{"rendered":"Notes From The Sixth Grade"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Unknown\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I taught sixth grade chorus for a year at Los Angeles Academy for Arts & Enterprise, a charter school in Echo Park. The school shared a building with a Korean Church and Hillary’s 2008 presidential campaign headquarters.<\/p>\n

The mostly-latino kids were about a 50\/50 mix of enthusiastic and well-mannered children and unrepentant wildlings. English wasn’t their second language, it was more like their third, as many of them had Mexican and Central American parents of native descent who spoke their indigenous languages at home.<\/p>\n

The school’s culture required misbehaving kids to write letters describing the incident they were being punished for. The teacher could add a rebuttal or followup questions, the ‘Enterprise’ portion of the school’s philosophy.<\/p>\n

These letters were cogent, evocative and dead honest. \u00a0I came upon a pile of them while cleaning out some file cabinets and have transcribed them here. If you’re acquainted with this age group, you will hear some familiar refrains.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0THE FLY<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Ms. Bow,<\/p>\n

Ms. F sent me to the back to write a paragraph explaining why I was disrespectful.<\/p>\n

That happened because a fly kept bothering me. It kept going to tables and then leaving. I tried to hit it but I kept missing. I tried to hit it with a book but still missed. When Ms. F asked me what I was doing I said \u201cnothing\u201d because if I talked about the fly everyone would burst out laughing.<\/p>\n

Then a few kids noticed and softly giggled. I just looked at them and giggled. The fly was really annoying. Then Ms. F sent Hector to the back. A while later she sent Graciela to the back. Then when I and a few others laughed, she said to me \u201cYou\u2019ll be next if you don\u2019t pay attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

I tried to ignore the fly. But it kept landing. Then when Ms. F was talking it landed on my hand. I tried to hit it but it flew away. I turned around to see where it went. I saw Julio laughing at my failure and laughed a little. When I turned back around she thought I was talking.<\/p>\n

I mean I had been talking before and she had heard me. I guess I should have explained it was Elmer. Later for example, when Ms. F authorized it. I admit it. Now I\u2019m in trouble so I will take responsibility for my actions.<\/p>\n

My apologies to Ms. F and you, Ms. Bow, for making me waste your time with my childish behavior. I am sincere. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Manuel<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 BUDDING BOOKWORM<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Dear Ms. Bow,<\/p>\n

I was behaving badly because I was reading a book. Because I wanted to know what happened. I was reading it when Ms. F was talking and that\u2019s why I got in trouble.<\/p>\n

Response:<\/em><\/strong> Ms. F would like to know why the book was out when she asked at the beginning of class to put everything away.<\/em><\/p>\n

I just wanted to know what the book was about and when you said to put it away I was going to and you came to my desk and told me to write a letter. And Ms. F said that we were supposed to put everything away at the beginning of class. I did and Manuel let me borrow the book and then I was reading it. She caught me with the book and I did not respect her to put everything away. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Hector<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 BLAME TESTOSTERONE<\/strong><\/p>\n

I wish I had music with a different class. Because the boys are really rude. The boys shout instead of sing. I don\u2019t like that. I wish boys would just follow directions and stay quiet. But they don\u2019t. But I \u2665\u266a\u266a. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Maria <\/strong>[Written\u00a0on pink Hello Kitty paper]<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>The thing that happens is that all boys don\u2019t listen to the teacher and they always talk back. In every class. Almost all the boys except Jose, Darren and Alexander.\u00a0The girls, we listen. \u00a0\u00a0Jessica<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND MY CONTROL<\/strong><\/p>\n

The only reason I laughed is because my friend sneezed like a girl. I started laughing and then Miss F told me to write this letter. Then she sent me to the back of the class.<\/p>\n

Response<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 Miss F does not ask people to write something until they have been asked several times to not talk or fool around.\u00a0<\/em>Agree?<\/em><\/p>\n

NO! I do not agree because sometimes you think I\u2019m playing around but I\u2019m not. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Ramon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Ms. Bow,<\/p>\n

Ms. F is maid at me. I was just looking at the girl that was laughing and she put me in the back and told me to write this letter. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Edgar<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>I was good but people made jokes and I laughed. And people did funny things when we were singing. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Lesley<\/strong><\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t doing anything bad. I love music. My friends were behaving bad and goofing off. I don\u2019t like to stop a lot. Ms. F doesn\u2019t like to get mad. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Jose<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was trying to tell Ms. F that I didn\u2019t have my songs. I was sharing with Josselin but I stopped because I wanted to tell Miss F the script didn\u2019t have some of the songs.<\/p>\n

I did get in trouble because I was being disrespectful because I was laughing and talking and making Johnny laugh and other people. I should think before I say something. Next time I\u2019ll think before something comes out of my mouth. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0David<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>I was actually sick from the stomach and my head hurt but Brian was staring at me and he made a funny face and I laughed and then he laughed. But I am sorry to doing that. I wasn\u2019t lying about being sick. I hope you accept my apology, Ms. F. I mean it! \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Sergio<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>PERFORMANCE REVIEWS<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>How I really feel about music is happy. Singing kinda expresses my feelings. But some people try to ruin it. People shout out, don\u2019t participate and fool around.<\/p>\n

Some people hate you because you are mean. I think you\u2019re a pretty good teacher. I like this class. I think you should make the bad people go to detention and the good people don\u2019t get punished. That way the bad people get jealous and do good. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Darien<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think I haven\u2019t been bad cause I like music. When I grow up I want to be a singer but mostly a dancer. Also I like it cause Ms. F is a cool person. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Jacky<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why I don\u2019t want to participate is because I get distracted. And also I was trying to talk to Brian R. I had my feet on Brian R\u2019s chair and was moving him.<\/p>\n

Also I don\u2019t like the music that much. It\u2019s boring. That\u2019s why my behavior is bad. And I am bad each time it\u2019s choral music. Then I wanted to talk to Brian R and Ms. F asked me what I was doing. She made me go to the back. That\u2019s why I\u2019m writing this essay!!!!<\/p>\n

Ms. F is mean a lot. I don\u2019t really like music class. I try to behave good so my Life Folder will be good and my mom can sign it. This is the only class I don\u2019t like. Reader Theater is better than Music. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Miguel<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like music because I want to be a singer. I like my teacher called Ms F. I didn\u2019t behave good with my teacher. The class was bad to get the teacher mad. But I like music and the teacher. I am sorry Ms. F that I got you mad. I will behave better on Thursday. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Johnny<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like music class because Ms. F is really the nicest teacher in the whole school and cares about us. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Julia<\/strong>\"Chaos-in-the-classroom1\"<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 SIGNED CONFESSIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Miss F,<\/p>\n

I, Manuel Esperroza, got in trouble for talking and interrupting you. You said to stop and I was very close to going to Mr. Louis\u2019s office. Well, I\u2019ll resume to the end. Before you sent me to the back I was about to ask Mendez what the lyrics were.<\/p>\n

I did not want to write the lyrics down so I was going to ask him if he knew the words I did not know. That way, if you asked me I would know them. Before that I must admit I had been talking about other stuff.<\/p>\n

But I was trying to stay away from the office. I do not want to be there. I\u2019ve been there a lot lately. And since you\u2019re reading this I should add something else that you might want to know.<\/p>\n

I refused to translate for Elmer because he has been giving me a lot of trouble. First, students come to me and ask me to control Elmer because he\u2019s giving them trouble. Then Elmer hits me in the head with a lock. Outraged I was.<\/p>\n

Then he hits me in the ribs with the lock. Mr Cooligan sent us to the office. Elmer gets in-school suspension and I get a call home. And my mom has to come to school to talk about it. Since then we were told to stay away from each other.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s my reason for not translating. Well, that\u2019s it. I just have to apologize and take responsibility for my actions. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Sincerely, Manuel<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Ms. Bow,<\/p>\n

I was talking with a boy and Ms. F warned me to stop talking but I didn\u2019t stop talking, that\u2019s why I got in trouble. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Sincerely, Siomara<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>I think it\u2019s disrespectful we kept talking and making jokes. Also, we weren\u2019t singing we were yelling. It\u2019s not good. Sorry, Ms. F. I will not do it again. Bryan R is the worst. Sorry Ms. F. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Anna<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Ms. Bow,<\/p>\n

Ms.F sent me to the back because I said People\u2019s Court. Then she told me to write this letter.<\/p>\n

Response<\/em><\/strong>: Ms. F does not send people to the back the first time they misbehave.\u00a0<\/em>Agree?<\/em><\/p>\n

Yes, because when I\u2019m bad the first time she doesn\u2019t send me to the back. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Anthony<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>I was speaking when I wasn\u2019t supposed to. I\u2019m so sorry Ms. F. I\u2019ll do better next time. I\u2019ll sing and won\u2019t be disrespectful. Sorry. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Lesley<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 UNFAIRLY ACCUSED<\/strong><\/p>\n

I feel like it is not fair that the kids that listen get in trouble. I feel like the kids that don\u2019t listen more than twice should get sent to another class. I feel like Ms. F should not get disrespected. That\u2019s how I feel. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Patty<\/strong><\/p>\n

I could not sign because I am sad and sick. I\u2019m sleepy in music and I do not like signing. I went to a party and came back at 4AM. I like music but not a lot. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Brian<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Well, Miss, I was singing but if you think I wasn\u2019t that\u2019s your choice. But if you don\u2019t think this is good enough, because I was singing, I really don\u2019t have anything to talk about. I was picking up stuff that fell from my backpack. I really wanted to sing but I guess you think I was talking. You\u2019re the teacher and it\u2019s your decision. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Mimi <\/strong>(and Roxy says hi!)<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 POST-GAME\u00a0ANALYSIS<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>I think the class was bad because we were not in school yesterday and maybe we got used to having fun. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Mark<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of the kids in the class were not participating. I like music, besides all the arguments. I think the class was too loud and hyper. Maybe some kids ate too much sugar today. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Maria<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Some people were disruptive to the class. Some people lied because they didn\u2019t want to sing. Some people were probably bored. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Alexander<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Today the class was calling out a lot and I was part of that. I guess the class was tired with music because they wanted to go home. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Bryan<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Some people don\u2019t want to participate because they might be tired or maybe because they don\u2019t like it. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Marta<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dear Ms. F,<\/p>\n

I think that some people think it might be uncool to sing. But I really like music because we get to sing. I think people want to argue because they want to be silly but they are not funny. I think that the song You Got A Friend is great. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Anita<\/strong><\/p>\n

(181)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  I taught sixth grade chorus for a year at Los Angeles Academy for Arts & Enterprise, a charter school in Echo Park. The school shared a building with a Korean Church and Hillary’s 2008 presidential campaign headquarters. The mostly-latino kids were about a 50\/50 mix of enthusiastic and well-mannered children and unrepentant wildlings. English […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,2,30],"tags":[57,58,56],"class_list":["post-518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-jazz-education","category-music","category-singing","tag-middle-school","tag-middle-school-choral-class","tag-music-education"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=518"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":528,"href":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/518\/revisions\/528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jazzmediapress.com\/AnneFarnsworth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}