"No one can become a master teacher in isolation"

A desire I inherited from my grandmother Jessie is a love of plants—gardening, growing flowers, and saving dying houseplants.  Every spring, I set myself to filling flower boxes and clay pots on my front and back porches. When choosing flowers to grow for the season, I do consider color combinations and trying new plants I’ve never grown before, but when shopping in the greenhouse I head right for the plants that require full sunlight—six hours or more per day.  I don’t just make this choice based on the conditions of my porches; in fact, I actually place my plants in certain configurations so that I can successfully grow those flowers that thrive in full sunlight.  The plants that love full sunlight are the most beautiful and long lasting.
 
So it is with teaching--those who flourish in full sunlight are heartier. One of the pillars of City on a Hill is public accountability.  We invite and welcome visitors to see what we do. As teachers, it is expected that observers may visit us at any time. In a job that can often be isolating, it makes a difference to a teacher to have an open door. Like a stuffy house on a hot summer day, opening the classroom door can let in some fresh air. Openness allows a teacher to think about what the class looks like to an observer, and the very presence of an observer helps a teacher reflect on his or her own classroom management, routines, and instruction.
 
At City on a Hill, we also push each other to become better educators by observing our fellow teachers.  Each year, our teachers observe and are observed by their colleagues three times.  Last year, COAH teachers spent 160 hours observing each other.  That’s 160 hours of teaching in the light. After the observation, the two teachers meet with one another in pairs to discuss the class and the observed teacher asks for feedback within the context of his or her individual professional development goals. Since I’m counting, that’s 160 conversations about improving instruction every year. Such openness is not common in traditional district schools, I can assure you.  In far too many district schools there is a culture of privacy, closed doors, and maintaining the status quo.  City on a Hill has strived to break that down--to let in the light.
 
As the director of City on a Hill’s teacher certification program, I begin with the new teaching fellows in the dog days of August by going over the basic tenets of our school’s teaching philosophy. The tenet that sticks with me is the most is “No one can become a master teacher in isolation.” A school that does not design itself with this in mind cannot be successful, and a teacher who hides behind the darkness and privacy of a closed door will not flourish. After years, there may be growth, but the teacher will never fully bloom.
 
As educators strive with the increasingly difficult task of raising our nation’s children to the highest levels of achievement, we must let in the light. The most successful schools will be the ones that cultivate a faculty of master teachers that teach in bright light, open for all to see and discuss. Like my porch where I have to rearrange the furniture and placement of pots to allow sun-dependent flowers to thrive, so too must schools structure their professional development, schedule, and school culture to allow for teachers to observe and be observed. City on a Hill works hard to let in the light and develop a faculty that thrives in such an environment.

 If you would like to see how it can work, visit us and tell us what you think.  Be the light that we need to thrive. Come take a look at what we’re growing this year.


Ben Conrick is an English teacher and the Director of Teacher Development at City on a Hill.  Having taught at City on a Hill since 2004, he also supervises City on a Hill's Urban Teaching Fellowship and Peer Observation Program.  With 15 years in education, he holds a BA from Fredonia State University and an MA from the University at Albany.

An Event to Remember

It was spring semester of my senior year at Tufts University. I was getting bored of Somerville and Cambridge and itching to graduate, so I decided to look for an internship to keep me preoccupied. When I began the internship hunt, I had no idea what I was looking for.  I did know two things: 1) I’m passionate about education. 2) I wanted to be at a school.

And after a morning of searching, I found it – a development internship at City on a Hill Charter Public High School in Roxbury. Having been so secluded to one side of the Charles River, I had never heard of either the school or Roxbury, but I took a look around their website, did my research, and fell in love. I had finally found a school that had the aspects that I believed a good school should have: High Expectations, Citizenship, Leadership, and Accountability.

I applied immediately, and soon after, I was the new Development Intern. My main role was to assist in the planning and execution of the 2011 Gala, the annual fundraiser. However, being at the school only three times a week as well as in our fun-sized Development office never really gave the opportunity to get to know the students, teachers, or tutors, but it didn’t matter. I always looked forward to going to CoaH - not because I’m emphatic about development and event planning - but because there is this aura of support and dedication that lingers through the school’s halls that made it a pleasure to be there.

This sense of community was everywhere. I could hear it on the other side of the walls of our little office, where Mr. Dawson engaged his students on discussions about slavery and Mr. Johnson led experiments. I saw it as I passed the forum, where students work diligently with their tutors; I saw it at Town Meeting, where the entire school engages in a debate or celebrates each other’s successes.  In all aspects and in all departments, it became very clear to me that every staff member is dedicated to the students, and all of the students are intent on achieving goals and exceeding expectations.

I don’t know if there’s a recipe for such a powerful and positive experience within a school or how one even goes about creating that. Perhaps it’s because the school is so small (only 280 students) and everyone knows each other’s name, or perhaps it’s because the school building is also small that everyone is forced to be close together!  Either way, there’s no doubt that the CoaH culture embodies diligence and devotion combined with endless support and care.

After being immersed in the CoaH culture, I was motivated and determined to raise as much money as possible during our preparation for Gala. In my mind, every auction item secured and every trip to City Hall to obtain a charity wine license (that’s another blog entry in itself!) was a step closer to raising the resources and money the school needs to continue providing a great education to the students.  

Finally the night of Gala arrived, and it was extraordinary. Energy and excitement overflowed the event hall, and everything was running swimmingly!

…Were you expecting something to go horribly wrong and a funny anecdote to come out of it? To be perfectly honest, I was concerned about that happening the night of Gala also, but at worst, the event ran a little over.  Now, you may be wondering how we pulled off an awesome event without a hitch.

At City on a Hill, the staff constantly goes out of their way for each other, for the students, and for the school as a whole, and that was very apparent the night of Gala. Yes, the development team planned the event and executed it, but the entire staff helped pull it together. Teachers worked the check-in table; tutors decorated; and the students looked sharp, represented the school well, and blew our guests away with their talents and successes. People left inspired. 

As the event came to an end, I stood in the empty event space cleaning up centerpieces and felt an overwhelming sense of awe and gratitude. I sometimes fail to remember that a school is composed of more than just teachers and students. In fact, that night City on a Hill was everyone: staff members, students, their families, supporters, donors, volunteers. It’s quite a thrill to be part of something you believe in and then share and even celebrate that passion with hundreds of other people in one room, in one night. I will always be so grateful that I had the opportunity to be part of and contribute to such an amazing school.

A week later my internship ended.  With a goodbye card in one hand and a City on a Hill umbrella in the other, I walked away from the school to get on the Orange Line back to Tufts for the last time. As I approached the T, I called my sister telling her how much I already missed the school, and with the warmth of the sun beaming down on my face, I smiled and knew that I would never forget the people or the experience I had at CoaH. 


Angel Veza is now a Development Assistant at City on a Hill.  She continues to work on the annual gala, but also works on grant writing, student recruitment, and community engagement while at the same time working with students in Music Club and spending time in the classroom as a teacher's aide.

China

I traveled to China last summer on a scholarship to exchange best teaching practices with Chinese school teachers.  My team visited schools in Beijing, Xian and Shanghai.  The very first thing that one learns is that every student wants to speak to you in English. By the end of this year, China is predicted to become the largest English speaking country in the world.  All school children take classes in English, but are desperate to practice their speaking skills with a native speaker.  

The second discovery I made was that school children are school children wherever you go in this world.  I shadowed a few male students for the day, and at one point, nature came calling.  In English, I asked the boys to take me to the bathroom.  My three high school guides were more than happy to escort me to the men’s room.  Schools in urban China are mostly seven or eight stories high, so I was not surprised by the long walk and travel between floors.  They brought me to this room that did not look like a men’s room, but who was I to question a cultural difference.  They pointed to the door and told me to go in and I would have some privacy.  I entered the room, and, to my absolute shock, found myself standing in the principal’s office with the principal sitting behind his desk wondering who had just walked into his private space.  Before I could explain myself, I could hear the laughter fade into the stairwells as the boys ran off.  The principal was a proficient English speaker and I did my best to explain that I was lost and apologized for entering his office.  I am not sure if he believed me, but I kindly asked him where the men’s room was.

I think there may be some folklore circulating in our country that Chinese students go to school for twelve hours per day, 365 days a year.  This is simply not true.  Their school day is on average 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, but with a two-hour midday lunch break where many go home for lunch and family chores.  The summer break is around four to five weeks long where the students have enrichment actives, free time and do some studying for exams (Senior year is different because they take the equivalent of the S.A.T in the summer for entrance into university).  The national government does oversee all education and most placements into schools are based on the national exams at the end of every school year.  In all, an American would not be shocked spending a day in a Chinese school.  A student takes all the same basic classes as an American school child.  However, an educator would notice right away is the “drill” technique that is the predominant methodology in the classroom.

We were invited to share our practice of group work and how to engage the student to formulate their own questions.  For years, the system of teacher asking an objective question, student answering and so on, has been the way students prepare for national exams.  Education has recently been undergoing a reform and the Chinese are ready to learn ways to help their students to become more creative and analytical.  In one class, I was teaching a group about pre-Colombian Native American culture.  The students wanted to know the answers before I even posed the questions.  They were not familiar with a teacher asking open-ended questions. When I asked, “What do you think?”  I got blank stares that silently said to me, there is no solution to this question, what does this teacher want me to answer?  By the end of the class, I realized that I had to really push the student to evaluate what I was asking and attempt to formulate a thought that may or may not be correct; or to accept that there was no single correct answer.  By the end of my visit, I witnessed a school system with little to no discipline issues, students excited to learn and kids plotting the next practical joke the would play on me.

Here at City on a Hill, we have been designing our curriculum with a focus on incorporating analytical and evaluative questions for the student to wrestle with.  We want to foster independent learners where asking the questions are as important as knowing the answers.  Our students learn from each other and have the freedom to question the teacher.  What City on a Hill teachers are doing every day is creating a model of teaching and learning that a nation with a population nearing 2 billion is eager to implement in their system of education. 

Patrick Foley is in his sixth year teaching at City on a Hill.  He is the Lead History teacher and mentors both teaching fellows and the CoaHCORPS along with teaching World History. He holds a Masters of Teaching from Simmons, a Masters of Theology and a B.A. from St. John's Seminary and was awarded a Doctorate of Divinity.  He is in his 17th year teaching in the Boston area.

Raising a male black teenager is hard. It helps to have the support of a great school…

My son, Asante Sandiford, had a difficult last two years of middle school.  He had always had such a calm temperament and loved school so I was very surprised when I started receiving phone calls from administration putting me on notice of his behavioral issues.  I attributed some of this behavior to the hormonal changes of a growing teenager and some to the fact that his dad had been recently diagnosed with cancer.  My son constantly came home and complained of not liking school and his teachers.  Again, I attributed this to him becoming a teenager and decided to keep him in this school. After all, it was one of the top ranked middle schools in Boston, my son was in their advance work program and even one of our Presidents had visited and given the school accolades! After visiting to speak with a teacher with whom Asante was having a problem and a member of the administration, I was appalled.  This teacher was very antagonistic and the administrator chose to roll her neck and eyes while speaking to me!  I left the school that day knowing the choice I made regarding the institution where my son would be educated for the next four years was more crucial than ever.  Not only was I raising a young black man that was entering some of the most challenging years of his life, I was facing raising him alone.  His education was so important to keeping him on the right track in life and one fatal mistake could cost my son.  I had made the decision that my son would not continue in traditional district schools.  If he did not want to attend Boston Latin Academy (my high school alma mater) or one of the other examination schools, then I knew private school was the only option.  It was at this time Asante’s dad starting researching charter schools and came back with information he had found on a wonderful charter school named City on a Hill.  I was impressed by the testing scores, the uniform policy and the small school setting which guaranteed my son one-on-one time, if needed.  His dad had also known some parents of other students at the school and after having them rave about the academics, structure and discipline of the school my son was entered into the lottery and received a place at the school. My son was actually excited to start high school as were his dad and I.

At the beginning of Asante’s freshman year, his dad’s health began to decline.  Asante was spending late nights at the hospital with his dad while continuing with his studies.  He loved his new school and was determined to make the honor roll every term despite what he was going through.  In early November of my son’s freshman year, his dad passed away.  The support that not only my son, but I received from the whole school was amazing!  My son had only been at this school for two months, but everyone went out of their way to make sure that my son was as comfortable as could be regarding school during this time.  There were check in calls during my son’s absence and administrators attended all services in support of my son. By the way, my son did still make the honor roll that term!

Asante’s past two years at City on a Hill have been awesome.  Asante loves his teachers.  Even when he has done something wrong, Asante does not feel disrespected as he has felt in the past. My son has been disciplined, but not antagonized. He now feels like he can have conversations with his teachers.  He has not been berated ever, but everything explained in an authoritative manner.  I have not run into a neck-rolling administration at City on a Hill.  Even if I may not agree with something or a decision, I have always had very professional discussions with anyone I have come across at the school. As a parent, I could not ask for better communication from a school.  Teachers know I am a phone call or email away and do not hesitate to contact me if the need arises.  I attend all parent/teacher meetings and I feel I know what is going on at all times. If I ever feel out of the loop, I can always give any teacher a call, send an email or just check the web portal that is always up to date! I love when my son walks in the door and his eyes bulge in shock when I ask him about a demerit he received that day.

The love that my son has for school is back.  City on a Hill offers a demanding curriculum that makes students work and Asante is invested in doing the work.  There is such an expectation of greatness and success at City on a Hill that they have helped instill in my son.  Freshman year was almost considered a disappointment by him because he did not make the honor roll all terms.  He has set this goal again and is well on his way to achieving it.  My same son who moaned and groaned once he found out he had to wear uniforms every day has now embraced wearing uniforms to school and loves dressing professionally for presentations and other events at the school.  Asante plays basketball at City on a Hill and has excelled.  Onaje Woodbine is a coach, mentor and positive influence for my son and the other young men on the team. It is great for the boys to see an educated man of color balance education and sports. The focus is always education first and Coach Woodbine has become a partner of mine in Asante’s basketball development.  The resources and time he gives to me, my son and the team are invaluable. Thanks to the Coach, Yale University is now one of Asante’s top college picks!

Some studies and statistics say that my young black son should be in a juvenile detention home or should have been arrested already.  Now that he does not have his dad, he is destined to fail.  City on a Hill is a well rounded school that is totally invested in my son doing well and I feel, committed to partnering with me to make sure that happens.  From Dr. Hays, to all of his teachers, to Coach Woodbine – I know I have true partners in my son’s educational success.

Ms. Tori Willis is the mother of Asante Sandiford, City on a Hill Class of 2014.

Giving Back

 As I open my nine-year-old copy of Romeo and Juliet, I have a deep feeling of nostalgia. It is the same copy I received my freshman year at City on a Hill, complete with all my notes in the margins. And it is the copy that I use to lead the current City on a Hill 9th graders in their first Shakespeare experience. This keepsake reminds me of why I decided to return to City on a Hill as an English teacher.

It was 2002 that I entered the doors of City on a Hill as a 9th grader, when it was still located at the Huntington YMCA, and I read Shakespeare for the first time. After four years of challenging college preparatory classes, over 100 hours of community service, countless Friday Town Meetings, and home basketball games taking place at the YMCA gym, it was finally time for me to take what I had learned and use it to further my education. For four years at City on a Hill I was taught to believe that I held the key to my future, and with that in mind I headed off to Centre College with a Posse Scholarship in one hand and my City on a Hill diploma in the other. Despite being 1,500 miles away from home, I felt confident knowing that my CoaH community would be traveling with me in spirit as well.

Everyone can agree that City on a Hill is rigorous in terms of academics, but an aspect of City on a Hill that is just as important is giving back to the community. In meeting the community service graduation requirements, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience volunteering with an organization that focused on HIV/AIDS education. It was this internship that helped me to realize where I belonged when I got older. I knew I wanted to use education to benefit a community that helped make me who I am today.

For me, City on a Hill is that place. I am grateful for the opportunities I've received as a result of my CoaH education. For that reason, I have chosen to return to City on a Hill to educate students, not only about the importance of Shakespeare and research papers, but also the importance of giving back to the community, especially the City on a Hill community. I am a daily reminder to our students that all this hard work is worth it. Meanwhile, I am blessed to have the opportunity to help students foster a love for education that was fostered in me during my high school years.

In each and every one of them I see a younger version of myself.


Claudette Accime is in her first year as an English Teacher at City on a Hill, after being an English Teaching Fellow at CoaH during the 2010-2011 school year. She is a member of City on a Hill's Class of 2006, and graduated from Centre College in 2010. Ms. Accime is also the coach of CoaH's girls basketball team, the Lady Blue Storm.