Bronwyn Harris, Author

This is a teachers' workroom/conference room- how it looked BEFORE a group of us volunteered (through my church) to fix it up.  It took about 7 hours, a lot of IKEA furniture and trips to the dumpster, and some careful planning of how things could fit, but this is what we ended up with: I hope they liked it.  Teachers really should have nice spaces to work in and children should have nice places to learn in.  It makes a big difference. Five years ago: Strike Aftermath and Fallout                         Off Topic: My Art

How big do you think Africa is?  As big as the United States?  As big as China?  Check this out - if you are like most Americans, you have grossly underestimated it your whole life.  Africa has a slightly larger area as the United States, China, India, Japan, the UK, Spain, Mexico, Peru, France, Papua New Guinea, Sweden, Germany, Norway, New Zealand, Italy, Nepal, Greece, and Bangladesh, all put together.  There are over 50 countries in Africa (depends slightly on who you're talking to because of some disputed territory).  Somewhere around 2,000 languages are spoken in Africa.  African is not a language.  If you were surprised by any of those facts, you're not alone. I worked at a school that was about 50% black (African-American is a tricky term as not all black people are African-American, and, as I'm about to explain, many of the kids I know don't want "African" to be a word having anything to do with them.)  At this school, calling ...

I used the last of the blue paper today.  The blue paper was donated in my second year of teaching, in a rather spectacular manner. By my second year of teaching, I was already exhausted.  I was trying to learn how to teach third grade, dealing with an administrator whose favorite line was "I can have your job, you know!" trying to figure out how to deal with standardized tests, and much, much more.  When I got to part of the curriculum that required the kids to cut and paste and my request for scissors and glue was met by the person in charge of supplies rolling her eyes and saying "We don't have those, " in a manner that clearly suggested I was clueless to how schools worked, something in me snapped.  This was the beginning of me begging for help. I'll write another post at some point about how I may have shamelessly begged every one of my friends and acquaintances to volunteer in the classroom.  I started by begging for supplies.   After quickly ...

When I was teaching, I learned that the community around the school l- specifically the black community - had a lot of problems and a lot of really amazing qualities.  This is all highly generalized, so please understand that I know that, and I know I'm not talking about everyone.  Family structure can be qualified as both negative and positive, I think.  There are so many missing fathers that it's a bit of a cliche.  I was always glad that Father's Day came after school was out because it was so hard for the kids.  Many of the mothers were quite young when they had children.  Many of them have children with all different fathers. There are also some really wonderful parts to this particular black community.  The women in the family are generally incredible.  The extended family tends to be a strong one - at least in a matriarchal sense.  Many of my students had mothers, aunties, grannies, great-aunts, and even great-grandmothers who were i...

My Little Sister (from Big Brothers Big Sisters) and I went to get our nails done yesterday.  She clearly got the better artist and is very happy with her flower and glitter.  Every time I hang out with her, I am amazed by how much she trusts me.  She's seven years old and has had many, many adults let her down, and yet she is completely trusting in someone she's known for all of two months and seen maybe six times.  She climbs up into my lap, holds my hand, hangs onto me in the swimming pool, and jumps up on me if a strange dog comes near her.  There's no hesitation at all. I've talked before about how I believe that all these kids are ours .  I don't have children of my own, but I have all the kids I've ever worked with .  When I say that, I often get the response, "Oh, wait until you have kids of your own - it's totally different."  And I'm sure it is, in many ways.  I don't have full-time responsibility for any of these kids (althoug...

A few times a month, I find that I can't sleep because I am worried about foster kids.  This might seem strange, because I don't currently know any kids in foster care.  I used to when I was teaching third grade - and I knew a great many more who maybe should have been in foster care - but I don't currently know any.  I don't think it's strange though - in fact, I think we might be better off if we all worried about kids in foster care, and not just a couple of times a month.  Not because worrying really helps anything, but because it would show that we really do value all kids. We don't, you know.  Of course, everyone will say that they believe that all kids are worth the same but it's not true.  It's natural to value your own kids above everyone else's - I'm not saying that it's not.  But I think we also value kids that are like our kids above others.  I'm probably making a few people angry by saying all this but it wasn't some...

There are several much more serious stories I was going to share, but I'm not in the mood to be made sad tonight, so I'll tell you all about the stuffed animals.  This is a post that needs images so someday when I have or borrow a working scanner, I will add the photos. A few years into teaching, I joined Freecyle.  For those of you who don't know Freecycle, it's a group of people in any given community who are on an email list to get rid of their old stuff and get stuff from other people.  It's a fabulous form of recycling. Somebody posted that they had a huge bag of stuffed animals in good condition to give away and I decided to grab it for my class. I thought that some of the kids would like the stuffed animals, but I certainly didn't think they'd all be into them.  Kids grow up really fast in that neighborhood, and when you have six-year olds talking about how they walk to school alone because their parents say they're "grown," and how ...

This guest blog is written by my friend "Walter" (he chose the pseudonym, not me!) who has been involved with the two boys I've been writing about for several years now. I have known the boys for four years now. I met them through the author of this blog when we took them to the Exploratorium one da y - that was the first time I had ever met them. The kids were very polite and very cautious at first. They didn't go far from us and watched us the whole time until we got to the Exploratorium and they started running around and playing with stuff. Then they started to loosen up and have fun. By the end of the day that first day, they were smiling and having fun; getting to be kids. It was really neat to see them getting to be children. I was hooked. I said, "OK, we need to do this again. You guys had a good time, I had fun." Once they got to put off the hard exterior and be kids, I really loved who they were and that they got to be children. I wante...

I promised I'd include a link to the trip to DC that was taken by my new favorite middle school in the district. Sounds like it was a great experience for everyone involved!

I'm very tired so this won't be too detailed but a lot of people are helping and I want to keep them updated. The apartment in Alameda fell through. They need (as most landlords do) a credit check and "Rosa" is not in the country legally (although all of her children are citizens). We're having trouble finding a landlord who will rent to someone without a credit score, even if she has the money. However, Catholic Charities is totally stepping up. They sent a social worker to get Rosa through the Welfare office crazy red tape in record time, and she should start receiving food stamps and other aid for the kids (not for her, because she's not legal) on Thursday. Once she has this help, the social worker thinks it will be easier to find a landlord, because she'll have some sort of documented income. In addition, people from all over - from my church, my family, my friends, old co-workers, friends of friends, friends' parents, Warren (the kids "Bi...

The witness family has been promised some, but not enough money from the DA's office. If anyone is reacting with "Why are my tax dollars paying for this?" or "Why does the DA's office have responsibility to do this?" (which I hope they are not,) keep in mind that the reason they are in danger is because of the brilliant brilliant police of this fair city, which are fully living up (or down) to their reputation. The reasons the kids are in danger are: 1. The police didn't do anything when the kids' mom called six months ago because one of the suspects in Joshua's killing was threatening her son with a gun. They came to the house and told her "If no one is dead, we can't do anything." Interesting. Now someone is dead. Really? We had to wait for that? 2. After the shooting, the police took the witnesses down the street and had them point out the house where the suspects lived. The whole family (of the suspects) saw exactly who...

OK, I know we're in tough economic times (just ask the clients who haven't paid me yet... grrr...) and that cuts may need to be made. However, this is not the place to do it. The Oakland City Council may stop funding its Cultural Arts Program . The two programs I am familiar with are MOCHA (the Museum of Children's Art) and the Circus Theatre Program. MOCHA has low cost field trips (that I mostly just paid for my own self rather than try to get them approved by the district) that are now often the only experience to art that kids have. Their teachers are artists who are respectful and experienced with children and can handle my students, which not everyone can. My kids have learned about the color wheel, made sculptures out of recycled objects, made books, and done many other art projects there. They love it and look forward to it and ask me when they can go back. In fact, I love it there too. MOCHA has also started to create an art curriculum that goes along with the...

First of all, Stephanie is in Europe at this very moment! She is probably the only kid on the trip whose daddy couldn't just write a $4500 check for the trips, judging by the surprised response I got from the agency when I asked about fundraising possibilities. But I don't think she will care. Her dad deserves some serious credit for working double and triple shifts to get her there, and my friends who donated money are pretty awesome too. I'm excited to hear how it has gone. Secondly, Oakland's middle schoolers created a poetry anthology that has been made into a real book and is for sale at the Barnes and Noble in Oakland on Saturday, April 12. I think it will be a very interesting read.

Happy New Year! If you can't read his headgear, the dog is also wishing you a happy New Year. I chaperoned a field trip right before Christmas - we took the kids to the Nutcracker . I was thrilled to not be the person actually in charge, so it was a fun day for me! Trips are much more fun when I'm not the one in charge of figuring out how we're going to get there, pay for it, not kill each other, and get home with everyone still in the group. The principal started off by being his charming self. Mrs. Dwyer set up the field trip and got people to donate the tickets as well as their time - she actually got enough drivers to take the whole class downtown. The teacher was very organized about getting everyone into the correct cars and keeping track of everyone. Mine was the second to last car to leave. As we were getting into my car, I saw the principal come over and talk to the teacher. Apparently he told her that he hadn't approved the field trip. Good timing, d...

Stephanie 's dad called me yesterday to let me know that she got a 4.0 in her first trimester of 7th grade and to thank everyone who is helping her get to the leadership forum in Europe by donating... specific thanks to Doug, Lindsay, Chris, Lynn, Carrie & Jason, Laura, and Alex (and some others who wish to remain anonymous. You guys are awesome and every little bit helps! This is a girl who will NOT waste the experience - she's amazing. One person expressed concern that the organization does not set up an easy tax-deductible way to fundraise - I think, honestly, it's because most of the kids don't have to raise funds. I think the fast majority of them just have their parents write a $4500 check and they're off. Stephanie's dad is taking extra fights (professional boxer) and working tons of extra shifts to try to pay for this, which is why I'm trying to get people to help. If you are someone who has always wanted to help public education and doesn...

Our incredible volunteer, Kathy Dwyer , did it again! Along with Ann Katz of the Children's Book Project, she set up a wonderful field trip for us. And the kids got to see Marin County for the first time in their lives. Meet Blackie the horse: (from www.blackiethehorse.org ) Who was Blackie? For 28 years you couldn’t leave or return to Belvedere or Tiburon, California, without passing a swaybacked horse named Blackie. A cavalry horse in his youth, Blackie later became a cutting horse at rodeos, appearing in the Salinas, California, rodeo although his owner, Anthony Connell, doesn’t remember the year. He was retired to a private pasture at the corner of Tiburon Boulevard and Trestle Glen Road when he was 12 years old. Mr. Connell visited him daily, as did children and adults alike who could be seen regularly feeding Blackie apples, carrots, and sugar cubes. Those who lived in the area when Blackie was alive considered him as belonging to everyone. In spite of his age and swaybacked ...

Well, she got paid half of what she was owed, anyway. For some unknown reason, the district is splitting up the payment into two checks. But she got half! And promptly ran to the bank to deposit the check because at this rate, we're honestly not sure the district isn't going to come take it back! I will keep you all posted on if she gets paid the other half of her payment. It's now been 16 months, I think, since she did the job she's been half paid for! To quote our president: (and I got a Bushisms poster, which is providing hours of entertainment, so you'll be seeing more of these. Hey, you've got to laugh, cry, or emigrate to Canada is what I figure) "I hope we get to the bottom of the answer. It's what I'm interested to know." -George W. Bush

We spotted a truck next to the playground this morning that said Tot Turf - the Leader in Playground Surfacing Safety! Yay! I think this must mean that our playground is getting fixed! Either that or they're just spending more money on tearing it all up. I wouldn't put that past my district. The other update is that Robin has STILL not been paid for the beautiful, wonderful, colorful, inspiring mural painted on our wall. I'd prefer not to use my name because my life can still be made miserable for a couple more months, but does anyone want to write in to ChronicleWatch for me? You just email chroniclewatch@sfchronicle.com. Lindsay and I had success with it in the past. More or less. Who wants to help Robin get her money? Email ChronicleWatch, talk to reporter friends, or talk to me and I'll tell you who to write to at the district. This is unreasonable, not to mention embarrassing. It's not even like Robin's waiting for the money to buy a new car or ...

If you've been reading this, you'll know my feelings on No Child Left Behind. Well, some lawmakers are finally getting a clue ! Please write to your representatives and let them know of the burden that NCLB puts on schools.

Stephanie is going to the People to People Forum next month. She sent me this email (she had a couple supporters in readers of this blog, so I thought I'd share). I'll have her write a little entry when she gets back. It couldn't happen to a better girl! The girl is smart, friendly but by no means a pushover, a natural leader... really, I just can't say enough good things about her! It's almost time for my trip. I'm so excited to go because I have never been out of state before.Thank you for the card. I have not been on the computer for a while so I have not had time to write. I maybe able to come see you & Ms.Smith on the 6th before my trip.I'll send you & her a post card from Washington. Getting late gotta go. From, Stephanie