Welcome to Tilden Middle School

Here in Philadelphia the weeks are so PACKED that I barely realize the time passing. It's not stressful in the way that it was in college when time was going this quickly (no assigned readings or papers to write!), but I am trying very hard to find time to do more reflecting.

I am working at Tilden Middle School in Southwest Philadelphia. Most of the workday is spent in an 8th grade Language Arts classroom. The teacher is a first year Teach for America teacher. What goes on in our classroom and school is unlike any middle school behavior I have ever seen.

The school is a 4-story square building that was built in the early 1900's. While there is some beautiful original tilework in the main entrance and by the auditorium, the rest of the school struggles to look maintained. Half of the classrooms are empty. You cannot drink the water in some parts of the school. There is, of course, no air conditioning (except in the main office). The hallways are shades of brown with "antiqued" finish: scratched paint and profanities scribbled on unused and damaged lockers; the occasional colorful splash of half of a poster or banner hanging over entirely unused classrooms.

Tilden has a new principal and vice principal this year. Because of last year's behavioral problems, the administrators have mandated that students must always be escorted by an adult when outside of the classroom. As a result, students can only use the bathroom twice a day (10:30a, 1:15p). So, twice a day, instruction is interrupted for at least 20 minutes while small herds of students leave the classrooms - some to use the bathroom, others just for an escape and a chance to loiter.

This is a difficult situation because, of course, something needs to be done to prevent the bathroom fire-setting and other abuses that happened at Tilden last year. Unfortunately, it's true: the students generally do abuse any freedom or special privilege they are given. At the same time, the stifling rigidity of the school day exacerbates the behavioral problems of our 11-14 year old students because it gives them zero freedom or outlet for their energy. These are just the beginning of the daunting challenges that impede behavior management in the school.

Because of these environmental kinds of issues, it often seems like making academic progress is a bonus, rather than purpose of coming to school. I am so humbled by witnessing these situations. For the first week or so, I was worked-up most of the day and found it all very draining. I'm adapting to the chaos (that's more or less what it is) now; enough that I am generally relaxed in the classroom and flow from issue to issue to issue as they arise (and there are always several at once). However, I really don't want to get too used to "the way it is," because I have lived school and classrooms as they should be and it is only just to believe that we can achieve that kind of environment at Tilden.

Working at Tilden, I have to believe in miracles. Although it may be many years from now, it will be nothing but a miracle when Tilden becomes a place where even half of the students want to and actively can learn.