- Where do I teach? Community, School, and Classroom Context
Community: Use details and evidence to describe the community/communities serviced by the school. Be sure to consider geographic location, demographics (socio-economic, race/ethnicity, immigrant or other populations), stability-transience of community, resources, political/religious climate, safety issues, and educational support and environmental factors.
My home school is Henry J. Kaiser High School in Hawai‘i Kai. This O’ahu neighborhood is one of the islands’ most affluent, a beautiful location on the Southeast coast, a short walk from hiking trails in the mountains and the ocean. Incidentally, when I was considering moving to O’ahu from Portland, Oregon, an (apparently snobby in hindsight) acquaintance there said, “Oh, Hawai‘i Kai is the ONLY place to live on O’ahu.” University professors, intellectuals, television and movie stars, lawyers, and executives live nearby, as well as other white-collar professionals. Median household income based on the 2010 U.S. Census was $111,249 for Kaiser HSC Complex School Community versus $66,420 in the State of Hawai‘i. (http://arch.k12.hi.us/PDFs/ssir/2017/Honolulu/154SSIR-1.pdf) On the other hand, many of the students bus in from outlying areas such as Waimanalo, where many more Hawaiians live as well as predominantly working-class inhabitants. My students primarily live in the neighborhood, but there are some who commute, including at least one student I know from my own neighborhood, Kalihi. From what I have observed, most teachers commute to Kaiser.
Kaiser’s ARCH Report/“School Status and Improvement Report” details:
“Established in 1971, Henry J. Kaiser High School (Kaiser) is a four-year comprehensive high school, located in the East Honolulu suburb, Hawaii Kai. The community served is primarily upper-middle class, with approximately 46% of the adults achieving college-level education. Per capita income and home ownership are the second highest in the state. Kaiser High leads the Kaiser Complex, serving students from Niu Valley Middle and four elementary schools: Aina Haina, Hahaione, Kamiloiki, and Koko Head. Students also served attend Kaiser on a Geographic Exception because they live beyond school boundaries and wish to benefit from its unique academic programs.” (http://arch.k12.hi.us/PDFs/ssir/2017/Honolulu/154SSIR-1.pdf)
Kaiser’s student ethnic makeup for School Year 2016-17 included: 29.8% White, 24.5% Japanese, 12.3% Native Hawaiian, 9.7% Chinese, 5.7% Filipino, 4.4% Korean, 2.3% Multiple, 2% Hispanic, 1.9% Black, and other ethnicities at 1% each or less. The number of students with free or reduced-price lunch was down to 14% last year, with 17% the prior year and 18% the year before that. This low figure aligns with my expectations getting to know the students. 7.4% of students are in special education programs, and only 1.6% have limited English proficiency. (http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/DOE%20Forms/Advancing%20Education/accreditation_schools.pdf)
School:
“The Kaiser Complex vision is ‘A World-CLASS Education for All: Commitment, Leadership, Achievement, Stewardship, Service.’” All Kaiser Complex schools continue to work together to earn World School status by developing International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes as well as a Kaiser Complex WASC Accreditation. Kaiser High’s “Four Pillars” are:
(1) The Academic Program, which is rigorous, challenging, and gives all students opportunities to exceed the State Promotion Requirements. All students entering Grades 9 and 10 are programmatically placed into the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), thus completing the five-year MYP begun at Niu Valley Middle School. Kaiser High is Hawaii’s first and only public high school authorized to deliver all three of the IB Programmes: Diploma, Career-related, and Middle Years. The Academic Program includes AVID (Nationally Certified), robust Advanced Placement offerings, Air Force JROTC, the Media Communications Learning Center, and CTE. (2) Extra- and CoCurricular: Kaiser has 27 organizations advised by faculty, considered as exemplary for a school of its size. Students compete in extracurricular Academics, Mathematics, Film, Newscasting, Newswriting, Yearbook, Science, Speech, Robotics, and Music. Kaiser High is a member of the Oahu Interscholastic Association and fields athletic teams in all sports.
(3) Facilities: Academic programs are supported by general and specialized classrooms, educational technology, and campus-wide wireless. Athletic facilities meet specifications to host OIA and state events. Construction is near completion on a building for girls’ athletic lockers, athletic treatment center, Track and Field.
(4) Parent and Community Involvement: Kaiser is supported by the Kaiser School Community Council, Friends of Kaiser PTSA, KHS Foundation, Kaiser Athletics Foundation, and Booster Organizations. They conduct activities and provide funding to enhance Learning. A Parent-Community Networking Coordinator strengthens this “Pillar.”
The IB extended Kaiser’s DP authorization another five years and issued a new CP authorization. Self-study for the MYP is underway for SY 2018. WASC issued a Certificate of Accreditation to 2018.” (http://arch.k12.hi.us/PDFs/ssir/2017/Honolulu/154SSIR-1.pdf)
Kaiser High is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School authorized for its Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme. Niu Valley Middle, Kaiser’s feeder school, is also an IB World School, providing students the opportunity to complete the five-year IB curriculum. All schools in the Kaiser Complex Area are working to develop the IB programs and nurture the philosophies of holistic learning, intercultural awareness and lifelong learning. Kaiser High also offers the Advancement Via Individual Determination program, a college readiness system. The school remains focused on building its academic programs to drive continuous schoolwide improvements. (http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/ConnectWithUs/Organization/OfficesAndBranches/Pages/Farrington-Kaiser-Kalani.aspx, http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/ParentsAndStudents/EnrollingInSchool/SchoolFinder/Pages/Kaiser-High.aspx)
Classroom:
The high school is standard 1970s Hawai‘i high school concrete block architecture right on the side of Koko Head, and my classroom is the wrestling room at the back of the gym. The gym is old but serviceable, and I have attended an assembly there presented by Kaiser’s sister school from Japan. The floor is hard wood over concrete, mirrors and a barre line one wall, there’s a television and dry erase board, and wrestling mats line the walls. The air conditioning doesn’t make a noticeable improvement in the temperature of the air, so we keep all of the doors open and run the ceiling fans. It’s hot but the trade winds are lovely and the view makai delightful. According to the School Improvement Report, the “Adequacy of the School’s Space” is over 100% for all areas: administration, library, cafeteria/auditorium, and classrooms.
- Who am I teaching?
Beginning and intermediate dancers studying a variety of forms including ballet, modern dance, jazz, and hip hop. All of the students in Creative Dance I&II are high school age, 15-18 years old. My students are Native Hawaiian, Asian, African American, White, and mixed race. From what I can tell, there are both affluent and impoverished students represented in both classes of the dance program, and there is sometimes tension over that. Some of the dancers have had prior formal dance training through private studios, teams (such as color guard and cheer), halau and other venues, and some have never taken a dance class before. In the dance classes there are students who perform well in an academic setting and have high GPAs as well as students who are struggling to pass their classes. Students are struggling with a variety of challenges, including loss of a parent, domestic abuse and neglect, being displaced or having to move to be with family, and some poverty. I see great promise in all of the students, but acknowledge the unique situations that they face.
- How will I apply what I know to my planning, teaching, and assessment?
I am to teach to all learners, involving students in creative decision-making and in a variety of modalities around dance. I will seek first to get to know individual students and build an intellectually safe community of inquiry, then challenge them to grow as dancers and learners. My teaching strategies aim to accommodate all learners and to help each student learn to dance and fulfill their individual goals for dance, academics, and life.