MK-Meanwhile, back in the city...

7.19.09

Dear friends,
I envy all of you in various glorious spots across the globe and appreciate the stories you’re sharing! (more, please)

I am doing my best to have a fairly glorious summer in the city while you are gone. Highlights:
* Lots of picnics in the park and as much free music in fun settings as I can manage.
* A fairly steady succession of send-off celebrations for each of you.
* A visit to my sister and brother-in-law who just moved to Princeton!
* Mostly hanging out with my I House crew, where I will still be living next year!
* During Summer A, took Immigration and Curriculum with Lesko in C&T and Qualitative Research Technology with Reza, both of which helped me get organized for my IP on cultural expression and friendship formation of West African immigrant children in a multicultural classroom in central Harlem.
* Bond is now in possession of the IP, which isn’t a masterpiece, but I was invested in writing it, it addresses a gap in the literature and is a culmination of many of the components I’ve been focusing on while at TC. Also, Bond is in the process of getting funding for a big research project on African immigrants in the city, so I’ve become an unofficial member of a research team. Hopefully I will get it back soon and wrap everything up by early August at the latest, but still be in touch with the research at TC.
* From June 29-Aug. 7 I am teaching 6th grade ELA class in the mornings M-Th at HEAF, Harlem Education Activities Fund, an after-school program whose slogan is, “Come to HEAF, go to college.” The building is at 125th and Adam Clayton Powell, on the 10th floor, and from my classroom I could see Harlem mourn Michael Jackson in the plaza, and line up by the hundreds to pay tribute at the Apollo. I’m impressed with the program…all of the teaching assistants are HEAF students who are currently in college. It’s a successful, community-based model, and I’ve enjoyed working with students again.
* This summer I’m also getting paid to design 5th grade curriculum for my teaching job next year at Harlem Link Charter School, which will be at 112 and Lenox. I’m just getting started with that and the proposed structure is to combine Social Studies and ELA lessons around big units on Geography, Comparative Governments, Immigration, and Expansion. After 5 years of teaching to content-based tests, this is challenging and exciting for me. Daily work starts Aug. 19.

I am looking forward to a steady succession of welcome-back celebrations! I miss each of you and am grateful for you and what you are doing.

-Marianne

P.S. Mary Mendenhall will be back next semester, teaching a revised Ed in Emergencies course and one more course on strategic planning. She also needs an intern at IRC to help her design an Ed in Emergencies program at University of Nairobi. Arjmand will also be back in the fall. The new Annie (Sarah) is very nice and cool, but I'm still working through Annie not being in the office.
*If anyone wants to send a cool postcard I can share with my students, mail to: Marianne Kinney, 500 Riverside Dr. #408, NY, NY 10027