Lansing Students are Upward Bound

Below right:  Upward Bound students, Jakkar Aimery, who is a senior at Sexton High School and Matthew Brown, who is a senior at Everett High School, talk before the Upward Bound session begins.

Photos by Anisha Kelley-Lewis of J.W. Sexton High School

E.LANSING, MI —  Recently, Rina Risper visited Michigan State University’s Upward Bound program. 

Upward Bound provides support to high school students in their preparation for entry into college.

The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in their precollege performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits.

Upward Bound serves students from low-income families; and students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from college.

Rina Risper said, “Without Upward Bound I would have probably found it difficult to go to college.  They gave me the tools that I needed to be successful in college.”

According to the U.S. Department of Education, all Upward Bound projects MUST provide instruction in math, laboratory science, composition, literature, and foreign language.

Other services include:

•  Instruction in reading, writing, study skills, and other subjects necessary for success in education beyond high school
•  Academic, financial, or personal counseling
•  Exposure to academic programs and cultural events
•  Tutorial services
•   Mentoring programs
• Information on postsecondary education opportunities
•  Assistance in completing college entrance and financial aid applications
• Assistance in preparing for college entrance exams
• Work study positions to expose participants to careers requiring a postsecondary degree

Michigan State University’s Upward Bound program serves three Lansing area high schools: Eastern, Everett, and Sexton. Students take the bus to the campus on Monday afternoons during the school year where staff and tutors assist with developing the necessary academic and social skills to prepare the students for college life.

One of the areas that the program that they pay particular attention to is improving writing skills and scores.Below is a project that some of the students just completed:

“Teacher for a Day”

“The more easily you can interact with your students, the fewer barriers to success there will be. If you can effectively communicate with your students, then your students will respond to your leadership, and cause you less problems.”–Brelynn Flake

By Brelynn Flake

Teachers have been considered influential for several students. As a prominent white-collar job, teaching is rewarding in its own way. Several people have argued reasons for and against teaching, primarily because of the level of respect. Teaching is rewarding if you have the right skills for the job.

If I were a teacher for the day, I would do as much volunteer service as possible with teenagers in order to better interact with them. Open communication is important in this field, so if you understand each other, things with run smoother for both parties. Different teens have different personalities, so as a teacher we must be able to adapt quickly. We need to know how to respond to them.

Before beginning to teach, I would take any course possible that would prepare me in speech. If you are able to speak clearly with a large or small group of people, you will have less need to repeat yourself, and better able to interact with your students. The more easily you can interact with your students, the fewer barriers to success there will be. If you can effectively communicate with your students, then your students will respond to your leadership, and cause you less problems.

On the other hand, many people believe that despite any account of training, trouble will occur. Troublemakers will exist and cause trouble despite any preparations you have made, so there is no need for preparation. They believe preparation is unnecessary, but they are wrong because studies have proven that teachers with previous training has excelled more than untrained teachers. The amount of time for completion is minimal.

In conclusion, if I were a teacher for a day, I would treat my students with respect and stress that they do the same to me. I would prepare myself in any way I can so that I could make a better impact on my students. Preparation and respect are the keys for success, and both my students and I need to do our parts to achieve it. Preparations are necessary despite the time it takes to prepare.

“I would teach enthusiastically and love what I am doing because I believe that when teachers love doing their job, it makes it that much easier for the students to learn and to want to learn.” – Jessica  Terry

By Jessica Terry

If I were going to be teacher for a day it would be like a completely new learning environment compared to what the students have all ready been used to. I would not want the students to come into the room with the impression that all they are going to be doing is work. I would want them to be excited when they walk through the door and be anxious for what is in store for them each day.  The design of the room would be colorful and have eye-catching pictures not just a boring white color and boring, because I feel that the lack of color in an area makes it seem lifeless in a matter of speaking. I also believe that because with more color a student can be inspired in their environment.  During work time I would play many different genres of music to entertain and possibly motivate the students as well. The in class assignment would consist of partner work so you can get better acquainted with the people that are around you. For homework assignments I would make them somewhat appeasing to the students while teaching them as well. Me myself as a teacher would approach students in a happy mood so that they wouldn’t feel threatened in any way. I would want for them to be comfortable around me and the other people in the room also. I would teach enthusiastically and love what I am doing because I believe that when teachers love doing their job, it makes it that much easier for the students to learn and to want to learn. That is how I would run my classroom if I were to be teacher for a day.

“My classroom would be purple and have lamps instead of classroom lights and a white board instead of an overhead to save energy.” — Jamilia Johnson

By Jamilia Johnson

If I were a teacher for a day, I would run my classroom really well organized, at the students pace, and it would be really free spirited in the way that it is decorated. My classroom would be purple and have lamps instead of classroom lights and a white board instead of an overhead to save energy. It would have posters of my favorite singers and actors. It would be extremely organized in the sense that everyone in the class knows where there suppose to be or what they are doing including myself It would be taught at everyone’s pace. Overall a community is only as strong as its weakest link. I would not move on to something else if everyone didn’t understand what I was teaching because no one likes to be left behind. In conclusion being the teacher for a day would be really cool because you get to see everything from the other side of the desk. I would make the environment learnable to everyone even myself.

“Second, I would reward my students who worked hard all week with a homework pass and students who worked hard all month with a free day.” — Robert Ray

By Robert Ray 

If I were a teacher for a day, I would run my class in a fun educationally enriched environment where kids would want to learn. First, when kids walked in, I would do something fun and rewarding to get their brains working. I would do something like a challenging question or 2 and whoever gets it right would get some candy. This would get the kids thinking, and they would actually want to participate. Second, I would reward my students who worked hard all week with a homework pass and students who worked hard all month with a free day. That way the kids will want to work hard and know they would be rewarded. Finally, I would teach in different ways. For example, one day might be copying down notes, the next might be a lab or a game, and one day I might do things outside the classroom. This way I am constantly keeping the students engaged.  I believe that by teaching in a rich educationally fun environment like mine  can provide extraordinary results in the classroom.

“I would let the kid decide on what the rules should be and they would eventually find out what works and what does not work.”–
Amiya Woods

By Amiya Woods

Being a teacher is what I’ve always wanted to be. I think I would become a great teacher and have a lot of success. Teaches now days are too strict and don’t know how to have fun. If I ever became a teacher for the day, I would let the kids decided what they wanted to learn about and teach it in a fun way.

Having fun keeps the kids interested and willing to learn. If you make learning fun, students will have a better understanding of the subject and will also want to learn more. I would incorporate games and contests into all my lessons so the kids will have fun. I’m all about fun and I think I know how to make the kids want to learn.

Rules are not that important to me in my classroom. I would let the kid decide on what the rules should be and they would eventually find out what works and what does not work. If the kids know they shouldn’t be doing something, but do it anyway, the games and the fun will be taken away from the lesson. I think the kids should have more say in what they want to do as long as they meet me halfway.

Every Friday I would give the kids a quiz and a reward if they do a good job. If everyone gets a good grade in the class, I would allow them to have a free day in the upcoming week. I think its fair for kids to get a reward and to show them the benefits of getting good grades. On the free days,  would allow the students to receive extra credit by reciting a poem or by writing a short story, kids should get the credit they deserve for doing good.

I think I would become a great teacher and I would definitely know how to make learning fun.

“The class I would teach would definitely be texting 101. You would learn how to text without looking at the screen.” –Jazmine Heggins

By Jazmine Heggins

If I were a teacher for a day my classroom would be full of music all day and every day. We wouldn’t really do any writing, we would only write to those without cell- phones. We would only read magazines. The class I would teach would definitely be texting 101. You would learn how to text without looking at the screen.  You would learn how to text 50 words a second. Learn how to make the most convincing forwarded messages.  If I were a teacher for a day, I wouldn’t mind how much the students texted in class as long as they stayed in their seats. Also if students claimed they were going to their “locker” of to the “bathroom” and ended up never returning, I wouldn’t mind because I am getting paid regardless, their loss. So I wouldn’t mind being a teacher because I like teaching others the joy of texting. Some people don’t know how to multitask while texting and I would just teach them how to enjoy life more while texting.
Does anyone know what satire is?

“I would give everyone and A++, prizes, gifts, and anything that was fun.” — Luxie Vang

Below left:  Junior Luxie Vang of Everett High School wrote about being a teacher for a day.
By Luxie Vang

If I could be teacher for a day, I would give students a free day to do anything they wanted. I’d throw a huge party with lots of food, drinks, and lots of party favors. I would give everyone and A++, prizes, gifts, and anything that was fun. If I could be teacher for a day, I would be the best teacher, but if I could be the teacher for two days the next day I would give the students a long hard, and boring work.

“Overall a community is only as strong as its weakest link. I would not move on to something else if everyone didn’t understand what I was teaching because no one likes to be left behind.” — Jamilia Johnson

By Jamilia Johnson

If I were a teacher for a day, I would run my classroom really well organized, at the students pace, and it would be really free spirited in the way that it is decorated. My classroom would be purple and have lamps instead of classroom lights and a white board instead of an overhead to save energy.

It would have posters of my favorite singers and actors. It would be extremely organized in the sense that everyone in the class knows where there suppose to be or what they are doing including myself.   It would be taught at everyone’s pace.

Overall a community is only as strong as its weakest link. I would not move on to something else if everyone didn’t understand what I was teaching because no one likes to be left behind. In conclusion being the teacher for a day would be really cool because you get to see everything from the other side of the desk. I would make the environment learnable to everyone even myself.

“I would control my classroom through fear and discipline. My classroom would be the most well behaved classroom in the whole school.” — Brandon Telfor

By Brandon Telfor

If I were teacher for a day, I would run my classroom like a military boot camp. I would control my classroom through fear and discipline. My classroom would be the most well behaved classroom in the whole school. By running a classroom in a fashion that instills order and understanding of who is in charge you create excellence. Through severe training regiments, students would learn quickly and efficiently. My students will be at the top of their class when they leave my room because of the strict order I imposed upon them. My policy for insubordination will be fearfully utilized without hesitation. I will be a teacher to be feared by all. Parents will accept my practices, because it will give them better children. Every act of misbehavior will result in the using of the rack I will have in the back room.

Note:  In the next edition TNCP will be bringing you more about how teenagers are feeling about Lansing, MI.  Our youth are our future.

The “Teacher for a Day” project was a creative writing assignment implemented by the Michigan State University’s Upward Bound program.