Reflection

I learned that children are our future and need to be taken care of. Regardless of the neighborhood they are from or what race they are. They are all different and brilliant kids who want to be seen as equal no matter where they come from or what they have seen. If the effort is put in while they are young they will become great people who do the same for others. I gained perspective about my own education while growing up and noticed that while better off my school had some of the same problems as P.S. 30 and others. Such as not having enough learning materials for every student, and some teachers who do not hold there positions long. I had witnessed some hire up people in the education system that influenced my school. The big one I remember was the debate over a new track and football field but lose of teachers and learning materials.

I think all of the notes could stand out, because they allow you to see the numbers and other references that make it more than just a story about children. The one the stood out to me was note 215,216 on page 359. It states that New York spends $8,200.00 per pupil with special education at P.S. 30. While only $5,200 is spent on regular classroom students. The same year other schools spent $18,000.00 and $20,000.00 on the schools. It relates to the chapter with Benjamin who is swept under the rug and viewed as a problematic child. Though with more resources could have not been held back. Also the size of the classrooms and differences in money that the local Mott Haven schools get, which is much less than schools in wealthier neighborhoods.   

Amanda's Reflection. Journal 9.

I thought the book was good. The strength and courage that the kids display in this story is amazing. These kids not only have to deal with their surroundings and walk through their neighborhood on guard in case someone shoots someone or someone lurking in the shadows trying to get your money.
       The kids get to go home to either drug dealers, drug addicts, a hard working single parent or grandparent, who may or may be home to greet them or to put food on the table if there is little to no money to but it with. With a lot of these kids one of their parents, sisters, and brothers is in  prison and yet these kids are watching what their siblings did and while they may not completely understand what is happening they are still taking in the little bit of their surroundings and pushing themselves to be better and making something of themselves so that they have a better future.
       I felt that the kids were probably the best part of the story because of how different they are from one another, but they do not let that hinder them while they are around each other. The kids showed us you can put any difference aside and be able to open your heart to any one and make them laugh or just to be there in comfort.

The most interesting facet of the Notes section was within chapter 20  was the use of Ritalin. I remember growing up and hearing about how my younger brother was as suggested to be put on Ritalin because he would loose interest in the class at a drop of an hat. All I knew then was that my parents were completely against the use of the drug. It would make the teacher furious with them because of the little control they had on my brother. On page 268 the big shock was the fact that this drug is dispensed with little supervision and as strong as this drug is it surprises me that the pharmacist would allow such a drug to be dispensed so freely as if it were candy.

Colin- journal 9

Through the jouney with  Kozol in Ordinary Resurections, i was able to develope a great deal of respect. Though I respect Kozol, this is not the respect I am talking about. seeming silly, i have developed the up most respect for the children in this book.

After being walked through thier dayly lives, and seeing what these children deal with every day, ive realized that my life is luxirous. The sad part is they have no choice but to be surrouinded by the drugs, gang violence, the poverty, and disease. then they have to find the will and the determination to make the best of it or to better theirs lives the best they can. then as the book goes on you learn everything about every child, and you can see how innocent these children are.then there is the moving part, thier role models.

some of these children dont even have the strucre at home that they should have. from the drugs to the poverty, the corruption of these childrens parents are a large part of there expected fall into that society. But then there are people like Mther Martha and the teachers at p.s. 30 who love and care about theses children and thier futures. they dont just teach them or watch them for the time that they are there, they get in voloved and help navigate them in the right direction. and in respect it all.

in the notes section, i found the part under Chapter 12, on pages 352 and 353 there was alot of info involving the citys prisons and other things involving poverty stricken people. i also like the note section under chapter 20 on page 363 about the use of ritalin.    

Sam's Journal Nine

After reading the book Ordinary Resurrections there were many things that stuck out in my mind. The One thing that stands out the most is, without the help from a few select individuals in the Mott Haven District, these children would have an even slimmer chance of finishing school and becoming model citizens. The dreams that these normal kids have are kept alive by a few people. These people give guidance and and fight to protect the children. Miss Katrice, Mother Martha, and Miss Rosa are a few of these individuals fighting to give these kids a chance to fulfill their dreams. The majority of the society seems to turn their heads to the consistent problems in Mott Haven and act as if it is a lost cause.
 The Note that stood out the most to me was on pg. 360 (217) Morris High School Statistics. Out of 1,196 students that start school in the ninth grade, only 66 end up receiving diplomas. That statistic shows how the neighborhood these kids live in swallows their dreams. They need more people like the ones mentioned above to help change the culture in the area and help these children succeed.

Journal 9: Reflections on Ordinary Resurrections BreAnna Baer

     I learned something in this book that means a lot to me and that is that there are people, children or not, that have a short end of stick most of the time. The children in Mott Haven have been through a lot, but they still get up everyday and go to school with a smile on their faces. I also gained how society looks down on this neighborhood thinking these children are never going to go anywhere in life besides grow up and be trouble for others around them. I thought growing up my education was okay, there were moments where I thought it was awesome then there were moments I thought it was the most awful education ever, but after reading this book and then comparing it to my experiences I was the lucky one. Education is the most important thing to have and to offer children. Growing up as a child, I was always influenced to get a good education from my parents and somewhat felt it from society, these children have the support from their parents to go but when it comes to society they probably care less. With me saying that, there are many reasons to explain it, they put all the incinerators in that neighborhood, no decent schools. The neighborhood can debate it all the way and nothing will get changed.
      After reviewing the notes section there were many that struck me. I chose one that stands its point when it comes to the education for the children of Mott Haven. Note on chapter 15. "There is a direct connection between uncertified teachers, minority neighborhoods, and schools with low scores" (Jones, 357) "all black and Hispanic neighborhoods, all with 25 to 30 percent uncertified  teachers" (Jones, 357). This just summarizes why the students are not getting an education, and how they are sending uncertified teachers to teach them and not helping the children succeed.

Journal 9 Preston

We just got done reading Ordinary Resurrections by Jonathan Kozol and things that I learned about that meant the most to me while reading this novel was, how religous this book is, I mean it's about life and the kids and amazing people but they talk about God and religon alot in this book and for some reason it stuck with me. Another thing that stuck with me was the amazing people that he is around like, Mother Martha and the kids. He talks and show's us how they live and act they are normal people and he goes and follows them around and is just there. The perspective of my own education that I gained from this was that we need education and great teachers in our lives, to tell us what is right and wrong. I believe that if there is a great teacher at your school then I think the kids will learn alot more and they will focus and want to be there so that is good for teachers and kids and ect.

The note that stood out the most to me was on page 353 and what stood out was the fact that 5,173 kids in that city were being held in detention at one point in their life when they were between the ages of seven and fifteen and that is pretty crazy to see, I like to see the facts and what he means when he talks about this in the chapter. Another note that stood out was on page 344 where he tells us that children in local public schools have the lowest chance of admissions to the city college entrance, and that just shows that they are not giving the kids a chance they might assume that they are trouble makers and all but Kozol is showing us the bright side of these kids and that is great.

Journal 9- Lacie

The thing that I learned was the hope that these children give to the adults. Kozol's parents starting getting worse at the end of the book and his dad at one point thought that Kozol was his brother. Kozol knew he wouldn't be around for long but he would always pray for more years to come with them. I feel that the adults got through life a little easier knowing that they had the kids to make them happy, to brighten up their day. They just wanted to give the children a good eduacation and a good life and they did their very best. If my teachers put in as much effort as the ones in the book then myself and other students i went ot school with would be better off. They didn't take the time ti sit there and explain to us what we didn't understand they just kept lecturing to us to the point we had no idea what was going on. They would then blame us for not knwoing because we "weren't paying attention". No you just dont know how to explain it to us or don't take the time to help us understand. The teacher is a big influence in our education today because we need them to teach us the things we don't already know.

The note that stood out to me in the back of the book was the note that states: "Teenagers who come back to help as tutors. One is the boy described in chapter 16 under the pseudonym of Benjamin. Now doing well at secondary school outside the Bronx, he has become a skillful and empathetic mentor to the younger children." This comes as a huge shock to me because Benjamin was the boy who couldn't sit still and wasn't really on the right path to achieve greatness. Also not many people get to leave the Bronx and he has left and become successful and has not forgotten where he came from because he came back to tutor.