Nopal
Storyteller
Jessica Bernal-Mejia
Mentor Teacher
Born and raised in Tucson. Az a Mother of two intelligent little people, partner to Rene Bernal and daughter to Maria Moreno and Jose Mejia. I am a Mentor teacher in the Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Instruction Department in the Tucson Unified School District. I taught Culturally Responsive History and Government at Pueblo High School for 6 years before taking a mentor position. In addition to working with teachers and students I also organize a youth symposium focused on Social Justice and Youth Participatory Action Research, call Collaborative Research in Action Youth Symposium (CRiA).
I'm Not From 'Round Here
There is very little open room on the walls of ARISE High School. An art teacher might have something to say about the lack of negative space were it not for the intentionality of each paper and poster gracing the halls. Bulletin boards equally informative and celebratory, bring news of opportunities for and achievements from students and families alike.
And among the number is a board filled with student work. Now, there are indeed others in the hall proudly presenting the fruits of the young scholars’ labor, but this one, THIS ONE will most assuredly catch your eye and attention. At least it caught mine. Each sheet of paper lay on colorful construction, filling the brown bordered display with poems of identity. Origin stories really. Collections of memories that call back to different neighborhoods. Descriptions that tell the reader more about country and culture than a simple address or coordinates on a map could ever dream of delivering.
The I Am From poem.
A common assignment in ELA classrooms, the poem asks students to share who they are, ask them to share in ways woven with imagery and allusion. Some students’ poems paint the clear image of a home and family, while others provide sensorial puzzle pieces the reader is left to assemble themselves. In Spanish and English, in print and in cursive. The stories in the poems left me with a thought that had been brewing since before we arrived on campus.
I’m not from 'round here.
The poems share memories that make up personalities and identities. They convey messages of contributions and reciprocity. “From” means being “of”, something more than being merely “among”. The poems on the bulletin board share stories from Guatemala, El Salvador, West and East Oakland. “Here” reflects more than just a residence.
“I’m not from 'round here” isn’t simply a recognition of my newness in this school, in this neighborhood, in this Town, hell, in this state. It is an acknowledgement of my role as a guest. It is an understanding of the rules I must follow as someone new to this space:
Rule #1-Don’t Arrive Empty-Handed
ARISE is located in Fruitvale–a neighborhood made of migrations great and grueling in a town whose business has often been to push out and relocate. To step into this school without a grasp on the many contexts it contains, without knowledge of the history upon which it’s built, is tantamount to arriving unprepared without even a humble understanding to offer.
Rule #2-Take Off Your Shoes
There is a privilege in observing ARISE students sharing culminating projects, reflecting in real time before an audience filled with both loving family and mentors, as well as unknown onlookers. Our presence in the space must neither disrespect nor disrupt. As guests, we need to be aware of the assumptions and attitudes we carry with us in order to ultimately leave them by the door.
Rule #3-Humbly Accept What is Offered
There is a tendency in observations to highlight what is absent. An unintentionally off-putting approach, we overlook or downplay what is generously provided and instead wonder “why don’t you have…?” “why didn’t you include…?” “have you considered…?” A guest must consider the many forms a deficit mindset can take.
Our first day began with an invaluable history lesson on Oakland, its neighborhoods, its schools, and its people. It prepared us for school visits that asked of us not simply passive observations, but rather considerate and respectful participation in a welcoming community. So many of us are not from ‘round here. Many of us have forgotten to bring meaningful understanding with us into a new space; so many of us forget what we subconsciously bring with us whenever, wherever we go. Being a guest at ARISE High School and participating in the Assessment for Learning convening reminded me of the importance of thoughtful contributions to a community, whether new to it or not.
Storyteller
Jabari Sellers
Educator
Jabari is an educator and writer living in Oakland. Originally from North Carolina, they taught middle school and high school humanities for ten years before becoming a curriculum developer. Jabari’s work in education focuses on the educational potential popular culture and media in the classroom.
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