Tagged at Chemawa

It was another great night for me at Chemawa. I have discovered that most nights are great, because I genuinely enjoy being there regardless of what homework we do or don't accomplish. I like to think that little by little we are breaking down boundaries, and I am becoming a believer in the power of shared time and projects as a means for understanding. Last night I got to spend time with Francis, who really challenged me during our one and only meeting last semester. He remembered our conversation about race and power and all of the implications of the jokes being tossed around in the room... I know I have spent a lot of time thinking about that evening, and it seemed like he has as well. The topic came up again, and as he left he said, "Hey, you're cool." I'm admittedly reading a whole lot into that, but it feels like there's so much more going on during our tutoring than just talking long division. The students are so smart, and have a whole lot going on in their brains; it's exciting to tease some of that out and hear what they really think about the world, their lives, the school...

Brett did some graffiti art for me. I promised him I'd put it on my refrigerator, and there it is! Right next to the postcard from Mom in Italy and my magnets from Camp.