focus, focus, focus...

Rayshawn:

Why is it so hard sometimes to tell people about yourself? Most of us have been told at an early age not to brag about ourselves. But if you don't know yourself, who will? If you can't tell people what you love about yourself, then who will? I'm dedicated to youth, specifically, so called ghetto kids. Cause if it wasn't for a few slight blessings I wouldn't be who I am. I am them and they are me.

I received my degree in History in 2000. My first job after college was working in a Juvenile Correctional Facility as a youth officer. One day I realized that I loved to listen to kids and they liked listening to me. I was building teacher student relationships intuitively. In retrospect, I probably understood that if you didn't have a good relationship with the kids you were toast(youth officers were locked in a unit with 27 kids for 8 sometimes 16 hours.)

In the Fall of 2001 I started teaching in the Bronx, NY. A hard-knock education. I failed a lot as a teacher. Made mistake after mistake, inside and outside of the classroom. Left New York with my tail between my legs. Moved to Chicago where I've been working in Non-Profits as a community-based educator.

Right now I'm teaching Peace Education to 4th, 5th and 6th graders, coordinating an after school program and moonlighting as a Graphic Design Intern in the evenings. This month I start studio art classes and my journey to freedom as an art teacher!

Peace to Ez for inviting me to participate in this experience/experiment. Peace to my new brothers Marc and Ron. And Peace to you for entertaining our journeys.

God Bless,

r