So the fine folks of Pensacola absolutely implored me to come visit their school district because my book Homeboyz (so they swore) is absolutely beloved. (And if I was going to be in Orlando, I just could not leave the state of Florida without speaking to their students — and their teachers who were looking for innovative, exciting, refreshing and effective ways to reach their struggling students)

It was MAGICAL! I spoke to hundreds of kids who had read my books. (They couldn’t believe I was white.) I met hundreds of teachers who had taught or who were about to teach my books. (They were SO incredibly eager, excited and generous — Pensacola was IN THE HOUSE!!!) I signed so many books my hand is freakin’ killing me, I spoke so many words my voice is absolutely wrecked, I shared gobs of lessons, strategies and insights that instead of being drained I felt energized (caffeine helps), I’ve switched into 3 different times zones in 4 days and slept in different hotel beds with different pillows and had different levels of water pressure in the shower so that physically, emotionally and mentally I am just absolutely flying and absolutely drained all at the same time.

But I also feel America’s classroom are changing. It’s happening out there. People are sick of the textbooks. People are tired of the buffoonery that runs hand in hand with one size (supposedly) fits all material. People are eager to use real books that kids love to cultivate authentic literacy and reach real kids in ways that are true to their souls.

It’s absolutely incredible to see. I have a front row seat to a grass roots movement and while it’s personally quite taxing, I feel as if I am doing public service by visiting, chatting up and inspiring our nations kids and teachers. (BTW, The Secret Story of Sonia Rodriguez is catching fire… multicultual kids, especially girls, are falling in love with the book.)

It might take all the strength I’ve got, but today was a day that proves there are things that are really working in America’s classrooms which the mainstream media does not cover. Things like Raven, who came up and told me that Homeboyz was the first real book she’s ever read in her life (and she’s a junior in high school) and now she is excited to read something new. Things like Ms. Boles doing Book Chats with kids who have been labelled dis-fluent by the state of Florida. (Dis-fluent? What the hell is that? You can’t make this stuff up!) Things like Esther posting that she’s bummed I am gone but thrilled that a rock solid sub, Mrs. Sampson, is taking my classroom in great directions while I am gone.

And now it’s time for a 9:30 p.m. dinner by myself. After, I am going to grade some student outlines I brought with me to Florida to make sure the expository essays we are working on at Lynwood are spot on.

If it sounds bonkers, it is.

But I did buy my daughter a cool gift and when I get home there’s a heck of a lot of daddy time coming. A b-day party for cousin Talia this weekend, maybe a walk down the beach with my wife and a BBQ in the Southern California weather.

Mix in a little sleep and then I’ll be good to go to help our nation once again next week. But up next, family. If I screw that up while I am out trying to change the world I am a bigger idiot than anyone else on the internet. There’s a fine line between work and work-a-holic and if I sacrifice the people most important to me to help be of service to something that is a vacuum with and endless suck (i.e. the needs of our country’s public schools) I am a fool.

Goodness, when they say teachers don’t work hard, I am not sure who the heck they are talking about. I meet hard working educators all the time. It’s our badge of honor.

And in Florida, I just met scores of them.

Keep it up folks — you rock!!

So today in class — as if I needed any more proof – my students showed to me for the zillionth time how and why they should never be underestimated.

Find one minute and 14 seconds to check this out and you will see that inner-city kids at a Title I school are NOT the stereotype that society wants to perpetuate.

Click here: http://thebookjam.ning.com/video/brilliant-student-alice-in

(I just posted the video under BRILLIANT Alice in Wonderland in case the hyperlink doesn’t work).

Once you have viewed this, please take into consideration how our own expectations of students dictate the realities of ou modern day classrooms. And what’s the prevailing belief at schools like mine? Unfortunately, it’s best evidenced by the educational publishing companies who keep providing silly scripted curriculums and dumbed-down, watered down textbooks to “serve” the educational interests of our students.

These people have no idea what our students want. And frankly, while thy may say they care, it’s rare that I see how. What they do care about is the sale. The moola. The contract that seals the deal on milking the district cow. That’s why they bend over backwards to create materials that simply meet “criteria” and vest very little if any interest in effectiveness.

The video that was made shows a depth and scope of comprehension as well as a knowledge of technology in concert with a litany of critical thinking that is SO RARE to find in our nation’s classrooms. And did it come from a textbook assignment? Did it come from scripted curriculum seeking to differentiate instruction. Did it come from Intervention? Of course not. It came from a group of students who simply WANTED to make it. The fact that they showed it to me was only because I try and do PBL projects all the time and they thought I might be interested.

Interested? I want to broadcast their capabilities all across the planet and show the world that Lynwood is not a ghetto school and we have plenty of kids on our campus that can innovate with the best of them if only given the chance.

So keep your boring worksheets, stuff your 5 pound textbooks where the sun don’t shine and start bringing real books, real stories and real engagement back to the classroom. Our nation’s kids are starving to be challenged and far too many powers-that-be are simply busting their brains and emptying their wallets trying to teach to a silly bubble test.

I know I am preaching to the choir on this ning when I yap about this but we have got to start somewhere, right?

You go, Esther! (She’s on this ning.) Students such as Esther, Maura, Mary, Danielle and so on are the reason I stay in the classroom. They make me better a better human being.