Welcome to Spring 2009 at COA
January 11, 2009
Dear Students:
Today is my older daughter’s birthday. She’s 30 and a student at Cal State East Bay; she graduated from COA a couple of years ago. She also worked her as an IT. She will be graduating in psychology this year and continuing her graduate work in counseling psychology. Her younger sister is also in this field, TaSin’s is art therapy. She has an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts Photography from the California College of Arts and Crafts. My degrees are from Holy Names College and the University of San Francisco. I have course work at the University of California at Berkeley also in Arabic, Linguistics and Art. You can read my profile on the academic blog: http://professorwandasposse.blogspot.com (Eng. 1A) and http://www.professorsabirsposse.blogspot.com (Eng. 201)
My children were raised in a single parent head of household. I was divorced when my younger daughter was three. I raised them in West Oakland. They attended Berkeley Public Schools where I worked at the Albany YMCA as a site director at Kid’s Club at Thousand Oaks Elementary School, and then for the Berkeley Unified School District and for the Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center, and for Richmond Head Start. Eventually I left child development and school age childcare for a career in property management, and began working for Housing Resources Management as a clerk then property manager at Richmond Townhouses, Deliverance Temple and Acorn Apartments. I was fired from there and after a year on disability went to work at the Volunteer Center for Alameda County as project director for the AIDS Volunteer Clearinghouse. I worked there until the money ran out and then I returned for my master’s degree and worked for the Berkeley Public Library System developing community forums looking at how the library could better serve the black community called COIN. From there I went to Maybeck High School and from Maybeck to COA. I have attended Merritt College, Contra Costa College and Laney College. I have a state of California issued family daycare license.
I grew up in the Nation of Islam and went to private schools for middle and high school. I graduated from high school at 15, and then taught for 2 years before attending UCB. I entered Berkeley underprepared and had to take remedial courses. I didn’t learn what a thesis sentence was until graduate school in 1995, 13 years after my first college writing course. I got As in my college composition courses at Merritt and failed my college writing entrance exam at Holy Names. HNC has a policy called writing across the curriculum, so each class I took was an opportunity to learn to write better essays. I can’t say that I fully understood what this process was until four years later when I took a teaching writing course and learned about argument and exposition and saw my first grammar style book.
Can you believe this? I had taken courses to prepare for the Teaching English to Students of Other Languages (TESOL), received the teaching certificate, yet didn’t have the language I needed to talk about “the essay.” I say all this to tell you why I want to spare you this journey which was not skill based. I am going to give you the skills, and then you can forget them and do the work.
You probably have some familiarity with the essay or you wouldn’t have tested into this course, but I want you to feel more confident about what you know and the best way to accomplish this—I hope, is by demystifying the concepts and by giving you vocabulary to talk about what it is you know or need to know to write and read academic texts.
The college environment is nothing like what you experienced in high school, and the community college is similar to the university but there are differences. One is, the community college is smaller and your professors are more accessible—at least this one is.
I want you to leave this class with the skills to tackle academic texts, which are daunting for the underprepared student. There is a difference between reading for pleasure and reading for information. There is a difference between writing for the academic and non-academic audience. There is a difference between having an opinion and having an argument. There is a difference between knowing something and proving something, even when the evidence used is the same.
You are probably doing a lot of this skill based reading and writing already, but like me when I was 18, 19, 20, 24, 27, 29, 30 and 39—those ages when I was in college studying writing and did well because I liked to write and I understood the value of good models, I couldn’t articulate what I knew about the critical reading and writing process. I want you to get As on purpose. Like I said, I didn’t understand the technicalities of the writing process until a graduate student.
This semester I am going to try something new. Last semester, for the first time I noticed so many students without academic tools to navigate the institution, and fearful to try. I’ll say fearful rather than lazy. One doesn’t acquire knowledge without work. So let’s say they were fearful. I opened my door to everyone and couldn’t get anyone or few students to come to me to ask for assistance, to confer and see what they needed to do to excel. I attended a conference midway through the course and learned about a writing tool called Kurzweil which is a speech to text program which helps students navigate those text heavy courses, it is also a way teachers can share with students their thinking about a topic as they read. It is interactive and user friendly—again it is not intuitive, by intuitive, I mean you are born knowing how to use it, you have to be taught, but it isn’t hard to learn to use with one’s courses, especially the reading and analysis. It is also a great note taking tool.
I learned Fall 2008 that students really believe they can get through college and not open their books, or better yet, not own any. I have colleagues who don’t assign books any more. I do. I also expect students to read the books I assign.
This semester we are going to begin the course with foundation lessons from a text called: Stewart Pidd HATES ENGLISH, so that by the time your financial aide checks arrive and you feel like cutting classes, you will hopefully have the skills necessary to write essays and analyze literature and participate in critical theory discourse or conversations in class and on-line..
We live in a world which is becoming a virtual medium right before our eyes. My course this semester will look a lot different fall 2009-spring 2010, if my proposal passes the curriculum committee. Fall 2009 will all be hybrid which means you will have limited face time or face to face contact. This might be great for some learners and not as great for others. We’ll have to see. I’m flexible and so are the classes I’m proposing. So each student needs to access what type of learner they are. I can help with that.
Everything you’ve heard about me is probably true. I expect a lot, but no more than you are capable, and no more than the academic guidelines for this course require. There are objectives, goals and learning outcomes for each course you take. I will share more of this with you in the syllabus posted at the academic blog. I can even email it to you if you request it. I want you to get your money’s worth, but more importantly I want all students whom I touch to walk away with life skills which will enhance their next encounter be that an essay assignment or a traffic ticket they need to refute or a clinician who has forgotten who he or she works for.
I went to New Orleans over the Winter Recess. The calling card was an extraordinary exhibit called, Prospect 1. Visit http://www.prospectneworleans.org/ It was also an opportunity to visit family and connect with friends who are working to free two men who have served the longest time in solitary confinement in this country, Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace, known as Angola 3. One of the men, Robert King, was released in February 2001. We were planning some actions for January-February to coincide with Martin King Day Parades, Mardi Gras, and Lent, to being attention to Albert’s court date.
Visit http://www.a3grassroots.org/updates.html
When I returned I visited for the first time the California Women Correctional Facility in Chowchilla, California, the larger of the two. It has a skilled nursing facility. It is also the facility where women are executed. It was an eye-opener. As I sit here writing this letter to you, my heart is heavy and I feel a huge responsibility for those without the ear of mainstream society. What we do as writers is so important, and to the extent that we take our skills and the sphere of influence we command seriously, is the extent to which we change the world for the better.
On New Year’s Day in Oakland, Oscar Grant III was killed. In New Orleans, another man, also 22 and a father, Adolph Grimes III, shot 14 times, 12 in the back, by undercover NOPD as he sat in his car waiting to pick up his cousin to celebrate the New Year. The similarities between the Oscar Grant and Adolph Grimes’ murders is uncanny, too uncanny. It’s a larger statement about the value or devaluing of certain lives whether that is GAZA Oakland or GAZA New Orleans.
As I walked down the street to the A3 meeting in the 6th Ward, I realized it was just down the street from Circle Market, a historic landmark—the place that once served as a trading station for enslaved Africans. I heard drumming as I turn the corner on my way to S. Robertson Street. It reminded me of what it must have been like in Africa, when one could hear live music coming from the homes as one walked, rode one’s bike, or drove by.
Virtual reality. One shouldn’t confuse this with reality, if such exists. When a musician tells me he plays a computer, not real drums, I think about the paradigm shift and the consciousness of the person speaking to me who thinks a computer generated sound is superior to one created by a person in real time.
It is the same with this class. If you aren’t committed to putting in the hours woodshedding, working out the details necessary to be a fine writer, don’t expect to pass the class with honors, or to pass at all. The application is one which combines virtual reality and the tangible reality we’re forced to address in this corporal form—a flesh and bloody reality. You will sweat and bleed this semester as you put in the hours, often when you’d rather do something else, thinking and planning, practicing and writing, reviewing and thinking and then rewriting.
Writing is not intuitive for most. Yes, there are those geniuses, but if you were a genius you probably wouldn’t be in my course. I do believe we all have our strengths and we are all genius material, some just have to apply more effort polishing spirit and stone and intellect. The outcome is the same for both students –the brilliant and the one with brilliance. Ultimately the journey is not as important as the outcome, but one needs to work smart, not needlessly hard. This is where I come in. I can help you identify which student you are, what kind of learner you are, what skills you possess and what strengths you can build on. Come to my office hours early in the semester to chat. Bring graded writing you’ve completed in past composition courses so we can talk.
We are not competing. We are sharing and giving constructive feedback so we can all shine together. This is a personal walk even though we are all here in class together.
There are standards for the course and for writing in general. One is the genre or communicative event (essay) has to be clear, succinct and say something. You have to have a point. The point you make and the way you present your argument, if it meets the form and the spirit of the assignment, certainly will vary depending on the experience and knowledge the individual brings to the topic. Research is important; however, life experience allows one to interpret information differently. We all have something valuable to share and to bring to the table this semester.
We do not exist in a vacuum and I think you are privileged to be able to attend college. There are many others who would like to be here but aren’t. As such you have a responsibility to not waste this opportunity and to be an example to others in your discourse community, your peers and even your elders. You have to demonstrate how knowledge has empowered you to make better choices and to take better care of yourself and think productively about how what you are doing for yourself right now, will better the community where you lay your head and by extension the entire country and world community.
You are not alone and everything is connected to everything else. Virtual reality is real and then it isn’t. We have to operate as if this is the only reality, this moment we have together and then know that if this moment is allowed to happen again that we have another opportunity to continue the conversation, to continue the work, to continue on the journey to happiness and the fulfillment of our dreams and aspirations.
Let me help you. I don’t like grading papers so we need to figure out how to address this. I suggest study hours. In the past no one came, but perhaps you are a different discourse community and you will (smile). I will be in the Writing Center (L-234 and the smaller lab) a lot this semester on Thursdays. I don’t remember the hours presently, so look for an update. I suggest coming to my office hours, but no one comes. Email works to an extent, but face-to-face is better. Tutors are great too, but no one gets help until it is too late.
Again, I am open to suggestions. I have hired assistants to keep me from getting behind, and I am going to try to do this again, but it didn’t work, my assistant got behind on her own work and failed all her classes last semester—not a good idea.
I give talks and workshops in the community from time to time and have a radio show. If you are interested in what I am up to visit my website: http://wandaspicks.com
I am teaching four classes this semester: ENG 1A, M-Th, 8-9 and 9-10; and ENG 201 A/B, MW 10-12, 1-3.
Required textbooks for my classes this semester are: “Stewart Pidd Hates English” by Politt and Baker, Barack Obama’s “Dreams from My Father,” Barack Obama’s “The Audacity of Hope,” Alehouse 2009: “Poetry on Tap,” “The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop’s Greatest Songs” by Felicia Pride.
All the books are not for all classes. Stewart Pidd is for all classes. Poetry on Tap is for ENG 1A, and The Message is for ENG 201. Dreams is for both classes. Audacity is for ENG 1A (don’t buy this yet. I might change my mind.).
Peace and Blessings,
Wanda Sabir
Office L-236
(510) 748-2131
professorwandasposse@gmail.com
English Basic Skills
College of Alameda
PS If you write me, in the subject line tell me who you are: ENG 1A 8-9, 9-10, ENG 201 10-12, 1-3 SPR 09
January 11, 2009
Dear Students:
Today is my older daughter’s birthday. She’s 30 and a student at Cal State East Bay; she graduated from COA a couple of years ago. She also worked her as an IT. She will be graduating in psychology this year and continuing her graduate work in counseling psychology. Her younger sister is also in this field, TaSin’s is art therapy. She has an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts Photography from the California College of Arts and Crafts. My degrees are from Holy Names College and the University of San Francisco. I have course work at the University of California at Berkeley also in Arabic, Linguistics and Art. You can read my profile on the academic blog: http://professorwandasposse.blogspot.com (Eng. 1A) and http://www.professorsabirsposse.blogspot.com (Eng. 201)
My children were raised in a single parent head of household. I was divorced when my younger daughter was three. I raised them in West Oakland. They attended Berkeley Public Schools where I worked at the Albany YMCA as a site director at Kid’s Club at Thousand Oaks Elementary School, and then for the Berkeley Unified School District and for the Berkeley/Richmond Jewish Community Center, and for Richmond Head Start. Eventually I left child development and school age childcare for a career in property management, and began working for Housing Resources Management as a clerk then property manager at Richmond Townhouses, Deliverance Temple and Acorn Apartments. I was fired from there and after a year on disability went to work at the Volunteer Center for Alameda County as project director for the AIDS Volunteer Clearinghouse. I worked there until the money ran out and then I returned for my master’s degree and worked for the Berkeley Public Library System developing community forums looking at how the library could better serve the black community called COIN. From there I went to Maybeck High School and from Maybeck to COA. I have attended Merritt College, Contra Costa College and Laney College. I have a state of California issued family daycare license.
I grew up in the Nation of Islam and went to private schools for middle and high school. I graduated from high school at 15, and then taught for 2 years before attending UCB. I entered Berkeley underprepared and had to take remedial courses. I didn’t learn what a thesis sentence was until graduate school in 1995, 13 years after my first college writing course. I got As in my college composition courses at Merritt and failed my college writing entrance exam at Holy Names. HNC has a policy called writing across the curriculum, so each class I took was an opportunity to learn to write better essays. I can’t say that I fully understood what this process was until four years later when I took a teaching writing course and learned about argument and exposition and saw my first grammar style book.
Can you believe this? I had taken courses to prepare for the Teaching English to Students of Other Languages (TESOL), received the teaching certificate, yet didn’t have the language I needed to talk about “the essay.” I say all this to tell you why I want to spare you this journey which was not skill based. I am going to give you the skills, and then you can forget them and do the work.
You probably have some familiarity with the essay or you wouldn’t have tested into this course, but I want you to feel more confident about what you know and the best way to accomplish this—I hope, is by demystifying the concepts and by giving you vocabulary to talk about what it is you know or need to know to write and read academic texts.
The college environment is nothing like what you experienced in high school, and the community college is similar to the university but there are differences. One is, the community college is smaller and your professors are more accessible—at least this one is.
I want you to leave this class with the skills to tackle academic texts, which are daunting for the underprepared student. There is a difference between reading for pleasure and reading for information. There is a difference between writing for the academic and non-academic audience. There is a difference between having an opinion and having an argument. There is a difference between knowing something and proving something, even when the evidence used is the same.
You are probably doing a lot of this skill based reading and writing already, but like me when I was 18, 19, 20, 24, 27, 29, 30 and 39—those ages when I was in college studying writing and did well because I liked to write and I understood the value of good models, I couldn’t articulate what I knew about the critical reading and writing process. I want you to get As on purpose. Like I said, I didn’t understand the technicalities of the writing process until a graduate student.
This semester I am going to try something new. Last semester, for the first time I noticed so many students without academic tools to navigate the institution, and fearful to try. I’ll say fearful rather than lazy. One doesn’t acquire knowledge without work. So let’s say they were fearful. I opened my door to everyone and couldn’t get anyone or few students to come to me to ask for assistance, to confer and see what they needed to do to excel. I attended a conference midway through the course and learned about a writing tool called Kurzweil which is a speech to text program which helps students navigate those text heavy courses, it is also a way teachers can share with students their thinking about a topic as they read. It is interactive and user friendly—again it is not intuitive, by intuitive, I mean you are born knowing how to use it, you have to be taught, but it isn’t hard to learn to use with one’s courses, especially the reading and analysis. It is also a great note taking tool.
I learned Fall 2008 that students really believe they can get through college and not open their books, or better yet, not own any. I have colleagues who don’t assign books any more. I do. I also expect students to read the books I assign.
This semester we are going to begin the course with foundation lessons from a text called: Stewart Pidd HATES ENGLISH, so that by the time your financial aide checks arrive and you feel like cutting classes, you will hopefully have the skills necessary to write essays and analyze literature and participate in critical theory discourse or conversations in class and on-line..
We live in a world which is becoming a virtual medium right before our eyes. My course this semester will look a lot different fall 2009-spring 2010, if my proposal passes the curriculum committee. Fall 2009 will all be hybrid which means you will have limited face time or face to face contact. This might be great for some learners and not as great for others. We’ll have to see. I’m flexible and so are the classes I’m proposing. So each student needs to access what type of learner they are. I can help with that.
Everything you’ve heard about me is probably true. I expect a lot, but no more than you are capable, and no more than the academic guidelines for this course require. There are objectives, goals and learning outcomes for each course you take. I will share more of this with you in the syllabus posted at the academic blog. I can even email it to you if you request it. I want you to get your money’s worth, but more importantly I want all students whom I touch to walk away with life skills which will enhance their next encounter be that an essay assignment or a traffic ticket they need to refute or a clinician who has forgotten who he or she works for.
I went to New Orleans over the Winter Recess. The calling card was an extraordinary exhibit called, Prospect 1. Visit http://www.prospectneworleans.org/ It was also an opportunity to visit family and connect with friends who are working to free two men who have served the longest time in solitary confinement in this country, Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace, known as Angola 3. One of the men, Robert King, was released in February 2001. We were planning some actions for January-February to coincide with Martin King Day Parades, Mardi Gras, and Lent, to being attention to Albert’s court date.
Visit http://www.a3grassroots.org/updates.html
When I returned I visited for the first time the California Women Correctional Facility in Chowchilla, California, the larger of the two. It has a skilled nursing facility. It is also the facility where women are executed. It was an eye-opener. As I sit here writing this letter to you, my heart is heavy and I feel a huge responsibility for those without the ear of mainstream society. What we do as writers is so important, and to the extent that we take our skills and the sphere of influence we command seriously, is the extent to which we change the world for the better.
On New Year’s Day in Oakland, Oscar Grant III was killed. In New Orleans, another man, also 22 and a father, Adolph Grimes III, shot 14 times, 12 in the back, by undercover NOPD as he sat in his car waiting to pick up his cousin to celebrate the New Year. The similarities between the Oscar Grant and Adolph Grimes’ murders is uncanny, too uncanny. It’s a larger statement about the value or devaluing of certain lives whether that is GAZA Oakland or GAZA New Orleans.
As I walked down the street to the A3 meeting in the 6th Ward, I realized it was just down the street from Circle Market, a historic landmark—the place that once served as a trading station for enslaved Africans. I heard drumming as I turn the corner on my way to S. Robertson Street. It reminded me of what it must have been like in Africa, when one could hear live music coming from the homes as one walked, rode one’s bike, or drove by.
Virtual reality. One shouldn’t confuse this with reality, if such exists. When a musician tells me he plays a computer, not real drums, I think about the paradigm shift and the consciousness of the person speaking to me who thinks a computer generated sound is superior to one created by a person in real time.
It is the same with this class. If you aren’t committed to putting in the hours woodshedding, working out the details necessary to be a fine writer, don’t expect to pass the class with honors, or to pass at all. The application is one which combines virtual reality and the tangible reality we’re forced to address in this corporal form—a flesh and bloody reality. You will sweat and bleed this semester as you put in the hours, often when you’d rather do something else, thinking and planning, practicing and writing, reviewing and thinking and then rewriting.
Writing is not intuitive for most. Yes, there are those geniuses, but if you were a genius you probably wouldn’t be in my course. I do believe we all have our strengths and we are all genius material, some just have to apply more effort polishing spirit and stone and intellect. The outcome is the same for both students –the brilliant and the one with brilliance. Ultimately the journey is not as important as the outcome, but one needs to work smart, not needlessly hard. This is where I come in. I can help you identify which student you are, what kind of learner you are, what skills you possess and what strengths you can build on. Come to my office hours early in the semester to chat. Bring graded writing you’ve completed in past composition courses so we can talk.
We are not competing. We are sharing and giving constructive feedback so we can all shine together. This is a personal walk even though we are all here in class together.
There are standards for the course and for writing in general. One is the genre or communicative event (essay) has to be clear, succinct and say something. You have to have a point. The point you make and the way you present your argument, if it meets the form and the spirit of the assignment, certainly will vary depending on the experience and knowledge the individual brings to the topic. Research is important; however, life experience allows one to interpret information differently. We all have something valuable to share and to bring to the table this semester.
We do not exist in a vacuum and I think you are privileged to be able to attend college. There are many others who would like to be here but aren’t. As such you have a responsibility to not waste this opportunity and to be an example to others in your discourse community, your peers and even your elders. You have to demonstrate how knowledge has empowered you to make better choices and to take better care of yourself and think productively about how what you are doing for yourself right now, will better the community where you lay your head and by extension the entire country and world community.
You are not alone and everything is connected to everything else. Virtual reality is real and then it isn’t. We have to operate as if this is the only reality, this moment we have together and then know that if this moment is allowed to happen again that we have another opportunity to continue the conversation, to continue the work, to continue on the journey to happiness and the fulfillment of our dreams and aspirations.
Let me help you. I don’t like grading papers so we need to figure out how to address this. I suggest study hours. In the past no one came, but perhaps you are a different discourse community and you will (smile). I will be in the Writing Center (L-234 and the smaller lab) a lot this semester on Thursdays. I don’t remember the hours presently, so look for an update. I suggest coming to my office hours, but no one comes. Email works to an extent, but face-to-face is better. Tutors are great too, but no one gets help until it is too late.
Again, I am open to suggestions. I have hired assistants to keep me from getting behind, and I am going to try to do this again, but it didn’t work, my assistant got behind on her own work and failed all her classes last semester—not a good idea.
I give talks and workshops in the community from time to time and have a radio show. If you are interested in what I am up to visit my website: http://wandaspicks.com
I am teaching four classes this semester: ENG 1A, M-Th, 8-9 and 9-10; and ENG 201 A/B, MW 10-12, 1-3.
Required textbooks for my classes this semester are: “Stewart Pidd Hates English” by Politt and Baker, Barack Obama’s “Dreams from My Father,” Barack Obama’s “The Audacity of Hope,” Alehouse 2009: “Poetry on Tap,” “The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop’s Greatest Songs” by Felicia Pride.
All the books are not for all classes. Stewart Pidd is for all classes. Poetry on Tap is for ENG 1A, and The Message is for ENG 201. Dreams is for both classes. Audacity is for ENG 1A (don’t buy this yet. I might change my mind.).
Peace and Blessings,
Wanda Sabir
Office L-236
(510) 748-2131
professorwandasposse@gmail.com
English Basic Skills
College of Alameda
PS If you write me, in the subject line tell me who you are: ENG 1A 8-9, 9-10, ENG 201 10-12, 1-3 SPR 09
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 11:09 AM
29 Comments:
YOU HAVE DONE A LOT IN YOUR LIFE. MY MOTHER WORKS FOR ALAMEDA HEAD START(SITE DIRECTOR). I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO ENGLISH A1 THEN AGAIN I AM SOME WHAT SCARED OF THE OUT COME. I WILL DO MY BEST, THIS SEMESTER I REALLY WANT TO UNDERSTAND ENGLSIH AND BE ABLE TO USE IT IN ANY TYPE OF SEETING. WITH YOUR MASTER SKILLS AND MY LOVE FOR LEARNING I BELIEVE WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
ENGLISH 1A
TIPTON
This comment has been removed by the author.
First off, I would like to acknowledge all of your accomplishments. You give me the aspiration to become a better person, not only for myself, but for my family, community and for the better being of the future.
I will do my best to absorb everything that you will throw at me. Like you, I too want to leave this course with a mind full, knowing that I have learned something, gained new skills and am on the road to becoming that better person.
I do agree when you say this might not be intuitive. I do understand things take time and that I will have to be taught many things. But I also understand that I will need to be committed, focused and I will put in as much hard work as you are. I do believe that I have potential, but I need a professor like you to bring it out of me.
Hopefully we can both figure out what teaching/learning techniques work best for us (students) and you (professor) in order to have a sucessful, smooth and happy semester.
R.I.P to Oscar Grant III and Adolph Grimes III. May they recieve the justice they deserve.
That is my reality.
-Jennifer GOnzales
English 1A M-TH 9-950am
Nina Wooten
Eng.1A
8-9 am
This letter has been an eye opener for me. Although I've had Ms. Sabir the previous semester, I've learned so much more about her through her letter than I did in her class. She's disclosed some real personal information that I would find embarrassing to speak about. For example, she didn't know what a thesis was until graduate school. Now knowing this about her puts me at ease. She's only trying to give us what she didn't have throughout college. Her motherly instincts are set inside the class just as they are outside of work. Based on the information I've read, she really interested in finding out how she can help us (students) individually. Wanda is very active in her community as well as other communities.
Because of her I now know of the Outlive Grimes murder on New Years Day in New Orleans, LA. It amazes me how Adolph's case is very similar to Oscar Grants but hasn't been broad casted nationally like Grants. Two men killed by law enforcement, yet were only nationally upset about one.
I was deeply touched to read that you grew up in the NOI. I too have roots in the NOI. It is very rare that I meet members of NOI outside of the mosque.I am glad that you shared your experience in New Orleans.It is very important to be abreast of current events in your community and abroad.I did not know that a shooting incident like the Bart one also happened down South.When I listen to what is going on in Gaza I too wonder if it is a reflection of what we as people really believe about the value of human life.English is one of my favorite and best subjects.I look forward to being challenged in this course as well as to learn, grow and improve my language reading,writing and speech skills.I also hope I will have a positive impact in my violent community.Overall, what I picked up from your letter is that it may have taken you a long time to get to where you are today and it may have been a strugle, but success is attainable.
Carla
Eng 1A 9-10
Egla Tadesse
Eng 1A 8-9
I would like to start by saying you have an impressive teaching career, and you have accomplished a lot. My dad and i were just talking about the shoot that occurred involving Oscar Grant III, but i had no idea the same incident had occurred in New Orleans. It's very unsettling how some police officers shoot at will or are belligerent toward people and get away with it simply because of their title.
English is not my best subject, but i look forward to your class, and improving on my writing skills.
You have accomplished so much, and have raised two successful children besides. I have been a single mom, too, and it's a tremendous effort... but also a tremendous blessing, as it lets you know just how much you're really capable of handling.
Your letter is a great encouragement to me. I am just this semester returning to school after many years away - I graduated highschool in 1994! I have always wanted to get back to school, but this is the first opportunity I've had. I am very serious about my education, and I've worried that perhaps a community college would not adequately prepare me for further study in a UC or private college. Also, I've spent the past decade or so in the least academic setting imaginable - the military. I take your promise to teach us these skills as a challenge and a reassurance.
I look forward to working with you.
Sarah Rochette
Eng. 1A, 0900-0950
Jacob Parker
Eng. 1A 800-850
I am very surprised and grateful that you were able to get through such a rough life and get to become our teacher. Now I'm not the type to kiss ass I really disapprove of it cause its embarrassing. But to be a single mother living in Oakland trying to raise two children.
It is very surprising that students haven't been getting the academic tools. My brother is attending BASE in Alameda. Its right up the street from Alameda. The school doesn't get textbooks, they get copy's of the pages that they need and that's all. Its not that surprising that some teachers don't want to assign books.
Honestly it seems like there are less and less teachers that care about teaching because it seems like there are less and less students that care about learning and that is why teachers are being discouraged.
Thank you for being our teacher I hope I can learn a lot from you.
I do agree with everyone here, you do have an impressive teaching career and you have accomplished so much. specialy when you are a single mother, my mom is also a single mother and i know how hard it is to raised the family cause she have two daughter too(haha). and my mom have to work two job to suport the family! so it must be hard for you to do both rasing your daughters and going to school at the same time, very impressive. I do agree with you about some students never ask for help when they get the chance because im one of them. I am not sure if you remember me or not but i was in your 1A class before it was a summer class and i didn do good i got a D because i didn ask for help on my essay. this semester i'll go see tutor or you for all my essay and hopefully i'll passed your class.
I look forward to working with you.
Man Quach
Eng. 1A, 9-9:50
Donnovan Jiles
9-9:50
ENG 1A
I really related to this letter, I am from New Orleans and raised by a single parent so I have an idea of the amount of hard work it takes to raise two children on your own. I respect that you didn't start as a great writer but you worked hard to become a good writer. I am not the best writer but i want to get better, so i will be in the writing center a lot, and ask for help whether it be to proof read my essay or just help me start an essay. i really want to do well in this class because i sometimes struggle when writing and i want to improve.
I respect that you have enough compassion to travel to New Orleans to support the Angola 3 and Adolph Grimes III because someone needs to fight for the rights of people who are being treated with injustice. I'm happy took this class because you seem like you are a good teacher and will help me alot this semester.
I lived 2 blocks away from Circle Market.
Thanks for all of your comments. I went to the protest/vigil last night in downtown Oakland. I left before the vandalism started. I met the mother of a friend of Oscar Grant III, who witnessed his friend's murder. I also met a friend of the family whose son was killed in San Francisco two years ago in an unrelated killing (not by police). She said the DA knows who killed her son, that the killer was arrested and then released because the DA's office didn't have enough evidence. We had fun marching and at the rally. There was a New Orleans' style brass band playing, so I found a friend in the crowd and we danced up 14th Street from the courthouse together.
Grant's murderer is being arraigned today.
Regarding the class, I also wanted to say if at any time if you feel unmotivated or unchallenged, please let me know, even if you don't have suggestions, let me know.
I am flexible.
I think you have acomplished many things in your life so far. It must have been extreemly hard blancing evereything seeing that you did it whie being a single mother. I look forward to being back in school and learning the fundamentals of English 1A . I hope I can keep up with the work.
Chris Wong
English 1A 9-10 am
Professor Wanda There is no way for us to respond to the MLK blog because there is no option and the essay or speech is not posted on your blog. If you want us to respond to it then please make the speech available on you blog. Much Thanks
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Cesangary Tzinzun
English 1A 9-9:50 AM
My response to “Dear students”
First of all let me say happy birthday to your daughter. I must agree with everybody else you have accomplished a lot in your life, and have a lot of experience in teaching. It must have been hard to work, go to school, and raise your two daughters alone as a single parent. I know you have some expectations towards students since lately your students hack lacked on their work. But its good that you don’t misjudge them by calling them lazy. Though some maybe, some may have personal problems that keep them form doing their work. I’m not going to tell you I’m the best student you could ever have cause that would be lying, but I must say that I will try my best to succeed in your class because I’m really impressed in your teaching capacity. I really hope I can learn more in your class to better my writing skills.
Dear professor Wanda, I have two children, one boy and one girl. My son Christian is in second grade and attends elementary school in Dublin. My daughter Kaylyn is in pre-school and attends a montessori in Sanleandro. I grew up in east Oakland. I went to Stonehurst elementary, Bancroft middle school in Sanleandro, and Skyline high. On september 16 2008 i was released from prison after three years of incarceration. While in prison I did alot of soul searching and decided tochange my life around so i could be a better father and an overall better person. Durring my down time I took some college courses;I knew I wanted to stick with it upon my release so here I am today, determined and ready to give it my all. Eventhough I listed the schools I attended above,to tell the truth,I went there,but not really. I didnt graduate.I eventually got my GED in 2005 but my schooling is probably inferior to most, but im just glad to be here. I'll do my best. Thank you for the letter. I hope to pass your class with honors.
Sincerely,
Gerrell Knox Eng.1A 9-10am
Dear Ms. Wanda Sabir,
Thank you for sharing with us a sliver of your life. Since you wrote us a beautiful letter, I will choose to respond in the same fashion. All of your credentials are very impressive; I can see the patience, and longsuffering qualities that aided you in this long process. In your letter you voiced some of the goals that you have set for each student individually; more specifically learning tools and ways of writing that you would like us to take with us, as we continue this journey.
On the second page of the letter you speak of the skills we need to get through life and especially through the rest of our education. I agree with you there is different writing styles for different audiences; the non – academic or academic. Proving something, being opinionated , debating one side of an argument, are all very different assignments, even though they may all be discussing the same material. I agree with that I am studying to be a lawyer, so I love the way you make sure that every detail is taken care of, such as separating all these different writing styles, which, to the uneducated eye could all grouped as the same thing.
I have heard nothing about you before setting foot in your class today, and I found myself pleasantly surprised, as you firm but gentle tone kept the students, who were asking distracting questions in line. I have great respect that you were able to answer everyone’s questions, while staying on the topic/task of the day. Thanks for stressing the point of a good writer in our world today. As you stated, “What we do as writers is so important, and to the extent that we take our skills and the sphere of influence we command seriously,” that is so true writers are a vital piece of the new media and the world in general. (pg.3 pp8)
I want to assure you, I will put in the hours, work, and concentration that is needed to get the best grade, my effort will get me. I always give my best in everything I do and your class will be no different, and I look forward to your help in identifying which group of learner I fit into, and to help me use my strengths to overcome my weakness.
Thanks for your time,
Nely Ruiz
English 1A 9:00am – 10:00am
Rebecca Evans english 1a 9-9:50 response to dear students(i accidentally put my response in the above post-wear clean draws)
College of Alameda was not my first choice of schools and honestly, at first, I was ashamed to go to COA. I pre-judged the school thinking it was for people “less than me”.
I was accepted to UC Santa Cruz for the 2008 school year. I began the year fighting a mental and physical illness. I fought as hard as I could but ended up having to leave and come home to be closer to my doctors. To say the least, I was devastated. I thought my life was over. When my doctor suggested attending community college, I “flipped out! I thought, “I’m too good for community college” “I was accepted to a UC!” “Community College will hinder my education.” However, I was very wrong.
After talking with family, friends, and neighbors in my extended community, I learned that some of the established people I look up to began their careers at a community college. My aunt, who now has her own consulting business working with political figures such as Nancy Pelosi and large organizations such as George Marks Children’s Hospital, began her college career at Chabot. My cousin, who is now a human resource supervisor for a large San Francisco company with offices in London, New York, China, and India, began her college career at a community college in Redding.
After reading your letter, I see how far you have come and how hard you have worked for your education. Coming to COA is an eye opening experience for me. As I read your letter of introduction, I was no less than absolutely amazed at the trials and tribulations you’ve faced: being a single mom, moving from India to the U.S. as a young adult, and being intimidated by a large UC school but still having the courage to continue your education.
During my short time at UCSC this year, I learned that most students were handed their college opportunity on a silver platter with all the fixings: money, room and board, perfect classes, and a family who seemed to have endless amounts of money in the bank. Being at College of Alameda, I am beginning to realize the determination of its students. Everyone at COA has made the choice to continue their education no matter their hardships: economic, family turmoil, or educational difficulties.
.
While I do hope to return to UCSC, I will go with a new perspective and with gratitude. I am thankful for all the opportunities that I have. I am ready to learn of the different “platters” from which we are served and I am eager to discover more.
Hey, Ms. Sabir
I am really impressed by your skills and your work in the fields of different subjects, I admire you and your qualities very much, Your letter inspires me, it shows that we can all succeed no matter how much we've been through. You are full of life and you volunteer everywhere! I'm also impressed that you taught at Maybeck High School too, I know a few people that go there and I like that school. I will definitely enjoy your class and you as a teacher. I can't wait to write essays and read the different books you have assigned us in this class. I'm anxious to start the homework, the writing, personally writing is a way to communicate with this world, I have much to learn and with your help, I'm sure we can all learn something. I'm glad you're here at College of Alameda and you went to New Orleans, that's awesome! With your experience, I wouldn't be surprised if your memoir or autobiography is a best seller on the New York Times because you have so much to say about yourself. I know I've only been in your class for a day or so, but I'm ready to learn, I'm ready to do the things you assign to all of us, I'm ready to learn from your knowledge and together we can grow. Thanks for being my teacher, I'm glad I chose you as my teacher. You will make a mark in all of us, your class is so much fun and we have interesting discussions, I look forward to everything that we will do. You will definitely bring much needed insight to our wonderful class. I applaud you for being a hero to all, with the world we live in today, we need great teachers like you and people like you because you have certainly helped out a lot and you definitely made your mark in this world. Thank you for your contribution. Let's hope for a good semester
By the way, I'm terribly sorry this is late, my laptop wasn't working for a few days and I finally got it fixed. I apologize.
Thank you,
-Jennifer Zou (English 1A) 9:00 AM- 9:50 AM
I also forgot to write Happy Birthday to your daughter and that I'm from English 1A (M-Th)
January 14, 2009
Dear Professor Sabir,
Today was my first day back at college since Spring semester 2003. Making the transition from full time employment to full time student is an interesting, albeit challenging, experience. I spent the last two weeks buttoning up loose ends with my former employer, and looking forward to today. The day began quickly and was different than I expected, but I enjoyed myself anyway. I felt both encouraged and challenged by your welcome letter, and thought this response would be a great place to share some of that with you.
This morning the first thing I needed to do was log in to the Passport system to print out my class schedule. The universe being the hilarious place it is, this did not happen. Regardless of how I begged or pleaded, the Student Center website refused to function. Growing steadily more nervous, I resolved to go to campus and get the counseling office to print out my schedule so that I’d know where my classes were. Ten minutes before 8 I triumphantly emerged, schedule in hand, only to realize, after an extended search, that this supposed “D-206” didn’t exist. Perplexed, I asked the gentleman standing at the welcome tent who politely responded, “All these classes are in Alameda, not Laney.” Oh horror of horrors, my first day of school and I’m not even on the right campus. Somehow I managed to enroll in a college whose campus I’d never seen, and whose existence I was only vaguely aware of. Stressful uncertainty behind, I rolled into class 30 minutes late, but very glad to be there.
I’d like to think of myself as the “brilliant” writer you alluded to in your letter, but my life experiences have taught me that I’m not always the best judge of my own abilities. It seems like every time I start to think I’ve got a handle on a particular skill or situation, the tables turn and I’m reminded how woefully inadequate my knowledge and abilities are. I identified heavily with your experience, needing to continually improve your writing to meet academic requirements. This is, in my experience, the foundation of building humility and, by doing so, character. The proverbial “respect for our elders” I so scorned as a younger man has been beaten into me through repetition. I appreciate your desire to equip us to go further and achieve more in academics, writing, and life.
Sincerely,
Andrew Vincent
Eng 1a, 8-8:50 M-Th
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Dear Professor Sabir,
I'm very sorry this is late, I didn't have internet access from my laptop until now. I'm terribly sorry.
After reading your letter, I have to agree with everyone else that you have accomplished a lot. I'm impressed by your skills in so many professions. I've heard from many COA students that you're a wonderful teacher. I look forward to working with you. Although english isn't my most favorite subject, I can't wait to learn from you. I hope this will be a great semester. Thank you for being my teacher.
- Joyce Cho - Eng1A - 0900-0950A
Hong Tang
English 1A 9- 9:50am
I would like to start out by saying Happy belated Birthday to your daughter. I wish her the
very best. On top of that, I would love to give my prays to Oscar Grant. I’ve read your statement about him and seen many news of it. I was devastated as I hear more and more behind stories. I was surprised and shock of what was happening to our society. This news indicates the whole world because of injustice laws. This is a crime that shouldn’t be ignored. However, I’ve also seen protestors involving with violence during the strike in downtown Oakland. The protest lasted for days and multiple damages were made buy protestors. I was upset with what I saw. It is certainly not necessary for protestors to be damaging any personal properties. People strikes to solve problems, not to cause them. The media have their eyes on this case for the passed days and yet, it came to the end.
I would like to give you a thumbs up for all your accomplishments and wishing one day I will achieve something on my own. This year is going to be a new start! Obama will soon bring changes to the United States and I am honor to be one out of the hundred billions people that are still breathing to witness history!
Carmen Truong
English 1A
Sabir 09:09:50
Monday-Thursday
First, I want to thank you for sharing your life story to all of us. Everyone has it own personal stories and experiences, which makes it very unique to hear about it. The Dear Student essay was very detailed describe about your life with your daughter about their study majors, your educational history, and also your personal background. Professor Sabir, although you raised your two daughters in a single parent head of household, you can still keep up with their brilliantly, talent, and educated performance. You also could keep up with yourself by working so hard for so many good jobs. I’m sincere about your smartness. Unfortunately you are fired at Acorn Apartments, but your capable of skills will keep you on succeeding. I took your class before, and you are a wonderful teacher. I’m glad to have you again as a teacher. Professor Sabir, you talked about many people who wish to be here in school but they aren’t. I certainly believe that’s the fact. In this case, I always want to take this great opportunity to fulfill everything in order to pass this course. Instead of passing this class, I also want to gain knowledge to experience what I’ve never experience before. You also mentioned about if we are not committed to the class with the time and effort, than we are not to expect to pass the course. Yet, I’m not the best writer, but I will try my hardest whatever it brings to make me a better writer.
Mesha Shavers
Thank You Ms. Sabir, for you letter it was filled with endless information. I’m delighted to hear that both your daughters are pursuing a higher education to better themselves and their community. The statement you made “Everything you heard about me is probably true”. “I expect a lot”. Well I might say, I have heard a lot about you, but all good things. I was told that if I wanted to learn to write college level papers Ms. Sabir is the finest, to teach you the skill of writing. I tend to freeze up when asked to write because my writing is not college level, so I will take advantage of your office hours and the writing workshop as long as they are available.
Bianca Chouteau
Eng 1A 9:00-9:50am
It is so terrific that your daughters are in college doing ther thing. You must be so proud of them. so you study linguistics, wow! Are'nt those the people who make words? You and I have something in common, we both were raised in West Oakland. We also lived in the same building, Oak Center 1 Apartments on 18TH street. Remember the little girl with the afro.... Yeah that was me, Ronnie's sister.
You look so young to have accomplished so much. Thats how i want to be and why im starting now. When I finished high school I went Western Career College for a dental assisting certificate when i was 17 years old, now at 19 im here at College of Alameda taking general ed then soon will transfer to Shabot College for a hygienst program.
It is wonderful how you are willing to help your students and how you push them to the limit. When you stated that some students were fearful rather than lazy I respected that because most students are in fear of a new environment or just in fear of being wrong like me for instance I never share with the class because when I listen to everybody else they seem confident and know what there talking about rather than me being unsure of myself.
In this class I need you to get me out of that phase because i am tring to grow mentally and I need your help. meanwhile i am exceited to be in your class and I respect your mind.
Dear Wanda-
Your introductory letter was definitely a good way to make the class more personal. It's also a good way to let students know exactly whose teaching them and why. However, I must say that I am an exception to your computer musician tangent. I would definitely prefer guitar to a sequencer program. Although I can be a slacker, I definitely appreciate your approach to teaching since it seems to be effective and straight to the point. - I look forward to learning with you.
Reanita Mitchell
English1A 8-850
Ms. Sabir achieved many great things in her life. She has a BA in Humanistic Studies from Holy Names College and a MA in writing from the University of San Francisco. She obtained numerous experience from many jobs. She worked as a site director and then proceeded in property management. When she was relieved of her duties, she worked as a project director. When it got financially difficult, she returned for her masters. Although with minor setbacks and hardships of having to raise her children in a single household, it did not stop her from pursuing her goals.
Her failed attempt to be unprepared sparked great intentions for her students to not go the path she did in being unprepared. She is very determined to teach her students the skills they need to acquire in order to become successful in this course. She stresses that even if a student is a good writer, it doesn't necessarily mean they understand critical reading and the writing process. This is an essential function that all students should know.
A writing tool called Kurzweli is a text program which assist students in navigating heavy courses. She says it is a great note taking tool and isn't hard for one to understand. Some teachers do not assign books which she believes is not a good teaching method. She wants to pass a proposal in which all classes will be hybrid meaning one will have limited face to face time or contact.
There were many tragic and events in general that occurred recently such as the Bart police shooting in Oakland, Ca. Ms.Sabir mentions it is important as writers to utilize our skills to ultimately make the world better. Many students had complaints stating that, "Ugh, she do too much!" or "I don't like her class", however those students are the students who are looking for an easy way out. I understand she expects a lot, but if one has self-motivation and determination, I am highly confident they will do just fine. I am looking forward to engaging in Wanda Sabir's class this Spring 09' semester.
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