Amies,+Penelope

Since beginning teaching 20+ years ago, I consider myself very lucky to have taught in many places including New Zealand, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Egypt and a short stint in England. Working in international schools has fed my thirst for learning and living in different cultures. I love to travel, to take in various cultural landscapes around the world but most of all I love the wonderful opportunities to meet and get to know people from different walks of life. My classroom teaching experience has spanned grades KG through 6 and I now coordinate Pre-K to grade 8 curriculum, instruction and assessment.
 * Assignment #1 **
 * Bio **

A course in Conflict resolution/ peaceable schools would be about defining the elements of a peaceable school as a vision to reach toward, while asking where conflict and conflict resolution fit in as wherever there are people, there is conflict. Learning about conflict resolution tools and techniques that are respectful, aim for consensus when needed and build a collaborative culture are important when reaching for a peaceable school. Exploring ways that students can develop understanding of social justice, be reflective and self aware.
 * Conflict Resolution / Peaceable Schools **
 * 1) What a peaceable school looks and feels like.
 * 2) Tools and techniques for conflict resolution.
 * 3) How to build and maintain a culture of peace in schools.
 * 4) Student efficacy - building social capital.
 * 5) Learning about social justice.

The movie portrayed many powerful influences from within the family, the school, and outside mentors. All these influential characters nurtured and affected the main characters, Derek and Danny.
 * Assignment #2 **
 * American History X movie and discussion **

We discussed the mix of ingredients, that nurtured and shaped Derek’s white supremacy beliefs that later escalated to him becoming a killer. The character, Cameron, takes an angry Derek, after the death of his father, and nurtures white supremacy beliefs by building on Derek’s anger with the death of his father at the hands of a black American man. Cameron can do this as he becomes a replacement father figure to Derek who has lost his father in a violent manner. We thought that Cameron likely wouldn’t have been such a powerful influence on Derek if his father hadn’t been killed. We thought that mixing an extreme event that shakes the belief structure of a person, combined with a mentor who influences and gives voice to his hate, led to Derek to being able to, without hesitation, murder the African American male on the sidewalk and acting righteous while killing.

Sweeney (the school's principal) became a powerful influence after Derek was raped in prison by his skinhead friends. Sweeney had been an influence when Derek was younger and in school, but his father’s questioning of Sweeney’s liberal book list combined with sharing his racist views with Derek, lessened Sweeney’s initial impact. We discussed the affect a teacher mentor can have when they don’t give up on a student, show care, guide and support for doing the right thing and being there for the student. Derek didn’t want to work with the police as he knew the danger involved, but was influenced and swayed when directly asked by Sweeney to consider the young people in the organization that had only become part of the club as they in turn had been influenced by Derek.

While in prison, Derek is assigned to work solely with Lamont, an African American. His response is to ignore and not converse with Lamont. Overtime Derek and Lamont establish a friendship as Lamont’s humor and constant chatting spark Derek’s interest. Derek gets to experience that not all African Americans are violent or there to exploit the system. At the same time he is also realizing that the skinheads he has associated himself with in prison are associating with other racial groups and exploiting their own with drugs. His extremist belief structure is being shaken again to the point where we can see the shift in Derek’s thinking; where he realizes he doesn’t believe in the white supremacy beliefs anymore.

Our discussion ended up with us both thinking about how complex and interconnected human relationships are. Derek was influenced by his father, Cameron and Sweeney. Derek in turn influenced his brother Danny and all the other young men in the club. Sweeney was bringing past influences that had shaped him and was interacting with Derek and Danny. Due to Derek’s association with Cameron, this influenced Danny to join the club and have approval for writing a paper that supported white supremacy. The web just kept expanding.

Elements of a Peaceable School Notes
 * Assignment #3 **

I have weekly meetings with each grade level where we collaborate in designing and revising units of study. Each team has 3 homeroom teachers, 1 ELL specialist and 1 learning support specialist. There is a mix of nationalities, ages, male and female teachers and experience on each team.

Upon entering the room, the collaborative norms are posted on the wall and in action. The norms were presented at the beginning of the year with conversation and explanations about each norm. Hank would see them being referred to, as and when needed, throughout the year. The norms are there to facilitate collaborative meeting expectations so that dialogue and discussion can be respectful and productive. The norms I use are from the Adaptive Schools workshop I attended - Pausing, paraphrasing, posing questions, providing data, putting ideas on and off the table, paying attention to self and others, presume positive intent.

Teacher time is precious, so there is always an agenda projected up on the screen. Curriculum goals for the year are also posted on the wall so everyone knows exactly why we are meeting and the work that needs to get done. The agenda is shared a week ahead of time for teachers to be aware and ready for the meeting. In this way, everyone knows what the meeting focus will be, so we can all be intentional and thoughtful during dialogue. There are minimal negative responses to having meetings because there is transparency with the agenda and the yearly goals. We also start with a very brief round robin where one at a time, teachers ‘share’ something with the group before we start the agenda. It means that time wasting by going off topic is minimized.

When differences of opinion arise, peace is promoted by employing a consensus tool, or I will remind the team about who makes the final decision.

It is important that everyone has a chance to be heard, especially when we are creating exciting new units and the energy levels are high. All group members are expected to pay attention to not only themselves, but others, to make sure that everyone is involved in the planning and are part of the group.

Trust is important and keeps the team connected, peaceable and collaborative. So when jobs are divvied, everyone knows that other team members are relying and trusting them to follow through and complete what they said they would do. There is always a check at the end of the meeting to summarize main points, actions that are required, and dates due.


 * Assignment #4 **

In my opinion, using torture or “enhanced” interrogation techniques is inhumane. Anything that purposefully harms or torments, and I do consider “invoking an existing fear” such as drowning to be tormenting, is inhumane. The video explained that waterboarding inspires fear in the body, rapid increased heart rate, and the body’s need for survival as a threat is involved. How can this not be considered torture? Some people could say that torture as an interrogation technique is justified as there are times when there are real potential threats, where many people could be hurt and/or killed, and hurting one person to get information that could neutralize the threat, is for the greater good. I wonder how effective the technique is in getting the desired information. How many times would a person have to go through it before their information was thought to be truthful? Would that person say anything to not be tortured again, especially when under prolonged use of waterboarding? I believe that allowing torture to happen has far reaching ripple effects, beyond the person being tortured, in a society. Violence generates fear. The ripple affects the interrogators who conduct the torture, the people who observe, the people who ordered it to take place, and anyone who is aware of it happening. I am also of the opinion that allowing these types of interrogation techniques can only justify another in using them. One side decides to torture a prisoner and the other side finds out, leading to retaliation of torturing another prisoner being justified, and on it goes.
 * This is an interesting video on Waterboarding. This is an "enhanced" interrogation technique. Write a brief comment about what you think about using torture or other "enhanced" interrogation techniques. **

**Then, write a brief (250 word+ or -) report describing what you observed or experienced from session #4.** Violence Quiz tally

T F 1. 2 3 2. 2 3 3. 0 5  4. 0 5  5. 5 0

The rate of violence has gone down in the last 800 years and may have done so for a number of reasons that were outlined in Eric Monnken’s paper. He highlighted some differences between Western Europe and America that may, when investigated further, give some insights from which to decrease homicide rates in the US. Types of guns, manliness, chances of being caught, punishments when caught, differences in federal systems and race slavery cultural differences were highlighted in his paper. It was interesting to read the race slavery cultural difference proposal as this was an angle that I wasn’t aware had made such an impact in terms of the way it weakened the federal system by developing a culture of violence in order to keep slaves. This is definitely a major difference between Europe and America and could account for another contributing factor into why Europe’s homicide rates are declining.

I do wonder how much the increase in education may play a role in the decreasing of violence in the past 800 years. It seems to me that more people are being educated than ever before so it seems possible that more people would have higher language/communication skills. From my perspective, the higher someone’s language skills, the easier it is to communicate effectively. I notice in the younger grades that the children who can express themselves are less likely to lash out at another in anger. I have no research to back my thinking, but I do wonder if this could be a contributing factor at least in the last 100 years.

I overestimated the rate of violence in the US and thought that it had been steadily on the increase when in fact it is decreasing. Some of my colleagues thought the same. During this assignment, I have been attempting to pin down why I had initially thought violence was on the increase and I believe it may be due to the news media with its constant communication of violent acts, and what seem to be increasing rates of violence within schools. I have certainly seen more movies and television shows portraying violence than in my childhood and I suppose this has all summed up to me forming the wrong impression of the US rate of violence.

Extra Credit? Sure. If you are still interested and want to know more... Watch this video [|Fighting Back] on how one school is handling active shooters in a middle school. Do a Youtube search for "School Shooting Fighting Back". THEN Write two short 250 word paragraphs with both pro and con about what you have learned about this strategy!

The counter strategy where students are taught to fight back by throwing classroom objects, and 8oz canned goods at a shooter is way for students to fight back when there is no other option. Students in most schools are taught to hide under desks but all this does it to develop helplessness instead of assertiveness in the face of the danger a shooter brings. It is very easy to for a shooter to get into schools and classrooms. A locked door does not prevent shooters from getting in, as school doors are not made to keep a shooter out. Once inside, if students are huddling under desks or all in a corner, as they are taught, they will be easy targets. When students are taught to fight back, they can catch a shooter off guard and the shooter will be less likely to enter into that classroom. Canned goods are heavy enough to cause bodily harm when thrown with force, yet are of a good size and weight that they can be thrown with effect. With all students throwing canned goods and other objects, the shooter will have no option except to leave. By teaching students to fight back they are empowered and need not live in fear.
 * Pros of fighting back **

When students are taught to fight back it gives them the wrong impression that that they have the power to stop a shooter. They have neither the training nor the ability to stop bullets and the idea that throwing canned goods and other classroom materials will catch a shooter off guard, enough to dissuade them, does not make sense. All it will do is antagonize. Once a shooter is antagonized it is much more likely that they will shoot in retaliation. Fighting back only encourages students to make themselves a target when that should not be an option. Even if all students are involved in fighting back in order to distract a shooter, there is bound to be some that will be shot. It is not the student’s responsibility to take down a shooter and in no way can they all be trained for it to be effective. Let’s empower students by teaching them to know when and how to flee, how to effectively hide and how to barricade. In this way students know how to keep themselves safe and do not have the constant symbol of fear that canned goods, taking up valuable space in the classroom, will have.
 * Cons of fighting back **

An almond-shaped mass of gray matter in the front part of the temporal lobe of the cerebrum that is part of the limbic system and is involved in the processing and expression of emotions, especially anger and fear.
 * Assignment #5 **
 * amygdala definition **

I was on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo when I experienced the worst turbulence to date. It went on for what felt like forever. I could hear panicked cries. I was certainly feeling shaky. But then the turbulence became worse and we were being jolted every which way, I could hear children crying, devices and blankets and bags were going everywhere and a woman starting screaming, which seemed to start other screams. She somehow released herself from her seatbelt and started flailing around the cabin. Two cabin attendants tried to get to her because she was hurting the people near her. One of them hit her head on the roof so the other attendant was trying to hold them both down. The woman must have knocked herself out because she went still on the floor and passengers in the aisle were trying to hold her down as much as their seat belts would let them. When thinking about what happened, I realize that fear must have ‘hijacked’ the passenger’s brain, leading her to release the seatbelt that, logically, was keeping her, and the other passengers around her, safe. There were cries and panicked noises up until the time she started screaming and stood up, but after that the volume of the cries and screams increased significantly. It seemed that hearing and watching someone else exhibit such panic and fear, switched many others into losing control too.
 * Describe a time when you saw someone's brain get "Hijacked" by their Amygdala. **
 * Then, write a brief (250 word+ or -) report describing what you observed or experienced. **

The idea that non-verbal body language can govern how other people think was not new to me, but the idea that our non-verbal body language could govern how we think about ourselves and the possibility that our bodies can change our minds motivates me in wanting to try the power stances for myself. In the last few days I have been reflecting upon my own body language and feelings, and trying to be aware of when I am projecting confident and less-confident stances. Amy Cuddy briefly spoke of gender differences and I believe that I default to the typical female body language when I meet with the school’s leadership team, who are predominately male. I have since been taking two minutes with the ‘Wonder Woman’ pose before attending a meeting. It’s too early to tell but I do enter a meeting more aware of feeling confident than I ever have before. Amy Cuddy’s line, “fake it till you become it,” resonated with me, so I will definitely continue. I find the science of raising levels of testosterone and lowering the stress hormone, cortisol by assuming a powerful stance for at least two minutes, remarkable. I can understand why this is a talk that should be shared as it could make a difference in how people think of themselves. I’ve since shared it with family and friends. The talk was a good reminder to be aware of other people’s body language as they can be saying more with their non-verbal language as their spoken and being collaborative means taking note of these instances.
 * Then, write a brief (250 word+ or -) report describing what you observed or experienced. **

**What is a conflict?** Conflict is when people disagree. Depending on how strongly someone feels or believes in the cause of the conflict, it can affect the intensity and response.
 * Assignment #6 **

**What is conflict resolution?** (Texts, Web and personal observations are permitted.) From the website ‘Community Tool Box: Conflict resolution is a way for two or more parties to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement among them. The disagreement may be personal, financial, political, or emotional. []

People show conflict in different ways - passive aggressiveness, aggressive outbursts and crying. There are probably more ways that I should be aware. Conflict resolution can be difficult because it often means that the problem needs to be dealt with and not ignored and this can make people uncomfortable. Recognizing there is a conflict, being calm, especially when emotions are high is important for the conflict not to escalate. Conflict needs to be resolved for people to move forward. It requires being able to communicate with clarity, being able to listen to someone else’s thoughts and feelings and be able to empathize with them. It means compromising when finding solutions to the conflict so that the people involved can move on.

The school had been through a few years of upheaval due to many changes in leadership in a short amount of time, the country going through a revolution and the school’s community being in survival mode rather than a proactive mode of operating. Many of the teachers had been through trying times. The school had begun the process of rebuilding curricula development. A new curriculum coordinator post was created for the division to support curriculum and teachers. Vertical teams made curriculum decisions that resulted, for some grade levels, in many changes in their year overviews and would require designing new units. About two months into the school year, I was meeting with a grade level team, four teachers and myself, and the agenda was to dialogue reflections as a unit had just finished. We were doing a round robin when one of the teachers angrily shared how upset they were with the changes, how she didn’t feel valued as nothing was the same as what she had had for many years, how disrespected she felt, how stressed she was feeling and how much time she was putting in to her work that her family never saw her till late at night. She started crying at the same time as trying to speak and banging the table. At the same time, another teacher tried to speak over the top of her to tell her that she was being ridiculously emotional and that it was her choice to be away from her family. He said he was embarrassed that she was behaving this way. Another teacher sat with her head down, not looking at anyone and the fourth teacher tried hugging the teacher who was crying but was being brushed off. Within a short amount of time the outburst had escalated to the point that one teacher was shouting at me, another was yelling at the first teacher, one teacher had shut down and another was trying to make peace. The amygdala in the two teachers yelling had taken a fight response, the amygdala in the teacher who had shut herself off had taken a flight/hide response. The teacher who was attempting to console the first teacher was trying to stop the conflict by consoling the person that it originated with. The intensity of emotion was high while accusations were being made. It was difficult to remain calm. It took the lights being turned off and on for everyone to stop and sit back down. It took many minutes of quiet time to calm down before beginning to think about how to resolve the conflict.
 * Analyze one conflict that you have observed or participated in in terms of a "Hijacked Brain". This would be a conflict that started and escalated because of an emotional engagement. **
 * Describe what happened in the conflict, Who was involved in the conflict, and how the emotional engagement of the Amygdala were all working to hinder the conflict. **

My thoughts are that while the amygdala is engaged it is difficult to be logical, to consider others and to know what you are saying, let alone what someone else is saying. It’s hard to be rational when your heart rate is high, blood is pumping in your ears and you are gripped in the moment. From my perspective it is exhausting to sustain a high level of emotion for long periods so I think that there is always the possibility for conflict resolution, once a person comes down from the emotional height. I think giving a person a chance to express themselves without interruption allows them to say what they need to say and because they are being listened to, the high emotion decreases. Rather than interrupting or being defensive which can fuel emotion. A defensive body posture can trigger anger so making sure to maintain an open posture and calm facial expression is important so the person can get to a place where resolution can begin. I also believe that a conflict doesn’t have to be resolved immediately. So giving an angry person a chance to talk while listening to best understand the problem is a good start. I have seen a few times when all it has taken is for the person to feel really listened to and acknowledged to be enough to resolve a conflict.
 * Question: Do the involvement of emotions and the Amygdala always hinder conflict resolution? **

// When you focus on the agenda, we are highly efficient, and I am pleased. // This got a great response and the teacher pays careful attention to the agenda items, rather than going off topic.
 * Assignment #7 **

// When you listen to your colleagues, we have effective dialogue, and I am excited. // This statement got a flat response from the teacher. Will try again when I see the behavior.

// When you mutter under your breath while I am speaking, other people hear it, and I am embarrassed. // For being a negative ‘I’ message, this went very well when I used it. I made sure we were alone so I didn’t embarrass the teacher. The result has been no negative muttering.

Gigi, when you borrow or go through my things without asking, it invades our privacy, and I am upset. Gigi, when you ask to borrow things, it respects our privacy, and I am comfortable.
 * “I message” to Gigi **


 * Assignment #8 **
 * Use that information to develop a contract with a real life student. **

CONTRACT I _ agree to…

Will not get to play with a ball.
Will continue to have to walk with the teacher.

** Do describe the behavior issues that you are working to change. **
This is an example of a child’s behavior in the past.

The kindergarten classrooms are located across the street from the main campus. When the students go to recess and specials, they have to cross a moderately busy road that has a pedestrian crossing and no traffic light. Taking twenty students across the road safely is the priority so the routine that has been put in place is to line up before crossing the road, hands must be raised while crossing to make the children taller, therefore more easily seen, and students keep walking without stopping until they get to the school’s gate. The behavior contract is for a student who pushes, pinches, trips and threatens others to be the first in line and the first to the gate. He would also do this while crossing the road. The student had just begun learning English. The reason for the behavior became apparent after many attempts to redirect and understand his behavior. He wanted to get to the balls on the playground before they were all taken.

After realizing why the child was behaving the way he was, we needed to address his need for always getting a ball for recess. He was observed to see how and if he was making friends on the playground and if he had any other games in his recess repertoire. Observations showed that having ‘ownership’ of the ball meant that he automatically had students wanting to play with him and he could direct the play. If he didn’t have a ball he chose to sit for the entire recess and no students would interact with him. We introduced all the students to the ‘Friendship Stop’ where students could go if they were looking for someone to play with. He was also taught some sentence frames to ask to play with other children. We also bought more games and equipment and showed the students how to play them. We demonstrated how to share and take turns with the balls…so there is no ‘owner’ of the ball.

Advantages may be: 1. When teachers, parents and students work together it a highly collaborative and successful relationship. We are all there to educate. 2. If the behavior is happening at home, then the parents have the support of school. 3. The school is being transparent to the parents by keeping them informed. 4. It gives the student a strong message of support for the behavior change.
 * In your discussion think about the advantages and disadvantages of having parents sign off on behavior contracts with students. **

Disadvantages may be: 1. A parent disagrees with the contract or does not think the behavior is a problem. 2. The family may value that the child is looking out for himself and/or doing what it takes to get what he wants. 3. Parents believe that what happens at school should stay at school and not ‘effect’ home. 4. Parents do not speak English so have difficulty understanding what the contract is about. 5. May be highly embarrassed that their child is on a behavior contract and harshly discipline. 6. Parents think that the child is being unfairly singled out and other students will make fun at their child. 7. Parents believe that the teacher has no management strategies. 8. Contracts get ‘lost’ between home and school and the parent finds it hard to keep track of it. The routine becomes a chore for the parent to make sure the contract is regularly signed and disagreements occur at home because of this.

The above disadvantages could undermine the contract, making it worthless in the student’s eyes, and leading to the same behavior continuing.

Extrinsic motivation has rewards and consequences. Rewards are given as the student demonstrates the change in behavior and consequences are given when they do not meet the agreed behavior standard. This way of motivating relies on the teacher being in control. Intrinsic motivation is different as it asks students to develop internal motivation for appropriate behaviors and learning. The classroom environment and relationships are built to support students’ feelings of security and this motivates them to comply. The behavior contract with the reward attached would be classified as extrinsic motivation. I can see that this would have short-term benefits but I don’t think that the contract alone will change the behavior. Getting to know the student, how they think and feel so that the teacher-student relationship strengthens and the teacher can identify the intrinsic motivational support needed for the child to change behavior, would have long-term behavior change. If the aim is for student self efficacy, then it seems that using extrinsic motivation only, which is teacher controlled, will not get them to develop self control and independence. I wonder if a carefully thought out combination of both would support student motivation.
 * Think about the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. **

In a short 200 word (+-) tell if you agree or disagree with your Personality Profile from the test you took. Are you a People Person, a Practical Manager, a Learned Expert, or a Creative Problem Solver? The personality profile test placed me almost equally in both the Practical Manager and Learned Expert. The other two personality profiles, People Person and Creative Problem Solver, were also close in number but at much lower numbers. On the whole I agree with the results though there are parts within each of the profiles that do not fit, such as sarcasm and being an excellent debater in Learned Expert. I am inclined to agree with the ‘Prototypes’ article that, “All of us possess different degrees of personality traits…” This means to me that it’s possible to have a mix of each of the personality traits and some of the profiles more than others within the trait. I agree that the more we understand a student’s personality, the better our relationships with them and the more we understand how to support and teach. The learning environment and curriculum should cater to a range of students, not just one.
 * Assignment #9 **

Both Derrick and Homer did not conform to the norm of their families, though their siblings did. Derrick and Homer had seeds that were brought to life by being nurtured by the family and influential individuals. Derrick had the seed of hate planted by his father’s racism and Homer had the seed of wanting something different in life, I believe, by his mother being aware of a life outside of their town. Both characters wanted and responded to their father’s pride in them. Derrick’s father nurtured the seed of hate by telling his son at the dinner table that he was proud of him after Derrick agreed to think about his racist perspective. Homer’s father expressed pride in his son when he worked well in the mines and this seemed to bring them closer together.
 * Assignment #10 **
 * After watching the movie compare and contrast that film with the film American History X. Use specific examples from each of the two movies to explain. **
 * 1. The role of nurture by the families of the two main characters, Derrick and Homer. **

** 2. The role of the mother in the development of each of the two main characters Derrick and Homer. ** Derrick and Homer’s mothers loved their sons, however they played different roles in their son’s lives. Derrick’s mother could not understand him as she did not support or share Derrick’s racist beliefs while Homer’s mother actively supported and understood his dream of rocket design which would lead him away from being a coalminer. Derrick’s mother Doris was not a particularly strong person and was reluctant to say anything in opposition of her son’s racist beliefs, even though she did not agree. The scene where the family and Murray are at the lunch table and the conversation turns to the riots, she did not voice her opinions instead she deflected in asking Murray what his opinions were. When Derrick became increasingly racist (emotionally hijacked) she then tried to assume a peace making role but was ineffective at this because essentially she did not have a strong enough the relationship with her son to influence or change his thinking. Her role seemed to continue to spark Derrick’s hate and anger as he told her that she disgusted him. Homer’s mother played an encouraging role in his life. She supported Homer’s interest in rockets by allowing him to use the basement, arranging for a signed photograph of Von Braun to continue Homer’s interest, and when Homer has his exhibit stolen, gives her husband no alternative but to help make sure that Homer gets the parts he needs for the rocket. She understood the need Homer had to not follow in his father’s footsteps of working in the coalmine and found ways to quietly support.

** 3. The role of the teacher Murray in Derrick’s life and the role of Miss Reilly in Homer’s life. ** Miss Reilly’s role was to encourage Homer’s potential, while Murray’s role was to consider Derrick as a lost cause. Many times throughout the movie Miss Reilly actively encouraged Homer to pursue his dream of launching a rocket. She acted as a buffer between the principal and Homer, she gave Homer a scientific book about the principles of missile design so he could learn how to improve his rocket, and at a crucial time, when he had given up his dream, encouraged him to think about what he really wanted to do with his life. Murray’s role was to give Derrick a platform to express his anger, hate and racism as they had such opposing beliefs. After the scene at the lunch table, Murray told Doris that Derrick was gone, letting Doris know that he thought Derrick was a lost cause. Miss Reilly didn’t give up on Homer, whereas Murray did with Derrick.

** 4. The role of the two principals in the lives of Derrick and Homer. **

Sweeney’s role was in supporting Derrick’s change in beliefs and thinking whereas Turners role was to maintain the status quo belief that Coalwood students either became coal workers or footballers. Sweeney became a very influential role model while he was visiting Derrick in the prison infirmary, after Derrick had been raped. This was a turning point as Sweeney helped Derrick realize that everything he had done was because he was so angry. The moment when Sweeney encouraged him to ask himself the question, “Has anything you’ve done made your life better?” Derrick was silent, wept a little and asked Sweeney for help. Derrick read the books Sweeney sent and agreed, when Sweeney asked him, to talk to boys at the D.O.C. to help influence them to not support the leader, Cameron. Principal Turner’s role, on the other hand, was to not encourage Homer’s rocket launching ideas for the science fair. He called the rocket a weapon and a dangerous device, while letting Homer know that he had his eye on him in an intimidating manner. Later in the movie, Turners beliefs are articulated when he tells Miss Reilly that she is there to give kids education, not false hopes and that they are lucky if they get out on a football scholarship, not by any other means.

Derrick and Homer’s communities both nurtured them at different times of their lives. Derrick’s community, Venice Beach, at one time had been a quiet neighborhood with families similar to his living there. Over time it had changed with many different ethnicities moving in who formed micro communities, including gangs. After his father was killed by a black man, Derrick helped Cameron form a white supremacist gang (D.O.C.) by recruiting young impressionable kids. Racist speeches were encouraged and praised and as Derrick mainly associated with his gang and Cameron, this environment nurtured his hate even more. The community of Coalwood was owned by the coal mining company, so all its citizens either worked in the mine or provided services for the small community. The expectation for a kid like Homer was to become a coal miner or go to College on a football scholarship. At first, members of the community would tease him as he was doing something completely different by becoming exceedingly interested in rocket launching. As his friends and him improved their launches and asked for help, the community members encouraged by providing knowledge, materials, cheering them on at launch days and when they won the science fair. Homer had the nurturing support of his community.
 * 5. The role of the community in the lives of Derrick and Homer. **