Initial Interview - Student Date of Interview: Thursday, 11/30/06 Time of Interview: 6:00 – 6:30 pm Location: Paul Public Charter School, Library Subject Name: Micah Interviewer: Nichole Interview Questions Part I – Biographical 1) Tell me three words that describe you 2) Where do you live? 3) Tell me about your family 4) Do you have a computer at home? 5) Tell me about your neighborhood 6) Where do you go to school? Please describe. 7) Tell me about your teachers? Do you feel supported and understood? 8) Do you have a favorite subject? 9) Do you do well in school? How so? How were your grades? 10) Is there anything you would want to change about your school? Your teachers? Part II - Programmatic 11) Have you ever been in a program like this before? If so, tell me about it. 12) Tell me about the Higher Achievement Program 13) Why did you want to participate? 14) Do you think there are any benefits to being in the Higher Achievement program? 15) What have you learned so far? 16) Describe the HAP “Culture”. What do you think of the Culture Constitution? 17) Tell me about Ms. Aishah and Ms. Andrea? What kind of expectations do they have? 18) Tell me about your mentors? Do you feel that they and the staff are supportive? 19) Describe the perfect mentor 20) Do you think that gender makes a difference? What about race? 21) Do you know what you want to do when you get older? Future goals/plans? Description of Setting (See previous descriptions of the library) Micah is a 6th grade student from Nigeria. He has been in the country for 2 years now, and seems to be adapting well. He is a good student and is well-liked by his peers. He is average height for his age, with a slim build and a beautiful dark chocolate complexion. He wears his hair short, cropped closely to his head so only a light dusting of hair remains. He has a delightful sense of humor and can often be found joking around with his friends (at time inappropriately). Overall, though, he is well-behaved and offers respect and interest to both studio teachers and his mentors. He attends St. Gabriel’s, a private school in DC. Tonight he is wearing the usual St. Gabriel uniform of blue slacks, a light blue button down shirt, a blue tie, and black shoes. He looks well-kept and neat. Micah has only been in the country for 2 years but speaks English well with only a mild accent. He is an intelligent, confident little boy who aspires to be a movie star or a scientist. Interview Transcription N: Ok, so first I want you to tell me about yourself. So, let’s start with….tell me three words that describe you. M: Fabulous, fantastic, and incredible…yeah N: Incredible huh? M: ..and amazing! N: Which one incredible or amazing? M: (pauses) Amazing. N: Ok. Um. Tell me about your family. Like who do you live with? Who’s at your house and stuff like that M: I live with my mom and dad N: Do you have any brothers and sisters? M: Yeah N: How many brothers and sisters and how old are they? M: Two brothers…One is ….11…yeah 11 years old…and one is 2 years old. N: Ok. M: And my sister is….I think…is 13 or 14 N: You don’t know how old your sister is? (laughing) M: Or 15 N: She’s 13. 14 or 15? Imma tell her that you don’t know how old she is! (laughing) Ok. So what do your parents do? Do you know where they work? M: Um. My dad works for Western Union. N: for Western Union? M: Yeah N: Ok, and what about your mom M: My dad works for like a physical therapist N: A physical therapist…ok M: Mom, she’s about to start a new job. She’s like decorating beads...like… N: Decorating beads? M: Like jewelry N: Oh jewelry, ok. So she makes jewelry M: No…she makes beads…you know beads? N: Um hm On clothes and stuff? M: Yes. No, for the chain like necklace? Put beads on that N: Ok. So does your dad work for the physical therapist or is he actually a physical therapist? M: No, he IS… N: He is a physical therapist M: Some people work for him and sometimes he works for some people and they pay him N: Do you live in DC? M: Yes N: What part of DC do you live in? M: I live in Eastern Avenue N: Oh, near Eastern Market? Is that the same thing M: No. Close to Maryland. This is Eastern Avenue, this is the line, and then this is Giant because Giant is in Maryland. If I just move like…up the road is Maryland. N: Ok. Do you have a computer at home? M: Yes N: And where do you go to school? M: St. Gabriel N: St. Gabriel. Tell me about St. Gabriel. M: The school is Catholic, and I’m new there. N: It’s a Catholic school. So this is your first year? M: Yes N: Where did you go before there? M: CAPS N: You went to CAPS? Ok. That’s where Thomas goes right? M: Yeah. N: Ok. So tell me about St. Gabriel M: At St. Gabriel… (I put the recorder closer to him on the table and he picks it up and holds it close to his mouth like a microphone. I chuckle). We pray every morning and say the …the… N: Pledge of Allegiance? (3:11) M: Yeah. The Pledge of Allegiance. We have the Hundred Book Challenge. We have to read 100 books…Hundred Book Challenge Book. It has to be a white level, black level, orange level, purple or brown… N: Which is the highest one of those? Is brown the highest? M: Yeah. Brown is the highest for our class. Like, in 5th grade they probably got Green level and we don’t have that …or red. N: I thought…you’re in 6th grade? M: Yeah…I said that 5th grade they probably have like green or red N: I thought you WERE in 5th grade, but you’re in 6th grade M: Yeah N: Ok. Go ahead… M: And…and we have 100 book challenge I told you. And so and (he looks at the recorder) N: Are the numbers still going up? M: Yes. N: Ok. Go ahead M: Yeah so we just pray every…every…after every …after when we’re about to leave. N: Ok. M: And we have half day every Friday. N: Every Friday? Do you like…um… St. Gabriel’s? M: Yeah N: You do? M: Yeah N: Tell me about your teachers M: The teachers…I have math teacher…I switched classes…Social studies, religion, science, and language arts and reading. N: ok. M: Those are my subjects. N: Ok. So you have science, math, language arts, religion and reading. So tell me about your teachers in those classes M: They’re nice N: Do you have mostly white or black teachers? M: Hmm? (surprised at the question) N: Do you have mostly white teachers or black teachers? M: I have two teachers…hmm…yeah…Two teachers like…like we have one two teachers and they take two subjects…in the middle school but it’s only in the middle school, but there’s an elementary school. I have two white teachers and one black teachers, but I have three special teachers…yes …four black special teachers and like everybody…we have specials every day except for Friday. Monday we have art. Tuesday we have computer. Wednesday we have PE. Thursday we have…. N: Music? M: No music. We have music after recess N: You have recess every day? M: Yes, but not Friday N: Do you like the school building you’re in? M: Yes. N: It’s a nice building (he nods). Ok. Do you have a favorite subject? M: No, wait. The school building is not so nice. N: It’s not nice M: It is like it’s halfway N: It’s kind of in the middle? M: Yeah N: What’s not nice about it? M: I don’t know N: What could be better? If you could improve anything about your school what would it be? M: Um. Have a grass. Have a basketball court outside N: Outside. Do they have anyplace for you to play? M: Yeah. N: What do you have? M: We have like a ?? football for recess and girls jump rope and some girls just suck for recess. N: Is that on asphalt or something or is it grass? Or what? Do they have a grassy area or field? M: No N: They don’t have a lot of room for stuff that in DC unfortunately (6:45) M: Oh N: So, how do you do in school? What did you get on your report card? M: I forgot (I gasp) But I know what I got on my progress report. N: What’d you get on your progress report? M: I got …one A…no no…One A…and A for…Two A’s and four D’s N: Four D’s!? M: I mean B’s!! (laughing) N: Oh! (laughing) That’s a big difference! M: I keep on getting them confused. Cause I told everybody I got two A’s and four D’s, then they say “Dang!” ( I laugh), so I was like “Dang, that’s a good thing!” Then I found out it was a bad thing. (I laugh) and they thought I said D. They thought I said D cause D sound like B. N: So what did you get your two A’s in? M: Math and…Math is my favorite subject…math and…math and …Reading, yeah! N: Ok good! That’s a good progress report. I want you to go home and look at your report card and tell me what you got when I see you next week M: I don’t have my report card. I gave my report card to Ms. Aishah. N: Oh. Ok. Well does she give em back? M: No. I could ask…I think my teacher will give me another copy. N: Ok. So you said that the only thing you would change about your school is someplace to play. M: Not the only thing. N: Ok, what else? M: I would put more experiments for science… N: Ok… M: A little bit less of homework every day N: Yeah I felt your book bag one day. It was pretty heavy. What about your teachers? Is there anything that you would change about your teachers? M: I think the teachers should be more kinder and I’ll change subjects about the students and the teachers my PE teacher…cause the students in my schools, some of the them are always making noise in PE so my PE teachers waits like for 5 minutes for those kids to be quiet ( he moves away from the mike and I motion him forward ‘Sorry!’) (9:00) N: So you wish some of the other students wouldn’t talk so much? M: Yeah. No I wish my PE teacher should put some of them away cause they’re holding up the whole class. AND in other classes, especially music and PE, but…cause I had music today. N: And the students were talking during the music class? M: Yeah…not everybody, but we didn’t get to do what the music teacher had on his mind. We only just sang…we didn’t sing Joyful Joyful, which is a song that we’re doing for our program…Christmas program.. N: So is that the only thing you would change about your teachers? That they would put those students that talk to much…that they would send them out of the classroom? M: Yes. They do do that, but they need to have less mercy. N: Less mercy. Ok. So do you get along well with al your teachers? M: Yeah. N: Do you feel comfortable at school, like your teachers respect you and have high expectations of you? M: Yes N: Yes? Ok. So let’s talk about your after school program, Higher Achievement. Have you ever been in an after school program before? M: (he thinks about it as if he is trying to understand the words. He repeats the question) No. This is my first year. I mean this I my very first year ??? but this is Daniel and Marcus’s first year. N: So all four of you this is your first time in here M: No, this is my first time N: So this is your second year M: No N: So this is your first year in Higher Achievement M: No N: This is your second year in Higher Achievement M: No. I think it’s four…no no! Not four like that N: Fourth grade? M: No…summer yeah N: You started summer after fourth grade? M: Yeah…after N: So this is your second year. Ok. So tell me about the Higher Achievement program in your own words. (11:08) M: Last year we had more fun N: Last year you had more fun? M: Yeah. This year in the beginning of the HA year, we have…we are not aloud to eat cause more people came in and started making noise. Cause last year we eat like e’ry time. And we allowed to play games on computer when we were done with our homework on the computer. N: Last year you were able to do that? M: Yes. Like if we’re like doing our homework on computer, when we’re done we can do something like…I forgot the name of that thing…like you have to fill out a form about yourself…. N: Ok…what else…about Higher Achievement? Why do you think you are here? M: To learn… N: To learn what… M: To learn math, technology, and English N: Do you feel like you’re learning anything? M: Yes. Cause …cause ??? they taught me that in the summer and now they’re teaching me that in my class now. So I’m one step ahead. But Samantha is in my class too. And Jane goes to HAP. They’re in HA too. N: So you feel that because you go to HA you’re ahead in your classes M: Yeah N: So do you feel like there are any other benefits to being in HA (12:44) M: No N: No? M: You don’t have to be that smart N: It’s a good thing or a bad thing M: It’s a good thing that you’re smart. Some people think it’s a bad thing N: Some people think it’s a bad thing to be smart? M: Yeah N: Here or at school M: At school here N: At school and here? M: yeah N: Yeah? M: (can’t understand) Like in a test you get F’s N: So they think that’s a good thing? M: No. They think getting all A’s is a good…is a bad thing. They call people geeks and nerds N: Really? They do that here too? M: No N: Just at school? M: Yeah sometimes in school, cause one day he got like the hardest question right and another boy said “You’re so perfect” and he was like “You’re so perfect and that’s a bad thing” He said that was bad. N: Do you ever feel like you don’t want to do well because you’re gonna get teased? M: No. I want to do well. So I can have a (can’t understand) N: So you can have a what? M: (still can’t understand) but that’s not…like if you do well you can have a movie night. You could have a pizza party last year and then you eat pizza and take soda upstairs in one of the rooms upstairs. N: Really? Last year in Higher Achievement? M: Yeah…You watched TV or movies N: Are they doing that this year? M: I don’t know. She said she think she’s gonna change it N: Oh. Did she say why she was gonna change it? M: No. I think she’s gonna change it because like…some people was here last year…I guess but I think…some people from last year, they think it’s getting old. They did it other times… N: So she wants to mix it up a little bit and do things differently? M: Yeah. I think. N: So I hear a lot of people talk about the Higher Achievement culture. What do they mean when they talk about the Higher Achievement culture? (15:08) M: Well…we made it last year. N: You did? M: Yeah. It’s like what we have to do in Higher Achievement. Last year we don’t read it every day. So now it’s like more and wasting of time…wasting time. It’s like a culture, tradition…(noise in background…can’t understand) N: So why do you think they have you read it every day? M: (clears throat) To remember. I think they should only have people new, cause last year people already remember. N: Right right…ok…but how can they do that? So you think only the new people should stand up? M: No N: Just…How do you think they should do that? M: I think they should do that…everybody stand up…but like…they...they…nevermind…I think that we all have to say it (laughing) (16:23) N: So what do you think of the Culture Constitution? What do you think of that? M: It’s good because we have competition. It’s like a competition. And so people wanna do good things…it change their mind to do bad things so they can win sumthin. N: So they’ll do good things instead of bad things so they can win the prizes? M: Yeah N: Do you think that anybody carries that from here out into school and stuff? The lessons? M: The lessons? N: Like…what are some of the things on the… M: Bill of rights? N: No, what are some of the things on the Culture Constitution? Like um M: We are proud and confident in our abilities, We are leaders, we are proactive leaders…yeah N: So do you think Higher Achievement is helping you guys to do those things? M: Yeah..when I said that people mostly do it for the N: …prizes? M: yeah…but I don’t do it for mostly the prizes. N: Why do you do it? M: Because I could like…lead to…lead to…example for myself so I can then do it in school N: Do you do it in school too? M: Yeah N: Cause you got uh…you won one didn’t you. You had a lot of them M: Yeah…I was the first one to win it in sixth grade and fifth grade. And this year I was the first person too. I think I’m going to be the first person to win… N: In seventh grade too! M: Yeah N: (chuckling) You are setting an example aren’t you? Ok umm…tell me about Ms. Aishah and Ms. Andrea (18:08) M: Um I don’t know much about Ms. Andrea but I know about Ms. Aishah cause Mr. Eric was the old…was the old… N: uh…Assistant Director? M: Yeah Assistant Director. So Ms. Aishah…she like…she like…she like…helps us with our homework, and she…if she got to ?? under control, she can call someone else. That’s why she needs an assistant. But Mr. Eric had another job. He told us he was about to go for a spy job, but he said it was too chaos. (laughter) That is true, I’m not lying that is true. He said he was watching people and he said it was too chaos…like it was too crazy, so he didn’t want to do it. So I think he’s a teacher or something. N: Ok. So did you like Mr. Eric M: Yeah. He was fun too. N: He was fun? Is Ms. Aishah fun? M: Yes. Both of them are fun. Sometimes like they put fun to everything. Like if they want to make something fun. Like if we are doing like…doing homework, we can play on the computers if we do our homework. We have to focus. N: So they do stuff to give you incentive to want to finish your homework M: No N: No? M: It’s like that but they don’t do it every time because some people don’t like to do it but some other people are bad. (coughing) They are bad so Ms Aishah just says that. She probably knows that they’re probably not gonna finish they’re homework. They’re probably gonna finish it when homework time is finished if they use the computer. N: Ok. So uummm…Do you feel like when you’re in Higher Achievement that it’s a supportive…what do you think that they expect of you at Higher Achievement? M: Hm? N: What do you think they expect of you here? M: They expect of me to be smart. They expect me to get A’s. Cause they help me. And I would let them down if we are doing bad. N: Ok. Tell me about your mentors M: Hm? N: Your mentors? M: Mr. Gross, Mr. Jon and Mr. Eric N: Mr. Jon…Jonathan C? (20:54) M: Mr. yeah…Mr. Jonathan…the one with the hair. N: Right M: Mr.Gross…Mr…I forgot…Mr. Gross…his other name is Mr. Lundy or something like that… Mr. Jonathan…Mr. Jon and Mr. Eric. N: Ok…so, what do you learn when you’re in your mentoring sessions with them? M: Mr. Gross…I learn…math…yeah he’s a little bit shaky…but he knows math. N: Ok. How is he shaky? M: I mean that…. N: You mean his teaching? M: No N: No? M: I mean sometimes I don’t get what he says… N: Oh ok M: But…yeah sometimes I don’t get it and sometimes Cheyenne doesn’t get what he says too… N: What makes you not get what he says? M: Cause…he’s….cause he use…hard words….something like that…too much. I don’t think he use too much description N: Ok. So he could break it down a little bit better so you can understand it? M: Yeah. I be trying to tell him to put more description and he does put more description…yeah description N: So you feel that when you ask him to do that he listens to you? And tries to do it? M: Yeah N: Ok. What about Mr. Jon and Mr. Eric? (22:28) M: Mr. Jon is real fun. Yeah. Yeah. We always read and we read…we did creative writing. He let’s us do stuff like…. If we did good he could let us play games with the next…other group in the same room (adjusted the mic)... Cause we’re upstairs…yeah so… N: So, if you think about the teachers that you like and the mentors that you like…tell me what qualities would make the perfect mentor. M: Oh, To be more fun…and…to be like Mr. Eric…he bought us rockets. N: He bought you rockets? Oh! I remember I saw you launching it. Ok. So they would bring you toys? M: No! Not only toys! (laughing) Cause he does technology…like… experiments. N: Oh M: Right… cause at the end of the year he will have a remote control rocket that will fly…me and Gerald and Cheyenne will try to fly it…yeah N: So he brings stuff that relates to the lesson… M: (Sounding excited) and…and we play Battleship N: You play Battleship with Mr. Eric? M: Yeah. Do you know how to play? N: Yeah M: We had to just…We’re gonna play…I think we’re gonna play today again. (23:56) N: On the computer? M: Yeah N: Oh ok. So he teaches you technology? M: Yeah. Cause No..he was teaches us PowerPoint….how to use Powerpoint… But some people already know how to do that. N: Ok. So fun…and brings you stuff that relates to the lesson. Is there anything else that would make a perfect mentor? M: Umm…giving us food? (laughter) N: What about related to actually teaching you stuff? M: Ummm…Cake? (laughing) The earth layers! The earth layers cake. (laughing) Like a cake…I think there’s math…number one plus a number one and number two cake. N: So you like cake huh? M: No. I like lemon cake. N: I like lemon. I think that’s the only cake I like. So do you feel like it makes a difference…the gender or the race of your mentor? M: Hm? N: Does it matter if they’re a man or a woman or if they’re black or white? M: I don’t care. N: You don’t care? Do you think it makes a difference in the way they are able to relate to you? M: No. I don’t care about it. N: Ok. Do you know what you want to do when you get older? When you grow up? M: Yeah N: What do you wanna do? M: I can’t tell you. N: You can tell me! Give me a little clue M: (Makes gesture) N: You want to make movies? M: Yeah N: Really? M: No. I wanna be a movie star. N: You want to be a movie star M: An actor N: Ok. M: No. And then…I wanna be a scientist N: Really? What kind of scientist? M: The scientist that makes robots and makes experiments. N: So like an engineer? Like a mechanical engineer would make a robot maybe… M: Well I was about to say another thing. N: What? M: Like invent stuff? Does a mechanical invent stuff? N: They can. There’s a ton of different scientist professions…science professions that would invent stuff. All kinds of engineers. Mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, marine…wait no… M: A marine is like a soldier…(26:11) N: I was gonna say marine science…um…but that would be more like a different engineer…ok…well alright! I think that’s about it. M: (can’t understand) N: Where is your family from? M: Nigeria N: Nigeria? And how old are you? You’re in the 6th grade, so you’re what, 11? M: No, I’m 10 N: You’re 10? When’s your birthday? M: October N: So you just turned ten! M: (grinning) Yes N: (laughing) M: Some other people just turned ten too. N: Huh M: In our class. Isaiah is Nigerian too. N: Is he? M: Eunice and Joshua, and Michael, and Ogecchi, and Ester is Isaiah’s big sister. She used to be in the 8th grade but she’s in High School now. Yeah. Natnael is not Nigerian N: No, he’s Ethiopian. M: (laughing) and Azazeal is Ehtiopian… N: Huh? M: (laughing) Azazeal is Ethiopian N: I think Ruth is too, isn’t she? M: No. She’s not Ethiopian. She’s from Africa, but she’s not Ethiopian. N: Is she Somalian? M: No. That’s Isaac’s big sister. N: And you said he’s from where? M: Isaac? I forgot. He’s from…Wait wait wait! Chedema and Ijama…they’re Ogecchi’s cousin’s so they’re from Africa N: Do you know where? M: Nigeria. N: Were you born there or did you and your family move here. Were you born here or there? M: Here N: You were born here? M: I stayed there in school until fourth grade. I did fifth grade here. N: You were born there? Or you were born here (28:03) M: Yeah I was born here N: And then you went back? M: Yeah. No look. I come back every summer and go back to school. And come back and go back. One day they said I’m not gonna go back. I’m just gonna stay here. N: Do you miss it? M: Um Yeah. N: Do you have friends that you go see? M: Yeah. I had friends in Kindergarden. N: I’m sure you go back to visit right? Just don’t go to school M: Yeah. I think I’m going there this summer or next summer. Next two, three summers. One summer to three summers. What is that… N: So the next one or two or three summers you’ll go back M: What summer? N: This coming summer? So you’re not gonna be in Higher Achievement. Were you in HA over the summer time? M: Yeah N: Yeah…But you’re not gonna be next summer cause you’re going to Nigeria? M: I think N: Ok…does your whole family go when you go. We can start walking back down now… Thank you sir! (29:07) 21