Classroom325

Classroom 325 Learning & Leading in a Bronx High School By Julie Nariman

  • Great with numbers
    by Julie Nariman on July 1, 2023 at 3:20 pm

    Zulma* and I sat at a round table in my office. The principal’s office– I assured her she wasn’t in trouble. She had just turned 17. She looked dull. Resigned.  Our journey with Zulma started two years ago in January when my assistant principal and I drove to the West Bronx on a quest to … Continue reading Great with numbers

  • 7 Red Flags
    by Julie Nariman on May 5, 2023 at 1:05 am

    So we’re in the season of wanting– Spring is the hiring season for schools.  Last year around this time, I found myself wanting to hire a certain teacher candidate after I saw his resume. He was dual-certified in two subjects that we needed, and he coached track, which we also needed. He spoke French, Spanish. … Continue reading 7 Red Flags

  • Hanging out
    by Julie Nariman on February 5, 2023 at 9:30 pm

    The other day, I found two boys hanging out in a small alcove in front of our school health clinic. I can always relate when I see kids hanging out and not wanting to be bothered– as a teenager, this was all I wanted. But now is now, and I have a job to do. … Continue reading Hanging out

  • Taking a risk
    by Julie Nariman on August 13, 2022 at 12:25 pm

    In the last unit of 12th grade English, our students write “100-word stories,” modeled after the New York Times column “Modern Love Stories.” At the end of the unit, each student submits their best story to the New York Times.  This year, one of our students, Oumou Sow, was published by the Times. Her piece … Continue reading Taking a risk

  • Why I write this blog
    by Julie Nariman on July 29, 2022 at 5:30 pm

    Years ago when I started this blog, a colleague asked me why I was writing it. She didn’t understand and for some reason, I felt embarrassed explaining. She kept asking, “But why?” and I kept giving reasons that were like bland, mushy oatmeal: “I like writing”, “It’s just a thing I want to try.” It … Continue reading Why I write this blog

  • Graduation Day
    by Julie Nariman on July 19, 2022 at 10:58 am

    Delivering their speeches, the class of 2022 shined particularly bright at this year’s graduation.  Elira,* the class president from Albania, talked about “The breakfast club,” when her math teacher would open the classroom early and chat with the students over school muffins and yogurt.  Adam from Yemen joked about meeting “my first bald teacher,” who … Continue reading Graduation Day

  • Showing skin
    by Julie Nariman on June 23, 2022 at 9:32 pm

    In a diverse high school like ours, students’ clothing can fall at two ends of the spectrum: revealing, or very conservative. Students from Dominican Republic might see a crop top as normal school wear, while a student from Yemen might see a female’s bare arms or hair as taboo. It’s an interesting balance.  When I … Continue reading Showing skin

  • Makeda from Panama
    by Julie Nariman on June 9, 2022 at 10:04 pm

    As a principal, I usually operate with generosity. That doesn’t mean my mind isn’t stingy. A student can enter the school system at any point in the year, September to June. As a Bronx public high school for newcomer immigrants, we take kids in at any time, no matter when they arrive. About half of … Continue reading Makeda from Panama

  • A job I won’t delegate
    by Julie Nariman on March 11, 2022 at 11:09 am

    At our school this year, we do a “grab and go ” lunch in which students can grab a packaged hot lunch and take it home, or eat it in a classroom. We did this to avoid using the cafeteria due to COVID. To make sure students don’t get hungry earlier in the day, we … Continue reading A job I won’t delegate

  • A bird in the room
    by Julie Nariman on July 25, 2021 at 9:53 pm

    It’s been a quiet year to work in a school building: 10 or fewer kids per class seated six feet apart, wearing masks, while the other 2/3 of our students did remote learning from home. No more interruptions or discipline problems. I felt almost like I had an office job, hopping onto Zoom meetings and … Continue reading A bird in the room