The Inner Core; Conversations from the Inner Core; A conversation with Harry Friedman

As part of a continuing series on the inner core of the city of Milwaukee will be airing programs on this subject each week at this time. A few weeks ago I went with Ralph Johnson to the William McKinley school in the core area and talked with a fourth grade teacher Mr. Harry Freedman. He sat at his desk. We took chairs in the classroom and asked him about the challenge of teaching in the corner. I think the greatest advantage is that a core teacher has. Is the spectacle of children who don't get a proper number of spirits at home. To come into the classroom. And then find themselves so in a lightened. That they take a terrific interest in what they're doing. It would be worthwhile for you to come into a classroom. And see the enthusiasm in the class as the children begin to realize that they can do work. For me. So much has been said about the fact that. Children come into a higher

grade completely unprepared to do arithmetic or spelling or many teachers have said that they can't read. Well. This is no discredit to the teacher who has had these children before. A great deal of this you can attribute to the fact that these children don't have the proper experiences at home. Now this is the thing we're trying to do and one of the big advantages that we have is that we can start at the very bottom and build these kids up to a level. Where they can take at least a small place in life which they would never be able to do otherwise. And we can see it in their faces as we look around here. When you see it this girl and that boy and that boy back there who usually sit with a glum expression on their face and then suddenly they raise their hands and they're all enthused because they know. And then you say well I don't ever want to get anything less than 100 from you Edward because I know that you can do it.

And in the last three times he has returned hundreds because he knows that he can do it. There's a reward for him. And this it's easy to teach in a school where it's easy to teach if you know what I mean. You follow it. Now. It's. A little bit harder to teach in a school where it's harder to teach. But I think their reward is greater here. And believe me there isn't a teacher in any corps school that doesn't try the very very best to give whatever they can to these children. And I resent very very much any accusation that the core teachers are the bad teachers because they aren't. And I'm not only speaking for myself there isn't a teacher in this school that doesn't put in the long extra hours. Trying to get the most that they can for these children. And other schools in the choir do the same thing. But there's one thing we'd like to do we'd like to get the cooperation of the parents to. See it isn't the teacher alone that can do the job.

It's the parent that has to help. We call the parent in. And the parent comes in and they are seriously affected by the failure of this children to properly adjust to the classroom environment. When they do realize that there is a chance for that child we get 100 percent cooperation. What did your mother do to you when you brought your report card home. I got a wrap and. Well how about your next report card that's going to be better. So we have us kind of a promise from them. We're creating a sort of awareness of the fact that. Their rewards are not so much material as they are a great amount of satisfaction that these children get when they know they can do something this is the important thing. And this is the reward that I personally get and many other teachers do too and we talk gee I had 100 in the class today isn't that wonderful. See. Now we give them these experiences that you see here. We give them

artwork we give the music we give them a physical education. We give them the advantage of every type of reading material that we can possibly lay our hands on. We give them the advantage of Motion Pictures of film strips of tape recordings we bring a tape recorder into the class and we have these children read into the tape recorder and then listen to them themselves read bank and they are amazed at what they do or just ordinary make up sentences in the spelling group take the spelling list make up sentences using their spelling words and then listening to that. We have a PIC project as we have just about everything. That you can use in the way of visual aids and we use it. In these children get a great deal of information. We have our own television sets. Then we watch television two three times a week sometimes in their children like that very much. They're very much interested in. The point that they.

Come to school not because they're compelled to but because they many of them feel that they're coming to school to gain something and they know it and they tell me and they they let me know that that this is why we had a good day today Mr. Friedman didn't we say. That's interesting to know. Well are we going to have a nice day tomorrow too Mr. Fielding. Yes we'll have a nice day tomorrow too. Those are the things that sort of. Give you a very good feeling inside and I'm not being sentimental or Pollyanna ish about it. This is the way it is saying. And any teacher. Worth his salt feels the same way and I think that most teachers in this area do feel that way. And although my experience has been limited to this school I know from what the other teachers have said that. This is. The way it is. And the great deal of satisfaction you get from seeing the accomplishments of these children hearing them every advantage that you possibly can give them. And

then seeing this giving back to you. That's a very good thing. You asked how I got into the teaching profession. Until six years ago I was in the. Building business. In various capacities. I was connected with a lumber company with a drywall company. And. For about six years ago I decided that I had had enough of the rat race. And I was going to. Quit business and do something else. Well I had a. I have a master's in social studies and I have certified to teach in high school. But I talk to the people over at the School Board I want to get into teaching. And they convince me that elementary was the place for me. So I dropped everything I went back to University Wisconsin at the age of 56. Full time. And I got my elementary credits and here I am. And I asked for the core area.

Because. It's nothing to teach in a place where the kids know more than you do. But it is a challenge to teach in a place like this. And we're challenged every day every day we have challenges. The feeling among the children. That they have no. Ability to learn. Is one of the most difficult challenges to overcome that any teacher hands. Their own personal feeling of. Inferiority which many of them have. This is a challenge which most teachers have. We always urge every pupil to do his best. To have students do their best is a full time job in itself. It means that we must reach the complacent. The Unwilling the average the eager beaver and the exceptional.

And every teacher on his staff tries his best to do just that. But. Now we enter a field which has been hashed and rehashed when you have 30 children in the class. It's a little difficult to do it. This is the. Theory already being in the learning process. In attentiveness. Failure to do homework. Oh of absences from school on the slightest excuse. Of Failure to volunteer in the classroom. A failure to cooperate with the rest of the class in group discussions are taking part in the group discussions and it manifests itself in many ways. But if you can reach the child. In some way if you can grab ahold of that. Little spark of intelligence that they have and draw it out of them. And once show them that you have a hold of this string of intelligence now you are

going to start drawing it out of you. And then the child itself will know that it can do the work. And from then on you have a little change in the atmosphere. And I've noticed that I've received letters from the parents other teachers have too. I'm not alone in this saying. That my child is doing beautifully in your class. And never had done so before. That means that the child has adjusted to the. TEACHER And there's a good reporter between the two. You see now when the child show is now some I'll admit I have some children here who I don't think will ever be willing learners they are not and they are not unwilling learners they are able learners. With quite a bit of difference. There are some children here who don't belong in the in this class they belong in a special group. What are you going to do when you can

only get so many into special C classes in that set. But they're trying. This boy tries and that girl over there tries hard and I told him when I give them report cards today you deserve a VERY MUCH lower marketing what you're getting. But because you tried so hard I'm giving you a higher mark. And then of course the grin on their face is very noticeable. Because they know that that's the reward they're going to get. He. Really wanted to think of it. No frankly I've never heard that. I have never heard that. But they have a feeling. That the other children are aware of this fact. And for that reason when they're called on even if they do know if it so happens miraculously that they do know the answer. They hesitate to give it because they're afraid of being.

Ridiculed. And many of them are the quiet ones. The very quiet ones. They don't talk. They don't volunteer they don't say anything. At this point can almost and I talked with Mr. Friedman about the regional background of the children in his particular class and he picked up a stack of orange information cards and read from them. Well birthplace of parent Milwaukee. Mississippi Mexico Mississippi Tennessee Oh Walky. Talky. Tennessee and Missouri. Arkansas. And into many Mississippi. USA Well that's interesting. This is. The. Louisiana but they have lived here quite a long time.

I know that because I can see that the children have attended this school since kindergarten. Which is at least six five six years. And their birthplace is Milwaukee. See. Now here's one that's comes from. Mississippi that child was born in Milwaukee and is now all living years old. So they've lived here for quite a while. It isn't so much the birthplace of the parent doesn't mean too much. It's the adjustment of the child. In Milwaukee the parents are helping but they're helpless too. They don't have the background. To know. What I'd like to see is a Class A school conducted for their parents and I'd be willing to give them my time. To help these parents understand their own children which I'm afraid some of them don't. You know there are other teachers too would be willing to do that if we could get a school for them to get the parents in here instead of the children for one hour a day at least.

Let the children go home and bring the parents in. And educate them as to the needs of their children. It's a. Vicious circle. We give them the best that we can hear in all the fields all the various. Activities that we have. And then they go home. You know. They're in a different world. Unfortunately this happens to be the case. And it's I'm not saying this with any intention to. Criticize their home life because this is the way it is and there's nothing I personally can do about it. But you give them the essentials or grammar you give them a sense of politeness and kindness and courtesy. And. A great many other things and. We are sought for we are courteous we are prompt We are neat. That stares them in the face every day the. Sign. But.

How many of them. Are you get that emphasized when they get to. Visit them. I visited one parent one time about four years ago. And. I'm not going to do it again. First of all they don't burst a child. Secondly I think the parent was embarrassed too. Thirdly I was embarrassed. Because of their embarrassment. And for that reason I thought that the school room itself is the place to meet and not the home. Well I felt a little I was embarrassed because the mother was embarrassed. Or she was embarrassed because of the condition of the home. See. That's the thing that all those. She had no as she didn't have the wherewithal to to maintain a home in a mansion style.

She wanted home to be neat and clean and everything else but it wasn't. Me. And. I was offered refreshments which I refuse. Because of the condition of the plates for example. The mother works the father works the children run around. And. You have a home right which is. Not the best time. It isn't something that we can remedy. I think that. If so many of the people who are running around. Crying for one type of advantage for the. People in this area. Would concentrate on. Going into the home. And showing these people how to live. So that when they move into a new place. It will become a shambles a few months afterwards which has happened in so many cases. And this is not said as

a criticism either. It so happens that this is the way it is and it's not the parents it's the children. It's the children not the parents. Do that. Oh yeah. Oh sure the vandalism is done by the children. Parents know what a sink is for and what a lavatory is for and. Their walls are not to be written on and plumbing is not to be torn out but. Do children know that. Unless they're told. It so there is. Going to say. Well the child was embarrassed because I came to the home. See. There's embarrassment there's fear there is. Chagrin there's anger there's a lot there are a lot of other elements involved. Which stem from the fact that I'm out of my environment when I come into the home. Whereas the child and the mother are in their own environment. So I'm at a disadvantage there. You know not so much so. Because.

They know that I'm coming. They come here for my help. From the information that I can give them. And they come into an environment which is. Fairly nice. But in their own homes they don't have that. Nine times out of 10 it will be there. I mean. I keep safety pins buttons needle and thread. And when these kids come to school with. No buttons Caroline. Where the buttons on your coat. I don't have any buttons. Well. Give us some pins and ship. You know. We do that we sew buttons on the kids dances. The kid comes along with the whole back of her dress open here. So I have a needle in this thread in here and we sew it up for we saw on buttons and zippers repaired torn boots. When. We do. This and. When do we find time to do anything when the need arises we find the time for it. We are usually at recess time or when they come up

for special help. When I see when I actually see this well the children have something new that is always an assignment on the board for them to do. And when we when I see this particular condition I take care of it as soon as I see it. If I am able to do so. Are. You with. Me father. It's mostly the mothers. Mostly the mothers fathers do come but it's mostly the mothers. Because they come during a school. Day during the school time. And the fathers usually are working. So many. Are. Without. You I. Feel. Like. We do. But. Not in the sense that a father

image would be provided in the actual home because we can't punish the child. All we can do is sympathize with them. Show me little affection. Which many of them do not get at home. We can commiserate with them. We can dry their tears when they're crying. When the little girl. Is hit by one of the boys and comes running up to him puts her head on her shoulder. And starts to cry. You can. Pat her on the shoulder and say everything's going to be all right honey. And. But what are you going to do to the boy you calling the mother or the father. So he'll get spanked. When he gets home. And then the next day it's as though it never happened. And he goes right ahead and does the same thing. This is. One boy. Many of the boys that you have many of the girls that you have should be in a separate group because of discipline. Some should be in

a separate group because. Of their. Unwillingness and inability to learn. And we have to separate the two. Because some are able learners but they are unwilling. Some eye willing learners but they are an able and it's a pity to see some of these kids. Really tried a plug like nobody's business. To get someplace and they just can't do it. It's like a man without legs trying to run. And you can't do it. You know your geography if you don't want to. Or I have 8. 10 during the day we get sometimes as many as 350 in the school. That stay here. We have. In the neighborhood of 900. Here. We had over 11 hundred but we lost some to make Dallas school down here when they built that and opened it up. I think there's in the neighborhood of 900 here now.

There are still children in this building here. You know. Well. You know I can't. I have no idea except if I do this. Machine operator. Mother is a housewife. He's a chipper in a foundry. He's a reverend. He does layout work in a machine shop. He's a corner fitter. He's a laborer. He's a truck driver. He's a machine operator at a laundry. He's a chipper and Alice Chelmer is a full corporation. Works in a barrel factory Americanization cold labor and labor. Inspector Molder toolmaker minister. Waitress is a mother as a waitress and the father is a salesman.

It's 13 right. Right now what would you say is the reason why. The home environment is the way it is. He's. Probably. Not necessarily because there are many of women who work and still maintain very nice homes. He was here. I'm asking you. Q But I mean you know I have. I don't know I don't know. I wish I didn't know but I don't know because you'll find some homes where the mother works and the father works. And the homes are beautiful. Furniture is nice clothing is nice to children are always neat you know when. I say. You will find it. I've been into homes not as a teacher at all as a guest where I was invited for no reason at all except to.

Visit. And I have been in those homes. And that was years ago when I was. Doing something else besides teaching. And then can you go and always wear their mother or father working in there. Can't be compared. So there is a definite What do you attribute it to the individual. What else can you attribute it to except to the personality. Because there are beautiful very well-kept homes on the inside like this school is for example. In the heart of the cornea where the rest of the homes are outside is a shambles. And the inside is very nice. In conclusion I asked a question which I often put to the people interviewing the core. If you had unlimited funds and power what would you do to improve racial relations in Milwaukee. Or. Get everybody to join hands and sing. I have to be a miracle man. To be able to do anything.

I don't have to. Have the. Patience of a job. And the wisdom to name any great character in history. The strength of a Samson. And. The nerve of a high jumper. Who goes under his feet into six inches of water. And I don't have any of those things in your estimation. The. Main problems are stereotypes. And. While the stereotype prejudices that have no foundation in fact. And I think that it's rather Lepanto speaks of the. Old fashioned stereotype where you say. You you mention a certain

thing and immediately there's a picture develops in your mind of this stereotype. It's because of propaganda and public opinion has developed this thing. Now. The prejudice is that you have against this type of individual and the prejudice this one has against you may be the result of a complete misunderstanding and have no actual essence. In fact. There may be nothing to it. It's a matter of getting together and understanding one another. You've been listening to the first in a series of programs on Milwaukee's inner core. Today an interview with Harry Freedman. It was a fourth grade teacher in one of the core schools. Join us again next week at this time. This is Kanno speaking.