The Interrupters

          A lot of neighborhoods have an influence on the children and how they grow up. This particular neighborhood has a very negative impact on the children. Many said "we don't like it" when asked how they felt about violence and fighting in their neighborhood. Another student cried while telling a story about someone getting shot. Another student, mentions how he is worried about a younger cousin getting shot and killed because of how he behaves in and out of school.
            I personally like the tactics the interrupters used because it really made an impact on many lives. They helped people who never thought they'd get help. They even helped people who didnt want help to begin with because they were so messed up in the head and with their life. They helped some get a job, which they'd never had before. Some were even taken out for lunch or to get their nails done because they'd never experienced these things before. Many of the teenagers they delt with had to grow up soon and raise themselves and siblings because of their enviornment at home. And the interrupters can relate to them this way very well.

Interruptors

The influence that  this violence has on children is bad. young kids learn from others and if they see older adults or even kids doing it then the children will think it is ok for them to do it and not half to worry about anything. especially when the kids are fighting over something stupid like money or girls or because you live blocks in the wrong direction. the violence is putting a hurt on the kids and the neighborhood. I believe the tactice that these interrupters are doing is great especially since there people who did bad things in life and are trying to teach them and keep the kids out of danger. i think that since there taking there own time in helping them and trying to fix these bad neighborhoods and the kids who keep getting in trouble and missing school and just trying to put there life back on track. So i am glad to see people trying to stop all this violence. i believe these people are positive rold models fro these kids because these peple went through the same thing as these kids are going through now and the kids may think well if he can change and be a better person maybe i can to. so i consider the interruptors to be a positive role model.

The Interrupters

I thought that documentary was so powerful, and hard to even watch at some points. Seeing what truly goes on in cities like that is absolutely heart breaking. I thought I understood the amount of violence there was, but I was nowhere close.

The quote that really stuck out to me in the film is when Eddie was talking about the shootings the night after the young teenager got shot, "Within 30 hours, there was seven shootings". That just blew my mind. There aren't shootings where I'm from, ever. I can't even imagine being surrounded by that daily. The negative effect of children seeing that kind of violence daily is overpowering to even think about. But the fact That the Interrupters are doing what they are to try to stop the violence gives me a little hope for cities like that.

The Interrupters

What stood out to me the most throughout this movie is that someone would get into a fight or even die over, for five bucks. Some said in the movie that "words will get you killed" which is true in these neighboorhoods becuase if you say something wrong, you could end up dead. This is a problem because it reduces how effective the cops can be if people are afraid to speak up. I honestly am glad that there are people like the interrupters because they help stop the violence before it becomes a series problem and they even change people lives. I believe that they are excellent role models and the tactics that they are using are great to.

The Interrupters

The violence in these neighbor hoods has a devastating effect on the children in these neighborhoods. They have to grow up to fast and they do not really have time to just be kids they have to be constantly worried about their own safety and the safety of family of friends. One quote form the video is "They aren't worried about tomorrow, they are just trying to live today and not get shot." This quote really emphasizes what I was just talking about and how they have to grow up fast and are constantly worried about their safety.  If anything happens to them they do not do the rational thing and pretty much go straight to revenge just adding more to the violence.  I feel like the tactics the interrupters does somewhat work. Not every tactic will work because every person is different and they will react differently to each situation that they are in. I would see them as a positive role model because they are trying to help the young kids in schools with how to deal with situations.  Also they are not trying to really forcing anyone to do anything it all mainly relies on the person being helped to do the majority of the work and the interrupters are just guiding them in the right direction.

The Interrupters

I've never lived in anything resembling a rough neighborhood, but I think I can sympathize with the people who live in these neighborhoods who are frustrated and depressed at their powerlessness against the violence.

One of the main problem, I believe, is that the major offenders in these neighborhoods only fear violence, disregarding attempts at non-violent intervention. And since asking for help from the police can result in being labeled a snitch, which can be as good as a death sentence, possibly extending to family members, I can understand why most people just stay quiet. Unfortunately, this silence contributes to another significant problem: the ineffectiveness of the police--not to say that they aren't doing their best with minimal community support and funding.

It's a difficult problem that doesn't have easy, black and white solutions. The Interrupters, however, seem to have practical strategies for diffuse the violence which are far more effective than the threat of incarceration, which obviously doesn't work. I believe it was Cobe Williams who said, "We aren't in the good and bad game; we aren't in that Drama." With the exception of a few extreme cases, people aren't "bad," they're just doing what they think they need to do in order to survive, reacting in a ways they're conditioned to. By approaching these people as people, not bad people, The Interrupters are able to get through where others are defensively turned away.

The Interrupters

While watching The Interrupters I was amazed how bad violance really is.  You always hear about situations that occur but you really don't know how bad it is until you see it.  I couldn't imagine growing up in a neighborhood like we saw in the film. Not being able to have a childhood  and having to grow up quickly would be awful. One of the narrators said, "They aren't worried about tomorrow, they are just trying to live today and not get shot."  I feel like the children are scared to be living in a neighborhood like that, but there isn't much they can do about it.  I think it's good what the interrupters are doing but the violance will never stop.  There is always people wanting to have retailiation against someone who has killed one of their friends.  They are a positive role models because they show that you don't have to live with violance in your life.  That violance isn't the only way, and there are people out there that want to help them.

The Interrupters

While watching this documentary, I was blown away by just how violent people could be.  I have never seen anything like that or known anyone who's been in a situation like that, so it was definitely an eye opener for me.  Watching, I noticed that even the young kids were getting involved and were being violent, which made me realize that they believe they have to fight to survive.  It really is sad to think thats your only way for survival, but they don't know any other way, and watching their older siblings or role models has a big influence on how they're going to act in certain situations.  The interrupters are definitely positive role models for these people because they make them think about their actions before they do anything.  They make them see that there are other ways to go about handling situations and have also prevented many killings/fights.  One of my quotes was said by Tio Hardiman, "violence is learned behavior."  I liked that quote because it just goes to show that older people really are a big influence on the younger generation and that violence is just second nature to them.

Film response

Good to see you guys on the blog here and thanks for the honest responses so far.  Chicago and L.A. obviously have some of the worst violence in our cities, and what gets me is how much like a war zone it is for young children.  I think it is very hard to just live a normal life when simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time can do you in.  I really feel for the children, and to me, the parts of the film that I learned the most from were where you saw the interrupters using conflict resolution and teaching it.  How do you deal with problems without immediately fighting, when that is all you are seeing around you?  That has to be taught.  That has to be shown in the adults, too.

The story of Lit'l Mikey has power to me.  By no means does the film make it seem like a sure thing he's reformed, but it shows some of the re-learning that has to be done, and that he was taking some positive steps.  He deserved all he got and more from those people at the barber shop, but in the end, they let their legitimate grudge against him drop at least enough to accept his apology and wish him well.  They showed a level of forgiveness that is crucial in stopping violence.  Both sides in a conflict at some point may have to forgive something, large or small, if violence is to be avoided.  It takes a big person to do that and in my experience sometimes it's much harder to not fight than it is to fight.

Mikey said, "Man, before I just did what I wanted and when I wanted and there wasn't nobody telling me much how to do.  I did as I wanted."  He was honest in saying he had never learned how to take orders or work, and he needed to adjust to considering other people instead of just always looking out for number one.  After prison, he wanted to be a real role model for his brother and two sisters, and I think the difference for a lot of young people is who their role models are.  I thought his story was a hopeful part of the film because I do believe people can change, but they have to want to change.

The Interrupters

The Interrupters is about violence in children in Chicago, IL. It takes place in Englewood. one of 77 different communities in Chicago. My reaction to the film was that children in america especially this little community are no longer children. They believe that they should be feared and honored  by their piers and demand respect to the point that they are willing to take a life. The community seems like a severely segregated area and has a school system that is lacking on education and the ability to enforce rules on the children. I believe this is due to the area having no jobs and no funding. My favorite quote came from Ameena, "Find a soft spot, not weak." The children in this area do not like to be weak and i think this ties in with the honor and respect.

The Interrupters

My biggest reaction to the interrupters was that I really couldn't wrap my head around how much violence actually goes on. In one part of the documentary someone said that there were 7 shootings in 30 hours, hearing that just blew my mind. With that much violence and death I don't understand why the younger children didn't seem to be as scared as they should have been. The violence seemed to be all consuming, even people that weren't in the gangs or the wrong click, were getting shot and hurt. I liked the quote "you can judge it, but it's not what you do in silence," because that explains basically what everyone on the outside looking in, is doing. The people that aren't in that community and some of the people in the community, like parents, they know what is going on but they don't do anything about it. The parents and relatives grieve when their 8 year old little girl gets killed in crossfire but they didn't try to really stop the violence in the community to protect their little girl.

The Interrupters

After watching the interrupters I was shocked to see how much violence there really was in lower income neighborhoods. What stood out to me that most was how people were sheading blood over a five dollar bag of weed or because someone said something they didn’t like. Mathews said “Words well get you killed.” And he was right. People in these neighborhoods don’t think before they act they just retaliate and even if that meant shooting and ending a young man’s life.  It was hard to see all of those young kids getting drug into the street and in the middle of conflicts. If they are trying to cut down on violence then I think they need to stop exposing the young children to it. I do believe that the interrupters are having a positive impact on the children and helping them to not choose the path of violence. 

The Interrupters

The Interrupters are a group every hood needs.  These guys can relate to the kids and sometime change the kids mind into not being violent.  In the movie they say "they see violence as their disease."  This meaning that these kids think their disease is violence and theres nothing they can do about it.  growing up in violence would make it feel like a disease because you've had it in your whole life so theres no way its going to change or go away.

Violence in Neighborhoods

The children growing up in these streets have had the biggest influence from violence in the worst way.  Just about every kid in the streets of Chicago has been involved with violence or witnessed violence.  There are kids 13 years old getting killed in the streets by gang violence.  Thats all these children know though is violence.  Everyone and there brother in this town are violent and don't care about another ones life.  I believe the interrupters are doing a wonderful thing because all of them have been in the situation these kids are in.  Having someone who can relate to the kids makes the kids listen and understand more.  There very big positive role models to the kids because they prove you can get out of the streets and away from the violence and live a happy, violence free life.

Obstacle

There are a few obstacles that plague elemtary kids now-a-days. One of them is technology. Kids these days spend more time on the internet and games, which means moe distractions. It also increases the number of students who wait until the last minute or copy assingment which can affect their learning and lead to bad habits. The other one is the economy. Due to the shortage of money teacher positions had to be cut or laid off which means more students are pushed onto teachers. When that happens the ratio between students and teachers increase which means that they cann't focuse on every student.

Brandon Bacus

My name is Brandon Bacus and i graduated from Worthington Kilbourne High School. When i was young played soccer for about six years and played some football. In my spare time I like to play video games online with my friends or hangout with them. I like to listen to classical music, rock n'roll, classic rock, and oldies from the 1940.

Stephanie

My name is Stephanie Goldick, and I'm 18 years old. I graduated from Thomas Worthington High School in Worthington. Worthington is about 45 minutes south of Marion. I played softball for as long as I can remember, and I played for TWHS three out my four years there. I have my own apartment with my best friend in Delaware, and I still work in Worthington.

A big obstacle elementary aged students face nowadays is their personal and home life. More kids than we would like to believe have troubles at home within their families. Whether it be not enough attention from parents or even money issues putting a strain on the child himself. A lot of times parents don't realize the troubles they have directly impact childrens lives.

a big obstacle

There are many obstacles that cause problem when it comes to early childhood education. A big obstacle may be parenting. Many have children and have a hard time managing work and other major issues which may not give a parent enough time to spend with their child. A lot of kids do not get help on homework assignments, or have one to read their learning book to. This may cause them to fall behind in many areas at school. Communication and learning skills will definitely be affected.

my short post

Hi, I am TeNiyah Mason. I graduated High School from Harding in Marion, OH. I am the oldest of the five children my mom has had. I am not a big fan of animals. I love to listen and sing along to almost any kind of music. I played softball for ten years and was a Cheerleader for eight years. I am very outspoken and outgoing. I am easy to bond with and I enjoy making new friends!

First post

Hi my name is Mitch Woodruff I’m from Marysville and graduated from Marysville High School in 2012. I’m not sure what I want to major in at this time and just exploring what’s out there. I have one sibling and am the oldest. I enjoy cars, snowboarding and just hanging out with friends.

The biggest obstacle that elementary age children face is not getting enough support and attention at home. Children thrive off of parents or adults giving them feedback and praise for what they have done. If a child does not get attention or positive encouragement they can get down on themself and lose self-confidence which I think is a big part of success for any child in school.

Elementary Kids

In the world today, elementary children face are faces with dealing with technology.  Technology is very helpful in schools.  Many elementary students have T.Vs, Xbox, PS3s, computers, and even some are getting cell phones.  Some of the things shown on T.V and on the internet young children should not see.  Many of these kids know a lot of things they should not know at this age by just seeing it on their T.Vs.  I know when I was at this age I didn't know half the things they know today.  By them playing Xbox and PS3 games, I do not think it is harmful for them but their parents should know what type of games their children are playing.  I also think it is ridiculous for a child in elementary school to have a cell phone they simply have no need for one at that age.  Technology is a great thing to happen to the world, but it can be used for the wrong reasons and get people into trouble.

Learning Obstacles

I think that today one of the biggest obstacles to a child's learning is the internet.  the internet is a very helpful tool for learning, but at the same time it can be incredibly distracting.  Things like facebook and websites with games can distract people from getting things done.  For the last few years in my classes half of the students would just use the internet for games during our lab time and then turn in their assignments late and say it wasn't their fault.  Since the internet is always expanding it makes it harder for kids to pay attention to just one thing.

Elementary Schools and Children Learning

Today, the biggest obstacle children face when trying to learn in elementary school is using electronics in the wrong way and not having good parent role models.  I know sometimes electronic devices cause me to become unfocused and lazy.  Now a days just about every kid has some sort of electronic device and children are lazier.  Also when you combine parents who are not setting good examples for the kids, children learning goes farther down the drain.  Almost all kids want to be like there parents and if there parents don't care about the children's school work, then why should the child.  I think were experiencing more of this because of the high divorce rate and this can sometimes corrupt a family causing high levels of depression.

Limitations for elementary school children

I believe societal expectations are a major limitation for children at an elementary school level, as well as children in any age group. No matter where a child grows up, be it in poverty or wealth, they are constantly bombarded with expectations, good and bad, from the adults and other children who play major roles in their life, and by society as a whole through mechanisms like advertising and the media. Childhood is supposed to be a time of free-spirited, spontaneous enjoyment of life, where a child is bereft of responsibility and can take genuine enjoyment in almost anything they do. Too often, however, we either consciously or subconsciously try to manipulate children to grow up and be a model for whatever we consider to be a "correct" human being, which sometimes stifles originality and creativity.
Personally, I believe, as Jonathan Kozol seems to in Ordinary Resurrections, that it is best to not be overbearing or intrusive when dealing with children. Let them dream and play and be the irresponsible terrors they naturally are; there's plenty of time for reality later.

Kristen Kelley

My name is Kristen Kelley.  I am from Marion, Ohio.  I graduated from River Valley High School, but I did not attend there my entire life.  I played basketball and I ran track.  I made it to Regionals in track my senior year in the 4X4 relay and 300H.  I have an older sister, who will be graduating this year from OSUM and a younger brother who is a junior in high school.  I like to hang out with my friends in my spare time and my favorite color is green. I am also a Michigan fan.

The obstacle for elementry kids

The biggest obstacle i think kids face in elementry school is focusing on school. since there in elementry school there still kinda young so there gonnna struggle to learn new things about school like new topics like math since they will have to learn how to do them or just remembering other information that the teachers may teach you. since there young they may be harder to teach since they wanna joke around or just not pay attention. i know when i was in elementry school i didnt want to focus on the teachers and what there saying and teaching i always was paying attention to what others were doing. so this is what i believe is the biggest obstacle for children in elementry school is.

obstacle to learning

I believe one big obstacle to learning for children now is the economy. When our economy is down many schools have to lay off teachers. In turn students cannot learn effectively and there are more students to teacher ratio.

obstacle

Some obsticals that childern could have in school is understanding the bigger concepts of things in like Math class. Also in reading books and other things like that they might not understand a book completely on the messages the author is trying to show. Another thing that would have an obstacle is the drive of the kids to want to learn new things and concepts of stuff in school. You can not force someone to want to learn something and if they do not want to then they will not learn it.

My first post

My name is Danielle Breidenbach. I have two female cats named Phillip and Pete, a male cat named Romeo, and two dogs named Shelly and Luna. I graduated high school last year. I have a little brother. My license picture is beyond embarrassing. I love flowers, my major is landscaping architecture. My favorite tv show would be either Vampire Diaries or The Mentalist. I enjoy all genres of music from country to metal.

I think what hurts elementary school children the most would be their attention spans and their home environment.The children's attentions span is a barrier because if they can't concentrate to do their work or pay attention to the teacher, they don't learn as much. My little brothers had a really rough time in elementary school because he never remembered that he had homework or schoolwork to do. Instead of doing his school work like he should have he spent his time tying his shoes together or irritating his friends. A child's home environment is a big problem because if the child is violent, it may be because someone in his family is violent. If the child is loud and isn't concerned with anything it may be because that is the way someone at home is. One of the biggest influences in a child's life, I think, would be how an older sibling acts.

Ashley

Hi, my name is Ashley Cooper from Sycamore, Ohio.  I graduated from Mohawk High School and was a part of the volleyball and softball teams.  One obstacle that I think children in elementary school have dealing with learning is that some schools don't have enough money to get the supplies and learning equipment necessary to help children grow and learn.  Not having enough money in schools is a big problem and can really slow down the learning process for children.

About Me

Hello my name is Michael Perry. I am going to OSU Marion and the major im studying is History. Some of my hobbies are playing video games, watching TV, hanging with friends, and playing sports. Some of the sports i play are baseball, football, basketball and golf. I was born in Shelby,Ohio. Im the oldest of my brother and sister.

William Lathrop

My name is William Ivers Lathrop, but I go by Wil.  I went to Upper Arlington High School where I played tennis for the team and went undefeated my freshman year.  I spend most of my time hanging out with friends and playing video games.  I decided to go into mechanical engineering when I had an internship at a company called CVG or Commercial Vehicle Group.  I worked with all of the engineers there and one physicist, I got to design seats for semi-trucks that had all pneumatic adjustments, I also got to build the prototypes and stress test them to see how much abuse each piece of the chair could take.

Dillon D Wilson

My name is Dillon D Wilson. I am the middle child, having one older brother and one younger sister.  I graduated from North Union High School, located 15 minutes southwest of the Marion Campus in the small town of Richwood. I played basketball, football, and golf during my high school days. In my spare time I love to golf and hangout with my buddies.  After this year, I hope to transfer to main campus and continue working towards my degree in engineering. 

Logan Endsley

My name is Logan Endsley. In the summer time i like to jet ski, painball, and golf, In the winter time I like to snowboard every chance that i get to. I am studying to be a mechanical engineer here at the Marion campus.

Hello

My name is Paul Baker and I am in the Monday/Wednesday English 1109 class. I am 25 years old and this is my second attempt at college. My first attempt was seven years ago when I was 18, when I attended Eastern Kentucky University for a semester and a "half." I dropped out before midterms of my second semester, to avoid getting a bunch of failing grades on my record, and enlisted in the Navy, where I served as a Corpsman (medic) with the Marines for five years. Now, I'm out and going to school for free, which is a pretty good deal.

Andrew

Hello,
 My name is Andrew Tackett and I am from Marion. I Graduated Harding High in 2008. April 29th 2012 I Received a Honorable Discharge from The United Stated Marine Corps and enrolled at Ohio State University for Electrical Engineering. I am married and have two children, Andrew who is three and Olivia is who is one.

Welcome, and notes on using the blog

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What do you think is one big obstacle to learning that children face now when they are elementary school age?  You can use personal experience or opinion, of course. 

Post your answer to our post as a New Post, and then comment on two other pieces of writing before you leave today.