Getting some of the students to trust me at Garfield Terrace was no easy task – and I don’t necessarily blame them.  I look older than some of their parents, dress different, have a camera, and most of all, I talk different.

Octavia, the girl in the white shirt (not the one I’m holding), is very sassy, and isn’t afraid to speak her mind.  So when I followed her, her sister Latavia, and her friend Ayanna (who jumped on me in this picture) into the computer room, and asked them what they were looking at, she looked at me, and said, “Stuff.”

“Ok, what kind of stuff?” One of the girls snickered, and Octavia said to me, “Why you talk so funny?”

I said, “What makes me talk funny?”

She didn’t answer, and proceeded to get on YouTube, pulling up videos of rappers and singers who were doing all sorts of things.  When  I said, “This is crazy!” Octavia replied “You say stuff like ‘This is crazy,” mocking my intonations and exaggerating each consonant.

Latavia, her sister in the blue sweatshirt who is holding my arm in the photo, answered, “I think she talks nice.”

Octavia said, “You talk like a teacher.”

They then turned their attention back to finding rap videos.  I finally earned some points when I interrupted their YouTube rap surfing excursion, and showed them videos I had created of them dancing, singing and talking about school.  They giggled and teased one another, as they watched themselves.  I could have sworn there was a hint of pride when one of the girls yelled at one of the boys in the room, “Hey, we on Youtube! She put us on YouTube!”

I wouldn’t say they completely trust me – or even like me, but I think it’s a start.