Dr. Glynetta DeShon (“Fletch”) Fletcher, Assistant Principal of Edwin Markham Middle School in Los Angeles Unified School District, has devoted her life to working in urban public schools with at-risk students. She has taught English Language Arts at the high school level, study skills for incoming college freshmen, and ELA secondary methods for urban educators. As a teacher in an urban high school, she focused on African American males as they prepared to transition to their college and careers. This focus later became her dissertation area.

Currently she serves in one of Los Angeles Unified District’s most challenging middle schools in the role of Assistant Principal. Here she works directly with teachers, understanding that “to improve student achievement, we must improve teacher practice.” Dr. Fletcher also uses her wealth of knowledge and experience to write and provide training regarding classroom management, engagement, and how to provide successful single-sex classrooms. She has a particular research-interest in the use of music in the classroom, utilizing STEAM principles through musical life.

We are honored to have Dr. Fletcher present two breakouts at our Summer Institute on June 23-24. Here’s more from Fletch.

By the time you finish reading this blog post, I’m expecting you to register for at least one of my sessions! Spending two sessions may be too overwhelming (smile).

I’m Fletch, a 19-year education veteran. I knew by 3rd grade that I wanted to teach. My third-grade teacher was mean. I hated going to her class. She was all about her content and did not care about relationships. I knew teaching did not have to look or feel like her class.

Thus, the first seed was planted.

At the age of 17, I moved to Los Angeles, to earn my first degree from the only college that accepted me, California State University, Los Angeles. Immediately after college I started teaching at an urban high school where I established my love of teaching all male English classes. In my tenure with all boys, I had 95% graduation rates, improved AP enrollment, and decreased suspensions. Since, I first started teaching boys, I have worked tirelessly to change the experience and narrative for boys of color.

During the Summer Institute, I am presenting two workshops:

-Got Trauma? Students bring it to your classroom everyday
-He’s Mad! De-Escalating conflict and dealing with Anger

I know trauma all too well and deal with it daily on school campuses and in classrooms. Being raised in Encanto, Ca in environments of crack addiction and cocaine, I went to school traumatized and acted a fool. It took time to develop relationships, but they did develop, and they saved me.

During my Got Trauma session at the GI Summer Institute, we will identify trauma, typical student responses, and what we can do within classrooms to respond to student trauma. In this session and the next, we will interact together—not just “sit and git.”

My second session, He’s Mad, will focus on how to de-escalate conflict and deal with anger. This session will outline the do’s and don’ts of how to help the boy calm down and open up to you. At the session’s conclusion, you will have new strategies in your tool box that you can utilize immediately.

Since you’ve already registered for my workshop, I guarantee you won’t leave traumatized or mad!

I look forward to moving, writing, listening, speaking, and learning with you soon.