The oldest public high school in the country, English High School in Jamaica Plain currently serves 750 students in grades 7-12. Fully one third are learning English as a second language. In ninth grade students explore five career “Pathways” and select one in which to enroll for the remainder of their high school years. Pathway classes engage students through authentic learning experiences that mirror those found in professional workplaces.
Eighth graders in Alice Larimore‘s ELA class are working with staff from the Actors Shakespeare Project: introducing characters, taking on roles, and improvising dialogue for a scene in Romeo and Juliet. Paul Connor‘s middle school students get a taste of honey during a science lesson about where it comes from and how it’s processed. In math class with Joseph Jean-Charles, seniors are studying probability and statistics. World Language teacher Aurea Lopez is using an art activity to teach Spanish1 students about a Spanish cultural tradition, learn vocabulary, then compare and contrast their wishes for 2025.
Two boys working in the hallway with Robotics teacher Charlotte Corbett are building robot vehicles, testing them, and improving their designs. In Jamirse DeLaRosa‘s Culinary Arts class, a small group of students is rolling out dough for pizzas. Under the supervision of Emily Gomes, students are taking one another’s blood pressure in their Health Assistance Pathway class.
Throughout the building, English High School teachers find ways to encourage students to pursue personal passions and career fields that interest them. How do you provide choices for students in your class, and how does your school support those efforts? Please invite me to visit!
Amika Kemmler-Ernst, Ed.D. amika45@gmail.com
This is in statistics class and Mr. Jean-Charles is helping me with a probability problem. We’ve learned how to use “box and whisker” plots on a number line to analyze data.
~ Ajhani Graham, Grade 12
In this picture, Mr. Swoboda was explaining the directions for our research project to me. We’re learning about early US history and how historians use skills like sourcing, reliability and corroboration.
~ Ramses Suero Herrera, Grade 10
We were acting out a scene from Romeo and Juliet, using our own words. In this scene Benvolio was trying to convince Romeo to go to a Capulet party. We’ve been learning theater vocabulary, the elements of drama, and the language of Shakespeare.
~ Alice Laramore’s ELA class, Grade 8
This is in Robotics class with Ms. Corbett. I was pitting my robot against another robot and I won! I’ve learned that the way you position gears on a robot can increase either torque or speed.
~ Miguel Baez, Grade 9
Ms. Jenny was helping us use a “description family” to compare characteristics of people – for example, “Jose is taller than Maria,” or “Felix is the tallest boy in our class.” We are learning to read and speak English — everything is interesting! English is easy in some ways, but harder to speak than Spanish because it is not phonetic.
~ Anahis Perez, Grade 9 & Jumailyn Mateo, Grade 11
I was in my DVC class (Design & Visual Communications). Mx. Dupont and I were checking equipment – camera stands, tripods, etc. – to see if they still work. This is my Pathway program because I’m interested in photography and graphic design. I’ve learned how to use PhotoShop and different ways to move a camera to get different perspectives.
~ Manuel (Manny) Leiva, Grade 12
In this photo I was talking to my studio art teacher, Ms. Bennett, about my current project. We’ve learned how to draw a human face with all the features in the right place. We’ve also learned to score clay in order to enlarge a sculpture by adding pieces to it.
~ Madisyn Hearns, Grade 9
This is our Health Assistance Pathway class. In this photo Teryn is checking Jaydin’s blood pressure. We’ve learned a lot of things about human body systems. The most interesting thing we’ve learned is how to take care of dementia patients: never rush and always go at their pace so they’ll feel safe.
~ Teryn Barinda & Jaydin Bryant, Grade 10