Interview with Ismael Jimenez

by George Schreuder

When you talk to Ismael Jimenez about music and poetry, you find that he turns to these genres to find meaning in equality and justice. The genre at the top of his list is hip - hop. The hip - hop he listens to is not filled with every four - letter word imaginable; it is filled with messages of hope, understanding, and the struggles that people have shared. His strong voice and political nature marry to bring an enlightening look at the haves and the have nots, separated historically by boundaries made by laws and greed.

This thirty - something teacher from Kensington Capa, a married father of three with one on the way, joined the Philadelphia Writing Project class ELL ISI with two colleagues, Montgomery Ogden and Nicola White, in order to better understand the struggles their students face and to help them reveal their varied experiences in a safe and open environment.

Ismael is an example of the type of teacher who will go into the classroom and reflect on his experiences, which will facilitate the safe and open environment. His mother, who passed away last year, was a Black woman from Liverpool, England. His father is Hispanic. One story he likes to relate is the pronunciation of his last name. The “J” is pronounced “J”, not the usual “H”. It was his way to underscore the identity he follows.

The Summer Institute was certainly beneficial for Ismael. He states that “the Summer Institute provided me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of writing techniques”. He realizes that these techniques will “bring out concepts that will be utilized in order to build community”.

Additionally, one of the goals of the Institute was to form a network to collaborate with colleagues. He points to the fact that we formed different groups, such as journal groups, to “create much conversation on collaborating across schools”. In the groups, the teachers discussed writing projects that will allow students to also share their writings.

As the teachers shared their writings at the Philadelphia Writing Project, they were able to voice their own experiences and share activities. These daily group meetings were an inspiration to Ismael. He now feels determined to share his writing publicly and to publish material by the end of the upcoming school year.

Read on for one of Ismael’s poems written during the Institute. As you are reading, try an individual text rendering. Find a sentence, a phrase, and a word that stands out to you. Then make up your own word from your thoughts on the poem. Repeat your choices three times each. What do these words make you think of? Ismael’s thoughts will truly inspire you.