After years of teaching, blogging and of listening to and reading the news, I'd just like to remind you of something:
It's okay to like teachers.
To respect us. Trust us. Admire us even.
Education issues will continue to rage as big-name, big-wallet "important" people work to silence the voice of those responsible for innovating, developing, and sharing the day-to-day learning experience with students. We guide your children, teach them, and support them as they learn all about this great big world. We take chances and provide opportunities each and every day, and no matter what you've been told, we're not wrong to take a stand in defense of our students, our schools, and our jobs.
Non-experts, bound by profit margins and not by the goal of developing lifelong learners have convinced many well-intentioned parents that we are a threat. "Who knows what that teacher will expose my child to" has replaced "I know that teacher will expose my child to the best learning situations and opportunities possible."
As you read and listen to the news regarding the rights of teachers, think back and remember the ones who made a difference in your life, and honor their legacy. We certainly remember the ones who made a difference in ours.
Michaele Sommerville's coffee-powered rants, resources and reflections of all things ~KINDERGARTEN~
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Saturday, March 09, 2013
Saturday, September 01, 2012
Students as Political Props
It's election-time and once again our children and students are being used as political props in campaign rhetoric aimed at earning votes.
Ranking schools by test results, "cracking down" on bad teachers, holding parents accountable for providing appropriate schema and a healthy lifestyle for their children prior to the start of kindergarten, and of course, the "opportunity" to ~choose~ a better school if the one down the road "fails" all earn roars of approval and ovations from the crowd at every rally.
If America really cared about children and education, no parent or family would have to "choose" one school over another: EVERY school would would be well-equipped, safe, maintained, and staffed by highly qualified and honestly compensated teachers, specialists and administrators.
As a seventeen-year teaching veteran, it's annoying when political parties, candidates and pundits argue that parents "should be able to choose" the best school for their children. They insist it's a perk when families have to move in order to transfer their children out of their neighborhood school and take them elsewhere, eventually effectively overcrowding that school, so that in time, it too "fails" to reach "academic excellence." The best schools aren't given extra teachers when overcrowding starts to happen. New hallways, wings or auditoriums aren't added on either. And how about those families whose children are "stuck" in the not-so-hot neighborhood school?
This idea of "choice" and ranking schools MAINTAINS inequality for children: those who CAN move to a better school DO, and those who CAN'T, and who frankly need it most, are trapped with a possible school closure in their future necessitating a move that many families can't afford. Add to the mix varying funding options for school districts, and we've proven we really don't want education equality at all. Nice solution.
Overhaul education by giving every school the same resources from free/reduced lunch, speech therapy, OT/PT, a guaranteed quality arts program, a healthy living/physical education department, current technology, healthy meals and outdoor learning spaces. Fill those schools with highly qualified teachers and staff, provide quality professional development opportunities, and pay education professionals commensurate to the job they do. That's as close as we're going to get to education equality, roughly providing every child with necessary resources from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day: what they do with their futures is up to them and their hormones once they reach high school.
Campaign rhetoric is just talk, and party constituents don't want politicians to walk the walk. Our society isn't ~really~ based on equal opportunity: it's based on how we compare and rank ourselves to other Americans, our children to other children, ourselves to neighbors, to other states, to other cultures. We want the advantages for our children and our family, NOT for others, and believe we are entitled and absolved from accountability to continue this hypocrisy as long as we wear an American flag pin on our lapel.
Shame on us. What do you think our children will do to their and our tomorrow when they realize how we cheated them today?
Political speeches, verbal pandering and emotional manipulations give me heartburn at this stage in my life, which is nothing compared to what it does to my Super Stars.
Ranking schools by test results, "cracking down" on bad teachers, holding parents accountable for providing appropriate schema and a healthy lifestyle for their children prior to the start of kindergarten, and of course, the "opportunity" to ~choose~ a better school if the one down the road "fails" all earn roars of approval and ovations from the crowd at every rally.
If America really cared about children and education, no parent or family would have to "choose" one school over another: EVERY school would would be well-equipped, safe, maintained, and staffed by highly qualified and honestly compensated teachers, specialists and administrators.
As a seventeen-year teaching veteran, it's annoying when political parties, candidates and pundits argue that parents "should be able to choose" the best school for their children. They insist it's a perk when families have to move in order to transfer their children out of their neighborhood school and take them elsewhere, eventually effectively overcrowding that school, so that in time, it too "fails" to reach "academic excellence." The best schools aren't given extra teachers when overcrowding starts to happen. New hallways, wings or auditoriums aren't added on either. And how about those families whose children are "stuck" in the not-so-hot neighborhood school?
This idea of "choice" and ranking schools MAINTAINS inequality for children: those who CAN move to a better school DO, and those who CAN'T, and who frankly need it most, are trapped with a possible school closure in their future necessitating a move that many families can't afford. Add to the mix varying funding options for school districts, and we've proven we really don't want education equality at all. Nice solution.
Overhaul education by giving every school the same resources from free/reduced lunch, speech therapy, OT/PT, a guaranteed quality arts program, a healthy living/physical education department, current technology, healthy meals and outdoor learning spaces. Fill those schools with highly qualified teachers and staff, provide quality professional development opportunities, and pay education professionals commensurate to the job they do. That's as close as we're going to get to education equality, roughly providing every child with necessary resources from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day: what they do with their futures is up to them and their hormones once they reach high school.
Campaign rhetoric is just talk, and party constituents don't want politicians to walk the walk. Our society isn't ~really~ based on equal opportunity: it's based on how we compare and rank ourselves to other Americans, our children to other children, ourselves to neighbors, to other states, to other cultures. We want the advantages for our children and our family, NOT for others, and believe we are entitled and absolved from accountability to continue this hypocrisy as long as we wear an American flag pin on our lapel.
Shame on us. What do you think our children will do to their and our tomorrow when they realize how we cheated them today?
Political speeches, verbal pandering and emotional manipulations give me heartburn at this stage in my life, which is nothing compared to what it does to my Super Stars.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Saturday and Sunday Snot-o-Rama/What You Don't Know About Alaska
*That's* graphic, eh?
I'm back to school. I have fifteen kindergarten students. Three of them have been a bit sniffly. Nose-picky. Wiping slime across faces with bare hands, sleeves, or shirt hems. Naturally, I am now sniffly. Snorky. I sound like this: "I hab a code (snork, blow, wheeze, cough)." Never fear, I use Kleenex. Appropriately. And I dispose of used tissues immediately. Ibuprofin and Sudafed have kept me company for the past twenty-four-plus hours. Halls coughdrops (honey lemon) have stood on the nightstand at the ready. I've been napping/sleeping between magazine browsing...Somerset Holiday, nap. People Magazine, nap. Good Housekee----SNORE.
Next week three or four more students will experience nasal drainage issues too, necessitating bottles and bottles of hand sanitizer, boxes of kleenex, and strategically placed trashcans to be deployed throughout the room. Blech.
*****
Being an Alaskan in Kansas, I've been asked by a few friends, parents, and colleagues about Governor Palin. I've also heard (and read) a lot about Palin and Alaska via the news, tabloids, newspapers, blogs, emails, and chit chat. There's something I've noticed: lower 48'ers (everyone living outside of Alaska or Hawaii) tend to believe that their romantic mythology of Alaska is the "real" Alaska. You laugh and smile as you tell me how much you love watching Northern Exposure reruns, or how you got to pan for gold with friends at some tourist trap in the Interior, and you express wonderment that Alaskan residents receive a "bonus check" from the state just for living there.
I've heard Republican representatives tout Governor Palin as being a "can-do" kind of woman because she has a "big gun, a moose gun." As many of you are NRA members, you should know this: it's called a rifle. You should also know that many Alaskans, Republican, Democrat, Independence Party or undecided/don't care/don't vote, male or female, own and use guns too. Palin is not exceptional for her familiarity with or use of firearms. She merely lives in a state known for its subsistence lifestyle and large man-eating animals.
Alaska is also full of people who purposely left the Lower 48, not just to find their riches, but to get away from the status quo, to get away from cookie cutter expectations, cookie cutter experiences, and in some cases, cookie cutter laws. As a result, Alaska is full of diverse, socially colorful people, "characters," you might call them. Alaskans like the fact that their state constitution safeguards their privacy: Article I, section 22 states that the "right of the people to privacy is recognized and shall not be infringed." The Supreme Court of Alaska further expressed Alaskans' "natural right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" when it stated that "at the core of this concept [of liberty] is the notion of total personal immunity from governmental control: the right 'to be let alone.'" Breese v. Smith, 501 P.2d 159, 168 (Alaska 1972). (Thank you, Alaska Law Review)
Alaskans are not always team players- but they are individuals who will give you the shirt off of their back (or more importantly, your truck a "jump" at twenty below zero when you're stuck on the side of the road) and will leave before you ever have the chance to thank them. Instead of thanking or paying us, stop and help someone else when you see a person in need. We don't wear $300,000 worth of designer clothing and ritzy jewels to "attend functions," we wear Carhartt's and bunny boots to weddings. We make poor financial choices just like you. Our dividend check? The heating fuel relief money? Most of it was spent on new flat screen televisions or snowmachines, televisions for the long cold winter, and snowmachines for transportation and recreation.
Racist comments? Yep, you betcha. We're human in that arena too. Sexist? Not so much- after all, women have to be pretty tough in Alaska to make it through long, cold winters. A favorite event at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics is the tug-o-war between Native Women and White Men. The women win every year, and they win it *fair and square.*
It will take you extra work, and extra research if you want to really get to know our present governor. Like most, Alaskans feel state pride when one of our own is recognized. But while our state is the largest in the union, our population is one of the smallest: we KNOW one another. If we haven't met one another yet personally, there's a very good chance we know your Aunt Ethel and Uncle Bob from Anaktuvuk Pass. Being outspoken Alaskans, we'll dish the dirt. Knowing your Aunt Ethel and Uncle Bob, we'll choose to bite our tongues to outsiders- after all, we're going to pass our neighbors, their family and friends in Fred Meyers, Dimond Mall, or at W.E.I.O., while journalists are far away via phone, e-mail, etc. and are merely seeking out cute, kitschy Alaskan-ey sounding taglines for their "reports."
We have a state big enough in which to hide bodies folks. Who needs concrete shoes when we can feed the fox and wolves?
Good rule of thumb for life and present-day elections? Don't believe everything you read or hear. Don't believe everything you're told by a person whose job it is to sell him/her self to you. Take some time, check a person's public records, and question why she or he is trying to distract you with rah-rah's and put downs when what you need and deserve to hear are the details of plans that are going to make your life better. No, we don't live in igloos. Yes, there are peak months in which you can see the Northern Lights. No, we don't have a light switch to turn them on. The mosquito is our not-so-inside-joke state bird (because the real state bird is the willow ptarmigan). Yes, it's pretty dark and cold during the winter, and sunny during the summer. Our autumn and spring are short lived and can be identified from winter and summer by the amount of MUD that covers your vehicle and boots. Eskimos are not the only "native Alaskans" that live in the frozen north. No, Governor Palin does NOT "control" the oil pipeline, nor will she "control" the gas pipeline once it is built. Yes, she probably does know Santa Claus, all Alaskans do: he lives in another famous tourist trap location called North Pole, Alaska. My own children loved visiting him each Thanksgiving when out of state family came to visit.
We'd like you to know: Alaska is a real state, full of real people. It is not an election prop. While many of us are proud to see "our" governor out there playing with the lower 48'ers, just as many of us are wondering why anyone bothered asking her to come outside in the first place.
I'm back to school. I have fifteen kindergarten students. Three of them have been a bit sniffly. Nose-picky. Wiping slime across faces with bare hands, sleeves, or shirt hems. Naturally, I am now sniffly. Snorky. I sound like this: "I hab a code (snork, blow, wheeze, cough)." Never fear, I use Kleenex. Appropriately. And I dispose of used tissues immediately. Ibuprofin and Sudafed have kept me company for the past twenty-four-plus hours. Halls coughdrops (honey lemon) have stood on the nightstand at the ready. I've been napping/sleeping between magazine browsing...Somerset Holiday, nap. People Magazine, nap. Good Housekee----SNORE.
Next week three or four more students will experience nasal drainage issues too, necessitating bottles and bottles of hand sanitizer, boxes of kleenex, and strategically placed trashcans to be deployed throughout the room. Blech.
*****
Being an Alaskan in Kansas, I've been asked by a few friends, parents, and colleagues about Governor Palin. I've also heard (and read) a lot about Palin and Alaska via the news, tabloids, newspapers, blogs, emails, and chit chat. There's something I've noticed: lower 48'ers (everyone living outside of Alaska or Hawaii) tend to believe that their romantic mythology of Alaska is the "real" Alaska. You laugh and smile as you tell me how much you love watching Northern Exposure reruns, or how you got to pan for gold with friends at some tourist trap in the Interior, and you express wonderment that Alaskan residents receive a "bonus check" from the state just for living there.
I've heard Republican representatives tout Governor Palin as being a "can-do" kind of woman because she has a "big gun, a moose gun." As many of you are NRA members, you should know this: it's called a rifle. You should also know that many Alaskans, Republican, Democrat, Independence Party or undecided/don't care/don't vote, male or female, own and use guns too. Palin is not exceptional for her familiarity with or use of firearms. She merely lives in a state known for its subsistence lifestyle and large man-eating animals.
Alaska is also full of people who purposely left the Lower 48, not just to find their riches, but to get away from the status quo, to get away from cookie cutter expectations, cookie cutter experiences, and in some cases, cookie cutter laws. As a result, Alaska is full of diverse, socially colorful people, "characters," you might call them. Alaskans like the fact that their state constitution safeguards their privacy: Article I, section 22 states that the "right of the people to privacy is recognized and shall not be infringed." The Supreme Court of Alaska further expressed Alaskans' "natural right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" when it stated that "at the core of this concept [of liberty] is the notion of total personal immunity from governmental control: the right 'to be let alone.'" Breese v. Smith, 501 P.2d 159, 168 (Alaska 1972). (Thank you, Alaska Law Review)
Alaskans are not always team players- but they are individuals who will give you the shirt off of their back (or more importantly, your truck a "jump" at twenty below zero when you're stuck on the side of the road) and will leave before you ever have the chance to thank them. Instead of thanking or paying us, stop and help someone else when you see a person in need. We don't wear $300,000 worth of designer clothing and ritzy jewels to "attend functions," we wear Carhartt's and bunny boots to weddings. We make poor financial choices just like you. Our dividend check? The heating fuel relief money? Most of it was spent on new flat screen televisions or snowmachines, televisions for the long cold winter, and snowmachines for transportation and recreation.
Racist comments? Yep, you betcha. We're human in that arena too. Sexist? Not so much- after all, women have to be pretty tough in Alaska to make it through long, cold winters. A favorite event at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics is the tug-o-war between Native Women and White Men. The women win every year, and they win it *fair and square.*
It will take you extra work, and extra research if you want to really get to know our present governor. Like most, Alaskans feel state pride when one of our own is recognized. But while our state is the largest in the union, our population is one of the smallest: we KNOW one another. If we haven't met one another yet personally, there's a very good chance we know your Aunt Ethel and Uncle Bob from Anaktuvuk Pass. Being outspoken Alaskans, we'll dish the dirt. Knowing your Aunt Ethel and Uncle Bob, we'll choose to bite our tongues to outsiders- after all, we're going to pass our neighbors, their family and friends in Fred Meyers, Dimond Mall, or at W.E.I.O., while journalists are far away via phone, e-mail, etc. and are merely seeking out cute, kitschy Alaskan-ey sounding taglines for their "reports."
We have a state big enough in which to hide bodies folks. Who needs concrete shoes when we can feed the fox and wolves?
Good rule of thumb for life and present-day elections? Don't believe everything you read or hear. Don't believe everything you're told by a person whose job it is to sell him/her self to you. Take some time, check a person's public records, and question why she or he is trying to distract you with rah-rah's and put downs when what you need and deserve to hear are the details of plans that are going to make your life better. No, we don't live in igloos. Yes, there are peak months in which you can see the Northern Lights. No, we don't have a light switch to turn them on. The mosquito is our not-so-inside-joke state bird (because the real state bird is the willow ptarmigan). Yes, it's pretty dark and cold during the winter, and sunny during the summer. Our autumn and spring are short lived and can be identified from winter and summer by the amount of MUD that covers your vehicle and boots. Eskimos are not the only "native Alaskans" that live in the frozen north. No, Governor Palin does NOT "control" the oil pipeline, nor will she "control" the gas pipeline once it is built. Yes, she probably does know Santa Claus, all Alaskans do: he lives in another famous tourist trap location called North Pole, Alaska. My own children loved visiting him each Thanksgiving when out of state family came to visit.
We'd like you to know: Alaska is a real state, full of real people. It is not an election prop. While many of us are proud to see "our" governor out there playing with the lower 48'ers, just as many of us are wondering why anyone bothered asking her to come outside in the first place.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Tulle Time/Americana/Think
What to do with leftover tulle, red and blue fabric, and red polka-dotted ribbon?
Make a new wreath to go with my updated patriotic decor, of course!
I had enough fabric and tulle left over to make a mini-wreath as well:
It's small enough to fit inside the opening on the larger wreath, but it looks a bit overkill on the tulle, if you ask me (so no, they won't be kept like this):
SallyJean has posted her April Celebration List...CakeSpy posts a tribute (with history) to one of my favorite treats, the macaroon cookie (what do you mean it's "ugly?")...
mbartdesign has some cute altered art charm bracelets (patriotic even!)
Linda Bertino at Charming Trinkets also has too-many-charms-are-never-enough jewelry that include brooches and barrettes, sorted by category: Patriotic; Tea/Java Joy; Fish and Sea Life; and many more. Though many of her pieces are marked "sold," it appears she takes custom orders and can come close to duplicating what you might find on her site.
And if you want to immerse yourself in Americana decor, try The Country Porch...
Here's an idea...Why not visit the presidential candidates' official web sites instead of listening to biased pundits, talk-show hosts, spin doctors, and celebrities who would like to do your thinking for you? I know the sites are professionally produced as well, but for those of us who won't be able to meet (much less chat with) the candidates in person, this might just be the best way to get as close to each horses' mouth as possible. Review their ideas, check their voting record, listen to their messages and form your own opinion:
Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
John McCain
Make a new wreath to go with my updated patriotic decor, of course!
I had enough fabric and tulle left over to make a mini-wreath as well:
It's small enough to fit inside the opening on the larger wreath, but it looks a bit overkill on the tulle, if you ask me (so no, they won't be kept like this):
SallyJean has posted her April Celebration List...CakeSpy posts a tribute (with history) to one of my favorite treats, the macaroon cookie (what do you mean it's "ugly?")...
mbartdesign has some cute altered art charm bracelets (patriotic even!)
Linda Bertino at Charming Trinkets also has too-many-charms-are-never-enough jewelry that include brooches and barrettes, sorted by category: Patriotic; Tea/Java Joy; Fish and Sea Life; and many more. Though many of her pieces are marked "sold," it appears she takes custom orders and can come close to duplicating what you might find on her site.
And if you want to immerse yourself in Americana decor, try The Country Porch...
Here's an idea...Why not visit the presidential candidates' official web sites instead of listening to biased pundits, talk-show hosts, spin doctors, and celebrities who would like to do your thinking for you? I know the sites are professionally produced as well, but for those of us who won't be able to meet (much less chat with) the candidates in person, this might just be the best way to get as close to each horses' mouth as possible. Review their ideas, check their voting record, listen to their messages and form your own opinion:
Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
John McCain
Friday, February 08, 2008
Personally, I Vote for HOPE
It's February, but there is something I'm *not* loving at the moment... the all-encompassing FEAR that many/most (if not all) of us have felt for quite some time now. Fear of terrorists, fear of our children "being left behind," fear of immigrants, fear of gender, fear of race... interesting how we've allowed ourselves to be steered in this direction.
Living in the Bordertown gives me visual reminders of fear everyday:
Now these homes aren't in bad shape, nor are any of these located in what's considered to be a "bad" neighborhood, but their prison "look" is representative of the rest of the community at large. In my opinion, it doesn't matter if your gates and bars are painted a complementary color to your home, or if you add swirly curly-q's to them, or try to make them architecturally interesting by making their line follow the architecture of scalloped walls: you're still locked in behind those bars, and you're trying to lock everyone else out. Sure, we outsiders see your fence of fear (oh I know, the manufacturers call it a "security fence"), but you know what? When you're looking out of your window, so do you. Must be a great view.
Fear.
Somehow, we can deny entry into our country to any music star who might have a drug conviction, but we can't keep terror cells outside of our own borders. And just when you try to return to Mom, baseball, and apple pie, someone somewhere decides that 9/11 footage should be shown AGAIN. How's your adrenaline?
Blanket statements about immigration ignore those newbies to our country who came here the "right way," legally obtaining citizenship. Instead, we're fed information from a different slant. Many statements (usually racist) made about how all of "our" jobs are being lost, our school/health/welfare systems are overburdened by non-citizens, etc. Riled up yet? Oh wait, is that....adrenaline again?
As a teacher, I resent the fact that many people in this country have bought into fearing me, fearing that I might "leave your child behind." In twelve years of teaching, somehow I've morphed from trusted guide and awesome kindergarten teacher to "She-Who-Must-be-Doubted-and-Feared." No, my intense interest in finger paint, glue sticks, and songs by Raffi is actually not an indicator of substandard or inappropriate teaching practices. Really. Surprised?
I value my ability to put food on my childrens' plates, clothes on their backs and someday, Uncle Sam willing, a long-term roof over their heads. I've spent a lot of time, a lot of money, and a lot of effort obtaining knowledge from a college I didn't have to attend in order to learn how to teach well. I complement my educational expertise with ongoing training in child/parental psychology, health and nutrition guidance, nurse/EMT training, multi-cultural awareness, sociology and communications, technological advances, and a slew of other areas of specialty, again, so that I can do my job well. I utilize developmentally appropriate practices and I believe children are very different from adults (and should be allowed to be so).
In my classroom you'll see children BEING CHILDREN, learning through experience and exploration, expressing themselves, sharing, laughing, singing, and yes full-day-kindergarten-advocates, taking naps. Sorry folks, but no matter what politicians or testing company CEO's try to tell you, duct taping students' fannies to their chairs multiple times per week to assess their knowledge gained actually results in kiddos spending less time participating in activities and experiences that enhance and facilitate their learning.
Stop. Think. Breathe. You can understand this one, really. If you have to take your kids to soccer, then to the store to get new pants, then over to the dentist's for an appointment, then over to the bank to deposit a check, how are you putting your family's photo album together at home? And when? If you keep taking kids away from their teacher, and keep making them spend extra time on math and reading in isolation in order to pass a single test, when are they going to learn how to play an instrument (which by the way, would offer yet another way for a child to have an "a-ha moment" in regard to both math and reading!), have time to explore literary genres, or learn a foreign language and exercise their bodies? After school? Uh, honey, check the newest after-school activity list: here in the Bordertown you won't find band, babysitting, or computers. You'll find TAKS TUTORING. When did you decide that it was okay to no longer value your child's creativity? His or her inner song? Interests? Gifts? Mental, physical, and emotional health? Did you learn best by sitting in a chair, day in and out, in a room filled with silence, or are your most vivid memories of learning filled with sights, sounds, textures, smells, exertion, emotion, and interest?
Someone told us to be scared. And we bought it.
What other messages of fear have you been fed lately? Which ones have you gulped down, hook, line and sinker? And to whom has it been of benefit?
Questions to ponder... I know, they'll tick some of you off:
What's the big threat, really, of having a president whose anatomy includes breasts and a vagina? Same goes for a male president whose family tree doesn't solely include ancestors who were Elmer's Glue "white." A president represents his or her entire nation, all colors, sexes, creeds, and beliefs. In order to do so, s/he must have a diverse background, advisers who are paradigm shifters, and the ability to understand that the most honest answers (and best solutions to problems) will come from going straight to each horse's mouth. Please stop talking to CEO's and other salespeople about how I should be doing my job. Talk to child advocates, other teachers, parents, and children. Fame does not equal credibility. Donald Trump and Bill Gates may be Googled more than I am, but that doesn't mean they could do my job better than I do it. Their business models are MODELS FOR BUSINESS, not for teaching and guiding young children in ways that will enable them to lead enriched, expressive, generous and tolerant lives.
Presidents aren't perfect, they're human, and will make some mistakes. But isn't it time to have hope again- hope that our president will stop serving a single agenda, and stop steering us with fear? We're not just a nation at war. Americans are starving, we are homeless, we are displaced. We have no health care. Our environment is suffering, a lot of people are depressed. And we are allowing ourselves to be herded like sheep with scare tactics.
Eek! A woman! Eek! Someone with brown skin! Eek! Someone who isn't a teacher has told us to be afraid of education! Eek! A Republican! Eek! A Democrat! Eek, someone whose marital decisions entitle little ol' me to judge them! Eek, a veteran! Eek, a non-veteran! Eek, someone whose religious practices don't match my own! Eek, a person who doesn't photograph well! Eek, change!
Any idea why our nation's enemies find us so deserving of their attention? Why we are viewed as predictable and easily-targeted drones? Oh, go ahead spin doctors... our nation is the strongest in the world, our American way of life is awe-inspiring, so other countries and cultures fear us and our strength and our divine right to demand compliance from them, er, our desire that they accept our generous gift of democracy, yadda yadda yadda...
Sweethearts, I'm an American woman with a multi-cultural background who teaches students in our public educational system. I'm a mother, and I'm the proud wife of a United States soldier. Members of my father's family are considered "indigenous" people, meaning they were here on this continent, living on the land that is part of our present nation, long before my mother's family arrived on the boat. I would be proud if my children chose to serve in the military, and I would proud if they chose to become doctors, mechanics, computer techs, non-fiction writers, woodworkers, or rocket scientists. I appreciate the fact that it is your tax dollars that move and house me and my family with each new military assignment my husband receives, but I also know that it's my family's tax dollars moving and supporting us too.
Hope isn't frivolous. Hope isn't a fad. And regardless of what you've been told, Hope isn't going to bring our enemies "into our backyards." We can be a nation of hope, and have a strong, capable, and appropriately equipped military to defend it. We can be a nation of hope, and provide our children with the best education possible (once we stop taking money away from our students to give it to corporations- yes, I said "students,"not "schools"). We can be a nation of hope and require that all immigrants join us legally. We can be a nation of hope and of health and provide for ourselves as much as our political-correctness inspires us to demonstrate care for others.
It's time hope returned to our nation. I VOTE FOR HOPE.
Candidates, please deliver, regardless of your political party's affiliation. All of America is your party.
Living in the Bordertown gives me visual reminders of fear everyday:
Now these homes aren't in bad shape, nor are any of these located in what's considered to be a "bad" neighborhood, but their prison "look" is representative of the rest of the community at large. In my opinion, it doesn't matter if your gates and bars are painted a complementary color to your home, or if you add swirly curly-q's to them, or try to make them architecturally interesting by making their line follow the architecture of scalloped walls: you're still locked in behind those bars, and you're trying to lock everyone else out. Sure, we outsiders see your fence of fear (oh I know, the manufacturers call it a "security fence"), but you know what? When you're looking out of your window, so do you. Must be a great view.
Fear.
Somehow, we can deny entry into our country to any music star who might have a drug conviction, but we can't keep terror cells outside of our own borders. And just when you try to return to Mom, baseball, and apple pie, someone somewhere decides that 9/11 footage should be shown AGAIN. How's your adrenaline?
Blanket statements about immigration ignore those newbies to our country who came here the "right way," legally obtaining citizenship. Instead, we're fed information from a different slant. Many statements (usually racist) made about how all of "our" jobs are being lost, our school/health/welfare systems are overburdened by non-citizens, etc. Riled up yet? Oh wait, is that....adrenaline again?
As a teacher, I resent the fact that many people in this country have bought into fearing me, fearing that I might "leave your child behind." In twelve years of teaching, somehow I've morphed from trusted guide and awesome kindergarten teacher to "She-Who-Must-be-Doubted-and-Feared." No, my intense interest in finger paint, glue sticks, and songs by Raffi is actually not an indicator of substandard or inappropriate teaching practices. Really. Surprised?
I value my ability to put food on my childrens' plates, clothes on their backs and someday, Uncle Sam willing, a long-term roof over their heads. I've spent a lot of time, a lot of money, and a lot of effort obtaining knowledge from a college I didn't have to attend in order to learn how to teach well. I complement my educational expertise with ongoing training in child/parental psychology, health and nutrition guidance, nurse/EMT training, multi-cultural awareness, sociology and communications, technological advances, and a slew of other areas of specialty, again, so that I can do my job well. I utilize developmentally appropriate practices and I believe children are very different from adults (and should be allowed to be so).
In my classroom you'll see children BEING CHILDREN, learning through experience and exploration, expressing themselves, sharing, laughing, singing, and yes full-day-kindergarten-advocates, taking naps. Sorry folks, but no matter what politicians or testing company CEO's try to tell you, duct taping students' fannies to their chairs multiple times per week to assess their knowledge gained actually results in kiddos spending less time participating in activities and experiences that enhance and facilitate their learning.
Stop. Think. Breathe. You can understand this one, really. If you have to take your kids to soccer, then to the store to get new pants, then over to the dentist's for an appointment, then over to the bank to deposit a check, how are you putting your family's photo album together at home? And when? If you keep taking kids away from their teacher, and keep making them spend extra time on math and reading in isolation in order to pass a single test, when are they going to learn how to play an instrument (which by the way, would offer yet another way for a child to have an "a-ha moment" in regard to both math and reading!), have time to explore literary genres, or learn a foreign language and exercise their bodies? After school? Uh, honey, check the newest after-school activity list: here in the Bordertown you won't find band, babysitting, or computers. You'll find TAKS TUTORING. When did you decide that it was okay to no longer value your child's creativity? His or her inner song? Interests? Gifts? Mental, physical, and emotional health? Did you learn best by sitting in a chair, day in and out, in a room filled with silence, or are your most vivid memories of learning filled with sights, sounds, textures, smells, exertion, emotion, and interest?
Someone told us to be scared. And we bought it.
What other messages of fear have you been fed lately? Which ones have you gulped down, hook, line and sinker? And to whom has it been of benefit?
Questions to ponder... I know, they'll tick some of you off:
What's the big threat, really, of having a president whose anatomy includes breasts and a vagina? Same goes for a male president whose family tree doesn't solely include ancestors who were Elmer's Glue "white." A president represents his or her entire nation, all colors, sexes, creeds, and beliefs. In order to do so, s/he must have a diverse background, advisers who are paradigm shifters, and the ability to understand that the most honest answers (and best solutions to problems) will come from going straight to each horse's mouth. Please stop talking to CEO's and other salespeople about how I should be doing my job. Talk to child advocates, other teachers, parents, and children. Fame does not equal credibility. Donald Trump and Bill Gates may be Googled more than I am, but that doesn't mean they could do my job better than I do it. Their business models are MODELS FOR BUSINESS, not for teaching and guiding young children in ways that will enable them to lead enriched, expressive, generous and tolerant lives.
Presidents aren't perfect, they're human, and will make some mistakes. But isn't it time to have hope again- hope that our president will stop serving a single agenda, and stop steering us with fear? We're not just a nation at war. Americans are starving, we are homeless, we are displaced. We have no health care. Our environment is suffering, a lot of people are depressed. And we are allowing ourselves to be herded like sheep with scare tactics.
Eek! A woman! Eek! Someone with brown skin! Eek! Someone who isn't a teacher has told us to be afraid of education! Eek! A Republican! Eek! A Democrat! Eek, someone whose marital decisions entitle little ol' me to judge them! Eek, a veteran! Eek, a non-veteran! Eek, someone whose religious practices don't match my own! Eek, a person who doesn't photograph well! Eek, change!
Any idea why our nation's enemies find us so deserving of their attention? Why we are viewed as predictable and easily-targeted drones? Oh, go ahead spin doctors... our nation is the strongest in the world, our American way of life is awe-inspiring, so other countries and cultures fear us and our strength and our divine right to demand compliance from them, er, our desire that they accept our generous gift of democracy, yadda yadda yadda...
Sweethearts, I'm an American woman with a multi-cultural background who teaches students in our public educational system. I'm a mother, and I'm the proud wife of a United States soldier. Members of my father's family are considered "indigenous" people, meaning they were here on this continent, living on the land that is part of our present nation, long before my mother's family arrived on the boat. I would be proud if my children chose to serve in the military, and I would proud if they chose to become doctors, mechanics, computer techs, non-fiction writers, woodworkers, or rocket scientists. I appreciate the fact that it is your tax dollars that move and house me and my family with each new military assignment my husband receives, but I also know that it's my family's tax dollars moving and supporting us too.
Hope isn't frivolous. Hope isn't a fad. And regardless of what you've been told, Hope isn't going to bring our enemies "into our backyards." We can be a nation of hope, and have a strong, capable, and appropriately equipped military to defend it. We can be a nation of hope, and provide our children with the best education possible (once we stop taking money away from our students to give it to corporations- yes, I said "students,"not "schools"). We can be a nation of hope and require that all immigrants join us legally. We can be a nation of hope and of health and provide for ourselves as much as our political-correctness inspires us to demonstrate care for others.
It's time hope returned to our nation. I VOTE FOR HOPE.
Candidates, please deliver, regardless of your political party's affiliation. All of America is your party.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Tuesday
Something's coming over the mountains today:
I'm glad to have something idea-inspiring to read when the dust kicks up, wind starts howling, and tumbleweeds go whizzing past my windows:
Hearing so much about Somerset from the crafty bloggers I read each day made me take the fifteen-dollar-plunge at B&N this past weekend. Guess what? I'll be subscribing.
Talking with my husband last night, I introduced the idea that once our new duty station comes through and we have floorplans for our future housing, I'd like to figure out a way to have my own craft/sewing workstation, perhaps sharing a study with him. Ideally, I'd love to have my own space, free of children, toys, seasonal clothes in storage tubs, and frankly, my husband's stuff. Hunting gear, guns, military awards, and Harley logos are not what get my creative juices flowing...his support of testing gravity by letting all magazines, papers, catalogs, receipts, brochures, business cards, etc. live on the floor of his study is also a major obstacle to overcome before we could seriously share a space. I think I'm talking myself out of it here!
How do we share space in the rest of the house? I'm the boss, that's how. You see, my husband's job requires that we move regularly. MORE than regularly in fact. We've moved four times in the past five years, with another move coming up this summer. The kids and I don't get a say in where we move to, what jobs or friends we have to leave behind, nor how long we'll stay or how quickly we'll have to leave again. So the public parts of the house are decorated the way I want them to be with my husband and kids having their own spaces reflecting their personalities and tastes. Yes, I make sure my husband has his man-cave, and the garage is always his. But because we have no say in the move-us-cross-country-or-even-OUT-of-country decisions, I lay down the law when it comes to home decor, storage, and household chores. We may not get to choose where we're going to have to live, but I *will* have my family living in a clean, comfortable, soothing, and inviting home, dadgummit!
Once I get an idea of what kind of housing we'll be in, I need to figure out a way to effectively create my own space, keep other family members (and the required military/social visitors) from encroaching upon it, and scheduling time for myself to spend in it, seeing creative ideas come to fruition. Until then, I'll continue to explore, collect ideas and a few bits and bobs and inevitably, see what happens after this Bordertown's windy season.
*********************************************************************
Here are some blogs I've recently been enjoying:
Sally Jean: I love her charms- so sweet!
Cari Kraft's What Should We Make Today: Creative banners appeal to the teacher AND mom in me...
And if you need a good laugh or a "saucy" story, get your fix over at Bloggedy-Blog-Blog.
Don't forget our soldiers this Valentine's Day (or ever!)- An Army Wife's Life has posted links and ideas about cards and care packages for soldiers and veterans. Even if you miss Valentine's Day, remember it's never "too late" to show our soldiers how much you care- even plain ol' Tuesday is a holiday when an unexpected care package with goodies and treats or a "thinking about you" card or letter is received.
*****************************************************************
Please vote. Before you do, please think. Think about something deeper and more relevant than gender or race. Thanks.
I'm glad to have something idea-inspiring to read when the dust kicks up, wind starts howling, and tumbleweeds go whizzing past my windows:
Hearing so much about Somerset from the crafty bloggers I read each day made me take the fifteen-dollar-plunge at B&N this past weekend. Guess what? I'll be subscribing.
Talking with my husband last night, I introduced the idea that once our new duty station comes through and we have floorplans for our future housing, I'd like to figure out a way to have my own craft/sewing workstation, perhaps sharing a study with him. Ideally, I'd love to have my own space, free of children, toys, seasonal clothes in storage tubs, and frankly, my husband's stuff. Hunting gear, guns, military awards, and Harley logos are not what get my creative juices flowing...his support of testing gravity by letting all magazines, papers, catalogs, receipts, brochures, business cards, etc. live on the floor of his study is also a major obstacle to overcome before we could seriously share a space. I think I'm talking myself out of it here!
How do we share space in the rest of the house? I'm the boss, that's how. You see, my husband's job requires that we move regularly. MORE than regularly in fact. We've moved four times in the past five years, with another move coming up this summer. The kids and I don't get a say in where we move to, what jobs or friends we have to leave behind, nor how long we'll stay or how quickly we'll have to leave again. So the public parts of the house are decorated the way I want them to be with my husband and kids having their own spaces reflecting their personalities and tastes. Yes, I make sure my husband has his man-cave, and the garage is always his. But because we have no say in the move-us-cross-country-or-even-OUT-of-country decisions, I lay down the law when it comes to home decor, storage, and household chores. We may not get to choose where we're going to have to live, but I *will* have my family living in a clean, comfortable, soothing, and inviting home, dadgummit!
Once I get an idea of what kind of housing we'll be in, I need to figure out a way to effectively create my own space, keep other family members (and the required military/social visitors) from encroaching upon it, and scheduling time for myself to spend in it, seeing creative ideas come to fruition. Until then, I'll continue to explore, collect ideas and a few bits and bobs and inevitably, see what happens after this Bordertown's windy season.
*********************************************************************
Here are some blogs I've recently been enjoying:
Sally Jean: I love her charms- so sweet!
Cari Kraft's What Should We Make Today: Creative banners appeal to the teacher AND mom in me...
And if you need a good laugh or a "saucy" story, get your fix over at Bloggedy-Blog-Blog.
Don't forget our soldiers this Valentine's Day (or ever!)- An Army Wife's Life has posted links and ideas about cards and care packages for soldiers and veterans. Even if you miss Valentine's Day, remember it's never "too late" to show our soldiers how much you care- even plain ol' Tuesday is a holiday when an unexpected care package with goodies and treats or a "thinking about you" card or letter is received.
*****************************************************************
Please vote. Before you do, please think. Think about something deeper and more relevant than gender or race. Thanks.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Good job Charlee!
... and when we have students, teens, young adults who care, have conviction, and demonstrate *class*, people like Rush Limbaugh don't like it.
Let's face it, what on earth would indigenous peoples know about the environment in which they live, and why would they care when their observations of and connections to said environment indicated problems (yes, sarcasm intended)?
Feel free to check out Tribal Lands Climate Conference
and of course, An Inconvenient Truth.
And don't worry, it's really OKAY if you let common sense creep into your very being, no matter what Rush is regurgitating. Good job Charlee!
Let's face it, what on earth would indigenous peoples know about the environment in which they live, and why would they care when their observations of and connections to said environment indicated problems (yes, sarcasm intended)?
Feel free to check out Tribal Lands Climate Conference
and of course, An Inconvenient Truth.
And don't worry, it's really OKAY if you let common sense creep into your very being, no matter what Rush is regurgitating. Good job Charlee!
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