May 21, 2008
updates
I am finally getting caught up on my Flickr posts, got one video up on YouTube, and another one that will hopefully soon follow. :) Check it out.
May 6, 2008
Declaration of Humanhood
Here is another piece of writing from one of my students. She is a very bright, outspoken, always-going-to-speak-her-mind young woman at age 13. Here's a glimpse:
Declaration of Humanhood
I hereby declare that I am human.
I am human in my joy and laughter, and I am human in my pain and tears. I am human in my need to love and help others, and in my need to be loved and helped by others. I am human in my dreams and accomplishments, but most of all I am human in my flaws and mistakes.
Being human, I am entitled to the following rights:
I am human in my joy and laughter, and I am human in my pain and tears. I am human in my need to love and help others, and in my need to be loved and helped by others. I am human in my dreams and accomplishments, but most of all I am human in my flaws and mistakes.
Being human, I am entitled to the following rights:
- I have the right to be imperfect.
- I have the right to make many (sometimes huge) mistakes.
- I have the right to learn from my mistakes and then move on with my life.
- I have the right to forgive myself.
- I have the right to feel what I feel.
- I have the right to laugh until it hurts, and cry until it stops hurting.
- I have the right to live as I choose.
- I have the right to happiness.
- I have the right to my own beliefs.
- I have the right to true friends and true love.
- I have the right to be loved by others.
- I have the right to be loved by me.
- I have the right to be who I want to be, not what others expect me or want me to be.
March 25, 2008
Staff Sargent John Henry Bell
I had the opportunity to interview a man by the name of John Bell after Christmas of 2007. We exchanged stories for a while and talked about how life had been recently. At the time, he was 87 years old, living in an assisted living apartment. Over the past few years, his eyesight has dimmed, but not his wit or his intellect. Once he became comfortable talking to us, I started asking stories about the war, for he is a veteran of World War II. Slowly, but surely, the stories once again began to come out.
The year was 1941, and John had recently enlisted in the United States Army. He was 21 years old. The war effort was underway, but the United States was not yet directly involved.
John was stationed near San Francisco, California. One day there was a Navy pilot flying above the city and decided to push the boundaries. So, he took the Navy plane, took a dive, and flew it under the Golden Gate Bridge. It was quite the dangerous stunt to pull off and could have gone disastrously wrong. The cost of this stunt? That pilot forever lost his wings. "Son of a buck!"
One Saturday night, he went to a football game with some buddies. They went out and had a good time, partying away. They received an order early Sunday morning to report back to base immediately: Pearl Harbor had just been attacked.
Their job soon evolved to include many new positions. One job was to "clear out the coast", so in following with orders, they moved all people of Japanese decent off of the coastline. It was a known fact that there were two little submarines patrolling in the bay. They may have been similar to two one-man Japanese subs that were found off of the coast of Australia. These were kamasaki submarines: the pilot climbed in, they clamped the door down, and "that was your casket".
(American B-25)
One day, John received an order to join a small grouping of soldiers on a mission. They were issued warm weather clothes, but no further details. They headed to their little B-25 plane with a group of 13 soldiers: an engineer, pilot, co-pilot, and 10 soldiers. They began to fly and headed into the night and began to island hop as they flew west. As they were flying, they headed straight into a huge thunderstorm with lighting shooting on either side of them. However, they were never struck by lightning because the plane itself was not grounded. This continued with close calls and constant lightning flashes for another half an hour. Then suddenly, the clouds opened, you could see the stars reflecting on the ocean, and they flew out into clear moonlight.
(Japanese Zero)
"The Japs had planes called Zeros. They could take out B-25s right and left. But then we got P41s & P47 ad those could do something!"
(American P-41 & P-47)
"McArthur and Patton were tough SoBs. They were mean, but with good educations. There's smart people, and then there's intelligent people. Those two were intelligent." And speaking of education, John also mentioned that he had taken the pilot's test for the Air Force with no training to speak of. But, despite the fact that he passed, he was not accepted because he did not hold a high school diploma. John Bell served his country from 1941 - 1946. He was on his way to the Philippines when the war ended. Overall, there were 16 million soldiers who were drafted into the service.
Thanks, Grandpa.
The year was 1941, and John had recently enlisted in the United States Army. He was 21 years old. The war effort was underway, but the United States was not yet directly involved.
John was stationed near San Francisco, California. One day there was a Navy pilot flying above the city and decided to push the boundaries. So, he took the Navy plane, took a dive, and flew it under the Golden Gate Bridge. It was quite the dangerous stunt to pull off and could have gone disastrously wrong. The cost of this stunt? That pilot forever lost his wings. "Son of a buck!"
One Saturday night, he went to a football game with some buddies. They went out and had a good time, partying away. They received an order early Sunday morning to report back to base immediately: Pearl Harbor had just been attacked.
Their job soon evolved to include many new positions. One job was to "clear out the coast", so in following with orders, they moved all people of Japanese decent off of the coastline. It was a known fact that there were two little submarines patrolling in the bay. They may have been similar to two one-man Japanese subs that were found off of the coast of Australia. These were kamasaki submarines: the pilot climbed in, they clamped the door down, and "that was your casket".
(American B-25)One day, John received an order to join a small grouping of soldiers on a mission. They were issued warm weather clothes, but no further details. They headed to their little B-25 plane with a group of 13 soldiers: an engineer, pilot, co-pilot, and 10 soldiers. They began to fly and headed into the night and began to island hop as they flew west. As they were flying, they headed straight into a huge thunderstorm with lighting shooting on either side of them. However, they were never struck by lightning because the plane itself was not grounded. This continued with close calls and constant lightning flashes for another half an hour. Then suddenly, the clouds opened, you could see the stars reflecting on the ocean, and they flew out into clear moonlight.
(Japanese Zero)"The Japs had planes called Zeros. They could take out B-25s right and left. But then we got P41s & P47 ad those could do something!"
(American P-41 & P-47)
"McArthur and Patton were tough SoBs. They were mean, but with good educations. There's smart people, and then there's intelligent people. Those two were intelligent." And speaking of education, John also mentioned that he had taken the pilot's test for the Air Force with no training to speak of. But, despite the fact that he passed, he was not accepted because he did not hold a high school diploma. John Bell served his country from 1941 - 1946. He was on his way to the Philippines when the war ended. Overall, there were 16 million soldiers who were drafted into the service.
Thanks, Grandpa.
February 1, 2008
Published Poem by a Student
A got a letter this fall at school informing me of a poetry contest that my students were invited to enter. I recently got a letter informing me that one of my 6th graders has been selected to be published in the book of all the best poems from the contest! I don't think I can quite describe the feeling of having one of my students (my students!) published.. heck, I'm not even published. So, here is the poem, enjoy!
Love
My dove in the clefts of the rock
In the hiding places on the mountainside,
Show me your face,
Let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.
Each time he yelled about his spirit,
A part of his soul came out of him
And it was so painful.
It felt like a bird was eating
A little part of his heart every night.
When I see a smile as beautiful as yours,
I can go to space
And bring you every single star
Just to see a smile on your face.
And our love was so beautiful
That we can invent images of it.
Addendum August, 2008.
I am outraged. I was at a wedding and I heard the first stanza of this poem being read as one of the readings. It is Song of Solomon 2:14. The other 2 stanzas are original, but now I must figure out what to do about this. No wonder he wasn't very excited when I told him he was going to be published! He knew what he had done. I will see him in one week, now I must think about how to handle this situation. Argh...
Love
My dove in the clefts of the rock
In the hiding places on the mountainside,
Show me your face,
Let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.
Each time he yelled about his spirit,
A part of his soul came out of him
And it was so painful.
It felt like a bird was eating
A little part of his heart every night.
When I see a smile as beautiful as yours,
I can go to space
And bring you every single star
Just to see a smile on your face.
And our love was so beautiful
That we can invent images of it.
Addendum August, 2008.
I am outraged. I was at a wedding and I heard the first stanza of this poem being read as one of the readings. It is Song of Solomon 2:14. The other 2 stanzas are original, but now I must figure out what to do about this. No wonder he wasn't very excited when I told him he was going to be published! He knew what he had done. I will see him in one week, now I must think about how to handle this situation. Argh...
January 8, 2008
Smooth Jazz
Jazz Fantasia by Carl Sandburg
Drum on your drums, batter on your banjoes,
sob on the long cool winding saxophones.
Go to it, O jazzmen.
Sling your knuckles on the bottoms of the happy
tin pans, let your trombones ooze, and go husha-
husha-hush with the slippery sand-paper.
Moan like an autumn wind high in the lonesome treetops,
moan soft like you wanted somebody terrible, cry like a
racing car slipping away from a motorcycle cop,
bang-bang! you jazzmen, bang altogether drums, traps,
banjoes, horns, tin cans -- make two people fight on the
top of a stairway and scratch each other's eyes in a
clinch tumbling down the stairs.
Can the rough stuff... now a Mississippi steamboat
pushes up the night river with a hoo-hoo-hoo-oo... and
the green lanterns calling to the high softs stars... a red
moon rides on the humps of the low river hills.. go to it,
O jazzmen.
Drum on your drums, batter on your banjoes,
sob on the long cool winding saxophones.
Go to it, O jazzmen.
Sling your knuckles on the bottoms of the happy
tin pans, let your trombones ooze, and go husha-
husha-hush with the slippery sand-paper.
Moan like an autumn wind high in the lonesome treetops,
moan soft like you wanted somebody terrible, cry like a
racing car slipping away from a motorcycle cop,
bang-bang! you jazzmen, bang altogether drums, traps,
banjoes, horns, tin cans -- make two people fight on the
top of a stairway and scratch each other's eyes in a
clinch tumbling down the stairs.
Can the rough stuff... now a Mississippi steamboat
pushes up the night river with a hoo-hoo-hoo-oo... and
the green lanterns calling to the high softs stars... a red
moon rides on the humps of the low river hills.. go to it,
O jazzmen.
December 12, 2007
Aurora Middle School
As of November 29, I have officially completed teaching my first trimester of Language Arts at Aurora Middle School. So, we are well underway with trimester 2... and Christmas break is only seven days of school away! Here's a quick overview:
- I am teaching Middle School Language Arts to five sections of students: two sections of 6th grade, two of 7th, and one of 8th. Every morning we have homeroom for 15 minutes and I have the privilege of having the 8th graders. They are an amazing class of young men and women and must be described as resilient. They have been through far more in their first 14 years of life than most people. They were the premier class, and have always been
- My school is a bilingual charter school. For our school, the younger grades are taught in Spanish and they gradually are introduced to more English. So, by the time they get to me in Middle School everything is in English. The practical side of things is to get them ready for high school. It's pretty cool being able to teach in English to a bunch of kids who are all bilingual.
- I haven't had the need to use my Spanish a ton, but it's still helpful. I teach completely in English, but I am surrounded by Spanish all day. The times when "Spanish situations" come up are mostly when communicating with parents.
- I am teaching Middle School Language Arts to five sections of students: two sections of 6th grade, two of 7th, and one of 8th. Every morning we have homeroom for 15 minutes and I have the privilege of having the 8th graders. They are an amazing class of young men and women and must be described as resilient. They have been through far more in their first 14 years of life than most people. They were the premier class, and have always been
- My school is a bilingual charter school. For our school, the younger grades are taught in Spanish and they gradually are introduced to more English. So, by the time they get to me in Middle School everything is in English. The practical side of things is to get them ready for high school. It's pretty cool being able to teach in English to a bunch of kids who are all bilingual.
- I haven't had the need to use my Spanish a ton, but it's still helpful. I teach completely in English, but I am surrounded by Spanish all day. The times when "Spanish situations" come up are mostly when communicating with parents.
Teaching in China, July 2007
Whew! Let me think back to five months ago. There's no way that I'll remember everything, but here's a glimpse into that month of my life.
I went to teach English in Zibo (tzee-bwah), China with my friend Sara Honetschlager from Morris. I was literally living on the other side of the world, with a 13 hour time difference. We spent our first couple days here in the huge city of Beijing (population around 15 million). We spent one day in the Forbidden City and at Tianamen Square. On the Fourth of July we hiked the Great Wall of China. We were only there for a couple of hours, but man was I beat! There are certain points along the wall where you can begin to climb. From where we were, you could go in either direction. I led the charge of 6 other people up the more difficult side. Whew! The steps were designed to make it difficult to climb for invading armies: they did a good job! Each step is at a different height ranging from a few inches to two feet. What a work out, but the view was worth it!
Zibo is a city of about 4.15 million, but is only considered to be a "medium-sized". I created an American-style classroom. I even had my students recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning! Luckily my advocating "liberty and justice for all" did not get me into any trouble in this communist, socialist country! :) I taught twenty-two students all about 8 - 9 years old (2nd - 3rd grade). It was quite a bit harder than I had anticipated actually, but we had lots of fun. Some highlights: bonfires, teaching dance in the studio, nature walks, teaching about Oregon, playing Field Games, BINGO, crazy Olympics, puddle jumping, talent night, having two dresses custom made for me, and literally stopping traffic because the drivers were staring at me! (It was beyond crazy.)
On the first day of school, I gave my students all English names. By the end of the month, they gave me a Chinese one! So, my name is Man Yu Jie. Chinese names are reverse of ours, so I'll start the explanation from the right. I told them Karen meant "pure one", so my first name is "Jie" = "purity". My second name (Yu) means jade, as in the stone. My "family name" is taken from Coleman, and it (Man) means "full". So, I guess you could say that I am "filled with purity and a little jade on the side". :) I like it!
The food took some getting used to and I was sick for a good while, but eventually I adjusted to the idea of having Chinese food 3 times a day for a month. They eat the same types of food for breakfast as they do for lunch and dinner! It was super difficult to be away from my life here in MN, especially my new roommates. But technology was a blessing, and this was clearly where the Lord wanted me for this month. Glory!
I went to teach English in Zibo (tzee-bwah), China with my friend Sara Honetschlager from Morris. I was literally living on the other side of the world, with a 13 hour time difference. We spent our first couple days here in the huge city of Beijing (population around 15 million). We spent one day in the Forbidden City and at Tianamen Square. On the Fourth of July we hiked the Great Wall of China. We were only there for a couple of hours, but man was I beat! There are certain points along the wall where you can begin to climb. From where we were, you could go in either direction. I led the charge of 6 other people up the more difficult side. Whew! The steps were designed to make it difficult to climb for invading armies: they did a good job! Each step is at a different height ranging from a few inches to two feet. What a work out, but the view was worth it!
Zibo is a city of about 4.15 million, but is only considered to be a "medium-sized". I created an American-style classroom. I even had my students recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning! Luckily my advocating "liberty and justice for all" did not get me into any trouble in this communist, socialist country! :) I taught twenty-two students all about 8 - 9 years old (2nd - 3rd grade). It was quite a bit harder than I had anticipated actually, but we had lots of fun. Some highlights: bonfires, teaching dance in the studio, nature walks, teaching about Oregon, playing Field Games, BINGO, crazy Olympics, puddle jumping, talent night, having two dresses custom made for me, and literally stopping traffic because the drivers were staring at me! (It was beyond crazy.)
On the first day of school, I gave my students all English names. By the end of the month, they gave me a Chinese one! So, my name is Man Yu Jie. Chinese names are reverse of ours, so I'll start the explanation from the right. I told them Karen meant "pure one", so my first name is "Jie" = "purity". My second name (Yu) means jade, as in the stone. My "family name" is taken from Coleman, and it (Man) means "full". So, I guess you could say that I am "filled with purity and a little jade on the side". :) I like it!
The food took some getting used to and I was sick for a good while, but eventually I adjusted to the idea of having Chinese food 3 times a day for a month. They eat the same types of food for breakfast as they do for lunch and dinner! It was super difficult to be away from my life here in MN, especially my new roommates. But technology was a blessing, and this was clearly where the Lord wanted me for this month. Glory!
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