Cultural Tidbits About Japan

While on vacation in Japan back in June, my husband and I observed some interesting cultural tidbits learned through observation and plenty of trial and error! It was funny because we're Asians and blended in well with the Japanese, so I think many people assumed we were Japanese and expected us to know the particular social norms, behavior, and mannerisms of Japan. But of course, being from the U.S., we didn't know and therefore garnered at times some interesting stares from onlookers. It didn't take long for people to figure out we weren't Japanese though, and honestly, it was part of the fun of exploring the country and culture. :)

Anyway, while in Japan I started jotting down in my iPhone Notes some of these cultural tidbits and differences about the Japanese culture.

- You're not supposed to eat while walking. There were times when we stopped at street stalls to buy food or ice cream and would just continue on our merry way, eating and walking at the same time. It took a few times before we finally noticed that we were the only ones walking around with food in our mouth! Everyone else would buy the food, then just stand right there by the street stall to consume the food and finish it before continuing on their way. No wonder we got a couple weird stares at the bamboo grove in Kyoto when we were eating ice cream while strolling through! 

- When paying for items at a store, always put the money in the little tray by the cash register. Never hand the money directly to the cashier as it's seen as impolite. Thank goodness it was my husband and not me who made our first Japan purchase and had to be taught this!

- At some stores, you have to take your shoes off before entering the fitting room, just as you would in a Japanese home.

- You bag your own groceries. There are no baggers.

- Vending machines are everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Also, they sell everything in vending machines. Literally.

- Japan, despite being known as very technologically advanced, is still largely a cash based system. A lot of places don't take credit cards, so you always have to make sure to have cash on hand.

- A lot of public bathrooms don't have paper towels, and some don't have toilet paper or handsoap! Oh my gosh, this worried me a lot, so I would always make sure to carry those items with me.

- Speaking of bathrooms, some places only have squat toilets. I never got used to those. However, in the larger cities and the places that catered to tourists, there were often spiffy toilets with all the cool perks, such as seat warmer and the bidet with the nozzle that squirts water at your nether regions. Also, a lot of the bathrooms in our hotel rooms had a landline phone next to the toilet.

- Bathtubs in Japan are also taller than the ones in America. Being short, I had to lift my legs up quite a ways to get in and out of the tub (at least it felt like it). A lot of the bathroom mirrors in our rooms also had an anti-fogging area that doesn't fog up when you shower.

- When eating at a Japanese restaurant, put everything back the way it came--lids back on the bowls, etc. Chopsticks are also never placed directly on the table. Rest it on your plate instead.

- Cups, glasses, and mugs are really tiny. Over there, I could literally drink a cup of water in a couple gulps. That's how tiny the cups are! I felt like I could never get enough water in one sitting. Also, most places automatically serve tea instead of water.

- Nobody really talks or plays on their phone while dining. I think it's seen as disrespectful.

- Food is super fresh and less processed. Yumm, I miss that about Japan! After awhile, our stomach got used to eating fresh, healthy food. Our first American fast food meal after our stay in Japan actually made our stomach queasy and our body had to adjust to processed food again. It's no wonder there are very few overweight people in Japan!

- No tipping for any services. That was nice.

- People in Japan talk in low, quiet voices. It's quiet just about everywhere you go... on trains, in stores, on the streets. Of course, the big cities were louder but still relatively quiet compared to here in the U.S.

- When riding the escalator, everyone stands on the left side. The right side is for people who are in a huge rush and want to RUN up the escalator. We didn't figure this out until the very end of our trip! Oh, all the times that I stood on the right side and blocked those people who were rushing! lol

- There are bike parking lots that are sometimes bigger than car parking lots. People ride bikes and walk everywhere. They are a walking society. Again, no wonder there are few overweight people!

That's all I can think of at the moment. I've been meaning to post on here pictures of my Japan trip too, so sometime in the near future, I'll do so.

Confessions of a Work-a-holic

Quite some time ago, I realized that I was pushing myself too far with work, that I was a work-a-holic. For years now, I've held multiple jobs, never just one. During those years, I've also gone back to grad school and raised three children. It's a work ethic, a set of habits, and a lifestyle I've developed over the years that I've become so accustomed to. As crazy as it sounds, it's hard to let go. I've tried before.

But I know that I need to change that part of myself, for my own benefit and for that of my kids and my husband.

Well, I'm finally able to say that I'm slowly changing. I've been saying no to new contracts from the colleges I adjunct for. In fact, I recently finished the last of the courses for those colleges and am currently teaching for only one--the college I work for full-time. In other words, I only have one job right now.

One job.

That hasn't happened to me in more than 10 years. It's kind of strange. Different.

The other day I was online on a job site. I have this habit of perusing job sites and scouting out work opportunities. I always think to myself, "I'm only going to see what's out there, out of curiosity. I'm not going to apply." But then I see something interesting, and my mind starts churning. My curiosity, that urge I get to always be learning and to always experience new things, gets the best of me. "Maybe I'll apply just for the hell of it. Just to see where it leads," I tell myself. And that is how it always starts. My work-a-holic habits and me... how I wind up with two, sometimes three, jobs at a time.

Well, I was on that job website and I started going down that route again. I got as far as going to this company's website and uploading my resume... and then I stopped. I didn't go any further. I didn't submit my application.

Even now as I think about it, I'm still tempted to go back and apply. It just sounds like such a cool job, and I could get some great work experience out of it!

But I won't. I just have to keep telling myself that I won't apply.

I suppose this in itself--having only one job--is a learning experience. A new kind of work ethic, a new set of habits, a new kind of lifestyle that I'll have to adjust to.

I can do it.

Daughter of Refugees: My Childhood School Years

Awhile back, my youngest daughter's school had Grandparent's Day, a special day for grandparents to visit the classroom. My daughter invited her grandma on my side of the family.

On the day of the event, my mom arrived and I explained to her what the event was and in general what they would probably be doing at school. Then I dropped my mom and my daughter off.

After school was over later that day, my mom and I were talking about how the event went when she asked me in Hmong, "Did you ever have events like this at school when you were a kid? Days for parents and grandparents to come...?"

I told her that I did. There were Parent's Day, Grandparent's Day, concerts, and many other school events.

Then my mom asked, "How come your dad and I never went to any of these things when you and your brothers and sisters were kids?"

I could tell that she was working through something in her head.

"Mom," I said. "It's okay. You and dad didn't know about these things when we were young. There were letters and invitations sent home by our teachers, but you didn't know. I mean, how could you know?"

There was a short pause. Then my mom said, "There were some kids today at school whose grandparents didn't come. Nobody was there to celebrate the special day with them. They were sad..."

Then she looked away, and I knew that it had clicked with her:
What school must've been like for my siblings and me... for us, the children of refugees and of parents who had never been educated and knew nothing of the educational system or of the experience of going to school... the homework, projects, and studying for tests that we did entirely on our own at home, whether right or wrong, because our parents didn't understand the subjects and couldn't help... the things we must've felt and gone through at school that she had never been aware of before.

The letters and invitations sent home by our teachers either ended up in the trash unread, or if they were read, they were not understood. My parents didn't know English, and back in those days, especially in our little town, there were hardly any Hmong translators or Hmong ESL aides to assist in bridging the Hmong home life with the American school system.

And to be frank, we were very poor and sometimes my parents were just too busy trying to support our family and needing to put food on the table, keeping us clothed, and paying for rent. Those were often first priorities over what seemed like trivial school events.

My mom was quiet for a long time, sitting on my beige couch, looking out the window.

Finally, I said to her, "You supported us in your own way, mom."

And I meant it. I really did. For refugees who knew nothing about America upon arrival, my parents have gotten us to progress farther in life than we could've ever done on our own. That I'm certain of.

But yet as I sat there watching my mom's reaction to Grandparent's Day, tears formed in my eyes. They were both sad and happy tears.

Tears for my mom, who could not have known about all those school events... for the lonely school child still in me.. and for my own kids' lives free of these kinds of issues.

Does racism still exist in our day and age?

One of the most intriguing topics my students and I sometimes broach is that of racism and in particular whether it exists today or not. It's a touchy subject, because there are so many varying perspectives and of course no simple answers. 

I recently watched a video of Tim Wise, anti-racism activist. It's a long video (the lecture itself is 1 hour and 17 minutes). But I think it's worth the time just for the fact that it makes you think and try to perceive the topic in a different manner. I always try to keep an open mind when it comes to touchy subjects, and whether I agree with the points brought forth, I value the chance to see things from another's perspective.

Two things I found interesting about his lecture and that I could relate to...

First, Wise talks about stereotypes, and how what one person of a certain ethnicity does or says seems to reflect upon all others in that same ethnicity. In other words, it's a sweeping label applied to all minorities based on the actions of one person in that group. But Wise says the same does not usually apply to whites.

I remember when a Hmong hunter named Chai Vang killed some white hunters in 2004 in Wisconsin.. oh, the fear of repercussion in the Hmong community after that situation. I know many Hmong hunters who questioned whether they should hunt anymore; some stopped altogether. And then shortly after, a Hmong hunter was killed by a white hunter, some say in retaliation for the Chai Vang case.

I have often wondered that if Chai Vang represents all Hmong, then can Jeffrey Dahmer (a killer, cannibal, and necrophiliac) represent all white people? No, of course not. That's just ridiculous. But that is exactly Wise's point.

Secondly, along the same vein, there is also the archetype, which Wise says is when a person is pigeon-holed and expected to fit the mold for his or her ethnicity based on what society deems acceptable. And when a person strays from that, it can be confusing for others to place them categorically.

When I heard what Wise says around the 50 minute mark of his lecture, I had to chuckle a little because he's basically describing me. I'm an Asian-American whose specialty is English, and yes, I have been questioned many times on what I'm doing in the English field (I guess I'm supposed to be a math or chemistry nerd instead of a literature nerd). When I still taught high school, I remember a father of one of my students came in for parent-teacher conferences and the first thing he said to me was, "My daughter's in a regular English class, right? I mean, this isn't like an ESL class or anything, is it?" I knew he was asking, because he didn't think an Asian-American person, such as myself, could possibly understand English enough to teach it.

And yet another one has said to me, "Wow, you can actually speak English fluently! Not even an accent. Good for you!" *pat on the back* I've also been told, even by other teachers, that I should really go into teaching ESL or English as a Second Language classes instead, because... well, I would do more good there, which could be true, but I love teaching English at the higher levels. That is, after all, where my passion lies, being able to delve deeper into literature, reading, and writing.

Now to be fair, I'm also questioned by people of my own ethnicity. You see, stereotypes and archetypes exist within ethnicities among ourselves too. Hmong females, if they go into teaching, almost always choose the Elementary Ed level. I can't count how many times I've been questioned by Hmong people as to why in the world I decided to teach high school, and now that I'm teaching college, still the same questions. I don't fit the typical Hmong female archetype according to some in the Hmong community, and I don't fit the typical Asian archetype according to some in the white society. I guess I just am who I am, and I follow what my heart tells me to do. I don't take it personally though, as most people who question me don't do it in a rude or offensive way. They are simply curious or surprised. I'm always willing to explain, and it is of course an opportunity to discuss and expand the ways of thinking.

Wise doesn't really touch upon this as his area of expertise is in race relations, but there are so many different kinds of stereotypes and archetypes, and many of them apply to white people too. A person's body or size, for example. Usually, after people are done asking me about my choice as a Hmong person teaching English, their next question pertains to my size. I'm a small person at 5 ft and 105 pounds. Most people are curious as to how I can possibly handle a 6 ft, 200 pound student who misbehaves in my classroom. The answer is simple: there is no correlation between a teacher's physical size and his or her ability to effectively manage a classroom. Even though I'm a petite person, I have hardly ever had classroom management issues. It comes down to what your rules and expectations are in your classroom and whether you consistently adhere to them or not. My size has nothing to do with it.

So yes, of course racism, stereotypes, and archetypes exist today and in so many forms, big and small. We've made progress though. But Wise asserts in his lecture that in about 50 years, half of the U.S. population will consist of minorities. What does that mean for our nation, and how will that affect race relations? It'll be interesting to see the shift in demographics in this nation and how that's all going to play out.

There's a lot more about racism in Wise's lecture, but this has been a very long blog post already so I will stop here. When you find the time, I encourage you to watch the video and let me know what you think.

Connecticut Elementary School Shooting

I just read in the news today about one of my biggest fears--the school shooting in Connecticut.  :(

I can't fathom why someone would want to walk into a school and shoot anyone, especially innocent children.

As a parent, it is my biggest fear. You send your children to school everyday thinking they'll be safe and that they'll return to you at the end of the day. But that may not always be the case.

And as an educator, you train for the possibility of such horrible events. You go through your day teaching kids, always with the thought that something like that could happen at any moment, but yet you don't believe it'll ever happen... not in your school, not to your class, not to the students who are akin to being your own children.

I'm thinking back to the days of my high school teaching experience and reliving those few times when we had serious school lockdowns because of various situations happening in or around the school... and the fear and confusion of not knowing what was happening and why we were sitting in the dark, huddled together, with the door locked. Thankfully all of those situations never turned into anything terrible, and we were able to move on with our daily schedule soon after.

What I felt then during those times and what the teachers, students, and community in that Connecticut town must be feeling... tenfold.

My prayers and condolences to them.

I'm confused. I'm saddened.

All I know right now is that I must do what I can everyday and hope that I make a difference in the lives of my kids and my students... and that someday they'll grow up to make right choices.

Things I Wish I Could Say to People Sometimes...

Why
are you here
wasting my time
if you're not even going to try?

A Craving to Learn

I'm restless. I'm getting bored.

This can only mean one thing: it's back to school time.

No, I'm not referring to my kids, who will be heading back to school come early September. I'm talking about me.

Yes, I want to go back to school for another degree...for no other reason than to learn, explore, and try out new avenues in life.

You see, I love learning. I love trying out new things and seeing what else I'm capable of. If an extended period of time goes by and I don't have that opportunity to keep on learning, I start to get bored.

I know it's kind of crazy, and to be honest, some people don't understand why I enjoy taking classes, reading books, and doing assignments. It's stressful and time consuming to them, so why would I want that? It can only best be described as a sort of craving I get. It's like exercise for my brain and an addiction perhaps to the expansion of thoughts and ideas.

Going back to school is stressful and time consuming for me too, but the bottom line is that I find learning to be infinitely valuable. I could pursue learning new things on my own without going back to school, but I figure that if I'm going to take classes and read up on this or that, then I might as well make it count towards a degree so I can apply what I learn elsewhere.

It's true I have a good career, and I'm one of the few people I know who actually enjoy my job. After all, I get to harvest beautiful minds and malcontents, and that is something that cannot compare to any other job in the world.

But there's a crazy idea I have in me too, that I want to step into other people's shoes and learn what they know, do what they do, see what they see. It's not about money or doing more or being better than anybody else; it is just simply wanting to experience everything the world has to offer. For example, I want to someday dabble in the health field and try out the business world too, among other fields.

A glimpse into another view of life, another way of the world.

A craving to learn.

I think I'm going to go for a Master's in Business Administration. See how that is.

Books and Why They Are My Treasures

 

To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.

                                                           ~ Victor Hugo

Prejudice and Discrimination

I consider myself a fairly open-minded person. It doesn’t matter that much to me what race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, social class, or political party you belong to. I’m not perfectly nonjudgmental though, of course. It’s natural to have some prejudices and biases. I’m just saying that I think it’s only fair to examine each person as an individual, and not assume they are like others in whatever “group” they belong to or identify with. I’ll give you an example.

Once, when I was still teaching high school, the district had all teachers participate in a diversity workshop. One of the activities we did was to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a line in the middle of the room. Then the presenter asked questions and we each had to take a step forward if our answer was “yes” and a step back if our answer was “no.” Since this involved personal information, we each had the option to bow out if we chose to. I decided, “What the heck?” and jumped in line, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with others.

“Are you Caucasian?” the presenter asked. I’m Hmong-American, so my answer was “no.” I took a step back.

“Are you male?” I took another step back.

“As a child, was your family considered middle class or higher?” Nope, we were poor as dirt and lived paycheck to paycheck. Another step back.

“Do you have a college education?” Yes. A step forward, finally.

“Does at least one of your parents have a college education?” Darn, neither of my parents had even a high school degree. Another step back.

The presenter continued in this manner, asking a series of questions related to our background and personal life. At the end of the activity, guess what? I was all the way in the back of the room, the very last person. It meant that out of everyone there, I was the person with the most disadvantages in society. Well, that wasn’t news to me. I had experienced a lot of hurdles in my life, so I didn’t need a workshop activity to tell me just how disadvantaged I was.

But I did understand the purpose of the activity. It was meant to show the varying degrees of differences we had in the room. We were all teachers, all relatively intelligent, all making somewhat of a decent living, and yet there was a wide spectrum of life experiences between all of us.

The students we see daily in our classrooms would be no different. Some of us teachers taught at schools that were better off and were predominantly white—the presumably “preppy” schools. Some of us taught at schools with a high poverty rate and high number of ethnic minorities—the so called “ghetto” schools. At the time of this workshop, I taught English at the “ghetto” school, but would later be transferred to a more “preppy” school.

In my experiences at both kinds of schools, it’s true that no matter where you teach and no matter what the demographics suggest, differences exist. They will always exist. This is true, not just in schools, but in all aspects of life.

Regardless of...

-       your life experiences

-       the race, gender, or other innate qualities you were born with

-       your job

-       the neighborhood you live in

-       the kind of car you drive

-       etc....

...the truth is everybody deserves a chance to fulfill their dreams and goals. We all need to look pass differences and allow each other the chance to find happiness in his or her own life. Sometimes, we need to give each other a helping hand once in awhile too. Where would I be if I were never afforded some great opportunities and never had the help of some great people along the way?

Bullying

A powerful video on bullying:

And then a response to the above video, just as powerful:

What you say & do can affect others in ways you’ll never know. What you DON’T say or DON’T do also has the same affect.

On Being a Teacher...and Gratitude for Those Who Do It.

Although I’m no longer a public school teacher, in many ways, I still think like one, and in my heart, I still feel like one. All of the negative attention given lately to teachers hits home for me, so I want to take a little bit of time to explain what it’s like to be a teacher and to do the job day in and day out. These are some of the experiences I encountered and some of the thoughts I had when I taught public schools.

First of all, teaching is without a doubt one of the greatest careers in the world. I'm sure you've heard that before.

However, it's only great if you like kids, and even then, only if you have infinite positivity and patience. Sometimes kids can drive you nuts and make you wonder, "Was I ever like that??? No. Nooo way."

But then you probably were like that too...in some ways. Like when you skipped school once, or twice, or more. Or ran away from home once, or twice, or more.

And in other ways, you were very different.

You didn't have to deal with the heat being turned off in the middle of winter because your parents couldn't pay the bills, and you were so cold and near freezing in your bed that you didn’t get any sleep. That's why you couldn't concentrate on the state test and failed it the next day in school.

You never felt like you had to bring a knife to school because some kid kept bullying you.

And when you were little, your mom or dad never:  died, divorced, brought in a friend who raped you, spent time in prison, killed your other parent in front of you, gave you up or left you forever at someone's house. You never went through any of those things that some of your students have. Many of your students have.

And then you realize just how much past experiences affect a person and why he or she behaves that way. It makes sense.

Sometimes parents think you should parent their kids for them.

Sometimes you call 20 parents and only get 3 calls back. And when you try calling again, they finally pick up but they're drunk as hell.

Sometimes after you call and talk to them, you find out the next day that they beat their kid up because you called about a tardiness problem.

Sometimes principals forget what it's really like to be in the classroom everyday. With the kids everyday.

They forget the hard work and time involved in teaching. They expect you to take on more duties and responsibilities. Or they give you the crappiest teaching schedule ever. Or say and do things that imply you're not a professional.

Sometimes it's other teachers whose negativity starts to rub off on you. Whining and complaining really drains your energy and your outlook on things.

Sometimes people who don't know anything about teaching think that it's the easiest job.

And that you're overpaid.

Sometimes they think they own you because your salary is paid for with their tax money. They think they have a right to tell you what to do in the classroom and how to do it, even though you’re the one with the multiple education degrees and years of teaching experience.

Even lawmakers think they know more about education than you do.

But none of those people know what it’s like to stand up in front of a class of 30 kids and have to tell them that one of their peers committed suicide last night.

None of those people who criticize you know what it’s like to put on a strong face and comfort those crying kids, when inside all you want to do is to burst into tears yourself. When inside, you’re consumed with questions of what else you could have done to save that kid.

Other times, it’s cancer or a car accident that has taken the life of a student and you have to break the news to the class.

Or you have to explain about the planes hitting the World Trade Center and you have to calm your students’ fears. Or tell them who Osama Bin Laden is. And what about that Saddam Hussein guy?

You calmly answer their questions. And then ever so gracefully, you transition to the lesson you had planned for the day. You try to get the students’ minds away from the worries of the world.

A part of you just really wishes you could shield them from the world’s evils altogether.

Sometimes people are insanely jealous over the notion that you get summers off.

But they don't realize that most teachers are either: (a) working a summer job to make ends meet, and yes, some of that money will go towards buying classroom supplies, (b) taking graduate classes at their own expense to improve their knowledge and teaching skills and to keep their teaching license, (c) attending workshops/meetings for new curriculums and programs, (d) preparing for the next school year, (e) working with others to analyze data and figure out how to best help all kids, or (f) all of the above and more.

But all in all, teaching is truly one of the greatest jobs in the world. And I really do mean that, despite all the stuff mentioned above.

Especially when that one kid finally got the answer right, but most importantly she can explain why or how it’s the right answer. And another one told you that you're his favorite teacher, and he wasn't just sucking up to you. That other kid from 6 years back who's no longer a kid still emails you once in awhile. And then sometimes you get a hug or a nice letter from a student. Or you get nominated for a teaching award.

Sometimes, the best feeling is to just know your students get to walk off that stage with a diploma in their hands, even if they forget to thank you for helping them.

Yes, it's fair to say I had a sort of love/hate relationship with my job when I was teaching public schools. A few times, I was on the brink of teacher burnout.

But no matter what, I always felt I was blessedly stuck, if that makes any sense.

Because no matter what, I knew with a clear certainty that there was no other job in the world more worthy. And that was something I always had at the end of the day. Most other people in my life could not say the same about their jobs.

I miss being back in the high school classroom. I teach in the private sector now for online colleges, which is more convenient and easier on my family.

I also now work half the hours that I used to as a public school teacher, and I still make the same amount of pay. That tells you just how underpaid public school teachers really are for the amount of work they do.

I would like teachers to know this: In the face of all the recent negativity towards teachers, hold your head up high. You impact the future generations, and therefore you are at the core of how we are going to change this world around.

I am amazed everyday at what you continue to do. Thank you.

Bad Time to be a Teacher

Wouldn't it suck if you got a pay cut that would have otherwise paid for your monthly electric bill, phone bill, internet bill, and water bill? And wouldn't it suck even more if your boss tells you that not only do you get a pay cut but you have to put in more time at work?

That's exactly my husband's situation as a public school teacher in Wisconsin. He recently got his first paycheck of the new school year, and that was when we realized exactly the extent of how Scott Walker's Act 10 will affect our family's finances. We will have to pay for those bills somehow and try to also save some money, if that's possible.

My husband already works three jobs. He teaches high school during the day, teaches on Saturdays at the technical college, and does home presentations selling knives on occasion. He is now thinking of being a referee in the evenings for volleyball leagues as a fourth job. As for me, I adjunct for three colleges and I'm constantly keeping an eye out for any new openings. I used to advise after school clubs and work at the local newspaper too, but with little kids at home, it became too hard to balance. Next year, when my youngest child is old enough to go to school part-time, perhaps I'll get another job to work during those few hours each day when she's at school or try to add a fourth college to teach for. We'll have to see how things go this year with our finances. It's stressful and we have to make every dollar stretch.

But what else are we supposed to do?

True, it's nothing new. My husband and I, as educators, are used to working multiple jobs. We're used to being underpaid (despite both of us having masters degrees) and having to always supplement our income with other jobs. We do it and have done so for the past 10 years. Why? Because we enjoy teaching. It's a fulfilling career, and personally, I don't know many people who can say that about their job.

But after seeing my husband's first paycheck of the school year, the first since the implementation of Scott Walker's budget bill, I'm beginning to wonder what other sacrifices we can possibly make.

What more can be taken from us? What more do we, as educators, have to give up in order to keep teaching and doing what we love? And of course, the underlying question...at what point do we give up being educators?

**sigh** Just had to complain for awhile there.

That good, ol' "back to school" feeling...

I miss it! I've been out of the physical classroom as a teacher for two years and I miss the feeling of back to school.

The excitement and anticipation of students coming back.

The burst of new ideas for lessons and activities.

The arranging and re-arranging of desks, tables, and chairs, and trying to make the most of classroom space.

The creation of bulletin boards.

Getting school supplies and books stored and ready for use.

Writing beginning-of-the-school-year letters to parents and students.

Seeing colleagues, catching up on what's new, and exchanging ideas.

There is just something about this time of year that I've always enjoyed as a teacher. It feels like the start of something new and great. Such an optimistic time of year full of energy, excitement, and sense of renewal.

Good luck to all of you who are going back to school--teachers, students, young and old!

GREAT Blog Post by a Teacher: I Ruined Everything

Brandi Martin, an art teacher in Illinois, wrote a blog post that's worth sharing and reading ten times over. It's called I Ruined Everything and is about the barrage of negative and often outright despicable comments aimed at teachers.

I live in Wisconsin, where the governor, Scott Walker, declared six months ago that teachers and other public workers are the enemies of society, that public workers are the reason for the state (and the nation) being in so much debt. Walker essentially encouraged others to believe in this notion as well, and ever since then, I have heard and read countless cruel and bitter comments aimed at public workers, especially teachers. It seems Walker made it suddenly okay to treat teachers and public workers with open disdain.

Last week, for example, I was in my backyard grilling and overheard my "nice" neighbor in his backyard talking to someone and completely ripping on teachers. He went on a rant for a long time about how teachers get the summers off, get paid so well, have such good benefits, get in-service days to "train" when they should really be with the students instead, and have the easiest job in the world--anybody could do it. Teachers are "assholes" and "leeches," according to my neighbor.

I have heard these types of negative comments so much in the last six months that it's at times disheartening and very sad. I give public school teachers who continually go into the classroom with a smile on their face all the credit in the world.

So to my neighbor and to all the other angry, resentful people out there who are blaming teachers for society's ills, I give you Brandi Martin's blog post entitled I Ruined Everything.

Read it. Because it's true.

Lesson Learned from the Wisconsin Political Chaos

So much of 2011 has been dominated by the political chaos in Wisconsin since Scott Walker took office as governor. I've learned many valuable lessons since then. Perhaps I'll write about more of them, but for now, there is one lesson that sticks out most to me. It is one of the hardest and most disappointing realizations I've had: that it seems most people don't really care about others. I'm not sure why (probably naivety), but I had always been under the impression that everyone cares about the general well-being of others--that people want others to be happy, healthy, and to have a fair share of opportunities in life. I'm not talking about wanting the best for your family and friends, but wanting it for ALL people.

One time, I was having this conversation with someone and I said something along the lines of, "All those cuts to education is going to really hurt your kid's school." And the person said, "Not really. I don't think it affects me or my family at all." And I said, "But you have a son in a public school. How can it not affect you? Some of the programs, like music and advanced placement classes, will likely be cut or dramatically reduced. Your son loves music and is really smart. Don't you want his school to have those programs available?" And the person shrugged and said, "Well, I'll just pay for him to take music lessons after school then. Or I'll transfer him to a wealthy school, because those parents will donate and fundraise to make up for all the cuts." I was shocked to hear this, so I said, "But what about all those other kids whose parents can't afford to pay for private music lessons? Or kids who can't attend a wealthy school far from home because they'll have to find their own transportation and their parents can't provide it?" The person just simply shrugged as if to suggest it didn't matter at all what happened to other kids.

There have also been conversations in which people have told me, "Why should public employees be better off than me? It's not fair. I have to suffer through this bad economy, so they should suffer as well." This idea that if one person suffers, then all others need to suffer too just doesn't make sense to me. I understand that public employees are easier to blame rather than the big corporations or the very wealthy who seem far away and untouchable, but it does no good to have all people in the middle class suffer. It only leaves the corporations and the wealthy to gain more out of our unfortunate situations.

When I have conversations like these (and there have been many), it makes me really sad. Maybe it bothers me so much, because as an educator, I'm used to thinking about everybody else's kids too, not just the three that are my own. I'm used to thinking about the adults in those kids' life also, because they directly impact my students. I think about whether those homes have proper clothing, food, healthcare, jobs, education, etc. I've always thought everyone else had these same concerns for the well-being of others. It seems, however, that most people only think about themselves and the people in their immediate circle.

I hope though that I'll be proven wrong on this sad realization and that the recall elections coming up will show that there are plenty of folks out there who care enough about all people to vote for the candidates who will more likely take care of the common people and not just the wealthy. We shall see what happens in this next stage of Wisconsin's political chaos. I hope for the best.

Privatizing Education: Good or Bad?

From The Daily Page

Can we afford to let education become corporate, even in spirit?

An educational system largely privatized and run by companies will create fierce competition between schools. Will that be a driving force leading to improved quality of education? Sure. For some schools.

Will it lead to improved quality of education for all kids?

Or will it create a deeper segregation of our society and favor only some people rather than the common good (as the above comic suggests)?

Will there be an even bigger increase in economic disparity?

Do all children deserve an equal chance to excel in life through a good education?

Those are questions I feel deserve careful consideration before we can attempt to privatize schools and establish them as mainstream education, as is the current aim in Wisconsin.

We also need to look at the nations with the best ranking schools in the world. Finland, for example, has students who consistently outscore American children and others. I think it's interesting that Finland's educational system is not based on competition at all. They have public schools, and all students attend for free, even up into the college level. In Finland, you could go to school to become a lawyer or a doctor and spend years in college without worrying about having enough money to pay for tuition or incurring debt. And get this: you even get a government allowance to help pay for rent, food, etc, while you're a college student. Finland's teachers must hold no less than a master's degree in order to teach, and it seems that the teaching profession in Finland is among one of the most highly respected fields. They don't just say it; they actually mean it. The best and brightest people in Finland are drawn to the teaching profession because of the high level of respect associated with that career.

Could it be that they value education more, or perhaps in a different way than we do in America?

Just some things to think about when it comes to what is best for our children--not my children, or your children, but ALL of our children.

The Power of Writing & Why William Cronon is Being Targeted

Why is there so much attention paid to Professor William Cronon of UW-Madison? Why do the Republicans care so much about his blog post on the American Legislative Exchange Council? 

Because a piece of writing can be an extremely powerful thing. Oftentimes, people see oral communication and physical actions as most important, and they forget how much impact written communication can have. A very good friend of mine reminded me recently of how much the rich and powerful fear great writers and thinkers, which is what makes Professor Cronon such a danger to them. As my friend said, the rich and powerful fear great writers and thinkers even more than all the muscles of the world. After all, there have been many books, articles, pamphlets, etc, that have essentially changed history. 

Thomas Paine's political pamphlet called Common Sense, for example, is often credited with having sparked the American Revolution. Prior to its publication, a lot of the early American colonies were perfectly content with being under British rule. If you think about it, for a single pamphlet to give rise to the birth of a new nation...well, that's quite remarkable, isn't it? That's how powerful writing is. It can literally change the world. 

In his blog post about the American Legislative Exchange Council (or ALEC), Professor Cronon brought to light a behind-the-scenes organization, backed by corporate interests, that many American citizens never knew about. All of a sudden, so many people are looking up ALEC on the internet, wondering what it's really about and wanting to investigate it, so much so that the organization's website (as of today) suddenly shut down (which makes one wonder--what do they have to hide?). Soon after Professor Cronon's blog post, he also published an opinion piece in the New York Times about how far Republicans in Wisconsin have strayed from Wisconsin's traditions. 

Without a doubt, Professor Cronon has reminded us of the importance of questioning authority and questioning the world around us. It may perhaps lead to change. And the Republicans are now attempting to threaten and silence Professor Cronon.

Academic freedom, valid research, and the ability to intelligently question should never be hindered.

Controversial Wisconsin Bill Passes: What It Feels Like

So...what does it feel like? It's hard to describe as this past week has been one of the most trying and fascinating weeks I've experienced in a long time.

Trying, because on Monday, my husband (a public school teacher) had to vote, along with over a thousand other teachers in his district, on a rushed contract that the school board set before them. Some information had leaked that in the next few days, Gov. Walker's budget repair bill would pass. So the idea of this rushed contract was to get something voted and ratified before the bill took effect. To give an idea of what this new contract looks like, I'll use my husband as an example. Basically, his take home pay will be reduced by about $8000. For someone with a master's degree and nine years experience, he will be bringing home less than $40,000 next school year. Class size, stipends, planning time, number of sections, and more are "suspended." We're not sure exactly what that means. It's a dismal contract, for sure. However, teachers at that Monday night's meeting were told that this contract was bad, but once the bill passes, it will be worse. Should they vote yes to this already dismal contract or be firm and vote no? As one teacher said to me, it was like voting between "worse" and "worse." At the end of the night, fear won and the new contract was passed. I've heard that some of the teachers who voted yes felt "dirty." I understand that feeling, because when my husband came home and we sat down together to look at the contract, I couldn't help but feel that education was being raped. There were some teachers who voted no, as the new contract is really not that different from what Walker wants, but still, in the end, fear presided.

It was also a trying week for my husband and me due to some family quarrels over the budget bill. We have some family members who vehemently support Walker, and this week, it escalated a bit. I won't go into details as I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate it (although they most likely don't read my blog anyway). But hopefully, this will be the worst of it.

Trying also, because of Wednesday night's events at the capitol when the Republican senators took the original budget repair bill, split it, and passed what is apparently most of the bill anyway. And on Thursday, the assembly voted to pass it as well. Today, Walker is expected to sign it and make it law.

In the middle of all of these events Wednesday and Thursday, I felt outraged, disconcerted, and a bit afraid of what the future held. And then late last night, I climbed into bed, pulled the covers over me, and was just lying there. I listened to the quietness around me, and that's when I felt sadness. A deep sadness. This morning, I woke up with a heavy heart.

I value public education a great deal. I was once a poor, disadvantaged kid, the child of refugees who had nothing. But public education changed that for me. I would not have a masters degree and be teaching college right now if not for public education. It gave me an equal chance to succeed, just like other kids who were much better off than me. So I credit public education for everything I've accomplished and have yet to accomplish. The drastic changes to public education makes me very sad. And then of course, when the bill passed in the manner it did, it felt like democracy was raped also.

BUT...no matter how I feel today, tomorrow I will be back at the capitol to rally and to show my support and encouragement. You might be wondering why I chose to describe these times as trying but also fascinating. It's fascinating because it's so unbelievable that this is actually happening. I never in a million years would've thought that teachers and other public workers would be publicly denounced and declared the enemy, and that some people would actually buy into it and regard it as truth.

This whole nightmare might have already happened to us, but I refuse to believe that it will last. After all, nothing is lost until you give up. 

I'm going to the Oprah Show

A couple years ago, my husband and I made a bucket list together, and it included attending an Oprah Show. So I've been trying to get tickets (with plenty of rejections), and with this being Oprah's last year and tickets in high demand, I seriously doubted that I'd ever be able to checkmark that goal off our list. It really bummed me out.

However, today I received word that I'm going!

Just being there and seeing in person someone as famous and influential as Oprah is good enough on its own, but to make it even better, the show I'll be attending is on Charles Dickens and featuring Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize winning author. Now before you say, "Huh? What's the big deal? I don't get it. Boring! So what?", please let me explain.

Back when I was getting my Bachelor's Degree in English, I fell in love with British Literature. Something about the country, the history, and the literary language enthralled me. I took classes specifically on great British authors, such as Dickens, the Bronte sisters, Shakespeare, Austen, Chaucer. (Yes, I'm a big geek, but I'm okay with that.)

Charles Dickens (Photo Credit: David Perdue's Dickens Page)

I then went on to teach high school English for eight years, and Dickens' Great Expectations was pretty much always in my lesson plan book. Students complained about it, but at the end of the year, when they presented on the most memorable characters, it almost always included Pip, Estella, or Miss Havisham. So the time invested in reading that "old-fashioned" and "boring" book was worth it.

Later, when I was pursuing my Master's in English, I was introduced to Jane Smiley. I read A Thousand Acres and Age of Grief, and I thought Smiley was brilliant. In A Thousand Acres, she wrote in a quiet, profound manner and captured so well the intricacies of family relationships and family secrets. It's a neat, modernized twist of Shakespeare's King Lear.

Jane Smiley (Photo Credit: Missouri Humanities Council)

So Oprah and Dickens and Smiley all in one day? That's beyond bliss to me. Few people I know (or maybe even none) understand me on this or would be as ecstatic, but that's okay. Just be happy and say "Hurray!" with me. :)

As with some of Oprah's book club episodes, it won't air at least in its entirety on television, but it will be viewable on her website.

The date is set: Friday, February 18th. I'm allowed to bring one guest, and I've chosen my husband, because he's my best friend, and it's our bucket list after all--the things we want to see and do together.

On Death (Part II)

The other reason why I've been thinking about death lately is because I was going through this junk drawer in my desk at school, thinking I ought to clean it out. I came across some old student questionnaires. One of them had been completed by a former student, Josh, who committed suicide a few months ago. His death affected me a lot as a teacher. It's kind of weird though, because I don't think a lot of people understand why it had such a big impact on me. They say, "You couldn't have known. Besides, what could you have done about it?" But the thing is, I could have done something. Anyone who knew him could have done something. We're talking about a life here. To say there's nothing I or anyone else could have done is to say to Josh, "Go ahead. Kill yourself." And that's just plain heartless. As a teacher, as a human being, I don't believe in that kind of mentality. I believe we have the power to change lives for the better. You, me, everyone in this world (more or less) has the ability to see with our eyes, hear with our ears, speak with our mouths, hug with our arms. We're human beings, after all. Not robots.

I did a search and found Josh's old myspace and his blogs on there. Some of them were hilarious because that's just the kind of person he was--at least the external side of him. Some of them were pensive; he was so smart. And some were revealing; they kind of answered the questions of why he chose suicide, why he saw no other way.

I'd like to share a section from one of Josh's most introspective blogs because there's a lot of truth and simple beauty in what he says. These words came from a person not long before he committed suicide, at a time when his life had only begun. I did make some spelling and grammar corrections--Sorry, but I just couldn't help it! (I was his English teacher for two years, so I figure I'm allowed to revise his writing a little.) All of the words and meanings are his though. I didn't alter any of that.

"everyone likes to be heard but no one likes to listen. but hey it's not all bad. there's one thing i've discovered that makes it all happy. one word that once you get the hang of life is a breeze. hope. it may sound silly. you may look at yourselves and say of course i've got hope! but do u really? because i'm talking about the kind of hope that goes deep and resonates with an innate sense of optimism, trust, and compassion. 

i realized something today. i am ultimately forgiving by nature. i forgive just about everything anyone does to me. it's just the way i am. i can't help it. i hate it because i know people take advantage of it and i know that when they do, they will be forgiven. i've noticed a lot of people take advantage of my trust, my optimism, even my compassion. but yknow what? it's okay. i forgive them. all of them. because i have a hope, a small sliver of hope. a sort of shining optimism that one day they'll move on and become better people. because in the end, it's not about punishment. it's not about what you've done in the past. it's about who you are in the present and where you're going. i don't know, i think i might be stealing this from someone and if i am, i sincerely apologize for not quoting you. 

but if i were to die right now as i write this and i had only one chance to give all of my friends, enemies, and fellow human beings a piece of advice, it would probably be, never let where you've been affect where you're going. i hope that makes sense. this goes beyond hakuna matata. because there are worries. there are hardships. the best we can do as people is to smile and do our best. so there it is. the secret to my happiness. the hope that one day everyone will be happy. that everyone will be relieved of their suffering. the hope that maybe, just maybe there's a little bit of humanity left in each and everyone of us."   
 -Josh

Cheers to LIFE...

(reposted from my old Myspace blog)