“For ever let this place be a cry of dispair and a warning to humanity” Auschwitz-Birkenau 1940-1945

Night Elie Wiesel

In the summer of 2006, during my travels through Poland, I visited Auschwitz-Birkenau. This day is one of the most memorable of all my travels. After this visit, I emailed my family and friends…

“My glorious summer adventures took a serious turn when I went to visit Auschwitz, the German concentration camp located just outside of Krakow. The visit is at the same time devastating and mesmerizing. When I arrived I was flooded with thoughts and images of everything that I have been taught, read and have seen in the movies. However as you see where the prisoners slept, see the belongings that they were striped of, hear about the life they lived, and read their final words scratched in the walls, a much more individual image of the victims is aroused.  I realized how fortunate I am to have been and continue to be able to write my own personal history as millions of people worldwide have had theirs forced upon them. So many people whether it was for 2.6 seconds or 26 years have added color to my life. So thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing your vividness to my life. I hope that this finds everyone healthy, planting their own hopes, growing there own dreams and happily writing their own history.”

"Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work makes you free)

Sleeping Quarters

Chimneys

  

In Memory- One brick for each life lost, estimated at over 1.5 million

A story such as this is not open for review. The unanswerable questions this story provokes are How? Why? This is such a devastating, personal, emotional story of a young boy, a family, a town, a country, and an entire group of people devastated and ravaged. The effects have been felt world-wide. It is unthinkable, yet it happened. Well worth the read.

Check out Elie Wiesel’s Foundation for Humanity

“A person who has never owned a dog…

…has missed a wonderful part of life” (Bob Barker).

WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS  Wilson Rawls

If I was asked to name my favourite book, I would say that hands down it is Where the Red Fern Grows.I don’t remember exactly when I first read this book. I was probably 10 years old. What I do know is that I fell in love with the story and have read it every year since. When I was student teaching in a grade 7/8 class I used this novel as an example in a Visual Arts lesson. I was surprised (and somewhat appalled, although I have to bear in mind this was written in 1961) that not one student had read this novel. Even after reading this book approximately 18 times, this novel still moves me. I love some of the underlying messages in this novel and still cry every time I read it.

Over the years my reasons for loving this story have changed. I think when I read it for the first time I had a severe case of puppy love and was enthralled by Old Dan and Little Ann. The descriptions of the little pups were what initially delighted me. This story also taught about persistence, hard work and reaching for your dreams. Subsequent reading brought about an appreciation of the relationships that Billy had with his mother, father, sisters, grandfather and of course his beloved dogs. When I read this novel now, the first chapter is what captures my attention. The first chapter is about nostalgia, a feeling which I relish. I love retrieving memories and remembering the people and events that have coloured my life’s path. My favourite quote from this novel is in the final chapter. Billy’s family is moving out of the Ozarks and he goes to visit the graves of his dogs one last time. As he approaches the site he sees a red fern has grown over the grave.

“I had heard the old Indian legend about the red fern. How a little Indian boy and girl were lost in a blizzard and had frozen to death. In the spring, when they were found, a beautiful red fern had grown up between their two bodies. The story went on to say that only an angel could plant the seeds of a red fern, and that they never died; where one grew, that spot was sacred” (Rawls, 1961, p. 248).

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends…

…they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers” (Charles W. Eliot (1834 – 1926), The Happy Life, 1896).

Ever since I was young I have loved to read. My mother insists that my eye sight was poor (prior to a wonderful invention called Lasik Eye Surgery- 20/20 is amazing!) due to the fact that long after the lights had been turned out and I was to be sleeping, I had my head under the covers, flashlight switched on, fully engrossed in a Nancy Drew novel. There is something special about a library or a bookstore. There are so many reasons to love books. They inform, entertain, distract, question, and initiate discussion and thought. I also enjoy how the different aspects of a book can reel you in. One book may enthrall you with its’ setting, another with its’ plot, another through its’ characters. I have finished many books that have left me wondering what happens next to the characters. Authors allow readers to become absorbed in their descriptions which evoke memories, feelings, nostalgia.

For these few reasons, I can’t get enough of books. Not only is there never enough time, but my reading appetite is insatiable. My reading career has been filled with a variety of genres. When I was in elementary school, I devoured Th Babysitter’s Club, Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley Twins/High, Judy Bloome novels and a plethora of other novels that dealt with girl/teen issues. As I got older I moved into R.L Stine Fear Street Novels, Christopher Pike novels and later Dean Koontz novels. It is a good thing I read those novels back then, I hate scary things now! During my university career, I didn’t have a lot of time to read for pleasure. Which is not to say that I didn’t enjoy the immeasurable texts, articles, case studies and legal documents that were required reading. However, reading something that I choose always garners more satisfaction than reading something I was instructed to read. Since university, I have found my self gathering biographies, autobiographies, journalist novels, books of photography,books set outside the Western world, pedagogical articles and historical fictions. 

I will read almost anything (save for Stephen King or Harlequin romances) and I love taking reading recommendations so please pass along titles that you have enjoyed or reply with a book review!

“Quilt: a bed coverlet of two layers of cloth filled with padding (as down or batting) held in place by ties or stitched designs”

This is the definition that Merriam Webster assigns to the word quilt. When I asked my beginner class full of 10 year olds, “What is a quilt?” I was presented with many blank stares. One boy however had the wheels turning. After approximately a minute he replied “sleeping paper!” Well yes, I guess it is. My sister told me a similar story of asking students to explain raisins. One student replied, “A raisin is an ugly grape!”

Just as I had forgotten many of the delightful quirks of Korea, I had also forgotten exactly what being in an English as a Second Language classroom entails. Some of it is difficult. I forgot about how difficult it is to explain something without using the word that you are trying to explain. I forgot that I have to slow down my speech so that it sounds as if a cassette recorder is eating a cassette. I forgot that sometimes students can really get on your nerves. However, what I remember is more important than what I forgot.

What I remember is that being in the classroom is a wonderful mix of teaching, engaging young students, learning about the kids, and another silly aspect…the dumbing down of the English language.

I was trying to explain to two boys, who were sitting across from each other, that they should ignore each other so as not to argue. They didn’t understand ignore. Or argue. How did I get my point across? While crossing my arms in a X shape, I pointed at each of them and said ” Constantine-Julius no see!, Julius-Constantine, no see!” Kind of worked but they really got the point when I said “Julius VS Constantine, NO!”

Another time I was attempting to explain to a boy that I recognized him from last summer. He had no clue what I was saying. I tried again. “Eric, your face, I very very know.” That he understood.

There are many times throughout the day when I get to see real improvements and accomplishments.  There are also times that I am witness to students mentally leaving the classroom for an unknown destination of which I can only assume is light years away. I was correcting spelling tests the other day. One boy was clearly not listening. For bread he wrote “froth”. Wowzers. I found some advice for bread makers that may help my students with spelling:   “I would say to housewives, be not daunted by one failure, nor by twenty. Resolve that you will have good bread, and never cease striving after this result till you have effected it.”  (Housekeeping In Old Virginia’ Marion Cabell Tyree)

Hmm, maybe…but how would I dumb that down?

 

April 22/23 What a Wonderfull(sic)Day in the Land of the Shiny Silver Suit

April 22. As most people know this is Earth Day. I began my Earth Day celebrations early and in a grand fashion. How exactly you wonder? I jumped on a Boeing 767, left the North American continent, headed out over the Pacific Ocean, and after a somewhat tumultuous flight, landed safely in the Land of the Morning Calm. To help negate any misgivings that travellers may have had about the giant footprint they were stomping across two continents and an ocean, Air Canada played a rather soothing message regarding its practice of recycling all, yes ALL, of the aluminum cans that are used on the flight. Wow what a relief, now we can all relax and get on with the festivities (which included a rather lively conversation with a self proclaimed conspiracy theorist and viewing the movies Juno and No Country for Old Men). After my rather impressive contribution to Earth Day celebrations, my day just kept getting better and better.

It has been almost eight months since I last left Korea, a place where I lived (off and on) for over two years and which had become familiar and welcoming, a home away from my Saskatchewan home. My previous time in Korea afforded me many new friendships and experiences and also a great appreciation for things that would be somewhat unusual to those who had never before been to Korea. However, each time I leave  Korea I forget some of the wondrous things that I learned to appreciate and even applaud, commend, relish. Returning allows me to experience many things as if for the first time. On April 23 (22 in Canada), as I sat in the award winning Incheon International Airport awaiting my bus to Gunsan, eating a triangle kimbap (tuna/kimchi), and watching people scurry to and fro, I was once again presented with the wonder that is the Shiny Silver Suit. Oh how had I forgotten the ubiquitous shiny silver suit? Not grey as you may imagine. Silver, like a nickel. And in a vast array of hues and with just as vast of an array of degrees of shininess. If I hadn’t been so tired from my raucous Earth Day celebrations, I would have waded through my supply of baby food and bibs to retrieve my camera and document this phenomena for all those who have yet to experience it.

This day was already a tremendous success and it got even better. I finally did something that I had not been able to accomplish in all of my previous time spent in Korea. I used the public payphone! Seriously, I have tried to use the payphone at least a half a dozen times and each time the mechanical Korean lady inundated me with a Korean speach which I can only assume proclaimed my ignorance and her disbelief at my ability to complete the simple task of using the payphone. Well April 23 (22 in Canada), was a different day. Oh I had a rough start. I entered the required coins and began to dial…063-461-, ring ring, wait wait, I haven’t finished dialing! Darn, I hung up before it could eat my coins and I tried again. Enter the coins, and this time try without the area code. Mechanical message that I can’t decipher. Another failure. I thought about giving up, calling it quits. But then how would I get from the bus station to 405 Hyundai Apt? I decided to give it the old college try and by some powers that be, I was successful!! And I even got change back once I terminated the call. What a triumphant experience! And as KTF so eloquently inscribed on their payphone Life is Wonderfull! Move over Leo DiCaprio, today I’m King of the World! Looking back on this I realize it really wasn’t that dramatic, or even an accomplishment, but after 20 hours of travel and little sleep I was quite happy.

Well after such an eventful day, one could only imagine that this phone call would mark the end of my excitement! Not so. My day got even BETTER! After a sleep filled four hour bus ride I arrived in Gunsan, my ultimate destination. My brother in law was there to pick me up and chauffeur me to my Holy Grail. My sister and wonderful 7 month old nephew! What a fantastic reunion! I missed them tremdously and am looking forward to 3 months of creating memories with them!  And yes, my wonderfull day ended there.

“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind” (Seneca). 

Time to let my hair down!

Literally! Some of the guidelines that we followed at Regina Huda School were no makeup and hair in a ponytail (or off your face). The no make up thing wasn’t really a problem. However, by the end of the day the ponytails often left me with a headache! It felt good to leave my hair down today.

Today I was fortunate to sit in on a staff meeting at RHS. I was able to hear discussions regarding some of the issues at the school. Some were elementary issues, some were high-school issues, and some were issues that affected everyone in the school. One issue that was discussed was that of what to do when students leave the school for months at a time. Many families are from other countries and will take trips overseas for long periods of time. Sometimes these parents request that students prepare homework packages for these students (for upwards of two months). The high-school teachers have been asked to prepare their students for final exams and to create a new final exam which can be written earlier. This is an issue for a number of reasons. One: many times teachers spend countless hours preparing homework packages and the students do not complete them. Or the quality of work completed is not acceptable. Two: It is unreasonable to ask teachers to create more than one final exam. Three: In high-school if students can not complete a certain number of hours in a course they should not be eligible to pass this course. It was decided that a policy should be created to help teachers deal with this situation.

This afternoon was PD time for the teachers. I took this time to grade the 66 Computer Lit assignments that the grade 9s completed on Wednesday. What an ordeal! If I had a class of 30+ I would definitely rethink this assignment! One thing I could do differently is have various due dates for each task. However, I was able to finish grading and was pleased with the effort that students put into the assignment. This quiet afternoon also allowed me an opportunity to have discussions with one of the other high school teachers and the principal. We spoke of some of the students. They were generous in sharing stories of these students. The stories allowed me to gain a better understanding of what these students deal with both at school and outside of the school walls. We also spoke of the field of education and of schools and teaching in general. These conversations were enjoyable and provided me with an opportunity to hear more about what is taking place in education today. My only regret with my pre-internship is that I did not have the chance to have more of these conversations! The reality of schools is that they are so so busy that there is not always time to talk and share as much as you would like to.

I’ll admit that I was nervous about pre-internship. However, I have to say that I enjoyed every minute of my experience. This is not an exaggeration. I learned many things, met many kind and generous people, and had the opportunity to teach many unique, enthusiastic and intelligent students. I have to thank my cooperating teacher for all of her kindness and generosity. Over the past three weeks she has been quick to share her time, ideas, advice and resources. She has been a great example of the balance that needs to occur between teaching content and all of the other things that schools and teachers must give attention. It will be difficult to return to university on Monday. I am ready to continue to be in a classroom and to learn more about students, teaching and schools. September can’t come soon enough!

“Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes”

“A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends” (Richard Bach). I have been at Regina Huda School for such a brief time, and although I may not have had time to make new best friends, during my time at Regina Huda School I have had an opportunity to meet many great individuals, both students and teachers. Whether or not the feeling is mutual, I will miss see all of these kind and unique people on a daily basis.

Wednesday was a day of good-byes. Due to a staff meeting and PD day on Thursday, Wednesday was the last day that I was teaching and that I would see Regina Huda School students. Like many people I am not fond of goodbyes. I am awkward at saying goodbyes. Wednesday was a busy day and the dismissal bell crept up on me and I wasn’t able to say good bye to all of the students. Fortunately I have to return my uniform and a textbook next week so I will be able to see the students again.

Teaching today was fairly straightforward. During first period I helped on of the new students with her math. She did not bring any school records from Malawi but indicated that she knew how to do some of the grade 9 work. She had worked on the course review and had done well. We spent time reviewing some math rules and worked through some problems together. Second period, I observed accounting. It felt strange to sit and observe after teaching this class for two weeks. During 2nd period, the President of the RHS Board came to speak to the high school students about their responsibilities and about following the rules. Third period was spent providing last minute assistance to the grade 9s. They were finishing up their desktop publishing assignments. During fourth period I observed a school assembly. The assembly was to recognize and observe that March is the month in which the Prophet Muhammad was born. It was interesting to observe this assembly. It was a little long for the elementary students and they became a little restless about 30 minutes in. In 5th period, Food Services students cooked soft pretzels. They turned out so well and were really delicious.

On Wednesday, I left Regina Huda School with more than a handful of memories about the school and the students. Prior to arriving at RHS, I was concerned that I would miss out on the experience of a large high school. I have to say that I would not trade my experiences at RHS for anything!

Science is simply common sense at its best that is, rigidly accurate in observation, and merciless to fallacy in logic.

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-95)once spoke this truth. However, tonight I saw science as more than just observation and logic. I saw science as exciting and fun and the catalyst for one of the best experiences that I have had during my pre-internship. I was a judge for the Regina Huda School Elementary Science Fair. What a fantastic evening!  The science fair was for students in grades 3-8. Some were individual projects and others were a partner or group effort. The students were so excited to share their projects. I was judging some of the lower grades and got to learn about topics such at electromagnetism, hydro-electricity, the heart, Venus, flowers, and butterflies. Thank goodness that the students are evaluated by a number of judges. I never would have been able to choose a winner! I would have to say that the most informative project was the one about hydro-electricity. The most interesting was the project about electromagnetism. The students who did their project about the heart were terrific presenters. The exhibit about the butterflies was my overall favourite. This little girl was so enthusiastic and was such a great speaker that I couldn’t help but get excited about butterflies. She also told me a First Nations tale of how the butterfly became colorful and how secrets can be shared with butterflies! I left that presentation with a huge smile on my face. I had such a wonderful time this evening. It was so great to see the students so excited about their work and about sharing their learning.

As for the rest of the day….Computer Lit 9 was a bit harried again today. Once again there was the problem of not enough computers. RHS is growing so rapidly that the resources and facilities are quickly becoming insufficient (8 new high-school students since February. Considering there are now 35 students this is quite an increase). However, we once again did the best we could. I advised the students that they only had 2 more class periods to work on their assignment so they quickly got down to business. Although the students are diligent, I am going to revise my assignment. The original assignment consisted of 7 tasks but I think I will reduce it to six. I don’t want the students to have to take class time from their regular class teacher.

This afternoon the students in Psychology spent time discussing their action research projects and what they must do for the write ups. In Food Studies I spent time helping students complete questions about leavening agents. Although we were in the computer lab, the students worked so well. Most were able to complete the assignment within the class time. Tomorrow is my last day of teaching. As many other pre-interns have mentioned on their blogs, it will be a difficult day. Being at a small high school, I have had the opportunity to learn many things about the students. I would love to see where the end of the year finds them, both academically and personally!

Just Another Manic Monday

But definitely in a good sense. The day was so full of activity that it again passed quickly. This morning I observed two classes before teaching Computer Lit 9. The students are continuing to work on their Desktop Publishing assignments. Some have made a lot of progress. Others have not. However, this is not due to their lack of effort. The grade 9s are very diligent and always put a lot of effort into creating perfect work. The problem is the computers. Some computers were acting bonkers. Assignments were not opening correctly, some computers were not allowing students to use clip art features and also there were not enough computers for the number of students in the class. We did the best we could though and students were still able to get some work done.

During study hall I helped a student with a Food Studies assignment. The assignment is fairly straightforward but the student requires some guidance. In the afternoon I continued to help her during 4th period. In 5th period, I made myself available to help some of the Computer Lit 98 students who had fallen behind due to the computer problems. Two students came to the lab and they both made a lot of progress. They are now in line with the other students.

I only have two teaching days left and tomorrow will be another busy day. I will also be attending the RHS science fair in the evening. I will be judging grade 3-8 science projects. I am excited to see what the elementary students have created!

A man grows most tired when standing still.

I would have to say I agree with this Chinese proverb. The mornings at school are full of activity. I teach two classes in the morning and generally have little down time. I feel full of energy and time plays that audacious little trick of passing in a flash. My afternoons are a different story. They are usually spent observing and assisting students with work or projects and when I am sitting down the energy slowly creeps away. Thank goodness the afternoons are shorter than the mornings!

Today accounting class was held in the computer lab. The lesson was about using electronic spreadsheets for accounting purposes. Both of the students have used Excel before and have a good grasp of the accounting concepts so they were given a challenge problem to complete. The class was not long enough to complete it, so they were assigned the remainder for homework. There were not really any challenges in regards to classroom management (remember only 2 students) but there were other challenges in the lab. The computer lab is also used as a classroom, so there was a math lesson going on at the same time. It was a bit noisy but my students were able to stay on task. Today was my last day to teach accounting. This experience was a lot less intense than I imagined! Grade ten accounting, two diligent students…I know this wasn’t a typical but I still think that I was able to learn from this experience. And I still have three lessons in Computer Lit 9 so let the learning continue! Speaking of Computer lIt 9. Today’s class went well. The students did a timed keying exercise. They then continued with their Desktop Publishing assignment. They are progressing well but I think the assignment may be a bit lengthy for the time we have. I will have to see how much progress they make on Monday. I may have to take one task out.

In other news….Today during lunch I sat down to talk with a few of the grade nine girls. They were asking me a tonne of questions about university. In grade nine and already worried about university! They wanted to know how big classes are, how long you will have to wait in line to talk to the prof, how long it takes to get to one building from another, how to take notes, if you have to read a lot etc etc. They are really concerned that they will not do well. I advised them that from what I have observed, their teachers will have them prepared in no time! The girls also talked about their summer plans and most are excited to return to their home countries for the summer.

Today the grade 9, 10, and 11 students had a presentation regarding outdoor education. There have been outdoor education trips at RHS for the past few years. The students got to see some pictures and here a bit about what will take place if the trip gets the go ahead (the board has already approved it, now it is just up to the parents). The principal talked about fundraising and the rules of the trip. RHS outdoor education trips would be similar to those of other highschools. However, there are some considerations that are specific to a Muslim school. Boys and girls must engage in all activities separetly (think swimming etc) and also time must be given for the preparation of prayer and prayer. Some of the students were very excited about this opportunity. Some also want to stay behind! These students have never been camping or fishing and do not want to experience it.  I grew up in the Land of the Living Skies and life without camping and fishing just doesn’t seem complete. I made sure to tell them what a wonderful experience it would be.

Well, two weeks down and one to go! This is a short week at RHS. There are no classes for students on Thursday. There is however, a full day staff meeting. It will be interesting to see what takes place and what issues they discuss.