January 20, 2009

My first English professor in college wrote on one of my papers that it is my job to describe what I'm feeling--to show my audience what I'm thinking. It is not enough to say "it's indescribable". But as I sit down to write this blog (something I would feel remiss if I didn't do today), I don't know how to describe what I'm feeling--what I'm thinking. Today I witnessed history inside Room 245 with 21 silent teenagers. Had I been at home in my comfy chair, I would have been bawling. Being in a room with 42 eyes watching my every reaction, I simple teared up at the historic moment when Barack Obama walked onto the stage to become the 44th President of the United States of America. I'm not black. I'm not Jewish. In fact, I'm not part of any group that has been radically prejudiced against. But it doesn't matter that today didn't break barriers for me. Today defined for me why I'm proud to be an American.

Times Have Changed

I graduated from high school ten years ago. One wouldn't think things in high school have changed that much since then. Let me assure you, times have changed.

Each year as I teach The Great Gatsby I assign a monologue. I love it; students usually hate it. Because of time constraints this year, I had to quickly modify the assignment and make it be a one-draft-only-draft paper. I said "For Monday, type or handwrite a one-page monologue answering the question: what happened in chapter 8*". Well, Monday rolls around and as I call on students to present their monologues, I have a student raise his hand and ask, "I couldn't get to a computer over the weekend, so I typed my monologue on my iPod Touch. Is that okay? I can type up a copy tonight and get it to you tomorrow".

I agreed to let him present and accept the typed version the next day. And I even complimented him for overcoming obstacles to ensure that he got his homework completed. However, now as I think about it, I'm amazed. If you look at my initial directions they include "type or handwrite". So let me get this straight: instead of picking up a pen/pencil to write the monologue on a piece of paper, he typed it into his iPod Touch. Huh. Times have changed.



*I've changed the wording here to protect those who haven't read the book.

The Oprah Effect*

As evident by the fact I'm an English teacher, math and science didn't always come easy for me. And with frustration meant a dislike for the subject. Until physics my senior year. Something about physics interested me as well as the personality of my teacher, Mr. Netland. I always respected my teachers, but I had a different type of respect for this well-educated and seasoned teacher. Something he told our class has stuck with me since those days of lab reports and chapter readings. He told us that he didn't want to cause the "Oprah Effect" on any of his students. Meaning, there are always these episodes where students will bring their past teachers on the Oprah show and tell the teacher what a positive impact he/she had on this particular student's life. Mr. Netland was afraid that a student would bring him on the Oprah show and tell him about the negative impact he made a student's life. As a high school student I remember thinking this was funny because I didn't really think it would ever happen. As a teacher now, I completely understand what he means.

Teaching is tricky business in which only a teacher can understand. And as the years go on, what I've realized is that not only am I afraid of the "Oprah Effect" of how I impact students lives, but I've realized the impact the students have on my life. There are the student tragedies that are imprinted on my heart, and the funny sayings that I find myself repeating. There are the questions they make me answer ("Where will I use this vocabulary quiz in my everyday life in the future?") and challenge my thinking on a variety of subjects. And of course there are the student success stories that I love to share. And sometimes, for some people, there are very different ways a student reaches you.

I had the privilege of seeing the movie Gran Tornio last night with Clint Eastwood and Bee Vang. As in Bee Vang: my former English student. It was an exciting and odd experience, as I'm sure it was for many people who know Bee, watching someone I know so well on the big screen. He did an amazing job and I'm so proud of him. The movie is thought-provoking, emotional, educational, and much more. And as I sat watching him, I thought how cool it was to have the roles reversed. Here I was sitting in a chair for hours (albeit more comfortable), listening to him talk about his Hmong culture, watching him demonstrate a lesson for me using his skills and passions. So, Bee, thank you for what you've taught me and what you're teaching the world. And just so you know, when Oprah comes knocking on my door asking about you, don't worry; I only have positive things to say.

*As a side note, I struggled with the correct usage of "effect or affect" for this blog entry. I decided that it is technically both a noun and a verb, so I just picked one. I'm open to other thoughts on the subject, though.

Choose Us!

Recently Husband Joe and I decided to put our house on the market in hopes of moving closer to work and family. The process of organizing and cleaning and packing wasn't fun, but it wasn't as painful as I'm finding the showings to be. It's been two days and we've had three showings. Of course in today's economic state, I am cautiously optimistic--even though I secretly wanted to have an offer on our hands by this evening (that hasn't happened--yet?). Not necessarily because I want to sell the house (I do, don't get me wrong), but because I want to win and want someone to choose us.

The competitive person in me is coming out. I find myself scouting out other properties in the area to see how ours compares--spreading the word whenever I can: the lunchroom, Facebook, random e-mails to be people. I am even considering baking cookies before a showing! Anything so someone will choose us. I want them to come into our house and say "this is the best and we want it". Now I realize the faulty thinking in all of this: it's not our house they are looking at; they are looking at a house. But as Joe and I talk about it, we still feel like we are being judged. Judged on our decision to paint one wall a darker color than the rest. Judged on our furniture choices. Judged on the placement of pictures, mirrors, and other decorative items (yes, some are there because that is what you do when there is a huge hole in the wall and you can't find the matching paint anywhere). And in my brain I know that they aren't really judging us, but just like Michelle Obama said today about her clothes, our house represents us. It represents our thoughts, opinions, daily activities, decisions past-present-future, and so much more.

So to all of you prospective buyers, choose us! Choose us whether it's for the great "man cave" in the basement, the fabulous paint job Deb did, for the convenient location or for any other reason. But please just choose us;don't judge us.

Healthy, Happy, and Safe

Husband Joe and I are blessed with 4 nieces, 1 nephew, and 1 to-be-determined May 1st. I often tell people that if you want to find one of our family members, just travel from Minneapolis to Chicago on 94--there is someone about every two hours. Because of this we don't see all of our nieces very often. However, we are able to spend a lot of time with our niece Faith and new nephew, Jakob, since they live on the part of 94 closest to us here in MN.

The other day I was at my parent's place (also off 94) with Faith and she wanted a banana for a snack. If you know anything about my family, you know we like our bananas. And while eating said banana, Faith says through a mouth-full of mush that only a 5-year old makes cute, "I eat bananas so I can be healthy, happy, and safe". No doubt she has heard this phrase from someone (probably her awesome mother, Melissa), but isn't it true? Shouldn't we all just want to be healthy, happy, and safe?

As I think about the new year, I think about Faith's theory on life. I want to spend 2009 healthy--which means I workout and eat right, and pray that no disease comes my way I can battle against. I want other people that I know that are currently battling those diseases or who I get caringbridge.org updates from to be healthy, too.

I want to spend 2009 happy. There are a million things in this world that make me happy: A well-prepared dinner (obviously prepared by Joe and not me), an e-mail from a distant friend, date night with Husband Joe, an Uno game marathon with a niece, the opportunity to teach my favorite book to a group of curious teenageers, family gatherings, and nights out with the girls---plus so much more. And I want others to find what makes them happy and just be happy.

And safe. I want to spend 2009 safe. I want to find a house and a neighborhood that will protect my family. I want to trust that when I go to work each day that I don't have to worry about someone jeopardizing my safety or the safety of others. I want to spend 2009 knowing that our world, while a little unstable at times, is overall the safest it has ever been.

Faith has it right--all we need in life is to be "healthy, happy, and safe". So here's to 2009: being healthy, happy, and safe!