I made it! Or, at least blistery-eyed, slightly delirious version of me sauntered to the finish line here in New Mexico. Admittedly, this is but a temporary stopping place (i.e. Albuquerque), but a: I needed a little chill time after, seriously, twenty-plus hours of driving and b: I was straight-up falling asleep. So, I dedided to pull into Albuquerque for a little 'me' time, reaching the Duke City around 5:15 a.m. Saturday morning. From there, I made my way to the coolest, in my opinion at least, part of town- Center St., near the University of New Mexico's main campus. I'm here now at a cool little coffee store right off Central called 'Flying Star', which has been in the neighborhood for twenty years. I was the first to enter when they opened up around six, and the 'warm, organic oatmeal' warmed my road-weary soul.
My parents will probably kill me for making this whole jaunt in one day, but I feel proud. Proud that I survived. Proud that I am almost in my new home, ready to start a new life. Most of all, I'm proud that this transition to adulthood (which seems to have been borne out in a possibly-overdramatic, yet strangely-fitting manner in the form of my cross-country journey on the wings of my Sofi) and the realization I have of the person I have to become. There will be hard times- always. But I wouldn't have it any other way. 'The hard' translates into 'the good', to those things in life which I worth fighting for. In this sense, I hope everyday is hard, provides a new challenge, and tests me in ways I never thoughts possible. August 13th is the first day of school. Much stands before me as I prepare to greet students for that opening session (for which I practiced heartily on the way to NM!), but I know that when we do meet, at first strangers, ultimately partners, all of the challenges and 'hard' experiences that have brought me to this point will allow to greet each youngster with a sense of confidence and hope that we will grow together in extraordinary ways during the schoolyear.
Cheers from Albuquerque,
--Daniel
Saturday, 28 July 2007
Friday, 27 July 2007
Load, Stowed, and Open Road: Tales of a Cross-country Adventure from North to South
Well, after about nine hours and a few too many ounces of coffee later, I find myself somewhere in Central Missouri, headed strong toward the Oklahoma border. I spent the first few morning hours with National Public Radio, enjoying a steady stream of repeated, slightly tweaked news reports that brought events from around the world to my humble ’92 Mazda MPV.
As for Sofi (my road warrior’s new name), she’s runnin’ strong! We’ve gone through two-and-a-half tanks of gas, and nearly five hundred miles. I’ve enjoyed so much this opportunity to get out on the open road and just…reflect. There’s something indescribably comforting in having nothing before you but the sky, beautiful and oft-changing scenery (I swear I saw what must have been ½ of the world’s corn supply driving through Central Illinois), and being able to listen to hours upon hours of radio (whether it be NPR (great ‘Fresh Air’ special on Isaac Hayes), AM talk-radio (enjoyed tuning in to the ridiculousness that is Rush Limbaugh), and, yes, the occasional country music ballad (what?! It’s addictive!).
Yes, I’m thoroughly enjoying this quest through Middle America. I think with each passing mile, I get a little more excited to begin my new life in Gallup. Even better is the fact that I won’t be alone. I will be with nearly fifty other passionate, excited young TFA corps members ready to get in the classroom and make a difference. This time of reflection has helped me come up with a number of ideas about what I’d like to do at my house, in the yard, and activities I’d like to take on in the Gallup community.
It’s 3:10 Central Time, and there’s a whole lot of road between me and Northern New Mexico. I’m looking forward to catching NPR’s evening session and then tuning in to some Friday night baseball on the AM Dial (will Barry get to 754, maybe even 755, tonight? We’ll see!). Most importantly, though, I’m looking forward to continuing this thought exploration. I’m thinking of old friends, current friends, and friends to come. The hours will pass and the sun will die down; there’s no telling how far I’ll go. The one thing that’s for sure, however, is that passing through the heart of this great country serves of a powerful reminder of all that we could and should be. I look forward to spending my future working to create that America we all know is possible.
Thursday, 26 July 2007
Funding Children's Health Care: A Moral Imperative
Political debate within this country often shrouds seemingly straightforward issues in veils of complexity. Nowhere is this more important than in the ongoing debate regarding health care reform. Today, nearly fifty million Americans live without health insurance, which seriously impairs their ability to have access to necessary medical care. Of these 50 million, roughly 12% are children.
It is nothing short of a grave injustice that, in the wealthiest country in the world, so many of our children live without access to quality, basic health care. It seems quixotic that, while lawmakers have no problem spending hundreds of billions of dollars to fund a failing war in Iraq, they cannot have turned a blind eye to the greater tragedy right here at home. Political candidates and policymakers offer plenty of rhetoric about how youth are the key to creating a better future for our country. But how can we expect such big things from our young ones if we are not willing to provide them a fundamental tool for becoming healthy, active members of society?
It has come time for top policymakers to start putting their money where there mouths are and make some real decisions about health care reform in the U.S. The money is there to ensure that not a single American goes without this vital service. However, even if this proves too great a stretch, surely leaders can bring themselves to see that providing solutions for children’s medical needs is not an issue of policy, but rather a moral imperative and an issue of basic human rights. Creating a better tomorrow starts with fully-funding children’s health care today. The time for talk is over. The time for action is now.
Campaign Finance Reform: Giving the 'Little Ones' a Chance
It seems strange that the piranhas who run our country’s political system often revert to tactics of equivocating individual campaign finance options with free speech. Surely, when the Founders sat down to lay out their plans for the new nation, ensuring that a person had every opportunity to provide unlimited funds for a $1 million buy-in in Florida’s high-priced media market could not have been what they envisioned. Today, while lower-level candidates and everyday citizens continue to see their ideas and needs overshadowed by the concerns of well-financed special interests, candidates walk a difficult line in balancing their time between policy and fundraising for the next election.
The ’08 election will be the most expensive in our country’s history, with presidential hopefuls raising well over $1 billion. And while mainstream candidates cow-tow to big-name financiers, lower-tier contenders who do not receive, and do not seek to receive, strong ‘establishment’ support offer the brand of progressive, innovative ideas so badly needed to resurrect the state of our country.
Unfortunately, in a political world where expensive television and radio ads, often decidedly negative, ultimately determine the outcome of most elections, the ideas of these free-thinkers are often drowned-out by, and buried under the weight of dollar bills. People all too often equate impressive funding figures with a solid game-plan for leading the country. There exists, however, an underlying flaw in this logic. While a candidate able to attract the contributions of large-scale special interests may indeed have ideas worthy of support from the establishment, there exists a misperception among voters that their interests and those of the establishment (i.e., big corporations, wealthy individuals, and other special interests) are one and the same. This allows candidates toting half-hearted, walk-the-line policy solutions to slip into office time and again only to prove ineffective at solving our country’s most pressing issues. Meanwhile, candidates championing more innovative ideas, the kind of which the U.S. finds itself in such short supply, continue to be ignored and have their ideas of higher office quashed by better-financed competitors.
The veil of electability is powerful in this country, and in election after election it rears its ugly head, making mockers of candidates with fresh solutions to old problems. In the 2004 Democratic Presidential primary, for example, voters passed on a closer ideological allegiance to former Vermont Governor Howard Dean in favor of Senator John Kerry (D-MA), a candidate they thought (or were told to think by the media and wealthy political power players) stood a better chance to unseat President Bush than the more unconventional Vermonter.
More notably, activist Al Gore receives intense praise wherever he goes these days for the bold stance he has taken on global warming and other issues. Where woes this passion and unapologetic fortitude during his run seven years ago? Well, it seems to have been buried under an understanding, calculated by shrewd consultants and political bigwigs that one does not win by promoting novel policy solutions, but rather by sticking to a moderate agenda that calls for (often in exciting rhetoric and catch phrases) more of the same.
It is no surprise that candidates like Dennis Kucinich find themselves locked out of the ‘heavy hitters’ club that controls the money-driven U.S. political system. What is surprising is that, upon closer analysis, it is the everyday voter that both allows for the perpetuation of this regressive system and holds the key to its dissolution. That’s right, by refusing to by into the concept of electability and voting unapologetically for the candidate they believe has the best ideas, voters can put a stop to the dog-eat-dog routine of electoral politics in this country. This is an empowering notion, and it should become more widespread. Voters should unite around their constitutional right to select the candidate of their own choosing, not the one fed to them by vested interests and high-power corporations.
While I do support Barack Obama for president in ’08, the most well-financed candidate in history, I do it not because pundits and mainstream media personalities tell me to do so. In fact, if I followed the judgment of most political insiders and doctrine of electability, I would almost certainly not be placing my money on the chances of an African American to take over this country’s top political post. Instead, I choose to focus on the hope, the passion, and the fresh thinking that the junior senator from Illinois takes to his public service. I look at the vision he has for uniting our fractured country. No one can convince me that Obama’s underdog bid for the presidency is reason in itself not to support him. And while I hope that other voters will see things as I do in terms of candidate preference, my higher hope is that they will decide things on their own terms.
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
Silent Treatment Not a Diplomatic Strategy
In the recent CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Debate, leading candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton responded to the question of whether they would, upon becoming president, hold one-on-one diplomatic talks with global ‘boogeymen’ such as North Korea’s Kim Jung-Il, Cuba’s Fidel Castro, and Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez, among others. While Obama initially scored strong applause for claiming that he would go ahead with such talks, Senator Clinton pounced on the opportunity to make her junior colleague appear inexperienced and unprepared, arguing that she would not want to be used for ‘propaganda purposes’ by agreeing to discussions unconditionally.
In the aftermath of the debate, pundits hailed Clinton’s maneuvering as a telltale sign of her experience, debate savvy, and readiness to take over the country’s top political post. Conversely, they portrayed Obama’s eagerness to meet with such global pariahs as a sign of the young leader’s naivety with regards to foreign policy. More interestingly, however, was what happened in focus groups and voter response polls across the country. Americans seemed to agree with the junior senator from Illinois, reflecting a desire to break from the ‘with-us-or-against-us’ mantra that has characterized the Bush Administration’s foreign policy over the last six years. This stance has left the United States dangerously isolated in the global arena and even scared away traditional allies such as France, Spain, and others. The public response to Senator Obama’s openness signifies a breaking point with the policy of polarization promoted by Bush and seemingly affirmed by Senator Clinton. Obama hit the nail on the head when he stated, “The notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them — which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration — is ridiculous."
While it is true that a certain amount of preparatory work must go into any effective meeting between heads of state, Senator Clinton’s refusal to hold talks with the leaders of countries shunned by the Bush Administration is a subtle continuation of the Bush Administration’s ineffective diplomacy. Senator Obama’s openness to the idea of talks with all leaders, on the other hand, constitutes a refreshing embrace of the inclusive foreign policy capable of restoring the U.S. to a position of respect in the eyes of the world.
It is an undeniable lesson of history that the most fruitful bi-lateral and multi-lateral partnerships are forged through direct talks between leaders. Reagan and Gorbachev overcame strong ideological differences by meeting regularly. Their relationship laid the groundwork for ending the Cold War. President Carter moved courageously to bring Arab leaders together for the cause of peace in the Middle East, leveraging, after substantial diplomatic effort, the acclaimed Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel.
Perhaps the most powerful indicator of what a benign, progressive U.S. can achieve as a diplomatic player can be found in President Woodrow Wilson’s foreign policy. Wilson’s mantra, which can be seen in his ’14 Points’ doctrine presented at the post-World War I conference in Versailles, France, was based on a fundamental respect for international law, human rights, and the principle of democracy. However, unlike President Bush, whose advocacy of democracy demonizes any leader that strays the least bit from the president’s narrow view of the concept, Wilson created an open forum for productive global debate in which world leaders could peacefully discuss their issues with one another and ensure that these disagreements did not delve into violent conflict. While the onset of World War II may suggest that the League of Nations was a toothless concept, based in idealism rather than practical capability, the Second Great War was more a result of the Allied Powers’ unfair treatment of Germany at Versailles than any fundamental shortcomings of the idea of the League. Indeed, even though the U.S. Senate failed to ratify the international organization, it effectively laid the groundwork for the establishment of the United Nations in the late 1940s.
Today, for all its faults, the UN represents the most ambitious effort of the world’s states to come together over a respect for, and commitment to peaceful conflict resolution. Its noble goals are based in Wilsonian diplomacy and stand in stark contrast to the polarizing foreign policy espoused by President Bush. In voicing her reluctance to meet directly with leaders the current administration has admonished, Senator Clinton has retreated into the brand of ineffective diplomacy that leaves the U.S. an object of global ridicule. Senator Obama, on the other hand, in embracing a policy of change, of openness, captures the spirit of acceptance and sense of possibility upon which our country was based. Rather than inexperience, his bold proclamation signifies a progressive mentality and keen understanding that, to overcome the most critical challenges facing our world, the U.S. cannot act alone.
Sunday, 22 July 2007
Two days, two hikes and settling into my new home in New Mexico
We hit the road out of Houston with a little more gusto than we had upon coming in. The last five weeks had taught us many valuable lessons, yet we knew that our place to put them in action rested nearly 1,000 miles west in New Mexico. As we moved further and further away from our mid-summer home at institute in Houston, Texas, we fended off sad thoughts of leaving our summer school students while also working to restrain the excitement centered around returning to the Land of Enchantment. Our work in Houston was done for the time being, and now it was time to get down to the real business at-hand: setting up shop in our future classrooms.
Orientation week was excellent and strange. It was excellent to be back around all New Mexicorps members for the vast majority of the day. Relative to the rigor of Institute the 8:45 start times at orientation seemed tame, and our prolonged inter-session breaks during the day were a welcome reprieve from the jam-packed days in Houston. The NM staff is also amazing. Alan, Landon, Liz, Jill, Haley, and others did a great job of putting the lessons we'd learned in Houston about good teaching into a uniquely New Mexican context.
I also got a great introduction to an activity I hope becomes a regular part of my life over the next two years (and many more): hiking! On the day we arrived in Gallup, a few Corps members, led by Haley, a new Program Director on the NM staff, went for a hike at Red Rock State Park, which literally borders the land where my future school, Church Rock Academy, is situated. Our hike was about three hours and not too physically-strenuous but beautiful at every turn. Haley led us as we skimmied up a log with small pegs wired into a large, flat rock. It was a little difficult but good practice for more challenging hikes that lay in the future. Once we reached the top of our hike at Red Rock, we looked out at the land before us. The air was warm, there was a breeze, and the sky was clear. We were back in NM- it was great.
More on Red Rock State Park near Gallup, NM: http://www.ci.gallup.nm.us/rrsp/00182_redrock.html
The next day, our first day of sessions, we took the afternoon (as a full group) to travel to El Morro National Monument. El Morro, which means the bluff, is located near what was a key water sources for Spanish conquistadors in the 15th and 16th centuries. Juan de Onate, the first Spanish governor of colonial New Mexico, etched his signature into the side of the rock, starting a frenzy amongst several thousand other conquistadors who followed suit. Today, you can see each name, carefully etched into the side of El Morro, just as clearly as if they had been done not more than a few weeks ago. It was great to get out into our beautiful surroundings with the whole New Mexicorps group. I think a sense of ease and excitement came over us all as we became more and more aware of the reality that, in this setting, we now have a home.
More on El Morro National Monument near Ramah, NM: http://www.nps.gov/elmo
On Wednesday I got exciting news. During induction, I applied for the position of head coach with Gallup High School's women's and men's tennis team. I called up the Vice Principal, with whom I'd initially interviewed, to inquire about the status of the position (he told me in June that they would be making a hire in mid-July). Much to my liking, he told me that he and the athletic director at GHS had just been waiting for my call and were thrilled about hiring me on for the job. They were impressed by my track records as a player and coach. The program is on the rise, and they told me they believed I was exactly the right person to continue and increase the momentum. I was thrilled. I believe that being the coach of the Gallup High tennis teams will a: help my teaching by offering me an opportunity to lead another group of students toward the accomplishment of a 'big goal', just as I will look to do in my classroom and b: stay involved in the game of tennis in a way I've always hoped to, i.e., as a head coach! The excitement around high school tennis is intense, and I can't wait to use the game I love as a tool to make a positive imprint on the lives of youngsters at Gallup High. My head is buzzing with ideas. High school tennis is in the spring in NM. I do not plan to wait nearly that long to get started. I hope to hold a meeting with all returning players as soon as school begins, reach out to parents for fundraising ideas, create a training regimen for players to do regularly in the off-season, and, if this is in accord with the rules, begin some Saturday hitting sessions.
I also moved into my new home this week! It is an older home, but completely refurbished. It is located in the heart of Gallup, near a great park. Excitingly, we're just a few blocks from several other TFA houses and look forward to regular get togethers, including Sunday morning breakfast parties and possible potlucks. It will be great to be so close to friends.
The house itself is awesome. It is, again, older, and multi-storied. On the main floor, there is a living space with wooden floors overlooking the backyard. Our kitchen is on this floor, as well. There is stainless steel refrigerator, and the cupboards are painted with a very nice blue color. I imagine I'll spend lots of time chilling on this floor. Upstairs is one of the three bedrooms, which overlooks the front of the house. Across the hall is a large living room, which may be the coolest spot inside the house. It leads out to our deck and has a fireplace. My roommates and I have decided to make this something of a communal area, probably housing the TV and lots of other fun things. We're definitely in the brainstorming process as to what we can do here- the main point is that we now have our own place, which requires us to make these types of decisions, and that in itself is exciting.
My bedroom is on the bottom floor. The family who lived in the house before us had a baby, and it lived in what is now my room. As a result, the walls are painted sky blue, with clouds, and other soft colors. I'm guessing these were comforting for baby, and, truth be told, they're pretty damn peaceful to me, too! I think I lucked out in getting this room. Across the hall is another, slightly larger bedroom where my roomie Kate will live. She's an awesome girl and, I'm predicting, stylish decorator. She'll do good stuff with her space.
Also down here is our office, which we've turned into a bedroom for one of our roommates, John. Last week, he had our landlord's maintenance man take out the desk in the room, which will give him substantially more space to maneauver.
John's room has a door that leads to our backyard, and friends, the backyard is where it's at. Definitely our home's distinguishing feature, our yard is massive. We have a wishing well (that's right), patio, playset, room for hammocks, large trees that make the whole backyard relaxing and shady, and even a small jungle jim, which, again, was for the baby. In short, our backyard was built for parties. Our landlord, admitting as much, said to me: "you need to have as many parties back there as you can." How cool is that?!
On Thursday, I visited my future school, Church Rock Academy. I went with the two other '07 Corps Members who will work there, as well as an '05 member who will begin his third year. This chap, Andy, will teach 4th and 5th grade, like me, leading the kids in math. I am excited to collaborate with him (Andy) and the 4th/5th grade literacy specialist Cynthia. Andy's super laid back and showed me around the school, introducing me to the secretary Judy, who gave me the key to the portable which will serve as my classroom, and other teachers and school employees. I was also able to get the textbooks I'll be using, as well as CD Rom guides to compliment them. I look forward to introducing myself to the material and coming up with lesson ideas for the opening weeks of school. Another awesome thing about visiting the school was that we got our laptops! Each teacher our Church Rock gets a laptop, and, having been without one over the last few weeks, I could not have been more stoked to receive it. Having this tool will be a great resource for my classroom, as I can present informations with Powerpoint, overcoming the severe hurdle of horrendous penmanship. The comp. is also wireless ready, and I've enjoyed 'connecting' over the last few days in coffee shops and other fun places.
On Saturday morning, I set out for Michigan, to spend some time with my family before this whole thing (i.e., the rest of my life) begins. After having been in a constant state of insanity since the day I graduated in May, it feels so good to be able to sit down and just...settle. My parents moved since I was last home. The house is in an older, cultural, artsier part of Kalamazoo. I love it. It was built in the 20s at the latest, and inside the walls are painted with soft blues, greens, and other colors that give a very calm feel. Still, there are also lots of windows to let in the sunshine, which my mom loves. The kitchen looks over the living room, which I enjoy, and there is a bar so one can read, talk to someone in the kitchen, and still see and be involved with what's happening in the living room. There is also an isolated dining room, which my dad enjoys since, in our old house, the 'dining room' was a small table that took up half of the space in our, well, 'cozy' kitchen. Leaving the dining room, one comes to another living space, wherein my mom has put lots of the paintings we've picked up over the years. This may be my favorite room in the house. It's a little darker and more calm than the others, great for reading and, yes, sleeping. The bedroom I'm sleeping in is on the first floor, just next to the second living area. It's lined with bookshelves to the roof, which I love. The bed is large, and I slept better in there last night than I can remember sleeping in some time. My brother's room is upstaird. He, by virtue of a lucky break, got the master bedroom when the mover's could not fit my parent's bed up the stairway! He lucked out but has made the room pretty cool. I've got to give props. Out front, we've got a big porch. I can't wait to get out there and do some reading ur just sit and watch the world before me get dark. After a season on the go, just being seems nice. In the basement is the ping-pong table. My brother has been talking trash about how he's going to beat me. I love you now to put that rumor to rest. He may be eight years younger, but there's no reason why he should escape a thrashing from his older brother on the pong table. Until next week...
--Daniel
P.S. As I was preparing to board my flight from Chicago Midway to Detroit yesterday, I noticed a very important person and hero of mine waiting to be, as well. Before even looking up, Reverend Jesse Jackson extended his hand to greet me! I introduced myself, asked for an autograph, and explained what a big fan of his I was. He was very kind and repeated the gesture of signing and chit-chatting for several other admirers before boarding. It's definitely an interesting thing to see that one's heroes, people whose actions seem to immortalize them in our minds, are just people like you and me. The lesson to draw, I think, is that every person is capable of amazing things. This is an empowering and inspiring notion to hold onto as I move forward and closer to the classroom this fall.
Orientation week was excellent and strange. It was excellent to be back around all New Mexicorps members for the vast majority of the day. Relative to the rigor of Institute the 8:45 start times at orientation seemed tame, and our prolonged inter-session breaks during the day were a welcome reprieve from the jam-packed days in Houston. The NM staff is also amazing. Alan, Landon, Liz, Jill, Haley, and others did a great job of putting the lessons we'd learned in Houston about good teaching into a uniquely New Mexican context.
I also got a great introduction to an activity I hope becomes a regular part of my life over the next two years (and many more): hiking! On the day we arrived in Gallup, a few Corps members, led by Haley, a new Program Director on the NM staff, went for a hike at Red Rock State Park, which literally borders the land where my future school, Church Rock Academy, is situated. Our hike was about three hours and not too physically-strenuous but beautiful at every turn. Haley led us as we skimmied up a log with small pegs wired into a large, flat rock. It was a little difficult but good practice for more challenging hikes that lay in the future. Once we reached the top of our hike at Red Rock, we looked out at the land before us. The air was warm, there was a breeze, and the sky was clear. We were back in NM- it was great.
More on Red Rock State Park near Gallup, NM: http://www.ci.gallup.nm.us/rrsp/00182_redrock.html
The next day, our first day of sessions, we took the afternoon (as a full group) to travel to El Morro National Monument. El Morro, which means the bluff, is located near what was a key water sources for Spanish conquistadors in the 15th and 16th centuries. Juan de Onate, the first Spanish governor of colonial New Mexico, etched his signature into the side of the rock, starting a frenzy amongst several thousand other conquistadors who followed suit. Today, you can see each name, carefully etched into the side of El Morro, just as clearly as if they had been done not more than a few weeks ago. It was great to get out into our beautiful surroundings with the whole New Mexicorps group. I think a sense of ease and excitement came over us all as we became more and more aware of the reality that, in this setting, we now have a home.
More on El Morro National Monument near Ramah, NM: http://www.nps.gov/elmo
On Wednesday I got exciting news. During induction, I applied for the position of head coach with Gallup High School's women's and men's tennis team. I called up the Vice Principal, with whom I'd initially interviewed, to inquire about the status of the position (he told me in June that they would be making a hire in mid-July). Much to my liking, he told me that he and the athletic director at GHS had just been waiting for my call and were thrilled about hiring me on for the job. They were impressed by my track records as a player and coach. The program is on the rise, and they told me they believed I was exactly the right person to continue and increase the momentum. I was thrilled. I believe that being the coach of the Gallup High tennis teams will a: help my teaching by offering me an opportunity to lead another group of students toward the accomplishment of a 'big goal', just as I will look to do in my classroom and b: stay involved in the game of tennis in a way I've always hoped to, i.e., as a head coach! The excitement around high school tennis is intense, and I can't wait to use the game I love as a tool to make a positive imprint on the lives of youngsters at Gallup High. My head is buzzing with ideas. High school tennis is in the spring in NM. I do not plan to wait nearly that long to get started. I hope to hold a meeting with all returning players as soon as school begins, reach out to parents for fundraising ideas, create a training regimen for players to do regularly in the off-season, and, if this is in accord with the rules, begin some Saturday hitting sessions.
I also moved into my new home this week! It is an older home, but completely refurbished. It is located in the heart of Gallup, near a great park. Excitingly, we're just a few blocks from several other TFA houses and look forward to regular get togethers, including Sunday morning breakfast parties and possible potlucks. It will be great to be so close to friends.
The house itself is awesome. It is, again, older, and multi-storied. On the main floor, there is a living space with wooden floors overlooking the backyard. Our kitchen is on this floor, as well. There is stainless steel refrigerator, and the cupboards are painted with a very nice blue color. I imagine I'll spend lots of time chilling on this floor. Upstairs is one of the three bedrooms, which overlooks the front of the house. Across the hall is a large living room, which may be the coolest spot inside the house. It leads out to our deck and has a fireplace. My roommates and I have decided to make this something of a communal area, probably housing the TV and lots of other fun things. We're definitely in the brainstorming process as to what we can do here- the main point is that we now have our own place, which requires us to make these types of decisions, and that in itself is exciting.
My bedroom is on the bottom floor. The family who lived in the house before us had a baby, and it lived in what is now my room. As a result, the walls are painted sky blue, with clouds, and other soft colors. I'm guessing these were comforting for baby, and, truth be told, they're pretty damn peaceful to me, too! I think I lucked out in getting this room. Across the hall is another, slightly larger bedroom where my roomie Kate will live. She's an awesome girl and, I'm predicting, stylish decorator. She'll do good stuff with her space.
Also down here is our office, which we've turned into a bedroom for one of our roommates, John. Last week, he had our landlord's maintenance man take out the desk in the room, which will give him substantially more space to maneauver.
John's room has a door that leads to our backyard, and friends, the backyard is where it's at. Definitely our home's distinguishing feature, our yard is massive. We have a wishing well (that's right), patio, playset, room for hammocks, large trees that make the whole backyard relaxing and shady, and even a small jungle jim, which, again, was for the baby. In short, our backyard was built for parties. Our landlord, admitting as much, said to me: "you need to have as many parties back there as you can." How cool is that?!
On Thursday, I visited my future school, Church Rock Academy. I went with the two other '07 Corps Members who will work there, as well as an '05 member who will begin his third year. This chap, Andy, will teach 4th and 5th grade, like me, leading the kids in math. I am excited to collaborate with him (Andy) and the 4th/5th grade literacy specialist Cynthia. Andy's super laid back and showed me around the school, introducing me to the secretary Judy, who gave me the key to the portable which will serve as my classroom, and other teachers and school employees. I was also able to get the textbooks I'll be using, as well as CD Rom guides to compliment them. I look forward to introducing myself to the material and coming up with lesson ideas for the opening weeks of school. Another awesome thing about visiting the school was that we got our laptops! Each teacher our Church Rock gets a laptop, and, having been without one over the last few weeks, I could not have been more stoked to receive it. Having this tool will be a great resource for my classroom, as I can present informations with Powerpoint, overcoming the severe hurdle of horrendous penmanship. The comp. is also wireless ready, and I've enjoyed 'connecting' over the last few days in coffee shops and other fun places.
On Saturday morning, I set out for Michigan, to spend some time with my family before this whole thing (i.e., the rest of my life) begins. After having been in a constant state of insanity since the day I graduated in May, it feels so good to be able to sit down and just...settle. My parents moved since I was last home. The house is in an older, cultural, artsier part of Kalamazoo. I love it. It was built in the 20s at the latest, and inside the walls are painted with soft blues, greens, and other colors that give a very calm feel. Still, there are also lots of windows to let in the sunshine, which my mom loves. The kitchen looks over the living room, which I enjoy, and there is a bar so one can read, talk to someone in the kitchen, and still see and be involved with what's happening in the living room. There is also an isolated dining room, which my dad enjoys since, in our old house, the 'dining room' was a small table that took up half of the space in our, well, 'cozy' kitchen. Leaving the dining room, one comes to another living space, wherein my mom has put lots of the paintings we've picked up over the years. This may be my favorite room in the house. It's a little darker and more calm than the others, great for reading and, yes, sleeping. The bedroom I'm sleeping in is on the first floor, just next to the second living area. It's lined with bookshelves to the roof, which I love. The bed is large, and I slept better in there last night than I can remember sleeping in some time. My brother's room is upstaird. He, by virtue of a lucky break, got the master bedroom when the mover's could not fit my parent's bed up the stairway! He lucked out but has made the room pretty cool. I've got to give props. Out front, we've got a big porch. I can't wait to get out there and do some reading ur just sit and watch the world before me get dark. After a season on the go, just being seems nice. In the basement is the ping-pong table. My brother has been talking trash about how he's going to beat me. I love you now to put that rumor to rest. He may be eight years younger, but there's no reason why he should escape a thrashing from his older brother on the pong table. Until next week...
--Daniel
P.S. As I was preparing to board my flight from Chicago Midway to Detroit yesterday, I noticed a very important person and hero of mine waiting to be, as well. Before even looking up, Reverend Jesse Jackson extended his hand to greet me! I introduced myself, asked for an autograph, and explained what a big fan of his I was. He was very kind and repeated the gesture of signing and chit-chatting for several other admirers before boarding. It's definitely an interesting thing to see that one's heroes, people whose actions seem to immortalize them in our minds, are just people like you and me. The lesson to draw, I think, is that every person is capable of amazing things. This is an empowering and inspiring notion to hold onto as I move forward and closer to the classroom this fall.
Friday, 13 July 2007
Unapologetic Optimism: Completing Institute and the Road Ahead
Well, friends, we made it. Reflection brings with it infinite thoughts as I stare at this computer screen at the close of the most important five weeks of my young life. The sun goes down and the window closes on my time here in Houston. I wonder who I am and who I will be. I wonder why I should be so fortunate to meet and come to know the warriors with whom I've connected since I began my time here. Most importantly, though, I wonder how I, how we, can use the power of this experience to go out into the world and right the wrongs of an imperfect world. I have no answer to this question now, but I know that we can; we must; and we will.
This long journey brought sleepness nights and pain. It brought angst, worry, and doubt. It brought fear, struggle, and tears. Most importantly, however, for the 700+ Teach for America Corps members who will, as the hours close on our experience here at institute in Houston, Texas, scatter to fill posts in low-income elementary, middle, and high school classrooms across the country, our time here bought with it an unbreakable sense of hope that will propel us into the future with a conviction, a drive, a calling that says NO to inequity and NO to injustice.
Here, we've come to know all too well the painful realities of educational inequality in the United States. We've seen that in the richest country in the world, students who grow up in poverty face staggering odds in terms of ability to reach academic fruition. We've learned that in New Mexico, 96% of 8th grade Navajo students fail to meet state standards in mathematics. We've learned how in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Texas-Mexico border, students already several grades behind in reading and writing skills will miss several months of classroom instruction due to the migratory work realities facing their families. We've learned statistic after statistic that casts a bleak shadow over the future of the most diadvantaged youth living in this country. But through this perilous shadow, we've also seen and felt a power so great that, upon its arrival and full maturation, even the most daunting challenges institute has so readily branded into our minds retreat and dissipate. This peculiar power is hope, and when we fall into its arms, we see a new world, a new future, a new reality.
Every Corps member's "hope" is different. For me, it was looking at Gabriella's smile after she cracked the two-digit by two-digit multiplication problem that had given her difficulty all week. It was looking at Francisco's smile when he knew (but would not yet admit!) that he could explain and perform each step of the scientific method with the fluency of Bill Nye (for those of you who don't know the awesomeness that is Bill Nye the Science Guy, it's time you did; do some research!). For me, hope means reading Maria's edited essay in which she describes, in a form far more coherent and smooth than the original, her grand hope to do well in school, go to college, and then serve as a veterinarian. For me, hope means looking into the tearful eyes of a fellow corps member, a dear friend, who, on the second to last day of institute, cries the most heartfelt tears and feels a searing pain because of an encounter in the classroom she now believes will estrange and blind her students to the deep, unending concern she has for them.
Hope comes in all different forms, but in each one it is powerful. Hope ties us to one another. It shows us the light home when we think we're done for good. It finds us when we're lost, warms us when cold, and heals when we hurt. As the seconds tick away, the minutes peel off, and I watch my time slip away in this place, I can't help but think that I leave institute with a mindset similar to that with which I came here: bursting with energy, hurting to help, longing to serve, and clinging to hope. The road before me is long. I can't wait to get started.
Vamos,
--Daniel
This long journey brought sleepness nights and pain. It brought angst, worry, and doubt. It brought fear, struggle, and tears. Most importantly, however, for the 700+ Teach for America Corps members who will, as the hours close on our experience here at institute in Houston, Texas, scatter to fill posts in low-income elementary, middle, and high school classrooms across the country, our time here bought with it an unbreakable sense of hope that will propel us into the future with a conviction, a drive, a calling that says NO to inequity and NO to injustice.
Here, we've come to know all too well the painful realities of educational inequality in the United States. We've seen that in the richest country in the world, students who grow up in poverty face staggering odds in terms of ability to reach academic fruition. We've learned that in New Mexico, 96% of 8th grade Navajo students fail to meet state standards in mathematics. We've learned how in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Texas-Mexico border, students already several grades behind in reading and writing skills will miss several months of classroom instruction due to the migratory work realities facing their families. We've learned statistic after statistic that casts a bleak shadow over the future of the most diadvantaged youth living in this country. But through this perilous shadow, we've also seen and felt a power so great that, upon its arrival and full maturation, even the most daunting challenges institute has so readily branded into our minds retreat and dissipate. This peculiar power is hope, and when we fall into its arms, we see a new world, a new future, a new reality.
Every Corps member's "hope" is different. For me, it was looking at Gabriella's smile after she cracked the two-digit by two-digit multiplication problem that had given her difficulty all week. It was looking at Francisco's smile when he knew (but would not yet admit!) that he could explain and perform each step of the scientific method with the fluency of Bill Nye (for those of you who don't know the awesomeness that is Bill Nye the Science Guy, it's time you did; do some research!). For me, hope means reading Maria's edited essay in which she describes, in a form far more coherent and smooth than the original, her grand hope to do well in school, go to college, and then serve as a veterinarian. For me, hope means looking into the tearful eyes of a fellow corps member, a dear friend, who, on the second to last day of institute, cries the most heartfelt tears and feels a searing pain because of an encounter in the classroom she now believes will estrange and blind her students to the deep, unending concern she has for them.
Hope comes in all different forms, but in each one it is powerful. Hope ties us to one another. It shows us the light home when we think we're done for good. It finds us when we're lost, warms us when cold, and heals when we hurt. As the seconds tick away, the minutes peel off, and I watch my time slip away in this place, I can't help but think that I leave institute with a mindset similar to that with which I came here: bursting with energy, hurting to help, longing to serve, and clinging to hope. The road before me is long. I can't wait to get started.
Vamos,
--Daniel
Saturday, 7 July 2007
Transition Time and Lovin' the Students: Week 4 at Institute
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said in his 'Letter from a Birmingham Jail' that "time is neutral" and human actions, rather than the passage of days, months, and years are really what change the way in which we interact with one another and feel about the world, more generally. His words were used within the context of the civil rights movement and served as a response to critics calling for more long-term, tempered methods to oppose racial injustive than those promoted by the 'Good Dr.' I want to say that I agreed with these words when I first read them, and I do more so than ever today, but it seems difficult to me to discern the factor, other than the good solid passage of time, that has so thoroughly changed the attitudes of Corps members toward their Institute experience. This morning, a fellow incoming NM teacher, one who had been experiencing particular turmoil and stress in becoming acquainted to the rogors of life here in Houston told me that there had become something beautiful, in here eyes, to this whole 5-week process. Fascinating, I thought, that in no more than two weeks, so many of my friends and colleagues had gone from the verge of physical and emotional breakdowns to a place at which they are actually going to miss things here.
What more, I wondered, could have changed their perspective so dramatically than the reality that, with the completion of week 4, we are now less than one week away from returning to our individual regions to complete orientation and make final preparations for entering the classroom? It dawns on me now, as it should have much earlier, that the culprits in this healing process, this process of renewal, are the ones whom, quite honestly, have often been at the heart of our deepest thought, worries, and stresses, that is, the students we teach. There is no one we care about more than them. In college, physical, mental, and emotional rigor is certainly not uncommon. However, within this context and setting, one need only worry about their individual progress. Here at Institute, much the same, but here, our individual progress is only important because of the bearing it will have on the lives of the youngsters with whom we interact in the classroom. In other words, the onus is to grow is still on us, but failure becomes less of, actually it eliminates itself as, an option. We cannot, as I've said in previous postings, fail to become wonderful educators. The academic growth and, really, future prospects for equity, not even just within the academic realm but within many others, as well, depends on it. Stakes are higher- substantially so.
And so, when looking back and charting the winding path of our sanity here and working to unearth reasons how and why we now fill good about staying up until 2 in the morning only to rise a couple of hours later to a hot, humid, oft-rainy Houston morning, we see the smiling face of Francisco who has just successfully complete a three-digit times three-digit multiplication problem for the first time, or Gabi's happiness upon successfully identifying character traits from a text two years beyong her grade level. It is knowing that this happiness will serve as the impetus for these students' desire to push themselves to make further academic gains, gains that will, over time, serve to close the achievement gap as these students impress upon their friends, family, and, later, children the intrinsic value of learning. We, as teachers, work hard for these moments. It's a challenge like no other as we all call upon various personal background skills to try to morph ourselves into effective teachers.
Next week, I will return to New Mexico and then spend five days making the final preparations for a life I never imagined I'd have. Yesterday, I turned 22, and as I enter a new year on plant Earth, I feel blessed beyond belief. Friends, families, and opportunities pervade my life. I do not know what I've done to deserve this. In fact, at times, I'm sure that I don't. What I do know, however, is that to whom much is given, much is required- I want to spend the rest of my life working to make certain that what life and the world require of me is fulfilled in every way.
--D.B.
What more, I wondered, could have changed their perspective so dramatically than the reality that, with the completion of week 4, we are now less than one week away from returning to our individual regions to complete orientation and make final preparations for entering the classroom? It dawns on me now, as it should have much earlier, that the culprits in this healing process, this process of renewal, are the ones whom, quite honestly, have often been at the heart of our deepest thought, worries, and stresses, that is, the students we teach. There is no one we care about more than them. In college, physical, mental, and emotional rigor is certainly not uncommon. However, within this context and setting, one need only worry about their individual progress. Here at Institute, much the same, but here, our individual progress is only important because of the bearing it will have on the lives of the youngsters with whom we interact in the classroom. In other words, the onus is to grow is still on us, but failure becomes less of, actually it eliminates itself as, an option. We cannot, as I've said in previous postings, fail to become wonderful educators. The academic growth and, really, future prospects for equity, not even just within the academic realm but within many others, as well, depends on it. Stakes are higher- substantially so.
And so, when looking back and charting the winding path of our sanity here and working to unearth reasons how and why we now fill good about staying up until 2 in the morning only to rise a couple of hours later to a hot, humid, oft-rainy Houston morning, we see the smiling face of Francisco who has just successfully complete a three-digit times three-digit multiplication problem for the first time, or Gabi's happiness upon successfully identifying character traits from a text two years beyong her grade level. It is knowing that this happiness will serve as the impetus for these students' desire to push themselves to make further academic gains, gains that will, over time, serve to close the achievement gap as these students impress upon their friends, family, and, later, children the intrinsic value of learning. We, as teachers, work hard for these moments. It's a challenge like no other as we all call upon various personal background skills to try to morph ourselves into effective teachers.
Next week, I will return to New Mexico and then spend five days making the final preparations for a life I never imagined I'd have. Yesterday, I turned 22, and as I enter a new year on plant Earth, I feel blessed beyond belief. Friends, families, and opportunities pervade my life. I do not know what I've done to deserve this. In fact, at times, I'm sure that I don't. What I do know, however, is that to whom much is given, much is required- I want to spend the rest of my life working to make certain that what life and the world require of me is fulfilled in every way.
--D.B.
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