My Two Day Teaching Career........

Hello

Six weeks ago Sr. Jeanne Thurin (aka Jocko the Clown) asked me if I would be interested in assisting with a two day workshop for 150 7th & 8th graders from Girard Junior High.  She was in need of "teachers" to lead mini sessions on composting, seeding, recycling and soil.  She told me she would provide the lesson plan and I would attend a volunteer teacher training session to prepare for the day.

Of course being the loyal volunteer that I am I agreed.  She assigned me the seeding session due to my greenhouse and farm experience.  I attended a three hour training session, picked up my teachers's manual and had a great morning with Sr. Jeanne.  I shared some ideas with her on what I might do in my session..............

Fast forward to yesterday (the day before class) I dug out and dusted off the teacher's manual and began reading the lesson plan.... highlighted a few items and really began to give some thought to two days of 7th and 8th graders and what it might be like to stand before them as the expert in seeding.  I made a quick trip out for poster board and flower & vegetable packets in hopes of designing a visual teaching tool. 

Keep in mind I have a BSW degree and spent 30 years in higher education dealing with undergraduates and graduates who have long passed 7th & 8th grade....... again I thought how hard can this be?

This morning my daughter Erin called to give me a pep talk and clearly said she wanted no complaining on my part if a student rolled their eyes at me, whined about the heat or wandered off from the group.... 

Off I went to the farm - praying for guidance and a quick course in education 101.   The farm was hot and humid with impending storm clouds.  My first group was not quite awake so I was able to breeze through without to many questions.   The second group came alive and the third group was full of life and energy.  By then it was lunch time and the rains came so we finished the day in Macnificant Dining Room.  The background of the greenhouse and the fields provided great resources for a talk on seeding and how seeds grow.  I had to work harder in the dining room with no visuals and of course the after lunch lack of attention and energy started to creep in.  The final session ended and the buses were loaded.  I will go back for tomorrow for day two with the 8th graders.  Today was great and I expect tomorrow to be the same but I think I will keep my day job as a farmer!!

My thanks to all of you who are teachers by training or by the luck of your volunteer placement.  Many of you have written about your teaching experiences this year - the planning, the creativity you have and most importantly the children you see daily.  I can only imagine the energy it takes to keep a classroom alive each day.  I have a new respect and sincere appreciation for all of you. 

blessings
beth

Some Laughs to End the School Year

This week is the last week of the Guadalupe afterschool program.  I think back to my first day as a “teacher.”  I was about as inexperienced as they come, I had no idea where my classroom was, and I was making up a discipline system on the fly.  Sometimes it’s hard to believe that I have made it this far. Last week one of my students asked when the last day of afterschool was.  I told him that it was next Friday.  I expected his reaction to be that of excitement and relief.  The prison with all the rules and the people who make you do your homework would be exchanged for home with television, videogames, and toys.  That was not the case.  Miguel proceeded to be sad and say that he never wanted to leave afterschool. Cue 18 kindergarteners moaning because they don’t want the afterschool program to end either.  I didn’t realize how much fun we were having and then I think about the year.  It’s not a prison.  It’s a positive environment filled with games, art projects, people who help you with your homework, and recess.  So to give you a taste of what I got to do every day here are some examples of funny things that my kindergarteners have said and done this past year:

1) Damon after I explained how I hurt myself playing basketball: "Miss Barbara I play football, but no one tackles me.  I just score touchdowns."
2) Gabriel: "Miss Barbara, does your eye hurt?"  I replied yes.  "Then can I poke it?"  I replied no. (I had stitches at the time)
3) Eduardo: "I bought cheetos today for me and my brother."  Then he comes in real close and whispers, "The hot ones."
4) Justin: "Miss Barbara, did you know that you can never put up your middle finger at someone?"  (apparently that was a problem in the classroom that day)
5) Eduardo after I gave him his snack (a smuckers uncrustable pb and j):  " I don't want it.  The last time I had one I threw up." (this kid might be on to something)
6) We made bird feeders out of pine cones, peanut butter, and bird seed. When we were outside hanging them up in trees Alisia took a big bite out of hers.  I really hope she got mostly peanut butter in that bite.
7)Victor looking really confused when I told him that roosters didn't lay eggs because they were all boys (yes, there are roosters in our schoolyard).

8) Maria: “Miss Barbara did you know that wearing high heels makes you tired.  My sister wears them and she has to take naps. She comes home and says that she has to lay down because her shoes make her tired.” (good thing I prefer flip-flops and running shoes)

9) Jonathan: “Can I go to the bathroom to have a fart.”  (The answer was “of course.”  That boy has such consideration for the rest of the class).

10) Gabriel: “Why doesn’t my head fit in here?” he asked this as he was trying to put his head inside of the Ziploc bag we keep the crayons in.

11) Maria: “I left that one at home because I don’t like zippers.”  This was her answer to why she had a grocery bag instead of her usual bookbag.

12) I yelled at Carmen for dragging Jose into the bathroom.  Her response was, “But he left pee on the seat.”  (Future roommates should be warned about this)

13) Alex: “My uncle watches cuss word movies.  Those are the bad ones.

14) Justin’s answer to every question during story time is “banana.” Usually I have to tell him that it isn’t the answer I’m looking for until the week we read about Curious George.  I purposely asked the question, “What is George eating?”  Banana was the right answer and Justin gave it.
15) 18 kindergarteners playing freeze dance.  They are completely uninhibited in their dance moves and it will always put a smile on your face.

These little snippets might be more entertaining to me because I know the kids they are coming from and half of what makes them funny is their demeanor and expressions.  I hope you can appreciate them on some level.  Just thinking about all the hugs I have received, all the art pictures they have drawn for me, and all of the uncontrollable laughter we have shared brings a smile to my face.  The kids really do make me laugh everyday which is something that I hold on to when it seems like they are not listening to a word I say (which happens more than I would like).  So while I would say that working after school has been my most challenging job placement, it has also been the most rewarding.  Now here’s to hoping we can all handle the summer program!

Peace Out

Love,

Babs

*All student names have been changed.

The Transient Nature of Immokalee

         For some, Immokalee is home where they have to or choose to spend large increments (many years) of time. For many, many others, it is a transient place. People come and go: farmworkers, immigrants, social workers, activists, volunteers, etc. This nature of the town was explained to us by many people when we first arrived. Yet, the reality of this is felt more than ever as some of my roommates start to make some final decisions about their plans for the upcoming year, as the town starts to transition towards the summer, and as I begin to think about how I personally have only two and a half months left to live and work here.

It is about this time of year that Immokalee starts to feel emptier as people start to leave the south and follow the crops up north. The lines at the Winn Dixie get shorter, there are less people walking down Main Street, and kids start talking about how they miss a parent that has had to go to work up north. Some of the volunteers will start missing children who have to be pulled out of school early to travel with their parents. We will also start to say goodbye to some of our friends as they also go up and pick watermelons, apples, blueberries, etc. in the northern states.

For the volunteers, this is also a time of transition. We have only two weeks of afterschool left. As our children are starting to feel antsy for change, so are we. Yet, our excitement for summer camp is also a bit burdened with tinges of sadness since the next few weeks might be the last that we get to see some of our children who will not be in the summer program. I have one girl who will be going to Mexico for the summer. She looked at me a week ago and acknowledged, “I’m sad that I will not get to see you after May 25.” I responded lightheartedly but was pretty sad about it too. We also stop working at our morning sites when summer camp begins, and, of course, there are so many people that we will miss there too. Some of them we will continue to see around town. Some we will not. As a result of these changes, we are starting to prepare for quite a few goodbyes.

The fact of it is that there are so many wonderful people here, and, since they welcomed us so wholeheartedly, we were drawn into so many amazing relationships. And, suddenly, we take our final trek towards the end of it. This time is one of happiness as we enjoy every last minute of our time here, look forward to summer camp, and celebrate the fact that new volunteers will come to take our place. Yet, it is also a time that has a hint of nostalgia for the many people we have met.

Senior Celebration- De Porres Core article

Happy Friday all! If you are interested please read the below article written by a De Porres volunteer Dan I work with at Saint Martin de Porres. 


http://mscsymposium.com/2012/05/08/1112/


Have a wonderful week!


Love, 
Tina

Marching On

It was mid April when I realized that I finally had found some consistency in my day-to-day life that I have been yearning for my last nine months. I am a person of habit. I find comfort Monday through Friday sitting in the same desk, drinking my morning coffee, and making my daily plan. Now with the nature of the volunteer position at Saint Martins I very seldom get to actually check everything off my list. Typically something will pop up and alter my plans- subbing, phone calls to parents, tutoring, or working on miscellaneous projects that I am given. Yet, I still find comfort in having my list ready. 


Where is my consistency coming from then? One of the most important differences is I know names! Not all of them, but a good portion. Now when I sub I can skip formal roll call, I  can check it off in my head. I know who is who and what to expect. I walk the halls and I can greet the students by name. This has helped me to foster a relationship with some of the students. Progress. 


Aside from names the rest of my consistency comes from my acquired knowledge - being able to put together a bulletin board spur of the moment, knowing how to navigate Administrators Plus ( contains rosters, phone numbers, student pictures, grades), being in tune with the academic needs of particular students and their learning styles, being able to keep my cool and deal with a paper jam in the copier when there is ten minutes before class and much to be printed. The list continues. I've been thinking about these little things and all of the growth I've had. From time to time I think what now? I'm leaving in a few months. 


The transitions of the volunteer year are continuous. The volunteer year starts out with orientation in the summer and getting to know all of the wonderful HM volunteers, the HM sisters, and your new roommate(s), then you move into a new house, start a new job, meet new people, adjust to the new job, start a different routine, and somewhere in the midst of it all plan the next year, followed by transitioning out of your placement and starting the next adventure. Whoah! A volunteer year is a year of your life committed to change and growth. 


You are warned at the beginning of the year that in this work your never going to feel "finished". I'm really starting to understand that reality now. I will finish off the year and not feel "done". Yet, at this point I think that my peace comes from thinking that these feelings of disgruntlement can help channel me to continue to do the work that I do in a different capacity. The volunteer year is only the beginning and  a small part of the whole picture. I don't have a magic formula to fix the feelings of dissatisfaction, but I do find comfort in the thought of progressing forward.  I am excited for all that's to come. 


Below is a prayer below that I believe captures some of my feelings that I experience as a volunteer. 

Excerpt from an Oscar Romero prayer: 

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.

We water seeds already planted,

knowing that they hold future promise.

 We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation

in realizing that. This enables us to do something,

and to do it very well. It may be incomplete,

but it is a beginning, a step along the way,

an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference

between the master builder and the worker.

Love, 
Tina

Witness

Leymah Gbowee, speaking at the TED Talk.
Photo from ted.com

Recently, I watched this TED Talk by one of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winners, Leymah Gbowee. She spoke of her work with poor girls in Africa and explained, “we go into rural communities, and all we do — like has been done in this room [at TED] — is create the space. When these girls sit, you unlock intelligence, you unlock passion, you unlock commitment, you unlock focus, you unlock great leaders.” In development circles, current research indicates that in the developing world, when family resources and income are in the hands of men, much of it is spent on entertainment. When resources and income are in the hands of women on the other hand, it tends to be invested in children’s education, in businesses, and in the community. So, investing in women tends to raise health, education, and quality of life outcomes for poor communities as a whole, especially for children. Leymah Gbowee demonstrated the power of educating and empowering women when she organized Christian and Muslim women in her native Liberia, to eventually oust the brutal President, Charles Taylor, who is now awaiting trial at the Hague for crimes against humanity. Liberia then elected President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is Africa’s first female head of state.

Gbowee’s example reminds me of Mary Magdalene, and the women who first encountered the empty tomb on Easter morning. These women were chosen as the first witnesses to the resurrection, the greatest and most significant event in the history of humanity. Like Leymah Gbowee, these women witnessed something profound. And also like Gbowee, they were transformed by their witness. It is not enough to witness something profound if we are not transformed by it. When we witness something, be it wondrous joy or unspeakable horror, we have two options. We can either ignore it and pass by on the other side of the road, or we can engage with it, wrestle with it and discover the implications for our lives. In short, we can choose to be transformed by the events we witness. Every experience has the power to shape us. Profound experiences have the power to change everything. Who we are. What we do. What and who we love and are passionate about. They can color the fabric of our lives and shape the course of human history.

Many women today are called to profound witness. Women tend to be ideally situated to witness to the profound experiences of everyday life. Like Mary Magdalene, the traditional work of women keeps them near the chores and responsibilities that come with running a family. Of course it was the women who went to the tomb to tend Jesus’ body, that was their role. They are the caregivers. They care for the children, the sick, the elderly and the dead. It is from these positions that women are ideally positioned to be witnesses. As a mother, Leymah Gbowee experienced how hard it was to find enough food for her children, and watched other mothers struggle to do the same. She witnessed all mothers struggling to put their children through school and to keep them there, especially the young girls, who were often pulled from school to help at home, or married young. Women have always been great witnesses. And some women, when they witness these things, they are transformed. They let their experiences, good and bad, shape their lives. And they effect change. They become channels of great strength, changing the people, institutions and world around them.

These women are often unknown, working in this corner or that. But they minister where they are needed, shaped by their work in the muck and grit of everyday life. They are mothers, chanting the universal cry of motherhood; that my children might have what they need, have limitless opportunities, and a better life. They latch on to the hope that by striving with every ounce of energy for their children, together with the energy of other mothers, they might someday change the world. I know my own mother is one of these women. Everything she does is for her four children. She is a person of self-sacrifice and a woman of great faith inherited from her mother. Through her, I first experienced God’s love. And in her, I found an example of how to stand for justice, of how to have hope for the world, and of how I am responsible to lift up the world around me.

I have also encountered this in the Sisters of the Humility of Mary. They have very humble roots, beginning in France, and journeying across the Atlantic to America to teach French-speaking girls, in what is now the Youngstown, Ohio area. From there, they built lives and a community, coaxing life and sustenance from the swamp land they were given, land which many others had written off as incapable of yielding enough food to survive. The sisters continued to build and grow, emulating the humble “yes” of the servant Mary wherever they found themselves, primarily in the traditional professions for women religious of teaching and nursing. From there, they have expanded, and currently witness in a variety of ministries, continuing to teach and provide healthcare, but also ministering to and advocating for refugees, immigrants, farm workers, the poor, the imprisoned, young adults and victims of human trafficking. From Northeast Ohio, down to Florida and Haiti they continue to witness, often in obscurity. And as they witness, in the humble tradition of Mary, they are transformed. And through their transformations, they effect change.

And so as someone who has grown up, surrounded by these witnesses, I have two options. I can either notice and acknowledge their witness, but walk by on the other side of the road, unchanged. Or, I can engage with it, and risk being transformed. For once I am transformed, I will have no choice but to continue their work. To continue their witness to the world around me. To preach the Gospel of love, especially when it is difficult. To stand for justice and to raise up the lowly. And to create space for more girls to sit, and thereby unlock intelligence, passion, and great leaders. To create space for the next generation of witnesses to notice, be transformed, and then transform the world around them.


-J.P.

Villa Farm & Ursuline Sisters

Greetings

My blog is a day late - 80 degrees and sunshine at the farm have kept me either in the fields or the greenhouse.    It is an unseasonably warm May two days into the month.  Today we planted an assortment of lettuce in the fields.  I worked in the greenhouse transplanting peppers, basil, and fennel.  A few customers have spring fever and ventured out to purchase hanging baskets, patio pots and vegetable starts.  More customers are a bit more cautious as the farm crew predicts yet another frost.  In the last two months we have seen the birth of several calfs.  That miracle never ceases to amaze me....  In the coming weeks there should be a new lamb or two. 

Thank you for your blogs, pictures and reflections.  All of you continue to inspire me with your energy and passion.  I am relying on the wisdom of my daughter Erin to inspire you....................

peace
beth

Sisters and Associates,

Several people have recommended that I share Regina Brett’s column from yesterday’s Plain Dealer. http://www.cleveland.com/brett/blog/index.ssf/2012/05/nuns_should_keep_standing_up_t.html

In addition to her comments on nuns in general she specifically cites the vocation and ministry of Cleveland Ursuline Sr. Erin Zubal. Erin’s mother is HM Volunteer Beth Bartlett who is working on the Villa Farm this year. Joanne