Education? Priceless!

Remember those old Visa commercials that listed several material items and their prices? Then they’d name one final non-material item that cannot be bought and deemed it priceless?   This is how I would do that commercial:  Pencils- $3.00, paper- $4.50, backpack- $15.00, education- Priceless. I’d show people of every age heading off to school.  Little kindergarteners holding their parents’ hands, teenagers goofing on each other on their way through the school doors, college students getting hugs goodbye as their parents drive away, moms dropping kids off at school then heading to college, dads at the computer after tucking their kids in bed for the night, night school people working toward their GED, and older folks who have a need to continue to learn walking through those doors of higher education.  It would be a pretty cool commercial, don’t you think?

Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, who happens to be from the great state of Iowa, understood the importance of education.  Through his life’s work, knew that not every country had the same educational expectations and benefits of its citizenry as the USA does.

“My country owes me nothing. It gave me, as it gives every boy and girl, a chance. It gave me schooling, independence of action, opportunity for service and honor. In no other land could a boy from a county village, without inheritance or influential friends, look forward with unbounded hope.”

 – Herbert Hoover

I read the book Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson a few years back. Greg, a mountain climber, nearly died in his attempt to climb in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan.  He wandered incoherently into a remote mountain village, where the residents graciously cared for him.  When he regained his health and was preparing to leave, he noticed that the village children were scratching letters into the dirt with sticks. It was because they had no school. He vowed to the elders of the village that he would come back and build them a school, and he did.  This book was an interesting read for another reason too; and that was the cultural differences between Greg, an American, and his host village. The book is called Three Cups of Tea for a reason. This leads me to my final point…

I have been given the opportunity to teach English Language Learner classes at a local community college to adults who are immigrants and refugees.  These people are from all over the world and have left their homeland for a better life in America.  My students are on average, about forty years old. Some a little older, some a little younger. None of them have had formal education in their home countries.  I teach the very first level class called Basic.  I’m teaching these people the alphabet.  I’m teaching them the sounds that letters make and how to put the sounds together into words, and the words into sentences.  It’s very humbling for me to see them work so hard for what so many of us take for granted. These people are the epitome of Hoover’s quote. They didn’t have connections; therefore they didn’t have an education.

And they’re all so happy to be here and to be learning.

Parodies Are Fun

Parodies are fun. 

Saturday Night Live has proven that. Presidents, politicians, actors, and other famous or infamous people’s actions and words have been the fodder for SNL parodies for forty years now.  My favorite parodies from SNL have to be “Celebrity Jeopardy" skits.  Norm Macdonald’s Burt Reynolds and Darrell Hammon’s Sean Connery characterizations are hilarious. Jimmy Fallon plays an exasperated Alex Trebek to a T. 

The sly creators of Sesame Street have kept mommies and kiddos entertained for years.  Their parodies not only teach little ones numbers and letters, but offer sometimes frazzled and often isolated child care providers a good laugh. I personally laughed my head off the first time I saw Polly Darton, a country singing muppet that looked very much (in every way) like country singer Dolly Parton on Sesame Street. (My babies stared at me like I’d gone mad…)

There are lots of song parodies on the internet.  Just type ‘parodies’ and you’ll get an impressive, never ending list of videos to satisfy your creative funny bone. The king of parodies is of course, Weird Al Yankovic.  He’s been around for a long time. And he’s not so weird.  I watched an interview on line recently where Al (we’re on a first name basis) talked about his creative process when deciding which songs to parody, what the topic of the parody should be, and how to write the parody.  He also stated that every song he writes must get the original singer’s approval before it can be recorded. Think way back to “Fat”, a parody of Michael Jackson’s Bad, and more recently “Tacky”, a parody of  Pharrell William’s Happy… and every parody in between.  That’s an impressive run.

I like parodies because they're by nature something that has to be copied/imitated well to be good.  That's much more difficult I think than just writing your own song or skit.  It takes creative problem solving to make sure a parody sounds like the original and makes sense in its own right.

I wrote my own parody while attending the EIWP at St. Ambrose University.  I’ve talked about this class in previous posts. One of the things we did at least two afternoons a week was an activity called Writing Marathon.  During a Writing Marathon we organized ourselves into small writing groups then we picked several places around the city to visit to and just sit and write.  We found inspiration most everywhere we went. With a shout-out to Starland Vocal Band, here is a parody I wrote during a Writing Marathon.

Afternoon Write

By Nadine Roth

(With apologies to Starland Vocal Band and in appreciation of Weird Al Yankovic)

Gonna find my pen gonna hold it tight
Gonna grab some afternoon write
My motto's always been 'when I write, it's right'
Even if it starts: “It was a cold dark night.”

Everything's a little clearer with your muse at play

And I know the revision’s gonna be there any way
Marathon invite. Afternoon, write. Afternoon write!

Thinkin' up stories feed my appetite
Looking forward to a little afternoon write
Rubbin' pens and pencils together starts sparks igniting
And the thought of publication is getting so exciting
Marathon invite. Afternoon, write. Afternoon write!

Wrote a poem this morning that was so polite
My fellows assured me that it didn’t bite
But it’s gotten me a thinkin’ and I’m sure I might try grabbing a little afternoon write.
Marathon invite. Afternoon, write. Afternoon write!

So Many Books… (So Little Time…)

“One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.” 
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

In a previous post wrote about a few of my favorite books, but as you can guess, I have many, many, more faves!  I’ll tell you about a couple of “oldies but goodies” today. J

When I was in junior high, I wanted to be like Lucinda/Cindy. She became sophisticated Lucinda when she moved to a new town.  I was a bean pole, like Cindy, and thought of myself as unpopular, too. If only I was brave enough to reinvent myself like Cindy did! The New Lucinda by Grace Gelvin Kisinger was published in 1964.  Lucinda learns some lessons about being herself in this story.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find this book at the library.  I guess it’s just too old…however timeless the story is.

Forever, by Judy Blume, was published in 1975. If you were a pre-teen in the mid ‘70’s, I need say no more. If you were the mother of a pre-teen in the mid ‘70’s you know, too. Judy Blume rocked my world in a titillating way. This  young adult story was about a teen-age girl and her new boyfriend from another high school, but more than that: They.Had.Sex!!! It was scandalous back then and there were cries for book banning. I can’t think of another popular young adult story in which high school teens have sex. Even Edward and Bella waited…

My curiosity got the best of me and I found myself at the library, standing in the aisle reading this book just a couple of weeks ago.  I had to laugh a little because, even after all these years it’s still a rather shocking read.  I mean, who tries to put aftershave on her boyfriend’s nether regions? I went on line today and found that this book has had at least eleven different covers and was made into a movie! Now that’s staying power.

A large of the books that have meant the most to me and that have become so memorable, are books that have taken me to thrilling or dangerous places I’d never been before. Given me that “oh, shit” moment that I love so  much. Maybe even a fantasy life for a while.  Made me think differently. Taught me some lessons.

So, I’ve asked you before, and I’ll probably ask you again: What story or book changed your life? How did it change you? Tell me about it!

How I Became A Writer: Chicago Writer’s Conference

This past weekend I attended my very first writer’s conference.  It took place at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.  I was nervous about attending an event that I considered a next step, or a step up, in my growth as a writer.  I thought I’d be writing this post about  all the great things I learned; and although I enjoyed the sessions at Northwestern, and enjoyed exploring downtown Chicago,  I found that all the classes and seminars I have attended right here in the Quad Cities are not much different than the ones I attended at Northwestern- therefore, I’d say the Quad Cities obviously offers a top notch education!  I ‘m happy to know that I don’t need to travel far from home to find excellence in education. 

Score: Big City- Zero; Quad Cities- 1  J

I remember back when we first moved to the Quad Cities through a job transfer from my husband’s employer.  I found so many opportunities for higher education within just a ten mile radius of my home. That was exciting for me because my home town had one community college, which I attended, and no other colleges for miles and miles around.  I told my husband that I wanted to finish my education before we were transferred to another city. He thought that was a great idea. (By the way, we were never transferred and have made the QC our home!)

While raising a family, I finished my degrees at Western Illinois University, Quad City campus. I also took classes at Scott Community College, St. Ambrose University, and Augustana College.  I left no campus un-used!!!! I've taken many, many classes over the years, but none will top the EIWP that I've talked about in previous posts-- including Northwestern.

This blog post started as an account of my writing conference experience in Chicago and but became a celebration of my community’s higher education options. 

So I must ask you, Can you name something great about your community? Do you take advantage of that great thing? Or sometimes take it for granted? 

Stop and take a look around!

Time for School: Mandatory Testing

 

It’s getting to be that time of the year again. Anticipation mixed with angst. School Time! I found myself perusing the school supply ads in the Sunday paper last weekend, as I have done for my whole adult life: first for myself as a college student, then for my own children, and finally for my students. Then it hit me: Hey, I don’t have to look for the best bargains for school supplies ever again! Not for me, not for my adult children, and not for students.  I’m moving on! 

Being an elementary school teacher made me proud.  It was a hard job that not just any one could do. I know this because so many people who are not teachers have commented to me about this very thing.  I’ve also been witness to volunteers who thought it was an easy gig until they taught a lesson. Often parents would come to the classroom to help out and be in awe of how I handled a group of twenty- some kids and kept them learning and on task.

But things have changed. Giving kids an education is more difficult than ever for a number of reasons. Mandated testing is one of the reasons. An article I read entitled High Stakes Testing Pros and Cons by Roberta Munoz, published December 4, 2014 by education.com, proposed a list of “pros” and “cons” of testing.  I’ll share part of it here.

   The (so called) Pros:

·        High-stakes test results can be used to help teachers create a learning plan based on your kid's needs—helping her in the long run. Look at your child's test results as a tool for progress, not as a judgment on ability or intelligence. (Most teachers don’t need the information from this kind of test to create learning plans.  Classroom work, observation and focused quizzes are more beneficial  assessment tools to the classroom teacher for lesson development. Also, teachers don’t pass judgment on kids—maybe parents sometimes, but not kids.)

·        Data from statewide testing is almost always publicly available. As a parent, you can look at these results to see how well, or poorly, your child's school is performing.(This is true. Many families look at these stats. to determine the ‘best’ schools.  However, if you want your kid to go to the ‘best’ school, you’d better be committed to do your share of the work. i.e. homework completion.)

·        High stakes exams can cause anxiety, but yearly testing and frequent practice tests can help kids improve their test-taking abilities over time. Your child can benefit by learning how to handle pressure, and developing the skills and strategies necessary to meet the school's—and [the] parents'—expectations. (Yes, children certainly do get anxious over testing. Yes, your child will become a better test taker, but at what cost? Will your child learn more?  Will your child learn to solve problems creatively? )

   The Cons:

·        High-stakes tests cause any subject that isn't math or language arts to be pushed out of the classroom. Subjects like science, social studies and the arts are sacrificed to make time for more test prep. (We were given so much more math curriculum to teach this past year that I personally didn’t have room in my schedule for Social Studies! Teachers were told to ‘fit it in when we could’. )

·        Pressure on teachers can clamp down on creativity and innovation. Thanks to pressure from the government, teachers often feel compelled to "teach to the test," resulting in less flexibility to tailor lesson plans to individual students or class groups. (Too true. Many great projects have been cut out of my teaching and their learning in the name of Core Curriculum- teaching only skills that will specifically be required to show proficiency on a test. --And if any students didn’t show proficiency, then I didn’t do my job.)

·         Increased pressure on parents and students is counter-productive. … “[there is] a distinction between constructive pressure—the kind that motivates students to do better—and pressure that stifles learning. If the pressure isn't clearly linked to student learning…if it's just pressure for pressure's sake and not encouraging students to take their learning seriously — then the pressure is not constructive." (Many a parent felt the pressure placed on them by the school district’s requirements.  Additional teachers were required to make phone calls to parents of students who didn’t  ‘pass’ specific sections of tests, regardless of whether the student was working to their best ability or regardless of their overall testing results. It was crazy. So much stress on parents tends to lead to negative comments about school, often in front of the children.  And the kids are the ones who suffer.)

I understand these pros and cons so clearly. I lived it!  The Federal government, who puts stipulations on the State government, which makes them set core standards that make it very difficult for teachers to give students time to think, create, and problem-solve.  I tested kids too much!  Pre-test, post-tests, quizzes.  I did not give the students tests to help me know what they still needed to learn and understand as much as I gave tests because they were mandated.  It was too much for the kids to handle, they would act out, actually groan out loud, and complain about having another test, and most of the time I knew how each student would perform on the tests.  I didn’t know what their exact score would be, but I did know which students “got it” (the topic) and would score high and who didn’t “get it” and would score low. It’s so frustrating to watch kids struggle on a test you know they can’t pass; that did nothing to help me know what they need. And it makes school an unhappy place for children.

People, I don’t think this reality in education is going to change soon.  The best advice I can give to you is to make sure you read with your kids – a lot!  Have them read to you while you’re making dinner, riding or waiting in the car, and while you’re sitting at your other kids’ practices.  Also, make sure your kid gets their homework done and goes to school with a Ready To Learn frame of mind.  School is going by at lightning speed. Teachers are responsible for meeting ALL the needs of each and every student in their class.  We know that can’t always be done. The student to teacher ratio is too great.  Keep up with everything at your kiddo’s school.  Your child’s life will be less stressful for it. Believe me.

Suddenly: Death.

I debated about this topic for several days.  I want this blog to be easy to read. But sometimes you just gotta write what’s on your mind.  So people, brace your selves. No bunnies and daisies here today.

Death is unpredictable. We all know that, but what really brings it home is when we are faced suddenly with death, or near-death, in our own lives.  Recently during church, one of the singers in the choir had and “episode.” Apparently she’d had a seizure and EMT’s attended to her right there on the alter.  It’s a very scary thing to be witness to someone else’s time of need.  Sometimes you need to jump into action, and sometimes you’re a helpless bystander.  Whenever death comes around, everyone pays attention.

Several months ago I was coming home from class when I came upon a road block on Spruce Hill’s Drive.  All the cars were being diverted through a nearby neighborhood.  As I was guided off the main road, I saw yellow caution tape had been placed across all four lanes of traffic.  A smashed car and a nearly unrecognizable wreck of a motorcycle lay in the middle of the road in the middle of the taped off area. Death was there.  There were police cars and fire trucks, but the ambulance or ambulances had already left the scene. I said a quick prayer for the people involved as I turned the corner. 

Three days later, I was involved in my own car-motorcycle accident. Death was watching, but fortunately, that was all. It all happened so fast.  One minute I was chatting with my friend as I drove us to a baby shower, and the next minute I was standing in the middle of the highway flagging down traffic, hoping it would stop and not hit me or the man writhing in pain in the middle of the highway. 

I held the man’s hand as the first person on the scene identified herself as a nurse.  As she worked, I continued to hold his hand.  I forgot to pray. I was so overwhelmed with the sudden-ness and urgency of it all.  The only thing I could think of was that if it was me lying on the highway, I would want someone to hold my hand. So I stayed and held his hand until the EMT’s needed me out of the way.

Then, just this week I attended a funeral for a family friend.  This gentleman had lived a long and generous life.  He was a man who gave to others, and his funeral was a testament to that.  It made me stop my crazy busy mind. It reminded me that I have a job to do. It helped me to be kinder and more forgiving with my thoughts and words. I realized the people I love most got the brunt of my attitude, and it needed adjusting. The words that were said about this man helped me realize that I could be a better me.  I hope it lasts.

If we lived life as if it could end at any minute (because it could), we would be so frazzled by the thought of the finality of every move we made.  God is gracious.  He gives us guidance in preparing for Death. He doesn’t let Death control our lives. However, Death waits for no man. Therefore, we must be LIVE life with gusto, glory, and honor.  That is what God wants us to do.

How I Became a Writer: rough writing

 

In a previous post I talked about the Eastern Iowa Writing Project at Saint Ambrose University.  I learned so much in such a short time there. It changed how I thought about writing. It changed my thinking.

Rough writing (as I call it) was such a freeing concept.  I’d never thought of this as a legitimate way to write.  It’s similar to writing a rough draft (getting the words/ideas on paper and not thinking about grammar, spelling and punctuation) except  there’s no need to make a final polished copy. It can be called a stream of consciousness or internal monologue, if you like. Rough writing gave me the opportunity to think about myself, my experiences, and my writing style without the conventions and rules of writing getting in the way of my thought processes.

Given the freedom to ‘rough write’ is just that- freedom.  Freedom to create. Freedom to make mistakes.  Freedom to try new ideas.  During the EIWP we all shared some of our rough writing.  It was a liberating experience because every person in that class knew that no revisions had been made by the writer. When my fellow writers heard or read my work they took that into consideration (as I did their work.) BUT… when a writer has been working on a piece; thinking, revising, and everything else that goes into a polished piece of work; that’s when it gets scary. A writer (translate- me, Nadine) begins to over think, over analyze word choice and content, as well as deciding what to and what not to elaborate on ….THAT is when you really start second guessing yourself.  

In her book, Page After Page,Heather Sellers says, “Writing is hard. It takes so much willingness to be bad at something. It’s not fun to suck. And, if you are to write, suck you must.”

Yep.