The Past in Our Landscapes

I am a sucker for all things global, and far away.  I have always been captivated by travel, and meeting people form diverse places and cultures.  I just love the discovering the ties that bind.  And lately, my thoughts have turned to the continent of Africa.  I find the entire continent mesmerizing, and love to read about it, as much as just stare at images of its' landscape.  I just fell in love with the Long Way Down motorcycle journey ( which started in Scotland - traveled through Europe and all of Africa - and completed in Capetown, South Africa) that Ewan McGregor and Charlie Borman completed a few years back.  

But recently, I have started reading and following the journey of journalist Paul Salopek.  Writing for National Geographic, he is attempting to retrace the first human migration.  According to anthropologists and historians - humans originated in East Africa and migrated to all points of the earth.  Salopek is attempting the same journey (From East Africa to Tierra Del Fuego in South America) over a 7 year period - and is calling out the Out of Eden Walk.  It is truly an amazing story to tell.  

In his recent writings, I came across this sentence, "What disconcerts us about suburbia? Not just its sameness, but its absence of time. We crave a past in our landscapes."  This idea has really stuck with me, as I am quite guilty of this sentiment in my daily life.  But it is true that most of my meaningful experiences in life have come directly from the feeling that overcomes me when I am overwhelmed by sense of place.  "A past on our landscapes" really just means authenticity, at least to me.  The feeling that the place we inhabit is unique because nature and/or humans who have come before us have made it that way.  That feeling that permeates me when I know that I am walking in the footsteps that so many others have walked.  Growing up spending time in Old Salem, and living in old houses for most of my adult life has embedded that idea deeply into my soul.  But wherever I find myself these days, I seek authenticity more than anything else.  Usually that takes me to the past.  And living here in the mountains of North Carolina is a wonderful place to start.  From the landscape itself, to the Biltmore house, to the Appalachian Trail - the past permeates this place.  And my children spend as much time in these places of past, as they do anywhere else.  My hope is that this sense of place and personal commitment to fulfill our role will rub off on them.

In the end, Africa is no more unique than any other place on earth, concerning the past.  People have lived there for thousands of years, and have lived their lives attempting to survive and find fulfillment - just like North Carolina.  But following journeys through places and time still make me feel connected to the human family.  The ties that bind.

Ethioskate

 Our class watched this wonderful, and heartwarming video of amazing people who are trying to make the world a better place. In this particular case, some folks are giving away skateboards and building ramps for the kids of Ethiopia. Watch this, and let's go make the world a better place.  (click HERE!)

What Can we do? Get Inspired!

Support Public Teachers, Please.

Moral Monday

I am a teacher, and as I have written many times on this blog - I believe it is my vocation and calling in life to do it.  I love teaching high school history, and I believe in the power, role, and importance of a well educated citizenry in our republic.  I am a product, and an active participant in the public schools of North Carolina.

So, as the North Carolina legislature has made changes to teacher pay this session (ending step pay increases, continuing the pay freeze, basing future supplements on student test scores, and the elimination of career status contracts) I see the anxiety that it creates among my fellow educators.  I did not become a teacher because I believed that I would make a lot of money.  But I did believe that the teaching profession would continue to get respect from the community that we serve.

This is why (well, one of the reasons) my wife and I took the kids to Asheville's Moral Monday Protest this week.  It gave our family a chance to discuss why we think it is worth leaving the house to stand up for these issues.  I hope it makes a difference.  If not, we will do it again.

Learning From TOMS.

Teaching history at a high school for the past twelve years, I have encountered a diverse array of fashion choices - most of which I choose to steer clear.   But starting last year, I noticed that many students were wearing a new brand of noticeably simple shoes called TOMS.  My students taught me about the "one for one" program, in which TOMS guarantees that for each person who purchases a pair of TOMS - they will donate a pair to someone in need.  It was such a simple and amazing idea that  I was quite inspired. I bought a pair for myself. 

It is yet another example of how "teaching" most often means that we are just learning.  I love teaching here at NBHS, because it has a great community of folks who care about things bigger than themselves.  This job never seems like a job when the students remain some of my best teachers. 

TOMS Shoes, and Students who care: 
Inspiration? 
Check.

The Mayans Were Wrong. The Twinkies Were Good.

We are wrapping up a fantastic semester.  2012 ended quite nicely, and without a Mayan apocalypse (not too surprised, as the Mayans also failed to predict their own drought, migrations, and demise:). Here in World History AP, we celebrated our "last day on earth" by eating the one thing that will not be destroyed...Twinkies. 

 

But in the meantime, these kids have worked hard to perfect their essay writing, and are answering the bell.  They are also growing in their ability to analyze the "why?" of history. 

Overall, we have had a great semester together, learning from one another, and learning lots of history. I am looking forward to another semester with these amazing kids. 

 

Former Students

 One of the greatest benefits of teaching for a while is watching former students pursue their passions.  When everything begins to come into focus, and they find something that they deeply love to do, and that the world will benefit from their doing.  I am one of the lucky ones, in that I have the pleasure of hearing from many of my former students pretty often.  Every time that I see an email, or letter, from someone that was in my class long ago - it makes me excited.

So today, when I received an email from a former student who is pursuing her Masters of Teaching, I was thrilled.  For one of her classes, she was in need of some "nugget" of advice from a history teacher.    I was happy to try and help her out.  I always find that when I am asked for advice, I end up merely relaying some amazing things that someone else taught me along the way.  My response was no exception.  I thought I would share some of what I have learned in my 13 years "behind the desk."  Here is some of what I offered:

1.  "We have to live ourselves into new ways of thinking."  It is an easy trap to build our classes around the idea that if a student just thinks about things (history, or anything else) enough - it will change him/her.  In my experience, all of us have to live into new ways of thinking.  So, as a teacher, I have to try and give my students an opportunity/environment to experience a new way of doing things.  (And make no mistake - as a teacher - I have to exude passion for my craft and content all the time, in order to usher my students into this way of thinking.)  Most of the time, my very life has to be the example for these kids to know that it is okay to act this way.  :)  I believe that this will give a student the most memorable experience.

2.  The most important content that we (a teacher) can provide our student is to instill curiosity about ..well...everything.  If we make our students curious - learning history will be one of the many byproducts of this approach.  So, truly, we are trying to provide a shift in perspective for many of our students, and the method by which I try to do it is outlined in #1.

I post this in hopes that some of you, good readers, can add to this:  What would you say in this instance?  What should be my # 3 and 4?

The Next Chapter

I am so excited about the new school year.  As always, I have had a summer of adventures with my friends and family.  Said adventures do so much to recharge my mind and curiosity for teaching. Having summers off to get our minds and bodies in order is a welcomed gift, and I do not take it for granted. 

But now it is time to balance out things, and that means it is time to dive back in to school.  And I can already feel my pulse quicken just thinking about the opportunities that this next chapter will surely provide.

As each new year approaches, I take time to reflect on the previous year:  What went well?  Where did I fail?  How can I grow as a teacher?  And this year is no exception.  I hope I can serve my students this year better than I ever have.  I have set some goals for myself, and am most looking forward to building new communities with students and their families.

I have big plans for my classes this year, and yet I know that it is the very things I do not plan for that will most likely be the most memorable to both my students, and to me.  That will require all of us to be nimble and open to possibilities.  I believe that my summer has been an ideal warm-up for just that! 

So as the buses start to roll, and the band starts to play - let's embrace another year of meeting new people, and learning together!