Planet Money T-Shirt

NPR's Planet Money made an incredible documentary on the making of a t-shirt.  Meeting the individuals in Bangladesh and Colombia who actually made the t-shirt was illuminating, and amazing.  We had a great viewing, and in-class discussion about it today at school, in AP World History.  

It helped all of us realize that the items we buy are made by real people, with their hands.  It introduced us to individuals on the other side of the world, who are living their lives and following their passions -  just like us.  
I highly recommend it.

Watch it by clicking here.

Aussies.

One would not imagine that North Buncombe High School would be a vehicle by which many international students would connect - but it is.  

Not too long ago, NBHS started a student exchange program with Denmark (I wrote about it here).  And this week, we hosted a group of students from Australia.  

 

These kids play on a club basketball team, and are traveling around the US playing high school teams.  They played here on Wednesday night.  I was lucky enough to visit with these kids on Thursday morning, during which time we had a wonderful chat about Australian culture, American misconceptions, and what surprised them most about their time here.  

 

The ties that bind.

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.