Hey, I'm adding a post just to keep my blog alive. But I also am considering putting my Peace Corps blogs into a book - from the perspective of an older, female volunteer. Guys seem to think nothing of selling their ideas - and often they are one-sided, ie, young male point of view.
Enough
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Thanksgiving 2015
I've been thinking of the 5 year old Somali boy who told me last Thanksgiving that his family didn't celebrate it. In a defiant voice and with his arms firmly folded across his chest he admonished me for even asking by saying, "I am a Muslim boy!" Taken aback I tried to explain that Thanksgiving is not a Christian holiday but he would have none of it. It made me very aware of the portrayal of Thanksgiving with hands closed in prayer. And what a disappointment that this little boy was repeating something he had apparently heard at home - to avoid being tainted by anything American that could possibly undermine Muslim beliefs and practices.
I recall a memoir by a Somali man who wrote that when he arrived as a teenager he refused to eat in the school cafeteria because he thought all American food had alcohol in it. Another misconception about life in the United States - not the land of milk and honey!
Today, I am thinking of the 8 year old Egyptian girl I tutor at Whittier school. She arrived in MN with her family in the past year and managed to express to me that she is eager to see snow. It has been so late in arriving this Fall, but timing is everything and Thanksgiving morning was perfect for Mana and her 2 sisters to see their first snow. I'm sure they went outside to marvel at it. I wonder how long that will last.
The theme of "being grateful" was present at both Whittier and Jefferson schools. That moves this unique American holiday out of the religious realm toward a more inclusive celebration of a very human emotion of gratefulness. We all have different things to be grateful for. I'm more aware than ever of how grateful I am to be an American.
I recall a memoir by a Somali man who wrote that when he arrived as a teenager he refused to eat in the school cafeteria because he thought all American food had alcohol in it. Another misconception about life in the United States - not the land of milk and honey!
Today, I am thinking of the 8 year old Egyptian girl I tutor at Whittier school. She arrived in MN with her family in the past year and managed to express to me that she is eager to see snow. It has been so late in arriving this Fall, but timing is everything and Thanksgiving morning was perfect for Mana and her 2 sisters to see their first snow. I'm sure they went outside to marvel at it. I wonder how long that will last.
The theme of "being grateful" was present at both Whittier and Jefferson schools. That moves this unique American holiday out of the religious realm toward a more inclusive celebration of a very human emotion of gratefulness. We all have different things to be grateful for. I'm more aware than ever of how grateful I am to be an American.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Job Title: Behavior Support
The 2015-2016 staff photo display at Whittier IB school includes people with job titles I've never heard of before. Under the caption Behavior Support, I recognized 2 staff persons I've often seen walking the halls with children. A tall middle-age woman and a young beefy man carry walkie-talkies and show up in various parts of the school. Suddenly that caption made sense to me. I'll assume that they respond to calls from teachers for assistance with students with behavior problems. What exactly they do to support behavior escapes me. It does give me pause about the state of behavior in our schools - and the need for 2 full-time adults to provide "behavior support" in an elementary school of 600+ students.
That same staff photo exhibit shows 6 Education Associates - adults I saw frequently last school year. Then they were often providing instruction by sitting with small groups of students outside of regular classrooms. This year I see them mostly sitting at desks in the school office, and seldom in direct contact with students. I'm puzzled by what an Education Associate is? Do they not have the requisite teaching credentials? Why have they been relegated to desk jobs this school year? Why the change in responsibilities? Is this a permanent or temporary change?
As I reflect Whittier's staff photos and job titles, I wonder about other staff changes that occurred over the summer. I remember a different Assistant Principal, a 3rd grade teacher, a librarian. There are more than a few new faces among the teaching staff. Why do teachers leave a school? Did they simply transfer to another school? Or did they leave the teaching profession? If one were to calculate the rate of teacher-turnover in a school, what would it be at Whittier? How does turnover compare with other schools?
Of course the biggest change at Whittier occurred 6 weeks into the school year when the Principal was suddenly put on Administrative Leave. A retired Principal was brought in to serve until the investigation is finished. In the meantime, parents and concerned community members were invited to a meeting in early November to discuss the process and progress for a Principal.
One change I was happy to see was a co-teacher added to the classroom of one of the 3rd grade teachers I volunteer with. What a difference having 2 teachers in a classroom seems to have made in student behavior and in the demeanor of the teachers. Both seem relaxed and better prepared to advance the knowledge of their charges. As a fly on the wall, that's "behavior support" for the staff that I approve of.
That same staff photo exhibit shows 6 Education Associates - adults I saw frequently last school year. Then they were often providing instruction by sitting with small groups of students outside of regular classrooms. This year I see them mostly sitting at desks in the school office, and seldom in direct contact with students. I'm puzzled by what an Education Associate is? Do they not have the requisite teaching credentials? Why have they been relegated to desk jobs this school year? Why the change in responsibilities? Is this a permanent or temporary change?
As I reflect Whittier's staff photos and job titles, I wonder about other staff changes that occurred over the summer. I remember a different Assistant Principal, a 3rd grade teacher, a librarian. There are more than a few new faces among the teaching staff. Why do teachers leave a school? Did they simply transfer to another school? Or did they leave the teaching profession? If one were to calculate the rate of teacher-turnover in a school, what would it be at Whittier? How does turnover compare with other schools?
Of course the biggest change at Whittier occurred 6 weeks into the school year when the Principal was suddenly put on Administrative Leave. A retired Principal was brought in to serve until the investigation is finished. In the meantime, parents and concerned community members were invited to a meeting in early November to discuss the process and progress for a Principal.
One change I was happy to see was a co-teacher added to the classroom of one of the 3rd grade teachers I volunteer with. What a difference having 2 teachers in a classroom seems to have made in student behavior and in the demeanor of the teachers. Both seem relaxed and better prepared to advance the knowledge of their charges. As a fly on the wall, that's "behavior support" for the staff that I approve of.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Not Buying Any of It
So many things on my mind that I decided to nix getting a used car this year.
Instead I need to concentrate on that annual October ritual of reviewing and renewing my health insurance plan. I'm so glad for Medicare but I still need to shop for health insurance that Medicare doesn't cover. Why, as we get older, do insurance companies pile on the paperwork - and then not cover glasses? I suspect that seniors are the least likely to read and know exactly what's in our policies. Yet, we are expected to comparison shop in the name of "freedom of choice." In the meanwhile, sharp-eyed health companies look at their numbers and make projections about coverage and cost that we are not privy too.
My deductible for retiree health insurance benefit from General Mills increased from $2432 to $2520 along with a premium increase of $36 for Basic Blue BCBS. General Mills offers me a credit of $152 for my 10 years of service and that reduces my monthly health insurance premium to $159. I need to know the downside of walking away from that money and buying a lower priced health plan that includes "Silver Sneakers." It seems like a UCare for Seniors plan is an option because the premium is lower and it does not include a deductible.
One of those MN health insurance brokers impressed upon me the importance of this question: Are my out-of-pocket expenses for prescriptions included in the $2520 deductible retiree plan offered by Gen Mills? If yes, my current plan is a very good plan and I should stick with it - according to him. But when I called the GM Retiree benefits hotline, I was told that my out-of-pocket expenses for Rx are not included in the deductible. Now I am confused about whether or not I should continue or change plans. Elephant in the room is that if I drop the GM retiree plan, I can never go back to it.
Living forward: more investigating of health plans
Looking back: so glad I've lead a healthy life and take few drugs!
Instead I need to concentrate on that annual October ritual of reviewing and renewing my health insurance plan. I'm so glad for Medicare but I still need to shop for health insurance that Medicare doesn't cover. Why, as we get older, do insurance companies pile on the paperwork - and then not cover glasses? I suspect that seniors are the least likely to read and know exactly what's in our policies. Yet, we are expected to comparison shop in the name of "freedom of choice." In the meanwhile, sharp-eyed health companies look at their numbers and make projections about coverage and cost that we are not privy too.
My deductible for retiree health insurance benefit from General Mills increased from $2432 to $2520 along with a premium increase of $36 for Basic Blue BCBS. General Mills offers me a credit of $152 for my 10 years of service and that reduces my monthly health insurance premium to $159. I need to know the downside of walking away from that money and buying a lower priced health plan that includes "Silver Sneakers." It seems like a UCare for Seniors plan is an option because the premium is lower and it does not include a deductible.
One of those MN health insurance brokers impressed upon me the importance of this question: Are my out-of-pocket expenses for prescriptions included in the $2520 deductible retiree plan offered by Gen Mills? If yes, my current plan is a very good plan and I should stick with it - according to him. But when I called the GM Retiree benefits hotline, I was told that my out-of-pocket expenses for Rx are not included in the deductible. Now I am confused about whether or not I should continue or change plans. Elephant in the room is that if I drop the GM retiree plan, I can never go back to it.
Living forward: more investigating of health plans
Looking back: so glad I've lead a healthy life and take few drugs!
Monday, October 26, 2015
To buy or not to buy
I've been living car-less since 2013 when I returned from serving in the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan. It's been easy access to bus lines along Hennepin and Lake streets, HourCar, and Car2Go in my Uptown neighborhood. I manage to shop downtown, walk to the schools where I tutor, and I can choose Cub, Lunds, or Kowalski's for groceries depending upon which 4 blocks I want to walk. I've rented cars for weekend trips and I rely on my hiking friends for rides to trails outside the metro area. And . . . I never have to worry about finding parking in crowded Uptown.
But lately I've been feeling restless and wanting a bit more flexibility and convenience. However, I've also become a tightwad - especially now that I know how great it is to be car-less. I have to sit down and ask myself what do I really want a car for? So I can visit friends who don't live on bus lines; so I can go to late night gatherings - when bus service is reduced; so I can drive to Costco - yeah, that place is an indulgence. Then there were the trips to Wisconsin to visit relatives. I've gone there via Megabus and rental cars. Would I consider driving to ABQ instead of spending $400+ round trip airfare? I think so.
Last weekend I caved in and test drove a used VW Golf. It felt good and I had to laugh that VW still has teaspoon-sized clutch and brake pedals. The 2012 model was a bit price-y IMO and then I spotted a red automatic Golf on the lot with 60,000 miles. I caught used car fever, but didn't have time to test drive it. (Another reminder about the downside of HourCar which meant hurrying to get it back to the parking spot where I picked it up - or be penalized if I returned the HourCar late.)
Next comes car insurance shopping. Sometimes I think I've been out of the country so long that even car insurance has changed - or so the car sales rep. told me. Cars and car insurance prices both have become quite competitive since the internet, so not much negotiating.
Living Forward: owning a car again.
Looking Back: My first car was a red VW Type III.
But lately I've been feeling restless and wanting a bit more flexibility and convenience. However, I've also become a tightwad - especially now that I know how great it is to be car-less. I have to sit down and ask myself what do I really want a car for? So I can visit friends who don't live on bus lines; so I can go to late night gatherings - when bus service is reduced; so I can drive to Costco - yeah, that place is an indulgence. Then there were the trips to Wisconsin to visit relatives. I've gone there via Megabus and rental cars. Would I consider driving to ABQ instead of spending $400+ round trip airfare? I think so.
Last weekend I caved in and test drove a used VW Golf. It felt good and I had to laugh that VW still has teaspoon-sized clutch and brake pedals. The 2012 model was a bit price-y IMO and then I spotted a red automatic Golf on the lot with 60,000 miles. I caught used car fever, but didn't have time to test drive it. (Another reminder about the downside of HourCar which meant hurrying to get it back to the parking spot where I picked it up - or be penalized if I returned the HourCar late.)
Next comes car insurance shopping. Sometimes I think I've been out of the country so long that even car insurance has changed - or so the car sales rep. told me. Cars and car insurance prices both have become quite competitive since the internet, so not much negotiating.
Living Forward: owning a car again.
Looking Back: My first car was a red VW Type III.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Continuing at Whittier IB School
This is my second year tutoring at Whittier and I've been assigned to work with 2 dedicated and enjoyable 3rd grade teachers. By the time I started in mid-October, they both had identified several students who could use some extra attention. One 8-year-old girl is just learning English and was so proud to show me her Harry Potter book in Arabic. Tutoring her is a challenge, but I realize that it is better for her to be out of the classroom with me or a specialist. Why should she sit in a classroom when she doesn't get 90% of what the teacher is saying? Yet, I know she is progressing the first time I heard her say, "Oh my gosh!" Yes, she learns quickly.
A quiet Somali girl I was asked to tutor told me frankly that she is shy and doesn't talk much in class. I walk with her down to the library (aka media center), where we go over her homework and she seems more comfortable. This teacher seems to know the needs of each child in his room, and wanted to be sure she was keeping up with her classmates.
An energetic Mexican boy needed help finishing his math homework. After I helped him, he turned the paper in to his teacher and seemed so proud to be done - and yes, he did it on his own once he had a better understanding of the concept of subtraction. Yea! Another time, he could tell me the answers to reading project, but struggled to write the words down. More coaching with spelling seems to spur him to on.
Mostly it is the idea that he had someone (me) give him extra attention. Instead of feeling singled out by the teacher, he was pleased that I came to his classroom for him. For a classroom movie, he took my hand when I came to the room, led me to a chair and then gave me a teddy bear to hold. It's then that you realize the importance of a child simply feeling that they matter.
A quiet Somali girl I was asked to tutor told me frankly that she is shy and doesn't talk much in class. I walk with her down to the library (aka media center), where we go over her homework and she seems more comfortable. This teacher seems to know the needs of each child in his room, and wanted to be sure she was keeping up with her classmates.
An energetic Mexican boy needed help finishing his math homework. After I helped him, he turned the paper in to his teacher and seemed so proud to be done - and yes, he did it on his own once he had a better understanding of the concept of subtraction. Yea! Another time, he could tell me the answers to reading project, but struggled to write the words down. More coaching with spelling seems to spur him to on.
Mostly it is the idea that he had someone (me) give him extra attention. Instead of feeling singled out by the teacher, he was pleased that I came to his classroom for him. For a classroom movie, he took my hand when I came to the room, led me to a chair and then gave me a teddy bear to hold. It's then that you realize the importance of a child simply feeling that they matter.
Tutor beginnings at Jefferson school
This year I've imposed my tutoring self upon nearby Jefferson community school. For the Fall of 2015, I'm already scheduled 3 afternoons at Whittier school, so why not add an hour in the morning at a school just 2 blocks from my home! That way I can walk to Jefferson, tutor for an hour, walk 7 blocks to Common Roots for a lunch of soup and bread, then head to Whittier 2 blocks east of Lyndale for assigned tutor times. Back home by 4:30pm.
I've often said every school has a personality and Jefferson has a classic "old school" feel about it. Huge hallways and hard surfaces with high ceilings. Dark wood trim around doors and windows. Wide staircases that a friend says once controlled traffic going either up or down. Older students have classes on the upper floors while little ones have classrooms clustered on first.
The Volunteer Coordinator/Family Liaison set me up with a first year Kindergarten teacher with 14 eager faces in his classroom. On my first day, I arrived with alphabet cards, a white board and some pre-K flash cards and the teacher suggested emphasizing the alphabet. He had already selected several five year olds for the one hour I would spend at the school. I took my first student out into the hallway and sat with him near a colorful wall mural. I'm not sure he wanted to be separated from his classmates, so I asked him a bit about his family. He hardly got past the letter "d" and colors were also a struggle. He seemed restless and ready to get back into the classroom with his teacher. Not hard to tell why this teacher wanted this child to be tutored.
My next young student told me he lived in an apartment with 2 sisters and his mom and dad. He quickly counted to 20, and could sing the alphabet song. He didn't seem to recognize some animals on my alphabet cards: elephant, giraffe, octopus, and zebra. Then he told me he'd never been to a zoo.
On my second tutoring trip to Jefferson, I met with 2 little girls separately. Both muddled through the alphabet song. A reminder that just a few letters at a time works better than trying to learn all 26 letters at once. I showed one girl to count by touching each object on the number cards I had. And one girl wanted to talk about how she and her mom visit their dad by taking a short bus trip to Burger King. "I just tell him what I want, and he gives it to me with cheese."
The teacher on my third day of tutoring had me use The Moon book to have children see and repeat easy words. Yes, letters make sounds which make words. But not every child has yet to make that connection. One girl seemed so forlorn I asked her what she was thinking about. She told me that her parents are divorced and she misses her brother in Texas. It's pretty hard to concentrate on learning when you're worried about your home, and whether your dad still loves you.
I've often said every school has a personality and Jefferson has a classic "old school" feel about it. Huge hallways and hard surfaces with high ceilings. Dark wood trim around doors and windows. Wide staircases that a friend says once controlled traffic going either up or down. Older students have classes on the upper floors while little ones have classrooms clustered on first.
The Volunteer Coordinator/Family Liaison set me up with a first year Kindergarten teacher with 14 eager faces in his classroom. On my first day, I arrived with alphabet cards, a white board and some pre-K flash cards and the teacher suggested emphasizing the alphabet. He had already selected several five year olds for the one hour I would spend at the school. I took my first student out into the hallway and sat with him near a colorful wall mural. I'm not sure he wanted to be separated from his classmates, so I asked him a bit about his family. He hardly got past the letter "d" and colors were also a struggle. He seemed restless and ready to get back into the classroom with his teacher. Not hard to tell why this teacher wanted this child to be tutored.
My next young student told me he lived in an apartment with 2 sisters and his mom and dad. He quickly counted to 20, and could sing the alphabet song. He didn't seem to recognize some animals on my alphabet cards: elephant, giraffe, octopus, and zebra. Then he told me he'd never been to a zoo.
On my second tutoring trip to Jefferson, I met with 2 little girls separately. Both muddled through the alphabet song. A reminder that just a few letters at a time works better than trying to learn all 26 letters at once. I showed one girl to count by touching each object on the number cards I had. And one girl wanted to talk about how she and her mom visit their dad by taking a short bus trip to Burger King. "I just tell him what I want, and he gives it to me with cheese."
The teacher on my third day of tutoring had me use The Moon book to have children see and repeat easy words. Yes, letters make sounds which make words. But not every child has yet to make that connection. One girl seemed so forlorn I asked her what she was thinking about. She told me that her parents are divorced and she misses her brother in Texas. It's pretty hard to concentrate on learning when you're worried about your home, and whether your dad still loves you.
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