Cultural Break

Rafaela and Esther suggested we come out and enjoy Chicago a bit more, so I took some time off and ventured to the streets to see many of the city's landmarks: the Hancock Observatory, the Shedd Aquarium, and many other incredible places (God bless the City Pass).

But what topped everything else was Saint James Cathedral and their series of concerts for busy people. It illustrates the spirit I wish we could take home and cultivate.

It is very much what I mentioned earlier about Mike Rose's quote "The power of invitation". The parish organizes an event with a group of people in mind. One can tell immediately that there's a lot of thinking beforehand: who will come to hear the concerts? are they busy? are they in a hurry? how can we woo them? (Chris, I borrowed the expression you used in class).

The result: since they figured many people were uncomfortable with long, complicated sessions long intermissions and the usual stiffness one can find in some concert halls, they came up with short sessions of music called "Rush Hour Concerts". At 5:15 you can show up (they think of your schedule, not theirs), talk to the artists (they think of your curiosity, not their comfort) drink some tea and/or wine in their company (they entice you) and at 5:45 there's a 30-minute session.

In came the wealthy and the homeless, the religious and the not-so-religious, the connossieur and the rookie. But doesn't the poor and the ignorant have the right to listen to heavenly music as well as the élite? Shouldn't everyone have the opportunity to be educated by the best of the best?

Alcott High School

We had the chance to talk to three of the teachers who work at Alcott, which is very near the DePaul Campus - within walking distance. I had been walking through that area before, and it's funny how the path we took seemed already familiar when we were there.

Due to logistics, we couldn't see a class (it was the students' last day of summer school) but we did have a very interesting teacher-to-teacher row of questions and answers. Sure, some were a little disappointed, but I was not. There's a certain sense of fellowship whenever one talks to a teacher and these teachers are heroic! I cannot believe how much they care about their students, and the extra time they devote to solving problems that are not strictly academic. To be honest, I don't know if I could spend that much time and energy calling parents.

The kids flew their kites and we flew back to the Student Center for an early lunch. Then I went downtown and grabbed some bulletins from the Visitor Center, the one that was closed when Rafaela tried to show it to us. It's amazing, overwhelming and sad to see that there are so many things to see and done, and many of them will take place when I'm gone. I must come back and see if the winter here is as harsh as they say.

Lives on The Boundary

I wish we'd had more time to discuss Mike Rose's Lives on The Boundary. At Liliana's party, I was telling Christopher that I figured Mike Rose's youth must have taken place in the late 60s and/or early 70s because he mentions a teacher who has a rather primitive technique and merely teaches through repetition and by means of mimeographed exercises supplied by the textbook publishers (where have I seen that happen?).

It is easy to get lost in the beauty of Mike Rose's prose, as any teacher can relate to his experiences in the classroom and has made many of the decisions he has made (how can I make a difference in this kid's learning process? do I take this job? whatever happened to B after graduation?).

Christopher called for quotes and another one comes to my mind: "I believe in the power of invitation". Teaching is like a party. You do your best at cooking something for your students, and make the invitation. Whether they decide to come or not is not always up to you, but you sure need to make an enticing menu!

I couldn't help but thinking about this "Enticing Menu" metaphor when I met Randy at the Loop Campus. People are so nice here, that one always feels welcome. I spoke to Randy for hours and he kindly introduced me with his staff, who were as welcoming as he.

Unfortunately, I couldn't witness a class at the English Language Center, but Randy showed me a link to a video that one of his students filmed on the occasion of last year's DePaul Vincentian Service Day, which I gladly share:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdegwg_depaul-university-vincentian-servic_shortfilms

Globalization

What a big word! Too big that intimidates certain people, angers others and brings out the best or the worst from many.

I believe we shouldn’t be afraid of it, but rather have people use it to our advantage as a country.

I know it sounds simplistic, but it’s already there, and it won’t go away if we close our eyes.

Here’s an example: I have a few nephews and nieces that study in both public and private schools (junior high and high school), and it’s incredible and heart-breaking to see the difference in terms of the confidence that they gain by being able to use English and a wider range of tools (software, etc.) than the less well-to-do, whose parents cannot afford to enroll them in a more reputable school due to costs or tuition. I hope I’m wrong, but from what I can see the ones who are attending public schools already have a clear disadvantage compared to the ones who are attending private, bilingual schools.

I think I may have misunderstood the purpose of this journal, so I might as well stick to those aspects that affect my teaching. I liked the activity we did in class today; it made me reflect on the impact a teacher (hopefully) has on some student’s lives. It was both nice and sad to remember a few facts and a few faces. I must avoid the sweet temptation of being indulgent with my work and think that everything is fine the way it is. Here is what I wrote in my cards:

My first moment of accomplishment as a teacher:

A student (Ricardo) couldn’t pronounce “desk” and kept saying “decks” instead. I helped him. He was happy. I was over the moon.

Two students’ names came to my mind:

Federico, whose English didn’t improve much and whose failure I must share. Mauricio, who was about to drop out when he enrolled in my class. He said he stayed in college because he enjoyed in my class.

My father is the best teacher I ever had. He taught me how to read and write and I think he made me who I am now. He exercises the virtue of Patience, the one that (sadly) I lack.

Being a teacher has opened so many doors and has put me in the same room with people I would never have met if I had been, say, an accountant. It got me here, and I must make the most of it.

As much as I agree with some teachers, and I respect their points of view, I think it’s important to point out that nobody is either a complete ignorant or knows everything about everything.

One aspect I can work with is patience. Alonso quoted Aristotle last night and you could put his words in gold letters. He said something like “The easiest thing is to do is to get angry and lose your temper, or to give away money to the needy, but to keep quiet when everyone shouts or to know what to give and when to give it, demands a bigger effort and makes one a better person”.

The Museum

There are no words to describe how grateful I am to Rafaela: she stopped by our dorms early today, walked us to a restaurant for breakfast and made sure we made it to the museum on time. She's so nice and never seems to be tired (alas, this is how I'd like to be remembered one day). If only I could be as patient as she is; I have to work really hard on my being patient to others.

We spent hours at the museum and I know that I will come back later. I wish my father could see it: he loves airplanes as much as I do (or should I say "I love airplanes as much as he does"?).

On the way back to the dorms Rafaela showed me where Obama used to work as a professor. I can't believe I'm at the same town where the man grew (at least politically speaking). It seems that everyone is really nervous about our first session tomorrow and some of the teachers asked me if we could discuss the first paper tonight. Why now? Why not a week ago when there was more time?

Boarding The First Lady

It's Day One and I'm officially impressed with everything in Chicago: the weather is warmer (should I say hotter) than I expected, the people are nicer (waaay nicer than in NYC) and there seems to be a lighter atmosphere.

We took this nice, educational tour and I've been keeping the brochures and anything I think I can use in class; how sad is that? My students are on vacation and, most probably, the last thing they want to think about is school, and here I am, thinking about my next course and gathering realia for them!