Get Political - 3

Obama sends 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

My heart sinks with these words. In my choir class, we are singing these words

Sing our song of peace and brotherhood,
Come on and lift your voice.
Then in peace we'll live together
And all nations will rejoice.

Oh let there be peace and brotherhood,
Treat every person as we should
Let there be peace and brotherhood
And all nations will rejoice.

My hopes for our country have been small in one way, grandiose in another way. I would like us to stop meddling in other countries' affairs. I realize that the issues are complex and that my "solution" is simplistic. I realize that great harm can come to many people if malevolent earthly powers are allowed to persist aggression against others. But, how can we possible solve a violence problem with more violence.

I am reminded of a show I guiltily watch when my family is away (sometimes even when they are home!) called Super-nanny. She deals with families whose children are wild and out-of-control. It is a fascinating psychological study as she teaches parents how to handle their children and effect peace in the household. Some children hit, spit, bite and kick their parents. Some parents respond by spanking, slapping, shaking, and pinching. Super-nanny describes these parents as causing aggression by being aggressive with their children. She shows them an alternate approach that works -- it is persistent, consistent, and effective. It is also non-physical. She has a variety of techniques set up from reward systems to effective use of time-outs to actual training strategies.

Why are we so uncreative when it comes to dealing with aggressive countries and other "enemies"? Will aggression and violence put an end to aggression and violence?

Getting Involved with People Different from Me - 3

My neighborhood is diverse. I like that about my neighborhood. We have white families, black families, hispanic families, young families, older couples, middle-agers like us. We aren't a very prosperous neighborhood, but it doesn't seem to matter much. I feel safe there. When we first moved in, of course, I felt uncertain like anyone does in a new location. But, as we've gotten to know our neighbors a little and been around home, it seems like a great place to be.

We have made friends with almost all our neighbors. My husband is a very neighborly person. I was raised on a farm and our neighbors were quite spread out, and my family of origin liked it that way. When Steve and I married and moved into town, I was terribly uncomfortable in the city. It was never dark. It was always noisy. There were people close to the house... it felt like people walking by on the street were in my yard! On the farm, it would have been in our large yard! But, now, I like sitting on the front porch in the summertime, watching people walk by, waving at anyone who seems friendly, whether I know them or not. So many people say something friendly-like, and it feels like we have community. My husband is extrememly extroverted -- he's never seen a stranger, only friends he hasn't met yet. It's taken me a long time to get used to this trait, and he's put me into quite a few uncomfortable circumstances, but it has taught me something very important. No matter how different we are, we all want the same things: someone to affirm you, someone to encourage you and someone to love you.

I feel proud of my neighbors. They might be surprised to hear it. I'm not sure why I have this warm feeling toward them, except perhaps for the fact that they are so friendly and that they are the reason my neighborhood feels safe to me. But, I also feel some pride for my hispanic neighbors who always seem to have friends over. I feel pride for the unemployed, undocumented mother raising five children with grace and humility. I feel pride for the older couple who can't work easily in their yard, but continue to persist with help from their adult children. I feel proud of our overly fastidious neighbor who literally walks around his yard picking up stray leaves that fall after raking, and grooming his tiny lawn to perfection. I am proud of the white dread-locked neighbor who helped me jump-start my car the very first day we came to our new home to clean it before we moved in. I feel pride for us, too. I am proud that I can come from a farm and make peace with living in the city. I am proud that my husband knows all the neighbors and all their names... and can remember them. I am proud of my son who sits on the front porch, or climbs out the back window to sit on the roof, and plays his guitar and sings, hopefully delighting the passersby and the neighbors.

All these folks are different from me. But, they now belong to me, to my heart, in a special way from hence forward.

Get Political - 2

Politics. Ugh.

That's the first thing that comes to mind when I think about "getting political." I come from a family that is very political -- that is, they watch news like fiends, and argue and debate every issue, primarily criticizing every one and every idea from one political party. When I was growing up, this translated in my mind into lots of background angst on any and every subject. To this very day, I have a difficult time listening to political shows where people with different views get together and argue.

So, I have usually steered very far clear of "being political" -- very, very far clear! Yet, I listen daily to NPR news, enjoying the in-depth coverage of issues. I rarely miss a day. What is missing is the in-your-face arguing and competitive undercurrents. It seems that NPR does a good job of presenting issues fairly -- both sides -- without judgment.

Surprisingly for me, I sometimes think of something I've heard on NPR and share it with others, when appropriate. Does this mean I am "getting political"? No, I don't believe that is does mean that I am getting political -- not in the same sense that my family of origin is. So, I'm wondering, how did I get to this point? When did I even start to listen to NPR? I rarely ever watched news or listened to news before I got hooked on NPR! It happened after September 11, 2001. This catastrophic event changed everything. Everything. I started listening to NPR for my news following that event. I listened faithfully for months and months. When it started to wane, then the US invaded Iraq, and my need to know what was happening spiked again. Now, NPR is a habit.

I wonder if I should seek news from other sources. I have tried to read the newspaper, but the stories are too shallow by comparison. I sometimes listen to BBC and enjoy that (truthfully in part to listen to the musical accents of their reporters!). Occasionally I use some on-line sources such as Reuters, or even msn.com or cnn.com. But, I fall back to relying on NPR.

For now, I think that this is enough. I feel well informed enough and do not need to face the argumentative aspect of some political shows.

Taking my education seriously - 3

Yesterday I took out my GC planner and wrote down all my assignments for the remainder of the semester. Throughout much of this semester, I've worked from day-to-day just managing to keep up with the daily readings. There were only a couple of times where I couldn't get all the reading done, and maybe only twice that I didn't do the reading at all. That's pretty good, considering that I have class FIVE days per week!

It was good to write down everything that is left. There are only two weeks left of class, and our prof does a great job of balancing the workload so that it doesn't all pile up and the end of the semester. It feels manageable, and though there is still a lot of reading to do and a few assignments, I am sensing that I am in good shape to finish the semester strong. I think this is a positive thing because I often feel worn out by this point in a semester and usually feel like a marathon runner limping across the finishing line and passing out on the other side. This semester, though, even though I am really ready for a nice long break, I don't feel at all like I'm going to pass out when it is over.

I sent an email to an old prof of mine, from back in 1983 when I received my Associate's Degree in Industrial Chemistry Technology. He sends out a newsy email a couple of times of year. I was glad for an opportunity to thank him, again, for the many ways he taught me critical thinking skills. I still draw on some of those experiences and teachings for strength. He believed in us, and that helped us to believe in ourselves. His teaching style gave me courage to try... courage to make a big effort. He was, and still is, an insprirational teacher. Even though he is very elderly now, his natural curiosity is still there and he is still trying to learn something new each day. I am blessed to have such a great example.

Get Political - 1

I am a member of MENC (The National Association for Music Education). I highly value this membership. First, it is a required membership for music teachers who wish to participate in ISSMA (Indiana State School Music Association). Our students participate in solo/ensemble events each year, so thus the requirement.

Secondly, I receive the Music Educator's Journal and the Teaching Music journal as part of my membership. This publications are fantastic. I use information from them very frequently. For example, we are working on building good practice habits in the next three weeks in my classes. So, I used information from Music Educator's Journal and developed a new practice sheet for my students that clearly identifies appropriate practice habits and actually guides them through a detailed practice session.

Finally, I also have the privilege of attending Music Educator's conferences each year. As part of the benefits of my membership, my registration is greatly reduced. It is a good way to get ideas from other teachers and learn new methods and repertoire.

Being active in my community - 3

Since September, I have been working as a rehearsal accompanist for the Goshen College choirs. I have been an accompanist for many years with my first experiences in high school. It is a different thing to be a rehearsal accompanist and not the real accompanist. First, I don't feel any need to actually practice the pieces since I'll never be performing them. Secondly, the performing accompanist also rehearses with the choirs and we split duties. She is far most accomplished than I am which is an intimidating thing. Most places I go, I am the best pianist around. So, this is good for me. It makes me realized that I could push myself to do more.

My favorite part of rehearsal accompanying is listening to and watching the students. They are full of life and energy... at least most days. I enjoy making music with students at this level -- it is a nice contrast to my day-to-day work with middle school and high school students. It is encouraging to see how the students grow older and mature. It is inspiring to think that some of my students will be this gifted and engaged some day!

Taking my education seriously - 2

After my experience with not being prepared for an exam (which I somehow managed to get an 84% on), I have worked harder at keeping up with my school work and readings. I rarely attend class without doing the reading, and always feel a bit out of sorts if I don't do the assigned work.

I have especially valued the field placement experiences this semester. I am observing and working with a 30+ year veteran of instrumental music instruction. I have learned a lot about the value of having a classroom routine. The children thrive on the routine more than I imagined they would. They seem to rely on it to know how to direct their behavior.

I've also learned how to use several new tools in the classroom to great positive effect. The first is rhythm sheets. The second is scale studies. I have taken these and applied them directly to my classroom. I can already see the benefits in my orchestras.

Being a life-long learner means that I will need to keep learning new things from other teachers. I'm glad for the experiences of observing other teachers and the ways that I learn through them.

Being Active in My Community - 2

Today I spent 2+ hours in downtown Goshen with a brass group from school. One of the local businesses had asked us to be a part of the Holiday Open House. It was a little surprising to me how much effort it took to carry this out. First, I had to choose music that suited the level of all of the players. Secondly, I had to arrange enough rehearsal time for them to learn to play the music and work on it together. Thirdly, I had to organize the logistics of getting all the instruments, chairs, stands, music and students there on time.

It was rewarding to see how well people responded to their playing. People stopped and listened. Little children watched and listened wide-eyed. It was interesting to see that young children may be having seeds planted for the future as they listened to the students play. Even though not everything was perfect (it was a little bit rainy) and the playing wasn't perfect (some intonation issues), it was a joyous experience for many.

My part seemed small during the event since I was there to organize the students. Once they started to play, I was not really very important. It was great to see how the students pulled it all together and enjoyed playing together. I felt very proud of them. And, it was great to see all the people who enjoyed it all.

The business who sponsored us appreciated what we did also. They asked if they could call on us again next year. :-) That was rewarding to hear.

Getting Involved with People Different from Me - 2

Yesterday I attended True Vine Tabernacle church with our concert choir. It was a great morning to meet with many people different from me. The first thing that I noticed was how non-homogeneous the group was. There were people speaking Spanish and English. There were people of a variety of color (black, asian, hispanic and white). I don't remember ever attending a church that was so thoroughly diverse.

The music was LOUD -- quite a contrast from our church. While we sing some of the same songs at our church, at True Vine everything was amplified to a very high level. It was actually a little on the painful side for my ears. The music was well done and highly energetic.

While our church tends to be intellectually focused, this service was response focused. I enjoyed the high energy that this produces. One cannot sit idly in a service like this. You are compelled to participate whether you feel like participating or not!

We shared a meal together afterwards. I enjoyed this additional interaction very much. I sat across the table from a mixed race couple -- white and black. These folks had their grandchildren with them, so I enjoyed visiting with the young children as well. Since I have two mixed race marriages in my family, I felt very comfortable with them, and simply enjoyed learning to know them a little bit.

Overall, my comfort level was quite high except for the different worship style. I do prefer my own church's style (more liturgical), but that is probably because I am so highly introverted. It suits me. But, I see the value in attending other churches to learn different ways to worship. And, I especially enjoyed the diversity -- singing in English and Spanish. It was an excellent experience.

Getting Involved with People Different from Me

A few weeks ago, my oldest brother (57) got married for the first time. It was an exciting family event! He is quite a bit older than I am, so I don't feel like I know him very well. Most of the news about him comes through my mother. Much to our surprise, my brother called us to tell us of the impending nuptials and to invite us to the wedding.

So, I met my new sister-in-law, Debbie, for the first time the day before their wedding. I did not know until I saw her that she is a Native American. Actually, I didn't make that discovery until a little while later. I'm not very visually observant. She is a delightful, out-going, easy-to-talk-to person. I enjoyed visiting with her and learning a little bit about the romance between her and my brother. It turns out they had known each for longer than my husband and I have been married (22 years for us!). But, due to unknown circumstances, they had parted ways. My mother later told me that my father had not approved of their relationship while they were young because Debbie is Catholic and Native American. My father passed away 8 years ago, so I cannot discuss this issue with him, though I wish I could. Their romance rekindled in the last year, and now we have welcomed her into our family.

Another sister-in-law has been in our family for 18 years. Shelly is from China. So, we had an earlier experience of welcoming someone different from us into our family. Somehow the words I am writing do not seem to convey the import of these events. My father is 100% Scotsman, and my mother 100% English. It was a stretch for them for me to marry someone of germanic heritage (we later discovered that my husband is Swiss, not German), so it might be easy to imagine how difficult it was for my parents to accept someone very different from us.

I could probably go on for a long time about these events. But, I characterize our family as being a strange mix of openness and uncertainty. We seem to have a natural curiosity about those who are different from us. At the same time, we hold people at arms length and study them from afar with a critical eye. It seems that we sometimes find characteristics and attribute them to some stereotype -- or perhaps archetype is a better word choice. My Chinese sister-in-law is "very smart", as you know Asians are. My Native American sister-in-law is "artsy" and "creative" with her hands, as you know "Indians" are. I am just happy that my family finds positive things in these dear women! Still, a few family members are not particularly warm toward them. They have stated that my brothers could have "done better" in their choice. That makes me feel defensive and protective of my sisters-in-law.

Personally, I love all my sister-in-laws (two I haven't even mentioned!) and find them to be wonderful, warm and loving human beings. I have enjoyed getting to know them and their perspectives on family, work, living, and faith. It has been fun to learn to know their families and to expand my views. I am happy to have a multi-cultural family and am very proud of my brothers for choosing women of integrity and character.

Being active in my community

I am involved in my church in a very dedicated way. I have always been so, even as a single young adult, but now I am married to the pastor. I find my life inextricably interwoven with the life of the church. However, this does not mean that I am healthfully engaged in my community. I tend to live a community life vicariously through my husband's ministries. But, I had an experience that took me out of my comfort zone -- my husband signed us both up to be over-night hosts for IHN (Interfaith Hospitality Network).

IHN provides temporary shelter and meals for those without a home. Several area churches share the responsibility of providing a place to sleep and two meals per day (evening and breakfast) for a week at a time. Guests stay at the church building, along with an overnight host.

I wasn't too thrilled that my husband signed me up. He usually doesn't volunteer me for things. But, there was a need and our children were away at the time and so there was no excuse for me. Off we went to provide hosting for strangers in need!

My personality type is heavily introverted. I don't meet strangers easily no matter who they are. I hope that this was my only aversion to being a host, but I'm not entirely certain. The people there were not like me. There were families with only a mom, families with only a dad, and families with both. There were families whose skin was a different shade from mine, and there were families with different socio-economic resources from mine. I was uneasy and uncomfortable.

It was fun to watch my very extroverted and sociable husband interact with people. I was fearful I couldn't remember their names. He just asked for their names over again if he forgot. I was worried that I would offend. He just asked if he could help in some way. As the evening wore on and families began to settle in after the evening meal -- children working on homework, parents watching TV or playing a game with younger children -- I looked around and felt some shame at my standoffishness. These people were just like me in so many ways. I began to relax and went to make some tea. A couple of dads were in the kitchen making popcorn and we began to talk. They had returned from tours of duty in Iraq and they had lots of stories to tell about their experiences. While I can't say that I was enamored of the conversation, I was pleased to listen and learn from them and glad that I could let my guard down a little.

I have a long ways to go to learning how to help others and how to be comfortable with strangers. We have a weekly food pantry at our church. I hope to sign up to help during the summer (or maybe during Christmas break). My husband loves pantry days, because he gets to talk to people and play with the children who come with their mothers. He's a good model for me.

Taking my education seriously

This week I tried something new. It actually was a silly thing to try. I have always been a good student. I usually receive A's with an occasional B. I've rarely gone to class unprepared. But, this week, I felt very tired and run down. I have had 4 concerts in two weeks time, and it has worn me down. So, I tried an experiment. I went to take an exam without studying for it.

In a way, this was a twofold decision. First, I honestly felt too worn out to study. Secondly, I have a student/mentee who never studies for school. Sometimes he is very frustrated with the school experience. Going to take an exam without having studied is very unsettling, particularly for someone who always does study. It was a totally distressing experience for me. I had a small glimpse of what a student goes through when they come to school unprepared! I think this was a worthwhile thing to try, though I never plan to do it again!

If we are working to have every student learn and to have every student learn their strengths (not just their weaknesses), then perhaps we need to rethink how we prepare students for exams and other assessments. Students should feel prepared. Of course, there are students who never will feel prepared, but we should make sure they have every opportunity to feel as prepared as possible for success.

I know in the case of my non-studying student that he is actually a very smart boy. I worked with him to learn some English terminology (Greek prefixes and suffixes) one day. He had failed every terminology test he'd taken during the semester. We worked for 10- 15 minutes on a list of 20 terms, and he had them all completely memorized, including correct spelling! So, obviously, he is more than capable. He was very proud of getting back a "perfect" paper. It had probably never happened before. I keep wondering, why is a student this smart failing English?

Back to my experience of taking an exam without preparation... as I said, I never want to do this again, but it was an eye-opening event for me. I think I will be much more patient with my struggling students after this disconcerting experiment! And, I think I will be even more apt to prepare properly than before, if that is possible.