As many of you know, I will at times, give historical demos and talks at local schools or for schools around the area. Part of the reason I do it is to justify the time and cost that goes into making up a "kit" for these demos. Another reason is to get a bit of money on the side. But most importantly, I like doing them so that I can make learning history fun and exciting. Many would agree that history classes can be dreadfully boring, especially with all the names and dates and such. However, having someone like a re-enactor come in to show students the clothing, equipment, weapons and armor of a soldier from a by gone time, can fuel some real enthusiasm in some kids. Below is a letter that was forwarded to me from a teacher at a school were I did a talk on the Middle Ages. This was in the spring of this current year, but I recently came across it and thought I would share it with you all. It is letters like this that makes doing these demos all the more rewarding...
Hello all,
> > Just wanted you to know that Ryan LOVED Medieval Day,
> and that is
> > an understatement! He raved about it all Friday night and
> at 10 P.M.
> > asked me if I wanted to hear all about from start to finish
> and I said
> > sure.
> > "Well, we started with the Pledge of Allegiance . . ."
> (honest!)
> > and I think I heard every detail of the day until I told
> him we both
> > had to go to bed at midnight. It was a beautiful day of integrated
> > learning for him and he was full of questions, ideas, and,
> most of all
> > enthusiasm. It provoked discussions of Eastern and Western
> cultures,
> > the role of alchemy in evolution of chemistry, cooking and eating
> > habits, weapons and defense, falconry, and much more. As he is
> > relating all this to me while he is jumping, jumping,
> jumping on his
> > trampoline, he exclaimed, "I think it was the best day of
> my life!"
> > Then he paused and said that perhaps that was an exaggeration and
> > thought about it for a minute and then said, "I can't think
> of any better ones."
> > His good mood lasted all weekend as his dad reported to me that
> > Ryan was as happy, and as good, as he has ever seen him.
> > So thank you all - it sounds like it was a tremendous amount of
> > work and I wanted you to know that it was also a tremendous success.
> > With thanks, Buffie
So there you go... proof that history can be fun for kids, if done correctly.
Later!
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Things I learned as a substitute teacher
Recently, I got the priviledge to substitute teach for an ECE class. (Early Childhood Education) Basically this is a pre-school class within the regular school system, but all the kids in this class have some form of learning disability or special needs. Some of them were light cases, where others were extreme cases. While spendind the day with them I learned a few things.
One, it is okay if you don't get things done precisely, or for that matter, correctly. With these kids, some progress or some attempt is better than nothing.
Two, the teachers and teacher's aides are not paid enough. They are fantastic people. I only have to deal with the kids on a irregular basis while they deal with them almost everyday. I truly doubt I could do that.
Three, these kids don't know they have difficulties. To them, it is just the way things are. We are the ones that perceive them as abnormal or disabled.
And lastly, and most importantly, I learned that everyone who has a "normal" child and complains about them, should spend a week helping out in a class like this. After that much time, they will come away from it knowing that things could be a lot worse for them and that they should be thankful for what kind of kid they have. In this class there are students for whom the simple act of writing their name will be Herculean effort, or an act that they will never accomplish. There is also a child who was the victim of a violent act that they will never recover from. Many people might think that this child would have been better off not surviving the incident, but after spending time with this child, I think I know their purpose in life. It is to show people like me that we should appreciate our normal kids more and quit the bitching about them, because, but for the Grace of God, we could easily be in the same situation.
So, the next time you find yourself complaining about your "normal", go spend some time with a special needs kids. You will find it rewarding, certainly entertaining, and you will gain a better understanding of what normal is!
later!
One, it is okay if you don't get things done precisely, or for that matter, correctly. With these kids, some progress or some attempt is better than nothing.
Two, the teachers and teacher's aides are not paid enough. They are fantastic people. I only have to deal with the kids on a irregular basis while they deal with them almost everyday. I truly doubt I could do that.
Three, these kids don't know they have difficulties. To them, it is just the way things are. We are the ones that perceive them as abnormal or disabled.
And lastly, and most importantly, I learned that everyone who has a "normal" child and complains about them, should spend a week helping out in a class like this. After that much time, they will come away from it knowing that things could be a lot worse for them and that they should be thankful for what kind of kid they have. In this class there are students for whom the simple act of writing their name will be Herculean effort, or an act that they will never accomplish. There is also a child who was the victim of a violent act that they will never recover from. Many people might think that this child would have been better off not surviving the incident, but after spending time with this child, I think I know their purpose in life. It is to show people like me that we should appreciate our normal kids more and quit the bitching about them, because, but for the Grace of God, we could easily be in the same situation.
So, the next time you find yourself complaining about your "normal", go spend some time with a special needs kids. You will find it rewarding, certainly entertaining, and you will gain a better understanding of what normal is!
later!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Politically Incorrect....
This year will be the 15th time my wife and I have hosted a Halloween Party with a theme. Our themes have run the gamut of ideas, from traditional to more intellectual. This year's theme is come as you favorite politically incorrect person, place or thing. I thought long and hard about my costume, only to have two of the ideas shot down due to reasons of being maybe a little too much over the top. (Okay, I will admit, one of them, in today's current environment, might have been a bit too much.)
So eventually I settled on a different idea and came up with a list of politically incorrect ideas and statements, which, while being non-PC, are very much true statements from me. I am thinking of having them printed on a T-shirt for my costume. Here is the list so far...
SOMETIMES……
· War is the only answer.
· Kids need a spanking.
· God needs to be acknowledged.
· Some people just need to be killed.
· It is possible to admire a group’s accomplishments while despising their ideology.
· A flag is sometimes more than just a piece of cloth.
· Having a bad childhood is not an excuse for being crappy adult.
· The color of your skin is not a qualification for a job.
· Halloween is a cool holiday and should be celebrated (same goes for Christmas).
· I DO NOT have to agree with you just because you think I should.
· Dead White Men of history deserve credit instead of criticism for what they did.
· Playing dodge ball builds character.
· Hunting animals for food and clothing is good for everyone involved.
· Guns in schools can be educational instruments.
· Alternative lifestyles are just un-natural.
I imagine that there are many out there who will get pissed at these statements, but if they stopped and thought about them for a bit, I bet they would agree with alot of them. And if you happen to think of any more, please feel free to comment and add your own!
Later!
So eventually I settled on a different idea and came up with a list of politically incorrect ideas and statements, which, while being non-PC, are very much true statements from me. I am thinking of having them printed on a T-shirt for my costume. Here is the list so far...
SOMETIMES……
· War is the only answer.
· Kids need a spanking.
· God needs to be acknowledged.
· Some people just need to be killed.
· It is possible to admire a group’s accomplishments while despising their ideology.
· A flag is sometimes more than just a piece of cloth.
· Having a bad childhood is not an excuse for being crappy adult.
· The color of your skin is not a qualification for a job.
· Halloween is a cool holiday and should be celebrated (same goes for Christmas).
· I DO NOT have to agree with you just because you think I should.
· Dead White Men of history deserve credit instead of criticism for what they did.
· Playing dodge ball builds character.
· Hunting animals for food and clothing is good for everyone involved.
· Guns in schools can be educational instruments.
· Alternative lifestyles are just un-natural.
I imagine that there are many out there who will get pissed at these statements, but if they stopped and thought about them for a bit, I bet they would agree with alot of them. And if you happen to think of any more, please feel free to comment and add your own!
Later!
Monday, October 09, 2006
Leave it to a German....
to invent the national drink of Mexico...
From the June 2006 edition of German World:
Did you know that Mexico owes its national drink, Tequila, to the German botanist Franz Weber? Although there have been tequila like drinks in Mexico for 400 years, it was only in 1896 that from 136 kinds of agave plants that Weber discovered the one best suited for making Tequila. Before Weber, conducted his studies, in the state of Jalisco near the village of Tequila, nobady had heard the word "Tequila." Today, in honor of Weber, the blue agave plant is still call Agave Tequilana Weber. Source: "Auch ja!?", Humboldt-Verlag.
Hmm... tequila is a big part of my family as both of my children are direct results of tequila intoxication... So I guess I am indebted to Herr Weber! Vielen Dank, Herr Weber!
From the June 2006 edition of German World:
Did you know that Mexico owes its national drink, Tequila, to the German botanist Franz Weber? Although there have been tequila like drinks in Mexico for 400 years, it was only in 1896 that from 136 kinds of agave plants that Weber discovered the one best suited for making Tequila. Before Weber, conducted his studies, in the state of Jalisco near the village of Tequila, nobady had heard the word "Tequila." Today, in honor of Weber, the blue agave plant is still call Agave Tequilana Weber. Source: "Auch ja!?", Humboldt-Verlag.
Hmm... tequila is a big part of my family as both of my children are direct results of tequila intoxication... So I guess I am indebted to Herr Weber! Vielen Dank, Herr Weber!
Funny clothes, birthdays, and HALO
Wow! It is only the end of the first week of October and I have had a busy few days!
Let's see now... On Monday, I substituted for the 7th grade Social Studies teacher that my son has. He was really stoked to think that I would be his teacher for two classes! I was quite happy to be doing Social Studies as that is one of my strong points and there would be no math involved! Truth is, the day was pretty much already planned out for me so it would be a breeze. But what really made it special was the excitement that many of the students had when they knew I would be a substitute! I have known most of these kids for about 10 years now and they know me by my first name or as "Julian's Dad." It was a real ego boost to see how happy they were to see me behind the desk and to hear comments like "Alright! Julian's dad!" or "Yeah! He's cool!" It also was great to hear them say good things about Julian too. And if I can somehow help his level of "Coolness" in school, all the better too! It was really great and I look forward to it again! I think it proves that you can be involved in your kid's life and school activities and not be considered the enemy. You just have to identify with them and let them be kids and show that you can be a kid too! But at the same time, they really crave attention and direction from adults.. and if you treat them with respect, they will respect you back! It was a great day!
Then later that same week... I did two demo as local schools talking about the Middle Ages. Once again, despite what many whiney liberal types might think, having weapons in schools and using them for educational purposes will always get and hold their attention more than a dusty book. As a matter of fact, I now have a rule that if a school wants me to come talk about the Middle Ages or the Revolutionary War, but does not want me to bring in the historically accurate weapons of the time, then they really don't want to talk about the history and I won't do it. Sorry, but that is just the way it is. All the knee jerk laws restricting weapons in schools sometimes gets in the way of education!
And then there was my birthday! Nothing like my 40th birthday celebration... This one was much smaller, but I think I worked just as hard! Let's see, my family and I made home meade apple cider with the help of other family members and friends, we made homemade ice cream and we had a wiener roast with more food than truly was necessary! It was alot of fun, but maybe more work than needed. Birthdays are very important to me.. everyone needs to have there one special day... whether you are famous or not! And you should take the day off from work, just like a national holiday! Why not?!?! God gave this one day to call your own and that seems like good enough reason for me! Now, truth be said, we celebrated my birhtday one day early because the next day, my actually birthday, would be dedicated almost solely to playing the greatest video game yet created.... HALO: Combat evolved.
On the 8th, my good friend Dave and I, set up and ran a Halo tournament to help raise funds for the local Share And Care Senior Center. It was a blast! 10 teams of 4 people each! Four systems linked together! It was a blast! We raised over $800 for the center and had many people ask if we were going to do it again! We had kids from 8 years old to over 40! And everyone got along great and despite some mis-steps we had a great tournament! We had lots of good help and great support from some members of the community! Many people say that violent video games are no good, and in some cases they might be, but it is my feeling that anything in too large amount can be bad. However, instead of trying to get rid of them, maybe more people should do stuff like this and use it for good! It was a blast, and normally more work than I like for my birthday, but now that I think about it, it wasn't really work, but more like play, and that is what you should do on your birthday... have fun.. play games... enjoy the day.
Later!
Let's see now... On Monday, I substituted for the 7th grade Social Studies teacher that my son has. He was really stoked to think that I would be his teacher for two classes! I was quite happy to be doing Social Studies as that is one of my strong points and there would be no math involved! Truth is, the day was pretty much already planned out for me so it would be a breeze. But what really made it special was the excitement that many of the students had when they knew I would be a substitute! I have known most of these kids for about 10 years now and they know me by my first name or as "Julian's Dad." It was a real ego boost to see how happy they were to see me behind the desk and to hear comments like "Alright! Julian's dad!" or "Yeah! He's cool!" It also was great to hear them say good things about Julian too. And if I can somehow help his level of "Coolness" in school, all the better too! It was really great and I look forward to it again! I think it proves that you can be involved in your kid's life and school activities and not be considered the enemy. You just have to identify with them and let them be kids and show that you can be a kid too! But at the same time, they really crave attention and direction from adults.. and if you treat them with respect, they will respect you back! It was a great day!
Then later that same week... I did two demo as local schools talking about the Middle Ages. Once again, despite what many whiney liberal types might think, having weapons in schools and using them for educational purposes will always get and hold their attention more than a dusty book. As a matter of fact, I now have a rule that if a school wants me to come talk about the Middle Ages or the Revolutionary War, but does not want me to bring in the historically accurate weapons of the time, then they really don't want to talk about the history and I won't do it. Sorry, but that is just the way it is. All the knee jerk laws restricting weapons in schools sometimes gets in the way of education!
And then there was my birthday! Nothing like my 40th birthday celebration... This one was much smaller, but I think I worked just as hard! Let's see, my family and I made home meade apple cider with the help of other family members and friends, we made homemade ice cream and we had a wiener roast with more food than truly was necessary! It was alot of fun, but maybe more work than needed. Birthdays are very important to me.. everyone needs to have there one special day... whether you are famous or not! And you should take the day off from work, just like a national holiday! Why not?!?! God gave this one day to call your own and that seems like good enough reason for me! Now, truth be said, we celebrated my birhtday one day early because the next day, my actually birthday, would be dedicated almost solely to playing the greatest video game yet created.... HALO: Combat evolved.
On the 8th, my good friend Dave and I, set up and ran a Halo tournament to help raise funds for the local Share And Care Senior Center. It was a blast! 10 teams of 4 people each! Four systems linked together! It was a blast! We raised over $800 for the center and had many people ask if we were going to do it again! We had kids from 8 years old to over 40! And everyone got along great and despite some mis-steps we had a great tournament! We had lots of good help and great support from some members of the community! Many people say that violent video games are no good, and in some cases they might be, but it is my feeling that anything in too large amount can be bad. However, instead of trying to get rid of them, maybe more people should do stuff like this and use it for good! It was a blast, and normally more work than I like for my birthday, but now that I think about it, it wasn't really work, but more like play, and that is what you should do on your birthday... have fun.. play games... enjoy the day.
Later!
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