To read part 1, click here. Spanish 9
It was hard to get a decent photo, but this is actually my classroom transformed into a maze on the annual 'prank day' of which I was totally unaware (thanks teachers!). Nah, my room was pretty sweet and easy to clean up in comparison to others who had anything from a million pictures of kilts to live fish. Bodies in Creation
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I'm not entirely sure all of what the students processed from the PBS doc I showed (and attempted very hard to censor, out of respect for the school) about Kahlo, but I certainly enjoyed it. It reignited my passion for and interest in surrealist art, the 1920s, and authentic self-expression in all of its glory and profanity. Spanish 30
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Almost unbelievably, I have only 8 more days of instruction with my classes and, considering that all except one of my classes only happen every second day, 4 for most. So, I'm in a bit of a reflecting mood and thought I'd take a moment to give you an idea of the trials and smiles I've experienced this past semester.
Colleagues
As Alberta Schools prepare for June 1 when Bill 10 will officially come into play (or, for some, continue business as usual), conversation surrounding GSAs, parental choice, ideology, and sexuality has become more prevalent. As I read up on, discuss, and weigh issues, my opinions and understanding continue to grow and shift. This is not as simple or obvious to me as it was when I first considered what Bill 10 seemed to propose.
This document by Parents for Choice in Education is an interesting case in point. While I don't agree with everything stated in the document and think the language is too emotionally-laden at times for an article that seeks to focus on sound arguments, I do think it raises many legitimate concerns that Bill 10 (and the way it was passed and intends to be implemented) failed to consider or address. I'm interested in what people have to say about Bill 10 and about this document in particular. Please chime in or direct me and readers to other articles, blogs, etc. as you deem beneficial. This post is just a mix of random things that recently occurred that make me happy and that I wanted to share:
Here's a phrase I've heard thrown out a lot lately: "The Bible clearly states ..."
When I hear it, I have to consciously keep my eyes from rolling, my mouth from groaning, and sometimes to prevent myself from throwing a full-blown tantrum. Here's what's going on in the back of my mind whenever I hear this:
I'll end simply with the following: consider rephrasing this preface to "My Bible translation clearly states ..." followed by a direct quotation of what is there; do not use it to push personal theology as capital 'T' truth. Let's practice theology humbly, in loving community, and in honour of Christ the Living, Spiritual Word.
My opa emailed this fascinating video to me and I had to share.
A colleague who's been teaching for many years found this video the other day and thought it was the best thing she'd ever encountered for teaching thesis-writing. It would likely be useful for anyone teaching English Language Arts from grade 9-12. Check it out!
Last Friday I had planned a fairly tame 10-minute devotional time (share a way God showed up or encouraged you over Spring Break) for my Spanish 7 class, but when I arrived for setup, a few boys were gathered around a Bible looking at 1 Corinthians 6:9-10: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God" (NASB). One of the boys concluded from the passage that gay people don't go to heaven, while others argued that Jesus paid for all of our sins so that they can. Seeing an opportunity to discuss these very important issues, I asked the boys if they wanted to invite the larger class to talk about it during devotional time and they said yes, so we did.
We've now spent 3 devotional times of students sharing stories, asking questions of each other and of me, responding to one another, and recalling Scripture. I've had students slip me notes or questions in secret and am wondering whether I should set up a question box to take more anonymous questions and comments. Without fail, there are a few hands still up at the end of our 10 minutes when I have to remind them that we need to move on to Spanish class. We've skimmed the surface of many issues and their connections, including salvation, sin, attraction, mental health, consent to affection, love, repentance, friendship, nature and nurture, religion, and orientation. The kids' opinions, knowledge, and experiences range widely, which makes for very rich discussion. I try bring in my knowledge and experience where relevant to clear up some misconceptions or to offer a differing standpoint for the kids to consider. I've spent more time reviewing the things I've read and heard to determine what to share and how to guide the kids through tricky but important concepts and issues without confusing or overwhelming them. This is especially interesting as our board is meeting next week to discuss how they're going to go about handling the new bill on student-initiated GSAs. I'm not sure where any of the staff at the school stand on these issues, nor their comfort in discussing them with kids (recall that many staff are also parents of the students). I just pre-ordered a copy of Nick Sousanis' comics dissertation, Unflattening. I didn't even know this book existed until: 1. I decided to write an influential prof of mine with whom I hadn't spoken in 7 years. 2. We met for a visit and I mentioned how Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics and Making Comics (which I read last summer) opened my eyes to the world in a new way, and prompted me to consider implications for my personal work as a writer/artist, as well as for teaching. 3. She alerted me to Sousanis' upcoming talk at the U of C, which I regrettably have to miss. For those who are interested, it's 9 April @ 9:30am in Soc Sci 1114. The fact that the book is highly praised by McCloud, and that Sousanis' background is in education, pretty much guarantees that this will be an epic read for me. So pumped! For any modern languages teachers out there (or any teachers looking to use an online study tool for their classes), Quizlet is an excellent tool. It:
If you click this link, you'll get a 20% discount on a teacher account: https://quizlet.com/upgrade?referrer=Carly_Friesen. I upgraded to a teacher account to use the tool for ongoing assessment of my students and to eliminate ads. Basic (free) features:
The perks of a teacher account: |
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