Part II – This was a Long Chapter or So where were we . . .
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| I like separate benches - versatility! |
I have also discovered two working lawnmowers in my garage –
neither of them are running smoothly, but they cut the grass and for now that
works. One needs a new carburetor, the
other I have to artificially engage the engine – i.e. I use a paper clip to hold the – clutch? Throttle?
Whatever. I’m MacGyver. Sometimes.
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| I need supervision at Lowes |
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| Alotta Hosta |
Anyway, eventually there will be Adirondack chairs – and
maybe a pergola ... and a table that has a hidden cooler in it, for
dreamsicles. What else is going on this
summer? OH! Twinkle lights. Twinkle lights will happen. The world needs more twinkle lights.
So, part two – walking back through my final semester of
senior year. I ended the last blog
talking about my experience with the Old Man and a Holocaust Capstone- and this
time I want to talk about another major influence from that year - Dr. Stanley Toops,
and his Regional Analysis of China. Holy
cow -I was intimidated, and scared out of my mind. He too expected you to know your shit, like
the old man – and you better know it enough to talk because if you didn’t know
it, HE KNEW. He knew. He was a brilliant mind but also super nice
and kind, eventually – actually no from the start. He was soft spoken, but you knew he expected
you to not just do the work but learn it too.
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| King Library, Miami University |
Dr. Toops was another professor who kindled my ability to
enter graduate school – and my interest in the regional history and existence
of China. Talk about a professor – we
met in the coolest room in the geography building – a large, oval of solid wood
- carved edges and sturdy wooden seats with upholstery – a true seminar table with
a chandelier hanging form the ceiling and books on books shelves lining the
walls. Two windows allowing light in,
while at the same time the lights were kept low as we talked about the
different regions of China and government policy and religion and –
everything. We presented our research,
he presented his personal knowledge- it was everything I wanted from
college.
I spent hours in the library – reading articles, paying for
copies so I could take them home if I didn’t finish – 5 cents a copy at King
Library. My annotation style developed
here – underlining and noting in the margins, writing more notes on paper – and
then going back and re-write everything as a processing experience – notes of
notes and eventually translating that into a paper – I worked my tail off. but I will return to this when enter
graduate school and all of this comes flying back. No question, Toops and The Old Man gave me
the chance to make it to Assistant Professor.
Without their coursework in my senior year, I wouldn’t have been the
teacher I am, or made it this far.
Thinking about that table - there is nothing like sitting at
a table – with your peers who you have never met, and talking about a subject
that you both know about, and are learning so much about. That wooden table has experienced so many
stories – it’s like the line from Buffett’s Son of a Son of a Sailor –
Mother, mother, ocean,
I have heard your call, wanted to sail about your waters since I was three feet
tall you’ve seen it all you’ve seen it all
In your belly you
hold the treasures few have ever seen, most of them dream, most of them dream
The table had seen stories – it had known and already knew
so much – we were just another group of students adding to the experience –
Toops took us for a ride. It was awesome
– we do not have a room like that where I am, but it would be cool. I wonder what kind of ride we can
take this summer in Educational Philosophy and Ethics - I think I'm going to try something else and schedule a
rotation of off campus locations for our weekly meetings. No need for a boards (Smart, White or Chalk)
or video displays – they can watch videos prior to class, they can read – I want to
focus on talk and conversation. Their
questions, their answers. It's Educational Philosophy
and Ethics – and there are five questions to focus on. What is good teaching? What is good learning? Who is the Educated Person? What is Worth Knowing? and What is the Purpose of School? We only have 10 weeks, but we should be able to maybe scratch the
surface a bit. Maybe I should put up a public forum.
All in all that final semester garnered me a 3.9 GPA. At the time,
I was thrilled, because my GPA overall was only a 2.9. Microeconomics was HARD.
Which, to me, I feel shows the great problem
in a GPA focus – its just not that important sometimes - for so many reasons. Or
maybe it is and I am gliding through on privilege. That thought comes to
mind too – but I still think we put too much pressure on the concept of GPA,
Letter Grades and tying assessment to success and even economic growth. The purpose of school is citizenship and
growth, not strictly job preparation. I would really rather not tie the education system directly to the national economy.
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| Dr. Gus Jones |
Other courses this final semester spoke to me as well –Women in
American history which I took with my two time college roommate Jeff, Native American history,
where I read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee – and Constitutional Law with Dr.
Gus Jones – the reason I passed my Ohio Educator Examinations, or at the time
the Praxis test. Gus has passed -so it
goes – but he will always be Dr. Jones. He was legendary. Kind, thoughtful and dedicated - an impressive man who has remained impressive in memory.
Gus was larger than life and seemed to live it with a smile
– at least as I perceived it. He had a
memory you would not believe – in class, he would engage us with a questions – “Uh,
Mr Bruewer, read, uh – read the third paragraph on page 345, yes, that one” –
he was not looking at a book – he just knew it, he knew the court cases. He knew the questions. He knew Every. Damn.
Thing. More than knew, he could help you understand it, if you let him. Passionate.
Constitutional law was s beautiful mix of history, social
issues, change and government – it blended everything together with a purpose
and a powerful meaning – Civil Rights.
Race. Abortion. Interstate Commerce!
I read Roe v. Wade for the first time in this course, and then assigned it to a senior for a part of
a project in We the People - a competition for high school students to argue in front of a panel of judges about constitutional questions at the state house. We never did *well* according to scores, but we did *really well* according to developing understanding of citizenship. A student cited Roe in her argument and a judge chastised her- saying she should not cite a case that she had not read herself. The
student raised her voice and clapped back – hard – WE read it - he made us (pointing to me in the back). I do
know what I’m talking 'bout thank you very much.
She was maaaaaaad. I was
proooouuuuuud.
I love teaching.
Gus Jones. The reason
Supreme Court briefs were a staple of my high school classroom – they started
off as simple bell ringers - something to just start the class, but so many times they just became the lesson. Students would ask questions. No reason to do anything else – a primary court
case – how would you decide – so many ways to engage the content
with a Supreme Court case and not just the major ones but and not just in government or Advanced
Placement. All of them. Dr. Jones.
Thanks, Gus. When he
died a few years ago, they set up a scholarship in his name to be awarded to
students in need – those who were academically able and willing but financially
needed assistance – the support needed to gain a sense of equity maybe. Gus was kind.
And brilliant. I can still
picture him, at the front of the room -
This was the course where I also became addicted to Chocolate
covered coffee beans ... but that’s another story for another time. This is about - Vonnegut? Right! Back to the book.
How nice to feel
nothing , and still get full credit for being alive (p. 105)
When Vonnegut goes into the discussion of the Children's Crusade – with babies fighting wars, it brought to mind the captive audience to
be found in American Public Schools, and how it has been exploited for the needs
of the military. This of course has me coming to the issue of Privatizing education, and how companies are seeking ways
into public school little by little – an early version of this as Michale Apple
has pointed out – is Channel One.
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| Good read. |
That’s fine to advertise, that’s fine to sponsor news. Great!
It is not fine to capture an audience that has no real choice but to
listen to the ads – as a teacher, I turned the volume off. I “had” to show it, it had to be “on” but we talked
about actual news or just relaxed before class. I just do not care for indoctrination like that.
No. I am not anti
military, and no I am not Anti-America. I quite like it here and I am happy to have those fight for my freedoms, thank you very much. But- much like the prayer for vocations that we are asked to say every
week in church, I do not care much for the idea of indoctrination that I see in
both. I just do not like
the captive audience idea. Meh.
Why Christians found
it so easy to be Cruel (p. 108)
Ah! Back to the
book. So - this line resonated with me,
and I am sure with anyone who takes a step back from an ideology or ism and
lets their thoughts wander to what matters.
I am Catholic, but I will say I am on the liberal side of the Catholic existence
- there are liberal and conservative Catholics – we are just are not Protestant
– nope.
I’ve walked out of my fair share of homilies – I don’t think
I m proud of that, more annoyed that a priest would find it so easy to be so
self righteous and – well Ill say misinformed.
I will walk out on a homily if I feel it is delivering a damaging
message. I’ve done it – in Muncie I
remember my two catholic Church choices,
An old German catholic church and the Irish Catholic on the other side
of town. I trended to prefer and ultimately
attended the Irish church – it was focused on social justice, the true tenants
of what I feel matter. The priest worked
with the local prison – with those who are often forgotten by the system and the rest of the population.
The priest was saying something about healthcare being
forced on the church. Balderdash. Why can't we have healthcare for everyone. Balderdash.
Im out. I am just a layman, but - whatever.
The other was about appropriate dress – I mean t was 98 degrees
and yes I wore shorts. I am not a tie,
coat and pants man. I wore shorts. I was there- but I was told during the homily
I was (not me but in general) disrespectful to the church. Okay bye.
J
I always returned, but honestly - Care. Engagement.
Community. Being what was needed
for others. My people. Drop the haughty crap and - well - okay. Enough of that.
His prose was frightful,
only his ideas were good (110)
Many days I feel this – but
sometimes not even the ideas are good – but eventually maybe if you cobble
together enough ideas they form a coherent whole – not book worthy, but maybe
novella worthy. 100 pages or so. J
My blog. My
rules. This had very little to do with
the chapter, and the prose may not be prize-worthy but hey - words on screen. Maybe the ideas are good? This quote will take up the most of my next
post for sure (after a detour into a Marathon edit: Walking a marathon takes FOREVER)
And Billy had seen the greatest massacre in European history – which
was the fire bombing of Dresden (101)
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