What you see, what you think, what you do...

I am taking this class right now, "Managing the Classroom Environment". It's a very strange mix. It's a bit about behaviour - and what you do with bad behaviour and a bit about all the other things pertaining to power and privilege that come into your classroom that you need to be ready for. Things like racism and homophobia.

Last week, we watched, "A classroom divided" (You can click on the link and watch it, if you want) Have you seen it? It seems to be a super well known example, but no one else in my class had seen it. The film is about the exercise/experiment Jane Elliott ran on her students, beginning in 1968, in Iowa. She felt that even though she had spoken about racism and discrimination with her students, they didn't quite get it. So, she created a two day lesson, to 'show' these kids about racism and how it feels. (does this sound familiar yet?) she divided her class into the kids with blue eyes and those with brown. On the first day, those with blue eyes were superior. They got extra food, extra recess, they were told they were smarter, kinder, had better manners. She picked at the 'bad' behaviours of the kids with the brown eyes - and stated it as a symptom of their brown eyed-ness. To ensure that people could tell from a distance, what colour their eyes were, they were made to wear collars. The second day it reversed. The kids with blue eyes were now the kids who were targeted as 'less than'. They picked on each other for the two days - and then she debriefed it with them. She asked them about how they went from being friends, to being mean to one another. They talked about how it 'wasn't fair' that someone got treated bad because of their eye colour. The students spoke about about how it hurt and how they felt helpless, or 'less than nothing'. But they also worked to justify their behaviours. They followed it with certainty that they wouldn't ever discriminate.

Jane Elliott continued to do this lesson with her students for years. She's been hired to do with other people, like workers at a correctional facility, to help others really see racism in action - and have it become something personal (rather than something we talk about in pretty language). It's interesting to watch the difference, in the documentary between the children and their reactions to things on an emotional level, and the adults that try to argue or conceptualize their feelings - for more of an idea.
It's an interesting practice. I feel like it wouldn't work as well in places where there actually is a bit more diversity to begin with (I feel like the all white-white classrooms in Iowa in the 70s aren't as common here), especially as there are so many things layered over eye colour.

Anyway - This is one of the things I have been thinking over the last little while - and then something interesting happened (or perhaps more accurately, I noticed it happening). For the last week, everywhere I go - I see police officers walking in pairs. The part of this, that is interesting to me, is that they are, without a doubt, profiling who they're stopping to talk to based on race. If you're indigenous living in Edmonton, watch out - the cops are stopping you. I travel the same routes, at more or less the same time, most days - and it's interesting the shift in the last two days. So here's my question: What do you do - when you don't agree with what you see happening around you - but none of the specific incidents have anything "wrong" it's just the pattern that is 'wrong'?

And then - when you start thinking about those things, that are embedded into culture, what do you do - as a teacher or person who spends a lot of time with kids to try to prevent it, or stop it, or better yet - oppose it?

Anyway - these are my 'today' thoughts. I'd love to hear what you think.

Peace to you, 


ps... what do you think of the new look? A new year? a new design?

Change is the only constant?

Throughout my life, whenever things are feeling very very up in the air, or chaotic, or undefined - someone always offers up the wisdom, "the only thing constant in life is change". Which is true, and I know that, but sometimes wouldn't it be nice to have just a smidge of predictability? Maybe?

Fine, why break with convention.

It seems like the last 6 months have been a whirlwind. Carly and I got married (about a month ago, which seems crazy! A month! Geez). It was a fabulous day. Everything was great, we were surrounded by people we love, the skies were blue, there was fabulous food and music... it was a perfect day!

Photos thanks to the lovely Sarah Taylor

We were totally blessed by many good friends and family members, coming distances (close-ish and super far) to come celebrate with us, which was awesome. A small group of that crew, actually signed on to stay for the week. So we headed off on our "honeytrip" (Definition: a Honeytrip is a blending of a 'roadtrip' with a 'honeymoon', sharing ridiculousness and delight while cramming into very filled cars and exploring new spaces).  It was a crazy week, but so delightful!

A honeytrip cast - perhaps a bit nutty and therefore excited to sign up for this kind of adventure?

We headed out from the farm (where we got married) to Calgary, then to Banff on to Naramata where we hung out for a bit. Following that we headed off to Vancouver Island and then back to Vancouver, where our trip came to an end, everyone headed off in different directions, and Carly and I dove into one more crazy day in a car, to also go home.

We all survived the group corralling into the car to get where we were going, and the two days of loooooooooong drives were rewarded things likes a wonderful day of wine tours, sunshine, laughter, good food and certainly lots of memory making.

Check out the super-dooper pollinator! Go go little bee!

While we were on West coast we had a chance to go fishing. After a morning adventure (where one car didn't start... different story, for a different time) we still made it to the boat before dawn had fully emerged. It was stunning, but sooooo early. We didn't end up catching much, but it was a fabulous morning.

I started to wake up, a while after the sun.

The Orcas were out!

and some other water friends.

 On our last full day together, a group of us when to climb attempt the grouse grind. The walk itself was stunning, the trees are amazing and it smelled fabulous - but I think it was one of those days that someone somewhere was trying to teach me something... maliciously.

I have a habit (good? bad?) of eavesdropping. Not of things that seem important or confidential, but I listen to the people around me and what they're discussing. It's one of the things I love about coffee shops. All of these people who inadvertently share snippets of stories. It's like live time storybooks. Anyway, I digress.

On the way up the grind - it was starting to feel hard. At just about this point, where I was feeling a bit sweaty, and a bit tired, my eavesdropping got me in trouble. There was a guy, trying to encourage his climbing partner to the top - who explained that the gondola down closes at 6 - and if they didn't make it, they'd have to walk back down. As a group, we had already discussed the gondola on the way down... and this meant I had to MOVE and quickly! Perhaps you read this blog and don't really know me... but 'rushing' up a mountain of stairs isn't something that comes naturally to me. The fun and the beauty eroded during the rush, and I went from the slow and steady - I can do this... to wanting to just lie down and wait for morning... Only to get to the top to find out that the fellow on the trail was confused. The gate at the BOTTOM closes for people starting the hike at 6, but the gondola down, doesn't close until around 10pm... Sigh. Lesson perhaps learned. :)

It did mean that once the feeling of my heart in my throat and the upward motion came to an end at  the top, there was a bit more time for looking at the awesome view, taking our photo proof that we had made it, having a drink and snack and enjoying friends in an incredible place.

See! We made it - and we look happy! Yay team!

 The gondola ride, when we eventually took it, was also beautiful. I am really happy that I got to go, that I didn't indeed die on the side of the mountain, and that I got to see the view from the top. Next time - less rushing. (Once I have had a bit more time, so that next time seems like a good idea again hee hee)

Anyway, the last time I posted, I said I was leaving the country - and here I am... still in Alberta, still in Edmonton in fact. There is that constant change thing again. I have actually just begun a new degree - pursuing an after degree in Elementary Education. The hope is that a school and classroom is ready to take on this prairie girl and that a group of elementary kids are ready to mix up the curriculum with some of my Peace Ed stuff and have a blast learning together. It's a bit daunting, but I think it's going to be great.

My friend Cheryl has given me a kick in the pants about starting to blog again - so here's my public declaration that I am going to try. We'll see how that goes. I think taking some space to think about what we're learning will be good.

Let me know what you're thinking - or doing - or questioning. Got any good questions to get this blog re-started?

Peace to you!