The End....

As I woke up this morning and did my daily routine of exercise, breakfast, rinse and repeat, one thought stuck in my head, "I can't believe today is the day". 

Today is officially the last day of the 2011-2012 Literacy*AmeriCorps term of service for the Central Texas members.  As today winds down to a close, I am filled with amazement and joy.  I remember our first training day on September 1, 2011.  I was nervous, unsure of how my term would progress, and feeling a little isolated from everything I left behind since graduating that August.  I didn't know anyone in the room and I was questioning whether I had the skills to do what I was being asked to do for the next "year" of my life.  On that first day, 11 months felt like an eternity that would never end.  July 31 was a distant goal that I was sure I would never reach.

There is no doubt about it that this AmeriCorps term of service kicked my butt.  I was mentally and physically exhausted at times.  I felt like I was ritualistically praying and offering up sacrifices each month.  Once my AmeriCorps coins went to pay for rent and health care, I had about $20 in my account at any one time.  It made me think twice about fast food, happy hour, and jay-walking through high traffic areas.

Now, here I am.  It's July 31 and I am amazed that I did it.  I am amazed at how hard I worked my rump off these past 11 months.  I am amazed at the changes I made at my service site and within myself.  I am amazed at the friendships I made.  And I am amazed at the place I have carved out for myself in the local community.  Most of all I am amazed and proud of the 17 other members who served their term alongside me.  They made everything more interesting, more exciting, and more enjoyable.  I can't imagine having spent my time with a better cast of characters (I say that lovingly, of course!)

I am glad that we all decided to take this journey.  This past year has refined us all, has made us all open our eyes to see the world in a different way.  We are all concluding our term with lasting friendships and relationships, whether they be with other members or with people at our sites.  And that is the true reward of our service - the friendships we make.  So "CONGRATS!" to everyone for an amazing year and when that education award rolls in, try not to spend it all in one place.

Racing in Austin, TX

Before moving to Austin, I had participated in a handful of 5k's, a 10k and a half marathon. I always played sports growing up and loved being on an athletic team. And, of course, being from the Pacific Northwest, I was hiking mountains with my family before I could even walk. But Austin has a different athleticism to it. I feel like many people here are race-obssessed and I can't deny that I've been caught up in the thick of it. Most recently, I have been turned on to the idea of triathlons. I'm a confident cyclist and consistent runner, but not being much of a swimmer (the water is just too cold in Washington!), I was hesitant about the swim portion of a triathlon.  

One night, on a whim, I decided to sign up for my first triathlon. The race was scheduled for 5 days after I signed up. In retrospect, this probably wasn't the smartest of ideas, but I had fun with it anyway. I set out to work on my swim with a borrowed pair of goggles and a friend who swam competitively in school. After having swum a few times in our tiny (8 yard-long) apartment pool, I thought I was doing pretty well for a beginner and went to a lake with my friend in order to show her what I could do and get some tips.

Well, let me tell you: swimming in open water is NOT the same as swimming in a pool.  It's darker, harder, scarier and ultimately, way more fun! My friend gave me a barrage of tips to remember for my first timed swim... face up, hands closed, abs clenched, feet kicking, breathe to both sides, don't take in too much air, breathe out bubbles underwater, and on... and on.... Luckily, during the race I was preoccupied enough with trying to remember all these things that I wasn't at all nervous or intimidated by the course. I finished the triathlon in much better time than anticipated and enjoyed it so much that I signed up for another!

This time, I made the wise decision of actually training. I chose a race that was about a month later, giving me enough time to work on my swimming skills and still get in both long rides and runs.  Every other morning you can find me at the pool thinking to myself "one, two, three... breathe... one, two, three... breathe..." as I clumsily make my way down the length of the pool. Slowly but surely, however, I have felt progress. I feel my strides becoming more relaxed, my breathing becoming normal, my body automatically remembering things like keeping my face at the right angle and keeping my abs tight to raise my legs. As my muscle memory grows and my confidence in the swim improves, I can't help but get excited for my next race.

It gives me reason to wake up early, reason to feel great all day long and something great to strive for. The excitement, satisfaction and hype (not to mention lots of bananas) after finishing a race is a ton of fun and can be addicting. It's something I look forward to during long or hard training sessions and, in my opinion, is totally worth it. Long story short: Austin is a great place to try racing. There are always notices for 5k's, 10k's, half and full marathons, triathlons, long cycling rides, adventure races and relays, mud races and trail runs. If you are already a competitor, I probably don't need to inform you of all these opportunities. But, if you've never run or swum or biked a race and are considering one... I would say now is the time! Austin is a very race friendly environment with relatively flat terrain, warm weather (albeit sometimes too warm...) and a passion for fitness. So get outside, give it a try and enjoy it!

River Tubing in Texas

Recently I had the pleasure of tubing the San Marcos River and the Guadalupe river.  This was my first experience tubing on a river and I learned many tips that I would like to pass on to y’all! Tips: 1.       Keep your eyes peeled for turtles – either because you find them horrifying so you can steer your tube far away from them or you think they are cute so you can steer your tube toward them to see them up close. 2.       Wear sandals that are sturdy for walking on rocks and so they won’t fall off your feet when you are in the water. 3.       Lather on sunscreen and chapstick.  4.       Slap on some sunglasses. 5.       Wear a cowboy hat for additional sun protection. 6.       Buy a floaty sunglasses bobble string for $2.  They look dorky when you are wearing them but if your glasses fall in the water, they will float.  This very thing happened to my cousin, but she found her glasses because of the trusty bobbles. 7.       Know where you can get in and out of the water.  Park your car accordingly. 8.       Be prepared to navigate away from rocks, river wildlife, and sharp sticks while floating.  (Additionally, pick your tube mate wisely if you are tubing in a double.  My sister and mom both were awful.  One paddled with her shoe and the other was simply not paying attention to possible hazards.) 9.       Bring some water and snacks.  Obey local container laws.  10.   Don’t bring any valuables if possible. 11.   Bring towels to sit on in the car. 12.   Know where you can put air in your tubes/check to see if gas stations charge for it/inflate the tubes ahead of time if you have a large enough vehicle. 13.   Enjoy the cool, refreshing water!

"Let our Light Shine"

The past two weeks have been ones of growth.  I have personally changed tremendously from my work with iACT.  I have become more confident, more professional, and more aware of the dynamics of my community.  I have become more adept at dealing with challenges and taking on more responsibilities within the agency.

The past two weeks have also been a time of amazing growth for the students in my ESL program.  They have become more confident and comfortable speaking English.  Many of the students in our intermediate class are quite capable of speaking complex English sentences, but often times want to speak to me and the other administrators in their native languages.  Now more and more of them are pushing themselves to speak English.  When we attempt to address these students in their native language, they say, "No, in English, please. I know how to speak English."

My heart is especially touched when students from our low literacy class graduate to our beginner class.  The students in the low literacy class have come to the U.S. with no English literacy and are often non-literate in their native language.  To see them go from a zero-English knowledge base to having them stop me in the hallway and say, "Let our light shine" as they read a banner on the wall, it always feels me with joy.

I am proud of all of our students and the strides they have made.  They are perfect examples of success and greatness.

Unlikely combinations

One of my favorite things about teaching adult literacy classes is that they bring people together. Not only am I given the opportunity to interact with people from very different backgrounds (than me and than each other) that I would otherwise have to intentionally seek out to mingle with, students get to do this as well. I love stretching, challenging, and expanding understanding of this world and self by spending significant time (in both quality and quantity) with people of different racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Students come to us for help with specific skills (English language, reading and writing, digital literacy); they get these, and they get a lot more. While this education is less formal, I think it is extremely valuable and important. 

This month, a Hungarian student in my advanced ESL class has a friend visiting from Hungary, so she came to our class. As we did introductions, it really hit me what an eclectic group this was - two highly education women from Hungary, a Catholic priest from Mexico, a stay at home mom from India, a nurse aide from Cameroon, a retired tax accountant, and a young literacy instructor. 4 different races, 5 different countries, an age range of early 20s to early 60s. That kind of mix just doesn't happen in our normal day to day lives.

In my basic ABE class, I have 4 students who are also quite the mixed bag. A white man in his late 50s who is from the northeast and has physical and cognitive difficulties; a black man in his late 50s who grew up here in Austin, has spent time in jail, and struggles with alcoholism; a black woman in her early 50s who grew up here in Austin, has raised a family and worked for the state for more than 20 years; and a 25 year old black man who graduated high school without learning to read or write because he was just passed through so he could play football. And then there's me - young, white, grew up in an upper middle class home, college educated. A rather unlikely group of people to be spending 4 hours a week together. 

I love getting to be part of the societal cross section that makes up our classes. I love the way traditional cultural boundaries are discarded in the spirit of learning and the way that expands and empowers our sense of self as a member of a larger community that is not defined by externally imposed definitions, but rather by common interest and care for the other. Now that I have gotten a real taste of what it is like to constantly be spending my time with such diverse people, I'm hooked! This is the way life should be lived, and I hope you get to experience it too.

Personality?

Over the course of the year, through AmeriCorps and Any Baby Can, I have participated in three different tests of… well, let me call it character. Some people call them personality tests and others avoid the word ‘personality’ like the plague. This is professional, after all! I have had fun using these tests and getting to know a little more about myself this year as I continue to work and live in a new environment. With a few fellow AmeriCorps members, I took the Enneagram test. This truly is a personality test. It measures your sub-personality into one or more of nine interconnected personality types. More recently, I took a test that measures how we tend to deal with conflict in the workplace. This was a new test for me and was an interesting way of looking at the different ways that people work with conflict. It turns out, conflict is good and having different solutions to conflict is often the most effective way to solve a problem! Most recently, I participated in a training for something called Style Flex. This test had more to do with your way of communicating. It ‘graded’ you on a scale of 5-95 in the four following categories: driver, expressive, amiable and analytical. Then, it guides you through effective ways to approach and communicate with people who are of other dominant communication styles. Here is a quick peek at the styles:

-Driver: Wants action and results, needs to control and win, is decisive and goal oriented, avoids wasted time and energy, fears losing control, is impatient and can be insensitive to others.

-Expressive: Wants feedback and to be liked, needs to interact and verbalize, is persuasive, avoids boredom, fears social rejection, is disorganized, optimistic and can be impulsive.

-Amiable: Wants harmony and peace, needs to serve others, is a team player, loyal and patient, avoids confrontation, fears loss of predictability, and is afraid of taking a stand.

-Analytical: Wants excellence and quality, needs to comply with standards, is accurate and precise, avoids uncertainty, fears criticism of their work, can be worrisome and a poor improviser.

Do any of these ring a bell for you?!

Being a Friend

One of the great things about iACT is that it employs refugee women who have small children to work in the Refugee School childcare. (There are three women who work in the childcare. Two are permanent employees and one rotating position, which means that the latter only works in the position for six months and then another person is employed.) The work in childcare is a great opportunity for refugee women to gain some employment experience as they try to establish themselves in the U.S. The women come from various ethnic backgrounds and nationalities. With past and current employees coming from: Burma, Burundi, Cuba, Iraqi, and DR Congo.

The current women are from Mexico (non-refugee), Congo, and Iraq. And I have had the pleasure of spending more time with these women the past few weeks. I have grown to know these women since I started working at iACT eight months ago, but the past few weeks have afforded me the time to spend a significant amount of time with them every day. I have often marveled and fallen in love with the idea that these women, each from a different background work together to take care of our students’ children who may or may not come from the same country as them. The women must speak English to work in this position, but they also use their native languages on a daily basis to communicate with the children and their parents. It’s often amazing how they are still able to communicate with parents who speak a different native language AND do not speak English. But they get the job done every single time.

These past weeks I have gotten to know these ladies more and I feel like we are becoming closer friends and confidantes. I can’t wait to see them and listen to their stories. I love the (frank) questions they ask me about myself, my family, and American culture (Btw: They are not a fan of how we Americans always have the AC on in every building.)  I love to hear our similarities and the appreciation of our differences. Sometimes I get “lost” in their conversations. I pay attention, but what I mean is, they sometimes talk about great things, about being mothers, and wives, about taking care of children, about their lives here and back in their home countries. I just like to sit there and listen to them talk, as I push toys across the floor and play with the children. These are the times when I realize that I will learn more when I am quiet and listen and learn. That sometimes I don’t need to be heard, but that a lot of the value of my presence comes from just listening to them. I am thankful that they have trusted me with their most precious information. My time with them has made it clearer to me that there are many refugees out there who need a friend, who need someone to just listen to them. I hope that I will have more opportunities like this, to not only listen but to be a friend for other refugees in the future.

Just a quick post to share a cool moment... 

I teach an ABE class on Tuesday mornings and the 3 students are just so caring and wonderful. One man brings in his mail often for me to help him read it. Usually, he can pretty much do it on his own, but just wants to be sure. A lot of times, they are just junk mail, but every so often he gets something meaningful. Last week he brought in 2 greeting cards from his sister, one for St. Patrick's Day and one for Easter. I helped him read them and his face lit up as he realized that these weren't just folded pieces of stiff paper with some glitter on them, they were messages of love and support from his sister. It was extremely rewarding to know that I got to help him feel cared for by his family when he otherwise might not have realized the meaning of the gestures, that he is not alone, that his sister had taken the time to write out and send cards to him because she cares about him. Bottom line, people are good, reading is awesome, life is beautiful.

Spring has Arrived!

So I realize that I tend to blog about the weather, but I love being outdoors and I bike to work everyday so the weather is very important to me. Many people pass it off as simply small talk, but it always seems to be in the back of my mind. Maybe my rainy Washingtonian upbringing has had some influence on my weather fixation (a sunny day in the 60's will find every Seattlite outside with shorts, t-shirt and sunglasses).
Austin, however, boasts very agreeable weather through most of the year (most... not all because those summer months... well, you know). We just finished a nice, relatively dry and calm winter and this last Tuesday marked the first day of Spring. And let me say, it has been beautiful! Okay, so there was a Zeus-sized thunderstorm on Monday night, but other than that... the sun is shining, the birds are singing and Austin can really be a beautiful place when the trees are still green from winter rains and the weather hasn't reached its top temperatures quite yet.
I feel as though I have seen a small change in our classes as well this week. People are sporting lighter fabrics and colors, attitudes have been lifted and some of my students and co-workers already seem to be tackling the idea of spring cleaning.
Let's just hope that not too many students come down with cases of spring fever!

Learning to love SXSW

Anyone living in Austin knows that SXSW occurred last week over Spring Break. Before last week, I had only been to SXSW once before and it left me with memories of good music, but also those of over-crowdedness, smelly people, blazing heat, and being in a bar full of people with strange beards. I think the fact that I was unprepared for it and later had to schlep through traffic back to San Marcos clouded my judgment of this festival. Now I live in Austin. My memories from the previous SXSW left me agitated the weeks leading up to it this year. All I could think about was how crowded Austin was going to be, how I was going to be unable to go to my favorite places, and how I was going to have to be visually assaulted with an onslaught of hipsters from all over the country (and other parts of the globe).

I have to say, that I was pleasantly surprised last week. I actually enjoyed SXSW and the changes that happen in Austin because of it. First of all, I enjoyed that I shaved about 10 minutes off my commute to work because so many people left for Spring Break vacation and others left to escape SXSW. I loved that I did not have to dodge insane drivers downtown because most people chose to bus, walk, or bike to get where they needed to go. I also enjoyed the camaraderie of it all. The overall attitude of downtown changed. People were friendlier than usual and more laidback. When I finally decided to dip my toe in the actual SXSW festivities, it was on a double date with a fellow AmeriCorps member. It was nice to bond with her as an individual and as couples with our respective partners. What I enjoyed most was seeing the little bits of Austin that I never get to see because I am racing past them on my daily commute. In particular: Sandy’s Hamburgers. My favorite part of the evening was sitting at Sandy’s, laughing and having nice (and often hilarious) conversation while eating fries and milkshakes with music from Auditorium Shores in the background. Last week taught me to have more respect for SXSW and for Austin. I welcome it again next year.

GED Book Club

I teach the following subjects in my GED class at the Kyle Learning Center:  Reading, Writing, Science, and Social Studies.  Many of the students fall within the 17-22 year old age range and have struggled to focus in class.  I have found that incorporating popular culture topics (ie: reading about why people do or do not enjoy horror movies) in class engages them enough that they will also tolerate learning the traditional subject matter (ie:  government structure).  I have planned reading comprehension lessons around magazine articles, news stories, and excerpts from fictional books that they might encounter in their lives, into the course work. 

I frequently tell my students that they should read more at home because that will increase their vocabulary, comprehension, sentence structure, etc.  Some students confided that reading has been difficult for them because of learning differences, disinterest in the subject matter, or that they don’t know what they like to read.  So, I was surprised when my students expressed interested in reading a book in class.  I decided to select a collection of books they would enjoy reading, would be high interest, and accessible to a variety of reading levels. 

The following is the criteria that I used to select the books:

·         Diversity of genres:  fantasy/science fiction, suspense, romance, action/adventure, chick literature.

·         Featured in popular culture and news

·         Had movie version adaptations

·         The first book of a series

·         Appealing to a mixture of ages

·         I had previously read most of the books

·         Recently written and easily available in softcover version

I provided the students with descriptions of the books I had chosen and I gave suggestions of which book to choose depending on their reading level.  Students that had read some of the books explained what they were about to other students in the class.  Most of the students had heard of the books or seen the movie adaptations themselves as well.  I purchased several copies of each book, so students were able to select which book they wanted to read.  In class, the students spend about 30 minutes silently reading their book, and will be meeting in discussion groups when they finish reading their books.

The books I selected:

 Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Series: Book 1)

Hatchet by Gary Paulson

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (Series: Book 1)

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (Series: Book 1)

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson Series: Book 1)

Helping Students Help Themselves

In the midst of the Kony 2012/Stop Kony 2012 madness the past couple days, I have been thinking about and discussing the ideas of privilege and the savior complex and the implications of these things for the way I as an individual interact with my local and global community as well the the implications for the way our nation positions itself domestically and internationally. I obviously don't have the resolution to this incredibly multifaceted and volatile debate so I am not going to pretend that I do. Rather, I am going to offer my thoughts on how these things relate to being a literacy service provider, since this is something I have some (albeit limited) experience in.

As a Literacy AmeriCorps member in Central Texas serving at a nonprofit that provides literacy services, students come to me voluntarily seeking my help. Thus, my position in relation to my students is already inherently different than that of an American seeking to help a person who lives on another continent than them and has not necessarily asked for their help. But, I still want to be very concious of never slipping into the misguided (and unfortunately rather common) mindset that I am the one who has all the answers and is needed to "rescue" a student. Quite the contrary. It is the courage and persistence of a student that enables them to effect positive change in their life. As a literacy instructor, I am simply there to facilitate student learning and help them help themselves.

I am immensely grateful to be part of a program (Literacy AmeriCorps) and an agency (LifeWorks) that operate in a way that promotes and applies this type of thinking. I have been well taught to think of myself as an ally and partner with students rather than the traditional teacher above student hierarchy. Adult students are the best source of knowledge for what they need and want, an idea in the same vein as the operational mentality of "African Solutions for African Problems." Our students (who come from all over the world and represent a vast array of global and local issues), like all people, have a voice and need to be really heard and listened to in a meaningful way, and I am honored to get the chance to do just that here in my own hometown. I welcome the challenge of putting these ideas into practice day to day and hope to always apply them to the way I think about any local or global issue. I also hope and pray they will be applied by others, from ordinary citizens to national leadership, as well.

I Survived!

The classes at Any Baby Can are pretty unique. When you walk into the classroom, it may look more like tutoring than a traditional class. Each student is learning the same subject material, but is working at his or her own pace. Ruth and I, as teachers, shift between students answering questions, correcting mistakes and clarifying points of confusion. The system works pretty well with the two of us because one can sit down and really take the time to explain something while the other moves between the remaining students to answer quicker questions.

My job as a teacher, however, took on a whole different pace for the last two weeks because Ruth was out of town. Thus, I had my hands full while she was gone, to say nonetheless. Taking on a classroom of 6-7 students is tricky, but doable. Working with a tutoring session with 15+ people and their children, however, is exhausting! The help of a few co-workers and some local volunteers provided me with a much more controlled classroom and some peace of mind. There is a lot of preparation, execution, paperwork and oddball tasks that come with running a program like this and teaching, but busy days sure do make long days go by quickly. Needless to say I survived the two weeks without my better half, but I couldn't have done it without my wonderful co-workers, volunteers, and students, of course.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all those who came to volunteer and help our students continue to learn!

My Birthday Celebration!

My students threw me a surprise party for my birthday in early February. Of course, it wasn't exactly a surprise since we've been having potlucks for everyone's birthdays, but they really went all out for mine! They asked our early childhood teacher to call me over to her classroom to watch the kids. While I was gone, my students hung streamers and ballrooms and set up the food and presents. When I entered the classroom, I was certainly surprised to see how quickly they transformed it! The kindness, generosity, and appreciation of my students are what keep me going.

Vertical Child Study Group

So far my experiences at the emergency shelter have been very rewarding. When I first started my service at the shelter, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect as far as what my role would be and what my duties would include. Lately, I have been spending a significant amount of time in high schools that my clients are in attendance of. The enrollment process can sometimes be very intimidating because the youth that come into the shelter have typically been in numerous schools and are lucky to have been at a placement for longer than three months. It can be a difficult adjustment for the students who are not necessarily accustomed to the structure that a typical high school has in place.

To help overcome some of these difficulties and to better meet the needs of the students, I attended a vertical child study group at Travis High School this week. Currently at the shelter right now we have three kids in attendance at Travis High School all of which are having trouble with grades, behavioral issues as well as attendance. The vertical child study group was designed to help address these issues while helping to facilitate a plan that allows for a greater success rate from the students. In addition to myself, my site supervisor, the 9th grade counselor and the 9th grade assistant principle, the child of topic is also in attendance to advocate for their needs. This is particularly beneficial for the student because it gives them a sense of empowerment and an opportunity to have some control in their life.

Overall, I found this meeting to be informative and helpful when it comes to bridging the gap between foster youth and their attendance in the public school system. Not only were we creating a structure to provide success for the student, but we were also educating each other in the process. I am not sure of how the outcome for our students will be because it is too early in the process yet to see any improvement, but I hope that by at least having the meeting we are taking the correct steps to ensure them more success at school. I hope to take advantage of these meeting opportunities in the future to help other clients be successful in a public school setting.

Plazas Comunitarias

 

Manos de Cristo offers English as a Second Language, Computer Literacy, Citizenship, and Spanish Literacy classes. I’d like to share a bit more about the Spanish Literacy program, what it entails, and my experience with it.

First of all, I researched a bit to find out how others defined this program, called Plazas Comunitarias. This is compiled from various websites:

“…In order to address the educational deficit of Latino adults living in the United States, the Mexican Council of Education for Life and Work (CONEVyT for its acronym in Spanish) and the Mexican National Institute for Adult Education (INEA), have created La Plaza Comunitaria program, which offers the Latino community a set of technological means that allow access to knowledge through its educational portal.”

“…The Plaza Comunitaria (roughly translated: community learning center) is a physical location

that makes this technology accessible to everyone, regardless of economic status, and provides

technical assistance through tutors, facilitators, and mentoring of students.”

“…Plazas offer the opportunity for youth and adults to have literacy courses and to start or continue their elementary, middle and high school education in Spanish. Every student who completes his or her education under this program gets a certificate provided by the Mexican Ministry of Education and is prepared to present successfully a GED in Spanish and, if the student has a good level of English, to present it in this language. Furthermore, many studies show how students can learn English faster and more efficiently if they have a solid education in their own language.”

In my time being a tutor for Plazas, I have come to realize just how much it takes for these people to come to class. They have jobs, and families, and face so many hardships… I can do nothing more but admire their effort.

Adult education, no matter the level of literacy, has to be geared towards ADULTS. Although these students may have low literacy levels, they have valuable life experience that cannot be taken for granted.  These are people who for various reasons have been unable to complete their formal education, but haven’t forgotten the value of it and have decided to take on the challenge of completing it. Sometimes the challenge is too overwhelming. Sometimes we lose some students. But we encourage and support them as much as we can.

On a more personal level, I’m very familiar with this program because I was once on the other side of it as a student myself. I was homeschooled in Mexico as a kid, which is not very common. When I reached a certain age, I took equivalency exams through the National Institute for Adult Education and obtained my official certificates that way. I know the books that the students are studying, because I once studied them myself.

My case was very different, but I still like to share my story with them sometimes. They are working towards an achievable goal with an end result that just might give them the confidence and knowledge to take on a better job, to help their kids with schoolwork, to pick up a book and discover the pure joy of reading, to better themselves.

A volunteer teacher for Plazas came up to me recently and said that after being a college professor for 25 years, her eyes had been opened when it came to low literacy students. I hope that this program can continue to do just that – open our collective eyes and help these students achieve their goals.

Nerd Alert!! Why I love public libraries….

Austin Powers - nerd alert!

I love libraries….because I heart free entertainment!   I love to geek out and unleash my nerdy sensibilities (quietly and respectfully) at the public library in San Marcos, TX a few times per week.   The downside of public libraries can be encountering members of the general public which includes out-of-control children, weirdos, and the occasional person that needs police restraint.  However, I think it is worth the risk…. 

For the last several years I have been a heavy user of public libraries.  I have always been a reader of books, but during college I could only read for pleasure during winter break and sometimes in the summer. This drove me crazy!!! I kept lists of books that I was waiting to read until break time came around and I was able to relax and read for fun.  I remember being really excited to read the first three Harry Potter books during a winter break from college.

Little Britain television series

When I first began working full time after college I devoted a lot of time to reading and visiting the public library to fund entertainment.   I didn’t make much money, so I borrowed movies from the public library.  The check-out length was one week so I was able to keep track of the due dates and not rack up late fees.  I borrowed entire seasons of TV shows like Lost and Little Britain for free!  There was a great selection of foreign films, documentaries, and yoga DVDs too.  I became slightly obsessed with borrowing films that were new releases too – I could add them to my library account queue while they were still being processed for checkout.  A lot of people also knew about this trick, but the wait time usually wasn’t very long.

I also pursue the library magazine holdings, craft books, and young adult fiction.  Did you know there is a book devoted to Star Wars themed crafts you can make?  There is, and you can make a Jabba the Hut shaped body pillow if you want!  Additionally, I have started taking a free Spanish class every week at my local library.  The San Marcos Public Library even has a free introduction to bee-keeping!  I think I’ll skip this one for now, but I am a sucker for sponging up information that I won’t use...J

Anyway, now you can imagine my future as the crazy cat lady that comes into the library to get her weekly conversation fill with the circulation desk workers and telling people to be quiet when they are typing on their laptops too loudly….

Building Bonds

I really enjoy completing my service through Literacy*AmeriCorps because of the opportunities I have to give back to the community. In my work through Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT), I am building bonds with my students and their families as I teach them English and show them around Austin to teach them about American culture. I am also building bonds with my fellow teachers as we work, laugh, and motor through the difficult teaching situations together.

I love our monthly volunteer service activities because it’s our way of building bonds with the community. I think that the work that we do behind doors sometimes goes unseen, but our service activities allow us to connect with multiple parts of the community in different ways: Thanksgiving service, Extreme Home Makeover, Coats for Kids, Inside Books Project, and Casa Marianella. We are constantly giving back and building bonds through our service, love, and care for those around us. I think that our service helps to show how much people can care for one another, how many opportunities there are to give, and – most importantly – that there are many people in need.

Most of all, I love my time in Literacy*AmeriCorps because I am building bonds – friendships – with other LACers. One of the hardest things about being in a group of 18 people completing their service at different sites is finding the opportunity to spend time with one another. Because of this, I really value our unity events. The unity events are the times when we can build bonds with one another, care for one another, and have fun with one another. When talking with an ACE AmeriCorps alumna, she told me that some of her best friends are other ACE members. Seeing the light in her eyes, I could tell that these friendships mean something to her. I can only hope that all of the LACers see this as a chance to find their new best friends, friends who they continue to build bonds with even after our service year is over.

The student vs the System

After a couple recent conversations with a new friend last weekend and a dyslexic student I just started tutoring, the idea of education and assessment of knowledge as a systemized institution has been on my mind. I tend to have an inherent aversion to the idea of standardized tests, at least partly because of the negative consequences that have resulted from of them (teaching to the test, funding tied to test scores, etc). However, as a person who loves organization and efficiency and useful information, I completely get the appeal and utility of getting normalized data and being able to structure things based on quantitative knowledge.

This topic is especially interesting to me in working with ABE students, many of whom were shuffled through the public education system without actually acquiring any significant knowledge or learning. So many of our students have so much to offer that is often dismissed in school because it doesn't fit into the current widespread education model where students passively receive knowledge and then regurgitate it back to the teacher or standardized test they are taking (upon which so much about their and their school's future unfairly depends). Students with disabilities (learning, cognitive, etc) don't fit into the established idea of a "good" student so most of the time they receive a second (or third or fourth) class education, which just breaks my heart and frustrates me. They have wonderful ideas and thoughts but have trouble expressing them in the way the educational system says they should, so they go unheard and are essentially taught that they have nothing to say.

While we have made a lot of progress in recognizing that there are lots of different kinds of intelligences and in serving individual students the way they need to be served, there is so much to be done. A lot of the time it feels like the problem is just too big, our nation is just too big, the system is too entrenched, so it's futile to try to change it. Not that change isn't possible or that we as individuals and as a group can't effect change - literacy volunteers in a variety of contexts are doing just that every day with individual students. It's just frustrating that the system is set up in a way that only certain students get to excel and succeed in some ways. Maybe that's inevitable, maybe not.

This was more of a contemplative post than anything else, and I would love to hear others' points of view on this subject - ready, go!

A few thoughts on the culture of therapy

At Friday’s training, Peter recommended Anne Fadiman’s book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down.  It examines the culture of medicine in the US- its assumptions, institutional practices, and particular language- and explores what happens when it comes into contact with another culture with different conceptions of the body, medicine, and the materialness of the soul.  How do these cultures communicate?  How does cultural awareness grow, and where are its limitations?  Who is involved in the process of translating experience- whether it be physical, cognitive, or emotional?

My own personal experiences, as well as the situations I have witnessed as an AmeriCorps member this year working with a diverse group of families, compels me to examine these questions now.  More specifically, I would like to explore the culture of therapy within America, and how its assumptions and methods can prevent effective behavioral health treatment for youth from different cultures and their families.

[Disclaimer:  I have never taken a psychology course, and know very little about how this topic has been treated in academia or the world of behavioral psychology.  The little research I have done has yielded a scant selection of articles, and I am using this blog post as a jumping-off point for more ideas (from y’all!) on how to learn more.  This is simply a personal, anecdotal perspective].

I recall in particular one family therapy session in which my parents, first-generation immigrants from India, sat on the couch with me facing my American psychologist.  As we begin talking, it became clear that we were speaking different languages, and that serious gaps in our vocabulary were hindering communication between the four of us.  My parents speak English fluently, and so our problem lied beyond the literal level; it was the cultural concepts that were causing confusion.

At one point, the psychologist asked me (as someone who could ‘translate’ between cultures, being a second-generation immigrant) for Bengali culture’s analogy for “leaving the nest” and the process of individuation of young adults from their parents.  I fumbled for a bit and realized- there wasn’t any.  Girls do not typically leave their paternal home until they are married, and there really isn’t any word for “individual” that doesn’t have selfish connotations.  Similar un-translatable moments occurred around the concepts of boundaries and privacy, depression, and the use of pharmaceuticals in treatment.  

I share this experience because I believe it is quite common.  Within the Western traditions of therapy, counseling, and particularly- psychoanalysis, there exist some cultural assumptions that can come into conflict with the values, traditions, and beliefs.  Within the very personal and sensitive arena of mental and behavioral health, this may lead to a family’s decision to disengage with the parties responsible for providing counseling or treatment.  If members of a family don’t feel that the person who is supposed to be helping them understands them, or feels that they should not be involved in their family’s private affairs, then problems within the youth or family can go ignored, compound and intensify.

So here are some very general culturally-variable concepts/issues that I think that we may need to think about when it comes to therapy:

·         Boundaries and privacy, both within a family and in regards to the family’s relationships with social workers, therapists, case workers, etc.

·         Individualism/individuation

·         Shame, guilt, and taboo- even the idea of “needing” therapy or receiving a “diagnosis” can be seen as shameful to some families

·         Gender dynamics- who has the power to influence and make decisions?  How will people navigate these realities in a safe and healthy manner?

·         Different communication styles (or lack thereof) within families or cultures

I’m sure that there has been conversations about this topic and work has been done, I just wanted to share my vague initial thoughts....perhaps more for another blog post or research for a paper!

Graduation Day at Austin Academy

My site, The Austin Academy, held its annual graduation ceremony last week. This event recognized the students who have successfully completed the Adult Basic Education (ABE), Job Readiness Training (JRT), and GED programs during the past year. In 2011, 27 students completed ABE; 67 received Job Readiness certificates; and 45 graduates earned their GEDs. About 30 of the graduates (several completed more than one program) and their families participated in a wonderful celebration at St. David’s Church in downtown Austin on Thursday, January 19th.

Travis County Judge Samuel Biscoe was the commencement speaker. In his remarks, Judge Biscoe extended his heartfelt congratulations to the graduates, discussed the significance of their accomplishments, and encouraged each of them to seriously consider continuing their education by attending college. He highlighted the importance of education in his own life and pointed out that, by obtaining their GEDs, our graduates have not only opened doors for themselves but have put themselves in a position to be more productive members of our community. In addition to recognizing the graduates, he challenged their family members and friends in attendance, especially the young people, to follow the example set by our graduates and to relentlessly pursue education at every opportunity.

The highlight of the ceremony, at least for me, came when three of our GED graduates spoke about their experiences at The Austin Academy and the impact that obtaining their GEDs has had on their lives. While the three could not have been more “different” as people, each of them talked in his/her own words about how having the opportunity to obtain a GED as an adult has essentially given them a second chance in life. About 15 of this year’s graduates, including the three who spoke, are now or soon will be attending college.

Attending graduation was an eye opening experience. I've enjoyed every day that I've spent at Austin Academy, but I have to admit that I've probably gotten caught up in the day to day activities of the classroom from time to time and occasionally lost sight of why our students are here. This graduation ceremony certainly put things back in focus for me in a very positive way. Listening to the speakers, especially the three graduates, and seeing the sense of accomplishment, pride, and hope in all of the students and their families as the graduates received their diplomas made this unlike any graduation I've ever attended. (And given my age, I've been to a lot of them.) I'm glad I was able to be there. It's something I'll never forget.