Spent a fun afternoon convincing grade four/five students why they should eat kale. I've worked with this class for years and it is so fun to watch them grow up and express themselves, even if they choose names like Chef Farty Pants. It's so rewarding to see the shyest kid in the class get up and improvise, with the challenge of working the word "kale" into the conversation as many times as possible.
While I was hanging out in the gym at noon one of the autistic kids I love was draping me in colored gym shirts with the instructions that I was to perform "a daisy in the sunshine" as the floor hockey team mascot. Her imagination is incredible.
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Life Skills, I mean Real Life Skills
So I have been under a great deal of pressure this last week. I went and overbooked myself into a tight spot. I wake up at night with the anxiety. Today something shifted. I woke up at five and heard heavy rain, which relaxed me because it means I don't have three gardens to water today. I shifted some bamboo we'll be working with and the guy who helped me was a mensch. I stepped into his van and the smell brought me right back into childhood, riding in my dad's three quarter ton. We used to head in at five am to get groceries, over an hour away in North Battleford, Sask. On the way in we'd listen to CBC radio. We'd have breakfast at a greasy spoon. I'd wander around the shops on my own until dad had loaded up the truck. Sometimes we'd visit the museum where my grandpa donated artifacts. Sometimes we'd make a detail to Cutknife to see the World's Biggest Tomahawk. Mostly we'd just travel in silence watching the prairies roll by. We didn't talk much and we liked it that way. I learned that is a good and comfortable way to be with a person.
At the school I had some of the older boys help me clean and prep the bamboo. I loved watching them explore the bamboo and enjoy its simple beauty. They compared the young and the old bamboo. They learned how to saw it. They learned about the nodes and diaphrams. One guy had to try to saw through a node and he did it with determination and patience. They had their silly fooling around moments and I curbed their enthusiasm only when I felt they were playing dangerously. They cleaned and scrubbed and got bored. They sang and joked and pranced around. We had fun. Ironically, the students in the classroom next to us were watching a Disney Cartoon: Hercules. I watched that show SO MANY TIMES with my son. There's a motivational song "I can go the distance." It's cheezy and I love it. I sang along and hummed it all day.
As the clouds lifted and the sun came out the weather also cleared in my interior landscape. I felt lighter and I saw a way into the future, past the stress and deadlines. It was a spiritual experience that came at an unexpected time in an unexpected way.
I will not let the bastards get me down.
I will learn to monetize my life's work.
I will continue to teach life skills and be inspired in turn by my students.
It's gonna be all right.
At the school I had some of the older boys help me clean and prep the bamboo. I loved watching them explore the bamboo and enjoy its simple beauty. They compared the young and the old bamboo. They learned how to saw it. They learned about the nodes and diaphrams. One guy had to try to saw through a node and he did it with determination and patience. They had their silly fooling around moments and I curbed their enthusiasm only when I felt they were playing dangerously. They cleaned and scrubbed and got bored. They sang and joked and pranced around. We had fun. Ironically, the students in the classroom next to us were watching a Disney Cartoon: Hercules. I watched that show SO MANY TIMES with my son. There's a motivational song "I can go the distance." It's cheezy and I love it. I sang along and hummed it all day.
As the clouds lifted and the sun came out the weather also cleared in my interior landscape. I felt lighter and I saw a way into the future, past the stress and deadlines. It was a spiritual experience that came at an unexpected time in an unexpected way.
I will not let the bastards get me down.
I will learn to monetize my life's work.
I will continue to teach life skills and be inspired in turn by my students.
It's gonna be all right.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Cold Skies, Warm Heart
I feel warm-hearted after a good week of teaching. The students are so smart and so appreciative. I feel really privileged to be able to work with them.
It snowed today. Should I bring my pots in tonight? Must look at forecast.
I did a fun gig last night at ArtStarts. Very surreal because I wore my yellow Madame B. dress and hat on a drab day when everyone and their dogs were wearing Canuck jerseys. Had lots of interesting encounters including a woman who said "Just because you wear a hat does not mean you are innocent!" in a very thick French accent. I felt like I was in a movie.
Lots of talented young Albertans at the event last night.
It snowed today. Should I bring my pots in tonight? Must look at forecast.
I did a fun gig last night at ArtStarts. Very surreal because I wore my yellow Madame B. dress and hat on a drab day when everyone and their dogs were wearing Canuck jerseys. Had lots of interesting encounters including a woman who said "Just because you wear a hat does not mean you are innocent!" in a very thick French accent. I felt like I was in a movie.
Lots of talented young Albertans at the event last night.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Chai and Popcorn: Part Two
I love chai made in South Asian restaurants and I can never quite duplicate its flavor. One of my favorite memories of chai is from the first time I attended the All Soul's Event in Mountainview Cemetery. There was a tent where the local community was serving chai and burfi--the perfect comfort food on a cold night. It helped to temper the grief I felt as I remembered my ancestors. There's something about a community reaching out to nurture with food that reminds me of home, of the funerals and happier social events on the prairies. We need this comfort. It is part of the ritual. It is the ritual.
My co-presenter and translator for this workshop was the lovely Mohinder. I learned much from her. She says one of the first things she does every morning is grind some spices with a mortar and pestle. It creates a fragrance that moves through the house and starts the day. As I ground the spices for chai she advised me to put a little bit of ground cardamon seeds on top of each cup of finished chai for extra fragrance and taste. What a great idea. We all agreed that we love cardamom. " If it doesn't have cardomom, it isn't chai", one lady says. "And if it's not black tea, it's not tea." I knew it! Ha! Green cardamom and black tea are two of my favorite things. I ground up some fennel, ajowain, and anise seeds which are all good for digestion. I crumbled up some real cinnamon bark from Ceylon and crushed some Chinese star anise, green cardamom pods and black pepper. We had a bit of trouble trying to find the Punjabi word for the spice called star anise (Illicium verum) and for the herb called anise seed (Pimpinella anisum) as well. Star anise is another one of my favorites. I love its licorice scent. We also added two cloves. All the spices in chai are very good for your health. Cinnamon is something that I try to have every day because it helps prevent adult diabetes. My friend Sharon infuses cinnamon into the jug of drinking water she keeps on her table, which I think is a great idea.
Black tea is also good for you and particularly if you drink it without cow's milk (containing casein) or sugar. However, it's still good for you in milky masala chai. I made two versions of chai: one with milk, water, no fat evaporated milk and a high quality assam tea from Shaktea; and one with low fat coconut milk and red tea. Evaporated milk and coconut milk are both quite sweet, but for a treat you can sweeten with honey or Agave Nectar and dried coconut sap, both which have a low glycemic index. We're trying to be healthy here, so another option is to sweeten with Stevia which is a beneficial herb. It will grow here in Vancouver, but you need to take it inside in the winter. It's worth growing your own, because it's very expensive to purchase as powders or drops. Licorice root is not a good alternative sweetener for those of us who are at risk for diabetes.
I boiled the spices with the water for five minutes, added the milk to bring it up to temperature, then steeped the teas for three minutes. We snacked on popcorn I drizzled with a bit of sunflower oil and tossed with Sri Lankan curry powder, salt, and the leaves of the curry plant from my garden. The so-called curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) looks a bit like lavender, but with compact yellow flower heads. It smells like curry powder, but tastes more like sage. It really lifted the flavor of the popcorn.
I talked about the use of dandelion root in tea, but I did not serve it because it is medicinal and there are some contraindications to certain conditions and medications. Contraindications: Gastric discomfort may arise due to hyperacidity. As dandelion heightens the bile flow people with an obstruction of the bile ducts should not use dandelion. Dandelion may also heighten the blood levels of herbs or drugs processed by the liver. Dandelion root should never be taken in associated with lithium, a medication commonly taken to cure manic depression. Do not use it if you are currently taking ciprofloxacin, oxfloxacin or levofloxacin, as these drugs and dandelion root are not compatible. Dandelion should not be used with diuretic drugs and other antihypertensive medications.
The women attending the workshop were very patient and gracious and I am very thankful for this opportunity to have fun with them.
ETA: I forgot to mention the ginger. The chai I made had several chunks of fresh ginger.
My co-presenter and translator for this workshop was the lovely Mohinder. I learned much from her. She says one of the first things she does every morning is grind some spices with a mortar and pestle. It creates a fragrance that moves through the house and starts the day. As I ground the spices for chai she advised me to put a little bit of ground cardamon seeds on top of each cup of finished chai for extra fragrance and taste. What a great idea. We all agreed that we love cardamom. " If it doesn't have cardomom, it isn't chai", one lady says. "And if it's not black tea, it's not tea." I knew it! Ha! Green cardamom and black tea are two of my favorite things. I ground up some fennel, ajowain, and anise seeds which are all good for digestion. I crumbled up some real cinnamon bark from Ceylon and crushed some Chinese star anise, green cardamom pods and black pepper. We had a bit of trouble trying to find the Punjabi word for the spice called star anise (Illicium verum) and for the herb called anise seed (Pimpinella anisum) as well. Star anise is another one of my favorites. I love its licorice scent. We also added two cloves. All the spices in chai are very good for your health. Cinnamon is something that I try to have every day because it helps prevent adult diabetes. My friend Sharon infuses cinnamon into the jug of drinking water she keeps on her table, which I think is a great idea.
Black tea is also good for you and particularly if you drink it without cow's milk (containing casein) or sugar. However, it's still good for you in milky masala chai. I made two versions of chai: one with milk, water, no fat evaporated milk and a high quality assam tea from Shaktea; and one with low fat coconut milk and red tea. Evaporated milk and coconut milk are both quite sweet, but for a treat you can sweeten with honey or Agave Nectar and dried coconut sap, both which have a low glycemic index. We're trying to be healthy here, so another option is to sweeten with Stevia which is a beneficial herb. It will grow here in Vancouver, but you need to take it inside in the winter. It's worth growing your own, because it's very expensive to purchase as powders or drops. Licorice root is not a good alternative sweetener for those of us who are at risk for diabetes.
I boiled the spices with the water for five minutes, added the milk to bring it up to temperature, then steeped the teas for three minutes. We snacked on popcorn I drizzled with a bit of sunflower oil and tossed with Sri Lankan curry powder, salt, and the leaves of the curry plant from my garden. The so-called curry plant (Helichrysum italicum) looks a bit like lavender, but with compact yellow flower heads. It smells like curry powder, but tastes more like sage. It really lifted the flavor of the popcorn.
I talked about the use of dandelion root in tea, but I did not serve it because it is medicinal and there are some contraindications to certain conditions and medications. Contraindications: Gastric discomfort may arise due to hyperacidity. As dandelion heightens the bile flow people with an obstruction of the bile ducts should not use dandelion. Dandelion may also heighten the blood levels of herbs or drugs processed by the liver. Dandelion root should never be taken in associated with lithium, a medication commonly taken to cure manic depression. Do not use it if you are currently taking ciprofloxacin, oxfloxacin or levofloxacin, as these drugs and dandelion root are not compatible. Dandelion should not be used with diuretic drugs and other antihypertensive medications.
Burdock root, on the other hand is quite safe and a good cleansing herb to put in your chai. Just be warned that it is a gentle laxitive.
The women attending the workshop were very patient and gracious and I am very thankful for this opportunity to have fun with them.
ETA: I forgot to mention the ginger. The chai I made had several chunks of fresh ginger.
Tea and Popcorn: Part One
This week I gave a workshop on tea to a South Asian community kitchen. I was incredibly intimidated, but I gave it my best. Here's the thing--I was supposed to talk about herbal teas, but I know from experience these women love their masala chai. Well, I decided to try to talk about both "real" tea and herbal tea. I love chai and I know it's good for you, so I decided to research what people call "herbal chai."
Herbal chai usually refers to chai without caffeine that is made with rooibus or dandelion tea. There are still spices in herbal chai, but there might be extra medicinal herbs added such as burdock root and echinacea. The women in my workshop were incredibly curious about "red tea" or rooibus tea. Rooibus means "red bush" in Afrikaans. It is tea that is made from a plant that grows in a specific region of South Africa. During apartheid sanctions it was not available in Canada. I saw it first in England, where it was marketed as "children's tea." It is sometimes spelled "rooibosch" from the old Dutch, and I have heard it pronounced three different ways: rooee-bus, ROY-bus, and ROY-bosh. I was surprised to hear the plant Aspalathus linareas is in the legume family. It has a high anti-oxidant content and the great thing is it does not become bitter if the leaves sit in the water. I make a pot in the morning and drink it all day, even when it becomes cold. So far, it is believed to be entirely safe to drink. Furthermore, it does not contain caffeine and has a calming effect.
One thing that's a bit confusing is that although this tea is commonly known as red tea, it also comes in a green form, that is tea leaves that have not been oxidized. I actually prefer green rooibus because it has a slightly more savory, grassy flavor, but it is quite hard to find. So mostly you will see rooibus advertised as red tea, with shops serving red chai, and even red lattes, which are also delicious as rooibus does marry well with milk. It also goes well with a variety of other flavors including mint, chocolate, fruits, and florals such as rose petals. My son loves rooibus chai and my husband likes a rooibus with some berries in it. Once you have some basic red tea you can add your own ingredients to your taste.
For an activity, I set up the women with bowls of dried berries and cubes of candied ginger. We made tea chains that would be lovely infused with rooibus tea. The berries were: currants, goji berries, cherries, physalis (ground cherries or cape gooseberries), cranberries and blueberries. So we had lots of antioxidants for a cleansing tea. We used dental floss as string because it is hygenic and strong and we made tags for a label at the end of the tea chain. While the ladies made their tea strings, I passed out popcorn and started to prepare some chai.
Herbal chai usually refers to chai without caffeine that is made with rooibus or dandelion tea. There are still spices in herbal chai, but there might be extra medicinal herbs added such as burdock root and echinacea. The women in my workshop were incredibly curious about "red tea" or rooibus tea. Rooibus means "red bush" in Afrikaans. It is tea that is made from a plant that grows in a specific region of South Africa. During apartheid sanctions it was not available in Canada. I saw it first in England, where it was marketed as "children's tea." It is sometimes spelled "rooibosch" from the old Dutch, and I have heard it pronounced three different ways: rooee-bus, ROY-bus, and ROY-bosh. I was surprised to hear the plant Aspalathus linareas is in the legume family. It has a high anti-oxidant content and the great thing is it does not become bitter if the leaves sit in the water. I make a pot in the morning and drink it all day, even when it becomes cold. So far, it is believed to be entirely safe to drink. Furthermore, it does not contain caffeine and has a calming effect.
One thing that's a bit confusing is that although this tea is commonly known as red tea, it also comes in a green form, that is tea leaves that have not been oxidized. I actually prefer green rooibus because it has a slightly more savory, grassy flavor, but it is quite hard to find. So mostly you will see rooibus advertised as red tea, with shops serving red chai, and even red lattes, which are also delicious as rooibus does marry well with milk. It also goes well with a variety of other flavors including mint, chocolate, fruits, and florals such as rose petals. My son loves rooibus chai and my husband likes a rooibus with some berries in it. Once you have some basic red tea you can add your own ingredients to your taste.
For an activity, I set up the women with bowls of dried berries and cubes of candied ginger. We made tea chains that would be lovely infused with rooibus tea. The berries were: currants, goji berries, cherries, physalis (ground cherries or cape gooseberries), cranberries and blueberries. So we had lots of antioxidants for a cleansing tea. We used dental floss as string because it is hygenic and strong and we made tags for a label at the end of the tea chain. While the ladies made their tea strings, I passed out popcorn and started to prepare some chai.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Soggy Day
It's seriously raining out there. I am in my warm, clean jammies after a day of teaching and gardening. I worked with the grade fours who have buddies in grade one. We talked about seed germination, the stages of plant growth and then we went to it. We planted seeds. It was complete chaos. Seeds everywhere, overturned pots, frustrated students. I absolutely fell on my ass. Tried to accomplish too much and flopped. Oh well. This is what they call part of the learning curve. My son said it was the worst buddy time they'd ever had and next time I should be better prepared and it should go more smoothly. No kidding.
I worked out my frustration by working in the rain in the garden; amending the soil in my garden bed with compost and sea soil and planting some of the shelling peas and sweet peas I'd soaked to get ready for planting. I usually don't sow direct because of slugs so I'm going to have to start saving eggshells and being vigilant. It felt good to pull weeds and get my fingers in the soil.
This weekend was all about writing protest letters to politicians about the education cuts. The replies are starting to trickle in. The school board is grateful to have parents advocate to the provincial politicians because they say they listen to parents more than the board. In fact they wouldn't be surprised if the provincial government tries to supplant the current board. We'll see about that.
I also saw a fabulous performance by Lori Blondeau at the Western Front: Unwrapping the White Man. It was vintage Blondeau, with great comic timing and a thought-provoking central image. The place was packed. I'm so happy to see a new young crowd supporting performance art.
Last night I watched a very silly and enjoyable movie starring Matt LeBlanc and Eddie Izzard called All the Queen's Men. It's about a recon mission in which the soldiers have to dress in drag to infiltrate a factory. I had no expectations so I had a lot of fun watching it. Then I watched an Inspector Morse Mystery called Deadly Slumber. Not the best one, but I still love Morse.
Alfredo sauce on orecchiette pasta and asparagus for dinner. Comfort food for a soggy day.
I worked out my frustration by working in the rain in the garden; amending the soil in my garden bed with compost and sea soil and planting some of the shelling peas and sweet peas I'd soaked to get ready for planting. I usually don't sow direct because of slugs so I'm going to have to start saving eggshells and being vigilant. It felt good to pull weeds and get my fingers in the soil.
This weekend was all about writing protest letters to politicians about the education cuts. The replies are starting to trickle in. The school board is grateful to have parents advocate to the provincial politicians because they say they listen to parents more than the board. In fact they wouldn't be surprised if the provincial government tries to supplant the current board. We'll see about that.
I also saw a fabulous performance by Lori Blondeau at the Western Front: Unwrapping the White Man. It was vintage Blondeau, with great comic timing and a thought-provoking central image. The place was packed. I'm so happy to see a new young crowd supporting performance art.
Last night I watched a very silly and enjoyable movie starring Matt LeBlanc and Eddie Izzard called All the Queen's Men. It's about a recon mission in which the soldiers have to dress in drag to infiltrate a factory. I had no expectations so I had a lot of fun watching it. Then I watched an Inspector Morse Mystery called Deadly Slumber. Not the best one, but I still love Morse.
Alfredo sauce on orecchiette pasta and asparagus for dinner. Comfort food for a soggy day.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Chaos
I used to embrace chaos. I used it as camouflage to hide behind. Now I just don't have the energy for it. However, I do love the relative chaos of teaching grade four and five students about vegetables and color and texture through a lesson plan I've never taught before. One must take risks and take the plunge. Prayer flags drip bright blue splotches onto the floor. Only one child chooses yellow, one chooses umber and the rest all choose purple and blue. They want to grow mangoes and rice in the Pacific Northwest gardening zone and I love them for it. They love the little bits of responsibility you dole out to them--cleaning sponges and brushes, opening packages of clothespins, orienting a garden North, South, West, East. "I know how to do it," one student says, "Never Enter Stinky Washrooms." North, East, South, West. He's right.
Kids deserve creative chaos. Let's give it to them as much as we can.
Kids deserve creative chaos. Let's give it to them as much as we can.
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