Summer “Schooling”

So every year as the school year comes to an end, many of us find ourselves counting down until summer break, but have you ever caught yourself complaining?  Now there are several things we might find ourselves complaining about, for instance, “Why is it that as soon as summer break hits my kids have no problem waking up at the crack of dawn?” Or, how about your teacher friend saying, “I really am thankful the school year is over, but I need routine!” As a teacher as I started my first day of summer break, I decided that it was going to start with routine. And that this routine was going to maximize my son waking at the “crack of dawn.” So I was bound and determined to start of my summer break doing something that I longed to do, something that I needed to do, and something my son would benefit from, and that was starting our day with a walk in nature.

Now you might ask why?  Why was walking in nature so important?  Well for starters I wouldn’t be writing this right now, my walk from this morning brought fresh ideas to my head and I needed to pen them down.  So here I am sharing what I think is so vital to educators, teachers, and parents.   Some may think this is just for parents, but those are not the only ones that are affected by this.  You see on my walk this morning, I quickly realized as a teacher and a mother that summer is not a break for us to stop learning.  Believe it or not, my six-year-old son shared with me his thoughts about the book, The Giving Tree.  We were near the end of our walk at the time this conversation started, but he said to me, “Mom, that story isn’t real, that tree it doesn’t exist does it?” And I responded, “Well, it is a story, so it is fake, it is to help teach us a lesson about nature and life”. He said, “Yes, but mom it isn’t real, it didn’t happen”.  I explained to him, that it is fiction, and he said, “But fiction is real, and it’s not.” And I replied, “Fiction is fake, non-fiction is real”.  And it was at that moment that I realized just how amazing this walk had been not only for me, but also for him.  Here I am a 10^th grade English Language Arts teacher, who teaches the differences between fiction and non-fiction all year long.  And yet, here my six-year-old son is having this philosophical conversation about these differences with Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree.  Now, some of you might be thinking, but you are an English teacher of course you will talk to your child like this.  And I must say that as a teacher and parent, we long to be able to talk to our kids this way, but the reality is that the opportunity has to arise.  How can such an opportunity arise if nothing is there to engage it?  And hence, this is why we must rethink and redefine our summer break to summer “schooling”.  We must not let our children have a break from learning.

You see it came to me during this walk, that we must break the stigma that we have tied to “summer school”.  By creating this stigma that “summer school” is a bad thing, we have also taught them that summer is a “break” from learning.  Now some of you are saying, but they need the break and they still get socialized learning.  And I would agree with you; however, children must also see summer as “schooling”.  What I mean by this is that there is just as much for children to learn in the summer as there is throughout the traditional school year.  I decided months ago that my son was not getting the summer off from school.  And I have taken some heat from others about it.  What do I say in my defense, “That he needs to continue to practice what he has learned, so that he doesn’t revert at all”.  However, I realized this morning, that it is not simply maintaining the skills he has learned, but also continuing his education.

Truthfully, this discovery did not just occur out of the blue on this first morning walk of the summer with my son.  I had actually been thinking about this for some time, I knew I needed to map out a routine for summer.  I remembered how helpful nature walks were in the past, they allowed me time to clear my head, sort my thoughts, and the most beneficial part to them was how much inspiration they gave me.  Ah-ha! Yes, you see the reason I am writing this now, is because it was all inspired by my walk this morning.  As several teachers gathered together on the last day to celebrate another year in the books, some of us talked about going on hikes a few times a week.  And I thought to myself, why wait to do it just a few times, this needs to be a daily routine.  And I know some of you are already thinking, but it is so hot in the summer and I hate being hot.  Okay, but remember you must be the example to your student and that means even as a parent, your child is also your student!

The walk we took this morning was 2 miles or two loops. Throughout the walk I explained to my son that we would walk the two loops and afterwards he could play in the playground at the park.  I kept reminding him that in order to “Play hard” we must “work hard”.  So if we were able to make our two laps then he could play in the playground.  Now, here is the teacher as parent part, when you promise your child something, be sure to remind him of the limits.  So, as we finished the last loop, I said, “Okay, now we can go to the playground, but before we enter, remember that you only have 15 minutes, so when we enter the playground I will check the time and count down from there”.  So as my son played and played, I kept checking in with him reminding him you have ten minutes, 7 minutes, 3 minutes.  And some of you may ask, why is she sharing this, well it is always important to establish rules and keep to them.  It is also critical to check in with children and give them reminders. You might be really surprised to discover you will have less meltdown.

So I hope you enjoy your summer and all the discoveries you will encounter along the way!

Harper Lee encouraging a polite conversation for the masses

Does Go Set a Watchman change how we teach To Kill a Mockingbird?

So unlike many of my friends and fellow educators I had never read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school or in college.
     Reader: WHAT!?! How is that possible? But you are an English teacher?
           Me:  I know, I know, it is pretty sacrilegious and un-American to have grown up in America and not read this classic, and also become an English teacher prior to reading this novel.

The answer is rather simple, the novel was never assigned to me in high school or college and yes, while I am an avid reader and had picked up the book several times to read, I was always interrupted by other assignments or life events.  I read chapter 1, many times and then would find it a month later under another book on my nightstand, and once again, I would move it back to my "to-read" shelf.  "Eventually," I would say, "I will get to it".  I must also state for the record that even though I had not read the novel, I was very familiar with the story, through friends who hold this book as their all-time favorite, also from literary references, and of course, the film adaptation (which I always seemed to catch midway through running on AMC).

When I realized that Go Set a Watchman was being published I decided it was high time I finally read To Kill a Mockingbird.  However, I decided because I could, that I would read them in the order in which Harper Lee wrote them, so I would begin with Go Set a Watchmen and then, To Kill a Mockingbird.

I knew the controversy surrounding Go Set a Watchman, but decided if I am going to teach To Kill a Mockingbird I needed to read both.  Now that I have finished both novels I am very glad I did not let the controversy and worry of the change in Atticus Finch's character prevent me from doing so.  What this worry did for me was consider this question as I read, "Would I teach To Kill a Mockingbird differently, and would I have to?"

The answer is no. But, do I think there are more things teachers can address other than symbolisms, metaphors, themes, and foreshadowing.

And here is why... To Kill a Mockingbird is not just a novel about injustice, prejudice and the complicated deep South.  To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic because it continues to cause readers to think, to question and to come to terms with the moral changes in society overtime. It also allows Americans to discuss the complications that occur between generations, what my childhood looked like versus my parents versus their parents, etc. As a teacher, we must point out why sometimes things change, sometimes they remain the same, and sometimes unfortunately, we are left alone searching for an answer in the wilderness.

After reading TKAM I realized the one thing I would like to do as I teach this novel and I hope others do as well, and that is to introduce philosophy. In America we tend to teach psychology and sociology in high schools focusing much like Lee does with why and how people live the way they do, trying to grapple with social class, racial divide, child endangerment, drug addiction, mentally impaired.  I did not get taught philosophy until college, and understanding existence and why things are the way they are...are very common concerns among teens. What Lee does at the end of TKAM is she uses Machiavelli's principle, "he (the leader of the state) must stick to the good so long as he can, but, being compelled be necessity, he must be ready to take the way of evil" (Machiavelli, 63).  The Sheriff takes the way of evil, " I never heard tell that it's against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did, but maybe you'll say it's my duty to tell the town all about it and not hush it up.  Know what'd happen then? All the ladies in Maycomb includin' my wife'd be knocking on his door bringing angel food cakes.  To my way of thinkin', Mr. Finch, taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service an' draggin him with his shy ways into the limelight--to me, that's a sin. It's a sin and I'm not about to have it on my head. If it was any other man it'd be different. But not this man, Mr. Finch" (Lee, 317).  Lee uses Arthur 'Boo' Radley as a sense of evil shadow through the entire novel, only to be the ghost that saves the day.

Of course, this is not the only thing I would like my students to see, I would like them to question the other complexities throughout the novel, but I think giving them a sense of philosophy would greatly help them grapple with their own questions as they read.

Now to address the controversy of Atticus Finch. To Kill a Mockingbird is a hero's journey and the hero can be viewed through two characters Atticus Finch and Scout, or Jean Louise. Now this is where I feel if teaching the hero's journey, Atticus fits TKAM. Scout however, a teacher should urge students to examine both novels.

TKAM, if taught in isolation, Atticus Finch can remain the beloved father figure. And as a teacher I would introduce Joseph Campbell's hero's journey:
     1-Ordinary World- Atticus is a father to his children, a lawyer in Maycomb County.
     2-Call to Adventure-  Atticus is assigned to defend Tom Robinson by Judge Taylor.
     3-Refusal- the trial brings unwanted attention to his family.
     4-Mentor/Helper- His cook, Calpurnia and Jack Finch.
     5-Crossing the Threshold- Knowing the verdict, but doing what he can in the trial.
     6-Tests/Allies/Enemies- Hatred from some of the town's people.
     7-Approach- Facing persecution from the people of Maycomb Co. for defending Tom.
     8-Ordeal- Bob Ewell's threats and attack on his children.
     9- Reward- His children's lives are spared
    10-Road back- moral education
    11-Atonement- Sheriff saying, "let the dead, bury the dead" (let evil take care of evil)
    12-Return- Town returns to a sense of normalcy

Now if one uses GSAW one might choose to further explore Scout on the hero's journey.  In TKAM, Lee makes a literary reference to Scout being, Jean Louise Bulfinch, for those of you who do not know, this reference is to Thomas Bulfinch's mythology.  If one is to compare Thomas Bulfinch to Scout one might argue that Lee wanted her character to tell her journey for the masses, like Bulfinch, and not for theologians and scholars.  And ultimately, encourage a polite conversation for her mass readers, which I think TKAM has done for generations.

So to view Scout's hero's journey, one must use both novels.
     1-Ordinary World- Childhood/the way she remembers the Maycomb Co. of her childhood
     2-Call to Adventure- Gray ghost, who is the mysterious Boo Radley, the trial/Her dad's ailing health and the train ride home
     3-Refusal-Mr. Radley cementing the tree, her father being accused of helping blacks/accepting Maycomb Co. as it is now, slowly becoming segregated
     4-Mentor/Helper- father, Boo Radley, Sheriff/ Uncle Jack
     5-Crossing the Threshold- facing the lynch mob/viewing the town council with her father as a member
     6-Tests/Allies/Enemies-Towns people, Bob Ewell/Henry Clinton, her father and his moral education
     7-Approach- Criticized for her father's involvement in the trial/Criticizing Maycomb Co. becoming segregated
     8-Ordeal- Bob Ewell's attack/Accepting her father as a flawed human and not God
     9-Reward- Her life spared/Adulthood, independence, her conscience
    10-Road Back- Accepting Boo Radley as the gray ghost/Accepting that she is different than her father, but that he still loves her and she still loves him
    11-Atonement- "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it is a sin to kill a mockingbird"/Uncle Jack saying, "Every man's island, Jean Louise, every man's watchman, is his conscience"
     12-Return- Understanding what it is like to walk in someone else's shoes/Becoming her own voice, standing up for what is right

Jean Louise wants to be back home, the home she grew up in, when she was innocent and ignorant, but she has crossed the threshold of adulthood and can't return to the Maycomb County of her childhood, because it has changed and so has she. One of the parts that I think is brilliantly tied in GSAW is the story of Child Rolande and the dark tower. This reference really fits Scout's hero's journey, her searching, feeling alone in the wilderness for the first time, not able to turn to her father.  For teachers, this is a great way to include poetry in the classroom and teach Browning's "Child Roland to the Dark Tower Came", and if time allotted they could also incorporate Shakespeare's King Lear reference to Child Rowland and the dark tower. This is just another reason why we have gravitated to Lee's writing.

For anyone apprehensive about reading Go Set a Watchman, I understand how you feel, especially based upon all the reviews, it is much like a television reunion, where the characters you loved have grown up, and you get to love them again.  And unlike many other reviewers, I think that Atticus Finch still remains America's beloved father, he still loves his daughter, even though she does not agree with his views. I think Lee uses the view of Atticus Finch, to show that in America it is wrong to hold any man to be the moral compass of all society, and that as we grow our values and morals do as well.  America loves superheroes and heroes in general, and it would be nice to have the TKAM Atticus Finch come and save the day, but we live in the ordinary world, not the supernatural.  An ordinary world, always troubled by injustice, prejudice, and cultural complications like those in the deep South.  Ultimately, I think Lee wanted to show the masses a lesson in humility. So thank you, Harper Lee, for once again giving us a novel that will continue a polite conversation on these subjects.

Censorship: 1. censorial control exercised repressively. 2 : the office, power, or term of a Roman censor.
Okay, so I haven't written a blog in quite awhile, but an article that came across my Facebook feed from a former professor, Susan Redington Bobby caused a guttural reaction that could not be ignored. So here goes...

Dear Tara Shultz,

I am writing to you as an educator and a mother.  First and foremost, you are a 20-year-old college student, who has the right to choose a major and your classes.  I understand that sometimes a major may demand that you take certain courses, but I am also aware that every college has a college board.  If you knew or were concerned that a graphic novel course was going to have material that you found offensive, you might have thought about appealing to the board and asking for a supplemental course.  Instead you made this comment to the Redlands Daily Facts, “I didn’t expect to open the book and see that graphic material within,. I expected Batman and Robin, not pornography".  I strongly encourage you to take a closer look at Batman and Robin, particularly Frank Miller's The Dark Knight. I think you might be surprised that it too portrays violence, examines sexuality and the oppressed, and hints at pornography.  I also would like to know since you say, “I don’t want them taught anymore. I don’t want anyone else to have to read this garbage," what do you recommend be taught in their place?

I ask this, because as an educator when a student comes to me concerned about an assigned reading, they are not excused from the reading. Instead you see, we establish an alternative assignment for the course.  The origin of graphic novels stems back to dime store comic books.  I feel it is important to point this out, as someone who took a graphic novel course as an undergrad, I discovered through research, just how remarkable comic books were to generations of people who had to stop going to school to help out on the family farm.  You see, the "graphic" images helped them to understand the stories being told, and at a dime a piece it was quite the alternative to being illiterate. The Superheroes you may have expected were also created to help readers of the time cope with what was occurring in the world,  evils of war, world war. These comics also helped readers cope with things they could not talk about, they gave them a sense of hope and normalcy.

Is this image from Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis so graphic and horrifying?  She is looking to God to help her understand a revolt in her country. Personally, I found Satrapi's graphic novel gripping, heart-wrenching and humorous.  Something you might not fully understand, but often when people are faced with the most terrifying moments in their lives, they laugh, because it is what helps move them through it.

Maybe you would have preferred to read about Wonder Woman and her lasso of truth? However, I would ask that you delve a little deeper and study her creator, William Moulton Marston. Yes, the inventor of the lie detector test.  A man who not only had a wife, but a mistress, both of which fathered his children. Marston had an interest in women's suffrage, but also centerfolds, which many people overlook until they start to study the origin of the this legendary comic book icon. I mean seriously did you ever think about the fact that whenever a man binds her in chains, she loses all her powers? You see, comic books explain so many things, the suffragette movement and the rise of feminism.

Furthermore, I have to say that you are fortunate that Ryan Barlett was your professor for this course, because I probably would have added the graphic novel by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, Saga to the syllabus. And based on popularity I may have even added The Walking Dead and Chew.

Lastly, as a mother, I must point out that you are a 20-year-old, so stop relying on your parents to stand by your side and start standing on your own two feet, you, Tara Shultz, are an adult, not a child.

Sincerely,
An educator, mother and comic book fan girl

Easy Peasy Caprese Salad

This is one of my favorite dishes to make this time of year. There are several variations on this salad. I also love that you can serve this over crisp lettuce leaves on its' own or as a side with a main course like grilled chicken breasts.

Ingredients:

4 red peppers

1 container of mozzarella balls

2-3 fresh basil leaves

Pinch of Italian seasonings

Drizzle of olive oil

Directions:

Slice the red peppers so that you can lay them in a baking pan skin side up. Place them in the broiler, roasting the peppers until the skins are bubbling and black. Remove the peppers with tongs place in a glass dish and cover with plastic wrap. Let them cool for about 10-15 minutes before trying to remove skins. Once you remove skins cut peppers in long sliver slices and place in a glass or ceramic dish. Next add mozzarella balls. Chop basil and sprinkle on top along with pinch of Italian seasonings. Finish off with a drizzle of olive oil and lightly toss...ready to serve and devour!

***You can also use yellow peppers for more color and flavor. 

Another thing I like to do with this recipe is toss in fresh grape or heirloom tomatoes***