"I have never let schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
The timeless question that everyone has been asked once has resurrected itself over a liter of Amstel while surrounded by 90,000 screaming Valencianos at La Cerveceria Deportiva last night during halftime of the Valencia-Barcelona game: "If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?"
My answer is easy, simple, and never changes: Mark Twain is my man.
I cannot remember specifically when my, shall we say, strong affection for Samuel L. Clemens began, but I'm sure it sprung up sometime around when my eighth grade English teacher fought us tooth and nail to take part in the embarrassment that was "Tom Sawyer Day" after culminating the author's most famous novel. Tom Sawyer persuaded me to read Huck Finn, which persuaded me to read more and more until now when I am reading some biography of Mr. Twain that I found for free on the iTunes along with the unabridged version of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables and Charles Dickens's The Tale of Two Cities. Mr. Twain writes in a way that no other American author has written and encouraged us to face realities that are sometimes difficult to accept in life. He's snarky, sassy, and I hope that if I ever publish anything I can model my work based on his example. But then again, I doubt I could come up with story lines that are nearly half as original as his. My affinity for Mr. Twain is so, to use one of his words, mighty, that every time my family goes to Disney World, I force them to sit through The American Adventure! attraction at Epcot just because it is "narrated" by my hero. (Yet, by the time of day that we actually go see the show, we need to be in air-conditioning anyway...but, as usual, I digress.)
"So," you may be thinking, "what exactly does this tangent about Mark Twain have to do with anything that you're doing now?" Trust me, it's part of my point.
I recently read an article in The New York Times that greatly summarizes everything that I have felt on a personal and professional level over the past three weeks. The article, written by Clifford J. Levy, a writer for the Times, focuses on the education that his children received upon relocating to Russia in 2007. I won't get into the reasons why Mr. Levy and his family were in Russia- that is better explained in his own words and I don't want to steal any of his thunder, but I will concentrate on the underlying themes that popped into my mind while reading this article.
First of all, all people need to learn how to adjust to the frustration of being thrown out of their comfort zone. Welcome to my life right now. I used to think being redirected to thirteen different people on the phone when I need an answer to one simple question was frustrating. I used to think doing math homework was frustrating. And I used to think that people who don't do their dishes, claim that none of the dishes were theirs, wait until someone else does them, and then dirty the kitchen again, were really frustrating (and disgusting). But then I moved to Spain and I learned what real frustration is- the inability to communicate exactly what you want to say with people all the time. Granted, I am getting along well since I have had years of Spanish education and am continuing to learn. Yet, my heart still goes out to and completely understands and sympathizes with the feelings of hopelessness and desperation that these kids must have felt at the beginning of their stay. Adapting to a new town in the US can be difficult, but adapting to a whole new culture that speaks a language you don't know or were only taught in limited amounts? That's flat out tough, but the experience educates you to no end and, at least I think, you will be smarter and better for it in the long run.
Mr. Levy's words also made me realize that I am both the student and the teacher in this situation and I need to teach as much as I learn. I want to learn Spanish, about Spain and living in another culture just as much as these Spanish kids want to learn English and about living in America. We can use each other. They can speak in Spanish at a rapid pace and ask me all kinds of ridiculous questions that will help me learn their language if I, in return, play some Mumford and Sons and Gaga off my iPod for them. I want to know what happens on Las Fallas and they want to understand the cultural significance of carving a jack-o-lantern. It's priceless and I wouldn't trade a thing in the world for it. Never before in my life have I actually been able to say that I love my job, but now I can. Likewise, according to my co-teacher, never before have the students been able to say that they like going to English class, but that I'm here they do. It may be the best and most meaningful compliment I have ever received. It totally beats the one where people say I look like Rachel McAdams (not a bad thing, but then again, I don't see it).
The quote at the beginning of this post, penned by Mr. Twain of course (who else? duh!), is so reminiscent of what I am experiencing now, what that article has brought to my mind, and what I expect for all children in the future. It is helping me to understand the true purposes of an inter-cambio program and increasing my yearning to promote them in the United States. Moreover, if I so choose to ever adopt or have children, which I guarantee you will not happen for a very, very, VERY long time, I want them to have what Mr. Levy gave to his.
It's funny actually- not long before I came to Spain my Mom was telling me about how a former teacher, and now friend, of mine went on a trip to Italy and Greece over the summer with some students, came back for a day or so, and then hopped on a flight to South Africa. I told her I was jealous. That's when she looked at me and said, "Why? That's probably going to be you."
You're damn right, Mother Dear. After the education I'm getting and giving here, it totally is.
___________________________________________________________________________
So here is the link to the aforementioned article and supplemental video. Please take the time to read it and watch it. I implore you to think about it and send it along to others.
My Family's Experiment in Extreme Schooling- Clifford J. Levy, The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/magazine/my-familys-experiment-in-extreme-schooling.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all&src=ISMR_HP_LO_MST_FB
No comments:
Post a Comment