It just seems to be getting better and better--this year of "spreading-the-peace" adventure.
Former Students, if I were in the classroom now, I would want you to know that people are listening carefully to your dreams of peace. And, Oprah, pay attention because those peace postcards are continuing to be mailed. The trickling-in theory is in operation. Some would call this the broken record technique. Basically, the middle schoolers believe that the more cards stuffed into your mailbox, the more someone will notice. Ripples in the pond.
Years ago I never would have thought that my retirement dream of following Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days' fictional itinerary would work out quite like this. Over 30 years, I dreamed of traveling to those places I had taught about through drama and geography throughout my teaching career. When I stepped into a different phase of life, I planned to literally take that exact trip. I'd leave from London and return to London three months later. I'd stop off in Paris, Brindisi, Suez, Calcutta, Shanghai,Yokohama,etc. Simple idea.
Living life changes visions and dreams, and sometimes for the better. I've always been big into revision as a writing teacher. The joke on me is that I thought I was carefully teaching my students. All the time they were teaching me. For now, Verne's book title is being rewritten in my mind as I seek places to share and honor the voices of middle schoolers and their precious visions and dreams for changing the world they are inheriting.
Do you think that Jules would have approved of a different title: Spending One Year with Adolescent Peace Visions Takes Teacher to Unexpected Places? (Slight play on words intended.) Who would have thought that Phileas Fogg would show up in Sisters or Bend, Oregon as he raced around the world to win a wager? Let alone start in Eugene.
The TWIG group at Sister's Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration was a delightfully energizing experience this past Monday. Imagine being able to present peace in a room with a view of the Three Sisters on a clear day. John and I had spent the night before with Eloise and David Barry at Black Butte where we joined other dinner guests, Margie and Dick Tipton. Laughter and peace talk couldn't have been better than with these four new and renewed friends that night. (Hospitality would be another great vision of peace to send out like a butterfly, by the way.) My next day's talk to about 35 women from a variety of church backgrounds and school officials was well received. My favorite comment came from a woman who said that she appreciated my peace talk, but remarks about knowing when to retire and the importance of "letting go" were pivotal for her. She now knew what she must do next.
The following day was the best yet--an hour spent in Maggie Pierce's first grade classroom at Pine Ridge Elementary School. Maggie and I team taught her 20 classmates how to make the peace postcards after displaying the butterfly quilt. Maggie passed out a peace rock(a smooth polished stone) to each child as they left the room. Its purpose was to remind each of the vision he/she had composed and left clipped to the peace quilt for mailing. The rocks were a hit. More ripples?
Maggie's vision was for people not to hurt animals because she loves them. She recalled that her babysitter, Sandy, had taken in a wounded cat that grew healthier, and from there her vision grew. Kid visions abounded with pictures of a green earth, flowers that remained unpicked, caring friendships, and a world with enough money and homes for all.
Brynn, Maggie's mom, e-mailed photos to friends and family with a summary of that hour.."On Tuesday, Maggie and Grandmum presented the Peace Quilt and Lura's Million Visions of Peace project to Maggie's class (Papa John was the photographer). The whole thing went really well! You should have seen the two of them planning things out the night before. A wonderful moment and memory... thanks Lura & John and Mrs. Noll (Maggie's teacher) for making it happen! love... Brynn p.s. Maggie is from a long line of teachers… can you tell?!"
No comments:
Post a Comment