It struck me today that I have become a different kind of missionary. After almost six years of living, working and going to school in a First Nations community our family has absorbed far more traditional beliefs and teaching than I realized. Two things brought this home to me this week.
The first is my son. On Monday evening Jo was playing upstairs before supper counting his Lego tires...in Ojibway rather than English. Then he asked his father, "What is nishtana take away niizhin?" (20-2). WHAT!?!?! My kids speak the language (well, a little bit).
The second is the course that I am taking online this winter. This is my fourth online AQ since moving here. In each course I have increasingly completed and handed in assignments that are focused on Ojibway culture and context. I feel more and more like my comments and reflections are sermons on the current state of education for First Nations students in northwestern Ontario. Part of me is disturbed that I am so committed to helping others understand a culture that is not my own. Part of me is really pleased that I can be an advocate in this way.
I was adamant that I came here to teach, not to preach. I do not have the calling to be a missionary. It seems that rather than preaching to the community I live in about Christ (which I try to do in my actions and share in words when it is invited in a dialogue), I am preaching to the world about the community I live in.
Still working out how I feel about that.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Writing for Pleasure
Bedtime stories are sacred. A time for snuggling up, just one parent and one child, letting go of our reality, and diving together into a fantasy world. Pictures books bring the fantasy to life through the illustrator's visualization. Chapter books allow our imaginations to run wild, creating worlds limited only by our interpretation of the words on the page.
The journey with each of the Sprouts has been a little different. With Fi, the jump to chapter books was early and accelerated. We plowed through traditional girl texts like Little House on the Prairie and Ramona the Pest. It was not long before we were delving into Narnia. And then we blinked and she saw reading ahead of us in the day and saying the next night at bedtime, "I'm done that one already." And then came the Christmas holiday where she plowed through Harry Potter (all seven books) by herself in two weeks. Now we are struggling to find books that are challenging and interesting, but don't include content that isn't appropriate for a ten year old.
With Jo, we waited a little longer to jump into chapter books. We assumed that he was a weaker reader and, as a boy, less interested in fiction. We were wrong. He just expresses his interest differently. His favourite so far is Owls in the Family. That book prompted curiosity about owls, a new group of stuffed friends for his collection (two owls who are named Wol and Weeps).
Last night LK and Jo started The Trumpet of the Swan. In this story a boy keeps a journal, writes down his observations about the world around him, and asks questions that come out of them each day. Jo has been a reluctant writer so far. LK and I have been wrestling with how we can help him see the power of writing as a tool to communicate his ideas without increasing the 'homework'.
Sidebar: I hate homework and have trouble believing it its value. I would so much rather spend the time I have outside school and work with my kids doing learning activities I choose and enjoy than worksheets or projects assigned by someone else. There is much more to their education than what the Ontario curriculum determines to be important. Sermon over.
Anywhooo, at the end of the first chapter LK and Jo decided that Jo would like a journal to write down his thoughts and questions about the day. Today, while in town for church and errands we picked up a book for him (with a special hardbound cover) for him to begin.
As I sit with my brainstorm notebook open on the table typing this (to model that I write for pleasure), the Little Sprout sits beside me doing his journaling. Well, more accurately bounces back and forth from the living room where LK is giving him support in sounding out his words.
Interestingly, he has a homework assignment that his very gracious teacher accommodated me with; adding a writing component to the regular reading homework each week. This homework is a battle to complete every week.
In contrast, writing in his journal is something he is thrilled to do, and then read aloud to his family. And at the end of it he is excited. What a difference it makes to choose to do something oneself than to be obliged to do it by someone else.
The journey with each of the Sprouts has been a little different. With Fi, the jump to chapter books was early and accelerated. We plowed through traditional girl texts like Little House on the Prairie and Ramona the Pest. It was not long before we were delving into Narnia. And then we blinked and she saw reading ahead of us in the day and saying the next night at bedtime, "I'm done that one already." And then came the Christmas holiday where she plowed through Harry Potter (all seven books) by herself in two weeks. Now we are struggling to find books that are challenging and interesting, but don't include content that isn't appropriate for a ten year old.
With Jo, we waited a little longer to jump into chapter books. We assumed that he was a weaker reader and, as a boy, less interested in fiction. We were wrong. He just expresses his interest differently. His favourite so far is Owls in the Family. That book prompted curiosity about owls, a new group of stuffed friends for his collection (two owls who are named Wol and Weeps).
Last night LK and Jo started The Trumpet of the Swan. In this story a boy keeps a journal, writes down his observations about the world around him, and asks questions that come out of them each day. Jo has been a reluctant writer so far. LK and I have been wrestling with how we can help him see the power of writing as a tool to communicate his ideas without increasing the 'homework'.
Sidebar: I hate homework and have trouble believing it its value. I would so much rather spend the time I have outside school and work with my kids doing learning activities I choose and enjoy than worksheets or projects assigned by someone else. There is much more to their education than what the Ontario curriculum determines to be important. Sermon over.
Anywhooo, at the end of the first chapter LK and Jo decided that Jo would like a journal to write down his thoughts and questions about the day. Today, while in town for church and errands we picked up a book for him (with a special hardbound cover) for him to begin.
As I sit with my brainstorm notebook open on the table typing this (to model that I write for pleasure), the Little Sprout sits beside me doing his journaling. Well, more accurately bounces back and forth from the living room where LK is giving him support in sounding out his words.
Interestingly, he has a homework assignment that his very gracious teacher accommodated me with; adding a writing component to the regular reading homework each week. This homework is a battle to complete every week.
In contrast, writing in his journal is something he is thrilled to do, and then read aloud to his family. And at the end of it he is excited. What a difference it makes to choose to do something oneself than to be obliged to do it by someone else.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
