Archive | January, 2012

A Foreign Language? How Important Is It?

31 Jan

Wie gehts? Comment vas-tu? Como estas?

My high school offers three foreign languages: German, French and Spanish. Both the German and the Spanish classes are given by native speakers; not so for the French as it is very difficult to find a native Parisian in our small town. As a rule, most students take 2 years of foreign language, not enough to learn to speak well, and certainly not enough to write flawlessly. The three teachers complain of the lack of grammatical knowledge in these teenagers. When you can’t differentiate a noun from an adjective, a present tense from a conditional, an action verb from a linking one, things tend to get complicated when entering college. And yet, our students’ exposure to European tongues may well awaken in them the desire not only to learn more, but also to visit these countries.

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Class Warfare?

29 Jan

The Republican candidates to the White House have addressed the OWS (Occupy Wall Street) movement as just one more bunch of rabble-rousers who have nothing better to do than to disturb the peace where honest, hard-working people are trying to make a living. In their capitalistic minds, they call it Class Warfare, instead of confronting the real problem head-on.

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Let’s Debate

29 Jan

There are more than 90 articles in this blog; check them out and leave me a comment, pro or con, I’ll read them all and answer accordingly. Let’s get the debate going!

No, not the Republican Debate

I'm right! I just know it!

Too Much Studying?

26 Jan

Ask any American kid in high school if he or she is studying too much or has too much homework and 80% will answer yes. Ask any Korean kid the same question and they will answer quite differently. A recent article from Time magazine says: “South Korean kids study day and night, which helps explain their world-beating scores. Now the government wants them to go to bed early.”  South Korean students not only want more academic work, they register in record numbers with private, expensive tutors to study after school, often until after 10:00 pm. As a result, many pupils fall asleep in morning classes, apparently without penalty or concern from teachers.

Asian,boys,cell phones,children,classrooms,communications,people,students,technologyYoung Korean student with calculator

The essential motivation behind this studying fervor in South Korea has two vectors; one, the extreme competition for good paying jobs in the famed Korean industry, and second, the high values passed from generation to generation in that Asian country’s families. Children want to honor their parents and parents want to give their progeny the best possible future. One can visit Korean immigrants in the U.S. and witness their extraordinary energy and ambition. They excel in whatever field they choose and show this discipline from the moment they start going to school. They have no problems learning English and opening businesses; they help each other and sacrifice their free time to better themselves academically and culturally. The only possible criticism would be that they don’t easily blend in with other ethnic groups, but that changes after a couple of generations when American born Korean children really feel at home.

Now back to our American schools: Rarely do I see a student fall asleep in my classrooms because of late studying; the main cause is either texting till the wee hours of the morning or an evening job flipping burgers or selling cell phones. Yes, many teens have to work to help their family, especially in the less fortunate urban areas. Parents are guilty in the first case of letting their teen children play video games, watch TV, or use their expensive smart phones until late at night. That would be inconceivable in a South Korean family. In the second case, some school districts are offering flexible hours to accommodate those who work. It is not easy to do both: Graduate from high school and hold a job. I had to do it while in college after getting married; a tough proposition but it teaches you that nothing is impossible. One also gets to appreciate future challenges as quite feasible.

There is no way I would recommend the Korean example for our students; I don’t believe for a moment that just because they get better results in those “world” tests, they know more than our American kids. Memorizing facts is easy; applying that information to make a difference in your world is an entirely different proposition. But I get really upset when I see families where discipline is so loose that the children pretty much have the run of the house and waste their time watching TV instead of improving their mind. And make no mistake: there are many cases in middle-class families. They belong to what I call the “careless generation”. Once these kids hit the job market, they are in for a rude awakening. And I blame the parents 100%.

As usual, the solution lies in the middle, that is a mixture of the good of both cultures. Let’s teach their discipline of success to our American kids, while giving our Korean immigrant friends a hearty welcome, knowing that they will eventually become true Americans.

 

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The Art of Educating

24 Jan

There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance. (Socrates)

When a teacher faces a new class at the beginning of the school year, he (she) sees 25 bodies belonging to girls and boys. Some are thin, some fat, others are tall, or short, but the main information, the one the teacher really needs, is hidden from sight. A good instructor will make sure he finds out what’s going on before the first month is over. Learning each name is essential, of course, to set up a good relationship with the youngsters; but more important is getting to know as much as possible about their life experiences at this stage of their existence.

Sudden Change

A good example is a boy we’ll call John: He seemed normal until the day he got really mad at the teacher, screaming at her in front of the whole class. Her first reaction was to send the student to the principal, where he would be punished accordingly. But Ms. Jones was an experienced teacher; she knew something was wrong with John, so she called the mother and asked for a conference. It turned out that John suffered from a light form of autism and did not know how to confront opposition from another person. The school had not detected the disability as yet as John was extremely intelligent and aced all his tests.

academics,books,education,homework,iStockphoto,jeans,notebooks,school supplies,students,teenagersA pensive student

Some disabilities are not as easy to detect; case in point, Aaron, a real case whose name has been changed, often fell asleep in one of my classes and failed to pay attention to instructions when awake. I took him outside and had a man-to-man talk (he is 18). He told me a heart-wrenching story: drunk, abusive father and a harassed mother who tried hard to educate him and his three siblings. He had to take a job flipping burgers after school and often got home after midnight. He was exhausted and hungry as his mother had almost nothing in the refrigerator in the morning. The little money he made barely paid for rent and utilities. I connected him with a community outreach program that has been helping him and the family with food, clothing, and daycare ever since.

Teamwork

It’s easy for a bad teacher to simply give his lesson and forget about his students’ needs. That is not education, it’s instruction; anybody can do that. A great educator will spend free time to talk to parents, counselors, and other teachers to learn as much as possible about each and every student. Lessons must be tailored to individual needs; for example, some students are too shy to ask questions in class.  A mediocre teacher will fail to detect the reason behind their apparent passivity and will reward only those who participate.

Adapting Instruction

I consider every student as a special needs child; we all have some type of academic disability; it’s just a matter of finding out what it is in each case. A close relationship between parents and teachers will help detect why Johnny is not doing well in English. For example, a few of my students came to this country recently and have not yet mastered our language. Others were born here but the family only spoke Spanish and only watched Spanish TV channels. When the home environment is not propitious to learning, I cannot expect my students to do their homework. They may have quarreling parents, or 3 or 4 very young siblings they have to care for because mother is working. Whatever the reason, I have to adapt my teaching to every student’s personal needs.

Educating is a never-ending process, just as learning is a life-long adventure.

Bad Teacher, Good Teacher, Great Teacher

22 Jan
Nobody has ever measured the harm done on children who have a bad, really bad, teacher. The younger the child, the more the harm, and parents are usually unaware of the enormous stress placed upon their son or daughter. A bad teacher is much like a bad priest or its equivalent, a preacher or minister, except that the first sees and interacts with this child five days a week. Just imagine being subject to scorn and ridicule for a whole school year; the other students, who miss nothing, quickly notice that their classmate is being harassed by their teacher. Whose side do they take? Of course, the guy or the lady who gives them grades, the adult in the room who can cause havoc at home with one phone call.

Detection

School districts rarely have the tools to detect and eliminate such nefarious influence; yet, the one person who is in daily contact with every teacher is the school principal, and that’s the person you, the parent, must talk to immediately if you suspect that something amiss is occurring. I am not talking about sexual abuse, a topic that seems to pop up more and more frequently involving coaches, priests, and occasionally teachers. The attentive mother will notice that very quickly and report it to the respective authorities. I am talking about these few cases in which the child’s self-esteem is systematically pummeled and eventually destroyed.

For Example

Students of all ages tend to blame the teacher for their low grades or for discipline measures taken against them. “She doesn’t believe me,” is one of the many excuses children mention when their parents ask for an explanation. “She doesn’t like me,” is another, or “She is picking on me.” Standing in a classroom in front of 25 kids 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and for almost 10 months every year is no easy task. The teacher may have the same students the whole day or a different batch every period. I dare you to try and remember 140 names, in a high school setting, and their individual needs and idiosyncrasies. Add the names of the parents and you have a momentous task in front of you. But that of course does not excuse abusing the kids just because you got up in a bad mood; it’s not allowable for parents or for teachers. But it happens, unfortunately. I clearly remember my third grade teacher, a middle-age spinster who apparently hated the male species; she allowed the girls to do anything they wanted, while the boys were severely reprimanded if they dared stand up and ask to go to the bathroom. Needless to say, my self-esteem suffered a rude downgrade.

Not Born Equal

In spite of the beautiful thought shared by our Founding Fathers, that all men are born equal, that is not the case when it comes to academic skills. A teacher knows immediately who can and who cannot follow the lesson at a rapid pace. We have of course the special education program set up to detect severe learning disabilities but there are many who slip through the cracks so to speak and, though considered regular students, simply cannot keep up the pace. They are the ones most often targeted by really bad teachers, who also show their lack of sensibility with academically disabled kids. In the best scenario, these are ignored; in the worst scenario, they are targeted repeatedly as examples of what not to do in the classroom. After a couple of years of such abuse and neglect, these kids simply give up on school and the parents, in some cases, wrongly assume that their child is simply too dumb to succeed in the classroom.

Talk to Your Kids

Your first line of defense is to maintain an open and frank communication with your children; find out if they are simply venting steam because they failed a test, or whether their complaints have a solid and rational basis. If it is the second, go and talk to the teacher first so you can make up your mind about her; then ask the principal if they will allow you to spend a couple of days in the classroom and watch carefully how the teacher handles the kids. It might be sufficient to make the educator reflect on his or her behavior and start treating the kid with respect. If this fails, ask for a conference that should include the teacher, the principal, a counselor and, if you think it is needed, your lawyer. Request an investigation that should reach other parents to see whether they also believe that a problem exists. Just remember, bad teachers are few and far in between; a good teacher may sometimes be accused unfairly simply because she tries to discipline your child who did not behave well. She represents the parent in a school setting and must also be treated with the same respect.

Next Generation

Education is not only the responsibility of educators; it must be a coordinated effort by parents, teachers, counselors, and school staff. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it if we want the next generation to make this country even greater.

The Forgotten Ones

20 Jan
Capitalism rewards the smart, the savvy, the lucky, the great athlete, the hard-working entrepreneur, the astute financier, the hypocritical politician, and rewards very well, in the millions of dollars. But aren’t we forgetting the rest of the people, the ones at the bottom of the pile, the almost untouchable ones, those who have no special skills, those who’ll never have a pension plan, those who sometimes seek refuge in the bottle, or in drugs?
As a high school teacher, I meet all kinds of students and I usually can tell whether they are destined for high level jobs or menial poorly paid positions in life; they will always belong to the bottom of the totem pole. We can all admit that if you are reading this blog, you most likely navigate the waters of  the middle or high class, and are therefore blessed with a better than average intelligence. Human beings with low levels of intelligence must be treated with all due respect and consideration; they were born that way and until science comes up with some magical gene therapy to correct the mistake, they will remain that way until they die. Can they be happy? Of course, I have met many such individuals who seem to enjoy life much more than I did.

Political systems, however, within capitalistic societies, offer very little protection to people who cannot fend for themselves sufficiently to enjoy a carefree old age. Oh, we have Medicaid, a bonafide mana from heaven for those who find themselves below the poverty line! But many end up on the street, depending on the generosity of passers-by. They starve, freeze to death, and die of unnamed diseases. Even worse: When they have children, these end up sometimes as preys for crazy sick predators. Every year, 50,000 kids are sexually abused in the United States. If they survive the rigors of poverty, these children will do very poorly in classrooms across the country. What they learn might help them get a job flipping burgers or burning their hands picking up lettuces.

Yet, we cannot have a happy society in which nobody wants to do the dirty jobs. There is even a TV show on the subject where the star gets his hands dirty for a couple of hours. But the real workers suffer day in and day out for the rest of their lives. We seldom reflect on those hardy souls who make our lives more comfortable; we very rarely thank them for their efforts. And we never think of those Chinese “slaves” forced to work for 30c a day for 10 to 12 hours without a break and without the possibility of escaping; they make our precious cell phones.

A purely capitalistic society is synonym with inequality and injustice. Do we treat very poor people the same in court as we do with the rich ones?  Ha, ha! What a stupid question! “They are too lazy, too stupid, to enjoy the American Dream,” said a prominent businessman to his buddy in a moment of rare candor.

But how can we call ourselves a successful nation if we don’t protect the less fortunate with every means at our disposal? Private charities do a lot, certainly, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the immense needs of millions of American citizens. Remember the War On Poverty of 1964 launched by President Lyndon Johnson? Well, 40 years later, we are still fighting it and we still have a long way to go.

 

Re-Thinking Our Country

18 Jan
What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance (Thomas Jefferson)

He surely was thinking of the OWS movement, a resistance to the present cozy alliance between politicians and bankers.


Considering all the problems that are presently affecting the United States, why don’t we ask a group of the greatest thinkers to re-think America; they would be chosen among philosophers, scientists, writers, historians, poets, comedians, teachers, and a few farmers, engineers, military guys, and ordinary people such as common sense imbued senior citizens. The membership would have only one condition: no politician, present, past, or future.

Colbert For President?
The idea came from an unexpected source: the candidacy of Stephen Colbert, the well-known entertainer who launched an exploratory committee toward the presidency. Why a comedian, some people would ask? Well, why not? One cannot have “experience” as a president, one must learn on the job, which is why Obama will be a much better Commander-in-Chief the second term if reelected.  A professional politician like Romney or Gingrich brings a lot of “baggage” to the task. They have extended their tentacles over Washington for the last 20 years at least. They have “obligations” or IOU’s all over the place, which they would “repay” if elected. A brand new civilian would have no such load on his/her shoulders and could thus concentrate on governing rather than finding positions in the government for his cronies.

No Elections?

The “thinking” group mentioned in the first paragraph would be charged with re-inventing the United States, and that would include a new way to s’elect (sic) a president, if they judged that our present republican system is adequate for our needs as a super power. Maybe a king would be better (just kidding); but a Parliament might work better than our present Congress. Just look at the British Parliament in action to see the Prime Minister being grilled mercilessly. I would love to see our president respond for his actions and decisions the same way. Perhaps the “elite” group could be trusted with picking a new president from among the most successful businessmen, or academics, such as a Nobel prize winner. We could even do away with elections altogether!! Oh Democracy, how much wrong has been committed in thy name!

Nefarious Polls

Meanwhile, is there any way we can have political campaigns without polls? No, of course not. There is too much money at stake; but the trouble with polls is that they have become extremely accurate; what’s the point of voting if the results are already known? Who is to say that voters are not influenced by the polls in such a way that they finally pick the candidate ahead in the preferences? If true, it negates the very foundations of a democracy, just as super PAC’s are destroying the fairness of elections. Just pour enough money into a candidate and even the most incompetent politician can be elected. Furthermore, with today’s instantaneous communications through smart phones, the first voters are able to tell the later voters and the media whom they selected. The whole system is flawed and the “super group” should find a new way to restore our democratic ways.

I don’t believe for a moment that my idea will bear fruit; political and financial interests are so entrenched in the present system that nothing of importance will be changed, nothing that could give us back a real democracy. The same people who must be eliminated are the ones who have the power to do it. No respectable (if not respected) Congressman (woman) will vote for self-immolation. It would take a popular tsunami to realize that dream, much more than the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Life on the Border

15 Jan
He went to Matamoros to resupply his medications, which are much cheaper in Mexico. As he was leaving the pharmacy, a burly man brandishing a gun told him to turn over everything, including his truck. This is a common story that illustrates two important social factors 1) Joblessness is Mexico is much higher than what the government claims and 2) Local police forces are totally corrupt and/or incompetent. My friend did not bother calling the cops as he knew that his assailant was most likely one of them. Carjacking takes place in broad daylight as testified by this young American tourist who was simply waiting in line to cross the bridge; a pair of ruffians just told her to get out of her Camry or suffer the consequences.


A Tale of Two Cities

Brownsville and Matamoros, just like Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, or El Paso and Juarez, or San Diego and Tijuana, are all twin cities on the border with Mexico which share a lot more than a bridge and brisk trade. Many American families have relatives on the other side and many Mexican businesses have opened a similar one on this side. They share the good and the bad, just like a married couple; in fact, they are joined at the hip, an analogy that illustrates how any serious problem in one city affects the other one. Maquiladoras for example, which are American factories on the Mexican side, offer better paying jobs to thousands of families while reducing their cost thanks to lower salaries. They too are closing their doors until a safer climate returns.

All these border towns are presently suffering from a grave illness: violence and the loss of trade that results from chronic insecurity on the Mexican side. The two examples I cite above are not simply isolated cases, they are weekly events that tell American citizens not to travel to Mexico. Dollars are no longer flowing to local businesses in Matamoros the way they used to only a few years ago. Restaurants and bars that used to cater to American crowds are closing their doors, thus eliminating much needed jobs and pushing more young Mexicans toward the drug trade.

Spill Over

The violence has started to spill over on this side and local law enforcement are beefing up their resources to face possible cartel threats. That is, with the exception of a few cops who take bribes to look the other way. Governor Perry is right in at least one aspect: The federal government must pay more attention to making the border safe; the billions spent in foreign wars can be better used here in the United States to fight drug traffickers. Every week its seems a new safe house to stash drugs or illegal immigrants is found in a border town. We as citizens living close to Mexico must keep our eyes open and report any suspicious activity….and we do.

Armed and Dangerous

Another crime spree is occurring in cities in the Rio Grand Valley; home invasions are becoming more frequent and more criminals have been shot and killed by homeowners. The bandits are often drug users looking for money to feed their addiction or Mexican nationals unable to make a living in their country. Since Texas has some of the most permissive laws regarding gun possession and use, most people are arming themselves to fight off a possible intruder. Nothing wrong with that, as long as parents make sure the revolver is not loaded and/or accessible by kids. But the message to criminals is clear: stay out of my house or risk getting killed. A homeowner is safe from prosecution while defending his house and family…and that’s the way it should be.

As a national election for president is getting closer in Mexico, most citizens in that country are hoping that a new administration can restore the peace and prosperity they used to enjoy.

Hegemony or Survival

13 Jan
The title of this piece comes straight from the famous book by Noam Chomsky on America’s role in this new century, in which he analyzes with relentless logic our “imperial” foreign policy.


Chomsky is probably one of the authors read by the presidential candidate Ron Paul, a man I really like and admire; he is a vet, like me, he is over 70, like me, but he is also a doctor, a medical doctor and apparently a successful father (no mean feat). His youthful following, the many young volunteers who are helping him in his successful campaign to the White House, are not blinded by the music of a rock star, or by the superficial beauty of a female singer, they are with him because they share his ideas and his vision of the future for our country. Ron Paul is a man who speaks his mind bluntly, without artifices and without a holier-than-thou attitude. That is quite refreshing in a politician.

Yes, Dr. Ron Paul is too old to become the next president and he is too extreme in his views to fit comfortably in either the Republican or Democratic party. He would normally be an ideal third party candidate and do as well or better than Ross Perot who put a scare in his two opponents in 1992. Some of his proposals would coincide with Paul’s ideas. Both Perot and Paul are for balancing the federal budget for example and favoring American made products. Both are enjoying the support of those voters fed up with business as usual in Washington, with the cozy relationship between lobbyists and congressmen, and especially with our role as Policeman of the World.

Come Home

Congressman Paul, quite wisely, though no other Republican has repeated this position, states that we no longer need to spend billions on other countries; let’s eliminate 90% of our military bases, let’s bring back our troops from Afghanistan, and let’s stop pretending that we have to fix the world’s problems because our security interests are threatened. What interests in Iraq (aside from oil), what interests in Afghanistan, a nation never conquered and often invaded, what interests in Pakistan, now that bin Laden is no longer, and so many other countries where our presence is felt by pouring millions of dollars to their corrupt politicians.

World Super Power

It is true that we have the most powerful military, which makes us the Big Bully wherever we interfere with local politics. But when the atomic age came to light after WWII, it no longer was possible to risk an all-out world war which would annihilate civilization as we know it. So we made the tragic decision to send troops to Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Ira, and Afghanistan. Tragic because we lost many, many young American lives for very little gain. South Korea is perhaps the only jewel we can be proud of after witnessing the sad fate of North Korea and its totalitarian regime. Vietnam was no doubt the worst mistake ever made, fueled by a blatant lie by President Lyndon Johnson. It was also the only war the United States has ever lost.

New Military Strategy

President Obama recently said that we have to downsize the Armed Forces to rely more on small groups of highly specialized soldiers who would operate in regions of the world where American interests might be threatened. With our highly sophisticated planes and drones, we could send a clear message to would be terrorists that there was no place to hide on the planet. Ron Paul clearly embraces this strategy in foreign policy. The days of imperial dominance are clearly over for two important reasons: 1) The emergence of Russia and China as possible foes and 2) The sad state of our empty coffers and huge debt. Libya and Iran present two classic and ideal scenarios for our new military strategy: Air power and special forces can turn the tide without engaging thousands of boots on the ground.
Is our survival as a nation at stake or are our politicians still living the Monroe doctrine, albeit on a universal scale? Can’t we just mind our own business and let other nations seek their own path, as long as it doesn’t interfere with ours? Isn’t it more practical and sensible to develop our own sources of fuel by investing heavily in research and development? Do we have to irritate great powers like Russia and China instead of negotiating win-win treaties? Do we have to continue favoring great corporations over the welfare of our citizens? Do we have to tolerate this great divide between republicans and democrats, all of whom are patriots and Americans?
Please let your voice be heard in this forum!
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