09 May 2010
The Seduction of the Green Shirt
Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games
What started as a spontaneous act in August 2009 when I saw the promotion for volunteers on a McDonalds' tray liner has turned into a wonderful opportunity to work with people from around the world.
While in attendance at a interview workshop, it took Mark all of 15 minutes to volunteer for the games. The fact that he is fluent in a myriad of German dialects as well as knowing some French and Spanish made him a valuable commodity.
We are both NOC (National Olympic Committe) assistants. Our roles during the games will be vastly different (as I am not fluent in German, or French, or Spanish, or .... ). Currently he is the only volunteer that can speak German (and also has indepth knowledge of Soccer... aka Football) he will be working with the delegations from Austria, Germany and Switzerland (as a start). I am not sure which delegation I will be working with, but given my background it appears that I will be in a position in which that involves multi-tasking and not reacting to stress situations in less than a positive manner.
This is the FIRST Youth Olympic Games (2 years from now the Winter Youth Games will be held in Innsbruck - we have already put in our applications to work there). While the concept of these Games are similar to the Olympic Games we are more familiar with, there are some tweaks. Basketball, for example, will be a 3 on 3 event; Swimming will not include synchronized swimming or water polo.
In addition to the sporting events, the athletes will be involved in Cultural Education activities (we aren't sure of what these will be, as the schedule is not yet released). Athletes participating have to be in attendance for the entire 2 weeks of the games. To give you an idea what might be behind the activities is the key concepts that are reinforced with everything: Excellence, Respect and Friendship.
On Friday, May 7th, was a big kick off celebration. "99 Days" till YOG (Youth Olympic Games). I being naive to Chinese culture didn't get the whole 99 days deal, as they were making a very big deal about this - but am now aware (although not fully educated) to the fact that in the Chinese culture '99' is a lucky number. I have since learned that '50' is another such, lucky number, which I find fortunate as I wll be turning 50 this July.
YOG will have over 20,000 volunteers working (97% of the YOG workforce is volunteers); that is a whole lot of people wearing a lime green polo shirt. So I have come to the conclusion that while working with individuals around the world is a pretty cool thing; the real force in obtaining volunteers from 14-78 to work in 80% humidity and to be the seduction factor of the green shirt.
Continued updates on our ventures as YOG NOC Assistants in the days and weeks to come.
11 April 2010
Expectations vs Perspectives
As a teacher my 'expectations' for my students is that I will hopefully prepare them for life after high school. While this might be less obvious for the freshmen and sophomores who sit in my classroom, for the juniors and seniors I strive to make activities, projects and assignments 'life lessons'. The student 'perspective' is often that I am just trying to make life difficult.
Okay, perhaps I do want to make the lives of my students challenging (not difficult, that is what they make it). I want those that sit in my classroom to do more than memorize; be more than just clones of society. I want students to be independent thinkers! I want students to make informed decisions! I want students to look at situations from multiple perspectives and come to their conclusion.
A recent survey that was done of workers, 19-29, indicated that they have a poor work ethic. They come into jobs not understanding that deadlines are just that, the day in which a project or task is due. That these young workers don't have to be accountable for being on time, showing up for work or taking accountablity for their actions. Of course this is an interesting "perspective" of a work ethic, however probably not a perspective or expectation shared by the employer.
According to the survey this behavior is learned in school (starting in elementary and continuing through college) and now young workers are expecting similar treatment in the work place.
Of course I don't believe that schools are the only ones that can held accountable for this learned behavior - parents have also played a role in this learning.
Expectations in my classes are that assignments are given a due date, and unless your are proactive and make arrangements prior to that due date, your assignment is due on that date. I do not accept late work. I will give no credit for late work. I expect students to take accountablity for themselves.
Over the course of years this expectation has been challenged by students and parents. In the beginning I might have given in but that action only came back to be a bigger headache. As the years progressed I analyzed why I had this 'expectation' and the 'perspective' from which I approached this philosophy. I was an owner of businesses that a majority of the employees were 19-29; a first hand perspective to work ethic run amuck.
So I stick by my education philosophy that I believe will prepare students for life after high school. Time management, accountablity, and reliablity. Why wouldn't we 'expect' this of our students? Why wouldn't parents want attributes such as these be part of their childs resume? Why would our 'perspective' of what should be happening in school be different than what is 'expected' from employees in the work place?
Of course this is my perspective and understand that those of others might vary - and that is okay. I just ask that you respect my educational expectation and that is from the perspective of preparing my students for life, not to just give them assignments.
03 March 2010
Dance in the Rain
Someday everything will all make sense.
For now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears and
keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.
This was a post on facebook today, and yet it felt as though it was reaching out to remind me that in the midst of chaos in my house right now - and with that an extension my life; that there is a purpose out there for me.
I have struggled with recent events in my life; not fully understanding how the attempt to do good for others results in a punch in the stomach. Fortunately there are those around who have confirmed that things in the past have made a difference in their lives today and what better confirmation to tell me that life is good is to have a third grader (who you just met) want to give you a hug to say thank you for a good day.
As I sort through the papers, cards, memos and collections of all sorts - things that made a difference to me at the time I contemplate the significance it may still hold or whether the significance is still the same. It is when a former student; or perhaps really going back a former swimmer... talks about the impact I had on their life. I remember fondly the smile of the learner who gets it, or has achieved a personal best. Makes me feel good that difficult discussions prompted activity; of passions that have emerged from brief encounters with diversity; and most importantly the discovery,emergence and promotion of self.
I have to remind myself, that it is sometimes the most challenging of roads that have a destination that I most relish; and that I would be disappointed if the road were a straight highway, because then I might not have had the opportunity to dance in the rain.
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