(no subject)
For Christmas, my cousin bought me the book I am Malala. I've been reading it for a few days, and I have to say that it's all substance. There's no bs fluffy junk as filler. I was reading Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling before this. It was hilarious! But it was also all fluff. There really wasn't much substance and thank God for that. Sometimes we need our books to take our minds off life and just be empty for a while or to transport us to a different place with different experiences. We need books to relax and to educate. God, books are so important! Every time I see a student just sitting staring into space, I always suggest reading. I give them suggestions, like Janet Evanovich's bounty hunter series or Brian Jacques's Redwall series or any Kurt Vonnegut, depending on the age and open mindedness of the kid. Books are just so dang wonderful! I can't believe we've gone to electronic books. It's a great thing, I know. It brings the page to the masses. But nothing beats sitting, drinking coffee, reading a book. Nothing.
So this book, I am Malala has got me thinking about a lot of things. Scary, I know. We seem to try to avoid the act of thinking or over-thinking or anything that isn't posting selfies or online shopping. The way she describes her country, a country she loves and misses because she's been ousted by a group of like-minded, close-minded people, has got me all patriotic. I'm so glad I was born in America. The freedom to do as I wish, which I take for granted on a daily basis, is a truly fantastic thing. The freedom to go out in public without a male companion is especially good for me, as I would then HAVE to be a hermit because I'm single. But then I guess I'd have more time to read...there are pros and cons. Anyway, I'm eternally grateful to the cosmos for having been born where I was.
Malala also talks about her father and how schools were rewarding obedience rather than creativity and original thought. Well, there's something I can get behind. As a teacher of the arts, I understand the need for creativity and original thought, but I also know the pressing need for obedience. The important thing here is a balance between the two, and sometimes, yeah, we have a problem with that. Obedience is important in a classroom with 30 kids in it. Without it, NOBODY can learn. Although, I like to think that in my classroom we don't have obedience, we have respect. The kids respect me as well as each other and everybody's right to learn. Do they talk more than I'd like? Of course. And they always will. They're kids. Do they bring up issues that I'd love to discuss with them when they talk? Sometimes. Sometimes it's just a really hilarious comment, and I have a really hard time keeping a straight face. (I'm going to miss our gay alto sax player. He talked too much, but it was always either hilarious or about social issues plaguing society) But we also need time to work on our music and discuss concepts and ideas and theory. You know, Kurt Vonnegut once asked a German woman what her country's greatest problem was. You know what she said? Obedience. There's something to think about.
I just wanted to get these things off my chest. I know that because I think alternative forms of energy are great and I think we should treat Muslims with respect and love, people think that I don't love America, but I do. And I'm going to start being a little more lax with my students in terms of creativity and original thoughts about music from now on. One of my biggest flaws is being too black and white with notes and rhythms and keeping my emotions from becoming part of the music. I still have trouble with it. I need those kids to be better than I am.
So this book, I am Malala has got me thinking about a lot of things. Scary, I know. We seem to try to avoid the act of thinking or over-thinking or anything that isn't posting selfies or online shopping. The way she describes her country, a country she loves and misses because she's been ousted by a group of like-minded, close-minded people, has got me all patriotic. I'm so glad I was born in America. The freedom to do as I wish, which I take for granted on a daily basis, is a truly fantastic thing. The freedom to go out in public without a male companion is especially good for me, as I would then HAVE to be a hermit because I'm single. But then I guess I'd have more time to read...there are pros and cons. Anyway, I'm eternally grateful to the cosmos for having been born where I was.
Malala also talks about her father and how schools were rewarding obedience rather than creativity and original thought. Well, there's something I can get behind. As a teacher of the arts, I understand the need for creativity and original thought, but I also know the pressing need for obedience. The important thing here is a balance between the two, and sometimes, yeah, we have a problem with that. Obedience is important in a classroom with 30 kids in it. Without it, NOBODY can learn. Although, I like to think that in my classroom we don't have obedience, we have respect. The kids respect me as well as each other and everybody's right to learn. Do they talk more than I'd like? Of course. And they always will. They're kids. Do they bring up issues that I'd love to discuss with them when they talk? Sometimes. Sometimes it's just a really hilarious comment, and I have a really hard time keeping a straight face. (I'm going to miss our gay alto sax player. He talked too much, but it was always either hilarious or about social issues plaguing society) But we also need time to work on our music and discuss concepts and ideas and theory. You know, Kurt Vonnegut once asked a German woman what her country's greatest problem was. You know what she said? Obedience. There's something to think about.
I just wanted to get these things off my chest. I know that because I think alternative forms of energy are great and I think we should treat Muslims with respect and love, people think that I don't love America, but I do. And I'm going to start being a little more lax with my students in terms of creativity and original thoughts about music from now on. One of my biggest flaws is being too black and white with notes and rhythms and keeping my emotions from becoming part of the music. I still have trouble with it. I need those kids to be better than I am.