Birds fly free in school
Calling all bird watchers!
Watch the birds in my school. This is my first video post @dtube. I tried months ago and had trouble. Now it is so easy I think I will continue. This video is the inspiration for today's poetry and also a lesson in education. Unexpected things fly into our lives and even into the classroom. We are surprised but it is not time to back away. It is time to learn and ask questions. Next week is open class for parents. A lot of teachers get stress trying to prepare the perfect lesson plan but anything can happen. Even a bird can fly into the classroom. The bird is free. The bird never prepared any lesson plan. The bird is cool and just flies around the school. On the other hand we are not flying. Teachers don't fly because they worry about making a class fit just right. Students don't fly because they are stressed out about teachers who are looking for learning progress. The whole education system can seem quite frightening until you begin to approach it like a bird.
A student can really fly
when the limits and prejudices are taken away. In Korea the public schools only allow students exposure to English from the third day. By that point half the kids already learned to read and write in private schools after school. But half the kids are just walking in to English. They put their heads on their desk and say, "영어 못해요" in Korean meaning, "I can't speak English." Of course they can but when they compare themselves to kids who have already been studying for eight years in private schools they feel like they will never be able to fly. These students will have to attend public school together even though their are gaps in learning levels and language levels.
The challenge for the teacher is
to make a lesson easy enough for the "I can't speak English" kid and interesting enough for the kid who has been studying English for eight years. My job is to make an environment for all these kids to fly. The most important role for me as a teacher is to listen to them to check where they are so I can provide flying material. If some kids are way ahead I send them with missions to help other students and become "mini teachers." If some students fall way behind I can't just brush it off but I have to pair them up well with students who care about them and reward them for the progress they do make.
ESL is similar to blogging on Steemit.
Minnows pair up with dolphins. We help each other fly. Enough teacher talk. It is Friday and I have 90 more poems to write if I am going to finish the 100 day poetry contest @d-pend. I was so glad to see some of my good friends posting in #steemitschoolpoetry and joining the (Steemitschool Discord). It has been a great challenge. This is the ninth poem and I consider this 1/10 of the way to completion.
Original Poem @mineopoly
Birds fly free in school
Walls cave in without mercy on innocent bysitters.
Big enough to fertilize Iowa.
Quivers held with arthritic fingers
Contract renewals and submissions for approval
A visit from a feathery friend will never turn his eyes.
No framework or state standards for birds.
There is no room for them even in a zoo.
Eating droplets left over from lunch.
But do they compare?
"Why was I not a duck or a bear?"
Just to fly free in the corridor
Verse of the Day/ Isaiah 40:31
"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Mineopoly Quote:
Bye bye birdie.
@mineopoly Posts on English and Education
First Day of School
Cleaning the English Classroom
ELS - I get where you're coming from
Creativity in the box
Is Nature the Best Teacher?
Dyslexia and Dyscalculia
Play
ESL I love you
Even Monkeys Fall From Trees
Groovy School
Distraction
Personality
K.I.S.S. Creativity
Proof of Brain
The Sounds of Silence
The Wall- Education
Shy
A Straight Line
Trains
Ryu Gwansun
Korean Independance Movement - Manse
Paint a Fish
Wisdom and Humility
Five Love Languages
Intermittent Media Fasting
COBOL Queen
The Greatest Teacher
@mineopoly Posts on Mining the heart
Steemit Tips
Will you be there?
Voices in a Blockchain
Avatar Falling Star
I am a Work in Progress
Songs of the Playground
Morning Miracle
Tasty Spam
Gold Dust
A happy Song
Collaboration
A Closer Walk 1
A Closter Walk 2
A Steemit Heart
Hearts joined together
Revival Korea
Feeling Groovy
As White as Snow
Unconditional Love
Strapped to a printing press- Batman
Choice Wine
The Sounds of Silence
I'm a Seoul man
It's not easy being Green
Reach Out and Touch
Who is Mineopoly?
Woodstock source. Sound effects are public domain at Soundbible.com. Pictures here are public domain at pixabay or a creation of @mineopoly.
QTTA: (QUESTION TO THINK ABOUT)
What should I do with these birds?
I love you all.
For amazing adventure in English please follow @mineopoly mining the heart.
▶️ DTube
▶️ IPFS
I loved this poem. I read the poem first and then read your notes. I love your description -
The clown in front carries a load of manure
Big enough to fertilize Iowa.
Also
Classroom walls are a trash compactor.
From Elementary, to Middle School, to High Schools and even Universities in the US are even guilty of this...
To me it brings to mind that some children/students who are ready to fly around and learn, are made to sit down and relearn the same things over and over again! For gifted students, school can be too easy(my son)...leading to boredom and waiting for the bell to ring to end class! For other students, why do you have to take Government and US History in high school and again in college? For my daughter that was a stumbling block... she had learned it in high school, why study the same stuff again if you want to major in English...therefore she dropped out of college.
Teachers/Schools shouldn't hold students back...
You sound like an amazing teacher and I applaud what you are doing to help the overly prepared child for the Korean schools and the ones putting their heads down on their desks!
Perfect choice for the bible verse to go with this post!
And lastly, as for the birds - well I love to see birds flying around outside, photograph them and hear their birds calls, but I say you need to set the birds free from your school, otherwise people like me will be screaming if one flies close to my head!
Thank you for your kind words. I'm never sure if I should put the poem on the top or the bottom. I only began writing poems after reading some poems on Steemit. Thank you for a sincere, lovely and humorous comment. Your son and daughter are in my prayers @violetmed.
I totally agree with you:
I would like to say schools will change by 2020 but they has to change inside. There is so much money invested in the system that keeps it going. Huge companies from publishers, milk, software, engineers and consultants compete for contracts so it is difficult for administrators to keep clean.
I suffered a lot in school and I want students in my class to fly. I have the chance to give new opportunities to my own two boys. I asked them why they go to school and they both answered, "to meet with friends." Then the worst situation would be a student with no friends.
Two days ago American kids demonstrated for school safety legislation. Of course providing a safe environment to learn is the most important responsibility of education. But it brings up a root problem. I wonder if it is not the same problem in prisons. A little hope and love will go a long way to reform. I envy home school parents but my kids and my wife don't want that. It's three against one. The best we can do is read and talk together.
And the birds... I will see if we can fix the hole. They never come out when school is crowded. They only come out after most of the kids go home. And yes there may be a student like you so I will see if I can do anything about it on Monday:)
Thanks for reading the poem. I am encouraged to keep going.
Heart moved,
@mineopoly
@mineopoly, my son finished high school and graduated from college (finally was challenged in a few classes). He is a life long learner so far - still reads and is still learning! My daughter found her own niche - she went to a school and became a hair stylist, which she loves; most of the time! She still could have been a writer, journalist or English teacher possibly, if college had been different. Anyway, I would still appreciate your prayers over them. I'm sure your 2 children will do great, since you are their father! It's so great that you began writing poems, that's exciting!
Thank you :)
Such a powerful post and poem @mineopoly
Thank you @tfame3865. I really appreciate your input. I hope to keep soaring along. It's cool that a great gammer like yourself took time to be inspired by a little bird like me.
From one teacher to another, I enjoyed reading your post! In the Middle East we had several birds fly into the classroom ... what a contrast to how our students often feel. Looking forward to reading some of your past posts about Korea. My husband and I wanted to be ESL teachers there but ended up in Malaysia. We loved visiting though and hope to return with our twins!
Malaysia sounds great @helenoftroy. I teach in the public schools and have been here a long time. I don't know what it is like anywhere else. I have kind of become Korean. It's really hard with kids. Are they boys or girls? My two boys are getting wild right now. I have to take them outside. They like the mountains.
Big welcome
@mineopoly
Twin girls (just 10 months old though). Not too rowdy yet :)
Have you been back to the US to visit?
We were teaching in a private school in the Middle East for two years, then went to Thailand to get my TEFL. We've been here in Malaysia for 2 years now. After living overseas for so long (though not as long as you) it’s hard to fit in when we go back. I use phrases we picked up from other cultures and find I have to catch up on current trends and lingo. Since you feel like you’ve become Korean, is the transition hard for you too?
I'm still in Korea and I think we will be here a long time. I have only been to the states for a few weeks at a time here and there. Things changed a lot. Kids will put a lot of stress in the picture. I wish they could stay 10 months forever. That is the best time... but they grow up and get sick. Malaysia has good hospitals and you will be fine there. Korea has seasons and a balance of old and new, nature and metropolis. I am comfortable here except for occasional air pollution. I find myself bowing more than I should even when i am visiting the states.
Wow you were definitely right! What an experience this was! I’m so glad you caught it on video and we’re able to share it with us! I liked your poem as well :)
Thank you for watching @crosheille. Naturally those birds will leave as it gets warmer. The ceiling was open due to water damage. We have to patch it up. Do you teach home school?
Sure! It was cool to see! 😉
Yes I homeschool all of my kiddos! 😊
Great!!
😊
Congratulations @mineopoly, your post has been selected by the @asapers for a resteem and a feature in our brand new curation post. Issue 22
What does this mean for you? Well first an upvote from some members of the team, we are no @curie but who is going to be unhappy with some extra upvotes. Second each post featured in the article will receive a 10% share of the curation post.
Keep up the great work and please consider supporting the @asapers with a follow and an upvote on the post you feature in. Please wait seven days for payout.
Your friendly @asapers
Giving back A.S.A.P
Thanks for visiting @asapers. I hope you guys will soar like eagles.
My gosh my friend, we truly need more teachers like you in the world.... The kind that really care, and try to make a difference despite having to work in a system that you know most of the time doesn't work!
In Brazil, we have the same problem... Public schools are neglected severely. And even the private schools only teach mediocre English classes. My wife teaches English at a private school and their curriculum is just so disorganised, without much support from coordination. She does her best but she faces the same problem as you: Half the students are on a muuuuch lower level, and the other half (who have gone to specialised English course schools) get bored easily when she tries to address the lower-level students.
It's an on-going mission!
Because I'm in a poor neighborhood I have some freedom with the curriculum. Private schools can be even worse. The gap is a battle. You read well. I'm glad to see you are still around Steemit.
💕 Sir, your 📮post is 👍good
Sir, please see my profile
Congratulations! Your post has been selected as a daily Steemit truffle! It is listed on rank 5 of all contributions awarded today. You can find the TOP DAILY TRUFFLE PICKS HERE.
I upvoted your contribution because to my mind your post is at least 24 SBD worth and should receive 72 votes. It's now up to the lovely Steemit community to make this come true.
I am
TrufflePig, an Artificial Intelligence Bot that helps minnows and content curators using Machine Learning. If you are curious how I select content, you can find an explanation here!Have a nice day and sincerely yours,
TrufflePigYou have collected your daily Power Up! This post received an upvote worth of 0.43$.
Learn how to Power Up Smart here!