Tonight at the Guthrie: English, set entirely in an English Language Learning classroom in Tehran. I couldn’t help comparing with my own experience–the teacher was overcorrecting and there was a level of emotional intensity I’d be uncomfortable with in a classroom–but that was missing the point. Ultimately it was about identity, and that felt authentic.
Category: In This Together
DQ, Practically Breakfast
10:00 a.m. A leisurely catch-up with friends over ice cream. I usually go cycling with one of them, but he’d broken his fibula in a bicycle accident and is getting a plate inserted on Thursday. DQ offered a flat, accessible path from the car to our outdoor table. His wife also broke a bone earlier…… Continue reading DQ, Practically Breakfast
Classroom and Greenhouse Care
Wet-wiped eraser dust and pencil marks from classroom tables, as I do every week before class. Meanwhile, Dwight cleaned the drains at the greenhouse.
Signs of the Times
On today’s cycle ride through neighborhoods, took note of these lawn signs.
Growing the Future
While Dwight was volunteering at the university greenhouse involving a microscope, an entomologist and a literature search dealing with this sad specimen, I assisted with English language learners. In one class we brainstormed food truck ideas—ice cream, coffee/tea, and Somali sambusa—and started budgeting. In another class we focused on job-searching skills.
Haring’s Legacy
Explored a retrospective at the Walker of Keith Haring’s short career. We benefit from the social activism of artists like Haring. Here, three kids spontaneously react to one of his short animations.
Brews and News
Pryes Brewing Company was the perfect spot to catch up with my friend visiting from out of town. Delighted to learn he and his wife are moving back to the Twin Cities from out West and building a house downriver from us.
Budgeting and Job Hunting in English
In an ELL (English Language Learning) class, covered language and strategies for budgeting. In a subsequent session, assisted learners with the job search process.
A Sense of Ownership
Cycled between two concrete planters near our home, as I often do. Presumably they’re placed here by the city to deter drivers from crossing this pedestrian bridge. Some neighbors have taken it upon themselves to keep them looking good with plants that change with the seasons. A couple weeks ago, someone tagged one of the…… Continue reading A Sense of Ownership
Life in a Representative Democracy
Picked up mail-in ballots for the upcoming US Senate and Minneapolis School Board Primary from the mail room downstairs. Today we celebrate the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, rejecting the idea of a king who is above the law.