In My Wildest Dreams

One by one, we divide

Then one by one we multiply.
Subtraction's next
Then don't forget--
Drop down the number
That is left....

This is a little diddy I created for my students this week. They are on a roll with long division. I'll add this one to my collection, including the Scientific Method Blues (shout out to my Attucks MS summer school students in Houston), the Tendon and Ligament Lyric (holla to IS 145 in the Bronx), and ahhhh--the countless crazy tunes we came up with in NGTP Mexico and Guatemala. I'm currently looking for a Schoolhouse Rock contract and hope to be on the road with my collection in the next year or two... ;)

Sometimes I forget where I am when I'm teaching, until the students open their mouths to speak and this thick kiwi accent emerges... The similarities are uncanny. Kids are kids, I guess. Don't get me wrong--there are differences, and I cherish them, but, really, these are the same curious, bright, fun-loving kids that got me hooked on teaching in the first place. So interesting... They even like hip-hop ("Have you met Ludacris, Miss?"), and--unfortunately--there is the same threat of gang violence--even the same gangs (the Bloods and the Crips). HOWEVER, (and not to negate the problem) I imagine the threat is much less pervasive than the general population often believes--just as it was with my students in NY. I do find it a little weird, though, that the gangs here are replicas of the East Coast/West Coast rival gangs in the US. Never underestimate the power of the media.

I don't believe that the gang problem here can have nearly the potential that it could have in the US, a nation where gun control is nearly nonexistent (compared to all other industrialized nations). A police officer came to speak to our class this week. Apparently, his job is community relations, so he goes to the schools to talk to the students about the job of the police force. Anyway, he told the kids that A) he doesn't carry a gun, and B) he is so glad because guns are very scary. It seems that most police officers do not carry guns. There are a few on each force who are trained to use and carry them, but very rarely do they have problems of gun-related violence in this country. How nice... As a single woman, I feel much safer knowing that, if someone were to break in to the apartment (and the chances of this are very slim, Mom), they would almost certainly not have a gun. That is such a comforting thought--the idea that I don't have to be scared at night when/if I am alone in my own home. Oh yeah, and apparently, there are no venomous snakes, no poisonous spiders, really no predators in general. How bizarre. Although all that stuff doesn't really bother me, but I guess that means I can go hiking in my Chacos, ay?

Okay, back to the students... some differences: They play interteam sports at lunch where each class chooses 12 students to compete in a game of cricket. Huh? Little "inner city" kids playing cricket!!! Picture it... I was scorekeeper the other day. Talk about confusing... Kids shouting out to me about who broke what rule, what counts and doesn't count as a point or an out... Whoa. Well, now I know how to play. Talk about baptism by fire...

What else? The students are doing very well on their long divison. One group has already moved on to long division with remainders. They had another assembly on Friday. This one was a singing assembly. It was all I could do not to cry in front of the entire Year 7 class. They were so amazing. There is a small student band that assists the music director in leading the students in song. The first one they sang was a Maori folk song. Then, they learned the KI school song, which is also totally in Maori. It is such a beautiful language. The girls have a part, and the boys have a part. The boys' part is sort of like a warrior chant. It's unbelievable.

Oh, that reminds me of the whole dual language issue I wanted to talk about. Almost everything in this country is at least partly translated in Maori (remember, the Maori are the indigenous population here)--road signs, names of government services and offices, etc. Most of the kids learn at least some Maori in primary school, and some (usually Maori students) even attend kindergartens and preschools in which Maori is the only language. Our school is looking to hire a Maori language teacher as well--and apparently you can make pretty good money if you are fluent in the language.

I think there are many reasons for such as strong propagation of the indigenous culture here. First of all, NZ was one of the last "colonies" of the Commonwealth. Secondly, the Maori have been pretty astute about becoming bicultural--learning the ways of the dominant class without losing their own heritage and traditions. It doesn't appear to have been easy--for a time it looked like their language was going to die out (due to a staunch English Only campaign here a while back), but they've fought long and hard to make sure that doesn't happen. Not to say that the Maori don't struggle to attain their rights--always a difficult task for a minority culture, but their successes have been significant if you compare their struggles to those of most indigenous peoples in colonized countries around the world.

Okay, I've been rambling on here with no particular order or structure to my rambles. I'm going to the mall :).

Love,
Sara

posted by Sara @ 3:02 PM