UNSUNG HEROES: A Tribute on Veteran's Day (November Blog, 2022)

 In Flander's Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard among the guns below.

We are the dead, short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
in Flander's Fields...(Major John McCrae, May 1915)

On Friday, November 11, 2022, America will pause to observe Veteran's Day, or as it is known across Europe, Remembrance Day.  It is one day: twenty-four hours, 1,440 minutes,  or 86,400 seconds; that we are to stop and remember those who sacrificed all for our freedom.

For many of us, Veteran's Day is often just a happy relief from school and work--a day to sleep in, binge watch your favorite programs, go out and play a game of tackle football with your friends, or just enjoy a BBQ in the yard and the beautiful Arizona weather we are so blessed with this time of year.  It is a day we celebrate, in our own way, our freedom to do the things we like to do or take a well-needed rest from our responsibilities.  I have always had a very deep appreciation for our Veterans as I come from a military family of people who served their country with great pride, and am now the mother of a Navy officer.  However, I don't believe I ever truly felt the weight of what that day means until 2013 when I stood in the Globe Theater in London on Remembrance Day with my Will Power Cast of Taming of the Shrew.

Every November 11th in London, during the 11th hour of the day, everyone stops:  pedestrians, cars in traffic, people going about their business in the office or at school.  All of them stop and offer two full minutes of silence, and then the church bells chime, all throughout the city, to remember the dead.  Our tour guide at the theater that day told us this would occur, and so, in the middle of our tour, we did as Londoners do:  we stopped.  We stood silently, many of us wearing the traditional, European poppy flower remembrance pins.  We waited in that silence, bowing our heads until the chimes of Westminster reminded us wistfully of the wondrous gift of our lives and our freedom.

Every time we visited London with Will Power after that, we would top to visit Westminster Abbey which is located near Big Ben and Parliament. During the entire month of November, surrounding Westminster Abbey, there are small crosses decorated with red poppies with names on them.  They fill in the grass all around the large cathedral, each bearing the name of one who was lost.

In 2014, an artist was specially commissioned to create glass poppies to fill the grassy moat around the Tower of London-- one poppy for every British subject who served and gave his or her life in all of the battles since WW1.   With my Romeo and Juliet cast that year, I had the incredible honor of seeing that sight.  I have included pictures here because this is one of those times when words truly cannot capture the magnitude of such a sight.

For this blog, I wanted to take the time and honor some of the heroes--some of the lost.  I have chosen four.  They have fought in different battles and in different ways.  They are not well known or widely celebrated, but they are, most certainly, heroes who offered great sacrifice--one of them, the ultimate sacrifice.  They are but four of thousands of these such unsung heroes, and they deserve our reflection.  I hope that after you learn about them and read a little bit about their contribution to our world and our freedom, you will give them a few minutes of your time and remembrance this tumultuous month of November...

JOHN ROBERT FOX: The ultimate sacrifice

The 92nd Infantry Division (African American soldiers division) also known as the Buffalo Soldiers, was a division that fought in WW2.  First Lieutenant John R. Fox was a member of the 366th Infantry Regiment when he sacrificed his life to defeat an enemy attack and save the lives of others.  In December of 1944, Fox was a part of a small party that volunteered to stay behind in the Italian village of Sommocolonia.  American forces had been forced to withdraw after that village had been overrun by the Germans.  From his position on the second floor of a house, Fox directed defensive fire.  German soldiers were attacking, and they greatly outnumbered the small handful of Americans.  Fox radioed the artillery to bring its fire closer to his position.  As the attack continued, he ordered fire directly onto his own position.  The soldier who received the message was stunned, as there was little if any chance that Fox, himself would survive the offensive strike.  When he questioned the order, Fox simply replied, "Fire it.  That's an order."  His sacrifice gained time for the US forces to organize a counterattack and retake the village.

After the war, the Italian citizens of Sommocolonia erected a monument to honor the men killed during the artillery barrage:  eight Italian soldiers and the American, Lt. Fox.  Fox was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on January 13, 1997.

NANCY GRACE AUGUSTA WAKE:  Code Name, "The White Mouse"
Nancy Wake was a British Special Operations Executive agent from Australia during the later part of WW2.  She became a leading figure in the maquis groups of the ferocious French Resistance or "Army of the Shadows" that fought against Nazi occupation; she was one of the Allies' most decorated servicewomen.  After the fall of France in 1940, she became a courier for the French Resistance and later joined the escape network of Capt. Ian Garrow, helping Allied pilots who were shot down over enemy territory secretly escape through the Pyrenees Mountains from France into Spain, where they could be flown out to rejoin their troops.  Just three years later, Wake was on the Gestapo's most wanted list, with a five million franc bounty on her head.  On the 29th day of April in 1944, she parachuted into occupied France near Auvergne, becoming a liaison between London and the local maquis group headed by Capt.  Henri Tardivat in the Forest of Tronçais.  From April 1944 until the liberation of France, her 7,000 Maquisards fought 22,000 German soldiers, causing 1,400 casualties while suffering only 100 among themselves.

Nancy's husband George was tortured to death in 1943 by the Nazi Gestapo for refusing to disclose her whereabouts.  Nancy Wake was awarded the George Medal, the US Medal of Freedom, the Médaille de la Résistance, and, three times, the Croix de Guerre.

VASILI ARKHIPOV:  The Man who Saved the World

Vice Admiral Vasili Arkhipov was a Soviet Navy officer credited with casting the only vote that prevented a Soviet nuclear strike and all out nuclear was during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Such an attack would have caused a major global thermonuclear response which could have been our WW3, destroying much of the world.  As flotilla commander and second in command of the diesel powered submarine B-59, only Arkhipov refused to authorize the captain's use of nuclear torpedoes against the United States Navy, a decision requiring the agreement of all three senior officers aboard.

Apparently, on October 27, 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a group of eleven US Navy destroyers and the aircraft carrier USS Randolph located the B-59 near Cuba.  The Americans started dropping signaling depth charges, which are explosives intended to force the sub up to the surface for identification.  There had been no contact from Moscow for a number of days, and those on board the Russian sub had no idea whether or not war had broken out.  The captain of the submarine, Valentin Grigorievitch Savitsky, decided that a war had probably already started, and wanted to launch a nuclear torpedo.  As such a decision required the three top in command to unanimously agree, Arkhipov was the one voice that saved the US Navy and probably, the world that day.

LARRY FROST:  Vietnam War Veteran and My Friend
You have all come to know Larry Frost as the author of Conversations in the Asparagus Patch.  He is a dear friend of my family and the husband of Sherri Frost, a woman I am proud to call my best friend--literally since birth.  Sherri is the type of friend who stands with you through it all in life: the storms and the celebrations.  They are an incredible couple of great faith and grace who are truly an inspiration to me each and every day of life.

Larry is a man who has been a great leader in business and his community and a mentor to many over the years.  He has shared with us, personally, some of the most remarkable stories I have ever heard from his own war experiences as a Vietnam Veteran.  If you are not someone who believes in miracles, you most certainly would change your mind if you heard Larry's stories from Vietnam.  Larry doesn't consider himself a hero, but his wife and his friends most certainly do.  He is a man who deeply loves his country and would willingly lay down his life for another in a time of great crisis or peril.  While very humble when it comes to his own accomplishments, Larry does, however, consider those amazing young men with whom he served as heroes, and probably none more than his best friend, Shelby.

My family had the honor of finding Shelby's name on the traveling Vietnam Memorial 

Wall a few years back, and I later had the chance to find it on the real wall in Washington DC in the winter of 2019.  I want to share a poem, with Larry's permission, that he wrote for his friend Shelby with all of you.  I have included a link to that poem at the bottom for you to read.  I think you will learn that Larry has forged an eternal bond with his young friend from so many years ago, and that his very deep and strong faith has seen him through some horrifying tragedies he experienced when serving his country in the United States Army.

War is ugly.  It is a monster that steals away the best and brightest and leaves the rest haunted by misery and images too horrible to speak--too ghastly to forget.  It represents the very worst human beings can be; that ugly, selfish, hatred that seeks only to avenge, kill, take, and destroy.

But on Veteran's Day, we are not honoring the wars, themselves; we are honoring the heroes that dared to face the plague of battle so that we would not have to.  They represent the other side of human beings--the extraordinary and unbreakable spirit that longs for life, beauty, freedom, love and opportunities for happily ever afters.  I am going to quote my friend Larry Frost here to sum it up:  "Where do we get such men and women?  Only a loving God could ensure that in each generation there will be people with this level and courage and strength."  Larry also shared with me that Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, in his book On Combat once said, "If we were to go but a single generation without such men and women, we should surely be both damned and doomed."

I look forward to another November someday when I will fly across the Atlantic to London Day; to journey back and see the poppies surrounding

Westminster Abbey; once again to look out across that sea of crosses and red flowers in complete and utter awe at the brave souls that dared to stand up against the evil that threatened the freedom of their time and generation.  I am not sure when I will be blessed with that opportunity again, but I know that I will, at that moment, reflect upon the extraordinary: those who were willing to lay down their lives so that I might stand there on a day of rest and relaxation and freely express my gratitude to them.  Wherever you are on all of your November 11ths to come, I hope you will take the time out to remember and do the same.

Please watch these two videos (links below) explaining the origin of Veteran's Day and honoring American Veterans.   Then, please enjoy the amazing videos that were created on Memorial Day on Omaha Beach in France and the recent 75th Anniversary of D-Day Celebration that occurred in June, 2019.  Finally, click on the link to read Larry's tribute to his dear friend Shelby and the baby girl his friend would never meet.

In your blog response, comment on your own reflection.  I conclude this very special blog with this, one of my favorite poems.  It was brilliantly used by President Ronald Reagan as he stood where I have stood twice before with my family and scholars, on the shores of Normandy in France, honoring the men who stormed those very beaches to liberate France, and Europe in 1944:

Oh!  I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth 
Of sun-split clouds, and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of--wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence.  Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew--
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God. 
~ John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Video One:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvkrwxsLXAw

Video Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQUxu9uyyBs

Video Three, D-Day Soldier's Memory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdzWRdZgan0

Larry's Poem for Shelby:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WANxIQgDVeliEcjTKKRFpcAVXNAaT8VQ/view?usp=sharing

COLLABORATION IN THE CLASSROOM: Working Together Towards a Common Purpose (October Blog)

"Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much." - Helen Keller

Collaboration is a deeply human activity.  When humans come together with a shared goal of solving a problem or creating some new innovation to make life better, it doesn't matter how alike or different their points of view might be; in fact, in true, intentional, sincerely meaningful collaboration, the more varied the viewpoints, THE BETTER!

We live in a divisive world right now where, unfortunately, groups of people often refuse to speak, listen, or even acknowledge each other.  That is truly one of the greatest tragedies of our current time, and one that, if not addressed, can, in a best case scenario, keep us stuck where we are.  In the worst case? It can destroy us from within.  

Let's for the sake of clarity, deconstruct the term "collaboration."  The prefix "col" (or com in some word constructions) comes from Latin and means "with, together, or jointly."  When paired with "laborare," (to labor) it means "to labor with, together, or jointly."  I personally like the idea of the meaning "labor together."  Collaboration takes hard work--whether physical or intellectual--and those who have worked in collaborative groups know of what I am speaking here!  It requires us to get over ourselves and be willing to open our minds to ideas that are not our own - ideas that maybe we never even thought of - to humble ourselves and be willing to free fall a little.  

The modern business definition of collaboration is "two or more people working together towards shared goals or purpose."  If there are just people working together with no ultimate purpose, they are cooperating, not collaborating.  Cooperation is usually more "lightweight" than collaboration and has less focused goals.   According to Barbara Leigh Smith and Jean T MacGregor, Collaborative learning is "an umbrella term for a variety of educational approaches involving joint intellectual effort by students or students and teachers together" towards "mutual understanding, solutions, or meanings, or creating a product." 

Okay, so we get what it is.   Why is it so important? Learning, itself, is an active, constructive, and very social process.  In order to really learn new information so it becomes part of us -- so that we cannot just "know" it, but apply it in new and thoughtful ways--we must work actively with ideas in purpose driven ways.  Collaboration forces us to immerse ourselves in challenging tasks or questions with others who bring different perspectives, learning styles, experiences and aspirations, to the common table.  When we get together and process information, we are not just learning, but our perspectives are growing wider; our minds become open to new possibilities.  Students need to talk to one another!  It is in this "talking through" process that thoughts, ideas, and solutions expand and new understanding is created for ALL  of us in the group!  

Therein lies the biggest benefit of collaboration.  Ultimately, collaboration becomes a skill that helps us work together efficiently towards potential solutions that we may not have ever been able to arrive to ourselves.  It helps us each identify our strengths and weaknesses; we learn to seek out those with complementary skills that counterbalance our weaknesses and as a result, we appreciate each other more fully.  We work together until we solve the problem. Collaboration shouldn't be our last resort!  It should be something we practice daily in the classroom.

Now, it's time to do a little more reading about collaboration - just in case I have not yet convinced you rugged individualists (or fellow introverts!) that collaboration is not just enriching but empowering.  Click this LINK to read the article.  Then respond below by addressing the following:

1.  What ONE thing stood out to you most in the article?  WHY?

2.  Describe a moment when you felt part of a truly successful collaborative group/endeavor.

Finally, I will leave you with this lovely quote from Mother Theresa:

"None of us, including me, ever do great things.  But we can all do small things, with great love, and together, we can do something wonderful!" 

Here is to bringing collaborative "wonderfulness" (with great love) to our classroom!

EVERYONE HAS A STORY, 2022: Know Thyself, Understand Thy Neighbor!

 Communication break-down can occur at any time and in many different settings.

There's Group Project Anxiety: everyone has great ideas at discussion meetings, but you feel like the only one with a sense of urgency to get any actual work done.  There's Discussion Frustration: whenever you engage in a discussion with your group, you feel as if your thoughts and ideas are not valued or brushed aside with no regard to your feelings.  And finally, there is just sheer information overload: why is it that after a full day of school, you feel completely zapped of energy, consumed by an overwhelming need to be where people are not?

We all realize that we are social creatures.  We seek out and thrive within interpersonal relationships.

We long to be heard and appreciated, to create and explore.  This is probably not new information.  Rewarding as they may be, however, relationships of every type are complex and not without their difficulties.  People are different.  Where we come from, our experiences, our beliefs, and our DNA all go into who we are, how we see and interpret the world, and how we communicate.

Many corporations have invested large sums of money in consultants with one goal in mind:  to improve inter-office communication and efficiency.  Where do you begin?  The communicators, themselves!  Knowing who you are helps you to better understand how and why you communicate the way that you do.  Knowing who your co-workers are can help you better understand how to communicate with them more effectively and efficiently.

So, as Aristotle taught centuries ago, we will begin by seeking the wisdom that comes from knowing ourselves.  Here is a link to a personality inventory:  http://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test  Once you complete the test, you can have your results emailed to yourself and you can read all about your personality type: how you relate to others, how others see you, how you work, etc.

The test takes about 20 minutes, but it provides a wealth of information as it analyzes four distinct areas of personality and then adds a fifth area that analyzes overall identity.  It is created from a combination of the infamous Myers/Briggs and Carl Jung's Theory of Psychological Types.  The four areas are explained as follows:

1.  Introversion vs Extroversion: (I vs. E) This is more than just "shy" vs. "outgoing."  In fact,

according to Jung, it is really not about that at all.  It has to do more with where you get your energy.  Do you find yourself getting energized when you are around others, or do you find that you need to be away from people to re-energize?

2.  Intuitive vs. Sensing: (N vs. S) Intuitives are creative, imaginative and curious individuals who are open-minded.  They tend to go with novelty over stability and see/feel possibilities.  They tend to have strong discernment in new situations.  Sensing or Observant individuals are practical, pragmatic and down to earth.  They tend to have strong habits and rather than going with their gut, they are more focused on what has happened or what is happening.

3.  Feeling vs. Thinking: (F vs. T) Feeling individuals are sensitive and emotionally expressive.  They are more empathetic and tend to be less competitive than T's.  They tend to focus on social harmony

and cooperation.   Thinkers focus on objectivity and rationality, prioritizing logic over emotion.  They tend to hide their feelings and value efficiency over cooperation.

4.  Judging vs. Perceiving or Prospecting: (J vs. P)  Judging personalities are decisive, thorough and highly organized.  They value clarity, predictability and closure preferring structure and planning to spontaneity.  Perceiving individuals are good at improvising and spotting opportunities.  They are flexible, relaxed, non-conformists who prefer to keep their options open.

Identity Variables of Assertive vs. Turbulent: (A vs. T)Assertive types are confident, self-assured and pretty resistant to stress.  They do not push themselves too hard.  The turbulent types are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They are perfectionistic types who experience a wide array of emotions.

So, test away, and then....

1.  IDENTIFY YOUR FOUR LETTER PERSONALITY, then put a dash, and A OR T   http://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

2.  COMMENT ON ANY SURPRISES OR EXPECTATIONS.

3.  NOW,  click this link, and find out if you are more left or right-brained, and let me know your results!  https://www.arealme.com/left-right-brain/en/

4.  Finally, for those who have not had Mr. Lin, here is a quiz to determine your Harry Potter House.  :)  https://www.gotoquiz.com/pottermore_sorting_quiz_all_possible_question

 For example, I am an INFJ - T.   This was absolutely no surprise to me, but a big surprise to those who know me, as I come across as an extrovert (SO not true!)   I think this is because I am a people pleaser, a trait I am working hard on to mellow.  I am also a J, but BARELY.  I need to feel organized in my environment, but DO NOT open any of my desk drawers!  Last year and the year before, this showed me as mostly right-brained (although it is close!).  This year, I was 50/50!  A balance of both (Hurray!).  Finally, I am 89% House of Gryffindor.  Now, it's your turn!

*Images by:  Kim Anderson Photography,  All rights reserved. 

WORD TO THE WISE: Sage advice from the Class of 2022 to a NEW Generation of DP Language & Literature Scholars!

Well, it is hard to believe, but we have closed yet another year at Odyssey.  Soon, we will be blowing a kiss and waving a tearful farewell to the Class of 2022.  As first and second-year DP Language and Literature students gear up for their summer assessments, the Class of 2022 will be zipping up their gowns, donning their cords, and looking forward to the next phase of their exciting life journey: college, career, military service...wherever their dreams take them...

Class of 2022, you are standing at a precipice, and at this momentous occasion in your lives, great reflection is in order; a reflection that can help our next generation of upperclassmen--juniors and seniors--as they navigate through unfamiliar and uncertain waters and build upon their knowledge as IB scholars.  Please know I will ALWAYS and FOREVER be in your corner, cheering you on, through all of life's challenges and celebrations!  LOTS of love, gratitude, prayer, and pride to YOU from me!

So, IB Language and Literature Students of now and tomorrow, here it is, advice from your seniors to
you:  those who have successfully reached the summit of IB Language and Literature in the DP program will give you pieces of the map and a compass to guide YOU on your journey.  They have officially and successfully finished both years of study, so really take their words to heart!  And to you seniors who are quoted here, please know that I have learned just as much, if not more, from working with you as you did in this classroom, and I will miss your intensity and determination through all the seasons.  This advice is quite meaningful in light of the experience, and so...

Buckle up, here we go!
You must be passionate about your writing. If you aren't emotionally charged towards your work and you simply are robotically manufacturing your essays then you aren't going to get much out of this course and the amazing opportunities it gives you. 

By being a passionate writer I've been able to see substantial progress in my writing throughout these past two years. I know that sometimes it's not the easiest to be passionate about writing an essay, but it all stems from your connection with the source and your prompt. If you've been reading SparkNotes for every chapter and don't really have any kind of connections with the characters in the book, then obviously it's going to be difficult to write a 1300-1500 word essay about it! In the case that you do have a connection with the novel but still are having trouble finding motivation, find a prompt that really sticks out to you and will allow you to talk about your favorite parts of the book. If you set yourself up for success, there's a significant chance you will succeed. This course has some great novels so really take advantage of it!! Good luck!~Ethan Lauer

Come into every class and each book with an open mind. This class has helped me grow as a person and I have learned so much about myself, others, and the world. Embrace the new knowledge and use it. Don't be afraid to participate in conversations and work with your classmates, it makes a big difference not just in the learning experience but in life (and it really helps when it comes to assignments).~Aurora Earl

SHE KNOWS. When you come to class unprepared, she can tell. She has been doing this for a REALLY long time!

Do the homework - sometimes it seems like a lot but it will always help you. Take it from somebody who knows, turning things in late is never the way to go. Just do the work, do it on time, and you’re set!~ Ally Bill

Find an essay structure that works best for you. Then continue to refine it until you are comfortable writing with it. Having confidence in your essay structure will help you to write essays better and, if you are able to follow a structure that works for you, you will find that essays aren't nearly as hard as they first seemed to be.~ Riley Thompson

Read all of the books and participate in discussions! It can be really impactful and fun!" - Renae Schmucker

The best advice I can leave you is to remain engaged and to enjoy every moment. I understand the struggle to remain present in class but it makes all the difference to your comprehension of text when you engage in class discussions. Remember to enjoy the little things and your small victories in class. You’ll do great! PS: Lit trackers are always better when you work as a group ;) ~Christella Santiago

If you can help it, do not stress over things in school, at least not to an extreme amount. You know soon you will be starting your life, college, work, or wherever life takes you, that is sooner and closer than you may think. You will be okay, push through, but do not wear yourself out, grades matter, but so do you! Enjoy your last year, and Juniors, start strong!~ Kristy Gagliardi

1) Express your thoughts in group discussions! There will sometimes be entire class periods, especially in Year 2, completely dedicated to sharing your thoughts and observations as a class. Don't be afraid to share what you think. It is so much fun hearing everyone's perspectives, and it makes reading the books so much more enjoyable. 

2) Take pride in the work that you turn in. Don't submit something with the mindset that it's just "good enough." Submit your best work each time, because this is how you grow as a writer and as a student. School isn't just about passing; utilize each assignment as a chance to learn and improve. 

~ Alyssa Fine

Don’t be afraid to pair up with people and get different viewpoints on the lit trackers! They’re super intimidating, but they often don’t have to be done individually, and doing it with your table group or friends opens up great discussions on your books! Also, just trying your best to genuinely enjoy the book makes the class so much better, if you’re into a book it will be so much more fun when you have to do stuff with it! Good luck y’all! :) ~Emmaline Walser

Practice trying your hardest in every assignment and you'll notice over time it becomes routine. ~Ashlyn Barney

When you first start the DP Language and Literature Program, become familiar with your end goal. Familiarize yourself with what exactly you will be tested on; recognize the differences between paper 1, paper 2, and look deeply into what the IO consists of. When you know your end goal, you know what you are working towards and how exactly each piece throughout the program fits into your path.

My advice to the upcoming juniors and seniors would be to stay on top of the lit tracker and fill it out as you read it rather than fill it all out at the end. I would also recommend keeping up with all the readings because it gets extremely easy to fall behind so make sure to prioritize time management. ~Brionna Robles

You've got to find some way, no matter how small, to enjoy the books that you're reading. It will make your time fun and enjoyable. Make sure you talk once a day ~Tristan Schmidt

If you are going to procrastinate, learn what you can procrastinate on and what you can not procrastinate on. thank you.~Joe Barcala

Check the language arts website!!

Do rough drafts/outlines on time (you WANT the feedback!)

Try new things and see what all you can do, there is no limit except the one you make for yourself (and the due dates for assignments). ~Darby Slack

1. Be authentically yourself, always. This is the only life you will live, and you are the only you to ever exist. 

2. Try hard in school. Being indifferent and complacent about life is not cool, and it won’t get you very far. 

3. Implement the culture of error in your life. Make mistakes, a lot of them. Learn from them, grow from them, and make mistakes all over again. It's okay to be imperfect, expected even!

4. Do the lit trackers, fill them out with your friends and groups. Put important quotes and character-defining moments on the document. Essentially, fill out the lit tracker with the inevitable future essay in mind. This will help you so you don’t have to scramble to find quotes last minute! 

5. Try not to procrastinate (especially with the essays). I know that it’s tempting, but you will always end up giving yourself way more stress than necessary. 

6. Comparison is the thief of joy. Just do your best and try not to compare your grades or progress to your classmates and friends. You are doing amazing and making progress on your own time. 

7. Respect others, you never really know what your classmates could be going through. 

8. Work hard, be humble, be kind, help others, and you will make life easier for yourself and everyone around you. ~ Ashley Hoffman

Have as much fun as you can. Yes, schoolwork is important but if you’re stressing too much you won’t have any memories to look back on :) ~Halle White

 Take good notes in your books! I hate writing in books but use a pencil so you can erase it later, it helps you make so many connections in the novel you might not have seen and makes your analysis skills so much better when you analyze while you read. I wish I would've taken notes like I did Senior year in my Junior year because it would've helped me with my essays and made the discussions so much better. Also, don't be afraid to say anything that you think while reading in class, the discussions are so beneficial to understanding the book and sometimes you think of something that others don't. TURN IN YOUR ASSIGNMENTS ON TIME! It's so much less stressful and you have a more beneficial critical friends session. CRITICAL FRIENDS IS SO BENEFICIAL! Ask multiple people to look at your essays, even outside of class. I usually have at least 2 people look over every essay and it gives me a better perspective. The last thing I would say is to complete your lit tracker in a group because it allows you to have other people's notes and perspectives which ends up being really beneficial. ~Charleigh Wilson

Do your Lit Trackers while reading the book or join a group so that someone else can do it for you at least.~Anders Sabo

Hello everyone, I have two pieces of advice,  first treat Mrs. Caraway very well because she is very kind, generous, and understanding. Don’t take advantage of her kindness, just talk to her without makings excuses about the situation. 2)Even though it seems a tiring and long process of doing the lit trackers, keep on top of them and don’t finish them the night before it is due. Do your lit trackers anytime you are reading, it is easier in the end when this is finished for writing your essays. Enjoy these last couple years of school -it will go by fast; make the most of every moment!  Love, Celeste Dillon 

Make sure to fill out the lit trackers as you have active conversations in class and do them on time! I understood the books so much more when I wrote everything down in my lit tracker. Also, do not procrastinate in this class. Your essays and assignments are all something you NEED. Mrs. Caraway does not believe in busy work which means you are doing everything that you should be and need to be doing! Have fun and enjoy the class and if you aren’t at where you want to be in your writing, set time aside to work with Mrs. Caraway to improve because chances are she knows how to help you ;) practice at home too and always strive to improve because it will pay off. ~ Rebekah Bosc

Just try to be on top of all of your work, it'll help in the long run when you have a lot of assignments due at once. ~Carol Young

1. Dig deep into all of the books that you read! Mrs.Caraway chooses amazing books for the DP English classes to study and the class is so much more enjoyable when you become immersed in the characters, setting and plot. Alongside this, don’t judge a book  by its cover, or what the summary on the back of the book says. Truly read the book and if it isn’t your favorite I can assure you that there is at least one thing or take away that you can find in the book :)

2. Get to know your fellow classmates! If you’ve known these people your whole life or if this is your first class with them, get to know them better. Ask questions about their lives. Learn their insights and beliefs on topics. You will see these people four out of the seven days of the week and I promise you that it’s worthwhile to move outside of your personal bubble and get to know those around you.  After all, we rise and grow by getting to know others and lifting them up.

3. Use a planner! Or a sticky note, or a doc, anything that you can write down your assignments and due dates on. We’ve all tried to remember every assignment and then are frantically rushing the period before English to finish the work. Manage your time well and set yourself up for success by organizing your assignments and due dates. 

4. Ask questions! No question is a dumb question no matter how dumb you feel asking it. You never know when your question will answer someone else's question or how much clarity it will bring! Mrs. Caraway has infinite knowledge beyond the topic of English and she will truly do whatever it takes to answer your questions and help you succeed. 

5. Use grammarly and read your essay out loud before you submit! It helps you to catch any and all grammatical errors. And don’t EVER forget to capitalize I - that is the most important rule of writing- ALWAYS capitalize I and proper nouns. ~ Ella Pedersen

Okay, now it's time to reflect and respond!

Future Year 2 scholars: What piece of advice above really resonates with you? What advice or words of reflection would you like to add?

Year 1 Scholars: Welcome! What words of advice do you find most helpful or interesting? What do you see as your greatest source of anxiety and/or excitement? Why are you here, and what are you hoping to accomplish this year?

SUCH A FINE, SUNNY DAY: The Power of Words on the Path of Resistance

 

The title of this post includes a part of the last words of Sophie Scholl, member of the German Resistance Group, The White Rose.  

On the twenty second of February in 1943, Sophie, her brother Hans and their friend Christoph Probst were found guilty of treason and condemned to death.  Their crime?  The distribution of six anti-Nazi political resistance leaflets.  They had been arrested while distributing the sixth leaflet at the University of Munich just four days earlier.

All three were beheaded by a guillotine in Munich's Stadelheim Prison at 17:00 hours.  The execution was supervised by Walter Roemer, the enforcement chief of the Munich district court.  He along with other prison officials, in later reports describing the scene, emphasized the great courage of the young 22 year old girl as she walked to her execution.  Her complete last words were recorded as follows:  

How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause?  Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go, but what does my death matter if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred into action?

Following her death, a copy of the sixth leaflet was smuggled out of Germany through Scandinavia to the UK by German jurist Helmuth James Graf von Moltke, where it was used by the Allied Forces.  In mid-1943, they dropped over Germany millions of propaganda copies of the tract, now retitled The Manifesto of the Students of Munich...

Sophie's legacy had begun...and it rained down on all of Germany as a warning.

In a historical context, The White Rose's legacy is significant as a demonstration of exemplary spiritual courage and as a well-documented case of social dissent in a time of violent repression, censorship and conformist pressure.

It also teaches us that while words can be manipulated and twisted in pretty ways to lead a nation into committing heinous acts of murder, torture and war, they may also be used to proclaim truth, which is ultimately the mightiest sword in any arsenal.

Playwright Lillian Garrett-Groag stated in Newsday on February 22, 1993:  "It is possibly the most spectacular moment of resistance that I can think of in the twentieth century.  The fact that five little kids, in the mouth of the wolf, where it really counted, had the tremendous courage to do what they did, is spectacular to me."

In the same issue of Newsday, Holocaust historian Jud Newborn noted that:  "You cannot really measure the effect of this kind of resistance in whether or not X number of bridges were blown up or a regime fell...The White Rose really as a more symbolic value, but that's a very important value."

I would personally argue that Sophie Scholl and The White Rose Resistance has more than just symbolic value.  It represents the essence of what every human being is called to be:  a protector of truth, a defender of the innocent, and a warrior for freedom.  This, in the case of young Sophie, may prove to be deadly in a world where so often truth is abhorrent to those who hunger for their own personal gain and power; but it is that quiet gnawing in the soul and heart of all human beings--that part of ourselves that can hear the voice of that truth and realize that it is, in fact, something worth dying for.

The Power of Words.  The Power of the Truth they can wield.  It is immeasurable.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and another member of the German Resistance who was tortured then executed for treason against Germany once said:  "Silence in the face of evil is, itself, evil:  God will not hold us guiltless.  Not to speak is to speak.  Not to act is to act.  The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children."

Powerful words.  Convicting words.  They acknowledge that our voice, when used for truth--when used as a weapon to admonish evil outright and out loud to the world--is what defines our character.  Inaction is, in fact, a choice of action.  Silence is also speaking volumes.  Sophie knew this.  Her executioners knew this, too.  She made her choice, and I believe that because it was the right one--the truth--that she was able to face her death in peace and with a clear conscience.

On May 9, 2014, Google depicted Sophie Scholl for its Google Doodle on the occasion of what would have been her 93rd birthday.  She is, apparently, an inspiration to Google.

She is also a great inspiration to me.

Please take the time to read about Sophie in the article below.  She is worth your time, I promise! If you like what you read and want to be inspired further, there is a great YA novel based on her lived titled The Silenced.  There is also an incredible movie:  Sophie Scholl: The Final Days  that I highly recommend.  I have also included the trailer to that movie below.  Please look at BOTH and give me your comments.

Here is to Words and their saving power.  Here is to truth and courage.

Here is to the White Rose.

"Always stand up for what's right; even if you're standing alone." ~Sophie Scholl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM5A4ETW_Io

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/rose.html

THE CONTEXT KEY: Opening our eyes to understanding in life and literature

You have probably heard it said (often, if you are in the second year of my class!) that context is everything.  Okay, so I admit, it is definitely a cliché, but I would also like to suggest that it is a whole lot more than that.

I recently read a blog post in which a woman detailed a story about attending a church service that was very "charismatic."  In other words, people were very vocal and enthusiastic in their worship style.  She was okay with that, at least at first.  But it really started becoming annoying to her when a woman behind her started yelling "Glory!" and sometimes, "Glory, Glory, Glory!" during the service and the preacher's sermon.  Once was fine.  Twice or three times was pushing it.  But when it became constant, the blogger had enough.  She had formed a judgment about this woman and it wasn't a complimentary one.

After the service, the blogger stopped to speak with the pastor's wife, who was a friend.

The pastor's wife asked, "Did you happen to notice the woman who sat behind you today?"  The blogger commented that yes, indeed, she had noticed her, but she stopped herself from saying anything negative or judgmental that she might regret (she was in a church, after all!). That was when the pastor's wife said, "Her son was killed just last week in a drive by shooting."  The pastor's wife went on to share what an inspiration the woman had been to everyone at the church in the way she had clung to her faith through her pain, "It's truly beautiful," she said.

In that moment, everything changed.  No longer did the blogger see the woman as an obnoxious, over zealous church goer.  The woman calling out, "Glory!" had suffered unspeakable loss and tragedy; she was a human being who was bravely confronting her pain and suffering.  The blogger posted these words:  "When we know context, we are slower to judge, slower to write people off, slower to feel disdain, and slower to puff ourselves up in self-righteous [or indignant] pride."*

Communication and social interaction processes are an integral part of our every day lives;  at school, at work, and at home.  In each of these situations, both our culture and the unique context of our individual lives and situations play a role in how information is communicated, received, and most importantly, understood.  This is such an important revelation as you take in the flurry of information hurled in almost rapid fire succession at you everyday. Whether in watching the news, paging through advertisements, engaging in hallway gossip, or just making your own observations, you must always consider the role that the larger context of that message or sound bite is playing.

This should inspire this question in us all:  Who is judging you without a context today?  All of us can

do only so much to allow others to see the "bigger picture."  But ultimately; in a world of Snapchats, Instagram, Facebook Posts, short tweets and snippets of time that people may see us in the grocery store, hallway, or out on the field, they are going to see what they want to see, make of it what they will, and form an instant judgement.  This shouldn't surprise us; after all, we live in a hurried, "instant" world.  Personally, I'd like to hope that people who see me out and about, at my best and my worst, will give me the benefit of the doubt...

I have attached a video link here that highlights the results of a very interesting experiment.  Several photographers were hired (unaware of each other) to photograph the same man.  Each photographer was given a simple background or "context" of their subject.  None of them were true, and all were very different from each other.  It's very interesting how it affected even their artistic choices!  Please watch it by clicking this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-TyPfYMDK8   
Share what you learned in the video, and what your own life experiences have taught you about the importance of context.

We live in a fast moving, rapidly changing world of quick reactions and snap judgements.  Maybe it would do us all good to stop, take a deep breath, and consider all the experiences, emotions, interactions and relationships that have brought us to this very moment.  Maybe it would do us all one better if we took the time to stop and consider all the possible factors that have brought each individual we encounter to this moment, as well...

(*Booker, Adriel.  "Context is Everything," I Still Belong blog, 2017)