School

I HATED school, all my life, I found it an excruciatingly, mind-numbing form of torture. It's especially hard for creative types to be put in a box for 8 or so hours, listening to voices droning on or having to learn by rote memorization facts and ideas that just do not connect with their truth.

In high school, I had 17 Dean’s detentions my freshman year alone. I had to have my father bring me back to school on Monday mornings for my daylong in-school suspensions. Next day though, if someone said "Hey, Sheryl, lets go to the Cubs game, or out for breakfast, or whatever," I was out that field house door as fast as my feet would carry me. I just could not find value in school. Doesn’t mean I wasn’t taking the time to educate myself. I read like a mad lady and explored ideas and avenues that interested me. Actually, those in-school suspensions, sitting in one study hall after another, with a book of my own choosing was more palatable than being in classes that bored me no end.

When high school ended, I chose not to extend the torture. I opted to work instead. I spent that first year working in Lutheran General Hospital's x-ray billing department while visiting my friends at various schools in Illinois. To my surprise, work soon became an even bigger dead end than school; so, reluctantly, I started at Oakton Community College. I think it was the first year it opened (had to be 1971), and I raised my grade point average so that I could transfer to a four-year school. I transferred to Western Illinois University as I thought it was easier than Northern, not as far as Southern, and I had many friends there; academics never really entered the picture. Since I only had one distant uncle in my family who had graduated from college, I did not have the support or guidance that would have been helpful to me at that time. I was really more or less on my own when it came to making big decisions. Not that I regret that decision. My time at Western was a good one; but it was definitely more about the people I was meeting and the activities I was engaged in more than the academic side of life. As always, studying was a torturous activity for me. I usually slid by with a C in courses without much effort going into them and I was satisfied with that. I remember pulling some all-nighters studying, but on reflection, that was more about experiencing the activity than about earnestly engaging in learning. 

Last thing on earth I’d have pictured for myself would be that I would wind up teaching! I have taught adult immigrants since 1998 and love the role of teacher. For me it’s an exercise in creativity. I rarely use books and love the challenge of doing wild and wonderful things in the classroom. This past semester, during Women’s History Month, we had a class where we worked in groups to research some of the history and important women in the Women’s Suffragette Movement. Next class, we did presentations about who they researched. After that, we watched the movie, “Iron Jawed Angels.”  That really brought the movement to life for my students, conversation from that was quite animated. We followed that by doing a play I found in a social activism resource book, which proved to be a great experience on so many levels. One satisfaction I got from that was seeing the chorus of women with scarves on their heads protesting "Equal Rights for Women!"

I guess “school” taught me that education is a means of obtaining information, which is a pursuit open to anyone at any time. Boxing up and packaging that education into a school format can deaden the experience for some in ways that make them resistant to further educating themselves. If I wasn’t as unhappy with my work experience as I was, I might never have pursued college at all. Even once I did, I did so for all the wrong reasons. I was much more interested in the “experience” of living away from home and the whole college thing than I was about what I was going to college for. Academically, I chose to major in psychology because I was interested in people, never had I given a thought to what kind of job or career that major would lead to. 

I dropped out of college at the end of my junior year during a fondly remembered “peace, love, dope” hippie period of my life. After a few unsettling, menial jobs, I found myself in the graphic arts world for the next 20 years. I worked in a few art studios and then I worked on many newspapers. My claim to fame at one point in 1975 was that I worked on the Reader Newspaper, the free Chicago weekly.  I finally ended that phase as a typesetter for a financial printer where I met my husband and happily gave it all up for marriage and having a child.  A couple of years into that life, I wound up going back to Northeastern to finish up the last year I had missed and got some generic degree that had combined my life experiences for credit. How funny, I got my degree exactly 20 years after I started college!

Years later, through a weird twist of faith, I had brunch with a bunch of people and the woman I was sitting next to had an administrative job in Harold Washington’s Adult Education department. I was talking about my job at the time, which was working at Schiller School (the one right behind old Cabrini Green) for Sylvan at School; an offshoot of Sylvan Learning Center. Our job was to work with students individually to help them get their reading scores up so they could do better on the tests. This was 1998, before No Child Left Behind.  Anyway, she hired me to teach GED part-time at Harold Washington College, one of the seven city colleges in Chicago. However, when I went to work, mystically enough, all the GED positions were filled and they were in need of an ESL teacher, so I got that. I say mystically enough, because upon becoming Buddhist in 1984, I took a trip to Japan, a religious pilgrimage, and while I was there I decided I really wanted to go back there to live. I figured teaching English was a means by which I could do that, so it was something I really wanted to do anyway.

However I came to teaching, it was the right time and right place. I found work I love. I love meeting new people from far away places and learning from them. I love that each year, classes change three times (this keeps me from getting bored, that’s for sure), I love that I can help people become more confident in their speaking abilities so that they can live more comfortably in this culture. And I love that this job enables me to be a lifelong learner on a global scale; learning about other governments, living conditions and societal norms in other countries from the people who have intimate knowledge of the inner workings. 

So, where I blame school for turning me off to learning, I love that I now work at a school that provides me a way to make a living, where I can connect with new people all the time, and where I can challenge myself creatively. For now, when I think of school, it's all good:)

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

If you live in Chicago, Milwaukee is an hour and a half ride north, a straight shot on I-94, past Gurnee Mills and Six Flags. The first time I took a day trip to Milwaukee was Mother's Day 2011. My son was home from some far-flung travel of his and staying with me for a few days. I got up that morning and spontaneously said, "Why don't we go to Milwaukee for the day?" What a great day it was too. Lucky for us, after days of grey and gloomy weather, we got a bright sunny day, so we took our phones with their GPS capability, programmed the Milwaukee Art Museum and off we went. The building itself sits right on Lake Michigan and the architecture is amazing; it kind of looks like a big boat with wings. The wings open at 10 am, noon, and at 5, they close for the night. You can stand in a glass solarium and watch the wings open; an event I've missed so far... next trip for sure. Since then, I've returned on a couple of occasions for different exhibitions. (I've been there more than the Art Institute right in Chicago during the same time frame!)

I've taken the tour of the home of Milwaukee's pioneer brewing family (and 5 archbishops), Captain Frederick Pabst, which has been restored to it's original splendor. I've visited the Harley Davidson museum, and last summer I took a boat ride on Lake  Michigan. 

What I love about Milwaukee is that it's like a ghost town on the week-ends. You can drive and park ANYWHERE, and their parking prices are not nearly as ridiculously high as Chicago's.

I have gone up there and shopped their antique and thrift stores. Into cheese? I stopped at a Cheese Castle on the way home one visit that was pretty pricey but offered lots of goodies. I think whatever your interests are, Milwaukee makes a fun, easy, fast getaway; try it!

I have a Website!

I got started blogging when I had to take classes in order to teach online. I received a Master Certificate in Online Teaching from University of Illinois last year. The program consisted of 6 courses, all online, covering various aspects of online teaching. I had to take a technology course and for that I had to create a blog; that was the beginning of this endeavor. Additionally, I had to create a podcast. That was a challenge! I did it and it had to be hosted on a site and have an RSS feed on iTunes and the whole bit. I now look back with wonder that I was able to do that because I couldn't do it again today, I'm afraid.      

While I only made one podcast, it was an English lesson, of course, as that is my profession. However, I continued using the podcast site with my face-to-face classes. I added grammar lessons as we did them and then found YouTube videos that went along with the grammar practice. So now, we spend our time in class practicing reading, writing and speaking and just go to computers to do the grammar.      

Unbelievably enough, the site has gotten over 20,000 visitors! I am shocked and amazed. Some of my students have told me they posted it on their Facebook pages, and the Dean of my program at City Colleges added it to our Adult Ed website. When school started on January 14th, it was just turning over to 10,000. Today, a mere 3 months later, it's almost doubled that number. I have to say, the wonders of the internet never cease to astound me.      

My one and only podcast is at the very bottom of the page under Non-Action Verbs, if you're interested take a look/or listen, at:

http://shaylo99.podbean.com/

Waldo

So, this is my live-in companion Waldo. What a character! I've lived with all kinds of animals; dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, snakes, and turtles, but my pet of choice today is this intelligent, funny Amazonian parrot. 

When I got married in 1985 and moved into my husband's home; I joined two dogs, two cats, an eel in a big fish tank, and Waldo. I'd lived with cats and dogs before but never a bird. It was a difficult time in my life for me; new husband, pregnant, new animals around and I didn't know anything about birds. Don't think my husband did either; he just got it from some looney tune who lived behind us, who, now that I think about it, probably was dealing in illegal small animals and birds, but that's a whole other story.

So, Waldo had a big wrought iron cage and I wound up feeding him daily as he grew to dislike any males. I lived with him for 10 years like that; he in the cage, maybe a couple of toys around and locked in at all times. When we got divorced, he wound up going to my in-laws house and lived there for almost 17 years. I think on occasion, they let him out just to see him terrorize the dogs in the house.

When my father-in-law passed away in July of 2011, Waldo wound up coming back to live with me. I had given my beloved dog Sam to my ex-husband who has 6 other dogs and lives on 5 acres of land in Indiana, so it seemed only fair I took Waldo.

This time around though I was in a much different place in my life; it was just him and me. I started doing some research on the Internet (I'd like to think that when I moved in with him the first time that if the Internet was around, I would have checked out life with parrots; but it's history now.) One day, I went into Windy City Parrots in Chicago. I'm grateful that the proprietor give me so much information about life with parrots that day. The thing that impressed me, and that has changed Waldo's life the most, was letting me know that putting toys all around his cage was akin to leaves on trees. That birds are fearful of their predators and need camouflage and protection. Wow! that made such a difference in the little guy's life. I wove some newspaper strips around his food bowls and at various places around the cage. It was affirming to see just how much he enjoyed some privacy. He can hide if he wants, and he isn't just out in the open for anyone to see at any time.

Anyway, he has free reign now and even though he knows he can fly, he likes to walk around on the floors a lot. He squawks and whistles to the TV and LOVES white noise; any time the vacuum or  juicer is on, he's whistling. I just realized he's into blondes. About 2 years ago, I had a blond friend over and as she sat on the couch, he walked across the floor from where his cage is and was down on the floor by her feet looking to get her attention. We just laughed and said "Waldo has a girlfriend."  Again, a couple of weeks ago, a different blond friend was here and he was by her feet twice. That was really crazy, she had on these high boots, why he'd want to put himself in such a vulnerable position as to be on the floor is beyond me, but I think he was makin' time with these ladies. He's that kind of bird, he's got chutzpah!

Plagarism

Weird story and confession:
When I was a sophomore at Western Illinois University, I got busted by an English professor for plagarism. Yeah, that was a freaky experience. The assignment was to write a 3-page paper on I-forget-what, without using any outside sources. Well, I found a Time, or some other news magazine, that I used a paragraph from to get the paper going. Clearly, an example of plagarism, I admit. I turned the paper in and then it was finals week. It was December, and it was really, reallllly cold outside when I had to walk across some wide open fields to get to the building far on the other side of campus. When I got there, late (ahem), I came in the door situated in the back of the class and the teacher's desk was in the front, I saw that the rest of the students were already well into taking their tests. So, I walked up to the professor who handed me back my paper along with the final exam. As I was heading to my seat, I looked down at the paper and saw it had big red printing on it that said: "Plagarism results in Failure in the class." Stunned, I turned around and went back and asked if I should take the final, and he said "No," his face was all red and uptight and angry. I remember saying something like, or exactly, "I'm sorry I thought you were so stupid."

So, due to that experience, I am sensitive to the issue of taking credit for that which is not mine. I want to make clear that anything on this site is notated where possible where things came from. I would never knowingly "steal" another's work and call it my own... ever. However, I have to add; I do take content off the web in bits and pieces and add it to papers, articles, projects, etc. and who doesn't?

In today's internet world, it's hard to know what the boundaries are or when one is crossing that boundary. I took classes at U of I with a slew of professors where the issue was discussed and ultimately, left unresolved. When does forwarding emails, posting to walls, Twitter, Facebook etc. cross a line and become plagiarism? What is legit and what is not cool? 

Why does it seem like only written words are the sacred stuff? I read a book about Leonardo da Vinci (see sidebar on right for title) and the Vitruvian Man he drew. That was not at all something unique that da Vinci did, matter of fact, it was Vitruvius 1500 years before da Vinci that described his idea of the human anatomy as a microcosm of the whole world; thus the square and circle, both representing the earth and sky. Other Renaissance artists drew that idea in various versions before da Vinci. Why is it not plagiarism in the visual arts or music? When you "borrow," as is often the case, a few notes, a bit of melody, a style, why is this not considered plagiarism? Can't one be inspired by, do works based on, use a tidbit to "get going" into something original. I thought there was nothing new under the sun, that all we see is just what we've already seen only recreated in new ways? If you have thoughts on this, please comment.

Continuing...

Wow! I haven't been contributing or even thinking about this blog in a long, long time. I've got the week off and with free time, have been able to update what I started here. I stopped writing because I couldn't decide who I was writing to, or why I was bothering. Now, even though I still don't know the answer to those questions, I've decided I enjoy writing, and maybe even have something to say about life after all these years of living, so why not share my perspective with anyone who happens to surf by. If you are reading this now, my warm hello, and thanks for spending a minute or two with me.

Swimming

OMG! Do I ever love swimming, what a great sport. I got started when I was young. My grandfather taught my older sister and I to swim during lazy summers up in Union Pier, Michigan. Oh how I remember those days. Early in the day, when we went down to the beach we could see guppies swimming around our ankles so clean and clear was the water. Then Grandpa Frank would take each of us under his arms and walk us out to where the water was up to his shoulders. We'd be scared and hanging onto him for dear life, and then, wallah! we were on a sandbar with the water up to his knees. We were really far out (or so it seemed) and our parents looked so, so far away. After a while out there, he would make us swim our way back; and that's how I learned how to swim. 

Since then I have always loved swimming. Not having a swimsuit-compatible body though has been a challenge to me over the years. Some years, throughout my teens, I wouldn't be caught dead in a bathing suit nor near a beach. 

When I was in my 20's, I lived near University of Tennessee in Knoxville and started using their pool. I actually got to where I could swim a mile, took like 55 minutes, but I would do it regularly; but it didn't last for long as soon after that milestone, I moved back to Chicago.

I started swimming again over the years when my son was growing up. We'd go to Concordia University's pool in the neighborhood for fun. Then I left him behind and took it up more seriously. Although I'm happy to see that it has remained an enduring part of his life also.

I spent a couple of lovely summers outside enjoying the Portage Park pool on Central. Loved that. I would go there alone and swim after classes in the mid day. For a couple of years, I was way too tan but just couldn't help myself. One day though, I went to class and a (male) student of mine said, "I saw you at the pool Sunday," and that was the end for me. I went there because I didn't know anyone and the thought of this guy or others pointing at me and saying, "Oh, there's my teacher" ruined it for me.

Then, I found Wright College's pool, how did I not know this??? Since then, I've been swimming pretty religiously for the past 3 years. Last October, I actually got up to swimming a mile again. Okay, it took an hour and 10 minutes but I did it! I even took a synchronized swim class this past January, but I've decided I like free swimming better.

So, I was thinking about this as I swam this morning. 32 lengths (36=1/2 a mile) in 38 minutes. that's my new routine plus water walking and exercising in the pool. It's a nice community I am engaged with down there in the basement of the building; plus there is something very liberating about walking around in a bathing suit.

So, I think I'm set for life as far as exercise goes. It's the kind of thing you can do till the day you die and it will probably prolong that day as well.

Sculpture at Millenium Park

I'm looking over this book I borrowed called Chicago A Pictoral Celebration, of many notable buildings, sculptures and gardens in Chicago. I took the paragraph below from page 107; it's  talking about Millenium Park's sculptures.


"Much like Kapoor's Cloud Gate sculpture, (Jaume) Plensa has talked about the Crown Fountain as an environment in which people can interact with the work of art. Such interactive installments in Millenium Park may very well be a reflection of modern society, in which individuals feel increasingly isolated and lonely. At the same time, they encourage people to interact with the art—and it is in this civic spirit that Millenium Park was built, and the embodiments of this spirit throughout the grounds are without a doubt its greatest achievement."

In 2004, I was working downtown at Harold Washington College two nights a week at Wabash and Lake Streets. Many afternoons I took an early train, went one stop further and spent time at the Chicago Culture Center. I watched as the park progressed both out the Michigan Avenue windows as well as from viewing the three dimensional models that were displayed. I remember hearing all the buzz about The Jellybean, (Chicagoan's unofficially named it such before Anish Kapoor could name his own sculpture) and when I first looked at it I thought it was stupid (on paper anyway). I remember my first experience seeing the real Cloud Gate. I  was so completely surprised and impressed at how it drew people in, how people laid down on the ground to take pictures, stood in front of it, asked others to take pictures, went inside and up close to see their reflections, all kinds of things people were doing there. It was engagement with a piece of art like I'd never really experienced before; and, it was extraordinary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb1XUFOlAXs&feature=related

Are you familiar with Crown Fountain? What a fun, exuberant day can be spent there. Either wading in and getting wet or just watching the kids and others enjoying themselves at this whimsical, engaging piece of art in the park.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z7jcqfBvbQ&NR=1

Engagement, yeah, I think it is exactly what people are missing more and more as they spend the better part of their days with their best friends; their technology of choice.

Chicago History

A few months ago, a friend of mine told me she was taking a class in Chicago History, and having a great time doing so. Since the class was at Wilbur Wright College, I was interested even though I teach there six days a week and swim there four to five mornings a week, and really did not need to spend more time there, but the class sounded fun. I took one eight week session last spring; there were about 25 people in it, mostly retired, and they are a great bunch of informative and lively folks. It has proven to be a turning point for me. I am now hooked on all things Chicago!

    I'm a born and raised Chicagoan (Michael Reese Hospital) but never had as much appreciation for the city as I do today. I am curious to know more about the beginning phases of how Chicago got going, the disasters Chicago has seen, the Gangster era, the architecture, the famous people who live here, and in general, the beauty of the city's downtown and the lake front.

     The teacher of the class, Ken Little, is Chicago's unofficial fire department historian. He has coupled his knowledge of the city together with slides taken by a priest friend of his. He presents the history of Chicago through slides of buildings, newspaper clippings, events, etc. Other people in the class also contribute in a way that brings the history of Chicago to life.

     My friend and I and some other people have had the good fortune to have gone on a couple of "field trips" viewing places in Chicago that are so unexpected. Our last field trip was on the south side. We went along the park system, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, Douglas Park, Jackson Park, etc. If you'll note, the photo of the Statue of the Republic (above left)  is from that trip. It's in Jackson Park, huge, all gold and should be more well-known as it is a replica of the original that was built for the Columbian Exposition held here in 1893.

     On an earlier trip, we started out at Wright College, and we went through many northwest neighborhoods. Norwood Park, Jefferson Park, then south till be wound up around Wicker Park. We viewed three different cannons (yes, cannons) parked outside houses and apartment buildings. So weird!

     It's just amazing to me to realize that one sees much of the world without noticing what they're seeing. It takes a trained eye to help us see what's right in front of us and to appreciate it, otherwise we stand to miss so much.

Lexophiles

Lexophiles, how's that for a word? It means lovers of words; and, that's me alright. As an ESL teacher I find myself ever more intrigued by the language. Some of the rules make no sense whatsoever. Why do we have to change from I am, to you are, to s/he is? Who came up with that? All those "theys" in the  world that set out to obstruct our way.

Let's look at the past tense of the verbs. Why are some regular, add -ed, and some irregular: go-went, buy-bought, sing-sang? Then we have verbs that don't change: hurt, cost, quit have only one form; why? Who designed this? It's craziness. I read that all new verbs will be regular. For example, I texted you. I surfed the net for hours etc. And isn't that funny how a noun so quickly becomes a verb? As in Google; "I Googled it yesterday."

Then there's pronunciation, what a headache for new learners. Think of a word like read, in the past, it's spelled the same, but pronounced like the word red. Some words change their pronunciation according to the part of speech it takes. For example, live; "I live on the corner." Or, "It's Saturday Night Live!" Same with object; as a noun, "He's the object of my affection." As a verb, "I object!"

I've read that as English is becoming more and more the Lingua Franca for business around the world, that the language is now, and will keep on, changing to the point that there won't be a past tense form at all. As in: "Yesterday, I go to the beach." will be understood because of the word yesterday; forget changing the tense.

I really wonder what English will look like in 100 years?

For any other Lexophiles, check out the file under OF INTEREST  that is titled Lexophiles. It's all funny plays on words (puns), example: "The dentist and the manicurist fought tooth and nail." Hah, some funny stuff.