Unpacked: Summer's Travel Souvenirs

This summer I've been very fortunate. I've been able to see....

• The beach & waves of the Atlantic Ocean
• The small towns and coastal sights of the Eastern Shore of Maryland
• The mountains and quaint towns of New England
• The traffic of New York City and the New Jersey Turnpike via rental car
• The majesty of Canada's Montmorency Falls while hiking about
• The skyline of Old Montreal from the top of the La Grande Roue de Montréal (ferris wheel)
• The view of historic Vieux-Québec City & across-the-river Lévis by ferry, funicular, and foot 
• The quaint homes and busy life of DC's Dupont Circle neighborhood
• The Chicago skyline from the air, flying into Midway airport
• The flat farmlands of the Midwest prairie 

It's been a summer of planes, (metro)trains, and automobiles...not to mention ferries, boats, bikes, funiculars, foot traffic, Ubers, and pool floaties. I've been fortunate to have a teacher "summer off" of a variety of long and short trips, getting the opportunity to see a lot of unique sights and eat some amazing food along the way. I also got to try out my fr'anglais in Canada--which even after 4.5 years of high school and college French, it was not pretty. 

I'm finding in my reflection that my summer travel souvenirs tie in both with the richness of our trip to Spain over spring break and my recent read: Rick Steves' book Travel as a Political Act. The benefits from travel go on and on: it gets you out of your comfort zone, allows for greater understanding of the world, provides opportunities to interact with locals and embrace different cultures, changes your perspective, challenges preconceived ideas, gets you out of your routine, and gives you new insights to yourself while you see all these places out of the ordinary. I especially love that it shows you how many people and how many unique places are out there in this great big world. Feeling small on a big planet every now and then is a very good thing. 

There's still some summer ahead. Likewise, fall, winter, and spring. The beauty of travel is that it isn't season specific, and there's no time limit. Where it's out in nature or a version of (what I call) "urban hiking," you can go near or far, be extravagent or go on the cheap, and experience something new. Go find somewhere new to explore!

Images from https://www.adventureinyou.com/travel-inspiration/best-travel-quotes/ and my own camera compiled at https://www.canva.com/design/DAGuwRFlXdk/spkLrRbLBRagSQIXgO4mNw/view

The Invisible Rights That Hold Us: Flag Day 2025

Today is Flag Day, 2025. There's a lot of fanfare going on in and around Washington, D.C. today to honor that and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. All of which has caused me to reflect on our the flag and the heart of some of our founding American documents:

❤️ Our 1776 Declaration of Independence and it's powerful theme: “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

🤍 Our 1777 adoption of the flag and how Flag Day was first formalized in 1916 by President Wilson then officially recognized by Congress in 1949 as an annual day of honor and celebration.

💙 Our Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, naming the first 10 Constitutional Amendments and our fundamental freedoms worth fighting for: free speech, religion, due process, right to assemble, and more.

Embedded in all of this is the knowledge there are other freedoms that aren't printed in these doctrines, but they are equally important. Ones with environmental impact, ones without which we cannot live. Maybe they aren't etched in marble or housed in the National Archives, but they are necessary. Quieter, simpler, maybe softer, silent, and invisible. Yet, they are vital and hold us all the same.

Click through the slides below to see the 10 Invisible Rights That Hold Us (and that we should hold dear):

“The Invisible Rights That Hold Us” by Dabrowka, Ms. Vicki

So this Flag Day, while the flags are raised for our country--a country with a long, layered history based on principles, resilience, strength, and democracy while also flawed and imperfect--let’s raise our awareness too of these other rights. These invisible rights. Let's protect them, and in doing so protect each other. 

Sometimes that comes quietly in observation, and sometimes we need to speak up when it counts. Here are three places that can help you do that:

• Learn how environmental law protects invisible rights at Earthjustice.
• Explore how enviornmental rights & human dignity are intertwined at The Center for Human Rights and the Environment.
• See how businesses are rethinking their impact in protecting our shared future via climate action at We Mean Business Coalition.

Images created at canva.com.

The ABC Benefits of Travel

We just recently had spring break (a true joy for teachers and students alike). 

During that time, my husband and I went to Spain. Needless to say we had an amazing time, and I keep rolling the experiences over my mind. It was both our first time to Spain & to Europe together. 

It got me thinking that travel is the ultimate learning experience -- outdoor education as we walked miles through the cities we visited, conversations with locals and with travelers learning from each other, awareness of how other countries do things that we take for granted, comparing 'us versus them' and 'new versus old' and noticing that both can be exceptional...and that we are richer for the experience.

All of this during my trip reflection led to these ABC benefits of travel and all of the things I loved about our trip--big, small, important, powerful, significant, and meaningful.

Architecture & art and an astonishment of "how did they do that, so long ago, with less tools and technology to build these amazing structures?"

Bevy of beverages...not to mention bon voyages, backpacks, boarding passes, and bounding into new experiences.

Churches & cathedrals & capturing the visual sensation of old worlds and modern times coming together.

Deepen understanding of others and their diversity.

Exposure to exotic &/or extraordinary experiences, exploring different cultures, and exercising through miles of exploration. 

Food, flavor, fun, flexibility (as things don't always go the way you expect), ....and for us: flamenco!

Gives you a chance to become a global citizen, seeing how interconnected & similar we are despite our differences. 

Hands-on history lessons where you get to be at the heart of where so much has happened and see the impact humans have had on a place over time.

Increases empathy & exposes you to brand new horizons & it impacts your way of thinking and it illuminates new ideas.

Journeys have a way of jump-starting your creative juices as you see things through a different lens.

Keeps you on your toes as you navigate new territory, keenly aware on the kaleidoscope of new sights in front of you.

Learning thru immersion and sometimes even the uncertainty of local languages and getting lost.

Make meaningful memories while meandering, and meeting others along the way.

Novelty, newness, and nature nourish our soul and keeps us energized.

Overcoming small hurdles like getting around and trying to communicate in other languages gives a great opportunity for growth.

Perspectives, people-watching, & opportunities to practice patience.

Quaint little shops & quiet corners are what make new places quintessential gifts along your quest.

Real opportunity to build rapport and relationships with your fellow ramblers, while also reaffirming that rest, relaxation, and reflection are so important in order to emotionally, spiritually, and mentally readjust from the rigors of every day life. 

Stepping out of your own comfort zone and savoring the sights, sounds, sensations, & situations of somewhere brand new to you.

Time takes on new meaning, you are totally “in the moment” when traveling.

Unexpected and unique ways to unplug and step away from the urge to gravitate toward your technology.

Value and validation comes in the voyage, vision, and new-to-you view and vantage point of vacations.

Wanderlust gives you the chance to coddiwample: wander forth freely without a destination.

‘Xcursions can give you ‘xactly what you need if you approach travel with an open mind.

You can feel young at heart as you travel, since you are never to old to learn and experience something new. 

Zeal for life and zen moments abound as travel reignites passion, curiosity, and enthusiasm for the world around you.

From our virtual travel companion, Rick Steves (who was only a Kindle book away): 

“Travel is rich with learning opportunities, and the ultimate souvenir is a broader perspective.” 

We came home with all of that -- and all of the above -- for sure!

Simple Ways to Make Your Memorial Day More Sustainable

As mentioned in my last post, he semi-official start to summer is Memorial Day weekend. Fun in the sun for everyone. With both summer and the summer holidays of Memorial Day and 4th of July ahead, use these ideas as a way to bring some sustainability into your summer celebrations. (Pssst...these also work for low key summer days too!)

Additionally, for an interesting article about the intersectionality between Memorial Day, social justice issues, and environmentalism, check out EarthDay.org's 2022 post: The Tie Between Environmentalism and Memorial Day

Ideas combined from the two articles: https://www.earthday.org/the-tie-between-environmentalism-and-memorial-day/ and https://kab.org/how-to-celebrate-memorial-day-while-respecting-the-environment/ to create the graphic from Canva.com

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week 2024

The first full week of May is always Teacher Appreciation Week. 

For all of you teachers out there.... I know how hard you work, especially since it is my day job. 

Teachers show up in a dozen different ways: for their students, their colleagues, their students' parents, their administrators. Teachers plan lessons, learn on a daily basis, share parts of themselves, listen to our students, serve as recess moderators, encourage creativity, sharpen critical thinking, guide, facilitate, nurture, hug, build character, treat wounds, build future leaders, write emails, have difficult phone calls, encourage different perspectives, individualize for unique student needs, write report cards, grade papers and tests, provide parental support and coaching, create global citizens who look beyond their vantage point, embrace student wins, mourn student losses, bolster them back up again, and help them strive to be their very best...and so much more. No day or week or year is the same. The job is both small and big, and ultimately huge. The demands are ever-growing, and the rate of teacher burnout is high. 

But every year come fall, many of us do it over and over again. 

Teachers are change-makers. Molding and shaping and guiding learners--both young and old, striving to make a difference in attitudes, working toward a calling to grow their students....and ultimately society. Sometimes teachers get a bad wrap or negative news, when most every teacher I have ever known is just trying to share that love of learning forward. We're not striking it financially rich in education, but we are gaining a richness in so many other ways.

For those of us who are teachers--this week, let's go forward and build each other up. We all know how hard each other are working and the special demands that are unique to teaching versus other jobs. We need to celebrate each other!

For those of you aren't teachers, take time to thank one who has been a vital part in your own growth and development, or one who was instrumental in making your child(red) shine. I can tell you just how much of themselves teachers are giving you and your children!

Along those lines, watch and listen to Azul Terronez in his TEDx Talk: "What Makes a Good Teacher Great?" Celebrate all the greatness out there that comes from a teacher's heart.

Video from https://youtu.be/vrU6YJle6Q4?si=sFFTa2Lxcw9ShpwG; Images from https://i.pinimg.com/originals/31/2a/b3/312ab319fce92b9f74531b5af6e38145.jpg and https://twitter.com/QuoteILoveU/status/880985804545372160/photo/1 and https://tsd401.org/we-appreciate-our-teachers/snip-of-happy-teacher-appreciation-week/

Reflections on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

With this weekend being Martin Luther King Day I've been doing a lot of thinking about all that 39 year old Dr. King accomplished in his life.

Monday (MLD Day) is seen as a Day of Service, one the only holidays we have dedicated as that. A day "on" versus a day "off." Of course, people are free to use it as they wish. As a teacher, even though we are newly back to school after Winter break, the 3 day weekend definitely felt like a timely gift. Already. 

Every year, right before MLK Day, I teach a curricular lesson with tech integration to the 4th graders, all about Dr. King and his 6 steps of nonviolent social change. 

I use the principles from the King Center and tie it into how the ideas of non-violence can be adapted on the playground, in their own home, or in big ways as they were used during the Civil Rights era. We discuss what "civil disobedience" means and how that would have looked during the 1950s and '60s with sit-ins, marches, bus boycotts, and peaceful protests. There's always a bit of shock and awe when I paint the picture of how sitting in at a Whites Only lunch counter could have people yelling or spitting or pouring milk shakes on black protesters quietly sitting there, peacefully making their point, and only wanting to purchase a burger or coffee, which really should be everyone's right. Then we discuss how courageous it is to sit there, trying to silently, peacefully showcase your point in a nonviolent way--how the violence being bestowed on theses protestors speaks louder and in a stronger, more poignant way... especially in a time period where watching the news unfold on the TV screen in your house was a new concept.

I always am hopeful that, as a white woman, I can convey my empathy, historic facts, and the fact that we aren't always proud of our history. I'm hopeful that I present it in a compassionate way to be heard by my students--especially my black students. I found myself this year, more than ever before, thinking that in this very partisan world, this classroom conversation was one that could create personal ramifications for myself and my own employment if I was living and teaching in a different school--in certain states...in some of which I once taught. 

My guiding principle of teaching has always been "to educate." Especially with the following principle being at the heart of who I am as a teacher:

Yet here we are, in 2024, living in a very divided society where book banning happens and being "woke" (which isn't that really just being educated?) is seen as a problematic putdown. Sometimes, when doing the math, it feels like we are going the wrong way from the world in which I lived in as a child. We are 70ish years removed from the American Civil Rights movement, which was approximately 100 years after the Civil War. 

Perhaps we would do well to refocus as a society on the words and teachings of Dr. King to strive to do better, to be better, to embrace the ideals set forth in the Constitution, and work for the betterment of our community. Imagine the nation (if not the world) we'd live in if we had more days of service, taking action to help out our neighbors...for we are all indeed neighbors. 

If you need some ideas of what you can go out and do (on either Martin Luther King Jr. Day or any other day), revisit my GTG post from last year: "Go Beyond a Day of Service and Give Back All Year Long.

Images from https://hurstrobert.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/x-six-principles-of-nonviolence.jpg, image https://voegelinview.com/do-we-learn-from-history/, https://artlogo.co/blogs/signature-design/martin-luther-king-quotes

Honoring Indigenous Peoples' Day

A friend of mine does a lot of hiking throughout the year. It's always wonderful to see her scenic adventures on social media. When she posts her pictures and talks about each hike, she always posts as her final line something to the effect of this: "___ is located on the stolen ancestral lands of the Piscataway and Susquehannock people." It always gets me thinking.

On Monday, in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day, the college I attended posted this on Facebook: "rests on land once cared for by native nations including the Kiikaapoi/Kickapoo, Peoria, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ/Sioux, and Myaamia/Miami." I was impressed with their attention to whom the land originally belonged.

I grew up knowing the second Monday of October as Columbus Day. The whole "In 14 hundred, ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue" mantra burned on my brain from being a kid in elementary school in the '70s. Since being a teacher and getting my Master's degree in Education in the mid 1990s, the emphasis was on multiculturalism and multiple perspectives. It governs a lot of my own perspective in life, knowing that there are a variety of people out there with different views and vantage points of my own. It's why I take a great interest in Intersectionalism and how it relates to many things, including the environment and social justice. I've long-used Jane Yolen's book Encounter to teach about Columbus Day, and while the age of exploration opened up a lot of the globe to people, it often came at the expense of the native people who lived there. 

All of this came back to me on Monday, October 10th, 2022 as I encountered my midwestern alma mater paying tribute to the lost ancestral land on both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day. I loved that my former university linked to the Native Digital Land website. [Additionally there are Apple & Android apps so you can have this information with you on your phone to use while you are on the move.] The goal of this interactive website is "to help map Indigenous territories, treaties, and languages." I love that they have a page on their website detailing "Why It Matters." Because it does matter. Words matter. Meaning matters. Representation matters. History matters. Land matters--and so does its sacredness to each of us. Acknowledging all of this matters. 

Using the Native Digital Land map search engine, you can zoom in and find the territories, languages, or treaties for anywhere in the United States to determine the native people that lived there before colonialism took over. You can also click to turn on or off the "settler labels" (aka: street names when zoomed in, city and state names when zoomed out). You can also click here for their Teacher's Guide to learn what else you can do with this website in your classroom. 

Signing off....while writing and contemplating all of this from land that originally were those of the Piscataway and Susquehannock people.

Title image created at www.canva.com and screenshots from https://native-land.ca.

Climate Change + Gender Equity = Global Solutions

More and more I'm running across items that directly showcase environmental concerns as social justice concerns. The interconnectedness is undeniable.

In this January 2019 TED Talk, Katherine Wilkinson, who worked on Project Drawdown to draw down atmospheric emissions, highlights the importance of gender equity at helping to make a significant difference with climate change. In her opening remarks, she said that two powerful things are on the rise: global warming and women and girls. Of course, in 2021, this feels dated given that this talk was just 2 months prior to major onset and shutdowns due to Covid. However, I believe very few things in her speech would change today, other than moving the number of global impacts up to 3 things in order to include the Covid. This pandemic has been another major impact on environmental injustice. 

In her talk "How Empowering Women and Girls Can Help Stop Global Warming," Katherine details just that. She showcases the power of a more equitable world and how it's benefits are far reaching. Let's be bold, as she suggests, and seize the opportunity to be in this together to achieve global solutions to our climate crisis. 

Video from https://youtu.be/vXlJEcrinwg, Image from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/09/why-women-cannot-be-spectators-in-the-climate-change-battle/