Ramadan Kareem!

It is Ramadan again, and I am excited. It is time for some renewal and reflection. It is time to think of others and to challenge myself for the future. I think I will do a post a day again (as in a few years past) about people and things that matter to me. I will start tomorrow with some friends I have lost in the last year or so. I am not sure where the month will take me in these posts, inshallah, but I am looking forward to the discipline to do so. I am also cooking this month, something I rarely do otherwise. So for now, off to buy some buttermilk and dates.  Till tomorrow...........

Teaching

I have been considering writing a book for sometime now. A friend said something about it on a FB post the other day, and even though I am never sure when he is serious or not, it reminded me of this ongoing procrastination. The book is here, somewhere buried waiting for a bit of patience and elbow grease. I can write it, as I know I have become a good teacher, and more importantly, I have tracked down many of those intuitive tools I have developed and can now put words to them so that I can share them. Soon come as my Jamaican friends are fond of saying.
It is odd that everything I have learned about teaching has been taught me by my students. I went to a teaching college and walked away with a fair bit of knowledge and no skills at all. I have had several good role models that have taught me much, but they did not teach me how to teach. I found out early that I could borrow a few things, but I had to be true to myself, and that meant finding my own way over a very long road. I suppose it wasn't fair to those early students I stumbled over as I grew stronger and more confident. But I would like to think I gave back a little to them. As Oliver Sacks noted, I was not me, I was borrowing the will of my students. It was and always has been my students.
I have taught all ages all over the world. I have taught some of the first distance courses for a midwest university with cutting edge technology, and I have taught in the dirt in a refugee camp. For awhile, I believed that they responded to me and I motivated them. I was so wrong. It was their grace, patience, and curiosity that feed me. I suppose I am just some sort of crazy mirror that lets them see things in a new and different way, or at least keeps them intrigued until their vision adjusts.
I am still honing my craft, still learning how to use their energy and will to enhance the things we share. This past weekend, I wasn't feeling well and caught myself being a  bit impatient with a few students. I decided to take a break and engaged one of the women in some small talk. I asked about her family and she responded politely. I probed a bit more and discovered that she had three children, two with autism. She can only break away for a few hours on weekend days to learn some English. That five minutes of discourse renewed me and I gained a new perspective of the day's events. That has become teaching for me - reaching out and reframing the exchange in the classroom.
I am trying to get back to Africa and/or Jordan later this summer. I still have work to do, but in reality, I need some more recharging. I spend so much of my days anymore mired in pragmatics and small politics, trying to help orchestrate larger initiatives, hoping to impact greater retention and student success, that I miss the small communions that make me smile and that fill in the recesses that still weaken my soul. I will start on that book soon. I will.

Strength

I don't think a lot about strength, but I do talk about it incessantly. I suppose I am strong and that I have been becoming stronger throughout my life. I say this because as I talk about strength over these decades, the substance and essence of the construct changes. Lately, I think I have passed the final threshold of becoming a strong man, that specter of loneliness and martyrdom that has been nipping at my heels, halving the bargain. There are no more empty nights of aimless desperation; no more lamentations of one-way streets; no more semi-shielded insecurity. I have survived those things that prove me strong and that remind me that being strong really just sucks. It is not romantic or glorious. It is, however, a cool comfort in hard times and a reassuring reflection in the gazes of those I care about. So there it is - I am strong and I will stay strong. Strong may change, but I am along for the ride. A cork on the river, as I once told someone who has contributed to this strength..............

A Nice Birthday Present

As a birthday present, one of our ESL Conversation group members translated my post, "My Conversion" into Arabic. Thank you Maysoun :)

أنا كثيرا ما سئلت كيف، لماذا، ومتى، وأين أعتنقت  الإسلام.دائما أتردد قبل ان أجيب .ليس لانني لا أعلم أو ليس لدي الكثير من الكلمات أو لا أريد أن شارك قصتي لكن إيماني هو شي شخصي عميق بالنسبه لي.
وهذه الأمور كان دائما من الصعب بالنسبة لي مناقشتها مع الآخرين.
الآن هو شهر رمضان  .وأنا أتطلع لإعادة النظر في هذا القرار المصيري "الذي يغير الحياه" في هذا الشهر الفضيل. وكان قرار عشرين عاما في طور التكوين.
وقد بدأ هذا  عندما قبلت بلدي الثاني مهمة فيلق السلام في اليمن.
بصراحة، عندما حصلت على دعوة، وكان علي أن أذهب  إلى خريطة للعثور على الدولة (وقد أخذت  فكرة تقريبية).
لم أكن وحشي حول الاحالة، ولكن كنت قد علمت أن توقعاتي كانت في كثير من الأحيان خاطئة، وأنا على يقين من أن مثل هذه البيئة الجديدة والغريبة ستكون مثيرة.
عندما ذهبت إلى هناك أعطيت القليل من الفكر ل الدين والمزيد من الوقت ل اللغه والثقافة .ولفترة طويلة اعتقدت أن الأمور التي رأيتها هناك كانت ثقافية لكنني كنت مخطئا
. من بداية تجربتي في اليمن، كان لي مشاعر متناقضة حول المعاملات التي أجريتها مع الناس هناك. رأيت الكثير من الأشياء التي لم أكن أحبها أو فهمها، ولكن أنا أيضا أحسست بالاحساس العميق بمكانة و كرامة كثير من الناس الذين التقيت بهم. استنادا إلى  طبيعتي ، ركزت على السلبيات، ولكن لم انسى الإيجابيات . كانت تلك الصور الإيجابية التي زرعت البذرة التي اوصلتني في  نهاية المطاف إلى الإسلام. 
كان مدربي اللغه اليمنين الذين عملت معهم صبورين و لطيفين معي بشكل مدهش. لن أكن طالبا جيدا دائما ,ولكنهم تقبلو ذلك . عندما لم تنجح مهمتي الأولى "الابتدائيه" العديد منهم عرض علي أن امكث في بلدتهم.كنت متواضعا "خجولا من تعاملهم الجيد" كانت الأولى من عدة مرات قادمه في السنتين المقبلتين.
العيش في مخيم للاجئين كان رائع ورهيب في نفس الوقت.  أحببت البساطة في كل يوم. حيث  كان لي موقد للطهي و الخضار المسلوقة للعشاء. أكلت الطماطم والبصل مع وقليل من الخل والزيت، و حضرت الشاي مع الزنجبيل الطازج، الهيل، والقرنفل. مكثت  في عربة وغسلت نفسي بالماء من دلوين. تعلمت أن اغتسل في وقت متأخر جدا وذلك لأن المرأة الإرترية تصر على سحب الماء من البئر لي. وقد نسجت النساء لي سجادة من العشب و غطاء سرير مليء بالألوان.
كل ليلة كنت أحاول أن أقرأ في حين كان  الأطفال يلعبون  بكل فرح و سرور بالقرب من خيمتي. كانت  الأقرب لي من أي وقت مضى للراحة والسلام. هذا الشعور بالرضا في كثير من الأحيان كان يكسر بواسطة  المرض والعنف والموت.
وبدأت أدرك أن إعجابي بالناس في المخيم كان رد فعل لاحساسهم العميق بالإيمان. 
أنهم شاهدوا فظائع لا يمكن أن اتصورها، وحتى الآن كانت لا تزال الطيبة والرأفة، وكانوا صادقين جداً معي. شاهدت  كيف عاشوا حياتهم، يوما بعد يوم. كيف  تغلبوا على المأساة، كيف أنهم ضحكو على كل شيء  .كانو لا يملكون الكثير ولكنهم سعيدين وكنت أملك أكثر منهم بكثير ولكنني كنت فقير وفارغ (اذا لم يكن لديك الإيمان فأنت فارغ).أني احسد هذه الطمانينه و الهدوء الداخلي الذي يرشد حياتهم.
منذ أن غادرت اليمن، وأنا  اتعامل و اتواصل  مع العديد من المسلمين أينما ذهبت. في مدرسة الدراسات العليا، كنت ادرس طالب سعودي الذي أصبح في نهاية  المطاف مدرب و صديق عظيم . ذكرني بكثير من الآباء المسلمين الذين التقيت بهم والذين كانو محبين ولطفاء مع عائلاتهم. وربما كان ذلك  القصور الخاص بي كأب هو  الذي أصاب تلك الحبال القوية حين تشهد تفاعل  هؤلاء الرجال مع أطفالهم. كان عنده الإحساس العميق  بالايمان "كان شخصيه دينيه جدا " ولكنه لم يكن يتحدث عن ذلك ولا يتباهى بذلك كمعظم رجال الدين.وتبعته إلى لندن، وعملت معه لمدة سنة في مدرسة إسلامية.  كان هادئا,مهنيا و مراعيا جداً. وأنا لم أكن  بتلك المهنية والهدوء.
عندما عدت الى الولايات ،  نهاية المطاف كانت ولاية أوريغون، حيث وجدت نفسي وحيدا الى حد كبير. قضيت ساعات طويلة أفكر في حياتي واحساسي العميق بالتفكك. انا لم اكن انتظر و ابحث عن اجابه .ببساطه عدت الى ذلك المكان حيث شاهدت و شعرت بقدر وافر من الامور التي افتقدتها "الاسلام"
كان لي العديد من الأصدقاء المسلمين في ولاية أوريغون، الذين استمتعت بقضاء الوقت معهم. وكان لي صديقه آخرى في الخارج حيث كان لها تأثير كبير علي. كانت أصغر مني  سنا من بكثير، ولكن كانت متوازنه  وتطبق إيمانها بعاطفة هادئة. أعجبت بها كثيرا، وقدرت صداقتها إلى حد كبير.  وكانت أول شخص اتصلت به عندما دخلت الاسلام. كان هذا القرار سهلا جدا. كان قبل رمضان بقليل قبل ثلاث سنوات، حين كنت في زيارة لمتحف التسامح في لوس أنجليس لجميع الأماكن. أنني أتذكر انني شاهدت امرأة  قدمت كأحد الناجين من محرقة لمناقشة معاداة السامية وغيرها من المسائل. كان العرض مثير للاهتمام، ولكنني كنت مستاء للغاية مع الجزء الأخير منه.حيث قدمت قطعة حول تجارة الرقيق المزعومة في السودان.كنت قد درست هذه المسألة، واعرف أن العديد من الحكومات، والأمم المتحدة، واليونيسيف، والعشرات من الوكالات الدولية الأخرى قد أدانت تقارير المسيحيين في السودان والذي يدعى "الشراء والإفراج عن" العبيد المسلمين.ادركت هذا خلال حديثها حيث تحدثت عن اليهود، والسود والأمريكيين الأصليين، والعديد من  الضحايا الاخرين في الماضي والحاضر. لم يرد ذكر لقطاع غزة أو فلسطين، ولا للاأسوار ضخمة والحواجز الخرسانية التي رأيتها في القدس، العزل واللاإنسانية تجاه المسلمين. بدلاً من ذلك، انتهى عرضها مع بعض المسلمين "تجار الرقيق". لم يكن غضبي على كيفيه  تصوير المسلمين أو إغفال التعصب الإسرائيلي الذي دفعني إلى دخول الاسلام هذا الأسبوع. كان السلام الذي شعرت به في كل مرة عدت الى هذه المخيمات، مع مدربي وأسرته،و صديقي. عرفت أيضا أن الوقت قد حان بالنسبة لي أن "اخضع " إلى إلهي . حيث أنني لم اخضع لاي شي منذ زمن طويل ولم اخضع ل زوج امي في شبابي ولا لأي رجل منذ ذلك الوقت.
حان الوقت بالنسبة لي لفتح قلبي وان اسمح لنفسي بان تغفر،تحب، وتعيش.انا لا اصلي وادعو الله على اكمل وجه ولكنني احاول. أنا أعمل بجد لاعيش إيماني. أنها ليست مجرد مسألة عدم الشرب، التدخين او ان تكون غير اخلاقي. أنها مسألة العيش مثل رجل  لديه قناعة محبة الله في قلبه.امل ان يرى الناس هذا ليس لغروري وانما لإخلاصي.

Fingers Crossed For July

I submitted a proposal to return to the Congo this summer to work in the camp - wish me luck! Here is the proposal:

Proposal

High School Initiative

Mole Camp

July 2016

Submitted by

Michael Morsches

English Language Specialist

April 27, 2016

Rationale:

Last summer, May through July, I worked in the Mole camp through a combined project with the US State Department and the UNHCR. My project was to help establish English programs in the camp. In the process of doing so, we recognized a dramatic need for a secondary curriculum. At this point, the camp has not had a functioning secondary curriculum for many years. While working there last year, I identified a significant group of refugee teachers who, with a degree of support, could create and sustain an effective secondary school. With their assistance, we created a primary school English program, a teaching academy, and a girls’ empowerment initiative. I believe the project is viable, as we implemented a Conflict Resolution curriculum last summer for adults and the turnout was very promising. The last component of a comprehensive educational system will be the establishment of a secondary school curriculum – they have the personnel who can teach and lead the program with minimum external support. Finally, the ongoing programs developed in the camp last summer offer great encouragement for the continued viability of educational programming in the camp.

Proposed Program:

An English Language Specialist (Michael Morsches) and a Math/Science Specialist (Patrick Lohan) would travel to the Mole camp, preferably in July, 2016, for a three week program. The initiative would have two components: 1) The refugee teachers would have basic pedagogical training that would focus on lesson planning, instruction, and assessment, and 2) The refugee teachers would receive content-specific training in World History, Algebra, Introductory Calculus, Biology, and Chemistry. The two training components will be in the form of active workshops with the refugee teachers practicing their skills with actual students. Finally, the refugee teachers will have ongoing access to the two specialists (and other US teachers) after the summer program, as this is one piece of the project commitment from several of our host schools, including Moraine Valley Community College.

Host Schools:

The following schools are committed to supporting this project with in-kind contributions:

Moraine Valley Community College – Chicago, Illinois

Sul Ross University – Alpine, Texas

The University of Akron – Akron, Ohio

Garrett High School – Garrett, Indiana

In-Kind Contributions:

The following are in-kind contributions we will bring to the project:

1)      Five textbook sets (Five textbooks each set) for World History, Algebra, Introductory Calculus, Biology, and Chemistry to be shipped in May.

2)      Classroom supplies such as paper, notebooks, pens, pencils, and classroom posters to be shipped in May.

3)      A few microscopes and assorted slides to be shipped in May.

4)      Release time (three weeks) for the Dean of Learning Enrichment and College Readiness (Michael Morsches) and Lead Tutor (Patrick Lohan)

5)      Ongoing teacher support in lesson planning, instruction, assessment, and subject-matter content.

6)      Ongoing English resources for all programs in the camp.

Proposed Timeframe:

The timeframe for the project would be from Mid-May through the end of July, 2016:

Mid-May – Ship resources to the DRC (possibly through diplomatic pouch) so that they are on site by July 1, 2016

July 2 through July 24 – Program at Mole (including two days at each end of the project in Kinshasa).

August 2016 and onward – Teacher support from Host Schools

Requested Resources:

We would request the following resources from the grant:

1)      Assistance in shipping the project books and resources from Washington to the DRC, preferably through diplomatic pouch.

2)      Hotel accommodations for two in Kinshasa for four days.

3)      Per diem for two for 25 days.

4)      Stipend for two at $250 per day for 25 days.

5)      Transport for two, to and from Zongo.

6)      Hotel accommodations for two for 21 days in Zongo.

7)      Daily transport for two to and from Mole from Zongo.

8)      Travel incidentals (e.g., vaccinations, travel insurance, medication)

Estimated Budget:

The following are estimated costs (excluding our in-kind contributions)

1)      Airfare to the DRC - $4,000

2)      Hotel accommodation Kinshasa (one shared room, four days) - $1,000

3)      Per diem - $2,500

4)      Stipend - $12,500

5)      Travel to Zongo – unknown

6)      Zongo hotel accommodations – unknown, perhaps provided by the UNHCR

7)      Transport to and from Mole – unknown, perhaps provided by the UNHCR

8)      Shipping from Washington D.C. – unknown

9)      Travel incidentals - $750

Total Estimated Costs - $20,750

Total Estimated In-Kind Contributions - $3000

Summary:

The project I participated in last summer was very successful, and is currently flourishing. I observed then, the desperate need for an active secondary school program for the older students in the camp (see attached white paper submitted by Bryce Smedley and Michael Morsches). The internal structures of the camp and the existing personnel are the strongest components of this proposal. I have full support of the camp committee and the refugee teachers for this project, as well as dedicated support from several American schools. My school, Moraine Valley Community College, has pledged its continued ongoing support to the programs in the camp. I believe that this project will be the beginning of a long and healthy collaboration between the camp and our US host schools.

Attachments:

1)      White Paper – Expanding ECA – State Department English Language Programs to Refugee Camps

2)      Final Report – Summer 2016 programs

3)      Vita – Michael Morsches, English Language Specialist

4)      Resume – Patrick Lohan, Math/Science Specialist

A Very Special Nomination :)

I found out recently that several of our faculty and staff nominated me for the Embracing Diversity Award. I was very touched an honored. I had won a similar award at Akron several years ago, and it is nice to be continually recognized for my efforts. The nomination is a bit flawed though, as it really fails to mention how much almost everyone in our department and college care about and serve all students, including those who are more vulnerable. Despite my typical grumblings about things, our community gets it right when it comes to human dignity. We have more to do and can do a better job recognizing and celebrating our large and vibrant Arab population, but progress is forth coming. I normally don't post nominations, but this one is very special to me and reminds me of all of the good people I interact with every day.

How does the nominee embrace diversity?

We fully and without reservation nominate Michael Morsches for the Embracing Diversity Award. Michael Morsches has served as the Dean of Learning Enrichment and College Readiness (LECR) for four years. His department includes students within the English as a Second Language Program, General Education Development (GED®), Intensive English Language Program, Tutoring and the Volunteer Literacy Program.

Michael’s intuitive style of inclusion is a product of a lifetime of active international engagement. Michael served tours as a Peace Corps literacy volunteer in Jamaica and an ESL volunteer instructor in Yemen. His greatest accomplishment was building a school in his oppressively hot post in coastal Yemen for Eritrean refugees who fled civil war in Ethiopia. Michael later served as an associate Peace Corps director in Tanzania, and as an administrator for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).  In Omaha, Michael worked to bring educational materials to underserved developing world communities. These experiences have laid the foundation for work that Michael has done during his time at Moraine Valley Community College in the area of diversity.

Michael wasted no time organizing programs for students on the margins. Michael designed an English conversation group that currently spans four hours on Saturday and four hours on Sunday each weekend. The conversation group incorporates members of the immigrant community along with participants in MVCC’s English language programs. These conversation groups provide diverse students the opportunity to practice their English in a comfortable and friendly environment. It is common for Michael to have as many as sixty students per weekend who learn about American culture, who talk about their homelands, and who ultimately belong to Moraine Valley’s family of learners. For some of these students, Michael’s group offers the only contact that they have with English speakers, and certainly the only non-judgmental setting they have to learn to be productive members in American society.

Michael frequently tutors a variety of students who are struggling with academic content. Michael’s vast knowledge of cognition-strategies provides a potent remedy for students that struggle in content areas such as math and English. Michael was instrumental in the success of recent student Tremayne Harmon. Michael tutored Mr. Harmon faithfully on his road to obtaining a GED. For Mr. Harmon, the stakes were high. Failure on the GED also meant he would lose his job on the railroad, which would have spelled disaster for Mr. Harmon and his family. Michael also works diligently with MVCC’s English language learners. Michael tutored a student from Palestine in philosophy, and he currently works with a young student from Myanmar who struggles in math. Michael’s input in regards to textbook selection in Developmental Education, geared with the English language learner in mind, is instrumental for student success.

Michael served as the Muslim Student Association advisor for two years, working closely with the group and providing students of faith a Muslim mentor whose unique path to Islam was largely different than their own. Michael often counsels Arab students who find a receptive audience for some of their struggles both academic and personal. Oftentimes, Michael provides the tough love, reassurance, and confidence these students need to function effectively at MVCC.

This past summer, Michael used his vacation time to travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and served as an educational liaison for the US State Department. As a global ambassador for Moraine Valley, Michael helped the refugees living in the Mole Camp set up English language instruction for those who have fled conflict in the neighboring Central African Republic. While there, Michael initiated weekly Skype conferences with Moraine Valley employees. During these Skype calls, employees here gained a better idea about African culture and the nature of struggle for African refugees, while those at the camp practiced their English and joined in academic fellowship with staff at Moraine Valley.

Michael Morsches leads a diverse staff at LECR where he encourages all employees to share their experiences during the Friday staff meetings. Carmela Ochoa, a LECR Secretary, recently shared her experiences as a student abroad in Tanzania and Jamaica with the unit. Michael continues to be at the forefront of diversity activism on campus:  there is no greater champion for students of Color, English Language Learners, the disenfranchised, and any student who reaches out in times of need. Michael not only embraces diversity, but he is also an active agent who aims to broaden the minds of others. For these reasons, we nominate Michael Morsches for Moraine Valley Community College’s Embracing Diversity Award.

My IKEA Hack

Last year, my friend Grant and I decided to make his daughters a new bedroom dresser. This, of course, was a boon for me as we got to buy woodworking tools and even learned a few new techniques. The old dresser was falling apart - it was an IKEA special with thin cardboard bottoms in the drawers. When Grant ended up moving back to Oregon, I inherited the dresser. Carmela, a mutual friend, helped Grant move and saw the dresser. We both thought, with a bit of help, it could be turned into a nice, smaller buffet for her dining room. With a little creativity (and help from the internet), we put our ideas together and designed a faux apothecary buffet with Mexican Talevara tile. We shored up the drawers with good plywood bottoms, notched the drawers so they appeared to be three separate drawers each, got some apothecary pulls from Home Depot, and ordered the tile online. It was a two day job and the results are quite nice I think. Below are a few pictures and more detail on the process:

The Original Dresser

The Flimsy Drawer Bottoms

Making Room For The Plywood Replacement

The Center Piece Is The Plywood - Notice The Clip On The Left Where The Old Cardboard Slid Into

I Installed Some Steel Plates That Slid Into The Clips Then Attached Them To The Center Plywood Piece

Next, I Took A Circular Saw And Made A 1/8th Inch Cut Into The Drawer Giving It The Appearance Of Three Separate Drawers (Hadn't Changed The Lousy Cardboard Bottom Yet)

With Help From Carmela, We Tiled The Top - She Turned Out To Be A Good (But Somewhat Messy) Tile Back Butterer

After Some Expresso Colored Paint,  Apothecary Drawer Pulls, And Some Trim Around The Tiled Top, The New And Improved Buffet!

Happy Owner! And No Grant And Jocelyn, No "Takesies Backsies"