A Different Day of Service
Don’t let a pandemic stop you from participating in the MLK Day of Service. Need ideas? Here’s how.
On January 18, millions of people will take part in the MLK Day of Service. In a non-pandemic world, neighbors and community members come together to identity and take part in important service opportunities. It is an uplifting time because people are energized when they are engaged in activities that will enhance their own communities.
However, this year is different because of the pandemic. Now, the prescribed response is “stay home and stay safe.” Therefore, find ways to participate from home. First, be creative. Second, persevere. It can be done! For example, kids can participate in food, clothing, toy, and animal shelter donations. There are many other ways to engage at home. For instance, support your favorite volunteer organization. Here are some examples:
- Be an ambassador. Find an organization that supports community goals. Offer to call on its behalf. Share or make social media posts that amplify their messaging.
- Clear out your closets. Hold a “sidewalk sale.” You can donate the profits to the organization.
- Offer to take an elderly neighbor her mail.
Share your thoughts about community service. What will you be doing it on the MLK Day of Service? What are your ideas?
MLK Day ON Not OFF: Everyone Can Serve
Here’s a bit of good news: On the third Monday of every January, our nation celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. and the many contributions he made to our world. To honor him, we hold the National Day of Service. People want to be engaged. A simple Google search of the term “National Day of Service” reveals more than 4.5 million hits. This coming Monday, January 18, is the 26th annual National Day of Service.
Everyone can participate in what’s also known as MLK’s Day ON not OFF. Everyone is welcome! It is a matter of choice: will you participate in an effort that will support or enhance the community you live in? How will you? What are your ideas? Continue reading “MLK Day ON Not OFF: Everyone Can Serve”
A Little History
Lessons from My Early Years of Teaching
Before I was hired as a “real teacher” with my own classroom in 1973, I worked as a classroom aide in Thousand Oaks, California, which is a rather affluent community. My 22-mile commute from Thousand Oaks to Oxnard, California, was in many ways, and on some days, worlds apart.
My first-grade students—27 of them—were a rich tapestry of cultures: black, white, Hispanic, Vietnamese, and Cambodian. They spoke English, Spanish and Spanglish, Vietnamese and Cambodian. Some parents were “blue-collar” workers, some moms did “daycare,” some parents worked in the fields of the Oxnard plain, one family owned a Mexican restaurant just down the street from the school, and I think there were some parents who—for whatever reason—did not work. “Family” was defined in a variety of ways: two-parent families, single-parent families, and kids being raised by grandparents. Although I had a teaching license, I was not fully prepared for this classroom setting! Continue reading “A Little History”
Toward Kinder Classrooms
Greetings and Welcome!
And thank you for visiting my website.
When I began my college education in 1968, I knew I wanted to be an English major, but had absolutely no idea what I “wanted to be when I grew up.” Fortunately, as a freshman at California Lutheran College—and in need of a job—I managed to land a position at a local elementary school.
Imagine my surprise to discover that I actually looked forward to going to work! Every day was fun for me as I talked with kids during their lunchtime and at recess. Before long I was “hooked” and so dedicated myself to doing everything in my power to earn the privilege of having my very own classroom. Continue reading “Toward Kinder Classrooms”