First thanks to Cal for offering to do his classification talk today when our planned speaker was unable to attend our meeting.
Cal shared many stories from his teaching career. He has been a teacher for most of his adult life. He started his career in Nashua. He was there for two years before he went back to grad school at Brown.
During those first two years, in the summer he headed to the British Isles and Europe. He remembered speaking with someone in Scotland. This person shared that unlike the USA, they don't gun down their leaders. Within a year of his return from this trip, Kennedy was shot. He has reflected on this conversation many times throughout his life.
He had an opportunity to visit East Berlin. When he thinks about this trip, he shared the differences between democratic governments and communist government. East Berlin seems like a very dark place. East Germans would not look at the wall, he noticed they lowered their heads as they got close to the wall.
He reflected on another conversation he had during these trips about racism in the USA. He remembers he predicted that racism would be resolved in his lifetime. Sadly this is an outcome that will not happen before he dies.
He talked about teaching in ghettos and in affluent communities in Chicago, and how different the world view is these very different communities. This was highlighted as he taught about Hobbes Social Contract Theory.
Cal then talked about teaching in Rehoboth, MA. During a class, as Cal talked about freedom, he was challenged by a young woman who dismissed the idea the "you are free". She talked about this concept as she shared that her parent kept her under their control and she was not free. Cal then that she could be free of her parents, if she was willing to give up all that they provide. After this conversation, he learned she packed up her belonging and headed to Haight Ashbury. Not the outcome of his teaching that he had ever contemplated.
In another situation, a young women shared, "I'm angry...they won't let me take calculus." Cal went to bat for her, and was told "No, you can't take time away from the boys." "Girls are not fit for calculus". "The chair of the department can do what he wants." He still finds it hard to believe that he couldn't change the schools stand on this.
Cal shared he has taught a murderer. He had been grossly mistreated in a child youth services facility. Upon release he committed a murder.
He taught two murder victims. He then shared a very tragic story about meeting with a young woman who talked about her life struggles and worries about her son. The son ended up murdering her, and all the children at Sandy Hook.
He shared another story about working to help kids understand budgeting. He started by having them list all the things they wanted in life. They had to apply a price to what they wanted, and this then showed them how much money they would need to get everything they wanted. He then had the students create a budget based on living on welfare. One young woman had done a very good job doing this, but Cal challenged her that she had forgotten something that was really important. She challenged back that she hadn't forgotten anything. Cal then said, what about electricity? She defiantly stated, I'm not going to have electricity. My parents have never had electricity and I'm not going to have electricity. He then realized this family didn't have indoor plumbing either. This student lived within 20 miles of Lebanon. It was a great reminder about making assumptions about what a person's living situation.
He ended his talk on a much more uplifting note. He talked about having Jerry Damren as his principal here in Lebanon. He was described as the best principal he had ever worked for. He reflected on his exit interview with Jerry. Another teacher barged in frantic, stating, "I have a problem!". Jerry put his hands on his head and stated, "Then I hope you have a solution in mind." So sensible. Words to remember.
He then talked about his decision to add Rotary to his network and his goal to help Emmah’s Garden in Kenya.