One Red Hot Country Mama!

You hear about some people in their jobs – they just show up differently. One of these people Is Rafe Esquith. We recently came across the book Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire which discusses the teaching methods of the teacher.

Here is a summary of the book courtesy of The New York Times (via Chapters/Indigo)

Perhaps the most famous fifth-grade teacher in America, Rafe Esquith has won numerous awards and even honorary citizenship in the British Empire for his outstandingly successful methods. In his Los Angeles public school classroom, he helps impoverished immigrant children understand Shakespeare, play Vivaldi, and become happy, self-confident people. This bestseller gives any teacher or parent all the techniques, exercises, and innovations that have made its author an educational icon, from personal codes of behavior to tips on tackling literature and algebra. The result is a powerful book for anyone concerned about the future of our children.

Basically, this guy works tirelessly to help these kids learn and open their eyes to what is possible in this world. From teaching them guitar, to having a classic film club, to having a problem-solving Math club to using gym’s baseball practice to help them understand Math even better, he takes creativity and originality to the next level.

He puts everything into his work, working about 12 hours a day, and at one point taking 1-2 extra jobs in order to afford the extras such as class trips. How can someone have so much mission? So much heart? Is it because he is a teacher and he sees how much these kids need help? I did have a few very good teachers when I was growing up, but certainly no one was like this. Is it simply a kind of workaholism?

No matter what, it is pretty cool what can happen when you are passionate about what you do. You simply show up differently.

- "it’s not only about living your own childhood dreams, it’s about empowering others to live their dreams as well."

What a person! For other links, you can see:
- the full version (over an hour)
- the Oprah version (10 minutes)

Enjoy…

I was sent this video by a colleague of mine. It is of british salesman, Paul Potts who surprisingly turns out to be a very talented opera signer. I love how the impatience in the judges’ eye at Potts’ plainess and awkwardness transforms into facination.

Goes to show that people can always surprise you… it also shows how different people see you when they know you have a talent. Very brave Paul! Enjoy .

I was looking at my niece’s amazing coloring the other week, saying the genuine oohs and ahhs about her impressive work and remembering how much I used to love the subject matter she was coloring. Beauty and the Beast was always an inspirational story for me (so much so, that the story inspired my adult dating patterns… just kidding… kind of). I liked it because it was a story of compassion and non-conformity. The main female character, Belle, could see beyond the beast’s physical appearance, and love the inside of him.

Now I look at this story, and other similar ones (such as Cyrano de Bergerac) with more doubt. Why is it always the woman who has to see beyond the man’s ugliness, yet she is still pretty? Why is there never a story of a female "beast" attracting the gaze of a handsome man, who sees beyond her physical appearance and loves her from the inside? It is a message we never see – and it is another example of the double-standard between men and women. 

Actress Geena Davis, has started a movement called See Jane, which has a mandate to reduce the gender stereotyping in media made for children 11 and under. Geena says:

"By making it common for our youngest children to see everywhere a balance of active and complex male and female characters, girls and boys will grow up to empathize with and care more about each others’ stories."

You can see her making an interesting and funny speech about it at the National Conference for Media Reform: here (unfortunately the sound quality isn’t the greatest). In the speech, she outlines some key stats found in a report See Jane called Where the Girls Aren’t.

The methodology:

Where the Girls Aren’t is the first of several research briefs drawn from most in-depth content analysis of popular G-rated movies ever conducted. Led by Dr. Stacy L. Smith, researchers from the Annenberg School for Communication (ASC) at the University of Southern California (USC) studied the 101 top-grossing G-rated films released from 1990 through 2004. The research analyzed a total of 4,249 speaking characters in the movies, which included both animated and live-action films.

Key findings show that:

• In the 101 studied films, there are three male characters for every one female character.

• Fewer than one out of three (28 percent) of the speaking characters both real and animated) are female.

• Fewer than one in five (17 percent) of the characters in crowd scenes are female.

• More than four out of five (83 percent) of the films’ narrators are male.

During the time period of the study (1990-2004), there was no gradual increase in female characters featured. Imagine the impression this leaves with young girls watching this? Davis has been speaking to different content producers regarding making changes (ie. moving towards a more 50/50 representation), and their reaction is surprise. They didn’t intentionally produce such imbalanced message, it just somehow happened. Thanks Geena, for making a difference in young girls lives . When we start seeing a male beauty and a female beast, even better.   

I remember seeing Angelina Jolie on a late-night TV show years ago talking about her odd relationship with Billy-Bob Thorton (do you remember the thing about them holding vials of each other’s blood around their necks?).  She also told a story about how she tried to hire a hit-man to kill her, making it easier for her loved ones to cope with the loss of her than if she committed suicide. I remember thinking that she was very beautiful, but also very lost. I never pictured her as someone who would help the world to the extent that she is today.

In 2001, she  became a United Nations High Commission for Refugees Ambassador (UNHCR), and has traveled to over 20 countries meeting refugees. On the UNHCR site, you can see her missions, journals and activities in the news. Here is a quote from one of her missions in New Delhi, India talking to some Burmese refugees:

"It’s very upsetting to hear about the persecution the refugees have endured," Jolie said. After a conversation with two Burmese women, one shyly told Jolie: "You look like an actress." Added the second one: "Are you a film star?"

"That’s why I am in India, making a film," Jolie replied, "but I came up to Delhi just to visit with you. I am honored to be able to meet you. You are very strong women. You are amazing."

In this video, you can see her break into tears at the thought of a refugee boy who could not be saved. I find it inspiring that she uses her fame to bring visibility to this important issue. Also, she kills the stereotype that beautiful women don’t have substance. Instead, she uses her beauty (one of the reasons that she is famous) to help suffering people in the world. Her fame and visibility make the rest of the world pay attention to these issues instead of forgetting and falling into easy complacency. I remember Brad Pitt saying something like "if cameras are going to follow us around everywhere anyway, they might as well be showing Africa too".

By putting aside her emotional issues, getting out of bad relationships, becoming a Mom and helping the world, Angelina is redefining what it means to go from a girl to a woman. Even in a world where females do not want to get older, and many want to stay young forever, Angelina’s version shows the strength and compassion that can come with maturity.