1:00 PM - I was selected to participate in a NCATE interview today from 1:00-2:00 before my Sponsor - A - Scholar Program. Our college is in the process of getting reaccredited, and I was one of about a dozen people selected to go and represent the college. So that made me feel pretty good :). Afterwards I went right to Sponsor-A-Scholar and I had one of those moments.. where you feel like everything is worth it, that all your struggles and all the time you've put in to come up with workshops/lessons and everything was worth it.
Today's topic was GENOCIDE THROUGHOUT HISTORY and when we explained it to our teachers they were a bit removed and wary as to how we would interest the inner city kids at Albany High. There are three of us that work together for Social Studies. Well I was in charge of talking about the Armenian Genocide which occurred between 1915-1923 in which 75% of the Armenian population living in Turkey were exterminated and first world countries did little to step in, and have since still been reluctant to punish the Turkish Government. Well it worked out perfectly because Obama actually stopped in Turkey earlier this week and he has pledged to get the Armenian Genocide recognized globally, even as today Turkish youth are still taught in their schools that it did not happen and that it was more the product of a civil war and was the Armenians fault for uprising against them. From there we went to the Holocaust, showing pictures and maps of concentration camps (there were actually over 10,000 camps!). One of the eeriest handouts we passed around were three postcards that you could purchase from Auschwitz death camp that showed the crematoriums. What would write on them? "Uh, wish you were here? Not really?". From here we progressed and talked about Rwandan Genocide in the 1990s and then the recent ongoing genocide in Darfur. Well about halfway through I look up after finding a picture to show the workshop and I realize that not only did we have the biggest turnout of all four groups presenting.. with nearly 10 kids at our workshop instead of the normal 3 or 4, but each kid was mesmorized! They were asking questions and just sitting there stunned. They were so involved and active. It was truly an empowering moment. I just felt bad because two other groups had no one that attended their workshops!
As we were cleaning up and rearranging the room one of the other guys, DJ made a comment about Boy Scouts being "prepared". And I told him how I am a merit badge counselor right now and was an Eagle Scout since 2002. He told me that he was too! How cool is that I thought, then John our third partner came over because he heard us and he told us that he was an Eagle scout as well! Does that say something or what?! Eagle Scouts (only 1% of Boy Scouts ever reach that rank) as future Social Studies Teachers of America! I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I went to my class tonight with huge grin on my face. Everything went well today.
My day started with having breakfast with an angel in Pittsfield, and ended with a smile on my face. Kind of funny because my note that I read from Emmy before bed tonight said "I love it that when I think of you I get a big goofy grin on my face." She's so perfect. :D | 
