The Scamp Abroad

The Scamp Graduates!

Posted on December 3, 2013 by erranteditor

Never have I been more excited for a graduation. This wasn’t just a celebration of my accomplishment, but it was a chance for me to get to return to Scotland and recharge my batteries.

This was by far the best graduation ceremony I have ever participated in. Everything about the check-in and seating was easy, the hall was beautiful, and the pomp and circumstance was brilliant. Luckily I was seated next to one of my best friends in the program, and the good banter and the laughs through parts of the ceremony made the hour and half go quickly.

This day almost didn’t happen. 10 months ago I convinced myself that I didn’t need to go back for graduation. I knew that I would be just about done with my first semester of my doctoral degree, and I figured I couldn’t afford to take the time off. I told my mom I had been through enough graduations, and didn’t need to sit through another one. After I finished my dissertation, I decided that I needed to go back and fully celebrate the hard work and everything that my nine months meant there. She was on board from minute one, and was overjoyed that my graduation fell over Thanksgiving weekend and she wouldn’t have to take any time off of work. Since I only got two tickets for the ceremony, I decided that Kelly needed to go. She has been to all of my graduations, but she had yet to visit Scotland and experience the magic of one of my favorite places in the whole world.

The week we spent there was perfect. I got to show Kelly all of my favorite places, got to see a lot of my friends, and got a much needed break from school, work, and all of the stress of the last few weeks.

I had two fears before I left: the first was that I would get no work done (which I didn’t…unless you count the 500 words I wrote in the airport the day we left) and that I would return to the States depressed that I was no longer in Scotland. While I was extremely happy to be in Scotland, and didn’t exactly rush home, I came home feeling recharged, and ready to finish the semester strong (of course, I still have one paper to work on, and have no idea how to finish it, so we will see how long those good feelings last). The only sad thing about coming home this time is I am not sure when I will get to see my friends again. Video chats with them are great, but do not compare to being able to see them face to face.

While this is not my last graduation, I am sure that it will be my favorite.

A Scamp and Thanksgiving

Posted on November 29, 2013 by erranteditor

I have been in Scotland for three days now and have yet to write anything down. I have been so excited about being here, that I have not been glued to my computer. I’ve walked Kelly all over this city. I showed her the tourist areas, the not so tourist areas, and all of my favorite spots in the city.

Today is Thanksgiving. Today, I have a lot to be thankful for. Last year at this time I was in Scotland, and after going to class, I shrugged off a Thanksgiving party to stay in and Skype with my mom and the asshole. I was thankful for the new friends I had made, the boy I loved, and the family that allowed me to go on a crazy adventure that turned out to be the best decision I have ever made.

This year, I am lucky enough to be back in Scotland, this time to graduate. This year, I am thankful for second chances, learning how to find what will make me happy, and the family that allows me to continue all of my crazy adventures.

In the last year, so much has happened to me (all of which is chronicled in these posts), and while not all of it has been sunshine and roses, I feel like I have come out on top.

Today I spent Thanksgiving wandering around my favorite place in the world with my two favorite people, and then sat in my favorite pub with two more of my favorite people watching karaoke. It was the perfect way to spend the day (minus being with my entire family). Tomorrow I graduate , and get ready to properly close this chapter of my life.

My wish for all of my wonderful readers is that you all have a very happy Thanksgiving, and that you all continue to have much to be thankful for.

The Scamp and a Board Meeting

Posted on November 21, 2013 by erranteditor

Tonight I had the opportunity to attend a board meeting at Mt. Sac and introduce myself to the board. I normally would not participate in anything that involves me talking about myself, but part of my homework for the EDD program is to attend a board meeting and observe the governance structure of a community college. Although it was technically cheating for me to go to a meeting at the school I work at, I am going to overlook that fact and check this one off the list.

I feel incredibly blessed because not only did my mom go with me in a show of support, but three of my cohort members went as well. I know that it is a requirement, but once I mentioned that I was going to be acknowledged at the meeting, they jumped at the chance to go and support me.

I tell anyone who will listen that I would have stayed in Scotland had I known how things would have turned out last year, but if I had stayed, I would have missed out on the chance to get to know and grow with these people. I know that I am exactly where I need to be on my educational journey.

My mother had her camera (which should come to no surprise to anyone who knows her) so here are some pictures for the world to enjoy

This week is almost over, and that means it is almost time for Scotland. I’m giddy with excitement. I have two papers and 3 more articles that need to be compiled, but I have 4 days and an 11 hour plane ride to get my butt in gear and get the work done.

Of course, I could always go to the library in Scotland to work……

The Scamp and a Day Off

Posted on November 12, 2013 by erranteditor

I feel very guilty about having the day off today. Veteran’s Day is an important (and often overlooked) holiday, and while I like having the day off, I have done nothing to deserve it. I know a lot of people who have served in the military in some form or another, and I am extremely grateful to all of them.

While I feel guilty about my day off, I made sure to make the most of it. I met with my study group this morning, and then parked myself at my desk to do homework and work on my philosophy paper. The last week or so has been tough in the academic sphere. The history class on Tuesday started off with a very defeatist speech by the professor about the need for balance in our lives. One of the women in my cohort mentioned that she is having a hard time balancing school, work and her social life. She missed her friends and family, but felt that she constantly had to forego time with them to get all of her work done. The professor told her there was no need for balance. Everything had to take a backseat to this program. Family could wait, and if we were in relationships that required attention, then we should end them because they were just a distraction. I get that this program is serious, but I also like being able to see my family, and occasionally see my boyfriend. I made the joke in class that I was the one that needed the TLC, and I was the one that occasionally needed a little love, and she told me that I didn’t need that for the next three years.

I’m not really okay with that. I am extremely lucky that the people that love me understand what I am doing and are very supportive of me. The problem is, I don’t think I am doing a very good job. I have gotten very selfish and needy lately. I feel like I need the social interaction, but I also don’t want to be the one that has to seek it out. I want people to call me, or text me and tell me they miss me. I want to wallow.

In short, I am selfish. I’ve gotten so wrapped up in me and my expectations, that I forgot about the people around me who do make the effort. I’ve completely taken advantage of the people around me. I haven’t asked any of them how they are doing and how they are feeling, and I certainly haven’t called any of them to hang out. I haven’t been a good friend, girlfriend, daughter or sister. I finally got to see one of my good friends from San Diego this weekend, and it was so nice to sit in the sunshine, play with her adorable son and listen to her tales of mommyhood. She reminded me to call her anytime, and that she was willing to come to me to hang out. She reminded me that it takes very little effort to pick up a phone and meet someone for lunch. It also helps that her son is a built in happiness maker. An hour with them made me feel a lot less like grumpy cat.

I can’t say that I will stop being this way overnight. I might even need a few more kicks in the ass to be reminded that I am not in fact the center of the universe. In two weeks I will be on a plane to Scotland for my graduation. I need it. I need to recharge, see some of my friends, and introduce my sister to my favorite place in the whole world (besides my bed that is). I hope that recharge will help me move into finals and end my first semester in the doctoral program on a high note.

In an order to not waste my day off, I am going to finish plugging along with the edits on my paper and finish some other little homework tasks for school. Maybe if I feel less behind with my work, I will feel less guilty about wanting to see my friends and get a little TLC.

The Scamp and the Wide Wild World

Posted on November 2, 2013 by erranteditor

For the last several weeks I have been reading about Paulo Freire and his educational philosophy. I have already mentioned that I envy his passion and dedication to the cause of adult literacy, and how that I hope that I can find that kind of passion and conviction when I am released into the wild to make the world a better place. It is no secret that I want to start a literacy program and help increase literacy rates all over the world. The idea of being able to travel and help people is very appealing to me. One of my favorite people already suggested a name for the foundation, The Wide Wild World, and another friend of mine told me she would help fund the project. Both told me that all they ask in return is pictures of them displayed in all of the offices. To them I say….done and done.

To help jump start my foray into the world of literacy, I have decided to take on a pet project. Last week I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship from the college of education. The scholarship was presented to me by the cutest old man. He was also there to present a scholarship in memory of a dear friend of his. She was an elementary school teacher, and to help her students learn to read, she used to bring her dog to class and let the students read to him. The puppy in the classroom was so successful that public libraries all over the country have adopted as a fun story time for children. They get to pick a book, and have between 15-20 minutes to read to a therapy dog.

The success of the program hinges on the fact that the dogs are patient and loving, and will listen to the children read the stories. A dog doesn’t care if they mess up a word, or it takes them awhile to get through a story. The kids are excited because they get to read to a dog, and they can relax knowing that they can practice their reading without being judged or criticized.

I had never heard of such a program, but it turns out there are a couple of libraries near where I live that offer the chance to read to puppies. It also happens that the library in the city where I live does not have such a program, but does have a high illiteracy rate among children and adults. With a little research, and some fancy words to the crazy librarian, I am going to see about starting a program of my own. I am hoping that I can get the librarians at the libraries that have the programs will be willing to sit down with me and discuss their programs and how they make it work.

I want to take the program one step further though and offer the chance for parents and adults to come and work on their literacy. I had the pleasure of working for a program called Read Orange County when I was in high school, and they offered these combo classes as a way to help adults learn English. I worked with the kids, but the ROC staff worked with the adults on basic English skills and then helped them do things like fill out job applications, register to vote, and even do their taxes.

The tactic that they used, and the ways in which they taught people basic literacy skills are very much the same as the ones employed by Freire when he was working with peasants in Brazil in the late 50s and early 60s. He made learning relevant to them, and was able to teach 300 people to read and write in 45 days. That project became the basis for his philosophy and for the work that he did until the day he died. The methods worked, and I am hoping that I can replicate the success and help out a few people in a city that has been very very good to me.

Eventually I am going to try and start these programs all over the world, because after all, who doesn’t love books and puppies?

The Scamp and Distraction

Posted on October 27, 2013 by erranteditor

I had a rough week. Even now I should be working on my paper, but the lure of Netflix and my blog has me stalled at three pages of the five I was hoping to do tonight. My inability to focus is stressing me out, and not even a trip to the gym today made me feel better. I have found myself stuck in my own head, and feeling a lot like I did when I was living in San Diego and working nights. The last time I felt like this, I pushed away a relationship, applied to school in another country, and alienated myself from my friends. This time, I am picking fights with the boy (when I should be focusing my attention elsewhere and not taking that so seriously), counting down the days until I can get back to Scotland, and feeling gloomy about the fact that all of my friends live either in different parts of the state, or in different parts of the world. Instead of tackling my list f things to do (and do everything that I learned from my therapist in Scotland), I am stewing in my negativity and getting very frustrated with everything and everyone around me.

In an effort to shake the feelings, and to get out of my own head, I put this aside for an hour and put the finishing touches on a presentation for the philosophy class. A few weeks ago I expressed my extreme dislike of Horace Mann and his theory of the perfect educational system. As part of the course, we had to write a scenario of a problem in higher education. Working with a partner, we then had to pick another group’s scenario and try to work out a solution to the problem using the philosophical theory of one of the men (and so far they have all been men). I like the assignment. A lot of the case scenarios presented interesting problems, and I snagged a fantastic partner with a sense of humor and a strong work ethic. We decided that it would make for the perfect presentation if we used Horace Mann as our muse. This will no doubt make the class laugh, as the last time I had to discuss Mann, I talked about his Fantasyland view of education, and the improbability of his model ever producing the results he envisioned. In essence, I was labeled a Mann hater (I seriously just made that up right now, and I am totally tickled by it) by the class, so no one would expect me to use his philosophy to unpack a scenario.

I would love to say that the time spent with Mann has given me a change of heart about him and his theories.

Sorry to disappoint, but it has not. While I think education should be open to everyone no matter what color, gender, socioeconomic status, or religion is, I have a hard time buying into the fact that education will act as the great equalizer and erase all the ills of society. His Utopian concept of school has made a significant impact on the way classes are taught today, but I am far too cynical to think that a rich kid and a poor kid will leave school with the same chances for a good job and a betterment in class and status. I do however, think that my partner and I have provided a strong Mann answer to the issue presented to us, and I think our ten minute presentation will make the class laugh and allow them to think about what the perfect program would look like.

I can cross that assignment off of my list of things to do, but I am still feeling distracted and stuck in my head. I think it might be time for me to switch gears, go Zen, and try to shake off the long few days. So with that I am going to

It might not hurt if you send me your good vibes though. Good vibes never hurt anyone.

The Scamp Needs Some Motivation

Posted on October 21, 2013 by erranteditor

photo courtesy of The Berry

The Scamp and a Present

Posted on October 18, 2013 by erranteditor

I like giving presents.

Well, that’s not true. I like giving meaningful presents. I love finding the perfect gift for someone and seeing their face when they open it.

Then there was this boy. I found two presents I thought he would like, and after I bought them, he told me that he is hard to buy presents for, and I shouldn’t get my hopes up. He had me worried. I talked to my mom, my sister, and my best friend about to make sure what I got him wasn’t stupid or cheesy. It is not like me to second guess my choices, but when he told em he wouldn’t like it, I was really thought there was a chance that he wouldn’t.

These are the presents:

This one is pretty self explanatory. He is a scientist, and he has worked his way into my heart, so I thought this would be a fitting piece of art for the wall in his room.

This picture is different. It made me laugh. We have exactly one picture together:

and while it is a great picture (I mean, come on, look at the windows in his living room!), the picture of the two skeletons speak to us as a couple. I am always threatening to punch him in the face, and he is always trying to get in my pants. The picture makes me giggle, and I was hoping that every time he looked at it, he would giggle too.

Score one for me though. He loved the pictures. I got a real smile, a very nice kiss, and a “well done” (which is the same thing he said to me when I told him about the A on my dissertation. It is not so much the words, but the tone of voice…..like the guy in Babe, when he says, “That’ll do pig.” and Babe knows he succeeded).

This just reaffirms my love for giving meaningful gifts, and it gives me some hope that even after heartstompapoloza, I can be a part of a functional human relationship.

Should anyone be interested in the artwork, the lovely artist can be found here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/frenchprints?ref=l2-shopheader-name. There are almost 700 prints to choose from, all of them beautiful.

The Scamp and the Brazilian

Posted on October 16, 2013 by erranteditor

Despite my reluctance in the philosophy class, I am enjoying the final assignment. I have been tasked with picking a philosopher and not only really getting comfortable with their philosophy, but connecting that philosophy to my teaching and my everyday life. I’ve known since the first day of class that I was a critical thinker and that I wanted to dive into the life of my favorite Bazillion critical thinker Paulo Freire.

photo courtesy of dcefacha.blogspot.com

I have been utilizing Freire’s theories in my teaching philosophy for years. He played a major role in the theoretical underpinnings of both of my masters. and I know that he will be well utilized in my dissertation that has yet to be written. I love his views on literacy and teaching students to take charge of their education and become global citizens for change. More often than not, I am teaching my students how to write, and how to use those skills to do research and to take an active role in their learning. I’m still new to teaching, and still trying to find my footing in how much power I give my students while meeting the curricular standards set by the college.

In the course of my research I found a book called Letters to Cristina (http://books.google.com/books?id=PViMUBJnmm8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=letters+to+cristina&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jTFeUqO_BuHqiQLGioCwCg&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=letters%20to%20cristina&f=false). The book is a series of letters Freire wrote to his niece exploring his life and work in a deeply personal and profound way. I had only planned to skim the book to get a general sense of what his early life was like and how that might have affected his views on literacy and education later in life, and so far, I have read every word. I am amazed at the passion that flows off the page, and the deeply reflective nature that he took all the way to his death in the late 90s. He grew up in poverty, and recognized that he was not in a position to succeed in life, and that he was going to have to work hard if he was going to make something of himself. He carried that drive and determination to everything that he did, and then developed a method of teaching that allowed people to not only learn to read quickly, but also gain a sense of empowerment in the progress they made in their reading abilities, and use that feeling of empowerment to register to vote and make changes to their place in society. Freire was exiled in 60s for his beliefs, and his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (http://books.google.com/books/about/Pedagogy_of_the_Oppressed.html?id=UtDcQgAACAAJ) is used in American schools of education and was circulated in South Africa during the Apartheid in an effort to rally the people to fight for change.

Reading his letters, and reading the underlying passion that is in those letters made me question my passions. At 26 years old, I am not sure I have ever had that level of passion for anything except the well being of my mother and my need to travel. One of those causes is important, but one of them is extremely self serving. The program that I am in now is preparing me to go into the world of community colleges and be a leader. I want to be the type of leader that Freire was; the type of leader that fights for the underdog and gives up his own rights and freedoms to make sure that those being oppressed have a voice.

My ultimate goal in life is to run a literacy program, whether it be a nonprofit or at a college or university. I want to work with adults as well as children, and if I get my way, I want it to be global. That way I can help people learn to read, and satisfy my wanderlust at the same time. I’m young, and still have plenty of time to find my passion, but I feel like I am already behind when I read Freire’s work. While I am not trying to be one of the great minds of this century (Although I happen to think my mind is pretty freaking awesome), I would like to be able to make a difference in one person’s life.

I’m not sure what else I will discover in the course of my research, but since I am still riding the high of the A on my dissertation, I am feeling very good about the way the paper will come together. I’m hoping that good feeling will also stay with me during my qualifying exam this summer…..anything is possible, right?

In the meantime, I will try to get in the mindset of one of the greatest minds of the 20th century, and start doing some good in the world.

The Scamp and the Tough Academic Week

Posted on October 11, 2013 by erranteditor

This week was tough for me in the academic world. I was told that I do not understand what it means to struggle in academia (or in life for that matter) because I am white. I was told that the American educational system is set up for white people to succeed, and for the rest of the population to struggle. Because of the color of my skin, I cannot possibly know or understand the path that people who are not white have to take.

The person who said this to me is studying to become an educational leader. They will one day run a program, or be a dean of a college campus, and affect policy and choices made in regards to students’ education.

This frustrating to me on many levels. On a superficial level I am angry because I am not 100% white (my mama is Cuban), and I do not feel like I should be dismissed as white just because I have been living in Scotland and my skin tone resembles that of Casper the Friendly ghost. On a deeper level, I am frustrated by the insinuation that because I look white, I cannot empathize with a person of another race who has to endure hardship in the world of education. I’ve lived and worked in a variety of places and had the privilege to get to know and interact with a variety of people, many who have not had an easy go in life. I am also frustrated because while my road to higher education hasn’t really had that many bumps, it has not been all sunshine and roses. I grew up in a single parent household, and had to work really hard to get scholarships and aid to go to college. I don’t think I need to mention the disease that sometimes makes me so tired that even rolling over in bed is too much effort, and that in a down cycle the pain in my hands makes it almost impossible to hold a pencil or type on a keyboard.

I fully recognize that I am very lucky. I have parents who support me and helped me pay of school the best they could, and I have access to medication that helps me control the bad days. My bumps are small compared to many, but I resent that the color of my skin excludes my struggles from mattering. I am also worried that someone who carries this attitude into our classroom, will carry it into the workplace. This is potentially alienating for anyone who is white, and therefore does not seem to be deserving of help because they do not have to struggle the way other ethnic groups do.

The conversation then turned to religion, and because I was already keyed up about race, I got a little snide about why Christian morals should not be used as the framework for schools because not everyone wants a religion they may not subscribe to shoved down their throats. The thing is, I like morals, I even have a few. I also like religion. I have no problem with people who are guided by their religion in the shaping of their morals. I don’t think religion and public schools go together all that well, and I don’t think one religion should be given preferential treatment over another, but I understand people who are ultra serious about their religion.

While I know that I should just write it off as a bad day and being oversensitive, but two days later I am still annoyed about it. I wasted yesterday in a blah mood, and while today has been better for my productivity, I am not looking forward to more conversations that will lead to me being wrong because I was born white…..like I had a choice in that. I think we all know that if I could choose, I would choose to be leopard print.