One patient camel. 
March 14, 2006
Author Archives: sara holbrook
March 14, 2006
Tree of Life
March 3, 2006
TARA
I am in Shanghai, woefully behind in chronically my trip. The weird thing is, I can post from China, but I cannot read my blog. It is blocked. So, forgive me for any typos.
I had such a fulfilling experience at the Arabian Reading Association meeting. Again, I was struck by the commonalities. So many teachers wishing to improve their ability to teach children to read. Teachers from all over the middle east, some dressed in black and veiled, some in colorful (gorgeous) head scarves and some in blue jeans. But all with the same purpose.
We talked about writing across the curriculum — but what was amazing to me was that we were writing across cultures and the geography of the entire world at the same time. I made friends I will never forget.
March 3, 2006
Commonalities: A desire to learn
February 27, 2006
Student freestyling at Bayan School.
February 27, 2006
Bayan students singing the Japanese national anthem.
February 27, 2006
Bayan student reading poem.
February 27, 2006
Bayan School Bahrain
I have so many images in my head from our visit to Bahrain, it is difficult to get them all down. First, the plane flew directly over Baghdad on our way south from London. The night was totally clear and I studied the lights to see if I could see the airport where Brian’s brother is stationed, but it was hard to tell. The plane proceeded on to sunny Bahrain.
The first day there, Michael and I visited the Bayan School. It is a throbbing place, a bi-lingual school. Our introduction was watching the lower school practice the Japanese anthem for an exchange program that they are participating in. The song lifted and soared sending peaceful messages into the universe.
Next Michael and I both visited classrooms and at the end of the day, students read their poems aloud in a poetry jam to loads of applause and nodding admiration from their teachers and peers. Below are some images from our visit.
We were so struck by the fact that we never see images of students from the middle east on television in the US unless they they are doing hateful things. I felt honored to be welcomed into classrooms in Bahrain and to meet the bright, friendly and respectful students there. I think many of the world’s problems could be lessened by more classroom exchanges where we view one another in terms of commonalities instead of differences.
For instance: The words “kids, please take out a piece of paper,” is a discussion starter in any language and students everywhere like to express themselves through poetry and exchange their thoughts with one another. I will never forget my time at the Bayan School.
February 19, 2006
Raining in London
Who would have guessed it. Michael and I are off on our grand adventure. First we stopped over here for fish and chips (me) and mash (Michael). We also had to off load some luggage before we leave for Bahrain for the Arabian Reading Conference. We are so excited that we have almost forgotten how exhausted we are — and the trip and turn around is just beginning. Time to go to the gate and off into a world neither one of us has ever experienced. Wow.
February 11, 2006
Dreams — Alive and well
Last night was such fun — Michael and I went down to Cleveland Playhouse Square to coach and nurture young poetry slammers who will be competing in the city-side competition to choose the 5 lucky poets who will be part of the team that is sent to the National competition in NYC in April. So many words, so many dreams brought to the stage. In total deviance of their right to privacy, the teen poets laid out their views on everything from thugs to school levys and loneliness. I want them all to win the slam, but even if they don’t each has achieved a personal victory I would have shied away from at their age. I was so impressed.
Afterwards I watched the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. It was grand. The best part was watching the countries who had one, two or three athletes come striding into the stadium. Knowing that many of the teams come without the endorsement of McDonald’s or Nike, that they have scrimped and begged to get there, you could see victory in their eyes.
Langston made us all look at where dreams go to die, but where do they get born? What makes some push hard for their dreams and others shy away?
