Just another night

[Dennis143]

Every time I return home after helping teach Citizenship I have this feeling of tremendous high that I continue to ride for several days. I am so truly very blessed to be able to help. Let me try to explain why.

 

The Fan Dance

 

Every class begins with my leading the students with the Pledge Of Allegiance. The first hour is spent reviewing the previous week¡¦s lesson and introducing new words. We take a ten minute break after an hour. Last night, a woman waited for the class to break. We all gathered in a larger room where this woman met us. She is entering a dance competition on Saturday and she asked that we critique her two dances. The dance we like the most will be the one she performs in the competition.

 

She begins by playing a CD of traditional Chinese music and then dances a Tai Chi style dance while using two red fans. She would unfold the fans with a very fast and loud WHAP! sound. After her first performance, she turns off the CD and asks the ladies to hum the melody of a famous Chinese folk song. This time, she danced a similar Tai Chi dance. Her free hand would make soft gestures while the fan moved like a butterfly about her. I have got to tell you, listening to the sound of 10 Chinese women humming this beautiful melody and watching the rhythmic moves of this woman was such an unexpected joy. Words cannot describe it.

 

I voted for dance two, but I told her that she should bring her choir to accompany her.

This was certainly different than any American fan dance that some of us have seen before.

 

I Have A Dream

 

The second hour is used to introduce new names and the history behind the names; George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. etc. After the introductions, I will give brief and simple historical information, such as; George Washington was General Washington who led the Revolutionary Army to defeat the British army who was considered the mightiest and most feared army in the world. I explain about slave states and free states and Abraham Lincoln¡¦s Emancipation Proclamation. How and why the Civil War was fought and how 100 years after the Civil War ended the Constitution was amended by passing the Civil Rights Amendment that ended segregation.

 

Having lived through the Civil Rights movement, the impact of what took place during this time in our history had never really hit me, until I explained to the class what this time in history meant to our nation and when I read Martin Luther King Jr's I Have A Dream speech aloud to the class. It is times like this when I realize how proud all of us should be to call ourselves American. After each phrase, Mary would interpret. I found myself speaking louder and louder with each ¡§I HAVE A DREAM¡K.¡¨ and ending with the rousing "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" When we were finished, the entire class stood and applauded. I was truly choked up and I could see that they were too.

 

I wondered what freedom meant to these people. Now, I know.

[Randy W]

Sounds wonderful, Dennis. Good work!

[Joanne]

I choked up by reading.

[johnxiaoying]

Great story Dennis. You are doing a great job teaching...you enjoy it and your students enjoy it. Keep up the good work.

[winger696969]

Dennis

 

I love reading your storys and i think it is great what you are doing. This is one of the reasons i think this site is so good. Members like you and others and their great stories.

 

Jim

[georgeandli]

Dennis, Thanks for bringing me back to reality! I was in a bad place, feeling sorry for myself and situation. Stupid government etc. you know what I mean. Sometimes we forget that this is still the greatest country in the history of this world. Warts and all we seem to find a way to correct our mistakes and grow as a nation. It may take a generation or two, but we get there. The point men may die, but right does prevail!

[skibum]

Dennis, you are a good American. Keep up the good work.

[RLS]

Dennis, where is your class held and how do I get Ivy into it? Wonderful story and keep up the good work.

[Dennis143]

Dennis, where is your class held and how do I get Ivy into it?  Wonderful story and keep up the good work.

223367[/snapback]

It's a bit of a drive for you, Ron. Classes are held at the Alhambra First Baptist Church on Thursday (Citizenship) and Friday (Beginning ESL) in the evenings. Send me a PM, when she gets here. Maybe, you can help teach too.

[yuan fen]

Dennis, where is your class held and how do I get Ivy into it?  Wonderful story and keep up the good work.

223367[/snapback]

It's a bit of a drive for you, Ron. Classes are held at the Alhambra First Baptist Church on Thursday (Citizenship) and Friday (Beginning ESL) in the evenings. Send me a PM, when she gets here. Maybe, you can help teach too.

223374[/snapback]

I love reading about your ESL and Citizenship stories. Socal is a little too far for us, but I am researching the local area for when Jie gets here. I really want to be a part of her learning, and teaching or even guest speaking is what I want to do also. I know it would mean the world to her.

 

Excelent Job!

[Dennis143]

It's always a bit surreal at times.

OK, someone says to you, I am going to give you a Chinese interpreter who is going to sit next to you for two hours and your are going to tell a class of about 25 Chinese adults about the history of the United States. You are then going to cap the evening by reading aloud the I Have A Dream speech by MLK.

 

Never, in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be the person who would bring to their ears the words from this speech for the first time. And, my simple words here can never fully describe what these moments mean to me and how they are an inspiration for all of us. These are our new Americans. And, every time I help, I am completely humbled to have taken part in their new American journey. If you ever have the chance to help, grab it!!

[NewDay2006]

Dennis, you are just having too much fun my man. Keep upi the good work

[SheLikesME?]

You know Dennis; I like to tell people to run for public office of some kind because the common citizen can do the job easier than I thought, and it is just a good thing to do. But after I am done with this, you have inspired me that I should look into this. Certainly when my wife arrives I need to be involved or know of a good place for her to learn more of our history and citizenship. We do start our City Council meetings with a prayer usually given by the Mayor and then we all put our hand over our heart and look at our flag and repeat the pledge. I want her to see this. I want her to see citizens make comments when we open it up to them. But I mostly want her to go to a citizenship class and learn our history. I hope it is someone as good as you teaching. Perhaps she can do the interpreting for someone like you here in DFW area, if she will.

 

I did go to the Dallas area Asian festival in Dallas fair Park a month or two ago. The most inspiring dance that choked me up was a bunch of young girls dancing traditional Dance I have seen in Thailand special programs on TV. I almost had to walk away because it made me miss my wife and all the sites and smells of China too much. Most of the rest of the dances seem to want to mix in American rap music and I just got bored and left.

 

Thanks for your wonderful inspiring stories. I need to take care of my preparations for her arrival.

[Jali]

You know Dennis, I always watch for your posts. Always interesting, often educational, sometimes innappropriate. Fun stuff