Burke and Liz Rich

Smile Magic Garland Grand Opening

2011-01-16T21:47:00.000-07:00

On 1.1.11 at 11:00 a.m. the Smile Magic Garland office held a grand opening celebration complete with a catered lunch, speeches made by important people, tours for city officials and reports, and of course a ribbon cutting ceremony. Here are some photos of the Smile Magic Garland location a.k.a the place where Burke spends the majority of his waking hours.

Yes, you are reading that correctly....Once upon a time there lived a chipmunk named Charlie....

This is Charlie the Chipmunk and the patients follow him on a magical jungle adventure while they get their teeth worked on. Highly cheesy but very successful with the short crowd.

Welcome to the waiting room....So, the kids and parents get to hang out in a themed waiting room complete with a movie theater, game room, and jungle gym. Dentistry meets Disneyland...and it's working like a dream.

So, this little room has flat screens and gaming systems so the kiddies remain happy and entertained while they are waiting for their treatments....this kid is working some Toy Story game and laughing out loud...

...throughout the day they order pizza for the kids and families who are waiting for treatments...Snacks are provided free of charge for everyone inside this little stone box...

This kinda creepy guy holds the loot, the good, the mutha load and the kiddies get to pick a prize from his belly at the end of their treatments. Let's be honest, this was always the best part of going to the dentist.

So, the kids get to walk through this door when their names are called and leave the waiting room to begin their treatments.

This is Burke at his desk that is delicately decorated with butterflies. So, my husband is a VERY tall man and his desk is in the center of the front office. Since he will be moving throughout the practice during the day he had them build his desk to his standing height so he can just walk up to it...type a few things and walk away. Works great if you are 6'7 but if you are short-er his desk is pretty much at eye level...

This is what I call mission control.

Welcome to the exam rooms...kids follow Charlie through a jungle adventure.

Future home of the orthodontic bay...

...and this guy will eat you if you don't brush and floss...if you are a small kiddo, this is pretty big motivation...

...four score and twenty years ago....big speeches from the big people...

...a ribbon cutting so nice, they did it twice....apparently magical chipmunks have a tricky time with scissors...

Happy Husband = Happy Life!

The End!

2010 Holiday Letter...just a wee bit late...

2011-01-16T20:58:00.001-07:00

Dear Family and Friends,

As many of you know, the Burke and Liz Rich family has recently vacated the beautiful garden level apartment at 1343 Normandie Circle, Salt Lake City, Utah and moved to the great state of Texas. YEEEHHHAAAWWW! Before June of 2010, neither Burke or Liz had ever considered or even thought about moving to Texas but after a hot weekend trip to Dallas, moving to the Lonestar state began consuming many of their thoughts.

Burke, a recent University of Utah MBA graduate, had enjoyed his position managing study funds for a team of doctors working at the Department of Neurology in the School of Medicine at the U of U while completing his degree. However, upon graduation, he was itchy for a new adventure and started sending resumes throughout the town hoping to identify his next professional step. Thanks to a contact made by Steve and Melissa Rich (Burke’s older brother) Burke and Liz were invited to visit the sunny state of Texas to check out a hot new business opportunity in Dallas. Smile Magic Dentistry and Braces (www.smilemagicdentists.com) is a company that provides pediatric dental care for under-served communities throughout the greater Dallas area. After a series of very encouraging phone conversations and a weekend interview, Burke was offered a job to open their third location in Garland, Texas. After analyzing the business plan and opportunity and after spending time inside one of the practices we were convinced that working for Smile Magic would not only be a good idea, but also it would provide a grand adventure for our family.

In October 2010, Burke moved to Dallas and began training for the position of Office CEO for Smile Magic and has spent the last several months learning the in’s and out’s of the dental business. Lest you forget, Burke is a businessman (not a dentist) and has been hired to run the business end of the dental practice. While the dentists and technicians are busy drilling, filling, capping and crowning teeth, Burke, is keeping the office, schedule, files, employees, and clients happy and moving in a forward direction. One of the aspects that attracted Burke to this job is the positive work environment and kid friendly approach they take to dentistry. Smile Magic is dedicated to providing a positive experience for all families regardless of financial income. Parents and kids follow a kid-friendly (yet, highly cheesy) story of Charlie the Chipmunk as they move from x-ray to exam to treatment. Each site has a specific theme and provides a fun and enriching environment for both the children and their parents.

Burke and 98% of their belongings moved to Dallas in October so he could begin training for the new job. While Burke was learning about dentistry in Texas, Liz remained in Salt Lake City to complete her student teaching at North Star Elementary and then eventually finish her graduate program at Westminster College. Even though moving to a new state while juggling student teaching is not highly recommended by any Principal or college professor she and her brave little third grade class not only survived the experience but successfully learned how to use a ruler, do double digit subtraction, AND write a friendly letter. WHEW!

Thanksgiving brought a much needed break and time off for Burke and Liz to settle into a new city, find a grocery store, a movie theater, and put a few more things away in their new apartment in Dallas. Turkey day was delightfully quiet and delicious and there were never two people more happy to remain home in their PJ’s and do absolutely nothing but make tasty food and be together.

The Monday following Thanksgiving Liz flew to Mexico to complete the final project of her Masters program. This extended field trip explored the challenges found within the Mexican educational system through a series of lectures, school tours, interviews and hands on experiences. Liz returned to the United States inspired, discouraged, curious, and grateful for all of her blessings. On December 17, Liz defended her non-traditional thesis and officially finished graduate school, thankful for the experience but confidant that her formal educational pursuits have clearly come to an end. The next day she packed up her computer and toothbrush and made her way to Texas and officially moved to Dallas just in time for Christmas. The holiday was spent relaxing and recuperating together as both of Burke and Liz got sick for Christmas but in-between coughing, sneezing and wheezing they were quite delighted to finally live in one city together.

Just after Christmas Smile Magic Garland began servicing patients and is successfully helping children and families receive greater dental health. Once the antibiotics finally took force, Liz returned to the land of the living and has enjoyed unpacking the last few boxes, exploring a new city and simply doing nothing. In time, Liz hopes to find a teaching job in Dallas but is waiting for her credentials to be processed by both the Utah and Texas offices of education. In the mean time, she is thoroughly enjoying the low-key lifestyle of loafing around the house, reading fiction, finishing up a few neglected sewing projects, baking bread and testing out a few new recipes.

All in all, moving to Dallas has been an excellent experience for our little family. We miss family, friends, and the beloved Wasatch Mountains but are feeling more at home with each passing day. Please know that we are forever grateful for your love, kindness, and support. We hope your holidays were full of good food, fine people, and enjoying conversations.

Merry late Christmas and Happy late New Year to all!

Love Love!

Burke & Liz

A low-key Christmas at the Rich Family Infirmary

2011-01-14T18:32:00.008-07:00

Christmas 2010 will not be remembered with lavish holiday parties, mountains of freshly fallen snow, and the busy Christmas rush. Instead it was celebrated on a much smaller scale….TEXAS style. I completed grad school on Dec 17^th. Packed up the trusty Altima of dream on Dec 18^th and drove to Texas so Burke and I could spend Christmas together. My brother Sam was the perfect wingman for the two-day journey to my new home. After a teary good-bye and a slight melt down with the car packed to the gills, a loaded IPod, and red vines a plenty we left my home of 34 years for the next chapter of my charmed life. Sam and I had a great time rocking out to some shared favorites and with each passing hour I began to feel more relaxed and more excited about all things Texas.

We arrived in Dallas late on Saturday night and were grateful for a few warm embraces from Burke, clean sheets, and a good nights rest. Sam and I both slept in and then spent the day relaxing together. Later that night we took Sam to the airport and sent him back home. A girl feels pretty lucky knowing she is surrounded by good brothers who love her.

Burke had to work for a few days and I unpacked the car, did some laundry and found a grocery store. I think it was somewhere along isle 7 as I was picking up some life staples when I realized that didn’t feel so hot. By the time I got home, I was pretty sure that I was not feeling good and by the next morning I was confident about that thought. I was clearly sick. Not too surprising when you factor in the crazy few weeks and that sadly Burke had been wresting a killer cold since Thanksgiving. As a result, our Christmas holiday was pretty much spent at home in our pajamas, at the CVS pharmacy or at the doctor’s office. In no way should this post be viewed or read as a big long complaint, rather a documentation of history.

Thanks to the magic of technology we were able to chat and Skype with family and friends, which helped us, feel more connected to our familiar Salt Lake Christmas events. For both of us, this was our first Christmas on our own. I had grand plans of creating some new family traditions that we would carry with us for the rest of our days. I had researched some great recipes, and intended to locate some holiday-ish events in Dallas…but it was just not in the cards for us this year. We had two little trees and a garland that I had put together post turkey fest on Thanksgiving and I did rally for a bit to make a batch of Christmas cookies but beyond that we were pretty much horizontal with Kleenex in hand for days. Even as we felt pretty crappy…we were pretty happy to just be in the same room without any deadlines, assignments or real life requirements. We made some food, watched movies, slept in and sometime after New Years we both started feeling better. Here are some photo’s documenting Christmas in the Rich family infirmary.

I'm a Master....of the Art of Teaching...Graduation 2010

2011-01-03T22:05:00.046-07:00

WHEW! On December 17th, at approximately 8:30 p.m. I completed the last requirement for graduation and completed the Masters of Arts in Teaching program at Westminster College. Wooohooo! Three long semesters + two lap top computers + a pallet of Diet Dr. Pepper + endless hours of reading + countless reflection papers + a successful semester of student teaching (loved the third grade the second time around much more than the first time, elementary school is a much different game as a grown up) + one Teacher Work Sample + Guiding Question A, B and C (the non-traditional thesis) AND one trip to Mexico = one masters program and one really exhausted woman. WHEW! DONE AND DONE! You would think that after spending a year of my life on campus that I would have a picture or two but I don't have anything. Westminster only offers one commencement ceremony a year which is held in the spring so Burke and I will be returning to Salt Lake City in May so I can walk. At that time, I will document my time on the beautiful Westminster campus. In the mean time, enjoy a lovely stock photo.

When I graduated from the University of Utah in 2002, I intended to return to school but knew that I needed and wanted some time to become a person again before I ran head long back into school. Westminster was the right school, offered the right program, and it was clearly the right time or me to return to student life. I have no regrets about school and the last year + of my life but I am truly ready to re-join the rest of the world. Really looking forward to having my evenings and weekends back and have already created a list of things and projects I want to start working on.

On the last night of class, we meet in small groups and presented our non-traditional thesis and in true Westminster fashion, this event was called a "final sharing." Afterwards, we went to the Alumni house for a chicken-cordon-blue dinner together as a cohort and then....wa....la....you're finished....a bit anti-climatic to be honest, but on the other hand we were all really really ready to be done.

The last portion of our non-tradition thesis is a personal narrative recording our personal journey throughout the program. If there is one skill I have refined throughout this program, it is the ability to reflect. This following paper is my final reflection about my experience in graduate school, just the bare bones about what I've learned and thought about for the last year, written in normal English for normal people (non-academics) to read and understand. Go. Fight. Win!

Elizabeth Robinson Rich

Westminster College

Guiding Question C – Personal Journey

My first encounter with the Masters of Arts in Teaching program at Westminster College occurred in 2008 when I was working at the site manager for YouthCity at Liberty Park. A few months later, Tim Carr arranged a formal introduction between Westminster and YouthCity, which resulted in a new partnership benefiting both organizations. As a community partner, it became clear to me that the theoretical underpinnings of the MAT program were very consistent with my established philosophy as an educator.

When I graduated from the University of Utah with bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Human Development, I was confident that I would return to school to obtain a graduate degree. However, at that time I was unsure of the specific direction and spent several years contemplating various programs. Shortly after graduation, a volunteer opportunity at Clayton Middle School transformed into a seasonal job and provided an avenue to explore the performing arts by directing a yearly school musical. This after school activity, while fulfilling, did not provide a stable income and I was eager to find an additional opportunity to develop my skills and talents. When I graduated, I can clearly remember feeling the need to apply my talents and skills in a way that would help strengthen children and families and promote learning. Upon graduation, I joined AmeriCorps and was placed at Redwood Elementary as an American Reads Supervisor. Working inside a Title 1 school nestled within a poverty-stricken neighborhood opened my eyes to the endless disparity for students living in low-income areas. Redwood Elementary services a highly diverse population and reports some of the lowest test scores for the entire state of Utah. Working in this capacity ignited a burning desire to help close the achievement gap and provide high quality learning activities for all children regardless of race of income level. I was inspired by the dedicated teaching staff and innovative school administration and was encouraged to create a Family Literacy Program as my capstone project.

At the end of my AmeriCorps service, I was offered a position with Salt Lake City Corporation to help develop a citywide after school and summer program. YouthCity provided a blank canvas for me to apply what I had learned working in the community and allowed for me the chance to research and explore current educational theory. While working with a team of talent community leaders, YouthCity quickly became an award-winning program designed to provide a safe place for students to explore, develop and learn in a non-traditional school setting. After eight years working for YouthCity, I was hungry for a new challenge and interested in furthering my understanding of how children learn. After partnering with Westminster and hosting a cohort of MAT students in our program, it became clear to me that applying for the MAT program was my next step.

During the first semester, as we explored the political implication and funding sources for public education, I continued to find the answers to a series of questions I had had for years. Developing a better understanding of the inequality of funding for public schools helped to clarify why some students are generally more successful in school and why others, regardless of their desire to learn, do not find the same level of success due to the overarching inequality of financial support. My inherent understanding of the important role parents’ play in the academic success of a child was supported as we read academic articles and explored educational learning theory.

Throughout my work at YouthCity, I had the opportunity to work with a variety of students with special needs. Even as the scope of our program was to provide enrichment activities after-school, the affects of both student successes and failures before the school bell rang became a top priority. I am a firm believer in an inclusions classroom and feel that there are invaluable benefits to having all students learn together. I believe that as educators we must prepare all students for success regardless of their race, income level or learning style. I believe that effective teaching is experimental and students will make deeper academic connections when they are given the supported freedom to explore the content inside a safe learning environment. As a future teacher, I plan to hold each student to a high academic standard while striving to provide differentiated learning activities for all students. I understand the value of including cooperative learning activities inside lesson plans and hope to provide opportunities for each student to become a self-regulated learner. As the semester progressed and I gained a greater understanding of the constructivist framework, I discovered the theoretical names of education practices I had implemented at Clayton Middle School, Redwood Elementary, and largely at YouthCity.

Throughout the methods semester, I was challenged by the rigor of the academic content associated to the Utah State Core. Upon reflecting upon my own experience inside the public education system, I can honestly say that I did not make strong personal connections to many concepts covered inside the core. As a result, re-learning the “basics” before I could effectively teach the “basics” required far more time and energy than I had anticipated. I was impressed by the responsibilities teachers have to present the correct information in a non-basis way and the powerful influence teachers have in developing the lenses for which students will see the world. During this semester we were invited to put the theoretical concepts into practice inside a safe learning environment and had an opportunity to sample what full time teaching really was. My mentor teacher, while a talented educator, clearly felt the stress and pressure of working in a failing school and the focus of my placement quickly turned from gaining teaching practice to learning the importance of navigating inside the public school system and maintaining a life balance in and out of the classroom. I found the time constraints and limitations associated to the textbooks and district requirements very frustrating. As the semester ended, I began to doubt my ability to successful work inside a public school and wondered if I would find greater success in a school that afforded additional room for creativity and academic freedom. I am confident in my ability to help students become excited about the learning process and felt stifled by district requirements, unrealistic time constraints, and negative staff influences.

Throughout the methods semester we had an opportunity to apply the concept of Funds of Knowledge inside our placement. On the outset of this assignment, I felt overwhelmed by the depths and breadths of the project but quickly realized that I had been conducting informal Funds of Knowledge interviews for years while at YouthCity. Without having any academic wording or scientific research I had concluded that that building personal relationship and creating common connections with both the students and parents was the key to establishing a safe, nurturing, and inviting learning environment. Understanding the theoretical framework behind gathering Funds of Knowledge continued to flesh out my growing understanding of this educational tool. Without question, I see the value of carefully analyzing the individual components of a student, their family, their culture, the classroom dynamics, the school environment, and the surrounding neighborhood. I am confident that by gathering information about my students and taking the time to see the world through their eyes I will have greater success inside the classroom. I believe that teachers become effective educators when they can establish a personal relationship of trust with their students. When students feel safe, cared for, and are presented with high expectations they can find both academic and social success.

Student teaching was an exhausting, yet highly rewarding, experience. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to learn from Ms. Judy Beatty, a seasoned third grade teacher at North Star Elementary. Ms. Beatty is a master teacher and truly helped me refine my craft. To be honest, I was hesitant about teaching inside another public school after the negative experiences of my methods placement. But much to my surprise, I was impressed at the sense of community that is felt at North Star and could easily see the difference the administration and school leadership can have on the overall learning. During the ten weeks of teaching, I was both stretched and inspired by the various roles a public educator assumes within a community. Throughout the experience, I found myself reflecting on conversations we had in class the previous fall and saw the real world application of poverty, income level, race, social class, and learning ability manifest themselves within a classroom of twenty-seven students.

One of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of my student teaching was the connected to the opportunity I had to have a blind student in our classroom. Brianna, a delight nine-year-old girl, is completely blind and is attending a mainstream classroom like every other third grader at North Star. This year, the school administration had decided that Brianna would focus on becoming more independent and gaining the interpersonal skills required to become a truly self-regulated student. The school district provides two support staff that helps her throughout the school day on various subjects but for the most part she remain inside the classroom. Ms. Tiffany and Ms. Slade provide direction and support as needed however they are determined to help Brianna accomplish both simple and complex tasks on her own as much as possible. Working with Brianna provided endless opportunities for me to learn how to differentiate curriculum and make accommodations, both within the planning process and on the fly while teaching a lesson inside the classroom. I have a deeper understanding of how students with special needs navigate the school day and the importance of maintaining positive working relationships with special education staff members. Student teaching provided me an opportunity practice applying the various teaching methods we had discussed in class and explored through text. Throughout the ten weeks, I discovered that I can be a successful teaching inside a public school and that by applying creativity and professional communication effective teaching can occur even inside challenging schools and neighborhoods.

Throughout the travel seminar my thoughts and feelings continued to gravitate toward three concepts: communication, connection, and curiosity. Each theme, carefully connected to the next, became more important as we moved from a mountain community to a small rural village and then to one of the largest cities in the world. As I now reflect upon the experience as a whole, these three concepts serve as an undercurrent of my learning and can stand as the capstone of this program.

As the trip began, my in inability to speak Spanish and communicate effectively with people in Mexico became clear to me at the Airport. For whatever reason the airline had misplaced the English version of the passport form and handed me the document in Spanish. I became overwhelmed and frustrated while reading the foreign words knowing that I needed to understand the content of the document but could not read or process the information. Becoming dependent upon others to communicate is a humbling experience, which continued with great momentum for me as the trip progressed. I have traveled to many cities and countries in the past, however I have always been able to communicate in English. I am grateful for the consistent level of discomfort I experienced throughout the trip as I have developed a sense of what it must feel like to live in the United States and not know how to speak English. As a future teacher, I anticipate that I will encounter students and families who do not speak English as their primary language and who will be required to complete forms and exchange critical information. Throughout the travel seminar, I gained a greater perspective for what it must feel like for many minority students. I am highly motivated to learn Spanish in order to ease any frustration or anxiety they may have about communicating with their child’s teacher.

I was delighted but not surprised to observe that family dynamics in Mexico (even as there are some differences associated to daily life) are generally the same for American families. Participating in the home stay visits confirmed my understanding that people are people regardless of nationality or political status. Throughout the travel seminar and particularly during the school visits and home stay my mind was constantly racing from one theoretical concept and application to the next. I feel that I was constantly critically analyzing the information that was presented to the theory we have learned throughout the program and my personal life experience.

As I began the Masters of Arts in teaching program, and now after completing the travel seminar I believe that effective education can only be based upon making a personal connection to both the curriculum and the people with whom you are teaching. Fundamentally, I believe that people are more similar than they are different and I was inspired by the humanity and honesty we observed throughout the trip. As a future teacher, I plan to make as many personal connections to my students as possible so we can develop a safe learning environment where everyone feels safe enough to participate in learning activities.

Curiosity is the mother of invention and I believe good teaching. I have always had a sincere desire to learn new things and plan to continue my study of various cultures when I become a certified teacher. Throughout the trip, I found myself writing question after question in my journal. At the conclusion of this masters program, as I reflect upon everything we have learned I am more confident that in order to become an affective educator and establish a safe learning environment for my students I will need to continually question my teaching practices and how it is affecting all of my students, and especially my students who come from different cultures. I leave this program with a greater theoretical understanding of the teaching and learning process. I have refined my ability to critically analyzing the political, social, and economic aspects of education, and have gained a greater understanding of the cyclical nature of education, poverty, and politics. I leave this program, hungry for an opportunity to apply the constructivist principles inside a community and hope to make a positive difference for both children and their families.

Mexico with Westminster College November 2010

2011-01-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

The final project for my graduate program was an educational trip to Mexico. Lest you think this trip was designed to provide a much needed break to a group of future educators, providing an opportunity to sit on some sandy beach, sipping a fruity drink while lazily relaxing in a hammock tethered in-between two shady palm trees. No, no, this was an educational adventure and truly no vacation. This trip was designed to help us crystallize all of the theory; educational practice, classroom time and fine-tune our understanding of how to help children from other cultures find success inside the American school system. Westminster partnered with the Global Center for Education and developed a series of lectures, tours, and learning activities to help us better understand the similarities and differences of the Mexican education system and to gain a greater understanding of cross-cultural communication. To accomplish this we would be touring schools in urban, rural, and VERY rural areas in Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Atmoztlan and Tepoztlan Mexico. Before the trip began, we were provided with information regarding Mexican history, political movements, economic conditions and a basic structure of the current educational system.

To be honest, many of the pre-trip assignments felt like busy work and after completing student teaching and moving to Texas the idea of developing a lesson plan about the historical roots of the Mexican revolution was just about the last thing I wanted to do. We were instructed to think of three carefully worded non-judgmental questions that we could ask the people we had the chance to meet with throughout the trip. You might think that formulating three intelligent questions about the educational system in Mexico would be an easy task but at the end of a mentally exhausting year, I found this task to be most difficult. I normally don't have any problem thinking of questions to ask people as I am generally a curiously interested (often at an irritatingly high level) person but at this point my brain was mush and I was empty. I was highly motivated to finish the program and thankfully a close circle of friends and family continued to remind me that end was near and that cranking out a few silly questions and one last lesson plan was not that big of a deal knowing that the end was clearly in sight. Fueled by diet Dr. Pepper and true love I read the articles, made the time line, taught the lesson and cranked out a few measly questions and before I knew it I was boarding a plane for Mexico city armed with sunscreen, bug spray, sturdy walking shoes and a journal ready to jump through the last fiery hoop of my graduate program. Ole!

This was not my first trip to Mexico and I have done a fair amount of traveling during the last few years however this trip was quite an eye-opening experience. We spent eight days exploring what real life is like in Mexico, not touristy beachy Mexico….real life poverty Mexico. It was an inspiring and heartbreaking eight days and each day was chuck full of button pushing conversations. I was stretched in ways that I did not expect. Inspired by the power of humanity that spans far beyond national boarders. Enraged by negative outcomes produced by people living in desperate situations. Hungry for a greater understanding of national political movement and a new sense of desperation for educational equality for all children and families. Before the trip began, I struggled in coming up with three dinky questions and by the time my flight touched down at the DFW airport I had filled an entire journal full of questions. Endless questions regarding how and why and when education and access to education happens and does not happen continue to run through my brain and heart even weeks after this trip. My head continues to spin regarding the issues we explored during the trip and I am grateful for the experience. On the last night of our trip several members of our group went to dinner together at a restaurant close to the National Palace in Mexico City. As the evening drew to an end I had the chance to chat with one of the professors and explore some of my questions and concerns. At the end of the conversation, I explained that I had no intention of returning home with a laundry list of burning questions to explore and was really ready for some mental down time. He politely responded, “well, congratulations…it appears you have completed the program….welcome to the field of education….an adventure of life long learning.” I think he was intending this to be a compliment and in a way I suppose it was. Vive’ la Mexico!

I actually have a lot more to say about this trip but can't yet muster the mental energy to revisit everything. I can tell you that I continue to gravitate to news stories about immigration and trade agreements and drug trafficking FAR more than I ever have. Once I unpack a few more things in Dallas and figure out where the public libraries, I have a list of books I intend to read so I can further explore some of the questions than were generated from this experience. I have decided to post a few of my academic papers on this blog regarding this trip so I can better organize and catalog my now post graduate school study of these topics. These papers are reflection/opinion pieces and were written in the weary hours of my masters program. Let the nerd-ery commence...

Elizabeth Robinson Rich

Westminster College

MAT 606: Standard 15 Part II

Growing corn is considered a spiritual blessing and opportunity for many Mexican families. Throughout the travel seminar, I noticed Mexican women of all ages and stations in life making tortillas to feed their families and members of their community. After talking with my host family, Maria Torres, and other community members (Maximina Guerrero Robles and Irene Ramrez Cazares), Center for Global Education Staff (Marisela Chaplin and Lisaanne Morgan) and researching corn tortillas on the Internet I have learned the following:

·Most traditional Mexican families consider the land to be sacred and the food that is grown from the land a precious commodity. Indigenous Mexican people believe that they do not own the land but that they came from the land and therefore consider the farming process a spiritual offering of gratitude and respect. In rural villages, water is considered to be the blood of the earth and this blood nourishes its people by helping seeds produce healthy food for families to eat.

· Most meals in rural Mexico are centered around corn tortilla paired with other vegetables grown on family farms. Family farmland is passed from one generation to the next and working the land is considered both a spiritual privilege and an opportunity to maintain traditional customs and practices. Crops harvested from family farms make up the majority of food for daily meals.

· At the beginning of the growing season, a series of prayers are offered to bless both the seeds and the fields. Mexicans consider planting crops a spiritual act and carefully follow religious traditions and customs to help ensure a fertile and prosperous season.

· At the end of the growing season, the first ears of corn are harvested and the women of the community process the corn and make a traditional tamale dish which is offered to the land as a way of showing gratitude for a generous growing season.

· Once the corn is harvested Mexican woman make corn tortilla daily to feed their families. Corn tortillas serve as a primary food source for many Mexican families.

· Making tortilla from homegrown corn is a spiritual act, which demonstrates both gratitude and devotion to God. The Nahuatl speakers called tortillas “tlaxcalli”.

· A corn tortilla is a thin unleavened flat bread that is served at all meals. Tortillas are made by curing maize in limewater, which causes the skin of the corn kernels to peel off. Soaking the kernels in lime creates a chemical reaction which releases vitamins and amino acids that fortify the corn with a chemically created protein. Next, the corn is ground into a powder and mixed with water until soft dough is formed. Small handfuls of dough are placed inside a metal tortilla press and a thin disk is formed. The tortillas are cooked on a “comal” or terracotta griddle until they form a bubble and turn slightly brown.

· Mexican woman consider preparing food and feeding their families as a spiritual act and not just a daily task. Cooking traditions, recipes, and cooking supplies (bowls, stoves, mortar and pestle, etc…) are passed down from one generation to the next. In the Mexican culture, women prepare food and men rarely prepare meals regardless of ability or interest.

Throughout the travel seminar, I was moved by the spiritual nature of preparing food, and particularly the historical significant of corn tortillas. As a future teacher, I plan to research various cultures to learn about similar culinary traditions. Learning about food and food preparation from various cultures can serve as a gateway for students to begin making personal connections between their own culture and unfamiliar groups.

Elizabeth Robinson Rich

Westminster College

Standard 15 Part III

Throughout the travel seminar my thoughts and feelings continued to gravitate toward three concepts: communication, connection, and curiosity. Each theme, carefully connected to the next, became more important as we moved from a mountain community to a small rural village and then to one of the largest cities in the world. As I now reflect upon the experience as a whole these three concepts serve as an undercurrent of my learning and can stand as the capstone of this program.

As the trip began my in inability to speak Spanish and communicate effectively with people in Mexico became clear to me at the Airport. For whatever reason the airline had misplaced the English version of the Passport form and handed me the document in Spanish. I became overwhelmed and frustrated while reading the foreign words knowing that I needed to understand the content of the document but could not read or process the information. Becoming dependent upon others to communicate is a humbling experience, which continued with great momentum for me as the trip progressed. I have traveled to many cities and countries however I have always been able to communicate in English. I am grateful for the consistent level of discomfort I experienced throughout the trip as I have developed a sense of what it must feel like to live in the United States and not know how to speak English. As a future teacher, I anticipate that I will encounter students and families who do not speak English as their primary language and who will be required to complete forms and exchange critical information. Throughout this trip I have gained a greater perspective for what it must feel like and am dedicated to create a safe place for these children and parents within my classroom. I am highly motivated to learn Spanish in order to ease any frustration or anxiety they may have about communicating with their child’s teacher.

I was delighted but not surprised to observe that family dynamics in Mexico, even as there are some differences, are generally the same for American families. Participating in the home stay visits confirmed my understanding that people are people regardless of nationality or political status. Throughout the travel seminar and particularly during the school visits and home stay my mind was constantly racing from one theoretical concept and application to the next. I feel that I was constantly critically analyzing the information that was presented to the theory we have learned throughout the program and my personal life experience. As I began the Masters of Arts in teaching program and now after completing the travel seminar I believe that effective education can only be based upon making a personal connection to both the curriculum and the people with whom you are teaching. Fundamentally, I believe that people are more similar than they are different and I was inspired by the humanity and honesty we observed throughout the trip. As a future teacher I plan to make as many personal connections to my students as possible so we can develop a safe learning environment where everyone feels safe enough to participate in learning activities.

Curiosity is the mother of invention and I believe good teaching.

I have always had a sincere desire to learn new things and plan to continue my study of various cultures when I become a certified teacher. Throughout the trip, I found myself writing question after question in my journal. I feel that in order to create a safe learning environment for my students I will need to continually question my teaching practices and how they are affecting all of my students, and especially my students who come from different cultures.

A Texas Thanksgiving in 2010

2010-12-23T21:50:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving 2010 was our first real holiday celebration as just our own little family unit. We were both used to sitting at a table full of family and friends for the turkey day feast. However, this year, due to our recent move to Dallas, this years celebration was planned on a much smaller scale. As much as we were missing the company of so many we love in Salt Lake City---we had a wonderful time christening our new home with a delicious Thanksgiving dinner for two. I'm so glad that I married such a talented chef!

CONQUERING MY LIFE LONG FEAR OF YEAST!

2009-11-21T23:10:00.002-07:00

I love bread. I love bread more than most foods and could happily eat bread for every meal and be perfectly satisfied. The sad reality is that for years I could eat bread, purchase bread, but never really bake my own bread-a task I considered daunting for as long as I can remember. After a great deal of careful introspection I have realized that most bread baking failures come down to my inability to use YEAST!

As luck you have it, I was given the opportunity to face a fear and conquer my fear of yeast through an assignment in one of my graduate classes. Apparently, learning new stuff can happen well outside of grade school and for grown ups as well as for kiddos inside a traditional classroom. Who knew? Thanks to the Learn Something New Project (what I now consider an inspired assignment) I am a bread baker!

The scope of the project began on our first day of class when Dean Shaw invited each of us to identify "something" we had always wanted to learn how to do but for either lack of time, energy, or motivation we had never really mastered. The assignment required each student to create a plan for learning how to master the "something", journal about the the process throughout the semester, and apply the education theory we were studying in class to our very own personal growth experiment. Our final project is to demonstrate to our class what we have accomplished during the semester. To be honest, at first I was not thrilled about what I anticipated to be time consuming project. However, I must freely admit that it has been a refreshing adventure and a much needed variation to the endless papers, projects, and group work. Without a doubt it's been the most delicious homework I have ever tasted.

So, I have been baking bread for just over twelve weeks now and I think I can say I no longer fear YEAST! YEAH! Since this has been such a life changing process for me, I will be updating the blog with a few of my journal entries, recipes, and photos.....uummm.....I can smell the bread baking as we speak! Double YUM!

Graduate School is a Thanksgiving Feast for the mind....

2009-09-25T09:40:00.004-06:00

In August, I started a graduate program at Westminster College and my head has been spinning ever since. One of the beautiful things about attending a small liberal arts college is that they firmly believe in taking Fridays off and I could not be happier. If things continue, I should have every Friday free and I intend to spend a few moments sharing my latest discoveries on this blog.

I graduated from the University of Utah in 2002 and have been working for the last several years. My undergrad was more of a means to an end than anything else. I remember thinking...hum...I graduated from college. How did this exactly happen? I worked, mostly full time, while attending the U and was never really involved in being a student. Mostly I left work, drove to campus, went to class, drove home. For some reason it seemed a bit awkward and disconnected and empty. I think I missed the boat on the whole college experience as my focus was always at work. Anyway, I have been thinking and talking about going to graduate school ever since and now I am actually doing it.

The Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program is exactly what I never new I always wanted. I am so very impressed by Westminster and how engaged I am in learning the second time around. The MAT program is designed for people who want to become teachers that have bachelors degrees but did not study education in their undergrad. Its a cornucopia of people and experience and perspective and ability and...it's amazing.

I would by lying if I did not say that I am a bit overwhelmed by the course work and the intensity of the experience. Full time for the MAT program is seventeen credit hours and trust me, I am feeling everyone of those hours. I have seven classes each week and several hundred pages of reading. Its terrific! My mind is on fire as I am making theoretical connections to everything I have been doing for the last ten years. Each class, save Teaching with Technology, is full of applicable information spread out before us like the steaming bowls of goodness at Thanksgiving dinner. Everything looks delicious. Smells amazing. And when enjoyed in combination elicits feelings of warmth, fullness and gratitude. The only problem is, I want huge heaping spoonfuls of EVERYTHING right now while its pipping hot and my little plate is only so big. I need a mental platter the size on Montana to hold all of the academic offerings I crave. Like thanksgiving...you have to pace yourself and set limits or the bloaty, nasty, I WANT TO DIE feeling will truly ruin your Thursday afternoon. I love it. I love being in a classroom again and actually wanting to be there. I love how my mind is being stretched and how my perspective is changing. I love learning from the master teachers who are our Professors. I love looking at YouthCity and realizing than without really knowing we have been doing most things in line with what they are teaching. Its incredibly validating to see how my work of the last ten years is in line with what we are learning. We are five weeks in and this program is seriously challenging in all of the right ways. With that, my mental break is over and now I have to hit the books. I feel like a proud Pilgrim, standing in awe of a bountiful offering. Bring on the cranberry sauce!

Christmas 2008 - Lots a great memories...very few photos

2009-09-06T15:54:00.003-06:00

December always bring warm memories and last year was busy but memorial. A few highlights include celebrating Burke's first round of MBA finals, Rich family Christmas Party, YouthCity Celebration, Sub for Santa with friends from Wasatch Branch, Serving breakfast on Christmas morning to the boys at Wasatch Youth Correctional Facility and the Robinson Family Christmas party. Overall it was great...next year more play by play update and photos.

Thanksgiving 2008 - 1st Annual Robinson Rich Bingo Blowout!

2009-09-06T14:42:00.006-06:00

Our first Thanksgiving was a perfect combination of good food and great friends and endearing family members. My brother Spence and his family (Ami, Jeremiah, Ian and Jacob), My Mom, our friend Willie and a great family I have come to love Amy, Frank and Maxwell Martin joined us for our first holiday feast. It was both a culinary success and a perfect way to celebrate another year of gratitude. I especially like the photos of the little boys mixing tasty beverages in our kitchen. Cheers to all! The night ended with the first annual Robinson Rich Bingo Blowout - complete with prizes for all of the winners. We decided to create a new family tradition and host a yearly Bingo Blowout every Thanksgiving. My sister-in-law Ami, was the overall 2008 Bingo Blowout winner and is pictured holding the traveling grand prize...a cheezy framed harvest I found a the D.I. As the winner, she has the extreme honor of hanging the "piece of art" in the comforts of her home for the next year until next Thanksgiving. Classy, I realize but it was a great night and a new tradition.

In my head....I want to be a blogger...but...

2009-09-06T14:26:00.002-06:00

So, I started this blog last March with the intent of documenting all of the great moments of our second year of married life. By reading this blog you would think we have had a VERY dull year when in reality I'm just not quite in the habit of documenting our life with photos and writing updates. Like most good intentions, I think about blogging about our life, because I think its a great idea, but it rarely makes it from my head to keyboard. Our lives are full of many wonderful projects, people and activities. I am inspired by many of you who post faithfully and hope to one day join your ranks. As for now, here are a few fun photos that have recently been freed from our camera. I'm going to attempt to add a few captions, If I can figure out how. Wish me good luck!

One year Rich-er

2009-03-16T23:29:00.001-06:00

Burke and I will celebrate our first anniversary this weekend and its hard to believe we have been married for a whole year. That's 365 sweet kisses good nights and 365 mornings with Burke far more cheerful and me the zombie trailing behind him. Married life is just fun! I've learned so much about Burke and myself and subsequently life itself. I feel lucky to have spent my twenties and a few of my thirties single, as a -one. I had a great time traveling the country and world with cherished friends, true kindred spirits. Professionally I have been given incredible chances to serve our community and stretch my mind and perspective of life and love and living. There were lonely moments. Crushes. Wild adventures. Incredible highs. And humbling lows. Overall, I have been blessed. Content for the most part. Happy.

A few years ago, I was walking into a movie theater down town, contently alone and secure in my single-ness a -one, and found myself surprising surrounded by couples -two's. Everywhere I looked I saw happy people holding hands. Some talking and laughing. Others quietly walkingto their cars. Old, young and middle-aged. I was struck by the concept of - two - when I felt so content and singular. For a brief moment, I wondered why God intended life to be experienced as a - two. I was a successful - one. Happy. Challenged. Progressing, and yet - one. How do people go from being a secure - one, to a coupled - two. Mystified by how the mathematics of life actually happens. Curious about how two independent people can become, a pair. Anyway, I purchased my ticket, found my seat and attempted to settle to watch some movie I can't even remember.

Not long ago, Burke and I went to that same movie theater downtown. As we got out of the car and made our way to the ticket kiosk we picked up on our continuing conversation about work and school and politics and laundry and family and shopping lists and our overall future and I found myself holding his hand, laughing and thinking - wait! I've become a -two! How did this happen? I was there...we met. We hung out. We dated. We kissed. We became BFFs. We fell in love. Truck stop love. We planned a killer party. I wore a white dress. He got a suit. We got married and now, we are a -two.

I continue to have this strange feeling sweep over me when we are grocery shopping or driving home from the University or laying in bed talking about our day...."is this really my life? are we really this lucky?" And he just smiles and says, "Yes, Love...this is really your life." Who knew I could be so loved?

We loved our wedding. We loved everything about it. We wanted a great party where we could celebrate with family and friends and it was a night full of laughter, good food, great music and love. Jim and Connie Jenkins graciously offered their home to us and provided the perfect place for our party. Their home is full of family, knowledge, tradition, kindness and love. Stephanie Smith, Alice Ashton, and Kristy Slack helped start the night with with beautiful music and our dear friends the Johnson's brought the house down with a collection of favorite blue grass favorites. The food was amazing. The flowers perfect. The night was a dream. Burke took me home for one last goodbye kiss and we both fell asleep instantly. The next day we gathered at Burke's Grandmother's home for a waffle breakfast and then went to the temple. A perfect day! We were overwhelmed by the love we felt from family and dear friends while in the temple and were touched by the endless support and excitement from all we knew. Its not only real, its forever! We spent a week in Portland and enjoyed the Oregon coast before heading back to Salt Lake City and our new life together. The next year has been a delightful blur. Happy. Excited. Secure. Loved. Committed.

I've almost been a Rich for whole year and I think I am starting to get it. Get how it happens. What it feels like. I've never been good at math but i think I'm starting to understand how a one can become a two. I was happy as a -one....but I really love being a committed-two!