Yesterday I made a quick stop at Holy Land on my way home from work for some groceries. While in the checkout line, I realized that a learner that had previously been in my class was checking out in front of me. She noticed me; we said hello, and then she asked, “Do you remember where I am from?” I answered, “Of course, from school!” Her eyes brightened, and she told me that I had a good memory. The cashier finished ringing her up, we exchanged goodbyes, and she hurried off outside into the snow.
Though the entire exchange lasted under a minute, our brief conversation proved to be thought provoking. Since I only see my students in the context of the classroom, it’s easy to forget that they live and work in my community. It was wonderful to see a familiar face from class in the rhythm of my everyday life. Clearly she had been touched that I remembered her, but the feeling was mutual. I couldn’t help but think about how different community life would be if more people had the chance to interact with immigrant and refugee populations or even just their neighbors in general.
Our class has a few weeks off until the end of the year. While the extra time in my schedule is welcome at this time of the year, I do miss the learners. Happy holidays!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Snow
Today's thick snowfall made me predict that our class would be quite tiny. I was wrong! Although we started with just two students, by an hour into class, ten more had arrived.I asked the students what they thought of the snow and most gave me a scornful look. Leah, from Sudan, said, "Teacher, the roads are so dirty today!" Samira told me that her van had spun in a circle on a side street near her home. I asked her if she drove to school today, and she replied that she did. "English classes are very important to me, Teacher," she replied, "But I still don't like the snow!" Other learner said that the snow made them homesick for winters in their native countries.
Inspired by their dogged perseverance to attend class, I asked how learning English made them feel. They responded:
• Happy
• Glad that I have good teachers
• Excited but sometimes stressed
• Nervous when I don’t know new words
• Good because I can find a job
• Happy but tired because it is very hard for me
I was happy to see that falling snow and blustery weather wouldn't stop my stalwart students.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Fat in Fast Foods
Susan, the nutritionist from the from the University of Minnesota Simply Good Eating program, returned to our class today, much to the delight of the learners.
Students took a survey about how often they ate fast food. Most rarely ate fast food, though some reported eating it once or twice a week. Susan was impressed; she said one women in another class consumed fast food five times a week or more. Learners stated that price, convenience and flavor influenced them to eat fast food.
Students talked about how some of them had gained weight since coming to the U.S. They brainstormed the following reasons:
• cheap junk food
• eating fast foods
• drinking soda
• too much sitting at work
• driving everywhere instead of walking
The nutritionist told learners that a healthy adult needs about 60 grams of fat a day. She gave examples of foods and variable fat content depending on the method of preparation. For example, a baked potato alone contains zero grams of fat, mashed potatoes with butter have approximately 5 grams of fat, and French fries can have anywhere from 19-30 grams of fat, depending on the portion size.
Students completed a worksheet in which they circling the food in a pair that they believed contained the most fat. One pair tripped up nearly everyone; learners guessed that a taco salad would have less fat than a soft shell bean burrito. In fact, depending on the salad ingredients, taco salad can have anywhere from 600 – 900 calories, whereas a typical soft-shell burrito without cheese and other ingredients can have as few as 300. The nutritionist passed out a handout with healthier options at fast food restaurants with tips such as eating skinless chicken or taco salads without the shell.
Learners analyzed pictures of fast food meals with the nutritional information. Depicted meals were from fast food restaurants such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds, Taco Bell and Burger King and contained various combinations, such as two burgers and a large Coke or one taco with a small side salad. Students had to identify the collective calories and amount of fat in the meal, as well as how many minutes it would take to walk off the meal.
One of the more astounding meals consisted of a quarter-pounder with cheese, medium fries, coke and an apple pie from McDonalds.
This combination contained over 1,250 calories and 59 grams of fat – a whole day’s worth. It would take approximately 307 minutes or over 5 hours to walk this meal off! All of the learners were blown away by these statistics. Amira commented, “It’s really very terrible. Thank you, teacher for telling us this information!”
Students took a survey about how often they ate fast food. Most rarely ate fast food, though some reported eating it once or twice a week. Susan was impressed; she said one women in another class consumed fast food five times a week or more. Learners stated that price, convenience and flavor influenced them to eat fast food.
Students talked about how some of them had gained weight since coming to the U.S. They brainstormed the following reasons:
• cheap junk food
• eating fast foods
• drinking soda
• too much sitting at work
• driving everywhere instead of walking
The nutritionist told learners that a healthy adult needs about 60 grams of fat a day. She gave examples of foods and variable fat content depending on the method of preparation. For example, a baked potato alone contains zero grams of fat, mashed potatoes with butter have approximately 5 grams of fat, and French fries can have anywhere from 19-30 grams of fat, depending on the portion size.
Students completed a worksheet in which they circling the food in a pair that they believed contained the most fat. One pair tripped up nearly everyone; learners guessed that a taco salad would have less fat than a soft shell bean burrito. In fact, depending on the salad ingredients, taco salad can have anywhere from 600 – 900 calories, whereas a typical soft-shell burrito without cheese and other ingredients can have as few as 300. The nutritionist passed out a handout with healthier options at fast food restaurants with tips such as eating skinless chicken or taco salads without the shell.
Learners analyzed pictures of fast food meals with the nutritional information. Depicted meals were from fast food restaurants such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonalds, Taco Bell and Burger King and contained various combinations, such as two burgers and a large Coke or one taco with a small side salad. Students had to identify the collective calories and amount of fat in the meal, as well as how many minutes it would take to walk off the meal.
One of the more astounding meals consisted of a quarter-pounder with cheese, medium fries, coke and an apple pie from McDonalds.
This combination contained over 1,250 calories and 59 grams of fat – a whole day’s worth. It would take approximately 307 minutes or over 5 hours to walk this meal off! All of the learners were blown away by these statistics. Amira commented, “It’s really very terrible. Thank you, teacher for telling us this information!”
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