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Marisa Astin changed their profile picture 5 years, 10 months ago
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic Margret and Sondra's Correspondence in the forum On Austrian Soil – 2018 Summer Seminar Responses 5 years, 10 months ago
I totally agree that when teaching students it is often difficult for them to see how the knowledge will be useful in the long run. If even preservice teachers (adults) cannot see this, in an education class, based on their future career, what hope is there for 13 year olds in ELA?
As I read your post it dawned on me how human it is to think…[Read more]
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic Final Thoughts in the forum On Austrian Soil – 2018 Summer Seminar Responses 5 years, 10 months ago
I had these same thoughts and I want to determine how to use students’ strong emotions (remorse, guilt, anger, confusion, desire to blame) for good. How can we use their reactions to teach them that they have the power to fight injustice around them?
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic Quicker to the End in the forum On Austrian Soil – 2018 Summer Seminar Responses 5 years, 10 months ago
I think that it is human nature to avoid discussing topics that make us defensive. I think it is scary to have our views challenged, but it is also so important. As teachers, we often have an “out” in our classrooms because we feel that we must stay neutral. I wonder how this idea of teacher neutrality plays into being our full selves in the…[Read more]
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic The Importance of the Field Experience; a Reflection on Chapter Five. in the forum On Austrian Soil – 2018 Summer Seminar Responses 5 years, 10 months ago
I also found this chapter moving and it reminded me of “Walking with Living Feet,” a personal essay by a teenager about visiting concentration camps that is found in one of the literature books I use. In both of these pieces, I notice how emotion cannot be forced and that people visiting sites of horror often question how they are feeling. I…[Read more]
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Marisa Astin started the topic Second Response in the forum On Austrian Soil – 2018 Summer Seminar Responses 5 years, 10 months ago
As I have read On Austrian Soil, I have found myself analyzing both how I teach and who I am. One thing that attracted me to TOLI and made me want to apply and attend, was the hope that I could teach students to be better and see themselves as powerful. I was brought back to this hope by Margret’s quoting of Vito Perrone, “Are my students ‘being…[Read more]
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic Scattered thoughts about the whole book in the forum On Austrian Soil – 2018 Summer Seminar Responses 5 years, 10 months ago
I also thought about how much I used to free write and how much more I used to have my students free write. Every other day, we would start with a free write or a 10 minute write about a topic. Now, I feel as if my students write only argumentative pieces and I need to re-evaluate my writing priorities.
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Marisa Astin started the topic Guilt, responsibility, and dialogue in the forum On Austrian Soil – 2018 Summer Seminar Responses 5 years, 10 months ago
As I am reading On Austrian Soil, I keep thinking about blame and guilt, or more positively, about responsibility. In one of her earlier letters to Margret, Sondra inquires, “How does one learn to become responsible for others? For the acts of parents and grandparents? When is it too much to bear?” (50). These questions have come up in my life and…[Read more]
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic DISCOVERING THE PAST in the forum On Austrian Soil – 2018 Summer Seminar Responses 5 years, 11 months ago
I am in the middle of reading The Diary of Anne Frank with my students and yesterday one of my students said, “I don’t care about any of this. I cannot go back and change how things happened.” I keep thinking of Sondra’s students thoughts about the walk in relationship to this comment. Some of them felt shame and guilt but also anger that they…[Read more]
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic Parallels between the Austrian approach to teaching and the French one. in the forum On Austrian Soil – 2018 Summer Seminar Responses 5 years, 11 months ago
I have also found that it is also a difficult choice to decide how much to tell students about my opinions and personal life. I am an advocate for showing students emotion, but it does make some of them uncomfortable (just as it does for some of Sondra’s). I also am so shaped by religion, yet it is a taboo subject in US schools to share that at all.
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic Greetings from the Southwest! in the forum 2018 Summer Seminar Participant Introductions 5 years, 11 months ago
What an interesting life. I am so impressed by all the multi-lingual members of our group!
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic Hello from the Green Mountains! in the forum 2018 Summer Seminar Participant Introductions 5 years, 11 months ago
I just replied to your post and then saw this.
I cannot believe that we are just going to get to learn and discuss topics we care about for 12 days! What an amazing opportunity.
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic Hello from the Green Mountains! in the forum 2018 Summer Seminar Participant Introductions 5 years, 11 months ago
Oh, thank you. I am looking forward to practicing French with you and I am interested to see the international perspective of the Holocaust and other genocides.
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic Hello from the Green Mountains! in the forum 2018 Summer Seminar Participant Introductions 5 years, 11 months ago
I’m amazed to see so many connections with the other members of our cohort!
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic Hello from Vermont! in the forum 2018 Summer Seminar Participant Introductions 5 years, 11 months ago
I’ll have to listen to this. I am excited to have another Vermonter coming; a Vermont teacher had never attended TOLI and now they have two! Our children are the same ages and I am relieved to know that I am not the only parent leaving three little ones at home.
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Marisa Astin replied to the topic Greetings from Virginia! in the forum 2018 Summer Seminar Participant Introductions 5 years, 12 months ago
Amy,
One of my social studies colleagues is also a Lindgren; I found it funny that you both teach 7th grade and the same content! Is your husband’s family Swedish?
Marisa
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Marisa Astin started the topic Hello from the Green Mountains! in the forum 2018 Summer Seminar Participant Introductions 5 years, 12 months ago
Hello everyone! My name is Marisa Astin and I teach middle school in Vermont. I grew up in a small town, not far from where I currently teach and my husband agreed to leave the West Coast and join me here. We have three small children: Annabelle is 9, Emerson is 7, and Emmeline is 4. We also have four cats and a dog. Life is busy! I am looking…[Read more]
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Marisa Astin changed their profile picture 5 years, 12 months ago
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Marisa Astin became a registered member 6 years ago