A small success

When I first started teaching, my former AP US History teacher told me to always remember the small successes.

With all the crap and foolishness that is my classroom, on Friday we had a moment. A student threw his trash to the basket and missed.
Of course, this violated 2 classroom rules:
1) No throwing things.
2) Wait until the end of class to throw things away.

He missed and someone asked if he was going to put it in the bin. "That's the janitor's job," he responded.

So even though this conversation had nothing to do with the lesson on City States in Mesopotamia, I asked, "Hmmm. Does anyone have a problem with that?"

And two girls schooled him, about respecting people, no matter what their job. They didn't get so much into the personal responsibility aspects. I had just explained the homework which was to compare the social hierarchy in ancient Sumer to our society today. Ironic.

In the end, he caved. "Okay, okay." He muttered as he picked up the trash he threw, and put it in the waste basket.

Domestic Workers United Rally

On Saturday April 27, 2009, domestic workers and organizers from around the country met up on 5th Avenue and 86th Street for a rally to support passing the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in the state of New York. They then marched through the Upper East Side with the green-and-black clad Rude Mechanical Orchestra. Here's a snippet of some audacious, flag-waving action:




Some of the chants included:

"Respect and dignity is a right, not just for the rich and white."

"Trabajadores unidos, jamás serán vencidos." (Workers united, will never be defeated.)

"We're gonna beat, beat back the slavery attack."




"Free, free domestic workers. End, end the slavery."

I didn't like the term "modern-day slavery" when referring to the situation of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon. I didn't find it very useful. In New York, it's even more far-fetched. Though there are more than 200,000 women who enter the United States on A-3, G-5, and B-1 visas--as the domestic help of diplomats, foreign nationals, and US citizens living abroad-- many of whom could be living in imprisoned, abusive conditions.





And out of the blue, they just threw in: "From Iraq to Palestine, occupation is a crime." This is ironic, considering one of the partner organizations was Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. (See their banner in the photo.) I know all Jews aren't Zionists, but I wonder if these guys are. . .



The Rude Mechanical Orchestra played a slightly funky version of "We shall overcome."



And then they ended the march at John Jay Park with the Domestic Workers Electric Slide. Someone had composed some verses to go along with the Boogey-Woogey-Woogey.