Let me start this post straight away by owning the fact that I hate the cliche of "dreaming." Also, don't get me started on walking in the park on crisp Autumn days or whiskers on kittens.
I'll own that I was an abnormally cynical child. I remember vaguely having a class assignment asking me to write about my dream. I was tempted to write, "I had a dream once. It was dreadful." I'm going to toss up the title (which I would never use normally because I hate referring to my goals as "dreams") to my love of Ragtime and the fact that I'm listening to the soundtrack as I type this.
Pause to elaborate:
The word dream always seem...I don't know...quixotic somehow? It's like Fantine lying in her bed singing about some MAN.
No, ma'am. You dry those tears, close that can of whipped cream, and you go lift something.
I don't want to chase something that exists only in fantasy. I simply don't. The word is ungrounded an has lost its meaning to tragic overuse.
However, in this instance, I honestly felt a year ago that this was entirely unobtainable. I remember being a junior at Mercer and sitting in the basement of Knight Hall getting the skinny on a the Fulbright application. It was rainy outside. I had just walked from art history without an umbrella and I was NOT having it.
I plotted out an application with what I thought was the spirit of Dwight Eisenhower when he threw down in Normandy. I wanted to examine theatre in its many forms and its relation to social change in post-Apartheid South Africa. It would be perfect. I'd been to the county. I knew the people. And, to pardon my French, I fucking wanted to go back.
I'll spare the details. This was a goal destined for the bone yard. I'm almost surprised to admit it to myself, but this was absolutely the best thing that could've happened to me that year.
Fast forward to now. I've spent two years teaching the wackiest but most lovable bunch of young adults I could hope for. I've made such fabulous friends you wouldn't believe: my NYC TFA chums, my Reality Israel amigos, and my TALMA luvvies.
I'll hate this cliche in 10 years. Hell, in 10 months, the sweetness of what I'm about to type will probably hurt my teeth. But if this whole blog is meant to convey honesty, then I have to say it. This is the first time in my life that I feel I am in the right place in the right time, willing to accept failures from the stone age, the fuss of lost friendships, the turbulence of the past few years as all part of a formula that ended up with where I am right now: sitting in an armchair, covered with blue paint, and ready to get this freaking show on the road.
If you've made it this far, go get a snack. I'm just getting started.
BUT KYLE, you may ask, WHY POLAND?!
I've heard this a lot and I always struggle to articulate exactly what I love about this fabulous place. I could just copy/past my Fulbright application. However, let's make this a bit more short and sweet, shall we?
Education reform, the political landscape of post-Communist Europe, the insight that can be gained about my heritage and my new-found interest in learning more about my Jewish heritage, the concept of Centrism in the European continent, the BREAD?! The list goes on.
I'm specifically interested in studying education reform in the post-communist period. Poland was home to the first truly democratic elections after the Cold War. In a relatively short time, it has emerged as a leading force of education reform.
Read more about it here:
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/0,,contentMDK:22767787~pagePK:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:258599,00.html
Simply put, I see my future in education and I plan on using my time while I'm there to make sure I learn as much about successful reform as possible.
Next: What I plan to do while I'm there.
I want to focus on the multiple genres of language acquisition in the classroom, including legitimate and meaningful instruction in multimodal literacy, including a variety of styles of writing and methods of communication. Utilizing technology, my vision is to start a non-profit that connects international classrooms using technology and allows for meaningful international dialogue between young artists, thinkers, politicians, scientists, writers, etc. The best chance we have for an open global community lies in communication about a variety of topics. This is a long way from completion, but the seeds are planted. I'm an Aaron. The skeleton of a goal will flesh itself out as I go along.
Where I am now:
Waiting. I'm ready to go. Think Tony in West Side Story. It's like that only less angsty/ awful.
We're about to see where this road leads as I take the first steps.
All my love to you, poppets.
Kyle
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