Do you believe in me?

Hey everybody, I’m feeling happy today. After many ups and downs, I finally heard some encouraging feedback. For the last few days, my B-Day classes (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday) have been running very smoothly. Today, a few students asked me, “Mr. K, why can’t you stay here until June to teach us (until the completion of the session)?” Although I had heard similar comments during my introduction, they were mostly out of curiosity or inquiry. However, I sensed an increased level of trust and acceptance in their voices, which is something every first-year American teacher strives for. I apologize for their unawareness of this program, but I’m pleased they are starting to believe in me. I am committed to upholding the governing principles of New Tech High School: Trust, Respect, and Responsibility. I need to solidify these positive emotions and ensure that this impression lasts. The A-day classes are another area where I still need to achieve this goal. I really should develop a Plan B or C to help bring my students into a serious learning mindset. There are a lot of tasks ahead of me. I’ve noticed how different my feelings are as a teacher here compared to my experience in India. I didn’t have to worry about trust and respect from my students back home, as many Indian teachers enjoy that naturally. To be honest, I used to believe that my main job was to impress the top students and challenge their talents, while ensuring that no one failed in the class, often not addressing the average student with a specific strategy. I applied the same teaching methods for years. However, my experience in America has taught me the importance of varying my strategies according to the different learning abilities of my students and addressing their diverse needs. This video addresses many current issues in education today, particularly in America, such as the dropout crisis, lack of self-confidence among students, decreased focus in education, and teachers’ attitudes. I’ve shared this with a few friends, but I believe everyone involved in education should listen to the powerful message from Dalton Sharman, a dropout student.

zoooolander

Today, I accompanied the 10th graders to the North Carolina Zoo as part of their biology project. The zoo has two major sections: North America and Africa. It is located 80 miles from our school, so a significant portion of the day was spent commuting. We had to move quickly while exploring the zoo since we needed to return to school by 2:30 PM. There were about 80 students divided into 4 teams, and I led a team of 20 students. Despite the busy schedule, I managed to take some photographs for you. This was my first time taking pictures with my American students!

Vamsi - Murali - Basuri - Bansi

My American connection-
My name Vamsi Krishna means lord Krishna with flute. Ironically I could not learn to play a flute and when ever I tried to play it I struggled even to produce a sound.
I learnt my first lessons of playing flute here in America. David O'Neal who I met in the Art Fest runs a musical instruments store in Raleigh. He makes some great flutes. He was patient enough to teach me a song. I enjoyed learning it. Coming to more details this flute has origins in the Native Americans culture. I am remembered the Kevin Costner starred classic film 'Dances with Wolves', a film that depicts the lives of Native Americans.
The instrument is placed vertically before your mouth unlike the Indian flutes which are blown placing them horizontally. While you have to bother about placing the lips properly to blow air through an Indian one, this flute is very simple to play. The position and structure of the nozzle allows you to play it easily but producing a fantastic sound.
Sounds great no? It really sounds great. Watch the video.

 

America is the head - India is the heart

''America is Head and India is heart. Like Head (brain) which is the source of intellect that monitors the functions of the whole body and the heart that pumps in the blood to all parts of the body, America is source of technology and scientific advancements and India pumps the concept of love and tolerance to all parts of the world. These important 'organs' of world should have better coordination and should work together. to achieve world peace and universal brotherhood.''
- Viswa Yogi Viswamjee Maharaj

Here is a Guruji who strives for peace and uses his spiritual power for Universal brotherhood.
In the Saturday 'Retreat' that was held in Cary ( a town near Durham with lot of Indian Population) this is the message the 'Yogi' gave.
I met Him on Friday and to my surprise he told me that he met me before. (?)
The 'Guru' took a small interview of mine and he refreshed his knowledge of Trigonometry (tested mine?) He was keen to enquire what I am teaching here in America. He is on his 6th successive devine march (yearly visit) to America, and each time he visits he makes sure that he visits the local Government Heads, Mayors, Police commissioners and politicians of America and passes on his power of influence with the above message. He started a free 'Mother and Child Care Hospital in India and anybody who needs gets free treatment in the hospital. He aderessed the United Nation's Youth Assembly in 2007. More details at http://www.viswaguru.com/

The Saturday 'Retreat' gathered more than 250 Non-Resident Indians, primarily from the Andhra region, who came from various parts of America, especially the Carolina States. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to meet all of them. The Mayor of Cary and the Police Commissioner of Raleigh were among those who received a message for world peace from the Guru during the event. I am grateful for the American trip, which offered me invaluable opportunities, and I would like to extend my thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Ravi, Siddhartha's parents, for making this possible.

This is election saeson.

I'm referring to not on ly the general elecdtions but also elections at the Hillside New Tech. Yes, it's election season here, and the students are actively campaigning for positions such as Mr. New Tech, Miss New Tech, treasurer, and secretary. Posters are displayed all over, and I even caught some students painting their banners with my camera. By the way, are you following the U.S. presidential election campaign? There have been many developments in the last two days. McCain temporarily withdrew from the campaign to address the $700 billion bailout bill, which aims to tackle the current American economic crisis, surprising the entire nation as everyone eagerly awaited the first presidential debate scheduled for Friday. Both McCain and Obama returned to Washington on Thursday at the request of President Bush, who invited them to a meeting with congressional leaders at the White House. However, a session intended to demonstrate unity in resolving the financial crisis ended in visible conflict. As a result, the Indian Prime Minister had to wait for an hour. Ultimately, John McCain has announced that he will attend the first presidential debate with Barack Obama, scheduled for Friday.

Tissue- Issues

This is quite amusing. In the process of making my American tour as an opportunity to change some of my habits and made sure to pack half a dozen handkerchiefs to address oily skin. However, once I arrived here, I found I never needed to use a handkerchief. The collection of handkerchiefs I bought is now sitting unused in my suitcase. I’ve noticed the variety of tissue products available here, including quilted towels, ultra-soft paper, restroom tissue, napkins, and facial tissues. While I thought I had planned my journey well, I've realized I made some mistakes in packing that others might want to avoid. For instance, I purchased an electric toaster and an iron (both rated for 220 V), but they are not useful here since my furnished apartment is already equipped with these appliances. I also didn’t prioritize bringing sports shoes because I was worried about space in my luggage, and I have missed them since day one. My mother suggested I bring chili powder, as we South Indians use a lot of it in our cooking. I dismissed her advice, concerned about customs regulations, and ended up spending weeks searching for it, only to find it sold as “cayenne pepper” here. Lastly, I bought a fancy N-series cellphone for Rs. 11000 to use in the USA. The irony is that now, the only function it serves is as an alarm clock, and in the past month, I only received three calls (just kidding).

Most of my communication is done through Skype.

Mexican Dance

Last month, Deven and Laura took me to the Chapel Hill farmer's market, where a local Mexican festival was being celebrated. There were Mexican people, delicious Mexican food, and vibrant Mexican dress. I really enjoyed the festival, and I am posting a video I shot during that time for you to enjoy. Deven is a yoga instructor, and she is going to visit India this November.

Durham Arts Festival

Last week was very productive in terms of engaging with the community. I was immersed in American culture, music, and art, and I experienced several "aha" moments. It is a rare opportunity to attend such a festival (what we call an exhibition in India) here in America. I want to thank Mrs. Sears for taking the time to give me a tour and for her patience in answering all my questions. I truly appreciate her knowledge and understanding of North Carolina, despite her being originally from Ohio. She provided a wealth of information about this state. The festival focuses on promoting art and culture, showcasing various styles of art and craft in small tents. The artists were enthusiastic about explaining their work to visitors. I witnessed a variety of dance and music forms, including Irish dance, a Polka band, Arabian belly dancing, and a Southern band. I took loads of pictures and videos to share with you, and a few are available today.

India or America, teenage girls are for Henna.

Meetings

Today has been a long day. We had a meeting arranged by the DPS-appointed mentor until 3:30 PM, followed by a PTSA meeting (similar to a parent-teacher meeting) at 6 PM. I just got home now. Here's a brief overview of my work at school: We follow an A-day/B-day schedule. On A days, I teach three Algebra II classes during the 1st, 2nd, and 4th periods. On B days, I have two classes during the 1st and 2nd periods. Each day consists of four periods, and the periods that I do not need to attend classes are known as planning periods. The students I teach on A days will see me again the following day. On average, they spend about 35 minutes per day on classwork, as is typical in K.Vs. While this schedule isn't conventional (since we believe students should engage with all subjects daily), it allows more time for project-based learning. I find A days to be exhausting and tiring, not due to the extra period but because of the students' behavior in class. A day classes are larger in size and tend to have more challenging students. I'm planning to share more of my classroom experiences soon on my blog. One positive aspect of New Tech High School is that it has a supportive parent community that takes responsibility for their children's behavior. Overall, they back the teachers and encourage their kids to follow instructions. Also, don’t miss the Irish dance performance that I recorded at the Art Fest!
http://www.blogger.com/video-play.mp4?contentId=47e3238d7610d5a7&type=video%2Fmp4

Laura's Pencil Collection

The technology and infrastructure available in American classrooms never cease to amaze me. At New Tech High School, traditional Art Classes in India are replaced with Digital Media courses that teach concepts such as color, shape, space, and size using cameras and computers. Students are provided with digital cameras to capture images that represent these concepts, and they edit and modify their photographs using software like Photoshop and Picasa. The results are impressive, showcasing the students' incredible creativity. Recent projects include creating digital banners featuring images and captions to promote New Tech High School. Another subject that has caught my attention is forensic science. I will share more details about it in the coming days. Also, take a look at a glimpse of Laura Schneider’s pencil collection, the creative head of digital media. Each pencil in her collection is unique and has been gathered over more than 15 years. By the way, Annayya! Happy Birthday!

Bull Durham Blues Festival

Yesterday, I attended a Blues festival, which is essentially a musical concert. They have established a tradition of celebrating this genre of music every year, allowing these concerts to reach the status of a festival. This was the 21st annual event. Blues is a music style that expresses deep emotions, particularly pathos, and it has a strong Southern influence, making it quite popular in Durham. The entry ticket was $45—expensive, but definitely worth it. I had an amazing time enjoying the music along with popcorn, falafels (a kind of fried dough filled with vegetables, wrapped in a roti), and soda. Check out these videos to share in my joy of being part of the celebration!

My Fulbright family

This is the Fulbright family, featuring the eight Indian Fulbright teachers alongside their exchange partners. My exchange partner is Matthew Sears, the tall guy in the second photograph. Matthew is not only impressive in stature but also a remarkable teacher with a diverse personality and various talents. I admire his accomplishments; he was named Teacher of the Year in Durham County for 2007-08, is an excellent golf coach, and is truly tech-savvy. The concept of a job swap is both exciting and challenging. While Matt may struggle to prepare for five different classes each day, I often feel bored teaching the same concepts across five sections of the same class or grade. As I marvel at the infrastructure and technology available in American schools, he is equally impressed by the focus and enthusiasm of Indian students to learn. If Matt feels overwhelmed by the attention and respect he receives in Indian schools, I find myself grappling with classroom discipline while trying to reach students with varying learning abilities. Stay tuned for "My Experiences"!

This is vamsi

Hello all,

Finally, I am here, opening a blog.

I have been thinking about doing this since 5 August, the day I landed in America, and somehow, I have not.

Okay, now I am here to share my experiences in America with the world I know and with the world I don't know.

For those of you to whom I am new,

I am Vamsi Krishna, a trained graduate teacher in Math, working for Kendriya Vidyalayas in India, presently on a 'Fulbright' assignment as an exchange teacher, working at Hillside New Tech High School, Durham, N.C, USA.

In the coming days, I will bring forth the best of my experiences of the past month in the U.S., as well as of experience of that particular day. Wish me time and mood.