Eloyda's New York Blog

Jonathan, Matt and Scott, I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful experience that you provided us all.  Again our trip was very well planned and really reflected all of the hard work that each of you put into it. 

I thought that I would complete my  of our trip to New York the way that I frequently have my students reflect on an event or field trip; by using their senses. 

I will begin with the many things I heard.   Before our trip I heard warnings from different people about how dangerous it is to move from place to place in New York City.  I also heard about the crime that spreads rampantly throughout the city.  Instead, I heard the friendly voices of strangers asking whether there was anything they could do to help us reach our destinations.  We also heard some wonderful presenters speak of all the things that make New York the amazing place that it is.  We learned more about the strong people who fought for equal rights for men, women, the poor, immigrant and the people of color.  What I didn’t hear was the sound of many horns honking, which was fantastic.  I think that maybe the traffic laws in Pueblo should reflect those of NYC. On the other hand, most of the smells of NY can be kept there. 

At times the smell of urine and filth that filled the subway stations would turn my stomach, especially at night.  It was at those times that I most appreciated the crisp, clean Colorado air.  Although the smells on the trains and the trash on the streets were disgusting, not all of the smells of NY were bad.  At times when I walked past a restaurant or a street vendor the aroma of the delicious treats waiting inside would make my stomach grumble even if I had recently finished eating.

Some days I ate so much that I felt surely I would not need to eat for the rest of the day until I smelled or saw something that I just had to try.  I had a list of things I wanted to try that took me until the last day to finally complete.  I had to have real New York pizza so that I could appropriately compare it to Chicago’s.  (New York wins hands down.)  I had to eat a hot dog at the original Nathan’s in Coney Island.  (It was very expensive and not any better than a hot dog anywhere else in the world.  They are all pretty bad but I was able to check it off my list.)  I ate a delicious pastrami sandwich from Katz’s, seafood at Salty’s and, of course, the most scrumptious cheese cake I have ever tasted.  I had to have cheese cake twice and take a taste of Matt’s to be satisfied. 

      The thing that touched me the most about New York was the different types of art that were visible throughout the city and its outskirts.  At the Museum of the city of New York we learned about the art of building a city in the sky while making it a comfortable yet efficient place to work, travel and enjoy numerous cultural experiences.   At the Metropolitan Museum of Art we discovered the fascinating works of Picasso and the Egyptians of long ago.  In Cooperstown we renewed our love of baseball and the heroes that graced the field with their art.  At the Fennimore Art Museum there was Magnum photography that caused many in our group to stand in awe at the powerful images.  We experienced the art of the statues, tributes and monuments dedicated to the men and women who founded the city and built our country.  Of course, the most powerful work of art and my personal favorite was the Statue of Liberty.  Her beauty and the reminder of all that she represents were very powerful for me personally.

I still can’t believe all that I got to see in the last fifteen days.  I saw Central Park on our walking tour as well as from the seat of a horse-drawn carriage.  I saw two Broadway shows; “Mary Poppins” and “The Phantom of the Opera”. (My goal was only one.)  I got to see The Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Times Square and Carnegie Hall.  I saw the Brighton Beach and the Atlantic Ocean.  I saw the kindness of people and, I saw shoes.  (Since I was told not to look into anyone’s face, I got in the habit of looking at people’s shoes instead.) The shoes that I saw were as diverse as the people who wore them.  They were a direct reflection of the wealthy, the poor, the fancy, the plain, the young and the old.  They represented for me not only how much walking is done on the streets of the city of New York each day but the differences in the culture and heritage that is foreign to people who grew up in Pueblo.   

While noticing shoes I also noticed how New Yorkers have a sort of sixth sense.  I saw this when they were on the subway or when they finished eating their lunch or were waiting for their food.  They closed their eyes.  Sometimes they looked like they were sleeping but I’m not sure they were.  They knew exactly when the train reached the right stop or when they needed to report back to work.  Maybe that’s why tourists annoy them so much.  We talked way too much to be mistaken as locals.

 Visiting New York was a great experience.  I learned so much and had a blast.  Thank you again.

Fort Ticonderoga was incredible.  Although the Revolutionary War and this time period isn’t something I teach, I found a lot that would interest my students.  We study George Washington and so I took some good pictures of him and some of his artifacts.  I also got some good shots of canons and the fort itself that would be of great interest to little boys. 

It was fun listening to Jim Hughto’s criticisms of the movie “The Patriot”.  I had watched this movie when it first came out and enjoyed it but didn’t really give it any thought historically.

I really had an emotional reaction to Jim’s comparison of Timothy McVey and Benedict Arnold.  I know that is what he was after and he probably affected all of us since most of us were adults at the time of the Oklahoma bombing.  I never have thought of him as a hero of any kind or of him representing our country well. 

Dinner at Salty’s was a fantastic experience.  I started with a cup of clam chowder, followed by the shrimp with crab stuffing.  I ended my meal by sharing some apple crisp with ice cream.   The whole meal was the best I had in New York.  I was very impressed by the fact that our chef graduated from the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) and was a classmate of Emeril Lagasse.

Our last day (26 – 10) and it makes me think about the great time and wonderful experiences that we have shared together.  I have been noticing quite a few very curious coincidences concerning the number 26.  Tell me what you think.  Is this weird, or what?

• The West India Trading Company purchased Manhattan in 1626 for $26.
• The address for Wall Street is 26 Wall Street.
• Theodore Roosevelt was our 26^th president.
• There are 26 stairs up to T. Roosevelt’s gravesite.
• Harriet Tubman acquired 26 acres of land which she donated to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Connection.
• The record for the number of boats at one time in a lock on the Erie Canal is 26.

Our very busy day began with a much needed but uncomfortable nap on the bus followed by one of my very favorite subjects, women’s rights.  I felt great to be standing at a place where so many strong “sisters” joined together to fight for what they knew was right.  It’s hard to imagine a time when women couldn’t speak their mind or go and do exactly what they wanted.  The museum serves as a good reminder that we need to continue fighting for equality especially equal pay for equal work.  It also serves as a reminder that I need to keep talking to not only my female and male students but my own daughters about how they are just as good and just as smart as anyone else.

One concern I have. the longer I teach is, that the roles of boys and girls is reversing.  Many times I hear boys saying that the girls are smarter and a lot of times the girls do outperform the boys in written assessments.  I think this has a great deal to do with the fact that we are encouraging students to sit still in order to learn.  State assessments are also requiring wiggly boys to stay sitting still far too long.  I am constantly looking for alternative ways to present material to students and boys seem to perform better when they are up moving around.  It should be a goal of every teacher to teach equality and respect to every student who steps foot in their classroom.

The Elizabeth Cady Stanton house was our next stop.  It had a very modest style.  The rooms were very small to be able to accommodate nine people.   Her house was not that impressive and that is what I found to be the most impressive.  Here was a woman who lived simply for someone who inherited her house from her father and had money.  She helped others and fought for what she believed. 

The ride down the Erie Canal was a fantastic use of our time.  Not only was it peaceful and the view beautiful but I learned a lot.  Being in a lock and seeing how it worked was great. 

Today we learned more about one of my heroes, Eleanor Roosevelt.  We got to see where she lived with her husband, FD Roosevelt, and his mother, Sara.  We were able to see the home that Eleanor built for herself and her own family.  We discussed topics related to human rights and especially my favorite topic, human rights and education.  Although FDR was a great president and leader, his partnership with his wife is what impressed me more.   The park ranger who led us through their home talked with us about how she was his social and moral conscience.   It was that fact that I think made their relationship work even through the trying times.   While married, they built a legacy that included so many important contributions to American history including social security and WPA.  After his death, Eleanor went on to represent the country during at the birth of the United Nations.  It was that work along with her writings concerning human rights that impressed me the most.    It is also one of the things that I could use to pass on to my students.  We were able to see into the personal lives of FDR and Eleanor and share a part of their history and their family.  Through their pictures and writings we get a sense of who they were as people and exactly what was important to them.

If you ever find yourself in Cooperstown, NY, definitely take in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Even for someone like me who isn’t exactly a baseball fan, it was exciting. I actually never realized how many of the greats I knew. Seeing all of the Babe Ruth memorabilia was wonderful. The museum provided something for fans of all ages. I am anxious to really get on and search their website for the many ideas for lesson plans. The way that the site is set up is great and very easy to navigate. If I could get my kids half as excited as I was some of my colleagues get when they entered the museum it would be fantastic. Also, the videoconferences look great. I checked into the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH and they also have a bunch of activities and videoconferences for students. It is a 251 page document and can be found at http://www.profootballhof.com/education/.

While visiting the area the Fennimore Art Museum is also a good place to visit. Their selection of art features an artist named Michele Harvey. I really enjoyed the pieces because they are all about nature. You can look at her painting and read a little bit of poetry at www.micheleharvey.com .

I am planning on using some of her paintings as vocabulary words. Her piece titled “Council” would be a good one to show students. The other display I really enjoyed was the one on magnum photography. If you didn’t get a chance to see them you can find them at www.magnumphotos.com or at www.eastmanhouse.org . At the Eastman sight you can also find lesson plans for beginning, intermediate and high levels. There is also one on the Civil War. The images really make you think and evoke a great deal of emotion. They are definitely worth taking a look at. The Farmers’ Museum is another interesting place to visit. The people there were very welcoming and informative. I got to learn about and see early printing presses, homemade medications (including leaching) and blacksmithing. Of course, the highlight for everyone was the carrousel ride. I loved how the kid in everyone came out and we got to enjoy just a few minutes together. It was great. Overall the whole day was enjoyable. We had a FREE continental breakfast and a delicious dinner; But…if anyone ever suggests going to Danny’s and having the “Slap ya Silly Chili” say, “no” and then slap them silly for suggesting it. It was not a good choice!

                                                                                                

   

The Babe's uniform

Although most of my colleagues liked Sagamore Hills better than Hyde Park, I would have to disagree.   While the house was big and the grounds were incredible, I hated the MANY animals that were mounted, stuffed or made into rugs in order to decorate his home.  I could never live at a place like this.  I thought that these Roosevelts seemed a little obsessive compulsive where the others’ home seemed warm and more welcoming.  I was disappointed that we could not take pictures in his home.  Franklin and Eleanor seem like someone’s nice, little grandparents where Theodore and Ethel were just… scary. 

I did learn a lot about Theodore Roosevelt and his dedication to preserving the natural habitat in the United States.  Since I love the outdoors and the beauty of our wildlife areas, I enjoyed hearing about how it all got started.  I think my students would also like this part of studying about Theodore Roosevelt.  Many of my students or their families are hunters and I think the boys especially would really like talking more about that side of him.  The girls always love the story of how the Teddy bear was named for him.  I bought a couple of great picture books about his life that I could use in class.  I was disappointed that we could not take pictures in his home.

The people at the café where we ate were so accommodating and friendly.  The scenery was beautiful and so peaceful.  It was such a contrast to New York City.

Despite the rain and taking overmedicating that morning, this has been my favorite experience of the trip.  The Statue of Liberty is so massive and so incredible.  I teach about it each year and the students are fascinated by her.  They always ask tons of questions about her. From now on I will be able to really give them some good descriptions.  As we passed by on the ferry I just stood there and stared.  I was like a little kid.  Everything from the size to the artwork that went into making her is truly amazing.  I was pleased to see how many people braved the rain to be there.  Every American should have the opportunity to see her at least once.  She is such a symbol of what make the United States the greatest country in the world.

Being at Ellis Island, the place where so many people came left behind their old lives and stepped into their new world, gave me such a sense of pride.  The hard hat tour was super cool.  Thank you so much to whoever pulled those strings to get us there.  I loved the books that could be used to teach younger students how to start a family tree to find out about their ancestors.  I bought one that I could use next year. 

To top off an already great day, I got to see Matt Damon.  He is just as good looking in person as he is in real life.

We began our walking tour with Ed O’Donnell in the lower east side on Mulberry Street.  The history of the area was very interesting.  The Jacob Riis photos that he provided as a comparison to the area then and now was a great way to show us how many changes have been made here.  I really enjoyed seeing China Town and comparing it to Little Italy.  It amazes me how there is such a dramatic line between cultural areas.  It seems like all we saw for many blocks was Chinese stores and people and then suddenly there were no longer any. 

Side note:  I will never forget my purse buying experience in China Town.  Eva has connections!

We had lunch at the famous Katz’s restaurant.  It was a little pricy for me but very much worth the experience and, of course, I had to take my picture under the “When Harry Met Sally” sign.  I had the pastrami and a side order of potato pancakes.  We teach the kids about Hanukkah and make latkes and so it was great to eat the real thing.  The real ones taste much better than the ones I make and so I will have to adjust my recipe.  At the end of our meal Matt graciously shared his chocolate cheese cake.  It was wonderful.  I really should have skipped the sandwich and went directly to dessert.

Where I bought my Coach purse at a much lower price than Matt did.

Jack fruit

After lunch we visited the tenement museum.  The rainy and miserable weather that day made the experience of standing in that crowded room even more powerful.  The families who lived there had to really work together just to survive, avoid not stepping on each other’s toes or get on each other’s nerves.  I can really relate to this because I grew up with 6 sisters and 4 brothers.  Along with my parents sometimes my house got pretty crowded.  Only, we grew up in the country and we could always escape outside.  Also, my house had 7 bedrooms.

I'll have what she's having!

We began our day taking a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge.  We had taken the walk two nights earlier and so I wasn’t as enthusiastic as I was the first time.  I had already felt the pain in my legs.  As I was complaining in my mind I began thinking of the first people who must have taken the first steps across the bridge and how brave they must have been.  They must have felt similar to the first time I rode in an airplane only more nervous because no one had ever done it before.  It is truly breathtaking (and not because I was walking… again).

After going across the Bridge we were able to visit the African Burial Ground Museum.  I am very grateful that we got to go inside since we had spent so short a time there the day before.  The graveyard was unearthed in 1991 and the remains of 419 African slaves were found.  It seems like such a large number until you find out that probably over 14,000 bodies remain under the beautiful, multimillion dollar skyscrapers in the area.    

The museum is very well done and the people who worked there are some of the most friendly that I have met since being in New York (I’m not talking about the security guards).  When we visited the grounds the day before the guard began talking with me about the structure and the meanings behind it.  The Swahili words on the walls and their translations tell a story of the many languages, countries of origin, cultures and religions were represented in the people who were originally buried in this area.  The coiled pathway shows the genders and varying ages of the people whose remains were discovered here and who have finally received the burial that they deserved.  Finally, the large triangle structure that is there symbolizes the ships and the crowded conditions that they would have been forced to endure while traveling to reach the Americas.  It is meant for many people to stand in at once so that you get the feeling of the small space and of what the slaves that came experienced.  

Inside the museum you can find a great selection of artifacts that were uncovered along with archeologists’ determinations of each person’s gender and age.  The work that they did here truly showed the respect and care that was given to each piece found.  It is evident that the goal was to really show this side of American history that has finally been told.  One of the coolest things that I saw there was the way that they ordered special caskets from Ghana and used them to finally give every one of them a proper burial.