the Nonsense in Between

Gesemia Nelson

Learning is Fun, sometimes.

As a future educator I pay close attention to the attributes of good teachers. Whether its my husband teaching me to snowboard, watching my friend teach kindergartners the alphabet, or listening to college professors giving lectures I'm always taking notes. I've come to realize that the best teachers in the world give you the feeling that they are sharing something valuable with you, as though knowledge were little tasty bits of your favorite treat (mine would be cheese). They make you feel eager to be around them so you can have another bit of what they're sharing. They have a love of their field, a passion for what they do, that makes you feel lucky to learn from them. Another equally important aspect of a good teacher from kindergarten to graduate school or even an informal lesson is the ability to give your students the feeling of a job well done. Like telling your novice snowboarder she's improving every time she falls, or telling a kindergartner it was great of them to try the alphabet even though they missed a few letters, or a simple supportive nod to the college student who tries to participate in class.

Perhaps it was my unfortunate encounter with one of the worst professors I've ever had that made me realize what a great teacher really is. This semester I was excited to take a class on prejudice and discrimination but my excitement was instantly quelled on the first day of class by the professor, Gesemia Nelson. Dr. Nelson has none of the qualities listed above and actually makes an effort to be the opposite of a good teacher. She started the semester by subtly but purposefully letting the class know that she was Harvard educated. She spent the first day of class telling us how fortunate we were as students to be learning from her. Then, Dr. Nelson went on to explain the difference between a customer/service provider relationship and a student/teacher relationship, making the point that students don't have the same rights as customers to complain. And in an almost prophetic way, Dr. Nelson said she wasn't "here to make friends". During this first encounter with Dr. Nelson I could only imagine why she was saying all of this but it is at the end of a treacherous semester with her that my best guesses are substantiated.

In an upper-division class, such as this, we should have been able and even encouraged to participate in class discussion but this is not Dr. Nelson's forte as she found it nearly impossible to take a question or comment from the class without getting lost. Her distaste for veering off of her very structured, linear and dry lectures became visible on her face anytime a student offered a comment. Her best solution to this problem was not to become a more open facilitator but to allow the students one day to discuss the subjects among themselves for one class period. This was not only a pathetic attempt to make up for a semester of silencing us but was also unproductive. Though she may be Harvard educated and have a Doctorate under her belt at a young age Dr. Nelson clearly learned nothing about being a good teacher.

Dr. Gesemia Nelson, if you happen to read this someday I hope that you have either learned to become a better teacher or moved on to a profession that utilizes your strengths more adequately like a judge, probation officer, or prison warden.

My First Blizzard

I'm nine hours into my first blizzard today and one beer in. So far I'm really enjoying it. I didnt have to work today and Dominic got sent home early so we made a liquor run and are planning on having a great time this afternoon just chillin' in (no pun intended).

I drew a picture of the blizzard for those of you who've never been in one. And to my Denver friends, I hope you're safe and warm.

Rescuing Basenji's since 2006

Dominic and I recently became foster parents for a sweet little basenji girl named Fossie. I'm not sure how it all started because I'm pretty sure our hands were full enough with Oni-dog and all of his problems but I guess our hearts are bigger than our hands.

A while back we contacted the Colorado Basenji Rescue and offered to open our home to a basenji in need. A couple of weeks ago the Rescue lady brought Fossie over to meet our family and see if she'd be a good match. Fossie and Oni hit it off instantly and that's how we became foster parents.

We are in love with little Fossie. She is a gentle, sweet, cuddly little basenji that even wags her tail when she greets you! However, these are not typical basenji behaviors and certainly not characteristic of Oni, though we love him anyway. We'd love to make Fossie a permanent addition to our family but since our situation is likely to change over the next few years we wont be able to keep her permanently.

Fossie is a perfect dog as she is potty trained (but in typical female fashion she pees four to five times as much as Oni) and knows several commands. She came to us only knowing "sit" but she's quickly learned "lay down", "shake", and "bang! bang!". I know she's capable of so much more.
If any of you are interested (or know someone who is) in a great dog contact the Basenji Rescue or email me at nicole0703 at gmail dot com.

Friday Night Art

I've been dying to make some art lately but the demands of school stifled me. Tonight I took my first chance to create. I rushed through the one below but have plans to make more this winter break.

I also found time to recreate my banner. I borrowed the birds from Kurt Halsey.

Hurray!

I just took my last final of the semester and i'm feeling great! I have so much to post about but for now i will leave you with this video because i couldnt have said it better myself. haha.

Happy Birthday, Oni-Dog!

Today is Mr. Oni's first birthday. He doesnt know it but it's quite miraculous that he's made it this far.

We saved Oni from certain death when we purchased him from The North Washington Kennel. The conditions there are terrible and we'd never recommend anyone get a dog from them. When we met Oni we were not in the market for purchasing a dog but something pulled us to that awful place so that Oni could be saved. We brought him home and his
"nothing-to-worry-about-kennel-cough" turned out to be life-threatening pneumonia. We had to spend the first three months of his life shoving pills down his throat so he could survive.

Pneumonia behind us, our Oni saving days were not over. Oni has become an incredible escape artist often putting himself in danger. This summer, while fixing up Dominic's dad's house for the wedding, we had to find ways of keeping Oni in the yard and out of traffic. Everything failed. He even figured out how to get out of his harness, earning him the nickname Houdini (or Houdoni).

He dodged pneumonia and cars but was unable to escape the evil claws of a cat. The day before our wedding my little daredevil decided to pick a fight with a cat. Cat-1 Oni-0. The cat got him right in the eye and he nearly lost it. For a long time his injured eye stayed closed or squinted and is now a different color than the other one, earning him the nicknames Oni-One-Eye, and Only.

Moments like these make me think we should change that "Curiosity killed the cat" saying to "Curiosity killed The Oni". The dog is the most curious dog I've ever met. He is so interested in everything that he never relaxes and it leads me to believe that he is going to live a short life. At least I can say that it makes for an interesting home life as he continuously keeps us on our toes. If we dont give him enough attention he gets this look in his eye, his good eye, that says "I need intellectual stimulation or i'm going to find something very precious of yours and methodically and maliciously destroy it". Many dogs would be content with games like fetch, allowing you to zone out to prime time TV while satisfying your pooch with repetitive play. Oni, not so much. His favorite thing to do is learn the names of each toy and then be tested on his knowledge (He wants to go to Harvard when he grows up). He has quickly come to know the names of Bunny, Mouse, Loofa-dog, Fuzzy, Fox, Chewi, and Pinky.

Oni's vocabulary is quite extensive for a pup his age. Yet every time we say "No", "Down", "Stop", or "put that down before I call the Chinese Delivery kid to come pick you up" he looks at us like "je ne parle pas anglais".

His wild antics often elicit threats of abandonment, strangulation, and donation to the local Chinese restaurant. But before we can get our hands around his neck he does something charming to earn his keep in our hearts.

Oni, you're a damn lucky little dog. Damn lucky. Well except for nearly getting your whole penis bitten off by your biological mom, but like I promised I wont talk about that very sensitive subject anymore. Happy Birthday.