Lindsey Evans' Portfolio Page
I teach at River Bend Elementary School in Raleigh, NC. This is my 12th year of teaching, my 7th year teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). This year I am working with 1st, 3rd, and 4th grades, and co-teaching with a 3rd grade class during their English Language Arts block.
I am most excited to visit the Czech Republic to experience the food, and see the sights. I am hoping to get a better understanding of the culture and educational system, and to compare these to that of the United States and other countries I have traveled to. |
PROJECTS:
Cultural Connections Project 1: Two Travel Writing Pieces
Experience-Based Travel Writing Piece:
Eating My Way Through Prague We met Adam under the horse’s head at Wenceslas Square, where, according to Adam, is the place where all those in Prague meet before going for a group outing. Adam is the 25 year old tour guide for the “Taste of Local Daily Life”, a 4 hour walking food tour, which four of my new friends and I are taking. Adam clearly has a love for this city, and enjoys showing it off to people who come to visit. Our tour took us to many sites in Prague that we had yet to see while on other tours in the days leading up to this tour. I quickly realized that this tour was going to show us things in Prague that were off the beaten path, and that Adam had a lot of interesting facts and stories to tell. From seeing St. Wenceslas riding an upside down horse and babies crawling on a TV tower (both by artist David Černý), to stories of Nicholas Winton saving hundreds of Jewish children during Nazi occupation, to stories of revolutionists planning at their local meeting place in each neighborhood, this tour made us feel like we were out with a friend rather than a complete stranger we had just met. And throughout all of the sight seeing, stories, and getting to know what life was like in Prague for a local, we were able to enjoy delicious food that locals eat. First we stopped at a local favorite to try open-faced sandwiches. We each got a different kind, but the one thing they all had in common was the potato salad. We washed down these delicious sandwiches with Kofola- the Czech version of Coca Cola; since Coke was banned during the Communist occupation. Our second stop was a neighborhood pub in Prague 3, where the resistance fighters during the various occupations of Prague would meet in secret. Here we tasted a variety of traditional foods including fried cheese, sausages, salad, and of course locally made beer. As we walked to our final stop for the food/drink portion of the tour, we talked casually with Adam about life and ate pastries as if we were long time friends catching up. Literally as long time friends- we all took bites of our pastry and then passed it on to the next person. Adam told us that he had never seen a group share the pastries quite like we did, that most just tore off a piece and passed it on. We rounded out the tour with a large plastic bottle of wine poured into wine glasses straight from the box they were bought in, while standing on the street outside the wine shop. Our afternoon spent with Adam exploring the history and food of a part of the beautiful city of Prague was laid back, but full of information. The Czech people are proud of their city, their people, the food, and, of course, their beer, and are happy to share it with anyone who wants to learn about it! |
Site-Based Travel Writing Piece:
Touring Terezin As I approached the small fort at Terezin and saw all of the gravestones at the National Cemetery, I was quickly thrown into a somber mindset as I tried to mentally prepare for what I was about to see and learn about. My group had not planned a tour, but upon hearing that we were a group of 10, they kindly made accommodations for us and provided a tour guide. I walked into the fortress and saw an open courtyard, that, if I were anywhere else, I could imagine as being a place to congregate as a community. The tour guide informed us that the for had originally been built as a fortress, but was later used as a prison when it was no longer needed as a fort. But when the Nazis occupied Czechoslovakia, they used Terezin as a prison for Jews and those who resisted the government. Of course, the Jewish prisoners were held separately from the other prisoners. All of the prisoners were only at Terezin temporarily (a year at most); eventually they would all be sent to other concentration camps where most were exterminated. As we toured the fortress and saw the prison blocks, it was hard to imagine how many people were held in each of the rooms. In rooms that in the beginning held 20 prisoners, were holding 100 prisoners by the end of the war. In rooms that were for solitary confinement, by the end of the war were holding 12 people. It was also hard to believe that while prisoners were eating little, being tortured, and dying of untreated illnesses while the commanders were able to enjoy time with their families, swim in a pool, and go to a cinema that was in the fortress. The experience of touring a concentration camp that was mentioned in books that I had read (such as "A Boy's Journey"), made both the books and the site much more impactful. I took in a lot of heavy information, but it was well worth the experience to see Terezin for myself. |
Cultural Connections Project 2: Scripted Duologue (Plotagon Animation)
Cultural Collections Project 1: Mapping Cultural Themes (Clio)
The Grand Hotel Europa, located on Wenceslas Square in Prague, Czech Republic, was the site where Nicholas Winton ran his rescue mission in 1939.
Nicholas Winton was a stockbroker in London, England in 1938. He heard about the threats to Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe, and was concerned about the anti-Semitism that was already happening. He and many others were afraid of the possibility of worse events occuring in the future. In 1938, many countries (32) met in France to discuss the worsening Jewish refugee crisis. All of these 32 countries tightened their immigration policies and refused to allow more Jews in. After the violence against Jews, and destruction of Jewish synagogues and businesses, known as Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass), Britain agreed to open its borders to Jewish children. Britain was open to taking in Jewish children, but there were some stipulations- 1. There had to be a family willing to take in each child that came into the country, and 2. A fee of 50 pounds had to be paid for each child for their return trip home. Nicholas was supposed to go on a trip skiing in Switzerland in 1938, but instead became involved in the operation to evacuate Jewish children from Prague when his friend Martin Blake asked him to come help in the refugee camps in Prague. He was appalled by the conditions the Jewish refugees were living in and crafted a plan to help evacuate children from Prague, as he was convinced that the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia would be coming soon. Nicholas reached out to many countries he thought would be willing to help; including The United States. Out of all the countries he contacted, only Sweden and Great Britain agreed to help evacuate children from Czechoslovakia. Nicholas set up an office in the Grand Hotel Prague, where parents would apply to have their children evacuated to either Sweden or Great Britain. If parents were unsure about sending children on their own, Nicholas was able to convince them by explaining they were saving their future. Nicholas worked hard in Prague to sign up the children and get them to the train station, to negotiate with countries to allow them passage through their county, and set up families for the children when they arrived in London. Families from all over volunteered to take in children. On March 14, 1939 the first evacuees left Prague by airplane. After that, 7 more transports left from Prague’s railway station, which traveled through Nazi-occupied Germany, through Holland, and across the English Channel by boat. The last successful trainload of children left Prague on August 2, 1939. On September 1, 1939, a trainload of children was scheduled to leave, but that was the same day Hitler invaded Poland and all borders controlled by Germany were closed. Ultimately, Nicholas Winton was able to rescue 669 children. He kept quiet about his efforts to save Jewish children, and it wasn’t until 1988, when his wife found a scrapbook of all the children’s names and pictures that his story was shared. Nicholas has been able to reunite with several of the children that he helped rescue from Prague. |
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Cultural Collections Project 2: Curating Cultural Themes (Padlet)
Cultural Collections Project 3: Neighborhood Analysis (Weebly Slide Show)
I visited Prague 7- which is the Letna and Holesovice neighborhoods. While the group I went with thought we were in the Letna area, I discovered after looking up one of the buildings I saw that we were actually in the Holesovice area and never quite made it to Letna.
This was a quiet neighborhood with not a lot of traffic (people or cars). The area of this neighborhood that I visited seemed to be made up of buildings that had stores, restaurants, and cafes on the bottom level, with residential housing on the upper floors. Most of the buildings were pastel in color and were well taken care of, and the streets were wide cobblestone. I saw a church, Church of St. Anthony of Padua, while exploring, which was beautiful inside. I only looked around briefly, as there were a couple people inside praying. I did pass a building that contains the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency; which is responsible for ensuring the public’s needs are addressed and protected when it comes to satellite navigation systems in the EU. This building was closer towards the river, and was the only major company/business that I saw while exploring.
The area of the neighborhood that I explored did not have any parks, though Letna park is adjacent to it. There were some trees sporadically, with trees lining the river side of the street closest to the river. I did not observe any wildlife while I was there, but I did see several people walking dogs, and one lady sitting at a table at a restaurant outside with a ferret on a leash.
Two of the pictures I chose were in reference to the movie I watched for the film review, Milada. The street I walked on that led to the church was called Milady Horakove, and there was also a hotel called Residence Milada. I thought it was cool that there was both a street and a hotel named after Milada who was an important activist during the war and the communist regime. It also makes me wonder why it was in this neighborhood/section of the neighborhood that I would find both a hotel and a street named after her.
As I explored the neighborhood, I wondered what it might be like in the mornings or evenings when people were coming/going to school and work. Or what it would be like if it hadn’t been so uncharacteristically hot today. It was interesting to explore, observe, and make comparisons to other parts of the city I had seen earlier in the day, and to wonder where people were headed off to, or coming from as they entered the restaurant we ate at for lunch.
This was a quiet neighborhood with not a lot of traffic (people or cars). The area of this neighborhood that I visited seemed to be made up of buildings that had stores, restaurants, and cafes on the bottom level, with residential housing on the upper floors. Most of the buildings were pastel in color and were well taken care of, and the streets were wide cobblestone. I saw a church, Church of St. Anthony of Padua, while exploring, which was beautiful inside. I only looked around briefly, as there were a couple people inside praying. I did pass a building that contains the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency; which is responsible for ensuring the public’s needs are addressed and protected when it comes to satellite navigation systems in the EU. This building was closer towards the river, and was the only major company/business that I saw while exploring.
The area of the neighborhood that I explored did not have any parks, though Letna park is adjacent to it. There were some trees sporadically, with trees lining the river side of the street closest to the river. I did not observe any wildlife while I was there, but I did see several people walking dogs, and one lady sitting at a table at a restaurant outside with a ferret on a leash.
Two of the pictures I chose were in reference to the movie I watched for the film review, Milada. The street I walked on that led to the church was called Milady Horakove, and there was also a hotel called Residence Milada. I thought it was cool that there was both a street and a hotel named after Milada who was an important activist during the war and the communist regime. It also makes me wonder why it was in this neighborhood/section of the neighborhood that I would find both a hotel and a street named after her.
As I explored the neighborhood, I wondered what it might be like in the mornings or evenings when people were coming/going to school and work. Or what it would be like if it hadn’t been so uncharacteristically hot today. It was interesting to explore, observe, and make comparisons to other parts of the city I had seen earlier in the day, and to wonder where people were headed off to, or coming from as they entered the restaurant we ate at for lunch.
Cultural Collections Project 4: Museum Artifact Analysis (Voicethread)
Cultural Reflections Project 1: Czech Education System, "The Last Word" Discussion
There were several things that I found interesting about the Czech education system after reading about it and discussing it with my group. The first was that even though it wasn't mandatory, 86% of children in the Czech Republic attend a government supported pre-school. I was not only surprised by the large percentage of students who attend, but by the fact that the pre-school program seems to focus more on social skills and the development of their personality through games and physical activity than on academics. This is very different from the per-school programs we have in the United States; a small percentage of students are accepted to attend government funded pre-K and others must have parents who will pay for pre-school, and the focus is more on academics. As an elementary school teacher, it makes me wonder how big an impact a government funded pre-school program for all students who wish to attend would have on our education system, especially the Title I schools.
Another topic I found interesting was the inequalities with the special education program, and the treatment of the Roma children within the education system. There has been an higher proportion of Roma students placed in "practical schools", than non-Roma students. These practical school have lower standards, and are the schools for those who would qualify for special education here in the U.S. As an ESL teacher, I found this interesting because of conversations I've had while at ESL department meetings; ESL students are often overly identified in the special education program due to a variety of reasons. It was also interesting that the Czech Republic is going through a transition when it comes to the special education program. They are moving away from the "practical schools" and towards the IEP process that we have been using in the U.S., while in the U.S. we are moving from IEPs to inclusion for all students.
Another topic I found interesting was the inequalities with the special education program, and the treatment of the Roma children within the education system. There has been an higher proportion of Roma students placed in "practical schools", than non-Roma students. These practical school have lower standards, and are the schools for those who would qualify for special education here in the U.S. As an ESL teacher, I found this interesting because of conversations I've had while at ESL department meetings; ESL students are often overly identified in the special education program due to a variety of reasons. It was also interesting that the Czech Republic is going through a transition when it comes to the special education program. They are moving away from the "practical schools" and towards the IEP process that we have been using in the U.S., while in the U.S. we are moving from IEPs to inclusion for all students.
Cultural Reflections Project 2: Cultural Writing
Cultural Reflections Project 3: Czech Film Review
The film Milada is the life story of Milada Horakova, a democratic activist who promoted women’s rights, and was active in the resistance during Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. The film started out rather slowly and struggled to capture my interest at first. The film did not show much of Milada’s activism, nor did it give much detail about exactly what she did during the resistance. I did find it interesting to see that her husband supported Milada, at least for the most part, but that her family took a backseat to her activism and determination to do what was needed to resist the Nazis and fight for what she believed in.
Though the film got off to a slow start, and at times was slightly confusing with the timeline, I thought the end of the film portraying her trial and execution was the part that was able to capture my interest the most. The film did pique my interest, and led me to research more of Milada’s life and her involvement in the resistance. |
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Cultural Reflections Project 4: Czech Book Review
A Girl Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf, tells the story of a girl named Milada who lives in Lidice, Czechoslovakia during Nazi occupation. In the middle of the night the Nazis invader her town and take all the women and children to the high school gymnasium while killing the men. Milada is taken from her mother and sent to a Lebensborn camp where she is praised for her features that fit the ideal Aryan race (blond hair and blue eyes), and is trained to become a perfect German citizen. She is given a new name, Eva, and is told to forget all of her memories of being a girl named Milada. Once she has completed her training she is adopted by a German family, and has to adjust again to new surroundings and expectations as Eva, perfect German daughter. Throughout this traumatic experience, she fights to hold on to her memories of being Milada and where she truly comes from.
This historical fiction novel is inspired by true events, and shares an aspect of the Nazi agenda that is not as commonly known. I found the story very intriguing as I had not heard much about Lebensborn camps. It was well written and a quick read, as it is a young adult novel. At the end of Milda’s story, the author included the historical facts of what led to the events in Lidice, and what is known about the real Lebensborn camps. I highly recommend this book. |