Mark Carter, Department of English
Introduction
0ne day I decided I needed some more excitement and challenge in my life. So, I went to a local elementary school and volunteered as a teacher assistant to a bilingual education instructor. Together, she and I took on a rambunctious class of second graders, with hopes of educating them. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that it was the children who were educating me.
While helping this class and just being a classmate to the second graders, I was learning more about real life than I was gaining as a college student in a university classroom. After becoming sponsored by the ORCA, I wrote down what I have learned from personal experiences in my own life and in the classroom with these precious second graders. The chapters have been compiled into a manuscript that is about one hundred pages long, and I have titled my book, Field Trips Into Life.
Publication Plans
The manuscript is now undergoing final revisions. This fall, I will send queries, samples, and sometimes the entire manuscript to several publishers of the inspirational book market. If all my submissions are met with unfavorable responses, then I will most likely self-publish the manuscript.
Sample Chapter
“Builders and Kick-downers”
0ne day during a walk with my father to the neighborhood park, he gave me some advice. He said, “There are two kinds of people in this world: those that make things happen, and those who watch things happen.” Then he added, “And there is even a third group-some don’t even know what is happening. So the success you will have in your life depends on which group you choose to belong.” I have always liked the wisdom of that advice.
But while performing recess watch duty at Kennedy Elementary and observing the children play, I wondered if all this categorizing we do is justified. Society likes to classify everyone and fit people into little boxes with pre-written labels. Society has a box for everyone. For example, it is said that all little boys are too energetic and wild. But now I had just watched several boys sitting together placidly under the shade of an oak tree in the playground.
I then decided to not let any more stereotyping escape my tongue from now on. It seems that when I do categorize someone, out comes a glaring exception in front of everyone, much to my embarrassment. I decided for the moment that life is too variety filled, too full of exceptions to only see it in generalizations.
Just then a distressed boy yelled to me from the sandbox on my right. “He kicked down my sand castle!”
It was Roberto. Moments ago, I watched him proudly put on the finishing touches on a city of sand castles he was building. In his mind, he was creating his own Taj Mahal palaces. But now I could only see the sadness and hurt on his face as he stared at the ruins of his demolished sand citadel.
Roberto pointed to Carlos, a classmate of his, who chuckled and already started to run away from the scene of his crime. Carlos had done this deed before. In fact. last week he had been sentenced to sit facing the far corner for a whole day for kicking down the castle of another sand builder In the class. But apparently it wasn’t a strong enough deterrent. Carlos was at it again. I immediately chased him down and brought him to Mrs. Brackston, his teacher, for another punishment.
All of a sudden, It became clear to me. All along, Dad was right. There are just two kinds of people in this world.
Society can categorize In all its complicated ways. But people can be divided into two groups, Builders and Kick-downers. In the playground, there are those that build sand castles and those who kick them down. In life, there are those who build others up. And there are those who kick people down. There are those who find the good in someone. And those who find the negative in everyone.
There are two kinds of people in this world. There are Givers and Takers. Some people give life to another. Some take it away with murder.
Some people give a loan to one in need. And some take money and don’t pay it back.
Some give what they have to charity. Some take out of life all they can get. Some give their love to those who hurt them. And some take advantage of those who love too much.
Some help themselves to the rest of the pie. Others cut a small piece and leave the rest for someone else.
Some add more beauty to life through art. And some are vandals who take the beauty away.
Some people let you pass in front of them in the rush hour line. Others block you out.
Some park and take up two spaces. And some take only one. Givers and Builders. Takers and Kick-downers. These are the two kinds of people in this world.
If I could go back and do it all over again when Roberto called me from the sandbox, I would have gone straight to him, instead of chasing after the one who kicked his castle down. I think I would have put my arm around his shoulders, wiped the tear from his eye, and given him a hug.
And these are the words that I would have said, “Roberto, there will always be people who try and kick us and our things down.
But just remember that no matter what they try to do, always keep on building. The world needs more Builders like you.”
Conclusion
Say the words, “field trip”, and a child’s eyes grow big, and they get excited. I have found that children love to discover and explore. Unfortunately, I think this trait becomes lost when people grow older. Many teachers flunk students who deviate from their established format and don’t parrot them. As adults, comfort zones, routines and stability set in. I have often found myself not wanting to discover anything new. And if I did get a whim for exploration, it was probably just to switch to a new TV channel with the remote control.
However, through my experience at the elementary school, and undertaking the project to write these creative essays about what I learned there, I have received a spark in my life. The world can be seen with new insights and discoveries. Writing the manuscript has opened my eyes to these new perspectives. This is why I have named it Field Trips Into Life.