When I was younger my favorite time of day was dinner. Yes of course, I always enjoyed a warm home-cooked meal. But food aside, I loved dinner because it was the one time of day my entire family was able to all gather together after being off on our own schedules and routines. We sometimes would plan our next family vacation. Or laugh about crazy holiday memories. Or work through some stress. Or joke and call each other out about something silly that one of us would accidentally say. Regardless of the conversation, I loved being able to use dinner time to pause, reflect, relax and simply be with my entire family. This is a practice that I will always hold close to me and one that I saw fitting to share with my students as Thanksgiving is just around the corner.
I decided that a typical lecture-style, followed by a Q&A and some writing wouldn’t do my favorite American holiday justice. So, instead, I transformed each of my English classrooms into a dining room, with a long table made from the students’ desks right in the center. I also brought some classic, but unique, American Thanksgiving flavors for the students to try – I spent my weekday evenings baking pumpkin and corn muffins and a cranberry sauce made from craisins and orange zest. Canned pumpkin puree and cornmeal are two ingredients nowhere to be found in Czech grocery stores so I bought my favorite cubed pumpkin at the Polish store and some canned corn and then mashed both ingredients by hand. This was definitely a lot of work in the tiny kitchen that lives in my flat but what would a Thanksgiving lesson be without some food?
So, here is how I structured the lesson:
First, I started by explaining some of the history behind the day and having the students think and compare American Thanksgiving to some holidays they celebrate in the Czech Republic (St. Martin’s Day and Christmas were the two that came to mind for most students). We also had a small discussion about the significance of November 17th in the Czech Republic and how while it is not celebrated with a joyous and festive feast, it was a major turning point in Czech history as their lives wouldn’t be the same without this day in the Czech calendar. Then, we talked about the importance of reflection and how Thanksgiving, and these Czech holidays, are the perfect time of year to momentarily break from regimented, and at time monotonous, routines and gather with family to share traditional cuisine and special memories, accomplishments, and moments from the year. This practice does not only need to happen on the last Thursday of November in America. It can simply happen any time and in any country with any sort of food. And it will always be equally refreshing and energizing!
Before passing around the food I also played clips from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade held in New York every Thanksgiving morning. I shared with my students how I run a road race every Thanksgiving morning with some of my siblings and how we always come home from this race absolutely freezing so we run to the fireplace wrapped up in as many blankets that we can find and watch the parade together. The parade is very elaborate and festive – while the students were watching the Rockettes dance to classical Christmas tunes and huge balloons of their favorite cartoons fly over the streets, they were simply shocked and intrigued. I could tell they had never seen the likes of anything similar to this before so I was glad I could take some time and share clips with them.
Next, as I passed around the food for the students to taste, I encouraged them to reflect on their year and think about any traditions they have with their families and/or what they would want to share with their extended families on a day like Thanksgiving. I started our dinner table conversation by talking about how I would share some memories from my year in the Czech Republic, specifically what it has been like living in a country where nobody speaks my native language (maybe quiz some of my family members to see if they had been reading my blog :)). I would also share with them how I have completely fallen in love with the mountains and can’t get enough of the amazing views from the tops of some peaks. I used to go to the White Mountains in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire all the time but since my father’s passing haven’t frequented them as much. My return to cycling and hiking and my newfound appreciation for climbing with my Czech parents is something special to me so would need to be shared over a Thanksgiving meal in the Rothmann household.
Finally, I shared with my students how many families have their own traditions on this day. I have family that drives from Grosse Pointe, Michigan every year and we celebrate our annual mini-Christmas together in the evening on Thanksgiving. I always look forward to their visit and our time together during this weekend so again it felt nice sharing some memories with my Czech community since I won’t be able to see this family in America this year. Some students then shared their own traditions and reflected on summer holiday memories with their families – or their first year driving or a family member that was able to overcome an illness. We live each day wrapped up in our busy routines – school, work, after-school obligations, eat, sleep, repeat. It’s rare to simply sit and remember beautiful moments from the year or how lucky we are to have such daily obligations – how lucky we are to be going to school, to have a family, a home, a meal, and summer holiday memories. It was truly quite the sight to see the students take time to think about their year – they were smiling, laughing and at ease. This was a different kind of lesson and it was neat seeing my vision for this Thanksgiving lesson come to life. For the most part, it worked and all the baking was completely worth it.
That said, whenever I give lessons about traditions or places so meaningful for me, I am hit by unexpected but sudden waves of homesickness. And this wave is stronger when students giggle, roll their eyes and refuse to speak to me. This is certainly not the norm but it does happen and when it does, as mentioned in a previous blog, my head just wants to explode. However, while teaching I can’t let this homesickness or frustration show and that is the most mentally taxing part.
I found myself completely burnt out on Thursday afternoon after my last lesson. I quickly left the school because I just wanted to go back to my flat and let my mind rest. I hated the feeling of wanting to rush out of the school but couldn’t shake it off…until I visited and led a conversation lesson about Thanksgiving in Ostrava on Friday. I gave the same Thanksgiving lesson that I shared with my students, and the reflection and conversation went so well the lesson ended up going almost an hour over the usual time (and the lesson is already double the time of my lessons at the gymnasium!). I was even able to share some turkey recipes with young fathers and mothers who wanted to try and share an American Thanksgiving meal with their families. There are no words for how much these moments mean to me.
Two of the English teachers that I met last week at the primary school also came and I shared with them my frustration about some of my lessons at the gymnasium. They told me the importance of perspective; We don’t know everything that is going on in our students’ lives. We don’t know if they are experiencing personal strife at home. Maybe the laughter is a defense mechanism, hiding overwhelming amounts of stress that consume the school day. I simply don’t know and need to be patient with the students and myself as we navigate this year of lessons together and work on establishing an effective game-plan that will help create a collaborative and respectful classroom environment. We talked about “perspective” during this conversation lesson. We talked about the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and experiences that will help you gain perspective about what matters the most in life. And what matters most? Being surrounded by people who make your job and daily routine meaningful and worthwhile. These words reminded me of how blessed I am to have found wonderful Czech parents, genuine chance encounters, and an amiable school community. It was a really powerful and rejuvenating conversation. We all left with an American smile 🙂
So what else was on my Thanksgiving plate this week? I spontaneously decided to visit a hair salon and highlight my hair…little did I know I would be teaching my hairdresser how to color my hair! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about my hair coming out completely blond…but I met another very genuine and beautiful woman. We had the best time relaxing and laughing as we tried to figure out how to complete my highlights (I was happy with the results and returned to this same hair dresser to style my hair for the Maturita ball on Saturday!)
Then, I played princess for the day at the Maturita ball with wavy (highlighted!) hair and a long red dress and again was able to let myself relax and enjoy an evening with my school community. I went to Pavlina’s flat before the ball and we popped open some champagne and quickly altered my dress because of course it was way too long for me!
Once at the ball, I watched the students put on some funny performances for the school and then we danced and laughed until midnight. I love seeing the students in these events after-school because they are always so happy that I am able to come and we can enjoy more time together which only betters the in-class dynamic. As soon as I saw that it was midnight, I felt like Cinderella and rushed to catch a taxi back to my flat so I could rest a little before my train to Prague first thing the next morning.
Finally, now I am in Prague where I have enjoyed such a beautiful weekend with a Fulbright alum I met the last time I was here for a conference. Another one of these special chance encounters has become a newfound friendship – we explored some hidden gems, including an incredible park and view of Prague in a place called Vyšehrad. We went for a long walk, had nice conversation about family and travel experiences and then found our way to SmetanaQ, a quaint café close to the National Theatre. Then, we walked right over to the National Theatre and experienced our first opera. The performance was called Rusalka, an opera by Antonín Dvorák. My words cannot do this performance justice – the orchestra, vocals, lighting, costumes, and dance all came together to tell the story of a tragically beautiful lyrical fairytale…it was simply breathtaking. Luckily, there were English subtitles so I could understand the lyrics and follow the story of Rusalka, a water spirit from Slavic mythology who unlawfully fell in love with a human Prince.
Perhaps one of my favorite songs was “Song to the Moon”; I was amazed by how well the instrumentation below the stage complimented the vocals, dancers, mesmerizing blue lighting and sparkling water on the stage. I haven’t experienced a performance like this since my time in London where I visited the Globe every other evening to watch authentic Shakespeare productions. I have always loved the theatre and will add this experience to my list of memories from Lowell with my grandfather, Boston and New York with my father and family, and of course London.
My friend and I ended the evening at a new bar with some wine to discuss the performance and other events we would like to see together this year. My friend spent her Fulbright year studying science communication at Northwestern University in Chicago and understands how difficult, yet amazing, it is to experience life in a completely new country. I am very glad for our friendship as times like this help me feel rooted in my year-long Czech home. This special experience has been added to the many memories I feel very blessed and am thankful to have this year.
So what’s next? A long awaited week with Alex in Prague and Dresden – the first familiar face I will be seeing from America in three months…I am very excited for the week and look forward to sharing my first Thanksgiving away from home with somebody I love from America. Christmas markets are beginning to be set up and we will also attend a Fulbright Thanksgiving dinner together on Friday. Lots to look forward to and I am excited to share the memories via this blog next week. 🙂
Until then, I wish everybody a very festive and happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy special moments of reflection, joy, and celebration with family, friends, and loved ones. Ahoj and Na zdraví to the start of the holiday season!
Redefining Escape 