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Clowning Around

Jason Harrison is, and always will be, the type of person who likes to work a crowd.

Photo by Dale Folkerts

The seventh-grade science and social studies teacher at Garrison Middle School in Walla Walla, Washington, has spent his life entertaining, whether he's in the classroom or in the rodeo arena, where he performs as a clown.

As a rodeo clown, Harrison performs short acts designed to interest the sport's youngest fans. His impromptu songs—which change with the rodeo's location—quirky dance steps, and acrobatic stunts always bring the crowd to its feet. Harrison believes it's important to draw each child into the fun and make the child feel important. It's a philosophy that holds true both in the arena and in the classroom.

"The key is to make every child feel wanted and to get them involved from the very beginning. If you have that connection with the kids, you're set," Harrison says.

Harrison began his rodeo career by "attempting" bull riding, but he quickly changed over to team roping. "I learned that I didn't have the same passion for it as other riders," Harrison says. So, at the suggestion of one of his friends, he decided to see if he could make it as a rodeo clown. After three years of performing, he hasn't looked back. The reactions he gets from the audience rev him up every time he steps into the arena.

"The excitement of entertaining—to see kids react to you so positively—that's one of the greatest parts of what I do," Harrison says.

—Urmila Subramanyam

A Helping Hand

While many educators welcome summer as a time for much-needed relaxation, Natalie Nienhuis spends her breaks far from the comforts of home.

Photo by Stephanie Judge

Nienhuis, a world studies teacher at Watertown High School in Wisconsin, spent the last two summers as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, building houses in developing countries.

"I love to travel abroad, but I don't like to do the touristy thing," she insists. "So, it's really the perfect solution."

Nienhuis has co-led two builds at village locations in Papua New Guinea and Botswana, and she plans to do similar work this summer in Guatemala. During her trip to Papua New Guinea in 2002, she lived with the local villagers and befriended many of the children during her stay. The trip to Botswana last year was more difficult, she says.

"Botswana was harder to be a part of because we didn't stay on site and the abject poverty was palpable," she says. "They had no land to farm and few chickens for food." Nonetheless, the villagers showed amazing commitment to the project. Children, many of them orphans, helped volunteers carry concrete blocks for the homes, while villagers mixed mortar by hand.

"The interaction with the kids and people I meet there gives me so much," says Nienhuis. "It's a great way to spend the summer."

—Amir Shoucri

Swing Time

Seventy-six percent of choral singers participate in charity work, according to a survey by Chorus America, a national organization that promotes choral music.

Photo by Norman Y. Lono

That doesn't surprise pianist and music teacher Fran DePalma-Iozzi, who has spent the past 14 years

tickling the ivories for her philanthropic swing band.

Reeds, Rhythm, and All That Brass emerged about 30 years ago with 17 musicians, one singer, and two missions: preserve 1940s big band music and donate their earnings to charity. To date, the group has raised more than $1 million for organizations such as the American Heart Association and Habitat for Humanity. Band members vote before each performance about whether the benefactor is a bona fide charity. Otherwise, the band's benevolence could be abused by wealthier organizations clearly capable of hiring a paid band.

"We don't want to take a job away from regular musicians who are earning a living," says DePalma-Iozzi, who teaches at James Caldwell High School and Jefferson Elementary School in New Jersey.

After years of entertaining, DePalma-Iozzi still finds fulfillment in the band's charitable endeavors. In fact, at times she feels a little guilty for taking so much pleasure in the pastime.

"It's joyful to feel that you're doing something meaningful," DePalma-Iozzi says. "It gives me back much more than I give."

—Cheryl Ross

Frontier Teacher

Retired Nebraska member Janet Gardner takes students back to a time when math was called arithmetic and cold pancakes or potatoes were the lunch of choice.

Photo by Norman Y. Lono

It's still 1888 at the Flowerfield School in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where Gardner has served as a "school marm" for four years. Rebuilt as part of the Banner County Historical Museum, the school now serves groups of fourth graders who visit to walk in the shoes of real frontier schoolchildren. Since 1987, more than 10,000 students have taken part in the unique program, which is offered each fall.

Always striving for authenticity, Gardner dons a bonnet, brings her lunch in a pail, and wears a dress of her grandmother's. And students always ask her about the dunce cap that sits on a stool; fortunately, she's never had to use it. But it does spark a discussion on discipline in the late 1800s, when misbehavior was cause for a spanking or a rap on the knuckles with a pointer. Before lunch, students wash their hands with lye soap, and they aren't allowed to bring items like bottled soda or processed, packaged foods. In addition to working on their penmanship, students read from McGuffey Readers (circa 1879) and have a spelling bee at the end of the day.

Gardner loves being a school marm, and after 20 years of teaching she's still learning about Nebraska history. "This has been such a wonderful experience," she says, "and it's a great way to keep my hand in teaching."

—Lorinda Bullock

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