P R IN T :
Wednesday, March 6,2013
Arts & Culture
# J
Faculty spends sabbatical reaching out
BreannaCraine
Co-Arts & Culture Editor
GRAY
TCP: What are some o f the things
you have done so far?
wrote really raw honest stories
that they wrote right away.
TCP: How is it different teaching
KG: I am working with a group at a community college compared
Sabbaticals are supposed to be in Canby called Bridging Cultures to these things you are doing dur
about doing something during your which is trying to bridge the ing your sabbatical?
time off that helps further your Anglo with the Latinos in Canby.
teaching in some way. Kate Gray, The folks haven’t told their sto KG: Talking to people whose first
an English teacher at CCC, poet ries, so what I am hoping to see language is not English, like the
and fiction writer is doing just this. is if the dynamics in the com folks I am working with in Canby,'
Gray has worked at CCC for munity change once they do. I makes everything you say more
approximately 20 years and Js- have also been looking at the sur precious, not precious like pup
now trying to further her teach viving Japanese American. WWII pies, but more careful and more
ing skiffswhile also doing things veterans in Hood River and the o f a.gift Working with people that
that she loves. I had the chance impact o f them not telling their are chronically homeless, which I
to interview her during her busy stories when they returned. And did last spring, J was very careful
schedule to learn more about what the impact o f — just recentiy in about what I said. -Each one you
she is doing. The main focus of 2012 ,— releasing their stories. I are very careful. You do not want
her sabbatical is to figure out how haven’t heard yet how them tell fo alienate anybody. You want to
personal stories affect communi ing their stories has changed the be a day ahead o f the students
ties. She has chosen several dif community. I also interviewed a and bringing people to where they
girl who was sex trafficked in. want to go.
ferent areas to concentrate on.
Medford, who as an adult has
The Clackamas Print: Can you gone back to Medford to tell her TC P: What do you enjoy most
about teaching and what made
tell us about what you do on story.
you want to be a teacher?
campus?
TCP: Can you tell me about your
K ate G ray: I am an English work at Coffee Creek Correctional KG: I have just about always
wanted to be a teacher and the
instructor and I am also in some Facility?
same thing with wanting to be a
thing called foe Continuous
Learning Cooperative. So I help KG: There is a wait list (to be writer. I love the unexpected in
facilitate professional develop allowed to teach in the correc the classroom. I love when peo
ment opportunities for faculty and tional facility) and what happens ple work off each other’s energy
staff. That is a part of my job.
is that the folks are veiy close to and teach each other. And when
their release date so that is one they get excited about their own
TCP: What made you decide you of the ways that the organizers knowledge and the knowledge
wanted to go on sabbatical?
pick who is going to be in the they are getting. It makes me
class. They (inmates) are eager happy. When I was sitting with
K G :. Sabbatical happens every and a little bit afraid. Most o f the foe folks at Coffee Creek they
seven years so it is an honor women in the room have never were laughing so hard, all I could
that the full-time faculty have really written before, the majority. think was this is it, this is what I
this as part o f their contract. They immediately opened up and want to do.
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