Extraordinary Hospitality

Extraordinary Ordinary Blog

by tlc nielsen

December’s guest Bente Rasmussen immigrated from Denmark 26 years ago with her family. She’s heavily involved in the Danish Sisterhood of America's Dagmar Lodge #4, which is where we met. She has served as president of this lodge for several terms and continues to be involved as Past President and Event Coordinator. She and husband Lars keep active serving the Danish community within the Chicago area while working full-time.  It’s been an honor getting to know Bente and her gift of hospitality. She’s always opening her home and giving her time to others.

Welcome Bente!

Q) How and when did you, Lars and the boys end up coming to America?

A) This is a story! In the early 1980’s Lars worked a lot in the U.S. He was actually laid off in 1984 and got offered a job in Chicago; he took it but I was not ready to move after he had been gone half a year, while I was alone with two toddlers in Denmark. He got a job back in Denmark.

Then in 1989, a friend who still was in the U.S. called and offered him a job in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The situation was different now. There was uncertainty in the job market. I had been a personal banker for 17 years and that bank was merging, so we could easily be forced to move to another city in Denmark.

The prevailing thought was that this was the second opportunity presented to him. We decided that we would not be in our 80’s and regret we did not take the opportunity that was offered, and on the other hand, what could we have to lose since our boys were 6 and 9 years old? In reality, a move is a move and we would just add another language to the challenges. After four years in Fort Wayne, we moved to the Chicagoland area.                     

Q) What were some of the surprises you encountered in the move?

A) To move from Denmark to U.S. you do not get a culture shock, since this country was founded by Europeans. However, there are differences that are unique. The biggest shock for me was that women were not more respected. It was like going generations back. I came from an industry where there was equal pay and opportunity for all.

Q) I know you travel home on occasion. What do you miss most about living in Denmark?

A) Since only our immediate family is here, we have always prioritized to go back at least every two years, especially when the boys were young, so they could keep the contact with the grandparents, family and friends. Denmark is a wonderful country, and what I miss the most is the security if you get sick and old. The social system is not perfect but it does take a lot of stress off families. It meant a lot that our parents were taken care of when we were so far away.

Q) You jumped into the Danish Sisterhood so readily. What motivated you to get involved?

A) I have only been involved with the Danish Sisterhood for about 10 years. Everything has its time. My husband traveled a lot, so I was alone with the boys and worked part-time, so with their school and activities there was no time. When they were out of the house, we both felt it was time to give back and preserve the Danish heritage for future generations to come. Many of the new members are second or third generations, and we would still have original things to offer.

Q) Besides Dagmar Lodge 4, where else are you involved?

A) Since my husband is also heavily involved in the Danish community, it many times involves me too. So I have prioritized the Danish Sisterhood, and always connected to the other Danish organizations and the Danish Retirement Home in Chicago.

 

Bente (center, pointing) at the Estonian House Christmas Market
with the Dagmar Lodge 4 Danish Sisters

Q) I saw you and Lars were up to more good with a service project for 2017. What is it all about?

A) 2017 will be a very exciting year for the Danish Community, since The Danish Home is celebrating its 125th anniversary. For the summer picnic, we are co-chairs for The Spirit of the Family with a Tivoli Gardens and Casino Night. The grounds of the Danish Home will be transformed to enhance the Tivoli Spirit with entertainment and games for the whole family, ending with a Casino night and more entertainment. There will be Danish open-faced sandwiches served and other Danish specialties.

Q) Outside all your extra activities, how do you and Lars juggle working your full-time jobs?

A) We also have a business in financial services where we educate in money matters and help people prepare for their future.  I think it is important to have passion for what you do, and then you will find the time. It is always a challenge to find the right balance.

Q) Who in your life has been your role model?

A) I would say it has been my Dad. Regardless of what happens and circumstances, you always keep a positive mind, find the good things and always look forward, never pondering on the past that you cannot change.

Q) What is something unexpected about you, that only a few know?

A) That I was a very quiet girl in my childhood, and nobody would ever expect me to do this move to the U.S.

Thank you for coming to the Extraordinary Ordinary blog! Please check out these links to Bente's Danish community groups:

The Danish Sisterhood of America:    http://www.danishsisterhood.org/

The Danish Retirement Home:  http://danishhomeofchicago.org/

More Danish organizations links, for those who are interested:  
Danish-American Rebild Park Society:  http://www.danishrebildsociety.org/

Vasa Park in South Elgin:  http://www.vasaparkil.com/

Danish American Chamber of Commerce: http://www.mwdacc.com/

Extraordinary Learning

by TLC Nielsen

February 29, 2016

Caroline Ebeling is a Chicago-area bilingual teacher I met a few years ago. She lives an hour away from work and has written a trilingual book she hopes to publish one day. Her enthusiasm and upbeat nature continue to impress me when I visit her school while her love of learning and chipper attitude impact her students as she co-teaches 1^st grade. She has the extraordinary job of teaching in several languages.

Welcome Caroline!

Q) I have to ask - why did you want to become a teacher?

A) I went into the field of education for one reason:  to inspire children.  Every single day, my goal is to show my students that they are capable of doing amazing things in their lives.  I am proud of my students every day, and they constantly surprise me.  I teach first grade, and what these six and seven-year-olds are capable of doing is truly incredible.  In addition, I lead the environmental club at my school for third, fourth, and fifth graders.  Seeing these children's passion and dedication to making the world a better place encompasses exactly why I wanted to be a teacher.

Q) At what point in time did you realize you wanted to follow this dream?

A) Although I always loved playing "teacher" as a child, I knew for sure that I wanted to be a teacher in high school.  I was a babysitter for many years and always loved children.  I felt like relating to children was a strength of mine, and I knew I could make a difference as a teacher.  I first realized that I wanted to work with students acquiring a second language when I was completing my student teaching experience.  In my assigned classroom, we welcomed a new student from Haiti who only spoke French.  Neither my cooperating teacher nor I knew the language, but it was my responsibility to teach this little girl to the best of my ability.  Through this experience, I realized that I had a passion for teaching English as a second language (ESL), and the rest is history!

Q) What are some challenges you face as a bilingual educator?

A) There are many challenges that I face as a bilingual educator.  First and foremost, I hold the responsibility of teaching my students to be fluent in two languages, Spanish and English.  This is an extremely important and intimidating goal.  Bilingual education can be compared to a flower garden; it is a beautiful thing, but requires much effort, dedication, and care in order to keep it going. Therefore, my lesson plans need to "pack more punch" than monolingual classroom lessons.  For example, I often try to unify themes and topics across content areas in order to aid language and vocabulary acquisition.  Therefore, utilizing thematic units is an amazing strategy for bilingual educators.  Lastly, the time challenge:  time to accomplish all that you had planned for one day is a struggle that EVERY teacher faces daily.

Q) How do you share the work-load as a bilingual co-teacher?

A) Some people might think that being a co-teacher means doing half the work since you have a partner, but in many ways, it requires you to work even harder!  My colleague and I make great efforts to plan our lessons together and split the instructional time evenly throughout the day.  If she leads the whole group lesson, I pull students for extra instructional support, and vice versa.  Also, we often team-teach, teaching the topic together.  It is so easy to fall into a pattern of teaching the way that you always have.  Therefore, being a co-teacher has allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and challenge myself to adapt to a shared teaching environment.  I think being a co-teacher in an elementary classroom has taught me how to be more collaborative.

Q) Do you live in the community in which you teach?

A) I do not live in the community where I teach. I teach in Berwyn, Illinois.

Q) How would you describe your school’s community?

A) My school's community is vibrant, culturally diverse, and inviting.  Every morning as I walk outside to get my students, I am greeted by parents and students who have smiling faces, incredible stories, and uplifting attitudes.  In my last five years teaching in this district, I have felt so welcomed by the community and lucky to be surrounded by such positive and fascinating people. 

Q) What is something you found unexpected in teaching?

A) One unexpected thing that surprised me was how much the students have taught me. I learn something new from each group of students, especially new, fun ways to teach. You go into teaching thinking that you are going to affect the children's lives. And you do. But no one ever talks about the impact the children have on us. I'm more creative because of my students. My Spanish improved since I speak it everyday to my class. I'm more patient and understanding. For me, the students' impact has been extraordinary.