A chronicle of daily life in America from a high school social studies teacher/father/husband. Just your average individual going on about, what amounts to, an average day.
All I have to say is, Seven runs in the first inning? Do you really want to make the playofs? Apparently not, and the Mets got their wish. Despite owning the NL East for the entire season, they gave it away this week and now get to play golf before the real post season contenders. Thank goodness for golf. Again, I am glad I don't still live in New York otherwise I couldn't escape the sobs from Mets fans. But being from New York, I guess I will have to root for the Phillies, or the Rockies who are in a playoff game with the Padres tomorrow (what, did you think I was going to say the Yankees? It would be a cold day in... well, you know how it goes.) Oh well, at least hockey season has started this weekend. The 'Canes will do better this year than last.
Today was interesting. Evan had another birthday party, except it was the first one where I dropped him off and didn't stay. I felt confident that he would be alright. The party was for the daughter of the class mom and was at their house. I wasn't worried about him, but as I drove away I felt a little weird. I had never dropped him off at a friends house to play or for a party. It was like a next step for him growing up. Kinda pulls on the heartstrings. But it is OK, it was actually a bit refreshing to know that he is big enough to handle being at a friend's house without me.
Yesterday Evan had another soccer game. Under normal circumstances he would have done a lot more standing around, but since it was cool out and we didn't play until noon, he was charged up. I have to say, it was his best performance yet. I am so pleased. I did my best to capture him on video so here it is (he is number 3 on the white team - Chik-fil-a). He had an opportunity to score but missed the ball. (It was just off camera) He even dribbled the ball some, which was a first. Regardless, he is getting better all the time and I am so proud of him. (And don't mind my coaching from the sideline, sometimes it seems to help. The voice next to me is another parent, Sandy, who was one of Evan's coaches from last year)
"Collapse" is the name of a Jared Diamond book. It is subtitled, "How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed." For those of in Mets nation it should be subtitled "How TEAMS Choose to Fail or Succeed." Last night, when I heard that it finally had happened, the Mets loss combined with the Phillies win puts the Mets 1 game back pf the Phils in the NL East, I thought I was going to be sick. I literally took two Tums and lied down hoping to fall asleep so the feeling would pass. I know it seemed possible since September was one of their worst months going 13-13 (so far) and losing the last 5 in a row. August didn't prove to be much better with a record of 15-13 making the Mets barely an average team for the last two months. What is worse, is the Yankees who most non-Yankee fans ruled out of any possible post season play early this season was in contention to win the AL East, but at least wrapped up the AL Wildcard earlier this week. It is a disaster for Mets fans. I am just glad I do not live in New York and have to hear it from Yankee fans non-stop. Let's take a look at this more closely.
1) The Mets' collapse is not as sudden as it seemed. They got out of the gate hot and have been mediocre ever since. 34-18 through the first two months and then only one month over .500 since, and that was only by 1 game. 53-55 over four months, hardly a surprise that they are fighting for their playoff life in this last weekend of the regular season. But, honestly, does a team that is below .500 for the last four months of the season really need to be going to the post-season? How exciting will that be to watch them get trounced in the first round?
2) The Phillies have played very well since their "poor start." Poor start? They had a bad April, that's it. They keep getting hotter and if any team deserves to make the post-season it is the Phillies. They are an exciting team to watch and they are peaking. That makes for some exciting games. Their 77-58 record since April shows that they are a team to be reckoned with, while the Mets have been swept by the Phillies in the last SEVEN games they met.
3) The Milwaukee Brewers are already on the outside looking in. The Cubs have clinched the NL Central and the Brewers are don't even have a record to contend for the Wild Card. So their hot start was for naught. Again, just as the Mets, two good months are not good enough to cover for the four poor months. And what it was that Lou Pinella said to his team got them fired up enough to play to their potential and now they have a chance to break the curse.
4) Back in April, newspapers and critic everywhere were certain that Joe Torre would be done as the Yankees' manager at the end of this season (if not sooner) and now they are the Wildcard team for the AL, and until a few days ago, were contending for the top spot in the AL East. For the last four months, the Yankees have been playing fantastic baseball (although it actually makes me gag to admit it). Their bats have been on fire and their pitching has been good enough, most nights, to allow the Yankees' 10 run leads to hold. But it is really the Yankees who deserve the most credit for turning the ship around. The Red Sox record will prove this.
5) The Red Sox was another team that started off the season hot. But unlike the Mets, they didn't self destruct. They continued to post winning records month after month (except for June's 13-14 record). They were in it for the entire season despite the talking heads' discussion of their collapse. The Red Sox continued to win, though looking more human than early on, but it was the Yankees inspired play that put the Red Sox lead in jeopardy. As usual, having the Yankees and Red Sox in the post-season makes for an exciting series, assuming both teams can get through the first round.
As for me, I was delighted (of course) to see the Mets win and the Phillies lose today, putting them in a deadlock going into the last day of the season. Both teams will need the other to lose in order to avoid a head-to-head playoff game on Monday. Which could also occur if both teams lose. I am also watching with interest the Padres and the Brewers today hoping for a Padres loss. This is where it starts to get a little complicated. It is possible that all three teams (Mets, Phillies, and Padres) will end up with the same record making two play-off games necessary. The Mets and Phillies will have to play each other to see who wins the NL East, then the loser of that game will have to play the Padres to see who wins the Wildcard. That scenario would happen if both the Mets and Phillies win their games an the Padres lose theirs. But, if either the Mets or Phillies lose their game, the Padres clinch the Wildcard and the winner of Sunday's game, or if both lose, the winner of the play-off game between the Mets and Phillies wins the NL East. Ugh. That is the way it stands and at least I feel some hope for my Mets, unlike Friday night when all I felt was nauseous.
Interim report went out today. And, as promised, no lecture on how to improve grades. Overall, I was pleased with the results, although some students definitely have room for improvement. In Civics & Economics we began watching "The Ghosts of Mississippi." It is one of my favorite movies to show in the class because it demonstrates so many of the things the course is about. From civil liberties to the judicial process, as well how to be an active responsible citizen. It is jam packed with lessons for Civics. I highly recommend it to any teacher of Civics. I am planning on using it as a spring board for political involvement on the everyday, citizen level. And it will be the subject for the writing project they will begin next week. It is pretty exciting. I will also follow up later in the quarter with a webquest about the Bill of Rights and Civil Liberties. My goal is that the students will form their own opinion about these rights and be able to defend their position about them. It is an exciting topic for me, even if the students disagree with my opinion, which I do my best to with hold, but it is difficult to do even if I do not specifically say, "in my opinion...", because the students will be able to pick up on my tone or my language despite how objective I try to be. But, as long as they can form their own opinion and support it with historical facts, I will be thrilled!
Michelle left for Boston this afternoon. She is accompanying her dad to a wedding so that he doesn't have to go on his own. I miss her already, but she has to do what she has to do, her dad needs her, and I understand that. Evan and I have a relatively busy weekend anyway. Saturday Evan has a soccer game at noon, and Sunday he has a birthday party at 4pm. I am sure we will be able to fill the remainder of the time with fun things. I have also taken the day off Monday because Evan has begun track-out. So Michelle will be at work, and I will stay home with him. Maybe we will make plans with Katie and Chris both of whom are also tracked-out.
Today's Headlines:
Democrats: Unprepared Blackwater Team Provoked Fallujah Bbattle (Newsobserver.com) Blackwater Eyes Domestic Contracts in U.S. (NPR.org) Blackwater makes my top headline again today. I have BIG problems with the idea of a private security company providing security in proclaimed domestic disaster areas. I have read a little too much Roman history to feel comfortable with mercenaries as providing peace. Especially when the company is run by an individual with very slanted, one-sided point of view (it would be hard to find anyone, really, who could be totally objective). Isn't it bad enough that they have created problems in Iraq that our military has had to clean up and our government has to take responsibility for? What would happen if this praetorian guard was given the authority to walk the streets in a domestic disaster area? The way I see it, is this is only one step away from becoming death squads or secret police that are accountable only to the chief executive and with little oversight since their actions would be clandestine. In other words, all that would be missing is some insignia, much like the SS in Nazi Germany, China's Red Guard, Stalin's NKVD (Narodny Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del), and so on. I do not like it one bit, nor do I like to potential for the Orwellian control they will try to have over citizens. I feel that this would be another step, combined with FRT (facial recognition technology), warrantless wiretapping, and "sneak and peek" searches of of computers with out a warrant, down a very slippery slope that would eventually lead to self-censorship in speech and press, as well as assembly, out of fear from what will become an American death squad. We, as citizens of the United States must be vigilant to protect our freedoms and rights. If we cannot then the terrorists have one a major victory over the United States, perhaps without ever attacking us again. And perhaps one day, speech, such as this blog today, will result in my disappearance and "re-education."
I don't like days like today. The pressure continues to mount as I struggle to keep up with the pace in World History. So today I ran through hundreds of years of history in Greece, from the Peloponnesian War, to Alexander the Great, and covering the many cultural achievements of the Greeks to human society. I spent most of the day lecturing on the subject just to get through it. At one point, I actually forgot that I was talking at students. I felt like I was just talking to an audience. It was not until a student raised her hand that I was brought back to reality. It is days like this that I know are too much for the students to absorb. As 9th graders they can easily be bored by such an intense period. Fortunately they are honors students so most are able to focus and stay awake, despite how long winded I get.
Tomorrow I am to distribute progress reports (or interim reports) to every student. I almost forgot about it. I planned on staying late at school today in order to make sure my lesson plans for Monday's substitute would be ready, in stead, I graded a few papers and entered the grades into the computer so I can print the progress reports first thing tomorrow morning (again, thank goodness for 1st period planning!). Most of the time I have a huge lecture prepared that is aimed at the students who are not doing well. An attempt to try and motivate the students. This time, there is no need. The classes are all doing well enough where I can fore go any such pep talk. I can't think of a time when I haven't had to do this, I guess there is a first time for everything.
Today's Headlines:
Nine Killed as Myanmar Cracks Down on Protests (Reuters.com) What began as a protest over a government increase in the price of fuel has become an all out rebuff of the Myanmar government by pro-democracy supporters. Myanmar (the southeast Asian nation formerly known as Burma whose name was changed by the military junta when they took over in 1989) is no stranger to pro-democratic protests. And what is going on presently is reminiscent of protests of years gone by. As is typical for the country, the military government confronts these protesters with violence, at times directing soldiers to fire into the crowds of peaceful demonstrators. Fear of this type of action by the government is what normally keeps the citizens in line. But now, supported by Buddhist monks, the protesters continue their struggle against the government.
ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is in the practice of staying out of the way of each other's internal struggles. And this is proving to be no different. Meanwhile, "President" Bush has called for all nations with influence in Myanmar to pressure the nation to cease violence against the peaceful protesters. At this time, the United Nations General Assembly does not see this event as a crisis and is not yet ready to interfere.
I am not getting enough sleep. I know it is my fault that I go to bed too late, but it doesn't change the fact that I am still not getting enough sleep. So tonight I plan on being in bed by 10pm instead of my customary 11:30 - 12:00. This morning I was dragging almost until my first class came in at around 9am (and I had been at work from 7:00 and had been up since 5:45). The good news is that I don't dread my classes because they are so cooperative. I also got some good news, Mr. James, my substitute teacher from Friday praised my plans to all the front office staff for being so well planned and organized. Having been a substitute teacher for two years before having a full time teaching job I know the value of detailed and organized plans. It is very stressful to just walk into a classroom as a sub. Some students think they are commanders of naval destroyers and automatically go into "sink the sub" mode, so I do my best to make sure that the plans I leave are not the source of any additional stress. I remind my students that a sub has these extra pressures and stress and the fact they are well behaved made his job even easier.
I am finding that I am slowing down. That is to say, my pace in the curriculum is slowing. No matter what I do, I cannot get out of Greece and Rome in anything less than two weeks. And according to the pacing guide I should be done with both in 6 days. There is just so much that I feel bad giving so little time as it is. Sure, I could get through it if I assign the students 3 sections from the textbook a night and give notes all period but the students would resent that and would either shut down and go to sleep or would rebel by not paying attention and becoming small distractions. My hands feel tied. I want to keep the students' interest by mixing it up with different activities and movie clips. The trade off is I do not get to complete the "history of the world" by not finishing the 20th century. Every semester I do my best to get farther in the curriculum, but that means cutting out more and more. I am not sure of the motivation behind giving only breadth and not depth in the material.
Today's Headlines:
Bill O'Reilly Says He's Being Smeared (Yahoo!News) Bill "you ignorant slut." How foolish do you think we are? The king of smear is accusing others of smear. See, that's the problem, you don't know what "smear" is. Smear happens when you make a person look bad for something they did or say when they did not mean for it to come out poorly. Bill, do you actually expect the nation to believe that this one time you weren't trying to be bigoted? That this was one time when you weren't making a snide comment? Everyone knows your meaning, Bill. What is sad is that you think we are too ignorant to understand. But I guess that is the mentality of Fox "News" programs, they think the people are so unintelligent that they will not be able to think for themselves and will take for gospel anything that is said on the network. News flash Fox, "the O'Reilly Factor" is not news, it is entertainment, stop comparing it to news programs. And the "No Spin Zone" is so dizzying, I have to take a Dramamine when I just flip by O'Reilly. So please, Bill, stop pretending to be credible. The people who watch you are either 1) entertained by your show, or 2) have never had an original thought their entire life.
Monday was a teacher workday, in other words, a day to catch-up, plan, go to meetings without worrying about students. It can be a relaxing day or a stressful day, it all depends on how many meeting have been arranged for you and how much class work you have to catch up on. For me, it was a little stressful. I conducted a tutorial on the grade book program we use in the county and I had a meeting for Civics & Economics teachers. So in between, I had more work to do than time to do it. Oh well.
Today went well. It was a sort of "mix-it-up" day. From time to time a teacher has to break from the the routine the class is used to and do an activity that is a bit different. Maybe it involves moving around the room, group work, computer lab, library, anything, so long as it is not part of the normal routine. It is a way to get some students back that begin to get bored with the routine. Sometimes it is difficult for a teacher to break that comfortable routine, but in the long run it pays off. Besides, the day goes by more quickly. The students also respond well to sincerity. Being absent Friday I needed a substitute teacher to cover the classes. When a teacher returns from a day off, they never know what the report will be. I received no report. Which means that there was nothing to report, hence well behaved classes all day! I gave a heartfelt and sincere thanks to the classes for giving me the peace of mind to know that if I should have to be out again that I won't have to worry about them. It truly is a big relief.
Today's Headlines:
Deadline Passes, Union Strikes at GM Plants (USAToday) I know that some people won't want to hear what I have to say about this but, I am going to say it anyway. So have a seat. Times in industry are difficult. For years now, every time there is mention of labor negotiations, or contract discussions for workers in industry (usually union workers) the end result is what will the workers have to give up in order to keep jobs and the company in business. What seems to be the problem is how expensive it is to pay American workers compared to workers overseas. On the table, as is always the case, are the benefits received by the workers. I am sure that a very expensive portion of these benefit payments involve health insurance. The solution - universal healthcare. Studies have concluded that people with health insurance are less likely to get sick or seriously ill because they can afford preventative visits to their healthcare provider. If that is the case, less money will likely be spent on healthcare if everyone had healthcare. In addition to improved health, companies would pay out less in benefits and would pay their workers more who would have to pay the higher taxes to cover the cost of nationwide healthcare. By my estimation, companies would end up saving money because the cumulative pay increases for the workers would be less than the savings due to no contributions to workers' health insurance. In the end, both sides will win. Sure, some people will be steadfast against such a socialist idea, but when it makes fiscal sense, does it really matter? And besides, what is wrong with a good idea just because it requires higher taxes? Again, the way I see it is each person would pay an increase in their taxes which will be less than the amount they already pay for their own health insurance. As a result, by saving the insurance payment and paying the higher tax, there should be a net gain for the individual. Is this such a radical idea?
By the way, this is a pretty funny estimation of the problem in the auto industry. It was posted on the USA Today website by user "jerryspencer" for the article UAW strike comes as a shock.
A Modern Parable
A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (General Motors) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River . Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.
On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.
The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing.
Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.
Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager. They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners and free pens and a certificate of completion for the rower There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.
The next year the Japanese won by two miles.
Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower (a reduction in workforce) for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executive s as bonuses and the next year's racing team was "outsourced" to India ...
Sadly, the End.
However, sad, but oh so true! Here's something else to think about:
Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can't make money paying American wages. Toyota has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US
The last quarter's results:
Toyota makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses. Ford folks are still scratching their heads.
Football season is in full swing. Two weeks are in the books, and the third is nearly complete, which means that the yearly tradition, fantasy football, is as frustrating as ever. If you don't know fantasy football, unlike any other fantasy sports game it has higher highs and lower lows. At this point, those of you who do not play fantasy sports are saying to yourself, "how can you get so emotional over a silly game about football players on different teams?" I was anticipating your question. In fantasy football, you are the head coach. You plan your players based on who their real team is playing that week. You make trade, drop players, add new ones, and angst over which players will get you team the most points that week. When Sunday comes, and unless you have the football package on your satellite TV, you are limited to watching, at most two games at 1pm and two games at 4pm (and sometimes only one 4pm game). So, if your team isn't local and doesn't get any air time in your local area, it doesn't matter, you can still get excited about any game you watch because you have players playing in that game. Fantasy football makes every game, every week relevant, not just you favorite team's. So when your favorite team has a horrible day (which mine usually does - Cleveland Browns) you still have the excitement of your fantasy team performing well. On the other hand, when your fantasy team doesn't do well, it is even more heartbreaking because of all the time and energy spent on putting together the best team for that day. The football fan have more invested each week in football than in the past. Needless to say, I wouldn't be writing about this if I had made the correct choices for my players this week. My best players are, of course, on the bench. Grrrr.
Yesterday was as busy as I anticipated and we did not get home until after 11pm. We were all exhausted but we managed to go to the Hibernian to listen to the band play. Michelle agreed, they weren't very good. We missed their first set, but the second set we could have done without. Apparently, Evan wasn't too thrilled either, he slept through the second set.
Despite how tired we were at the end of it all, it was a nice day. We hung out with Michelle's co-worker/friend Nicole, her husband John, and her sister, Danielle, as well as our friend Rebecca from New Hampshire. That was a nice treat, she was down here in North Carolina to sing in a concert.
Today was a pretty laid back day. We went to breakfast at Brig's and then I went over to Mercer and Keith's and played a little Dungeons and Dragons but mostly watched football, and complained about my fantasy football team.
101, and counting. What a busy day today is. This morning, first thing, we had to get ready for Evan's soccer game at 9:00. There was no time to relax before going anywhere, it was up, eat, get dressed, and go. Evan played well today when he was not fussing with the drawstring on his shorts. He got into the middle of things from time. He understands defense better than offense, it is clear that when on offense he is still not completely sure where to go or be. We'll work on it. Right now we a have a little bit of down time before the first birthday party I am taking him to. One of his friends from school is having her party at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham at 1:00pm. Then Aidan is having his birthday party at 4:00pm at Pullen Park Pool. And finally, later this evening, we are going to the Hibernian to listen to a band, Bull City Syndicate, play. Michelle and Evan heard them at a festival a few weeks back and they like the group. Rebecca is also coming with us. She is in town from New Hampshire so we are going to take some time to say "hi." So, yeah, a busy day. If I have time, I will fill in details about the day later, if not, I will post again tomorrow.
Today's Headlines:
Feds Target Blackwater in Weapons Probe (Yahoo!News) What did I say? Earlier this week (September 19, 2007) I suspected that there was a connection between Blackwater and the smuggling of weapons into Iraq (which connected a story I wrote about from August 12, 2007). I don't understand what sense that makes. Blackwater's logic, if it is true, of smuggling weapons into Iraq, which would put their own employees in harms way, not to mention, of course, US soldiers. Unless, of course, the company realizes that the longer the conflict in Iraq persists, the longer they will receive funds from the US government to provide security there. Remember, according to estimates 40% of the BILLIONS of US dollars being spent there is going to private security companies. That is a huge chunk of change. See the problem of corporate finance of political campaigns and a society that is run by corporations?
Doctors Lose in Execution Ruling (Newsobserver.com) The state of North Carolina ruled that doctors can no long stall executions by threatening discipline from the NC Medical Board. The logic of the judge's ruling makes sense, the state law supersedes the NC Medical Board's decisions. On that logic, I would have to agree with the state's decision. However, I think there are bigger problems that make the system of executions unfair. And I do see the conflict between a doctor's Hippocratic oath, to "do no harm" and their duty to oversee executions. At this time, I am not really sure how I feel about the death penalty. But I do know one thing, I know the system is not a fair system and until the legal system can eliminate bias from the system itself, then executions will never be fair or justified. The simple fact remains, the more money a defendant has, the more "justice" they receive. That is to say, if you can afford a better attorney, then you can avoid some of the stiffer penalties, of which capital punishment is the most "stiff." On the other hand, I still have a problem with the death penalty's conflict with the 8th Amendment protection against "cruel and unusual punishment."
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
How is a death sentence not a cruel punishment? Where is the convict's chance to rehabilitate? Isn't the system suppose to be a Department of Corrections? Are we saying that these people can not be "corrected" that they will always be violent offenders and will always kill people? In everything else we give people a second chance, but not this? On the other hand, would I want to see myself, or family member, or friend be the next victim of someone the system thought could be corrected? But again, when else do we punish people because they may be dangerous in the future? Isn't that what the movie Minority Reportwas about? Not easy questions, and definitely no easy answers - the requisites for an Average Day.
Unbelievable, I have persevered long enough to produce my 100th post on this blog! No, I don't have a celebration planned, but, I guess it is kinda cool. When I started this back in the spring, I wasn't sure if I would keep up with it, and for the most part, I have. Sure I have missed a day here and there, but no body's perfect.
It is sometimes more difficult to be out of school than in school. As a teacher, in order to miss a day I have to make lesson plans for the students that keep up with the lessons we are learning but do not require the substitute to actually teach. And then I have to worry about which students won't bring their textbook, or their behavior while I am not there. And when I get back on Monday, I have to clean up from the fall out of a day missed. It is a hassle, but every once in a while we need a day off. Unfortunately, my day off was not for leisure, I accompanied Michelle to a doctor's appointment and drove her home because of the lagging effects of the anesthesia (she had a test done - don't worry, she is fine). I wasn't too bright about it either, I must say. First, I was up until 1:30am this morning knowing that I had the day off today. Of course, I had to be up early enough so we could get Evan to school and to the doctor. For some strange reason that I have not yet figured out, I decided not to eat breakfast (I ALWAYS eat breakfast). By the time we got home, 2:00pm, it was lunch time and we didn't have anything in the house and I wasn't ready to leave Michelle, although she would not have known if I had left to get some lunch. Needless, to say, I am tired and cranky, but trying my best to be nice.
I don't know if I should feel guilty but despite the water shortage in North Carolina, I am still allowed to water my lawn, and I am. My August 10, 2007 post reveals that North Carolina is suffering from a drought. I should also add that it has rained 2 times since then. Both time were this week. On the other hand, if you recall (September 15, 2007), I spent $249 to have my lawn service slit seed the yard, so I am going to make sure to water it. Today's Headlines:
New Schools May Cut Some Extras (Newsobserver.com) I must continue my protest against the rate of growth in Wake County and how little the county government is doing to cope with it. Wake County has fallen behind in its ability to build schools in order to keep up with the rate of growth (thanks to a failed bond initiative back in 2000 - I think that was the year). Developers are being allowed to build subdivisions, apartment complexes, and town homes with reckless abandon. The strain this puts on the infrastructure continues to grow, much faster than Wake County can keep up. The latest effort to try to keep up with growth is to make cuts to schools being construction. OK, that sounds a little misleading, allow me to clarify. They are not proposing build fewer schools, the are proposing to build less into each school that will be built in order to cut construction costs. The irony here is nobody is proposing any cuts or restrictions on developers and their plans for construction. One of the things that draws families to the Triangle, particularly Wake County, is the quality of education. Now they want sacrifice that quality in order to build more homes. If such a proposal is allowed to be successful student opportunities for extracurricular and co-curricular activities will be compromised. Studies have shown that such programs, from the arts to sports, enrich the student's experience, as well as increase cognitive and social development. Why would that be something to sacrifice? Do I, or would you, want your children to have their experience and development limited to appease big building contractor and the clear cutting of the wooded areas of your neighborhood?
Oh, and don't think I am ignoring the events in Jena, LA. I am reading up on it to find out more before I write about it. I will tell you this, there sure are a wide array of opinions about the subject. Check out YouTube and you will find videos from DemocracyNow! and from the National Socialist Workers party. You talk about a difference of opinion!
Whew, Monday's blog took a lot out of me, I needed to take yesterday off from blogging! It seems many of you have discovered that the Blackwater website is back online. I guess they had to take it down for a day to make sure that nothing was presented that could incriminate the company in anyway. How many of you looked at employment opportunities or training? I know I did! Think, to carry high-tech weaponry and be above the law, who wouldn't?! Allow me to attempt to connect some dots here. In this blog on August 12, 2007, it was reported that weapons were finding their way into Iraq through "shady" channels that were discovered by Italian anti-mafia agency. I wouldn't be surprised if the source of these weapons were the private security companies in Iraq in the employ of the United States.
Ah, the mind of a teenager. It never fails. Today, second period teachers were asked distribute a survey to their classes for yearbook. These surveys are used by yearbook when they want to find students to interview for small inserts on the pages throughout the book. Amazingly, the students were more focused today while filling out the survey than on our review of the structure of the Constitution. I guess if I were a teenager I would be more interested in getting multiple pictures in the yearbook than something I could find in the textbook.
Today's Headlines:
Volunteers to Help Philadelphia Police Keep Peace (NPR.org) Philadelphia Police Commissioner, Sylvester Johnson is responding to requests from residents of the city to take back the streets. Many citizens are asking to volunteer to take to the streets in large groups to act as a deterrent to the violence that plagues their hometown. Johnson is asking for some 10,000 volunteers to gain training in non-violent patrolling. The groups are to be strictly peaceful, and not vigilante groups. Weapons will not be part of this program. I, for one, am skeptical. These are angry citizens who are seeing their families be destroyed by criminal violence and drug abuse/addiction. Who could blame them for wanting revenge on the groups or people responsible for their troubles? Such an organization could easily devolve into vigilantism. Although the groups are not to be trained in weapons or issued weapons, how will the city account for those citizens who already own their own weapons and will want to carry them for protection on the night streets? Or, how will the city protect against the groups being infiltrated by the gang organizations that the City Watch is attempting to thwart? Although this is a valiant effort, it seems too difficult to safely manage.
Just another manic Monday. Why was I filled with such enthusiasm today, you ask? Test day! That's right, all my classes were taking tests today which means a pretty easy day for me. Sure, I will have to grade those tests, but since they are all "scantron" I simply run them through the scanner and the results are printed for me. This year, or at least this semester, I have decided to not put essays and written components on standard type multiple choice tests. Instead, the students get their essay's and short answers separate form their tests and will be able to write their responses in a much less stressful environment. My hope is that I will get better results from the students.
Evan and I went to the park today after school. The weather was beautiful so we decided to take advantage. We played on the swings, Evan climbed the jungle gym, jumped, slid, and had a good time while I tried to take some pics with my phone. It was nice, I am glad we did it. Afterwards, we went home before meeting Michelle, Dan and Aidan at Olive Garden - just one of those spur of the moment dinner plans we make 15 to 30 minutes before dinner time. My after work phone call with Michelle usually goes something like this:
Michelle: So, what do you want to do about dinner? Matt: I dunno, what do you want to do about dinner? Michelle: I dunno. I just got of the phone with Dan, he said if we do anything to call him. Matt: OK, any suggestions? Michelle: Not really, I was thinking maybe about ______. How does that sound? Matt: Sounds OK, hang on . . . [Matt calls out in the background "Evan, do you want to go to ______ for dinner?" Matt: Yeah, ______ sounds good. Michelle: Well, I hope to finished here by about 6:00, so we'll meet there at about 6:15-6:30? Matt: Sounds good.
Yeah, it is like that every afternoon, believe it or not. Not too exciting, I know, but since neither of us really want to cook when we get home, that is how dinner is decided. From time to time I try to be good and cook something, or plan out a few day in the week, but undoubtedly I get lazy before it is all said and done.
Today's Headlines:
Iraq Revokes US Security Contractor Licence (Reuters.com) I have wondered about this private security company, Blackwater, for quite sometime now, but never bothered to do a search. Well, it seems that all the major news organizations have done the research for me, and lucky thing too, because all the links to any part of their website comes up "Service Unavailable" after today's news that Iraq has expelled the agents of this company from the country after an incident that left 11 Iraqis dead. According to information I have obtained today, there are roughly 100,000 Blackwater security workers in Iraq, in addition to the 150,000 US military personnel. This security force is financed by sources greater than those supporting our troops. Blackwater has the money and facilities to train their agents in the backwoods of North Carolina. It also has the money to buy supplies, weapons, and equipment more advanced and expensive that can be afforded US military troops in Iraq. Check out the links to Blackwater yourself, or do a google search and try to connect from there:
I have several problems with this. Estimates are at about 40¢ per dollar for the war in Iraq is being spent on Blackwater and other private security firms, leaving 60¢ per dollar for all other spending in Iraq, including supplying our regular military forces there. Additional estimates show that only about 800 Blackwater agents have died in Iraq compared to the roughly 3,000 US regular military personnel. It sounds to me that 40% of money earmarked for Iraq is going to a private company (whose chairman is a major contributor to Bush campaigns) and their mercenary soldiers are not doing their fair share of the dying. (Not that any dying is fair, of course). Right, our tax dollars are going to protect these mercenaries, who were hired to kill and protect without as much of the danger of being killed as our regular military who volunteer to fight for the United States and our ideals abroad.
Now, this may seem like a travesty to some. And on the face of it, it does appear as such. But, if there are 250,000 soldiers (US military and mercenary), in Iraq getting the job done, and 100,000 are no longer going to be allowed to operate there, how will the US government make up the difference? Is a military draft in order? Whose children will be forced to continue a war that was ill conceived but cannot be abandoned? Check out this video below on Youtube, maybe you will begin to see some problems by allowing such mercenary armies to operate.
After breakfast with Jeff, Rae, Charlotte, and Jack, Evan and I went to the Caniac Carnival with Mercer. It wasn't all that exciting, well, for me. I think Evan was very excited going in, considering we were hoping to get our hands on some of the free tickets to today's preseason game against the Washington Capitals. Needless to say, the tickets were all long gone before we got there and Evan began to mope. Fortunately we were able to buy tickets for the opening day against the Montreal Canadians on October 3. So his mood greatly improved. We really didn't do too much, Evan enjoyed the bounce house and some face painting (Hurricanes logo). We also hit the Eye to buy a few things - Evan got a foam hand and a hockey puck, I got a hat. I priced the sweaters. I was prepared to drop about $100 on a sweater today, hoping for an authentic, not replica. Well, the replicas were $120 and the authentics were $250. I don't have a new sweater.
Today's Headlines:
O.J. Simpson arrested, faces multiple felony charges (USA Today) I think this is the end of the road for OJ. For more than a decade the OJ Simpson saga has become comedic and now, it seems, OJ has hit rock bottom to attempt to steal his own memorabilia from a dealer. If he is convicted on the more serious offenses he can serve from 3 to 25 years. Maybe we can finally put the OJ saga to rest after all this. I do remember the day the verdict in the OJ Simpson murder trial was announced. I was a student teacher and the entire school stopped - everyone fixed on the radio report. Being a very diverse and ethnically balanced school, it was a very tense moment. But when the verdict was announced, there was a combination of cheers and jeers, on racial lines. Needless to say, there was a collective sigh of relief from the faculty. What is sad is that a verdict in a murder trial could result in such racial tension. I would hope that regardless of the race or ethnicity of the defendant that everyone would want justice done and that the right decision be made.
Yesterday was, pretty much, business as usual, save I taught an additional class during my planning period. I went over some homework, gave a quiz, gave some notes, all on a topic that my classes haven't gotten to yet - we will be there by the end of this coming week. That usually leads to a very long day - no planning on a Friday. But it also makes the day go by quicker. In my World History classes we played a game to review for a test on Monday. In my Civics & Economics class we finished up the era in US History between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. I feel pretty confident that they will do will on Monday's test as well.
I signed up for a course about the Holocaust and Genocide. It is mostly a work from home course, but there are two required meetings, one to kick it off and one to wrap it all up. I am looking forward to it, it seems that it will be a very interesting topic.
It rained yesterday!!! It was amazing, truly. It rained from about 1:15pm into the night. It was really exciting. So much so that my class actually began to cheer when they heard it coming down on the roof of the trailer. I was pretty excited myself, although I did not cheer out loud with them. I am glad for the rain but am going to call my lawn service to suggest they come out again to seed since the heavy rains may have washed away much of the seed they put down on Thursday. And for $249, I definitely want to have some grass next year!
Today Evan had a soccer game. It was not quite as hot, so he enjoyed it a bit more, but he still doesn't want to exert himself quite enough to really consider himself dedicated to soccer. He will either figure out that if he wants to get better he will have to try harder or he will know enough to play around with his friends but find that playing on an organized team isn't for him. Either way is just fine, I just don't want him to be disappointed. We also went to a 2nd anniversary party for Michelle's work. It has been 2 years since Carolina Endocrine opened - It has been two years since Michelle has had to change jobs! (Sorry hon, but it got to the point where nobody could keep up!) It was really nice, there were plenty of kids and Evan was definitely occupied. He enjoyed himself so much that he did not want to come home, he cried the entire drive home. Not too loud though. So since he was carrying on and forcing himself to cry, Michelle and I were able to carry on our own conversation.
Tomorrow Evan and I are planning to go to the Caniac Carnival to kick off the hockey season. There will be rides, music, games, food and they will be giving away free tickets and bracelets to go and get autographs as well. We would like to get some free tickets for tomorrows preseason game against Washington, but I don't plan on being there from before 10am to be there until the end of a game beginning at 3pm, I may not make it, let alone Evan. We'll see. I told Evan not to be disappointed if there aren't any tickets left by the time we get there, he said it would OK.
Following up on Monday's story of the student from Puerto Rico. I have some news. He chose to return to Puerto Rico to finish his senior of high school. I really don't know how to feel. On the one hand, I am sad because I saw how this decision would break his mother's heart and because he is a smart person who, unfortunately, was unable to show his full potential because of a language barrier. On the other hand, I am glad that he will be able to finish high school without the obstacle of language and in an environment that he is more comfortable in. But oddly enough, I am glad for another reason, for which I feel guilty, being an End-of-Course subject and a highly monitored and measured course, I am glad he is no longer in the class because he can no longer bring my scores down. I know, that is a horrible thing to say and I hate that such thought come to mind, however, in this day of high stakes testing and No Child Left Behind, every advantage a teacher can get to raise their scores is a welcome one. But this heavy emphasis on tests promotes the institutionalization of public schools making them less personal and more industrial. Instead of producing people who can manage in today's society, we are producing statistics and data. It is painfully obvious to many teachers that NCLB is not good legislation. The tough nut here is how do you say in Congress that I oppose NCLB, legislation geared at improving public education without losing votes at the next election? Too many voters will not see through the rhetoric and glittering generalities to see that legislation to improve public schools is a good idea, but the way NCLB does it is not good at all.
So, let me make myself perfectly clear, improving schools is a great idea. In fact, in education, any chance a teacher has to improve upon what she is already doing is a great opportunity. The National Board Certification process helped me to realize the value of reflection and self-criticism. Day after day I look back at what I did in a given period and mentally critique myself. I want to know and remember how a particular lesson went. Was it a success? Was it a failure? Could it have been better? And then I make sure to write down in my plan book why and how. In my opinion, that is a sign of a good teacher.
In yesterday's blog, I mentioned a video about the Declaration of Independence that I show in my civics class. I wish to start with that video today. It is split into two parts in order to conform to YouTube's length requirement, but in total, it is just short of 15 minutes long. I encourage you to watch it, for if you do, you cannot help but be moved by the power of that document written in 1776. We cannot forget the importance of the message of the Declaration of Independence.
This document, its meaning, its power is why I choose to teach. The message here is the most valuable lesson of any social studies in American public schools. Every time I hear it, my passion for teaching about freedoms, government, cultures, and tolerance is renewed.
And what about Thomas Jefferson? The man who took John Locke's ideas of Natural Rights and applied them to the situation in the 13 colonies. Some would say that he would be mortified to see the United States and how freedom has gone crazy. But I don't think so. I think that, if he is given a chance to catchup with the technology and all the neat gadgets (like iPods and electric lighting) he would be OK with it. Now, I didn't say he would head over heels in love with the current situation, I mean, seriously, he owned slaves (though he had a problem with slavery - quite a contradiction). But, by all accounts, Jefferson was a liberal (for his time). But by today's standards, his brand of liberalism would be quite conservative. I believe, however, that he would be somewhat relieved by the state of equality in the United States. After all, the Declaration called for greater equality, greater freedom. In this way all people could be protected by their government because all people would be able to have their opinions, gripes, grievances, petitions, heard.
My morning began with a parent making an unannounced visit to meet me. She did not attend Open House last night, but what she wanted to talk about was more specific to her son, not about a general overview of the course. The family has very recently moved here from Puerto Rico. That is, they moved here just last week due to the father's job. The student is a senior and is now taking the courses that, we believe, will allow him to graduate in June. The major concern is that most of the courses he has to take are required EOC (End-of-Course) subjects. These courses are those where the state makes the final exam and uses the data it collects from the results to determine school performance. The big concern here is that these are high pressure courses at Leesville. The stakes are pretty high and the student is afraid that he will not do well. And of course, his extra obstacle to success is a language barrier. From speaking with the ESL teacher, this student reads and writes English very well, but seems to have a difficult time comprehending spoken English. This is very concerning because i want him to succeed. The mother told me today that her son wants to go back to Puerto Rico in order to complete the 12th grade. The mother was on the verge of tears and I felt very badly for her. I wish there was more I could do to help, but I do not speak Spanish so I can't explain things more plainly to him. What is more, the nature of the course, Civics & Economics, is current events. All of the concepts and theories that are read and taught are followed up with real time examples as the make headlines day-to-day. My explaining these examples, I fear, will be lost on him. I only hope that his hard work (which is already evident) will be rewarded in the long run.
The rest of the day was business as usual. The classes cooperated very well. We seem to get a long very well and so I anticipate great progress this year. I did have a student ask me a personal question during class today about my political views. That is a bit of a slippery slope because as a teacher and an authority figure, I have to be careful not to portray my opinion as fact. So I did my best to explain that from time to time, when asked, I will give my opinion and that the students should understand that by no means is my opinion the rule or the fact and that the students should make sure to form their own opinions after gathering as much information on a subject as possible.
In the Civics & Economics class I showed a short video about the Declaration of Independence. It is a very well done video featuring many popular movie personalities reading the Declaration of Independence, but not after an inspiring introduction by Morgan Freeman (what a great name for the person introducing the Declaration of Independence). I was hoping to add it here to this blog today because I believe everyone should see it, but I do not have it saved on my computer. I will try to remember to bring it home tomorrow and add it. It is very moving and inspiring, and was made even more so, today, Patriot Day, September 11.
Today's Headlines:
Kanye: MTV Exploited Britney for Ratings Kanye West seems a bit fed up with MTV, and I can't blame him, I have been up with the network ever since they took the "music" out of MTV and filled it with reality shows that are clearly not any person's reality (the "Real World," for one!) His gripe is that MTV exploited Britney Spears Sunday having her perform during the music awards knowing she was not ready and was not up to it. Although I did take my shots at Britney yesterday, I have to say, I do agree with Kanye, the network must have known that she was in no condition, physically and mentally, to perform, but signed her on anyway. That is just despicable. If you haven't seen the performance, just look to my blog from yesterday.
Frustration Evident as Officials Grilled on Iraq Six years ago today terrorist attacks were engaged on the United States that were largely successful. Today (and yesterday), in the Senate, General Patraeus and Ambassador Crocker presented their report on the current condition in Iraq. They were asked some serious questions today and responded admirably. Although I personally am skeptical, I agree with Senator Leiberman who gave these two men much credit for their candor, truthfulness, and clarity. Having heard information from the General who is one of the best positions to understand and respond to the conditions in Iraq, I am confident in what he is doing there. That being said, I still do not remain confident in the plan as portrayed but this "administration." We are however at a critical point in Iraq (every point from no on will be a critical point). Despite my disagreement with the motivations for invading Iraq, our forces are there and cannot just up and leave with making sure that a stable and secure government exists. As a result, our troops must remain in Iraq until that job is done because it is in the best interest of the region, the United States, and the world. Iran has already said that any political or power vacuum that exists in Iraq after American forces leave will be filled by Iran. So, despite the fact that our government created this problem in Iraq, we must stay there until it is fixed.
OK, I'm back. Took a little break this weekend, I couldn't get into the news or anything so I didn't have much to say. But it Monday, another day of school, and all is well. Tonight was open house. Many parents came to the classes to meet the teacher (me) and to find out about the course, expectations, and so on. We are allotted 15 minutes for each class, then the bell rings and the parents move on. I always worry that I won't have enough content to keep the parents occupied for 15 minutes, but I always seems to go on past the bell. So that doesn't leave me up there in the front of the class as the target of questions about individual students. This isn't the forum for that.
On the way home this evening, (it was about 8:30 pm - that's right I was at work for 14 hours today) I drove with the windows down. It was a nice reliefs from the constant air conditioning I have been experiencing since the beginning of June(!). What I noticed was how much the temperature fluctuates on my ride home. If the fluctuation was enough for my to tell just by my skin, it must be a difference of somewhere between 5-10 degrees. Another coincidence (I think not) was that the cooler temperatures were where there were more trees. Could it be that the immediate temperature can be a function of the amount of trees in the vicinity? Is it possible that as we cut down more trees we are exposing ourselves to higher immediate temperatures? I suspect "yes" in my non-professional opinion. I am suggesting (and I could be totally wrong, I admit) that if there was less development in this area that the summers may be a bit more bearable (not to mention other things dealing with the infrastructure of the county). That sounds like a theory worth researching.
"Oops, [she] did it again." Looks like Britney Spears has flopped "one more time." From what I read, her performance on the MTV music awards was the most memorable part of the show. The critics complain that she seemed lethargic, out of shape, disinterested, forgot dance steps, and did a horrible job lip-sync-ing her song. What surprises me is that I can not find it on YouTube! I was certain that it would be easy to find. Let me look again. Hey I found it! Maybe rehab didn't work this time? It also looks like those shorts were fitted a few months ago.
Whew, I am so tired. I guess that is what I get for going to bed late on a Thursday night! But I did have to watch the football game. And what was I thinking? I had Drew Brees in on one of my fantasy teams. What did I think he would do against the Superbowl Champions?
Evan is much better today. When I left for work this morning, he was already up and talking a storm. Bouncing around in bed and complimenting me on my shirt. He's pretty sweet, huh?
Not much to report at school today. Things are rolling along pretty smoothly, I just wonder if this is the calm before the storm.
Today's Headlines:
Katy ISD rescinds girl's graffiti punishment (Chron.com) To start, I do not condone a student writing graffiti on public property, school or otherwise (evidenced by the graffiti seen on the trailers Tuesday when we arrived to school this past week - see blog Tuesday, August 4, 2007). But the fact that the original suspension was for 4 months and an assignment to an alternative school seems a bit severe for the fact that all she wrote was "I love Alex" in blue Sharpie marker on an already graffitied wall. The justification by the school district is one with which Wake county can sympathize. A few years back, graffiti in a boys bathroom was reported at my school. The graffiti referred to bombing the school (the exact words elude me). The student was discovered and he received a long-term suspension (12 months) and saw some legal action against him as a minor. But had he wrote on the bathroom stall "I love Alex" in blue Sharpie marker, there would not have been a hunt for the perpetrator. It would have been cleaned off and chalked up to misguided student emotions. The nature of the graffiti should determine the severity of the punishment. A student who threatens to kill or blow up things should be treated more severely than one who has no better way to express a teenage crush. I also believe that gang related graffiti, big or small, should be treated more severely since gang groups tend to engage in violent acts directed at specific individuals of other gangs or people of race (which is how I would feel about a neo-Nazi or KKK graffito).
This is unfortunate. A new teacher to our department will not be coming back to work with us. Apparently he decided after his first week that he would not work at Leesville. His reasons are have not been made public so I do not know. But I will say one thing, Leesville is a very difficult place to work. It is difficult because it is a very pressured environment. There is such an emphasis on excellence that it could be overwhelming to someone not used to it. To tell the truth, I don't have anything to compare it to. I have never taught full time at any other school, but I can feel, even as a veteran, that there is always the pressure to do better and to exceed expectations. However, there is such a strong support system in our department. We all work together to make sure that nobody feels like they are alone. But sometimes, there is still too much pressure. For example, once the word was passed on to us today that he would not be coming back, every teacher rallied to volunteer to do something to keep his classes afloat. From grading papers, planning lessons, covering classes, it will all get done until a replacement is found. That is what I like best about our department, we are all there for each other. We all pull together to help each other out. I couldn't see it any other way. I enjoy my colleagues and am grateful for them.
Today Evan left school shortly after arriving, he got sick in class. He got sick a few times at home before settling down, but he is still nursing a fever and dizziness. There is no worse feeling than seeing your child sick and feeling terrible. Hopefully he will be better tomorrow morning, but if he continues the dizziness he will go to the doctor.
Today's Headlines:
Easy A's for Wake Teachers? (News and Observer) More results from Wake County's Audit. It appears that administrators are not critical enough when evaluating teachers. I must admit, in my 11 years teaching at Leesville, I have only received 2 comments that were critical of my teaching performance. Honestly, I think I am a good teacher, but am I so good that only twice have I done anything worth criticizing? Perhaps teachers are evaluated lightly. On the other hand, do I want something else to worry about? Yet, some constructive criticism every once in a while could be a good thing. To the defense of the administrators, observing teachers is just one responsibility. Admittedly, there are far bigger fires to put out on a daily basis. With a 30:1 teacher to administrator ratio, observing teachers can be a daunting task when every teacher is observed at least twice and some as many as four times. I am not sure that there is an easy answer. Administrator certainly have their work cut out for them as it is.
Today was an OK day. Not much really to mention at school, it was sort of business as usual. The only event worth mentioning is about an honors student in 4th period. With 10 minutes left to go in class, he went to the bathroom with my permission. He left with his bookbag, and I told him he was coming back. I should have been suspicious, he did not return. As I was walking up to the school a few minutes after class, I saw him walking out to the buses with a bottle of Pepsi from the vending machine. I can't wait to see how he explains this one, especially when he won't have his homework done since he was not in class to receive it. This is the same student who I noted on in my blog, Friday, August 31, had failed 8th grade social studies and is now in 9th grade honors social studies. His study habits and work ethic is now in question. I may yet suggest to guidance that he be switched into average World History.
Today's Headlines:
Audit: Curtail Wake Principals' Power (News and Observer) On May 7, 2007, I mentioned that the county had paid for an independent audit of all the schools. At the time I did not know the purpose of the audit, now I do. The News and Observer published today the results of the audit. One of the audit's claims is that principals have too much independence and power. That this independence is actually resulting in great disparities between schools. The audit suggests that the county reign in the principals in order to create more equality between the schools. I wonder how the principals, who do enjoy a good deal of autonomy will like the closer scrutiny from county? I wonder how much of an impact this will have in the classroom and on how the principal handles his employees?
Nutcracker, Bushwhacker, Yankees Backer (US News and World Report) Hold onto your seat! Here it is, the campaign toy that will win the election hands down. Be the first on the block to own the Hillary Clinton Nutcracker! See for yourself, this is not a gag, it is the real McCoy.
It was an inauspicious way to begin the week. I arrived to my mobile classroom (trailer) to find that it had been vandalized this weekend. Fortunately the vandals did not try to break into the room, but instead only graffitied it. Mine was not the only one, all four trailers were victims of "too much free time" of some (I assume) local youths. What is interesting is that the graffiti was political and reflected social issues instead of your typical profanity and tagging. Their epithets were primarily critical of education. "You're blind," "Tune out," "miseducation." There were other, many of which had already begun the cleaning process so I am not entirely sure what they said. But I must say, I am impressed by this form of graffiti. I must honestly say, I have never see what appeared to political social graffiti before. It shows me that there are some socially conscious students out there who have a clue. Unfortunately they chose this means of expressing their discontentedness. Additionally, the principal was out until 10pm last night spraying down the graffiti in order to get rid of some of the worst expression, which did include profanity and names. That is quite a bit of dedication, which no one can argue about the principal, if nothing else, he is definitely dedicated to the students and the educational process. His goal yesterday was to minimize the distraction of school this morning. And I must say, he was successful, I did not have to answer a single question today in class about the graffiti.
Otherwise, the day ran by smoothly. I am very comfortable with the World History Curriculum. So much so that I am having no problem keeping up with the pace so as to get as far through the 20th century (hopefully into the 21st century) as possible. I am getting more comfortable with the Civics and Economics Curriculum, which can be expected with the more times I teach the course. Mind you, I am very comfortable with the content, it is the specific curriculum and foci that shape the context of the content. Always a challenge that I welcome - developing better and more efficient ways of presenting the dense material required of a Social Studies course while still trying to make it interesting. The process is full of disappointments as well as satisfaction. Disappointment when well laid plans do not go according to plan or when what seems like a good idea actually bombs in when put to a class. Satisfaction when the time and energy pays off in the form of a fun and engaging lesson that the students participate in and show genuine interest. This is what make teaching worth while. A teacher who sits back and uses the same plans year after year without updating or coming up with new ideas becomes unhappy in a hurry and creates a downward spiral because the student pick up on it.
It has already happened. The first weekend of the school year and I have put off my school work until the last. It is a habit I want to break. The best way, I believe, will be to stay planned further ahead so I will not have to work on Sunday evenings. This week coming up is also my first with lunch duty. I do not like lunch duty, but I also know that I am going to have to do it no matter what, so there is no point complaining about it. And yet, I still cannot understand how the principal can legally make us give up 15 minutes of our 35 minute lunch time. Is it healthy to eat a lunch in only 20 minutes? I have always been told to eat more slowly, I don't think I will have a chance to this week. In addition, I have been given the worst lunch duty possible - monitoring lunch lines for the first 15 minutes of the lunch period. My job is to keep down "horseplay" and prevent cutting into line. I have seen how many students try to get their lunch and how unruly the lunch patrons can be, so I know that this is not an easy task. We shall see. I still wish to investigate that legality of the loss of 15 minutes of a 35 minute lunch period.
Sorry no headlines today, I was too busy to really read any news today. This morning we went to Perkin's for breakfast with Mercer, Keith, and Darren. Afterwards, Michelle, Evan, and I went to Lake Johnson Pool for the last time this season. We spent a few hours there, and I spent nearly the entire time in the pool. Needless to say, I was a prune when I was done. But I don't think prune is the correct fruit, since I got more color from the sun today than any other day this summer, I am thinking of a redder wrinkled fruit, but I do not know of any. We then stopped off at Mercer and Keith's to bid farewell to Darren who returned to Maryland this evening via a 5-6 hour drive. We tried to talk him to moving down here, but I don't think it is an option for him. We will have to find another approach.
This weekend was a little busier than anticipated. Saturday we Rae and Jeff celebrated their son's first birthday at the club house in their subdivision. It was fun, the kids got to use the pool and Jack is very cute! Later that evening, we had some friends over to cook out since Darren is visiting from Maryland. This became the new plan after the plan to see the JMU v. UNC football game fell through. And to top that off, we had an impromptu poker night. Which, I must say, I was doing pretty well in. I made a few mistakes, but over all, I was playing pretty smart, even when I let the "Lucky 8-ball" make my decisions for me. Behold the power of the 8-Ball!! I asked it simple questions, "will I win this hand?" "Should I play these cards?" And would you believe it, when I listened to the 8-ball which told me to do things that any poker player in their right mind would not have done, I won! So I believe in the power of the 8-ball,
[Enter Booming Voice] and so should you!
For example, I had a 3 and 4 off-suit, I simple asked "Should I play these cards?" The 8-Ball told emphatically "yes", so I did. That hand I drew a straight on the turn. Nice. A few hands later, I held two spades (I don't remember which, but they were low cards and really were not cards worth holding). I asked the 8-Ball, "will I win this hand?" "It is decidedly so", replied my dark, round associate. So, despite my better judgement, I persevered. The flop and turn drew me two more spades, a spade on the river, and I would have a flush, a hand likely to win with. At which point Keith put me all in (and mind you, I had the second biggest stack behind only Keith), I called. But I was confident when I showed my two hole cards. It looked like I had nothing, not even a single pair to Keith's two pair. The dealer flipped up the river card and it was my 5th spade of the hand, which was not a surprise to me - the 8-ball predicted it.
More Than 500 Arrested In Copenhagen Riots (CBS News) What do you expect? You send anti-terror squads to evict anarchists and punk-rockers from the building they had been "squatting" for several years and of course you get riots. These are anarchists! Any time government tries to exert some pressure on them they will riot since they do not recognize the authority of government. It is simple logic, really, why are they so surprised?
