October 20, 2007

It has been a busy week. Wednesday was a LONG day that ended at the state fair. We didn't get home until near 11pm. Whew! It was fun but frustrating to get home so late. In fact, I was kind of scrambling for lesson plans Thursday morning - this is where years of experience comes in handy!

Evan on a car ride.

Evan and Aidan on the "Dragon Wagon", a kid size roller coaster. The grown ups were too big to ride so the kids did it all by themselves. I was pleasantly surprised Evan did the ride!

Just a little ride on what looked and sounded like jetskis. Not very exciting, unless you are 4 or 6, I guess.

Bumper Boats! That was fun

Saturday Evan had another soccer game. It was the first one the team didn't win, but they did tie 1-1. Evan was closer than ever to scoring, but missed the chance again! He was less than 5 feet from the front of the goal when the ball bounced off both his feet before he had a chance to turn and shoot. The goalie picked up the ball.

Starting out on Offense.

Getting a break on the sideline.

Ian taking a corner kick.

Today's Headlines:


AP: Sexual misconduct plagues US schools (Yahoo!News)
As a teacher, I understand that I have been entrusted with a very serious and important task, to create a safe and comfortable environment for the students that enter my room everyday. Likewise, as a parent, when I send my child to school, I want to feel comfortable knowing that my child is in a safe place and that the teachers and faculty there will do whatever they can to protect my son. But when I hear about cases about sexual abuse or misconduct by teachers, I am appalled.


Officials: Teacher's Problems Bigger Than Anti-Islam Speaker in Class (wral.com)
As a public school teacher, I also understand that I have a responsibility to teach the state mandated curriculum and to be as objective as possible. I know that total objectivity is not possible, any time a person speaks they speak from a certain point of view that may not even be evident to the speaker. But what is most important is that any public school teacher should do their best to try and be aware of this potential and carefully monitor what they say, even plan their words, if necessary. At no time is it a public school teacher's job to preach any religion or speak out against any religion. This is an implication of the First Amendment. As a person who works for an agency of the government, while in my capacity as a public servant, I cannot advocate for any particular religion, defame any religion, or even avocate for or against an individual's right to choose not to follow a religion. When I hear that a teacher deliberately teaches about things that are not in their curriculum and especially violates the law or mandates, I cannot not support that teacher. When a person takes a job they should understand the limits imposed and restrictions that are in place. If they do not believe that they can conform to those rules, then they should find a different line of work. The curriculum, mandates, and restriction are created by people who were chosen by voters to do what they believe is in the best interest of the children in the schools as a whole. The classroom is not the place to protest these limits, and is definitely not the place to challenge them. Such action should be saved for school board meetings and elections.


Regarding Privacy.
Normally, I am an advocate for the Fourth Amendment and privacy. I am also an advocate for the First Amendment which includes protection from slander and libel. But when the two come onto conflict, I am in conflict on the issue. Apparently, the teacher involved has been misrepresenting the events surrounding his case. In response, to protect itself in the court of public opinion, the county released several document resutling from investigations into the teacher's actions. In this regard, I am leaning towards the school district's release of the documents over the privacy of the defendant.

October 15, 2007

Michelle's dad is in town so we had to make some slightly different driving arrangements this morning. Michelle got to work really early since we drove together and I have to be there much earlier than most people in the real world. But that is OK because she is able to get a lot of work done before the rest of the office wakes up.

Just another average morning. Nothing really stands out from the day. I am building the Civics & Economics students up to a little project, but they do not realize it. Today they had to go to the computer lab and look for a few people on the House of Representatives website and the Senate website. A week ago I asked the students to simply write down a political issue that was important to them. We will connect the two by having the students do some research on their issue and write a letter to their congressperson and Senators. I think it will be good practice. And hopefully their letters will be met with a response, just as my letters are. I hope that the people in congress will not ignore letters from teens because they cannot YET vote. It would be a shame to throw away future votes that way. My goal is to have the students realize that it isn't difficult to stay informed about the issues that are important to them and to make their views known to government - a right guaranteed in the First Amendment. Hopefully this will be the beginning of active participation in civics for these students and they will continue to exercise this right throughout their lives. To me, this is the biggest political problem plaguing America - voter apathy.

A friend of mine sent me an email today regarding yesterday's blog. I will respect this person's privacy by not saying mentioning the person by name. I assume they would like to remain anonymous or else they would have posted the response directly to this blog (by the way, if you have any comments to add, feel free to post a comment). Although we do not agree politically, our debates/discussions really help in getting our opinions out. To me, it is fun, unless, of course, it gets personal. I try not to get personal, I am not sure I always succeed. Anyway, today's email was a vote against a state funded healthcare system, which I could would support - always remember, the devil is in the details! When I set out my response, I realized a couple of related things. Here is my response:

So you are saying you'd rather the elderly have to choose between food and medication? Or children, who will sit along side yours in school, not go to the doctor to take care of normal illnesses such as colds, flu, etc? Would you rather children who grow up with a compromised immune system due to a lack of health care to become a larger burden on the system for acute problems that take them to ERs? Oh, and by the way, a hospital cannot turn away someone who requires medical attention even if it is unlikely they will ever pay for the service. So who will pay for those costs then? Sure, there will be patients who will unfortunately slip through the system and have illnesses not attended, but that is better than a systematic denial of healthcare to those in need. And if you are worried about what government will do with a state run healthcare system, it is your job to provide oversight as a concerned voter to keep pressure on your elected officials. If we are not happy with the way elected officials take care of the tasks we ask them to, then it is our job to lean on them. And if we don't then it is just as much our fault as it is theirs. The root of the problem then is apathy. If citizens took the time to provide oversight to our government, as it was intended, then we would be less disappointed with the results. I am in favor of a state run system. In the details, I am not entire sure what I would like, but there is no reason why a state run system could not run along side a privatized system, since it would be likely that the private system would be more comprehensive for those who can afford it. But for those who cannot afford it, a minimum amount of healthcare is logical. In the long run it will likely reduce the burden on the system as a whole if preventative measures can be taken to reduce the risks of people getting debilitating illnesses later on in life. It just seems that we are too reactionary then proactive. We wait for something to happen before we decide to acknowledge the problem. In addition, I would be neglecting my duty to point out that for the BILLIONS of dollars poured into Iraq, and not nearly as much to show for it, the money would be better spent here on our own citizens who need it (not those profiteering from the continued war). And no, I don't think I am being too cynical.

What I realized is government has been able to get away with shoddy responses to political issues because the citizens have let them off the hook. We as citizens have not been vigilant and held our elected officials accountable for the debacles they create. It is our job as citizens to be heard. To voice our opinions about government and the issues that we find important. If we do not, then we are just as much to blame. The easiest way for a citizen to voice their opinion is through their vote. By voting for the candidate that best supports the issues you favor you send a message of what is important to you. Those who do not vote are not being heard - and I hate to say, that is a majority of US citizens. But we can also write letters to our elected officials. The Internet has made the process painless. Simply surf over to the House or Representatives website or the Senate website, find your Representative/Senators, and on their webpage send them an email. They all have a form for you to use that makes it very simple. So is the war in Iraq bothering you? Email your congressperson. What about healthcare? Social Security? Education, Immigration, terrorism, taxes, whatever. Let them know how you feel. Remember, they are there to represent YOU. If you don't tell them how you feel, they will never know. This is an important responsibility of being an American citizen. Here in America we flaunt our freedom and open government and yet we don't practice or use the very things we brag about. Millions of people around the world die fighting for just some of the freedoms and rights we enjoy, and here we are squandering them. Don't be afraid to be heard, no harm can come of it. In fact, someone may actually listen.

October 14, 2007

I think I now have time for a breather. Whew. The last couple of weeks have been brutal. I have survived, and no worse for the wear, thank goodness. Our parade float (the Class of 2008) won the competition - our first victory in that particular competition. Our football team destroyed the opposition in their homecoming game, 51-0, and remains undefeated at 9-0. Incredible! We have a great team and an excellent group of coaches. And I don't just mean their coaching ability, but they are also good guys. Keep up the good work, all around!

Last night, Mercer and I went to Goodnight's comedy club to see a friend perform his comedy routine. He and two other locals opened up for Victoria Jackson or Saturday Night Live fame. Now, I have never been a big fan of Victoria Jackson, her voice annoys me along with her ditzy performances. On the other hand, Big A was hilarious! He was the funniest act of the night. I am really glad I decided to go see him!

Today I played in a softball game with George's work team. They all seemed like nice guys and gals. As it turned out, this was their first win of the season. I'd like to say I had something to do with that, but let's be realistic. My defense in left field was solid. My batting was suspect. I popped up to the infield twice in two at bats. So much for the line drives I usually hit. I think I was a bit anxious and a little rusty. The ironic thing is that I came into the came expecting things to go opposite, good batting and poor fielding. Fortunately for me, according to George's scouting of his own team, the bats aren't the problem, it is more the defense. So I guess to an extent I helped by locking down left field today. Ah, October softball.

Today's Headlines:

House Dems Vow Continued Push for Health Plan (USAToday.com)
Did you know, the United States government is the only "industrialized" nation in the world that does not provide health care for its citizens? I did not know that. I bet you didn't either. (Did you also know that the United States is the only nation in the world to use nuclear weapons in war? I bet you did, but I had to throw that one in.) I am dismayed. Our "president" continues to ask for blank checks to fund defense and rebuilding in Iraq (did you know that Cheney and Rumsfeld did not relinquish their holdings in major corporations involved in the rebuilding in Iraq? I bet you didn't) but will not sign a bill that will provide healthcare to more children in the United States. He claims that it will cost too much. That's right, it will cost too much. Since when is Bush concerned about government costs? Then again, since when has he been concerned with children? Or anything that didn't benefit him personally? I know it looks unlikely that Congress will muster enough votes to override a veto but it is important enough for them to try. I am glad they are trying to push for increased healthcare for children. The way I see it is as an investment in the future. Studies show that better helathcare for children will lead to increased health in their later years. Logically, that will decrease the strain on the healthcare system in the future. On the other hand, by having the government provide healthcare for children, it will be difficult for government officials to pay back political favors to the insurance lobby. So logically, Bush has to veto this bill. Am I too cynical?

-MC

October 9, 2007

Perceptions to a teenager are a very different thing than that of an adult. Disrespect take on an entirely new meaning in the hands of a 17 year old. Apparently, being disrespectful includes a teacher trying to teach ignoring a student who asks an unrelated question about the color of the grass outside. While respectful includes a students turned around talking to another student when the teacher is trying to teach. (Oh, by the way, this is the same senior who yesterday didn't know what a mosaic was).

I am still a bit disappointed in the way I am being forced to teach in order to keep up with the frenetic pace of the curriculum, especially in World History. The thought of teaching the history of the world in 90 90-minute periods is frightening. How can a teacher give any justice to vast history of any single culture when asked to teach under such conditions? It could be done, if I ask my freshman students to do independent research night after night on each of the civilizations we discuss. But I am not sure that would go over too well with a majority of the parents or any of the students. Even though there are fewer curriculum goals for World History than for Civics & Economics, many of the goals require instruction of entire civilizations in order to accomplish the task.

Today's Headlines:

Here To Stay (Slate.com)
When will people in government do what they swore to do the day they took office: defend and protect the Constitution of the United States?

Presidential Oath of Office:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, reserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

- United States Constitution, Article II, section 1, paragraph 8.

Congressional Oath of Office:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God.

- Act of Congress, 1884

If we as citizens of the United States of America, the greatest place in the world to live, continue to allow our civil liberties and freedoms to be eroded, we will not be able to proclaim such greatness. Our government will dominate us, silence us, oppress us. This is one "slippery slope" that once embarked upon will be difficult to take back. It is fear of our invisible enemies that will cause us to give up our most basic protections. But who will then protect us from our own government? The basic premise in the Declaration of Independence is the protection of natural rights. That we are all entitled to "life, liberty, " and property. [Thomas Jefferson changed the contemporary notion from "property" to "the pursuit of happiness" because of his problem with the institution of slavery, although he owned slaves himself.] What we are allowing to be created is a situation not unlike ancient Rome. The greatest empire on Earth allowed itself to become a dictatorship, instead of defending republicanism, in order to protect itself from the potential for civil war due to the disparity between the patricians and the plebeians. History is destined to repeat itself if we allow the expansion of eavesdropping powers and other violations of rights by the National Security Administration (NSA).

Again, "the Price of Freedom is eternal Vigilance."

Listen up! soccer parents, here's the drill (Newsobserver.com)
Yes, a nice article with which end today's entry. Although the article was inspired by parents who could not get along at a youth soccer game, it still contains some good advice. The main message is to be realistic. We are talking about kids here. Do not expect them to be more than kids. It is a difficult thing for grown-ups to learn. I had a difficult time with it myself. Teaching is made even more difficult if this simple rule cannot be remembered. Once I understood it, my job became infinitely easier. Allow kids to be kids, if you expect them to be adults too soon you will only be disappointed when they act like kids. Now, the most difficult part of my job is dealing with adults who act like kids. How can I overcome that?

October 8, 2007

mo-sa-ic (moh-zey-ik), n., adj., v., -n. 1. a picture or decoration made of small, usu. colored pieces of inlaid stone, glass, etc.


Did you the definition of mosaic? If you saw one, would you know you were looking at a mosaic?




Believe it or not, a senior, that's right, a senior, in my Civics and Economics class could not tell me what a mosaic was. We were discussing different opinions of America: "melting pot", "salad bowl", and "cultural mosaic." This senior could not understand the metaphor of "cultural mosaic" because he did not know what a mosaic was.


Congressman Roman Pucinski in 1970 described American society as a “cultural mosaic” when he said that he objected to the tendency

. . . to homogenize [blend] 200 million human beings into a single monolith
[single block of stone], instead of recognizing that America is a magnificent
mosaic, made up of many cultures . . . I find the whole idea of the melting pot
frankly very repugnant [distasteful]. I don’t want to be melted down into a
monolith.

Yesterday my Media PC died. It just wouldn't turn on. After getting over the initial shock, I suspect that it was either the power supply or the power switch. I brought the machine to Mercer and through some troubleshooting and switching out parts, we discovered that it was the power supply. So now I am down to one computer until I have an opportunity to get over to Tiger Direct and pick up a new one. I might have some difficulty this week because my schedule is ridiculous. I thought it was over once the sporting events ended today with Evan's soccer practice. Oh, no. Not by a long shot. This week is homecoming and so we have a parade float to work on. In addition, there is a tradition of senior crowns. These are Burger King crowns that are spray painted blue and green (school colors) and then distributed to the seniors. It is up to the senior how they want to decorate their crown to wear on Friday, which includes a pep rally and the homecoming parade. Basically, everyday this week is booked after school because in addition school responsibilities, I will need to pick Evan up from Michelle's work while he is tracked out this week. I am seriously putting in a motion to have him enrolled into a trackout program in January. It is too much for all three of us to keep this schedule while he is out of school.


Darren was here this weekend. It was a nice visit, even though he got to watch the Yankees win game 3 last night against the Indians. (Sorry, I have to give Darren a hard time, he is #1 on my hated Yankees fan list). Yeah, I know, the Mets didn't even get this far, blah, blah, blah. So what else is new? Mets fans are used to it by now!


Today's Headlines:


Marion Jones Surrenders Medals from 2000 Games (USAToday.com)
First Floyd Landis, now Marion Jones. Are you surprised? I'm not. It only makes sense that she should lose the medals. In addition she also must wait out a 2 year ban from competing. I didn't know she was still competing. It is only a matter of time when sports in the US get as serious as these international agencies with regard to doping.

October 7, 2007

George, Jeff, and Pete

Keenan Stadium

Friday night was cool. Michelle and I sat in section 304, the same as Melinda. We assumed she was there, but we didn't find her until the second intermission. Evan, on the other hand, got to sit in the Lexus, Champions Club section with Dan, Wendy, and Aidan. Michelle and I were allowed up there at first, before the game. But we obviously were not allowed to sit in this luxury section without the correct tickets. From what I saw, it was definitely a luxury seating. There was a full bar, at least two restaurants, wait service at your seats for the game, extra wide, padded seats. Definitely a good time. We were able to see them from our seats and we enjoyed watching Evan dance and cheer and hold up his "Let's Go 'Canes" sign with Aidan. What made it even better was that Carolina won 4-1 over Pittsburgh. We sat next to a real cool Penguins fan who was a very good fan of the game. He was not a fan who was obnoxious or would bad mouth the opposing team, but instead was a good fan of the game. He made the game enjoyable as I had two people to talk hockey with.

Carolina was up BIG at the end of the first half on Saturday, but held on to win by 6. It was a good game, and most of us didn't expect to win at all. It was fun. We had a good time even though the seating was not at all luxury. The aluminum bleacher seating at outdoor stadiums makes for interesting arrangements. George was able to get 4 tickets from a partner at work so he offered me a seat and if there was anyone else I could think of to join. I offered one to Pete and one to Jeff. We all felt a bit cramped even though there were like 3 empty seats next to me. See, I was in seat 17, the man next to me was sitting in several seats, that is to say, I didn't know which seat was his, but he was one person using 4 seats. By the end of the 1st quarter he proceeds to tell me, "I don't mind, but I do have these four seats and you keep edging more and more." I was thinking, "What the hell do you need all that space for, you are one person and we are four grown adults." But instead, I apologized and I did my best to represent the season ticket holders whose seats we inherited for the day. I continued to try and be mindful of how far into his seats I was "edging." Despite that, and the walk to and from the car, (I always forget how vast the UNC campus is, even though we were parked "near" the stadium) and the traffic leaving the game, we had a good time. Again, it was made easier by a win for our team!

Today Evan had his second soccer game of the weekend. He keeps getting better and better. What he really needs to work on is his reaction time because he is getting better with getting the ball when he has a chance to get to it. I am also certain that he will score before the season is over. He asking to go in on offense. He seems to be getting more comfortable on the front line and keeps getting more opportunities because he is increasingly finding himself in the right place. I am encouraged by his progress and I am proud of him!

A bit of "drama" at this end. Evan now has his top two front teeth loose. He is afraid to lose his teeth. He will cry over the fact that he doesn't want them to come out and he bleed. On top of that, his scheduled dentist appointment is tomorrow. If I remember correctly (which is not for certain) didn't Evan have a dentist appointment just before or after he lost his previous teeth?

October 5, 2007

Check out my schedule for the week, beginning this past Wednesday:

Wednesday: Hockey Game - Hurricanes v. Canadiens
Thursday: Evan's Soccer Practice
Friday: Hockey Game - Hurricanes v. Penguins
Saturday: Football Game: UNC v. Miami (FL)
Sunday: Evan's Soccer Game
Monday: Evan's Soccer Practice

Whew! Good thing it is all leisure activities and not work! So if I get a little behind in the blogging, I think you could understand why.

Today was an interesting day at work. I was tired, which is usual for a Friday. The school bulk copiers are both down and no repairs will be started until Monday, not that it matters, our copy ladies is out today anyway. It is amazing how much power the "copy lady" has in a school. Without her and the school will practically have to shut down. So I spent the morning finding alternative methods of getting my front-to-back copies for the day. My back was against the wall this morning because my busy schedule this week has left me unmotivated to try and work when I finally get home. So I spend my planning period (1st period) making sure I have everything I need for the day. I better break out of that habit before next semester when my planning period switches to the last period of the day.

Today my last period class would not take any cues to be quiet to start class. Some 10 minutes into class it was as if the bell hadn't even rung yet to begin. As a reward, I gave them a pop quiz on last night's homework. I was disappointed in them for behaving that way, and I was also disappointed that they did so well on the quiz (is it wrong that I was disappointed they did well?). For me, this is surprising behavior for an honors class. But it was the last period on a Friday.

After school, the senior class council had its weekly meeting in my room and then continued their feeble efforts at a parade float for the Homecoming Parade, which lasts all of 10 minutes, next Friday, during 4th period. It is a good idea but it is done so poorly! These students will spend 3 weeks and spend a couple of hundred dollars to build a parade float for a 10 minute parade that won't even be seen during the Homecoming football game. The argument against the parade during halftime of the game is that the cars/trucks pulling the trailers will damage the track. Here is an idea, don't waste the students' and advisors' time with this nonsense!

October 4, 2007

Sorry about the break, but the week has been so busy that I haven't had time to sit down and blog. Well, actually, with Erik Prince on Capitol Hill this week, I have been doing some more research on Blackwater USA and on his statements, so I have been keeping myself busy to get enough information to have an educated opinion. Last night we went to the Carolina Hurricanes v. Montreal Canadiens hockey game. Although the 'Canes seemed to play well, they still lost in overtime (after a cheap penalty put them on the 4-3 penalty kill). I have to say, they look better than last year, and you don't have to look to far to find out that the Hurricanes were only the third team in history to go from Stanley Cup to missing the playoff altogether. But I sure did get a TON of pictures that all came out pretty good despite sitting in the upper deck (306). We had a lot of fun at the game. It was Evan, Michelle, Mercer, and me. Yes, I brought my camera. It was the first time I had done so. I may have gone a littel overboard on the pictures, I took 111. But it was fun, nonetheless. I got some great shots here and there, and some not so good shots too. (Click on the pictures to see larger view).

It was opening night. Above the introduced this season's team.

Huet had to stretch to make this save. The puck is actually in his glove here!

The Ray Whitney (13) just misses a chance for the 'Canes!

Cam Ward has to make another save here (above).

Things happen so fast that even the players don't see the puck sometimes. In the above picture, the puck is at Cam Ward's (Goalie, #30) waist but the players are still looking at it's source. They haven't even had a chance to fully react yet!

Above is an animated .gif of Bret Hedican's goal to tie the game in the 3rd period (click on it to animate).