I'm getting old. I used an expression today that has been co-opted by the youth and consequently now has a totally different meaning.
"He went to town."
Old Man definition: He did a lot of work, over did it.
INT. CLASSROOM - LATER
A Student shows her Teacher a paper she wrote for History.
INSERT - PAPER
It is covered with RED SLASHES and ARROWS highlighting all of her MISTAKES.
BACK TO CLASSROOM
Teacher - Geeze, it looks like he drew a map all over this.
Student - Yeah.
Teacher - I mean, he really went to town.
A Girl SNICKERS.
Teacher - What?
Girl (snickering) - You said, "Went to town."
Teacher - Yeah, he really went to town.
Girl LAUGHS even harder.
Teacher - What?
Girl - You don't know what that means?
Teacher - Yeah, it means he did a lot of work.
Girl - Can I tell you what it really means?
Teacher - Please do.
Girl - Wait. I don't want to say it. Can I write it down?
Teacher - Yeah.
Girl - Wait. Can I say it?
Teacher - Say it!
Girl (whispering into ear) - It means getting f*@ked real hard.
Teacher - How does that mean that?
Girl (chuckling) - Like, he really went to town on her.
Teacher just SHAKES his head.
END SCENE
Kids...What can I say?
It's times like this when I really empathize with my ELL students (English Language Learners). They say that the English language is so hard to learn because of all its subtle differences.
"Going to town." How's that for subtle?
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Day Twenty-Two
Nervous about tomorrow. I've been off a week and I always get jitters the night before my return to the trenches.
Geeze, after last week...I really know what that means.
Sorry. I had to get one "last dig in." Ba-rump-bump!
That being said, I'm looking forward to getting some new material. The kids never disappoint.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Geeze, after last week...I really know what that means.
Sorry. I had to get one "last dig in." Ba-rump-bump!
That being said, I'm looking forward to getting some new material. The kids never disappoint.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Day Twenty-One?
After a week of hard labor, I'm happy to say the house is finally finished...at least this version of finished.
I took two days off from the blogging world because frankly I don't think a pick axe is interesting unless you strike gold.
So what did I learn from this experience?
Well...I know what I don't like to do, and that in itself, is a valuable lesson. Often I shirk responsibility that does not sound "interesting" to me, and by doing that I not only rob myself of experiences, but I also cut myself off from different types of people who do things that I don't necessarily want to do.
For example, I can now talk to ex convicts who spent their time breaking rocks on a chain gang. That could come in handy, right?
Of course it can.
The point that I'm trying to make is in a world where kids can easily switch the channel when they don't "understand" something, losing the remote in a ditch (Blog Days 18-20?) can be a valuable learning experience. In other words, sometimes we need to do things that we don't want to do. That's where we gain experience and experiences don't always have to be good, folks.
Now that I've metaphorically crawled out of the ditch and hopped onto a soap box. I better wrap this up before I dig myself another hole. Sorry, bad joke.
Making mistakes equal options. You can either avoid a similar situation because you're afraid of making another mistake, or you can learn from that mistake and say, "Hey, I really don't like digging ditches, but at least I tried. And now I know I never want to do that again!"
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
I took two days off from the blogging world because frankly I don't think a pick axe is interesting unless you strike gold.
So what did I learn from this experience?
Well...I know what I don't like to do, and that in itself, is a valuable lesson. Often I shirk responsibility that does not sound "interesting" to me, and by doing that I not only rob myself of experiences, but I also cut myself off from different types of people who do things that I don't necessarily want to do.
For example, I can now talk to ex convicts who spent their time breaking rocks on a chain gang. That could come in handy, right?
Of course it can.
The point that I'm trying to make is in a world where kids can easily switch the channel when they don't "understand" something, losing the remote in a ditch (Blog Days 18-20?) can be a valuable learning experience. In other words, sometimes we need to do things that we don't want to do. That's where we gain experience and experiences don't always have to be good, folks.
Now that I've metaphorically crawled out of the ditch and hopped onto a soap box. I better wrap this up before I dig myself another hole. Sorry, bad joke.
Making mistakes equal options. You can either avoid a similar situation because you're afraid of making another mistake, or you can learn from that mistake and say, "Hey, I really don't like digging ditches, but at least I tried. And now I know I never want to do that again!"
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Day Twenty
I never thought I'd say this, but after five days of digging ditches I'm looking forwards to grading my students' essays.
But on a positive note. That's what this blog is supposed to be about.
The work is done and it's good work.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
But on a positive note. That's what this blog is supposed to be about.
The work is done and it's good work.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Day Nineteen
"If you want to be a different fish you've got to jump out of the school." - Captain Beefheart.
The definition of insanity: Listened to Captain Beefheart and dug a hole. The more I listened, the deeper I got.
I'm sure there's a lesson in there.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
The definition of insanity: Listened to Captain Beefheart and dug a hole. The more I listened, the deeper I got.
I'm sure there's a lesson in there.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Monday, February 21, 2011
Day Eighteen
What knowledge do I have to impart today?
If you hire someone to help you dig trenches, make sure they're big enough to kick Andre the Giant's ass!
We got a lot done today.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
If you hire someone to help you dig trenches, make sure they're big enough to kick Andre the Giant's ass!
We got a lot done today.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Day Seventeen
Today I became a man.
And I learned three things about myself: I'll never be an archeologist, a landscaper, or a prison escapee. Why not?
Because this morning, I dug my first ditch.
I found so many rocks I might as well have been digging a trench on the moon.
Needless to say, my hands are still aching so I'll make this brief.
When I was a little boy, my father, a contractor, tried to teach me about home improvement, but I couldn't be bothered. Now I'm a home owner, and I have to learn all this stuff the hardway.
What does this have to do with teaching?
At least now I can speak from experience when I tell my kids to stay in school. Cus' diggin' ditches is no joke.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
And I learned three things about myself: I'll never be an archeologist, a landscaper, or a prison escapee. Why not?
Because this morning, I dug my first ditch.
I found so many rocks I might as well have been digging a trench on the moon.
Needless to say, my hands are still aching so I'll make this brief.
When I was a little boy, my father, a contractor, tried to teach me about home improvement, but I couldn't be bothered. Now I'm a home owner, and I have to learn all this stuff the hardway.
What does this have to do with teaching?
At least now I can speak from experience when I tell my kids to stay in school. Cus' diggin' ditches is no joke.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Day Sixteen
An outtake from Thursday.
"I tell ya I could of went with shows. Just not one neither. An' a old guy tol' me he could put me in pitchers..." (78).
Continued Of Mice and Men with my sophomores, focusing on Curley's young wife (see blog, Day Five). She's not a happy person. Why? Because she could have been a contender, instead she's a bum...just like everyone else. Consequently, she runs around the ranch, showing off her wares to get attention, the attention and adulation she would have got if she made it "in the pitchers."
She'd of made a pretty good reality TV star. Don't ya' think?
Anyway, I asked my students a series of questions, culminating with this one...
Is bragging a sign of high self esteem or low self esteem?
It's always interesting to hear what they think. I rarely know the answer myself. I just lob it into the crowd and see what happens.
Most of them thought bragging was a sign of high self esteem.
I disagreed, focusing on a certain rap star who can't stop talking about his bottomless talent. Perhaps he has to tell everyone that he's the greatest, because he's too afraid that people actually might come up with their own opinion. So he heads them off at the pass.
I don't know? I could be wrong. Isn't that scary?
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
"I tell ya I could of went with shows. Just not one neither. An' a old guy tol' me he could put me in pitchers..." (78).
Continued Of Mice and Men with my sophomores, focusing on Curley's young wife (see blog, Day Five). She's not a happy person. Why? Because she could have been a contender, instead she's a bum...just like everyone else. Consequently, she runs around the ranch, showing off her wares to get attention, the attention and adulation she would have got if she made it "in the pitchers."
She'd of made a pretty good reality TV star. Don't ya' think?
Anyway, I asked my students a series of questions, culminating with this one...
Is bragging a sign of high self esteem or low self esteem?
It's always interesting to hear what they think. I rarely know the answer myself. I just lob it into the crowd and see what happens.
Most of them thought bragging was a sign of high self esteem.
I disagreed, focusing on a certain rap star who can't stop talking about his bottomless talent. Perhaps he has to tell everyone that he's the greatest, because he's too afraid that people actually might come up with their own opinion. So he heads them off at the pass.
I don't know? I could be wrong. Isn't that scary?
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Friday, February 18, 2011
Day Fifteen
My kids finished their in-class essays today (see Day Thirteen). One kid finished early and had this to say...
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
Student - Hell yeah! This is an A+ + + !
Teacher - You sure you checked everything? All your verbs are in present tense?
Student - When you read this, it's going to be music to your ears!
Teacher - Well in that case, maybe you should read it in front of the class. So everyone can enjoy the music.
Student - Only if I can stand behind the podium. My knees will be shaking.
Teacher - Then your shaking knees will be music to our ears.
Student - Yeah, but I might pass out.
Teacher - Then that will be music to our ears. When you hit the ground, it'll be like a drum.
END SCENE
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing out.
Birds-Eye
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
Student - Hell yeah! This is an A+ + + !
Teacher - You sure you checked everything? All your verbs are in present tense?
Student - When you read this, it's going to be music to your ears!
Teacher - Well in that case, maybe you should read it in front of the class. So everyone can enjoy the music.
Student - Only if I can stand behind the podium. My knees will be shaking.
Teacher - Then your shaking knees will be music to our ears.
Student - Yeah, but I might pass out.
Teacher - Then that will be music to our ears. When you hit the ground, it'll be like a drum.
END SCENE
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing out.
Birds-Eye
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Day Fourteen
A rainy day.
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
Teacher - Alright, let's line up by the door. Be careful in the rain.
STUDENTS start to line up.
Teacher - Guys, let the girls out first. Ladies first.
Boy (pushing his way forward) - Out of the way!
Teacher (to Boy) - What are you doing?
Boy - My last name's Lachica!
The CLASS ROARS with LAUGHTER.
END SCENE
La Chica is Spanish for girl.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
Teacher - Alright, let's line up by the door. Be careful in the rain.
STUDENTS start to line up.
Teacher - Guys, let the girls out first. Ladies first.
Boy (pushing his way forward) - Out of the way!
Teacher (to Boy) - What are you doing?
Boy - My last name's Lachica!
The CLASS ROARS with LAUGHTER.
END SCENE
La Chica is Spanish for girl.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Day Thirteen
Lucky thirteen. Not much to report today. My students are writing in-class essays. Why in-class you ask? When I let them write their essays at home, there's always the chance that they'll find information online. Fortunately, most kids don't know how easy it is for teachers to check to see if a paper contains plagiarized work. Here's how it works:
As you read an essay, certain big words occasionally come up that seem a bit uncharacteristic of a high school student. The old way to handle this is to simply ask the student to come up to your desk, where you quiz them on the meaning of the word. This of course is messy, not to mention embarrassing for the student...And potentially you because sometimes the student does know what the word means!
But we don't have to worry about that anymore because it's the 21st Century!
Here's the new way.
Same situation. A student uses "big words" and you suspect him of plagiarism. Simply go to google and type in the sentence. Often, the article pops right up. This way you simply show the student the evidence, and it's done to done done done.
I just had to do this the other day with a student. and his face became rather pallid (see blog entry, Day Eleven).
Thank you internet!
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Day Twelve
Continued Of Mice and Men with my sophomores, focusing on level four questions. For those of you unfamiliar with a level four question, here's a quick tutorial.
There are four levels of questioning:
Level One (Right There Questions): As the name implies, the answer is right there! It's a one word answer and it doesn't require any critical thinking.
Who is George's best friend? Lennie!
Level Two (Think and Search Questions): The answer is right there, but it requires students to search through the text, putting together multiple pieces of information.
What are three types of animals that Lennie loves to pet? Mice, puppies, and rabbits!
He also loves to pet girls, but we'll get to that later.
Level Three (Author an You Questions): The answer is not directly in the text. The student needs to think about what he or she already knows about the story, what the author is telling them, and how it all fits together.
The author implies that people often blame others because they can not stand looking at themselves.
This is George's dilemma.
Level Four (On My Own): Like a level three, the answer is not in the text. In fact, the student doesn't even need to read the book to come up with a question. An "On My Own" deals with the big questions in life.
Why do people ignore others?
(Possible answer): People ignore others because they want to feel superior.
So there you have it. A level four question is designed to get students to think critically. As my students read the book, I ask them to find a quote that jumps out at them. They then write it down and afterwards they come up with a level four question.
Example: In the story, George constantly has to remind Lennie, who is mentally retarded, not to forget things. Unfortunately, Lennie forgets things constantly.
There are four levels of questioning:
Level One (Right There Questions): As the name implies, the answer is right there! It's a one word answer and it doesn't require any critical thinking.
Who is George's best friend? Lennie!
Level Two (Think and Search Questions): The answer is right there, but it requires students to search through the text, putting together multiple pieces of information.
What are three types of animals that Lennie loves to pet? Mice, puppies, and rabbits!
He also loves to pet girls, but we'll get to that later.
Level Three (Author an You Questions): The answer is not directly in the text. The student needs to think about what he or she already knows about the story, what the author is telling them, and how it all fits together.
The author implies that people often blame others because they can not stand looking at themselves.
This is George's dilemma.
Level Four (On My Own): Like a level three, the answer is not in the text. In fact, the student doesn't even need to read the book to come up with a question. An "On My Own" deals with the big questions in life.
Why do people ignore others?
(Possible answer): People ignore others because they want to feel superior.
So there you have it. A level four question is designed to get students to think critically. As my students read the book, I ask them to find a quote that jumps out at them. They then write it down and afterwards they come up with a level four question.
Example: In the story, George constantly has to remind Lennie, who is mentally retarded, not to forget things. Unfortunately, Lennie forgets things constantly.
"So you forgot that awready, did you? Jesus Christ, you are a crazy bastard" (4)!
Level Four Question: Why do people take out their anger on others?
Possible answer: People take their anger out on others because they are unhappy with themselves.
Once the student has an answer, I explain to them that they now have a topic sentence which they can use to begin a paragraph.
Got it? Now on to the good stuff.
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
Teacher - Please read your level four question.
Student - Why do people make up names for others?
Teacher - What's your answer?
Student - People shouldn't call others names because it puts down others.
Okay, so he's got an idea. Now to the kicker.
Teacher - What's your quote?
Student - "How's your bitch" (39)?
The CLASS explodes with LAUGHTER!
Teacher - He's talking about a dog, dude.
More LAUGHS.
END SCENE
Here's the quote: Candy, a run down old man who works on the ranch, has to make a decision whether he wants to have his dog put to sleep. To sweeten the deal, Slim, a foreman of sorts, offers Candy a new pup.
"Meant to ask you, Slim - how's your bitch?" "'She slang her pups last night,' said Slim" (39).
Just a little bit of confusion, right?
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Monday, February 14, 2011
Day Eleven
A drizzly Valentines day.
Went over ten new vocabulary words today. Here's an example of a sentence I wrote to help my students figure out the meaning of the word pallid.
Pallid (adjective) - Having an abnormally pale complexion.
Student's Response - Invisible?
Teacher's Response - If he's invisible how can you see his veins?
Okay, I'm a jerk, but they'll forever know the definition of pallid.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Went over ten new vocabulary words today. Here's an example of a sentence I wrote to help my students figure out the meaning of the word pallid.
Whitey's skin is so pallid that you can see his veins.
Pallid (adjective) - Having an abnormally pale complexion.
Student's Response - Invisible?
Teacher's Response - If he's invisible how can you see his veins?
Okay, I'm a jerk, but they'll forever know the definition of pallid.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Day Ten
Just finished grading my sophomores' essays.
Essay grading is not for the faint of heart. You spend all this time teaching your students what you want to see in their papers and what you get...
Well, let's just say, it's better to be in a good frame of mind before picking up the red pen. Because if you're already down in the hole, their essays will validate every negative thought you have about why you should stop teaching.
Why am I doing this? They don't listen. This run-on sentence has so many twists and turns that I feel like Tom Sawyer lost in a cave, wishing I hadn't forgotten that ball of string because I need it now to find my way out.
The list goes on.
Luckily, I'm not in that head space today. Why? Because instead of doing my regular all or nothing routine, I chipped away at their papers. It took me two weeks, but who cares?
And instead of looking at everything that was wrong about their essays. I noticed their progress. I wanted to see appositive phrases and subordinate clauses in their essays. Their essays had subordinate clauses and appositive phrases.
All and all, they did their job. Was it great work? No. How could it be? They're still learning.
So we'll try again, and next time I'll remember to bring my ball of string.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Essay grading is not for the faint of heart. You spend all this time teaching your students what you want to see in their papers and what you get...
Well, let's just say, it's better to be in a good frame of mind before picking up the red pen. Because if you're already down in the hole, their essays will validate every negative thought you have about why you should stop teaching.
Why am I doing this? They don't listen. This run-on sentence has so many twists and turns that I feel like Tom Sawyer lost in a cave, wishing I hadn't forgotten that ball of string because I need it now to find my way out.
The list goes on.
Luckily, I'm not in that head space today. Why? Because instead of doing my regular all or nothing routine, I chipped away at their papers. It took me two weeks, but who cares?
And instead of looking at everything that was wrong about their essays. I noticed their progress. I wanted to see appositive phrases and subordinate clauses in their essays. Their essays had subordinate clauses and appositive phrases.
All and all, they did their job. Was it great work? No. How could it be? They're still learning.
So we'll try again, and next time I'll remember to bring my ball of string.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Day Nine
I heard at a professional development seminar that if you do something for ten days it becomes a habit. Here's to my tenth blog!
MY 10 FAVORITE MOVIES THAT TAKE PLACE IN SCHOOL (No order):
1) Rushmore
2) Election
3) Freaks and Geeks (Okay, not technically a movie, but who's going to argue with me?)
4) Children of Heaven
5) Ghost World
6) School of Rock
7) To Be and To Have original French title Etre et avor
8) Back to School
8) Fast Times at Ridgemont High
10) Heathers
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
MY 10 FAVORITE MOVIES THAT TAKE PLACE IN SCHOOL (No order):
1) Rushmore
2) Election
3) Freaks and Geeks (Okay, not technically a movie, but who's going to argue with me?)
4) Children of Heaven
5) Ghost World
6) School of Rock
7) To Be and To Have original French title Etre et avor
8) Back to School
8) Fast Times at Ridgemont High
10) Heathers
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Friday, February 11, 2011
Day Eight (Revised)
Busy day. I continued my Of Mice and Men discussion with my sophomores, focusing on the value of dreams. In the book, George and Lennie yearn for their own place, where they can live off the fat of the land. It's a pipe dream really, but they find themselves on the verge of realizing their dream when Candy, an old man on his last legs, agrees to throw in with them to buy a place. It's a moment we all dream about, making the impossible possible, but George chokes. He chokes because he never really believed in his dream in the first place. It was just something to talk about when he was feeling sorry for himself.
Pretty depressing, right? Let's flip the script.
As I mentioned yesterday, my club hosted a rap battle this week. Eight contestants signed up last Friday. Of the eight, I knew three, and of those three, one stood out...and not for his verbal dexterity.
He's a goof ball. A nice goof ball. And I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't worried for him.
But he wasn't worried. When he signed up for the contest, he put a crown next to his name. And when I ran into him on Monday, he spit a few rhymes for me. They were pretty good, but I could tell he'd painstakingly written them the night before. Not good.
This was a freestyle battle, which meant you had to think on your feet.
Boy, was I wrong about this kid!
Here's why:
EXT. SCHOOL'S QUAD, RAP BATTLE - DAY
Two MCs square off against each other, GOOF BALL and a KID wearing a BEANIE.
GOOF BALL - You're wearing a beanie cus' you got no hair!
Goof Ball points at the Kid's CROTCH.
Goof Ball - But everyone knows you're also bald down there!
The Crowd goes WILD!
END SCENE
Brilliant stuff? No? Effective? Very. This kid knew his audience (15-18 year olds).
The Goof Ball had a dream. To win the rap battle.
Today we crowned him king.
He didn't choke cus' he was too busy laughing.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Pretty depressing, right? Let's flip the script.
As I mentioned yesterday, my club hosted a rap battle this week. Eight contestants signed up last Friday. Of the eight, I knew three, and of those three, one stood out...and not for his verbal dexterity.
He's a goof ball. A nice goof ball. And I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't worried for him.
But he wasn't worried. When he signed up for the contest, he put a crown next to his name. And when I ran into him on Monday, he spit a few rhymes for me. They were pretty good, but I could tell he'd painstakingly written them the night before. Not good.
This was a freestyle battle, which meant you had to think on your feet.
Boy, was I wrong about this kid!
Here's why:
EXT. SCHOOL'S QUAD, RAP BATTLE - DAY
Two MCs square off against each other, GOOF BALL and a KID wearing a BEANIE.
GOOF BALL - You're wearing a beanie cus' you got no hair!
Goof Ball points at the Kid's CROTCH.
Goof Ball - But everyone knows you're also bald down there!
The Crowd goes WILD!
END SCENE
Brilliant stuff? No? Effective? Very. This kid knew his audience (15-18 year olds).
The Goof Ball had a dream. To win the rap battle.
Today we crowned him king.
He didn't choke cus' he was too busy laughing.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Day Seven
A pretty good day. My juniors are gearing up for their One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest essay. In their papers, they have to use three different sources, Cuckoo's Nest, a short story (either Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" or James Clavell's "A Children's Story") and a film, Crips and Bloods, a documentary about L.A.'s two most celebrated L.A. street gangs. The common thing that ties all three sources together is the idea that society can back us into a corner, forcing us to become slaves to a system, which eventually consumes us.
While we were watching Crips and Bloods today, this quote really stuck out to me.
"Part of the mechanics of oppressing people is to pervert them to the extent that they become instruments of their own oppression."
Powerful stuff. Although, I don't think society is always the oppressor. Mostly, we oppress ourselves.
This week, the club that I supervise is sponsoring a rap battle.
There are eight contestants and two hundred spectators. Do the math.
One of the participants is in my class, and for the last two days he's been sweating bullets.
Is he a great rapper? No. Is he putting himself out there? Hell yeah!
Today he almost threw in the towel before the competition.
For the past few weeks, I've been reading Power Through Constructive Thinking by Emmet Fox. Here's what he had to say today:
"The only enemies we have to overcome in the long run are our own fears, doubts, selfishness, and so forth. The more we think over any difficulty the more we amplify it, and staring at our lions causes them to grow and grow until they are as big as elephants" (104).
Pretty topical right?
I stuck old Emmet under this kid's nose. He read it, and after class he asked if he could write the quote down.
Did he win the rap battle? No. But when he walked off the stage, he had a smile on his face.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
WORK CITED
Fox, Emmet. Power Through Constructive Thinking.
Harper One. New York, NY. 1989.
While we were watching Crips and Bloods today, this quote really stuck out to me.
"Part of the mechanics of oppressing people is to pervert them to the extent that they become instruments of their own oppression."
Powerful stuff. Although, I don't think society is always the oppressor. Mostly, we oppress ourselves.
This week, the club that I supervise is sponsoring a rap battle.
There are eight contestants and two hundred spectators. Do the math.
One of the participants is in my class, and for the last two days he's been sweating bullets.
Is he a great rapper? No. Is he putting himself out there? Hell yeah!
Today he almost threw in the towel before the competition.
For the past few weeks, I've been reading Power Through Constructive Thinking by Emmet Fox. Here's what he had to say today:
"The only enemies we have to overcome in the long run are our own fears, doubts, selfishness, and so forth. The more we think over any difficulty the more we amplify it, and staring at our lions causes them to grow and grow until they are as big as elephants" (104).
Pretty topical right?
I stuck old Emmet under this kid's nose. He read it, and after class he asked if he could write the quote down.
Did he win the rap battle? No. But when he walked off the stage, he had a smile on his face.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
WORK CITED
Fox, Emmet. Power Through Constructive Thinking.
Harper One. New York, NY. 1989.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Day Six
Here's a transcript from today. Lesson. Keep your mouth shut if you don't know the score. The video game score. More on that later.
INT. CLASSROOM - MORNING
Teacher - I'm very tired.
Student - Estoy cansado.
Teacher - What?
Student (cheerfully) - That's tired in Spanish.
Teacher - Cool.
Student - I'm getting an A+ in Spanish!
Side note. This student is getting a D in English.
Here's my thought process. She's getting an A+ in a foreign language, but a D in a language she speaks all day. I'm going to be a smart ass here and make a point of that. Insert sarcasm:
Teacher - What's your native language?
Student - Russian!
END SCENE
Where do you go from there?
On a side note. I had this student's twin brother last year, and he did have a rather thick Russian accent.
Why didn't I remember this important fact before making my sarcastic comment? Ask any teacher. Once a kid leaves your class, your brain gets wiped.
His Spanish speaking twin, on the other hand, has a flawless American accent.
How is this possible? Let's find out.
INT. CLASSROOM - LATER
Teacher - Can I ask you a personal question?
Student (cheerfully) - Sure.
Teacher - I had your brother last year, and he has a Russian accent. You don't. Why not?
Student - Oh, we moved here when we were hella' young. My brother just played video games by himself. I'm not good at video games so I watched TV all the time.
Teacher - Hmmm.
Student - I guess there's like a developmental point where you can learn a language hella' good and he missed it because he was sitting on the couch too much playing video games. That's why he has an accent.
Teacher - Interesting.
END SCENE
So there you have it. TV good. Video games bad.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like to teach.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
INT. CLASSROOM - MORNING
Teacher - I'm very tired.
Student - Estoy cansado.
Teacher - What?
Student (cheerfully) - That's tired in Spanish.
Teacher - Cool.
Student - I'm getting an A+ in Spanish!
Side note. This student is getting a D in English.
Here's my thought process. She's getting an A+ in a foreign language, but a D in a language she speaks all day. I'm going to be a smart ass here and make a point of that. Insert sarcasm:
Teacher - What's your native language?
Student - Russian!
END SCENE
Where do you go from there?
On a side note. I had this student's twin brother last year, and he did have a rather thick Russian accent.
Why didn't I remember this important fact before making my sarcastic comment? Ask any teacher. Once a kid leaves your class, your brain gets wiped.
His Spanish speaking twin, on the other hand, has a flawless American accent.
How is this possible? Let's find out.
INT. CLASSROOM - LATER
Teacher - Can I ask you a personal question?
Student (cheerfully) - Sure.
Teacher - I had your brother last year, and he has a Russian accent. You don't. Why not?
Student - Oh, we moved here when we were hella' young. My brother just played video games by himself. I'm not good at video games so I watched TV all the time.
Teacher - Hmmm.
Student - I guess there's like a developmental point where you can learn a language hella' good and he missed it because he was sitting on the couch too much playing video games. That's why he has an accent.
Teacher - Interesting.
END SCENE
So there you have it. TV good. Video games bad.
And that in a nutshell is why I still like to teach.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Day Five
An easy day. My sophomores are two chapters deep into Of Mice and Men . For those of you unfamiliar with the book, Of Mice and Men tells the story of two traveling companions, Lennie and George, who end up working on a ranch where they meet a femme fatale, a married, but very bored beauty queen who has no one to talk to on a ranch...Full of men! Unable to resist her charms, Lennie accidentally kills her, which leads to the book's tragic ending. But now I'm getting way ahead of the game...
As an into (a series of questions that are supposed to get students into the right head space to discuss the book), I asked them these questions...
1) Is flirting good or bad?
2) Why do people flirt if they are already in a relationship?
3) Why do people cheat in a relationship?
4) Is it ever okay to cheat?
5) Instead of having an affair, why don't people just get a divorce?
Needless to say, I opened a Pandora's Box with this one. Sometimes I forget how immature fifteen year olds can be, but I was left with this one gem.
Teacher - Is it ever okay to cheat?
Student (boy) - Yeah, if they're a psycho killer or something!
Teacher - A psycho killer? That's the kind of person you want to cheat on?
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
As an into (a series of questions that are supposed to get students into the right head space to discuss the book), I asked them these questions...
1) Is flirting good or bad?
2) Why do people flirt if they are already in a relationship?
3) Why do people cheat in a relationship?
4) Is it ever okay to cheat?
5) Instead of having an affair, why don't people just get a divorce?
Needless to say, I opened a Pandora's Box with this one. Sometimes I forget how immature fifteen year olds can be, but I was left with this one gem.
Teacher - Is it ever okay to cheat?
Student (boy) - Yeah, if they're a psycho killer or something!
Teacher - A psycho killer? That's the kind of person you want to cheat on?
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Monday, February 7, 2011
Day Four
Every week, my students learn ten new vocabulary words. The most effective way to teach vocabulary is to have students read the word in the context of a sentence. Often teachers pick words from the book that their students are reading to achieve this goal. The only problem though is students often don't look up the definition until after they've seen it in the book. To counteract this, I write my own sentences like so...
1) In lieu of paying the contractor the $2,000.00 he owes him, the attorney has agreed to work off his bill by furnishing his friend with solid legal advice.
2) The contractor is being sued for lewd behavior by a woman of ninety-four.
3) The whole thing is one giant misunderstanding that needs to be rectified.
4) The contractor, a portly man with a giant posterior, has trouble buying pants that fit so he has to buy trousers that are very large.
5) An absentminded man, the contractor forgot to wear his belt the day he visited the ninety four year olds’ house and when he climbed up the ladder, his pants fell down, right in front of the old woman’s bedroom window!
6) The contractor suddenly found himself in a precarious position. If he tried to pull up his pants, he’d most certainly fall off the ladder so he did nothing, rationalizing that the senior citizens would see the humor in it. After all, his boxers had rainbows on them.
7) Quite to the contrary, the old woman saw no humor in it. Shocked, she dropped an antique teapot worth $10,000.00, breaking it into a million pieces.
My students read the underlined words and then try to guess what they mean. Afterwards, everyone shares, and I help them figure out the correct definitions. Easy. I get the words from a SAT book and everyone's happy.
Here's a little excerpt from today. The key words being lewd and precarious.
Teacher - What do you think precarious means?
Students #1 - Stuck in a hard position?
The class laughs!
Student #2 - Stuck in a hard position? That's so lewd!
See they're learning!
And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Day Three
On Friday, my sophomores and I went over Harold and Maude, a film about an unconventional love affair between Harold, a twenty year old, suicide obsessed trust fund baby, and Maude, an eighty year old holocaust survivor, who's obsessed with living life to the fullest. It's a great film, chock full of symbolism that leans heavily on nature.
During our discussion, I asked my kids why the idea of nature was so central to Harold and Maude's relationship? They came up with some good stuff. They felt that the two characters' love "grew" throughout the film and they "grew" closer together. Both acceptable answers, but I wanted them to dig deeper, pardon the bad pun.
I then asked them about what happens when a tree or an animal dies in nature? "It decomposes and becomes part of the earth" was their reply.
Now we were getting somewhere.
So how does this relate to Harold and Maude's relationship?
Spoiler alert!!!
If you haven't seen the movie, you might want to look away. For the entire movie, Maude shows Harold how beautiful life can be, culminating in Harold losing his virginity to this old woman.
There are two reasons why I like to show my students this film. The first reason revolves around what we've been discussing so far. The second? I love to see the look of utter horror in my students' faces when they realize Harold has just slept with Maude.
Soon after Harold loses his virginity to Maude, he decides to marry her. But alas their romance is short lived because on her eightieth birthday Maude swallows a bunch of pills and kills herself.
End of spoiler.
So how does Maude's death echo the circle of life?
When plants die, they decompose and add nutrients to the soil, thereby giving life to other living things. And this is exactly what Maude does for Harold. Through her influence, Harold becomes a stronger, better person.
While we were discussing this, it suddenly occurred to me that by burying ourselves in coffins we have completely cut ourselves off from the circle of life. When we die, we don't fertilize the earth. In other words, we don't give back. We just take.
It was then that one of my "shining lights" brought up worms. "Don't worms get into the coffin and eat us when we die?"
"Yes, you're right. So in a sense worms are like taxi cabs, shuttling us back to nature. They chew us up and spit us right out!"
So in the end, we're nothing but worm fecal matter. I guess that's why we push up daisies. It's the circle of life! Thanks Harold and Maude.
And that in a nutshell is why I like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye.
During our discussion, I asked my kids why the idea of nature was so central to Harold and Maude's relationship? They came up with some good stuff. They felt that the two characters' love "grew" throughout the film and they "grew" closer together. Both acceptable answers, but I wanted them to dig deeper, pardon the bad pun.
I then asked them about what happens when a tree or an animal dies in nature? "It decomposes and becomes part of the earth" was their reply.
Now we were getting somewhere.
So how does this relate to Harold and Maude's relationship?
Spoiler alert!!!
If you haven't seen the movie, you might want to look away. For the entire movie, Maude shows Harold how beautiful life can be, culminating in Harold losing his virginity to this old woman.
There are two reasons why I like to show my students this film. The first reason revolves around what we've been discussing so far. The second? I love to see the look of utter horror in my students' faces when they realize Harold has just slept with Maude.
Soon after Harold loses his virginity to Maude, he decides to marry her. But alas their romance is short lived because on her eightieth birthday Maude swallows a bunch of pills and kills herself.
End of spoiler.
So how does Maude's death echo the circle of life?
When plants die, they decompose and add nutrients to the soil, thereby giving life to other living things. And this is exactly what Maude does for Harold. Through her influence, Harold becomes a stronger, better person.
While we were discussing this, it suddenly occurred to me that by burying ourselves in coffins we have completely cut ourselves off from the circle of life. When we die, we don't fertilize the earth. In other words, we don't give back. We just take.
It was then that one of my "shining lights" brought up worms. "Don't worms get into the coffin and eat us when we die?"
"Yes, you're right. So in a sense worms are like taxi cabs, shuttling us back to nature. They chew us up and spit us right out!"
So in the end, we're nothing but worm fecal matter. I guess that's why we push up daisies. It's the circle of life! Thanks Harold and Maude.
And that in a nutshell is why I like teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Day Two
Before I start...
A little disclaimer:
I am a horrible speller, and my punctuation can be spotty. In fact, I'm so bad that I frequently misspell words on the blackboard (sorry, dry erase board just doesn't have the same ring to it).
Now, most of the time my kids don't notice. They, like me, are the children of spellcheck. But sometimes, I get called on it.
The occasion that sticks out the most to me was when I was, thankfully, teaching my students about dramatic irony. According to Dictionary. com, dramatic irony is "An outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected."
A teacher is supposed to know how to spell, right? I misspelled a word. A kid called me on it. My reply, "I'm glad you caught that, Johnny. Class, a teacher who can't spell, that's an example of dramatic irony!"
Now that I've gotten that out of the way...
Day Two
For the last two months, I've been teaching Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest, the story of a clash of wills between Randle P. McMurphy and his nemesis, Nurse Ratched. Over the course of the novel, these two characters duke it out to win the hearts and minds of the "acutes", the patients in the hospital, who can leave at any time, but won't because they are too scared to face the outside world, believing that they are "broken."
Got that? No? Go watch the movie then.
On Thursday, I brought in Bob Dylan's "To Ramona" to help demonstrate the mindset of a depressed person. In the song, Ramona's lover desperately tries to convince her that she has placed too much emphasis on people, places, and things, a recipe for disaster.
Like the acutes in Cuckoo's Nest, Ramona worries too much about what other people think; and as a result, she's a slave to her negative feelings when she doesn't match up. She lives in "A world that doesn't exist", AKA depression.
Anyway...It's a great song and it's chock full of great lines that I won't bore you with right now. But like all Bob Dylan songs (at least for me), there's always something new to learn. In the last verse, Bob drops this bombshell:
"Everything passes
Everything changes
Just do what you think you should do
And someday, maybe
Who knows, babyI'll come and be cryin' to you."
The line that really popped out to me was "Just do what you think you should do." The whole song, the guy is desperately trying to change this girl's mind, but in the end, he has the wisdom and strength to say, "Just do what you think you should do." In other words, he recognizes that you can't change anyone. If someone wants to bottom out, let them. Maybe then, they'll make a change...or not.
Why is this important? Because as an educator, I'm constantly battling this with my students. I want the best for them, but I can't prop them up. It take two to tango, babe, and I can't drag one hundred and seventy people around the dance floor. It's too tiring, and they are not learning on their own.
Did my student's understand Mr. Dylan's sentiment? Yes. Are they going to do anything about it?
"...Maybe
Who knows, baby
I'll come and be cryin' to you."
In other words, give someone the chance to make a mistake, so when the time comes, they'll have real hands on experience to help someone else out...Or not.
"Just do what you think you should do."
That's the best lesson of them all.
And that, in a nutshell, is why I still enjoy teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Works Cited (I am an English teacher!)
Dylan, Bob. "To Ramona."Another Side of Bob Dylan. CD. Columbia Records. 2010.
"Irony." 5/3/2011. Dictionary.com. 2011.
A little disclaimer:
I am a horrible speller, and my punctuation can be spotty. In fact, I'm so bad that I frequently misspell words on the blackboard (sorry, dry erase board just doesn't have the same ring to it).
Now, most of the time my kids don't notice. They, like me, are the children of spellcheck. But sometimes, I get called on it.
The occasion that sticks out the most to me was when I was, thankfully, teaching my students about dramatic irony. According to Dictionary. com, dramatic irony is "An outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected."
A teacher is supposed to know how to spell, right? I misspelled a word. A kid called me on it. My reply, "I'm glad you caught that, Johnny. Class, a teacher who can't spell, that's an example of dramatic irony!"
Now that I've gotten that out of the way...
Day Two
For the last two months, I've been teaching Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest, the story of a clash of wills between Randle P. McMurphy and his nemesis, Nurse Ratched. Over the course of the novel, these two characters duke it out to win the hearts and minds of the "acutes", the patients in the hospital, who can leave at any time, but won't because they are too scared to face the outside world, believing that they are "broken."
Got that? No? Go watch the movie then.
On Thursday, I brought in Bob Dylan's "To Ramona" to help demonstrate the mindset of a depressed person. In the song, Ramona's lover desperately tries to convince her that she has placed too much emphasis on people, places, and things, a recipe for disaster.
Like the acutes in Cuckoo's Nest, Ramona worries too much about what other people think; and as a result, she's a slave to her negative feelings when she doesn't match up. She lives in "A world that doesn't exist", AKA depression.
Anyway...It's a great song and it's chock full of great lines that I won't bore you with right now. But like all Bob Dylan songs (at least for me), there's always something new to learn. In the last verse, Bob drops this bombshell:
"Everything passes
Everything changes
Just do what you think you should do
And someday, maybe
Who knows, babyI'll come and be cryin' to you."
The line that really popped out to me was "Just do what you think you should do." The whole song, the guy is desperately trying to change this girl's mind, but in the end, he has the wisdom and strength to say, "Just do what you think you should do." In other words, he recognizes that you can't change anyone. If someone wants to bottom out, let them. Maybe then, they'll make a change...or not.
Why is this important? Because as an educator, I'm constantly battling this with my students. I want the best for them, but I can't prop them up. It take two to tango, babe, and I can't drag one hundred and seventy people around the dance floor. It's too tiring, and they are not learning on their own.
Did my student's understand Mr. Dylan's sentiment? Yes. Are they going to do anything about it?
"...Maybe
Who knows, baby
I'll come and be cryin' to you."
In other words, give someone the chance to make a mistake, so when the time comes, they'll have real hands on experience to help someone else out...Or not.
"Just do what you think you should do."
That's the best lesson of them all.
And that, in a nutshell, is why I still enjoy teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Works Cited (I am an English teacher!)
Dylan, Bob. "To Ramona."Another Side of Bob Dylan. CD. Columbia Records. 2010.
"Irony." 5/3/2011. Dictionary.com. 2011.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Day One
Today had its laughs. I taught my juniors appositive phrases. For those of you who don't know what an appositive phrase is, here's a quick tutorial. An appositive phrase basically fills in information, making essays more descriptive.
For example: Mr. Birds-Eye, a new blogger, is blogging. A new blogger being an appositive phrase.
Got it. Good. Let's move on.
To aid me in my lesson, I was using a severely outdated text book, an artifact from the Carter administration. An artifact from the Carter administration being an appositive phrase.
Sorry.
The authors of this volume either had a great sense of humor, or they were completely oblivious. I'm guessing oblivious, because as an example they've written, "My blooming pussy willow tree, the first sign of Spring in my garden, nets me twenty cents a twig."
Needless to say, my class was in stitches. Being a good teacher (more like wanting to cover my ass) I made sure to tell my students that this example was school sanctioned, tailor made for children.
I also made sure to inform them that the pussy willow was, in fact, a real tree, prompting one of my "guiding lights" to ask, "What grows on it?"
And there in a nutshell is why I still enjoy teaching.
Signing off.
Birds-Eye
Hello, from the Trenches
First off, I am a high school English teacher. The where and why aren't really important, and needless to say every name I will use here on in has been changed to protect...my job.
I've been teaching for three years now, traditionally the make or break of the profession. Many discover they just can't hack it and move on, others just get bitter and stay in for the long haul, cursing every waking moment as they count down the days to summer, and then there are still others who truly love what they are doing, the anointed ones!
Me? I fall somewhere in the middle. I like what I do, but.....Well, let's just say things are starting to get to me. No, it has nothing to do with budget problems or an inept administration breathing down my back holding handfuls of scantrons, screaming, "You must raise these scores!"
It doesn't even have anything to do with the kids, bless their hearts.
It's me. I'm the one messing with me. So in an attempt to reboot my year (thank god, it's almost over!) I've decided to write this blog to remind myself why I got into this business in the first place. Everything I write will lean towards the positive...Geez, this is going to be a challenge...And it is my hope that by doing this I can soldier on for...well, we'll see...
Forward march.
Mr. Birds-Eye
I've been teaching for three years now, traditionally the make or break of the profession. Many discover they just can't hack it and move on, others just get bitter and stay in for the long haul, cursing every waking moment as they count down the days to summer, and then there are still others who truly love what they are doing, the anointed ones!
Me? I fall somewhere in the middle. I like what I do, but.....Well, let's just say things are starting to get to me. No, it has nothing to do with budget problems or an inept administration breathing down my back holding handfuls of scantrons, screaming, "You must raise these scores!"
It doesn't even have anything to do with the kids, bless their hearts.
It's me. I'm the one messing with me. So in an attempt to reboot my year (thank god, it's almost over!) I've decided to write this blog to remind myself why I got into this business in the first place. Everything I write will lean towards the positive...Geez, this is going to be a challenge...And it is my hope that by doing this I can soldier on for...well, we'll see...
Forward march.
Mr. Birds-Eye
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