A Miscellaneous Day...

I love my curriculum days with my coworder Lily.  She is just as (if not more) relaxed and non-structured as I am!  We do a lot of team teaching together, including teaching American History and American Literature together thematically.  It's so easy to sit down with her, sometimes with a few margaritas, and talk out our plans.  So rarely do we actually write things down, unless we need a reminder of something.  It's wonderful!  We come up with different activities and field trips... then, when we know our principal isn't going to be a huge fan of our ideas, we go in together, with a united front, and a way to tie our field trip into the curriculum!  It's so relaxing and doesn't feel like work!  So we did that the other day, while my dogs lay underneath our feet and got one class done.  On Thursday, I'll head to her house and we'll continue to work, only this time on Walk About (a PHENOMENAL independent study class that Lily created based on an Australian tradition).  It's one of my new classes next year that I have to prepare.


The rest of my day... reading!  I've been a reading machine!  Now, granted I can't do much right now since I have a sunburn and should be out of the sun, but still!  I've finished 3 books in about 4 days.  Yes... I do have spare time, but I enjoy this better than lesson planning. 


Currently reading... In the Woods by Tana French.  According to my cousin E, it's a FANTASTIC book.  We shall find out...

A Sad Day...

It truly happens... VERY sad days in teaching.  I got a call today that one of our students, a 17 year old boy, was shot and killed last night.  It's so heartbreaking.  As teachers, we do whatever we possibly can.  We put our heart and soul into helping these kids, but sometimes they just become... stuck.  I know that our school is a Title 1 school (meaning we have a HUGE percentage of students that receive free or reduced lunch... aka we're the poor district), and troubled neighborhoods and problematic lifestyles are common with my kids, but I do become slightly defeated when tragedies like this happen.


What really adds to it is the ignorance of the rest of society.  I was reading the article online, and people posted comments underneath the article.  One post said, "Just build a fence around the neighborhood and let them kill each other."  Another said something to the effect of "bam bam thank you mam..."  What is wrong with people?!  What could possibly bring people to say things like this about other people?  About kids!?  Sure, let's just say their low life gang bangers who made their own choices... but I think that's crap.  Where is the rest of the world to step in and help show these kids there is another way?  Teachers are only around for 9 months... who is there to help them the rest of the year?  We can only help guide them during our school hours... who is there at night to keep them safe and help them realize the amazing potential they have within themselves?


Today is a sad day... and my heart is a little broken...

The World Cup...

Here's what I think is amazing... the World Cup.  First of all, it's taking place in South Africa, which has had a ridiculously long history of turbulation, including over 40 years of apartheid (although segregation has existed there since the Dutch arrived in the 1800s).  Then they have their first black president in the 1990s (Nelson Mandela) who's chore it is to unite his nation... which he does!  It's amazing!!!  Now, the African continent is not doing so great in the cup, BUT the amount of publicity and money being brought into South Africa is fantastic!!  Even watching the beginning of the games, the kids that get to walk out on the field either with the team members or carrying out flags are all smiles!  It's a HUGE experience for them!!

Secondly, I read this article in National Geographic (Jun 2006, Why the World Loves Soccer) during the last World Cup, and it discusses how the World Cup actually unites the world.  Countries that are in civil wars, fighting other nations, etc, actually STOP fighting during the World Cup!  In my opinion, it's more unifying than the Olympics!  Soccer (aka football) is played all over the world.  Many people spend their whole lives playing soccer.  I am absolutely amazed!!  You don't hear stories about how fans go off and get too drunk, causing fights and riots in the streets.  They just celebrate together!  They love their teams, but they LOVE watching soccer!  

I wasn't raised to love soccer... to be quite honest, I played soccer when I was in first grade, and I was the goalie.  My team was really good, so they we always on the other side of the field... and I happen to be the only girl.  It was very lonely down on my end, so I'd often play in the sand and draw pictures, maybe spin in circles, or try to catch ladybugs.  Needless to say, my parents took me out of soccer after that, thus removing any hope I had for becoming a world famous soccer player.  BUT, I still really like watching the World Cup.  And to be quite honest, it's more fun for me than watching, say, the NBA Finals or the World Series.  It's an amazing event in the world that actually causes people to pause and just enjoy life, even if the pause is only temporary.  

(Yes... those are some stirrup pants I'm sporting, and I was so proud to be #1)

SO, my theory is, if people can stop fighting to watch their teams play in the World Cup, there's hope for ending the conflicts for good.  A bit idealistic, I understand, but we can hope... 

Reading...

I love that during the summer hours I can choose to sit outside in the beautiful sunny dry weather and read a book.  The best part?  The book may have NOTHING to do with teaching.  For example, I just finished reading an EXCELLENT book called Sarah's Key.  It does have some historical stuff in it, but it wasn't like reading text books or supplemental materials.  The story bounces between to ladies.  One is a little girls experience during the round up of French Jews during 1942... which is interesting, but the French often downplay their role in the Holocaust and rounding up Jews for the Germans.  The other story is from "present day" of an American lady living in France and is a journalist.  She's doing a story on the round up and discovers her family's ties with the young girl.  If anyone has some spare time, it's an easy, great read.


Other books on my reading list this summer?
The Lord of the Flies (Yes... I've never read this book before)
Baby Proof
Love the One You're With
And anything else people suggest to me... we have a looooooooooooooooong trip to Europe approaching.   Seriously... feel free to send suggestions!  

Podcasts!!

I love podcasts!!  As I've been working on my housework, I've been listening to the past two years of blogs from "How Stuff Work: Stuff You Missed in History Class".  FANTASTIC!!  Although there are a lot of things I've already learned from taking history classes all my life, and randomly fulfilling my curiosity through my unhealthy love of research, these podcasts add little fun stories that I have discovered would be great "fun facts" to add to my lessons.  My favorites are about Elizabeth I, which isn't surprising, because I love her!  She's absolutely fascinating!  Henry VIII was a little crazy with his 8 wives, but Elizabeth was a beautiful byproduct.... and, as the podcast mentions, one of the original players in the world.  She was quiet the little flirt, with no intention of ever marrying.  

I never thought much about podcasts.  I just thought they were for people who enjoy listening to talk radio... and to be honest, I've never had to spend time working in the yard... well, with the exception of childhood chores of mowing the lawn, but that was back when podcasts didn't exist, much less iPods.  I'd walk around jamming with my sony walkman...  In any case, I never thought much of talk radio.  I enjoy working to my VERY random mix of music.  For whatever reason, however, I decided to look at the podcasts on iTunes.  That's when I ran across "Stuff You Missed in History Class".  It made me think of the book Lies my Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen, and I was curiosity.  Well... you know the saying... curiosity killed the cat, and so, I started downloading.  And now, I'm hooked!  


In case you're curious... enjoy the website!

Summer Vacation...

I know... I should be starting my archieving projects... but I'm not yet.  Instead, I've started doing all those projects I never have time to do during the school year.


You know the hard part about getting married and moving into a new house the week before the school year started?  You really have no time to get the house completely set up.  So we've have no backyard for a year, boxes filling up the basement that I haven't opened since I moved out here, and the little loving details you normally can add to a house.  So far this week we've had the chance to plant 6 trees in our backyard.  I've finally planted my four lilac bushes... and they'll be lovely as long as my dog stops digging holes by my bushes.  And I've almost finished staining our back fence and finished my adirondack chair.  It'll be beautiful when it's finished.  Surprisingly, I really do enjoy these projects.  They have NOTHING to do with school, and that's a nice break for my brain.


Of course there's still that guilt that I should be working on some school stuff every now and then, but I can't do much until I hear from my principal about the schedule.  So until then, it's house projects and relaxation time.  I need to mentally prepare for my vacation anyway!  The other side effect of stating school immediately after getting married... no honeymoon time.  SO, instead we're going to vacation to someplace AMAZING (where I can experience history while on vacation) and consider it our honeymoon/anniversary trip.  LOVELY!!  I'm excited!!  


Until then... the adirondack chair and the fence... and slowly the basement...

Class is over...

What a wonderful class this past week!!!  I got to reconnect with friends from various schools... travel to a museum and play in the dress up section... and gain a WHOLE bunch more knowledge.  


For starters, I learned all about how railroads developed the West.  VERY interesting!  Dr. Carlos Schwantes was an amazing speaker, discussing how the West wasn't developed, and railroad companies had to determine how our western portion of America was to be laid out.  These same railroad managers are actually who created time zones and where the time zones would be located.  THEN, he gave another presentation on how our society had been altered based on our transportation methods.  We talked about airplanes, railroads, etc.  SO fantastic!!!!


After our amazing trip to the museum, we were welcomed back with more presentations.  Dr. Ruth Cowen Schwartz gave two amazing presentations on the changing roles of women throughout American History AND their involvement in technology.  One of the most interesting sections was women's role in contraception.  SO fascinating!!  It was actually headed by a lady who, after getting married, found out her husband was schizophrenic and beginning his first break.  She didn't want to be forced to have children only to continue to pass the disease, since schizophrenia is hereditary.  So, being a wealthy, intelligent female, she worked with one other lady to fight against the Comstock Laws (banned the advertisement, sales, etc. of ALL contraception)... and the ladies were successful.  THEN they began working towards the development of a contraceptive pill in order to reduce pregnancies in third world countries!  The ladies realized that these countries needed to reduce the number of babies born in order to improve the conditions of these countries.  So fascinating! (At least to this nerd).  Finally, we had a presentation by a local museum curator who talked about the history of our city in comparison with the development of other neighboring cities.  VERY fun stuff!  Especially since I'm not originally from this area, I have the chance to learn more about this region.


Now, my final assignments will come from fun time in the local achieves. Love it!


The only down side of the week... my principal called to discuss next year's classes.  Because of the new pay for performance plan, if my students don't pass the tests they won't get credit for the class EVEN if they do amazing in the class!  My district is making me sooooo mad!!  And I feel bad because I know my principal isn't in favor of these new changes.  He knows that these choices are going to be very harmful to our students but he has no choice.  I am so very upset by this! But there's nothing I can do... and the ones that will suffer are my students.  I don't understand how our superintendent can be so blind.  He has an image of what a student is... he/she is a perfect angel who has a strong desire to excel at everything, comes from a happy and healthy family with no outside problems, etc.  Even though he understands that he works in a school district of a more impoverished population, he still believes that all kids learn the same way and there is no excuse for why a teacher can't get through to 100% of his/her students.  Sometimes I just think he needs a HUGE wake up call!  No student learns the same.  No student fits perfected into a round hole... they're all different shapes with different styles and backgrounds and needs.  I really think you should only be in control of educational systems if you were a longer term educator... not 2 years of teaching.  I've taught for 2 years so far, and I really don't think that I've even hit the tip of the iceberg with  how much I still have to learn about students and education. 


Oi... vay

Day 1 of Summer School!!

Is it nerdy that I love summer school?  Well... it's okay, because we've established I'm a nerd.  And I LOVE my class!!  :)  Today we had some great lectures by Dr. Christopher Doyle.  He's one of the few people I've met that went from teaching college to teaching high school!  Good man!!  Anyway, we had some great discussions.  First we talked about the change in America to being clock centered (meaning people's lives revolve around the clock, as opposed to the seasons, sun, big events, etc.)  It was great!!  Definitely proof that no one loves to discuss history more than history teachers.   If someone were to walk into the room during our lectures, we'd all look like a bunch of sponges just soaking up the knowledge. 


Our second lecture, also by Chris, was more of a discussion.  We were talking about the different between the integration of technology by Northern and Southern states, and whether that caused the Civil War.  We also talked about the idea of "gentlemanly honor" of Southern gentleman.  So fascinating!!  Did you know that Southern gentleman were cared more about someone insulted their honor than being right?  And duals!!  What the heck is up with Southern men and their duals?!  Amazing!!  All in all, a great day at class.  And one of the other best parts of this class?  FREE HISTORY BOOKS!!!  We got 5 new books today... and not lame textbooks, but books I actually want to read!!!  I'm so excited!  Take, for example, the book Honor and Slavery.  It discusses the correlation between Southern men's honor and slavery.  Interestingly enough... the two go hand in hand. 


Well... I suppose that's enough of my nerdiness for one day.  I'll have more knowledge to share as the week goes on...  until then, I am thoroughly enjoying summer!!