First Year Teacher
Friday, March 19, 2004
Top Topics of Conversation in My School Today:
1. Weight Loss: especially the "South Beach Diet" and the "Atkins Diet"
2. The college basketball tournament going on right now
3. How the college tournament is affecting the above mentioned diets (i.e. the chips consumed, how many beers, etc.)
4. The recent news story about the North Carolina elementary student who checked out the book "King and King" only to find that it was about two princes who fall in love. Word on the streets here is that it is "disgusting" and "shocking" that such a book exists, much less can be checked out at a school!
I haven't heard the whole story abou the "King and King" book, though I did get an email about it yesterday. I will have to look into it. But gay issues are in the news so much right now. Am I alone in feeling like there is a revolution happening? It really seems incredible to me, whether or not gays are being spoken of positively or not, that this "issue" is so at hand.
I think that everything is about to change. Just like technology has sped up, I hope that social evolution has, too. ¶ 7:32 AM
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1. Weight Loss: especially the "South Beach Diet" and the "Atkins Diet"
2. The college basketball tournament going on right now
3. How the college tournament is affecting the above mentioned diets (i.e. the chips consumed, how many beers, etc.)
4. The recent news story about the North Carolina elementary student who checked out the book "King and King" only to find that it was about two princes who fall in love. Word on the streets here is that it is "disgusting" and "shocking" that such a book exists, much less can be checked out at a school!
I haven't heard the whole story abou the "King and King" book, though I did get an email about it yesterday. I will have to look into it. But gay issues are in the news so much right now. Am I alone in feeling like there is a revolution happening? It really seems incredible to me, whether or not gays are being spoken of positively or not, that this "issue" is so at hand.
I think that everything is about to change. Just like technology has sped up, I hope that social evolution has, too. ¶ 7:32 AM
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Last night I dreamed that I smoked a cigarette. Even while I was dreaming it, I knew that I shouldn't do it.
When I woke up this morning, my chest hurt exactly like when I used to smoke too much the night before.
What's up with that? ¶ 6:31 AM
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When I woke up this morning, my chest hurt exactly like when I used to smoke too much the night before.
What's up with that? ¶ 6:31 AM
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
American Idol is suddenly a snapshot of my life.
It was the weirdest thing, watching it last night. I haven't really been following it, but last night they did these little video's on the lives of each contestant. I was watching it only because there was nothing on right before Top Model, one of my favorites (aren't you glad April left?).
Anyway, one of the contestants was from Oakland, CA, where I lived right before I moved to North Carolina. I got a little nostalgic when I saw her walking with her family around Lake Merritt, a lovely city lake where I used to go for walks sometimes with friends.
But then they showed another contestant who is from Bakersfield, CA, the town where I (mostly) grew up. This was weird and nostalgic. I have not heard more than two or three references to my "hometown" since I ran away from there at fifteen. It is a pretty depressed little city (reminds me a lot of my current home of Rocky Mount), with lots of people but not a lot of anything else. Her video package showed scenes of places I haven't seen in over ten years. Very strange.
So I guess I have been wrangled into watching the show. At least until the Bakersfield girl goes away. I even voted for her by phone-- you have to support a fellow escapee from a gross town. She can also sing! ¶ 8:55 AM
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It was the weirdest thing, watching it last night. I haven't really been following it, but last night they did these little video's on the lives of each contestant. I was watching it only because there was nothing on right before Top Model, one of my favorites (aren't you glad April left?).
Anyway, one of the contestants was from Oakland, CA, where I lived right before I moved to North Carolina. I got a little nostalgic when I saw her walking with her family around Lake Merritt, a lovely city lake where I used to go for walks sometimes with friends.
But then they showed another contestant who is from Bakersfield, CA, the town where I (mostly) grew up. This was weird and nostalgic. I have not heard more than two or three references to my "hometown" since I ran away from there at fifteen. It is a pretty depressed little city (reminds me a lot of my current home of Rocky Mount), with lots of people but not a lot of anything else. Her video package showed scenes of places I haven't seen in over ten years. Very strange.
So I guess I have been wrangled into watching the show. At least until the Bakersfield girl goes away. I even voted for her by phone-- you have to support a fellow escapee from a gross town. She can also sing! ¶ 8:55 AM
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
The fun thing about the internet is sometimes it makes no sense!
Today I was being observed by the Vice Principal. I was feeling good because yesterday we had started on our college project and it was going really well. The kids had started their career assessments and they were really thinking about their futures.
But today when we went into the lab (being watched by the VP), the site we had been using all day yesterday wouldn't come up. It just wouldn't. Don't know why. It sucked.
But we did pull it off and started searching for colleges instead of careers, so maybe it will be okay. It was really cool to watch them talking to each other about the kind of college they wanted to go to and whether or not they would live on campus and all that. They are getting excited about the idea of it. It makes me very happy.
I have still heard nothing about my transfer to the Bay. I don't know exactly what I am supposed to be doing. I would think that I would need some kind of notice, wouldn't I? Oyi. I guess I have pretty much decided I will go to the Bay either way, but it would be nice to have a job. I did talk to a friend the other night about someone she knows who may need a roomate in San Francisco around then. I am feeling okay about not knowing exactly. ¶ 6:48 PM
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Today I was being observed by the Vice Principal. I was feeling good because yesterday we had started on our college project and it was going really well. The kids had started their career assessments and they were really thinking about their futures.
But today when we went into the lab (being watched by the VP), the site we had been using all day yesterday wouldn't come up. It just wouldn't. Don't know why. It sucked.
But we did pull it off and started searching for colleges instead of careers, so maybe it will be okay. It was really cool to watch them talking to each other about the kind of college they wanted to go to and whether or not they would live on campus and all that. They are getting excited about the idea of it. It makes me very happy.
I have still heard nothing about my transfer to the Bay. I don't know exactly what I am supposed to be doing. I would think that I would need some kind of notice, wouldn't I? Oyi. I guess I have pretty much decided I will go to the Bay either way, but it would be nice to have a job. I did talk to a friend the other night about someone she knows who may need a roomate in San Francisco around then. I am feeling okay about not knowing exactly. ¶ 6:48 PM
Monday, March 15, 2004
Just when you think it is spring!
It is pouring outside this morning. It is quite lovely, actually. It's interesting how, when I have a good lesson plan and work for my kids that seems meaningful, I am so much more positive about my day and my life.
I am starting a college/career project with my little monsters. Some state standards that they still have to accomplish are writing a research paper and an essay. So I am going to have them research careers they might be interested in and then choose a college, fill out financial aid paper, etc. That way, when they get to a place where they might think of college they will have some experience with the process. I just remember how long it took me to get up the nerve to fill out that college paper work and think it will be good for them to have seen it before. They are also going to write a college entrance essay. Oh, lofty, yes. But we have time.
I am also going to be holding afterschool workshops on the end of grade test concepts. I am a little less hopeful about that idea. I doubt that very many of them will come. But I am going to try to make it seem exciting. I am considering holding some of them at McDonalds.
Spring break is three weeks away! ¶ 7:03 AM
It is pouring outside this morning. It is quite lovely, actually. It's interesting how, when I have a good lesson plan and work for my kids that seems meaningful, I am so much more positive about my day and my life.
I am starting a college/career project with my little monsters. Some state standards that they still have to accomplish are writing a research paper and an essay. So I am going to have them research careers they might be interested in and then choose a college, fill out financial aid paper, etc. That way, when they get to a place where they might think of college they will have some experience with the process. I just remember how long it took me to get up the nerve to fill out that college paper work and think it will be good for them to have seen it before. They are also going to write a college entrance essay. Oh, lofty, yes. But we have time.
I am also going to be holding afterschool workshops on the end of grade test concepts. I am a little less hopeful about that idea. I doubt that very many of them will come. But I am going to try to make it seem exciting. I am considering holding some of them at McDonalds.
Spring break is three weeks away! ¶ 7:03 AM
