Every year I get this horrible cough. I don’t know what it is. I have been sick, at least a little, since last Sunday. So I am going on two weeks. It isn’t pretty. Plus, last night, the horrible cough came on.

The horrible cough consists of coughing and hacking and hacking and coughing for what seems to be no reason. I am not congested. I just have an irrepressible urge to cough over and over until I wish someone would smack me in the head and knock me into sweet oblivion. Last night, as I caught up on my missed L Word episodes, I realized that the cough was here in earnest. Nothing stops it. Not Vicks Vaporub, cough syrup, nothing.

Last night I coughed instead of slept. Then I had to come to work. I could barely teach because of the coughing. The students stared at me somewhat sympathetically, but also looking concerned that I may be infecting them with something. One of my students asked me if I was positive that I didn’t have SARS.

So now, I am going to brave the local clinic. I have insurance, but I hate to go anyway. I know I will be in a room with screaming, infected babies and pale elderly people. I will be afraid to touch the magazines or breathe the air. My only hope is that I get some cough syrup with Codeine. Sweet, sweet codeine.  ¶ 3:06 PM

  I don't even know where to start with America's Next Top Model.

I am so angry. Brita was my favorite. I thought that we was really the most classically beautiful girl there. Though classically beautiful doesn't necessarily have to win the competition, I don't think that she deserved to be booted off the first episode. She was so much more attractive than most of the other girls. And she seemed pretty cool.

She did take a terrible picture-- but most of the winners have, by the end. And is she really less of a top model than googly-eyes? Manly Stanley? No-neck wrestler girl?

And will Tiffany ever stop crying? It seems like if someone asked her if she wanted a sandwich it would somehow end up with a story about how she slept on a bed of nails in a crackhouse with her baby or something.

I thought that Brittany was awful subdued this last episode. And I like Lluvy and Naima.

In other non-reality show news, I figured out what to teach next. I thank everyone for the suggestions. I may use them at a later date. I decided to do a folk-tale unit. I like doing this unit because I get to read the kids stories. I always pretend it is "story time" and I act exactly like I did when I was a pre-school teacher. The eighth-graders I teach get a big kick out me having them gather around on the floor and saying things like "This is a big rabbit, isn't it boys and girls? If you have ever seen a rabbit, please put your finger on your nose." They are strangely willing to embarrass themselves in this way. I love it.

I will go mourn the loss of Brita, now.  ¶ 11:09 AM

  I love the South.

I heard the most wonderful story today. This principal of a school came and spoke to us. He told us the tale of his first year as a vice-principal. He said there were two boys that gave him "fits" (an expression that I love). He tried everything he could think of to make them behave and nothing would work.

So he decided to try to figure out what moved them. He found out that they were very active in their church. So, one Sunday morning, he dressed up and went to the services at their church. When the preacher—who happened to be the boys’ grandmother—asked if anyone wanted to come up and ask for prayers, he walked down to the front of the church.

He asked for help and patience in dealing with the boys. The grandmother/ preacher brought the two boys forward. She then smacked each on the forehead hollering, "What ever is in there, GET OUT! Get out, Satan! Go!"

Apparently the boys were much better behaved after that. Can you imagine? How wonderful to see an irritating student be exorcised.  ¶ 1:30 PM

  I am having a problem. I have no idea what to teach next.

Normally I can sort through my options and come up with something kind of interesting to do with my classes. But I just finished a persuasive writing unit and I don't have anything to follow it. I was going to do a poetry unit, but the other eighth grade teacher isn't ready yet and we need to be aligned so that we can do this slam poetry thing together.

I feel a lot like I did in my first few months of teaching when I would sit in my living room surrounded by textbooks and printouts and teacher resources feeling like I was going to cry. I also know that I am going to be observed very soon (maybe today?) and that makes it even worse.

I don't know why I can't commit to a unit for these next three weeks before spring break. I am at a total loss. I am never sitting in my room right before the bell and not knowing what I am going to do. But I am a little, today.

I got The Outsiders movie. I haven't had time to teach that novel and I think it is an important one. Maybe I will just show this movie and have them answer comprehension questions. Is that legitimate? What is with my weird crisis of faith?

Okay. Calming down. Going to show a movie....  ¶ 7:54 AM

  I am having a very happy teacher morning.

It didn't start that way. I woke up feeling pleasantly refreshed. The sun was streaming through my blinds and I stretched and yawned, happily satiated in my sleep. Then I panicked because normally it is dark as night when I wake up and I feel horribly under-rested.

I had slept through the alarm. I called into school, told them I would be about a half an hour late, and then sped to school. I had visions of all of the terrible things that would occur because I wasn't there and whomever was watching them had no plan. I just imagined chaos when I arrived.

When I got there, however, it turned out that the kids had told the assistant principal who was watching them what they would normally be doing. So I arrived to them starting their morning focus lesson, changing the date and objective on my board, and generally being superstar students. She was impressed and I was flabbergasted. I expected much less of them; and I will try not to do that again.

Also, my kids essays are due today. And I got a stack of these wonderful, type-written essays! And each essay have six paragraphs, just like they are supposed to! That is right, ya'll! Six paragraphs. Unbelievable. I am so pleased.  ¶ 10:56 AM