Sunday, February 26, 2012

"Is it good for man[kind] to be alone?"

I found myself in a very frustrating situation and I was finding myself quickly becoming frustrated.
I hated it. 
I stopped myself from escalating that wretched feeling that starts in the back of my stomach.  I recognized that the situation was not caused intentionally, and I really did not need to be getting upset. I recalled a time when I would not have gotten upset.  I missed those days. 
Correction. 
I miss me as I was during those days. 

I had time to think more about how I got to be a bit less unlike that girl I worked so hard to become.  I liked her very much.  Luckily I still see her in myself quite often.  However, with the ever increasing amount of time I have to spend with myself, thinking about myself, working on my goals, thinking about my school, about my soon to be career... well it's far easier to slip from that girl I was able to once be.

I've been single for some time now.  I do not mind. 
Much. 
I am very happy.  I do not sulk.  Nor do I think I'm doomed to be alone the rest of my life.  I'd consider myself a healthy single person. 
However, after this moment of amounting frustration and me realizing that I wasn't quite 'myself' lately I thought "This, this is why we have families.  So that on days when it's just that much harder to work hard we have someone else to work hard for."
It is far easier to get out of bed early when you're getting up early because someone else is counting on you.  It is far easier to keep a promise to someone you love more than it is to keep a promise to yourself.
So being alone I understand how truly vital it is for us not to be alone.  How much easier it is to fight and stand up for the right things in life when you are fighting with someone else. When someone else is depending on you to fight with them. To stand up with them. So they don't have to stand up alone.  

"No. It is not good for man[kind] to be alone..."

Friday, February 10, 2012

Teaching...

I'm going to be a teacher.  I had no idea what this endeavor would entail when I began my graduate degree.  Seriously, don't you think "Oh you take some information and teach it." Nope not quite. Here are just a few things that you are supposed to always remember.
1. Everybody can learn.
2. Don't make kids dumber.
3. Every student learns differently.
4. Find out each students back ground knowledge.
5. Keep in mind their learning styles.
6. Teach to the required core.
7. Be creative.
8. Get students to be active in their learning.
9. Be assessing their learning.
10. Make them feel safe.
11. Find out their reading levels.
12. Don't just give tests and quizzes.
13. Make new information applicable to the student.
14. Be firm in your rules.
15. Make sure they know you care about them.
16. Don't step on any toes within the school administration the first 3 years of teaching.
17. Join a teachers union or not to join a teachers union?
18. What committee will you be apart of?
19. Get the parents involved.
20. Accommodate all levels of learners in each lesson.
21. Find ways to hold kids accountable.
22. Make group work effective.
23. Help make students into productive people in society.(Really that's the whole point of public education. Does it happen?... Not so much.)
24.
25.

Seriously though I could keep going.  Needless to say, I really am starting to think that I've chosen probably the hardest profession out there.  If only I didn't love it so much. (Sigh) 

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Words for thought...

For class this evening I went to hear a guest lecturer on the topic of 'critical race theory.' I have never heard much on this topic so I was interested.  Instead of taking you through the majority of the lecture I'll share with you the question that he posed to us.

Imagine that aliens made contact with the united states. They came down and told the united states government that they,(the aliens) would solve all the problems the United States is facing today if in exchange they would give them, (the aliens) all the black Americans. Would you say yes?

In 1994 HBO created a 3 part mini series called 'Cosmic Slop.' This is the first of the three parts called "Space Traders." So this short film highlights this issue.  Before agreeing, the U.S. Government asks to see proof from the aliens.  The aliens in turn change the statue of liberty into pure gold, not to be pretty but to provide money.  They then get all the pollution out of the lakes.  It's all very cheesy with the special effects but you get the point.

So what do you think they decided to do?  They put it to a vote whether or not they should agree to this.  Everyone in the country was supposed to call one of two numbers. One for yes, and another for no. The vote was a landslide "yes." The short film ends with the black Americans being tractor-beamed up into space ships.

Crazy right? Well, what if we really did have to make that decision.  Many would say or hope to think that they would not agree to it and think of humanity first.  But sadly, seeing the world as it is today I have a hard time believing that this piece of fiction would not become a piece of non-fiction. 

But then I thought.  So what if Americans did agree to this?  Sure the aliens would deliver on their word, but I imagine that the clean water would get dirty quite quickly.  And that debt that would be paid would probably accumulate after too long.

I don't know where superiority started.  It's been around throughout the history of this planet.  But it sure does produce some pretty sad and disgusting results. 

p.s. Sorry. Not a fun post like last time. But I'm realizing very quickly that being a good history teacher is going to be really hard.







Friday, February 3, 2012

The Secret to Falling in Love

I've found it. The secret to love. It's been staring me in the face my whole life. For centuries it's been proven to develop lasting and enduring feelings of true love. No other method has been proven as effective. But I'll have you know that I'm convinced this is what's wrong with the world today, we've taken out the one thing that guarantees true love as a result.

Dancing.











Tell me I'm wrong!

(Wow. This is very fitting for Valentines Day! I didn't even plan that!)