I received an email with the title,
I think I’ll pass.
Still, it’s not as bad as Armstrong College spelling “curriculum” with two “i’s” (i.e., “cirriculum”) on their “Academics” menu when their little site went live a couple of years ago…
I’m starting my related arts class this quarter. I was scheduled to teach “Study Skills,” but after looking at my roster and talking to folks in guidance, I switched. I’m teaching “Self-Advocacy,” which I’m interpreting as socials skills (i.e., learn the skills to deal with problematic situations and come out positively).
And some of these students really need social skills.
Yesterday, while talking to the new students, I asked one of them her name. She mumbled something, and at the same moment, someone in the front of the class said her name as well. I really didn’t catch either one, so I asked her again.
“She already told you. Why do I gotta tell you again?” she responded, with — as the students would say — attitude.
If I were teaching anything other than social skills, I don’t know that I could have kept my cool as well as I did. I simply turned it into a teachable moment when I had a one-on-one moment with her.
But it’s that kind of response that just floors me. “What in the world are you hoping to accomplish by responding to an innocuous question like that with such disrespect?” I thought.
Another example today: I was handing out note cards. “What are these for?” one young man asked — a young man who has a reputation in the school as one who would talk back to a brick wall. I didn’t say anything immediately and he looked at the note card, looked at me, smacked his teeth, and asked again, “What are these for?!”
Again: “What in the world are you hoping to accomplish by responding that way?”
When L wakes up, she often will lie in bed talking to herself or playing. We often know she’s awake because we hear the thump of her empty bottle falling to the floor. I guess she sometimes feels upset by being cheated: she woke up with a bottle, but the blasted thing was empty. Other times, she’ll just suck on the empty bottle, perhaps wistfully imagining how nice it would be to have a bit of her warmed 10/90 juice/water mixture.
The point being, bottle tossed or no, L doesn’t often wake up and begin crying. Which is pleasant enough.
On his “Issues” page regarding marriage, Huckabee writes,
I support and have always supported passage of a federal constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. As President, I will fight for passage of this amendment. My personal belief is that marriage is between one man and one woman, for life. (Mike Huckabee for President – Issues)
If it’s a personal belief, why literally make a Federal issue out of it?
L has begun eating by herself. Cheerios, small crumbs of bread with jam, and blueberries are her favorites — they all fit perfectly in her wonderfully chubby hands.
Earlier this month, K was giving L some yogurt one evening earlier this month when she decided to let L have a go with a spoon. Of course the paparazzi was there.
Our kitchen door is not the best quality in the world.
It’s been some time since I posted any videos. That’s because it’s been a long time since I had access to the computer on which I edit them. It’s in the guest room, which is now Dziadek’s room, making the computer Dziadek’s computer.
I’m so far behind, it’s not even vaguely amusing. Still, I had some time today while the Girl slept and K and Dziadek were out, so I went through the footage I had and put together a little something from Las Vegas.
On the way: Grand Canyon, Sedona, eating with a spoon, and more…
I was taking a modern American history course. The professor sent us home to watch television — ostensibly to watch history.
Little did we know.
I watched the fire and assumed an evil man had ordered mass suicide.
I assumed that for almost fifteen years.
I no longer assume that.
Waco: The Rules of Engagement.
Netflix members can watch it online.
Once upon a time there lived a man named Ned who worked as a dispatcher for a southern county’s municipal services. One day, after a rare snowfall, Ned received a call from an elderly lady eagerly waiting for the county Tree Shakers.
“Will you please send the Tree Shakers out to my home as soon as possible?” she asked.
“Um, mam, I’m not quite sure I understand you.”
“Oh, you know — my trees are filled with snow and I’m afraid the branches will start breaking. I need the Tree Shakers to come out shake all the snow out of my trees.”
“Ah, I see. Well, mam, all our Tree Shakers are out on call at the moment, but the instant one radios in that he’s done, I’ll send him straight over to your place.”
When the next one’s available, Ned, send him over here.
When it looks like this at night
it’s pretty obvious you’re going to have a snow day.
“Snow day?” my Polish students once asked. “Why, we’d never have school if we had such a thing here!” they declared enviously.
Snow in South Carolina — who’d have guessed?