When school starts you don't just ease back into things. You just jump headfirst into it. As I walked up the stairs all I could think was... "fuck! Fuck! Shit!" I wanted another week of vacation. But then you gotta pay the bills. I started off with my CTM and I had them write up a list of 3 academic goals and 2 personal goals.
I really want to work on taking better care of my CTM. Last year I was so overwhelmed with all the things going on in school and my personal life that I didn't get to give my CTM the attention that I wanted to. I will say though that I had 2/3 of my students trend upwards in their cumulative GPA. I got 2 new CTM and will probably get 4 more to take me to 20. There are still some kids enrolling and there was an orientation today so there will be more kids enrolling after interviews are done.
In my classes, I had students make bumper stickers with their names and 4 answers to personal questions in the 4 corners. Then we shared what was on their bumper sticker. This was just an easy way to build community and for students to share things about themselves. My 3rd period Asian American studies class only has 4 people in it right now. That rocks!!! Of course the number will change and it will get bigger but not substantially bigger. This will be cool cause I will get to give more one on one attention and we will get to go on more field trips and stuff. I wanna take them to the Asian art museum, Japantown, and out to lunch at an Asian restaurant.
Here's to hoping the school year and my teaching will be better than last year.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Batteries Recharged
Well... school's starting back up again. The end of last school year was a whirlwind and I just was crazy busy with work. I lost that blogging feeling... Whoa oh that blogging feeling. The last place I wanted to sit was in front of a computer. Unless it was for Civilization IV or something mindlessly fun like that.
I had the honor of graduating 3 seniors. Sure I wasn't with them from 9th grade, but having gone through the trials and tribulations of the school year I was happy to share in their success. Graduation is what it's all about. I'm aware that America doesn't expect or particularly care if these kids graduate or not. But it sure as hell meant a ton to the parents, family, and friends in that room.
The ceremony was fucking hilarious. Our principal forgot a bunch of the diplomas so she asked the kids to hand back the diplomas so they could be recycled. What really I liked about it was that it just had such a familial atmosphere to the whole thing. I mean it was a ceremony but it wasn't all stiff and rigid. It was a colored folks party.
Over the summer, I taught summer school basic math. It was astonishing to me the math illiteracy. Kids couldn't round to the nearest hundred. Kids couldn't write out 534,938 in word form. There was almost a revolt when it came to fractions. But I had a ball. One of my favorite students learned how to do division. She had been going to tutors, therapists, and doctors and she couldn't do it. But we worked together and she learned how to divide. To be an instrument in a kid's learning is a wonderful thing. It makes me high. It makes me want to skip around the room. I had so much fun teaching basic math. There is an instant gratification thing to it. With history it's like ok they kinda sorta get imperialism... but with math you got the right answer or you don't. Anyways, I had so much fun that I'm going to teach basic math during the school year.
Here's some fucked up shit that happened during the summer to a student. 2 of his friends got shot on separate occasions. That made a grand total of 4 friends lost to violence and 1 friend lost to a car accident within the last year and a half. The violence is spiraling out of control here. The problems and inequities in American society are playing out among the most vulnerable first. Then at some point it will affect the middle and upper class and people will wonder how did it come about.
For my break, AL and I remodeled our place and watched all 5 seasons of Six Feet Under. That show is the best show I've ever seen on tv. 60 or so hours of tv. That was my big accomplishment for my summer break! I got low standards. Claire was my favorite character then Keith. Anyways, that show changed the way I think about death. After watching it, AL and I are talking wills and trusts and stuff. Give me 3 months then pull the plug. I think a trimester is a good amount of time. I also want to be cremated. Spread my ashes in the pacific ocean or something. And I'd like people to have a party for my life not a mourning of my death. We are all going to die. It's just a matter of when. What matters is how we live in this life. We gotta live our whole lives with ourself. Isn't that so fucking profound? I know, I'm the frickin Buddha.
So I had a ethical dilemma during the whole remodeling process. I got my floor from this cool store called Ecohome Improvement. They specialize in environmentally conscious home improvement products. Cork reduces noise problems and is sustainably harvested. Their woods are FSC certified. I like the philosophy of the store and it is in line with my philosophy. They are the shit. But their shit is expensive. Nice as hell... but expensive. White people prices.
The kitchen cabinetry and granite I got from this Chinese store. The cost of the cabinetry and granite was less than half the price of buying it at Home Depot. I was getting
the Chinese prices. So here was the problem. I love being Chinese. I love the history and culture of China. But I know my people. I have a pretty good idea that at the prices that they were selling it for it probably wasn't sustainably harvested. It wasn't from an FSC certified forest. But the cost... and the look. The labor was also done by a Chinese friend of the family. He gave me a ridiculously low price on the labor cost. Chinese prices. Gotta support my people and the low prices don't make it less attractive.
So ultimately I went ahead and got the Chinese stuff and told myself that when I get a house I'll get all the ecostuff. But for right now, cheaper is for the most part better. All in all, it was a great summer though I wish it was longer. I know I'll do a lot better job this school year. I'll be less overwhelmed due to familiarity. I can only get better.
I had the honor of graduating 3 seniors. Sure I wasn't with them from 9th grade, but having gone through the trials and tribulations of the school year I was happy to share in their success. Graduation is what it's all about. I'm aware that America doesn't expect or particularly care if these kids graduate or not. But it sure as hell meant a ton to the parents, family, and friends in that room.
The ceremony was fucking hilarious. Our principal forgot a bunch of the diplomas so she asked the kids to hand back the diplomas so they could be recycled. What really I liked about it was that it just had such a familial atmosphere to the whole thing. I mean it was a ceremony but it wasn't all stiff and rigid. It was a colored folks party.
Over the summer, I taught summer school basic math. It was astonishing to me the math illiteracy. Kids couldn't round to the nearest hundred. Kids couldn't write out 534,938 in word form. There was almost a revolt when it came to fractions. But I had a ball. One of my favorite students learned how to do division. She had been going to tutors, therapists, and doctors and she couldn't do it. But we worked together and she learned how to divide. To be an instrument in a kid's learning is a wonderful thing. It makes me high. It makes me want to skip around the room. I had so much fun teaching basic math. There is an instant gratification thing to it. With history it's like ok they kinda sorta get imperialism... but with math you got the right answer or you don't. Anyways, I had so much fun that I'm going to teach basic math during the school year.
Here's some fucked up shit that happened during the summer to a student. 2 of his friends got shot on separate occasions. That made a grand total of 4 friends lost to violence and 1 friend lost to a car accident within the last year and a half. The violence is spiraling out of control here. The problems and inequities in American society are playing out among the most vulnerable first. Then at some point it will affect the middle and upper class and people will wonder how did it come about.
For my break, AL and I remodeled our place and watched all 5 seasons of Six Feet Under. That show is the best show I've ever seen on tv. 60 or so hours of tv. That was my big accomplishment for my summer break! I got low standards. Claire was my favorite character then Keith. Anyways, that show changed the way I think about death. After watching it, AL and I are talking wills and trusts and stuff. Give me 3 months then pull the plug. I think a trimester is a good amount of time. I also want to be cremated. Spread my ashes in the pacific ocean or something. And I'd like people to have a party for my life not a mourning of my death. We are all going to die. It's just a matter of when. What matters is how we live in this life. We gotta live our whole lives with ourself. Isn't that so fucking profound? I know, I'm the frickin Buddha.
So I had a ethical dilemma during the whole remodeling process. I got my floor from this cool store called Ecohome Improvement. They specialize in environmentally conscious home improvement products. Cork reduces noise problems and is sustainably harvested. Their woods are FSC certified. I like the philosophy of the store and it is in line with my philosophy. They are the shit. But their shit is expensive. Nice as hell... but expensive. White people prices.
The kitchen cabinetry and granite I got from this Chinese store. The cost of the cabinetry and granite was less than half the price of buying it at Home Depot. I was getting
the Chinese prices. So here was the problem. I love being Chinese. I love the history and culture of China. But I know my people. I have a pretty good idea that at the prices that they were selling it for it probably wasn't sustainably harvested. It wasn't from an FSC certified forest. But the cost... and the look. The labor was also done by a Chinese friend of the family. He gave me a ridiculously low price on the labor cost. Chinese prices. Gotta support my people and the low prices don't make it less attractive.
So ultimately I went ahead and got the Chinese stuff and told myself that when I get a house I'll get all the ecostuff. But for right now, cheaper is for the most part better. All in all, it was a great summer though I wish it was longer. I know I'll do a lot better job this school year. I'll be less overwhelmed due to familiarity. I can only get better.
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