First Day of School...Again....

After feeling like I neglected my blog for a while and a dose of smack-my-bitch-up from Laurie (YAY! She's having a boy!!!!!), I am blogging. Just a few odds and ends and such.

Napoleon Dynamite....GREAT movie. Go see it. Wistfully sad and humorous. VERY well-written, acted and directed. Clever. My face hurt. Sighing has a whole new meaning to me now. You MUST see it.

Had my first day of school today. I cannot tell you how good it felt to wake up at a sensible hour and go into a college classroom where I didn't have to say hush (altho there was a black triumvirate who tested me in my second class and I had to throw a smack down). I realized just how MUCH I belong at this level at not at the high school level. I still wish I could work in a high school because I want to be able to change the system and the way kids are taught.....well, so they are ACTUALLY taught. So many students entering college are deficient on so many levels. There are so few teachers who are able or capable of being good teachers. The problem is that the system is lax and sucks. Rules are being made by people who were teachers LONG ago and whose methodologies are much outdated and by people who have NEVER been teachers and don't understand the pedagogy, the process and the people involved. Teaching is NOT easy. Especially in levels below college. Teachers should be paid more and given more autonomy. These so-called curriculum guides are a joke and force educators to become teachers in an ignorant box. I despise the system and despite my belief that one person CAN make a difference, it is hard to initiate change when those who can help you the most are working against you. I still did my own thing despite whatever requirements I HAD to cover. I knew what I was doing. What a jacked up system.

On that note, while I was back the high school today (am helping out the drama teacher even tho I no longer work there) I finally caught up with the principle to say bye and thank you face-to-face....and she was a FUCKING BITCH!!! Looked at me like she did not know and just grunted an ok at me. No problem for me. I expected it, and it just fuels my fire get that book done based on my semester-long stint there and everything I observed and was a part of. Oh I took notes all right. I have nothing to lose and people need to know about the reality of the high school classroom. Fuck what ya heard baby.

Looking forward to starting at HCC and UT next week....and of course...GETTING A PAY CHECK! Down to $65 folks...and no money for rent next week. THIS is going to be VERY interesting.

Also, care of Laurie, you all need to get off your duff and keep commenting. Come on Catherine, Matt et al. Get on the ball.