Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Breakfast for the kiddies
Some teachers arrived early to make and serve pancakes and sausages for our kids before they finished the last part of the CAHSEE. It was actually fun. I usually don't deal with the other teachers, but today I got to see what we can be like when we band together for our kids. Some of us were there at 6 a.m. the first student to show up showed up at 6:20. As the kids trickled in they seemed to enjoy it. Most didn't show up until around 7:10, but I think they got the point of what we were willing to do for our kids.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Odd comment
Our school had threatened to go pick up absent 10th graders if they did not arrive to take the CAHSEE. We missed our goals last year because of the fact that we did not have the required amount of attendance. I thought no one is going to go pick up kids. WELL I was wrong. They did use our admin staff to go and pick up a few kids. Reminds me of that commercial where the delivery trucks are delivering the kids to school.
It's been a while
What have I been up to? I still teach, but now it's ESL that I teach. I still work in San Diego. What am I doing right now? I am watching a group of eight students attempt to take the English portion of the CAHSEE. A few students have already put their head down and did not attempt the essay. I'm looking at them and wondering why? One student I have know for the last two years. As much as I would like to think that all kids have a chance, this student is hopeless because he stopped caring. I have worked with him for two years trying to be his cheerleader and his warden. When he has good grades I acknowledge them and tell him how proud I am, when he blunders in other classes and his teachers notify me I sit and talk to him, so he knows that I am there for the good and the bad. However, the last few months have been draining with him. I no longer have him as a student and I am slightly relieved. He is hard to like, but I want so badly for him to succeed.
The second student I do not know. When I asked him about the essay, he gave me a blank stare. What am I to think? I don't have access to his student information. Hopefully he'll score highly on the multiple choice and the essay will be unnecessary.
What am I watching? I'm a couch potato. I know it and everyone else knows it. On Mondays I impatiently wait for How I Met Your Mother? Watching this show I am guaranteed to laugh. I also watch 24 which is addictively good. I began a new show at 10 on Mondays it is called Castle I must admit I started watching it because the star, Nathan Fillion, but I was surprised to find I like the writing. Writing on television shows is what makes me loyal. I have realized I don't like feature movies very much because the writing in them has gotten horrible. I have a long list of shows that I am watching Gossip Girl, Bones, Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Dollhouse, Friday Night Lights, and Battlestar Galactica. Well maybe that isn't a lot of shows, but thinking of the list made me realize that I watch tv three nights a week. I want more scripted shows. On the nights that I don't have anything to watch I watch TV on DVD. Have plenty of DVDs and am a rewatcher.
I saw The Watchmen recently and did not understand the appeal. The story had no true plot, or maybe I just didn't understand it. For once it was too over my head. From what I understand those that have been fans of the comic find the movie appealing. Not me. I actually don't remember what was the last good movie that I saw. I don't rent anymore because it seems to be a waste of money. However, there are a few movies that I want to see Revolutionary Road and The Reader. I'm a Kate Winslet fan. I think she is wicked awesome. Plus I've read the book of one of those movies in my credential program.
Miscellaneous...My girl is five weeks from turning 16. I keep telling her we only have two years for me to be responsible for her and then she's on her own. What will I do without her? No clue, chances are she won't leave. Hopefully though she will continue with her education...Books!!!! How could I not have a section dedicated to books? I don't know. Maybe I am finally reaching the limit of what I will read. I have found that Young Adult novels are the books to read. But, a lot of them are just trying to fill a void that Harry Potter has left. I read the Twilight series and have to admit while I liked the first one, the rest of the series disappointed me. I mean the story is about two people who are totally obsessed with one another. Edward is a stalker in the first novel, and on first reading no one seems to notice this. For the rest of the series Bella is a pathetic excuse for a female. First, she can't live without Edward, then she has to have Jacob in her life no matter the pain that it causes all involved. As for the final book don't get me started. Meyer's chickened out. She had an opportunity to show that life is harsh, instead we get a happily ever after ending that isn't even worthy of Walt Disney. Letdown a lot. Meyer should have stopped at the first book. As for the Twilight fans, I'm sorry you want a true love story with a realistic ending read Shakespeare. My next guilty series is Vampire Academy by Richelle Meade. This series is only three novels in, and Meade has already ripped out my heart, stomped on, and ran a lawn mower over it. Meade is willing to annoy and upset her fans, which is something I appreciate. Happily ever afters are meant for Disney movies. In Vampire Academy I am seriously invested in the characters. I am impatiently counting down the days to the next novel, which I hope and believe is May. I already plan on taking the day off, so I can read the book in peace. But, between then and know is City of Glass for some reason I can not think of the author right now, but this book comes out next Tuesday, and I think I'm taking the day off. I have been rereading the first two books and utterly enjoying myself. The trilogy is about a shadow world that lives parallel to our world. This world has all mythical creatures that go bump in the night, but the idea of good-vs-evil is not as clear. The other thing I like about these books is the references to other classical literature like Dante's The Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost.
The second student I do not know. When I asked him about the essay, he gave me a blank stare. What am I to think? I don't have access to his student information. Hopefully he'll score highly on the multiple choice and the essay will be unnecessary.
What am I watching? I'm a couch potato. I know it and everyone else knows it. On Mondays I impatiently wait for How I Met Your Mother? Watching this show I am guaranteed to laugh. I also watch 24 which is addictively good. I began a new show at 10 on Mondays it is called Castle I must admit I started watching it because the star, Nathan Fillion, but I was surprised to find I like the writing. Writing on television shows is what makes me loyal. I have realized I don't like feature movies very much because the writing in them has gotten horrible. I have a long list of shows that I am watching Gossip Girl, Bones, Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The Dollhouse, Friday Night Lights, and Battlestar Galactica. Well maybe that isn't a lot of shows, but thinking of the list made me realize that I watch tv three nights a week. I want more scripted shows. On the nights that I don't have anything to watch I watch TV on DVD. Have plenty of DVDs and am a rewatcher.
I saw The Watchmen recently and did not understand the appeal. The story had no true plot, or maybe I just didn't understand it. For once it was too over my head. From what I understand those that have been fans of the comic find the movie appealing. Not me. I actually don't remember what was the last good movie that I saw. I don't rent anymore because it seems to be a waste of money. However, there are a few movies that I want to see Revolutionary Road and The Reader. I'm a Kate Winslet fan. I think she is wicked awesome. Plus I've read the book of one of those movies in my credential program.
Miscellaneous...My girl is five weeks from turning 16. I keep telling her we only have two years for me to be responsible for her and then she's on her own. What will I do without her? No clue, chances are she won't leave. Hopefully though she will continue with her education...Books!!!! How could I not have a section dedicated to books? I don't know. Maybe I am finally reaching the limit of what I will read. I have found that Young Adult novels are the books to read. But, a lot of them are just trying to fill a void that Harry Potter has left. I read the Twilight series and have to admit while I liked the first one, the rest of the series disappointed me. I mean the story is about two people who are totally obsessed with one another. Edward is a stalker in the first novel, and on first reading no one seems to notice this. For the rest of the series Bella is a pathetic excuse for a female. First, she can't live without Edward, then she has to have Jacob in her life no matter the pain that it causes all involved. As for the final book don't get me started. Meyer's chickened out. She had an opportunity to show that life is harsh, instead we get a happily ever after ending that isn't even worthy of Walt Disney. Letdown a lot. Meyer should have stopped at the first book. As for the Twilight fans, I'm sorry you want a true love story with a realistic ending read Shakespeare. My next guilty series is Vampire Academy by Richelle Meade. This series is only three novels in, and Meade has already ripped out my heart, stomped on, and ran a lawn mower over it. Meade is willing to annoy and upset her fans, which is something I appreciate. Happily ever afters are meant for Disney movies. In Vampire Academy I am seriously invested in the characters. I am impatiently counting down the days to the next novel, which I hope and believe is May. I already plan on taking the day off, so I can read the book in peace. But, between then and know is City of Glass for some reason I can not think of the author right now, but this book comes out next Tuesday, and I think I'm taking the day off. I have been rereading the first two books and utterly enjoying myself. The trilogy is about a shadow world that lives parallel to our world. This world has all mythical creatures that go bump in the night, but the idea of good-vs-evil is not as clear. The other thing I like about these books is the references to other classical literature like Dante's The Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
