Georgia's Math Program

In 2005, Georgia rolled out the GPS (Georgia Professional Standards) for math with 6th grade. Those students are now 11th graders. Every year they have had a math class taught by a teacher who has never taught that class before.

The first year it was 6th (math 6). The second, k-2 and 7th (math 7)we re added. The third 3-5 and 8th (math 8). The fourth year 9th (math 1 - don't ask me). The fifth 10th (math 2) and this year 11th (math 3). Next year they add the last piece, math 4.

I cannot speak about k-5. From 6th grade on, there is some data, statistics, probability every year. Math 6 is fractions, 1 step equations. Math 7 is negative numbers, 2 step equations. Math 8 is supposed to introduce 3/4 of what used to be in Algebra 1.

(They struggled with Algebra 1 so rigor is driving it down a year?)

Math 1 - the rest of Algebra 1 (except they don't know it so we end up reteaching all of Algebra 1) and some Geometry (parallel lines and triangles).

Math 2 is quadratics, radical and rational equations, absolute values, inequalities (half of Algebra 2) and circles and right angle trig from Geometry (but you can't really tie it to triangles because they can't remember that).

Math 3 is the rest of Algebra 2 because we are done with Geometry. Math 4 is trig.

(There is accelerated Math 1 - 3 with the kids taking AP Calc or AP Stat instead of the 4th year of accelerated math) So - 2 tracks.

You can't teach it the traditional way which builds on related things because we throw out a piece here and a piece there.

My county opted not to buy any books but to buy calculators instead. So we have to create our own material and we don't have enough calculators.

I am beginning to wonder if I know anything at all because it is getting harder and harder to teach this material because the average student is completely lost.

According to what we are told, this program was used successfully in Massachusetts - but Massachusetts has abandoned it for a traditional Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 system. New York and Virginia apparently had something like this and abandoned it as well. Why does Georgia not see it was abandoned when they buy into stuff like this?

Bad words not spoken here.

Maybe this will convince my students that certain language is best left at home.

Yeah. Right.

fulgurite

Fulgurite is formed when lightening strikes sand and changes the sand into glass.

(It is not as pretty in reality as the one shown in "Sweet Home Alabama" but instead is usually hollow and gritty)

When something finally strikes my students and sets them afire, will they be as fundamentally changed?

Six Word Saturday

Brat is NOT a learning disability.



Attitude majorly affects both your grade and your teacher's willingness to assist, but just because you are unwilling to go along with the program and follow the rules doesn't mean that I have to go out of my way to make up work you will miss while sitting in time out.

Most intelligent creatures learn this before they enter kindergarten. Sorry you are a slow learner.


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So glad tomorrow is Friday

The only thing better would be if TODAY were Friday.

One class (boys) kept wadding up paper and throwing it at each other. Except it wasn't trash paper when they started.

Another had 2 boys sign out to go to the bathroom - and never return.

My class-from-hell would not stop talking and so I got nothing done.

And a parent is mad at ME because another teacher wrote her darling up and I don't know why. Well, ask whoever did the write up because we aren't told.

States as movies

Writing from here in Deliverence, I have to admit I find this funny!!

We have lost our collective minds

Or at least, some of us have.

I heard a colleague warn another to be careful about posting a particular situation on FB - so guess what was just posted on FB?

I had people in my room observing the class that is either supposed to set me up for failure - or the kids that were put in there. And I am sure I will hear how I am not going deep enough - when I cannot get the kids to grasp the surface level.

I am supposed to deal with crap in my inbox - but the server is down.

I am so tired of hearing things in my class room that are completely inappropriate and not related to what I teach. I'd write the kids up but first I have to talk to the parents - and I really don't want to tell the parents that their child said (loud enough for the entire class to hear) "You lick her butt hole?"

I am tired of kids who think the rules don't apply to them - but I really don't want to spend all my free time writing them up........

What happened to just coming and learning?

Today's Comics strips

Luanne was certainly topical for today’s high school teachers:
Six AM sleepies
Nine o’clock nods
Noon nappies
Two o’clock topple
Five flop
Eleven e-wake

I know my kids do all of that and some more not shown.

But I loved Crankshaft. It was probably over the head of most people.
Hurry Up
It’s not too late
If you don’t procrastinate
You can make the women rave
Try it now
Myanmar Shave!

How many of you remember when the Burma Shave ads lined the roads and we drove slow enough to read them?

Free speech

"The employer’s needs limit what people can say on the job." Joanne Jacobs

How many jobs will it for my students to learn THIS lesson?

A way to grade that makes the state test important

I struggle with making the EOCT as important to the students as it is to me. As it is to the administration.

As long as the kids pass - even if it is with a 70, whether they pass the EOCT or not is irrelevant.

SO

I will take their EOCT score and replace everything in the gradebook with a grade lower than that with the EOCT score.

If you have done a lot, this will be the pushing point.

If you haven't, then it may not help.

I am not announcing this in the class.

Six Word Saturday

I do more - they do less.



But if I do less, they do nothing.


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We are being told to do rigor. To move out of Bloom's level 1 to a more rigorous level of understanding. To have the students do more than regurgitate the information. And how do I do this when they cannot regurgitate or remember the skills they were to have learned in prior years? When they think they can pass a class by turning in a test with nothing on it but their name. ("I freeze up during tests." Fine. Then find some way - other than sleeping in my class - that conveys to me that you know the material and gives me something to grade. And, yes, that was the conversation I had with a student that started with me saying "I like you fine but you are going to fail this class again if you keep turning in tests with nothing on them.")

Yes, PO, not everyone should pass - or graduate from high school. I know if they cannot pass my tests, they will not pass the graduation test. Should I fail them and have them give up - or should I pass them, knowing they know little to nothing, knowing they will not graduate because they cannot pass the graduation test?

It is a new math test. Up til now, they usually fail social studies or science.

Some people are just toxic and should be avoided.

But what do you do when they are your students and you have to teach them?

A student lied to me. Which is bad enough. Kind of a warning that this is someone to avoid, to not sully your personal space with. But I could teach that person.

Then the student lied about another teacher. A lie so egregious that, if believed, could cause the teacher a lot of trouble. I guess the good news is - the student has lied to many and therefore is not believed.

Still causes problems for the teacher.

Sometimes teachers should just be quiet

I was in a parent meeting with several other teachers. The issues were the student is bright, rushes through his work, isn't careful, doesn't turn things in and then wants another copy (2 or 3 or 4 times). [Don't bother to say that is unreasonable, we are to help these poor children pass with no expectation of anything approaching responsibility on their part. Talk about crippling a generation, but that is another post.]

One teacher starts reiterating the same thing [yes, that was redundant] we had all been saying and drifts into this complaint about she doesn't want to give copies because she doesn't have paper.

Did she not realize that the parents do not care who buys the paper? And that [to my way of thinking] the teacher just weakened everything we'd been saying?

The mother asked my if I was picking on him and I told her yes, but not the way the student was perceiving it. I said the bar for that class is set low for the rest of the class and that the student could easily walk over it. And that I expected more of this student than that - so, yes, I am picking on him. It isn't done to be mean but to help the student be a better mathematician. Kid was stunned.

If it isn't yours, what gives you the right to take it?

I have dealt with students since I began teaching who think they have the right to take anything that they fancy. I have had my cell phone stolen, colorful pens, doodads, (we won't even discuss money), candy, whatever.

I was raised that the definition for that behavior is "theft." My students tell me I should know better than to have (fill in the blank) at the school.

Today a student left her phone on the desk. She came to me after the next class had been there to ask if I had seen her phone. Her teacher had not let her come down during the class to get her phone.

I hadn't seen the phone, but I knew who had been sitting there. Went to where the 1st boy was - he pointed to a second boy. Went to the second boy - he told me where the third boy was and told me the first boy had the phone. Went back to the classroom (since first and third boy were in the same class) and told them I needed to see them in the hall - at which point third boy hands me the phone. (

Now, he gets brownie points for giving up the phone, but whose jackaninny idea was it to take the phone in the first place? It's not like they didn't know it wasn't theirs.

I am feeling brilliant!

Which of course means this may fall completely flat.

I gave a test (average score: 32. I have to move on. The state test is looming on the horizon.

So, the recovery - that word that makes me cringe and the reason they do nothing, because they'll recover it later - will be another test. Using the same questions I have given on previous tests. But I will fill in the test - with their answers and work.

Their job is to tell me if the answer is correct (25%) and why it is or isn't (75%). "because" is not a reason.

Could work.

Who's on first?

I had a student stay for tutoring today. There is absolutely no way this student can pass this class (algebra 2) because the entire hour and a half went like a version of Who's On First? only not as educated or entertaining.

I am not going to bother identifying me or the student in the following. All of you are smart enough to figure out who is who. Even those of you who are not wild about math.

[I drew a 30-60-90 triangle on the board. I identified the hypotenuse, the different angles, and the relationship of the various sides. This was recovery - we spent several weeks on this.]

[The side opposite the 30 degree angle was 11. The hypotenuse is Y. The side opposite the 60 degree angle was X]

What is the value of Y?
X?

What is opposite the 30 degree angle?
60?
No.
90?
No
The hypotenuse?
No
2?
Where do you see a two?
50?

[I explained the example drawing again. We went through the same questions and the same answers again. I pointed to the 30 and asked what was opposite it and finally got the answer 11.]

I asked what 2 times 11 was.
121.
No.
[pulls out calculator - punches in numbers] 22.

Finally get him to see that Y is te hypotenuse and that the hypotenuse value is 2 * 11.

An hour and a half and we found 4 values......... With me prompting for answers.

But I am supposed to go for deeper understanding.

Do you ever have students you cannot write a recommendation for?

I was thinking about a student from last year. I had already written her recommendation but hadn't given it to her yet when she created a major brouhaha for reasons I still do not understand and started spreading lies about another teacher.

The lies could have cost the teacher her career, if anyone had believed the student, but by that time the number of lies the student had been telling were collapsing on themselves.

So, I told her I couldn't write the recommendation after all.

I have some students in my hellish class who are ok math students (they are better at math than the others in the class but they are not as great at math as they believe they are). But they are awful people. Rude, disrespectful, disruptive.

I do not believe they would ever ask for a recommendation because I do not believe they have any respect for anything I would do. But if they did, I cannot see how I could write one that was even tepid.

Hmmmm.

This is a hard year

I wrote yesterday about bailing out the ocean with a teaspoon.

Life is tough all over.

I was snagged by a colleague this morning. We aren't that close - hi in the morning once a month or so. I didn't even know she had kids til this morning.

The woman was in tears. Her department is completely dysfunctional this year - backstabbing has been raised to a competitive sport. This woman has always been viewed as a star - but her own department is saying horrible things about her. And the only reason I can see is jealousy.

Why would you make your work a toxic environment?

I see this happening in more than one department.

What is wrong with people?

Crap

I am really becoming discouraged this year.

I had another decoration disappear from my room. I love teaching thieves. On the other hand, it means I don;t need to waste my money on decorations or treats - since thieves raided my treats as well. So, I can save money, because I will not buy it again.

A former student, a senior with the world ahead of her, is pregnant.

I watch kids make incredible (bad) choices and throw it all away.

I am bailing out the ocean with a teaspoon.

I am becoming my students

I set some deadlines for me this weekend - and then did nothing beyond lesson plans.

What is wrong with me?

Mi casa es su casa

Somewhere along the line, that is the message the students get. I am intrigued and annoyed by the things they seem to think are my responsibility. This week:

* I put decorations up for fall - at least 3 think they are entitled to have the decorations. One asked. (I said no)

* English classes are doing a project. My students seem to think it is my responsibility to give them glue, tape, construction paper, props and time in my class to do their project. (no)

* "I haven't been to the library yet this year" "when I assign a project, we will go" (or, no)

* (from a student, not passing, while we are reviewing for a test) "Can I have paper and colored pencils? I'm bored"

I don't get it.

Disappointed

Last year a student made a stupid choice, was arrested, and suspended from school and did not graduate. He had been accepted in college, but could go because he didn't finish high school.

He was back at high school this year, had gotten reaccepted by the college, just needed to finish high school and go on his merry way.

I was reading the list of arrests this morning and his name is on it again for theft.

What a stupid choice.

Talk about not learning the lesson.......

I had been willing to help him finish figuring he had learned his lesson. I guess he is still looking for the easy way out. With half a semester of hs to go, I am thinking he will either drop out (having spent his college tuition on bond and fines) or he will do this electronically and finally go to college.

When I saw him back at school I walked up to him and said "It is good to see you again" and he thought I was being sarcastic. I know I looked confused when I asked him why he would think that. What kind of a life must he have had when even normal remarks are perceived that way?

Six Word Saturday

Sudden darkness fills you with . . . confusion?


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We are sitting doing our usual Friday night social activity (everyone on their own computer, TV blaring) when suddenly, nada.

First reaction: how are we going to find a flashlight so we can go to the fusebox and trip the breaker.

Second: it isn't a breaker because EVERYTHING is off.

Third: hmmm, there are no lights on outside either.

We find our way to the door (someone did find a flashlight so we could find some others) and there are no light on anywhere. Got in the car - it is at least a square mile in total darkness, maybe more.

So home. Unplug everything. Call the electric company to report it. Go to bed.

Do you know it isn't exciting to read by flashlight when people aren't telling you to go to sleep.

I wonder if we will ever find out what happened?

Lights came back two hours later.

What is so wrong with asking the students to do work?

* I asked them for three nights to take problems home and work them because we couldn't get far enough in class and they couldn't do the problems. They would not do them at home. I told them it will take that much longer to understand it because they need practice.

* So they asked me today if we could have a fun day. Sure, I said. Let's do math - I think that's fun.

* I had one girl work quite a long time on a project to raise her grade. And I watched her let someone else copy it. Now the second student won't learn what the first student did - but I did make a comment that I couldn't believe she would just give her work away.

* In another class a student turned in 2 projects - her own and another student's. It was amazing how the handwriting on both were identical.

Some people ought not to be allowed near anything that plugs in

Some people are luddites - or too stupid to be anything except a luddite.

Highmaintenance - she who is too lazy or self centered to offer me any help at all - keeps coming up with things for me to do for her. Sometimes I can get out of it by avoiding her. Sometimes - like today when we had a teacher work day - she showed up in my room when other teachers were there and it would appear rude to tell her to pee up a rope. Although I usually don't care what people think.

Today she needed me to cut and paste things out of pdf files. And she sent me a list of pages and images she wanted copied.

How hard is it to get the right page?

I have no problem posting this. She is too stupid to find the blog.

Losing your mind? Come teach

Today I read two articles: One in the Nashville Tennessean and then another in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. The detail a 15 year math teacher who lost it while teaching.

I use the term "teaching" loosely. Not that he isn't trying, but the kids are talking. As is pointed out in one of the comments, we are watching this halfway through. Something has already happened that caused the kid to turn on his phone and start recording.

I feel for this teacher. I have no feelings for the students. They know little and will now know even less.

These are much like my students. I actually had a kid today tell me I was rude for interrupting her. Let's see: I was trying to teach the same lesson I have tried to teach for the past three days and she was talking about which students are pregnant. Which topic do YOU think will be on the state test?

Then her mother hung up on me when I called to talk about grades.

I think I will schedule my breakdown. The way things are going at our school, I'll bet there is a list and a form I need to fill out.

Writing anonymously - one twist

Several of us in the blog world write anonymously. Or try to. Usually because we fear retaliation for what we might say. I know I do.

There are times that what I want to say is too identifiable to my own school. If anyone reads my blog. If anyone in my school CAN read (but that is a blog for another day).

So I have blogged on other people's blogs. And I have posted for other people. Sometimes identifying "Hey, this belongs to someone else" - and sometimes not.

It is the only solution I have - in this world where teachers lose their jobs for venting because parents get vendictive.

So, if you have something to say and can't say it at your own blog, email me - or one of the other bloggers and blog as a guest.

And let the venting begin!

Re$pect

The one thing that teachers can be given, the thing money cannot buy is respect. Salaries are not now, and hopefully will never be determined by the administrators of the buildings where we work. I am totally opposed to any sort of merit pay as I know it will never be divvied up fairly. Besides, merit is a quality, hard to judge, with too many confounding variables to complicate the situation. While respect won’t pay my son’s college tuition or my monthly mortgage payment, it is something everyone needs, something that does help one do a good job.

This brings me to a story I heard recently. Mr. G was a long time teacher in an inner city school. He was hard working, well liked by his students and his peers. He always helped the young teachers in his department and many owe their success in the teaching field to him. Unfortunately, Mr. G’s health was starting to fail and he was no longer the dynamic teacher he had once been. Mr. G was not ready to put away his chalk, although teaching was becoming difficult. The principal of Mr. G’s school had a serious dilemma. He knew Mr. G could not go on the way he was. He could have “U” rated him and pushed him out of he building. Instead, he called Mr. G into his office and said, “I see the pain you are in and know that things are not easy for you. I appreciate all the work you have done for Inner City. I promise you a job for the year. I will find someone to assist you in your classes. In fact, I will not only have this person assist you, I will even relieve you of two classes and find as easier assignment for you.”

Mr. G was shocked. He couldn’t believe the principal was being so kind. He couldn’t believe the principal would actually use the school’s tight budget to help him out. Mr. G never expected to receive the help he was being offered. He could not believe the respect he was being shown.

I am a teacher at Inner City. Mr. G is a good friend of mine. The respect and the kindness the principal has offered him is something I will never forget and will always be grateful for. The principal can’t offer me a bonus or a raise for the work I do, but by treating Mr. G this way, he did more for me than any amount of money could do.

Re$pect, something we all need and deserve.

Things that roast my butt - 10/10

1) I collected supplies for the kids at our school. My children helped. I know times are tough. I took them to the Guidance Office - figuring they would know things I am not privy to. I explained why I had collected the supplies and who they were for. They handed them out at their churches.

Now it may be the same kids, but that isn't what I said. And I won't do it again.

2) Funsucker

3) We have to jump through hoops this year. And a lot of it involves paper. You know, taking something that could be meaningful and changing it into some generic form that doesn't fit everything well. So I am doing this for all 6 preps. (On paper it looks like 3 prpes, but some are block and some are not. 6 preps) Get an email from FS - she wants me to email them when I finish so she can check them over. uhuh, nope. She can come to the meeting we are supposed to have tomorrow morning and participate. Not my job to do the work so she can put her name on it.

Gee, only 3 things. I must be mellowing.

Six Word Saturday

Recovery begins when you show up.


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Of course, I am talking grade recovery here, but it would hold true for any recovery.

A student said this week (in her truly pompous tone to another student) "the first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem" to which I replied (not that I was invited into the conversation) "No, the first step is showing up."

I have kids who have missed 60% (and more) of their time in class. I have about 1/3 failing - and most have attendance issues. And let us not even speak of work ethic.

Just when I think she's gotten better

It hasn't been quite as stressful dealing with Funsucker this year. She doesn't insist on teaching, which is a plus. She does NOTHING - which may be a plus, I don't know.

I still have issues with her taking kids out for small group testing. This will probably end up with me getting yelled at again, but it is the only thing she does.

She doesn't help them. She doesn't discipline. She doesn't do the lesson plans.

Today she walked out of my room (don't know why - and this is not uncommon). A student, who didn't realize I am not as oblivious as I seem, glided out the door right behind. I waited a couple of minutes (mostly because I was dealing with another student) then went to the door - no one is in the hall. After 10 minutes, I sent a girl to the bathroom to see if she was there - nope.

Finally Funsucker comes back into the room and I asked if she had seen Gilda. "Oh, I saw her following me in the hall." Where did she go? "I don't know."

Really?

I wrote Gilda up for walking out of my class. Why would you not say something?

Really? I mean, really? Part deaux

I gave a test in one of the classes I share, using the term loosely, with Funsucker. It took her the usual 20 minutes (no, I am not exaggerating) to decide who to take. This is AFTER I said "If you went last time, go now." I thought that would speed it along.

Nope.

So, she finally leaves and we start the test. Within five minutes, one of the students shows up again. "Maniac [not a special ed student] is acting up and disturbing our group."

Really, now he's disturbing my group.

"What does Funsucker want me to do?" I mean, I can't leave the bulk of the students to deal with a problem. The student looked at me.

Then I said the best thing. (I really wish Funsucker had been there to hear it. I mean, she's the one who keep saying she has more experience than me.) "She's the teacher. She needs to deal with it."

Nope, she sent him back to my room. I told him he was not going to bother the people taking a test because that would be rude.

He is never, never, never, NEVER, leaving my room again. I need to remember to tell him that tomorrow. And Funsucker.

I do not know how to speed her up so we don't waste so much time each test. I have asked her to make decisions the day before. I have made the decisions. NOTHING WORKS.

She is just a funsucker.

why would the kids feel they have to follow the rules if the teachers don't?

The concept that we are adults, doesn't register.

The idea that we have worked before and are paid to be in the building, doesn't register.

This is the reason we are asked to not pull our phones out in class. (I am not talking about when we call parents - I think we have ALL done that - I am talking about casual conversation instead of work on the pare of the teachers.)

So what do I see when I am walking back to my room after my lunch? Another teacher, eating cereal while sitting at her desk while she was teaching. Except that her lunch period was an hour earlier......

Understanding Georgia Politics

Man, Dick Yarbrough explains Georgia Politics so much better than I can.

Here is his column (it's worth the read even if you don't live here):

According to my abacus and supplemented with some serious finger-counting, I discern there are 31 days until the general election on Nov. 2.

I don't need an abacus or fingers to tell me that the governor's race is about as inspiring as a yard rake.

On one hand, we have Democrat Roy Barnes, who made it through only one term as governor before alienating just about everybody in the state and assuring the election of Republican George E. Perdue, the noted concrete fishpond maven who has alienated just about everybody in the state too, proving that alienating voters isn't the sole province of either party.

Now, Barnes wants to make a comeback. He doesn't have to be doing this at age 62. He has enough money to live on, a great family to dote on and a house in Marietta so big that moving into the Governor's Mansion on West Paces Ferry Road would be like going into public housing.

I am no psychologist but I suspect Barnes is trying to prove that losing the election in 2002 was a fluke and that he is a better politician that the one we sent to the showers eight years ago. Plus, who wants to be known as the guy who lost to George E. Perdue? That's embarrassing.

Question: Is that reason enough to send Barnes back to the governor's office?

On the other hand, his opponent Republican Nathan Deal, of Gainesville, will never be mistaken for H&R Block. The media reported that Deal had failed to disclose business loans totaling $2.85 million as required by state elections law. He said it was an "oversight." That is completely understandable. Heck, I borrow a million here and a million there and pretty soon it all runs together and I just plain forget about it. It happens to us all.

If you recall, it wasn't too long ago that information emerged of the bankruptcy of a sporting goods store in Habersham County, belonging to his daughter and son-in-law and backed by Deal and his wife, made it appear he did not have sufficient assets to survive the financial blow.

Well, low and behold, now he says he does. He has gone back and revalued his assets - they are up - and reexamined his liabilities - they are down. Voila! He's not broke anymore.

Who said the man isn't good at details?

So, it is either reruns of the Roy Barnes Show or four years of Nathan Deal, who adroitly resigned from Congress just ahead of an ethics investigation and forgot to tell us in a close primary race with Karen Handel and Eric Johnson that he had some challenging financial issues that would no doubt have tanked his chances of winning the Republican nomination.

These are your choices to mull over for the next 31 days. Do we want to take a flyer on a guy who didn't do so well when we gave him a chance the first time but says he will do better this time? Or do we want his opponent, who doesn't seem to know a balance sheet from a bass fiddle and doesn't seem all that upset over that fact?

Where is Bobby Franklin when we need him?

Who you are

From here.

How can I get my students to see that people do not really hear what you say, or see who you are, when you pepper your sentences with profanity?

“Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stories in the News

You're right, we don't hear stories like the one about the football team. We haven't heard about the driver since the accident - I figure they are waiting until the trial comes up.

The school that hosted us lost a student to a hit-and-run this week. The school has been doing fundraising to pay for the funeral. Neither story (hit and run or fundraising) made the news - except briefly.

The big story is about a 15 year old and 11 year old who beat a 94 year old man with a rock (he is still in ICU) and stole $27. The boys are being raised by single mothers, the older one has been suspended from school. And this story trumps the football story.

I think we may be perpetuating the bad-kind of story.....

Try to wrap your mind around this

I have been attending high school football games since I was in high school. I've seen good games, bad games, and "why didn't I stay home" games.

And then I saw the one last night.

There aren't many high schools in our county. So, news affecting one school are generally known by the others. There was a bad/dumb accident at the beginning of this school year. A boy from another school was drinking, lost control of his car and hit a car driven by one of our boys. Everyone in the car with our students was injured except for one young passenger who was killed.

The boy (I will call him Blake) was a football player, a good student, someone no one had anything negative to say anything about, so it was very difficult for our school to deal with. Our team has not played well this year, missing Blake, but they have persevered.

Last night we were the visitors at an older school in the county, and one of our main rivals.

When the game was about to begin, the cheerleaders of the rival school brought out the banner that the team was to run through. It said "We play with angels" and was colored with our colors, our mascot, and Blake's football number.

When the rival team came on the field to run through the banner, they walked in respectfully and walked around the banner, not breaking it. The banner was then rolled up and presented to our coach.

They beat us. But that score will be forgotten long before the players and attendees forget this gesture.

I don't know the place that football holds in other places in this country. Down here, it is close to a religion. And last night was one of the finer moments of this game.

wet cement

One of my students was arrested this week and, from what I can find, his bail alone will cost his parents more than $500.

He was arrested for prowling and loitering and interfering with the police.

I couldn't help myself - I read his facebook. And there he says "I'm finaly outta jail.. Free man. I was loCCed up fo fi9htin da police. Dey kept disrespektin da fuxx outa me. Wit out dat badge they a bitch and a half!! I'm tryin 2 ckhan9e my life around but day shit juss be hard azz hell I think di55 shit iz juss in my blood real shit so ni99as juss needa quit tryin to ckhan9e me."

Obviously, an creative writer.

He had a message from a mother on his website warning him that he shouldn't store naked pictures of girls on his cell phone as he might get arrested for that.

What are people thinking?

I cannot fathom the teenagers at Rutgers who posted the video. I told my classes this week that if they are not willing to write a message in wet cement so that it will be there fo-ev-ah they ought not to post it on any social media.

I have kids all the time who tell me they have cussed out this teacher or that administrator because "they disrespected me." I point out the kid gets punished and the adult goes and gets coffee - they do not understand, as obviouslyy we are peers.

Six Word Saturday

Immortalized in film for all time.


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They are filming a movie up the road from the school.

We were on of the sets for another movie twenty years ago. This time, I don't think you'll see us at all, just the road I travel every day.

Kind of exciting.