Work - I could watch it for hours

I wish I could get students to see that the choice is between working your brain or working your muscles.

1 in 5 part 2

I wrote about this yesterday. As did Mr. W.

I cannot tell you the number of pregnant (and unmarried) girls in the school. I know that there are many with children.

Their friends celebrate with them - although they are making a choice which will make their lives (and those of their children) harder.

I listen to the boys talk about hos. And the girls act like this is ok.

I listen to the ones who give me the hardest time - because I am disrespectful to them (I ask them to follow the rules, how dare I) - and know they live in single parent homes with siblings with different last names and I know that they will perpetuate their lifestyle with their children.

And I do not know how to change it.

Make Adams writes about the level of college students he receives but I know he gets the best of what we have. (I know the dialogue was made up. There were no F bombs or N words in what he wrote. And the students cannot talk without this.)

One of the teachers I had in high school used to compare the last names of his students with the last names of their parents. And in the 1970s most matched.

I do that and it is less than half.

Do you ever look at the last names of your students? Or how many parents are in the home?

1 in 5 American women has children by multiple men.

One in five mothers have children from multiple fathers. The same ratio as Americans with college degrees.

If you have children by different men, do you suppose all those men are invested (time) with their children?

Of course not.

Is it a problem?

Of course it is.

One that cannot be solved however good the teacher is.

"This type of family structure was, however, more common among minority women, with 59 per cent of African-American mothers, 35 per cent of Hispanic and 22 per cent of white mothers reporting children with more than one father."

Awesomeness

(Yes, I am procrastinating again)

I love imaginary numbers and April Fool's jokes. Here is both.

You don't have to poke a finger in their eye

It doesn't matter how you feel about Muslims. You shouldn't desecrate another religion. Jesus took on the Pharisees. That was his own religion.

And, why would the lamestream media report it?

Some things are not newsworthy.

The man is an idiot.

Now, move on and let's hope this calms down.

Six Word Saturday

My to-do list is consuming me.


For more Six Word Saturday participants, click here.

I have too much to do, but it has to be done.

Some can be delegated, but not much.

I have to prioritize, delegate, and quit procrastinating.

Ahhh, coffee. I'll just sit here a second. . . .

And once again the 5% outweighs the 95%

I do know that most of the kids that I teach are good kids - not great mathematicians, but good kids.

I know that it warms my heart when someone tells me that I explain math in a way that they get it. That math makes sense when I teach it. That they like me. Oh yes, I don't want to be their friend, but it matters that they come around and say that they like me.

I like most of the kids I teach. Not all of them, I will admit, but most of them.

It mattered when one of my classes turned the corner this week. They started working, they were enthusiastic, they were fun to be with.

It mattered when 4 of my former hellions, came up to me, individually, and asked me to teach them next year.

But that all got wiped out my an awful email from a mother who wants my job. I don't know why, she cannot do it. Her daughter thinks that just because teachers have an education doesn't mean they should be able to tell her anything. She does fine on her own.

I was surprised at the kids who defended me.

I am not surprised that the administration did not.

(I am fine - they are jerks.)

And I ask myself - again - as I did last year. Why am I letting the 5% outweigh the way I feel about the 95%? I am an idiot.