I deal with hats everyday.
Mostly though, it's me telling students 3412 times (exactly that amount) to take them off as they walk into class. They aren't allowed. Although, I must say, its not the best battle to pick.
Either way, in honor of that (and because of the simple fact that our apartment has nothing on its walls) we've decided to start decorating our living room with hats. The first 4 went up this morning: GW, a DaBronx spray painted hat, a mets cap and a fighting Irish hat. If you have any hats you would like to donate, please do.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
2.5 Hours
So I have 2.5 more hours of teaching before I go on February break tomorrow. This is exciting.
However, what's even more exciting is the fact that I have a February break. I don't even know what that means. In Chicago the middle of February was just called frozen. I'm not quite sure why the break exists, and I really haven't cared to research it, but I'm glad it does.
One point for New York -- although, it is competing against many for Chicago.
However, what's even more exciting is the fact that I have a February break. I don't even know what that means. In Chicago the middle of February was just called frozen. I'm not quite sure why the break exists, and I really haven't cared to research it, but I'm glad it does.
One point for New York -- although, it is competing against many for Chicago.
Monday, February 9, 2009
The District Sleeps
I got back last night from spending 3 days in Washington D.C. with my students at a Junior Statesman of America convention in which the students participated in model congress and political debate events.
A highlight from the weekend came on Sunday as we walked to the bus, and three of my students decided to start conversing and making decisions based on parliamentary procedure in which they motioned to have votes about decisions such as who they should sit next to on the bus, seconding those motions, and then voting for the outcome.
It definitely made my day (along with the freaking AMAZING weather)
A highlight from the weekend came on Sunday as we walked to the bus, and three of my students decided to start conversing and making decisions based on parliamentary procedure in which they motioned to have votes about decisions such as who they should sit next to on the bus, seconding those motions, and then voting for the outcome.
It definitely made my day (along with the freaking AMAZING weather)
Monday, February 2, 2009
Following the Crowd
First off, apologies to anyone who actually checks this, in that I haven't posted in a while.
Second, I keep seeing people on facebook getting tagged in that 25 things about me, yet I haven't been tagged yet, and am slightly jealous, so I'm going to put 25 things about me here:
1) I go on facebook a lot, but much less than I used to.
2) I really like christmas trees
3) I rarely remember dreams, and if I do I forget what I remembered by the end of the day
4) I've had stitches twice in my life, both in the exact some place on my right eyebrow, 16 years apart.
5) I was bit by my neighbors dog when I was 5 because I was pulling the dogs tail, but when my mom asked if I was doing anything to the dog, I said that I had no idea why he would have bit me.
6) I was at Kerry Wood's 20 strike out game
7) I want to go on a Safari
8) I think mustaches are creepy, although, if you've had one since the 70's you can keep it.
9) I locked my keys in the car at Prom, while double parked outside my dates house, and tried opening the car with a clothes hanger while thousands of cubs fans walked by after a game laughing at us in our formal attire
10) I watch Morning Joe and do the Metro Crossword every morning
11) I wish that I could confine my entire memory or GW basketball from 2004-2007 and forget that anything has happened since then
12) My drink of choice is Gin and Tonic, which helps lend to people's beliefs that I'm an old man
13) One day I want to be the White House Press Secretary, and the closest I've been was getting my picture taken in the White House Press room
14) I really want to spend a day de-friending people I don't talk to anymore
15) I love coffee shops, and could (and have) spend an entire day in one
16) I drink my coffee black
17) One dream of mine in life is to be a contestant on Jeopardy! Additionally, when I played scholastic bowl in high school I often missed questions because I would answer in the form of a question like its required in Jeopardy!
18) Throughout college my roommate would save all the pink straws for me and make me use them if I wanted to use a straw
19) I was photographed for and interviewed for a cover story in Chicago Tribune Magazine in 2002
20) I like meeting new people, enjoy transitions, and consider myself a "Connector" in the words of Malcolm Gladwell
21) Last year in D.C. my apartment had bed bugs and it was one of the worst experiences of my life -- which in some sense means i've had a pretty good life
22) I wrote my thesis on the Political Attitudes of Young Jewish Voters, and found it interesting
23) During the time that I'm writing this I could have done multiple unnecessary things, including going to bed at an early hour
24) One of my students just got a 98 on his U.S. History Regents half way through the year. That impresses me.
25) I like details; I remember everything about most conversations I've ever had, and as a result I often fake not remembering things later on because if I let on that I remembered these things people would think that I'm creepy for remembering them, since most of the time they don't remember ever saying it.
Second, I keep seeing people on facebook getting tagged in that 25 things about me, yet I haven't been tagged yet, and am slightly jealous, so I'm going to put 25 things about me here:
1) I go on facebook a lot, but much less than I used to.
2) I really like christmas trees
3) I rarely remember dreams, and if I do I forget what I remembered by the end of the day
4) I've had stitches twice in my life, both in the exact some place on my right eyebrow, 16 years apart.
5) I was bit by my neighbors dog when I was 5 because I was pulling the dogs tail, but when my mom asked if I was doing anything to the dog, I said that I had no idea why he would have bit me.
6) I was at Kerry Wood's 20 strike out game
7) I want to go on a Safari
8) I think mustaches are creepy, although, if you've had one since the 70's you can keep it.
9) I locked my keys in the car at Prom, while double parked outside my dates house, and tried opening the car with a clothes hanger while thousands of cubs fans walked by after a game laughing at us in our formal attire
10) I watch Morning Joe and do the Metro Crossword every morning
11) I wish that I could confine my entire memory or GW basketball from 2004-2007 and forget that anything has happened since then
12) My drink of choice is Gin and Tonic, which helps lend to people's beliefs that I'm an old man
13) One day I want to be the White House Press Secretary, and the closest I've been was getting my picture taken in the White House Press room
14) I really want to spend a day de-friending people I don't talk to anymore
15) I love coffee shops, and could (and have) spend an entire day in one
16) I drink my coffee black
17) One dream of mine in life is to be a contestant on Jeopardy! Additionally, when I played scholastic bowl in high school I often missed questions because I would answer in the form of a question like its required in Jeopardy!
18) Throughout college my roommate would save all the pink straws for me and make me use them if I wanted to use a straw
19) I was photographed for and interviewed for a cover story in Chicago Tribune Magazine in 2002
20) I like meeting new people, enjoy transitions, and consider myself a "Connector" in the words of Malcolm Gladwell
21) Last year in D.C. my apartment had bed bugs and it was one of the worst experiences of my life -- which in some sense means i've had a pretty good life
22) I wrote my thesis on the Political Attitudes of Young Jewish Voters, and found it interesting
23) During the time that I'm writing this I could have done multiple unnecessary things, including going to bed at an early hour
24) One of my students just got a 98 on his U.S. History Regents half way through the year. That impresses me.
25) I like details; I remember everything about most conversations I've ever had, and as a result I often fake not remembering things later on because if I let on that I remembered these things people would think that I'm creepy for remembering them, since most of the time they don't remember ever saying it.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
9:30
I went to bed at 9:30pm.
I haven't gone to bed before 10pm since before I was in college. I woke up today having had 9 hours of sleep (with a few minutes awake at 3am, since my body couldn't FATHOM that I might actually get that much sleep on a school night).
I'm not sure if this will be feasible on a regular basis, especially once Grad School starts up again (which I am dreading), but I think If I can will myself to do go to bed early every so often it will do me lots of good.
I have no bags under my eyes, my first class when great, I feel refreshed.
Try it sometime -- unless you already do -- in which case, tell me how to do it more often.
I haven't gone to bed before 10pm since before I was in college. I woke up today having had 9 hours of sleep (with a few minutes awake at 3am, since my body couldn't FATHOM that I might actually get that much sleep on a school night).
I'm not sure if this will be feasible on a regular basis, especially once Grad School starts up again (which I am dreading), but I think If I can will myself to do go to bed early every so often it will do me lots of good.
I have no bags under my eyes, my first class when great, I feel refreshed.
Try it sometime -- unless you already do -- in which case, tell me how to do it more often.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Old Friends
Last night I went and saw a friend who was in NYC over her school break. She's now a 7th Grade math teacher out in Watts/Gompers in Los Angeles. While the stories she told about her kids -- good, bad, sad, humorous -- were even beyond most things I've experienced while teaching, that is not what I noticed most about the night.
Last night the people that had gathered to see their friend who was in town were from many different points in her life: Middle school/High school (me), college, and teaching. Yet, each one of those people seemed to have a snapshot of her life as what they knew about her -- even if they had heard a few stories over time, or kept in touch sporadically after our closest years, as I have with her.
I learned from listening to others about her college years, which in reality are all but left out of my experiences with her, and paid close attention to how things are going in her first year of teaching -- especially in comparison to mine. I think its a good thing in some sense that a person can often times be a new person as they move through life into different places -- even if they are not really "new," just placed into different settings, different environments.
Its Friday at school, and thus a much needed Test Day. Good luck students.
Last night the people that had gathered to see their friend who was in town were from many different points in her life: Middle school/High school (me), college, and teaching. Yet, each one of those people seemed to have a snapshot of her life as what they knew about her -- even if they had heard a few stories over time, or kept in touch sporadically after our closest years, as I have with her.
I learned from listening to others about her college years, which in reality are all but left out of my experiences with her, and paid close attention to how things are going in her first year of teaching -- especially in comparison to mine. I think its a good thing in some sense that a person can often times be a new person as they move through life into different places -- even if they are not really "new," just placed into different settings, different environments.
Its Friday at school, and thus a much needed Test Day. Good luck students.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Pub Trivia
Pub Trivia is a phenomenally-odd thing.
One thing that my closest friends know is that I love trivia. I love the idea that I can attempt to show off how much useless information I know, as well as sit around and have a drink with all my other friends who are there for the very same reason.
Every time I know the answer to a question, or hear someone else's explanation to how they know the question, it never fails to amaze me at how little of it we know from our formal educations. In most cases, there is a story, or a scene which can explain how you know the answer -- rarely was it in classroom or a lecture hall.
Maybe it was my inspiration of seeing Slumdog Millionaire, or continuous attempts to as people if when they were younger they read the book A View From Saturday (which you all should at some point), but I think its a really important point to make that most of what we know comes from life as an experience.
Go. Get out there. Learn something today that will be useful useless-knowledge the first time you choose to attend pub trivia.
One thing that my closest friends know is that I love trivia. I love the idea that I can attempt to show off how much useless information I know, as well as sit around and have a drink with all my other friends who are there for the very same reason.
Every time I know the answer to a question, or hear someone else's explanation to how they know the question, it never fails to amaze me at how little of it we know from our formal educations. In most cases, there is a story, or a scene which can explain how you know the answer -- rarely was it in classroom or a lecture hall.
Maybe it was my inspiration of seeing Slumdog Millionaire, or continuous attempts to as people if when they were younger they read the book A View From Saturday (which you all should at some point), but I think its a really important point to make that most of what we know comes from life as an experience.
Go. Get out there. Learn something today that will be useful useless-knowledge the first time you choose to attend pub trivia.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
My Date With A Special Investigator
I walked into Starbucks at 4pm.
I had planned to meet him at 4:30. He said he's be wearing a suit; sure enough he was.
We both got there a half-hour early. I had been secretly (and not so secretly) excited about it all day. I was going to get to talk to a special investigator! Kinda movie-like, right?
I grabbed a Blackberry Fizzy drink -- I think that's what they are called. I've actually never bought a drink at Starbucks from the refrigerator, I always get something fresh from the bar. I guess was was feeling like trying something new. I mean I was about to be interrogated, right?
We sat down. He flashed his badge. HE FLASHED HIS BADGE. He had a badge. I don't know anyone who has a badge (well I guess police officers, but I don't know any, and I don't think their badge is as cool).
As we sat there for about 45 minutes, we discussed a friend who was applying for a job with a security clearance, and so I basically was quizzed about his entire life, and my involvement in his life. Questions stemmed from how I knew him, when I lived with him and how often I talk about him...to the REALLY fun ones, and ones I nearly burst out laughing during, which included, "Have you ever known this person to have forcibly attempted to overthrow the United States Government?" I also had to confirm that, to my knowledge, he loves his country. Which he does, I assure you.
While this was happening, people in the Starbucks continuously looked over at us in confusion, trying to understand what this conversation was about, and why I was trying to create a time-line of events, as well as why the man across from me cared about someones allegiances to the United States. Although the answer to those questions are not too excited, since it was really just a formal background check, I'd like to think that the people in the Starbucks thought that I was someone exciting, important and maybe even slightly in trouble with the Law.
That would be cool, right? Oh well.
I had planned to meet him at 4:30. He said he's be wearing a suit; sure enough he was.
We both got there a half-hour early. I had been secretly (and not so secretly) excited about it all day. I was going to get to talk to a special investigator! Kinda movie-like, right?
I grabbed a Blackberry Fizzy drink -- I think that's what they are called. I've actually never bought a drink at Starbucks from the refrigerator, I always get something fresh from the bar. I guess was was feeling like trying something new. I mean I was about to be interrogated, right?
We sat down. He flashed his badge. HE FLASHED HIS BADGE. He had a badge. I don't know anyone who has a badge (well I guess police officers, but I don't know any, and I don't think their badge is as cool).
As we sat there for about 45 minutes, we discussed a friend who was applying for a job with a security clearance, and so I basically was quizzed about his entire life, and my involvement in his life. Questions stemmed from how I knew him, when I lived with him and how often I talk about him...to the REALLY fun ones, and ones I nearly burst out laughing during, which included, "Have you ever known this person to have forcibly attempted to overthrow the United States Government?" I also had to confirm that, to my knowledge, he loves his country. Which he does, I assure you.
While this was happening, people in the Starbucks continuously looked over at us in confusion, trying to understand what this conversation was about, and why I was trying to create a time-line of events, as well as why the man across from me cared about someones allegiances to the United States. Although the answer to those questions are not too excited, since it was really just a formal background check, I'd like to think that the people in the Starbucks thought that I was someone exciting, important and maybe even slightly in trouble with the Law.
That would be cool, right? Oh well.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Back to School
Today, break ended.
I went back to school. It's amazing how as a teacher your anxieties are essentially the same as when you were a student: Fidgety; Unable to fall asleep; Putting off going to sleep since you know you'll be unable to fall asleep; Playing out different scenarios in your head; Wondering if everything you did up until then will be moot.
I finally fell asleep, of course after reading a few political articles. A few about Gaza (none of which I've found say anything new or unexpected anymore), one on public service (which is a must read...
I went back to school. It's amazing how as a teacher your anxieties are essentially the same as when you were a student: Fidgety; Unable to fall asleep; Putting off going to sleep since you know you'll be unable to fall asleep; Playing out different scenarios in your head; Wondering if everything you did up until then will be moot.
I finally fell asleep, of course after reading a few political articles. A few about Gaza (none of which I've found say anything new or unexpected anymore), one on public service (which is a must read...
http://www.newsweek.com/id/177725/page/1 )
I'm not quite sure what it is that makes me fall asleep. I've started to wonder if I fall asleep or wake up in the same position every night/morning. I think I might do a study...you know, mark down exactly how I am when I get up, kinda like a crime scene. Maybe I'll have chalk marks all over my bed, but who cares. If I can figure out the secret to sleeping the night before something big, it'll be worth it, right?
Another note: I walked into my classroom today while there was another teacher in there, in the middle of teaching. She proceeded to stop to tell me that she liked my sweater and that she got one exactly like it from Old Navy (where mine is from) for each of her nephews. Mind you, this entire 2-3 minute ordeal was done right in front of the class--underscoring of course how young I am, since I'm like her nephew, she said to them. Thanks.
I'm not quite sure what it is that makes me fall asleep. I've started to wonder if I fall asleep or wake up in the same position every night/morning. I think I might do a study...you know, mark down exactly how I am when I get up, kinda like a crime scene. Maybe I'll have chalk marks all over my bed, but who cares. If I can figure out the secret to sleeping the night before something big, it'll be worth it, right?
Another note: I walked into my classroom today while there was another teacher in there, in the middle of teaching. She proceeded to stop to tell me that she liked my sweater and that she got one exactly like it from Old Navy (where mine is from) for each of her nephews. Mind you, this entire 2-3 minute ordeal was done right in front of the class--underscoring of course how young I am, since I'm like her nephew, she said to them. Thanks.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Never Ending Hanukkah Celebrations
I had my final (I think) Hanukkah Celebration for Chanukkah '08, although admittedly, it occurred in 2009.
One thing that my family has never been able to do is have Hanukkah parties during Hannukah. The intention is always there. The e-mails go out, the family members respond -- each with their own reason as to why having a party during Hanukkah won't work. Sometimes the reasons are legit, such as that they are college students still at school...or...that they are off in some exotic country on a family vacation. I accept that.
However, is it really all that hard to find ONE day during an EIGHT night holiday to all get together? I mean, If I didn't know better, I would think that the reason for Hanukkah being an eight night holiday is because knowing that, as a people, Jews have a tendency to be late, that with eight days we'd be sure to be able to all find time to get together.
Maybe next year it'll work out, right?
One thing that my family has never been able to do is have Hanukkah parties during Hannukah. The intention is always there. The e-mails go out, the family members respond -- each with their own reason as to why having a party during Hanukkah won't work. Sometimes the reasons are legit, such as that they are college students still at school...or...that they are off in some exotic country on a family vacation. I accept that.
However, is it really all that hard to find ONE day during an EIGHT night holiday to all get together? I mean, If I didn't know better, I would think that the reason for Hanukkah being an eight night holiday is because knowing that, as a people, Jews have a tendency to be late, that with eight days we'd be sure to be able to all find time to get together.
Maybe next year it'll work out, right?
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