Whilst I am in the process of periodically updating you on my life via this blog, I'd LOVE to have you check out my new, useful blog at http://www.filmfilteroff.blogspot.com. You'll LLLOOOOOOOVEEE it and I'll LLOOOOOVVVVVEEEE you! Thanks!
-Corri
P.S.-Twitter me!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Ridiculous Random Stories #2, #3, and #4
So, Happy Belated Birthday to me! In commemoration of 24 exciting years on earth, I visited my charming, handsome beau, Roberto, in Utica NY. That may not seem like a thrilling destination trip, but I had my share of epic adventures.
RRS #2
So I woke up on Saturday the 19th, ready to go. The news was on (I was in Clayton where there was cable TV) and apparently a crap-ton of snow had just descended upon all of Oneida County, and I bet you wouldn't need three guesses to determine which county I was headed toward. Whatever- I live in Upstate NY, and went to school in Buffalo, so it really couldn't be any worse than anything I'd previously driven in, so I ventured onward, leaving myself enough time to get to the restaurant before Rob got home.
*Prologue* Since Valentine's Day is always a week prior to my birthday I didn't get to see Rob, since he was working and I had school, so we were going to double dip and celebrate both holidays together. My brilliant idea was to surprise him by randomly (to him at least) bursting into song in the middle of dinner. I picked out the song and restaurant, made the CD and the reservation, and was ready to surprise the pants off of him!
Back to the journey...so I'm on the road in Lowville, and the roads aren't GREAT, but they certainly aren't awful. Whilst driving behind a silver Toyota, I find myself second in a very long line of vehicles behind a very slow snow plow. I am the first one to enjoy being behind a plow when in cataclysmic conditions, but on a 55 mph road going 25 mph, I was getting a little restless, as were the eight or so vehicles behind me. The SUV on my tail actually pulled into oncoming traffic for a wee bit to see if he could pass myself, Toyota (that's her name for now) AND the plow. Realizing that that wasn't probably the best idea, I figured I would attempt to make the passing instead, since the vehicle ahead of me wasn't initiating anything. In fact, Toyota had applied the brakes twice while behind the plow, so I was very inclined to think Toyota had vehicle problems. Anyway, before I got the chance to pass, Toyota passed, and I followed. Hooray! The roads were, again, not treacherous, and we drove a comfortable distance apart for the next 20 minutes or so, until we reached the light in Lowville where route 12 takes a right. The light is green. Toyota stops, parks, and gets out of her vehicle, and approaches Pheobe (the name of my PT Cruiser). I'm thinking "Crap, something is wrong with my vehicle and she's going to inform me about it...I hope it's not expensive..." I roll down my window and she says something similar to the following:
"Do you know what tailgating is? Do you realize that you were tailgating me the entire time? Where did you expect me to go? WHERE was I supposed to go? You know, I have two pieces of precious cargo in my car- they are called my children, and I don't feel like sliding off the road and endangering their lives because you don't know how to drive!..."
Ok, woah. Is this really happening? Is this woman REALLY chewing me out for something that A) I didn't realize I was doing because when people are stuck behind slower moving vehicles they tend to be closer together and B) I believe she is exaggerating because I was no closer to her than anyone else was to each other. Woah! So, I calmly interrupt her and say (realizing her intent with the braking)
"I'm sorry, I apologize if you thought I was driving too close. But I also don't think brake-checking me is the way to solve the problem" (Oh yeah, the light is still green)
"I only TAPPED ON THEM!" I think she should have to pay for the portion of my steering wheel that she charred with the flames that erupted from her mouth when she screeched those words.
The rant continues about my poor driving skills, her poor babies (that are sitting in an unlocked, parked Toyota at a green light. What precious cargo.), my insensitivity and accusations of me being the antichrist and eating babies. Okay, I exaggerated some of that, but I definitely got that vibe. So, I interrupt again,
"Again, I aplologize if I was too close to you, but right now we are holding up traffic at a-"
"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT! You need to learn how to freakin' drive! Where on earth was I..."
Wow. Stupid me for trying to be logical. Clearly we can conclude the following from this flamboyant situation:
1) I am a bad driver, and thrive on frightening and endangering the lives of others, especially children.
2) I exhibit signs of road rage. Ha.
3) I am an irrational driver who cannot remain calm, thus resulting in road rage. (See number 2)
Okay, again I am exaggerating, because to be honest this situation plagued me all the way to Utica. I felt like total garbage, and for those of you who know me- you KNOW how bent out of shape I get when I feel like I have upset someone. So I played this awful situation back and forth in my mind, fantasized about saying what I REALLY wanted (and that is why I have a blog) and came to the conclusion that I handled the situation exactly how I wanted to, and should have.
I'm not going to say that I wasn't tailgating her, and I'm not going to say that it was right to do so just because the line of nine or so vehicles behind me were doing the same; I am NOT a perfect driver. However, can we agree that this woman was being really delusional and a little bonkers by getting out of her car and chastising me like a puppy that peed the rug? I mean, she is a LUCKY woman to be able to chew out a driver that pissed her off- how many times do we encounter someone who we think should re-evaluate their ability to operate a vehicle, and we just have to slam on the brakes, honk our horns and deal with it. If we stop and approach everything that we find distasteful in the world with the attitude she exhibited, we're going to find ourselves in a very overprotective, negative, and sometimes just illogical frame of mind. Sometimes it's just best to move on and get over it. So, Toyota, please move on and get over it.
RRS #3
So I get to Utica, and stop at the restaurant to make a reservation and set up the surprise. I picked out a secluded table, dropped off the CD and the valentine, and went on my merry way. I had to stop at Family Dollar to kill some time, and I realized I hadn't gotten Rob a Valentine's day card. Even though it was a good week after the holiday, they still had one card left. It was hot pink and two and a half feet tall. Well, if I'm going to embarrass Rob I might as well go all out, so I bought it.
So Rob finally got home from work, and I gave him his card and he gave me Battlestar Galactica seasons one and two. AMAZING! I told him that we should probably get ready for dinner, and he kept asking where we were going, but I wouldn't tell him. So then my phone rings, and in my fit of laziness I ask Rob to tell me who it is...aaaand it's the restaurant where we are supposed to be dining- no more surprise there. Apparently, the CD I gave them won't work, and I have to give them suggestions on how to fix it in Rob's zero privacy apartment in a discreet enough manner that he won't know what's going on. So I get off the phone and he says "What are you planning?" Fail. I tried to lie my way out of it, but he most definitely wasn't convinced. He had also just helped me figure out how to put AA batteries in the camera I borrowed to document this epic event, so he definitely put two and two together.
So I don't get another phone call from the restaurant, and I hope that means they fixed it, so we headed out to dinner. We hadn't gotten our salads yet, so I figured this was the perfect time to sing. Alas, after I excused myself for the restroom (which I almost never do at dinner) the CD still didn't work, so they said to come back in two minutes and they'd see if they could get it on the bar stereo. Well, halfway through my salad, the bar music cuts out and an obnoxiously loud recording of the song I was to serenade him with blared from the bar. Rob asks me what's going on, and I hastily look at my salad and say "How would I know?" Cover blown. I excuse myself AGAIN (he must think I have IBS...) and the manager decides to set up some dessert wines at the bar and have me do it there. So Rob and I have a seat at the bar, start to sip the wine and...cue music? What...wait! I only have two beats of music before I come in! So I get up, grab the valentine, ask them to start the music over, and serenade him awkwardly at the bar.
So, there was no real surprise, but it worked out and is recorded for your viewing pleasure.
Afterward, we got to enjoy a flaming banana dessert in the company of a very ditzy bartender who asked me, "Wow, so you like, wrote that song for him and performed it for him?" I had to explain that, no, I did not write it, but Elton John did (Your Song), to which she replies to Rob, "Ohhh. You must've felt kind of dumb, you probably should've had, like, an engagement ring ready or something!" Wow...does she want to single-handedly ruin my relationship with her idiotic remarks? We just laughed it off and ignored her.
RRS #4:
So, pretty full weekend, huh? It gets better! Monday was my birthday, and I got to pick whatever we wanted to do that day! So what did I decide to do? Pass out. That's right folks, I straight up fainted on my birthday. Thank goodness Rob was there to (gently) slap me to consciousness (which he still feels really bad about).
Hands down, it was definitely the most memorable birthday I've had. :)
RRS #2
So I woke up on Saturday the 19th, ready to go. The news was on (I was in Clayton where there was cable TV) and apparently a crap-ton of snow had just descended upon all of Oneida County, and I bet you wouldn't need three guesses to determine which county I was headed toward. Whatever- I live in Upstate NY, and went to school in Buffalo, so it really couldn't be any worse than anything I'd previously driven in, so I ventured onward, leaving myself enough time to get to the restaurant before Rob got home.
*Prologue* Since Valentine's Day is always a week prior to my birthday I didn't get to see Rob, since he was working and I had school, so we were going to double dip and celebrate both holidays together. My brilliant idea was to surprise him by randomly (to him at least) bursting into song in the middle of dinner. I picked out the song and restaurant, made the CD and the reservation, and was ready to surprise the pants off of him!
Back to the journey...so I'm on the road in Lowville, and the roads aren't GREAT, but they certainly aren't awful. Whilst driving behind a silver Toyota, I find myself second in a very long line of vehicles behind a very slow snow plow. I am the first one to enjoy being behind a plow when in cataclysmic conditions, but on a 55 mph road going 25 mph, I was getting a little restless, as were the eight or so vehicles behind me. The SUV on my tail actually pulled into oncoming traffic for a wee bit to see if he could pass myself, Toyota (that's her name for now) AND the plow. Realizing that that wasn't probably the best idea, I figured I would attempt to make the passing instead, since the vehicle ahead of me wasn't initiating anything. In fact, Toyota had applied the brakes twice while behind the plow, so I was very inclined to think Toyota had vehicle problems. Anyway, before I got the chance to pass, Toyota passed, and I followed. Hooray! The roads were, again, not treacherous, and we drove a comfortable distance apart for the next 20 minutes or so, until we reached the light in Lowville where route 12 takes a right. The light is green. Toyota stops, parks, and gets out of her vehicle, and approaches Pheobe (the name of my PT Cruiser). I'm thinking "Crap, something is wrong with my vehicle and she's going to inform me about it...I hope it's not expensive..." I roll down my window and she says something similar to the following:
"Do you know what tailgating is? Do you realize that you were tailgating me the entire time? Where did you expect me to go? WHERE was I supposed to go? You know, I have two pieces of precious cargo in my car- they are called my children, and I don't feel like sliding off the road and endangering their lives because you don't know how to drive!..."
Ok, woah. Is this really happening? Is this woman REALLY chewing me out for something that A) I didn't realize I was doing because when people are stuck behind slower moving vehicles they tend to be closer together and B) I believe she is exaggerating because I was no closer to her than anyone else was to each other. Woah! So, I calmly interrupt her and say (realizing her intent with the braking)
"I'm sorry, I apologize if you thought I was driving too close. But I also don't think brake-checking me is the way to solve the problem" (Oh yeah, the light is still green)
"I only TAPPED ON THEM!" I think she should have to pay for the portion of my steering wheel that she charred with the flames that erupted from her mouth when she screeched those words.
The rant continues about my poor driving skills, her poor babies (that are sitting in an unlocked, parked Toyota at a green light. What precious cargo.), my insensitivity and accusations of me being the antichrist and eating babies. Okay, I exaggerated some of that, but I definitely got that vibe. So, I interrupt again,
"Again, I aplologize if I was too close to you, but right now we are holding up traffic at a-"
"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT! You need to learn how to freakin' drive! Where on earth was I..."
Wow. Stupid me for trying to be logical. Clearly we can conclude the following from this flamboyant situation:
1) I am a bad driver, and thrive on frightening and endangering the lives of others, especially children.
2) I exhibit signs of road rage. Ha.
3) I am an irrational driver who cannot remain calm, thus resulting in road rage. (See number 2)
Okay, again I am exaggerating, because to be honest this situation plagued me all the way to Utica. I felt like total garbage, and for those of you who know me- you KNOW how bent out of shape I get when I feel like I have upset someone. So I played this awful situation back and forth in my mind, fantasized about saying what I REALLY wanted (and that is why I have a blog) and came to the conclusion that I handled the situation exactly how I wanted to, and should have.
I'm not going to say that I wasn't tailgating her, and I'm not going to say that it was right to do so just because the line of nine or so vehicles behind me were doing the same; I am NOT a perfect driver. However, can we agree that this woman was being really delusional and a little bonkers by getting out of her car and chastising me like a puppy that peed the rug? I mean, she is a LUCKY woman to be able to chew out a driver that pissed her off- how many times do we encounter someone who we think should re-evaluate their ability to operate a vehicle, and we just have to slam on the brakes, honk our horns and deal with it. If we stop and approach everything that we find distasteful in the world with the attitude she exhibited, we're going to find ourselves in a very overprotective, negative, and sometimes just illogical frame of mind. Sometimes it's just best to move on and get over it. So, Toyota, please move on and get over it.
RRS #3
So I get to Utica, and stop at the restaurant to make a reservation and set up the surprise. I picked out a secluded table, dropped off the CD and the valentine, and went on my merry way. I had to stop at Family Dollar to kill some time, and I realized I hadn't gotten Rob a Valentine's day card. Even though it was a good week after the holiday, they still had one card left. It was hot pink and two and a half feet tall. Well, if I'm going to embarrass Rob I might as well go all out, so I bought it.
So Rob finally got home from work, and I gave him his card and he gave me Battlestar Galactica seasons one and two. AMAZING! I told him that we should probably get ready for dinner, and he kept asking where we were going, but I wouldn't tell him. So then my phone rings, and in my fit of laziness I ask Rob to tell me who it is...aaaand it's the restaurant where we are supposed to be dining- no more surprise there. Apparently, the CD I gave them won't work, and I have to give them suggestions on how to fix it in Rob's zero privacy apartment in a discreet enough manner that he won't know what's going on. So I get off the phone and he says "What are you planning?" Fail. I tried to lie my way out of it, but he most definitely wasn't convinced. He had also just helped me figure out how to put AA batteries in the camera I borrowed to document this epic event, so he definitely put two and two together.
So I don't get another phone call from the restaurant, and I hope that means they fixed it, so we headed out to dinner. We hadn't gotten our salads yet, so I figured this was the perfect time to sing. Alas, after I excused myself for the restroom (which I almost never do at dinner) the CD still didn't work, so they said to come back in two minutes and they'd see if they could get it on the bar stereo. Well, halfway through my salad, the bar music cuts out and an obnoxiously loud recording of the song I was to serenade him with blared from the bar. Rob asks me what's going on, and I hastily look at my salad and say "How would I know?" Cover blown. I excuse myself AGAIN (he must think I have IBS...) and the manager decides to set up some dessert wines at the bar and have me do it there. So Rob and I have a seat at the bar, start to sip the wine and...cue music? What...wait! I only have two beats of music before I come in! So I get up, grab the valentine, ask them to start the music over, and serenade him awkwardly at the bar.
So, there was no real surprise, but it worked out and is recorded for your viewing pleasure.
Afterward, we got to enjoy a flaming banana dessert in the company of a very ditzy bartender who asked me, "Wow, so you like, wrote that song for him and performed it for him?" I had to explain that, no, I did not write it, but Elton John did (Your Song), to which she replies to Rob, "Ohhh. You must've felt kind of dumb, you probably should've had, like, an engagement ring ready or something!" Wow...does she want to single-handedly ruin my relationship with her idiotic remarks? We just laughed it off and ignored her.
RRS #4:
So, pretty full weekend, huh? It gets better! Monday was my birthday, and I got to pick whatever we wanted to do that day! So what did I decide to do? Pass out. That's right folks, I straight up fainted on my birthday. Thank goodness Rob was there to (gently) slap me to consciousness (which he still feels really bad about).
Hands down, it was definitely the most memorable birthday I've had. :)
Monday, January 24, 2011
2010 Engadget Awards
Don't feel bad, I haven't heard of this event either. It was just my unexpected day off and on-line stalking that forced be to run across this topic.
Now, before I begin my dissection of this awards ceremony, I have to start out by saying I hat my 'Shift' key. I have not been able to adequately record my frustrations of said keyboard attachment, but I really can't take it anymore. It's severely busted, and every time I try to fix it (by constantly pressing the key) my computer whigs out with that noise I can only describe as the noise one would hear constantly blaring from the subwoofers of Hell. I swear, no volume control setting made by man can stifle it and it is unpredictable as to when, in my shift pounding frustration, it will occur. Which is nice, because then I only have to poop my pants sometimes.
Anyway, I found this article that discussed the different kinds of technologies used to assist us and how they are rated. Now, me not being a technology buff, I only really recognize some of the categories, but I figured I would share with you the site at which you can visit to vote (useful information), and also my insight as to what some of the winners should be (not useful information). Enjoy!
Cellphone of the Year - So this is obviously biased, but I'd have to say the Samsung Alias 2. This is mainly because, in a fit of frustrated rage, I set mine on top of my car to fix my battery, and thus drove off in my car whilst the Alias 2 was flung off my vehicle into an unknown location. It's like the person you dated, and then they left without having known how you really felt. A very Nicholas Sparks-ish tale...
Smartphone of the Year - The BlackBerry, duh. I believe they have taken it a step FURTHER than smart phone to actually a degree phone, because unless you have a degree you can kiss your chances of ever learning how to use a BlackBerry goodbye.
Desktop of the Year- I didn't know they still made these...
Laptop of the Year- Mac. Mac. Anything Mac.
Netbook of the Year- Mead, 3 subject, college ruled, blue cover with flaps on the inside. Oh, that says Netbook....
Digital Camera of the Year- Anything but the Kodak CD33-1
E-reader of the year - I don't know, I know everyone loves these things and all, but what are we going to do to protest inappropriate texts in the future? Burning Kindles is so NOT going to be as cool as burning books.
Game Console of the Year- Wii.
Game Accessory of the Year- The headset that has now allowed adults to CONVERSE with the children that beat us in Halo.
GPS Device of the Year- Anything that doesn't land me in a small African village while on my way to the mall will do. They're all about the same...unless they've made one that can make a killer latte.
Home Entertainment Device of the Year- American Idol. I don't think there comes a more valid form of Home Entertainment than watching the preliminary rounds of auditions. "PANTS ON THE GROUND!"
Robot of the Year- Okay, this is kind of creepy. A) What constitutes as a robot, and B) Who owns one? Can I just say Bi-centennial man and move on? Thanks.
Storage Device or Technology of the Year- Is it just me, or does this award seem to acknowledge two COMPLETELY different concepts? Storage device- backpack. Technology-Apollo 11. Are these two things similar? I think not.
Wearable Device of the Year- Any cellphone, because let's face it- nobody ever freaking puts them down. They might as well have 50 Cent endorse some kind of ridiculous, tricked out chain for the newest line of phones, because I think the next step is just flat out strapping them to our heads. Might as well make it a fashion statement while we do it.
So...don't let MY well-rounded and extremely thought out opinions influence your decision, vote for yourself!
Now, before I begin my dissection of this awards ceremony, I have to start out by saying I hat my 'Shift' key. I have not been able to adequately record my frustrations of said keyboard attachment, but I really can't take it anymore. It's severely busted, and every time I try to fix it (by constantly pressing the key) my computer whigs out with that noise I can only describe as the noise one would hear constantly blaring from the subwoofers of Hell. I swear, no volume control setting made by man can stifle it and it is unpredictable as to when, in my shift pounding frustration, it will occur. Which is nice, because then I only have to poop my pants sometimes.
Anyway, I found this article that discussed the different kinds of technologies used to assist us and how they are rated. Now, me not being a technology buff, I only really recognize some of the categories, but I figured I would share with you the site at which you can visit to vote (useful information), and also my insight as to what some of the winners should be (not useful information). Enjoy!
Cellphone of the Year - So this is obviously biased, but I'd have to say the Samsung Alias 2. This is mainly because, in a fit of frustrated rage, I set mine on top of my car to fix my battery, and thus drove off in my car whilst the Alias 2 was flung off my vehicle into an unknown location. It's like the person you dated, and then they left without having known how you really felt. A very Nicholas Sparks-ish tale...
Smartphone of the Year - The BlackBerry, duh. I believe they have taken it a step FURTHER than smart phone to actually a degree phone, because unless you have a degree you can kiss your chances of ever learning how to use a BlackBerry goodbye.
Desktop of the Year- I didn't know they still made these...
Laptop of the Year- Mac. Mac. Anything Mac.
Netbook of the Year- Mead, 3 subject, college ruled, blue cover with flaps on the inside. Oh, that says Netbook....
Digital Camera of the Year- Anything but the Kodak CD33-1
E-reader of the year - I don't know, I know everyone loves these things and all, but what are we going to do to protest inappropriate texts in the future? Burning Kindles is so NOT going to be as cool as burning books.
Game Console of the Year- Wii.
Game Accessory of the Year- The headset that has now allowed adults to CONVERSE with the children that beat us in Halo.
GPS Device of the Year- Anything that doesn't land me in a small African village while on my way to the mall will do. They're all about the same...unless they've made one that can make a killer latte.
Home Entertainment Device of the Year- American Idol. I don't think there comes a more valid form of Home Entertainment than watching the preliminary rounds of auditions. "PANTS ON THE GROUND!"
Robot of the Year- Okay, this is kind of creepy. A) What constitutes as a robot, and B) Who owns one? Can I just say Bi-centennial man and move on? Thanks.
Wearable Device of the Year- Any cellphone, because let's face it- nobody ever freaking puts them down. They might as well have 50 Cent endorse some kind of ridiculous, tricked out chain for the newest line of phones, because I think the next step is just flat out strapping them to our heads. Might as well make it a fashion statement while we do it.
So...don't let MY well-rounded and extremely thought out opinions influence your decision, vote for yourself!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Hot Topic #1
So...after about a 5 month hiatus (and some nitpicking about my lack of keeping up) I have a new post to share, hooray! To be perfectly honest, my plate of life has been excessively full (think Chinese buffet-style full) and I haven't had a lot of time to devote to the art of blogging. I make no promises, but I am going to do my best to try and update this beast a little more frequently.
So, what now? I hate writing without a purpose, so I didn't want to just ramblog (ramble-blog, and yes, I made that word up). As much as I know you'd just love to hear about my progress with our high school musical preparations of Guys & Dolls, I figured I'd spare you. What I would like to talk about are some current events that I feel affect not only the world, but myself and my life as well. I hope you enjoy Hot Topic #1.
Yes, you read that correctly, and here's the link to the story: Can I say I'm outraged? No, not really. Not that I'm not upset, but that's not quite the right word to describe it. Disappointed, disgusted, perplexed- the list could go on and on. As a relatively new teacher I have a fairly recent memory of the classes and training I received in order to get my Bachelor's degree, so my reaction to this is more of a: How? How could any certified, reputable teacher not notice what is going on in his classroom? That being said, this Monday is my third and final observation as a first year tenure-track teacher, and in my pre-observation meeting I mentioned that my classroom management is a concern of mine. Before I become labeled a hypocrite, lets put these two situations into perspective.
As a chorus teacher, I often find myself doing two jobs at once: musician, and teacher. Relying on purely voices to create the music in our class, guess who gets to portray (a really REALLY bad impersonation of) Beethoven at the piano? Moi. I love teaching and I love music, but I often find myself struggling to do both justice when faced with my 60+ students in senior high chorus. I can't read piano music, turn pages, adequately listen, conduct, juggle flaming bowling pins AND be a fantastic disciplinarian at the same time. If I could, I could probably have landed a fantastic time slot on America's Got Talent, but it's just not in the cards...
...back to my point. Yes, I struggle to maintain a distraction-free environment while I'm working with my students, but when I see gum chewing- I address it. When I see cell phones- I confiscate them. I have trained myself to be able to know both my students and my environment to a degree that I can spot things while I am simultaneously sucking at piano and listening to my ensemble. Can I also take the time to say that my students ROCK and they usually don't present any catastrophic sorts of problems for me to address in the first place. Let's re-focus, though: 60 14-18 year old co-ed students going through puberty with an often times distracted teacher. It could, at times, get ugly.
Now, let's fast forward to the situation at hand. A second grade classroom in Oakland, California. There were TWO instances found of students performing sexual acts on each other. Really? REALLY?! Like one wasn't enough? The explanation from the teacher was that he did not see it happen, which in all honesty isn't that bad of a response when you think of what circumstances could have been, but is still not an excuse. Not at all. As someone who has willingly chosen to be an instructor, role model, and supervisor of young, impressionable minds it is his responsibility and job to make sure that things like this don't ever even have a foundation to begin, let alone occur in the classroom on two different occasions. There is not one moment where any of those students should have been out of his supervision, and the fact that they were for a long enough period of time to "experiment" is just plain lack of responsibility.
Maybe the kids saw it at home. Maybe they saw it on TV. Maybe they really wanted to experiment because they were very curious. All potentially true statements, however, the only definitive "maybe" in this situation is that just MAYBE, that teacher should have kept a close eye on his students. "Not seeing it" is not an excuse. If I assess that there are students missing that should be present, a big 'ol red flag jumps out at me and I take the necessary measures. I don't care how you spin it, he was just plain negligent and should be held responsible for not maybe what the students did, but that they had an opportunity to do so.
The word "teacher" is such an understatement. As I was taught in my methods classes, we wear many hats. We are teachers, but also disciplinarians, counselors, coaches, advisors, mediators, listeners, and supervisors. Any person that thinks for a second that teachers (and their actions, for that matter) do not have a lasting impression on their students need to take a large dose of reality, because this is what we sign up for when we get our degree. We help mold and shape our students to meet future challenges, (oh yes, I did just quote the General Brown mission statemet) and to be positive influences on society. Any lapse in our vigilance, no matter how brief, can have an effect on our students, and I sincerely hope that this teacher takes his (paid!) suspension to start thinking about other career options.
So, what now? I hate writing without a purpose, so I didn't want to just ramblog (ramble-blog, and yes, I made that word up). As much as I know you'd just love to hear about my progress with our high school musical preparations of Guys & Dolls, I figured I'd spare you. What I would like to talk about are some current events that I feel affect not only the world, but myself and my life as well. I hope you enjoy Hot Topic #1.
Teacher Suspended After Second-Graders Perform Sex Acts in Class
Yes, you read that correctly, and here's the link to the story: Can I say I'm outraged? No, not really. Not that I'm not upset, but that's not quite the right word to describe it. Disappointed, disgusted, perplexed- the list could go on and on. As a relatively new teacher I have a fairly recent memory of the classes and training I received in order to get my Bachelor's degree, so my reaction to this is more of a: How? How could any certified, reputable teacher not notice what is going on in his classroom? That being said, this Monday is my third and final observation as a first year tenure-track teacher, and in my pre-observation meeting I mentioned that my classroom management is a concern of mine. Before I become labeled a hypocrite, lets put these two situations into perspective.
As a chorus teacher, I often find myself doing two jobs at once: musician, and teacher. Relying on purely voices to create the music in our class, guess who gets to portray (a really REALLY bad impersonation of) Beethoven at the piano? Moi. I love teaching and I love music, but I often find myself struggling to do both justice when faced with my 60+ students in senior high chorus. I can't read piano music, turn pages, adequately listen, conduct, juggle flaming bowling pins AND be a fantastic disciplinarian at the same time. If I could, I could probably have landed a fantastic time slot on America's Got Talent, but it's just not in the cards...
...back to my point. Yes, I struggle to maintain a distraction-free environment while I'm working with my students, but when I see gum chewing- I address it. When I see cell phones- I confiscate them. I have trained myself to be able to know both my students and my environment to a degree that I can spot things while I am simultaneously sucking at piano and listening to my ensemble. Can I also take the time to say that my students ROCK and they usually don't present any catastrophic sorts of problems for me to address in the first place. Let's re-focus, though: 60 14-18 year old co-ed students going through puberty with an often times distracted teacher. It could, at times, get ugly.
Now, let's fast forward to the situation at hand. A second grade classroom in Oakland, California. There were TWO instances found of students performing sexual acts on each other. Really? REALLY?! Like one wasn't enough? The explanation from the teacher was that he did not see it happen, which in all honesty isn't that bad of a response when you think of what circumstances could have been, but is still not an excuse. Not at all. As someone who has willingly chosen to be an instructor, role model, and supervisor of young, impressionable minds it is his responsibility and job to make sure that things like this don't ever even have a foundation to begin, let alone occur in the classroom on two different occasions. There is not one moment where any of those students should have been out of his supervision, and the fact that they were for a long enough period of time to "experiment" is just plain lack of responsibility.
Maybe the kids saw it at home. Maybe they saw it on TV. Maybe they really wanted to experiment because they were very curious. All potentially true statements, however, the only definitive "maybe" in this situation is that just MAYBE, that teacher should have kept a close eye on his students. "Not seeing it" is not an excuse. If I assess that there are students missing that should be present, a big 'ol red flag jumps out at me and I take the necessary measures. I don't care how you spin it, he was just plain negligent and should be held responsible for not maybe what the students did, but that they had an opportunity to do so.
The word "teacher" is such an understatement. As I was taught in my methods classes, we wear many hats. We are teachers, but also disciplinarians, counselors, coaches, advisors, mediators, listeners, and supervisors. Any person that thinks for a second that teachers (and their actions, for that matter) do not have a lasting impression on their students need to take a large dose of reality, because this is what we sign up for when we get our degree. We help mold and shape our students to meet future challenges, (oh yes, I did just quote the General Brown mission statemet) and to be positive influences on society. Any lapse in our vigilance, no matter how brief, can have an effect on our students, and I sincerely hope that this teacher takes his (paid!) suspension to start thinking about other career options.
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