Rookie Reflections

mad girl's love song

2010-11-07T14:12:00.001-08:00

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

God topples from the sky, hell's fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan's men:
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

I fancied you'd return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.
I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
(I think I made you up inside my head.)

-Sylvia Plath

a good read

2010-08-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100820005843/en/Ron-Paul-Left-Demagogue-Mosque-Islam

impoverished

2010-08-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

In many ways, our language has been impoverished--by politics, ads, ignorance, and suspicion of eloquence. In the Renaissance it was socially valuable to be able to speak well; you could talk yourself into court or into bed. Whereas in America, and especially in the latter half of the twentieth century, we have tended to equate eloquence with arrogance at best and dishonesty at worst, preferring people who, like, you know, well, kinda couldn't exactly, like, say what they mean. Sort of. Whole concepts have disappeared via advertising from our fund of expression. We no longer have meaningful ways to say: the real thing, the right choice, new and improved, makes you feel young again, or just do it. The words wonderful, great, grand, distinctive, elegant, exclusive, purity, pleasure, passion, mastery, mystery, and natural have been coopted and corrupted. If I say, "I love what you do to me," it's clear that I've got something to sell.

MUST SEE

2010-08-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

I get chills watching the trailer. I really, really hope the producers don't mess this one up for me. I CAN'T WAIT...

sooo sweeeeet

2010-08-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

Look at this precious video!

Max, Margaux, & The Marvelows from Shark Pig on Vimeo.

via A Cup of Jo

methinks a cupid I shall play

2010-07-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

I'm working up some lessons for this upcoming year, and this is one I'm testing out for 12th grade. By the time they complete my class, they will have read all these plays during high school and should have at least a working understanding of each. If you get a minute, let me know what you think.

CHALLENGE: Although many of Shakespeare's plays focus primarily on men, consider his portrayal of women. The Bard frequently uses love/lust between his leading men and a unique woman to drive the action of the plays. Can you match each influential lady with her spoken words? (HINTS: Consider all of the plays we discussed. What was the premise of each? What character traits does each woman possess? Would the quotation fit her character?) (NOTE: These are NOT the main quotations we discussed in class.)

a. Ophelia (Hamlet)
b. Desdemona (Othello)
c. Juliet (Romeo and Juliet)
d. Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)
e. Beatrice (Much ado about Nothing)
f. Helena (A Midsummer Night's Dream)

1. __________

A dear happiness to women. They would else have
been troubled with a pernicious suitor.
I thank God and my cold blood I am of your humor for that.
I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loved me.

2. __________

Come, gentle night, — come, loving black brow'd night,
Give me my [name removed]; and when he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of Heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night,
And pay no worship to the garish sun.

3. __________

And even for that do I love you the more.
I am your spaniel. And, [name removed],
The more you beat me, I will fawn on you.
Use me but as your spaniel—spurn me, strike me,
Neglect me, lose me. Only give me leave,
Unworthy as I am, to follow you.
What worser place can I beg in your love—
And yet a place of high respect with me—
Than to be used as you use your dog?

4. __________

My noble father,
I do perceive here a divided duty.
To you I am bound for life and education.
My life and education both do learn me
How to respect you. You are the lord of my duty,
I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband,
And so much duty as my mother showed
To you, preferring you before her father,
So much I challenge that I may profess
Due to the Moor my lord.

5. __________

Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-ful
Of direst cruelty!

6. __________

I...now see that noble and most sovereign reason,
Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh;
That unmatch'd form and feature of blown youth
Blasted with ecstasy: O, woe is me,
To have seen what I have seen, see what I see!

How did you do? Is this too hard/too easy? Should I modify it to be more recognizable quotations from them?

BEGINNINGS OF MY BUCKET LIST

2010-07-19T22:05:00.001-07:00

BEGINNINGS OF MY BUCKET LIST

(open to suggestions and subject to change)

-travel overseas
-read enough to be "well read," if only for conversations in my own mind
-try new things (especially scary things)
-stop regretting
-save money for no particular reason
-meet new people (ditch them if they're lame, keep them if not)
-learn to cook without recipes
-be good at discipline in my classroom
-go to California, New York, and somewhere on a whim (separate trips)
-meet Steven Tyler
-be financially independent
-reteach myself how to play piano (FOR REAL THIS TIME)
-be healthy in order to feel healthy
-stop drinking caffiene/smoking cigarettes/being ridiculous
-have a pen pal
-have my own version of the happiness project
-be confident
-get over my fear of horses and go horseback riding
-play paintball
-participate in a Habitat for Humanity event
-have a solid retirement plan
-run a marathon (ok, maybe just a half marathon... who am I kidding?)
-go camping
-learn to salsa dance

joining the world of missing persons

2010-07-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

and she was lying in the grass
and she could hear the highway breathing
and she could see a nearby factory
she's making sure she is not dreaming

Talking Heads - And She Was - Click here for more home videos

and she was looking at herself
and things were looking like a movie
she had a pleasant elevation
she's moving out in all directions

2010-06-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and realized I'm kind of a jerk. The oil, sure to devestate the ecosystem for years and years to come, is still spilling into the gulf. For the last week, I've been worried that it was going to inconveience me on my summer beach vacation.

Also, Blaine and I have decided to give our kittens some new nicknames:

Piper AKA "Big Oil":

and Fitzwilliam Majeed AKA "Tar Ball"

Yep, I'm kind of a jerk.

a story for the people

2010-06-18T08:17:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, there was a knock on the door. I was expecting Lisa, so I hauled Piper to the door and stuck her little fuzzy head out there as if she were answering it (funny haha). Instead of Lisa's girlish giggle, I heard a deep HUH HUH HUH laugh.

A little embarrassed, I dropped Piper and looked outside to see a well dressed, smiling, plump young man around 17 or 18. I stepped outside to talk with him. He tells me a heartbreaking story about how he is from Atlanta and wants to go to college, but he doesn't have the funding. He is part of this program that works with teenagers in his same position. The group works off of a points system: they get so many points for the way they handle themselves on door-to-door visits, (SIDE NOTE: when explaining this part to me, he said his sponsor would call me to get feedback and asked if I would let his sponsor know that he was respectful, handled himself well, and didn't ask me to make him some collard greens. I shit you not) points for how many homes they visit, and points for however many magazine subscriptions/books they sell. He then proceeded to show me the list of magazines and books that were available to sell.

In hindsight, I should have known better than to believe this little shit. But...
1. He had official looking paperwork
2. The receipts were triplicate copies with the name of the company and address, etc. on them
3. He gave me contact information for his sponsor
4. I am a sucker for a teenager who works hard at anything during the summertime (not common)

So, to end a long story, I went inside to get my checkbook to write a check for a crazy amount ($72) to renew a magazine Blaine already subscribes to (Rolling Stone for 2 years).

I should've seen the red flags here:
-he said he got more points if I paid cash
and here:
-however uninvited, he asked if he could come in while I wrote the check

Of course, I wrote a check, and of course, practical-minded Blaine looked it up as soon as I told him. It was a scam. Please check out reviews here (courtesy of Blaine Duncan Detective Agency):

http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-856-642-0012

http://citysquares.com/b/millenium-sales-721836

http://www.bbb.org/new-jersey/business-reviews/magazines-distributors/millennium-sales-in-mount-laurel-nj-90009226

Moral of the story: never stick Piper's head out the door assuming it's Lisa on the other side.

mother's day 2010

2010-05-09T18:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful, talented, confident, loving, selfless mother!

oil spill rant

2010-05-06T14:49:00.000-07:00

I have been intentionally trying to avoid the news coverage of the oil spill. I know that is lame and counterproductive, but it is upsetting, people! I am trying to keep the paranoia at a manageable level.

Anyways, I caught a broadcast about it this morning. Apparently, one of the tactics BP used to try to clean up the oil was something called "chemical disbursement," where they basically just dumped a bunch of chemicals one mile under water to break up the oil. After putting over 150,000 gallons (150,000 GALLONS) of these chemicals into the ocean, they stopped using this method because of the toxicity levels in the chemicals and the possible long-term damage it could do to the shrimping industry. Question: did they not check the toxicity levels of the chemicals beforehand?

In addition to this craziness, when BP reps were asked what was in the chemicals they poured, they pulled the "I know something you don't know" card and wouldn't tell. WHO CAN JUST POUR TOXIC CHEMICALS INTO THE OCEAN BY THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF GALLONS AND NOT TELL ANYONE WHAT IS IN IT?!

READ MORE HERE

make an assessment!

2010-05-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

Finishing up:

and

INFORMAL POLL: What should I read next?

A.

B.

C.

D.

E. All of the above?

D. Write in __________________

sounds and letters

2010-04-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

"When the English tongue we speak,
Why is break not rhymed with freak ?
Will you tell me why it's true
We say sew but likewise few ?
And the maker of verse
Cannot cap his horse with worse ?
Beard sounds not the same as heard.
Cord is different from word.
Cow is cow, but low is low;
Shoe is never rhymed with foe.
Think of hose and dose and lose,
And of goose and yet of choose.
Think of comb and tomb and bomb.
Doll and roll, and home and some,
And since pay is rhymed with say,
Why not paid with said, I pray ?
We have blood and food and good;
Mould is not pronounced like could.
Wherefore done, but gone, and lone ?
Is there any reason known ?
And, in short, it seems to be
Sounds and letters disagree."
-M. Needleman

patterns

2010-04-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

They say (I read in Woman’s Day) that any literature mirrors what is going on in society at the time in which it was written. True to some degree, but it is easy to get fiction and reality confused. In written word, if a narrator gets caught in a lie one time by the reader, that person is considered unreliable from that point forward. In reality, life is a series of transgressions, apologies (spoken or sensed), and homecomings. Any real hope for change in life seems to hinge on your ability to forgive (others or yourself, whatever the case may be). But, if we are repeating the same patterns as life goes on, are we really changing?

recent obsessions

2010-04-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

Toms

Yes, I know these are trendy lately. I just can't help but love them! They have this effortless comfort look to them that just screams "SUMMERTIME!!!!!" I am currently coveting the canvas ones in ash gray.

The Black Apple Books Print

I know I've written about The Black Apple Etsy store before. I would buy every single one of their prints and love each of them dearly. Lately, my favorite print has been this one about books. Wouldn't it be lovely in my classroom?

e.e. cummings

"The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful."

OB-SESSED. PERIOD.

i like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite a new thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body. i like what it does,
i like its hows. i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones, and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which i will
again and again and again
kiss, i like kissing this and that of you,
i like, slowly stroking the, shocking fuzz
of your electric fur, and what-is-it comes
over parting flesh . . . . And eyes big love-crumbs,

and possibly i like the thrill

of under me you quite so new

Kelly Cutrone

Always the sucker for reality shows on BravoTV, I got hooked on her recent show because of the name: Kell on Earth. [NOTE: If ever I were going to be in a roller derby league, this would have to be my name.] In all seriousness, she is one badass bitch. She is a fashion publicist who has no qualms saying what she means; She handles business like no other and still has this rocker vibe. I am teetering on the idea of ordering her book, If You Have to Cry Go Outside: and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You. Who am I kidding? I'm ordering it now.

Celebrity Playlist Podcast

This podcast, usually about 20-30 minutes in length, features different celebrities who talk about which songs influence them. Most of the time, the celebrities are musicians (recent listens were She & Him, Mick Fleetwood, and Lady Gaga), and sometimes they have actors (Clint Eastwood's) and public figures (Perez Hilton). I love listening to this when I'm walking. It is short enough to be engaging and long enough to be informative. Love it!

Jim Burke's Blog

I feel giddy inside when he posts a new blog. Many writers have insightful things to say about teaching English; however, I always take something practical away from reading what he's written. He inspires me to be better without seeming arrogant. I was also excited to find out that he's the keynote speaker at the Alabama Council of Teachers of English Conference this October in Birmingham. Can't wait!

spring

2010-04-08T18:27:00.001-07:00

Hi friends! Long time, no post. Here are the basics:

1. It's that time of year again where I freak out about job security. Will the powers that be pass the education budget and save my job? Or, will they not pass it, lay off teachers, and raise the divisors so that there are +/-40 students in a class? Case is pending.

I really REALLY hope Blaine and I both have jobs next year. This is Blaine's tenure year, and if he gets that, we can finally put down roots here and (hopefully) make our lives in Tusky seem a little more permanent. I have been eying houses and dreaming of flower gardens.

2. I volunteered to be the cheer sponsor at the new school I applied for in the case that I have a job next year (see number one). Little did I know, it is a reallyfreakinghuge time commitment. The good news is that it's fun and I really love the girls who will be on the squad. They seem excited to start it up, and so am I.

3. I absolutely love Spring. I want to be outside all day in the sunshine, swinging in swings and jumping on trampolines. Outdoor adventures to date: a. Thanksbirthmas celebration at Lisa's complete with water balloons, bubble machines, babies galore and delicious grilling and b. egg toss competition Easter Sunday (since there are no babies to hunt eggs)... GUESS WHO WAS THE CHAMPION?

Who wants to have a patio party?

4. Wedding season is fast approaching. I am so excited to see two of my favorite couples tie the proverbial knot in May and June. I'm looking forward to bachelorette shenanigans (at the beach - woo!), mushy ceremonies that make me teary, and gossipy girltalk at showers.

healthy, wealthy, and happy (a reminder)

2010-03-24T12:06:00.001-07:00

5 things that make me feel healthy:
-spring sunshine
-when my muscles are sore
-showering after a workout
-when my pants fit (woop!)
-not being shy in a bathing suit

5 things that make me feel wealthy:
-having produce in the fridge
-being able to fill my gas tank up completely when I go
-going out to eat with friends or family
-going on roadtrips
-transfering funds to savings

5 things that make me feel happy:
-finishing a good book
-hearing my students laugh/catching up on grading
-holding a tiny baby
-painting
-porch swings/reminiscing

about women

2010-03-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

Is there an exact moment when you know you are a woman instead of a girl, or does it develop over time? I have never felt like more of an adult than I have this year. Instead of measly little choices, there are huge, life-changing decisions to be made. Instead of insignificant, forget-about-them-tomorrow problems, there are issues and hardships that will float around in my head for years to come. There is a lot to be said for becoming your own person, but most of the time, I just want to curl up in a little ball and hide from adulthood.

And why do I have all these negative thoughts in my head about being a woman? Shouldn't I feel more empowered and wiser than my naive teenaged years? If women can be Secretaries of State and military heroes, can't I just shut up about it?

Women
by Alice Walker

They were women then
My mama's generation
Husky of voice--Stout of
Step
With fists as well as
Hands
How they battered down
Doors
And ironed
Starched white
Shirts
How they led
Armies
Headragged Generals
Across mined
Fields
Booby-trapped
Ditches
To discover books
Desks
A place for us
How they knew what we
Must know
Without knowing a page
Of it
Themselves.

degrees of separation

2010-03-19T10:39:00.001-07:00

"Degrees of separation between Al Bundy and Kate Gosselin", or, "Some Friday happy videos for you":

Al Bundy

was on Married with Children, but now he plays on

Modern Family

which is on ABC, along with

The Bachelor

Which featured Jake Pavelka, who is now on Dancing with the Stars with

Kate Gosselin

Have a nice weekend!

Upcoming

2010-03-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

Warmer weather, rainstorms, daylight savings time change, and ultrahyper students remind me that Spring is just around the corner. Spring is the second best time to live in Tuscaloosa (Guess what is the best time?) because of all the exciting events going on around town. If you missed the Asses of Fire Chili Cookoff last weekend, don't fret. Here are just a few upcoming events to look forward to:

Suds of the South Beerfest

March 13 - Little Willies Downtown - $10 for unlimited samples, entertainment (Blaine Duncan and Hamilton Bagby), and beer discounts afterwards - Click HERE for more info.

....AND!

Druid City Arts Festival

March 27 - "The Druid City Arts Festival aims to highlight artists within Tuscaloosa and the surrounding area through a large, interactive community event. The festival seeks to encourage community members to embrace diversity within Tuscaloosa by finding the common bonds that inherently exist within the enjoyment of the arts. While focusing on music, the festival will also encompass other art forms ranging from theater to visual arts." Click HERE for more info.

2nd Annual Black Warrior Storytelling Festival

March 28th - One of the most favorite things I did last year. Bring a blanket, and listen to some great stories. I am SO looking forward to it. Click HERE for more info.

Walk for Autism 2010

Get your lazy butt out of bed and join my lazy butt in a 2 mile walk for a good cause. You can also enjoy face painting, a bubble creation station, a bouncy house, and carnival style games (if the kids will let you cut in line). While you're at it, join TEAM MILO!

April 17 - Click HERE for more info.

Blue Angels Air Show

I officially messed up last year when I didn't see the Blue Angel Air Show in town. I'm not making the same mistake twice!

May 8-9 - Click HERE for more info.

Sunrise Community Hot Air Balloon Race

Would you believe I've never seen a hot air balloon in real life?! Inconceivable.

May 22 - Click HERE for more info.

side effects

2010-02-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

NOTE: I realize the irony of this post coming immediately after my resolution to stop oversharing.

DISCLAIMER: Personal health discussion ahead. Not for the weak of stomach or those who think I'm perfect in every way.

I get bladder infections ALL. THE. TIME. because I can't leave my classroom to go to the bathroom when I need to if there are students in there. To me, this is one of many bad parts of block scheduling.

Anyways, I called my doctor (again) and got a round of antibiotics (again) to help. I have been taking the antibiotics for about five days, and today I'm just feeling generally crappy. So, I decided to Google the antibiotic to see if there were any side effects. BIG MISTAKE. See below:

SIDE EFFECTS: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or headache may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Tell your doctor immediately if any of these unlikely but serious side effects occur: muscle weakness, mental/mood changes, new lump/growth in the neck (goiter). Tell your doctor immediately if any of these highly unlikely but very serious side effects occur: blood in the urine, change in the amount of urine, confusion, persistent headache, neck stiffness, seizures. This medication may rarely cause serious (possibly fatal) allergic reactions and other side effects such as a severe peeling skin rash (e.g., Stevens-Johnson syndrome), blood disorders (e.g., agranulocytosis, aplastic anemia), liver damage, or lung injury. If you notice any of the following, seek immediate medical attention: skin rash/blisters, itching, swelling, persistent sore throat or fever, paleness, joint pain/aches, persistent cough, trouble breathing, easy bleeding/bruising, yellowing eyes or skin, persistent nausea/vomiting, unusual fatigue, dark urine. This medication may rarely cause a severe intestinal condition (pseudomembranous colitis) due to a resistant bacteria. This condition may occur while receiving therapy or even weeks after treatment has stopped. Do not use anti-diarrhea products or narcotic pain medications if you have the following symptoms because these products may make them worse. Tell your doctor immediately if you develop: persistent diarrhea, abdominal or stomach pain/cramping, or blood/mucus in your stool. Use of this medication for prolonged or repeated periods may result in oral thrush or a new vaginal yeast infection (oral or vaginal fungal infection). Contact your doctor if you notice white patches in your mouth, a change in vaginal discharge or other new symptoms. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.

goals

2010-02-22T12:09:00.000-08:00

GOALS

1. SHUT MY MOUTH

I have a serious problem with oversharing. As they say in Mean Girls, I have “word vomit” A. LOT. I like to talk about things, and when I get going, I forget to turn on the censor, especially if I am comfortable with the person I am talking to. I will feel fine for that conversation, but then a couple of days later, I will think to myself, “Why did I say that?” or “Why did I tell him/her that?” Consider this a clean slate. Everyone is hereby on need-to-know basis.

2. ENJOY EXERCISE

I like that I can clear my head while I am exercising. The problem is the reason my head is cleared is because I’m focusing on how much I am hurting and sweaty and hyperventilating and uncomfortable. In order for me to begin to enjoy exercise, I’m going to need one of the following people to be my personal trainer (in rank order):

Taye Diggs

Taylor Kitsch

Eric Dane

Someone please make this happen.

Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

2010-02-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

There’s this annoying “ding” sound that I hear every once in a while in my classroom. It’s so brief that I can’t ever figure out where it’s coming from, and there doesn’t seem to be any consistent spacing between the dings.

In other news, it’s Black History Month. Early in February, I overheard two of my students having the following conversation:

Girl: It’s Black History Month!
Boy: It’s what?
Girl: Black History Month. It’s February.
Boy: What are you talking about?

NOT GOOD. It inspired me to have at least a few lessons relating to nothing but Black history. Today, we concluded the final lesson. These are my reflections on the mini-unit:

1. After about the fifth time I said “African American,” one of my students looked at me and said, “Mrs. Duncan, we’re Black. Just say Black.” I looked around and the other students were grinning and nodding. I thought that wasn’t PC?

2. This was a big personal step for me; I have never done anything like this before, mostly because sometimes I feel uncomfortable teaching my African American students about oppressive White people.

3. One of the components of the lesson included small group presentations of material I broke into sections. Each group was responsible for presenting the material in their section. I WAS BLOWN AWAY by how maturely they handled it. I could tell by their presentations that they put thought behind what they were doing. They maturely and rationally discussed the issues as a class (for the most part). See below for an example.
4. One group drew out scenes from a metaphor they made up to represent racial struggles. They presented their pictures and told a story about red and orange ladybugs. In the story, the red ladybugs wouldn’t let the orange ladybugs have access to the large delicious strawberries. The orange ladybugs fought for their right to eat the strawberries, organizing protests and marches. Some of their ladybug leaders were squashed in the process, and they were treated badly. Even still, they were valiant! Eventually, some red ladybugs even helped them fight so they could have equal access to the large delicious ladybugs.

Here is one of their pictures I scanned in:

The story ended with them saying that it is up to all us ladybugs to make sure that ladybugs of every kind still have access to the large delicious strawberries. SO cute.

5. When asked how race relations were at TCHS, many of them responded that they have voluntary segregation. They all agreed that they tend to spend time with people who are “like them,” which would include race, who they grew up with, who they have classes with, etc. I encouraged them to consider WHY they grew up with people of their own race, why neighborhoods are divided along racial lines, and why most classes are predominantly one race. For example, my afternoon advanced class has 30 students, 5 Black and 25 White. My morning lower-level class has 27 students, 20 Black and 7 White.

6. I hope all of them learned something about Black history. My main goal was to get them talking about race relations. Many White students expressed their hesitance to discuss racial issues with Black students because they either felt guilty for what had gone on in the past or because their upbringing didn’t accept mixed-race friendships. Black students expressed that they didn’t think White students understood where they were coming from on racial topics. They also agreed that their parents were hesitant to accept them having close White friends.

7. After all is said and done, I am re-reading Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria, which I read in college. I think I will get much more out of it now, and maybe I can share with them some of the main points.

Ding!

Thought of the Day

2010-02-15T19:58:00.001-08:00

"Holding teachers accountable for the performance of all students is much like holding a dentist accountable for his patients cavities"

race day

2010-02-13T12:12:00.001-08:00

It's race day.

I wonder why the media is focusing on Danika Patrick and not Chrissy Wallace?

Danika:

Chrissy:

single-sex classrooms

2010-02-11T16:04:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time when I went to grad school, I read research about educational trends, practices, and policies. One “hot topic” at the time was single-sex classrooms. Many places were trying having all-girl or all-boy core classes, and schools in Tuscaloosa County even tried it (Hillcrest or Central, I think).

I never really formed a personal opinion about single-sex classrooms. I could see the pros (fewer distractions, bonding opportunities, direction for text selection, giving boys a chance to excel in language arts and girls a chance to excel in math/science) and cons (Is this taking a step back on the women’s rights front? Are we doing the students a social disservice by not letting them intermingle? Will they suffer for not being exposed to the opposite sex’s thoughts and additions in the classroom?).

This semester, by freak accident, I have an Advanced 10th grade class of thirty students. Of the thirty, twenty-six are female, and four are male. I must admit that when I saw my roster, I was a little apprehensive. My first thought was This is going to be the chattiest class I’ve ever had. (I’m a little disappointed in myself for jumping to that stereotype.)

This class is pretty much single-sex education, and I will tell you that it is the best class I’ve had so far in teaching. We get things done in half the time, go far deeper into discussion, are able to have open-ended lessons and hands-on projects, etc. The girls in the class feel confident and comfortable stating their opinions and even having debates over issues. It is unreal; I always look forward to that part of my day.

One downside is that the boys, far outnumbered, are for all practical purposes silent during class. They hardly say, “Peep.” Are they intimidated by all the outspoken girls? (These are teen-aged boys we’re talking about.) Or, are they naturally quiet? I don’t know, since I didn’t know them before the class started.

Does this help form my opinion on single-sex classrooms? I guess not. But, it does give me a chance to see what a productive, deep-thinking group of students looks like.

What are your thoughts on single-sex classrooms?

putting things into perspective

2010-01-29T21:27:00.001-08:00

10 Reasons You (and I) are Rich:

1. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night.
2. You didn’t go to sleep outside.
3. You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning.
4. You hardly broke a sweat today.
5. You didn’t spend a minute in fear.
6. You have access to clean drinking water.
7. You have access to medical care.
8. You have access to the Internet.
9. You can read.
10. You have the right to vote.

Seen here.

riddle me this

2010-01-29T21:09:00.001-08:00

Problem:

We got our first paychecks for 2010 today. To our disappointment, our taxes went up. It affected our take home pay enough for the loss to equal three months' rent over a year.

This comes after the State of the Union address, where President Obama explicitly said taxes would GO DOWN for 95% of Americans. How did we fall in the chosen 5%?

Solution:

Life Updates

2010-01-29T16:22:00.000-08:00

Life Updates

- We had a visit from the State Department this week at work, because we haven't made AYP in a few years. They wanted to see what we were doing and let us know how we could improve. Some of the more veteran teachers were cool and calm, but for some reason, I was flipping out (and not in a fun way with Jeff Lewis beside me).

The SDE people were conducting walk through observations, teacher interviews, and student interviews with a few select staff members. GUESS WHO HAS TWO THUMBS AND GOT PICKED FOR BOTH THE WALK THROUGH AND THE INTERVIEW? (Yes, this girl.)It turned out to be not as bad as I was thinking, because the walk through observer ended up being only one assistant principal at the school who I already knew. I was thinking it was going to be a team of strangers scrutinizing what I was doing. Also, the interview ended up being a group of teachers and very laid-back. After they were both over, I was exhausted from having been so anxious, but relieved that it was over.

-I have been slacking on my diet/workout schedule. What is new?! It's not like I've gained a ton of weight, but I just feel gross. I need a workout buddy! This is my workout plan for next week:

Monday: Body Pump
Tuesday: Step Aerobics
Wednesday: Bowling (I'm not mentioning the beer that accompanies this.)
Thursday: Zumba or Step Aerobics (depending on how sassy I feel)
Friday: Hopefully it will be warm and sunny again and I can do something outside.

I AM DOING IT.

-I just finished reading The Hunger Games. I am officially obsessed. Stay tuned for my review!

-One of my girlfriends, Jessica, told me this week that she has decided to get married in the state instead of eloping. I know it is her wedding and she can do what she wants blahblahblah but I am SO EXCITED SHE IS HAVING IT HERE! I am looking forward to it so much. They are both so special, and I can't wait to see them have their special day. (Jessica, if you are reading this, I might be more excited than you. Step up your excitement meter!)

-When the weather gets warmer, I'm doing a giant overhaul of my closet, selling all my clothes to consignment shops/donating the leftovers, and going shopping for age appropriate, fun, unique clothes. I am thinking of starting at Kohl's. They have some supercute, affordable stuff there now. See....?

(in my Jerry McGuire voice): Who's coming with me?

to make your day a little easier

2010-01-26T17:41:00.001-08:00

rant

2010-01-21T18:57:00.001-08:00

Please read THIS ARTICLE

DISCLAIMER:
Commentary of the blog writer does not reflect the opinions of her employers (allegedly).

This is RIDICULOUS. In several people's IEPs it says to designate a "cooling off place" for them to calm down before they go apeshit. It seems merciful on a faculty member's part to let them cool off instead of writing them up for suspension when they get violent. I don't see it as a violation of rights. What about the rights of students and faculty around that violent child?

Also, when a kid gets disciplined enough to be suspended one time, that kid usually DESERVED to be suspended at least five other times before that. Contrary to popular belief, teachers don't like to see students miss school. To me, it sounds like someone's parent wanted to get some easy money at the expense of the school system. If the parent wins, that means our hands will be tied in discipline even more than they already are.

inspiration

2010-01-19T19:10:00.000-08:00

I saw this somewhere on the Interwebz, and it inspired me. I read this at the right time. I hope you enjoy, too.

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people's approval
and you will be their prisoner.
Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.

(from the Tao Te Ching, by Lao-tzu Stephen Mitchell translation)

Letters

2010-01-16T12:40:00.001-08:00

Heartfelt letters to the clientele of The Bank Shot in Brewton, AL

Dear Long, Blonde-haired Guy Sitting at the Bar,

You are obviously Tom Petty's younger, cuter, more athletic brother. You are playing it low-key by sitting by yourself and not making eye contact. I respect the way you're rocking the early 90's one-stripe sweater. I like your style.

Dear Frat Daddy,

I see you're salivating over the slutty, bubbly girl who is hanging around the jukebox. It probably took a lot of courage on your part to go over to her and ask her to dance. But couldn't you have chosen a better dancing song than "Ring of Fire"? Lucky for you, she's too drunk to notice.

P.S. Don't think I didn't see your hand inching farther and farther down her butt. Again, lucky for you, she's too drunk to notice.

Dear Awesome Bartender Girl,

Thank you for being so prompt and attentive. You get lots of tips.

Dear Lame Bartender Man,

You ignored me twice and snatched the money out of my hand when you finally did serve me. All your tips go to Awesome Bartender Girl.

Dear Girls Waiting in Line for the Bathroom,

Please don't talk smack about me (A.K.A. "the ho who is holding you up") and rattle the door handle obsessively while I'm in the bathroom and then act surprised when I come out glaring at you. A girl can only pee so fast.

tough love

2010-01-16T12:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday in class, we played a quick game of verb charades to show them the difference between physical and mental action verbs. One of my students asked, "Do you just sit around at night and think of things like this?" Since I was too busy laughing, another student fired back, "No, they learn all their tricks on the Internet."

HAH!

I was thinking about work, and I figured out one of the biggest changes in me as a teacher. I am finally figuring out how to discipline effectively and how to give tough love. When I started teaching, I took everything personally. When a student was mad/upset at a decision I had made (such as not allowing them to turn in late work or go to the bathroom for the fitieth time) it hurt my feelings, and I would second guess myself every time. I'm sure it showed, and it probably contributed to my lack of disciplinary skills. Now, I am confident about my discipline policies and realize it's important for them to learn things like deadlines and resource management, even if it means them getting angry or aggrivated for a minute. I would still say my weaknesses are mainly in the disciplinary area, but at least I feel like I'm getting better at it.

Next goal: not thinking about work on the weekends

Who weeps for these weeps for corruption.

2010-01-14T14:24:00.001-08:00

Today was a great day at work! We finally got to start reading the scandalous Puritan soap opera The Crucible. I was nervous that they may not be interested, but I worked really hard on my intro and background information; the discussion beforehand went GREAT. They listened, questioned, and even acted it out with emotion when we read. I am looking forward to tomorrow!

(click to read our discussion notes)

entertainment

2009-12-27T22:57:00.000-08:00

JUST WATCHED:

WATCHING:

WANT TO WATCH:

JUST READ:

READING:

WANT TO READ:

PLAYING:

Christmas Rush

2009-12-21T07:24:00.000-08:00

As December unfolded, I promised myself that I wouldn’t make a ton of plans over the holiday break. I SWORE I would leave myself some time to just be lazy.

...YEAH RIGHT! Here is my schedule for the next few days/weeks:

TUESDAY: Working during the day and then going to visit Jessica at night. I’m going to pretend we’re roommates again! This is also the two year anniversary of when Baby Blaine asked me to marry him. NOM NOM NOM

WEDNESDAY: It’s Ryan Akers’s party! Literally. The Ladykiller himself is throwing a holiday shindig complete with karaoke. This is sure to be one of my favorite Christmas festivities.

THURSDAY: Christmas Eve Gift! On Thursday, we’re headed to Arabia for Christmas on my Dad’s side. There’s also a promise of my Grandmother’s beef stew. Can’t wait!

FRIDAY: Christmas morning events include opening presents with immediate family, going to my Grandmother’s on my Mom’s side for extended dirty (dirty, dirty) santa games and breakfast, and then trekking back to T-town. [Brief rest on Christmas afternoon/night]

SATURDAY: Day-after-Christmas blues will be shattered by a rawk show by Vulture Whale at the Bottletree. WOOP

Winter Blues

2009-12-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

TOP FIVE THINGS I LIKE TODAY

1. Going to the gym during the month of December

There is hardly anyone there. Apparently, everyone else in the world has Christmas festivities to attend besides me (not that I’m complaining… although I would like to see some Christmas lights!). No one is there to stare at me, change the television to fishing while I’m on the elliptical, or look better than me in their workout gear. An empty gym a happy Kelly makes.

(Stay tuned for “Going to the gym during the month of January” to appear on the list of things I hate next month.)

2. Teaching The Odyssey to my freshmen

They LOVE it. This unit went over millions of times better than I thought. I was afraid they’d be intimidated by the language at first glance; However, they faced it head on and liked it so much they wanted to keep reading even when the bell rang. Lessons like that remind me why I wanted to teach in the first place.

P.S. If I ever have another pet/child, I am going with Calypso for a girl and Polyphemus for a boy.

3, 4, and 5. Mark Ingram

Not only is this guy awesome at football and humble, he gave the most thankful acceptance speech I’ve ever heard. HE THANKED HIS TEACHERS, PEOPLE. What a sweet baby.

TOP FIVE THINGS I DISLIKE TODAY

1. FedEx

If you’re not going to leave my package, that is ok. Just don’t put a note on my door saying you left it when you didn’t. Several phone calls later, you allegedly still have my package, and I’m allegedly angry.

2, 3, and 4. When a student says to me (after 17 weeks in school and many, many grammar lessons), “Hey… what do you mean pronoun? Is that like an adjective?” Count to ten. Walk away.

3. Wintertime

My name's Charles Baker Harris. I can read.

2009-11-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

My 9th grade students just finished reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Of course, they loved it! I love watching them start from the beginning, (“UGH Mrs. DUNCAN! This book is so LONG and BOOORRRINNNGG!”) begin to come around in the middle, (“Ok, this isn’t so bad, and Scout’s kind of funny”) and give final, intelligent statements of approval at the end.

Every time I read this book, I take something different away from it. Of course there are the mainstays (i.e. Atticus is a stud). However, it seems that the book is so full of social/economic/psychological commentary that there is always something new to focus on and learn.

After this read, I am thinking about the character of Bob Ewell. Often, I take for granted that everyone is naturally happy, has good intentions, and wants a peaceful existence. That is just not reality.

To say Bob Ewell is the villain in TKAM would be too simplistic. I love the way that Harper Lee gives the reader background on the Ewells before she shows him giving his testimony at the trial and before the reader sees most of his actions. Lee discusses his low economic status and what that means to his family: living by the town dump, too poor to buy shoes or get medicine for his many children, etc. She also makes his alcoholism known early on.

By examining his poor lifestyle and ill-founded pride, Bob Ewell’s actions change from villainous to, honestly, sad. I like to think that he knows what he is doing is wrong, but he has something to prove to himself. Why does Bob attack Jem and Scout instead of Atticus? The answer must be because he was afraid of/intimidated by Atticus. Even still, he attacks the children at night, afraid to get his “revenge” in the daylight. Does Bob Ewell deserve to be pitied? I am still thinking on it.

What about you? Who is your favorite character in To Kill a Mockingbird? Do you have a book that you love to read over and over?

my first furniture flip

2009-11-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

BEFORE

AFTER

new knobs:

new drawer liner:

took off the wheels, painted, sanded edges:

Piper checking it out:

She approves!

Blaine

2009-10-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my favorite!

Maw Maw Dot

2009-09-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

I am not someone who believes in the afterlife or transfer of energies or any of that. For some reason, the older I get, the more I don't buy it, and the more I don't feel like I have to in order to be a good person.

However, I am a dreamer. Not in the mysterious, John Lennon kind of way, but the actual I-have-dreams-most-nights-I-sleep way. And, it always seems that anytime I'm going through heavy personal issues that I dream about people in my life who have died. I don't know if this is a form of cosmic karma, but even after death, people close to me are present in my dreams and in my thoughts.

Anytime I dream about my grandmother on my dad's side (which is often), I am sitting in her living room. She is in "her chair," and I am on the loveseat beside her. Most of the time, I'm telling her about my problems or asking her advice on how to handle things. This is odd to me, because she died before I feel like I had any real adult problems.

In my dreams, she always does and says the same things. She always holds my hand and tells me everything is going to be fine. She eases my worries in a way that only a loving grandmother does. Is this my subconscious trying to convince myself that I will, in fact, be fine, or is this really her comforting me from beyond the grave? I don't know, and I guess I never will. Either way, it's a nice feeling being there with her, even for a minute.

book reviews

2009-09-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

Jesus Camp by Julia Scheeres

I read this book back during July, but I still think about it now. The story is a memoir written by a teenaged white girl growing up in 1970’s Indiana. Her parents are active in the church and forcefully practice their version of religion in their household. When Julia, the narrator (and author), was young, her parents adopted two very different African American boys. Although one skeezy brother gets himself in a bind early on, Julia becomes great friends with her other brother David.

Since Julia and David are different races, they get ridiculed/threatened on a daily basis by their peers and community members; they are forced to ignore each other at school in an attempt to lead normal lives.

Although Julia and David’s parents are hardcore Christian evangelists, they are abusive to the children in several ways. Julia and David do not live up to their standards (and never could have), and they are sent to the Dominican Republic to complete a program at a rigid Christian reform school. This is where most of the memoir takes place.

This book forces the reader to think about motives regarding religion, evangelism versus brainwashing, and the ins and outs of living a “Godly life.”

My only criticism: I thought the author may have come on too strong with topics of sexuality. Although the events may have been written just as they occurred, I felt uncomfortable most of the time during this read. Maybe that was her aim.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

This book made me feel good about life. The story is told from the perspective of Jacob Jankowski, who finds himself joining the crew of Benzini Brothers Circus after a life-changing event. Jacob switches back and forth between his days serving as a veterinarian on the circus staff and his current conditions late in his life at a retirement home. It is saddening to hear his contrasts between his “glory days” and today, when the threat of dementia becomes greater day by day.

I had never read much about the circus and did not know the ins and outs, but when Jacob tells about the behind-the-scenes events, it is like you are there in the action. I fell in love with his character and rooted him and his friends on. There is also a romantic storyline which is anything but typical. Although it sounds cliché, I laughed, I cried, and I will definitely re-read this one when I need a pick-me-up.

P.S. I heard they are making a movie out of this one. I will be first in line!

On my radar to read soon...
The Magicians by Lev Grossman (I read it is the "Harry Potter for adults"!)
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (I WILL read this eventually.)
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (recommended by one of my students - a must read before the movie comes out)
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (recommended by Blaine)
The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III (LOVED House of Sand and Fog, and recommended by HCDub)

Autobiographies

2009-09-08T16:37:00.001-07:00

I just got finished grading the 9th grade autobiographies. Here are my favorite one-liners:

"I would like to grow up and drive a Ford Fusion."

"I was named Brittney. My dad wanted to name me Shenigua, but my mom saved me."

Verb Confusion: "Later on, my mom became my brother, and after 8 years we moved."

"What really makes me happy is getting what I want... a boyfriend who is SEXYFINE!" (sexyfine = all one word and my new favorite)

"When I marry my husband, he must be kind and sort of a Christian."

The devil's aloose in Salem!

2009-09-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

I died my hair reddish again to cover the gray hair takeover. This is why I'm going gray prematurely:

My tenth graders recently studied Puritanism and Arthur Miller's The Crucible. When they finished, we discussed paragraph formatting and organization, and they had to respond in correct format to prompts about the movie.

On a side but related note, we are having to be especially frugal with our resources this year. We have little to no funding left for copy machines, and the man is expected to pull the plug on them by the end of this month. Because of that, when I have been making copies of assignment sheets, I won't let the students write on them. I am hoping to keep as many class sets as I can for next semester when we don't have copy machines at all.

Back to The Crucible and formatting. When I handed out the assignment sheet, I tried to make the conversation light about them not writing on the paper.

Me: Please do not write on this paper. (Insert speech about copy machines and saving resources.) Do not write on this paper. Again, do not write on this paper. Amber, do you write on this paper?
Amber: No ma'am.
Me: Donnell, will you write on this paper?
Donnell: Absolutely not.

We all grinned and they got to work.

When I get the papers back, what do you know? Most of them had written on the paper. However, one student took it to a whole new ironic level:

SHE WROTE ON THE SHEET TO WRITE "DO NOT WRITE ON THIS SHEET"

:)

"You are strong. You are powerful. You can do anything."

2009-08-30T12:57:00.000-07:00

I went and saw The Time Traveler's Wife yesterday. I thought it was interesting, and of course I had a mental breakdown during and after it. I honestly cried the rest of the night (B was gone being a rockstar and I stayed home). I can't wait to read the book! I should've done it in reverse order, but oh well.

I did some investigating online, and this is the poem that precedes the book:

Love After Love

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

-Derek Walcott

I loved how the movie focused on the hardships of the relationship but then showed the rewarding moments, too. The time traveling parts kept me interested and allowed me to overlook some fairly bad dialogue. Although a lot of it was unrealistically romantic, I ate that up. After reading the poem, I feel moved to write and reflect and write and reflect. But, I won't.

I also watched Sunshine Cleaning last night with Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. I highly recommend it, and I'm stealing her post-it mantra idea.

Currently reading: Water for Elephants. Book reviews coming soon!

personal DNA

2009-08-21T18:50:00.001-07:00

I took one of those lengthy sliding-scale personality tests today. I think the results are about 95% true. You should take it! Here are my results:

My personalDNA Report

vaccines

2009-08-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

Is anyone getting the Swine Flu vaccine? They are offerring it free to teachers at my school, and I am undecided. I do not want to find out ten years down the road that my children are born without limbs because I took an underdeveloped vaccine. But, I don't want to get swine flu, either. I'm certain my students will leave swine flu infected germs all over my desks and boards and doorknobs and floors!

Same song, different verse. Have you been hearing in the news about these side effects that are ALREADY being found in people who took Gardasil (HPV vaccine)? I watched a segment on television (so it MUST be true) about it, and it turns out that Merck launched the huge campaign ("I will be one less with cervical cancer") before the vaccine was thoroughly tested. I know with every drug there will be side effects in a small population of the consumers, but this stuff freaks me out.

SIDE NOTE: I did, in fact, take one round of the three round Gardasil vaccine. Does this mean I will have a third of the side effects?

new students

2009-08-13T18:45:00.001-07:00

Bad News:

Over all my classes, I have two Savannas, three Ambers, two Morgans, three Hunters, two Hannahs, two Brittanys, two Bradleys, two Shelbys, four Brandons, and two Allisons.

Good News:

On their first assignment (an "I Am" Poem), they impressed me. On one line, they had to say what they worried about. I was sure most of them (especially the baby freshmen) would be worried about the new school and classes and finding their ways. Au contraire. They worried about the economy and troops at war and the national deficit. Sign of the times?

When they started writing their autobiographies, one student asked me if he could write his in third person "as if Samuel L. Jackson were narrating it." It's going to be a good semester.

case is pending

2009-08-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Please READ THIS recent news story from my hometown. Check out the first perpetrator's shirt! Hahaha!

I can't keep my cool, so I keep it true

2009-07-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

I worked out every single stinking day this week and gained one pound. If I was the kind of person who said "FML" (which I'm not), now would be the appropriate time.

SO...

I'm making a list of my favorite things of the week. They are (in no particular order):

The Black Apple (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=991)

I am in love with this store. I want every single print they have to offer! This past week, they made some of their prints into wearable lockets, and I had to FIGHT myself not to order one (at $50 a pop, I just couldn't do it). It's so hard to choose favorites, but these are some:

Mysterious Genevieve
The Quiet Room
Telephone Girl

Kanye West - Love Lockdown

I first heard this song during the abs section of a body pump class. Although I hate working out my abs with a passion, this song was just the one to pump me up and keep me going.

Veuillez installer Flash Player pour lire la vidéo

Kanye West Love Lockdown sélectionné dans Musique et Clips

Prom Night in Mississippi

I watched this HBO documentary tonight. It is about the town of Charleston, Mississippi, which had a segregated through the year 2007. In 2008, Morgan Freeman (a native of Charleston) offered to pay for the prom if they would integrate. The documentary interviews many of the students about the race issues in the town; it also explores the fight between doing what's always been done and making progressive changes. I could see my students in those kids, and of course I cried like a baby. It is a well-done, thought-provoking documentary.

summer reading reviews

2009-07-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

Angels and Demons – Dan Brown

I am a fool for conspiracy theory stories. I also like stories that are rooted in history and present a trite subject in new light for me. In this case, Robert Langdon uses his background in symbology to unearth clues left hundreds of years ago by The Illuminati, an ancient secret brotherhood which values science and loathes Catholicism. Langdon must follow the clues along the “path of illumination” before The Illuminati strike the Vatican. Science vs. religion topics nearly always intrigue me, as did this one. That being said, I thought Brown could have gotten his point across without so many twists and turns. Many characters were introduced briefly and underdeveloped. I did go see the movie, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The “filler” parts (unnecessary characters and subplots) of the book were left out in the film. While the movie will not win any awards (for sure), I thought the film adaptation of the story was much more user friendly.

My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult
You know that feeling of exhilaration you got as a child when you awoke on Christmas morning? Reading this book gave me the exact opposite of that feeling. While the storyline is intriguing, [the parents of a child with cancer (Kate) genetically engineer a second child (Anna) to be a donor for Kate… drama ensues when Anna matures and decides to sue for medical emancipation of her body] there were some major flaws in this tear-jerker. For example, the character of Jesse, Anna and Kate’s rebellious older brother, seemed completely unrelated to the plot and did not add anything. I would have also liked to see the relationship between the parents explored more in-depth. Examining their discrepancies over what was best for their daughters could have helped increase the dramatic build up, but what the reader knew about them was on the surface. Overall, I thought the premise was interesting enough to keep me reading; However, I mostly just got depressed.

Goodnight Nobody – Jennifer Weiner
This was a typical “I am feeling hormonal and want to read something that will get my mind off of my life for a few minutes” book. In Goodnight Nobody, Kate Klein gives up her life and career in the city for the suburbs of Connecticut, an absent, boring husband, and kids I was never completely convinced she liked. Throughout the book, she struggles with accepting her new life when she has not left her old one behind. When a woman on her block, Kitty Cavanaugh, goes missing (dun dun DUN!), Kate swiftly appeases her boredom by taking the case. This book was an easy read and somewhat predictable. I did enjoy the parts where the Kate discussed the dynamics of work vs. home life. I also liked her humorous descriptions of the other suburban housewives/mothers/drones. Overall, Kate’s midlife crises helped me escape my quarter-life crises :)

House of Sand and Fog – Andre Dubus
This was easily my favorite read of the summer. Many thanks to Hayley for recommending it. In House of Sand and Fog, Andre Dubus tells the story of Kathy and Behrani, two characters from very different backgrounds who both have a legitimate claim to a piece of property. I do not want to say too much, because I do not want to give it away; However, Dubus takes this simplistic conflict and makes it explosive. He does a fabulous job of developing each character and allowing the reader to get inside the heads of all the major players. The characters were so relatable that I had a hard time figuring out who to cheer on and who to condemn. I still do not know whom, if anyone, I favored/disliked. I took my time with this one, and I have been thinking about it ever since.

Books I started reading but have not finished yet:
The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison (I love her books, but I have to be in a specific mood to read them. I would like to teach this to my advanced ninth graders this semester, but we will have to see.)

Jesus Land – Julia Scheeres (This one is in progress, and it is very interesting so far. Excerpt: “On the horizon, heat lightning dances along a column of towering thunderheads. The air is suddenly sweet and cool, refresing. It’s perfect weather for a tornado.” OOOOoooOOOOoOooOOOoo

Books I want to read when I finish the above stragglers:
The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffeneggar: I saw someone on facebook recommend it to someone else. Could be good?

Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert: I have been meaning to read this for the past year. Why can’t I get motivated?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling: I saw the Half-Blood Prince movie and was sucked back in. I want to re-read this one to remember all the things that happen.

chalkboard paint extravaganza

2009-07-22T13:15:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I remembered I had chalkboard paint. Today, I went a little crazy.

BEFORE:

framed picture of euro-Jesus ($3 at thrift store)

wooden framed mirror, from Ikea (gift from Lisa, who got them on sale - free!)

Piper checking herself out int he mirror while JC looks on. Shortly after this, Piper stuck her paw in my chalkboard paint and ran rampant around the apartment while I chased her hysterically.

wooden picture frame - $3, WalMart

AFTER:

beach, schedule, and plans

2009-07-19T15:03:00.002-07:00

I must say that this past week has been one of the best weeks of my summer. Blaine's brother asked if we wanted to come stay with them at the beach. Ok, being honest, we sort of hinted around until they said "ok, come."

We had the best time! We played in the ocean, swam in the pools, got tanned but not burned, ate a bunch of yummy food, rode in a helicopter, saw a movie, laughed, and spent some time relaxing and being goofy.

It was great. After that, I feel ready to start turning my mind to teaching and preparing for the upcoming semester. We got a letter in the mail telling us our schedules for next year, and this is mine:

1st Semester:
1st Block - Prep
2nd Block - Adv English 9
3rd Block - Adv English 9
4th Block - English 10

2nd Semester:
1st Block - English 10
2nd Block - Prep
3rd Block - Adv English 10
4th Block - Adv English 10

I am completely stoked! I requested to have some 10th grade classes, and I got them! Although I'm not crazy about the literature in 10th grade, that is my favorite age of students. They have been in high school for a year, so they know what is expected of them, but they are not old enough yet to have the "too cool for you" attitude. Also, that is the year most of them get their driver's licenses, and you can really see them begin to mature.

I am going to really try to find a way to present the literature of 10th grade (American Lit to 1900) in an interesting way. Can it be done? What are your favorite American works/authors before 1900?

I would also like to work up a way to have a class blog or wiki this year. I may do it as a place for class announcements and/or ongoing response medium or else just use it when we write longer pieces. They could use it to peer edit or see other students' work. Any suggestions?

Things I am NOT doing this year that I did last year:
-accepting late work
-putting up with attitudes
-skipping workouts/not being healthy
-bringing work/grading home
-getting in a funk towards the end of the semester

grammar police

2009-07-19T15:03:00.001-07:00

a few happies

2009-07-10T13:53:00.000-07:00

the one about deodorant

2009-07-10T13:12:00.001-07:00

For some unknown reason, my favorite deodorant (Secret Scent Expressions: Vanilla Chai) decided last week it was going to give me an allergic reaction. Why did this happen? I don't know. We've had such a good relationship up until this point, and then it just pulls the rug out from under me. Whatever.

So, I did the worst thing imaginable, which is look online to do some research about my medical condition. It turns out that deodorant is made up of a significant amount of aluminum. According to the internetz, everyone on planet earth knew that but me. It was a little scary to read/think about.

Links to Alzheimer's, breast cancer, brain disorders? Oh my! After significantly freaking out about it, I picked up some Tom's Natural Care of Maine Long-Lasting Aluminum-Free Deodorant.

I feel relatively good about halting my aluminum intake, but the ingredient list for this one doesn't seem much better:

Propylene glycol, water, sodium stearate, organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel), zinc ricinoleate, glyceryl laurate, chamomilla recutita flower aqeous extract, apricot fragrance, humulus lupulus (hops) [CO2] extract, caprylic/capric triglyceride, ascorbic acid, silica shells

WITCH HAZEL?! I may have to start going tout naturel.

I see you Piper, shakin' that thang

2009-07-01T00:28:00.000-07:00

Our cat is ridiculously spoiled. I was on the computer about an hour ago, trying to waste enough time to be sleepy, when little miss priss jumps in my lap, onto the computer desk, and plops herself down directly on top of the keyboard. She then begins to give herself a bath. The sad thing is that I didn't make her move... I just got up and started to do something else before I thought, "You know what, that cat just dealt with me." I sure do love her though!

I have compiled a list of her nicknames, which should say something about our obsession:

Piper
Pitter
Pit Pat
Pitter Pat
Pitter Pat Kitter Cat
Pitter Patter Kitter Catter
Whiskers
Boots
Squirrel Tail
Fluffin Muffin (ok some of them don't even make sense)
Hitler (because of the moustanch and sometimes the temperament)
Chrismas Kitty
Special Kitty

More to come, I'm sure!

accomplishments

2009-06-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

So far this summer, I have...

1. ...read books I had put in my procrastination pile. I made a list of all the ones I have read and the ones I want to read. When summer is over, I'm going to do a book review type blog. I have already started!

So far, this is my list:

Angels and Demons – Dan Brown (done read it)
My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult (been there, read that)
Goodnight Nobody – Jennifer Weiner (sooo last week)
House of Sand and Fog – Andre Dubus (reading now)
The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison (reading now)
Jesus Camp – Julia Scheeres (on deck)
Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert (in the hole)
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger (will read when the library gets it in)

Any suggestions?

2. ...watched a ridiculous amount of reality television. Mindless? Yes. Can't wait for the next episodes? Ohh yesss....

Highlights:

Weird foot fetish guy on The Bachelorette, Tanner P. really digs a girl with straight toes painted with Mango Mango nail polish. I am not making this up, people!

Sebastian's hair on NYC Prep...

This hair should be listed as a character on its own. Every time he flips his hair, God kills a baby kitten.

Finally, the Real Housewives of New Jersey kept me laughing the whole time. Favorite cast member: Jaqueline, of course. I think she is my New Jersey counterpart, with much bigger boobs.

3. ...worked out more than usual. I am most proud of myself for discovering group exercise classes at the gym that don't make me want to run screaming in the other direction. For the past two weeks (and I guess a half week now), I have worked out/done something athletic from Monday through Saturday. I am trying to vary what I'm doing so that I don't get bored or burnt out. So far, I have tried step (love), body pump (also love), walking, elliptical, and stair stepper. One day, I am going to work up the courage to go to yoga and not be awkward. One of these days!

somebody call the waaambulance

2009-06-30T23:22:00.000-07:00

I have been having a hard time personally lately. Before I even go into this, I want to say that I know I am lucky; I know for certain that I don't deserve the things I have and the people in my life.

I haven't been able to get to a place where I feel comfortable with myself and my life. Tuscaloosa is a great city, but it is more and more evident to me every day that Tuscaloosa is not for me. This is not my home, whatever that means. I don't know where I would want to be if I left here, though...definitely not back to Arab. Maybe I should be a professional nomad.

I have witnessed my close friendships fade in a major way over the last year of my life, and I'm getting more timid and less able to make new friendships as I get older. When did I become a wallflower? Why do I still feel like a paranoid teenager in a crowd?

I am thrilled with the job I have, but last year I felt as though I was trying desperately to hold my head above water, wishing all the while I were a student again. If I even made any differences in lives, it was through social work opportunities, definitely not because of stellar teaching. In my marriage, something I hold most dearly, I can't ignore my glaring inadequacies at every turn.

What is my problem? Will I ever feel "normal?" Who knows. I fully realize I'm being a whiny baby. Regardless, I wanted to get it out in some way or another.

comfort

2009-06-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

When I was a child,
my mother would run her slender fingers
through my hair
until I slept.
Ever-soft,
temperate,
transfer of burdens;
She never found a tangle in my heavy tuft.

Beach Trip '09

2009-06-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

A few pictures from our beach trip....

"A photo says, 'You were happy, and I wanted to catch that.' A photo says, 'You were so important to me that I put down everything else to come watch.'"

Cute Stuff Store

2009-06-07T16:34:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, I like to paint in my spare time. Normally I just paint small things and gifts for people, but this summer I have decided to paint special order canvases for those who want them.

This is the link to my Etsy store:

http://cutestuffstore.etsy.com/

Please look around! The pictures on the listings are samples of hand painted originals by me. If you are interested in purchasing a painting, I will tailor it to your specifications. You choose the color scheme, size, pattern (existing or not), and name to appear on the canvas. I can match the canvas to any pattern (such as bedding) or just create a design based on the specifications you give.

For now, I am only painting canvases, but I will do my best to accommodate special orders. If you have any questions, please contact me on Etsy (if you have an account), at kellybeth1225@gmail.com, or on facebook, and I will be happy to paint for you!

Ideas for canvases include:
-personalized canvases
-room hangers (“Hannah’s Room”)
-teacher gifts
-wedding/anniversary gifts
-birthday gifts
-holiday themed canvases
-etc.

I will continue to update my Etsy store as I paint more items. Please feel free to forward this to anyone who may be interested, and keep me in mind if you need a cute, personalized item!

Thanks!

so sweet

2009-05-28T21:19:00.001-07:00

Blaine, we must learn how to do this!

fives

2009-05-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hello, bloggers! This week is my favorite week ever so far. Sunday night, Blaine and I went to Nashville for the night. It was so nice to get away, even for just one day. After a Memorial Day filled with driving, rain, and TrueBlood, we came back to work today. I gave my students their semester exams last week, so this week I am basically a highly-paid babysitter. I am really going to miss my classes from this semester. I have a feeling next Fall might not be so pretty...

Thursday is our last working day, and then we leave for the beach on Saturday! We are staying the whole week; I'm officially taking bets on how many days it takes me to get a major sunburn. Any takers?

For boredom:

RULES - Think of five categories, and list five answers for each. Then, tag five people to fill it out after you.

ONE - Five jobs I would like if I weren't a teacher:
1. interior decorator
2. event planner
3. congresswoman
4. cute stuff store owner
5. personal shopper

TWO - Five long-term goals
1. learn how to plant flowers and not kill them within the month
2. speak fluent Spanish
3. save enough money for me to relax
4. send Blaine back to school
5. start my own business

THREE - Five things that make my blood pressure rise
1. when people talk down to me
2. smart-mouthed students
3. televised golf
4. when I clean up Piper's litter box and she immediately goes and does the riverdance in it
5. PDA

FOUR - Five of my happy places
1. Mom and Dad's house
2. the river walk
3. Egan's
4. Barnes and Noble
5. the beach

FIVE - (living) famous people I wish I knew
1. the Boss
2. Paul Rudd
3. Toni Morrison
4. Maxine Waters
5. David Byrne

I tag:

1. Hayley
2. Jessica
3. Lindsey
4. Kristen
5. anyone who wants to do it!

home stretch

2009-05-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

My last regular day of school is tomorrow! Here are my sweet babies from this semester:

I didn't take a picture of the seniors, because they're hateful. It's going to be a good summer!

lists

2009-05-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

TODAY'S HAPPENINGS:
-stoneage computer at school officially crashed
-said computer crash forced me to get some organizational work done
-first day without the seniors... sadder than I expected
-awkward departmental meeting
-caught up on grading - woo!
-finished lesson plans through the rest of the semester - woo!

UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
- Wednesday - Happy Birthday JD! dinner in b'ham
- Thursday - GRADUATION DAY! my first experience seeing students that I've taught get their diplomas
- Friday - mental health day
- this weekend - going home to see my parents (secret cannot wait!)
- May 25 - Memorial Day Holiday
- May 26-27 - student exam days
- May 28 - last working day! first full year in the books!
- May 30 - BEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAACCCCCCCHHHHHHHH

WORRIES:
-slacked on my diet...again
-didn't go to the gym...again
-husband pinched backfat... again. (see first two items for explanation)
-sort of messed up my grade posting for seniors
-wondering if we definitely have a job next year (we'll find out soon enough!)
-money (of course)

HAPPIES:
-no unexpected failures in my class
-next to last Monday morning at school today
-finishing out the year teaching exclusively my favorite short stories
-sold my first paintings recently!
-two other paintings lined up
-love my family, job, friends, husband, cat

a tribute

2009-05-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

This has been a sad weekend/start of the week for me. Lindsey graduated, packed up her stuff, and left for the metropolis of Brewton, AL. Don't get me wrong; I am beyond proud of her for getting a great job and having a place of her own. I will just miss her!

Here is to Lindsey:

People moving away is hard for me to get used to. I still miss many of my girlfriends. Though I know we will always be friends, I would like to have a teleport machine on call to compensate for the distance.

To my girlfriends:

I smell a date night

2009-05-11T15:50:00.001-07:00

I knew it

2009-05-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

I knew it all along.

Click the link above for more info!

yes men

2009-05-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

I found this video over at The Daily Obsessional. This is a prime example of a time when lying is hilarious if you have a certain point of view.

proud aunt

2009-05-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

Look at my sweet baby nephew and niece!

dixie chicken

2009-05-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Last night, B and I went to see Wolverine. I love superhero movies, and I especially love Hugh Jackman shirtless (see below).

Afterwards, we decided to go to Mellow Mushroom for the Dexateens' CD release show. I always love to hear them play. At one point, they covered "Gloria" by The Doors (G-L-O-R-I-A). I was thinking about that this morning, because I thought it was an odd thing for them to cover. (NOTE: I think I thought it was weird because Matt Patton sang it. It seemed that they morphed into a tame Model Citizen for just a minute.)

ANYWAY. I've decided that the Dexateens have a penchant for songs featuring girl names. They covered "Gloria" last night, and they have "Madelene," "Mary," "Nadine," and "Anna Lee" of their own. Now if they would only cover "Allison" by Elvis Costello, the world might explode. (ANOTHER NOTE: I actually love "Allison" by Elvis Costello, "Gloria," "Madelene," "Mary," "Nadine," and "Anna Lee." Maybe I also have a penchant for songs featuring girl names.)

I would also like to state for the record that they worked "Dixie Chicken" into the middle of "Maker's Mound." That is talent (and humor).

When we were leaving, I was closing out my tab and this ~~frat daddy~~ guy ~~stumbled~~ walked up beside me. There was a purse (not mine) on the bar in front of me, and he reached over for it. He started to look around, not in a creepy "I'm about to steal this purse" way but more in a "I know whose this is and I'm looking for her" way. I didn't think anything about it until he left and an unknown girl walks up and yells, "WHERE IS MY PURSE?" Of course, that guy had stolen it. I felt like the biggest jerk. I saw him do it, but I didn't think anything about it. I honestly thought he was looking for its owner. Of course, by the time we went looking for him, he had already gone. GRR

UPDATE: I took Piper to the vet. It turns out that it was not a herpes outbreak; it was just allergies. She got a (very expensive) allergy shot. We also found out she has gingivitis.

money, Piper, and Tonya Harding

2009-04-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

-I don't understand why my checkbook balance never matches my online balance. I think the difference goes wherever the lost socks go in the dryer.

-Piper is sneezing every five minutes! I don't think it's her cat herpes, either. She doesn't have a runny nose or droopy eyes like she does when she has an outbreak. Maybe it's just allergies, but I'm going to take her to the vet soon just to make sure. Here is a recent picture of her playing on the internetz:

-I had a wonderful weekend! I feel like I accomplished a lot in a short time. I have also lost four pounds. Woo hoo - Heidi Klum, look out!

-Because I love you, I will leave you with this:

Comma Day

2009-04-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

For some reason, I have been on the verge of a nervous breakdown all week long. Things that wouldn't normally get to me are getting to me in a huge way. Let me tell you about my morning so far...

Today is COMMA DAY! (insert excited squeal) in Mrs. Duncan's class. Teaching commas is a little tricky, because the kids feel like it is a juvenile topic and they've seen the rules a hundred times before. Because of that, they act like they're too good to participate in the lesson (most of the time). In reality, even if they HAVE heard it a hundred times, they still misuse them frequently.

So, for comma day, I had a few fun little activities planned out for them after we finished discussing the rules of commas.

Well, commas got put on hold in a major way when a colleague of mine (and co-sponsor of the Interact Club) called me mid-class. She revealed that she had NOT done any of the fifty bazillion things she said she was going to do regarding the upcoming scholarship banquet and end of the year loose ends. I literally wrote down a page-long list of "to dos" while I was on the phone with her.

Then, as soon as I got off the phone (very frustrated), another teacher walked in. She is the case manager (CM) for one of my students with special needs (we'll call her Maggie - not her real name). Maggie has not been in class for about a week now. CM tells me today that Maggie is not feeling better and is actually feeling worse. CM thinks she has something similar to thrush, and Maggie is getting very worried about her health. About that time, Maggie walks in. She looks terrible. She asks me if I will gather her make up work for the past week and the next few days, which I do.

Come to find out, she doesn't have health insurance. She keeps going to doctors and hearing the same thing. I am not sure what they told her/gave her, but it is not working, and she is getting worse. She and her family are shelling out TONS of money (they they do not have) for these doctor visits, and she still can't get an accurate diagnosis. She could be the poster child in the case for universal healthcare.

Anyways, by the time Maggie and CM leave, I am all aflutter. Then, I get a phone call from another case manager. She would like to know if I will come sit in as the general education teacher on an IEP meeting. Guess when it is? During my lunchtime. Great! Sure, I would love to find out last minute that I have to sit in on an IEP meeting and miss my lunch! Grr.

Finally, I get off the phone. I look over at my students (for the first time in a while), and realize that they are all sitting patiently, quietly talking to their neighbors. They were being SO well-behaved that I was overwhelmed and thankful for them. One little girl looked up and me and said, "Mrs. Duncan, I think you need a day off." I think she's right.

insomnia

2009-04-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

I found this neat little boredom cure from this blog!

DIRECTIONS:
- Go to Google image search.
- Type in your answer to each question.
- Choose a picture
- Save the image for use in this note.
- Use this website (http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php) to make your collage.
- Tag the people whose mosaics you want to see.

QUESTIONS:
1. What is your name? Kelly

2. What is your favorite food? chips and salsa

3. What is your hometown? Arab, AL

4. What is your favorite color? Green

5. What is your favorite movie? right now...The Sandlot. Don't make fun! Wendy Peffercorn is hot, and you know you've said "you're killing me Smalls" before.

6. What is your favorite drink? Diet Cherry Limeaid from Sonic

7. What is your dream vacation spot? Venice, Italy

8. What is your favorite dessert? Minnie's red velvet cake

9. What is one word to describe yourself? fidgety

10. How are you feeling right now? hyper

11. What do you love most in the world? B Duncan

12. What do you want to be when you grow up? a cute stuff store owner

And... here is my mosaic!

I will tag...

1. Hayley
2. Jess
3. Lindsey
4. Kristen
5. Julie

warm and fuzzies

2009-04-21T19:36:00.001-07:00

Wearing Mascara Giveaway

2009-04-21T08:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday! I am strangely happy to be back at work after the break. I didn't think I would miss the kids while I was gone (and, honestly, I didn't), but it has been really nice seeing them again and getting caught up in all their lives.

The next couple of weeks are going to be heavily grammar-filled, because we still haven't covered some of the standards for the ninth graders. The students hate grammar, but I love teaching it. Grammar topics are cut and dry for the most part, and I feel like I do a good job teaching them. I guess we'll see how this goes.

I had a free wellness checkup at work yesterday that was provided by our insurance. They checked all my blood levels (glucose and cholesterol), checked my blood pressure and pulse, and then made me stick my foot in this thing that looked like a foot massager but did not massage. The results were pretty good, except that I have high cholesterol (supposed to be under 200 and mine is 228) and low bone density. I am supposed to stop eating anything relatively good and start exercising every free minute I have.

In other news, Julie @ wearingmascara.com is having an incredible giveaway in honor of her 300th blog post and her new switch to Wordpress.

Here is the loot:

- Photo Op Under Eye Brightener

- Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light

- Quench Moisture Rich Lip Gloss

- O-Glow

- Illuminating Serum

- Fusion Soft Lights in Baked Starburst

- Eyeshadow Quad in Bright Eyed

CLICK HERE to find out how to enter, but I hope I win :)

Global Unrest

2009-04-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

The following is a summary of a recent conversation with a good listener:

PART ONE - ENVIRONMENTAL GUILT

Lately, I have been feeling majorly guilty about things that I do that will hurt the environment. I guess it is healthy to have an environmentally conscious mind to some extent, but, like most other things in my life, I cannot do this in moderation. I get overwhelmed when I start my car and consider what is coming out of the exhaust pipe. I get upset when I order a drink and it is given to me in a styrofoam cup. I have anxiety when I see how much garbage just my husband and I produce in a few days.

Environmental issues are all over the news and interwebz right now, and some of the projections being made about the planet (polar ice caps!) SCARE ME. The years they are projecting all this shit to go down are not that far away. They are in our near futures and definitely within the lifetimes of our children.

PART TWO - HYPOCRISY

As long as I've been an adult, I have been in favor of low (or no) government regulation of social issues, such as gay marriage or abortion or playing dominoes on Sunday (still against the law in Alabama). I guess I just don't see the point of regulating another person's actions when it does not harm you or anyone else.

However, it seems to me that the government is going to have to mandate that people do environmentally friendly things. People by nature are just not going to do anything proactively unless they see a need for it NOW or unless they will benefit from it NOW.

Why do I feel like we all know we're contributing to the breakdown of the planet that keeps us alive, yet we turn a blind eye? Asking for governmental control may not be the best idea, because you can't ever guarantee that the decisions they make for us will be made with good intentions and not made with selfish motives. But, what are we going to do? Are we just going to sit by and pretend this is not happening? Are we really going to wait until it's too late to do something about this?

PART THREE - IDEAS

1. Couldn't we completely do away with plastic bags in grocery stores? It has been within my lifetime that these were even available for the public to use. When I was young, you could ONLY use paper.

2. Maybe we could pick a common location (like a gas station) to be the designated spot for a recycling center. I know we already have recycling centers, but if they were stationed in a place where people normally go daily, it might be easier to work into our daily routines. If business owners were willing, we could even offer an incentive, such as a discount on canned items if you bring in so many aluminum cans, etc.

3., 4., 5., 6.....

What are your ideas?

bust a move

2009-04-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

I learn all my new dance moves from youtube videos.

wisdom

2009-04-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

"...this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood..."

-Regina Spektor

Two more days until spring break! I can make it...

2009-04-01T12:35:00.000-07:00

I just went to sign in to gmail, and THIS was on the login page:

Gmail AutopilotTM by CADIE
Email will never be a thing of the past, but actually reading and writing messages is about to be. Gmail Autopilot automatically manages your inbox better than you can, with zero effort from you.

Keep in touch
Brand-new CADIE technology enables Autopilot to scan every one of your incoming messages and automatically send the perfect reply.

Manage relationships
Impress everyone with your prompt and insightful responses to everything from urgent notes from your boss to cute messages from your significant other.

Match your style
Autopilot calibrates for tone, typos and preferred punctuation. It's just like you, but automated.

I am freaked out!

Better Marriage Blanket and April Fools

2009-04-01T12:06:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty sure this could save my marriage one day.

Anyone think I should order in bulk and give them out as presents?

As you all probably know, today is April Fools Day. I started all my classes out today with my own little teacher prank. To start the class, I told them they would need five sheets of paper each. As they reluctantly got out their paper, I proceeded to write the following essay outline on the board:

"-Topic - your choice (must be about a text we've read in class)
-length - 5 pages (front and back)
-must include - at least five quotations from the text, topic sentences and transitions

All essays must be thoughtful and error-free. You have the entire class period to finish. Turn in your completed work before you leave class today."

I went over the information with them, and told them that anyone seen talking would receive a zero for suspected cheating. Then, I said, "ok, let's get started" and walked back to my desk to sit down.

My first block class looked as if they were going to start crying (poor babies, it wasn't even eight o'clock yet). My third block class was more defiant, slamming down pencils and copping attitudes (classic senior response). My fourth block class just sat there and looked around at each other, waiting for someone else to start first.

MUAHAHA they totally took the bait.

news

2009-03-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

I am so happy it is finally (almost) the weekend. With spring break being so late this year (third week in April - really?!), the kids are going stir crazy, and so am I. I don't know which one is the bigger problem. Even though I teach high school, I've seriously had to have the "keep your hands to yourself" conversation with students three times in the past week.

NEWS:

- For some reason, B and I have decided that Friday is evermore the day we eat Mcdonald's for supper. Healthy? No. Can't wait for supper? No doubt.

-Hopefully, we will get our tax return back soon. Even though we have to pay the state of Alabama $1,000, a fried ham, and our first born child, we will still end up getting a pretty hefty sum from the federal government. I am pumped! I have already spent some of it on a shopping trip for seester's birthday (oops), but I think I'm going to put the rest in a trip fund for summertime. Any suggestions on where we should go?

-I watched the movie "W." last night. It was strange... I don't know how to describe it. When people said G.W. was an alcoholic, I thought they were saying it jokingly and that he really just partied a lot in college. I had no idea he was a legitimate alcoholic. Strange. I also wonder how much of the movie was historically accurate and how much was just dramatization. Odd choice casting Josh Brolin, too. I still can't figure that one out.

-Some of you already know that I am trying to start my own business. Basically, I love to paint/make cute stuff, and I thought I might as well try to make it something I can do on a regular basis. My plan is to paint up some samples from now until summertime, and then focus on getting a website going during the summer. Anyways, I finished my first painting for a precious little girl named Allison:

If I start now, it will put me on the right track to reaching my lifelong dream of owning a cute stuff store. I plan to do that after I retire, circa age 47. I already have a business partner! (Hi, Jess.) Any name suggestions/general suggestions for the cute stuff store would be great!

encouragement

2009-03-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

I have a senior student who is on the Occupational Diploma track. His case manager and I work well together, because his case manager was my co-teacher last semester. So, we have been in touch off and on about this student. I will call him Seth for the sake of the blog.

I really can't say enough good things about Seth. He is a sweetheart of a kid: polite, respectful, and always smiling. He also works well with other students. When he does his work, he does a great job despite his low reading level. However, sometimes he's just not into it. He sleep and daydreams on a regular basis. I guess I can understand his lack of motivation. He works two jobs during the week and is graduating in 2 months; his first priority is probably not characterizing Lady Macbeth.

But, as you may have guessed, his grades are suffering. His grade is WAY below what he is capable of making, and he is on the pass/fail borderline. His case manager contacted me today through email to see what the problem was. I told him of Seth's lazy streak, which he already knew. He told me he might just need some encouragement. Mr. Case Manager printed out Seth's progress reports and given them to him.

All that is to say that when Seth walked in today, he said, "Mrs. Duncan, I'm going to stay awake the rest of the semester! I saw my progress report today, and I know I can do better than that." I was so proud of him, and said, "Well, Seth, you do a great job when you're awake!" He flipped around and looked at me with a serious look on his face. Then, he said, "Well, why didn't you tell me that?"

... I have no excuse. He is completely right. I haven't told him before that he does a good job when he focuses. Teachers are supposed to motivate students to do their best, and somehow I had just disregarded him altogether. I guess it was just easier for me to accept the fact that he slept in class. All he needed were some kind words. I need to pick it up!

Things I Like Today

2009-03-19T23:45:00.000-07:00

Things I Like Today:

1. Jenny Lewis's Acid Tongue CD

"To be lonely is a habit
Like smoking or taking drugs
And I've quit them both
But man, was it rough"

2. The "Sweet Home Alabama Act"

The Sweet Home Alabama Coalition (seriously, with the names?) is sponsoring a bill that calls for the taxation of electronic bingo gaming in Alabama. This bill will have to pass a two-thirds majority vote in both the house and senate before possibly going to the people for a vote in 2010.

My thoughts: Regardless of your religious and moral convictions, we all know that gambling goes on in Alabama. Even though the industry brings in billions of dollars a year, some Alabama citizens (I'm being nice here) don't want to tax it, because that would be "legitimizing" gambling.

If the bill passes, electronic gambling operations would have to pay taxes on the money that they are currently just pocketing, and that tax revenue would give a much needed boost to education and healthcare in Alabama (the same education and healthcare systems that undoubtedly serve the citizens against the bill and everyone else in Alabama).

3. Kings

There is a relatively new show that is coming on NBC Sunday nights called Kings. I haven't watched it yet, but I think I am going to catch up on the episodes I've missed and start keeping up with it. The show is supposed to be a modern-day retelling of the David and Goliath story. Also, the lead actor is none other than the beloved Ian McShane, formerly known as Al Swearengen.

King:

Hang-Dai:

Check out the show's particulars here.

4. UNC

I picked UNC to win March Madness this year. Guess who did the same?

a long one

2009-03-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well, this week has crawled along as slowly as a turtle in slow-mo. I am SO happy it is Friday and that it's perfect napping weather. As soon as I leave work, I'm sleeping for at least three hours.

I found out something this week that was extremely disturbing. I will tell you the backstory before I let you know what I found out.

I have this student, we'll call her Ashley (not her real name), who is very well-mannered and keeps to herself most of the time. She is a ninth grader (14 years old). In my other ninth grade class, the girls call her by name and make fun of her almost daily. I have made it a point to stop their conversations as soon as they start talking about her, because the things they say are just hateful.

Also, Ashley writes in her class journal about her boyfriend a LOT. She wrote in there that he used drugs; he deals them, too, but her problem was with how he acts when he uses. She says when he uses he is mean and mistreats her. However, when he's sober, she says he's "like he used to be." It's just really depressing to see her in this situation; she is SO young and does not have the self confidence to realize she's better without him.

Anyways, that brings us to this week, when she has come in every day teary-eyed. She asked on Monday to go to the counselor to have some "testing" done. I of course agreed, figuring that her boyfriend must have cheated on her or that she needed a pregnancy test (not an uncommon thing for these girls).

Thursday, Ashley was hysterical when she walked into class. I called her out in the hallway to see what was wrong, because she would NOT calm down. Then, she reveals to me that the reason she asked to see the counselor for testing was because she was raped last weekend in a Tuscaloosa gas station restroom. As if that's not bad enough, her cuss of a boyfriend broke up with her after she told him. I won't tell you exactly what he said to her, but I will say that it was degrading and the most hurtful thing I've ever heard.

I wish you knew this girl. She is smart, funny, self-disciplined and caring. It doesn't seem right that these things are happening to her or any other girl for that matter. This is the SECOND student (in the 9th grade) who has told me she was raped. I am heartbroken over this, truly. I really just can't believe it.

sicka than your average Poppa

2009-03-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

I completely understand that "Notorious B.I.G." is to "Biggie" as "Puff Daddy" is to "Puffy", but...

My dad called tonight and said he had a very important question (note the sarcasm). He wanted to know...

When did "Snoop Doggy Dogg" drop the "Doggy" and become "Snoop Dogg"?

Does anyone know why he's leaving out the "Doggy"? Is he just getting more mature? Does he think just the "Snoop Dogg" sounds more refined? And, if so, does he ever throw in the "Doggy" if he's feeling crazy?

hodgepodge

2009-03-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, B had a rock show in Auburn so my seester and mother came down Friday night to stay with me. It was so much fun! Friday night, we ate chicken salad (made by Mom) and Nutter Butter Banana Pudding (recipe here). I was so proud of myself for making the dessert. I even made the pudding myself instead of cheating and using jello pudding. Please, allow me to gloat. After we ate, we went to the mall for a little window shopping and then to the movies. We saw He's Just Not That Into You. It was very cute (and true!) but unexpectedly depressing. I still love precious little Ginnifer Goodwin with all my heart.

Saturday morning, we walked two miles (woo hoo!) and then went to look at huge houses "north of the river." It is like a completely different world over there. Even the small houses were enormous, and we saw a Range Rover with a Northridge parking permit. Can you imagine driving your RANGE ROVER to HIGH SCHOOL?!

This week is the major administration of the Graduation Exam. For those of you who don't work here, that means that this is a complete waste of a week where all we do is keep study halls and watch movies (This morning, we have already watched the first X Men and half of the second one). I have gotten a lot of paperwork done (grading, lesson plans, etc.), but I have a feeling I'm going to get bored of this very quickly.

BEST NEWS EVER - Spring is here! You all have no idea how happy I am; Spring means warm weather and an instant lift of my spirits. I have already painted my toes a springy pink.

for your viewing pleasure

2009-03-04T17:25:00.001-08:00

or, for those of you who are bored and want to loaf around on the internets: (click the links)

For work:

1. Teen Dating Bill of Rights

2. "This I Believe" story sharing project from NPR (with accompanying lesson plans - LOVE that)

For fun:

3. Best Week EVER (I'm a sucker for the sarcasm)

4. This website explains so much. For example:

5. Bad Gift Emporium (YOU CAN ACTUALLY BUY THIS STUFF, PEOPLE!)

6. Do you know anyone who is passive aggressive?

For creativity:

7. I enjoy looking at the patterns

8. I am totally making this!

For thought:

9. Interesting

10. for the history lover

11. Daily News Quiz

Scrapblog

2009-02-28T14:59:00.000-08:00

My current obsession is Scrapblog, this online scrapbooking software. I haven't figured out all the bells and whistles yet, but I made this:

bar rules

2009-02-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

B and I went out last night to unwind from the week. Some friends of ours were playing, and we decided to go see them. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for having a few drinks on a weekend and just having fun. However, after my bar experience last night, I felt that I should create some bar rules for girls. They are...

1. I know you are a size 2 and have great legs. Wear that mini-dress, honey. But, please don't bend over (ever). It doesn't matter how hot you are, nobody wants to see your hoo hah.

2. Always steer clear of spandex.

3. I see that you and your boy toy are SOOOOO in love (gag). That doesn't mean you should swap sloppy kisses or grab anything on your partner below the waist. Personal space still applies when you're drunk.

4. Just because a rap song comes on the radio, that doesn't mean you suddenly have dance skills.

and, finally...

5. No grinding.

Please follow these rules and

A. I will not have to slap you, and...

B. this won't be you:

lately...

2009-02-26T18:11:00.001-08:00

-Yesterday, I had my very first cavity filled. It wasn’t that bad, except afterward my face felt like it was melting off (funny) and when I talked I sounded like I had a speech impediment (not funny).

-Yesterday was also Piper Mortimer Duncan’s first birthday. Since I am a bad catmother, I completely forgot until I was in bed about to go to sleep. We decided to let her stay in there with us for the night (it was her birthday, after all) until she started attacking our hands and feet. Before you start feeling sorry for her, I do not think she realized it was a special day; she doesn’t speak English, after all.

-A couple of girls from work asked me to start walking with them sometimes. I am so excited! It made me feel good and included in the work crowd.

-A friend gave me some back issues of Time magazine, and I have been slowly catching up. According to Time’s article “CT Scans: Just How Safe Are They?”, new medical research says that CT scans can expose you to large amounts of radiation (45 millisieverts – the typical chest x-ray delivers .02 millisieverts) and can actually make malignancies worse. Another article (“Gardasil: Vaccine Battle?”) says Gardasil may cause side effects, including seizures, fainting, and even death. HOWEVER (on both the CT scan and the Gardasil front), McSister (my sister doctor) checked medical journals and we are in fact going to live even if we’ve had a CT scan and the Gardasil shot. You can rest easily.

-Tomorrow = last working day of the month = pay day! WOO HOO!

long post, but informative

2009-02-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I decided to go back and read my old (years ago) online journal. Some random clippings (from most recent to least recent because I don't know how to fix it):

April 4th, 2006:

kellybeth1225: go to work tomorrow and figure out what is wrong with me
hayleyc99: hiv
hayleyc99: gonoherpesyphilaids
hayleyc99: mono?
hayleyc99: or possibly a torn ACL
hayleyc99: I'll work on it
kellybeth1225: definitely ACL
hayleyc99: well, I have seen a lot of those lately so I'm pretty good at diagnosing them, especially over AIM

__________

March 6, 2006:

Today I pulled up to Wal*Mart and there was a man walking through the parking lot with a bat. Also, I saw a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the ghost of Christmas past. You know, you just never know what you'll see these days.

I will leave you with a quote that one of my friends said about Bruce Springsteen:

"I really, really think that 80's TV show "Who's the Boss?" would've been so much better if they would've cast Bruce as the lead role instead of that lame Tony Danza. I mean, they'd probably have to change the title and everything. Because, it would be senseless to ask who's the boss when everyone KNOWS it's Bruce. C'mon. The title would look more like "I'm The Boss, Bitch!"

__________

January 30, 2006:

"I want to give a really bad party. I mean it. I want to give a party where there's a brawl and seductions and people going home with their feelings hurt and women passed out in the cabinet de toilette. You wait and see." -Diver, from Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night

__________

Jan 22, 2006:

This Hemingway business isn't as bad as I thought. It's really very good. But, he always writes run-on sentences, and it's annoying. Also, he doesn't put commas after sequential words that open sentences (ex. Then,...) or before "too" to end a sentence. I wonder what that's all about. I wonder if I'll ever find someone who is interested in the same things I am. I wonder if that would even be a good thing?

The people in the Crimson White FINALLY wrote an article about Foster Auditorium. That seems so silly that I get so worked up about something like that, but I can't help it. It's the most historically important site on the campus, and we're just letting it rot. Something is wrong with that. Where are all the loaded alumni who think the preservation of history is important?

By then I knew that everything good and bad left an emptiness when it stopped. But if it was bad, the emptiness filled up by itself. If it was good you could only fill it by finding something better. -Hemingway, from Moveable Feast

[COMMENT: I was extremely happy when I read this one, because Blaine might be one of the only people on the planet that would be interested in the meaning of the grammar in a Hemingway novel.]

_________

January 24, 2006:

I get my clinical packet tomorrow, telling me which school I will be placed at. I hope I'm a good teacher. I hope I don't hate it.

_________

January 10th, 2006

"I wonder about all the roads not taken and am moved to quote Frost...but won't. It is sad to be able only to mouth other poets. I want someone to mouth me." -Sylvia Plath

"I also don't believe in "owning" people--like a good whore or a pet canary." -Sylvia Plath

________

December 28th, 2005

The dog kissed me on the lips yesterday. I think she wants more out of the relationship than I am willing to give. I told her I wanted to take it slow, but she's just not listening to me.

_______

December 14th, 2005:

Year in Review: Take the first sentence from each month in your journal, and post it.

January: So I've downloaded around 20 songs (including the Fall Out Boy Christmas song you let us listen to yesterday, Meg... are you proud?) and I'm so pumped up about making this CD, and then I realize I'm out of blank CD's.

February: Well, I know it's probably been six months since I've updated, so I thought I'd start this weekend.

March: Today is Stevie's Birthday and here is a picture for your viewing pleasure :

April: Hey cowgirls - see the grass? don't eat it

May: Something drastic happened today. I broke down and went to the library.

June: Wow, that's quite a title you've got. What is your major again?

July: Right. So i tried to update the other day but the computer was being entirely ridiculous so i couldn't.

August: Stand on my left, boo I know you ain't right

September: So it seems like every time I do a private entry it ends up being about...

October: Francesco Petrarca's SONGBOOK sonnet # 132

November: I went shopping today and bought entirely too much stuff.

December: Tonight freaking rocked. Lowkey party turned out to be just the fun I needed.

OK, I'll stop there. It goes back way farther, but I really got a kick out of reading what I had written at a different point in my life. I realized I used to read better books and think about them more. Maybe I can work on that. Any suggestions?

just for laughs

2009-02-24T14:05:00.001-08:00

plans

2009-02-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

After I win the HGTV Dream Home and then have to sell it because I cannot afford the taxes, I plan to buy the following things:

-an easel and loads of art supplies to start my “cute-stuff business” (let me know if you have suggestions for business names)

-someone to whip me into shape ----> preferably, a female personal trainer who has never, ever painted her nails

(I will also need this to go with my personal trainer.)

-complete Fiestaware set in Cobalt Blue

-a steel guitar for my hubby to play with

-a Kitchenaid stand mixer (in red)

-this adorable denim dress from Ann Taylor. While I am at it, I will buy one of each item in the store that I always love but can never afford

-bedroom furniture from the Pottery Barn Farmhouse Collection (all pieces in antique honey)

-“No Fear Shakespeare” class sets for Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, and Hamlet

-a never-ending supply of Vera Wang Princess perfume

-Yamaha PSR-295 keyboard stand and bench

-all kinds of sheet music

-Sopranos Series Box Set

and

-everything associated with this home movie theater:

ramblings about love

2009-02-22T16:12:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about love. I guess it has been in the back of my mind anyway, and then I read the latest post on a blog I regularly follow. The author Jodi always has things to say that make me think, but I was very interested in what she had to say in this post...

“I find it hard to love Chip when the kids have drained my energy for the day and he walks into the house after work and finds me tired and short-tempered. I find that more often than not, love is not an easy thing for me to do- unless I am consciously making the effort to show love. I am realizing more and more that most of the things I do- my "acts of love" for my family- are so routine that they end up being overlooked. I am sure if I quit doing laundry for a few days, the piles of dirty clothes would start to make a statement. But in doing daily loads of laundry, it just becomes a "chore" and nobody 'sees' it as love. It's expected and it just gets done.”

There seems to be such a disparity between loving someone and showing that you love. Is this a disconnect for every single person? And if everyone is different in the transition from loving to showing it, how do you possibly get on the same page?

Also, I watched the movie Vicki Cristina Barcelona last night. In the movie, the characters are all trying desperately to find a kind of love that suits them. Some of them have a plan, some are open to anything, some attempt to change their very identities in the efforts to find this elusive, loving happiness. The saddest/most interesting part to me is that even though the characters find themselves in changing, chaotic situations, they all end up the same in the end with the same ideas about love as they did in the beginning. Can you change the way you love/the kind of love you are looking for?

I have always found it easy (probably too easy) to care about people. I often am too attached to situations/relationships, and I chronically over-do it. I over-do it to the point that, like Jodi, sometimes I think my efforts at love are overlooked and feel routine. Even though I am sure that can be annoying to the people who are close to me, it is not the main problem to me. The most destructive loving habit that I have is expecting people around me to love me in the way I love them. Maybe it sounds selfish/needy, but I need to be reassured (very) often that love is still there, that I am a priority, and that I am appreciated.

Because I expect too much, I usually miss the subtleties and small ways that people show me they care. It can make me feel very alienated when I do not get what I think I need love-wise. I end up feeling unloved. The most depressing part is that I know in large part I am doing it to myself. I am hoping that as I get older I will begin to be more open-minded to love of all kinds.

Gucci Mane

2009-02-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

I am frustrated with the (lack of) grammatical knowledge my ninth-graders have. I reviewed parts of speech during the first six weeks, because I wanted them to have a good review before we start harder concepts like subject-verb agreement, sentence structure, style, etc. I realize that for all those who are not grammar nerds, it can be a little boring. So, I came up with (what I thought were) effective, entertaining ways to learn parts of speech. For example, after we learned pronouns, I played "Can't Buy Me Love" and had them pick out the pronouns. Also, after we did adjectives, we played a game to see which group could come up with the most adjective for everyday objects. They were very involved and seemed to understand it at the time.

Fast forward to today when I'm grading their six weeks exams. THEY DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMON AND PROPER NOUNS. You can just forget about pronouns and adjectives. They can tell you every single word to every single Gucci Mane song, but they have no idea which of the words in the song are nouns.

I re-taught what should've been a review, reviewed the review, and then tested. These are primary concepts, and yet they still don't know them. What gives?

5 Things I am Happy About Today

2009-02-17T09:41:00.000-08:00

5 Things I am Happy About Today:

1. I have been really trying to stick to working out/walking at least three times a week. I have lost three pounds! I know that is not a lot, but I feel better and my pants buttoned this morning. Score one for the home team.

2. The 7 (yes, 7) boxes of Girl Scout cookies Blaine and I ordered came in today. Scratch out number 1.

3. I am going to have sushi tonight!

4. I have been the master of time management today (Again, it must be that day off that helps me regain motivation). I am completely caught up on lesson planning and grading - woo hoo!

5. Happy birthday to my beautiful mother!

A mother's happiness is like a beacon, lighting up the future but reflected also on the past in the guise of fond memories. ~Honoré de Balzac