16 hours ago
Friday, September 14, 2007
Child Mortality at Record Low
There's nothing like a positive, encouraging newspaper article! Take a look!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Carnival
I am seriously behind in linking to Education Carnivals. It's been weeks since I've even looked at one. Here's the latest.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Madeleine L'Engle
My aunt forwarded an email to me from a friend of hers. It was called "If I Were a Blogger," and the friend had written that someone should blog reflections about L'Engle to celebrate the wonderful writer who died last Thursday.
A lot of people have. Thanks to Semicolon for rounding up some of what's been said.
A lot of people have. Thanks to Semicolon for rounding up some of what's been said.
Dark Village
I read this article earlier this week. This village has the opportunity to get electricity, and while many people are for it, some aren't. I found this quite interesting:
(Beginning of excerpt)
Masawo, 28, used to work in the city but returned to the village when his parents died.
He talks of a special community spirit, which he fears may disappear forever.
"Without electricity, people get together after work; they share things with each other, tell stories. I think it's a better life.
"It's not necessary to have electricity. You can wash clothes by hand. With no TV, we have more time to chat and discuss together."
And even though the women spend much of the time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning by hand, mother-of-four Okoc is also reluctant to see change.
"I like things the way they are. Here we use oil lanterns, like in the old times. It seems better like that. If you had power, you wouldn't be able to see all the stars, and all the natural living things, like frogs and other animals, would run away."
...
Presbyterian church leader Rev Chang Ying-mei - who has been instrumental in helping the village think about how it wants to develop in the future - hopes the advent of electricity will bring only superficial changes.
"Power won't change their lives..." she began to say, "but who knows? People's desires are endless.
"I'm positive about the future because the village spirit is strong," she added.
(End of excerpt - you can read the rest of the article at the link above.)
While you might think that the older people would want the traditional ways and the younger ones would be calling for modernization, in fact the exact opposite is true. I wonder what will happen.
Meanwhile, this is a good reminder to me to savor the advantages of having no electricity from time to time!
(Beginning of excerpt)
Masawo, 28, used to work in the city but returned to the village when his parents died.
He talks of a special community spirit, which he fears may disappear forever.
"Without electricity, people get together after work; they share things with each other, tell stories. I think it's a better life.
"It's not necessary to have electricity. You can wash clothes by hand. With no TV, we have more time to chat and discuss together."
And even though the women spend much of the time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning by hand, mother-of-four Okoc is also reluctant to see change.
"I like things the way they are. Here we use oil lanterns, like in the old times. It seems better like that. If you had power, you wouldn't be able to see all the stars, and all the natural living things, like frogs and other animals, would run away."
...
Presbyterian church leader Rev Chang Ying-mei - who has been instrumental in helping the village think about how it wants to develop in the future - hopes the advent of electricity will bring only superficial changes.
"Power won't change their lives..." she began to say, "but who knows? People's desires are endless.
"I'm positive about the future because the village spirit is strong," she added.
(End of excerpt - you can read the rest of the article at the link above.)
While you might think that the older people would want the traditional ways and the younger ones would be calling for modernization, in fact the exact opposite is true. I wonder what will happen.
Meanwhile, this is a good reminder to me to savor the advantages of having no electricity from time to time!
Update
I suppose that last entry was a bit cryptic. I was feeling overwhelmed by the daily details of my life, and discouraged that the hymn was counseling me to be contented with "room to deny myself." It seemed to me that I was getting plenty of opportunity to deny myself.
The update on the electricity situation is that we have been hemorrhaging money and we are now the proud owners of a new generator (one which works, which is a big improvement over the old one) AND new batteries for our inverter. We also contributed to a neighborhood project to buy a new transformer, since it's clear that the electric company isn't going to bring us one. It's exhausting to spend so much time, energy and money on something that we're already paying someone else to provide. (In the process of installing the new generator, two appliances got fried due to problems with wiring which we weren't aware of before, and, in an unrelated incident, our washing machine has quit.)
And yet...as always, when living in a country like this one, I feel guilty for complaining about any of this because it just illustrates how little I have to complain about. We had a bunch of problems but we also were able to pay for them to be fixed. We lost some appliances but, hey, we had them in the first place. The washing machine is sitting out back being worked on intermittently by a mechanic who is also doing many other tasks, but I didn't have to walk from the river this morning with water on my head. I've never had to wonder which of my children I could afford to send to school, or how I was going to feed my kids supper tonight. So all in all, it feels pretty pathetic to whine about my problems.
And yet...there are always more "yets." I still have to get my work done, whether or not I have lights to grade by. I still need to be cheerful the next day after having trouble sleeping with no fans (heat and mosquitoes both keep one from sleeping well!). I still have to look across the street and see the street light shining on the people who have electricity. That's my daily round, my common task. I feel ashamed that I don't have the grace to deal with even these few difficulties the way I see people around me dealing with far worse situations.
As Alana reminds me, glory to God for all things.
The update on the electricity situation is that we have been hemorrhaging money and we are now the proud owners of a new generator (one which works, which is a big improvement over the old one) AND new batteries for our inverter. We also contributed to a neighborhood project to buy a new transformer, since it's clear that the electric company isn't going to bring us one. It's exhausting to spend so much time, energy and money on something that we're already paying someone else to provide. (In the process of installing the new generator, two appliances got fried due to problems with wiring which we weren't aware of before, and, in an unrelated incident, our washing machine has quit.)
And yet...as always, when living in a country like this one, I feel guilty for complaining about any of this because it just illustrates how little I have to complain about. We had a bunch of problems but we also were able to pay for them to be fixed. We lost some appliances but, hey, we had them in the first place. The washing machine is sitting out back being worked on intermittently by a mechanic who is also doing many other tasks, but I didn't have to walk from the river this morning with water on my head. I've never had to wonder which of my children I could afford to send to school, or how I was going to feed my kids supper tonight. So all in all, it feels pretty pathetic to whine about my problems.
And yet...there are always more "yets." I still have to get my work done, whether or not I have lights to grade by. I still need to be cheerful the next day after having trouble sleeping with no fans (heat and mosquitoes both keep one from sleeping well!). I still have to look across the street and see the street light shining on the people who have electricity. That's my daily round, my common task. I feel ashamed that I don't have the grace to deal with even these few difficulties the way I see people around me dealing with far worse situations.
As Alana reminds me, glory to God for all things.
Monday, September 10, 2007
The Daily Round
This came to mind as I was exercising this morning, from an old hymn that I haven't sung for many years:
The daily round, the common task
Should furnish all we ought to ask:
Room to deny ourselves, a road
To bring us daily nearer God.
I suppose it's true, but it sure sounds dreary, doesn't it?
The daily round, the common task
Should furnish all we ought to ask:
Room to deny ourselves, a road
To bring us daily nearer God.
I suppose it's true, but it sure sounds dreary, doesn't it?
Saturday, September 01, 2007
DP Blog Theme Day - Street Light or Street Sign
On the first of every month, the Daily Photo blogs have a theme day, and today's theme is a street light or street sign. My favorite so far is from Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. (You'll see why it appeals to me, I think.) You can find links there to the other blogs participating today. Take a look.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Morning
Good thing I enjoyed my electricity last night, because this morning the generator was leaking gas. Gas that cost over $5 US a gallon, I might add. So, guess more repairs are needed.
Sigh.
The house across the street (the one with its own transformer, but I'm not jealous) had electricity most of the night. I am just so happy for them. Yes, I am.
Sigh.
The house across the street (the one with its own transformer, but I'm not jealous) had electricity most of the night. I am just so happy for them. Yes, I am.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
So Far, So Good
The school year has started off well, with a minimum of drama. I did have a student who had not completed his summer reading assignment and who gave as his excuse that he had inadvertently burned the assignment while he was burning all of the remains of his sixth grade year. So we'll be keeping the matches away from that one. (I had plenty of students who didn't do their summer reading, but most of the excuses were more mundane, such as "I didn't feel like doing my summer reading." Refreshingly honest, anyway.)
One of the two air conditioners in my classroom is working, and I have fans here and there (though one of my ceiling fans has no blades on it - presumably the result of my request for said fan to be repaired over the summer), so the room is very comfortable - well, once the kids leave it actually gets rather cold. My room still looks great even after two days of students in it.
The schedule is almost all ironed out, which in my experience is amazing after only two days. Pretty much everyone is behaving - though that could just be because they are figuring things out and laying plans for mayhem.
While things are going smoothly at school, at home is a different story. Our electricity problems are back. City power is out once again, after working for two weeks. (By the way, explain to me, if you can, why our electricity bill was so much larger than usual last month when our connection has been non-functional for five or six out of the last eight weeks?) Just to add to our enjoyment, our generator stopped working this week, as well. That is now repaired, and we have been able to enjoy such luxuries as running water once again. (Yes, I know, I know, it IS a luxury, compared to most of the world.) Right now, the house across the street, whose owners have sensibly invested in their own transformer, has city power, but we don't on this side of the street. Our neighbors to the right and left are running their generators. Normally, I would be rushing about, calling all the numbers I have for the power company (at least five, I think), begging them to come fix the problem. But I guess I am becoming more accustomed to the culture of Tecwil, which calls for enjoying the moment and being glad that there's some charge in the inverter batteries and the fan and internet connection are working. I'll worry about the rest of the problems tomorrow!
One of the two air conditioners in my classroom is working, and I have fans here and there (though one of my ceiling fans has no blades on it - presumably the result of my request for said fan to be repaired over the summer), so the room is very comfortable - well, once the kids leave it actually gets rather cold. My room still looks great even after two days of students in it.
The schedule is almost all ironed out, which in my experience is amazing after only two days. Pretty much everyone is behaving - though that could just be because they are figuring things out and laying plans for mayhem.
While things are going smoothly at school, at home is a different story. Our electricity problems are back. City power is out once again, after working for two weeks. (By the way, explain to me, if you can, why our electricity bill was so much larger than usual last month when our connection has been non-functional for five or six out of the last eight weeks?) Just to add to our enjoyment, our generator stopped working this week, as well. That is now repaired, and we have been able to enjoy such luxuries as running water once again. (Yes, I know, I know, it IS a luxury, compared to most of the world.) Right now, the house across the street, whose owners have sensibly invested in their own transformer, has city power, but we don't on this side of the street. Our neighbors to the right and left are running their generators. Normally, I would be rushing about, calling all the numbers I have for the power company (at least five, I think), begging them to come fix the problem. But I guess I am becoming more accustomed to the culture of Tecwil, which calls for enjoying the moment and being glad that there's some charge in the inverter batteries and the fan and internet connection are working. I'll worry about the rest of the problems tomorrow!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
New-to-Me Blogs and Update
Here are two blogs I've been reading lately:
Nitty.Gritty. Jody's life has been marred by terrible tragedy, but her faith and joy are an inspiration.
Jonalyn Grace Fisher. I just heard of this woman in connection with her new book, which I haven't yet read, Ruby Slippers. It looks intriguing.
I've spent the last week working in my classroom. I've filed all the loose papers I just chucked in a box at the end of last year, entered all my new classroom library books on the computer and shelved them with the help of my daughter, and put up most of the stuff on the walls (still have a couple of bulletin boards to do). I've written parent letters, thought through how I'll handle several matters differently this year, cleaned out my cabinet and all my desk drawers. I still have more to do, but I've accomplished a great deal already. On Monday we start teacher meetings, but I'll still have some time to work in my room. The main copy machine is broken but it's supposed to be fixed tomorrow - I hope it will be!
Summer is almost over.
Nitty.Gritty. Jody's life has been marred by terrible tragedy, but her faith and joy are an inspiration.
Jonalyn Grace Fisher. I just heard of this woman in connection with her new book, which I haven't yet read, Ruby Slippers. It looks intriguing.
I've spent the last week working in my classroom. I've filed all the loose papers I just chucked in a box at the end of last year, entered all my new classroom library books on the computer and shelved them with the help of my daughter, and put up most of the stuff on the walls (still have a couple of bulletin boards to do). I've written parent letters, thought through how I'll handle several matters differently this year, cleaned out my cabinet and all my desk drawers. I still have more to do, but I've accomplished a great deal already. On Monday we start teacher meetings, but I'll still have some time to work in my room. The main copy machine is broken but it's supposed to be fixed tomorrow - I hope it will be!
Summer is almost over.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Reading Update
I'm working in my classroom, going through cupboards and desk drawers, getting rid of junk from three or four teachers ago. I need a break.
So, here are the books I've read lately:
Book #53 was Portrait of an Unknown Woman, by Vanora Bennett. It's told from the point of view of an adopted daughter of Thomas More. This is a time period I enjoy reading about, and there were some characters I knew a bit about already. In all, an entertaining read.
Book #54 was Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine. I didn't like it as much as Ella Enchanted, but it was good nonetheless. I read this one because my daughter wanted me to. (A character or two from Ella shows up!)
Book #55 and book #56 were Dreamland and This Lullaby, both by Sarah Dessen. A student of mine had been recommending Dessen for a while so I wanted to try her books. I enjoyed both of these, probably the first one a bit more.
Book #57 was the long-awaited Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer. These books were also recommendations from a student. Somehow, I had it in my head that this series was a trilogy. I kept thinking that somehow everything was going to be wrapped up, and the closer I got to the end, the more I saw how impossible that was. Sure enough, I visited Meyer's site, and she wrote that there was no way she was stopping with three books. So I'll have to wait - again - for the next book!
For book #58 I went back to teacher books - this one was Boy Writers: Reclaiming their Voices, by Ralph Fletcher. I've been wanting to read this since I first saw it advertised, and it didn't disappoint. It's one of my long-term goals to make my classroom, and my teaching, more boy-friendly. Fletcher offers some great ways to do so. I think any teacher could benefit from reading this, particularly those like me, a female lit major who loves Jane Austen. It's a challenge to see things through the eyes of boys, but I'm working on it. (Having a son helps a lot, I'm finding!)
And now, back to the mess...
So, here are the books I've read lately:
Book #53 was Portrait of an Unknown Woman, by Vanora Bennett. It's told from the point of view of an adopted daughter of Thomas More. This is a time period I enjoy reading about, and there were some characters I knew a bit about already. In all, an entertaining read.
Book #54 was Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine. I didn't like it as much as Ella Enchanted, but it was good nonetheless. I read this one because my daughter wanted me to. (A character or two from Ella shows up!)
Book #55 and book #56 were Dreamland and This Lullaby, both by Sarah Dessen. A student of mine had been recommending Dessen for a while so I wanted to try her books. I enjoyed both of these, probably the first one a bit more.
Book #57 was the long-awaited Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer. These books were also recommendations from a student. Somehow, I had it in my head that this series was a trilogy. I kept thinking that somehow everything was going to be wrapped up, and the closer I got to the end, the more I saw how impossible that was. Sure enough, I visited Meyer's site, and she wrote that there was no way she was stopping with three books. So I'll have to wait - again - for the next book!
For book #58 I went back to teacher books - this one was Boy Writers: Reclaiming their Voices, by Ralph Fletcher. I've been wanting to read this since I first saw it advertised, and it didn't disappoint. It's one of my long-term goals to make my classroom, and my teaching, more boy-friendly. Fletcher offers some great ways to do so. I think any teacher could benefit from reading this, particularly those like me, a female lit major who loves Jane Austen. It's a challenge to see things through the eyes of boys, but I'm working on it. (Having a son helps a lot, I'm finding!)
And now, back to the mess...
Monday, August 13, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Fixed
Several people wrote and told us they were praying that the city power in our neighborhood would get fixed soon, and clearly, praying is a better strategy than calling the electric company. After four to six weeks (depending on which neighbor you ask), on Friday night when the zone got electricity, ours in our little neighborhood came on, too. Hooray!
Good thing, too, because yesterday when my husband was starting the generator, the starter cord came off. So now we are truly relying on the power company. Last night they gave us four and a half hours of electricity and we were thrilled! A friend told me today that when she talks about 24/7 electricity, she's just hoping for 24 hours out of every 7 days. That would be three and a half hours a day, which would be OK by us.
Good thing, too, because yesterday when my husband was starting the generator, the starter cord came off. So now we are truly relying on the power company. Last night they gave us four and a half hours of electricity and we were thrilled! A friend told me today that when she talks about 24/7 electricity, she's just hoping for 24 hours out of every 7 days. That would be three and a half hours a day, which would be OK by us.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Rats
I'm a bit behind on my blog reading, so I hadn't seen this photo posted by Eric a couple of days ago on Paris Daily Photo. I warn you - don't go look at it if a photo of a dead rat hanging in a window is likely to sicken you. It's a pest-control business in Paris...
You have been warned. Here it is.
By the way, our internet at home works in the morning. It's a satellite connection, if that explains anything (it doesn't to me). Also, we're running the generator. So there's a lot of racket but I can get online!
You have been warned. Here it is.
By the way, our internet at home works in the morning. It's a satellite connection, if that explains anything (it doesn't to me). Also, we're running the generator. So there's a lot of racket but I can get online!
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Home
I flew home yesterday, and I'm adjusting to being back here. There's been no city power at our house for FOUR WEEKS. Nobody told me that until I got back - I think my husband was afraid I would stay in the States if I knew (he's been here a couple of weeks already).
Last night I went downstairs to get a drink and heard a funny noise. I turned on the light and saw a huge rat disappearing into the living room. The person who stayed in our house this summer told me she killed three very large ones with poison and our dogs killed another.
Probably the biggest adjustment is going from wireless internet practically everywhere I was this summer to no working internet at home! (Poor me - I guess in the scheme of things this isn't such a big problem!) I'm in my classroom catching up on email now. There is so much work to do in here, but I'm trying to ignore it for today. There will be plenty of time in the next two and a half weeks before school starts.
Last night I went downstairs to get a drink and heard a funny noise. I turned on the light and saw a huge rat disappearing into the living room. The person who stayed in our house this summer told me she killed three very large ones with poison and our dogs killed another.
Probably the biggest adjustment is going from wireless internet practically everywhere I was this summer to no working internet at home! (Poor me - I guess in the scheme of things this isn't such a big problem!) I'm in my classroom catching up on email now. There is so much work to do in here, but I'm trying to ignore it for today. There will be plenty of time in the next two and a half weeks before school starts.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Theme Day
It's August! As always on the first day of the month, the Daily Photo bloggers are holding a Theme Day. This month, they are posting photos of a typical breakfast where they live. The link will take you to Sharon, CT, and from there you can go to the other 98 sites participating.
Friday, July 27, 2007
It's getting to be that time again...
Last night I read this post from Graycie at Today's Homework. Maybe that put me in the back-to-school mode, because last night I had my own back-to-school nightmare. I was standing in front of a class trying to teach a lesson, but I couldn't find what I needed, and I was going through box after box on my desk. I think I even went through the trash. The kids were getting restless and I was getting frustrated, but I didn't give up - oh, no, I kept hunting that handout.
I'm still in the States but I'll be headed back home soon. I've been thinking about school and buying stuff for my classroom, but soon I'll be dealing with the real thing again.
Meanwhile, to get me in the mood, here's this week's Education Carnival.
I'm still in the States but I'll be headed back home soon. I've been thinking about school and buying stuff for my classroom, but soon I'll be dealing with the real thing again.
Meanwhile, to get me in the mood, here's this week's Education Carnival.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Reading Update
Book #49 was the new one by Nancie Atwell, The Reading Zone. As expected, I liked it very much. Mostly, I got plenty of encouragement to keep doing what I'm already doing, but I also got some new ideas, mostly about how to handle things in the classroom and with parents. Atwell goes to bookstores every weekend, she says, and buys books for her classroom library, with particular kids in mind. She doesn't buy basals, and she apparently has quite a large budget for books. (It helps that she has her own school.) I don't have the luxury of going to bookstores every weekend (don't I wish!), mainly because we don't really have bookstores with English books where I live. I have, however, been able to acquire quite a few books for my classroom library on this trip to the US.
Book #50 was Second Honeymoon, by Joanna Trollope. Nancie Atwell categorizes the books her students read as Challenges, Holidays, or Just Rights. This book was a Holiday for me. Some of Joanna Trollope's books seem that way - just brain candy - and then turn out to have much more to them. I don't think this had any more to it than appeared at first glance, but it was still a fun read. Trollope is very good on vagaries of emotion in all kinds of characters.
Book #51 was The Double Bind, by Chris Bohjalian. Here's a book that's more than meets the eye. I don't recommend finishing it, as I did, right before you want to go to sleep. You'll be awake another hour mulling it over in your mind, trying to figure out what clues you missed and what was really going on at different points in the story. Warning - the violence is quite upsetting.
And book #52, ta-da, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! It's a rather unusual experience for me to be reading what everybody is reading! I got my copy on Saturday morning at Wal Mart. There was no hoop-la, just a pallet of books on the floor in the middle of an aisle. They were selling them for $17.99 - did anyone charge full price? Of course, I'm not going to give anything away, but I loved the ending. Rowling wrapped up all the loose ends in a highly satisfying way. In my opinion, each book has been better-written than the one before. This one was mostly fairly grim, but there were some wonderful comic lines as well. I haven't had a chance to talk to anyone else who's read it yet, but I look forward to some good conversations.
Book #50 was Second Honeymoon, by Joanna Trollope. Nancie Atwell categorizes the books her students read as Challenges, Holidays, or Just Rights. This book was a Holiday for me. Some of Joanna Trollope's books seem that way - just brain candy - and then turn out to have much more to them. I don't think this had any more to it than appeared at first glance, but it was still a fun read. Trollope is very good on vagaries of emotion in all kinds of characters.
Book #51 was The Double Bind, by Chris Bohjalian. Here's a book that's more than meets the eye. I don't recommend finishing it, as I did, right before you want to go to sleep. You'll be awake another hour mulling it over in your mind, trying to figure out what clues you missed and what was really going on at different points in the story. Warning - the violence is quite upsetting.
And book #52, ta-da, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! It's a rather unusual experience for me to be reading what everybody is reading! I got my copy on Saturday morning at Wal Mart. There was no hoop-la, just a pallet of books on the floor in the middle of an aisle. They were selling them for $17.99 - did anyone charge full price? Of course, I'm not going to give anything away, but I loved the ending. Rowling wrapped up all the loose ends in a highly satisfying way. In my opinion, each book has been better-written than the one before. This one was mostly fairly grim, but there were some wonderful comic lines as well. I haven't had a chance to talk to anyone else who's read it yet, but I look forward to some good conversations.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Seven Types of Food
Amy tagged me over two weeks ago for that meme where you're supposed to tell seven random facts about yourself. Since I just recently revealed eight random facts to my adoring readers, I have had a bit of trouble coming up with seven more. I finally decided to write about seven kinds of food I like. Of course, there are more than seven, and the ones I'm including here aren't in any order.
1. Ethiopian food. If you haven't tried it, you should. It's delicious - very spicy.
2. Indian food. I think this is my favorite - that was one of my eight random facts, so it may be cheating to bring it up again. If so, I apologize to the meme police.
3. Caribbean food. Beans and rice, delicious ingredients like plantains, mangoes, avocados. Yum.
4. Japanese food. Both my children mention yaki soba when asked what their favorite food is. We also really like katsu don, tempura, and many other dishes. And, of course, sushi. Nothing like the combination of smooth fish and the way the wasabi blows off the top of your head.
5. British food. I realize the British aren't really known for their food, but I still appreciate boarding school favorites like toad in the hole, bubble and squeak, everything on toast. It has nostalgia value, anyway.
6. Italian food. I love pasta in all its forms, and practically any kind of sauce on it.
7. Thai food. Wonderful mixture of savory and sweet (lemongrass and coconut milk).
As I said, I like many more kinds of food. In fact, I've hardly met a food I don't like.
I'm not tagging anyone specifically, but if you'd like to do this meme, please feel free to do so, and let me know in a comment so that I can come and read.
1. Ethiopian food. If you haven't tried it, you should. It's delicious - very spicy.
2. Indian food. I think this is my favorite - that was one of my eight random facts, so it may be cheating to bring it up again. If so, I apologize to the meme police.
3. Caribbean food. Beans and rice, delicious ingredients like plantains, mangoes, avocados. Yum.
4. Japanese food. Both my children mention yaki soba when asked what their favorite food is. We also really like katsu don, tempura, and many other dishes. And, of course, sushi. Nothing like the combination of smooth fish and the way the wasabi blows off the top of your head.
5. British food. I realize the British aren't really known for their food, but I still appreciate boarding school favorites like toad in the hole, bubble and squeak, everything on toast. It has nostalgia value, anyway.
6. Italian food. I love pasta in all its forms, and practically any kind of sauce on it.
7. Thai food. Wonderful mixture of savory and sweet (lemongrass and coconut milk).
As I said, I like many more kinds of food. In fact, I've hardly met a food I don't like.
I'm not tagging anyone specifically, but if you'd like to do this meme, please feel free to do so, and let me know in a comment so that I can come and read.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Saturday
I'm really going in for the inspiring titles lately.
Here's today's Saturday Review of Books. Hope everybody had a happy quatorze juillet (Bastille Day). Here's the parade in Paris.
Here's today's Saturday Review of Books. Hope everybody had a happy quatorze juillet (Bastille Day). Here's the parade in Paris.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Wednesday
Today we went to the zoo, zoo, zoo. We all had a lot of fun. It was a beautiful drive, too. They have been working on the roads around where we're staying, though they looked fine - OK, wonderful - to us before they fixed them. Not a pothole in sight. No goats in the road. Boring, in fact, according to my husband, who really prefers third-world driving, he says. Also, there's supposedly a drought going on but everything is wonderfully green. It's never this green in Tecwil even when we've been having lots of rain.
Here's today's carnival.
Here's today's carnival.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
International Book Project
It's time for my yearly plug for the International Book Project. (Here's last year's.)
This is a wonderful organization that promotes literacy around the world. We were able to visit again today and I got many books for my classroom library.
The IBP gets many gifts of books - and they are always grateful for them - but few donations of money, which is needed just as badly. They use financial donations mostly for shipping, though as you can see on their site, they have some needs at their facility as well. If you're looking for a good organization to give your money to, I recommend this one highly.
This is a wonderful organization that promotes literacy around the world. We were able to visit again today and I got many books for my classroom library.
The IBP gets many gifts of books - and they are always grateful for them - but few donations of money, which is needed just as badly. They use financial donations mostly for shipping, though as you can see on their site, they have some needs at their facility as well. If you're looking for a good organization to give your money to, I recommend this one highly.
Snow in Buenos Aires
It snowed in Buenos Aires! This is the first time that's happened since 1918. The BBC posted some photos sent in by readers. Here's an article about it.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Happy Fourth of July
Would you believe there's an Education Carnival today? Teachers are so dedicated, aren't they? They don't even take time off for parades and fireworks!
We had a wonderful small-town Fourth, with the fireworks still to come this evening. I hope my American readers enjoy the celebration.
We had a wonderful small-town Fourth, with the fireworks still to come this evening. I hope my American readers enjoy the celebration.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Migrants
I'm fascinated by people who migrate, who move from one country to another, for whatever reason. Today, the BBC is featuring stories about some African migrants.
July
Clearly I'm not good at being on vacation and blogging. I missed another Saturday Review of Books and I even missed a Daily Photo blog theme day, and this one was an especially cool one, too. The theme this month was Red.
We spent a few days in Nashville and visited Cheekwood. I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area. Gorgeous botanical gardens, a sculpture trail, a small art museum (with the Fabergé display right now). There's a whimsical "Once Upon a Garden" exhibit for kids going on through the beginning of September, and after that there will be scarecrows. It's so wonderful to go to a place that someone has had the time, money, and forethought to create just for people's pleasure. That's the kind of thing you rarely see in Tecwil. People are mostly spending their time and money just surviving, forethought is a luxury the poor don't have, and you don't see many places that are purely devoted to being beautiful. Not that Tecwil isn't beautiful - it is, but not in that kind of lush, green, over-the-top way that requires a huge team of gardeners. It's often difficult to imagine that here exists on the same planet as there.
We spent a few days in Nashville and visited Cheekwood. I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area. Gorgeous botanical gardens, a sculpture trail, a small art museum (with the Fabergé display right now). There's a whimsical "Once Upon a Garden" exhibit for kids going on through the beginning of September, and after that there will be scarecrows. It's so wonderful to go to a place that someone has had the time, money, and forethought to create just for people's pleasure. That's the kind of thing you rarely see in Tecwil. People are mostly spending their time and money just surviving, forethought is a luxury the poor don't have, and you don't see many places that are purely devoted to being beautiful. Not that Tecwil isn't beautiful - it is, but not in that kind of lush, green, over-the-top way that requires a huge team of gardeners. It's often difficult to imagine that here exists on the same planet as there.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
And in case you missed it...
I didn't post the Saturday Review of Books this past weekend. And while I'm at it, here's this week's Education Carnival.
I rarely use Internet Explorer, and my blog looks the way it's supposed to when I use Firefox. The computer I'm working on now doesn't have Firefox loaded on it, so I'm forced to use IE. I can't understand the spacing on my blogroll. Most of it is fine, but then all of a sudden it starts double spacing. I can't figure out why. So the moral is, use Firefox and the blogroll will look fine.
I rarely use Internet Explorer, and my blog looks the way it's supposed to when I use Firefox. The computer I'm working on now doesn't have Firefox loaded on it, so I'm forced to use IE. I can't understand the spacing on my blogroll. Most of it is fine, but then all of a sudden it starts double spacing. I can't figure out why. So the moral is, use Firefox and the blogroll will look fine.
Eight Facts
My friend Tricia tagged me for a meme where I'm supposed to give you eight random facts about myself. I'm supposed to post the rules first but they seem fairly self-explanatory to me, so if you want to read them, go to Tricia's blog for that.
So here goes...
1. I took my first airplane trip at the age of seven weeks, and so did my daughter.
2. When I was little I used to eat lemons, skin, seeds, and all, straight from the tree in our yard.
3. I have been a registered student in four different countries.
4. I like almost every kind of food I've ever tasted, but I think Indian may be my favorite.
5. My worst subject in school was P.E. and I have many bad memories associated with that miserable class.
6. I'm very careful on stairs because I once fell down a flight and broke my leg - this happened while I was pregnant with my first child.
7. I took piano lessons for years but I can't play.
8. I hate the word utilize - why can't people just say use?
I can't keep track of who has already done this meme and who hasn't. In fact, I think I may have done it already myself, but I can't find it on my blog. If you want to share random facts, consider yourself tagged!
So here goes...
1. I took my first airplane trip at the age of seven weeks, and so did my daughter.
2. When I was little I used to eat lemons, skin, seeds, and all, straight from the tree in our yard.
3. I have been a registered student in four different countries.
4. I like almost every kind of food I've ever tasted, but I think Indian may be my favorite.
5. My worst subject in school was P.E. and I have many bad memories associated with that miserable class.
6. I'm very careful on stairs because I once fell down a flight and broke my leg - this happened while I was pregnant with my first child.
7. I took piano lessons for years but I can't play.
8. I hate the word utilize - why can't people just say use?
I can't keep track of who has already done this meme and who hasn't. In fact, I think I may have done it already myself, but I can't find it on my blog. If you want to share random facts, consider yourself tagged!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Reading Update
I finished books 45 - 48 of 2007 before leaving home. Here they are:
Day One and Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle-Level Teachers, by Rick Wormeli. I enjoyed this book very much and picked up some useful tips. As I said before, I like his attitude towards middle school students. And I got a comment from the author last night, which was cool!
Living and Teaching the Writing Workshop, by Kristen Painter. This was my second time reading this one. It's helpful for teachers who are trying to write more themselves - full of exercises you can do and how to share your own writing with your students.
Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12, by Janet Allen. Allen summarizes the research on what works best in vocabulary instruction and includes many practical tips for working with words. There are some reproducibles in the book that I will definitely be using.
Managing Your Classroom with Heart: A Guide for Nurturing Adolescent Learners, by Katy Ridnouer. It's obvious that Ridnouer teaches in a very different environment from mine, and some of what she deals with makes me thankful for where I work. This was another helpful teacher book, and focuses on treating your students as individuals and showing concern for them, without having them walk all over you.
Still working on War and Peace...
Day One and Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle-Level Teachers, by Rick Wormeli. I enjoyed this book very much and picked up some useful tips. As I said before, I like his attitude towards middle school students. And I got a comment from the author last night, which was cool!
Living and Teaching the Writing Workshop, by Kristen Painter. This was my second time reading this one. It's helpful for teachers who are trying to write more themselves - full of exercises you can do and how to share your own writing with your students.
Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12, by Janet Allen. Allen summarizes the research on what works best in vocabulary instruction and includes many practical tips for working with words. There are some reproducibles in the book that I will definitely be using.
Managing Your Classroom with Heart: A Guide for Nurturing Adolescent Learners, by Katy Ridnouer. It's obvious that Ridnouer teaches in a very different environment from mine, and some of what she deals with makes me thankful for where I work. This was another helpful teacher book, and focuses on treating your students as individuals and showing concern for them, without having them walk all over you.
Still working on War and Peace...
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Statistics
I wrote this last night, but didn't have an opportunity to post it.
Hours in US: 30
Number of different states seen on license plates: 35
Number of blowouts: 2
Number of blowouts previously experienced by my husband in nearly 30 years of driving: 1
Hours spent in tire shop: 2
New tires bought: 4 (After the first blowout we only got one new one, but after the second we went ahead and replaced the rest.)
Amount of money spent that we weren't planning on: I could figure this out, since I have all the receipts, but it would be a depressing statistic.
Number of issues of People I read in the second tire shop, thus updating my sadly lacking knowledge about celebrities and inspiring the format for this post: approximately 5
Number of times we thanked God for bringing us safely to today's destination: many
Hours in US: 30
Number of different states seen on license plates: 35
Number of blowouts: 2
Number of blowouts previously experienced by my husband in nearly 30 years of driving: 1
Hours spent in tire shop: 2
New tires bought: 4 (After the first blowout we only got one new one, but after the second we went ahead and replaced the rest.)
Amount of money spent that we weren't planning on: I could figure this out, since I have all the receipts, but it would be a depressing statistic.
Number of issues of People I read in the second tire shop, thus updating my sadly lacking knowledge about celebrities and inspiring the format for this post: approximately 5
Number of times we thanked God for bringing us safely to today's destination: many
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Carnival At the Beach!
Since we teacher-types are just loafing around these days, this week's Carnival is at the beach!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Reading Update
Books 40-44 of 2007...
Book 40 was The Town on Beaver Creek: The Story of a Lost Kentucky Community, by Michelle Slatalla. I read this for my book group and enjoyed it. It's about a town in Kentucky that regularly flooded, to the point where finally the town was abandoned and rebuilt. The author, who works for the New York Times, decided to preserve some of the memories of her family, many of whom lived in this town. The book is beautifully written. I had a little trouble keeping track of all the characters, how they were related, and what generation each belonged to. Come on, that's hard enough with my own family. I would have liked to have a family tree to flip to.
Book 41 was written by my guest speaker back in February. I'm not going to post a link to it - it isn't available on Amazon anyway - but to any of my readers who live here in Tecwil and read French, I recommend it. Email me and I'll give you more information about it. It was really interesting to read his take on events that I was here for, and also many that were before my time. Fascinating stuff. I'm sorry I waited so long to read it. It's just that when I'm reaching for a book to read for relaxation, I generally go for the stuff in English...
Book 42 was Retrovirus, by T.L. Higley. This was loaned to me by a colleague, who knows the author. It was well-done, fast-paced...not really so much my kind of book, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It did irritate me that a lot of the suspense was ruined by the blurb on the back of the book. Just don't read that. It gives you information you aren't supposed to get until three quarters of the way through the book.
Book 43 was The Teacher's Guide to Big Blocks Grades 4-8. I started reading this a while ago after a professional development seminar, but I finally finished it. A lot of the things in it I'm already doing, but there are some very helpful suggestions I'm planning to implement next year. I know it's weird, but I do a lot of professional reading during the summer usually. It's a good time to start thinking about how I'm going to handle things next time around.
I was going to leave out book 44, but honesty compels me to admit I read it: Gossip Girl, by Cecily Von Ziegesar. I got this for my classroom library at a book sale the seniors were having. Some of the older kids were getting rid of their own books that they were through with. I brought the pile into my classroom without studying them very much except just to see that they looked like stuff my kids would enjoy. I gave this to one girl, and after reading the first few pages she came and put it on my desk and said she didn't want to read it. I asked her why and she muttered something about the language. I felt mortified that I'd given her a book to read that had disgusted her that much, because this girl is a very strong reader and has read many books written for adults. Well, the other night I decided to read it just to see what it was like. I'm afraid I agree with my student. The casual alcohol and drug use and promiscuity make the book inappropriate for my middle schoolers. The characters are shallow, horrible people, and I hope they aren't really reflective of the milieu they are representing - rich kids in New York City. I know these books - there's a whole series - are popular, but bleck, in my opinion.
And now I'm back with War and Peace - I'm hoping to at least make a big dent in it this summer. I'm also reading Day One and Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle-Level Teachers, by Rick Wormeli. This is a great - and as the title suggests, very practical - book. It's full of ways to deal with the stuff that drives you crazy when you're teaching. I like his attitude towards middle schoolers - affectionate, but with high standards.
Book 40 was The Town on Beaver Creek: The Story of a Lost Kentucky Community, by Michelle Slatalla. I read this for my book group and enjoyed it. It's about a town in Kentucky that regularly flooded, to the point where finally the town was abandoned and rebuilt. The author, who works for the New York Times, decided to preserve some of the memories of her family, many of whom lived in this town. The book is beautifully written. I had a little trouble keeping track of all the characters, how they were related, and what generation each belonged to. Come on, that's hard enough with my own family. I would have liked to have a family tree to flip to.
Book 41 was written by my guest speaker back in February. I'm not going to post a link to it - it isn't available on Amazon anyway - but to any of my readers who live here in Tecwil and read French, I recommend it. Email me and I'll give you more information about it. It was really interesting to read his take on events that I was here for, and also many that were before my time. Fascinating stuff. I'm sorry I waited so long to read it. It's just that when I'm reaching for a book to read for relaxation, I generally go for the stuff in English...
Book 42 was Retrovirus, by T.L. Higley. This was loaned to me by a colleague, who knows the author. It was well-done, fast-paced...not really so much my kind of book, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It did irritate me that a lot of the suspense was ruined by the blurb on the back of the book. Just don't read that. It gives you information you aren't supposed to get until three quarters of the way through the book.
Book 43 was The Teacher's Guide to Big Blocks Grades 4-8. I started reading this a while ago after a professional development seminar, but I finally finished it. A lot of the things in it I'm already doing, but there are some very helpful suggestions I'm planning to implement next year. I know it's weird, but I do a lot of professional reading during the summer usually. It's a good time to start thinking about how I'm going to handle things next time around.
I was going to leave out book 44, but honesty compels me to admit I read it: Gossip Girl, by Cecily Von Ziegesar. I got this for my classroom library at a book sale the seniors were having. Some of the older kids were getting rid of their own books that they were through with. I brought the pile into my classroom without studying them very much except just to see that they looked like stuff my kids would enjoy. I gave this to one girl, and after reading the first few pages she came and put it on my desk and said she didn't want to read it. I asked her why and she muttered something about the language. I felt mortified that I'd given her a book to read that had disgusted her that much, because this girl is a very strong reader and has read many books written for adults. Well, the other night I decided to read it just to see what it was like. I'm afraid I agree with my student. The casual alcohol and drug use and promiscuity make the book inappropriate for my middle schoolers. The characters are shallow, horrible people, and I hope they aren't really reflective of the milieu they are representing - rich kids in New York City. I know these books - there's a whole series - are popular, but bleck, in my opinion.
And now I'm back with War and Peace - I'm hoping to at least make a big dent in it this summer. I'm also reading Day One and Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle-Level Teachers, by Rick Wormeli. This is a great - and as the title suggests, very practical - book. It's full of ways to deal with the stuff that drives you crazy when you're teaching. I like his attitude towards middle schoolers - affectionate, but with high standards.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Chinua Achebe Wins Booker Prize
I am thrilled to read that Chinua Achebe has been awarded the Man Booker International Prize. I love his book Things Fall Apart, and I also liked No Longer at Ease (I'm not sure why that Amazon link calls it "No Loger at Ease") and A Man of the People, which is about Nigerian politics and is well worth reading by anybody who's observed third world-style politics anywhere.
Saturday Review of Books
I was out all morning doing painful but necessary things like getting vaccinations for the kids and getting a haircut for myself. Now I'm - yes - in my classroom. No school work to do, thankfully, but the internet at home still isn't working. I'm waiting for a callback (from the tech person) promised early Wednesday afternoon. Do you think the guy is going to call me back?
So anyway, here's the Saturday Review of Books.
So anyway, here's the Saturday Review of Books.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Back in my Classroom
Sure enough, I'm back in my room, since we are having internet problems at home and I can't get the tech people to do anything about it. I spent lots of time yesterday working on it, first trying to take care of it over the phone, and then trying to get a tech person to come over, but no luck.
But anyway, at least I can check email in my classroom, and I had been missing it, so it gave me a chance to visit, too!
What do you know, the Education Carnival is up!
But anyway, at least I can check email in my classroom, and I had been missing it, so it gave me a chance to visit, too!
What do you know, the Education Carnival is up!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Finally
I managed to take the "couple of hours" of work and make them last all day! Hooray for me! I finally got checked out this afternoon, though. Now, in theory, I shouldn't have to enter my classroom again until August. I tried to bring everything with me that I would need - the books I need to use, mainly. We'll see if I succeeded. I've seen blogs by people who say they get locked out of their classrooms on the last teacher work day and aren't allowed back in until the teacher work days at the beginning of the next school year. Fortunately, we can come and go as much as we want. It's a bit of an adjustment for me to stay away for very long after working there six days a week since school began!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
48 Hour Book Challenge
I've been seeing references to this on various book blogs I read, and as far as I can understand, people are doing just the essentials this weekend, eating, sleeping, showering, taking care of their children, going to church or wherever they need to go, and then spending the rest of their time reading.
I don't get it. This is what I always do, every weekend. (Oh, but I usually add grading and working in my classroom to the list above.)
But anyway. This is a great opportunity to find loads of book reviews, because in addition to reading the books, they are blogging about them. Here's a link to the explanation of the whole deal, including a list of the participants.
In case you don't know, I'm exaggerating somewhat. I don't really spend every moment either doing an essential task or reading. But I do spend a lot of time reading.
I don't get it. This is what I always do, every weekend. (Oh, but I usually add grading and working in my classroom to the list above.)
But anyway. This is a great opportunity to find loads of book reviews, because in addition to reading the books, they are blogging about them. Here's a link to the explanation of the whole deal, including a list of the participants.
In case you don't know, I'm exaggerating somewhat. I don't really spend every moment either doing an essential task or reading. But I do spend a lot of time reading.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Friday, June 08, 2007
Ahem, not quite
I made some good progress, but I'm not completely finished. Another couple of hours should do it, but not today. I'm going to save it for Monday. Right now, I'm going home.
Work Day
Yesterday was a national holiday, and I didn't set foot on campus. Today is a work day. We're having a faculty meeting and finishing up in our classrooms. I've done about half of my checkout sheet, but I still have to cover all my shelves. I also want to rearrange my furniture a little bit in preparation for next year - I'm thinking if I put my big bookcase against a different wall, I'll have more space. We'll have to try it and see.
After today, I hope I'll be completely done in my classroom.
After today, I hope I'll be completely done in my classroom.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
What I've Read Lately
Books 35 through 39 of 2007:
Troy: Shield of Thunder, by David Gemmell. This is the second in a proposed trilogy, but sadly, Gemmell died before completing the third. I enjoyed this one, but it left me wishing I knew more about Homer's writing. I wasn't automatically noticing all those characters and saying, "Oh yeah, I remember that." The main ones, yes, but not even all that many of them. What I liked best about this was the way the character of Odysseus would take ordinary events and turn them into fabulous, mythological stories. The origins of the Circe story were particularly entertaining.
A Certain Justice, by P.D. James. I've read this book before. I love P.D. James' novels about Adam Dalgliesh. She's very good on class in England and her characters are all hyper-aware of where they come from, their accents, and how they feel inferior to other people with "better" origins. The funny thing is that I never remember who actually did the murder, so I can read them again and again.
Playing for the Ashes, by Elizabeth George. Can you believe Elizabeth George is American? I hardly can. She is so amazing at writing like a Brit. This one is pretty distasteful in places. I even learned a couple of new-to-me British bad words - and if you consider that I went to high school in England, you'll see how surprising that is.
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood, by Ann Brashares. In this one, the Traveling Pants girls are nineteen or so, and in my opinion it's now out of the middle school zone occupied by my students, not just because the heroines are older, but because the content really isn't appropriate for them. Middle school girls will still, I'm sure, read it avidly. And it's very readable.
The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth. I've never read a book quite like this one. The genre is called "alternative history," but this won an award for historical novels, as well. The premise is that in 1940, instead of Roosevelt being re-elected, Charles Lindbergh became President of the United States. Philip, the protagonist (yes, he's called Philip Roth, just like the author), is a Jewish boy living in Newark, and this is the story of how events play out for his family. It's completely convincing, and Roth makes some very good observations about history. Here's one: "And as Lindbergh's election couldn't have made clearer to me, the unfolding of the unforeseen was everything. Turned wrong way round, the relentless unforeseen was what we schoolchildren studied as 'History,' harmless history, where everything unexpected in its own time is chronicled on the page as inevitable. The terror of the unforeseen is what the science of history hides, turning a disaster into an epic." And later: "'Because what's history?' he asked rhetorically when he was in his expansive dinnertime instructional mode. 'History is everything that happens everywhere. Even here in Newark. Even here on Summit Avenue. Even what happens in his house to an ordinary man -- that'll be history too someday.'" It's scary to think that one small shift in events could make everything turn out so differently, but that's what this book is about. I wonder how Lindbergh's family reacted to it - he certainly doesn't come out of it very well. Roth includes a section of documentation on all the major characters who are historical, and many of Lindbergh's words and actions do lead one to believe that he might have done the kind of things he does in the book, given the chance.
Troy: Shield of Thunder, by David Gemmell. This is the second in a proposed trilogy, but sadly, Gemmell died before completing the third. I enjoyed this one, but it left me wishing I knew more about Homer's writing. I wasn't automatically noticing all those characters and saying, "Oh yeah, I remember that." The main ones, yes, but not even all that many of them. What I liked best about this was the way the character of Odysseus would take ordinary events and turn them into fabulous, mythological stories. The origins of the Circe story were particularly entertaining.
A Certain Justice, by P.D. James. I've read this book before. I love P.D. James' novels about Adam Dalgliesh. She's very good on class in England and her characters are all hyper-aware of where they come from, their accents, and how they feel inferior to other people with "better" origins. The funny thing is that I never remember who actually did the murder, so I can read them again and again.
Playing for the Ashes, by Elizabeth George. Can you believe Elizabeth George is American? I hardly can. She is so amazing at writing like a Brit. This one is pretty distasteful in places. I even learned a couple of new-to-me British bad words - and if you consider that I went to high school in England, you'll see how surprising that is.
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood, by Ann Brashares. In this one, the Traveling Pants girls are nineteen or so, and in my opinion it's now out of the middle school zone occupied by my students, not just because the heroines are older, but because the content really isn't appropriate for them. Middle school girls will still, I'm sure, read it avidly. And it's very readable.
The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth. I've never read a book quite like this one. The genre is called "alternative history," but this won an award for historical novels, as well. The premise is that in 1940, instead of Roosevelt being re-elected, Charles Lindbergh became President of the United States. Philip, the protagonist (yes, he's called Philip Roth, just like the author), is a Jewish boy living in Newark, and this is the story of how events play out for his family. It's completely convincing, and Roth makes some very good observations about history. Here's one: "And as Lindbergh's election couldn't have made clearer to me, the unfolding of the unforeseen was everything. Turned wrong way round, the relentless unforeseen was what we schoolchildren studied as 'History,' harmless history, where everything unexpected in its own time is chronicled on the page as inevitable. The terror of the unforeseen is what the science of history hides, turning a disaster into an epic." And later: "'Because what's history?' he asked rhetorically when he was in his expansive dinnertime instructional mode. 'History is everything that happens everywhere. Even here in Newark. Even here on Summit Avenue. Even what happens in his house to an ordinary man -- that'll be history too someday.'" It's scary to think that one small shift in events could make everything turn out so differently, but that's what this book is about. I wonder how Lindbergh's family reacted to it - he certainly doesn't come out of it very well. Roth includes a section of documentation on all the major characters who are historical, and many of Lindbergh's words and actions do lead one to believe that he might have done the kind of things he does in the book, given the chance.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Last Day of School Carnival
Those Education Wonks are still working hard - enjoy this week's Carnival.
Last Day of School
No posts since Saturday, because I've been working madly to be finished with everything. All that's left on my "work" to-do list now is cleaning my classroom. Yesterday the eighth graders were promoted to high school. I had to stay at school late yesterday for the Middle School party in the evening, and I finished up all my grade-posting and various other tasks. Today I have my seventh graders briefly before they go off for their fun time.
And then...we're done for the year!
Finally! This has been the longest school year on record, I think. Part of that is that the stability in the country was quite good, and we only had two extra days off that could be traced to political problems this year (really, this time, security problems). Last year it was more like three weeks. I'm not complaining about the stability, though - it has been a great blessing.
Now I'm off to survive this last day!
And then...we're done for the year!
Finally! This has been the longest school year on record, I think. Part of that is that the stability in the country was quite good, and we only had two extra days off that could be traced to political problems this year (really, this time, security problems). Last year it was more like three weeks. I'm not complaining about the stability, though - it has been a great blessing.
Now I'm off to survive this last day!
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Friday, June 01, 2007
Theme Day on Daily Photo Blogs
Hooray! It's a theme day again on the City DP blogs. This month the theme is "The View from my Bedroom Window." Here's Eric's in Paris, and he also has links to the other blogs that are participating. Can't wait to go look at them.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Carnival Again
School's almost out - but The Education Carnival is going strong! It's hosted this week by The Education Wonks.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
The End is Near
Just one more full week of school, and then a couple of half days, and then we're done. Not that I'm counting, or anything.
The thing I love about teaching is that it's always a challenge, coming up with better ways to handle things, figuring out new stuff to add and how to fit it in. So even though I'm crazed with all the chaos of the end of the year, I'm still making lists of things to work on over the summer, little details that need tweaking, and books I want to buy/borrow. I've been reading The Teacher's Guide to Big Blocks and thinking about how I can incorporate some of it in what I'm already doing. I'm not happy with the way I'm managing writing conferences and I haven't been doing much with reading conferences at all. I want to change some things about the notebooks I have the kids keep. Some of my units need beefing up.
And, of course, I'm looking forward to a real break - nothing to grade for a few weeks! I seriously need an enthusiasm refill, after months of squirrely behavior, endless paperwork, and just plain fatigue.
The thing I love about teaching is that it's always a challenge, coming up with better ways to handle things, figuring out new stuff to add and how to fit it in. So even though I'm crazed with all the chaos of the end of the year, I'm still making lists of things to work on over the summer, little details that need tweaking, and books I want to buy/borrow. I've been reading The Teacher's Guide to Big Blocks and thinking about how I can incorporate some of it in what I'm already doing. I'm not happy with the way I'm managing writing conferences and I haven't been doing much with reading conferences at all. I want to change some things about the notebooks I have the kids keep. Some of my units need beefing up.
And, of course, I'm looking forward to a real break - nothing to grade for a few weeks! I seriously need an enthusiasm refill, after months of squirrely behavior, endless paperwork, and just plain fatigue.
Winter Holiday
I'm reading Winter Holiday aloud to my daughter. She is loving it.
I'm not sure where I got the book, but it's an old Penguin edition (the kind that says it's not available in the United States), and it has a sticker on the front that says "25 cents."
It's refreshing to read about a time when kids could go off on their own day and night, play on boats, light fires, make tea, and do all kinds of dangerous things. The parents are generally absent in this kind of book (in this case, they are off digging up things in Egypt - what could be more appropriate?). The children spend all their time outdoors, imagining, playing, having adventures. They go indoors only to sleep and for the occasional meal, or when they are in quarantine for some childhood disease that has long since been eliminated and for which we vaccinate our infants. You can't imagine these children ever riding in a car seat, or wearing a bike helmet, or, for that matter, getting in any trouble that they can't figure out how to get out of.
There are things about that world that I miss. Even in my own childhood, which wasn't quite as far distant, or as unsupervised, as the one portrayed in this book, it seems that we played much more independently than children do today. I didn't grow up in a place where kidnapping was a threat, either.
I'm not sure where I got the book, but it's an old Penguin edition (the kind that says it's not available in the United States), and it has a sticker on the front that says "25 cents."
It's refreshing to read about a time when kids could go off on their own day and night, play on boats, light fires, make tea, and do all kinds of dangerous things. The parents are generally absent in this kind of book (in this case, they are off digging up things in Egypt - what could be more appropriate?). The children spend all their time outdoors, imagining, playing, having adventures. They go indoors only to sleep and for the occasional meal, or when they are in quarantine for some childhood disease that has long since been eliminated and for which we vaccinate our infants. You can't imagine these children ever riding in a car seat, or wearing a bike helmet, or, for that matter, getting in any trouble that they can't figure out how to get out of.
There are things about that world that I miss. Even in my own childhood, which wasn't quite as far distant, or as unsupervised, as the one portrayed in this book, it seems that we played much more independently than children do today. I didn't grow up in a place where kidnapping was a threat, either.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Around the World in Ten Years
Here's the feel-good story of the day (actually a few days ago, but I just read it today) about a couple who rode around the world on a tandem bicycle. It took them ten years, but they did it!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Big Beautiful World
The world is such a beautiful place; I wish I had the time and money to see it all, but instead I do the next best thing - visit the Daily City Photo Blog site.
Here are some that particularly caught my eye today:
Istanbul, Turkey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Sharon, Connecticut, Los Angeles, California, Calcutta, India, Jakarta, Indonesia, Menton, France, Port Vila, Vanuatu, and Torun, Poland.
There are lots more - see where you'd like to visit!
Here are some that particularly caught my eye today:
Istanbul, Turkey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Sharon, Connecticut, Los Angeles, California, Calcutta, India, Jakarta, Indonesia, Menton, France, Port Vila, Vanuatu, and Torun, Poland.
There are lots more - see where you'd like to visit!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Just Found This
All my posts lately are super-short. That's because I'm in the midst of grading huge piles of work.
Just found this today in someone's sidebar. Words Without Borders, an online magazine of international literature.
Just found this today in someone's sidebar. Words Without Borders, an online magazine of international literature.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Book Recommendations for Boys
Posted back in December by Book Moot, and linked today by Chicken Spaghetti.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Happy Mother's Day
Last year on American Mother's Day I posted some information on how people around the world celebrate their mothers. (Hmm, looks like that Hallmark link from last year doesn't work any more. Here's a link with some traditions around the world but it's not as good as the one last year. It doesn't even mention the Ethiopians anointing themselves with butter.)
Today isn't Mother's Day here - it's the last week of May. This next week I'll be doing Nancie Atwell's lesson on Gifts of Writing with my students. She encourages kids to write poems for their mothers rather than buy generic cards containing doggerel written by strangers. I've got two more weeks to work on mine, too!
But for those of you who are celebrating today, have a great day.
Today isn't Mother's Day here - it's the last week of May. This next week I'll be doing Nancie Atwell's lesson on Gifts of Writing with my students. She encourages kids to write poems for their mothers rather than buy generic cards containing doggerel written by strangers. I've got two more weeks to work on mine, too!
But for those of you who are celebrating today, have a great day.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Bathrooms Around the World
Courtesy of an ad on my Gmail account, here's a highly entertaining site: The Bathroom Diaries. My favorite feature allows you to find a bathroom by country. I enjoyed searching countries I have visited and/or lived in. Where I live now is represented, but sketchily. By the side of the road is the preferred facility here. Well, not preferred, necessarily, but most prevalent.
Reading Update
Book #33 of the year was The Kite Runner. We had a wonderful discussion about this at our book group - one of the best discussions we've had about any book. There's so much to talk about. I highly recommend it for book group purposes.
Book #34 was Hitler's Daughter. Amazon lists several books with the same title; this one is by Jackie French and is in the YA category.
Book #34 was Hitler's Daughter. Amazon lists several books with the same title; this one is by Jackie French and is in the YA category.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Re-reading
I just finished reading The Giver with my eighth graders. I was really disappointed in their reaction to it. Many of them said it was very boring. Some said it didn't make sense. Some said it "sucked." I think all of them hated the ending. When we discussed it, several said that they couldn't understand why Jonas bothered to try to change things - what was the point? As long as he was OK, why should he care?
Sigh.
So I guess that was book #32 for the year.
Now I am re-reading The Kite Runner for my book group. I read it a couple of years ago and liked it, but I remember it being rather harrowing and I'm finding it the same way this time around.
Sigh.
So I guess that was book #32 for the year.
Now I am re-reading The Kite Runner for my book group. I read it a couple of years ago and liked it, but I remember it being rather harrowing and I'm finding it the same way this time around.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Quote from The Giver
"Confronted by a situation which they had never faced before, and having no memories from which to find either solace or wisdom, they would not know what to do...."
I like the idea that our memories give us solace and wisdom.
I like the idea that our memories give us solace and wisdom.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Identity
The last three books I've read have been scary, disturbing stories. All three have had something to do with the idea of identity.
The first one (book #29 of 2007) was The Chimney Sweeper's Boy, by Barbara Vine. After a writer dies, his family begins to find out that he was not exactly what he seemed to be. This one also touches on creativity, and writing, and how an author uses life and turns it into art. I couldn't stop reading this but I won't look for more by this author, who is also Ruth Rendell. I've tried to read a couple of her novels written under that name and haven't liked them much.
Book #30 was Monday Mourning, by Kathy Reichs. Tempe Brennan is a forensic anthropologist, and there are other novels about her but I don't think I'll seek them out. To her and those of her profession, identity is in the remains people leave behind them. The details of her job were fascinating, but the style irritated me (lots of super-short sentences) and I had to skim large sections because I was learning more than I wanted to about the horrible things people do to each other.
And then there was book #31, which I just finished and thought was brilliant. It was The Echo Maker, by Richard Powers. It's about the nature of consciousness, what it means to be sane and to be human, head injury, ecology, cranes, a family, siblings... I can't even list all the elements of the story. But they all come together in a wonderfully satisfying way, leaving you thinking and asking questions and wanting more. Most of all, it's about identity - how do we know who we are and what is real? You have to read this book.
The first one (book #29 of 2007) was The Chimney Sweeper's Boy, by Barbara Vine. After a writer dies, his family begins to find out that he was not exactly what he seemed to be. This one also touches on creativity, and writing, and how an author uses life and turns it into art. I couldn't stop reading this but I won't look for more by this author, who is also Ruth Rendell. I've tried to read a couple of her novels written under that name and haven't liked them much.
Book #30 was Monday Mourning, by Kathy Reichs. Tempe Brennan is a forensic anthropologist, and there are other novels about her but I don't think I'll seek them out. To her and those of her profession, identity is in the remains people leave behind them. The details of her job were fascinating, but the style irritated me (lots of super-short sentences) and I had to skim large sections because I was learning more than I wanted to about the horrible things people do to each other.
And then there was book #31, which I just finished and thought was brilliant. It was The Echo Maker, by Richard Powers. It's about the nature of consciousness, what it means to be sane and to be human, head injury, ecology, cranes, a family, siblings... I can't even list all the elements of the story. But they all come together in a wonderfully satisfying way, leaving you thinking and asking questions and wanting more. Most of all, it's about identity - how do we know who we are and what is real? You have to read this book.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Interesting article
This article sums up some of the issues facing countries around the world right now. It's about a little town in India and their problems with electricity.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Satellite television is beaming urban India's new cravings and anxieties into Umred's living rooms. Relatives who migrated to cities are returning home with tales of lucrative jobs and trendy nightclubs. The Internet has emboldened the young to hunt beyond the town for jobs, life partners and ideas."
"But if new wealth remains concentrated in urban areas, the longings created by growth are spreading more evenly. To buy a washing machine costs money, but to desire one is free."
Indeed.
Some of my favorite quotes:
"Satellite television is beaming urban India's new cravings and anxieties into Umred's living rooms. Relatives who migrated to cities are returning home with tales of lucrative jobs and trendy nightclubs. The Internet has emboldened the young to hunt beyond the town for jobs, life partners and ideas."
"But if new wealth remains concentrated in urban areas, the longings created by growth are spreading more evenly. To buy a washing machine costs money, but to desire one is free."
Indeed.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Ideas for Writing
I've been thinking that I need to develop more minilessons on ideas - coming up with things to write about. I use Nancie Atwell's suggestions - Writing Territories, the "Where Poems Hide" idea (though actually I don't think I did that one this year), and some others that she has in Lessons that Change Writers. However, I have lots of students who have trouble choosing topics.
Today I read this on Lois Lowry's blog and I'm thinking that I can try to collect a bunch of these - answers to the question "How do you get your ideas?" from other authors.
Does anybody have some useful suggestions on how to help students when you're having them choose their own topics?
Today I read this on Lois Lowry's blog and I'm thinking that I can try to collect a bunch of these - answers to the question "How do you get your ideas?" from other authors.
Does anybody have some useful suggestions on how to help students when you're having them choose their own topics?
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
May Day
Looks like other people had a much more exciting day than I did. I just worked. And worked and worked. I got a whole lot done, but there's still more to do.
Marathon
We had a staff get-together on Sunday, and our speaker talked about running. She has run several marathons, and she compared the school year of a teacher to a marathon. Here we are at Mile 20, looking up at Heartbreak Hill. The end is near, but not quite yet in sight. And it seems as though we can't go one more step.
Today we have a day off (May Day is a public holiday here, as in many countries of the world), but here I am in my classroom. I was entering grades, but city power went off, so I'm taking a little internet break while I wait for the generator to come on (this computer has battery power, but the one with the grade program doesn't). I have so much to do and it seems that even if I work all the time, I'm never finished. I am really ready for this marathon to be over.
Today we have a day off (May Day is a public holiday here, as in many countries of the world), but here I am in my classroom. I was entering grades, but city power went off, so I'm taking a little internet break while I wait for the generator to come on (this computer has battery power, but the one with the grade program doesn't). I have so much to do and it seems that even if I work all the time, I'm never finished. I am really ready for this marathon to be over.
DP Theme Day - Tribute to Another City
Today's DP Theme is a photo from another city. That's why you'll see a photo of San Francisco at the Paris Daily Photo site. You'll also see links to other DP bloggers who are participating today. Take a look!
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Busy, Busy
I spent the whole day in an Open Space meeting with teachers from three schools. This was my first experience of Open Space. It's wonderful but it's also intense, particularly when it's conducted mostly in your third language. I'm exhausted and my brain is full. By the end I was zoning out for a few seconds at a time and coming back to realize I didn't know what was being said.
I hope to blog more in the future about Open Space. It is a technique that works well in a variety of situations, and in our case, where we're trying to do some professional development for teachers in rural schools who belong to a very different culture from ours, it fit the bill perfectly. This type of meeting puts everyone on an equal footing as participants, learners, and contributors. I had read a bit about Open Space before because La Leche League, an organization for which I do volunteer work, has used it.
I didn't even get to read the Saturday Review of Books this morning or work in my classroom, as I usually do. But that's OK, because I think we started some valuable conversations.
I hope to blog more in the future about Open Space. It is a technique that works well in a variety of situations, and in our case, where we're trying to do some professional development for teachers in rural schools who belong to a very different culture from ours, it fit the bill perfectly. This type of meeting puts everyone on an equal footing as participants, learners, and contributors. I had read a bit about Open Space before because La Leche League, an organization for which I do volunteer work, has used it.
I didn't even get to read the Saturday Review of Books this morning or work in my classroom, as I usually do. But that's OK, because I think we started some valuable conversations.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Articles I've Read Recently
I like to read the New Yorker. We actually get a paper copy, and lots of the time the articles I want to link aren't available online. Here are a few good ones I've read recently.
Last night I read this one about Dan Everett and his work in the Amazon jungle with a group that he thinks disproves some of Chomsky's ideas. I found this article fascinating.
For the next one there's just an abstract available, not the full text. This one made my brain hurt. Here's the abstract.
This one is about interpreters who have worked with US personnel in Iraq. It may give you nightmares.
Last night I read this one about Dan Everett and his work in the Amazon jungle with a group that he thinks disproves some of Chomsky's ideas. I found this article fascinating.
For the next one there's just an abstract available, not the full text. This one made my brain hurt. Here's the abstract.
This one is about interpreters who have worked with US personnel in Iraq. It may give you nightmares.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Pregnancy-Induced Insanity
I'm not pregnant, but as I read this article, I had a flashback to when I was, and felt a twinge of sympathy for the cow. Because I too, especially in the last trimester when I couldn't get comfortable in any position at all (and I'm guessing that's worse for cows because their positional options are more limited), felt a strong urge to rampage across a major city, doing 25,000 Euros worth of damage before being shot by a tranquilizer gun and captured. But I never acted on those feelings.
Power Fixed
City power came on! Hooray! It was only out for ten days!
I can't tell you how much better life seems when the electricity works.
I can't tell you how much better life seems when the electricity works.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Birthday
So it's Shakespeare's birthday today. Here's a great list of resources on Shakespeare posted by Semicolon. Here's my post about his birthday last year.
Oh yeah, and that was my first day of blogging, so it's also my blog's first birthday. Here's my first post.
I have very much enjoyed blogging this year even though I doubt my readership has ever reached the double digits on any one day. Happy birthday to me.
Oh yeah, and that was my first day of blogging, so it's also my blog's first birthday. Here's my first post.
I have very much enjoyed blogging this year even though I doubt my readership has ever reached the double digits on any one day. Happy birthday to me.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Electricity Update
Well, not an update exactly. There's nothing new to report except that today makes one week since the last time we had city power.
Although the electric company has not seen fit to send a team to fix our problem, which affects perhaps eight or ten houses, someone has been dispatched to bring us a bill. So at least we know they're on the ball.
The generator acted up briefly the other night but new spark plugs made it run better. It's not really designed for such constant use.
Although the electric company has not seen fit to send a team to fix our problem, which affects perhaps eight or ten houses, someone has been dispatched to bring us a bill. So at least we know they're on the ball.
The generator acted up briefly the other night but new spark plugs made it run better. It's not really designed for such constant use.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Best Children's Books of the Last 70 Years
Thanks to Chicken Spaghetti, I found this article, announcing the shortlist of a Carnegie of Carnegies - the best children's books of the last 70 years. This list is fascinating to me, not least because I've only read one of them, the first in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. The list calls it Northern Lights, but I read it as The Golden Compass; I'm assuming the difference is between the British and American editions.
Of course I can't comment on the books I haven't read, but in all this strikes me as a bit of a quirky list. Here's the lead of the article:
"One is a cosy bedtime read about a family of tiny people who live beneath the floor; another takes you into the world of a 14-year-old heroin user; and a third enacts an elaborate fantasy of demons and witch-clans.
They are among 10 books today nominated as the most important children's novels of the past 70 years, and encompass gritty themes of murder, war and illness as well as the deeds of fairies, angels and strange beings."
Of course I can't comment on the books I haven't read, but in all this strikes me as a bit of a quirky list. Here's the lead of the article:
"One is a cosy bedtime read about a family of tiny people who live beneath the floor; another takes you into the world of a 14-year-old heroin user; and a third enacts an elaborate fantasy of demons and witch-clans.
They are among 10 books today nominated as the most important children's novels of the past 70 years, and encompass gritty themes of murder, war and illness as well as the deeds of fairies, angels and strange beings."
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Electricity Woes
Two weeks ago our electricity went out on Saturday. About an hour after it had come on, while I was putting the kids to bed, we had a blackout. I didn't think anything of it - that happens constantly - until I looked out the window and saw that streetlight across the street, still glowing brightly. The people across the street have their own transformer, and so they are often spared the outages the rest of us suffer.
On Wednesday night when the power came on, ours worked. (This was after a couple of nights of power that wasn't even half-strength.) Then this past Saturday, the same thing happened. It's still out now. Every night the power comes on (and there's been a lot), and every night we don't have any. We watch that cheery glow from across the street and try not to be consumed with jealousy.
This morning the city power was still on when we came to school (and it's still on now). I'm running the AC in my classroom because of course, as soon as we go on generator (we're still on the backup generator), I'll have to turn the AC off again. It's nice to get a little chill in the room before the kids get here.
A couple of weeks ago there was a pole down behind our school. (This was classic - people were burning trash around the bottom of the electrical/telephone pole. Finally the fire burned right through the pole and it fell down across the road.) It was blocking traffic, so we thought it would be a priority for the electric company. We called on Saturday and they said the problem had already been reported. They finally came on Thursday and did some makeshift repairs, and then on Saturday, a week after the pole fell, they fixed things in a more permanent way. Meanwhile, all this time, power lines were down across a busy street.
We know our repair is lower priority than that, so we're just trying to wait patiently. And here at school, the air conditioners are still humming!
On Wednesday night when the power came on, ours worked. (This was after a couple of nights of power that wasn't even half-strength.) Then this past Saturday, the same thing happened. It's still out now. Every night the power comes on (and there's been a lot), and every night we don't have any. We watch that cheery glow from across the street and try not to be consumed with jealousy.
This morning the city power was still on when we came to school (and it's still on now). I'm running the AC in my classroom because of course, as soon as we go on generator (we're still on the backup generator), I'll have to turn the AC off again. It's nice to get a little chill in the room before the kids get here.
A couple of weeks ago there was a pole down behind our school. (This was classic - people were burning trash around the bottom of the electrical/telephone pole. Finally the fire burned right through the pole and it fell down across the road.) It was blocking traffic, so we thought it would be a priority for the electric company. We called on Saturday and they said the problem had already been reported. They finally came on Thursday and did some makeshift repairs, and then on Saturday, a week after the pole fell, they fixed things in a more permanent way. Meanwhile, all this time, power lines were down across a busy street.
We know our repair is lower priority than that, so we're just trying to wait patiently. And here at school, the air conditioners are still humming!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Better Day
The circumstances are identical to those last week - in fact, worse, because our electricity is out again at home - but I'm in a much better frame of mind today. I'm remembering why I love "my" kids so much, and how lovable they really are.
Today there is a girls' soccer game and several of my seventh graders are involved. They got to wear their team shirts to school, and they all sat together and congratulated themselves. I called them our soccer champions and they just beamed. Several of the boys told them they aren't going to win, and I said that whether they do or not, they are still our soccer champions. It's fun to see them that enthusiastic about something.
It's what I love most about middle schoolers - those flashes you still see in them of childish excitement and joy - childish in the best sense of that word. Those moments when they forget how cool they are supposed to be. And then in the same day, in the same kid, you see such amazing maturity, again in flashes. They really are in the crossroads between little kids and grown up, responsible people. Well, people who may yet become responsible some day.
What helps me most to understand what they're dealing with, and feel affection for them instead of irritation, is remembering what it was like to be 13. Then I don't take their behavior so personally.
Today there is a girls' soccer game and several of my seventh graders are involved. They got to wear their team shirts to school, and they all sat together and congratulated themselves. I called them our soccer champions and they just beamed. Several of the boys told them they aren't going to win, and I said that whether they do or not, they are still our soccer champions. It's fun to see them that enthusiastic about something.
It's what I love most about middle schoolers - those flashes you still see in them of childish excitement and joy - childish in the best sense of that word. Those moments when they forget how cool they are supposed to be. And then in the same day, in the same kid, you see such amazing maturity, again in flashes. They really are in the crossroads between little kids and grown up, responsible people. Well, people who may yet become responsible some day.
What helps me most to understand what they're dealing with, and feel affection for them instead of irritation, is remembering what it was like to be 13. Then I don't take their behavior so personally.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Selling Food by the Side of the Road
And then I see something like this and feel ridiculous for even complaining at all about my easy life.
There are many women in this country, too, who live this way. Air conditioning would be an impossible luxury for such a person. It makes me ashamed of myself.
There are many women in this country, too, who live this way. Air conditioning would be an impossible luxury for such a person. It makes me ashamed of myself.
Thursday
We're still on our "back-up" generator, which is small and won't support all the air conditioners we have on campus. We've had a few days without any air conditioning at all, but today we rationed it, so that we took turns having our AC on for one period. It made it easier for me to put on a happy face today with my eighth graders. Any teacher knows that a big part of the job is making yourself be "on" all the time, a bit like an actor. Today my heart wasn't really in it, because there was a family funeral in another country that I sure would have liked to attend. But having a little bit of air in my classroom helped, anyway.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Carnival
Well, frankly, at the moment I'd rather read a different kind of Carnival, as I've just about had it with education. It's just that time of year, I guess, plus the problems we're having with our generator, plus general fatigue. I hate being the kind of person who lives for the future, and I try not to be, but right now I am spending a lot of energy anticipating summer vacation.
But anyway, here's this week's Education Carnival, should you feel like that sort of thing.
But anyway, here's this week's Education Carnival, should you feel like that sort of thing.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Perfect Bacon Sandwich
In the Important News Category, experts at Leeds University spent more than a thousand hours experimenting and coming up with a mathematical formula on how to make the perfect bacon sandwich. Read all about it!
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Easter
Three years ago someone I loved died on Easter Sunday. This year it happened again - on Saturday evening, this time, but the effect is the same. The loss makes this Easter day an even stronger reminder than usual about the hope of the resurrection. Oh grave, where is thy victory?
But it hurts.
But it hurts.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
School Starting in Japan
I've been very much enjoying Here and There Japan lately. The new school year is starting, and there have been photos of many things connected with school, including supplies that all Japanese kids need. Quite fascinating.
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