...the candy rap...

Last week I was driving to school, listening to the same radio station I always do.  They had an artist in the studio and were doing an interview on the air.  He performed one of his songs The Candy Rap.  I thought it was interesting, quirky, cute, good for a nice chuckle...but kind of forgot about it until today.

This morning they played the rap again in honor of this candy weekend we are embarking upon (Halloween and whatnot).  I was reminded of my initial thought when hearing it the week before:  Can something really be classified as a rap if it is performed with an acoustic guitar?

...a time to turn the light off...

So, some new neighbors moved in at the other end of my building about a month ago.
I don't think they know how to turn off the outside light over the back deck.

...a line of hope...

So this morning I woke up to a very dark day.  Not only was the sun not up yet, but the sky was covered with extremely thick clouds.  As I drove to work, I noticed an incredibly bright, yet thin yellowish light on the horizon.  I tried to figure out what it was.  At first I thought maybe the driving range still had its lights on from the night before (those lights are intense!), but it didn't seem like quite the right location.  Then for a second I thought maybe it was a stream of headlights from busy commuter traffic on a major road in that direction.  Then I realized it was actually the sunrise.  In the far distance, right where the sky meets the ground, the clouds had a long, skinny break.  It was an incredible contrast with the ominous billowing cumulus clouds covering the sky.
It was a time to praise.
I was entering a day that was promising to be quite challenging.  I saw this line of light in the sky as God's line of hope for me as I anticipated what was before me.  It was the perfect picture.

The day is almost over.  I did indeed encounter that sliver of bright hope in the midst of the challenge.
Praise God.

...instinct...

I just started to reach over to shut my window in my bedroom.
As I started to turn I realized my window was already shut.
The wind is just blowing "through" my window.

...the wind is blowing...

So last night we experienced an intense storm.  It was storming when I went to bed, and storming when I woke up.  I assume it was going strong all night, but I certainly slept through it.

While I was getting ready for work this morning my curtains were blowing in the wind.  That's right, my curtains were blowing in the wind...on the inside...with the windows closed.

I'm not sure this is a time to laugh.  It's a time to do something.  Maybe it's a time to request that my landlord consider new windows.  Or maybe it's just a time to break out the plastic window coverings for the winter season.

...fortune cookies...

I had Chinese take-out tonight.

Fortune:  You will live a long life and eat many fortune cookies.

...school pictures...

So, back when you were a young child you would get dressed up in the fall for picture day.  You eagerly awaited the day pictures came in so you could cut them up and exchange with friends.

Well, since I work at a school, I still have picture day.  Now the purpose is more for documentation in the yearbook.  Yet, for some unknown reason, the school photographers think that teachers still want copies of these pictures.  They give us a free package.  What am I going to do with all of those?  It's not like we teachers are going to exchange pictures with each other and write things like Never change!  BFF (well, actually we did do that one year).  I mean, I can give one to my mom.  But what about the other 13 in various sizes?

It was picture day.
A student received a big cookie in her locker with a simple request piped in chocolate frosting:  Homecoming?
Creative.
I was on lunch duty and this student offered part of her big cookie to me.
The bell rang.
I was off to get my picture taken.
The photographer takes my information, tells me where to stand, how to tilt my head, and snaps several pictures.
As I exit the room, I notice them:  cookie crumbs.

The pictures came in today.

I'll never forget that cookie.

....Spanish Speaker at it again...

Today's sub note:

Spanish Speaker was writing comments on his marker board.  They were in Spanish, so I didn't know what they said.  But, judging by the reactions from the girls, I am guessing they were inappropriate.

...who created them anway...

So, working at a high school, I regularly see students in dating relationships.  Some last about a week.  Some individuals seem to always have someone new by their side as they walk to class.  Yet, some are inseparable.

At my school there are some couples that are almost iconic.  Everyone knows they are together.  If and when the break-ups happen it might as well be front page news in the Times.  One of these such couples where I work gets quite a bit attention.  Many of us teachers even enjoy teasing them regularly.

Here I will call them Sarah and John.  Don't worry, that's not their real names, nor anything close to them.

Today I was teaching an ACT prep class.  The subject was English.  At one point we were discussing some basic punctuation rules the students need to be familiar with for this college entrance exam.  So, we were discussing run-ons.  A sample sentence was on the board and we were identifying possible corrections.  Naturally, we discussed one possible solution as the semicolon (;).

Now, I teach this subject often.  In fact, this is the ninth time this year I have taught this exact same lesson.  But it was the first time I had this response to the innocent, unsuspecting semicolon.  One frustrated student in the class responds with Why the heck would anyone use a semicolon?

Of course I'm thinking Haven't you been listening to anything we've been discussing the past few minutes? Obviously we use it to correct a run-on, to split independent clauses!

But before I could respond, she continues:  Who created them anyway?  Why wouldn't we just put in a period and make it two sentences?  This is so stupid!


I needed to come in with a quick response before the poor punctuation mark lost all chances with this girl.  Well, sometimes sentences are so closely related that we don't want to split them up.  She wasn't buying it; I could see it.  The rest of the class was watching me, waiting for me to say something convincing before they wrote off this option for good.  Then it came to me:  Well, some sentences are like Sarah and John; they just can't be split up.  No matter how badly someone may want to split them up, they just seem to belong together.


Smiles and laughter.
I think they get it.
Semicolons might just stand a chance in the future when that class corrects run-ons; it was a close one though.
Those iconic relationships might be good for something after all.

...a fun filled Friday...

So Fridays always seem to be good days.  I'm not sure if it's because most staff and students are wearing school colors, the fact that I'm wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, or simply the anticipation of a weekend off.  But something is different.  I'm more apt to openly laugh at, errr with, my students.  This Friday was a good day.  Three classes, three stories.

Background:  So, we are on a unit about how to take good notes.  This means the experience my students have anticipated all semester has arrived:  Taking notes on how to take notes.  Somehow this concept boggles their minds.  But it is most definitely what they are doing.  Last year I achieved one of my major goals for work; I put the concepts of the textbook into PowerPoint form.  (Don't worry, we still use the book.)  So, Friday we were working our way through part of the chapter with PowerPoint.  I also give all of my students individual white boards, markers, & erasers for the sake of discussion while we go through it.  And yes, the desks are too small for their notes, books, and marker boards.  Or so I've heard a couple few gazillion times anyway.  Okay, now that you know what was going on, you're ready for the stories:

First Class:  I'm waiting for my students to answer this question on their marker boards:  How does where you sit in class impact your success?  A student sitting next to where I was standing held up his board, which said pay attention.  Of course that immediately put the song from Sister Act 2 in my head (I tried to upload it, but it's taken too long...maybe later).

And when a song is in my head, it must come out.  As I sing pay attention, the student gives me a look that says what the heck just happened?  I guess he doesn't know that song.  Then he makes a hilarious suggestion:  Miss O'Brien, you should sing for the class some time!  To which I respond with the look that says, Yeah right, you're out of your mind.

So, to transition out of that conversation, I get back on track and continue on with the notes.

The students response:  with a laugh (you know the kind that sort of comes out of your teeth with an sh attached to it somehow), Miss O'Brien, I like it when you use your fake voice.

Me:  My fake voice?
Student:  Yeah, your high voice.
Me:  Oh, well, that's really my acting voice.  What you don't understand is that really I'm an actress all day long.  What you are hearing and experiencing for the first time seems new and exciting.  But I've said it three times already yesterday, and I will say it again two more times today.  It will sound the same--same intonations, questions, and jokes.  So, when I'm using my fake voice, I'm turning on the act.
Student: Oh, well you should come to acting class sometime then.
Me (the perpetual narrator):  Bad idea.


Second Class:  I had a break through, epiphany, divine intervention even.
The Pencil Tapper.  You know him.  Every teacher has him, often they come in multiples.  He's annoying, without even trying to be.
Well the most extreme Pencil Tapper I've ever known is in my second class.  From our learning styles unit he has determined he is a musical/rhythmic learner.  He's right.
So we are taking notes, well not The Pencil Tapper.  He is perfecting a new beat on his desk.  I am developing Tourette's.  I walk to his desk and quietly ask him to stop.  I make a joke about needing to pad his desk.
That's when it happened....The break through.  The epiphany.  The divine intervention.
I took out an old mouse pad I don't use any more and put it on his desk.  It became his new drum.
He tapped away the rest of the period and didn't distract me or anyone else.  He even took notes between beats.

Third Class:  Okay, so the note taking, board writing continues.  This class is a little unique.  I have a couple students who don't speak English.  Sometimes class can be a bit of a struggle (for me and them).

Spanish Speaker sits next to a student that helps translate for him, and behind All English Boy.
I was sitting on a desk next to All English Boy.  He was struggling to remember the point of this conversation about taking notes was to actually take notes on it.  As I kindly encouraged him to write some information down, All English Boy demonstrated his frustration through a loud sigh.  Much to my surprise, Spanish Speaker (who is not understanding the content of the PowerPoint at all at this point, nor my conversation with All English Boy) says no te enojas amigo! (Don't get mad, friend!)
I couldn't help but die laughing.
Meanwhile, All English Boy has no idea what is happening.
Spanish Speaker just smirks.

At the beginning of this class another student, Mover, decided to sit in a different seat.  Back row, against the wall.  I told Mover I'd let him stay if he could promise that his head would not lean against the wall and he would not fall asleep.  He promised.
At one point during class, a white board popped up to get my attention.

So, of course the class is giggling, waiting to see what I'll do.
Then another white board pops up.  This time it's from Spanish Speaker.

I was cracking up while someone translated the Spanglish for the rest of my All English Students.
He may not understand the notes, but Spanish Speaker certainly knew why people were laughing & took advantage of his opportunity to keep it going.  Somethings just cross the language barriers easier than others.

I like Fridays.

...i'm finna laugh...

So earlier this year I witnessed two students talking in class.
They were trying to decide who would be the one to write for their group assignment.
After much debate, student one says "I'm finna do it!"
Student two, with haughty disgust responds by saying "Speak proper English man.  It's 'I'm gonna do it!'"
I wanted to intervene and make yet another correction.
Instead, I thought, I'm finna laugh.