The Day My Neighbors Get Jealous

This day is here. It's today! I just heard this day described this way. Why do neighbors get jealous today? Not because I'm driving a new car. Not because I have a new toy in the yard, such as a boat or something. Nope, today is the start of a nine week break from school. In other words, summer vacation is here! Of course, if neighbors knew what kind of hours and work go into my job during the year, they should not be jealous. But as far as appearances go, I am now as carefree as the uncaged bird. Or something like that...

Weeping with those Who Weep

I just learned today that the father of a current student of mine died yesterday. I had known the family received bad news about his health a few months ago, but had no idea he was about to go. I can't imagine the pain this student is going through now, and weep with/for her. Lord Jesus, have mercy on that girl and her family.

Lessons My Students Teach Me

I think my relationship with students is a little bit like how God relates to us. Don't worry, I'm not being blasphemous. I am not calling myself God. But the idea has been impressed upon me recently that God feels the same way about us as I sometimes feel about my students. I suspect similar things could be said about how parents relate to their children. Parents hurt when their children hurt. Parents hurt when their children do hurtful things, to themselves, to their siblings, or to their parents. Parents want the best for their children. Parents want to see children grow up to bigger and better things. They want them to experience as much joy and happiness, fulfillment, etc., as they possibly can.

Now to teachers. Teachers hurt when students hurt. Teachers hurt when their students do hurtful things, to themselves, to other students, or to their teachers. Teachers want the best for their students. Teachers want to see students develop intellectually, emotionally, socially, to be able to tackle bigger and better things. They want them to experience as much joy and happiness, etc., as they possibly can. They want them to be a success in life.

I think this is why it can be difficult for teachers when students say and do hurtful things. This is a good thing and a bad thing. It is good, because the day I stop caring how my students feel is probably the day I should stop teaching. An apathetic teacher is a bad teacher. On the other hand, it also means that students can do hurtful things to a teacher. Today I experienced a little of this, in the form of some rude comments. It has left me baffled, and somewhat hurt. Why this outburst? Doesn't this student realize I only want the best for them? What is the reason for the irritable behavior? Did I do something that triggered such a response? Is the issue one I should worry about or is it something they need to work out? Are they simply stressed by school work, tired, stressed by a relationship gone awry, or what?

I cannot stand tension when I am unsure whether there is a problem on my end. Even when I know I have not done anything wrong, it is difficult to know that someone dislikes me. Thus I analyze things to death, and ponder the cause of, and the best way to deal with, the tension. Obviously God has no such questions to consider when He is affronted. But I can relate a little bit to the hurt He must feel when His law is violated. After all, the offense is one that cuts against His perfect plan, which is designed with our best interests in mind. "Can't you just realize that I have your best interests in mind, and you have no reason to resist or dislike the program?" is a question I wish students could learn to answer with a resounding affirmative. I suspect God feels similarly whenever we sin. Thankfully there is plenty of grace and mercy sprinkled in with His feelings of disappointment and longing that we get it right! I am thankful for the model we have in Him, because it inspires me to also let my speech and behavior be sprinkled with grace and mercy, despite the insults that fly. And because He has modeled forgiveness, and forgiven much, I can do the same in dealing with the petty insults of my students.

Spring Break

I shall now pontificate on the wonders of Spring Break, especially when it is more of a break than usual. For the past three years I have had loads of research papers to grade over break, which meant that it was never the "break" that I wished it was. However, this year, two days before their major project was due (right before said break began, so I could correct them over it), some students begged me to extend the deadline to after break.

I pondered this a bit. The more I thought about it the more attractive the idea became. Not having piles of papers to feel guilty about if I wasn't spending every last minute of my break correcting? I liked it! In fact, I liked it a lot. So I decided to allow it, provided students agreed to certain conditions. Those conditions shall not be mentioned it, except to say that some of them were meant to be rather humorous, and were for some of the students. But anonymity forces me to refrain from mentioning them specifically...

Anyway, about 80 percent of my students decided to meet the conditions, and turn in their projects after break. Which left me with a week of no school and much more time on my hands to do things in it! This has been rather delicious, though I know I will pay for it next week. And the week after. And the week after that. Etc. But for now, I am free!

So, how have I spent my first ever relatively unencumbered Spring Break? Here is the list:
Corrected the first 20 percent of student projects. Done. Corrected 50 or so quizzes. Done.

Watched many movies, including but not limited to: He Knew He Was Right, The Way We Live Now, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Red Dawn, I Am Legend, The Kite Runner, and Juno. Some of these films are NOT to be recommended, so please do not take this list as an endorsement of them. At least one was more for enlightenment purposes regarding today's youth culture, with which I obviously interact a lot, so it is helpful to gain some more perspective. One was World History related. Others were pure entertainment.

Read a U.S. History related book on the 1945-1974 period. Somewhat torturous, as the writer is prone to be critical and more effusive in his praise of people or events about which I have a very different view. Also is a bit snobbish and fancies himself an intellectual, I think. Not very "pleasant" reading. Not my first choice for reading. But still helpful to broaden my knowledge of these events. And since I am teaching many of them in U.S. History now, or about to, I thought it would be good to learn more. Done about 400-500 pages (can't remember for sure how far I was into the book at the start of break), probably will aim for another 75 or so in the next day...

Read for pleasure. Much more enjoyable. Currently reading my first Brad Thor thriller. So far so good.

Watched Red Sox and Celtics. Celtics good, Sox bullpen bad. Shame on you.

Got a haircut.

Watched parts of some softball games in which current or former students of mine participated.

Slept more than usual.

Took time to watch info on local access tv regarding school budget issues. The politicking this year is especially fascinating. Our mayor is calling for millions of dollars less than the school board wants to spend, which has resulted in a dire scenario being presented by the school board, under which many programs will be cut, teachers laid off, all athletics cut, etc. The political circus that is unfolding is interesting to watch, to say the least. And it is leaving me to wonder whether I'll have textbooks on hand for the expanding numbers of my AP class... How fun/ridiculous would it be to teach a college level course without an adequate textbook? Oh wait, been there, done that. So maybe I could survive, though it wouldn't be as fun for the students or for me.

Future plans:
More reading.
Watch Lost and not regret staying up late to do so! (No early start helps that!)
Relax more.
More movies.
Prep classes for next week. (Sometimes I can't believe how much fun I have planning/mapping out a week's worth of classes. Is it wrong that work can be this much fun?!)
Plot out how I will make students conform to school rules...
"Celebrate" a birthday?

Integrity Wins (I hope)

Lest anyone be left hanging any longer after my last post, I am glad to report that things are better than they were awhile back. I won't go into detail here, as it is somewhat sensitive and not worth trying to explain in this forum. The issue that led to my integrity being challenged has not gone away. In some ways it is still a day to day battle, which leaves my nerves a little more frayed than I wish they were. Having said that, I think things have reached a point where those who would wish my behavior were less integrity-driven have realized that I will not alter in my vision or behavior; thus they are less inclined to do things to test it, which removes some of the stress. This is not to say I can't still use prayers. I am glad to enlist the continued prayer support of any who prayed before. I feel that the war is not really over; but detente seems to have set in, so things are a little more calm (I've been teaching the Cold War, so a Cold War metaphor it is!) than they were.

Integrity Challenged

Tempted to be discouraged, tempted to be a bit (or a lot, I'm undecided on this) depressed. This is because I had an incident at work today where it became apparent that some students were questioning my integrity, or perhaps being manipulative and trying to get authorities to suggest that I compromise my standards in some ways. Either way, it has been a day where the enemy is on the attack. So if anyone believes in prayer, or putting into action James 4:7, please do so for me. This is NOT going to keep me down, by the grace of God. But I'm feeling that I've been put on the ropes a bit, to use a boxing metaphor. So I'm in need of plenty of grace...

Pacifiers Are In: Do You Have Yours?

Ladies and gentlemen, here is my latest advice on how to be cool: get a pacifier. A baby's pacifier. Put it in your mouth and walk around with it in said mouth, in public. This is the way to achieve instant recognition as the coolest person on the block.

I learned this is the cool thing to do about two months ago, when I saw a girl of about 15 years of age walking down the hallway with one in her mouth. I did a double take. Yup, she had a pacifier in her mouth. I mentioned this to another teacher, and she was like "Oh no, they're bringing that back?" Apparently this was a fad that came and went some time ago. I had no idea. Perhaps this girl doesn't either. She's either out of the loop, and doesn't know that pacifiers for teens are definitely not cool anymore, or she is cutting edge and is way cool, as few have yet to get back into it. Maybe she's the first to reintroduce the trend? I have to say I haven't seen any more pacifier laden teens in the hallways since then. Nor have they wandered into my class yet! I mean, how awkward would that be, having to institute a "no pacifier" rule in class? Anyway, this random memory popped into my head, and I felt the urge to pass along the coolness tip to you. So be cool and get a pacifier!

And if you think I work in a zoo, apparently I do...