alrightee then!

Today sure was an interesting day...a bit too interesting perhaps, but confidentiality agreement means I won't be going into details, especially not on the internet! What's important at the end of it all is that it's a solid reminder that being a teacher means you do a whole lot more than just teach kids readin', writin', and 'rithematic.

In spite of the mid-afternoon drama, today was a good day for me. I felt like things went well in class today, I was very happy that the discussion went well, that behavior was generally a lot better today, and that in general class felt really smooth. Very productive.

In my opinion, kids, especially at this age (12-14) are a whole lot like puppies. They're squirmy, wiggly, they whine a lot, they like to chew on stuff (especially pens), they want to go to the bathroom all the time, they generally act kinda goofy, and are good at finding some trouble to get into, but all the same, they're generally so darn cute (and awkward) that it's hard not to laugh at their antics. I'm sure a lot of people reading this won't agree with me on the "cute" part, but what can I say--I have a soft spot for adolescents, and of course they all go home at the end of the day to someone else...

I'm glad to be home though. It's been kind of a long week. The horde has been restless. I've had to do a lot of classroom management (which incidentally is getting a lot easier now). We've been busy trying to buy a house in the middle of everything we normally have to do during the week. And I haven't been able to have a quiet evening at home all week. Oh and of course, one of us is sick...

Right now I'm listening to Atlantic Rhythm & Blues 1947-1974 which is my fabulous library find of the last couple weeks. Like most of my current students, I like R&B (among other things), but quite UNlike them, I like the older stuff, so this has been quite a treat and is a good speed for February's rhythms of slow, rainy days. It reminds me of being back in Z201, listening to folks such as: Pinetop, Joe Turner, Louis Jordan, Nat King Cole, Wynonie Harris, Ruth Brown, Willie Mae Thornton, Ike Turner, Junior Parker, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Soul Stirrers, etc, etc. As one of the Amazon customer reviewers put it, "this is no-less than a music appreciation course on compact disc. A history of rhythm and blues' fascinating transformation into soul." It's well worth remembering (now that I'm no longer in the south) but that in no way changes the fact that African-American musicians' contributions constitute a significant portion of the enduring musical achievements of the previous century.

It's Friday and I'm looking forward to a few days where I don't have to get up at 5. I'm sure we could all stand to sleep in a little bit, and unwind. It's been kind of a wild ride right now...