Thursday, October 13, 2005

Honing my craft

I do believe I'm getting better at my job. I can go for days without having any real problems. The students, even thought they change from day to day, seem to almost instinctivly know what I expect from them and make effort to not incur my wrath. I guess I have become the sadistic nightmare everyone dreads. I get a little choked up at the thought, Granny would be so proud of me.

Today has been a pleasant day outside. That mechanic should have finished my truck by now, even if he did, my money is running out for the month and I may not be able to pay him at this point until my next payday. I guess he'll just have to wait.

I was thinking about the teacher shortage. The way to solve our teacher problem is to pay them more. If teachers had a competitive salary for the type of work they did, then there would be a teacher surplus and then schools could cherry pick from the very best, not scrape the bottom of the barrel. And let me tell you, there are some dingleberries that teach.

I guess America's biggest problem is that it demands quality on the cheap. You can't always get it like that.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Changing life.

I've had quite a few very goof reiends in my life that we all met either at work or at school. Then we part ways. I find it hard sometimes to relate how we once did. Pizza people don't get "teacher problems" just as jerks that don't tip are starting to fade away from my "I hope you burn in Hell" list.

behavioral theory

I thought it would be funny to experiment with climate control in my classroom. When it was in the 80's a few weeks ago, I cut the AC way up to see if freezing the students would make them calmer. It actually had the reverse effect. They became antsy. When I cut it up to make it hot in the room, they became very lethargic. I had a similiar sitation last year when my room was not heatd properlybut during the winter they were lethatgic during uncomfortable cold.

The theory: a sort of behavior control can be achieved by manipulating ambient room temprature. But the desired effect depends on the season. In summer, the warmer they are, the less they move about. the opposite is true in winter. I seriously doubt that my findings would have much impact on the learning process, but if you make them uncomfortable when in an ISS program, thier might be a negative psycological imprinting of ISS being passively unpleasant, as well as actively punitive. I think the term is "miserable".

Speaking of uncomfortable, years ago, I dated a girl who ate macrobiotic food. The word meand "big life" sort of an all natural approach to eating. She introduced me to "miso" soup on a date. This stuff is all natural and has enzymes and bacterium that is supposed to be super-healty. She told me the soup can cleanse the body and it had to be true because I had the foulest gas of my life that night. For those who may not be so familiar with me, that is a big statement.

Thinking of problem students, everyone plays into the races. Black kids get into more trouble than white kids, or so they say. I have more black kids in ISS but I have the most problems with whites. I don't know what the deal is, and I can only speculate. I think black kids get in trouble mostly because teachers don't know how to control them. I tend to not have a problem with the black kids. The white kids mostly get in trouble because the "problematic" ones are pure evil.

How can I say that? By the crimes. I can't recall one black serial killer. I can name at least 5 whites. Plenty of crack heads and theives, but not a single chop you up alive, eat your still-beating heart, make neckaces out of your teeth, and bury the remains in under thier house honkey-crime-comitting lunatics. The only way you describe alot of white crime is evil.

The weather today is dreary, but dry. Maybe I'll get my truck today. If the lazy jackleg doesn't hurry, he'll have to wait until next month to get paid.

My foot is feeling much better even though it still hurts a bit. If we get gym time today, I'm playing soccer. i need to burn some calories

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Just a quiet, rainy day filled with meloncholly

Not mine, but he children who are in ISS today. We had an incedent yesterday that was as bad as I think middle school being without someone actually dying. I had no part in it, but it still saddened me to no end. Two students were caught using hardcore illegal drugs. They are 12 & 13 year old children. Who would give give that to a child? What kind of monsters and villians do we have out there? The thought of someone making such things available to childred destroys the theory of inherent good in the world for me. Today, it feels darker and dirtier than all other days I can remember. So I'm in an incredibly rotten mood. Perfect for ISS.

I'm a big fan of talk radio. I wonder if that would torturous to them? It's silent some days, I can only hear the lights

I don't think I'm going to do anything for Halloween this year. It's my favorite time of year, but my heart (and cash) really are not up for it. Three years in a row have been crappy, one was my own doing. If I have about one more bad one, I might never do anything again. Also, I shoot myself in the foot because I never can do cheap Halloween costumes. So, the pirate costume I wanted to do this year is out of my price range.

Due to the miserable weather this week, my truck will most likely not be repaired anytime soon. Oh well. i noticed yesterday it is a long bed. I personally prefer the look of the short bed, but it will be more practical. Speaking of practical, I'd really like an extend or crew cab. I would like more leg room in my truck.

I'll have a nice, quiet day at home tonight. I think I'll get my house back together. It's not too messy, generally, but it could sure use some work. I want to get it clean & cozy in time for winter. I'll try to get a record player next month. I want to play my grandparents old records. Warm, clean house, soup & grilled cheese, and old records. That's a cure for winter blues right there.

Monday, October 10, 2005

Weekend blues

I went to work on my truck on Saturday, only to find the fellow who was supposed to be working on it all along had finally started working on it. Today, it's raining, so he most likely won't get anything done to it. So I'll have to wait for a dry day to see it running.

I went to VA on Sunday to play the lottery. I get a ticket for Mega Millions and a few scratchers. I had a $10 winner to cash in from my last trip and I bought two more $5 scratchers I had four all together. The first three were nothing, but number four was good for $15, so we pulled into the next place, and I cashed it in on three more. Two duds & one $10 one! I asked Robyn to pull in to the next stop (the last place to buy before the NC state line) she refused, saying that we had to be at her house to pick up her kids. She was right, we were cutting it close, but as we sped for home, I was left with the lingering thought.....third time's a charm. To Hell with it, if it is meant to be, it will happen when it's time to happen. Besides, I was only going to buy her a house with the winnings anyway. If third time is a charm, perhaps the actual lottery ticket will be my big winner......$65 million.

I'm realistic, I know I have a snowball's chance in Hell of winning, but it's still fun and I'm not going to let my bills lapse in hopes of "hitting it big". It's also hope. Hope can get you out of bed. Hope can make you hold on just a little longer.

A few years ago, I was eating out with Robyn, across the room, there were two older people eating. The were having a lively, friendly conversation over dinner. I hoped the were married all these years and still loved each other enough to have light hearted banter over dinner. If it were, that's what I want. Get married and love that person all the days of your life. And when you're old enough to eat half price, still have fun together. I couldn't bear to be the old folks that never speak to one another. The old couple that some time around the Nixon administration, they had said everything new, funny, or interesting there was to say to each other and stopped right there.

last week I saw two older people that looked like trailer trash. Life had not been kind. they were dirty and wearing tattered clothes, but they were holding hands, looking warmly at one another, and laughing while grocery shopping. I thought they were really lucky. Nothing has ever been as dreary as it could have been if you had some who loves you to share it with. There is a kind of hope in that.