Podcasting....

I'm intrigued by podcasting and I want to do it. I need to figure out what I need to make it happen.

teachers...

I was never a good student in school, I am 100% responsible for the mess I made of my adult life. I never did get much guidance and direction as a kid. I got a lot of love, but not much guidance. But there were a few. There were people who tried to teach me, even when I wasn't ready to hear what they had to say. And now that I work with kids and see what their effort meant, I'm truly ashamed that I won't ever get to thank all of them in person and tell them what they meant to me.

Mrs. Niparts, 1st grade - Thank you for being loving, inventive and creative. Thank you for making me feel special.

Mrs Leath 3rd grade - And currently my department head, thank you for making me feel wanted and important.

Mrs Martin 5th grade part II - Thank you for just being a great, loving person and a wonderful example of who to be as a person.

Mrs Gates 6th grade - Thank you all I can remember is feeling love.

My entire 7th grade team - Thank you for not killing me, I'm sorry.

Mrs Miles 7th grade Language Arts - Than you for trying to make me a better person and not budging on it, though I hated you at the time for it.

Mrs Baumgardner 9th & 11 grade LA - Wow, thanks for being so crazy I had to pay attention and thank you for reminding me that I like to write.

Mrs Cheney 11th grade US History - Thank you for telling me I was worth something long after I no longer believed I was.

Mr. Cook - You never taught me, but you knew my name. That made me feel important. Thank you

Mr. Pickard 11th grade Intro to Computers - You are a great man and you made me feel like a person in your room, thank you.

Mr Rice 11th & 12th grade graphic arts & Al too - This class was my refuge. I felt like family in here. I stopped thinking about killing myself after the first month. Mr. Rice called me by my French class name "Serge" it was the fist time anyone thought enough of me to give me a nickname.

Coach Staley 12th grade Geometry - thank you for treating me well, and not getting mad when I was too wasted to hold my head up in class.

Mrs Danieley 12th grade Chemistry - If not for you, I would not have graduated. Thank you so very much.

They did so much for me, and cared long after I had stopped. Now that I'm trying very hard to improve my lot in life, I can use what they gave me to be a success now that I'm ready to do it.

law

I thought of going to law school after all is said and done, but I really don't think that will happen. I don't think I'm smart enough.

One of my current Criminal Justice classes is being taught by a lawyer and it is no as much demanding from him, but just difficult to grasp all these concepts of the history of law and how fickle the interpretation of said law is. I think I get it, but I'm not too sure.

I just don't think I'm smart enough for law school.

over-enthused

You ever take a class from a teacher who thinks their subject matter is a bit more important than it actually is? Were they so enthused and think every little detail is so important that it actually turned you off of that subject?

Yeah, I hate art now. I will pass the class, but the teacher can die in a fire as far as I'm concerned.

observations

Hate is as natural an emotion as love is. If we learn to stop hating based on race, we'll hate based on some other difference.

Personally, I like to hate people on a one-on-one basis. Being a racist is just lazy and ignorant, if I hate you, it's because you earned it.

Few people believe this, but I'm actually a person who is very content with life's direction right now. Is there room for improvement? Yes. Are there things I want, but don't have? Yes. Am I where I want to be? No, but I'm getting there and that knowledge is enough. My five year plan is well on track, and though it is a struggle, I'm well on my way to a goal.

observaions

I've changed since going back to school. I'm also trying to be more considerate in public. I've noticed most folks in Walmart will not look at me or even try to be considerate. They just nudge past.

I was told once by one of my teaching mentors some children and most child-like adults see kindness as a sign of weakness. They will then disrespect, and try to take advantage of you.

Kids tend to only misbehave as far as they think they can get away with, and if you don't stop unacceptable behavior today, it becomes tomorrows' acceptable behavior.