Something Random

This is one of those silly email forwards about getting to know people. Not big on forwards, but it's a goofy thing for a blog.

What time did you get up? oh, about noon
Gold or silver? Silver
What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Without A Paddle
What do you have for breakfast? Never eat breakfast
Who would you hate to be stuck in a room with? Dunno
What is your middle name? Gregor
Beach, city or country? City
Favorite ice cream? Cookie Dough
Butter, plain or salted popcorn ? Buttered and salted
Favorite color? Green
What kind of car do you drive? I don't have a license yet, but have a 93 Dodge Caravan
Favorite sandwich? A Burger
What characteristic do you despise? Stupidity
Favorite flower? Rose
If you could go anywhere in the world on a vacation, where would it be? Anyplace Fun
What color is your bathrobe? Green, but I usually wear pajamas instead
Favorite brand of clothing? Dunno
Where would you like to retire? Not Sure-Someplace warm maybe
Favorite day of the week? Friday
What did you do for your last birthday? cant remember
Where were you born? St. Paul, Minnesota
Favorite sport to watch? Don't watch much sports, probably basketball
What fabric detergent do you use? Tide
Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke
Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night Owl
What is your shoe size? 11 W
Do you have any pets? yes, 2 cats
Favorite alcoholic drink? Don't drink
Most frequented store? Target

Weekend Update

No, not the SNL skit. What I've been up to since I last blogged...

Christmas Weekend (Fri-Sun)

As usual, pretty low key. We basically lounged around the house for three days, which was nice. Our relatives all live out of state, so it was just the 4 of us...with a couple visits from sister's boyfriend of course. All in all, a pretty relaxing weekend.

Gifts I got:

• Foot spa and care products
• Isotoner Slippers
• Target Gift Cards
• A photo album
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on DVD
• A letter opener
• Far Side wall calendar
• Candy
• A sportcoat
• A Jump Drive

Monday:

Went with Mom to see a screening of the British Television Advertising Awards put on by the Walker Art Center. This year's ads were OK...not quite as funny or dramatic as in past years, but still enjoyable.

Tuesday:

We all went and had dinner with some family friends. (A woman Mom went to high school with and her family). Visiting with them is always enjoyable...had been quite a while since I'd seen the two older of their 3 kids (both in their mid 20s). Son B is pursuing a Master's at a school in California, and daughter L has just returned after a couple years overseas working for Wycliffe. Youngest daughter R, the same age as my sister Jena, is starting at the U of M this spring after a semester off.

----

And tonight? Shopping I think...time to spend the Gift Cards.

Oregon Student: Grades are BS

Found an interesting link via JP's Blog...

Oregon Daily Emerald: Grading System Gets an F.

Granted, the author points out that Universities with no grades are only a fantasy. Granted, grading systems are somewhat imperfect...no professor can tell exactly what a student knows just by how they do on tests. However, grades are a necessity. Without them, how are we supposed to know what we do well or where we need improvement? How is a University supposed to determine who meets requirements and gets the degree?

Without some kind of grading, a BS degree (or BA, or Master's or whatever) is truly BS, and probably not worth the paper on which it is printed.

Should I Be Doing Something?

I really feel like I should be doing something productive. Hmm...sitting around is quite a departure from my usual activity-filled existence. Feels strange...no school, no Senate, no schedule to follow. I almost don't know how to function.

I Guess I'm Lucky

Apparently, Blogger has swallowed up a bunch of blogs. Luckily, mine is still here.

I don't want to lose my blog, my writing...any of it. Now I'm paranoid. Will it ever happen to me? Is it a reason to jump ship?

Home Again

I'm home. And glad to be here. Granted, by the end of Christmas Break, I'll be boerd as hell. But, for now, I'm glad to have some time off.

Reflections and Writing

For any interested readers:

My Final Reflection from Blogs and Wikis, the class out of which this blog was born.

The Electronic Version of my Advanced Writing portfolio.

Poof...Another Semester Gone

Yes, that's right. Another semester gone. Time goes by so quickly...I find it hard to believe I am halfway through my third year here. Seems like such a short time ago that I was just starting, but two years have passed...poof. Maybe it's because I keep so busy that I don't think about the passage of time, just live in the moment, taking things day by day.

Tomorrow I'll head home. And come January, I'll be back at it again. And if experience is any indication, Spring Semester will fly by even faster than Fall.

Where does the time go?

Party!

Had the Senate Christmas Party at Nicole's house tonight. It was fun. We have such a goofy group. Everybody was really happy and having a good time...I think we all needed to decompress before finals start. It's a stressful week.

We did White Eleaphant gifts and I got a travel mug and a nightlight. I think Julie's prize, "Random Acts of Badness"--the biography of Danny Bonaduce, got the most laughs. I wonder if she will actually read it?

Plugging Away

Well, I read my inaugural address in Advanced Writing. It was pretty well received. Overall, everybody wrote cool speeches. It was a fun project. I certainly will miss that class...and having Mark as a prof. I've had him for classes the last two semesters, so it'll be weird not to. I have English Methods to look forward to in the fall, which is nice.

Succeeded in getting my lab shifts covered next week, which means I get to go home this weekend YAY!

I still have a wicked cold-UGH!

Had a good conversation with Julie this afternoon about Senate stuff...communication is awesome

What's left to do this week:

• Ed Psych final-Thurs AM
• Comp European Politics final-Fri PM
• Class Eval of Advanced Writing-email to Mark by Monday
• Final Reflection for Blogs and Wikis-by next Wed, on Wiki
• Clean my room a little

Almost there...3 days...

Added to the Done List...

One Advanced Writing portfolio

With the exception of an Inagural Address, to be finished tomorrow.

Sun Sets on Blogging Class... But Not on Berne's World

Yes, that's right. The impetous for Berne's World is now over. Except for the final write up, of course.

I was reading this post on Jonathan's Webarchism blog, and I must agree...this was one of my favorite classes this semester. It's been fun, not that other classes aren't, but this one especially. It was a chance to explore a new form of writing...my writing grew and changed. Best of all, it didn't feel like work.

So, many thanks to Morgan and my classmates for a great semester. Fear not, readers, just because the class is over doesn't mean my blog is going to die. To the contrary, Berne's World will live on, in all it's glory.

And maybe, just maybe, I'll be lucky enough to make the continuing emeritus list on the Daybook too.

I'm Alive

After spending all day in bed yesterday, I'm at least functioning. Yes, all day in bed. Healthy virtually all semester, and it hits me right before finals. Go Figure.

A Long Week

I feel so disconnected. Over the last week or two I've kinda neglected this blog...and the other blogs I run. I've been so crazy busy. This time of year is not fun. Just a few of the things I've done this week:

• Put finishing touches on my Intentional Teaching Project
• Presented Intentional Teaching Project
• Compiled notes for Blog Presentation
• Gave Blog presentation
• Completed Foundations of ED workbook
• Wrote Philosophy of Education paper
• Did more Advanced Writing
• Completed Practicum Journal and turned in
• Usual senate and work stuff

Needless to say, not much time to blog. I promise I have not disappeared.

Cool Teachers-Expanded Thoughts

A few weeks ago, I saw a skit on Saturday Night Live that got me think. I believe it was titled “The Coolest Teacher at Benton Township High School” or something like that. From what I recall, the gist of it was that a once popular high school teacher was “out-cooled” by the new history teacher, who actually turned out to be the dorky science teacher in disguise. Crazy as it sounds; there is an interesting theme in this lame brained SNL skit. It was about cool teachers, but what exactly makes a cool teacher? And as an education major, I wonder: am I going to be a cool teacher or not?

The desire to be considered cool is pretty natural. Most of us would rather be cool than dorky. After all, cool people have friends, they get dates, and all that jazz. Society places a high value on coolness. We practically worship celebrities and sports stars, who are held up as the epitome of cool. Whether or not they live up to the icon status they have is highly debatable, but it exists nonetheless.

Many beginning teachers also fall victim to the desire to be cool. After all, they are not that far removed from their days as a student, and therefore may want to relate to students on their level. This is particularly true at the high school level, where the beginning teacher is likely only a few years older than his or her students. Undoubtedly, the temptation will be there to try and please students, make them like him or her, and treat them as friends rather than subordinates.

Relating to students is great, but acting cool is not a way to win respect. My best teachers have not been the ones who tried to be cool. In fact, those teachers who try too hard to win you over end up being the most nauseating. I remember one from high school, Mr. Williams…he’d been big man on campus, and he made sure we knew it. He was “cock of the walk”, and pretended he knew everything. In truth, he was probably the worst teacher I ever had. His smug attitude totally turned me off. He was definitely a cock, but walking had nothing to do with it, and I remember little or nothing from his classes, except that he was a jerk.

What teachers like Mr. Williams fail to realize is that it doesn’t matter if a teacher is cool in the conventional sense. What matters is that they can actually teach, and that their students learn something. A friend who is also an education major reminded me of something important: as teachers, our job is not to make students like us, it’s to educate them.

Whether or not I am cool is irrelevant. In fact, I’m pretty square, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the quality of my instruction. If I can educate students; give them a reason to enjoy English, and make it relevant, that’s what counts. Only then will I be a cool teacher.

Hell Week (or Two) Begins

That time of year is here again...fall finals. Ugh. A shit-ton of papers, projects and exams. In a word, stress.

The conference this weekend didn't help matters much. It always seems like otherwise good weekends are clouded by BS at the end. It pisses me off pretty royally, but that's probably a rant best saved for another post (or no post at all).

That Time Again...

The monthly MSUSA Conference is here. We're going to be down in the cities, at Metropolitan State. It should be an interesting weekend as always. More on this later, as I must finish packing and get some sleep.

Until Sunday, it's "goodnight blog".

It's Over

Well the last day at Middle School went just fine. Covered just about every subject under the sun. Bill was right...mixed reviews, although I think the student who claimed he was happy to see me go was being a smartass. It was just the way he said it.

I'll miss it...sometimes. For the next couple weeks however, it will be nice to have at least one thing complete. I've certainly got plenty of other classes and assignments that need my attention. Teacher said I'm welcome to visit anytime, and I might occasionally. We shall see.

In the Dictionary

Hey fellow bloggers--turns out we're Merriam-Webster's number one new word of 2004.

Rock on!