Tuesday November 14, 2017
4:17am Awake. I do not mind being an early riser. Time for morning ablutions.
5:56am Last night I dreamed of today and the journal project that awaits. Also, the summer of 1981 and “All Those Years Ago” by George Harrison and the surviving Beatles was prominent in my dreams. After waking I found myself singing said song in the shower. I had been reading The Gospel According to the Beatles by Steve Turner the previous night which, no doubt, triggered my dreams.
Breakfast this morning consisted of one gluten-free pancake, a bowl of rice checks, a half banana, coffee, and pomegranate juice. Some guys just know how to live! My wife of nine weeks, joined me for coffee. We are still acclimating her dog and cat to my cat, which almost got interesting this morning as my cat bolted from the bedroom, and the chase was on. My sweetheart is currently subbing for Muncie Community Schools and we talked of that this morning. She left a good teaching position in another state to live in Muncie. “Oh, yeah gods, render me worthy of this noble wife!”
NPR is still lively with tales of Alabama Senator Roy Moore who is accused of having sex or at least approaching teenage girls when he was in his 30s. Shine the light on all of these guys, I say! Also, the Senate is wondering whether or not the president should have sole control of the nuclear button. Gee, this wouldn’t be because Donald Trump is dangerously underqualified would it? And look who’s a heartbeat away from the presidency? Let’s see, Mike Pence is anti-labor, anti-public schools, anti-LGBT, and anti-just about everything. What is this man FOR? Trump thinks he’s a king and Pence thinks it’s 1950. I truly fear for our republic, and I have never felt this way in my 56 years no matter who was in the White House. But now, I shudder at the thought of who is occupying it. God, I miss Bobby Kennedy. (I’m too young to remember JFK.)
Supposedly, there is a dense fog warning this morning, but no fog was in sight on the way to school. For the first time ever, I had hoped to get stopped by a train in order to write. Now, I’m at school preparing for my day with mostly sophomores. On the way I practiced square breathing techniques, listened to NPR and was reminded to “know thyself.”
6:44am I just updated grades—glad I did! Parents expect up-to-date gradebooks, and I agree with them.
7:11am Consulting with my co-teacher. A lot of kids seem intimidated about the essay rough draft even though we are taking it one paragraph per day. May this be a productive day for all.
7:17am Read a page from Start Right Now, which is part of my smart goal this year. Quite inspiring and I have a lot to learn. There is a lot of improvement to look forward to. Kids will be here in a few minutes. May I be a facilitator of learning, do no harm, and give every student her/his dignity.
12:08pm Just finished lunch and am now on my prep period. Lunch consisted of an avocado filled with olives, corn chips, potato chips, a veggie wrap of romaine lettuce and chicken, plus a couple of chunks of dark chocolate. I had zero time to muse, emote, etc. during classes. Working hard to help students interact proficiently with a text even if it’s not the most entertaining thing they’ve ever read. Also, we are working on an essay rough draft one painstaking day at a time. This is based on “R.M.S. Titanic” which we read last week. And finally, our exit ticket today is “Landing of the Pilgrims” by Felicia Dorothea Hemans. The students’ task is to record what they are picturing in their minds as they read it. A lot of this is based on the RAISE training I had several years ago (Reading Apprenticeship in Secondary Education). Now, I must prep for Etymology. Patience……..
12:31pm Teacher Rule #1 – Don’t put off copying for tomorrow that which you can copy today! My experiences from the early days included jammed machines, malfunctions, long lines, etc. I just copied some tests days in advance and I feel fine!
5pm Home from the podiatrist. Getting ready to eat supper. I snacked on an apple on the way from school.
6:30pm Dinner and the dishes are done. We had chicken and rice with corn muffins, and I had chocolate chip cookies for dessert. In lieu of a prayer my wife and I proclaim what we are grateful for. I am grateful for two good feet and legs and she is grateful that her car is running better now that we’ve added power steering fluid. It’s the little things.
6:42pm Getting ready to head to the Kennedy Library. They just called and my books from interlibrary loan are in. I am getting It Was on Fire when I Lay Down on It by Robert Fulghum and Revolution by Russell Brand. Have I mentioned I am a bibliophile? I’m also returning Splendid Omens for my wife. Listening to NPR in my Toyota Prius, which I love.
7:04pm Books are in tow, and I picked up a couple of movie flyers for a good friend of mine. I have switched from NPR to the Monster cd by REM.
8:12pm I came back via BSU and was traffic ever backed up! Must be some sort of “doins” at Emens or Sursa. Also, the 20mph speed limit around campus may be safer, but my cruise control won’t set that low. Just as I am an early riser, I also retire a bit on the early side. I am going to read a little before I turn in. Peace to all people in all lands for all time……….