Miscellaneous Missives

Maybe this May blog challenge has been amazing.  Maybe I needed this "kick in the pants." Maybe I love using this video to explain the events of Freddie Grey and Baltimore before the students look at a variety of news photos to see how the news can give different messages. Maybe I have the best colleagues ever.  Today I watched a video of bad jokes (shared by a colleague) while the same colleague put a class sets of sheets (copied for me by another colleague) into plastic covers.  Yep, I sat watching jokes and eating copious amounts of chocolates while my colleagues did my work.  What price will I pay?  Instead of bringing glazed donut holes as I did today, tomorrow I will bring cinnamon sugar donut holes.  Win- Win.  Maybe I work with the best people (actually I really do).

Maybe I caught sight of this yarn bombing today.  I'm not really sure when it appeared, but I walk/bike this trail frequently (almost daily).  I'd like to think it appeared today. Maybe some of my students are bombing.  They no longer care and can no longer engage in intelligent conversations.  Today we talked about beauty and race in the media.  As one would expect, it's only four or five kids that are bombing, but they make me feel as though I am bombing.  The good news is that when I think rationally, I know that I am not the bomb. By the way, the weather is also bombing.  It spit on my as I continued on my short ride today.  I'm not a fan of cold and spit... just saying.

Maybe today's adventure to C's (my dad's girlfriend) family reunion was entertaining.  Her family really does seem to like and appreciate me.  I talked to most of her seven brothers and sisters at one point in the afternoon.  The weather, however, was quite finicky.  One minute we'd be outside enjoying the sun, and the next minute it would rain.  All is well, rain or shine, everyone seemed pleased that I made the trip as am I. Although I was asked to bring a joke, no one asked me for my joke.  As I was leaving I told the D that I had my joke, and then I proceeded to share the joke LH had commented.  The young granddaughter/child of someone thought it was funny although the adults groaned a bit.  I'm glad I was able to make someone happy!

Maybe I haven't graded the last two classes.  Perhaps I'm waiting until Monday.  It seems like a bad idea, but I also know I'm not going to do it tonight. Maybe I helped a friend weed at her mother's today.  Maybe I capture a bunch of these green wormy things.  J took one off me as we were eating dinner, and I found three more (one crawling on my cheek) as I drove home.  Perhaps the first thing I did upon arriving home was to take a shower.

Maybe C's (my dad's girlfriend) sister called me today and invited me to the family gathering on Monday.  Maybe neither C nor my dad have mentioned this at all.  Maybe I'm not going to make my regular Sunday am call to Dad and C.  Maybe I'm merely going to attend the gathering without letting them know.  After all, her sister knows, and she's the one that invited me. Maybe I'm supposed to come with a joke, but I don't know any jokes.  Can anyone help?  Siri certainly was of no help.

Maybe I told my principal that I wanted an ice cream sandwich during my first hour class. Maybe third hour she brought me a box of ice cream sandwiches. Maybe it absolutely made my day. Maybe it's 11:38, and I've had one of the best day's ever!!

Maybe I'm tired of making my iMovie while students work on their two day summative media literacy project. Maybe I'm looking at Facebook. Maybe I found this cool video. Maybe I decided to share it with my last hour class since I found it while looking at FB while they were working. Maybe I showed it and couldn't figure out why it wasn't easy to get them back on track. Maybe it's May. Maybe I've actually got this.

Maybe I've taken recycling to a new level.  While a colleague and I were sitting in a meeting Monday after school, I asked her if she still needed toilet paper rolls for her science projects.  With her affirmation, I told her I'd bring in the rolls I'd been keeping.  Normally, I throw the empty roll into the bottom of the closet where I keep the full rolls.  When it starts pouring out, I take it to the humane society for their rodents.  This morning, as I went to throw in the empty paper roll and grab a new roll, the rolls did indeed come scrambling out.  The new roll I grabbed was the last roll in the pack, so I used it as a bag to transport the empty rolls to school.  Yep, I've got this recycling all rolled up. Speaking of affirmation, I met with my principal today for my year end performance.  I've never had a principal say such positive affirming words about my teaching and role (roll) in the school.

Maybe I stayed out too late on a school night.  Last night I met with some former colleagues, but tonight I met with my favorite former colleagues.  These women are truly brilliant and entertaining.  Our plan drink and dine at Nico's Taco and Tequila Bar needed revision with the thirty minute wait.  Instead  we ended up next door at the Namaste Cafe.  It was a little more mellow, might I say peaceful, than we had planned, but we gave the back room some vibrance.  Maybe I need to get some sleep. Oh, note to self... I rode my bike to Uptown since it takes about the same amount of time and parking sucks.  As I was returning home and crossing the tracks, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.  Like an idiot, I shined my light on the object which happened to be a transient person on his bike full of bags and whatnot (garbage bags galore).  I'm not going to lie.  It really freaked me out because I actually felt in danger al...

Maybe I almost didn't post today. Maybe I don't recognize this bright orb in the sky.  Maybe May will start bee-ing nicer.

Maybe I've done little school work this weekend, and maybe it will bite me in the butt next weekend.  Honestly, not having the cord to connect the video camera to my computer was a BIG mistake.  Even though I haven't done school work, I've kept myself busy with reading and household chores.  Today I finished Women in the Castle.  It's average at best.  I've started reading A Hope More Powerful than the Sea.  Even though I'm only 1/3 through the book, it's a good read. Maybe I don't have much to say because I haven't done much.  Maybe I'm OK with this.  Are you OK with this?

Maybe I spent the morning taking care of things I should have done a month ago.  First, I called Xfinity to see if I could save money on my internet/cable services.  After over 30 minutes on the phone, I saved $50.  I made the decision to call today after trying to pay bills last night.  While I was on the phone, I decided it was time to save my Facebook profile and cover photos.  This reminded me of a conversation I had in class with students yesterday.  I reminded them that it should freak them out that I could look at the page if it wasn't made private.  In one class, I continued that I was confident most students did the same with their teachers' pages.  At this point, a student said her and her friends were looking at my page and decided I had nice legs.  As I was on Facebook today, I wondered what picture she had seen since I really try to keep my stuff private.  This led me to un-friending myself from my dad's account and searc...

Maybe it's 8:00 on Friday night, and I really want to go to bed.  I feel slammed.  The good news is today folks had high praise for the poets in my room.  People stopped me in the hall, sent nice emails, I even had one of my judges email me a poem her wrote about me which I think was positive.  Anyway, the poets were still happy about their performances later, and some have agreed to do an encore the last day of school.   My elbow hurts from doing a bunch of stapling after I came back from PT yesterday.  It's not really an idea situation.  I'm supposed to take the icing up a level and use the ice cup instead of merely the ice pack, but it seems cold and painful.  I think I'll start that tomorrow.

Today is one of my favorite days of the school year.  It's Slam!  My students are amazing.  I do not let kids clap after each poem.  They have a special clap to clap the students up, but they aren't allowed to clap after the poem.  Although it seems mean, I really do have reasoning.  I want every student to have an equal amount of applause no matter what others think of their poem.  N  couldn't believe it.  After the first student performed, he looked at me with a look of astonishment.  I told him to take a deep breath and breathe the poem in.  The next poet performed, and N was literally "mind blown."  It was the hardest thing for him to sit and merely breath.  Of course, I agree with him the poets were both superb... really, really good.  It's fun my friends, really, really fun.

Maybe today kicked me in the ass.

Look what came from Georgia!  It's my prize from the BRR ride and a cocktail napkin. Maybe we're halfway through the May Bee blog challenge.  I've managed to post every day which has been a challenge in itself. Maybe I'm going to see Eddie S. Glaude Jr. author of Democracy in Black:  How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul at the Fitzgerald Theater .  My guess is most of the audience will be white.  I wonder if the author is aware of this problem.  It doesn't matter.  After reading his book, I feel he's speaking to progressives in general who feel they're making a change.  It should be interesting.

Maybe today was a series of detours, but I persisted. It's started when I brewed water (if that's possible) instead of coffee because I forgot to add the grounds. Another detour happened when I forgot my water (no fear I had coffee since I did stay home long enough to make the pot using beans) and lunch at home on the counter. Perhaps, when I went to order Jimmy Johns, I had to go to my car to get my wallet not really sure it was in my car.  Maybe it continued when Jimmy Johns, ONCE AGAIN, forgot my mustard.  I'm paying an exorbitant amount for a sandwich to be delivered freaky fast.  Please make sure my freaking mustard is in the bag. Yep, another detour happened in my last hour when a student puked (red) on the floor.  He had recently came back from the nurse.  Perhaps his classmates should have been nice instead of being asshats.  Maybe I gave them a brief lecture on the VVM Virtues.  Punks!  I don't care if it's May.  Be a good...

Maybe we've had a gorgeous weekend.  Maybe it's 3:41 on Sunday afternoon, and I have rocked at getting shit done.  Maybe I have managed work and play precisely as I needed. Maybe tree pollen sucks, but it doesn't suck as much as staying inside on this beautiful day would suck.  Before today's cycling adventure in the tree pollen,  I went to church and was greeted with a lovely gift.  A member of my congregation recently wrote a book (According to the interweb, he's written several).  He asked if I had been given a copy.  I said that I had not.  He went on to say he had signed it for me.  We sat and chatted as his wife went to retrieve it.  It was signed.  He really had already signed it for me.  Ahhh....  It was super sweet and thoughtful.

Maybe some people know how to make KT Tape stick, but I am not this person.  By the time I was halfway finished  with my ride, it was no longer sticking to my skin.  Arrrgh!  It doesn't matter; it was a beautiful day for riding.  When I returned, I went to the farmers' market and had a lovely lunch.  I also stopped by one of my favorite booths to see if they had any of the lemon ricotta cookies, but I was too late.  Maybe it's OK because I'm back to watching what I eat (until I don't).

Maybe I'm enamored with spring.  Although I spent my evening working on school work, I did it on my deck outside near the blooming trees.  You can literally hear, smell, and see spring.  It's wonderful.

Maybe some days I choose beer over biking!

Maybe I own pink fishnets.  Yep, it's true.  I bought them and some pink fake Converse high tops for Day of Pink several years ago.  Both live downstairs until that one day of the year when we support the LBGTQ kiddos and staff in our building.  I'll admit that I'm actually looking for a pink skirt, so all of my clothing is pink.  We'll see.  Maybe I'm already overloading on the pink.  I'm pleased that our school celebrates Day of Pink and the diversity of our students.

Maybe I'm just that good!  I love my lesson plans this week.  My guess is I brag about this every May, but this week and next are amazing. I'm using Louder than a Bomb to teach spoken word, and I never tire of watching it.  Plus, today my colleague found of video of Trevor Noah interviewing the founder of Louder than a Bomb.  He mentions Nate Marshall one of the high school poets (no longer in high school) in the video. We'll watch sections of the video for Thursday's journal. Really, it doesn't get any better than this!!  I've got this!!!

Maybe it's going to be a long week.  It's only Monday. Maybe I finally bought a new garage door opener after spending all winter sitting on it, so it would work and 3/5 times having to get out and open the door with the button on the outside.  Maybe I should have one it earlier, but I was waiting for it to get warmer out. Maybe I was sitting outside enjoying the calm when it started to rain. Maybe I wished it was Thursday.

Maybe I had a brilliant idea.  Yes, I think it was brilliant.  Although I did not think of it until it was too late to ride part of the Fulton Gran Fondo, I did think of it in time to ride today.  Actually, today I made a deal with myself.  If I graded four of the five classes by 4:00, I would go for a short ride.  At 3:48, I finished my fourth class and put my idea into action. Last week, my PT suggested I wear my wrist brace (from last year or the year before) at night, so I wouldn't clench my fists while I was sleeping.  Clenching my fists causes more pain in my elbow.  I took this information, my new elbow brace, and my new KT tape and put it into action.  I figured I could ride a short distance (Today's ride was a little over ten miles) if I had the tape and braces, and I was absolutely correct.  Of course I iced when I returned home.  To be honest, biking was less painful than the actions it took (computer, flipping pages, lif...

Maybe I should have taken a picture with my pals at the Guthrie Theater today, but I was more concerned with getting a snack before the performance of The Bluest Eye .  It doesn't matter; the Google Machine has plenty.  Today's play made me want to reread Morrison's The Bluest Eye , but I have too many books to read.  Yesterday I was reminded that we were going to see Eddie S. Glaude Jr. in two weeks.  Today I started reading his book, Democracy in Black:  How Race to Enslaves the American Soul .  I've also started reading A Hope More Powerful than the Sea :  One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival .  Honestly, I had only read a couple of chapters. It's my turn to choose the book for one of my book clubs.  I chose The Women in the Castle even though I have never read it.  Maybe it should be next on the list since book club is at the end of May.  If I was a thinking person, I would have suggested that we rea...

Maybe sometimes I hear but don't listen.  Maybe this happens to the extent that the chiropractor actually laughed in my face today.  I tennis elbow which is more painful than I could imagine.  Even grabbing a glass of water with my right hand is painful.  Although I went to the PT on Wednesday, it is still unbearably painful, so I went to the chiropractor (whom I saw to get the referral for PT) today for ultrasound.  It was delightful.  After the tech did the ultrasound the chiropractor came back in.  He was talking about how long it takes to heal, blah, blah, blah...  As he was speaking, I asked him about using Biofreeze , and he said I could certainly try it.  Next, I asked him if I should tape my elbow when I was riding my bike.  This is when he laughed in my face, and once again tried to explain that I needed to do nothing with the elbow (blah, blah, blah).  Although I don't remember his exact words, he expressed the serious...

Spring! Maybe I threw two staplers in my classroom today.  My staplers are crap.  I had two that wouldn't work as we were trying to staple our poetry books.   In reality, I was trying to toss them back in the drawer, but they ended up flopping on the floor.  Even after trying to borrow staplers from other classes, it was difficult to find working staplers. Speaking of dropping/tossing things, a student in my class was dropping everything today (paper, colored pencils, box of crayons).  It seemed everything he touched ended up on the floor.  When I asked him if he needed a pass to the nurse, he gave me a strange look.  I explained he needed to be checked out because a case of the dropsies is sometimes contagious.  After I explained the seriousness of this disease, another student dropped her colored pencils on the floor.  "See?" I exclaimed.  I received an eye roll instead of a request for a nurses pass. Don't worry folks.  I...

Maybe my day started better than it ended.  Actually, I really think this goes without saying.  It started with both principals delivering chocolate treats with kind sayings and ended with a Google Machine virus. Most people have seen or heard the news articles , but it meant that my last two classes were a disaster.  I don't use Google Classroom like most teachers in the Google World.  I like to use Doctopus and send the information to the students drive for multiple reasons of which I will not bore you.  Unfortunately, it meant that one by one, students in my class after lunch couldn't get into their drive, not all, but enough that it made the class a nightmare.  I actually had to break out pen and paper for some.  Unfortunately, they were printing their poetry books, so they could draw and color pictures.  This mean that they really couldn't do anything since their poetry book was in their drive. Maybe tomorrow will be fine, and the dist...

Maybe I'm sitting in a meeting looking out the window and blogging instead of paying attention.  Yesterday, my administration drove me crazy when they ignored my event on the calendar.  Today, they more than made up for it by making my life easier and accepting two of my requests.  Perhaps, I should be listening to them in this meeting since I really do like and appreciate them.

Maybe I'm disappointed with today.  Perhaps I'm disappointed with my choice of eating the donut gifted the staff for teacher appreciation week.  Even though I knew it would put me over the calorie allotment for the day, I chose to eat the sugary delight.  Perhaps the disappointment comes from the National Writing Project who did not select our grant proposal.  In the final paragraph, they said that our grant proposal "advanced into the late rounds of the review."  MAYBE, this is the truth and MAYBE they wrote the same thing for everyone who didn't get the funding.  What are your thoughts good people?  Perhaps,  just maybe, this May blog challenge is the incentive I needed to keep blogging.