Vote Republican!

I really need to plan something for tomorrow, but this GOP debate is hilarious. Hilarious.

"What would you do about black-on-black crime?"

* Encourage black people to work on family values

* Blame the educational system but not give solutions for fixing the educational system


"Death Penalty: What Would Jesus Do?"

* Feel really bad about it, because it's such an awful choice

* Kill the bastards anyway


"Do you believe every word of the bible?"

* Yes.

* We need to love our neighbors, as ourselves (This answer came right after his response to the previous question about killing bastards)


"What would you do to repair the image of America in the eyes of the Muslim world?"

* Stay on the offense!

* Fuck Islamic Terrorism!

* Continue our surge of more troops!

* Fight those who want to stop our surge!

* Our troops are awesome!

* We don't apologize!

* Fuck yeah!


"Is waterboarding torture?"

* I'm against torture.

* I don't want to discuss what we do.

* We shouldn't even discuss torture!


"Aren't the troops professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians?"

* We can't force our Christian troops to fight with people they don't like

* We have a right to whatever feelings we want

* (To the face of the gay 42-year veteran that asked the question) We're just not ready for fightin' alongside gays


"Why don't African-Americans vote republican?"

* The government makes Black people go to bad schools, and we need to allow them to go to private schools instead


Maybe it's because of those family values they lack.

I Never Trusted V8 Anyway

Hate the stuff. Hate. I'm using the word hate here.

Once, my dad made me drink a whole can of it before soccer practice. I still remember the nails-on-a-chalkboard, William Wallace-like-disembowelment chills that accompanied that can.

But what my friend Andrew had to go through is even more repulsive. Read about it here: V8 Incident.

Do not drink V8 people!

4th Period

And now, a poetry break, compliments of my student's cell poetry book:

My Mitochondria

Half of the words of things inside of you I can't
say spell or understand
but

I do know you make me move around and give me
energy from the stuff I eat



Cell Membrane

(picture of Colonel Sanders)

The membrane of my cells is made of you lipids
and proteins

You make sure nothing bad goes into my cells

If it wasn't for you my cells would be fat
Good thing you took care of that



Lysosomes

The lysosome is the maid of my cell
keeping it clean keeping it tidy

If you didn't exist my life would be quite
cloudy

Winters eve

*snaps*

Puff Puff

More stem cell puffery:

"By avoiding techniques that destroy life, while vigorously supporting alternative approaches, President Bush is encouraging scientific advancement within ethical boundaries," the White House said Tuesday in a written statement on the new research.

By avoiding direct routes that get people to work on time, while vigorously demanding that everyone take the congested side streets, we are encouraging people to "get to work on time" --

within "certain boundaries".

5th Period

I confiscated 5 cell phones today. They were made out of paper.

Can't focus. Need to focus.

Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus. Need to focus. Can't focus.

The new building will have 30"-long desks, not the standard 32" length, while it will have 40 desks at a configuration of 8x5 perpendicular to the 4 different skylights and I am anywhere but here.

Instead, I'm in a speeding car, and I'm swooping down over the hills of the city fringes, waving at the blurry animals. Or I'm buried in bedsheets, turning to the other side and falling off the planet.

3rd period

"Now, what is this that you drew?"

"A lee-sah-soh-may."

"Ly-soh-sohm?"

"Lee-soh-sohm."

"Ly-soh-sohm."

"Lee-soh-sohm."

"Good, better. Now, read the next word for me, please."

"Shruh-our."

"Struc-ture."

"shruh-our."

"No, try again. Struc-ture."

"Shruh-our."

"Close, here, try again. Look at my mouth. Struc-ture."

"SHRUH-our."

"No, STRUC-ture."

"SHRUH-OUR"

"Here, look at my mouth as I say it. Watch where I'm pointing. STRUC-TURE."

Students nearby giggle at the funny-looking teacher pointing at his teeth.









"...shruh-ture."

2nd Period

Midway through a lesson on chemical reactions, the students were applying what they knew about food spoiling to how enzymes work. Chemical reactions happen in your body, I said, when you eat and digest food. Excuse me, she said, and motioned more timidly than she ever has for me to come over. I lean down.

"Is chemical reaction also when you poop?" she questions in an accented whisper, and blushes at the shy half-smiles from the students sitting next to her.

Cutest thing ever.

Help my kids learn!

It's tough being a teacher. Please help me teach with a generous helping of 10 dollars or more for needed supplies. An explanation follows:


I want my students to have as many great learning opportunities as possible, but sometimes I just can't get the funding I need. To address this issue, I turned to DonorsChoose.org.

Here's the scoop. At this nonprofit website, public school teachers (like me!) submit proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become a reality when concerned individuals (like you!) choose projects to fund. Donors who complete project funding or give more than $100 receive photos and personal thank-you notes from the kids they helped. It's easy - and very rewarding.

The great news is that my project proposal, "$2 $4 $6 $8, I Need Funds to Laminate, for ELs! ELs! ELs!!" is now posted at DonorsChoose.org! Click on my proposal to read more about it!

Take a look. Also, please consider supporting my students and me by forwarding this message to others who may be interested in improving education.

Thoughts

We watched the numbered players crash into each other on the television screen from the comfort of a warm couch. Before that, I drove through the confines of traffic to the land of Stanfurd to learn, again, how to teach, constant thoughts racing about making the most of this experience, and doing whatever I can to make my kids achieve.

* I have so much to grade. It never ends! Until it does, and then the kids give me more things to grade.

* Speaking of that, I better go finish.

Standing, squinting

I want to hug my future children now. I want to tell them good night and that we can't be late again to school in the morning, or else their teachers will get mad. I want to tuck them in and turn out the lights, except for that dim hallway lamp illuminating the outline of the door.