“My people perish for a lack of knowledge.”
Hosea 4:6
Greetings folks. I write to you not from the familiar confines of my home as is usually the case. I’m writing today’s post from work. There are a number of reasons to explain this: 1) I’ve been under the weather for the past couple of days and have been less focused on preparing this week’s post than I was on getting rid of whatever germs I’m sure my students gave me. 2) I guess I can blame it on my illness, but I haven’t been moved to write anything in the past week until now.
When I got up this morning and looked at my calendar I knew I had a busy day today: class, a couple of meetings, errands and manscaping before dark. However, after doping myself up with Nyquil and Johnnie Walker (not sure that was safe but I’m alive to talk about it) I woke up MUCH better than I went to bed and ready to take on the day. That was until I actually got here. When I got here, everything appeared to be business as usual. I put the “Bell Ringer” on the board, a quote which the students get 10 minutes to think, reflect, and share their thoughts about before going into the agenda and then to work. There really wasn’t much to cover on the agenda as we were testing, a fact known to them since Monday. However, to hear them talk amongst themselves you would think that this was a surprise. You would think that somehow I pulled this test out of my behind in an attempt to fail them all and force them to spend the summer with me in summer school. (Something that’s not even possible because they don’t offer this class during summer school and even if they did I wouldn’t teach it.) However, I ignored the rumblings and continued with my routine.
On Monday I gave the students an in class quiz/review to recap the chapter and give them something to help them study for their test on Wednesday. I even took it a step further and informed them that if they emailed me their quiz/review by Tuesday at 3:00, I would check it and have it back to them by that evening. Guess how many students took me up on this offer. No, really. Guess. 1. 1 out of 25 students. What’s worse is that the one who turned it in didn’t finish. Despite having over an hour of in-class time to complete it and all day Monday and most of the day Tuesday, she didn't finish.
So I administer the test in the computer lab across the hall from my class because I don’t have enough computers for them to take it in my class. To see the blank stares on their faces when they pulled up this 25 question test, you would think that I gave them an exam on quantum physics in a class about elementary math. But all they had to do was study. Do the quiz/review and study. I decided to help them out by taking the 15 questions from the quiz/review, verbatim, and placing it on the 25 question test. Even if they only got the 15 questions right from the quiz they were guaranteed at least a “D.” If they could get lucky and answer a few of the other 10 questions, it was very likely they could get a “C” or a “B.”
George Washington Carver once said that “Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom.” If Mr. Carver is correct our youth are going to need a locksmith. Let me remind you that I teach “bright kids.” I’m not teaching the lowest performing, or even middle of the pack kids. I teach high performing, AP, dual enrollment, honors, gifted, magnet students and this is what I get. I’m saddened, troubled, disturbed and taken aback by the lack of respect, urgency and appreciation, and the sense of entitlement these students have.
They may be able to crack codes to get onto Facebook, despite the district’s firewall but they don’t know how to do a PowerPoint. They may be able to figure out how to download new music/movies for free, but they don’t know how to attach a Word document to an email. They may be able to tell you every line from a Lil Wayne song, but can’t tell you what’s in the Bill of Rights. Did I mention that these kids are “smart”?
They have no idea of the cutthroat world that awaits them on the other side of graduation. They don’t have a clue that they’re not just in competition with their classmates, but with students in the district, around the nation, and abroad. I love my school, I truly do. However, I would be lying if I told you that my high school diploma and my Top 5% ranking prepared me for life after high school. I’m quick to acknowledge that my friends and I are the exception to the rule as opposed to the rule itself. Many of my classmates, some of whom finished in front of me academically, struggled mightily with the transition to college. For some, the transition was so much that they either took more than 4/5 years to graduate or didn’t graduate at all.
I’ve tried to relay this message and my experience to them and it goes in one ear and out the other. Apparently they have it all figured it out: world hunger, the economic crisis, peace in the Middle East, and the jobs situation. The adults who get paid to fix these problems and have years of experience and schooling to do so may not have answers, but these kids do. I guess I should consider myself lucky to work with such a bright group of students. I haven’t given up hope yet and I’m still fighting the “good fight.” Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Thirsty Horses
“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.”
-Unknown
Greetings folks! At one time or another we’ve all had the moment where we were the smartest person in the room. The moment where you’re giving out suggestions and ideas, borderline genius stuff, and no one listened. The moment where the light bulb above your ahead was shining so bright you thought it might blind you. The moment where you legitimately thought about filling out an application to MENSA. Whether or not we were alone in that room or that room was the 3 year old room in a daycare is beside the point. The point is—is that you’ve had that experience and it sucked. Here you are with a million and one better things to do, like planning to take over the world, or how to get that pretty woman at the gym to notice you without thinking you’re weird, and you’re wasting your genius on these smucks. Waste of talent I know.
My advice to you: L.I.G. it. Let it go! No matter how great of an idea you may have, no matter how sound your advice may be, and no matter how dead on your statement may be, if someone chooses not to listen, you have to shrug it off and move on. Being angry about it is not worth the ensuing bleeding ulcer and high blood pressure meds. So what your friend decided to bet on the Patriots in the Super Bowl after you exhaustively explained why they would lose? So what your brother decided to ignore the rash on his girlfriend’s inner thigh as makeup, rather than a sign she might be a tad bit “promiscuous”? Who cares if your roommate thought it was a good idea to rent out the extra bedroom (a la the Gallaghers on “Shameless”) to various unsavory characters? (Well maybe you do and you probably should but you get the point.)
The point is, is that there will come a time where you will actually have a good idea and no matter how great of an idea it may be, someone will ignore it. I know it may hurt a tad bit more if the advisee is a loved one or if your good ideas are few and far between. But we have to deal. It sucks. I know. However, while some of us can learn from the mistakes of others or from instruction, there are many others who only learn that the stove is hot after suffering 3rd degree burns.
Part of the reason why we get so bothered is because we’re right and we know we’re right. Another reason why we’re so bothered is because we’re right and want acknowledgment of this fact in public and in private. And another large part is because once the other person realizes just how egregious their mistake was, and just how right we were, we’re the ones who are going to be called in to clean up the mess. So in many ways, our desire to have our advice taken is a way to save us from a massive cleanup job later. I know. I get it. I feel your pain.
The fact still remains that you can’t force people to do anything they don’t want to do. It’s a byproduct of the constitutional safeguards against involuntary servitude. Furthermore, a lot of times the harder we push for our idea, the harder they are going to fight against it. Many times increasing the damage exponentially. Give the advice, leave it on the table, and walk away from it. If, I mean when, you’re proven right, you have a couple of choices. You can extend a helping hand, get a broom and dust pan and help clean up the mess. Or you can walk away and leave the person to clean it up themselves. Both choices come with the option to point, laugh, and so long as this mistake doesn’t involve genitalia or a federal investigation, display the ensuing disgrace on Facebook/Twitter and gain the public vindication you so desperately crave. Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!
-Unknown
Greetings folks! At one time or another we’ve all had the moment where we were the smartest person in the room. The moment where you’re giving out suggestions and ideas, borderline genius stuff, and no one listened. The moment where the light bulb above your ahead was shining so bright you thought it might blind you. The moment where you legitimately thought about filling out an application to MENSA. Whether or not we were alone in that room or that room was the 3 year old room in a daycare is beside the point. The point is—is that you’ve had that experience and it sucked. Here you are with a million and one better things to do, like planning to take over the world, or how to get that pretty woman at the gym to notice you without thinking you’re weird, and you’re wasting your genius on these smucks. Waste of talent I know.
My advice to you: L.I.G. it. Let it go! No matter how great of an idea you may have, no matter how sound your advice may be, and no matter how dead on your statement may be, if someone chooses not to listen, you have to shrug it off and move on. Being angry about it is not worth the ensuing bleeding ulcer and high blood pressure meds. So what your friend decided to bet on the Patriots in the Super Bowl after you exhaustively explained why they would lose? So what your brother decided to ignore the rash on his girlfriend’s inner thigh as makeup, rather than a sign she might be a tad bit “promiscuous”? Who cares if your roommate thought it was a good idea to rent out the extra bedroom (a la the Gallaghers on “Shameless”) to various unsavory characters? (Well maybe you do and you probably should but you get the point.)
The point is, is that there will come a time where you will actually have a good idea and no matter how great of an idea it may be, someone will ignore it. I know it may hurt a tad bit more if the advisee is a loved one or if your good ideas are few and far between. But we have to deal. It sucks. I know. However, while some of us can learn from the mistakes of others or from instruction, there are many others who only learn that the stove is hot after suffering 3rd degree burns.
Part of the reason why we get so bothered is because we’re right and we know we’re right. Another reason why we’re so bothered is because we’re right and want acknowledgment of this fact in public and in private. And another large part is because once the other person realizes just how egregious their mistake was, and just how right we were, we’re the ones who are going to be called in to clean up the mess. So in many ways, our desire to have our advice taken is a way to save us from a massive cleanup job later. I know. I get it. I feel your pain.
The fact still remains that you can’t force people to do anything they don’t want to do. It’s a byproduct of the constitutional safeguards against involuntary servitude. Furthermore, a lot of times the harder we push for our idea, the harder they are going to fight against it. Many times increasing the damage exponentially. Give the advice, leave it on the table, and walk away from it. If, I mean when, you’re proven right, you have a couple of choices. You can extend a helping hand, get a broom and dust pan and help clean up the mess. Or you can walk away and leave the person to clean it up themselves. Both choices come with the option to point, laugh, and so long as this mistake doesn’t involve genitalia or a federal investigation, display the ensuing disgrace on Facebook/Twitter and gain the public vindication you so desperately crave. Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
My President is Black!
“My president is black.”- Jeezy
Greetings folks! I love and support my President. Not because he’s African American, but because he’s my President and I think he’s leading us in the right direction. It’s a bonus that we both our dads are African-Americans. However, I would be remised if I didn’t bring attention to the fact that I believe some of the turmoil he’s experienced during his tenure in office is not somehow race related. Up until now I have decided not to speak out on the subject, but I can no longer sit down, watch and say nothing. I make an active decision to speak out on a lot of things but up until today had decided to stay away from the touchy topic. But why? Why should I dance around the elephant in the room as if it doesn’t exist? Ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away. Ask President Obama. So in an effort to be a part of the solution I will plainly acknowledge the elephant in the room. “Republicans don’t like black people.”
Ok maybe that’s going a little too far to the left, but at least it got your attention. Many of the policies President Obama has advocated have been items an overwhelming majority of Americans have supported such as the “Jobs Bill.” However, without sufficient rhyme or reason, the Republican dominated legislature said no.
Even to this day there are debates and questions about the President’s citizenship. Really? His citizenship? So the man who is the President of these United States of America is not a citizen? So he falsified the paperwork he had to file to run for President and no one caught it until now? Right! Please people. He’s just as American as the owner of the 7-11 on the corner, the Jewish bakery, and the local corner store.
How is it that people feel justified in heaping the economic turmoil that existed prior to his tenure in office on Obama’s head? The job shortage—his fault. The recession—that’s on him too. No more Kool-Aid in the refrigerator—oh that’s got to be the half black man’s fault. The truth of the matter is, is that we were in a hole the size of Texas before Obama took the oath of office. Thanks to 8 years of free spending, borrowing, lax regulations of the housing and financial industry, and tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans, we were in dire straits in January of 2009. Add to fact that between November 2008 and February 2009 America lost millions of jobs. Clearly the man who hadn’t even finished setting up his cabinet, or putting Sasha and Malia’s pictures on his desk, couldn’t have been the culprit.
Many of the problems our president is facing he inherited from the party that wants to “take back their country.” Take it back from whom and do what with it? They had 8 years before Obama and during those 8 years, there was a CIA agent outted, there was Hurricane Katrina (which I’m not alleging they caused) and the horrible response, 9/11, 2 wars, and Osama bin laden trotted the globe freely…just to name a few.
In the less than 3 years Obama has been in office, he saved the American auto industry from collapsing, captured Osama bin laden, passed universal healthcare, ended the war in Iraq, appointed the first Latina to the U.S. Supreme Court, ended Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and saved us from suffering a 2nd Great Depression.
Is he perfect? No he isn’t. And contrary to what Republicans may think neither was Ronald Reagan. Hell, Reagan wasn’t even a good president, but I digress. When you think of all of the things he’s accomplished you have to ask yourself why? Why is there so much hatred and anger for this man who’s accomplished so much in so little time? The only thing I can think of is his race.
It’s sad to admit, or even think, that America in 2012 is still a place where racism still lives in the hearts of men and drives their decisions. It’s sad but true. I guess Kanye West was right, “racism still alive they just be concealing it.” There’s little or nothing I can do to change the minds of those individuals who don’t like him because of his father’s race, or because his mother was in love with a black man, or because all of that happened AND he got elected. What I can do is continue to support my President by voting for him, campaigning for him, fundraising for him, donating to his campaign and spreading the good news about a man (YES!). A man first name Barack. (AH!) Last name OBAMA! (UH-HUH) (In my Baptist preacher voice). If your president is black I encourage you to do the same. Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!
Greetings folks! I love and support my President. Not because he’s African American, but because he’s my President and I think he’s leading us in the right direction. It’s a bonus that we both our dads are African-Americans. However, I would be remised if I didn’t bring attention to the fact that I believe some of the turmoil he’s experienced during his tenure in office is not somehow race related. Up until now I have decided not to speak out on the subject, but I can no longer sit down, watch and say nothing. I make an active decision to speak out on a lot of things but up until today had decided to stay away from the touchy topic. But why? Why should I dance around the elephant in the room as if it doesn’t exist? Ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away. Ask President Obama. So in an effort to be a part of the solution I will plainly acknowledge the elephant in the room. “Republicans don’t like black people.”
Ok maybe that’s going a little too far to the left, but at least it got your attention. Many of the policies President Obama has advocated have been items an overwhelming majority of Americans have supported such as the “Jobs Bill.” However, without sufficient rhyme or reason, the Republican dominated legislature said no.
Even to this day there are debates and questions about the President’s citizenship. Really? His citizenship? So the man who is the President of these United States of America is not a citizen? So he falsified the paperwork he had to file to run for President and no one caught it until now? Right! Please people. He’s just as American as the owner of the 7-11 on the corner, the Jewish bakery, and the local corner store.
How is it that people feel justified in heaping the economic turmoil that existed prior to his tenure in office on Obama’s head? The job shortage—his fault. The recession—that’s on him too. No more Kool-Aid in the refrigerator—oh that’s got to be the half black man’s fault. The truth of the matter is, is that we were in a hole the size of Texas before Obama took the oath of office. Thanks to 8 years of free spending, borrowing, lax regulations of the housing and financial industry, and tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans, we were in dire straits in January of 2009. Add to fact that between November 2008 and February 2009 America lost millions of jobs. Clearly the man who hadn’t even finished setting up his cabinet, or putting Sasha and Malia’s pictures on his desk, couldn’t have been the culprit.
Many of the problems our president is facing he inherited from the party that wants to “take back their country.” Take it back from whom and do what with it? They had 8 years before Obama and during those 8 years, there was a CIA agent outted, there was Hurricane Katrina (which I’m not alleging they caused) and the horrible response, 9/11, 2 wars, and Osama bin laden trotted the globe freely…just to name a few.
In the less than 3 years Obama has been in office, he saved the American auto industry from collapsing, captured Osama bin laden, passed universal healthcare, ended the war in Iraq, appointed the first Latina to the U.S. Supreme Court, ended Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and saved us from suffering a 2nd Great Depression.
Is he perfect? No he isn’t. And contrary to what Republicans may think neither was Ronald Reagan. Hell, Reagan wasn’t even a good president, but I digress. When you think of all of the things he’s accomplished you have to ask yourself why? Why is there so much hatred and anger for this man who’s accomplished so much in so little time? The only thing I can think of is his race.
It’s sad to admit, or even think, that America in 2012 is still a place where racism still lives in the hearts of men and drives their decisions. It’s sad but true. I guess Kanye West was right, “racism still alive they just be concealing it.” There’s little or nothing I can do to change the minds of those individuals who don’t like him because of his father’s race, or because his mother was in love with a black man, or because all of that happened AND he got elected. What I can do is continue to support my President by voting for him, campaigning for him, fundraising for him, donating to his campaign and spreading the good news about a man (YES!). A man first name Barack. (AH!) Last name OBAMA! (UH-HUH) (In my Baptist preacher voice). If your president is black I encourage you to do the same. Until next time, Stay Up and Be Blessed!
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