Thursday night
It’s Thursday night, and as the Black Crowes’ Greasy Grass River rocks on in the background, my automatic Outlook alerts remind me that it is time to repost on the blog. It’s not that much of interest has occurred since my last posting, but it seems like most of my thoughts seem to linger around the different aspects of my life at school!
First off, for those of you who haven’t figured it out, we are smack dab in the middle of some seriously hard-core test prep sessions. Another Cochran algebra teacher and myself are leading test prep sessions after school 3 days a week…the crazy thing is that between us, we are averaging about 70 students for these (30 of mine, and 40 of hers….needless to say, I’m slightly jealous). We go from about 3:10 to about 4:20 each day we do this, and although I’m surprised at how much energy I actually have for these sessions, I am even more surprised (and absolutely loving the fact) that so many kids are serious about doing well on this test! It brings back memories of high school for me where my friends and I would essentially cram for what were then known as “Regents Exams” in the state of New York. I’m telling you…I have some of the best kids this year that I’ve ever had!
The other thing that has completely enveloped me has been a book that I recently picked up and absolutely cannot put down!
Relentless Pursuit: A Year in the Trenches with Teach For America documents the first year experience of four TFA teachers at Locke High School in South Los Angeles. Reading this book is like re-living my first year of life out here in Los Angeles. Since it’s not an official TFA publication, but rather published by Knopf publishers, the author, Donna Foote is able to be extremely objective and insightful! The crazy part is that although I’m not familiar with the four TFA teachers she shadowed (they’re all in the ’05 Corps; I was in the ’04 Corps), several of the other major people she writes about are people that I do personally know, including two of my “supervisors” from TFA when I was with the organization. I’m trying to figure out which is more engrossing…the narrative of a profession (and a passion) which essentially drives me, or reading about Samir Bolar, Felicia Cuesta, and Mackey Brown in an entirely new context!
Anyway, the week is almost out, tomorrow is the Pizza/Movie party for my kids who scored Proficient or Advanced on the Unit 3 Assessment…I’ve got to go get a movie tonight…Any suggestions?
Themocracy
I’m gonna get that book. Sounds fascinating!
Movies for 12- 13 yr olds?
How about:
1. The Game Plan
2. Enchanted
3. We Are Marshall
4.Harry Potter adn the Order of the Phoenix
5. The Simpsons Movie
All PG except the Simpsons Movie