Saturday, November 13, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
novvemmeber
the six ceilingless classrooms in the old gym are sort of driving some of us crazy, today I sort of had lay down the law with my last two classes of 9th graders. I'm not going to bore you with any of it though. Only that today we began the keep your mouth shut, raise your hand, and WAIT for a response before speaking!!! ha. oh my.
I decided on the way home from work that it was awesome moving from public school to college classes, and it's not so much fun the other way around going back to high school kids... I was pretty proud of myself calling 3 homes and telling them in my broken Spanish about why their kids had detention tomorrow etc etc.. blah
while discouraged and driving home today I was thinking yeah if I was killed in a car wreck right now, that's ok. a good life lived! but then I thought,well no one would even realize how ready I'd been when I died since it happened as an accident. ahh well. I guess the Lord will take me when He's ready anyway, once I've fullfilled His plan and all.. it may sound morbid because I keep it mostly excited and upbeat and hopeful and optimistic all the time on my blog, seriously, but today was just one of those days where I had to ask myself, why am I doing this again? how is this a service to anyone? what direction am I taking myself right now in life again? another winter, spring, summer, fall, repeat. single. live in my house. etc etc...
I spoke on the phone with the ex gf tonight about it and she made me feel better, telling me that yup, she thinks that all the time on awful days. We agreed that knowing where you're going after you die is a better place anyway, so why not want it and be ready for it form time to time.
HOWEVER!... I was happy again tonight to receive a call from a former student in NYC who did not have to return this fall to his Central AMerican country (where I taught him in 7th and 8th grade) because he got an internship in NYC with a very cool museum project going up in abhi dahbi (sp?). I'm so proud of him. not only that but a lamp he designed was chosen for an exhibit in Madrid this month so he's going in two weeks. all I could think of was how I want to buy him a size smaller of the same black hoodie sweater I got in TX for his trip! ha! anyway, that was a nice encouragement from God that there are still kids out there that still keep in touch with me from time to time.
you know what else cheers me up tonight. Burn notice reruns on my basic cable channel! Also listening to my Kabhi Khush Kabhie Gham soundtrack.
and in other technical news, I decided to join the pay-for-my-own-internet world today and got a bundle12 deal with ATT so that I'm getting internet with them plus free long distance and local etc... for a year anyway. I should receive the wireless modem MOnday... hopefully this will get me to grading the online class stuff more and not other less reputable surfing time.. :)
I decided on the way home from work that it was awesome moving from public school to college classes, and it's not so much fun the other way around going back to high school kids... I was pretty proud of myself calling 3 homes and telling them in my broken Spanish about why their kids had detention tomorrow etc etc.. blah
while discouraged and driving home today I was thinking yeah if I was killed in a car wreck right now, that's ok. a good life lived! but then I thought,well no one would even realize how ready I'd been when I died since it happened as an accident. ahh well. I guess the Lord will take me when He's ready anyway, once I've fullfilled His plan and all.. it may sound morbid because I keep it mostly excited and upbeat and hopeful and optimistic all the time on my blog, seriously, but today was just one of those days where I had to ask myself, why am I doing this again? how is this a service to anyone? what direction am I taking myself right now in life again? another winter, spring, summer, fall, repeat. single. live in my house. etc etc...
I spoke on the phone with the ex gf tonight about it and she made me feel better, telling me that yup, she thinks that all the time on awful days. We agreed that knowing where you're going after you die is a better place anyway, so why not want it and be ready for it form time to time.
HOWEVER!... I was happy again tonight to receive a call from a former student in NYC who did not have to return this fall to his Central AMerican country (where I taught him in 7th and 8th grade) because he got an internship in NYC with a very cool museum project going up in abhi dahbi (sp?). I'm so proud of him. not only that but a lamp he designed was chosen for an exhibit in Madrid this month so he's going in two weeks. all I could think of was how I want to buy him a size smaller of the same black hoodie sweater I got in TX for his trip! ha! anyway, that was a nice encouragement from God that there are still kids out there that still keep in touch with me from time to time.
you know what else cheers me up tonight. Burn notice reruns on my basic cable channel! Also listening to my Kabhi Khush Kabhie Gham soundtrack.
and in other technical news, I decided to join the pay-for-my-own-internet world today and got a bundle12 deal with ATT so that I'm getting internet with them plus free long distance and local etc... for a year anyway. I should receive the wireless modem MOnday... hopefully this will get me to grading the online class stuff more and not other less reputable surfing time.. :)
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Sunday, November 07, 2010
performance art, life, etc...
I was reading this article about a performance artist who discussed "art pollution" saying that, "you understand the kind of work that will have success with your audience and you start making it again and again, and you lose yourself. The worst part is that you don't surprise yourself with your work, you don't get new ideas or take risks, because of the possibility of failure. But failure is an incredibly important part of the work. Life itself is what's important, not studio space." I had underlined that and another part of the article, "My favourite spaces in life are the prison, monastery and sanatorium, because they're dealing with regularity. I see my body like a tool, like a machine. The body has to have this regularity, like a Swiss watch, so that the mind can go free."
I like how the first quote encourages us to move forward, create anew and search out other limits and possibilties, and to welcome change... and the next almost seems like the opposite. but it's not. It talks about the physical and the creative. I see myself in that I'm very comfortable in a routine from day to day and week to week, although I realize that I do have the freedom to adjust, change, improve anything as needed/wanted... And I definitely love the times when my body is set to work as usual and the mind can go free. The article of course is applying this to art. but even as a teacher, I think that I'm most comfortable with sticking to what I know works when teaching, and then at times I might evaluate and think what needs a bit of adjusting or needs to be thrown out altogether, trying something completely new... I currently think these things when considering introducing positive and negative numbers to Mexican immigrant students who barely have a background of knowing their times tables. And then of course all the things I try to include for teaching a language. What is too much, what should be used and at what level, how many steps, what needs repeated or affirmed. etc etc...
overall, the second quote makes me feel less OCD about liking things the same way when it comes to my day to day work week, from now on I'm calling that the cushion to my creative mind to think freely! ha
( I think it can also be considered good discipline when that weekly schedule includes getting time to regularly go to the gym btw. )
I like how the first quote encourages us to move forward, create anew and search out other limits and possibilties, and to welcome change... and the next almost seems like the opposite. but it's not. It talks about the physical and the creative. I see myself in that I'm very comfortable in a routine from day to day and week to week, although I realize that I do have the freedom to adjust, change, improve anything as needed/wanted... And I definitely love the times when my body is set to work as usual and the mind can go free. The article of course is applying this to art. but even as a teacher, I think that I'm most comfortable with sticking to what I know works when teaching, and then at times I might evaluate and think what needs a bit of adjusting or needs to be thrown out altogether, trying something completely new... I currently think these things when considering introducing positive and negative numbers to Mexican immigrant students who barely have a background of knowing their times tables. And then of course all the things I try to include for teaching a language. What is too much, what should be used and at what level, how many steps, what needs repeated or affirmed. etc etc...
overall, the second quote makes me feel less OCD about liking things the same way when it comes to my day to day work week, from now on I'm calling that the cushion to my creative mind to think freely! ha
( I think it can also be considered good discipline when that weekly schedule includes getting time to regularly go to the gym btw. )
everything everything again....
Everything Everything - Live in Bristol by BSPMusic
1. MY KZ, UR BF
2. Schoolin'
3. Final Form
4. Tin (The Manhole)
5. Photoshop Handsome
1. MY KZ, UR BF
2. Schoolin'
3. Final Form
4. Tin (The Manhole)
5. Photoshop Handsome
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