Backdating Timestamps: So Awesome

August 23, 2008 in Week in Review
Tags: backdating, blog, entries, off-, reading, recent, timestamp, topic

Any reader who has ever needed to work as much overtime as possible should understand why my free time has been at a premium, and why my most recent entries haven’t been very punctual. If it weren’t a matter of pride and if I didn’t value the writing practice that keeping a blog provides, I’d forget about keeping up with my daily entries, just updating this thing whenever I felt compelled.

Alas for my Saturday mornings, but it is a matter of pride and I do value the practice.

In case you’ve missed out on any of the backdated entries and would like to catch up, feel free to use the calendar to preview the titles of the last month’s entries, or use the following list.

Anti-Papist Ironies — In this rare detour into personal religion, a response to anti-Catholic criticisms.
Working Guys and Dolls — Equal opportunity employment doesn’t mean equal retention and turnover.
Be Cool to the Camera Guy, Part Two — Unsatisfactorily answering the age-old question: Isn’t teaching the hardest job, ever?
Blame Expendable Women — Neo-conservative leaders aren’t sexist — they know women can defend themselves.
Be Cool to the Camera Guy, Part One — You accomplish nothing by being rude to the service industry’s peons.
Good Thing Copland’s Dead — If you’ve never heard the Lincoln Portrait, be glad.
Three-Drill Monte for Oil — Stephen Colbert lampoons both ridiculous sides of the energy debate.
Alma Mater of Siblings — Younger sister follows in steps of older brother, but it could just be a coincidence.
My Car’s Name is Helen — My very special relationship breaks down.

Will I be back on track next week, even though I’ll be working four days next week, the school photography season is only just picking up and I have two weekly band rehearsals I have to worry about? Signs point to yes.

See you all tomorrow.

Teaching History Through Ignorance

January 22, 2008 in Week in Review
Tags: american government, classroom, government, learning, pedagogy, poster project, student teaching, students, survival strategies, teaching, u.s. history, world history

I teach history. The last time I took a history class was in high school. This hasn’t been a problem so far — I know U.S. history and I know American government like the back of my hand.

As of Wednesday, I’ve added on a world history class. Believe you-me, I was unprepared. 

On a whim, I took up my third period of student teaching on a regular basis this week. Unlike the other two American government classes — seniors are so easy to work with — my third period is a world history class. With sophomores.

To make matters worse, this master teacher has a style that commands attention while ignoring side conversations, his booming voice very easily speaking over them. I don’t fault him for it. It works for him — just not for me.

These might seem like separate problems. Usually, they are. 

Trial by Fire: Week One in Review

January 13, 2008 in Week in Review
Tags: politics, substitute teaching, Week in Review

Those first three words are all it takes. I was all by myself, but I did well enough.

My master teacher made both her copies and mine in preparation for her week off on sick leave. She said she’d check in, if needed, to assure her students that she was alive: not deathly ill, abducted by aliens or in Disneyland. It wasn’t needed, having no problems keeping them under control and having assured her students she was still alive.

After, of course, insisting that she was deathly ill, abducted by aliens and in Disneyland.