Wednesday, Dec. 04, 2002
A fire just waiting for fuel, posted at 4:32 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com Today was such an odd day. The kids worked well on this group activity that I gave them. I think I will be assigning them to groups from now on (instead of letting them choose), because they did quite well and stayed on task much more than usual. All except this one kid. But I won't go there. I was happy with the depth of their responses to questions that really made them get into Harper Lee's mind in making some of the decisions she did while writing To Kill a Mockingbird: Why did she include these specific minor characters? Why might this or that symbolize? Why did she choose a first person narrator? I was very pleased with how it all turned out. It's so great to see kids go from responses like, "She wanted to fill up more space" and "She wanted to have an even number of characters" to things like, "The first person point of view allows us to trace Scout's development and her loss of innocence and gaining of a new perspective as a theme of the book." That's a little awkwardly written, but for a 9th grader, it's pretty good.But I had this feeling that the kids were making fun of me all day. It was especially strong in 7th period, when I could have swore that two girls were pointing at me and laughing. I thought my fly was down, but a subtle check a little later shoed it wasn't.
Part of it might be anxiety from feeling self-conscious all day, though. I have made it into the gym every day in the morning this week, so I pack my change of clothes the night before and change at the gym or at school. The clothes I packed for today were huge on me, and I didn't know until I had changed at school. I just belted up the pants that were six inches too big and the shirt which was only one size too big but seemed two. I didn't think it looked that bad, but it sure felt slovenly all day. Plus, I decided to totally shave today. I haven't been totally clean shaven since the summer. There are few feelings I think feel worse than a totally clean-shaven face. I usually just leave a tiny bit of stubble, but decided on a whim today to just totally take it all off. I feel like the Pilsbury Doughboy. I felt fat all day, even after a great workout. Maybe it's still post-Thanksgiving weight, but I think it's more mental - with assists from the clean shave and the huge clothes. Add that to the fact that I forgot my dress shoes, so ended up wearing my brown Adidas with my khakis and tie. I didn't feel bad about that, until a kid I didn't even know came in after school and was talking to me, asking me if I was a fun teacher because he might have me next semester, then told me he had heard stories about the shoes. Nope, it wasn't the first time it had happened.
Oh well.
The school was in a clamor all day about the snowstorm that is on its way. After Bre's comments in my guestbook yesterday and reading in the Baltimore Sun this morning that this could be the worst snowstorm in three years, I have to admit I'm a little excited as well. Under tasks today, I wrote the following for the third activity of the day: "Group prayer for a snow day tomorrow." The kids rarely read the objectives on the boad, so I was seeing if anyone would notice. They did. I helped it along with a little "just kidding" and a smiley face. (Yes, I'm quite a dork.) I never much liked snow in Michigan; the state's harsh winters were one of the primary reasons I left. I enjoy the white stuff the week of Christmas, that's it. I specifically moved to a temperate area like Baltimore because I wanted a little bit of a winter and seasonal changes, and the state didn't let me down last year. In fact, it was too temperate last year. I'd like to get at least one good snowfall in, just for the snow day possibilities and the amusement factor. I'm very excited about waking up tomorrow and watching the news to see if I have to go into work. In my three years of full time teaching, I've never yet had a snow day - not even when I taught in Michigan for my internship year.
So, yes, I'm excited about the snow coming. It should be a blast. Even if we have school, I'm sure only half the kids will show up, so it will be a chill day.
***
Other random thoughts:
I'm stoked about the lighting of the Washington Monument of Baltimore tomorrow night. Here's an e-mail I sent a bunch of area friends today:
Hey gang!
Long time no see for many of you. Hope everyone's holiday was good. Anyhow, I'm wondering if any of you are planning on attending the Lighting of the Monument in Mt. Vernon on Thursday night and wanted to meet up. Holden and I will be there, with bells on. (Literally for Holden. And antlers.) If you didn't go last year, it was a blast - definitely one of my favorite events I have ever attended in Baltimore. (schoolname) choir performs, the 2012 US President will speak, there are fireworks, there are food and drink stands, etc. Let me know if you want to meet up, or give me a ring. I also have a hankering to go out and have a blast on Friday, but that's another story.
Let me know if you want to meet up anywhere.
Keeping my fingers crossed for a snow day tomorrow,
(Epiphany)
I got a lot responses about the US President of 2012 comment. I was speaking, of course, of Martin O'Malley. Here's my armchair prediction: Gore wins the nomination again in 2004 and loses badly because we're at war and for some reason a lot of people like Dubya. Another Republican, perhaps John McCain (but probably not because he'll be old but it'll be someone like him), will win in 2008 because the Democratic Party will continue to go all passionless and centrist and will nominate someone like John Kerry or Evan Baih. Martin O'Malley, an independent liberal with respect from all sides, will defeat Hillary Clinton in the primaries of 2012, sweeping in from the left and soundly defeating the incumbent. O'Malley will have served a term and a half as governor of Maryland, an office he'll win in 2006. By 2012, I will be 35, hopefully married with a kid or two, probably not living in Baltimore, still teaching but hopefully with my Master's, and Holden and Tobey will still be around but be moving a little slower than they are today. And at this pace, there will be about 3000 entries in the Epiphany in Baltimore journals.
***
Movies I want to see the most in the next four weeks: 1) Adaptation.
2) About Schmidt.
3) Antwone Fisher.
4) The Two Towers.
5) Catch Me If You Can.
6) Gangs of New York.
7) Solaris.
8) Chicago.
9)The Hours.
10) Standing on the Shoulders of Motown
***
I think I have gingivitis, because my gums keep bleeding when I brush and the Internet tells me that is a symptom of it. I haven't been to the dentist since I moved to Baltimore. I'm anal about my teeth and take excellent care of them (brush/floss/listerine gargle every day), but don't know how to look for a dentist, am worried that my insurance won't cover a visit, and have never been to any dentist except for the one that I've had since I've had teeth. Ugh.
***
I feel like doing nothing at all except lay around. I may head out to Best Buy, though, to buy a CD burner. I have an itch to start making mix CDs for friends, especially Hugasoul. She tells me I shouldn't buy an external one, but since I don't think I'd be able to install an internal one, I'm not sure what I'm going to do.