2001-03-10
Reflections on the week, posted at 18:48:53
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com It's beautiful out today. It's only 40 degrees and there's still snow on the ground, but it's sunny and beautiful. The air feels warm after a week of frigid temperatures. I can't wait to live in an area where a day like today would be considered crummy, or average. I just had a wonderful, two-hour workout - something I needed after the lazy week I had. It was actually a pretty grueling week, but it wasn't very healthy. "Why am I so soft in the middle, when the rest of my life is so hard?" - Paul Simon. It fit this week, and most of my life in fact. Things are getting better, though. I'm prioritizing. Looking out for my health. It's working. My sister, who has long been the healthier one in the family, and is actually pretty good looking even though she has a tendency to put on weight just like all Miazga's, asked me for fitness tips last night. That was a change. She commented that she never would have even thought she'd be doing that a year ago. The week was long and hard. I had some good moments in the classroom, but plenty of bad ones. I was a mediocre teacher this week. Two-thirds of my 5th hour hasn't read "Catcher in the Rye", I'd guess, which is a disappointment. 7th hour did a lot better. I should have been more tough, I should have given more quizzes, I should have been a better teacher. But it's tough, balancing it out with the term paper with senioritis-prone Seniors who complain every day about how much work I give them. Even though I know it's best for them, I remember just how busy I was in high school, too. The "Oh my fucking god" girl has been nothing but polite to me since the incident. The true test is if she has been getting her work done during her in-school suspension this week. I really hope so. She's a good kid, even if she doesn't know it or act like it. The shootings in California and copy cat crimes around the nation were serious, but it's also showed me just how much media shapes people's perception of events. Did you know that school violence has decreased steadily and rapidly every year since 1990? Did you know that urban schools have never had an Columbine or Santana type of incident? You'd never know from the coverage. Schools are still the safest place for kids - certainly safer than the streets or a car trip. I'm so glad I got involved in "Guy and Dolls". Even though staying at school until 10pm has been exhausting, the kids' hard work motivates me to be a better teacher. It's amazing how hard they are working for this. The musical is in a week, and I can't wait. My sister and her friend who I've known all her life, Erin, came to visit me last night. Surprised me. My room smelled like dirty laundry and rotten bananas and I was on duty so I couldn't leave, but it was still a pleasant surprise. Heidi had her 25th hairstyle in two years. She looks like a feather duster. She also got a bizarre Cindy Crawford-esque beauty mark tatoo that will last three years. Tonight, I'm going to go visit my Alzheimer's-crippled grandmother for the first time since she moved into the assisted living place. I'm excited to see her. Sorry, this wasn't really much of an entry...