Monday

Three weeks until the end of the quarter. Where did it go?

What a day. It was one of those days where it was over before I ever really got to take a breath or settle down. First block was off and running to try and get into the computer lab to finish an essay from two weeks ago (remember we had a week off for MEA) before another class came in. Then we returned to the room to begin focusing on "The Masque of the Red Death." To give the students some background knowledge on the plague, I printed off some information from eyewitnesstohistory.com. In that section are several accounts from the middle ages and how the plague killed close to half the total population. In one vivid description of the Bubonic plague, it noted how victims would get large tumors on their bodies in such places as their armpits and groin. Sometimes the tumors grew as large as an egg or even an apple. So before class I ran to the staff lounge to grab my apple from the refrigerator. Then while we were reading the section, I said, "Now imagine a tumor in a very uncomfortable spot as big as this." And I held up the apple. "Imagine it rubbing and aching and then tearing open with puss oozing out all over," then I took a bite of the apple.

A few kids almost lost it. It was hilarious. I continued to eat the apple as I talked about all the grisly details of the plague. I loved it.

Next up was my prep, but that was devoted to reading essays for my fourth block. I came across two heart wrenchers. Now they hit me so hard, possibly, because I just lost Dad not too long ago and Mom not too long before him. But they both dealt with the death of parents. In one a girl's step-mom was trying to remind her that the ten year anniversary of her mother's death will fall just a few days prior to her graduation. The step-mom was also trying to tell her daughter how proud her mother would be. The essay was mostly dialogue and it was the sort of dialogue where you want to say something really important but you can't bring yourself to do it so you have to talk your way around it, letting what you don't say speak volumes instead. It was masterful.

The other essay concerned a student who is adopted. She found out that her adopted parents had received a letter from her birth mom, but they didn't show it to her. When she finally read it, she found that her birth mother was dying (or already dead) from cancer (the essay was handwritten and that point was hazy).

Both are rich with possibilities. If the writers are willing to work at it.

My third hour, senior English, was an introduction to the Restoration - really about an hour of notes and discussion. The students got a kick out of the fact that the British government actually dug Oliver Cromwell up and had him beheaded. But I think what will stick most with the students is that while we were discussing the Restoration, a cell phone starting ringing. I ignored it at first, but then I said, "Okay, turn it off." Then I mumbled, "Hey, that is the same ring tone as mine!" I usually give an automatic quiz whenever I even see a cell phone out, but I was feeling lenient.

Then a student spoke up, "I think it's your's!" It was. I didn't have it on vibrate or silent.

I looked at the clock and saw that Kristie was on her lunch break. Busted.

"Okay, okay. Since I don't want to take 32 different quizzes from you guys. I'll just make up a quiz bank in the grade book and give everyone 25 points since MY cell phone went off." Then, of course, it started beeping signalling that Kristie had left me a voice mail.

Finally I got them settled down and working when it rang again! I had gotten wrapped up in reading essays that I forgot to set the blasted thing to silent.

"Uh oh," some students said.

"Answer it! Answer it!" they chanted. So I did. It was my wife. She was just going to leave me another message and didn't actually think I'd answer.

"Okay, I'll give you another quiz worth of points in the grade book."

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA."

Then the questions started pouring in - when did you get married? Did you have a bachelor party? Did your wife have a bachelorette party? Where did you get married? How many kids do you have?

And I let them in to my world a bit. They need to see that side of the teacher sometimes too.

Finally, College Comp rolled around. Avis from the college was over to sit in on my class. We discussed "The Yellow Wallpaper." I warned some of my smart-alecs that I didn't want the Colbert Report style of discussion or criticism. For those of you who don't know, and I count myself among your number, Colbert is a political comedian. He has this report on Comedy Central, I think. It is how my step-son and many young man get their information, which is scary. I have noticed too on some of the shallower programming, such as VH1, whenever they do an a retrospect on a musical era or pop culture era, instead of talking to experts or historians, they are quick to bring in the comedians. Somehow getting our knowledge filtered through comedians instead of intellectuals scares the hell out of me.

But our discussion went very well. The kids liked it, which surprised me, and had several interesting theories. It was one of Avis's favorite stories too, so she offered valuable insights.

She also noticed that while I had better students that she does in college (they take just about anyone whereas there are certain academic requirements one has to meet to take a college in the high school class)I had to deal with more foolishness, what I call "The Jackass Factor," than she does. Usually these are athletes (hockey and football) who treat the class like it's high school and not college. Even after visiting with parents I still found one student rapidly scrawling down his assignment in the first few minutes of class. What can you do? It's one of the frustrating things about that class - it's a college class comprised of high school kids. There's that fine line I have to walk between treating them as college students yet reprimanding them for being high school students.

School was out and I left early for the supermarket. There I ran into several people I knew and chatted away half an hour. Dad would have been proud.

Just before bed I fired up the laptop and fired off another four pages. Unfortunately, I downed a couple cups of coffee later than usual. So when I went to bed my mind wasn't ready. Then when I just dosed off, the caffeine kicked in and I was up quite late. But the essay will be done by Friday!