I Was Tagged Twice...So Here's Five Things About Me

My childhood is repeating itself.

I hated tag when I was in elementary school. I was a little slow and there was always some kid who couldn’t just tag you…he had to tackle you in order to send you reeling into the ground at warp speed. Sometimes I was a little slow to leave the game and durn if I didn’t get tagged more than once by sarcastic little boys. I can only hope the gods that watch over sweet non-athletic girls have exacted their pound of flesh and my tormentors are this very afternoon attempting to haul their fat lazy rear ends up out of their Laz-e-boys to go get another beer as they wallow in debt up to their eyeballs, put up with beligerant kids, and listen to the harange of a nagging, poorly attired wife. No, no….I’m really not bitter.

Really.

Well, since before the holidays there has been a little event circulating where tagged people must disclose five things about themselves and then tag others. I discovered The Reflective Teacher had tagged me over a week ago and it would seem that thirty-four years hasn’t really made that much difference except in the manner of tagging. Once again I was a little slow in doing my part and I got tagged again today by Michael over at The Information Literacy Land of Confusion.

I actually appreciate getting tagged because I had dropped off a little in my commenting over the holidays and it’s nice to know folks still know I’m in the game.

So here’s five things about me…..

1. Though I haven’t played seriously since I was in my early 20s I took classical piano lessons from third grade through my Senior year in highschool. My teacher was a member of the National Piano Teacher’s Association or something like that. She was required to present her students each year at the National Playing Auditions where we were judged and therefore she was too. Every year it got harder and harder. When I was in highschool I was constantly practicing for the auditions where I had to play several different movements from classical pieces from Brahams, Purcell, and Mozart from memory. By my senior year I was close to a nervous breakdown and backed out on my teacher. I always felt bad about that.

2. I am not a morning person. I explain this early on to students so their feelings won’t get hurt when I am a little short with them or don’t respond they way they think I might. They know to come in and whisper and get ready for their day without any loud commotion. One year I heard a little boy lean over to the girl next to him and say, “Hey, has she had her Coke yet?” My students understand I have to have my Coke in the morning…..it’s my substitute for coffee.

3. I was the Walmart Teacher of the Year for 2002 in the small town where I teach. This meant so much to me as it was an award voted on by parents and students.

4. I’m actually very shy. I rarely walk up to a group of people even if they are friends without being invited first with a nod or a “hello”. I think sometimes people don’t understand and actually think I’m being uppity or rude.

5. I was an active and overly involved PTA parent for years not only at the school level but at the county and state level as well. I enjoyed it and drive by my son’s elementary school at least once a week with the knowledge that my efforts placed a guard rail between the school and a very busy highway. We really had to fight for that one. I also helped in procuring many of the items on the playground. My paralegal experience helped me complete the incorporation papers for my son’s highschool PTSA since it was a brand new school.

There you have it …five things about me. I will do my duty and tag others, but since so many have already played I will tag them by email.

Which U.S. President Are You Most Like?

Blogthings has a quiz to find out which U.S. president you are most like. Go on over and find out for yourself. I did, however, I’m a bit concerned……

Go on over to American Presidents and see who I’m most like.

Is Isn't Really Christmas Until....

This particular commercial always signaled to me that Christmas had arrived. For someone from the deep South I was intrigued with racing down snow coverered hills. Santa looked like he was having fun. When I was little I would have dearly loved to climb aboard that Norelco shaver and race down the hills.

This particular clip isn't exactly the way I remember it. Am I wrong or did the original version have longer clips of Santa whisking down and around the hills?

I wish Norelco would revive and update this ad campaign for the holidays. Oh well, I guess it isn't racy enough or perhaps they are afraid of alienating those that don't believe in Santa!

Sex in the Classroom

Early on in my teaching career I was attempting to discuss the events that gradually led up to the Civil War. My textbook at the time gave a heavy emphasis to slavery and did not mention the whole scope of events that led us down the path of war. I wanted my students to see how our growing nation was a cause to the war. Once the United States embarked on adding territory and new states to the Union sectionalism was inevitable. So I mentioned the word sectionalism in class. Immediately I had embarrassed looks, averted eyes, and a titter here and a guffaw there. “Oh my,” I thought. “What did I say?”

I continued talking. I showed students maps. I gave a nice explanation of sectionalism. I connected the word to another word we had learned earlier in the year…regionalism. Still, every time I said the word sectionalism students sat up straighter, had funny looks on their faces, and were finally at the point of a major meltdown. I gave up. “Ok, what’s going on?” I asked.

One young man bravely volunteered. “Mrs. Historyteacher, are you saying the Civil War was caused by sex?”

“Sex! Sex? When did I say sex?” I frantically searched my mind picturing myself as the lead story on the five o’clock news.

Everyone agreed at this point. “Yes, you said sex.”

“Yep, I head it.”

“How can sex cause a war?”

I thought that an explanation of Helen of Troy and the problems she caused would be inappropriate at the time, so I finally asked a dependable young man to tell me exactly what he heard.

“Well, you said sexionalism was a cause to the Civil War.”

So, it finally dawned on me what I had done wrong and I quickly backtracked to correct my error. I learned that day that when you introduce new vocabulary words to students that might sound like another word it would be most helpful to write the vocabulary word on the board before you begin to speak, and while you are speaking it, it would also be beneficial to walk by the word occasionally and point to it for emphasis.

I posted on sectionalism a bit more at the American Presidents Blog. Take a visit there and learn a little about the Election of 1824. There's also a great post there titled "White House...and Internet...Phantoms" that is very interesting.

And Now for Something Really Fun....

The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert. After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep. Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, “Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?”

The Lone Ranger replies, “I see millions of stars.”

“What that tell you?” asked Tonto.

The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute and then says, “Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.

Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo.

Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning.

Theologically, the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant.

Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you Tonto?”

“You dumber than buffalo dung. Someone stole the tent.”

Thanks to a fellow teacher who emailed these items to me. It's been a long hard day and I needed a chuckle. How 'bout you?