I saw a link to this blog entry the other day. I think the guy is on to something. Let me know what you think... (this is my first attempt to link to something, so let's hope it works...)
I have been thinking about hope lately. How hope is defined, how we find hope, and who can really offer us hope. I came into my local coffee house today to find they were selling "inauguration" cookies. The lovely cookies had one word written on them--hope. This has become a word strangely synonymous with our soon-to-be president, and I'm not totally sure how I feel about that. On one hand, I think it is good to hope--good to hope that things can and will get better. Good to hope that people really can make a difference. Good to hope that traditions, mindsets, obstacles can change. I find it a good thing to hope for all of these. But I also worry about hope. Worry that sometimes we put all of our hope in people, circumstances, words. I'm not sure that something as powerful and vital as hope can be managed by something as small as a person. Or even a group of people. Partly I think this because hopes are so easily dashed and regaining hope is so hard. So ...
I've been reading a TON of my students' work lately. Grades are due in the next few days. By far the most interesting reading has been my students' freewriting on who they admire. We are currently working on the beginning of our research papers (I say we because I'm writing with them--I am becoming more and more convinced that this is something every teacher needs to do. It helps me know how effective or ineffective an assignment is, and it gives me a serious dose of sympathy for my writers. But anyway...back to the topic at hand...) The research assignment is to come up with someone they think should go on the "Ms. Taylor's Wall of Fame." They can choose anyone they want as long as they can find enough research on the person; I'm researching Frank McCourt . They are going to have to write a persuasive research paper explaining why that person is worthy of the wall (they also have to come up with a title--mine is "Best Teacher-Turned-Writ...
Due to some unfortunate events in 3rd period (high schoolers sometimes think they are taller than they actually are and more agile as well...that's all I'll say about that...), I was in need of a new clock. This is how to get a clock: 1. Take clock to the assistant principal's office at the end of your hall. Here you will find you need to speak to someone in the main office. 2. Take clock to the main office. Here you will discover that you need to meet someone at the loading dock. 3. Walk towards loading dock. Realize you are not completely sure you know where the loading dock is. Take clock to the security desk to ascertain where the loading dock is. 4. After the kind folks at the security desk confirm that the people at the loading dock have a clock, head to the loading dock according to your newly acquire directions. 5. Trade in broken clock for shiny, new, accurate clock. 6. Take new clock to classroom. Here you will find that the screw in the wall doesn't like the ...
Comments