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Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
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7:45 pm
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| Monday, August 27th, 2007
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5:52 pm
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"We miss being ruffians, going wild and bright in the corners of front yards, getting in and out of cars. We miss being deviants. They'll find us here, here here in the guest room. Where we throw money at each other and cry, oh my. We can't stay here, we're starting to stay the same. We can't stay here, we can't stay this way." ~the national
I have a job! Hooray! And school starts in a week, which is really, really soon. I'll be teaching sixth grade English/language arts. I student taught twelfth grade. There is a HUGE difference between those ages; it will be a completely different environment. I want to teach middle school, though. At first I was set on working with high schoolers, but this summer I've reconsidered. Especially because I'm teaching in New York City, I think working with younger students will be better for me as I'm just starting out. During my interview process I taught a demo lesson at this school to kids who just finished sixth grade, and I loved them. At this age they're generally still at the point where they want to do well in school and want to show off what they know. They're energetic and awkward and confused and eager to impress; they're challenging, but they're fun.
My school is in Washington Heights, at the very tip of Manhattan. Over 95% of the kids at my school are from the Dominican Republic. There are lots of recent immigrants. Nearly all of the students are Hispanic. Many of them are ESL students. I don't know Spanish, but someone at the school said that I'll learn quickly just by listening to the kids. The fact that I'll have kids at different levels of proficiency in English will make things difficult, but I'll learn to deal with it.
The school building is very nice and welcoming. The school is partnered with the Children's Aid Society, which runs after-school programs and a health clinic and dentist's office in the school. I think I'm going to like going to work there every day.
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| Sunday, August 12th, 2007
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2:04 pm
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" I just don't know what to do with myself. Don't know just what to do with myself." ~dusty springfield
Have I mentioned that I'm sick of this whole job search thing? I don't know if I've written much about it. The general situation is that I'm guaranteed a job in the NYC public school system, but I've been spending all summer interviewing with principals and going to placement fairs in order to find my specific school. If I don't find a job for myself, they'll put me in the reserve pool of teachers and I'll act as a permanent sub until job openings come up. I would much rather just find a job. Last week I had another brilliantly organized placement fair (can you sense my sarcasm?), at which there were even more people than the previous fairs (which I didn't think could be possible). Here are some highlights:
~After I interviewed with a school and walked away from the table, a guy pulled me aside. He whispered in my ear, "I saw you interviewing for that school, "nodding towards the table I had just left. "I can't tell you my name," he continued whispering, "but I want to warn you. You don't want to teach there. I taught there last year. There's a reason that they have vacancies." And then he walked away. I felt like I was being brought into some mafia plot or something. It was bizarre. But funny. And now I'm not too disappointed by not getting a call back from that school.
~Best interview question: "Do you cry very easily?"
~A principal looked at my resume and muttered, "Oh, you're a Richmond grad. My dad would kill me if I didn't hire you. He went there." After the interview, though, I have a feeling that he might be facing his dad's wrath. I don't think I impressed him too much.
~I pretended to be familiar with balanced literacy when an interviewer mentioned it. I recognized the term, didn't know what it meant, but gave the impression that I knew something about it. Then she asked me to explain the concept. I wanted to kick myself. After a long "Um...." I tried to make something up, but she interrupted me and told me that I was describing differentiation (which is not the same thing). Whoops.
I had two interviews last week and now I have 2 demo lessons next week (for the two schools that I interviewed with). And I can't just use the same lesson plan for both, because they have to be geared towards completely different levels (one's middle school, one's 10th grade). The first one is tomorrow. I worked on the lesson plan all weekend and I guess it's finished, but I'm so nervous about teaching it. I'm pretty sure it's too long (15-20 minutes, the time-frame they gave me, is impossibly short), and I'm not even sure whom I'll be teaching. The secretary called to set it up, and when I asked if I would be teaching actual students she said, "I have no idea, I just organize these things." I know that there will be a hiring committee there (I have to meet with them as well). I have a little more information about the demo lesson I have to teach on Wednesday, but planning that lesson is not going very well. I need to go to the library but it's closed today. Ugh. I just want a job!
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| Monday, July 23rd, 2007
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1:45 pm
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"It's a strange thing, but when you are dreading something, and would give anything to slow down time, it has a disobliging habit of speeding up." ~j.k. rowling
This post is about Harry Potter. There are NO SPOILERS in the main post; I just talk about the series in general. I'll write about book 7 under the cut, so DO NOT CLICK ON THE CUT IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FINAL BOOK.
Harry Potter is over. I can't quite believe it. After ten years, the story is complete. I have nothing to look forward to anymore. It's an incredibly sad, empty feeling. It didn't take me too long (less than a day) to read the last book, but I tried to savor it as I read. I was torn as I got towards the end; I wanted to know what would happen, but I didn't want it to end. And now it has.
The Harry Potter series is a phenomenon unlike anything else the literary world has seen. Its mass appeal is unprecedented. It got so many people excited about reading who ordinarily wouldn't have voluntarily picked up a book, and I think that's fantastic. It appealed to all ages as well. I know both kids and adults who couldn't wait for July 21st so they could drop everything else and read. As I was reading, I stopped to wonder how many people were reading the same book as I was at that very moment. I'm sure there were millions of us. That's such a cool feeling.
I know that future generations will continue to read the series, but it won't be the same for them as it was for those of us who read the books as they were released. For me, much of the excitement came from the anticipation. A book would be released, I would read it in a day, and would then eagerly wait for the next book to be written and published. Everyone was in the same boat, so we could speculate together and analyze the details of the books in order to make predictions. Harry Potter brought people together like no other work of fiction has, at least in my lifetime.
So thank you to J.K. Rowling for creating that magical world and allowing so many of us to escape to it.
Go under the cut if you want to know what I thought of book 7.
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| Tuesday, June 19th, 2007
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1:02 pm
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"Pressure, pushing down on me, pressing down on you...It's the terror of knowing what this world is about, watching some good friends screaming 'Let me out!' Tomorrow takes me higher, pressure on people, people on streets..." ~queen feat. david bowie
I haven't been in a writing mood lately. I'm not good at transition periods. I loved being in college. I know I'm going to love being a teacher and living in the city. But I hate this period in which I don't know where exactly I'll be teaching and living. I hate going to placement fairs and plastering a big, fake smile on my face as I frantically try to convince principals that I really am a good teacher. I hate coming home and listening to my mom tell me what else I need to be doing; even though I know she's just trying to help, it bugs me to no end. I just want someone to give me a job. And an apartment. I'm sick of looking at apartments that are better suited as closets. I know it will all work out, but I'm ready for that to happen.
Last weekend was a nice break. Actually, it was a fabulous break. Eleven of us stayed in a cabin in the Catskills. We hiked up Hunter Mountain one day, which was a blast. The total hike was a little over 8 miles, which isn't a big deal, so we left in the morning and assumed it would take us about half a day. We ended up getting down as it was getting dark; it took us more than twice as long as we thought it would. The "trail" we took going up cannot be called a trail in the traditional sense of the word. It was impossible to navigate; we lost the "path" multiple times. Tons of trees had fallen and they obstructed the way; we had no choice but to go over and through them. I (stupidly) wore shorts, and my legs ended up covered in cuts and scratches. The funny thing is, I loved it. I couldn't help but laugh. And when we got to the top we felt like we had really accomplished something.
I feel like I have multiple personalities, and last weekend I was theatrical, fun, outgoing Claire. I sang during the hike when anyone asked me to, even though usually no one else joined in (I think because they were too out of breath). We played Charades one night, and someone called it the Claire and Dina show because we were the ones who kept guessing everything (the person who guessed the correct answer got to act out the next clue, so the two of us kept going back and forth). I love Charades. And I'm good at it. Katie picked up on the fact that I get into it and am willing to act out pretty much anything, so she kept giving me really funny clues, like "Superman" (I ran around the room pretending to fly like Superman) and "Ninja" (never mind that "Ninja" is just a word and not a movie, book, TV show, play or anything). I loved just letting loose, and I didn't care about looking like an idiot. It was a good feeling. I only knew a few people on the trip before we left, but everyone was very friendly and we got along well. We built a fire outside and roasted S'mores one night, and we went on a short hike to a great waterfall on the morning of the day that we left. It was hard to come back to reality. Maybe I'll post pictures later.
Ooh, the Tonys! I forgot to talk about them! They cheered me up a whole lot. Spring Awakening won 8 Tonys (best musical, best book of a musical, best original score, best featured actor, best director, best orchestrations, best choreography, and best lighting). Billy Crudup, one of my favorite actors, won best supporting actor in a play. Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson (from Grey Gardens) won best actress and best featured actress (respectively) in a musical. Julie White's win was the one I was most excited about, though, because it was unexpected yet totally deserved. She won best actress in a play for her performance in The Little Dog Laughed, in which she was absolutely amazing (that play was so underappreciated; I wish more people got to see it, because it was hilarious and relevant and smart and just wonderful). She was up against Vanessa Redgrave, Angela Lansbury, Eve Best, and Swoosie Kurtz, which is an insanely impressive list of actresses. White's acceptance speech was the best one of the night.
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| Thursday, April 19th, 2007
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10:30 pm
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"Tell me why. Tell me why. This is the book I never read, these are the words I never said. This is the path I'll never tread, these are the dreams I'll dream instead. This is the joy that's seldom spread, these are the tears, the tears we shed. This is the fear, this is the dread, these are the contents of my head. And these are the years that we have spent, and this is what they represent. And this is how I feel, do you know how I feel? 'Cause i don't think you know how I feel, I don't think you know what I feel, I don't think you know what I fear, you don't know what I fear." ~annie lennox
That's such a beautiful, heartbreaking song. Kelly Clarkson actually does a great cover of it that I've been listening to lately.
I think people need a good laugh right now, so here are a couple of quotes from one of the 90 research papers that I have to grade this weekend (probably more quotes to come as I keep grading):
"He was sent to the hospital near Edinburgh in France..."
"Fumbling to put on their helmets, a common name for a gas mask, one man stumbles..."
Both of those are from the same paper. I know it's awful of me to laugh while I'm grading papers, but sometimes I just can't help it. I mean, an 18 year old should know the difference between a helmet and a gas mask, right?? Oh dear. I love the kid, I really do, and I'm not making fun of him, but it's hard not to laugh when reading that in a formal research paper. Ms. W. says we have to laugh because otherwise we would be crying.
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| Sunday, March 4th, 2007
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2:59 pm
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"And I must be an acrobat, to talk like this, and act like that. And you can dream, so dream out loud, and you can find your own way out. And you can build, and I can will, and you can call, I can't wait until. You can stash, and you can seize, in dreams begin responsibilities. And I can love. And I can love. And I know that the tide is turning 'round, so don't let the bastards grind you down." ~u2
There's another fantastic song from Achtung Baby. Seriously, every single song on that album is brilliant.
I haven't blogged for awhile...I'm not quite sure what to say. I'm drained. I started teaching a unit on Lord of the Flies this week, and it went well. I put them in groups and had them do a survival activity, and they got really into it. One class is furious with me, though, because I wouldn't let them go to a basketball game that was occurring during our class period. They're already missing class next week because of the SOLs, and missing today would have completely screwed everything up and would have gotten them off the same schedule as the other classes. I hate not being liked by them. I know that, as a teacher, I have to accept the fact that not all my students will like me, but that's a very difficult thing to accept. Anyway, the incident led to what I thought was a funny quote from my cooperating teacher. This was our exchange:
Me: They hate me.
Ms. W: They'll get over it.
Me: Casey* wouldn't even speak to me.
Ms. W: Claire, most days I would love it if Casey didn't speak to me.
Heh. She had a good point.
By the end of the period they had cheered up, they seemed to have forgotten about the game, and Casey was speaking to me, so it wasn't such a big deal. I still feel bad, though.
Another funny quote from the same lesson:
In their groups, they had to make posters displaying their tribes' symbols. One tribe drew Pooh Bear (there's a long story behind that decision that I won't go into). I'm not sure of the exact reasoning behind this quote, but I overheard one of them say, "Well then, we'll just have to make Pooh Bear black."
UR's spring break started this weekend, which means that I'm alone in my apartment all week. I like having the apartment to myself.
* = name changed just because I feel weird using my students' real names in here
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| Saturday, February 17th, 2007
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5:37 pm
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"When I left you alone to fight your battles of long winters in motels, what went through your mind? How is it that you made it? How is it that you noticed? It wasn't me who was looking at you through foggy glass or windows... it was them....I was in the desert waving planes and burning phonebooks to a tune that was famous the year I was born. Do not leave me dancing alone..." ~damien jurado
That song is so beautiful. I love it.
I think I was a little too harsh on the Grammys a few days ago. I have to keep in mind that they gave U2 5 awards last year (including album of the year and song of the year). The band has won 21 Grammys in total. How mindblowing is that? 21 Grammys. That's amazing. I can't badmouth an awards show that is so kind to my favorite band in the world. This year's awards weren't that bad, either. The Dixie Chicks were in the same position that U2 was in last year (they won 5 awards, including album of the year, record of the year, and song of the year). The Red Hot Chili Peppers won 4. Mary J. Blige won 3. All of those artists released really good albums this year, and they deserved to be honored. I guess I just wish some smaller bands and artists (like Damien Jurado, for example) would get noticed more often. I love a few big, famous artists like U2, but there are so many other bands out there that no one has heard of and are pretty darn talented as well.
I have a few more quotes from my kids to add to my ongoing list, so here goes:
1. Big Bird was talking to Ms. W. and I during lunch, and she wondered if I minded that Ms. W. leaves the room while I'm teaching. She said, "When we learned tumbles (in cheerleading), I felt like a scared, lost, little bunny. Do you feel like a lost little bunny when Ms. W. leaves you alone?" This girl is like no one else I've ever met, and I love it. She's hilarious. Writing her words down doesn't do her justice, because her delivery is what makes everything she says so funny and interesting. She's so straightforward and uninhibited and everyone thinks she's crazy but she doesn't care at all what anyone thinks of her. In an essay that she turned in today, she didn't know what to write so she wrote, "I'm crazy about Ms. W. and Ms. B." in her conclusion and asked if that would get her extra points.
2. Another one from Big Bird: "Don't worry, we won't be barbaric." She likes throwing vocab words, like barbaric, into conversations. Today she said something like, "Stop affronting me!" to another student.
3. "I'm going to name my first child Wiglaf. Or Caliope."
4. Ms. W. read these lines from Andrew Marvell's poem "The Garden" to her AP class:
"Such was that happy Garden-state,
While Man there walk'd without a mate."
Ms. W: What is he talking about here?
Kid: Um....New Jersey?
current mood:  happy
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| Monday, February 5th, 2007
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9:08 pm
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"We are the champions, my friends." ~queen
CONGRATS TO THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS! I was so happy to see them win; they deserved it. It was a good Super Bowl this year. The halftime show was amazing. Seriously, Prince was on fire. Great performance, great production. It was by far the best halftime show since U2. The commercials weren't great overall, but the football and the halftime show more than made up for that. Budweiser had the best commercials. I thought the "Rock, paper, scissors" one that aired at the very beginning was hilarious.
Today, instead of teaching, I got to go to an all-day workshop at the Virginia Holocaust Museum with my cooperating teacher. It was an incredibly worthwhile and eye-opening experience. We received copies of the book Salvaged Pages: Young Writers' Diaries of the Holocaust and talked about how to teach it to students. There were so many teenagers like Anne Frank who kept diaries, and this author compiled a collection of them so that more voices could be heard. We met with Holocaust survivors. I got to sit next to a man who survived five different concentration camps and listen to him talk about his experience. He told me that it isn't easy to think about and talk about what happened to him and his family, but he knows that he has to talk about it so that people will know what will happen if we stand aside and don't do anything to fight genocide. It is still happening today. We went beyond the Holocaust and discussed more recent genocides. Someone from the Sudan spoke to us about Darfur.
We watched a 60 Minutes special in which a reporter discovered that North Korea is using The Diary of Anne Frank in schools to compare America to the Nazis and George W. Bush to Hitler. It was really, really scary. The kids were completely brainwashed into thinking that all Americans are Nazis. The message they got from The Diary of Anne Frank is that America needs to be completely destroyed. I'm totally serious. One student's response was, "”After reading this book, I had a hatred for the American imperialists." Another said, "As long as the warmonger Bush and the Nazi Americans live, who are worse than Hitler's fascists, world peace will be impossible to achieve.” The rest of the students expressed similar viewpoints. They saw Anne Frank as weak for hiding. Here's an article on it. I could not believe it.
The whole program was an eye-opening experience. I was very glad to have the opportunity to go, and I hope I can use some of the material in my future classes.
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| Sunday, February 4th, 2007
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5:28 pm
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"It's a town full of losers, and I'm pulling out of here to win."
That lyric seemed appropriate considering the subject of today's post as well as the fact that the Super Bowl is tonight.
GO COLTS!!!
Whenever I hear Bruce sing that line, I expect to hear "When I think of Heaven..." right after it. Counting Crows cover Thunder Road, and they stick the song in the middle of Rain King, so Adam goes straight into "When I think of Heaven..." after singing the last line of Thunder Road. And that's always what I expect to hear.
The Oscars are quickly approaching. They are in exactly three weeks. And I can't wait. I love Oscar night. Sometimes I don't love it so much after they've given out the awards to the wrong people, but I love that feeling as they call the nominees' names and everyone holds their breath as the presenter begins to open the envelope. It's thrilling. Here are my predictions, along with who I think should win. I haven't seen all the nominated films, so in my "Should win" picks I'm going by what I've seen. Although I have noticed that many critics agree with my "should win" picks. I may change my predictions closer to Oscar night, because the buzz changes every day. But I'm fairly confident in what I have now.
Best Picture:
Will win: Babel
Should win: Little Miss Sunshine or The Departed (I'll be thrilled if either wins)
Best Actress:
Will win: Helen Mirren (The Queen)
Should win: Judi Dench (Notes on a Scandal)
This category is insane this year. It's filled with amazing performances. I thought Judi Dench was particularly good, though. I wouldn't mind Kate Winslet (Little Children) pulling off an upset, either. She was amazing. I think it's funny how they try to make her frumpy and not very attractive in the film, but she's still incredibly beautiful.
Best Supporting Actress:
Will win: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
Should win: Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls)
This is an easy one. I wouldn't mind seeing Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) pull a Marisa Tomei, though. Or Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal).
Best Actor:
Will win: Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland)
Should win: Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed)
Yes, I know, Leo isn't even nominated for The Departed. But he should be (and I'm not the only person who thinks so). Most critics agree that his performance in that movie is one of the best performances of the year. I guess I wouldn't mind if he won for Blood Diamond, though. I won't mind if Forest Whitaker wins, either (and I'm pretty sure he'll win). I like him. I'm very glad to see Ryan Gosling's name among the nominees, but I don't think he has a chance.
Best Supporting Actor:
Will win: Eddie Murphy (Dreamgirls)
Should win: Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children)
This is the acting category in which there is the greatest chance for an upset. Either Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) or Jackie Early Haley could sweep in and take it. I love Alan Arkin, but I don't think his role was large enough to merit a win. I would LOVE to see Jackie Earle Haley get this award. I mean, what a comeback. He's absolutely brilliant in Little Children. You don't know whether to despise his character or feel sorry for him.
Best Director:
Will win: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
Should win: Martin Scorsese (The Departed)
I've mentioned this already, but I'll say it again. If Marty does not win, you will be able to hear me scream from across the country, and Clint Eastwood better watch out.
Best Original Screenplay:
Will win: The Queen
Should win: Little Miss Sunshine
Best Adapted Screenplay:
Will win: The Departed
Should win: Notes on a Scandal
This category is really tricky for me to predict and to choose my pick.
That's all the categories I'm doing for now. I'm not as sure about the smaller categories (sound editing, cinematography, etc.).
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| Thursday, February 1st, 2007
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10:09 pm
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"You can´t start a fire sitting ´round crying over a broken heart. This gun´s for hire, even if we´re just dancing in the dark. You can´t start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart. This gun´s for hire, even if we´re just dancing in the dark." ~bruce springsteen
The video for that song is pretty hilarious. It was made in the year that I was born (22 years ago), so I guess it's not surprising that times have changed and modern viewers are bound to expect slightly different things from a music video. The funniest part about it is Courteney Cox Arquette (she was just Courteney Cox back then). She was only 19 years old when she filmed it and it was her big break. Check out her dance moves in the video.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has a release date! July 21st, 2007. They're not releasing it on 7/7/07 like some people originally expected because that's the anniversary of the London bombings. I can't wait for it. Although it's strange; I almost don't want it to come out because then I won't be able to look forward to it anymore. After I've finished reading each Harry Potter book so far, there has always been another one to look forward to. After this one, there won't be any more to wait for or to speculate about. And that makes me a little sad.
I taught my own lessons for the first time today and everything went well. The kids in both classes actually payed attention for most of the time (I had to wake one kid up three times, but that's not unusual). They responded to me and I think most of them absorbed the information. Before the lesson I asked them to write to me and tell me whatever they want me to know about them. They could write about themselves (hobbies, family, etc.), what they want to accomplish in this class, how I can help them accomplish their goals, what their future plans are, or anything else. I got some good responses. Here are a few quotes pulled from their letters:
"I want us to like each other and work good together. :-) Love you, Big Bird! P.S. I'll visit you a lot, get ready. :-) I think your going to be AMAZING! Don't let the uninvolved class discourge you."
~I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but of course all teachers do, and she's mine. People really do call her Big Bird. She's such a sweetheart. Hardly anyone talks in the class that she's in, but I can always count on her for a response, even if it's not a serious one. She's friendly and outgoing and talkative and honest and popular.
"Big Bird is wierd."
~from her friend
"I love playing basketball, drawing, music, and of course yoga. My favorite yoga position is downward facing dog if you were interested. I don't play any instruments but I like to act like I do."
~This guy is another one of my favorites. He's a good-looking, hilarious, athletic, African-American boy who seems to be the "leader" of his class. I can always count on him for a response. He is definitely not someone I would have pegged to be interested in yoga, and I can't tell if he's serious about that or not.
"Welcome to the Jungle!"
"I don't see my dad much because he's married to a whore."
~This girl is another hilarious one. I wish I could type her whole letter here because it's just so funny. She isn't afraid to say exactly what's on her mind.
There are tons of great responses that I'm not typing. There are so many different personalities in the classes, and the range of interests is huge. I love all the kids, and I loved reading about their lives.
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| Thursday, January 25th, 2007
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10:41 pm
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"Everything dies, baby, that's a fact. But maybe everything that dies someday comes back. Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty, and meet me tonight in Atlantic City." ~bruce springsteen
I love that song. Counting Crows do a good cover of it. I may have to make this a Springsteen week. Although the week is almost over and I don't know when I'll update again, so maybe it'll be Springsteen time until I decide to move on. There are just so many good lyrics of his that I can use. I'll stick to the classics, though. Like Atlantic City.
School has been going well. I've only been student teaching for 2 weeks, and I haven't done any actual teaching yet because this week is exam week and last week they were reviewing, but what I have experienced so far has solidified my desire to be a teacher. I love it. I love being around the students. I love hearing them say my name (they call me by my last name, of course). I love the way they look at me when they ask me a question; it's as if they're certain that I'll have an answer for them. I love how a few girls come into the classroom every day during lunch and eat with me and my cooperating teacher. I love how there are always students in the room, complaining or whining about grades, making up work, or just hanging out. I'm fully aware of the probability that my feelings towards the job will change slightly after I start teaching; I don't know that the kids will be as friendly to me after I start giving them assignments and grading them. I graded the essays they wrote on their exams, and most of them probably won't be too pleased with me when they receive their scores. I always used to think I would love grading papers, but I'm already sick of it. It's not a fun job. It's very difficult to be objective. I have gotten to read some pretty interesting things, though. It's a miracle that some of these kids have made it to 12th grade. They had to write essays on what they see as three important values evident in the English literature that they've read so far. Despite the teacher's explanation of what 'values' are, including examples such as honesty, courage, etc., some of them still don't get it. I've read essays on "values" ranging from "money" to "this is my deer, go hunt your own." Oy.
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| Saturday, January 20th, 2007
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1:40 pm
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" I've got everything that you want. I've got everything, and someday I'll be president. I've got everything that you want. I've got everything, except the single thing you really need." ~counting crows
Those few lines of that song ("Love and Addiction," which really should be released on an album) are an example of why I love Adam Duritz. Actually, just one word in that song is an example of why I love him. The way he sings the word "president" makes me want to cry. The first syllable ("prez") starts off on a high note, and then his voice sort of cracks and the the next two syllables of the word are sung at lower notes. Then he rushes right into the next line. It sounds like he starts off full of hope, but he can't even get the rest of the word out of his mouth before he realizes that his hope is futile and he will never be president. It's so sad. He manages to communicate so much by simply singing one single word. It absolutely amazes me.
I started student teaching this week, and I survived! My cooperating teacher is really nice. The students mostly prepared for exams this week because they have midterms next week. That gives me time to plan some lessons. I'm teaching 3 12th grade English classes (Brit Lit), and during a free period I'm working with the drama teacher and one of her drama classes. It seems like that will be a lot of fun. I met so many people today whose names I forgot 2 seconds later (teachers, principals, librarians, etc.), but everyone was so friendly to me. I think I'll post funny quotes here fairly often, because I know I'll have a lot of them. It'll probably be awhile before I get some really good ones because when the kids are testing they don't have much opportunity to be funny, but here are a couple from today:
"That was a fun test, Ms. W. Almost as fun as a hysterectomy." ~a smart-alecky boy
"By 12th grade most of the baddies are in jail already." ~my teacher mentioning one of the pros of teaching 12th graders.
This one was written (and not spoken) by a student, in an essay:
"At the end of Macbeth, Malcolm is in his rifle place." (my teacher is assuming that by "rifle" the student meant "rightful." Not so much funny as scary, actually.)
In one of the AP English classes, the students were asked to write down what central question they believe Hamlet poses. One answer (remember, this is an AP student):
"Is life better when you're alive or when you're dead?"
Some quotes from AP students during class discussion:
"Hamlet was whack."
"You can't just go around killing people all willy-nilly."
"At the end everyone's dead, and you're just like, Dang!"
Each class definitely consists of a colorful group of students. They're funny, aren't afraid to speak their minds, and seem to have a great, comfortable rapport with their teacher and each other. I hope I'll be able to ease into their world without much trouble. I think I will; they all seem like good, accepting, friendly kids.
If anyone has any great ideas on how to teach Renaissance poetry to apathetic 18 year olds, please let me know.
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| Monday, January 15th, 2007
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1:38 pm
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"Heaven's waiting on down the tracks. Oh oh come take my hand, riding out tonight to case the promised land. Oh oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road." ~bruce springsteen
I blasted Bruce Springsteen during most of my drive back to Richmond. When you're driving down the New Jersey turnpike, Springsteen's music is definitely the best music you can listen to. It captures the soul of NJ. Don't laugh, that's not supposed to be funny. NJ has a soul. Here's a quote from Bono about how Springsteen inspired him: "Springsteen had filled my head with all kinds of images of America, and particularly New Jersey, the shoreline, Atlantic City, all that kind of funfair, boardwalk America." If you're from NJ, you have to love The Boss. He makes us proud to be New Jerseyans. He's brilliant.
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| Sunday, January 14th, 2007
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7:28 pm
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"Well, we are big rock singers, we've got golden fingers, and we're loved everywhere we go. We sing about beauty and we sing about truth at ten thousand dollars a show." ~dr. hook
Lots of magazines, websites, radio stations, etc. have recently released their lists of the best albums of 2006. Most of those lists frustrate me greatly because each one manages to overvalue, undervalue, or omit at least one deserving album. Of course I do realize that, to a certain degree, it is a subjective task to pick the best albums of the year. Anyway, here are my top 10, in no particular order because it's too difficult to place them:
Damien Rice, "9"
The Strokes, "First Impressions of Earth"
The Killers, "Sam's Town"
Dashboard Confessional, "Dusk and Summer"
Regina Spektor, "Begin to Hope"
Bruce Springsteen, "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions"
Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins, "Rabbit Fur Coat"
John Mayer, "Continuum"
Arctic Monkeys, "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not"
Bob Dylan, "Modern Times"
It's very difficult to choose just 10. I'm sure I'll think of another album I love that I'll want to add to this list in favor of one of those already listed, but these are the ones that initially come to mind. They're all wonderful and I recommend checking out and buying the ones that you don't already have if you're looking for some good music.
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| Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007
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6:52 pm
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"If the children don't grow up, our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up. We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turnin' every good thing to rust. I guess we'll just have to adjust." ~the arcade fire
I may have written about this before, but I don't care because I just listened to that song and it's in my mind now and I feel like writing about it. Seeing U2 live in concert has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life; I've seen them 3 times, and the 3d time was the best. It was in Madison Square Garden, and I had an impossible-to-get GA floor ticket. I was on the railing in the front row around the ellipse. That day I waited outside in line for about 10 hours so that I could get a good spot. While we were standing inside the arena waiting for the concert to start, my legs hurt and I was tired and still thawing (because it was late November and it was cold and windy outside and I had spent 10 hours out there). But when that song, The Arcade Fire's Wake Up, started playing, I can't even describe the feeling that came over me. That's the song that played right before U2 came onstage at each concert on their Vertigo tour. So the song started playing and the crowd went crazy because we were all insane U2 fans and all knew that the band would be coming out next. We all sang along, because of course we all knew all of the words. I know I just used the word "all" quite a few times in the last two sentences, but it's appropriate because there was a feeling of inclusiveness, like we all were feeling the same thing and wanted to shout it out together. Chanting that opening refrain (I would write it but it's basically just chanting notes and I don't know how to write that) in unison with 20,000 people in the greatest arena in the greatest city in the world was just so cool. The song was perfectly chosen by U2 to open their show; it perfectly encapsulated the audience's anticipation and excitement. And then suddenly Bono was directly in front of me (he started the show on the ellipse right in front of where I was standing) and confetti was falling all over us and I was just so filled with joy that I thought my heart was going to explode. It's amazing what music can do. So whenever I hear the song Wake Up, I think of how I felt as that U2 concert started.
The Arcade Fire is releasing a new album soon, and I can't wait. It's called Neon Bible. If it's anywhere near the quality of Funeral, it'll be fabulous. A release date hasn't been officially announced but most people are guessing late March. The album is finished already.
Today I went shopping with Kim and my mom. We spent almost 3 hours at Loehmann's (sp?) and hardly bought anything. Then we decided to check out this really cheap store called Shopper's World, which my mom described as a clothing version of the dollar store. There were no dressing rooms so Kim and I went to the back of the infant section, hid behind some clothing racks, and tried on everything. It was pretty funny. It was a good day.
Here's hoping everyone has a wonderful 2007!
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| Monday, January 1st, 2007
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10:17 pm
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"Can't sing but I've got soul." ~u2
I've been spending more time doing nothing over the past few days and am loving it. I never get bored. I'd love to just do nothing all the time. I've been hanging out with Kim and Matt a lot; the past two nights we've spent hours playing games. I love games (and I'm usually pretty good at them). Over the past two nights I've won Apples to Apples, Would You Rather?, Gin Rummy.... Would You Rather? was an awesome Christmas present from my friend Sam, who knows how much I love games. Kim got a karaoke machine for Christmas, so we've been doing that a lot as well. I'm awful at it, but it's so much fun. So far I've performed earachingly bad renditions of I Want You to Want Me, Sweet Home Alabama, Eternal Flame, I Don't Know How to Love Him, Elevation, I'll Be Watching You, I Don't Want to Miss a Thing, and some others that I've already erased from my mind.
I've been reading a lot, too. I read A Hat Full of Sky, which is an amazing sequel to The Wee Free Men (on which I wrote my English seminar paper this semester). I highly recommend Terry Pratchett's Discworld books to everyone. Today I finished Dave Eggers' memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. It was very good.
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| Wednesday, December 13th, 2006
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12:45 pm
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"And if you're beautiful, what then, with yellow hair like wheat? I think we shall not meet again, my little dove, my sweet Johanna. Goodbye, Johanna, you're gone, and yet you're mine, I'm fine, Johanna, I'm fine." ~stephen sondheim (sweeney todd)
I want to talk about the upcoming Sweeney Todd film. This subject concerns me very much. I absolutely love Sweeney Todd. I think it just may be the best musical ever written. Sondheim is a genius and this is arguably his best work. I cannot say enough good things about the show; it is simply brilliant. The most recent Broadway revival was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen onstage and I am so grateful that I was able to witness it. So, understandably, I am terrified that Tim Burton will butcher it. I liked the idea of Sam Mendes as a director better. Burton's first few moves once he was attached to the project did not inspire confidence in me. Casting Johnny Depp seemed way too unoriginal for him, even though I love Johnny Depp. When he cast Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett, I had to work very hard to calm myself down. Those two casting choices were far too predictable for him. Does he ever use any other lead actors?? Couldn't he have put more thought into his choices and explored some other possibilities? I have calmed down, however, and am more open-minded now. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter just might work. I'm going to give them a chance. The most recent casting decisions did much to ease my mind. Any movie with Alan Rickman in it is okay by me. Casting him as the Judge was brilliant. I CANNOT WAIT to hear Alan Rickman sing Johanna; the mere thought of it makes me shiver in anticipation. I love that song, especially the second act version. Seeing that song performed live (the second act version) in the 2005 Broadway revival made me cry. I know, I'm a dork, but it was so indescribably beautiful. The cellos were what put me over the edge. Have I written about that performance here yet? There were 10 cast members, and they were the entire orchestra as well; they played all the instruments onstage as they sang. Lauren Molina and Benjamin Magnuson (playing the parts of Johanna and Anthony) both played the cello, and when thet sat onstage next to each other, playing in unison, it had such a heartbreaking effect. Okay, I got really sidetracked. Back to the movie. There are rumors about Jim Broadbent being cast as the Beadle, which is also an example of wonderful casting. So things are looking up. Please don't disappoint me, Mr. Burton.
On another musical note: Spring Awakening officially opened tonight. The reviews have been released throughout the evening and they're good. Which makes me so happy. Luckily Isherwood reviewed it for the New York Times (instead of Brantley) and he gave it a rave. It also got rave reviews from the AP, Variety, Theatremania...everyone involved with the show will definitely be celebrating tonight, because this is very good news. Hopefully it will give the show a Tony nom for best musical and will help it bring in more revenue.
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| Friday, December 1st, 2006
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12:05 am
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"Sometimes the world seems like a big hole. You spend all your life shouting down it and all you hear are echoes of some idiot yelling nonsense down a hole." ~adam duritz
Have a mentioned that I want to marry him (Adam Duritz)? Despite the facts that I've never met him, he is old enough to be my father, and some people think he is a large unattractive man who looks like he has a pineapple on his head, I would marry him in a second if he asked. Really. I'm waiting for the day. He's brilliant, hilarious, always honest...he's even attractive in my opinion. His music can make me cry and smile at the same time. His latest journal entry is a review of the new Broadway production of Company, which I have tickets to and cannot wait to see. He wrote a great review of Sweeney Todd as well, with which I completely agreed. He loves musical theater! We seriously would be perfect for each other. Seriously.
I really can't write about reality right now because it would make me want to pull my hair out. I cannot describe how much work I have done so far this week and how much I have to do over the course of the next two weeks. I'm just about on the verge of a breakdown and I'm trying really hard to hold everything together. One more week of classes and then a week of finals and after that I'm finished with undergrad college classes. I can do it.
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| Saturday, November 18th, 2006
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11:24 pm
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"Breathe in for luck, breathe in so deep, this air is blessed, you share with me." ~dashboard confessional
I'm in an emo mood now; I have been for awhile, actually. I think it calms me down when I'm stressed, and I've been pretty stressed lately.
I cannot wait to go home for Thanksgiving. I seriously cannot put into words how excited I am. I miss my family, all my relatives that I’ll get to see, my dog, my bed, my couch, my NJ friends, NYC…time passes so slowly while you’re anticipating something.
Thanksgiving is wonderful in my family. Every year we (me and a bunch of my relatives) gather in my aunt and uncle’s apartment in New York City. Try to imagine about 40 people crammed into one NYC apartment. It probably sounds pretty awful to most people, but I absolutely love it. I love spending time with all my cousins and family members. We basically clear out the apartment, and then when it’s time for dinner we fill it with a maze of folding tables and chairs. When I was little I used to love crawling under the tables with some of my cousins while everyone was eating. I have lots of younger cousins, and they still do that.
On Thanksgiving night, I’m going to see the Broadway musical Spring Awakening. It was written by Duncan Sheik, who is a fabulous popular musician (you’re probably familiar with some of his songs; he has a bunch of albums). He’s actually from Montclair, NJ. The coolest part about seeing the show is that I have a seat on-stage. There are a few seats that you can buy (at the box office only) that make you part of the show, and my friend Nic was kind enough to pick one up for me.
I’m trying not to think about the amount of work that I should do over Thanksgiving break. There’s too much fun stuff to think about instead.
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