Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Has anyone else seen this incredible piece of cinematography? It is such a wonderful masterpiece!

Side note: I am a Katharine Hepburn fanatic. I think that everything she does is phenomenal. 

This movie was ground-breaking for 1967. The movie's plot centers around an interracial couple coming home to meet the parents before they prepare to get married. Think about it...this movie comes during a time of great racial unrest. The movie is so well put together and makes a very clear statement that everyone should be accepted for whom they love.

Below is the absolute best speech in this movie. It says a great deal, and no one could deliver it quite like Spencer Tracy.

This speech rings as true today as it did 43 years ago.

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Back to Work I Go

Realizing today that I have to return to work tomorrow after being on Thanksgiving break. In truth, I have not had a full day at work since Friday, November 19. On Monday, November 22 I had a meeting at Central Office which allowed me to take the full day off of work. On Tuesday, November 23, I ended up getting sick and vomiting within the first two hours of work. I got sent home. We had the rest of the week off for break. It has been a nice break and most relaxing.

Here is the problem...today I have found myself having anxiety attacks throughout the day as I thought about returning to work. Why? I have no idea. I just don't want to go back to work. It is a feeling that has happened more and more this year. However, I am also not one to ever give up. I will go back to work tomorrow with a smile on my face and a positive attitude for the kids to see. It is what my students need.

There is hope. We only have three more weeks of school before we are on Winter Break. (Yes, that is the official title of break. It is no longer called Christmas Break. We have to be politically correct for everyone.) The students have to give me three more weeks of hard work and we will be half-way through the school year. That means two solid weeks of instruction time, then we will use the last week for review and benchmark testing. It will be a marathon sprint to the end, but we will make it. LOL.


In other news...


Tonight I turned on some Netflix (I love that I can now get Netflix through my Wii.) and started selecting movies to add to my queue. One of the movies I selected was Pedro. It is a biographical movie about Pedro Zamora from the Real World : San Francisco.

I remember watching The Real World : San Francisco when it premiered on MTV in 1994. I was sucked in to it. I couldn't help but watch it week after week. Pedro made that show more real than any other since then. What courage he had to have to (1) be openly gay on American television and (2) be the first openly AIDS infected individual on television. For once in this world, there was a human face and voice for AIDS...It was Pedro.

Tonight was not the first time I had watched this movie. I sat on my couch when it premiered on MTV last year. Something hit me tonight and drove me to tears. There is a scene near the end of the movie when Sean (Pedro's partner) brings over the tape of the Real World episode in which Pedro and Sean hold a commitment ceremony while in San Francisco. Pedro's eyes were fixed on his dad who had previously not accepted Pedro's relationship with Sean. As his father watched the episode his eyes filled with tears. It was the first time that he understood the love Pedro had for Sean. Then Pedro's father looks over at him, crying, smiles, and nods his head as though he finally gets it. Something about that scene was so powerful.

The scene I mentioned starts around 6:10 in the clip below. 

Who knows? Maybe I am just becoming an emotional sap. Maybe I am just becoming overly-emotional. Believe me when I tell you that is a huge leap in progression for someone who hides his emotions most days.

I am off to grade more papers and get ready for another week of school. Hope everyone is doing well.

Take care!

Start the Holiday Season Off Right–Swingle Style

I make it no secret that I love the Swingle Singers. Something about A capella music just makes me smile. The Swingles are some of the best.

This video was posted this morning by the Swingle Singers. Just thought it a great way to start off the holiday season. Enjoy!

Love and Other Drugs

On Wednesday afternoon I went to the theater to see Love and Other Drugs, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. Having seen the previews several times I was dying to see it, but I had no real idea what to expect in this movie.

Gyllenhaal plays a pharmaceutical sales rep for Pfizer, and Hathaway plays a free spirit that won’t really let anyone get close to her. They end up in a relationship that surprises both of them.

My initial reaction to the beginning of the movie was not great. Yes, there were lots of funny scenes, but it lacked cohesion for me. About half way through the movie is the point when the I started to enjoy the movie. It was then we made the leap from comedy to romantic comedy. (If I could be more specific without giving away parts of the movie, I would.)

All in all, I loved the movie. What made the movie for me was the chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Hathaway. Their on-screen relationship made the movie believable. They drew me in to the plot. I think if some other couple made this move then I would have hated this movie.

The one biggest surprise in this movie was the amount of skin being shown by both actors. I will say that Hathaway was much more daring in her role. There were many scenes that had her breasts out and proud! Jake was daring as well, but Anne took the cake! It was a shock to see both of them in their birthday suits. Good grief!

Be warned: This is NOT a movie safe for kids. It is rated R for a reason.

I Survived Thanksgiving With the Fam!

Thanksgiving turned out somewhat better than I was expecting.

First, I decided to visit the gravecsite of Bradley, an 18-year old young man who died of cancer this past September. He taught me so much about life and love in the very short time I knew him. So I wanted to stop by to say hello and thanks.

Next, I drove over two hours to get home to meet up with my dad and the family for Thanksgiving lunch. I got to Dad's house and there was already drama happening there. (Big shock to my system...not so much!) Seems my sister is still causing my dad great amounts of grief. What I discovered was that my sister had stolen my paternal grandfather's ring which belonged to my dad. My grandfather passed away in 2006. His ring was the only piece of jewelry I believed he owned. My grandfather lived rather simply. So this ring was something that meant quite a lot to my father. Sister rolled out of bed around 12:30 and never said a word to me. She strolled through the house into the bathroom for a shower. We finally left Dad's house around 12:45.

What makes this Thanksgiving different from all other ones before is that we decided to eat out this year instead of my poor Aunt Sue slaving over a stove and killing herself. She has not been in excellent health this year, so it was time to give her a break. Admittedly, I had mixed feelings about not going to Sue's house for Thanksgiving dinner. It is all I have ever known in my 33 years. I always loved getting there earlier than everyone else, helping Sue in the kitchen (which was our time to just talk about life), set the table, and get everything ready for the family to arrive. I didn't know what it would be like this year. Dinner was good. We went to a Thanksgiving buffet so much of it felt and tasted like the line we always formed at Sue's house. The conversation at the restaurant was a bit more tame that I am accustomed. Everyone was almost on their best behavior. (I love my family, but they can be vulgar at times. They don't always strive for those blessed table manners. It eats away at my OCD nature, but I kept my thoughts held back.)

All in all, dinner was better than I had expected. My only disappointment was that the family did not hang around as long as we normally did. At Sue's house, we would all take some time to go into the living room, turn on the ballgame, then sit around and talk for a few hours. This time we all said our goodbyes as we left the restaurant. The best thing to report is that there really was no family drama going on at dinner.

I definitely forgot to mention that my sister did not come to dinner with us. She went to Thanksgiving dinner with her paternal grandfather, he mother (my ex-stepmom), and family.

After dinner, dad and I went to look at a few cars at the local dealerships. I am gearing up to buy a new car in the next months, so I took him along to get his opinion. All I care to say is "Holy Cow! The car prices are getting out of control!"

Finally, I took dad to Knoxville to go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. I have been wanting to go to the theater in Knoxville because they have an IMAX screen there. I was shocked that my dad wanted to go see Harry Potter. My dad is much like my grandfather...they both have lived very simple lives. Dad is someone who would consider anything over $5 at dinner to be expensive. Imagine his shock when he figured out that the tickets to the IMAX theater was $17 a piece. It was more shell shock for him when we ordered a medium popcorn, medium coke, and a large bottle of water and the cost was another $17. That's right, it was $51 for just the two of us. After he caught his breath, he was shocked again by the size of the IMAX theater. Lot's of firsts for Dad today.

Harry Potter was awesome. I loved every minute of it. The movie was much different that all those in the past. There was no time at Hogwarts. We didn't get to see much of many characters we have come to know and love. The incredible surround sound in the IMAX theater made the movie. I cannot wait until the next comes out next SUMMER!

After the movie, Dad and I went back to our homes. I got home around 9:00 last night and settled in for the evening.

I did NOT get up this morning to hit the stores for Black Friday. I spent 7 years working in retail and remember all the Black Fridays that I had to work in those crowds. I have not been shopping on a Black Friday since those days.

I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving!
Take care!

Being Thankful

Since Thursday is Thanksgiving, I wanted to take some time to look back at this year and realize I have so much for which to be thankful!

I am thankful for my dad.
My dad is my hero. There is not much more I can say about that. When my parents divorced he fought like hell in court to insure he got custody of my brother and me. He is the best father a son could ever ask for in life. My dad has always been supportive of me in whatever I do in life. His only goals in life has been the happiness of his children. I have always said if I could be half the dad mine was to me then my (future) kids will be some lucky children. I only wish my dad would realize how awesome he really is.

I am thankful for my Aunt Sue.
Sue is my one and only paternal aunt. She is a truly amazing woman. She is a force to be reckoned with in this life. (She is definitely a solid mixture of her mother and her father.) Sue has become the matriarch of our family. She looks after my father, my brother, and my uncle. I shudder to think what my family would be like if it were not for the guidance of “the warden.”

I am thankful for two awesome teammates.
Being a teacher is never easy, but having my two teammates make my life much easier. Tammy (TRG as we all call her) is the voice of our team. Heck, she is the voice of all teachers. She is never one to shy away from expressing her opinions. She always has the best interests of our students and her teammates in mind. These past 18 months would have been unbearable without her. She is my rock! Mandy is the calming force on our team. I love how she is so very laid back. Together we are seen as the strongest team in the school…well, we are definitely the strictest team in the building. We get results. I love my teammates. They are a blast!

I am thankful for my best friend…Dr. Jenny
Jenny and I have been friends since we were 11, however we became best friends during our undergraduate years in college. We have seen each other through most of life’s ups and downs. Through it all we have strengthened our friendship. I love this woman more than I could ever tell you. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for her.  

I am thankful for being a teacher.
As much as I may sometimes complain about the hard aspects of my job, I absolutely love being a teacher. I love being part of a profession that changes the lives of countless numbers of people. I love watching as a student FINALLY comes to understand a concept or when he/she realizes just how smart they are. The joys of teaching definitely outweigh all the hardships we encounter.

I am thankful for Mikeal and Mandi.
I have had the honor of their friendship since last year. It has been an interesting ride getting to know them. Everytime I get to see or talk with them it makes me smile. Mikeal is not afraid to be himself, and I have such respect for that. Also, he has the love of three of the most beautiful kids in the world. That lets me know he is a great father. Mandi is fabulous in her own right. She is not afraid to speak her mind. I love her wit, her compassion for others, and her selflessness. Oh, and I LURV her ricotta cookies! Also, I know that she is an incredible mother. The munchkins hang on her every word! Love you guys!

I am thankful for Milo.
Getting to know Miles over the past months has been a blast. He always brings a smile to my face. What a brilliant wit and creativeness in this young guy. (Good grief…he is only 20, but I have learned so much from him.) Watching him grow and discover who he is in this life makes me honored to know him. I cannot wait to see just how far he will go in this life.

I am thankful for Mikey.
Mikey is one of the first friends I made through this blog. Although he lives on the other end of this country, I consider him a great friend. He is someone I can talk to about teaching as he  has prepared to become on himself. I look forward to showing him around east Tennessee and Dollywood. LOL!

I am thankful for Dean.
Dean is someone who is such a loving and caring individual. He has spent so much of the past years helping care for his ailing uncle that I believe he lost who he really is in life. I love talking with him and listening to just how wonderful he is. I just wish he could see it for himself. And, oh the talent…Dean is such a wonderful artist. I hope that he can go far in life as an artist.

I am thankful for David B.
Another young man who continually inspires me. David shares my love of Broadway musicals and politics. Even now, he is living in the Washington DC…one of the places where I want to live. No doubt that he will be setting the world on fire in the future. He’s got my vote! 

I am thankful for Aaron.
Aaron is one of the first bloggers to reach out to me across the blogosphere. I was instantly taken back by the sheer awesomeness of this young man. At only 23 years of age, he has accomplished so much in this world. I feel inspired by him and the work he does. I cannot wait to see just how he will change the world in the future.

I am thankful for Nabil.
Nabil is my friend on the other side of the world…literally. He is someone who has been around since I first began blogging. He has taught me a great deal about how others in the world view Americans. I loved going back and forth with him when he made his first visit to New York City this year. His observations about our country and NYC were awesome. I am thankful to call him “friend” and I look forward to a growing friendship.

I am thankful for Ian.
My Irish connection…Ian is this ball of energy I cannot totally describe. I will say that I have not met anyone who I can compare him to in my life. He is a complete enigma. (Yes, in a good way.) Ian has this fearlessness that I wish I sometimes had.

There are so many more of you for whom I am thankful, but this post could go on forever. Just know I feel very thankful and blessed to have you all in my life. Each friend brings a new piece of adventure and perspective into my life. I could never say thank you enough

As a final thought, below is a random list of things for which I am thankful:

-  The time (28 years) that I had with my grandmother.
-  Music (all kinds)
-  Freedom
-  My students
-  Warm spring days laying in the park
-  The Smoky Mountains in fall and winter…true beauty
-  The diversity of my friends
-  Movies
-  Broadway musicals
-  The ability to travel
-  The youth organization to which I volunteer my time
-  My cute nieces and nephews (all 10 of them)
-  College football (yes, I am still 100% a Tennessee VOLS fan)

While it is not an all-inclusive list, it is what is in my head at the moment.  Thanks to all of you who read this and take the time to respond. I love getting to know so many of you.

Take the time this Thanksgiving holiday to enjoy the love of your friends and family.

Love to you all!

If I Were to Marry…

I would marry Reba McEntire!

Yes, I have been in love with her since I was 16 years old and say my first Reba concert. I remember that concert well. It was John Berry, John Michael Montgomery, and Reba. I drove our group of 7 to the concert. We had a blast. Reba is simply amazing in concert. The number of costume changes alone was mind-boggling. I have seen her another 7 or 8 times in concert since that time.

Last night I watched an online concert Reba gave to preview her newly-released CD. It was only 30 minutes, but I was in heaven. I don’t know what it is about her, but she bring such emotion to a song. I get completely lost in her voice.

Here are some of my favorite Reba songs!

Holiday Shopping

This holiday season I am choosing not to do very much holiday shopping for friends and family. I have come to the conclusion that we all really have everything we need. Honestly, if there is anything we all really want will just cause us to go out and buy it anyway.

No, I am not putting aside my act of giving this holiday season. I am choosing an alternative to giving frivolous gifts.

This season I am giving the money I would have spent on my friends and family to charity. In particular, I have decided to give to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in Memphis, TN.  St. Jude is a research hospital whose mission to to find cures for pediatric cancers and other catastrophic illnesses.

I am not sure I have ever discussed this before, but I have always dreamed of working at St. Jude. As a freshman in college I had planned on being a pediatric oncologist, but that plan fell through. Later I applied for a job as the volunteer coordinator of the hospital, but I was one semester from graduating with my bachelors degree. Obviously I was not hired.

St. Jude has played a big role in my life over the past few years. First, one of my former students was sent to St. Jude for a very low platelet count. A normal platelet count was 150,000-400,000. My student, Storm, had a platelet count of 3000. 20,000 was considered dangerous. 3000 was life-threatening. I am happy to say that the wonderful doctors at St. Jude were able to cure Storm’s illness.

Over the past two years I have known three children/teenagers who have been afflicted with various types of childhood cancers. Two of them were treated or are currently being treated at St. Jude.

One young man I knew was Luke. He was the nephew of a friend from high school. Luke was only 8 when he lost his battle with cancer…specifically, he had a brain tumor. Luke was a young man who my students and school embraced, even though he was over 700 miles from us. My school adopted Luke. We sent him hundreds of cards, gifts, t-shirts, blankets, etc. I had never seen our students rally like they did around Luke. It brought a great deal of pride for my school. Luke was not treated at St. Jude. He was a patient at John Hopkins Hospital.

More recently, I knew of a young man named Bradley. He was diagnosed with bone cancer December 2008. He was 16 at the time. Bradley was a fighter and someone who had the best outlook on life. He was an inspiration to fellow students, teachers, parents, and members of the community. Sadly, Bradley lost his battle on September 3, which was also his 18th birthday.

Suffice it to say, I have been affected by childhood cancers, even if not directly in my family. I believe in the work that is done at St. Jude. The give such a great amount of hope for children and families stricken with cancer and other catastrophic illnesses. The only way that St. Jude can keep up their mission to end childhood cancer is to financially support them.

This Christmas I am giving donations in the memory of Bradley and Luke in the name of my friends and family. St. Jude will send them each a card letting them know a donation was made in their name.

Just thought I would pass that one along.

It is more blessed to give than to receive. – Acts 20:35

Do All Mormons Look Like This?

Disclaimer:  No, I don’t think all Mormons looks alike. It just seems that three of my Mormon friends looks eerily alike! Love you guys!

The beautiful and incomparable Madame Hawtness (aka Mandi)

The intuitive and witty Miles
(Did I mention Miles would probably give his left arm to be adopted by Mandi?)

The unapologetic Konrad

So here is the question for you…if I converted to Mormonism would I instantly become pencil thin, have awesome bone structure, and watch my hair turn blonde?

Just a random thought.

Amazing Student

Bigotry and Discrimination is Still Alive in the South!

Like many of my friends, I have given up hard copies of local newspapers in exchange for the electronic versions. Call it me being Earth-friendly or economical. Whatever!

This morning I logged on to the Knoxville News Sentinel…just one of several papers to which I have a subscription. I waded through a barrage of articles about Vol football, education reform, fires, obituaries, etc. Finally, my eyes were caught by an article titled I’m Proud of My Gay Son.

While I agree it was not the most compelling article from the mother of a gay son. It was something that brightened my day and gave me hope of acceptance that may one day come from my mother.

What I love about reading the paper online is that it also allows for readers to make comments about the articles. The comments are usually rather comical given the area of the country in which I live.

I live in the true south of the United States. I live in an area where farming is still a way of life. Friday nights are still football game nights. Everyone knows your business. My hometown high schools are still rather segregated. (My high school only had 3 black students and no black teachers. The rival high school is 85% black.) The largest building in our town is the First Baptist Church. It is larger than our county courthouse. There is a large percentage of citizens in our county who never received a full high school education.

I bring this up because of the comments made in response to Mrs. Griffo’s article. As suspected, there were many disparaging remarks about homosexuality. One in particular made the following reference:

I would conjecture that this boy’s mom is probably divorced and did not know how to raise a boy to become a man. In all likelihood the boy was sexually traumatized when he was young by either a male or female and it opened up a window in his soul to homosexuality…

It was at that point that I logged in and posted a reply to this fool! Below is what I wrote:

Everyone is entitled to their opinions...I get that. We live in this blessed country known as the United States where it is legal to express our thoughts at free will. I have no problem with that.

What I do have a problem with is your sickening conjecture about Mrs. Griffo's marital status and her ability to raise sons. Since it is obvious that you don't know this woman, I am angered that you believe that single women cannot properly raise their sons to become your definition of a "man." The fact is that many single moms raise their sons to be great men in our society.

My question to you concerns your definition of "men." Are you suggesting that a homosexual male is any less of a man that a heterosexual male?

I also have concerns about your conjecture that Mrs. Griffo's son was likely "sexually traumatized when he was young...and it opened up a window in his soul to homosexuality." How can you even suggest something so disgusting?! Now you are saying that boys who are sexually traumatized grow up to be gay men? According to the American Medical Association, this just is not so.

Here is some evidence against your hypotheses:

1) I grew up in a single-parent household. However, I grew up living with the greatest male role model I know...my father.

2) Even though I grew up without a mother, I had some wonderful female figures in my life...my paternal grandmother and a paternal aunt. (I throw this point in just in case you decide to make an argument of a lack of female figures in my life, too.)

3) I was raised in a wonderfully loving and supportive family that would do anything to protect me.

4) I grew up in a fantastic Southern Baptist church family where I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior when I was a teenager. For the record, He and I talk daily. Thank you!

5) I was NEVER sexually traumatized as a child, teenager, or as an adult.

And here is the last bit for you...I happen to be gay.

That doesn't make me a sexual deviant or promiscuous.
It doesn't make me any less of a man that your definition might suggest.
I am a man who is a productive contributing citizen to this beautiful state of Tennessee.
I am the uncle to 8 beautiful nieces and nephews.
I am a brother.
I am a son.
I am a Christian.
I am an educator.
I am a community volunteer.
I am a Vol fanatic.

I will continue to be me no matter how much discrimination and bigotry I will face in this life. It is not a life I would ever have chosen for myself. This is just me.

My Dad and His Mortality

Tonight I got a phone call from my dad. He still calls me almost every day of the week. Yes, even after 33 years of life he considers me a kid. That will never change…I accept that.

As the conversation went on about his extended stay out in Las Vegas (darned him), he proceeded to tell me he had been talking with my brother about plans for the future. I figured he was talking about selling his current house and finding a smaller house for him and my brother. Maybe he was talking about making vacation plans. Who knew he was talking about plans if he were to pass away?

I never did like these types of talks with my dad. I have lived with my father in my life for 33 years, and I cannot imagine my life without him here in it. My family members that have passed have set a nice precedence for longevity. Everyone seems to live into their seventies, eighties, and a few in their nineties. I am certainly hoping the same hold true for my dad. Realistically, he is 61. If he lives to the age my grandparents lived to be, then he will make it into his mid- to late seventies. That would mean only about 15 more years with my father in my life. Ugh, now I am depressing myself!

My dad has always been a super father. I could not have asked for a more caring and compassionate dad. There is no man that I respect more than him. He is my true hero in life. Dad’s only concern in life has been the welfare of his kids. So it comes as no surprise that he continues to think about what will happen to his kids once he has passed away.

I proceeded to let my dad tell me his plans for when he passes. The short-and-sweet version is that my brother would get to keep dad’s house (which is what needs to happen for my brother) and I am to get dad’s brand new Harley Davidson. I cracked up at him telling my brother to make sure I get the Harley Davidson.

Let’s be frank for a moment…I have not ridden or driven a motorcycle in at least 15 years. Dad told me that my brother, Jason, could give me a refresher course on how to ride a motorcycle. I don’t think I would have any problem. This all just made me smile.

On a side note, being the eldest child, I am the one who will be making all medical and financial decisions for my dad when the need arises. I already have power of attorney over his medical needs and finances. I have had that since I was 18. Dad and I have had the medical discussions since I was young. I know my father does not want to be put on life support and that he wants to be cremated. I have always told him “Not to worry…I will be sure to pull the plug and strike the match.” (We are a sick family, and I like it that way!)

Kids Say the Darndest Things

My students are always making me laugh with their observations and sayings. Believe me when I tell you that every teacher could write a book and make people roll in the floor with what they hear.

Today on the way out to the track one of my boys, Jacob, told me I needed to go to YouTube and search for Double Rainbow. I asked him what it was about and he said the following:

It is a video of this guy who was taping a double rainbow, and he wasn’t high or anything, but he was crying at the sight of this double rainbow.

I was just perplexed by the comment about this guy not being high. I had to ask him “What does being high have to do with this video?” Jacob was quick to point out that he didn’t think it was normal for a guy to cry at the sight of a rainbow, but he knew the guy just wasn’t high when watching this rainbow. (Evidently he thinks people who get high are overly emotional.)

I loved the rationale behind this, and it just made my day. Kids really do say the darndest things!

The Pope Has Been a Bad Boy…

I was reading the online version of our local newspaper when I read the following headline, and I was shocked.

Honestly, sometimes these reporters and editors need to think about what they write as the title of an article. I couldn’t imagine that the pontiff had been stealing around here in my part of the world. I really was picturing Pope Benedict XVI in jail for stealing something.

Just food for thought today!

Saying Goodbye to Aaron

This morning we learned that our brother in the blogosphere, Aaron @ A Beautiful Chaos has decided to leave us. It is difficult to believe that it has been a year since Aaron arrived on the scene. He is such a remarkable young man, and I am constantly in awe of all he has accomplished in such a short life. What I love most about Aaron is that he has never been afraid to speak his mind or let us into his life. He has documented (very well, I might add) his life this past year and his struggle coming out and coming to terms with who he is in this world. It is obvious he knows who he is and what he wants in life. We all could take a lesson or two from him.

Aaron, I sincerely hope that your life continues to thrive and that you get all that this world has to offer you. I have no doubt that you will continue to be a leader, but I predict that your leadership will take on a more worldwide audience. I look forward to the day when you are on that world stage and everyone is watching!

Take care and keep in touch!

As a gesture to Aaron, I am leaving this song from the Muppets. It is one of my favorites and the one I look to when saying goodbye to someone.

Saying Goodbye–The Muppets Take Manhattan

Glee's "Teenage Dream"

I am such a gLeek! Today I found the video below. It is from the upcoming episode of Glee titled "Never Been Kissed." The song...Katy Perry's Teenage Dream. I LOVE THIS SHOW!

What About Love…I’m Here

No, this posting is NOT about my love life. (That non-existent portion of my life at the moment…No worries!) This post is about my love of Broadway!

Last night I ordered my tickets to see 9 to 5 : The Musical. I have loved the movie for years. I love Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda. They were hilarious in the movie. When the show opened on Broadway I wanted so badly to go see it, but I never got the opportunity to make it to New York. Alas, it closed, and I was sad. Then I learned it would be opening a nation-wide tour. My hopes were raised.

My joy increased as I ordered my tickets and got FRONT ROW SEATS! I am now more excited than ever. I have to wait until January 7 to see it in Greenville, SC…I will wait.

Here is a snippet from the show.

January will be a great month. I am also going with best friend, Jenny to see the national tour of The Lion King in Durham, NC. I cannot wait. Also coming up this year are the national tours of Spring Awakening (yes…again!), Wicked, and others.

I did want to leave some music from one of my favorite musicals…The Color Purple. I have been listening to that soundtrack today.

“Hell No” & “The Color Purple” on the Tony Awards

“What About Love” from Best of the West End 2009

Test Scores and a Questionnaire

Last night I received an email from the state department of education stating that my standardized test scores from last April were available online. Like so many of my colleagues at school, this left me shaking in my boots. So much of our school's livelihood is based on how our students perform on a single test to assess everything they learned throughout the school year. (Ridiculous, I know, but thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act my life now revolves around standardized testing.)

I was unable to access my scores last night because the login required my original teacher licensure number, which I no longer had on file. I had to contact our HR manager at the Central Office to get the information.

Around 8:30 this morning I was able to login and get my test scores. I was still shaking as the PDF file loaded onto my computer.

Test scores alone are not the determinant in teacher effectiveness. Our state subscribes to a concept called Value-Added assessment. In a nutshell, value-added score show a students progression from the previous year. A score of 0.0 signifies that your students made NO progression from the previous year. A score of 1.0 signifies a year's worth of progression, which should be the minimum for every teacher.

Before I go on, let me just say that this past year was a year of great change across the state. Our state curriculum standard had a drastic reformation. Before the modifications occurred, our state standards were listed as 41 out of all 50 states in difficulty. Since the change our standards are ranked as the second hardest in the country...only outdone by the great state of Massachusetts. That is a gigantic jump in rigor for our state. Of course my school system jumped on the bandwagon and tackled the state standards. We worked the entire year to make sure we met all standards.

Back on track...

I opened my scores and this is what I learned:
- The state average for 6th grade science was -1.3 (Yes a NEGATIVE 1.3)
- My school's average was +1.3
- My value-added score was a +4.8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was jumping for joy. Not only did I blast past the state average, I am one of the top science teachers in my school. I know that this is vanity, and I agree. However I cannot help it. I am always so worried that my students will not do well. Getting the scores I received helped put my mind to ease and lets me know I am doing something right in my classes. My students are learning!

This just made my day and week!

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The second part of my day was also quite interesting. I went to the mailroom at lunch and found a questionnaire in my box. The questionnaire was titled "Reconfiguration Placement Survey."

This questionnaire was distributed before our system does a school reconfiguration. Currently our elementary schools are Pre-K through 5th grade, our middle school is 6th to 7th grade, and our high school is 8th grade to 12 th grade. After the reconfiguration in 2012 we will be as follows

Elementary >>> Pre-K to 4th
Intermediate >>> 5th to 6th
Middle >>> 7th to 8th
High >>> 9th to 12th

As part of the reconfiguration, there will be a number of teachers shuffled to fill needed positions. The survey sent out today was done to help our leadership make decisions on where to place everyone. We were asked about our current placement, our licensure endorsements, Highly Qualified Status, etc.

One of the most pertinent sections was our preference of placements. We were first asked which schools we would choose. I chose Intermediate first, Middle second, and one of the elementary schools third.  Then there was the question of what subjects we would like to teach. I asked for math first, science second, and social studies third. I asked for math first in hopes of being moved back to mathematics. I miss teaching it terribly.

The final question was very perplexing. The survey asked "Which is more important to you, the school or the subject taught?"

This question was hard for me. Do I put school is more important in hopes of staying at my current school? (I love my school very much!) Do I put the subject first in hopes of being put back in math? This was not an easy choice. I chose "subject." I decided that I could teach anywhere and make the best of the situation.

Honestly, I really wanted to put "Just put me wherever!" In the end, the decision of placement will be left to the administration. I also know that I am Highly Qualified to teach all subjects (Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies) from Kindergarten up to 8th grade. That is a rarity anywhere. So I know that I will be one of the last ones placed to fill a needed position. I will manage!

What would be my ideal placement? I have two options:
(1) I would teach 5th or 6th grade mathematics at my current school.
(2) I would teach 7th or 8th grade mathematics at the new state-of-the-art middle school.

Only time will tell. We are supposed to know our placements before the end of this current school year. The anticipation will build as time flies!


What a day!!!