Classic Learning Moment 2006-2007

i have been teaching my students hinduism and buddhism all week, and my kids really think its two of the more interesting religions they have ever learned. its even more interesting analyzing and comparing the two religions. they seemed to have an easy time learning the concepts of reincarnation, dharma, karma, and samsara. i think it is easy for them because i try to make a connection with their lives.

for instance, i told them that dharma is your "duty." my duty as a teacher is to help you learn. your dharma is to do your homework. very easy....they got it like tiger gets golf.

so one of my diminutive six graders mouths off,"oh yeah...well my duty is nothing cuz my momma does everything for me!" for someone that can't even look over my door window, he sure has a big mouth.

another of my students, "you right....yo dharma is to do nothing but grow!" [class: oooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

another student chimes in,"he must have had bad karma in his past life!" [class: ooooooohhhhhhhhh] i should have intervened at this point. but they sure got it!

he really is small! i almost laughed but composed myself and deflected the attention to me.

Stop that Squeeking Noise!

this past week leyla finally got really irritated with my incessant watching of college basketball.....well, any basketball game. but what am i going to do? its bracket week! every game is crucial and every team are fighting for their tournament lives. every game is exciting! imagine....kansas versus kansas state in manhattan, kansas!?!?!?! kansas has dominated this rivalry. in fact, kansas has beaten kansas state....in manhattan...since the reagan era...and now ks finally has a team that can compete with ku! the crowd were raucous and overtly commited to help their team beat a quarter century of drubbing from ku! there's no way i'm missing it.

anyways, she came in one afternoon. i was lying on the sofa watching college basketball and leyla comments,"i can't stand the squeeking anymore! let it stop!"

Spy Games

there is this great show in public television about spy school. it is basically a reality tv show from england. there were 5000 nominees and 8 are left. you get to see how they train spies. anyways, leyla thinks she would be a great spy. of course, she based her argument on the fact that she has snuck in to a few concerts! you gotta do better than that......i don't think she realizes that most of the people that work in these concerts don't give a bird doo doo. but she insist that she can compete against these guys.

Parties are Interesting

i went to a party with my friends at a bar kitty corner from northstar. when we got up there, BelBevDevoe's Poison was on. you know: miss her, kiss her, love her....that girl is poisooooooon! what struck us was that everyone was lip synching EVERY word to this song. already...i was getting the shakes as i imagined a woman with robust legs in the video. maybe its not the legs but the ugly 80's grey mini skirt. okay....it may be one of those songs you expect at every party. we figured maybe one time. its cheesy....but i have to admit, i know the song as well. in fact, i will also admit, i saw them in an amusement park concert. ....perhaps that is why i really don't like them.

its just one of those songs that you really would like to forget....you know like...bust the move by young mc.....cheeeeeeesy! fortunately, the people in this party weren't wearing clothes like the ones BBD are wearing.

anyways, as i was eating cup cake for the fifth time (i like cupcakes!), they played the goddamn song again! and what's worse is that they cut a tupac song for poison!?!?! i almost barfed! and it wasn't because i was stuffing my face with cupcakes and sierra nevadas. what....one time isn't enough! and you know what?...they all sang to it again!

i was mildly sickened by it.....but friends and the cupcakes made the time worthwhile....oh yeah, we also stayed for a little bit of drama....

can't share the story; but why is it that some women like the most bonafide jerks in the world?

I Hate Having Substitutes

after my btsa meeting at another school, i came back to my school confronted by counselors telling me that my kids were horrible! gosh....i hate being absent! its embarassing to hear that my kids can't control themselves when i am out! i feel like every time i am out, they feel like the warden just opened up the gate to a russian gulag. they are probably so happy and relieved to exhale, that they can't control themselves. am i that mean?


well.....anyways, i really laid it to them this afternoon. right when they came in, i ripped them a new conscience! i told them how embarassing it was for me to hear that my students are acting like animals! i told them that i rarely ever sleep before twelve o'clock because i am correcting their papers, making lesson plans and fun activities.

"....and this is how you treat me?" of course lying, "i was absent because i was tired, and i needed to rest from all the work i have done for you...i was on the verge of a breakdown!" my voice rung loudly with a tinge of anger and desperation. i wanted them to feel guilt. so i rubbed it in.
"raise your hand if you learned a lot this semester? " [almost everyone raised their hand]

"raise your hand if you think i'm a good teacher" [without hesitation, they raised their hand]

"and this is how you treat me?" "the counselors think i am useless! they laughed at me!" "is that how you want mr. algones to be treated?" guilt is such a great tool!!!! consequently, i had a great learning day today.

there was a new student from korea that arrived yesterday. he spoke no english whatsoever, and i can't imagine what he was thinking. first, he experienced a crazy day yesterday. and today, he experienced a very angry teacher shouting what he probably thought was jibberish.

i hope i don't scare him away!

Former Basketball Player Announces He Is Gay

okay former Jazz, Knicks, Rockets player John Amaechi announced he is gay. espn preface their brief interview with him as someone who is different.

paraphrase: He is truly different because he is English, an academic scholar, and comes from a generally football school (penn state). so one of them said, "....and while everyone is drinking gatorade, he is drinking earl grey tea!"

what?! just because you are drinking earl grey tea, you are considered gay?!?!?!? hell, i drink earl grey tea. of course, i don't drink earl grey during timeouts in an adult league game, but i don't think he drank earl grey during timeouts either. and i'm for sure i'm not gay! so why does earl grey tea have a bum rap? yes, its mostly old women in the afternoon in an overcast country that's sipping it....but everybody drinks earl grey!

so he is asked, "why didn't you announced your preference during your professional career?"

he answered, "it is difficult because professional sport in general is the pinnacle of the greek tradition of man." hell, i thought the greeks were very comfortable with men being gay or even having tendencies with young males.

i was a little disappointed with espn news tonight! i've had high hopes for them for a long time, their generalizations are usually quite believable.....hehehehe