I Wear No Make-up!

Yes, I am still harping on the Open House Debacle of 2011, as it shall forever be known. Ok, this is what I didn’t say in the last two posts (here and here) where I harped on said Debacle of 2011. Let me tell you a little bit about me. I don’t wear make-up. I can remember making a conscious decision when I was about 9 or 10 years old that I didn’t want to wear make-up. Even back then I thought that make-up was a mask; that it didn’t show the real person. I thought of it as putting on a show.

“Why would I want to wear make-up,” I thought. I have always wanted people to see me as I am. So, I have never been one to put on a “mask”, or be fake. I’ve always adopted a “take me as I am” attitude. That’s why I don’t like it when someone cleans up their house only for company. (Are you not worthy of a clean house all the time?) Similarly there are teachers who only put up projects and papers for Open House or some other event to look like a star. I find that utterly reprehensible. But, seriously, who am I to judge, right?

There was a time (a loooong time ago before I started school and working) when my house was clean. Anyone could drop by at anytime & it was clean. Well, it is the same way with my classroom now. Anyone can drop by at any time and it’s always clean. I always have current student work up and graded with comments. My students are always engaged (although sometimes in other things as children are wont to do), but that does not seem to be enough. I learned that last night. Last night I learned that I need to showcase my students work so they can feel good about their work and I can showcase my teaching strategies. When you think about it, there’s nothing wrong with that. Although I have never been one to try to put on a show, I have come to the realization that the show is not for me. It was never really about me. Gosh, how wrapped up in self can I be?

So, although I absolutely refuse to put on a mask by wearing make-up, I will put on a show. For the children.

HERE’S TO 2011!

Pants on the Ground! Pants on the Ground!

PANTS ON THE GROUND! PANTS ON THE GROUND! Looking like a fool with your pants on the ground! Do you remember that video from American Idol! Well, I do and that’s exactly the way I feel. This post is in regard to last night’s post about looking like a total slacker & eating sour grapes.

I was too tired to write everything I wanted to say last night, but I’m up now and I’m totally refreshed. So I can tell you that last night I felt like crying. I know, I know, you’re probably thinking when don’t I feel like crying. But, I will not even go into that. I will just tell you that I was so tired and couldn’t think straight because Open House started at 6:00 p.m. Factor in a whole day of working with 4th & 5th graders, grading papers, and trying to get the bulletin boards together, that will make anyone crazy. Don’t even mention the fact that I had to stay at school the whole time and get right back up & be there at 8:00 this morning.

I was tired but my mind was working overtime a little before, during & after Open House. I started thinking about the next Open House & my displays. In fact, I will not wait until the next Open House to start displaying my students projects. My students have a Black History Month project due next Wednesday that I will display as soon as I grade them. Not only that, but I will have them put on a mini-play for the Principal.

One thing I learned about being caught unaware, with my pants down, is that I do NOT like it. Read my lips (or my words) I. WILL. NOT. BE. CAUGHT. WITH. MY. PANTS. DOWN. AGAIN!

HERE’S TO 2011!

African-American Firsts!

For Black History month, I assigned my students projects on trailblazers- the first in their field. I definitely wanted them to do a project for Black History month, but was just tired of students wanting to report on Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, or some other well-known figure that’s been done to death. Don’t get me wrong. I want my current & future students to know about these people, but I also want them to know about the less well known contributors who don’t get as much credit. So, my challenge to them was to find a trailblazer who contributed to all mankind, not just Blacks. Of course they proffered up Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Mike Tyson, The Rock or Dwayne Johnson as he’s known now. My question to them was, “What have they done besides be great at their chosen profession & have brown skin or black heritage?”

They gave me blank stares, but they finally started to get it. Once they got it, they chose well. So, here is the list of people my students chose:

Jack Johnson, Marian Anderson, Shirley Chisholm, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Carter Woodson, & a couple I can’t remember right now that I will update once I find my list. I am excited about this assignment. I am going to put on a show for the Principal complete with faces stapled to giant tongue depressors.

How’s that for putting on a show?

P.S.- I have a great link to a wikipedia for African-American firsts that take you back to the 1800s & the first known black man to publish a book by the name of Jupiter Hamon. Like to see it, here it goes: Wikipedia link- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African-American_firsts

HERE’S TO 2011!