Monday Miscellany

It’s Monday again?

It try to make student assessments (tests and quizzes) interesting for my students. On my AP multiple choice questions, I would substitute one of the answers for a statement about a plot by subterranean monkeys to take over the world. My students gave me a monkey at the end of one year. A stuffed monkey. Last week, my ninth graders had a vocabulary quiz. They have to match words with definitions. I like to add a few faux definitions to make them think about it. For the word "pungent", I added this definition to the list: a young man with a fondness for word play.

Last week was homecoming week so things have been crazy at school. We have about four to five weeks every year that are useless for academic pursuits. Last week was one of them. Our students did a good job choosing homecoming court. I am, generally, opposed to the entire idea of a court. That being said, our students are supposed to select the students who best represent the spirit of our school: the earnestly seek to follow God, they work hard (though not necessarily earning "A"s, and the work to better the school. That is exactly the type of court that was elected this year. It was not a popularity contest, nor a beauty contest. The senior court is required to give speeches; students then vote on king and queen based on those speeches. This is the only part of the entire week that I enjoy. Not that the speeches are brilliant, but that I might get a shout-out. Anytime a student gives a speech, there is the off chance that they might mention a teacher in a positive light. That teacher might be me. I finally made it into the fifth of sixth speeches. One of the court was recounting fond memories that the student body has shared. She said, "...we'll remember the squeaking of a history teacher's voice during a lecture..." She didn't have to say my name, everyone knew it was me. In fairness, she made up for it later in reading a laundry list of things teachers has done for her, "I have been encouraged in Mrs. C's and Mrs. A's class, I have been inspired in Mr. Chintzibobs class..." "Inspired". I'll take that.

My wife and I have decided that we need a full-time theologian at our house. Our son is now asking about cemeteries and death. Last night he wanted to know why it stopped raining. After a pause, he pondered, "Why is God done feeding the earth?" I gotta re-read my catechism.


Peace