more book reviews

13: Thirteen Stories about the agony and ecstasy of being 13 - nice, quick read. it's kind of funny to remember how traumatic middle school can be. most of the stories were well-written, and adequately capture teenaged personalities. while certainly not the most intellectually stimulating, it's a refreshing read.

The Kite Runner: fantastic story about forgiveness and repentance. The main character is a boy named Amir, but by the end you realize the story is actually about his best friend, who remained in the background. The characters and plot were developed beautifully. A must-read.

Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold - so far, so good. I'm only about half-way through, but it's getting better and better. I'll fill you in later.

go green

so our school was on the local news a couple months back because we purchase more than 50% of our energy from renewable resources. we're awesome.

something else awesome about our school is that in the fall, all of the apples that we serve are picked at a nearby orchard, where the apple cider we serve is also made. De-licious!

and the most awesome part is that our headmaster has a stationary bike in his basement that he hooked up to a machine that grinds wheat (or other things) while he bikes. and then we use that wheat for our lunches. this all makes me feel very much like i'm living in san francisco, except for the fact that DC is more fun.

crazy, crazy

So yesterday, one of my students asked me if I was "one of those crazy mormons." Which is kind of a taboo thing to ask your teacher. Except that by crazy mormon, he meant one of those mormons who goes bungee jumping and skydiving on vacation, like Doug's family does.

That is much better than the kind of crazy I was thinking of. Like that girl who once got mad and told me that "Jesus never would have done that to me."

Yikes.

one more happy note

just to round things off...

So today i didn't hate swim practice as much as usual, because we were in the weightroom and i got to work out instead of babysit! hoorah! i love the elliptical with most of my heart and soul.

and on another happy note

i bought myself a plane ticket to Madrid!!! and it was $200 cheaper than the last time I checked prices. the countdown is on for spring break 2008!

things i hate in 2008

1. Coaching swim team. It wouldn't be so bad if I were paid extra for it, or if practice were right after school so I have the evening to work or play or relax. But practice is until NINE O'CLOCK PM!!! Even on FRIDAY NIGHT! Apparently they think I don't have a life. Or that our kids don't have lives. And then they think that I'm a good enough driver to drive a school bus into DC. News flash: I'm not a good enough driver to drive anything into DC, much less a bus full of teenagers.

2. I can't really think of anything else.

So on a happier note, I love my classes more every day. This is usually the time of year when teachers and students get on each others nerves. A lot. Instead, we like each other more and more every single day. Hooray!

2008 Resolutions

1. Take 2 educational policy classes this fall
2. Save $XXX dollars. I'll keep the exact number to myself.
3. Get my article published.
4. Eliminate anything unnecessary that is cluttering my life
5. Eat less frozen food. This is where quesadillas come in.

national christmas tree

so my neighbors and i headed downtown to see the national christmas tree, since we live in DC and haven't seen it yet. it's enormous.

I love this picture:

And just to prove that I was really there:

Further proof, if you're a skeptical sort that needs more convincing:

And the White House, just for fun:

Me and my roommate Julie:

Book Wish List

yet again... so many books, so little time

A Thousand Splendid Suns: By the author of The Kite Runner. I hear it's nothing like The Kite Runner, but that it's just as good.

13: Thirteen Stories that Capture the Agony and Ecstasy of Being Thirteen: Being thirteen pretty much sucks. They are strange, strange people living in a strange, strange environment called middle school.

Emotions Revealed: The same friend that recommended The Prince has read a lot by Paul Ekman. Apparently it is really really easy to read people if you just know the tricks. I thought he was bluffing until he proved that he could tell me exactly what I was thinking at any given moment. He was alarmingly good at it. I need in on this!

The Evolution of Useful Things: Stories like these could be useful as a segue through my class I should be teaching this summer. (I can only teach it if there is enough interest to fill up the classes...)

some updates

#1: School is out!! Friday was our last day, and I am FREE until January 7!!! We spent the last two days of class building towers and other engineering-esque projects so we wouldn't all go crazy waiting for the final bell to ring.

#2: Our first book club meeting was a success. Everybody liked the book, except for Julie, who at least pretended to. How nice of her. And we ate the chocolates my students gave me for Christmas, and the homemade biscotti that Rochelle baked. Now I need to find The Story of Opal. This one is proving more difficult.

#3: I started reading The Prince, by Machiavelli. It's my friend's favorite book, and I agreed to read it as long as he would read The Schools Our Children Deserve, since that's one of my favorite books. He wasn't thrilled with the arrangement, but it turns out I'm pretty good at making him do what I want.

#4: I am finally going home tomorrow! I get to play with my nieces and nephew, buy them presents, and overall convince them that I am their favorite person on earth.

#5: I woke up early yesterday to brave the outlet malls. We arrived as soon as the stores opened, missed all of the crowds, and partook in all of the early bird specials. I finished my Christmas shopping and then bought myself two pairs of pants for $7.50 each, a sweater for $9.00, and another pair of pants for $3.50. I love bargain shopping.

do you have enough ideas yet, mom?

and this CD would be perfect for my stocking. kasey chambers is my hero.

please don't hate me

but i really want a pair of these boots.

i know they're ugly. hence the name ugg. but boy, oh, boy do they look warm and cozy. and i've realized in the past few days, what with the snow, and the snow delays, and driving the bus in the snow, and going to the Redskins game in the snow, that i need a WARM pair of shoes if i'm going to survive to my 28th birthday. and i would really like to turn 28.

so here they are. these ones are expensive, but there are some cheap knock-offs all over the place that will also be warm. i prefer the tall variety. brown or sand.

stocking stuffers

per mom's request

MAC brow set: my eyebrows need SO much help. seriously.

Black tights. It snowed for the first time today, and it is COLD! Some in winter white and charcoal would be nice, too.

i also really love this coat. although it might be a little big for a stocking. and i might need something hooded for those crazy snow days.

and WARM winter clothes. a pair of sweatpants from my school, as cheesey as that sounds. and of course, i always could use some more books.

book club

book #1: The Kite Runner. My roommate bought it for me for my birthday (she's the best) and i can't wait to read it.

book #2: The Story of Opal. According to Matt (one of the book club co-founders), it demonstrates why we're told to be like children. sounds interesting

book #3: The Count of Monte Cristo: i can't wait to read it again! it's been a few years, and the story is great. i think i'll love it even more the second time around, now that i know the overall plot and can absorb more.

book #4: East of Eden. also an old favorite. everyone should read it. as long as you can handle some of the details...

this is how i impress my students

when we have a discussion in class about how it is physically impossible to eat six saltine crackers in one minute, because the salt dries out your mouth so much, i challenge them to a saltine eat-off.



and then during lunch, we collect all of the saltines we can find and i proceed to eat six in less than a minute. without a sip of water.



now i'm pretty much their hero.

I FOUND A SUMMER JOB!!!

now i don't have to work at anthropologie for $8 an hour. and i can afford this trip to SPAIN i'm planning over spring break.

i get to teach a summer class on engineering design/robotics. i'm pretty sure this is my dream. it pays well, it only 3 hours a day, and each class only lasts two weeks. i get to teach 3-6 classes. wahoo!!!

this leaves plenty of time for sleeping in, reading, and playing in DC. and i don't have to go through any sort of crappy application or interview process.

the moral of the story is: be friends with me. i bring good luck.

dump

today i made the mistake of using the phrase "dumping loads" in one of my questions in physics. and then the class reverted back to second grade for a few minutes. and by a few minutes, i mean the rest of class.

(we were talking about torque and looked at a picture of a dump truck that had tipped over backwards while "dumping loads". haha)

more books on my list

The Story of Opal: This is the first book that my book club will be reading next month. Have I mentioned that I just started a book club?

Freaks, Geeks, and Cool Kids: American Teenagers, Schools, and the Culture of Consumption: Next on my list after I finish The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager. Seriously, teenagers are fascinating.

William-Sonoma: The Kids Cookbook: Because, seriously, I don't have time to cook. And when I do have time, I don't really feel like cooking. So I need quick, easy recipes so I can stop eating frozen pizzas.

Survival of the Sickest: It comes highly recommended. Sounds like an interesting science book.

What the Best College Teachers Do: It got good reviews, and supposedly has research to back up its claims.

more to come....

"siked"

so i just got an email from one of my students:

"Ms. Reed, I am seriously so siked about this exam tomorrow! I'm not kidding."

and now i pretty much love this girl.

a great book

for anyone who works with teenagers, is raising teenagers, is or once was a teenager.

The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager

okay, so i'll admit that i'm only on chapter 2, but i'm already loving it. so much insight into teenagers, what their lives are like, and the restrictions (good or bad) that our current culture imposes on them. the only disappointment is that it was written in 1999, so facebook and text messaging and some of the recent teenageer-isms are missing. but seriously, read it. it'll make you laugh and make you love teenagers.

my favorite parts so far:

Indeed, if there is any one thing that can make sex dull for teenagers, it is to teach it in high school. So true.

and, to everyone's surprise:

In other words, teenagers are just like people.