Civil War Weary
I have been dutifully doing my work to finish my incomplete. I am designing a unit of lesson plans covering the Civil War because we were allowed to choose our own subject and i couldn't think of any other subject that has so much information in print and online. Let's just say i haven't had any problems finding overheads... I am beginning to see a pattern that i will probably grow to hate as it becomes clearer. Using the MA State frameworks means i have to plan these lessons around the test they give sophomores and seniors to pass before they can graduate. Teaching from the frameworks is the same as teaching to the test, and an awful lot of narrative gets left behind.
My best buddy Mike, his wife and two kids came in for a surprise visit yesterday, which was like a shaft of sunlight at midnight. We went to college together, Mike and I, and altho i couldn't take organized Pentecostalism any more Mike, the trooper he is, has managed to begin a ministry that has both significance and relevance. He is about the only person that could actually fan to life the embers of a fire that i thought was buried in ice, the only one that could make me a little wishful about being a minister again.
Otherwise the nose is to the grindstone. It has been a long time since i have experienced this kind of stress, the kind that presses down and causes you to hunch your back when your awake and squint your eyes when your asleep. At least the weather has been cooperating, as it has been in the mid to low 70s this week. What can i say? Autumn and Spring are my two favorite seasons, and i figure in the winter, you can always put more clothes on, right? Summer is fine, but it often is accompanied by humidity, which i could do without, and you can only take off so much clothing to cool down.
I am also sitting the dogs again, till Sunday. Its kool, they have began to grow on me. Plus, these folk's TV didn't melt down, and they have NESN, the home of all the Red Sox game. The Sox gained a game on the fucking Yankees last night, and i hope we make it six tonight.... OK, time for me to get back to the lesson plans. Mike gave me a B&N gift card, which i intend to use to purchase this publication of "On the Road," the original manuscript Kerouac typed out on a scroll , as well as John Leland's new book -- next week sometime, maybe. Sigh
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btw - I just remembered one more cool thing my history teacher did. She almost always tried to tie in whatever we were studying with current events. It was quite often that she would start the class with a clip from the news the night before. I think that made history come alive more. It felt like there was an actual relationship between what happened two hundred plus years ago and now. I should also note that I went to a small high school and the history teacher also taught US government and most of the other social studies classes. She used the same teaching style for all of her classes. Before her I didn't really pay much attention to current events (and certainly nothing outside the US!). After her I became an avid listener to NPR (still am to this day).
yes, of course there are relationship between the present and the past every things happened effect us now and every one have a good life do not see any man need your help , there are not a humane I do not know ! ! but I am beginning to see that , I hope every man see him self and see the other people .