Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Weather As Forecast

So It Rained/Snowed, Whatever

Just as forecast it was snowing at the end of the school day, but that quickly changed to a wet, cold rain. Not heavy, fortunately, but enough to dampen my spirits.

The Boys were dressed in lightweight blankets--not waterproof--but dry anyhow because the precipitation was not enough to soak through. Still, I had to change blankets and put them in their waterproof lightweight winter ones. I'll leave them on for tomorrow as it's supposed to rain/shower in the morning, then clear, get nice but then get windy again. Guess it will dry things out again, which is good.

I spent the evening after I fed the Boys unloading the grain I'd bought last week. I'd left it in the truck since I still had plenty in the barn, but when I opened the last bag this morning, I figured it was time to restock. I'll need to go get some alfalfa cubes on the weekend, but otherwise we are "food fine" for a good while again. I will need a load of hay too, but that can wait out the week.

I suppose one disadvantage about keeping the horses at home is having to worry about the food stocks yourself instead of depending on someone else to do it. It does require some planning and management, but after a few months it gets pretty easy to figure out. On the other hand, the absolute benefits of being in complete control of how much your horse eats and when he eats is a big bonus. And when you know the Boys are all tucked in with hay, grain, water, and shelter it offers a tremendous peace of mind.

The school story goes this way. The note in my box telling me to call father was from VP #1. I went to check with VP #2 who assured me had had taken care of it. The student was suspended for 2 days and he had called his father.

Still, the kid was in my class today. We had a bit of an issue as he kept talking to the student next to him and challenged me when I asked him to be quiet. As he was not the only one talking in class he resented my saying something to him, then said, "Is it because I am sitting right next to you?" Yes. And it wasn't as if I hadn't said thing to the other kids anyhow. This class simply has no self-control. I can easily get them quiet and then seconds later, they start talking to each other again. My first period (9th grade, first year of high school) is even worse, except the are noisier. My solution is to just talk even more softly myself. Then they start telling each other to be quiet so they can hear what I have to say.

Frankly, the students have changed recently and have much less self-discipline. I really don't have too much trouble with them but some of their other teachers are really frustrated. I have a theory they are the product of over-indulgent parents traumatized by 9/11 into thinking their children are too precious to correct. Or else it's bad drinking water. Or else it's all the testing.

Frankly, I think a few of these children do need to be left behind so they can take a few extra years to grow up.

But I must admit, even the talkers are enjoying class. We are reading "A Midsummer Night's Dream," out loud in class. Teaching Shakespeare is an endless fascination for me. I've had even the toughest kids totally involved. Just goes to show that great literature has a power unmatched by the common word.

I was the first English teacher to ever teach a Shakespeare play in our vocational school. I can still remember the principal we had then looking at me over his glasses and saying, "You can't teach Shakespeare to welders." Well, I did, and they loved it. And I've been teaching Shakespeare ever since.

And it is part of the regular curriculum too.

5 comments:

  1. I feel better having the horses at home as opposed to boarding. It's more work but at least I have peace of mind that they are being treated the way I want.
    Some of your school kids sound like nightmares. I always tend to blame the parents for a discipline problem.

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  2. i reckon the parents are to blame as well....and if boy on suspension, what was he doing in class anyway>

    and as for not teaching shakespeare to welders - phooey. I've met a lot of welders in my time, mostly very clever people (have to be, it's a very skilled job!)

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  3. I think you need to teach me Shakespeare! I have never been able to get into it. I am amazed that the kids here, even kids with low ability and problem behavior, get into Shakespeare.

    It's kids not being held to meaningful consequences by schools and parents. I also think that smaller class sizes all the way through is a no brainer.

    Some day, maybe we can have horses at home. Dave will have to stop all his traveling so he can help me.

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  4. west side story = romeo & juliet

    a lot of terry pratchett is based on shakespeare....

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  5. There is a reason that some animals eat their young. I'd love to get the whole class mounted up in a riding lesson. Shakespeare on horseback?

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