Designated Doodler

I teach high school English and I also tutor elementary and middle school students. No matter what the age group, I see a common and alarming trend among children. They can't focus! These kids, our kids, are being affected by two pervasive things: instant gratification and constant stimulation. They get what they want, when they want. So when they come to school, they expect to run the show, which just isn't how it works - at school or in life. They talk back to teachers, question why they have to do assignments, argue about their grades, turn in assignments late and detest having to focus. It's no wonder that teachers are jumping ship right and left. Believe it or not, there once was a day when kids were respectful, did not question their assignments or grades, did not badger their teachers to grade faster, did not bring weapons to school or start fights, did not wage an electronics war or refuse to work. As teachers we receive absurd amounts of training on be...

The other day I was talking with my students and asking them what book they are currently reading in English. After a heavy sigh and a groan one student said, "The Scarlet Letter." To which I replied…"hey, that's a great book. I read it for fun a few summers back." You should have seen the look on their faces, hahaha. "Why on earth would you do that?!" one girl asked in disbelief.  "Well, because it's a classic and I never read it in high school - it wasn't in our curriculum. So I wanted to read it!" Two girls exchanged a shocked look and they turned their attention back to the worksheet in their laps.  "Is it so crazy that I like to read for fun?" I asked. "YES!" was the resounding answer. One girl went on to tell me that her mother used reading as a PUNISHMENT for when she was bad as a child. Another student told me that they couldn't even make it through the first Harry Potter book because ...

I still haven't accepted the fact that I have to work on Memorial Day...is that even legal? I mean...is it? There's probably only a handful of corporate companies that are working on Memorial Day (it's not like we're in retail)...and I happen to work for one of them. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. However, since I also work teaching art on the weekends, I usually only have one work-free day a week. I really could have used two :( So to cope with the madness I'm making delicious cream cheese swirled brownies and my awesome coworker is bringing me a Starbucks (because she's precious :) So we're going to make the best of the situation. All the big wigs and people who have vaca time will be gone...so more brownies for us! I've also decided that this blog post shouldn't be all BLAH BLAH so I'm including "Snippets from my life" One of the paintings I taught a couple of weeks ago. This is mine. I love geology jokes......

He was a square man sitting at a square table. His hair was neatly slicked back with what one could assume was a measured squirt of high quality hair gel. His shoes were neatly shined as they were every Tuesday and Thursday and his geometrical red tie neatly disappeared beneath two black lapels. Approximately a half an hour had gone by since Neven sat down at the imitation oak table to sip from, what felt like, a half empty cappuccino. He doesn't use cream and forgot to tell them not to leave room. Which was unlike Neven. He didn't forget things often. His life was remarkably un-remarkable. --- Carlie was fresh out of college. Staring down the barrel of the next forty or fifty work years of her life. It felt daunting to say the least. The only reason she came to this coffee shop was because it is the least scummy place to be in this general area...and she didn't mind the scent of freshly ground coffee beans. The twenty-something had both hands cupped around a half...