Sox win Homecoming 2007

Sox win the WORLD SERIES and it was fun to watch. Bobby Kielty WOW.

Homecoming started out alright. It was a typical dance where boys don't feel confident dancing , and or looking at the girls in the face while dancing. Instead the dance took rolled out the same as usual and kids were acting like the midriffs and mooks they see on TV. And I know you don't see dance moves on Hannah Montana like we saw. I am of course talking about the MTV videos that lead to a lack of good dancers.

So the dance went from average to lame. Then the Red Sox scored and we all came together with a loud cheer. Soon the dance ended and I thought about last year and then it hit me. We have to clean up and fix the cafeteria. Last year there were only 4 people putting the whole cafeteria back the way it was. Last years seniors were out of the Halloween Homecoming faster than a Papelbon fastball. That is when I saw the character of the few seniors who showed up at the 2007 Homecoming. The cafeteria took us 45 minutes to reoragnize last year. This year it took less than 12. Thanks guys. What you lack in quantity you more than make up for with quality. Stay Classy, Norton.

Not Naming Names

I was challenged to a game of Madden by someone. I am not naming the person. But last Friday he didn't show up. I told him he needed passing grades on Progress Reports, maybe that has something to do with it? I use the Rams playbook, and you can give me ANY team. Period.

Reflecting on no dumb questions

There are dumb questions when they are not on topic.

I wanted to ask a question and I was afraid. How could that still happen to me at twenty six years old? Then I reflected on class from the night course I'm taking, and it helped me. I recall the pitfalls from when I was in high school. Students worry about asking stupid questions and looking bad, especially in high school. Asking is good when it is appropriate and facilitates positive discussion. I can tell when someone has a good idea or is trying to get me off topic.

I never asked the professor the question because I felt anxiety and fear of being shot down in front of people. I didn't feel free to comment. Creating a classroom with great ideas consistently flowing from the students is a new goal of mine.

I never thought about how many questions I received from students until now. My period "G" is very creative with questions. This week they made perpendicular distance more interesting and exciting. Ultimately questions should lead to studenting wanting to practice perfect in order to test and quiz anxiety free. When that happens tests and quizzes are part of reflection. I am glad I reflected on this week.

The question I didn't ask: Does it help to have an agenda of class activities every class?

Pasta

I always wanted to make people proud of me. Get this, if you didn't know I had the same teachers as my father, 25 years prior to me attending MSC, when I was in high school. Imagine how nerve wrecking that could have been, but instead of letting it bother me I laughed and tried to get teachers to tell old stories about my dad. He was like me rugged and charming and very intelligent, a natural athlete but I was surprised to "here" he couldn't spell well. Anyways, he was actually a goof ball and had a nickname or two. So instead of trying to be a goofball, which he already beat me to it, I wanted to make those teachers proud of me for good reason.

As I got older I relocated to a job where I wanted to make my superiors proud of me. I want to create a class where students want to improve and have pride in what they are accomplishing. In order to make a positive experience I had to learn something. How to effectively communicate, ok no big words, I mean how to talk.

George Saunders, writer of " The Braindead Megaphone essays", says Americans should like to answer questions with the freedom that to make mistakes. In fact people love that freedom to be wrong but most kids can't even ask the question. Sanders says people(students) questions have to be asked and answered with freedom. If a teacher yells it makes a person feel belittled. If a teacher yells at you to sit straight and pay attention then you will feel belittled right? But if you are asked, or even better, cued that class has started, then you may be more likely to want to learn? All by feeling free to answer and ask questions freely.

If you are yelled at while in school raise your hand. Ok, imagine going to school everyday and being reminded you have to go (Do you hear that from home, feel free to respond). You will go to school feeling belittled and it will be unlikely you will take pride in what you do. Unless you really like math like I did. Will you even have the effort to find something to improve at?

Maybe it doesn't matter and people will act the same whether they are yelled at or spoken to with clarity and consideration. Well it is up to you to respond. But I have learned what you put into your body will eventually show outside, like eating pasta before a game will give you energy(if you don't eat healthy you have no energy) , your mind needs to take in positive messages as well. So that is how you can get up in the morning and hopefully get through high school, pasta.

Books to read on how to think

I just picked up, Mr. Dewar recommended, Daniel Pink's "A Whole New Mind Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future" and it has got me thinking. I just started and it explains that the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body and the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. You may not have known but the tight side of the brain sees things simultaneously. That section of the book made me think geometry isn't like the other math subjects. Geometry uses the right side of the brain. The left side of the brain is sequential and if you have me in class I line up everything in sequence. But Dan Pink even says that geometry requires seeing all parts of geometric shapes. I knew that math used the creative side of the brain and now I have proof.

It also makes reference to how we read and how it entails using the left side of the brain, because reading is interupting symbols in in a sequence. I started thinking of ways to use the right side of your brain while you read and have some ideas. If anyone has any ideas let me know what you think.

I also got Stephen Colbert's new book. Let me know if anyone has picked it up. Oh by the way the new Mansfield Borders doesn't open until Thursday. I found out the hard way.

Bruins 4-1 lose

I am not hating, but P.J. Axelsson and Andrew Alberts seem at times as if they don't know what they are doing. Hesitant and cautious. You need to be creative and want your teamates to succeed. I thought the Bruins were going to do away with play and players like this. How are fans suppose to get into a game when the Bruins dump the puck in all the time? Then the offensive circling in the corners circles comes up the boards. Are they all scared to stay in the corner? If you played hockey you would know that circling up high plays into the other team’s hands. When will the play improve and some creative players get the call. Matt Hunwick, I don't know how he has confidence with and without the puck but he does. No more Andrew Alberts and PJ’s scared play. Where is the change?

I hope everyone to succeed... Do I get that across? Maybe that is why I had more assists than any other player had points (combo of goals+ assists) in the league. I hope I get that across, you can let me know what you think when I do. Remember Transversals