Students are often curious about me and my life, and every December the students eventually ask me about my favorite Christmas movies when I show a film while we work during the final week of classes before the holiday break. The conversation goes something like this:
Student: Dr Pezz, what's your favorite Christmas movie?
Me: See if you can guess.
Students (one after the other): A Christmas Story, Scrooged, A Christmas Carol, A Muppet Christmas Carol, It's A Wonderful Life, The Santa Clause, The Santa Clause 2, A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Christmas Vacation, Elf, Home Alone, Prancer, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street
Me (after each response): Nope
30 seconds of silence
Student (with a sigh): Ok, tell us.
Me: Die Hard
Student: That's not a Christmas movie!
Me: Sure, it is. It takes place at Christmas. Ok, then tell me my second favorite.
Wise Student in the Back: Die Hard 2
Me: Excellent! And my third favorite?
Student: Die Hard 3
Me: Nope. That didn't take place during Christmas time.
Student: What is it?
Me: Gremlins
Sighs all around
Me: But...I brought my fourth favorite for you to watch.
P.S. The students all seem to know the Die Hard movies, but I feel old mentioning Gremlins since rarely has one of the students seen it.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Break Time
I'm taking a week's break from the blog. Enjoy your holidays and, as I like to tell my students, do something fun just for you.
Here's a Merry Christmas from a favorite family of mine:
Here's a Merry Christmas from a favorite family of mine:
Up Next
I get to start some great units to begin the new year:
Am. Lit.: Ray Bradbury stories and science fiction
Soph. Honors: The Princess Bride
College in the H.S.: The Red Badge of Courage
Mythology: Norse mythology
It's going to be a fun finish to the semester! Plus, I only have six students (out of over 150) who I worry won't pass. All can, but they need to buckle down and improve in a couple areas. I'm hopeful.
Am. Lit.: Ray Bradbury stories and science fiction
Soph. Honors: The Princess Bride
College in the H.S.: The Red Badge of Courage
Mythology: Norse mythology
It's going to be a fun finish to the semester! Plus, I only have six students (out of over 150) who I worry won't pass. All can, but they need to buckle down and improve in a couple areas. I'm hopeful.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Mad Dogging Me
In my high school the kids have a term called "mad dogging." This is when someone stares across at another student with the intent to harass or bully, which often leads to a shouting match, bad blood, or even a fight.
I got mad dogged in a more figurative sense by an administrator (I will call this person Mad Dog).
At a staff meeting we were shown a chart detailing how the number of assigned detentions has risen for attendance infractions and another chart detailing how many absences are labeled excused and unexcused. These were presented to illustrate our increasing successes in "solving" the attendance problem.
At the beginning of the year we were told the measure of success would be the declining numbers of absences and tardies. However, this presentation did not show that data.
Two staff members before me asked questions which were not really answered, so I asked what our ultimate goal is with the new attendance policy (we had the same one last year, but this year we give double the detention time and only track tardies on a weekly basis rather than through a full semester). I stated the data shows parents are doing a better job of calling in and excusing absences and we are doing a better job of enforcing consequences for unexcused absences and tardies, but isn't the number of absences and tardies our true goal? What are those numbers?
Mad Dog told me I was "focusing on the negative" and am being "negative" while M.D. was presenting. I had to calm myself as Mad Dog had just labeled me and my speech in front of my 80 colleagues while M.D. uses the microphone. Mad Dog made it quite clear mine was the final comment with a stern look at me and then ended the presentation. I got mad-dogged!
I see what M.D. is showing with his presentation, but "how are we doing?" is really what I want to know. Are absences and tardies decreasing across the building?
Well, I was upset and attempted to speak with Mad Dog during my prep (busy), and I didn't want to speak about it at the staff party that afternoon, so I e-mailed M.D. my feelings and concerns about the attendance policy. M.D. called me unprofessional for sending my thoughts in an e-mail and said it's "easy to complain" and not be "part of the solution."
Again, I was offended since I have been on every committee in the school for the last four years and have even tried to help Mad Dog create an attendance policy which is not completely punitive. In fact, I warned M.D. four things would occur, and three have with the fourth debatable:
1. Students whose parents are late calling in would be punished for their parents' failure, which would create animosity between students and staff.
2. The community would become confrontational and upset with a completely unyielding policy.
3. Absences and tardies will increase because they are only symptoms of the true problem: attitudes about attendance and tardies, which is where we should focus our efforts. I tested this theory by looking at my absences in my classes, which have increased from about 9 per student to 12 per student.
4. Any system with no reward and only punitive measures will fail.
I tried to get a hold of M.D. before school, who was again unavailable. I sent M.D. another note saying I'd like to resolve the issue and asked M.D. to come see me Thursday or Friday. Again, no response and no visit.
I have resolved myself to seeing that Mad Dog does not wish to resolve the issue and that M.D. does not value the power of relationship building with staff members (even though that very idea is written on the back of M.D.'s school shirt). This might sound like a bit of a stretch to assign these thoughts to M.D., but I have had five other staff members with similar complaints about Mad Dog, and now a group of teachers have approached me to set up some sort of meeting to help M.D. improve on people skills.
I'm not sure what I will do, but I do know that the adversarial air is thickening and teachers are feeling less willing to work with Mad Dog.
I got mad dogged in a more figurative sense by an administrator (I will call this person Mad Dog).
At a staff meeting we were shown a chart detailing how the number of assigned detentions has risen for attendance infractions and another chart detailing how many absences are labeled excused and unexcused. These were presented to illustrate our increasing successes in "solving" the attendance problem.
At the beginning of the year we were told the measure of success would be the declining numbers of absences and tardies. However, this presentation did not show that data.
Two staff members before me asked questions which were not really answered, so I asked what our ultimate goal is with the new attendance policy (we had the same one last year, but this year we give double the detention time and only track tardies on a weekly basis rather than through a full semester). I stated the data shows parents are doing a better job of calling in and excusing absences and we are doing a better job of enforcing consequences for unexcused absences and tardies, but isn't the number of absences and tardies our true goal? What are those numbers?
Mad Dog told me I was "focusing on the negative" and am being "negative" while M.D. was presenting. I had to calm myself as Mad Dog had just labeled me and my speech in front of my 80 colleagues while M.D. uses the microphone. Mad Dog made it quite clear mine was the final comment with a stern look at me and then ended the presentation. I got mad-dogged!
I see what M.D. is showing with his presentation, but "how are we doing?" is really what I want to know. Are absences and tardies decreasing across the building?
Well, I was upset and attempted to speak with Mad Dog during my prep (busy), and I didn't want to speak about it at the staff party that afternoon, so I e-mailed M.D. my feelings and concerns about the attendance policy. M.D. called me unprofessional for sending my thoughts in an e-mail and said it's "easy to complain" and not be "part of the solution."
Again, I was offended since I have been on every committee in the school for the last four years and have even tried to help Mad Dog create an attendance policy which is not completely punitive. In fact, I warned M.D. four things would occur, and three have with the fourth debatable:
1. Students whose parents are late calling in would be punished for their parents' failure, which would create animosity between students and staff.
2. The community would become confrontational and upset with a completely unyielding policy.
3. Absences and tardies will increase because they are only symptoms of the true problem: attitudes about attendance and tardies, which is where we should focus our efforts. I tested this theory by looking at my absences in my classes, which have increased from about 9 per student to 12 per student.
4. Any system with no reward and only punitive measures will fail.
I tried to get a hold of M.D. before school, who was again unavailable. I sent M.D. another note saying I'd like to resolve the issue and asked M.D. to come see me Thursday or Friday. Again, no response and no visit.
I have resolved myself to seeing that Mad Dog does not wish to resolve the issue and that M.D. does not value the power of relationship building with staff members (even though that very idea is written on the back of M.D.'s school shirt). This might sound like a bit of a stretch to assign these thoughts to M.D., but I have had five other staff members with similar complaints about Mad Dog, and now a group of teachers have approached me to set up some sort of meeting to help M.D. improve on people skills.
I'm not sure what I will do, but I do know that the adversarial air is thickening and teachers are feeling less willing to work with Mad Dog.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
My Favorite Thirteen
Check this out at History Is Elementary: 13 facts about a Rudolph Christmas special I loved as a kid.
I Got Tagged!
Thanks for the tag, Clix.
The rules are as follows:
- Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
- Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself.
- Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
- Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
1. A student once tested my Star Trek trivia knowledge with the question "What is the name of Jean-Luc Picard's fish?" I actually knew the answer: Livingston.
2. When flipping through channels I have to watch The Shawshank Redemption every time it's on the TV.
3. I have a miniature Globe Theatre sitting on my entertainment center.
4. My favorite advice to students is to "embrace your geekiness."
5. All of my pets are named after literary characters.
6. I go to Las Vegas with my wife 2-3 times a year and really do go for the shows.
7. I could eat burritos or Chinese food every day if given the opportunity. I love both!
Well, that's my eccentricity in a small synopsis. Here are the people I have tagged:
1. Jeff
2. Betty
3. Ryan
4. Hobo Teacher
5. Nancy
6. NYC Educator
7. Repairman
The rules are as follows:
- Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
- Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself.
- Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
- Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
1. A student once tested my Star Trek trivia knowledge with the question "What is the name of Jean-Luc Picard's fish?" I actually knew the answer: Livingston.
2. When flipping through channels I have to watch The Shawshank Redemption every time it's on the TV.
3. I have a miniature Globe Theatre sitting on my entertainment center.
4. My favorite advice to students is to "embrace your geekiness."
5. All of my pets are named after literary characters.
6. I go to Las Vegas with my wife 2-3 times a year and really do go for the shows.
7. I could eat burritos or Chinese food every day if given the opportunity. I love both!
Well, that's my eccentricity in a small synopsis. Here are the people I have tagged:
1. Jeff
2. Betty
3. Ryan
4. Hobo Teacher
5. Nancy
6. NYC Educator
7. Repairman
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