1. I’ve introduced my seventh graders to Sabaton, with satisfactory results. As in, after the first day they asked for a song every class. Now that we’re done with World War One, they’ll have to wait until World War Two. 2. Seventh graders also got introduced to Ray Bradbury via A Sound of Thunder, which … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: Random
Friday Flotsam
Friday Flotsam: Classic Films and Some State of the Union
1. We’re approaching the part of the year where I start shifting from thinking how I can make this year better to thinking how I can make next year better. 2. Last week’s movie night, courtesy of one of my co-workers, was Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. To say “they don’t make them like this … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Classic Films and Some State of the Union
Sunday Flotsam: Mostly ‘West Side Story’
1. Today was the week of the school play, and I've basically been working non-stop all week up until last night. The good news is that the kids pulled it out and really did a great job with the show. The bad news is that I now have to try to make up all the … Continue reading Sunday Flotsam: Mostly ‘West Side Story’
Sunday Flotsam: Reconstruction Narratives and More
1. My illness has mostly recovered, leaving me only extremely tired, hence I've been spending most of the weekend resting. 2. My US history class has reached the period of Reconstruction. In trying to research it, I spotted what I think is a narrative in progress. See, I was trying to look up specifics on … Continue reading Sunday Flotsam: Reconstruction Narratives and More
Friday Flotsam: Miscellaneous
1. I ended up missing three whole days of school this week due to my illness. I kept thinking I was coming out of it, then another symptom flared up. 2. I had happened to hear Miley Cyrus's Party in the USA recently, and I was thinking to myself "You know, Weird Al's version is … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Miscellaneous
Friday Flotsam: Mostly Civil War, Some Anime and Music
1. In my judgment, when it comes to great men of American history, there is George Washington, there is Robert E. Lee, and there is everyone else. 2. My history class has finally gotten up to the Civil War (the second one), so I've been reading up on it to patch up my knowledge of … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Mostly Civil War, Some Anime and Music
Saturday Flotsam: Teaching History, Kansas Context, and a Paradox
1. My history book for sixth grade starts off its survey of the men of the Middle Ages with an account of the Norse gods, paralleling previous entries in the same series which started with the Greek gods to set the stage for famous Greeks and so on. The trouble is that, from what I've … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: Teaching History, Kansas Context, and a Paradox
Sunday Flotsam: More Teaching and Some Fire Thoughts
1. From today's sermon: St. Augustine said that, "Peace is the tranquility of Order." That's a line to build a frame of life on! And, as you can tell by the fact that this is going up two days late (again), I lack order in my life. Something I need to work on. 2. Back … Continue reading Sunday Flotsam: More Teaching and Some Fire Thoughts
Friday Flotsam: New Year and Such
1. First a happy New Year to all! 2. I'm not going to bother with New Year predictions; I don't have my finger on the pulse of anything enough for it to be worth it. 3. Well, I'll do one: America will (yet again) not acquire Canada. Considering that the current Canadian government acquired and … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: New Year and Such
Friday Flotsam: Christmas
1. When God comes among men, He comes not as a figure of awe and terror, but as an infant sleeping in His mother's arms. 2. I'm home in Michigan for Christmas; going back to Arizona for New Years'. It's nice to see rain again, though I wish it were snow (meanwhile, my sister in … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Christmas
Serpent's Den 