Money, Money, Money

Remember how my computer mysteriously stopped working? I've been borrowing a laptop (thank you!! mwah!), but it's time to buy a new one of my own. Someone found the Dell deals, and I ordered a desktop with a flat panel for less than $500. Sweet! It shipped today. Hurrah!

Yesterday the travel deals came out by email. Oh, man. Y'all know that travel is my weakness. Last May my mom and I bought our Christmas tickets, and I'm really thinking about doing that again, this time for London and Paris, since a certain someone has never been to either place. I've been wanting to do Christmas in London for a few years now. Might as well jump at the chance!

Technically, I have the money for neither of these luxuries. But hell, if computers and plane tickets aren't what credit cards were invented for, what is?

School is going well; it continues to speed by.

Yesterday there was a trip to a Brooklyn green space, for two of my classes. I got stuck with my lower/worse class, and they did horribly. About half of them ran around, yelling and playing, not doing the fun pondwater tasks. I was so upset with them all day. Their behavior on both bus rides and at school before and after were equally repulsive. As such, I have punished the worst eight of them (as well as myself, I suppose) by giving them not only Saturday detention, but a week's lunch detention. I will make them sit silently and do grammar exercises. Might as well try to hammer in some basic skills while we're at it.

Next week we'll finish up the poetry stuff and move into drama. Although it won't be that simple, since we're supposed to be ALSO doing grammar work, test prep review, and writing/revision/portfolio stuff. SO fun and easy to do!!

As you know, I have been doing a little grammar stuff. And it's been working! Today in two classes I had them review the eight parts of speech. They did well! Most didn't get all eight, but at least four of the eight they've only seen in the last week on Schoolhouse Rock. When we did them all together, there was no problem.

With one class, they had trouble understanding what I meant by 'state of being' (verbs). So I took the verb "to be" and first quickly explained infinitive/conjugation. I came up with a great metaphor. An infinitive verb is like a toy you haven't opened yet: it's still in the wrapper, there are no batteries, it hasn't been personalized or changed in any way. Then you take off the plastic, flip the switch, brush its hair or put on the stickers, and that's like conjugating the verb: changing it according to your wishes or subject. THEN I tried to say that you use the verb "to be" to tell how you are. "I am happy"--that is the state of my being, that is what I'm feeling. "AM" is just to get between you and your feeling or something. Most of them got it, and didn't stare into space or roll their eyes. Phew.

Then! I challenged them to identify ALL the words in these two sentences: Cotton candy is my favorite candy. And Two girls jumped onto the wagon. We reviewed it super quick all as a class, and they did well! Hurrah! Progress!

I have not made any progress on unpacking, because in theory I have been working my ass off for my thesis...um, yeah. I'll let you draw your own conclusions there. Use your clues from the text, don't forget!

I'm even behind on television, not like I really care. There's just not enough time or energy in the day! All week I've been exhausted by ten. Lame!

Less than two weeks, and this part will be over. I just have to keep reminding myself.