peculiar travel suggestions

thedailywhat:

Viral Video of the Day: High School Student Schools His Teacher

Frustrated by receiving packets and worksheets instead of a lecture, Texas high school student Jeff Bliss shared his feelings about his teacher’s lack of engagement as she made him leave the classroom.

Ok. I’ve been thinking about this video since I first saw it yesterday. Here are my thoughts, as a teacher:

I’ve been here. This video made me feel awful because it brought back some painful memories of teaching in alternative schools with kids who were angry, dealing with major life-issues, or sick.  Those kids, who I loved despite all of their problems, did not know how to handle supportive caring adults, because they had literally never encountered one before. I worked my tail off for them, and I am proud to call myself a damn fine teacher.

But they didn’t know how to handle that.  So I was cursed out, threatened, cornered, and repeatedly told “You’re not teaching me! You’re failing me! You’re not doing your job!” Teenagers have a superpower: they are fantastic at figuring out how best to hurt people.  By flinging out “You’re a bad teacher,” they were guaranteed to hurt my feelings and push me away. If I was pushed away, I could never betray them (I wouldn’t and didn’t, of course.  They just weren’t able to trust because of past experiences.).

I knew and still know it wasn’t true, but it stung anyway.

I’m not saying that’s what happened in this classroom.  I don’t know this student or his situation; he could be an honors student with a fantastic home life who is pointing out a teacher who is burnt out and relying on packet-crutches.  He could be completely right.

I just know I won’t be clicking on it again.

[and an aside: There are so many fantastic teachers out there who pour our hearts and souls into our work.  Please don’t tar all of public education with the mistakes of a few.  The system needs work, and we do it every day.  My hands are tied on so many things, but I truly do my best for the kids. When people bash teachers online it makes me sad.]

fishingboatproceeds:

Hey, bro, cool story.

DFTBA sells a bunch of shirts, and we market to ugly people and nerdy people and small people and big people and pretty people and we’re doing okay and plus we don’t need physical stores with LITERALLY THE WORST MUSIC EVER CREATED BY HUMANS PLAYING AT EAR-BLEEDING VOLUME SO THAT ALL OF YOUR PURPORTEDLY COOL AND BEAUTIFUL EMPLOYEES ARE MADE DEAF BY THEIR WORKING CONDITIONS.

So that’s another way of doing it.

Also I hate your jeans.

In every school there are lonely kids, sick kids, kids dealing with unimaginable problems at home. By advertising to teenagers, you advertise to them, too. Shame on you, A&F, for making them feel worse than they already do.

A bully’s a bully, no matter how big.

Thanks for spreading the word, Mr Green. DFTBA.

Failed at grading papers.  Watched 3 hours of Chopped instead.

effyeahnerdfighters:

Flags and Helpers

In which John talks about the bombing at the Boston Marathon while he drives to the dentist.

Proud, as ever, of my Head of House.

(via fishingboatproceeds)

(via fuckyeahharrypotter)

(via thosewerethe90s)

edwardspoonhands:

t-jam3s:

Always wanted to make a GIF set, so thought, why not!

At first I was like “Oh that’s awesome” and then I was like “WHAAAAA!?”

(via fishingboatproceeds)

Enjoying some glorious Icebreaker IPA @ Lost Rhino: Ashburn Virginia

It is not a good idea to watch random South Korean movies you find on Netflix right before bed.