Music, Matrix, Monkeys and Middle School Madness
So Dave, Andrew and I took a trip to the Guitar Center yesterday because they were having a sale. Nick (the infamous arm-licking roommate) had called from his trip to Ohio and said that he heard on the radio that you could get 10 pairs of sticks and a cymbal for 29 bucks. Yeah right. So we went anyway, just to see, and lo and behold, Nick wasn't kidding. The sticks are guitar center sticks, but they're pretty good. The cymbal is a Wuhan 12 inch China. The quality is... well, let me put it this way, when you get a cymbal for about 12 bucks, what do you expect? When we tried it out, Andrew's comment was, "it sounds like it's made from recycled tin cans." Luckily, that's exactly the sound I was looking for. Among the other purchases, I bought a double bass pedal. It's pretty great, since I've always had slow feet, this may help me out a lot, once I get accustomed to moving my left foot around and using it on off-beats. Dave also bought some kind of wire that hooks his keyboard up directly to his computer. Be prepared for audio craziness the likes of which you've only heard in the Zelda theme or on a Wutang Killer Bees album!
The highlight of the trip was probably in the parking lot. These two women in an SUV called out and asked if we'd seen the Matrix Reloaded. They had DVDs of it, apparently. Andrew bought one for $10. Turns out someone took a video camera into the movie and taped the film, then burned it on DVD. Very funny. Dave is looking at venues this week for us to play, and you may see us down on the harbor this summer, much to my girlfriend's chagrin.
The best TV show out right now is American Idol. In fact, it's the only one I watch. Thankfully, they finally kicked off the annoying marine. Even my own tone-deaf ears could pick up his gaffes, and he looked like a dying water buffalo when he danced. Kimberly, Ruben and Clay far outstripped him in all categories. Now that it's down to just Ruben and Clay, I can't decide who I want to win. They're both great, although I think Simon is right. Clay should be on broadway. Not a bad singing career to have either...
The Video Game of the moment is Monkey Balls 2 on Gamecube. Dave and I have been playing quite a bit. There's a story mode, which is apparently translated from the Japanese. It's ridiculously funny, and I'm not quite sure what the story has to do with the actual game. But the highlight of the game is the multiplayer vs. mode. There're six multiplayer games you can unlock, the best are Monkey Dogfight in which you fly your monkey around in this glider thing and try to shoot down the others with missiles, and monkey tennis. If you have several friends who you like to play video games with (and perhaps imbibe with), then this game could provide a number of hours of entertainment.
On school notes, things in my classroom have been getting better, while the overall sixth grade situation is getting worse. I've gotten two of my classes under control all of the time, and the other two most of the time. It looks like a percentage somewhere higher than 60% of my students will pass my class for the year, which seems abysmal, but it is about the average for the district. Last year, 40,000 kids either failed outright or had to go to summer school, out of 105,000 in the district. Believe it, those numbers are right. The thing I'm proud of is that I have lowered my standards very little from the beginning of the year, and the 60% of my children have raised themselves to meet my standards. Unfortunately, I'm extremely disappointed by the other 40%. I feel that I've failed them. Next year though, I won't settle for less than 80%...
The thing about my school and district that bothers me the most is a lack of backup for the teachers. Things in my classroom have been getting better, but there are still huge problems. For instance, I was punched by a student a couple weeks ago - I was the second teacher he's hit. He was proposed to be expelled, and the district sent him back to our school. Then, last week, I had sent a kid to the principal's office three times that day, and he was yelling at me across the classroom and refused to leave. I didn't know what to do to get him out, so I stooped to a level I shouldn't have to stoop to, and made fun of him. He threatened to "beat the s**t out of me," and screamed racial epithets at me in the hall. He was suspended for a couple days. A couple months ago, a young female teacher quit because a student had threatened her life, TWICE. He was suspended for a couple days and came right back. I asked around, and the other teachers said that nothing will ever really happen unless a teacher files charges against the student. So instead of the district handling discipline and supporting the teachers, it's expected that adults file charges against children. That's great. I'm thinking about writing a letter to the editor of the Baltimore Sun about the district allowing a dangerous and violent atmosphere to fester in the schools. Teachers have to be extremely agressive to get kids to simply learn, and we have to sink to a lower level a civility to do it. I never wanted to talk the way I talk to sixth graders, and it's wuite upsetting to feel guilty every day when you come home. Unbelievable. But at least things are getting better in my classroom. That's all I can really control, and I'm satisfied with the progress. Next year, since I know how to start out, I don't think it'll be like this, and for that I'm very thankful...
On a less serious note, check out Monkey Balls 2. You'll be psyched...
Sunday, May 18 at 11:21 AM
Okay Samurai Multimedia is Dave Werner's personal site. I'm currently working at Minor Studios in San Francisco. Thanks for visiting! (more...)
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