Friday, March 31, 2006

   A Change of pace
...and today's topic is...learning, and teachers.
We all have them, some them we hate, others we love.
In light of my school's annual "Poetry Slam" a fellow student decided to take the compettition to a new level. He brought this poem to my attantion, as I bring it to yours. Let me know what you think.

~!~!~!~!~!~


(He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.

"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"

And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?)

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Sunday, March 5, 2006

Unending love
"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
~Aristotle
Wise words.I believe, and so here they are. As I before mentioned these are the things (and ONLY those things)that I consider thoughts worth thinking. I will not waste my time typing out a painfull confession of how so-and-so went be hind whats-her-names back with random girl #3 from Trig...and how I now have to report it to all of the mindless masses online-who really don't care anyway.
~Back on topic, a lot of what I have to say is about love. This is because I believe it is one of sociaty's greatest teachers, most devastating power and quite possibly the strongest healing force on the planet. These are but a few of my muses on love. Do not confuse any of this for "emo"-it is not.
~I myself have loved and lost repetedly, but because of it (not in spite of it) I have become a better person; both through being in love and suffering because of that love- a love that I believe to be eternal and pure. Love is a large part of my life and as such a large part of my journal online. Enjoy.^_^
(..And off-topic, please feel free to comment or sign my guestbook- I welcome any responce)
Love to all~
*Rayne
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Monday, February 20, 2006

   Lets talk about "Love"
LOVE~
*What does it mean to you?
*What role does it play in your life?
*In all of our lives?
*What does it mean to be in love?
*What are you willing to GIVE for it?
*what has "Love" given to you?

(Open discussion- do not attack anyone else- for a difference of opinion)
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Sunday, February 19, 2006

   First posts are always interesting
Here it is. I'm just looking for a place that I can be myself without running into the overwhelming amount of stupidity and pointless emo-drama that comes with being a sophmore. An outlet for the stress and glimpse into the heart and mind of a "Gifted and Talented" student who has been "Unique" her whole life- just like everyone else.

To quote one of my favorite songs:
~Just for the record
The weather today is slightly sarcastic with a good chance of
A. Indifference and
B. Disinterest in what the critics say~

My past:

Spent most of my life intellectually starved and locked into a world where students fell into i of 2 categories:
(My SINCEREST apologies if you are clasified as one of these types~ lord knows teachers just LOVE to stereotype those known as students)

1: The kind of person who stresses endlessly because he/she couldn't get that extra .5% to make that unimportant test a 100% and then kills themselvs when thet get..*GASP*
a 98% on the next test.
2: The kind of person who suffers all through school because they don't try-yeah you all know the type. Did you know einstien's teachers called him no good and said he wasn't going anywhere in life because he failed almost all of his secondary classes?

But I digress. I find comfort in reading (everything from nine stories and Grapes of Wrath to JTHM)

...and in listening to music (Everything-literally-even classical.My latest obsession is Vivaldi's Four Seasons Movement)

Feel free to comment on my page and help me make it better- believe me I can use all the help I can get. If I've left anything out- ask and I'll be happy to answer, or just chat.

Also, On Love:
LOVE~
*What does it mean to you?
*What role does it play in your life?
*In all of our lives?
*What does it mean to be in love?
*What are you willing to GIVE for it?
*what has "Love" given to you?
*what are the rules when it comes to love (do's don'ts?)

(Open discussion- do not attack anyone else- for a difference of opinion


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