J is for Joy

"My sister just got her driver's license," a student told me after school today, "and you would not believe how ridiculously overjoyed she is."

"It's exciting to get your license!" I defended her.

"She sent the family a video," he replied. "You'll see."

He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen, then turned it around so I could see a young woman in a very bright orange jacket recording herself as she sat in a driver's seat. "You'll never guess what I just did," she reports breathlessly. "I drove myself to the... grocery store! Then I bought 140 dollars worth of groceries-- Mom gave me the money-- and carried the three bags across the parking lot and put them into my car! Which perfectly matches my jacket, by the way. And now I'm going to drive home!"

The recording ended and I laughed appreciatively. "She is pretty excited," I agreed, "but I'm happy for her. She is finding joy in an everyday chore."

He rolled his eyes and put his phone away. "I gotta get going," he sighed.

"It's raining pretty hard," I told him. "Maybe your sister would come pick you up."

"I'd rather ride my bike in the rain," he scoffed, "than give her the satisfaction."

Life Lesson: Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth. ~Pharrell Williams "Happy"

I is for Impressive

"What can I do for a piece of candy?" That refrain rings through my classroom every day for those ten minutes between the last bell and the bus departures. Students try to beat my roll in dice, guess the card on the top of the deck, shoot mini-basketballs or magnetic darts, all in an effort to "win" a Jolly Rancher.

They're not wrong to try; they know I will not simply hand out candy for the begging, but I will reward a winner in fair (or lucky) competition. In general, they are very good sports, too, understanding that time is short and they only get one attempt per game per day. And it's fun to play, so much so that our games have evolved over the year as we look to add new ones. 

Today it was a group of four boys who stood before my desk. "Wanna try this one?" I asked, picking up a small deck of cards. "These are movie quotes and you have to name the film."

"How many?" one asked. "Five," I decided, "but you can work together."

"How many chances?" calculated another.

"Seven?" I shrugged. "Let's see how it goes." I drew a card. "Hasta la vista, Baby" I read in my best Austrian accent.

"Predator!" shouted one.

"No!" his friend immediately corrected him. "Terminator 2!"

"Yes!" I drew another card. "My mama always said, 'Life is like a box--"

"Forrest Gump!" they cut me off.

"Right again," I nodded. "Heeeeere's Johnny," I read.

"The Shining! I love that movie!"

"How do you even know these?" I asked. "They were made years before you were born!"

"They're classics," I was assured.

They missed a Harry Potter and a Mrs. Doubtfire quote but got "Just keep swimming," from Finding Nemo. We were on the last card. 

"It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit--"

"and keep moving forward!" they finished together. "Rocky! We win!"

"Yeah, you do!" I agreed. 

"Can we each have 2 Jolly Ranchers?" one asked.

"Nope," I told them, "but I am impressed."

"I guess that's pretty good," he replied and held out his hand for his reward.

Life Lesson: I've known a few guys who thought they were pretty smart, but you've got being right down to an art. That don't impress me much. ~Shania Twain "That Don't Impress Me Much"

O is for Old School

The email was framed as a request for collaboration. Some colleagues were "crowdsourcing" concerns that staff had about the physical condition of our school building. "Unfortunately," they wrote, "duct tape and prayer can only go so far.​"

I was not surprised; our school opened in 1971, and as state-of-the-art as it was then, the last 50+ years have seen a lot of wear and tear, as well as the implementation of countless quick-fixes resulting in the division and re-division of many of the larger spaces in the school. As a result, there is not much natural light, despite a renovation project 15 years ago that added some windows and skylights. In addition, a minor earthquake a few years ago damaged the foundation, and the construction of a whole elementary school in our parking lot has made access to our building less convenient and less welcoming. 

For years students have asked me if it was true that our school was built as a prison, because of the square tower-like features it has in the rear. "No," I always laugh, "I'm pretty sure the architects had more of a castle in mind, kind of like the concrete version of ivory towers." 

They are not convinced, but truth be told, having spent the last 30 years there, I love the old place, and so I was appalled when I clicked the link to the document my colleague had sent and read the title: Reasons why our building sucks!

Life Lesson: Be true to your school, just like you would to your girl or guy. ~Beach Boys "Be True to Your School"

W is for Wait, What?

I was messing around in a music app today when I saw that Randy Travis had a new single. How can that be? I thought as I clicked on play and heard that familiar baritone singing "There ain't no more where that came from."

I love Randy Travis's music and I'm fan enough to know that Travis, just a few years older than I am, had a stroke 10 years ago that left him unable to speak, so I marveled at the medical miracle this turn of events seemed to imply. However, a little research quickly revealed that the record was created with AI, albeit with Travis's participation. To get to the final release, the producers input a bunch of Randy Travis singing and then ran a base track of the new song, sung by another guy, through the AI to switch the voice. After that, they tweaked the recording and got Travis's okay.

Wow. I guess there is more where that came from. 

But should there be?

Life Lesson: Oh, but now I know There was only one. And there ain't no more where that came from. ~Randy Travis "Where that Came From"

S is for Slang

"I'm boosting, Chat! Chat! I'm boosting!" my students were playing a group review game, and although this chatter was unfathomable to me, it seemed to amuse the group considerably. It didn't seem inappropriate, and so I let it go, eventually discovering that they were parroting live game streamers who ask their viewers to chime in using the chat feature. 

Skibidi Toilet, appearing as screen names that kids were choosing for themselves, was a bit more questionable but much easier to research online. The bizarre, viral series featuring toilets with heads coming out of them is notable for several reasons. It is the first big trend from Generation Alpha (its popularity is driven by viewers under 10) and remarkable in its structure: a narrative told completely in 60-second episodes. Some reputable news sources have even asked if this format might be the future of entertainment.

I was already in on rizz, slay, GOAT, flex, cook, and bruh, but it made me laugh when a seventh grader offered quite earnestly to translate any slang that might be confusing me. "These Gen Alphas," he shook his head sadly, "they are going to be out of control." He paused and then added with genuine relief, "I'm so glad I missed that by two years."

Life Lesson: (talking 'bout my generation) And don't try to dig what we all s-s-s-say. ~The Who "My Generation"

C is for Coincidence

At the end of our recent poetry unit, I chose the poem Hope is the thing with Feathers, by Emily Dickinson, as the text for students to analyze by applying their newly-minted knowledge of poetic form and devices.  Once we got through the snorts and side-eyes about the poet's last name (sixth grade!), we worked through it together and the poem was on the test, too. 

Today, as they were slogging through the onerous standardized reading test we are required to administer three times a year, the one where they tell kids up front that they will probably miss 50 percent of the questions, a student turned to me with wide eyes. She gestured excitedly to the screen. "It's Hope is a thing with Feathers" she whispered.

"Nice!" I replied. 

"Did you know?" she asked.

"No," I shrugged, "but you're welcome!"

Life Lesson: The future's not ours to see. Qué será, será ~Doris Day "Qué Será, Será"

R is for Real Time Reflection

The bonus question of the day was What is something worth celebrating? In addition to the usual birthday and holiday replies, I also heard some more thoughtful answers, too. 

"My aunt just finished chemo," said one young writer.

"My friend got a good grade on a test," offered another.

"The school year is coming to an end," said a third, but then she paused. "I guess that's good? But it's sad, too. I'll really miss this class."

"Thanks," I smiled.

"But not on days like today!" she scoffed. "When we have to take standardized tests? I'm going to celebrate finishing that!"

"I'm glad you got a chance to work that out," I told her and handed over a Jolly Rancher. "Do you feel better?"

"I do," she nodded. "I really do."

Life Lesson: Bring your good times and your laughter, too. We're gonna celebrate and party with you! ~Kool and the Gang "Celebration"