T-minus 6 Days 'Til Kids...
This is gonna be quick because I don't have much time, but I wanted to update everyone on how the first week of training at Cheyenne Mountain went.
First of all, they have a sweet alternative to social security called PERA. That's right, I won't be paying ANY social security this year. Pretty nice huh? Instead I contribute to a PERA retirement fund that pays me when I turn 65 regardless of (though in proportion to) how long I've worked, and would pay me sooner if I were to keep teaching in Colorado.
Also, instead of paying a couple hundred dollars a month for health insurance I'll be getting a health savings account through the school. That means that I pay only $30 a month and the school puts $100 (tax free) into my a savings account in my name. As long as I use this account for health-related items they too are tax free. But, if I choose to use the money on something else, I can. All that happens is the money that I want to use gets double-taxed (once for being income and then again for sales tax). So, provided that you're young and haven't spent more than 10 years in the Social Security system all this a pretty good deal.
Now for the fun part: some pictures of my classroom.
Here are my classroom rules. They are all Shakespeare quotations. Just click on the image to make it big enough to read.
And here's a shot of the front of my classroom with my sweet bookshelf border (with about 100 actual titles of great books).
And finally my time-line. At this point it only had Emily Dickinson on it and no actual numbers, but it's progressing.
Those pictures are from last Thursday so I've made some progress since then, I'll be sure to post some more before kids arrive next Monday.Group Participation: I'm planning on doing a famous quotation every day as a class warm-up, so if you've got a favorite you should post it as a comment. I can use all the help I can get.
11 comments:
VERY cool classroom Zach, I love it!
EXCELLENT quotes, by the way. My GOD you're going to be a great teacher. You should offer some reward to those who can manage to read all of the books on your border. I can't make out the titles in the picture, but perhaps "I won't give you a college letter of recommendation unless you've read them all", or "if you can read each before the year is over, you will get an automatic 10% added to your grade" or something.
The Kingdom of Zach... I love it.
All it needs is an espresso machine.
Now.. for a quote...
"If your enemy is within range, as are you."
Kidding. How about:
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
I had to take a double-take to see who Mr. Good was! I am so impressed with your classroom! You did a great job! I'll quote you later;) Love ya!
Today I made a map of the Roman Empire and decorated the Latin half of my classroom. I'll probably get those pictures up in a couple days.
I want you to teach my kids.
Oh, man. A few days of studying, packing, moving, and unpacking has left me with quite a few posts to comment on.
#1 The Henry Poole movie is one of those things that if it *actually* happened to me, it would alter my reality so drastically my head would explode. However, because it's a movie, I can stand back and say that it is a work of fiction and would just annoy the crap out of me if I were to watch it. But you're a much more insightful (read: tolerant) person than I am, so after you see it, I'd be interested in hearing your review.
#2 The Bachelor post is probably one of the best pieces yet. Bravo. And, for the record, I also love finding and eating things that should've gone bad looong ago. Maybe it's just a bad college habit?
#3 The kids in your classes will forever be spoiled for any other teacher. And that's tough to handle when you're only in middle school and have countless years of learning to go.
Quote:
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
~Edmund Burke
Zach, I thought of another.
I may not have it exact, but it's Chesterson.
"The poet rarely goes insane, as he only tries to get his head into the heavens. The logician often goes insane however, as he tries to get the heavens into his head."
Wow, I really like that Chesteron quote.
Thanks a lot for the encouragement guys, and I only need a quote for every single school day this year (176) so keep 'em coming.
I'm glad you like it. He stole it from me.
I have a quote of the week in each of the USCCA's newsletter, but they are almost always combat / preparedness related.
Quotes are an especially dastardly invention, and I find it incredibly disturbing how easily even the brightest of people are quick to toss out context and other factors. Quotes and Metaphors are rarely argued... it's like they are taken for fact simply because they have achieved 'quote' status.
Even the source and date of the quote are no longer cited along with the quote. Hell, the QUOTER is rarely checked.
I'm not saying this as reason for not having a 'quote of the day', simply as a warning to be careful as to which ones you choose.
60% of Americans get their politics from bumper sticker-type fun word combos that rhyme.
For example, even the Chesterson quote. I would argue that most poets are already insane to begin with. I would argue that 'you have no proof, that's just a "cool sounding" play on words that you threw together to try to prove a larger point that is even in itself, highly debatable'.
Well... for what it's worth.
Adios,
Pat
I was reading some Mark Twain quotes. I'm not sure this one is appropriate for 8th graders, insofar as chances are none of them know what the word tautology means, but anyway.
"To create man was a fine and original idea; but to add the sheep was a tautology."
Somewhat more appopriate...
"The rule is perfect: in all matters of opinion our adversaries are insane."
And...
"I have no race prejudices nor caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. All I care to know is that a man is a human being, and that is enough for me; he can't be any worse."
my favorite slightly famous quote is
"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot
That quote is, however, a little religious. So my second one is
"Gentlemen, start your engines."
You're welcome for being no help at all.
I got home safe last night too, btw. :) (...that's what she said)
this will be a great quote for a room full of 12-year-olds...
"No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how"
Now, you can guess what book (and movie) that's from
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