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Week 17 of Teaching – Survivor Style

Posted on December 5, 2010 by auburnchick

I love the show Survivor.  In fact, I’ve blogged about it before.

I think the next season of Survivor should be Survivor, Isle of Teen-Dom…

Forget the competitions on the regular TV show.  Those don’t truly measure fortitude.

No.

Pit those contestants against a classroom of students, and they would fail mightily.

Well, let me tell you…Week 17 of teaching felt like a full season of Survivor.

It was one challenge after another.  At times, I felt victorious.  Often, I walked out of school dejected, wondering if I was going to be voted off the island.

My 11th and 12h grade classes were fine.  We finally finished discussing The Scarlet Letter.  My heart was sad for Hester Prynne. who never really found happiness but did figure out how to live with the consequences of her sin.  Dimmesdale, it was decided, was a spineless man.  Interestingly enough, my students felt sorry for Chillingsworth.

I had a bit of fun with the juniors on Friday.  Actually, it was the seniors who thought of tricking them into believing that I had given them a very difficult quiz.

What I had done, in fact, was list a bunch of questions for DISCUSSION…

Before my juniors came into the room the next period, I had changed the word “discussion” to “quiz…”

I told the class to get out a sheet of paper and start copying down the questions.

I got death glares from one of my students.

The kids were not happy.

Before they got too far in the process, I relieved their anxiety by telling the truth.

Poor kids.  heehee

Meanwhile, I had the most fabulous lessons with my sixth graders.  I pulled it from ReadWriteThink.com, and the lesson was titled “Describe That Face.”

I won’t bore you with the details, but it went really well, and the kids gave me encouraging feedback at the end of the week.

I spent the entire week reviewing nouns with my freshmen…

Although I had already tested them on this subject, I did not feel like they had gotten a good grasp on the subject.  Because I will be including nouns on this class’s final, I wanted to go over them again.  They did much better on the test on Friday.

My toughest challenge was with my tenth graders.

This class has two student in it.  This makes things challenging enough as it is.  But, we still needed to finish the unit on verbs, and oh my gosh.

Because of all of the breaks we’d had in November, it was like starting back at square one…

Every time I thought I had a handle on the material, they would ask two or three questions that would make me doubt myself, and I’d have to go back to the drawing board.

Finally, though, I had a breakthrough, and on Thursday, we had a very solid review for Friday’s test…

It was like the clouds had parted, and the sun had come shining through.

I walked out of that challenge with my head held high after having dug in the trenches for weeks and weeks.

And that was my week.

I would dare any “regular” Survivor contestant to come visit my “island” and see how they pair up against the demands of my job.

Forget dealing with rain and bugs.

They should try balancing five class preps, a family, and continuing education.

They wouldn’t last a day and would be begging Jeff to extinguish their flames.

Especially since the payout at the end of the game isn’t a million dollars.

It’s changed lives.

And so Week 17 ends.  Week 18 is right around the corner.

I am confident that the new week will bring its own set of challenges.

Am I ready?

“Survivors, begin!”

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Playing Catch-Up

Posted on May 17, 2010 by auburnchick

I love blogging, I really do.

It just seems like it has been hard to find the time the last few days!  So, I’m making this a catch-up post.

As you know, last Friday capped off a two-week AP Exam frenzy.

The way the exams work is that all exams usually have two sessions, with two exams being administered, per a national schedule, each day.  Session 1 is around an hour.  Then, students and proctors are given a ten-minute break.  Session 2 then begins, and it lasts anywhere between one hour and two and a quarter hours.

I think my rear end has wood grain marks from the non-cushioned chairs I was planted on (when I wasn’t walking around on patrol).

Exams were administered around 8am and 12pm.  Sometimes, we had only seven minutes between tests – not a lot of time for lengthy breaks, although everyone managed to get small breaks thanks to wonderful, thoughtful school administrators.

A few of the AP teachers provided their students and us proctors with snacks…

Bags contained such goodies as these…

Oh yeah.  I think this was my favorite goody bag…loads of chocolate…my favorite!

Although proctoring was not physically tiring, I was mentally wiped out each afternoon.

Hence my retreat into brain cell oblivion this past weekend.

The Mr., Soccer Chick, Rooster, and Guy Friend went to see a movie on Saturday.

I chose to stay home, relishing the quiet.

Honestly, I cannot remember what I did.

Oh wait.

I remember.

I did NOTHING.

So lazy…that’s what I was.

It was d-i-v-i-n-e.

Sunday was busy, though.

My church had Senior Recognition Day.  Coupon Queen and Grand Pooba drove over to share in the day’s festivities.

Chicky was asked to speak before one of the services.

She did a lovely job, sharing how her relationships with her youth-group friends have been one of the main things that has kept her from the secular pitfalls that fellow students of her’s have fallen victim to.

She was well-spoken and never once said, “Um.”

I was very proud of her.

After church, we attended a luncheon in the fellowship hall.  Younger members of the youth group served us.  The food was delicious…prepared by the same gentleman who cooked Chicky’s high school soccer team’s pre-game meals.

After a short visit with the in-law’s, they left.

Chicky departed for some place that I can’t remember.  She’s had so many engagements lately that they are all starting to run together.

Meanwhile, Rooster and I headed back to church to a farewell reception for my associate pastor and his family.

I sure am going to miss this amazing little group of people.  The wife was my Bible Study leader, and her husband is simply one of the most gifted young men I’ve ever had the honor of listening to.  Their new church is very blessed to be welcoming them into its fold.

I left Rooster at church so he could attend youth group, and I headed home to watch the Survivor Finale.

Take a look at the following picture…

Do you see Russell’s face?

That’s the face of exasperation…or rather the look that one gets after taking a bite of Humble Pie.

He had to sit and listen to Jeff pull out vote after vote for Sandra and Parvati, when all along, he was sure that he was going to win this time.

Fortunately for smart, non-flirty-to-get-ahead girls everywhere, Parvati did NOT win either!

I love the way Sandra played the game.  She was smart, recognizing the troll that was disguised as Russell, and hung in there.

Nice girls do finish first sometimes!

Next, I watched the newest installment of Celebrity Apprentice.

A couple of seasons ago, I promised myself that I would not watch another episode.

Donald Trump is such a pompous man!  Ugh.  Dirty-minded too.

However, I allowed myself to be sucked in.

I love challenges and watching as people rise, or fall (as the case may be) to the occasion.  I’d like to think that I would do well in these challenges too.  Heck, I’m a mom.  Winning challenges is the name of the game that’s called Motherhood.

But I digress.

I’m rooting hard for Holly Robinson Peete, who’s playing for her autism charity.

Monday morning came all too quickly.

I had a subbing job for Rooster’s English teacher.

Yay, him.

Seriously.

He’s a good sport.  We tend to ignore each other when I am his teacher.

Today was an important one for the seniors at the school.

Their caps and gowns were ready to be picked up.

I brought Chicky’s home and hung it up for her…

Graduation is May 1st…two days after Rooster turns 16.

Yeah.  I know.

I have an eventful two weeks ahead of me, eh?

I mean, in addition to the above, Dancing With the Stars will have its finale, as will 24, Celebrity Apprentice, and Flash Forward.

Sigh…

:::AuburnChick fans herself:::

Oh well.  Might as well get a bunch of stuff out of the way at the same time, eh?  Nothing like being efficient!

Filed under: children, This-n-That | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

It’s How You Play the Game

Posted on December 21, 2009 by auburnchick

This past weekend, I had to drive across the state so Chicky could have a pre-tournament soccer practice with her travel team.

Fortunately, we got home in plenty of time for me to settle in front of the TV to watch the Survivor finale.

The three finalists were (left to right) Mick, Natalie, and Russell.

Mick is a doctor.  Natalie had given up a lucrative job to be on the show, and Russell is a self-made millionaire in the oil business.

Everyone, including myself, expected Russell to win.  He had been a fierce competitor.

I’ve gotta tell you that although I expected his name to be read out, I was hoping it wouldn’t.

Russell was mean.  He lied, called people names, and stirred up trouble.  He showed he cared only for himself…especially when he emptied the water from other players’ canteens and burned socks.

Now, maybe I see the world through rose-colored glasses, but it is my opinion that people who go through life (or a game) this way do not deserve to win.  Heck, there’s already a disparity in this world as it is.

I waited on the edge of my sofa…eager for the results.

Each vote was read…

One vote for Natalie; one vote for Russell; one for Natalie, and one for Russell.  And Jeff kept reading the votes until declaring the winner…

Natalie!!!

Yeah!!

But, the story doesn’t end here.

After announcing the winner, CBS had a Reunion Show.

Boy, oh boy, you should have seen Russell’s face.  He was in shock, and he sat with tears in his eyes.

His mood looks somber even after the live show at the cast party.

Really?  You’re gonna cry about this?  I couldn’t help but think that he’s already a millionaire.  Why cry?

My question was answered a few minutes later when he offered Natalie $10,000 if she would allow Jeff (the host) to declare him “Sole Survivor.”

Really?

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Was it really that important that Russell be given this title?  Did his ego need it this badly that he was willing to pay out of his own pocket for it?

I was appalled.

Russell is obviously a very intelligent man.  Anyone who can start his own business and make a profit these days is one sharp cookie.

He’s also been blessed with a lovely wife and two young daughters.

So, the question begs to be asked – why would he need validation of this sort?

In the end, I’ll never know.  All I can say is that I feel sorry for him.

It is obvious that something much deeper is missing from his life.

I think he’s lost.

He needs to seek out another title for himself…

Follower of Christ

Oh, being a child of God doesn’t mean that we don’t desire earthly things.  However, God calls us to live lives focused on Him.  We are instructed not to seek earthly titles.  Besides that, if we are walking close to God, we recognize that we don’t need anything except God’s grace.

That is worth far more than any money payout on any “reality” show.

Oh, and as far as Natalie?

She came across as a genteel, Southern belle.  She thrived in the wilderness (more power to her), learned to do for herself, and didn’t seem like a hateful, stab-you-in-the-back kind of person.  I’d like to think that I would play a similar kind of game.

So Natalie, YOU GO GIRL!!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

A Touching Moment on Survivor

Posted on December 7, 2008 by auburnchick

I think I’ve told you before that I love “reality” shows such as Survivor, The Amazing Race, and Big Brother.  I enjoy watching people.

No, I’m not a voyeur.  And no, I’m not nosy.  I find it interesting to watch how people react in various situations.  It’s also interesting to see what people will do for money.  Watching these shows allows my brain to rest.  It’s a time out from my crazy life.

A few months ago, I got rid of my DVR to lower my cable bill.  Thank goodness for the internet!  I can watch most of my favorite shows on the computer!  Boy am I glad I purchased the 17″ MacBook Pro!  The screen is the perfect size for watching videos.
The major networks house their own shows.  To watch Survivor, go to this site.

Sometimes other sites offer different viewing options, such as fewer commercials or automatic restart of shows after the commercials.  Granted, the commercials take up much less time than traditional television viewing, but it’s annoying to have to click the play button on the computer.  Hulu.com is one of my favorite sites to watch shows from.  It’s where I watch Prison Break.

Ultimately, what I do is simply google something like “Watch Heroes online,” and off I go.

Ok…so back to the point of this post.

This evening, I decided to catch up on Survivor since I had missed last week’s episode because of my children’s soccer games.  This was a particularly touching show…the “loved ones” hour that is done each season.

Sugar, one of the few contestants left, got to see her sister.  Sugar’s purpose for being on the show, other than winning the money, is to try to get some closure over the death of her father.  Her sister had brought some of his ashes, and they spread them over Africa’s landscape together.

My eyes filled with tears because I could totally relate.  I know my dad has been gone for several years now, but he was also cremated, and I could see myself doing something like that for him.  He loved to travel and would have been thrilled to experience such an adventure.

My heart hurt for Sugar.  I remember trying to recover from the initial shock of my dad’s passing.  I understand what she’s going through, and I appreciated the brief glimpse into her heart, despite it being broadcast over national television.  When it comes down to it, TV or no TV, people are people.  We all share common hurts, joys, and worries.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

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