Taking part in history

Today President Obama signed the National Service Act into law, pledging to increase the size of organizations like Americorps, that offer service opportunities to all of us. He did so at my school. In front of our 10th and 12th grade students (okay, and in front of 100 members of Congress...but you'll forgive me for focusing on my own). After the signing, he, the First Lady, VP and Mrs. Biden, and former President Clinton came down to the cafeteria to shake hands with our 7th and 8th grade students and our staff. Our staff. Me. I shook hands with all of them (and...in a moment of complete starstuck-ness...proclaimed to the First Lady that I had graduated from her high school...so lame). I even got a little hug from Joe Biden. I didn't get to bring my camera into the room, so I'll post photos on Facebook once they become available to me, but, suffice it to say, this was truly the most amazing experience that I have had.

Now, I am not going to lie, I am beyond excited that I got to be in the same room with that lineup of people, let alone shake their hands, but what was really amazing for me was watching the expressions on our students' faces when those folks came into the room. It was as if someone amplified the emotion and the intensity in the room by 100. Children were crying, screaming, laughing as they took it all in. I heard the First Lady encouraging our students to do well, watched Vice President Biden hug a young lady who told him she'd never forget this moment, and saw students who are otherwise way "too cool for school" lose their minds. When everyone had cleared out, the students began to run around the room, showing teachers their hands, exclaiming, "I met the president." An eighth grade boy gave me a huge hug and told me that after he told President Obama that he was also a Tarheels fan, the president congratulated him on being a champion and then encouraged him to keep up the success. It was hard to leave campys this afternoon because I didn't want to stop soaking up the positive energy and pride flowing out of our students and staff.

I don't know what these type of events mean to the officials who participate in them and I don't know what they remember of them, but I know that this meant the world to our kids and that the memories of this day will stay with them forever. And I hope that the feeling they had today, the feeling that they are special, that they could be champions - I hope that stays with them as long as the memories of photos and handshakes.

A teacher complaint

I hate it when a student comes across me before they have my class and asks me what we are doing that day. Why? Because there is no good answer. Because you'll find out when you get to class. And because the follow up questions are always really lame. See for yourself:

J: Ms. Miller, what are we doing in class (Economics) today?
Me: Uhm...we are working.
J: Okay...are we doing a lot of work?
Me: Well, about 70 minutes worth. (The length of a class period today)
J: So...what are we working on?
Me: We're learning about the consumer and producer price indexes.
J: I don't know what that is.
Me: Right. That's why we're learning about it in class today...

You won't understnad how annoying this is unless you also teach, but, trust me, it is a really annoying conversation to waste any amount of time on. And I have it at least once every day. Sometimes in front of the agenda board on which the class topics are spelled out in excrutiating detail. ::sigh::

But, I don't want to sound all negative. It is a lovely day here in DC and there is a shortened class schedule to allow for an afternoon pep rally focused on academics. And Brian and I might go to the movies tonight. And I have Monday off. So, good things all around.

Happy week's end!

Overheard

It’s been a long time coming, but my seniors had some good ones this morning. Overheard during independent study time:

T: These boys got locked up this weekend and were trying to talk to me. (She works community outreach for a neighborhood police precinct.) They were like, “Hey black slacks, come talk to us” and I was like, “Boy, please…you’re in jail”

Then they were talking about making phone calls for work and trying to “sound white,” which they admitted was really trying to “sound professional”
A: This woman at my job goes too far. She’s like (affecting Valley Girl-esque accent), “Hi, this is Ke’Ocean, may I speak to…” and I’m like, “Girl, your name is Ke’Ocean! You can take it down a little!”

Talking about another student
R: Her father got her a fake ID
K: They are wild…
P: College isn’t going to be fun for her, she does everything now

Talking about a girl they know
A: She steals
T: Steals what?
A: Everything...
R: Someone I know stole them and sold them
A: Stole them or sold them?
R: Stole them and sold them
K: Yes, that's what you do...

My students never stop teaching and entertaining me. Hopefully they say the same about me.

Mark your calendars

Brian and I have selected a place and date for our wedding. We will be getting married on July 9, 2010 at the Newton White Mansion in Mitchellville, MD. We'd looked at it online a few times, checked out a bridal show onsite and then went back for our own tour yesterday. I love it. We'll have our ceremony outside on the lower patio, which overlooks the woods and a golf course (but mostly the woods). The picture below shows the back of the mansion and the brick courtyard, the wedding party will be in front of the fountain and the audience will face away from the building on either side of the fountain. We'll probably have cocktails and hors d'ouerves on the upper patio after the ceremony.

And then we'll move into the atrium, shown below, for the reception, although we'll have access to the whole mansion (including a side room that we think will be for the kids to hang out on their own if they want).

Now that we have that big detail out of the way, I think we'll slow the planning again. We talked last night about starting to look into caterers this June and I'll probably go dress shopping in July when my mom comes to visit. Honestly, now that we have a date and a place, I'm nowhere near as stressed as I was before. And besides, as Brian pointed out last night, we have nothing but time...or, at least, 465 days of time. :)

FYI

A quick way to get rid of any feelings of good will I might have towards you is to come into class, after having skipped school the day before, and complain about how tired you are and how wrong it is for me to ask you - an AP student - to write a one paragraph explanation of social welfare policy in the US.

Four days until break. Not that I'm counting...

If this is news, my life is not that interesting.

All the same, I am getting a haircut this afternoon for the first time since September. I thought that before I cut it off, I would let you all see how long it has gotten. Honestly, I don't think it has been this long since I was in middle school. I won't be chopping too much, but it needs a style and at least a few inches need to go. My hope is to have it this long, but also healthy by the time our wedding rolls around. Sorry, something more interesting next time, I promise.

Thanking the lion

Snow day tomorrow! We're getting hit with a pretty nasty snowstorm so no work for me tomorrow. I'm not thrilled about missing a day of instruction, but I'm glad for another day of rest and some time to work on grad school stuff. And while I'm pretty much over the cold, wet weather, I'm looking forward to March going "out like a lamb." Have a good Monday, all!