Stupid Cell Phones: My Final Post of 2008

I realize that I seldom post to this blog, my original, anymore. I always hope to change that, but then realize that I just don't have a lot to talk about these days. Well, today is different. I had a discussion with some friends earlier, while in attendance at the 75th annual Sun Bowl, the all time most boring game in college football history (a 3-0 win for Oregon State over Pitt).

Our discussion centered around the whole "oh my god, I can't believe you don't have a cell phone" thing that continues to plague my being. So yes, I don't carry a cell phone, and yes, it has become a badge of honor for me, something that I now take pride in.

So then, why do I not carry a cell phone? After all, they're so convenient, easy to have around, and they just make life so wonderfully easy and convenient in every single way. Well, first of all, I hate talking on the phone, so why would I want to carry one with me at all times?

OK, joking aside, there are some major reasons that I don't care for cell phones and what they've done to society. It continues to be a pet peeve of mine to go out in public with people, or have people around who text and/or talk the whole time they're around. It's this disconnect that has happened in the world, where it's no longer enough for people to stay in the moment and enjoy those around them, that they need someone else, who is somewhere else, to entertain them.

But wait, aren't cell phones great ways of getting ahold of people in case of emergency? Well, the fact is, if something happens and I'm not there, yeah, I'd like to know, but finding out a little while later isn't a huge deal.

So, anyways, I could go on forever here, but I won't. I guess it's not entirely fair for me to sit here and diatribe against convenient, portable technology, as I sit here on my laptop on my couch and post to my blog over a high speed wireless internet connection, as my son sits next to me on the sofa playing Nintendo DS, but cell phones are the one area of technology that I think has permeated our cultures and continues to pull people further apart from one another.

Cowboys Suck? That's What They Tell Me (I'm A Fan After All)

I just got through watching the Dallas Cowboys, my team, get slammed by the hated Philadelphia Eagles, 44-6, in a win and in game. It was embarrassing to say the least, especially because I had some friends, who are not Cowboys fans, over to the house, and had to take their ribbings (which were all in good fun, don't get me wrong).

A few things come to mind after watching the Cowboys implode in the face of having huge talent on both sides of the ball. First of all, Wade Phillips has got to go, and I'm not sure if Jason Garrett is the answer. If he's really that good, why did their offense under perform and why was their play calling so predictable?

Next, T.O. is a plague on every team he plays for. On top of that, Tony Romo really isn't THAT good (it's not so much of a secret anymore). This team needs to start over, they need a strong, multi-dimensional quarterback who can play in big games, and most of all, they need a coach. Bill Cowher? That would be nice.

OK, so it's another failed Cowboys season, but I'm fairly laid back about it, so I'll still watch the playoffs, to see some real teams play. It's tough being a Cowboys fan these days, but that's alright, after all, it's all in good fun.

NMSU Job Wide Open

So it looks like NMSU finally fired Hal Mumme after another failed season of football. The man couldn't coach to save his life, and the team performed dismally. I hear that Ken Norton Jr., the same Ken Norton Jr. who played for the Dallas Cowboys back in the glory days of the '90s, is in the running for the job. This is just me talking, but he's the kind of big name we need to get people in the stands and recruits coming out here. Plus, the fact that he's an assistant at USC, and gets a stellar recommendation from Pete Carroll, doesn't hurt. GO NORTON JR!!!!

Rich Schools vs. Poor Schools & Standardized Testing Accountability According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Since August, my world has been fairly upside down. It's not one of those major things that I should be complaining about, but all the changes, the changes in routine, the pace of life, and everything else, made it hard to sit back and find things to complain about (the basic purpose in having a personal blog such as this one).

This really put certain things in perspective for me, and is probably my most appropriate reaction to the test heavy school culture we now work under in the field of public education. I've heard it said that teacher bonuses should be tied in to test results, and on the surface that sounds like such a nice, wonderful idea, that is, until basic common sense takes over.

When I was an undergraduate student at NMSU, I continually had this thing called Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs rammed into my brain. It's something that is common knowledge now, and that is this. Take a look at the pyramid here:

This pyramid shows the levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The bottom needs are the basic ones, and without those needs being met, major psychological setback occur, and the person not having those needs met will suffer. In education, this means that kids who aren't getting enough food, sleep, a consistent family life, consistent financial situation, a consistent place to live, and a safe and secure existence with routine, then they will not reach the upper levels.

Look at the top of the pyramid. Those are all the great things that we want our children to achieve. Teachers and parents dream of children who show those traits.

Now, with that in mind, who will show those traits? Will it be the homeless child looking for a place to sleep at night, wondering where their next meal will come from and where they'll be living in a week? Or will it be the kid who goes home to the same house every night, has a family that's always there, never has to worry about basic needs, and has a safe, secure existence? Of course, it's the latter.

Now, is this a rich vs. poor issue? Yes it is. Take this argument to the schools, and you'll see that if things like teacher pay raises and school accountability are tied to test results, who will achieve higher? It's quite obvious, on a number of different levels, that the more affluent, or even simply middle class schools will have a much better shot than "poor school."

The reality is right there, and it doesn't take a genius to figure it out. For me, personally, some of my needs weren't being met there for awhile, nothing major, just a few changes in my life. Those changes caused me to re-think my priorities and everything for awhile. If those smaller changes can affect an adult so much, imagine the extent that a child would be affected by not having those basic needs met. It's staggering. Somebody in the government needs to pay attention to common sense, abolish No Child Left Behind, and stop rewarding people for working in rich schools while punishing poor schools. It's classism, and it's wrong.

Black Friday?

The stories about the upcoming Black Friday are beginning to show up in the local newspapers and on the news as well. Of course I'm talking about all the mega sales the day after Thanksgiving that "starts the holiday season." When I was younger, I used to get some major gifts around Christmas. My parents bought quite a bit, but my grandparents were always the mega shoppers.

Every year, I expected more and more, and was always on a Christmas day crash by about noon, with so much stuff that I didn't know what to do with it all. So, with my own kids, we decided to keep it a little smaller.

Each year, we buy each of our kids (we have two) one big gift and three small gifts, and it works nicely. My wife and I usually buy each other one nice thing, and that's it. Last year, I opened up two gifts on Christmas day, that was it, and I was completely happy.

I won't be hitting any Black Friday sales. In fact, we're going on a day trip, figuring that all the morons (no offense if you are a Black Friday shopper) will be waiting in long lines to save money on crap that they don't want or need for people that don't care whether or not they get anything from them.

Christmas to me is the same as Thanksgiving. It's a time where I don't have to work, I get to stay at home with my family and hang out. We'll watch TV, rent some movies, sit in front of the fireplace, and go visit some museums and areas of interest here in New Mexico. It's not about how much you spend, it's about who you spend the time with. The less time people spend together, the more they try to compensate by spending their money on idiotic crap from stores that are looking to meet their bottom line by selling Tickle Me Elmo, Rock Star, and HD TV's at record low prices. Well, I don't care, keep me away from the madness.

Stupid Election

In my first official post about something since my return, I wanted to discuss this whole Presidential / everything else election. Frankly, this whole thing is driving me nuts. I get probably three phone calls a day, ten or fifteen political mailings a week, on average two knocks on my door everyday, and complete saturation on television, radio, and the internet about the elections.

I have already voted, I did it early this year to get it over with. I wanted to vote while I was still level headed, and didn't want my attitude towards all of this, well, bull s*** to influence me. If I waited until the 4th to vote, I probably wouldn't have even gone. I watch this stuff on TV, with Republicans backing McCain and Democrats backing Obama. It's basically a cult mentality, they both love their new messiahs, and will argue for days about it. As for me, I don't really care. I don't really care who wins anymore, I just want it to be over, SOON.

Super Long Break

Whoa, my current break from blogging is the longest I've had, nearly two full months. It's weird, it was like I went through a sort of depression, and when I came out of it (althought I guess I'm not fully out of it), I lost some of my old interests, including blogging. But, I'm going to try to come back, at least occasionally. So, I'll see you soon!

Whoa, Major Lows

This year has definitely been one of milestones and major change. Back in March, I went through a few of the more stressful weeks of my life, where I finished up my masters degree with my writtens, and then completed entry into the doctoral program. I also completed movement to permanent teacher license here in New Mexico, which is a pretty big ordeal around these parts. Now, I'm sitting here in my nearly empty house of three years, on my new laptop, trying to get tired so I can go to bed.

On Saturday, we're moving to a new house, on the other side of the city. Of course Las Cruces isn't HUGE, but to a small town boy like me, it is. So moving 8 miles from my current house is massive to me. It's been the source of some stress, that's for sure.

I think it's safe to say that, in my four year teaching career, that I've had some ups and downs. The ups have been great, and the downs have been bad. I think that I just about hit rock bottom this morning. I was sitting there teaching math, when it suddenly hit me that... well, I don't know exactly, but I snapped. I did get a little short with my students, but I made it up to them. The rest of the day from there was ok, but for some reason, that one hour period this morning, I considered just walking out, and I don't really know where it came from. Yeah, there's a lot of reasons, but those issues that I have with my job are better left unsaid here in the public forum.

I do like my class, they're great kids, and they deserve to be treated right. I feel bad that I haven't been putting 100% into my work, but I think that the combined stress of a new school year, starting a Ph.D., and moving to a new house, has taken a major toll. I'll be glad when Saturday is over and I'm settled in a new place. It will definitely be nice, I'm looking forward to that.

Educational Bull Poop

I know I haven't posted much lately, but get used to it, that's life. OK, tonight I quickly wanted to discuss the fact that education sucks. Yeah, that's it, end of story, I'm not going to argue the point anymore, because it's a fact. Public education blows in just about every way it can. We're so heavily focused on evaluating performance, on achievement, and all this other nonsense, that the actual learning is something that teachers are actually discouraged from letting happen. It's all scoring rubrics, writing rubrics, testing guides and literacy programs.

The problem is that teachers are told, from the time they're in college, that they're changing the world. They're told that they're the most important person in those kids lives, and 90% of the time, they're effectively brainwashed into working 70 hours week but only getting paid for less than 40. Well, let's just go ahead and say it. Teachers are NOT the most important person in those kids lives, get over it, there's no way, those people who are important are called "family." Teachers do NOT change the world. The job of the teacher should be to teach, and for students to want to learn on their own and seek out the teacher for more guidance, that's what it is.

So anyways, can you tell I'm not having a good year so far? The bull s*** has finally gotten to me, and I can't take it anymore. Education needs to change, and I'll either be a part of that change, or it will run me off, let's see which happens first.

Teacher Should Put Those Degrees / Credentials In the Classroom

When I say teachers should put their degrees and credentials in their classroom, I don't mean they should apply them and use them, I mean they should literally put them in their classroom. Doctors hang up their credentials and degrees in their offices, lawyers have them hanging up behind them, even many engineers have them in their office, so why shouldn't teachers?

I like going in the doctors office and knowing that they're able to care for me based on their years of education. So this year I went and got photo copies of my B.S. and M.A., as well as my teaching license, framed them, and put them behind my desk. It reminds me that, even on a bad day, I am prepared to do my job. It can also just be something for parents to look at and realize their kids are in good hands.

So take those degrees down from your living room and hang them behind your desk, or make copies and hang those. Take pride in what you do!