"Much Ado about Nothing"

Hello!!!!!!

How is everyone?  We are doing pretty good.
I have taken on what feels like a Herculean Task this semester.
As you might know, I am working on my Masters in English degree at WKU in Kentucky.
This semester I became a full fledged Grad student by taking the GRE and passing the English and the writing.

The semester started in August and I took only one class, because that is all I can afford - thanks Progressive for this semester... (You can call me on that one... lol)

I go to my first class and get a phone call the next day offering me the Graduate Assistant spot that had opened up.  As I had JUST begged all my teacher friends to write recommendation letters so that I could become a Graduate Assistant.  You know, those annoying graduate level students who teach the 100 level English classes or are teaching the labs for your 150 student math class.  Yup, me.

Well, I'm several weeks in now and I must be crazy. I really only need to survive this semester and next semester and then I am free to relax again.
I'm teaching three FULL 90/91 classes at Sky.  (Asked not to do that next semester.)
AND I'm now taking 3 classes  - as that is part of the Grad Assistant deal - AND I have to work in the writing lab at school.

I am sorry to share to all my friends that I no longer work at the mall (good thing I got out when I did.)
Soooo, I no longer have that fabulous discount. Boooo.  

Life is hard and Tom is not thrilled with my hours or crankiness. I often have the urge to say, "I'm too old for this shit."

Anyway - we are surviving and Kayaking is very much on the back burner for the next 9 months. I think we may survive.......

But, Friday night we saw a play. I was soooo happy - Shakespeare is my main man.
Western Kentucky University presented - "Much Ado about Nothing."

"Much Ado about Nothing" is such a funny play, I still love "12th Night" but "Much ado" has some good stuff.

The student actors did a good job. It was Friday and probably their first real night. They did not have the awareness to slow down a little and breathe while the audience is laughing. More than a few lines were lost in the laughter.  Also the beginning was a little fast, so the first set of snipes out of the main characters were lost.
The poor guy playing the town sheriff had the attitude, but not the line delivery. Some of the words were not as clear, so the audience could not tell that he was using the wrong words in a very wrong way - which is why he is supposed to be so funny.

If I had not seen the movie several times, I do believe I could have been as lost as some other ladies at intermission. It took Tom about 15 minutes to catch up to what in the world is going on.
It is hard for the actors to remember, most people have never read the play and need you the actor to get all of it across.
 I'm sure the rest of their shows could only get better.  They did a great job.

Kindergartners.......

One of my friends found this on their  Facebook wall and shared it and now I want to share it with you.

The common core is really kind of Ugly for most of the disciplines.  I found the English in High School not too terrible, because they are supposed to have learned how to do most things before they get to me.  

But I have seen some of the math stuff and it is rediculus.  I can't even figure out what the kids are supposed to do.  And now this is what they are doing to kindergartners, come on people. I know most of them can work a TABLET better than I probably ever will, but this is a computer with no real touch ability, they don't know this.

Status Update

By Priscilla Sanstead

Please cut and paste this to share. A Kindergarten teachers just shared this on the BATs wall -

"I'm aiming for the short version here.

My kindergartners had their standardized computerized test today.

There were over 100 questions. Answers were selected by drop and drag with a trackpad, no mouse is available. One class took five hours to finish. Kids crying in 4 of 5 classes. Multiple computer crashes ("okay, you just sit right there while we fix it! Don't talk to anyone!"). Kids sitting for half hour with volume off on headsets but not saying anything. Kids accidentally swapping tangled headsets and not even noticing what they heard had nothing to do with what they saw on the screen. Kids having to solve 8+6 when the answer choices are 0-9 and having to DRAG AND DROP first a 1 then a 4 to form a 14. Some questions where it was only necessary to click an answer but the objects were movable (for no reason). No verbal explanation that you must click the little speaker square to hear the instructions. To go to the next question, one clicks "next" in lower right-hand corner.....which is also where the pop-up menu comes up to take you to other programs or shut down, so about many shut-downs or kids winding up in a completely different program.

If this is not what you want for your kids and grand-kids, you'd better start making some noise. Ten years ago we would've thought this would be literally impossible."

End of the school year

As you would guess I have a gazillion things to do in the next week & a 1/2.

Graduation, and a Musical  plus giving finals - editing programs and making copies for parents.

I have become the stopping ground for a large group of students.

My hour off is not even for me anymore.

oh well,