Tag: teaching

Bzzzzzzy

BeeJert Typewriter Classroom Full

Listen, I’m usually juggling two jobs, two or more reading projects, this blog, writing a book, cleaning, dadding, and I be strippin in the evenins. In a word, I’m uber busy (that was two words, but you get the idea.)

I sat in contemplation about my dizzying to do list. Right then and there, despite the objections of all 157 kajillion molecules in my body hell bent on figuring out some way to return the mayo to the fridge and throw away a cheese wrapper simultaneously, thereby saving 4.3 seconds – time which can be applied to some more purposeful activity later, inspiration bade that I conjure a verse to chronicle my raging reality.

 

What follows is the offspring of that bit of whimsy and my brain’s inclination to swaddle such whimsy in cozy, tender words –

 

On Monday, where are you going to be?

I’m subbing for Mrs. Brown,

I never turn an English job down.

Never slow down. Gotta stay busy.

 

Hey, it’s Friday. Let’s go to a movie.

Can’t. I’m working all nite,

Teaching online until the morning lite.

Sleeping is overrated. Gotta stay busy.

 

All work and no play for Jarrett Lee?

Being productive is my joy,

That make me a dull boy?

Well “HERE’S JOHNNY!” Gotta stay busy.

 

Daughter: “Dad, spend some time with me.”

Gladly, my dear, let me finish this text

Then we’ll play on the X…

…box. Make time for Quinn, but gotta stay busy.

 

What? I’ve a moment free,

That can’t be true!

Oh look, there’s some mail that I need to view.

I only thought I wouldn’t stay busy

 

I haven’t blogged lately,

Yes that is true,

I use any spare time to…

… write a book, cuz I gotta stay busy

 

OOH! A book! May I see?

There’s not much to show,

I regret that the word count is so low,

Because I gotta stay busy…

 

… and boost productivity,

By engaging in tasks that might improve my station,

Leading to a situation

Where I gotta stay busy…

 

…but do so gainfully.

Oh, I wish I may, I wish I might,

Someday get paid to write,

And break this mold of busy tizzy

 

FIN

@JarrettLWilson

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On Teaching English

I’ve been commissioned to produce a rhyme,

Thing is, I’ve not had an original thought in a long time.

That being the case,

The proceeding space

Will showcase

How the BookFace

Is responsible for these words.

I’ve just now decided that rhyme schemes are for nerds.

I’ll rhyme how and when I want,

I assure you I’m no poetic savant

I just know what I…want

Ok, enough about the mechanics of this poem,

Let me tell you the muse for this work, you might know him.

He is certainly more pleasant than an itchy, puss-filled rash

I speak, of course, of the charmingly urbane Charles Nash.

In response to a call for conscription

Into my recent pedagogical vocation,

At that request he did commission,

For me to produce a poetic vision

Of great jubilation.

You are now reading the fruit of that request,

Question is, what to do with the rest…

Of this limerick?

What about a quick…

Rundown of the previously mentioned “pedagogical vocation”?

As a supplementary source of remuneration

Through the interwebs I travel to China,

To serve as an instructor of English elocution.

Working at home suits me just fine-uh.

Detracting from total mirth

Is that our opposing locations on the earth

Mean they are awake while I would snooze,

Causing me to lose

Precious sleep that humans require.

Indeed, I wish the body wouldn’t tire,

That being the case, I’d teach all night,

Helping Chinese kids speak English, the way an American might.

Scratch that, Americans have terrible grammar,

It’s only one step above incomprehensible yammer.

The worst example of this grammatical blathering

Is to answer “I didn’t do nothing”

Which is really testifying

That you, indeed, did something.

Equally bad is ending

A sentence with “at”

Thereby offending

Anyone that

Knows it’s a grammatical transgression,

To end a sentence with a preposition.

OMG, I’m all over the place,

To avoid confusion,

And end with grace,

This sentence is my conclusion.

 

FIN

@JarrettLWilson

 

 

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Marginalization of Honesty

If you haven’t heard yet, Donald f*in Trump is the next president of the United States. I’m sure many would agree that this is some bullsh*t, but I’m going to stop there. I think I’ve a more poignant point (pointnant?) that rings oh so loudly.

You see, I’m a teacher. As such, I’m on the forefront of the future. This is not me bragging or patting myself on the back, I’m simply stating that children are said to be our future and teachers work with children, ergo I get to see what may be a norm in the generations to come.

I gleaned what may well be a new cultural standard in the coming years from a recent conversation with a talkative, precocious first grader with long, scraggly blond hair. I was in the library at a local elementary school when this insightful ragamuffin voiced his gaiety that Donald Trump will be our next president.

Of course, in my head I’m thinking kid, we need Donald Trump as president about as much as we need an enema (entertaining when it happens to someone else); but I held my tongue, and I’m glad I did because his next comment both frightened and amused me.

As if trying to sell me on Trump as president, he very casually said,

“He only lies a some of the time, not as much as he used to.” I guffawed. He reacted as if it were a statement of fact, not meant to inspire comedy.

It occurred to me then that honesty has been compromised. It’s no longer about lying or not lying. It’s about who lies the least and/or who’s best at covering it up. Shouldn’t the expectation be total transparency from our elected officials? Will this become a party slogan in the years to come? “Vote for Justin Bieber (I can conceive of this happening now), he tells 40% fewer lies than his opponent.” Or maybe, “research indicates that one out of every four statements made by Trump in the 2016 election was found to be a lie. Justin Bieber vows to lie only once for every five statements*. That’s a 20% reduction in zingers coming from your commander in chief. So a vote for Justin is a vote for more honesty (not too much though).”snap-2016-11-11-at-22-43-08

Anyway, I’m getting off track here, the point is the ethical landscape of our culture is overgrown with lies and deceit without a standard of decency to maintain it. The boy can’t be faulted for his opinions, he’s only 7 or so; but do his words ominously predict a future of “honest enough”? Or am I overanalyzing something a child said?

*This statement may or may not be true.

FIN

@JarrettLWilson

10

getting back to work and other changes

A lot has happened since the last time I posted. I’ve been very busy. I started back to work on January 4 on the Monday. that day was a staff development day, the next day the kids came back. So far, it has gone very well. I had plenty of time to make a very good plan to manage my classroom. I also have a classroom assistant that helps with a lot of the legwork and the discipline.

As far as deficits I still deal with — I still get pretty tired when talking, and I don’t move very well around the room. But other than that it is very nice to be back in the old routine. I will say it’s a bit frustrating not being able to do things as fast as I used to, but it is nice to be back doing them.

I am dictating this right now, because typing takes way too long. I found a nifty bit of software that allows you to speak and it types for you. I tried the Vista voice-recognition software, and it’s not great.

I’ve been to a few different doctors since I’ve posted last. The neuro ophthalmologist has cleared me to take the driving evaluation and I no longer have any double vision. I had an MRI back in December, and the neurosurgeon reports that all the blood has cleared up from the surgery. I saw another neurosurgeon about the tremors in my left side and found out that I have many options before surgery to put a Baclofen pump in. Such as, Botox injections, and more medications.

That’s it for now, I will check back with everyone later. Thank you for your continued support!

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