I wish I had more time to paint and write and that kind of stuff. The great thing about being a teacher is that in 4 and half months, I will. I'm excited for June 1st, but scared I'm going to kicked out the door at the same time. I also am nervous to think of all I have to accomplish with my students in these next months.
I watched this video on my friend's blog and, oh my gosh, it made me miss college so bad. So bad. Back when I thought I was cool and fun. Now, everyday I have teenagers telling me the opposite. (Except, in my heart I know teenagers are not cool themselves, but I'm outnumbered by 38 to 1 usually, so they'll never know.)
http://youtu.be/T_lh5fR4DMA
I've never been up to USU but it looks like U of U, which is kind of weird.
The point is, college is the best years of your life. Hands down. Dating is incredibly fun. Classes are intellectually enriching most of the time. And you are not as busy as you think you are in college. Meaning in college, I could go to bed at midnight or later. Actually I felt like I was being healthy going to bed at midnight. Fast forward to 25. If the lights are out and my eyes aren't shut by 10pm, I feel busted in the morning. I miss staying up late.
One of the worst things is that all this wisdom I attain as I grow up can never really be useful. I try to share my life wisdom with my students, but they don't get it. You really only get to be young once.
Being a grown is fun, too. Just with a lot more responsibilities and imagining your life 10 years, 20 years, 50 years down the road.
I discovered that I love World Market and bought a velvet green curtain and some color pillows for the couch. It's fun to decorate. Maybe I put all of my clothing budget into a decorating budget. I don't need anymore clothes, so why is it so hard to stop buying them?
I had a really good day at school the other day. This happens sometimes, but I think this one has topped them all. ALL of my students from my 3rd period (who tend to make dumb choices in terms of class work) turned in the classwork. All I had to say was to leave the room they needed to give it to me or I would keep them there and they did it. I know I can't say this all the time, but now I feel like I have a secret weapon. And THEN someone in my 4th period someone wrote on the whiteboard in the couple minutes of class "your an awesome teacher." You might be thinking "your"??, no you're not. But we're working on stuff like that. The important part is that this was a day when we did iambic pentameter and writing titles. We weren't do fun stuff. So good job me. I'm sure by Tuesday I'll be in the pit of despair again, smashing lamps over all the Fs and blank stares, but yay! victory.
I think I can add a new favorite movie to my list of movies I can watch more than once: Something's Gotta Give. I feel weird about it because it is about old people hooking up. I remember when it first came out I did not want to see it for that reason. Then I watched it on t.v. and then I watched it on t.v. again and then I Netflixed it the other night. I love it. It is romantic. It also has French music on the soundtrack and has a scene in Paris: two of my favorite things.
Watching this movie last night made me feel less lonely. With no one to come home to, my life seems to stop at 3:00 every afternoon. At least I could look forward to my future summer home in the Hamptons that is styled like Diane Keaton's in that movie and holidays in Paris.
I have sooo many papers to grade, so I'm going to write a blog post. That's usually how it goes. I have something to do that I don't want to do, so I write a blog post.
Btw, the new job is great. Most of the time I like teaching and I like my students. I have 5 wonderful classes. I have 1 devil class. I don't think I'm going to be one of those teachers that gush that my students inspire me because so far my devil class defines my whole week. If they are being wild, my whole day is blown, even though my 2 angel classes are incredibly motivated and respectful and fun. My devil class makes me feel like a devil teacher. I'm just hoping my devil class working to get F's turns into a class of naughty students who want to get decent grades. And then eventually highly motivated students who are working for A's. Because I have high expectations.
I feel bad for saying this. Individually, my students of the devil class are great.
I was going to post a bunch of pictures, but my internet or blogger isn't cooperating. Being married is great. But it doesn't feel that huge, it feels pretty normal. I loved the wedding. It was lovely. I am so glad I never have to do it again. Some girls are made for planning weddings and being a bride. I'm not that girl, I guess.
What else can I say? Mark is great. We had a fab honeymoon on Vancouver Island. Loved it. Saw killer whales in the OCEAN on a speed raft. This isn't us, but it's basically what it was. Soooo much better than Sea World. We also saw a bald eagle and seals.
When we went sea kayaking, I saw a harbour seal right next to my little, tiny kayak which got bounced so hard by the waves. We had an adventure. And I need more! I feel like my youth is slipping away. It's kinda scary. Being married has sped things up. The rest of my life feels laid out in front of me and I just want to take advantage of being young for the next few years while I still can. Luckily, I can do it with Mark.
This video is pg-13, but I was impressed by it when someone shared it in my feminist class (which I can't decide if I like it or hate it).
I like this because it reclaims hip-hop and verse for women and debunks that has to be hyper-sexual and misogynistic. Hip-hop and rap has a bad reputation for that. A lot people I know, a lot of LDS people, complain or pretend to complain about how bad music is on the radio and why do these artists sing this crap. But the truth is, it is us. The reason why it's being made is because we listen to, it dance to it, laugh at it. I complain about the lyrics of music, but then I'm bumping it on a road trip because I like the beat. Is liking the beat a good enough reason to push the idea of women as sexual objects further into the next generation. To make it ok for my future daughters and sons hear men call women "bitches" and tell them to "get low" on the floor when they're driving around after school with their friends just like I did?
My thought is that, as Mormons, we're told to avoid music with bad messages and maybe we do, maybe we don't, but is avoiding the subject all together going to stop your kids, neighbors, brothers, sisters, students from listening to it because the beat is "fresh and hot?" Or even because the lyrics are sexy (if this is what has become sexy)?
I'm not sure what I think about all the theories of my feminist class, but I do know that I will be talking often to my sons and daughters about issues of gender and sex because they are going to be exposed to these messages whether I like it or not.
*I know a lot men and women think we are post-patriarchy and everyone has they're equal rights, but when women's issues are still considered "special interest" when women comprise half the population in this country and the world, it's not equal society. Even girls out there that choose to not work to raise their children, this still matters to you.
