I'm listening to my Michael Jackson Off the Wall CD. I don't listen to this CD nearly enough. I love Michael Jackson, freak that he is. I love love love him! This doesn't violate my, "I hate '80s music," rule because Michael Jackson is TIMELESS.
Thanks to sundry's webpage for this link she got from someone named Robyn. If you like cats it is funny.
I still have an amazing amount of work to do, but I am giving myself one hour off. I spent about four hours at school. I finished some of the things on my list. I did all of the grading, so I'm all caught up with that and can give grade printouts to all of the kids tomorrow. I also did the weekly progress reports for the kids who are on them. I also updated the missing work folders. I guess writing it down it doesn't seem like much, but I am glad it is done. I need to get a ton more done tonight, though. I probably shouldn't be on the computer, but you know how that goes. I have no self control, apparently.
I got sucked into this documentary on the history channel this morning. I never watch the history channel, but it was about the Ku Klux Klan. I imagine everyone feels this way when they watch footage of the civil rights movement, but I am always completely devastated when I watch it. I am always unable to stop watching, but it makes me feel physically ill and I also can't keep myself from crying. That might be why I haven't shown my students anything from that era (although I think Eyes on the Prize should be required viewing for all students).
Anyway, it was a good documentary. My favorite part was about this guy Bill Baxley. I had never heard of him, but apparently he was a lawyer who reopened the case of the four girls who died when a church was bombed in Alabama (originally the men responsible were found not guilty). He did this as soon as he became attorney general of Alabama, because when he first heard about it he was just a lawyer who hoped someday he could do something to make a difference in that case. Apparently, after he reopened the case he got some hate mail that basically said he was a "N-word Lover." He replied on official government stationary, and his complete reply was, "In response to your letter of [date] --kiss my ass."
One of the things that I always think about when seeing things about social injustice is whether or not I would have been involved if I had lived back then. I would like to believe that I would be a person who would have spoken out against hatred and inequality, but I have a feeling I would have been too scared to do something like Freedom Summer. I need to do more now, though. I try to educate my students on various issues, and make sure to write letters to government officials about different issues that I think are important, but I need to get more involved.
I will be so glad when I am done with all of this work. I only have a week and a half left of school! I still can't get over that. I wish that I would have found out before school got out whether or not I will be here next year. I have so many kids I would like to be able to tell how much they mean to me, and I hate to think about them coming back next year and me not being there, without saying goodbye.
