Dr. King as a Mild Sedative in the Classroom (No School Nurse Needed)

…I’ve always known we’ve done a poor job of teaching Black history, but as of the last few days it’s so clear to me why history classrooms reference Dr. Martin Luther King almost as if he’s the only significant civil rights activist.  It’s not because of his effectiveness; truthfully speaking, if we wanna talk about effectiveness, we’d do better to talk about the brilliant organizer A. Philip Randolph who, behind the scenes, made that fateful marching day and so many others possible.  Or, we’d talk more about Thurgood Marshall, who won the cases and made the rulings that secured our futures on paper and not just in romantic demonstrations. 

Nope.  We don’t teach Dr. King because of his effectiveness; we teach Dr. King because it’s our way of protecting the status quo.  Our way of reminding the actors in the civil rights stage play of their ‘proper roles’.  “Okay, this is our routine, guys:  we do the brutalizing, and you sit there and take it and catch us on camera, then you give the powerful speech, and that’ll bring the change.”

“Patriotic” Education: UNpatriotic and UNeducational, 4/25/2015

Ask yourself a question:  do you love your country, or do you just love the makeup your country wears?  Do you love “Good Morning, America”--- with all of her bad breath and plaque and body odor and bed hair--- or do you just love “America, the Beautiful” after she’s been sanitized and dressed in designer fabric?

In light of all this Valdosta flag-stomping controversy, I thought this would be a good time to address false patriotism--- in education.

"Bad Apple Trees" Are Ruining Our Schools, 4/18/2015

It stands to reason that, if “a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch” and “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”, then we should be concerned not with the bad apples, but with the bad apple trees.  Good parents beware: bad parenting hurts our schools far more than bad students…

Daredevils of Education: A Call to Action, 4/13/2015

On April 10^th, Netflix made Marvel’s Daredevil series available for streaming.  As a long-time Marvel fan, I barricaded myself indoors for the weekend and partook.  By episode 7 I was much impressed; so much so that it inspired me to write.  I realized, watching “The Man with No Fear”, that fear is exactly what’s being used to keep educators from saving education.  I hope that this entry will be a shot of courage to whoever reads it…

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No Slavery in the Classroom? Try the Xbox…

As a high school history teacher, there have been several moments where I was teaching about a particular subject--- World War II, for instance--- and a student would raise their hand and say, “Oh yeah!  I saw that plane in Medal of Honor!”  or “Oh yeah!  The Cold War, like in Call of Duty!”  Usually, when they tell teachers to “activate prior knowledge” in students, they mean activate what students have learned in previous schoolyears or in prior lessons; nowadays, I find activating prior knowledge to mean “remind them what they saw while playing their favorite history-related video game.”

…Maybe video games should be the ‘21^st Century Homework’, huh, lol

Double-Consciousness of the High School Student, 4/9/2015

I call them my kids.  Partially because I love my students dearly and would do anything for them (if I had the money).  But partially because I have to constantly remind myself who I’m dealing with.  In those moments when a young man jumps out of his seat ready to literally fight me, and he’s standing taller than I am with more muscle, more facial hair, more body odor, and more tattoos.  Or in those moments when a student’s mugshot is in the dollar paper for armed robbery or D.U.I.  Or that moment when I’m going through the Facebook photo albums of guys from my graduating class and older, and I see young ladies that not too long ago graduated high school in the club with them, drinks in hand.

…Kids ;-\

When Hip Hoppers Can’t Funk With the Jazz

I didn’t know whether to put this in my ‘Here Lies Education’ section or in my ‘The Experienced Listener’ section.  Luckily, it’s my site, so I can put it in both.  I love when music and education connect…

I’ve reviewed a lot of albums during my several stints as ‘The Experienced Listener’.  Just about two weeks ago I had the pleasure of witnessing rapper Kendrick Lamar drop one of the greatest Hip Hop albums I’ve heard in years. Some are even saying it’s one of the greatest albums in music period; time will tell once the butterflies of the moment have passed.

Let’s Make a Deal: Black History Month Programs for a Fully-IntegratedU.S. History Curriculum

That’s right:  while 1954’s Brown vs. Board of Education integrated public facilities across America, in 2015, U.S. History Curriculums are still segregated.  In a 10 month school year, 1 month of Black History, 1 month of Native American History, 1 month of Latin American History, and the remainder dedicated to “the Establishment”… yeah, that’s segregation, folks.  Read it.  Weep.

Grey Damage: Why Ultra Combos II is the Best Loadout for Gen in USFIV

Lol… I said “Loadout” as if this was Halo 4.  It works tho, so I’m sticking with it; this is the way of the #SHENANIGAN.





Anyway, I’ve managed to get the evil eye treatment when I’ve told fellow Gen players that I always use Ultra Combos II in my matches.  In my mind, it’s the most logical, sensible selection; frankly, I think people only choose Ultra Combos I for comboability and style points which, frankly, I care little to nothing about.  Put simply, Gen is an assassin; sacrificing damage for added hits is not what being an assassin is all about.   The point is to kill without warning and get the fork outta dodge before Gen dies of old age.  Not quickness of body movement; quickness of victory.

Teacher Removal is No Accident, 4/3/2015

If you've heard about the recent jailing of 11 teachers involved in the Atlanta cheating scandal, if you're one of the people out there who is shaming these teachers as being terrible examples to our children for cheating, then you are on the outside and outskirts of an education discussion that is so much more important.  How can I put this--- you are staging a two-piece swimwear protest at a global warming conference.  Follow me.

April Fool's Day, Part II

4-1-2015, 5th Period

He’s a troubled student, but I can already see him being successful.  He’s always been charismatic, and whether he was misbehaving or apologizing, he’s always given off a positive energy.  I can tell by how his peers embrace him, and by how he shrinks back into self-reflection when he’s done wrong that he’s a good guy…

April Fool's Day, Part I

4/1/2015, 1st Period

Overhearing some casual conversations between students today, I felt helpless.  They talk about crime as if it’s a life goal.  They are literally inspired by the criminal activities of their peers.  They don’t brag about the graduates they know, or about the friends they have who’ve gone off to college.  They brag about who can “throw them hands” the best.  Who got “bammed up” by the police the other day.  How they didn’t panic when they saw an elderly person being robbed, but didn’t get involved either.  The only positive thing they brood over is if a friend of theirs manages to get a job.  “Yeah man, he/she gettin’ that paper now…”

The Day I Fell In Love with Decapre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAJAAx9KGus

I love it when I can point to a specific moment in a match having significance like this.