Shakespeare got to get paid...

Here is the great debate; I am assigning independent reading to my juniors in Multicultural Literature because on Friday the seniors leave and I have 3 weeks left with the rest of them.  That means in two classes I will have 6 students, 3 in each.  This also means that they either have to read a book I have read, or I have to read the book they are reading because they will be required to do a variety of activities regarding the book.  Now, I know I set my list in October, but I think I may have to be willing to change or add books if I have to read something new in order to keep up with my students.

In other news, I am nearing the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, 5 months after I started it.  Sheesh.  This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, and since I should be completely caught up on grading since my last day with seniors is Friday, I’m hoping to spend most of the weekend relaxing and reading down the shore.  Well, if the weather holds, that is.  If so, I should be able to completely finish Handmaid and possibly Memoirs of a Geisha.  If I can do that, I feel like I’m on a better track to accomplishing the goal I set out to accomplish.  And if I plan on reading Atlas Shrugged on the cruise this summer, I’m sure my cousin, Jennifer, will keep on me because apparently she just loves that novel.  Peer pressure is a strong suggestor.

I am looking forward to the selections my students make for their independent reading.  I’m using this as a time for them to pick something that interests them, because these kids just don’t find reading enjoyable.  And why should they?  Our world is so instantaneous and attention grabbing and image image image, a book doesn’t hold the same weight it did before technology advanced so much.  Hopefully they will pick something enjoyable and maybe, just maybe, read something else when they are finished.  A girl can dream, no? 

Side note: my shirt for today?  “Shakespeare got to get paid, son.”  My classes response? “You would, Ms. Beck.  You would.” And they are right.  I would.

I will miss some of those little bastards, really, I will.

I actually read something!

Stop the presses!  I actually partook in the adventure this blog set out to be!

I awoke this morning at 9am to my alarm going off.  Having gone to bed at a reasonable time for the Saturday night post-prom (note: I was not an attendee, but a chaperone.  Yeah, how old does that make you feel?) around 1am.  Somehow though, I do not feel well and would like to sleep more.  Unfortunately, I had plans for a coffee date with Dan at 930, but luckily we both wanted more sleeping time.  Unfortunately, I had about 4 cups of water before bed the night before, and unfortunately almost peed my pants running to the bathroom as soon as my alarm went off.  Unfortunately, I am REALLY awful at falling back asleep once I get moving (sidenote: Red Sox score! 2-0 in the 4th).

So I decided to make the most of it.  Also, I didn't feel like rolling over to grab my TV remote.  So I read The Handmaid's Tale for about an hour before rolling out of bed to go to Caribou.  I'm ALMOST done with the book.  Honestly, months and months later, I am ALMOST done.  Best part was Dan was running late, so I sat at an outdoor table and read more of Memoirs of a Geisha while I waited for him.  I've got 2 books going at once, and hopefully I won't get them too confused.

Here is the last unfortunately for this post (I swear): Memoirs of a Geisha has just been in my backseat for a while now, since I brought it with me somewhere to read while I killed time (doctor's appointment, maybe?) and when Anthony's friend, Chris, was in my backseat a few days ago, he had picked it up to comment.  And he removed my bookmark.

I know, I know, everyone out there is thinking WHAT???? How could he?  What is wrong with this boy?  Why did you let him in your car?  He better not ever ride in the car again!  And I'm right there with you.  Chris, you are banned from my car forever.  But I realized maybe I hadn't made it clear that what I was using for a bookmark was, in fact, a bookmark.  Normally I remove the book jacket from hardcover books, and with the exception of my Harry Potter books (which I own ALL in hardcover) I normally prefer paperback.  I can bend them and they're less awkward, but this copy happens to be hardcover and the cover is well designed and made out of a fabulous material, so I was using the flap as a page marker.  Standard decision, right?  Once you get past the halfway point, page-wise, you switch the other other flap?  Isn't that what most people do?

Anyway, I had to spend some time trying to find my place, and then proceeded to complain to Anthony about it on skype when I got home.  He did not feel my pain.  Non-reading a-holes.  It did make me think, though...

Does anyone really own and use a legit bookmark?  I own a few, and several are actually very nice (I have a cute rope one with a metal "L" on one end, but the rope is too short to really mark a full page) but I always end up either folding down the page -- I'm not one who is worried about the conditions of my page corners -- or grabbing a random scrap of paper and shoving it into the pages, often losing it the next time I open the book. 

There is also nothing more interesting to me than borrowing a book from someone and finding the page-marker they've used; most of the time, it's a ticket stub from some flight my Dad was on for work, and in my copy of To Kill a Mockingbird I still have his ticket stub from some flight to Phoenix from years ago.  I couldn't bring myself to throw it away or use anything else.  Even when I taught the novel last year I used his ticket stub to mark our placement in class.

My favorite page-marker?  Probably random photos, and, in a pinch, I once used a napkin.  I HATE losing my place in books.

The same thing... over and over again...

Here I am, a month later, having NOT updated since early March.  What happened to me?  I am almost finished with The Handmaid's Tale (yeah yeah, I know, it's been months) but I feel like I'm relying too much on my 'summer vacation' to get through my overwhelming list of books to read.  I also weighed myself yesterday and I've put about 6 pounds on over the last few weeks of not going to the gym.  I'm really feeling down on myself right now for slacking and not getting through this, but it's so hard to find the motivation after working all day... I just want to bum around and skype/chat with people, watch tv, and not think about literature, but I know that reading is actually one of my favorite things to do and I miss it.

Now I've got myself thinking about my list of books.  I really wish I hadn't made a set list, because there are so many books that have been recommended to me recently, and books that have come out, but I feel the need to finish my list before I can get to anything else.  I might consider switching out a few books, but we'll cross that bridge when I finally finish The Handmaid's Tale.

Other than that, the weather is getting so nice, so I might be able to start reading on the back deck soon...

The Tipping Point and Droids

This is my first attempt at updating my blog from my cell phone... amazing how typing an entire post on a phone is no longer awkward or a burden, but instead is convenient and more relevant to my life. I find I spend less time on my actual computer and more time using my phone for the things my laptop was for. Facebook, games, twitter, IMing... all of it is possible on my phone. Is it any surprise the younger generations, my own included, don't find books engaging or exciting? Too much effort for not enough return?

I finished The Tipping Point last night. Like I said previously, I prefer his other books, but I realized one important thing from the lessons intended more for business minded people: if I want my classes to be relevant and important, I need to keep up with the current trends for this teenage generation, and I need to spot those students who are the trendsetters and engage them. If they start to think English classes (and the study of literature, writing, and speaking) is significant and important, eventually other students will, also. The goal is to make learning not fun or meaningful, but to make knowledge and curiosity desirable. How we do that, I don't really know.

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Oops...

Last Post: December 4th.  How long ago was that? Oh, yeah, 3 months ago.  And I haven't been keeping up with my reading.  Why oh why did I let it go this long?  Life got in the way.

Part of my reasoning for starting this blog was to force myself to start and finish a project.  Now, I'm not one to start things and leave them to rust often, but I am guilty of setting myself up for something big and then just letting it fall by the wayside for a short while.  I'm not going to let that happen with this project.  I had my reasons for starting, and I'm going to see them through.

Tonight before bed (yeah, it's already 9 and I have more school stuff to do.. oops) I'm going to read more of The Tipping Point.  I'm almost finished with it.  I hate to say, it's been a really difficult read.  I don't find it nearly as engaging as Outliers, but The Tipping Point is more business oriented, where I saw Outliers as something I could really use in my job and my life.  I'm not trying to start a trend or market anything, I'm just trying to live my life and teach some kiddies.

I'm also almost finished with The Handmaid's Tale.  PLUS a student of mine lent me one of his books, so I'm thinking I either need to add a 53rd book (oh, yeah, great plan ms. can't-keep-up-with-anything) or replace one of the books on the list with his book.

So here is my new goal: I will update my blog at the very least once a week.  And I will start reading more often, and go to the gym.  Going to the gym isn't just my random plug for physical activity (I'm getting fat again!) but I also bring my Kindle to the gym and I read on the bike.  I can't read when I run, that's strictly music time, but on the bike I love to use my Kindle.  Apparently electronic books are good for something!

Point is, I'm back, bitches.  Did you miss me?