Random Thoughts

So here's a few random things that I've been wanting to blog about but none of them were worthy of full blogs.  So here you have it, a series of short random thoughts (mostly about work, but that's what I mostly do)...

1.  After the first test this year I was going over the correct answers for some of the commonly missed questions.  After I explained why D was the correct answer for one of the questions, one of my students said a word that I am not even going to type (it's my least favorite word ever) but I will tell you it started with p and it is another name for a cat, then he mumbled something else after that.  I immediately stared him down and noticed he had his head down, not caring and was obviously not aware of what he had just said.  I was about to go on and forget about it but then I noticed that half the class was horror struck by the comment.  

Some kids may have even gasped.

So I was forced to ask, "what did you just say???"  To which the kid picked his head up, very confused and said, "I said I put C, not D."  And the rest of us released a sigh of air.  It took a lot of explaining from one of his fellow football team-mates to get the point across as to why we were all so up-in-arms.  And I stressed an un-intentional lesson that day why enunciation is so vital to speaking.  I think I will always remember that kiddo as "put-c" for as long as I shall live...

2.  When my students are testing I have three different science magazines (National Geographic, Popular Science and Discover) I subscribe to for the purpose of them reading them after their test.  I try to scope through them to find any potential "hazardous" reading material.  But by scope I mean flip.  And by flip I mean glance at the cover.  So this method isn't fail proof.  

Needless to say, I miss something here or there and I find students passing a magazine to each other to point out these flaws.  I saw this happening recently and usually I can get the student to admit it or they just bring it to me.  But I should have known what student I was dealing with, one of my "challenges" (not that he's that bad, but just walking that line regularly).  So when I said, "okay D, what's in the magazine?" I wasn't at all surprised when the answer given back to me was, "Cocks!"

I just patiently waited until he gave me a more appropriate answer: "It's an article about roosters!"  

And then we had a talk about the appropriateness of the words we choose to use.  

BIG EXHALE.

3.  We had parent night recently (or what I'd call recently from the last time I blogged).  I secretly hate parent night, you just never know what's going to be thrown your way.  But this one takes the cake.  I had a parent come up ask if I was going to teach his kid about how to make bombs.  I told him that bomb making was not part of the eighth grade curriculum, so no.  And THE PARENT said, "well maybe you can just teach me and then I'll teach him how."  WHAAAAAAAT???

And then I reported his name to homeland security.

Actually I didn't, but what the????

4.  I went jogging after it was dark a few weeks ago, stepped on a rock, rolled my ankle and now I have a sprained ankle.  It progressively got worse over the couple of weeks- but that's my fault, I know.  I went to a three day music festival last weekend, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and have been on my feet an extreme amount all week.  I finally went to the doctor today and she confirmed the sprain and the fact that I need to rest my foot.  It's been hard enough to not do any physical activity and it looks like I have a couple more weeks to go.  Stupid rock...

5.  I have a section of my keys that just snaps off.  I only keep my apartment key and gate clicker to the apartment complex on that section because I can easily break them off and take them with me when I run.  But sometimes they break off when I don't notice, and they did just that the other day.  I didn't notice until I was coming home from work and I was shocked to find my keys had been thrown in the corner next to the door to my apartment.  

That is, my keys minus the gate clicker.

I have no idea where my keys dropped and how far from the door.  But I doubt it was just outside my door because I am on the top floor in the back (so no one walks by my door).  And my keys don't identify my apartment number.  So did someone find them and then go test them on every door until they found mine?  And then they had the keys to my apartment, they had no problem with stealing my clicker but they drew a line at stealing anything from inside?

I mean, I'm glad they didn't steal anything else, don't get me wrong.  I am just the type that won't steal ANYTHING.  I like being the nice Samaritan that returns things as I found them.  

That situation just strikes me as odd.

6.  The last section of the new toll road opened around Austin.  I can now get on this road that is less than a mile from my house and take it to less than a quarter of a mile from my school.  This road has the fastest speed limit in the country, 85 mph!  It takes about 10 minutes (maybe even more) off my travel time each way!  Problem is... it'd cost me about $6 a day total to take to and from work.  I do carpool, but still that might be a little steep.  What are your thoughts?  Would you take that road to work???